<Child Prodigy Retiring? No! She’ll Be Back!>

<The Reason Behind the Sudden Retirement Decision of the Child Star of "The Sun Hidden by the Moon">

<“The Sun Hidden by the Moon” in Its Prime! Average Ratings Surpass 25%, New High Ratings on the Horizon>

“……”

Han Seon-ah rubbed her eyes.
She thought it might be a dream, but it wasn’t.

“Unnie, can you wait a long time for my next work?”

Suddenly, she remembered what Seoyeon had said to her at the premiere.
Ah, that’s why she asked if I could wait a long time.

It must have been a decision made after much contemplation, not an impulsive one.
Realizing this, Han Seon-ah shook her head.

“...It’s not like she said she was retiring.”

Seoyeon had said she would return.

She probably intended to take a long break.
This is not uncommon among child actors.

It’s just that it’s rare for someone to take a break right at the peak of their fame.

“Time to study.”

Thanks to Seoyeon, she was also able to get into Seoul National University.
So Han Seon-ah would keep waiting, to meet her as a more wonderful unnie, a proper adult.

The only autograph Seoyeon had left behind.
Looking at it, Seon-ah made a promise.

“This is absurd!!”

Jo Seohui’s scream echoed through the living room.
Her parents, who were watching the news with her, covered their ears at her sudden outburst.

“Ah, Seohui, why are you suddenly shouting...?” “Didn’t you see that?! That kid!”

Jo Seohui clutched her father’s collar and shook him violently.
A girl with strong pride and a spirited personality that was hard to describe.

She had been very down after losing the "The Sun Hidden by the Moon" audition.

‘There must have been something going on behind the scenes. Otherwise, there's no way Seohui would lose.’

Her parents comforted her by saying that.
Still, her dissatisfaction didn’t change.

If she were truly superior, there wouldn’t have been any reason for the higher-ups to intervene, even if there was talk.
Seoyeon and her acting were similar.

Seoyeon was better at emotional acting and setting the atmosphere.
Jo Seohui was superior in pure acting stability and skill.

The princess of daily dramas.
Jo Seohui’s child acting career was on a smooth path.

She never imagined she’d lose to a rookie in a place like that.
However, even Jo Seohui had to admit it when she watched episodes 2 and 3 of "The Sun Hidden by the Moon."

It was acting that captivated even young Jo Seohui.
If she had witnessed it on set, Jo Seohui would have been completely overshadowed by Seoyeon.

“For someone who acted like that…”

Jo Seohui bit her thumbnail and glared at the TV.
Her gaze was so fierce that even her parents quietly left the room.

“Isn’t she a golden goose? But instead of killing the goose, she just left it behind.”

“Thanks to that, Seoyeon’s last CF is a hot topic. The children's vitamin ad she shot after the soy milk CF.”

“Oh, I saw that too. CF offers would pour in, but I can’t understand why she’d quit.”

The hosts on TV discussed, watching the referenced CF clip.
The ad featured Seoyeon acting as a mother-daughter duo with the middle-aged actress Kim Mi-yeon.

They played a friendly mother and daughter.
It was different from the drama but still a clean performance.

‘She’s so good at it.’

Even now, news outlets covering entertainment gossip were filled with stories about Seoyeon.
It was such a sudden and unlikely event.

‘Running away after winning?’

She resolved never to lose in the next audition.
This audition loss served as a motivator for Jo Seohui.

Everyone praised her as the princess of daily dramas.
She had been satisfied and arrogant.

Because she was still a child.
She thought child actors didn’t need to improve beyond this point.

Even actress Jeong Eun-sun, who cherished her, always said the same thing.
That Seohui’s acting could already be considered the best for a child actor.

Yes, ‘for a child actor.’
But now Seoyeon was being compared to adult actors, not child actors.

Like Ha Ye-seo, who played the grown-up Lee Hae-wol in Episode 4.

“Just wait and see.”

