Chapter 28

– These days, child actors are going crazy with their performances.

It was the day after the airing of Episode 2 of *The Moon That Hid the Sun*.

Two newly broadcast dramas:

KMB’s *The Moon That Hid the Sun* and MDC’s *Action King* were dramas that their respective broadcasting stations had honed to perfection.

The attention they drew was immense, and the fact that they were broadcast in the same time slot only heightened the intrigue.

– Our Jung-woo is too good…

ㄴ Shut up a little.

– Park Jung-woo has a leg up because of his connections, but what about Princess Yeonhwa?

– Haha, all the people who got in via lucky auditions are gone now.

– Honestly, their skills are off the charts.

– It’s not just the kids’ acting… isn’t this their second-life run?

Thus aired Episode 2.

*Action King* had a stunning direction, and the leading actress made waves with her bold exposure.

From its title, it was clear the drama would excel in action sequences.

The brilliance of the scenes in Episode 2 was overwhelming.

Given such an impressive showing, you’d think Episode 2 would crown *Action King* as the winner.

– Honestly, Yoon Jong-hyuk carried the show.

ㄴ Agreed.

– The villainous acting seems to have reached new heights—it was insane.

– The scene where Yoon Jong-hyuk and Princess Yeonhwa squared off was wild.

– But the direction in that scene… fell short.

– My cousin works on the set; he says that Princess Yeonhwa’s red eyes weren’t CG.

ㄴ That doesn’t sound believable.

ㄴ So you’re saying they embedded bulbs in her eyes?

ㄴ Hmm…

At the end of Episode 2,

the climax of *The Moon That Hid the Sun* decided the winner.

The confrontation scene between Jo Young-dae and Princess Yeonhwa.

Yoon Jong-hyuk was an acclaimed actor with a solid career and renowned as a master of villainous roles.

The presence he exuded was almost unparalleled—it was as though Jo Young-dae himself was standing there.

And yet, Princess Yeonhwa’s performance directly facing off with Jo Young-dae stole the breath from the audience.

Her acting was so powerful that even the imposing presence of Jo Young-dae was overshadowed in that brief moment.

At that time, many viewers recalled an interview Yoon Jong-hyuk gave to an internet media outlet.

“Ah, the child actors I performed with this time?”

When asked by the journalist, he smiled with a relaxed expression.

“Of course, Jung-woo needs no introduction. He is the son of actor Park Sun-woong, after all. Watching him, I thought how some people really are born with a golden spoon—even in acting. It makes me reflect on my younger days…”

The child actor playing the younger version of Yoon Seoil, Park Jung-woo, was already an established child actor, and everyone nodded in agreement.

But the one everyone was truly curious about was Sooyeon Joo, who played Princess Yeonhwa.

She had received glowing praise from actor Kang Sung-chan during a teaser event.

“Sooyeon? Ah, has the buzz already spread? Episode 2 isn’t even out yet.”

The journalist nodded.

However, Yoon Jong-hyuk wiped the smile from his face and spoke seriously.

“To be honest, I don’t really like evaluating people solely on ‘talent.’”

Yoon Jong-hyuk murmured, as if gazing into the distance.

“To be honest, it is talent. Her acting felt like it was still relatively fresh, but… you know, there’s something else to it. There’s this thing called ‘light.’”

Light.

It refers to that common spark that people talk about.

“Sometimes, people refer to celebrities as ‘stars’, right? Superstars, even. This time, I got a sense of that. Ah, this is what real talent looks like.”

Yoon Jong-hyuk thought.

Sooyeon’s powerful weapon—her emotional acting.

Her method acting was so intense that even actress Jeong Eun-seon would struggle to keep up. This was clearly Sooyeon’s greatest strength.

But beyond that, the child possessed something even more radiant.

Just an undeniable presence.

Having been a longtime actor, Yoon Jong-hyuk felt this for the first time: “Ah, this kid belongs here in some way.”

“An entertainer might be a star, but this child is a young star. People will see that in this drama for sure. She may be small and young, but she shines brightly.”

