Kim Su-jin was a child born with a silver spoon in acting.  

 

Born as the daughter of Kim Yoo-ryun, she was introduced to the entertainment industry at an early age.  

 

If she wanted, she could have filmed commercials for various companies.  

 

But Kim Yoo-ryun didn’t want her young child to work so hard.  

 

‘I need to make sure she can work within reasonable limits.’

 

In that sense, ‘Doctor Joy!’ was exactly the kind of program Kim Yoo-ryun wanted.  

 

A show with a child-friendly audience. It drew just the right amount of attention without going overboard.  

 

An atmosphere on set that was free of pressure and stress.  

 

There was no better environment for her daughter to gradually get used to the entertainment industry.  

 

The only issue was that Su-jin adapted faster than expected.  

 

Whether it’s because blood doesn’t lie, her daughter quickly conquered ‘Doctor Joy!’

 

She had enough presence to be the center of attention among many child actors.  

 

Her daughter had that kind of talent.  

 

But recently, her daughter began showing an unexpectedly childlike side.  

 

She had always acted so mature that Kim Yoo-ryun was worried she might understand the world too soon.  

 

“Mom! Am I not pretty?”  

 

“Huh? What are you talking about? You’re the prettiest, my darling.”  

 

“Then why doesn’t he like me? Even I think I’m the prettiest.”  

 

“Who doesn’t like our Su-jin?”  

 

At that moment, Kim Yoo-ryun’s heart sank, thinking her daughter was being bullied.  

 

However—  

 

“Dong-hoo!”  

 

“Dong-hoo?”  

 

“Yeah. He’s my seatmate. I want to hold his hand, but he always says something and refuses.”  

 

“Really? What does he say?”  

 

“He says I’m annoying…”  

 

“Then can’t my princess just ignore him too?”  

 

“No.”  

 

“No? Why not?”  

 

“Dong-hoo is really, really handsome.”  

 

The moment she learned the truth behind this incident, Kim Yoo-ryun couldn’t hold back her laughter.  

 

Her daughter, who was used to being treated like a princess wherever she went, was experiencing her first love. 

 

And she was completely smitten on his looks!  

 

‘My daughter has seen so many handsome people; she should be immune to this.’

 

Since she had met many actors since she was a baby,  

she must have been exposed to high standards of beauty.  

 

Yet, ignoring all that, she said, “He’s really, really handsome.”  

 

Curiosity arose and it was soon satisfied.  

 

‘I can see it.’

 

Hidden beneath his still youthful appearance, a powerful aura was visible.  

 

It wasn’t just about his face.  

 

From the way he walked to how he breathed.  

 

The placement of his hands and his calm demeanor as he waited.  

 

And his bold speech and shining eyes.  

 

Kim Yoo-ryun saw a future where this boy in front of her would dominate the entertainment world.  

 

So, she decided to give him a slight push.  

 

She wanted to see how he would react.  

 

But what was this?  

 

“Waaah!”  

 

With just a little provocation, he made her daughter cry.  

 

It was as if he was declaring, ‘Don’t play these tricks with me.’

 

And then—  

 

“Don’t cry.”  

 

After making her cry, he gently held her hand to soothe her.  

 

“Sniff… Okay… Sniff…”  

 

And her daughter fell for it completely and stopped crying at once.  

 

What on earth is this situation?  

 

‘Well, I suppose that’s understandable up to this point.’  

 

But how would he perform within the program?  

 

When the camera is rolling versus when it’s not, the difference is enormous. 

 

The camera can make even the most natural person become stiff.  

 

‘Doctor Joy! is like a jungle.’

 

Since ‘Doctor Joy!’ Was a child-focused program, the main MC’s involvement was minimal.  

 

In fact, the lines for Dr. Joy were extremely limited, and he wore a costume.  

 

It felt more like having a dignified referee in a setting where individual matches took place.  

 

In that wild environment, what kind of talent would be revealed by the boy?  

 

Kim Yoo-ryun was very curious.  

 

———

 

“You know there’s a new kid today, right? His name is Dong-hoo.”  

 

“Dong-hoo? Dong-hoo…” 

 

Round and round.  

 

Park Chang-jin, who played the role of the doctor in ‘Doctor Joy!, tilted his head in confusion.  

 

“Never heard that name before… Ah! Oh, that? Su-jin’s boyfriend?”  

