Chapter 24

The official teaser ad for the drama was released on the drama’s preview website.

The reaction to the approximately one-minute video was much more intense than Seoyeon had anticipated.

To the point that Sua was restless all night.

“Our daughter came out way too pretty!”

“That’s right.”

“Right? There’s going to be a commotion at tomorrow’s school play.”

Is that so?

Seoyeon blinked her eyes as she looked at the drama advertisement video displayed on the computer screen.

Although the timing of the video’s release, just the day before the school play, was truly surprising, it was hard to gauge how much influence the teaser would have.

“Don’t put too much pressure on her. Haven’t you seen the news? That’s why child actors can’t keep working for long.”

In response to his wife’s commotion, Joo Young-bin quietly commented, concerned that their child might feel burdened.

“I know that… but Seoyeon secretly likes this kind of thing.”

“Likes it?”

“Yes. She subtly really enjoys it when others praise her.”

Sua whispered, answering quietly. Though it wasn’t obvious before, their daughter had become better at expressing emotions ever since she became an actress.

Sitting at the computer desk, her face still expressionless and calm, Seoyeon was scrolling through videos just as she always did. But upon closer inspection, it was clear that she was repeatedly rewinding the scenes where she appeared.

“Right?”

“Hmm. But there are hate comments too…”

As he said that, something caught their child’s attention, and she began making strange gestures — like shooting a gun or sending hearts toward the monitor.

“What’s she doing?”

“That’s what she does when she sees good comments. She says it’s reaction practice.”

“What kind of reaction?”

“I don’t know, but when she was studying abroad, she said she should practice hard…”

“Studying abroad? What’s that?”

Young-bin looked at his daughter sleepily, noting that despite her calm expression, her flushed cheeks and slight body movements betrayed her excitement.

‘She definitely looks happy.’

Surely there must be hate comments, but she doesn’t seem to care at all.

‘Looks like I don’t have to worry about tomorrow’s school play.’

Young-bin nodded. Child acting careers are inherently limited in how long they can last.

“Especially for child actors who hit it big…”

‘Of course, if she wants to keep finding work, it’s certainly possible.’

Young-bin intends to do what he can to make sure Seoyeon can pursue what she desires — that’s his role as a father.

And Seoyeon seemed to have already made up her mind on some level.

***

The school play at Arongdarong Kindergarten.

As it was one of the largest kindergartens in the area, the scale of the play was impressive. Not only was it held in a rented hall rather than the kindergarten itself, but with over 300 students participating, the number of parents in attendance was staggering.

“You’ve heard, right? The child from the Sunshine Class is in this play.”

“Ah, Princess Yeonhwa… What was her name again?”

“If you’re referring to that child actor, it must be Seoyeon Joo. Our daughter is in the same class.”

While their husbands loitered nearby, groups of mothers gathered and spoke about similar topics. Parents naturally want their own children to excel, so naturally discussions would include mentioning exceptionally notable students.

“She’s supposed to be really good at acting. Some people are talking about asking her for autographs.”

“It could just be the advertisement. Not that I’m criticizing, but all child actors are kind of the same.”

“That’s true. Rumor has it that today’s Sunshine Class is putting on a play…”

The news about two child actors in the Sunshine Class spread, and it was clear that the one who’d appeared on TV and was featured by KMB would draw the most attention during this school play.

Indeed, some were eagerly waiting for Seoyeon’s appearance.

“From what I’ve heard, the play is Snow White. She’s in the role of the mirror, I think. She gave up her role.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Relief mixed with a hint of disappointment at the mention of the ‘mirror’ role. Still, Seoyeon was gathering a lot of attention for various reasons.

Didn’t that teaser just premiere yesterday?

Whispers about her that had quietly spread were now common discussion points among the parents attending the school play.

“Why don’t you join the conversation over there, dear?”

When Joo Young-bin suggested this to his wife, Sua slightly shook her head.

“I tried joining a parent meeting before. It was a disaster…”

“O-Oh. Ahem!”

Young-bin had heard about that incident, but it wasn’t exactly accurate to say she received harsh judgment. It was more like people were simply drawn to her, and Sua’s presence often commanded that sort of attention.

‘Will Seoyeon be alright?’

While unaware of Young-bin’s thoughts, Sua worried about her daughter, glancing towards the hall. Somewhere there, Seoyeon should be finishing her preparations and getting ready to perform her part.

Even though it’s just the mirror…

Actually, the mirror might even be more worrying because of how odd her daughter sometimes gets with roles like this.

Sometimes Sua notices her putting excessive effort into unusual places.

***

“Joo Seoyeon.”

“What?”

“I’m going to show you what I can do today.”

What was she planning to show?