A prodigious child actor.

Even though Yoon Jong-hyuk didn’t explicitly call her a “genius,” everyone present interpreted his words that way.

Young starlight.

To that, the people who encountered her couldn’t help but equate it to the potential of a star.

And.

What exactly was this young star doing now?

“I’m pleased to meet you. I’m Hwang Jeong-soo, the head of KMB’s Drama Department.”

With her parents, Sooyeon was having a profound discussion about her own future.

***

Almost everyone in the broadcasting industry knows something instinctively:

That “this kid is going to make it” vibe.

Drama Department Head Hwang Jeong-soo was no different.

He had gotten a vague sense of it when he first reviewed the footage.

But watching the actual broadcast… wow.

The explosive beginning of the drama, *The Moon That Hid the Sun*.

Especially for KMB, which had been suffering from a lack of hit dramas lately, this was nothing short of a lifeline.

Just a few days ago, they’d been celebrating with drinks, saying things like “Cheers!” and “Bottoms up!”

Hwang Jeong-soo couldn’t let the drama’s young star go unnoticed.

“Our station is in chaos. Everyone wants to meet Sooyeon.”

There were skeptics who thought it was just a fleeting moment.

But if it was fleeting, it needed to be capitalized on immediately.

Whether from variety show PDs or drama PDs, everyone was scrambling for any way to contact Sooyeon.

Of course, Hwang Jeong-soo, who had a deep connection with Ha Tae-oh PD, could easily reach her with just a phone call.

“To be honest, there was talk of inserting two more child actor-focused episodes, even at this late stage.”

Upon hearing this, Sooyeon’s parents seated across the table stiffened with tension.

Joo Young-bin and Min Suah were worried because Sooyeon wouldn’t have the energy to extend her role much longer.

When they glanced at their daughter, however, they saw her sipping her drink without a care in the world.

“Haha, don’t worry, everything’s fine. PD Ha Tae-oh absolutely opposed it.”

Hwang Jeong-soo said this with a sideways glance at Ha Tae-oh sitting next to him.

“Yes, thanks to that, it was quite a challenge. The child actor part was indeed impressive, but inserting two more episodes would definitely ruin it since we didn’t have that in the original story.”

“That’s true, true. Though I did think it wouldn’t hurt to put it in…”

Hwang Jeong-soo cleared his throat slightly.

“In any case, I assume you have an idea of why I called this meeting today.”

At that, Min Suah nudged Young-bin in the ribs with her elbow, signaling him to talk more directly.

“Oh, yes. Of course.”

With years of professional experience, Joo Young-bin had a rough idea of why Hwang Jeong-soo had called them here.

“It’s about our Sooyeon’s… future activities, right?”

“That’s right. As I said, she’s attracting a lot of attention in many areas.”

Hwang Jeong-soo took a sip of the water on the table before continuing.

“As far as I know, you don’t have a proper management agency yet, but if you don’t have any special plans in mind, I’d like to recommend a few KMB variety shows and dramas.”

Frankly, this was something outside Hwang Jeong-soo’s purview, but he had offered his help after being requested by the head of the variety department.

For child actors, this was essentially the road to success.

Having drawn the attention of a broadcasting station and showcasing her remarkable talent before everyone, Sooyeon was, in a sense, the broadcasting world’s own Cinderella.

“Hm.”

But the expressions of Joo Young-bin and Min Suah were peculiar—mixing both approval and discomfort.

Seeing the couple exchange glances, both Hwang Jeong-soo and Ha Tae-oh felt a sense of curiosity.

“In fact, regarding this issue, we’ve already had many discussions with our daughter.”

Because of her performance in *The Moon That Hid the Sun,* Sooyeon’s recognition had skyrocketed, and they realized that continuing activity without an agency would be difficult.

Young-bin hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at their daughter.

“Seoyeon, is it okay if I speak for you?”

“Yes.”

Sooyeon’s calm expression gave no hint of what she was thinking, but she clearly believed this was the right decision.

And honestly, her parents felt that this decision was the right one as well.