 

“Yes, yes. That’s right.”

 

Because Dr. Joy’s role involved listening to the kids a lot, Park Chang-jin and some of the writers already knew about the boy named Kim Dong-hoo.  

 

Su-jin had told them everything.  

 

“Looks like things went well in the meeting?”  

 

“… You were there too, you know.”  

 

“I don’t really have much say anyway, so I was just lost in my own thoughts.”  

 

“Anyway, today is mainly gymnastics, so it should be over quickly.”  

 

“Oh, right. We decided to make the first part short and add some educational content in the second part, right?”  

 

“Yes, yes.”  

 

Listening to the writer’s response, Park Chang-jin put on the costume head.  

 

“So, everyone, shall we call Dr. Joy together?”  

 

As soon as he put it on, the standby signal came from the studio as if they had been waiting for it.  

 

‘But no matter how handsome he is, isn’t it all pretty much the same within the program?’  

 

That thought crossed his mind as he entered the studio.  

 

Experience, often referred to as ‘seasoning,’ couldn’t be ignored.  

 

There’s a reason why society favors experienced workers.  

 

At this rate, who knew, there might be a terrifying hybrid known as an experienced rookie in the future.  

 

Would he quit this job when that time came?  

 

Mumbling to himself, Park Chang-jin entered the studio only to be met with an astonishing scene.  

 

‘Why aren’t the kids playing?’  

 

Usually, ‘Doctor Joy!’ began the opening with just the kids.  

 

They introduced themselves and engaged in lighthearted small talk to create a sense of familiarity with the viewers.  

 

But today, the atmosphere was quiet.  

 

To be precise, while the mood was lively, there was an odd tension in the air.  

 

Why was there tension in a space with only children?  

 

Just as he was about to question it, Park Chang-jin’s head turned naturally.  

 

“Huh.”  

 

At that moment, he understood the cause.  

 

The newly introduced minnow had just taken over the entire pond.  

 

———-

 

Before Park Chang-jin entered.

 

“I’ll show you around.”  

 

Even before the program’s opening, Kim Su-jin was glued to Dong-hoo’s side.  

 

After all, it was natural to feel nervous when standing in front of the camera for the first time.  

 

But—

 

“Isn’t it just about introducing ourselves and playing?”  

 

“H-huh?”  

 

“Since I came in last, I should introduce myself first, right?”  

 

He bowed politely.  

 

“I’m Kim Dong-hoo. I’m from Rainbow Kindergarten and Su-jin’s seatmate. My favorite activity is Stretchy Gymnastics.”  

 

His tone was bright and cheerful, and he had a beaming smile.  

 

On top of that, he moved flawlessly within the frame and never stepped out of the camera’s view.  

 

Kim Dong-hoo executed everything perfectly without showing a hint of nervousness.  

 

Anyone watching might have thought he had appeared on TV shows multiple times before.  

 

In reality, this was thanks to one of Kim Dong-hoo’s perks.  

 

His ‘Thousand Talents’ allowed him to shine brightly in any situation.  

 

The talent for performing well on a program had immediately blossomed.  

 

However, those unaware of this fact couldn’t help but be astonished,  

including his own mother, Lee Yoo-hyun.  

 

‘Did my child… Have this kind of talent?’  

 

She didn’t know. No, to be precise, there was no way she could have known.  

 

She was a novice in this field, but there was one thing she could clearly tell.  

 

‘He’s really different.’  

 

His presence was different.  

 

Even though he was standing at the very end due to his position as a fill-in, it was impossible to keep the attention from gravitating toward him.  

 

Eventually, they had to adjust the positions and place him at the center.  

 

He was filming the program naturally from the center as if he had been meant to be there all along.  

 

‘Why is he so natural in front of the camera?’  

 

Kim Yoo-ryun, who had spent a long time in the broadcasting industry, was particularly shocked.  

 

No matter how highly you rate child actors, they inevitably were just childs.  

 

Just like how everyone goes through the tadpole stage.  

 

They could never surpass the frog, and in that aspect, her daughter was the frog.  

 

However, suddenly, an even bigger bullfrog appeared.  

 

If her daughter, Kim Su-jin, was just starting to walk the stairs to become a pro.

 

‘He’s already a pro.’

 

What is the difference between a professional and an amateur?  

 

It’s the difference between the awareness of the camera and not.  

