NOVEL FROG Chapter 31
[Great Expectations! Amazing Ratings for The Moon That Hid the Sun!]
[Tears are flowing, ‘The Moon That Hid the Sun’. KMB is sharpening its knives.]
[With the success of The Moon That Hid the Sun, Action King faces a horrifying crisis with a 13% rating.]
[The golden age of child actors, is the child actor segment really 'boring' now?]
[The child actor who made mothers cry, who is Joo Seo-yeon? The unexpected hit of the Do You CF!]
Episode 3 of The Moon That Hid the Sun.
Young Lee Hye-wol and young Yoon Seoil.
It marked the end of their childhood.
In other words, from now on, it could be said that the real beginning of The Moon That Hid the Sun was starting.
The story begins with the reunion of grown-up Lee Hye-wol and Yoon Seoil.
But.
– Shouldn’t they have extended the child actor segment a bit more?
– It’s hilarious watching this with my mom next to me.
– Are today’s child actors all like this????? They’re just insane.
– The kid who beat Jo Seo-hee is seriously a big hit; no wonder they won.
– Idol should reflect on their acting after watching these kids, seriously.
Internet evaluations were filled with regrets about its quick ending.
Such was the impact of Episode 3.
This was an unusual situation, so the entertainment industry was buzzing.
In particular.
“Is there anyone who got pictures of Joo Seo-yeon?”
“Did anyone go to the premiere or teaser event last time?”
“No one has any pictures to publish!!!”
The most anxious were the journalists.
In a hurry, they captured scenes from the drama and included images, but that didn’t quite cut it.
Other articles were also capturing images and embedding them, so it was hard to stand out.
“What’s up, Byung-hoon? When did you take this picture?”
“Well, that was at the teaser event. And didn’t I go to the premiere too?”
It had been quite a while since they took group photos at the premiere or teaser events.
But there were not many cases like Byung-hoon’s that captured individual shots.
“Any better shots? I want to use them in my article.”
“I’m sorry. There’s nothing suitable.”
Byung-hoon answered with a smile, but inwardly he clicked his tongue.
‘So, they were just busy shooting Ha Ye-seo.’
Well, anyway, once the next episode airs, Ha Ye-seo’s era will return.
This The Moon That Hid the Sun is already a hit anyway.
“I’ve been a journalist in the entertainment industry for a long time, but I’ve never seen ratings like this for a child actor segment.”
“Yeah, right? How did this happen?”
“I watched it next to my wife, and it was absolutely fantastic. That guy from Action King, what’s his name, the idol?”
“Oh, Se-bin? But didn’t he act pretty well for an idol?”
One journalist shook his head at this.
“Yes, he acted quite well for an idol. But he can’t compare to the child actors. Especially that Joo Seo-yeon. She’s doing this drama for the first time, right?”
“Wait? Is this her first time?”
“What kind of journalist doesn’t know this?”
As Byung-hoon listened to such conversations, he continued writing his article.
What he regretted was not having the chance for a solo interview during the teaser event.
‘But yesterday was just bizarre.’
In the third episode of The Moon That Hid the Sun that aired yesterday, Joo Seo-yeon showcased her performance as Yeonhwa.
Her acting was outstanding, but Byung-hoon felt oddly uneasy.
It felt as if she was really about to leave.
Not just Yeonhwa, but Joo Seo-yeon, the one playing the role.
‘Nah, it can’t be.’
Who would gain such popularity and suddenly quit?
‘Yeah, that must be it.’
This girl holds a certain brilliance.
She will surely become a great actress when she grows up.
Byung-hoon was convinced of that.
*
“Director Ha, did I hear that right?”
“Of course.”
“Wow, this is amazing!”
The lead of The Moon That Hid the Sun.
Kang Sung-chan, who played the adult Yoon Seoil, was genuinely astonished.
“It’s unbelievable that the average rating is 30%. And the peak rating? 36%?”
Even cutting that rating in half would still be a huge success.
If 15% came in the first three episodes, the chances of entering the realm of ‘blockbusters’ are high.
But the fact that the peak rating surpassed 36% was just mind-blowing for Kang Sung-chan.
“I filmed a historical drama before, right? It peaked at 41% in the last episode.”
“Sure, that was quite a scene back then, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah, it was unreal. So, what do you think about a 36% for the third episode?”
He could hear Ha Tae-oh PD’s laughter on the other end of the phone.
Of course, he knew it too.
To have such success this early in a drama is rare.
It’s hard to believe that this was all achieved by two child actors.
“Since we have source material, no matter how high the ratings, it’s still…”
He sighed after saying that.
“If we don’t deliver properly from here on out, we’re going to get seriously grilled. Especially the burden on actress Ha Ye-seo isn’t small.”
He believed he would be fine.
Park Jung-woo, son of the legendary actor Park Sun-woong.
He was a genius known for being a child actor that didn’t act like one.
But Joo Seo-yeon was different.
She only has this one drama, The Moon That Hid the Sun.
Now, she’s in a position to be compared with her.
What if an acting powerhouse can’t act better than a seven-year-old?
‘Of course, she would act better.’
Kang Sung-chan didn’t mean that Ha Ye-seo’s acting wasn’t as good as Seo-yeon’s.
But it couldn’t be just about ‘acting better’.
