NOVEL FROG Chapter 32
The 4th episode of The Moon That Hid the Sun aired.
Following the anticipation from the 3rd episode, Taeseumdall successfully maintained its viewership ratings thanks to the performances of acting powerhouses Kang Sung-chan and Ha Ye-seo.
However, the action king, thought to be dead after dropping to 13%, resurrected with a stunning 18% rating.
From The Moon That Hid the Sun’s perspective, the situation had become tense.
‘In my past life, I probably…’
Seo-yeon wasn’t too worried. After all, the action king was expected to self-destruct around episode 8 anyway.
Wasn’t the name Se-bin?
With the controversy around an idol actor’s school bullying erupting, the final episode wrapped up with a dreadful 5% viewership rating.
Naturally, The Moon That Hid the Sun absorbed all those viewers, experiencing significant growth. Ultimately, it achieved a phenomenal rating of 42% based on the last episode.
[The 4th episode of
[Did the child actors' performances become a poison? Viewership fell from 31% to 26% for
… I did see those articles, but I didn’t care much.
Instead, I felt inexplicably proud that my acting was well-received.
So, it was worth all the hardships I endured.
‘Acting properly.’
I hadn’t felt such a sense of achievement before. Even while filming CFs and during the initial shoots of Taeseumdall.
But now, it was different.
I felt good.
“Oh, Seo-yeon, you must have had a tough time getting here, right?”
And now, I was at the studio provided by KMB.
It was part of a segment on the Celebrity Live, titled ‘Hot Star.’
This would be my first and last variety show appearance.
“Hello.”
As I nodded politely, the PD of Celebrity Live, Shin Jae-woon, beamed at me.
His eyes sparkled as if he were looking at a treasure chest.
“I watched the latest episode of The Moon That Hid the Sun. Seo-yeon, you really are seven years old, right? Your skills are unbelievable!”
“Thank you for your kind words.”
“Not at all! And this is…”
Shin Jae-woon’s gaze shifted to my mom beside me.
He was visibly surprised upon seeing my mother, Suah.
“Uh, what’s this…”
He was indeed a professional. After a moment of shock, his eyes quickly regained composure.
‘Impressive.’
Seo-yeon secretly admired him.
Most people’s eyes would typically dart downwards when they first saw my mother.
Even if Shin Jae-woon was flustered, his gaze remained fixed in front.
“Your mother is really beautiful too. She could be an actress.”
“Ah, th-thank you. But I don’t think I could…”
“Still, I understand now why Seo-yeon is so cute.”
With Shin Jae-woon’s chuckling, Suah awkwardly smiled.
Honestly, from Seo-yeon’s perspective, it was an awkward situation for both.
The reasons were different, but still awkward.
“Cough! The shoot will begin at 2 PM, so please take a moment to relax. We’ll call you once preparations are done.”
I nodded at Shin Jae-woon’s cheerful words.
Since it was mainly an interview-focused variety show, I didn’t have anything special to prepare.
“Seo-yeon, I’ll be waiting outside…”
Mom trailed off as she looked at me.
“Are you really going to say that?”
“Yeah.”
I nodded.
After all, everyone would know soon enough.
Actually, announcing it here would have more impact.
‘Besides, it’s a variety show, so there’ll be reruns.’
Since it would be revisited, it would likely be more memorable than an ordinary internet article.
It also wasn’t too difficult, making it suitable as my first variety show.
‘I should observe the interviews closely.’
Moreover, there was another reason I accepted this variety show.
It was my interview skills.
In the world of streamers or Vtubers, guests often participate in broadcasts.
I planned to learn the subtle ways to ask questions during those times, as well as managing my gaze and interview skills.
A program solely focused on eating and interviewing.
There would surely be plenty to learn.
I was already looking forward to the interview in many ways.
*
“This interview is going to be exciting.”
Ha Tae-oh, the beloved drama PD who recommended Seo-yeon, told Shin Jae-woon.
‘The most rising child actor lately.’
The Moon That Hid the Sun was no ordinary drama.
Particularly, the remarkable performances of the two child actors in episode 3 were still a hot topic.
The fact that they hadn’t shown their faces afterward only intensified the viewers’ curiosity.
‘What if they make their debut here on Celebrity Live for the first time!’
Just thinking about it made my heart race.
By the way, Shin Jae-woon had just recently taken over Celebrity Live.
The previous PD had been too busy following the auditions for Taeseumdall and moved to another place.
“Please do a good job with the interview.”
“Of course. It’s how I make my living, so I have to nail it!”
Basically, the interview segment of Celebrity Live, ‘Hot Star,’ is hosted by MC Song Young-jin.
Song Young-jin was originally an announcer at KMB but had transitioned to freelance and was soaring in his career.
‘Joo Seo-yeon.’
Even he recognized that name well.
Not just because she was a simple interviewee, but because the drama The Moon That Hid the Sun was the one that his wife was most enthusiastically following.
When Song Young-jin watched the 3rd episode featuring Seo-yeon’s performance, he was secretly amazed.
Could a child of that age, similar to his son, deliver such acting?
Honestly, anyone would have to acknowledge her as a ‘genius.’
Even Park Jung-woo, who had been called a genius actor previously, was completely overshadowed by Seo-yeon at that moment.
She was a child actor with that level of presence.
How many more dramas would she shoot, and how many CFs would she feature in?
If this Celebrity Live was the start, Song Young-jin couldn’t have wished for more.
“Alright, let’s get started with Celebrity Live, ‘Hot Star’!! Today’s star we’ll be meeting is…”
As the shoot began, Song Young-jin, seated first, loudly proclaimed.
“…the Princess Yeonhwa from The Moon That Hid the Sun, Joo Seo-yeon!”