 

Amateurs are awkward because they are conscious of the camera.  

 

Professionals, on the other hand, act naturally within the camera’s frame. As if it’s not even there.  

 

This difference is significant, and it becomes more apparent the less experienced one is.  

 

‘PD Young-mo made a mistake this time.’

 

Bringing in a kid as a parachute recruit? 

 

That wasn’t the issue.  

 

The problem was that this parachute was too big of a minnow.  

 

“I-I’m Jeon Sang-moo…”  

 

“Uh, I-I am…”  

 

Except for Su-jin, who had inherited her mother’s talent, everyone else was awkward.  

 

Just last week, the kids had spoken naturally, but now their words sounded like they were reading from a textbook.  

 

The awkwardness was already there, but the presence of one professional made it stand out, amplifying the effect.  

 

“What, what do you like?”  

 

“Me? I like everything, but if I had to pick, I like reading.”  

 

Are you really five? Why do you talk like that?  

 

Everyone was looking at Kim Dong-hoo that way.  

 

His choice of words was so mature that even calling him an old soul felt insufficient.  

 

Before any form of territorial behavior from the newcomer could even occur.

 

Kim Dong-hoo had already intimidated everyone just with his presence.  

 

With the slightly subdued atmosphere, the opening ended.  

 

“So, everyone, shall we call Dr. Joy together?”  

 

♪♩♬  

 

With cheerful music, the main part of the program began.  

 

“Dr. Joy! Please come out!”  

 

“Giggle-giggle! Yo-ho! I am Dr. Joy, who knows all the fun in the world!”  

 

In this situation, what was the best choice for the MC and Dr. Joy, Park Chang-jin?  

 

“I hear we have a new friend today. So, how about we learn a new dance together with Dr. Joy today?”  

 

“Yes. Sounds good!”  

 

Rather than trying to change the mood, he decided to push forward as it was.  

 

If he focused too much on the kids who were falling behind, the shoot could be completely ruined.  

 

Instead, it was better to proceed quickly and efficiently.  

 

“We’ll wrap this up with Su-jin and Dong-hoo as the top duo.”

 

Fortunately, today’s segment would end after a few gymnastics routines, so as long as they got through this moment, there would be no problem.  

 

“Watch my gymnastics closely and follow along! You’ll grow taller and become super healthy!”  

 

♪♩♬♪♪♩♩  

 

With the music, the gymnastics routine began.  

 

“Giggle-giggle! It might be difficult since it’s the first time, but it’s easy when you do it with the doctor!”  

 

Though they called it gymnastics, it was partially a dance as well.  

 

If it looked too much like pure gymnastics, it would be less entertaining to watch.  

 

It was like a dance with an extremely mild flavor.  

 

But even at this difficulty level, it was quite challenging for young children.  

 

Or rather, it should have been challenging.  

 

‘… Why are the other kids doing simple moves while you’re the only one performing full choreography?’  

 

Once again, Kim Dong-hoo started stirring up the scene.  

 

No matter how easy the movements, they were unfamiliar to five-year-olds.  

 

It was an age where every motion was clumsy; how could they suddenly perform a newly learned gymnastics routine perfectly?  

 

But Kim Dong-hoo was doing just that.  

 

He moved as if he had memorized the choreography after seeing it just once.  

 

He was truly stealing the show.  

 

———

 

{Dong-hoo’s POV}

 

After the first segment of ‘Doctor Joy!’ ended.  

 

‘That was fun.’

 

Even though my mind was still that of an adult, it appeared my body was that of a child, so just hearing the rhythm made me excited and upbeat.  

 

“Did you have fun, my son?”  

 

“Yes.”  

 

As soon as I left the studio, my mom hugged me tightly as if she had been waiting.  

 

“So, did you have fun?”  

 

It wasn’t my mom who asked this; it was PD Kim Young-mo.  

 

He approached with sparkling eyes and leveled his gaze with mine.  

 

Honestly, it was a bit overwhelming and creepy.  

 

“Yes. It was a really good experience. Thank you, PD.”  

 

“Haha, no worries! So, we’ll be seeing each other often from now on, right?”  

 

PD Kim Young-mo smiled brightly as if he already knew my answer.  

 

“Huh? No. I don’t want to do this anymore.”  

 

I said it was fun. 

 

Not that I wanted to keep doing it.