It’d only be even, and if she doesn’t do well, she’d experience a bitterness she might never overcome in her acting career.
“So, what is our little superstar doing now? Looks like it would be tough for her to go out right now. Oh, by the way, has her next project been decided yet?”
He was already looking forward to Seo-yeon’s next acting opportunity.
He had thoughts of possibly joining in if it went well.
But such hopes were completely shattered by Ha Tae-oh’s next words.
“What? Is that true? A break?”
The news that the child actor soaring in popularity was going on an indefinite break.
*
The Moon That Hid the Sun, Episode 3.
With a phenomenal peak rating of 36%, Seo-yeon had truly become a local superstar.
She couldn’t even muster the courage to go to kindergarten.
Even a week after Episode 3 aired.
“Joo Seo-yeon, all the kids are asking what you’re doing.”
Lee Ji-yeon, who visited Seo-yeon’s house, said.
She looked at Seo-yeon sprawled out on the floor.
“Duh, they can see.”
Seo-yeon replied, buried in toys.
Honestly, Seo-yeon found it hard to explain how she felt.
She had heard the phrase, “Life can change overnight,” but never thought she would become that person.
“Such a waste.”
“Hmm?”
“Are you really taking a break?”
Ji-yeon seemed to be more disappointed herself.
And then, as if remembering something, she cautiously stated,
“You’re not moving away, are you?”
For child actors who suddenly gain massive popularity, not everything is rosy.
A child actor who gained national fame from a sitcom faced bullying at school because of that popularity.
No matter how many times she moved, the situation didn’t change, leading to a school refusal.
Naturally, she retired from acting.
Over a decade later, she briefly appeared on TV to share updates.
“If I move, how will I go to the voice acting academy with you?”
“Well, that’s true.”
In that moment, Ji-yeon seemed relieved.
Seo-yeon realized that Ji-yeon really cared about her.
‘So maybe it’s fine having Ji-yeon around?’
The kindergarten tyrant.
Ji-yeon’s presence was likely a form of restraint.
“And I’m going to properly learn acting.”
“…You? Why?”
“Of course, because there are a lot of things I’m lacking.”
Ji-yeon could hardly understand Seo-yeon’s words.
Days before, watching Episode 3 of The Moon That Hid the Sun with her mom, Ji-yeon was truly shocked.
That this was acting from a child actor of a similar age was unbelievable.
Seo-yeon was way more incredible than the older kids she had seen at the agency or acting academy.
There was no comparison.
‘But, you want to learn acting?’
Ji-yeon thought.
If Seo-yeon went to an acting academy, everyone would be astonished.
‘Hmm.’
But seeing Seo-yeon say that, Ji-yeon figured there must be a reason.
After all, Ji-yeon was still a kid, so she just accepted it.
“Seo-yeon.”
At that moment, Seo-yeon’s door opened, and Suah walked in.
“Ji-yeon is here with drinks. I’ve cut up some fruits; do you want some?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, and….”
Suah hesitated before speaking.
“How about doing an interview with Director Ha?”
“An interview?”
“Oh, it’s not just any interview; it’s for Celebrity Live.”
Celebrity Live.
A variety show that covered celebrity gossip.
That variety show had a segment where they interviewed stars that had recently made waves.
“By the way, I hear this is the third time for child actors.”
Variety shows.
To be honest, Seo-yeon had no particular interest.
She had many things she wanted to learn immediately, and she thought showing her face could lead to regrets.
‘But still, maybe just one last interview…’
While disappearing completely would be cool.
It might be nice to at least say goodbye.
Thinking of this, Seo-yeon nodded.
“Okay.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Suah seemed shocked that Seo-yeon agreed.
Knowing Seo-yeon’s personality, she thought she would firmly refuse.
Especially with something like a variety show, she thought Seo-yeon would be disgusted.
However, contrary to Suah’s expectations, Seo-yeon didn’t particularly hate or dislike variety shows.
‘If I go on a variety show, I might learn some broadcasting know-how too.’
Hmm.
Seo-yeon crossed her arms.
Being a Vtuber ultimately boils down to content competition.
There are aspects that resemble variety shows.
But as mentioned, if she kept her connection with broadcasting, she would start to feel attached, so she decided to give it up.
‘Anyway, I can do variety shows later.’
By then, there will be more things she can do than now.
Seo-yeon thought of the things she could pursue.
Acting, singing, voice acting techniques.
And maybe even self-defense for emergencies.
‘Being a Vtuber or an actress is really not easy.’
She truly felt that her future would be busier than she thought.
*
“Really? Are we actually doing this?”
Ha Tae-oh smiled brightly at Suah’s call.
He thought Seo-yeon might flat-out refuse due to her personality.
However, the response he received was positive.
This was the moment when Seo-yeon’s first variety appearance was confirmed.
“Lucky you. This will be Seo-yeon’s first variety, as well as her last in childhood, you know?”
“Haha, of course. Thank you so much! You know I really like you, PD-nim, right?”
KMB Variety Department’s PD, Shin Jae-woon, was shaking with excitement.
He never expected that helping with the making movie of The Moon That Hid the Sun would lead to this.
Last time, the ratings doubled.
But what about now?
‘We’re going to keep this for another year!’
A last chance for Celebrity Live, which was getting a lot of talks about possibly concluding soon.
Shin Jae-woon had no intention of letting this opportunity slip away.