She didn’t think of it as retirement.
While the news talked about retirement, the content from the "Entertainment Relay" ‘Star of the Moment’ segment made it clear that it was more of a ‘temporary break’ than retirement.

She didn’t know how long that break would be.
Child actors often take breaks lasting more than ten years.

Especially if they’re as young as Seoyeon, the hiatus tends to be longer.
Typically, child actors are most in demand between ages 5 and 7.

Although they can continue acting afterward, there aren’t many roles available.
Besides, they need to attend school, don’t they?

Most of them appear again as high school students or adults.
When they’re capable of taking on roles typically assigned to adult actors.

But Jo Seohui had no such intentions.
She would continue to grow as a proper actress, not just the princess of daily dramas.
Continuously while Seoyeon was absent.

Until she surpassed Park Jung-woo and was called the best among her peers.

“Next time…”

...I will definitely win.
Jo Seohui promised herself.

“Seoyeon, you should try acting without using emotions first.”

The acting instructor at Hwayang Acting Academy.
Hong Jeong-hoon said this to Seoyeon.

“You have something that catches people’s attention, Seoyeon. An instant draw. That’s probably why your emotional acting is a strength.”

Acting that captivates an audience.
Perhaps what makes this possible for Seoyeon is her lovely appearance.
And the unique atmosphere created by her mysterious eyes.

Thus, when she performed static scenes, Seoyeon’s acting was unmatched among her peers.
Even adult actors renowned for their skills would be nervous.

How did the aspiring child actors who experienced this first-hand react?

“Teacher, I can’t do that.” “I saw her on TV... Why is she here?”

They were discouraged, and Lee Ji-yeon kicked them into gear.
Perhaps experiencing ‘acting’ from a real ‘actor’ made them freeze up.

“What, are you not going to do it right? Do you want another kick?” “Ah, okay.”

The boy practicing in pairs started acting again at Ji-yeon’s nudge.
It wasn’t anything grand, just simple line exchanges.
More like ‘storytelling’ than acting.

That’s the typical level of child acting.

“Can you act without emotions?”

“I’m not saying not to use them at all. You need to use your body.”

Finger movements, eye movements, small actions.

“If you’ve interpreted a character, they’ll have their habits. Each line comes with a gesture. How about Princess Yeonhwa?”

“Princess Yeonhwa...”

She tried to imitate Park Jung-woo.
But that was more Joo Seoyeon’s actions than Princess Yeonhwa’s.
What made it look natural was that Princess Yeonhwa, having left the palace, was ‘acting like a normal girl.’

‘The acting as Princess Yeonhwa leaving the palace must have been awkward.’

They gave an okay signal in one take.
They probably interpreted Seoyeon’s awkwardness as intentional.
Or maybe it just fit well.

‘Park Jung-woo didn’t react much then.’

Seoyeon thought that was his typical demeanor toward her.
A calm, indifferent ten-year-old.
Seoyeon also had a sense of detachment from others, so she assumed they were similar.

However.

“How can you act like that?”

After filming Episode 3, Park Jung-woo’s reaction was completely different.
He seemed shocked by Seoyeon’s acting.
He probably thought she was ‘just another child actor’ until Episode 2.

‘He’s just a child actor too.’

Though he was three years older, he thoroughly underestimated her.

‘Serves him right.’

But Seoyeon was very satisfied with giving him a taste of his own medicine in Episode 3.
...Although it felt a bit strange considering her age from a past life.

“So you’re saying I should express the character solely through gestures, minimizing emotional acting?”

“Yes, exactly!”

Hong Jeong-hoon beamed at Seoyeon’s quick understanding.

‘I was startled at first, but this is a huge opportunity.’

Acting academies often double as agencies.
This was also the case for Hwayang Acting Academy, where Lee Ji-yeon settled after leaving Eunha Entertainment.

The agency Seoyeon had recommended.
It later produced several great actors and served as an excellent agency and acting school.

Currently, it was just a regular acting school, offering CF and extra auditions for a few child actors.

‘Child prodigy Joo Seoyeon.’

