Chapter 33

[Talented Child Actor Suddenly Retires? No! They’re Back!]

[What Was the Reason Behind the Sudden Retirement Decision of the Child Actor Who Gained Overnight Fame as Princess Yeonhwa?]

[Tae-Soom-Dal’s Perfect Timing! Average Ratings Break 25%! Record-High Ratings Within Reach]

“…….”

Han Sun-ah rubbed her eyes.

It felt like a dream, but it wasn’t.

“Sister, can you wait for me until my next project?”

Suddenly, she remembered.

The words Seoyeon had said to her at the premiere came to mind.

Ah, so that’s why she asked if I could wait for her.

It wasn’t an impulsive decision but a considered answer after much deliberation.

Realizing this, Han Sun-ah shook her head vigorously.

“It wasn’t a announcement of retirement, after all.”

Seoyeon had said she wanted her to wait until her next project.

Seoyeon likely intended to take a relatively long break.

It’s quite common among child actors.

Just, there aren’t many cases where someone takes a break right at the height of their popularity.

“Need to study.”

Thanks to Seoyeon, she got accepted into Seoul National University.

So Han Sun-ah was committed to waiting.

To meet her as a more mature adult, better than before.

Perhaps Seoyeon’s one-of-a-kind signature left behind.

Looking at it, Sun-ah made a commitment.

***

“It’s outrageous!!”

Screams echoed through the living room from Seohui Jo.

Her parents, watching the news with her daughter, suddenly covered their ears when their daughter’s cry startled them.

“Ahh, Seohui, why are you shouting so suddenly?”

“Didn’t you see that?! Her!!”

Jo Seohui nearly grabbed her dad’s collar, gripping his shirt tightly and shaking him.

Her prideful, energetic, and hard-to-describe daughter was in an uproar.

This was after she lost out on the audition for *The Moon That Hid the Sun*.

‘There must’ve been something fishy going on at the top. There’s no way you could lose to them otherwise.’

That’s how her parents consoled her.

But still, dissatisfaction lingered in Seohui’s heart.

If anyone would objectively agree that she was better, then even if something was going on higher up, it should’ve been impossible to lose.

Seoyeon’s acting was similar to hers but slightly different.

Seohui was better in terms of pure acting stability and skill, whereas Seoyeon excelled in emotional performance and atmosphere.

Seohui had a solid career as a child actor, often referred to as “the princess of daily drama.”

She never imagined she’d lose to a newcomer like that.

But even she, watching the second and third episodes of *The Moon that Hid the Sun*, had to admit it.

Even Seohui, young as she was, couldn’t help but be mesmerized by the acting.

If she had seen it on set live, she would’ve undoubtedly been completely overshadowed by Seoyeon.

“That kind of acting, and yet…”

Seohui gnawed on her thumbnail while glaring at the TV.

Her glare was so intense that her parents gradually left the room.

“Isn’t this like running away after winning?”

She vowed never to lose again at the next audition.

In fact, this audition defeat had been beneficial for her.

Because everyone praised her as the “princess of daily drama,” she had grown complacent and arrogant.

Of course, as a young child, she still has room to grow.

Even Jeong Eun-seon, who cared for her, often mentioned how Seohui was already at the peak for a child actor.

Peak for a child actor, yes.

But while Seohui was regarded as a child actor, Seoyeon was starting to be compared with adult actors.

In the fourth episode, she was matched against Ha Ye-seo, who was playing the older version of Lee Hye-wol.

“Wait and see.”

She didn’t see it as a retirement.

Despite the media’s chatter about Seoyeon’s retirement, inquiring about *Celebrities Live*, she found it was more like a brief hiatus.

How long that would be, nobody knows.

It’s not uncommon for child actors to take breaks lasting over a decade.

Especially for someone as young as Seoyeon, the hiatus might be even longer.

Typically, the most sought-after age group for child actors is between 5-7 years old.

After that age, there are not as many roles and schooling becomes a priority.

So, most make a reappearance either as high schoolers or adults when they can better tackle adult roles.

But Jo Seohui didn’t want that.

She’d continue growing as a serious actor—not just as a daily drama princess.

While Seoyeon was away, she aimed to surpass even Bak Jung-woo and become the best among her peer acting group.

“Next time…”

—she’ll definitely win.

Jo Seohui made her resolution.

***

“Seoyeon, let’s try acting without relying on strong emotions first, shall we?”

The acting instructor Hong Jeong-hoon directed this at Seoyeon.

“You capture people’s attention immediately. That might be due to your emotional performances….”

An acting performance that grabs people’s attention.

This was likely due to her adorable looks, her mysterious eyes, and her own unique aura.

When it came to a still or subtle performance, Seoyeon truly had no equal among her peers.

Even adult actors who focused on performance could feel the tension around her.

In fact, the child acting students who witnessed her performance up close often lost all motivation:

“Teacher, I can’t act like her.”

“I’ve seen her on TV… Why is she here?”

They were losing the motivation due to the gap in skill.

“What’s the matter? Aren’t you putting in the effort fully? Let’s try that scene again?”

“Alright.”

After receiving a kick from Eun-geon, they reluctantly continued their scene.

It wasn’t a sophisticated performance but rather just reading back simple dialogues—it was more like a ‘storytelling session’ for children.

That is the usual level for most children actors.

“Can acting exist without emotions?”

“Not exactly. But your body should be involved.”

Small finger movements, eye gestures, even small reactions.

“When you analyze a character, you should also consider their quirks. Each line of dialogue may come with appropriate gestures. How did Princess Yeonhwa act?”

“Princess Yeonhwa…”

While trying to mimic Park Jung-woo, it was actually Seoyeon’s own actions showing through.