I glanced at Jiyeon. Her princess dress was striking with its bold color combinations — it suited someone who wasn’t Snow White as much as another princess.

“Isn’t it fine without you getting special makeup?”

“I just have to stand behind the board.”

What special makeup does a mirror need?

Just standing behind a large cardboard mirror adorned with metallic foil and delivering lines was her entire job. In a way, this could be considered Joo Seoyeon’s first virtual YouTuber debut.

‘All the kids are definitely a bit nervous.’

While some children grinned happily, others clearly looked tense. The most anxious among them was the boy playing the prince.

That odd, somewhat irrelevant but also important prince role — chosen by default because all the boys avoided it.

“With my… stomach… uh…”

His complexion was off — was he alright? I understood though. Look at the crowd in the hall.

‘The kindergarten school play is much grander than expected.’

It was somewhat anticipated. With over 300 students participating, it was supposed to be sizeable. But this was more than that.

Looking around, it seemed like almost every parent attended. In fact, in some ways, the kindergarten play held more interest than middle or high school performances.

“The only play is with our class and the Bud Class.”

“What about them?”

“King Lear.”

The title was unexpected.

Are kids even capable of performing King Lear?

Snow White and King Lear might not fit the same age group…

Still, there were a total of ten classes in Arongdarong Kindergarten.

Among them, Blossom Class’s turn was the fifth.

As we waited briefly,

“Alright, kids, it’s almost time to go on stage. Get ready! You’ve all practiced hard, so it’s okay if you make mistakes. Fighting!!”

Teacher Min-a encouraged the kids, and they shouted with enthusiasm. Our preceding act was a short rhythmic performance with songs, a cute arrangement showing off the kids’ charm.

“Seoyeon, let me know if you need help moving the board. Let me assist.”

“No, I’m fine.”

As the mirror, I had to carry this cardboard around.

It might be heavy for a child, but for me, it’s practically just paper.

Even a steel plate of this size would be no problem.

I easily lifted it, catching Teacher Min-a’s widened eyes.

“Seoyeon is strong, huh? Is it a trait from being an actress?”

That doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with being an actor, but I simply nodded without much argument.

“Anyway, everyone, Blossom Class Fighting!”

With the teacher’s encouragement, the play began. Though I hid behind the cardboard, I could sense the parents’ eyes fixed on the stage.

‘This is different from drama filming.’

There’s its own kind of charm here.

Maybe I should try children’s musicals in the future?

Though musicals mean learning to sing, which is also necessary for VTubers. Maybe it’s worth considering later.

***

“This is the class.”

“Aren’t they in the play you were saying?”

‘The child’ — there was no need to specify who it referred to.

The child everyone discussed the most today among the mothers.

Joo Seoyeon, who gained attention yesterday when the teaser for “The Moon That Hid the Sun” was revealed, playing Princess Yeonhwa.

“I heard she plays the mirror.”

“That’s disappointing. I wanted to see her act.”

People were curious to see if she acted as well as the teaser suggested. Many understood that a professional child actor might make the other kids feel pressured.

Thus began the Blossom Class’ play under everyone’s watchful eyes.

As the lights dimmed and a gentle spotlight lit the stage, the drama started.

“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?”

Unlike typical children’s plays, the background music was subtle, creating a good atmosphere. The girl playing the Queen had clearly practiced a lot for this play.

She originally competed with Jiyeon for the princess role but ended up as the Queen. Now, her passionate performance was met with a well-suited response by the mirror.

“Ooh, obviously, the beautiful queen.”

The voice was oddly androgynous. Upon hearing it, the parents murmured in surprise.

“That’s impressive. Actors really are different, aren’t they?”

“Is that called vocalization? The difference is clear.”

Among the surprised crowd, Sua also widened her eyes.

“The last time she wanted to attend a voice acting school. Turns out, this was part of her practice.”

Unlike her acting, vocal training was something Seoyeon had worked on for a long time even as a younger child.

If her acting is purely talent, her voice is the result of prolonged practice.

Thus, even in the drama, Seoyeon’s voice held a clarity that felt older than her years. What began as casual entertainment for the parents watching a children’s play turned into a captivating experience.

The play progressed calmly.

Familiar to everyone due to the story of Snow White, the mirror, which once praised the queen, changed its tune:

“The fairest skin white as snow is Princess Snow White.”

The clear and refreshing voice resonated, making the performance unforgettable. It was an ordinary children’s play, yet her voice made it easy to immerse oneself in the performance.

Teacher Min-a from the Sunshine Class trembled with delight. If everything went as planned, the coveted vacation would be hers at last.

The stage seemed to progress smoothly at first.

Until it didn’t.

***

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