Chapter 16

Seoyeon, aged 7… one week left.

The drama was now preparing to film a new scene.

“There’s no way to delay it any further now.”

The staff exchanged glances, eyeing Seoyeon briefly. Though she stood expressionlessly, seemingly unaffected, everyone was nonetheless on edge given what had happened during a shoot two weeks prior.

And this was after being specifically pointed out by no less than veteran actress Jeong Eun-seon.

“It seems she hasn’t said a word.”

Seoyeon glimpsed the worried gazes of the staff and felt a slight sense of confusion. The atmosphere of care, though comforting, made her wonder if it was really necessary.

The conversation she’d had in private with Sua and director Gong Jung-tae remained confidential. As a result, actress Jeong Eun-seon was unintentionally seen as someone who had critically pointed out a six-year-old child actor without reason.

But even if they could only guess, they had their own reasons. It was because Seoyeon, not Seohui Jo, was cast as Princess Yeonhwa.

Hence, the other staff and actors couldn’t help but worry about Seoyeon’s upcoming scenes with Jeong Eun-seon. Director Gong Jung-tae was particularly concerned.

“Most of the remaining scenes involve Seoyeon.”

And they weren’t few in number, either. After all, Princess Yeonhwa, the role played by Seoyeon, was the main character of the drama.

Young Yeonhwa only appeared in three episodes, but if you counted by filming sessions, they weren’t sparse. In a typical 16-episode drama, requiring roughly 100 filming sessions, shooting just three episodes accounted for over six sessions per episode.

“Even assuming it runs smoothly.”

Considering Seoyeon’s workload, around 20 filming sessions would be necessary. Given that Seoyeon had only participated in one of them so far, she had 19 more sessions ahead.

Even if some other scenes filled the gaps, it was bound to be a demanding process.

“Seoyeon’s mom, is everything alright?”

“…”

Sua observed Seoyeon doing energetic stretches on the far side of the set, her posture completely calm and composed.

She seemed to be completely unfazed by the circumstances.

Or was she?

In fact, her serene demeanor made others worry more.

“I guess, she seems fine…”

“Hmm…”

“Well, honestly, I’m not so sure.”

Even though Seoyeon was her daughter, Sua had always thought of her as an unusual child. She rarely cried, even as an infant, and had never expressed desires for anything. It was Sua’s suggestion, after all, to pursue acting.

But this time was different.

“This time, Seoyeon said she wanted to do it herself.”

Though her confident daughter was undeniably adorable, there was no denying that Sua, as a mother, couldn’t help but worry. Paradoxically, director Gong Jung-tae’s attentive guidance toward Seoyeon filled her with gratitude.

“There’s no need to worry so much. We’re grateful for the amount of care you’ve shown already.”

It was rare for a director to show such direct concern for a child actor. After all, caring for actors was usually the responsibility of the individual.

“Well, talented actors benefit the director too.”

Though some aspects of Seoyeon’s acting remained raw, Gong Jung-tae genuinely believed in her talent. It was the genuine talent recognized by actress Jeong Eun-seon—a talent capable of holding an enormous sea of emotions within such a small heart.

Gong Jung-tae was far from a novice. He had overseen several hit series, meeting numerous actors along the way. Among them were actors destined to be stars, just like Seoyeon.

“Director Jo Bang-woo didn’t pick her for nothing.”

With that thought, Gong Jung-tae nodded, noticing the set was almost ready.

“Alright, today’s scene features younger Yoon Seoil and younger Lee Hye-wol meeting for the first time.”

With that, Gong Jung-tae began providing acting guidance to South Korea’s future stars, carefully explaining how the scene was to unfold.

And then, filming commenced.

***

Young Yoon Seoil’s role.

Park Jung-woo couldn’t help but feel amazed at the girl in front of him.

“She’s not nervous at all.”

Park Jung-woo, the only son of acting veteran Park Sun-woong, was ten years old. Despite his young age, he had already been acting for five years, making him quite a seasoned child actor. Even Seohui Jo, the young princess of daily dramas, was just another average child actor compared to Park Jung-woo when it came to experience in their age group.

To Park Jung-woo, Seoyeon felt like an anomaly from the very beginning—impressive even at the audition.

“And now.”

Action commenced with Gong Jung-tae’s shout. The chemistry between young Yoon Seoil and young Lee Hye-wol was unveiled before everyone’s eyes.

The pivotal encounter between Seonbi scholar Yoon Seoil and Lee Hye-wol, the clandestine runaway princess.

“Your Highness, are you not Princess Yeonhwa?”

“Y-You’ve mistaken someone else… please!”

The gravity of the encounter wasn’t lost on the young characters. Even in her panic, Lee Hye-wol’s stammer felt genuinely natural.