This was natural because Princess Yeonhwa was playing an ordinary girl outside the palace.

‘Probably, Princess Yeonhwa’s acting inside the palace was awkward.’

Though it passed easily in production,

it’s highly possible that the awkwardness was interpreted as intentional.

Or, maybe it just naturally fit the character.

‘Park Jung-woo never showed much reaction back then.’

Seoyeon thought that was his usual demeanor towards her.

A calm and detached 10-year-old child.

Seoyeon herself had somewhat insensible aspects, so she categorized herself as a similar type.

But,

“How can you act so incredibly well?”

After the third episode filming, Park Jung-woo’s reaction was quite different.

His expression showed a shock over Seoyeon’s performance.

It was obvious he saw her as merely “a somewhat skilled child actor” until the second episode—probably thinking just, “She’s doing well for her age.”

‘Even for being an older child actor.’

It was clear he was looking down on her, having three years of seniority.

‘That’s a good one.’

Due to the impressive performance in the third episode, Seoyeon felt quite satisfied internally.

—Though, considering her past life’s age, it was a bit of a strange feeling.

“So, it’s about trying to express the character using physical actions while minimally relying on emotions, correct?”

“Exactly!”

Hong Jeong-hoon smiled broadly at Seoyeon’s quick understanding.

“Although she caused a bit of a surprise when she first arrived… this is a great opportunity.”

Most acting schools function as talent agencies as well.

This was also true for Huayang Acting Academy, where Eun-geon had settled after breaking away from Eunha Entertainment at Seoyeon’s recommendation.

An agency that would later produce several great actors, Huayang Acting Academy was indeed an excellent choice.

Currently, however, it was a rather ordinary acting school primarily handling child actors in CFs and extra auditions.

“Genius child actor, Seoyeon Joo.”

Being one of the most talked-about child actors recently, having Seoyeon at Huayang Acting Academy would undoubtedly bring in more students.

An opportunity for the school to become well-known.

Not to mention, Seoyeon’s talent was truly stunning.

“Her comprehension is quick, and she’s far from your typical 7-year-old.”

He initially thought Eun-geon was an exceptionally clever child, but Seoyeon surpassed even that.

Her level of understanding was almost inhuman.

“Alright, let’s try it then.”

Acting without emotions, focusing solely on physical expressions.

Seoyeon began her practice.

He was curious to see what she would surprise him with this time.

“Alright, let’s start with you. Seoyeon.”

“…….”

Hong Jeong-hoon realized.

Without those emotions, Seoyeon’s acting merely came off as stiff and lifeless.

‘This must be due to the body.’

Possessing physical abilities that surpassed an ordinary child.

It was clear she wasn’t fully utilizing it yet.

Or perhaps, the gap between her emotional expression and physical presence was also a factor.

‘Yes, that makes sense.’

Seoyeon convinced herself internally,

‘Just because this body is invincible doesn’t mean it can do everything perfectly from the start.’

Realizing this fact.

Anyway, after the shamefaced episode at the acting academy, though,

My daily routine was quite methodical.

Mondays and Wednesdays at the acting school,

Tuesdays and Thursdays were spent at the voice acting academy.

And on Friday, I experimented with various forms of exercise—trying out Taekwondo, juvenile boxing, in search of a suitable physical regimen.

“Still, doesn’t voice acting completely differ from acting?”

“You still use vocalization techniques though, vocal cords.”

“No, they feel completely different.”

Today was the day for the voice acting classes.

I had already undergone some vocalization training, so I could now articulate relatively decent sounds.

“Voice actors are truly the experts in voice acting.”

Just the methods of vocalization differ even when performing similarly to actors.

The difference in feelings was like comparing heaven and earth.

“Probably won’t be useful for acting as Eun-geon said…”

I’d better use this just during emotional scenes.

Moreover, vocalization techniques for voice actors were so challenging I struggled quite a bit.

“Realizing again, being good at everything probably isn’t my thing.”

Thinking about it this way, it struck me as fortunate.

Had I kept on acting, how long would the title of a ‘genius child actor’ last?

Sure, I could have made use of emotional acting for some time,

But it would also burden my body and probably be tough during adolescence.

“Really, Jiyun excels here, doesn’t she? Where did she learn it?”

“Of course! Who is better here, Jiyun or Seoyeon?”

“Ah, well…”

The instructor quickly glanced at both me and Jiyun, whispering something into her ear, perhaps mindful of hurting my feelings.

“Still, by the way he says it… and looking at her proud face…”

“Am I… losing to Jiyun?”

“How is this possible?”

“Ahem! Let’s try again. Raise the pitch of your voice slightly.”

“Got it!”

Voice acting wasn’t just about speaking clearly.

From narrations, character acting to anime dubbing vocal training,

There were numerous aspects to it.

Our current lessons were just covering the basics.

“Hmm…”

I sipped on some water to soothe my dry throat, quietly listening to Jiyun’s voice.

Today, it seemed like we were directly performing a character from a fairy tale.

A small squirrel, I think.

In some ways, Jiyun fit the role perfectly.

“Phewww!!”

Hearing that voice, I accidentally spat out my water.

Completely different from her previous narrations or standard character voices,

A remarkably distinct tone emerged from Jiyun’s young voice.

I had heard that regular children usually couldn’t produce such sounds like Jiyun did.

“…Wha… Why are you suddenly laughing at me, Seoyeon?”

“Huh? No, I wasn’t laughing.”

“Hmm, really?”

Jiyun momentarily glared at me suspiciously but didn’t press any further.

Watching her storm away, I wiped the water dripping from my lips.

“Surely not…”

I tried to think otherwise.

No matter what, it seemed a bit exaggerated, didn’t it?