“Then, I’ll explain about Seoyeon’s future activities.”

As Joo Young-bin began speaking,

Hwang Jeong-soo and Ha Tae-oh could only look on in astonishment.

***

“Aah, that’s a shame.”

After the meeting, Hwang Jeong-soo muttered this while taking a sip of his bitter coffee.

Beside him, Ha Tae-oh PD chuckled lightly at the sight of his frustrated superior.

“I think it’s fine.”

“Yeah, it’s a common path for child actors.”

Still, it was a bold decision.

Ha Tae-oh sighed.

He was genuinely sorry, of course, but when he thought about the raw talent he’d seen… perhaps this path would suit her better.

After all, he’d witnessed countless child actors burn out too early under excessive attention at a young age.

Young starlight.

People who rush too quickly, driven by that spark, often end up exhausting themselves and snuffing that light out prematurely.

“Hmm, it might be a long road… but from a longer perspective, it might not be so bad.”

“But didn’t we already agree? That her next project will definitely be with KMB.”

“That is great, but by that time, I might not be in this position anymore.”

How long would it take for the child to return?

It probably wouldn’t take too long, but it wouldn’t be immediate either. That fact was somewhat disappointing to Hwang Jeong-soo.

“By the time she returns, will you be in my position?”

“Don’t joke.”

“Why joke? Who else deserves it more than you?”

Especially after this success of *The Moon That Hid the Sun*, Ha Tae-oh’s reputation had been boosted again.

Hwang Jeong-soo genuinely believed that was a possibility.

“Well, anyway.”

Hwang Jeong-soo said, and then smirked.

“When word of this gets out, there will be quite a commotion.”

And.

As Hwang Jeong-soo’s mutterings echoed,

Episode 3 of *The Moon That Hid the Sun* was about to air in one day.

“Seoyeon Joo.”

The child actress from *The Moon That Hid the Sun*.

Park Jung-woo called out to Sooyeon, who was sitting alone, staring blankly.

“Shouldn’t you be starting soon?”

With his typically curt tone, Park Jung-woo caused Sooyeon’s face to slightly stiffen.

‘Why did this happen?’

Today was the broadcast of the third episode of *The Moon That Hid the Sun*.

Originally, she planned to watch it at home with her parents after coming back from kindergarten.

It wasn’t just as impressive as Episode 2; it might have been even better, showcasing Sooyeon’s spectacular acting.

But that morning, actor Yoon Jong-hyuk called her.

“PD Ha Tae-oh told me this, and though I feel a bit sorry… would it be possible for us to gather and watch the episode together?”

Sua, taken by surprise, impulsively responded “Yes, yes!”

So, unexpectedly, they ended up meeting at Park Sun-woong’s penthouse.

While Sua considered it a thoughtful gesture by Yoon Jong-hyuk, for her, it was an awkward situation.

“Wow, Sooyeon’s mom, you are so pretty. Are you in entertainment?”

“Y-yes, yes.”

Sua, frozen in place, watched as Park Jung-woo’s mother, Shin Jung-hwa, bubbled with excitement.

For Sooyeon’s mom, Sua, people often referred to as “celebrities” were simply too difficult to interact with.

In her heart, Sua cursed her husband who had conveniently ghosted this whole ordeal.

‘You must be suffering, huh?’

Looking at Sua this way, Sooyeon nodded slightly.

“…I’ll go.”

“You… Never mind, it’s okay.”

Sooyeon replied to Jung-woo this way and sipped her drink lightly. Park Jung-woo seemed to have a lot to say but eventually just nodded and left.

Watching his back, Sooyeon sighed faintly.

‘Still haven’t figured out what to call him.’

Actually, among the people around her, Park Jung-woo was the one Sooyeon found most difficult to approach.

After all, Jung-woo was 10 years old, three years older than her, so finding an appropriate honorific was difficult.

Like, for instance, she could call him “oppa”…

‘Ugh, that’s… tough.’

Sooyeon felt that, for her, calling him “oppa” was a bit too advanced of a title.

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