The most talked-about child actor recently.
Having her at Hwayang Acting Academy would undoubtedly draw many people.

An opportunity to make a name for themselves.
Moreover, Joo Seoyeon’s talent was astonishing.

‘She understands quickly. She doesn’t seem like a seven-year-old at all.’

Even Lee Ji-yeon was considered exceptionally intelligent for her age.
But Seoyeon was beyond that.
Her comprehension was beyond what one could expect from a child.

“Alright, I’ll give it a try.”

Acting without emotions.
Seoyeon started an act that relied solely on physical movements.
Looking forward to seeing how much she could surprise herself this time.

And.

“Hmm, let’s start from the beginning, Seoyeon.”

“......”

Acting without emotions was just stiff acting for Seoyeon.
She realized this.

‘It’s all because of my body.’

A physical ability far beyond a child’s.
It must have been that, which caused her to underperform.
Or perhaps the disconnect between emotions and the body was the cause.

‘Yes, that must be it.’

Seoyeon internally made excuses.
Just because it’s an unbeatable TS body doesn’t mean it does everything perfectly from the start.

As she realized this.

Regardless of the humiliation at the acting academy.
My daily routine was quite structured.

Mondays and Wednesdays were for acting classes.
Tuesdays and Thursdays were for voice acting classes.

And Fridays were reserved for trying various exercises.
I tried taekwondo and children’s boxing to find a sport that suited me.

“But Joo Seoyeon, isn’t voice acting and acting entirely different?”

“It’s about vocalization, vocalization.”

“No, it seems completely different.”

Today was a day for voice acting classes.
I had practiced enough to speak in a somewhat decent voice.

‘Voice actors are masters of voice acting.’

Even if the acting is similar, the vocalization methods differ entirely from actors.
The feel is worlds apart.

‘As Lee Ji-yeon said, it won’t be easy to apply to acting....’

I should just use it when capturing emotions.
Moreover, voice acting’s vocalization is very challenging, so I struggled a lot.

‘I realize again, not everything comes easy.’

Thinking that, I felt relieved.
I was glad I decided to take a break from acting...

If I had continued acting, who knows how long the ‘child prodigy’ title would have lasted?
I might have gotten by with emotional acting.
But it would have taken a toll on my body, especially during adolescence.

“Ji-yeon, you’re doing great. Are you sure you haven’t learned this before?”

“Of course not. But who’s better, me or Joo Seoyeon?”

“Ah, well...”

The instructor glanced at me and Lee Ji-yeon, then whispered something to her.
Probably thinking I’d feel bad if I overheard.

‘But judging by the whispering and her smug face....’

Did I lose to Lee Ji-yeon?
How could this be?

“Ahem. Let’s try again. This time, try raising your voice a bit more.”

“Okay!”

Voice acting isn’t just about speaking well.
There are narrations, character acting, vocalization for animation dubbing.

There are many things.
The voice acting school had a well-organized curriculum for this.

Currently, Lee Ji-yeon and I were only covering the basics.

“Hmm.”

I drank some water to soothe my sore throat and listened to Lee Ji-yeon’s voice.

Today, I think it was about directly acting out a character from a fairy tale.
A little squirrel.
It was quite fitting for Lee Ji-yeon in some sense.

“Where are my acorns, my acorns?”

The cute childlike voice.
Lee Ji-yeon was undoubtedly better at this than acting.

“Pffft!!”

But hearing her voice, I couldn’t help but spit out the water.
It was a completely different tone from the narration and regular character acting.

I heard that normal kids couldn’t do that, but Lee Ji-yeon managed it.

“...What, why are you suddenly laughing? Joo Seoyeon.”

“Uh? I wasn’t laughing at you.”

“Hmm, really?”

Lee Ji-yeon briefly gave me a sidelong glance but didn’t press further.
Watching her turn away, I wiped the water from my mouth.

‘It can’t be... right?’

I tried to reassure myself.
Even so, it seemed a bit far-fetched.