At his words, Seo-yeon bowed and walked out.
Among those appearing on ‘Hot Star’, she was probably the youngest.
So, there were parts that worried me.
Since Seo-yeon was only seven, I was concerned whether she could handle the interview properly.
After all, acting and interviewing were different, weren’t they?
‘Maybe she should’ve come with her mother?’
Song Young-jin thought to himself.
But still, the child actor who demonstrated such acting.
Moreover, the Seo-yeon sitting opposite him didn’t feel like a ‘child’ in a strange way.
Perhaps it was due to those serene eyes.
Or maybe it was because she didn’t seem the least bit nervous, keeping a neutral expression.
“Now, since you participated in this The Moon That Hid the Sun and performed excellently as Princess Yeonhwa, did you think you would land the role?”
“No,” Seo-yeon shook her head at Song Young-jin’s question.
“I was just here to gain experience. There were many strong candidates, so I thought it was out of reach.”
A natural reply.
Song Young-jin momentarily lost his words, gazing at Seo-yeon.
‘She didn’t stutter at all?’
Even though it was a shoot without an audience, there were plenty of watchful eyes.
The staff of this Celebrity Live, and even he himself was watching.
To answer so perfectly in such a situation.
‘Seven years old… right?’
Thinking of his own son made it hard to accept.
Were all child actors like this?
Park Jung-woo had been much more hesitant at seven.
And that was even before an interview.
After that, Song Young-jin continued asking Seo-yeon questions and listened to her answers.
The more they talked, the more flabbergasted Song Young-jin became.
It was as if he was interviewing an adult, not a seven-year-old child.
“How impressive were your performances in episodes 2 and 3? There are whispers in the industry that it was method acting. I also heard from other actors that you, Seo-yeon, are a child actor good at emotional performances.”
That was the gossip circulating.
Seo-yeon’s strength was in emotional acting.
However, due to her lack of experience, if she engaged in several actions, her shortcomings would be laid bare immediately.
But that part was long gone since the child actor segment of Taeseumdall had already concluded.
“Um, yes. To be precise, I haven’t done much besides that yet.”
You haven’t done much else?
Method acting isn’t something anyone can do.
It’s not always the right answer either; rather, it can often be detrimental.
Could a child like Seo-yeon engage in method acting and be fine?
Honestly, Song Young-jin thought it was a stretch.
Up until now.
“There were many parts where I was lacking, and the other actors adjusted for me. Even the climax in episodes 2 and 3, I kind of forced it a bit.”
Seo-yeon calmly recounted what had happened at that time.
It was astonishing to hear that the filming schedule was even changed to shoot two scenes.
The more he heard, the more bewildered Song Young-jin felt.
Surely, when this broadcast aired, the viewers would share his astonishment.
“But doesn’t that kind of acting wear you out? Usually, method acting is attempted by veteran actors, right?”
“I’m not sure about that part. But once you do it, you don’t have to do it again for a while, so I decided to go for it.”
“Indeed…”
As Song Young-jin absentmindedly nodded, he suddenly recalled something he found troublesome about Seo-yeon’s words.
“But, what do you mean you won’t have to do it for a while? This seems related to emotional acting.”
That was a question not in the script.
He hadn’t meant to say it, but he didn’t consider it a mistake.
However, strangely.
It was strangely something that caught his attention.
“Oh, that…”
Seo-yeon replied with a casual face.
“I’m planning to take a break from the entertainment industry for a while.”
Her words were so nonchalant it almost made Song Young-jin instinctively reply, ‘Oh, I see’ and brush past it.
……
…
“…Excuse me?”
They say when a person is too shocked, words fail them.
That’s exactly how Song Young-jin felt now.
He had invited a rising star, only to hear that she was going to retire right there on the spot.
“What did Seo-yeon just say?”
“It sounds like she said she’s taking a break from the entertainment industry.”
“I heard that too…”
The production crew was buzzing with confusion.
The shooting staff and even PD Shin Jae-woon, who was watching, couldn’t shake off their surprise.
“That’s why…”
Finally, PD Shin Jae-woon understood the cryptic words that Ha Tae-oh had earlier mentioned.
That’s precisely why he said we could ‘look forward to the interview.’
Indeed, as PD Ha Tae-oh anticipated, once this aired, the viewers would certainly be moved.
*
As expected,
once the interview from the ‘Hot Star’ corner shot on Celebrity Live spread, drama-related communities buzzed wildly.
The child actor from the recently trending drama had abruptly declared her withdrawal from the entertainment industry.
– Is the girl playing Princess Yeonhwa really retiring?
– It seems it’s not retirement, just taking a break from broadcasting for a while.
– What’s the difference between that and retirement? I seriously don’t know.
– Wait, how is this even real?
Since the cause of her withdrawal remained a mystery, various speculations surfaced.
Some suggested the filming of Taeseumdall was excessively harsh, or that she’d earned a ton of money and chose to retire.
Most were baseless rumors, so the chatter didn’t last long, but it kept circulating.
It was so remarkable that the content shown in the 5th episode of Taeseumdall was eclipsed.
Still, episode 5 recovered its viewership ratings compared to episode 4, ensuring the drama’s continued success.
And in the midst of all this commotion was the child prodigy who had shook up South Korea.
“Starting today, I will be learning acting at the Hwayang Acting Academy for a while. My name is Joo Seo-yeon.”
After being recommended by Lee Ji-yeon, she entered the acting academy.
To the sound of clapping from Lee Ji-yeon welcoming her, the instructors and fellow young students stared at Seo-yeon dumbfounded.
‘…What is this?’
They genuinely wanted to ask.
What are you doing here?