Gong Jung-tae reviewed the script in his hands, finding the direction for “surprise, with mispronunciation” perfectly executed.

Instead of feeling off, Seoyeon brought an even more natural interpretation.

“Just as she showed during the previous reading.”

There was a sense of personal interpretation that went beyond mere emotion; this seemed like a distinct talent, one that involved analyzing and understanding the script thoroughly.

Gong Jung-tae quietly observed the two actors.

Their performance was immaculate. Every gesture, every movement captured the essence of Yoon Seoil and Princess Yeonhwa perfectly. The crew was completely entranced.

The more experienced actors watched, impressed.

“Her emotional range may not be as broad compared to the audition and her work with Eun-seon,”

Compared to earlier, where the depth of emotion felt like plunging into deep waters, now it was akin to treading the surface of a pond.

“Oddly enough, that fits better this time.”

Whether intentional or not, it was a remarkably appropriate interpretation. Young Lee Hye-wol, in her disguise as a commoner, was naturally bound to act less regal.

Just like Seoyeon’s portrayal.

“Cut! Fantastic job, both of you! Absolutely perfect.”

With Gong Jung-tae’s shout, both child actors let out a sigh of relief. Park Jung-woo, in his role as young Yoon Seoil, glanced at Seoyeon with awe.

“She’s more natural this time.”

Any previous shortcomings in her acting now appeared even subtler. Jung-woo had reviewed the script for Lee Hye-wol and considered it moderately challenging.

Yet Seoyeon perfectly synchronized with him.

“You’re amazing.”

“Huh?”

Seoyeon, wiping her forehead, felt slightly embarrassed by Jung-woo’s praise.

“To receive compliments from a ten-year-old…”

But then again, her acting prowess was a skill brought directly from her past life, so excelling was to be expected. Still, the softer nuances, perhaps more muted in her portrayal, seemed to resonate naturally.

“There’s more depth when you let the character feel less perfect.”

An epiphany to Seoyeon. Always aiming for perfection in mimicking raw emotion, reducing that intensity proved to be unexpectedly challenging.

She reprimanded herself inwardly for underestimating the difficulty.

“Young acting talent really does stand out.”

Her interactions with other child actors hadn’t overshadowed Park Jung-woo. However, Seoyeon wasn’t about to let herself fall behind—not against someone genuinely ten years old.

“Hmm, what were we doing at that age?”

“Well, we were already decent supporting actors, so let’s have a drink.”

From the perspective of the more experienced actors, both Jung-woo and Seoyeon seemed like prodigies. Especially Seoyeon, who had been acting for less than a year.

Her first drama shoot. It was a level of skill beyond comprehension, no matter the explanation of memories from another life.

Truthfully, Seoyeon wasn’t fully aware of her own extraordinary abilities.

“Then we’ll move on to the next scene next!”

After a brief respite, Director Gong Jung-tae announced with a much lighter tone.

The crew understood why: the day’s shooting was bound to finish sooner than expected.

***

“Did our daughter do well today?”

Joo Young-bin quickly rushed into his daughter’s room as soon as he returned home.

Inside, Seoyeon sat solemnly with a robot toy and a Piny Pong doll in front of her.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m contemplating.”

“About what?”

“Which is stronger, Piny Pong or Too-bot.”

Young-bin was momentarily thrown into contemplation himself. Between an animated series targeted at girls and one aimed at boys, which was stronger?

It was an unexpectedly deep and thought-provoking debate.

“Ahem, she’s pretty unique sometimes, isn’t she?”

Seoyeon might disregard the girl-targeted toys when left to her own devices, but she occasionally played with them. In fact, she’d been effortlessly throwing robot toys into the shopping cart at the mart with a practiced hand.

And those robots? She meticulously decorated them with professional fervor.

“Well, if nothing serious happened, I’m glad.”

Young-bin was relieved, given the recent worries expressed by his wife, Sua.

“You shouldn’t play too late.”

“Yes.”

With that, Young-bin closed the door, glancing back briefly at Seoyeon who laid back casually on her bed.

“Hmm, unsure…”

Not about the Piny Pong and Too-bot match, but genuinely pondering the scope of her abilities.

“Can I really do real emotional acting?”

She believed the answer was yes, but how far she should push it, and whether she could control it, remained uncertain.

Jeong Eun-seon was right—it was an unfamiliar challenge, confronting her own emotions. Doing so could potentially harm her tender young mind.

Even though she had a formidable TS body, the mental aspect wasn’t necessarily invincible.

Caution wasn’t a bad idea.

“Hmm.”

Seoyeon picked up the script resting nearby. A few scenes were highlighted in red.

“There are two parts needing genuine emotional acting.”

Scene S#24 and S#32. She was determined to give these her all.

After all, these were the climactic moments for young Lee Hye-wol, and she wanted to convey them authentically.

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