Chapter 32

The next broadcast of *The Moon That Hid the Sun* episode 4.

Following the anticipation from episode 3, *The Moon That Hid the Sun* (or *Tai Soom Dal*) succeeded in maintaining its ratings thanks to the performances of seasoned actors Kang Sung-chan and Ha Ye-seo.

However, the drama *Action King*, which had fallen to 13% in episode 3 and was thought to be nearly dead, made a surprising comeback at 18%.

For *The Moon That Hid the Sun*, this created an extremely tense situation.

“Perhaps, in my previous life…”

Seoyeon wasn’t too worried. After all, *Action King* was destined to self-destruct by episode 8 anyway.

An idol actor named Sebin, wasn’t it? Caught up in a school violence scandal, his involvement caused *Action King* to close with a disastrous 5% ratings on its final episode.

Of course, *The Moon That Hid the Sun* absorbed the lost audience, achieving a miraculous 42% in its final episode and thus finishing with a perfect conclusion.

[The much-anticipated premiere of *Tai Soom Dal* episode 4: was it underwhelming?]

[Did the child actors’ intense performances become a double-edged sword? The ratings dropped from 31% to 26% in *Tai Soom Dal*]

…I saw such headlines, but I didn’t pay much attention to them. I was, however, quite proud that my performance had received good reviews.

It was worth all the effort I’d put in.

“To act properly…”

In the past, I hadn’t truly felt a sense of accomplishment. Not during commercial shoots, nor at the start of filming *Tai Soom Dal*.

But now, things were different. I felt good.

“Phew, Miss Seoyeon, you must’ve worked hard coming here.”

I’ve arrived at the KMB studio. One of the segments of the entertainment news show *Celebrity Live*, called ‘Hot Star,’ was where I was set to make my first—and last—variety show appearance.

“Hello.”

I bowed slightly, and the PD of *Celebrity Live*, Shin Jae-won, smiled brightly.

His gaze was like that of someone looking at a treasure chest.

“I’ve been watching *The Moon That Hid the Sun* recently. Miss Seoyeon, you’re really seven years old? It’s hard to believe!”

“Thank you for enjoying it.”

“Not at all, and this is…”

Shin Jae-won’s gaze then moved to my mother, Sua, who was standing beside me. His reaction showed he was genuinely taken aback.

“Huh? What is this?”

Indeed, he was a professional. The momentary look of surprise quickly passed, and he recovered his composure.

‘Impressive.’

Even Seoyeon was impressed. Most people’s eyes would have flicked downward upon seeing my mother for the first time, but Shin Jae-won kept his gaze steady.

“You’re beautiful too, ma’am. If I may say so, you could’ve been an actress.”

“A, ah, thank you, but that’s… too much for me…”

“Still, it’s clear where Miss Seoyeon got her charm from.”

Haha, Shin Jae-won’s joke made my mother smile awkwardly. It was an odd situation for both of us, albeit for different reasons.

“Ahem! The filming will start at 2 PM, so feel free to rest for now. We’ll call you once everything is ready.”

I nodded at Shin Jae-won’s cheerful reminder. Since this was a talk-show style variety program, there wasn’t much for me to prepare.

“Seoyeon, my mom will wait outside…”

My mom’s voice trailed off as she looked at me.

“So, you’re going to say it, right?”

“Yes.”

I nodded. Anyway, everyone would find out soon enough.

Making the announcement here would clearly have a bigger impact.

‘Plus, with variety shows, there are reruns.’

Since recordings can be revisited, people would remember this longer than a regular internet article. With the simple difficulty of this, it was suitable for my first variety show.

‘I should pay close attention to how interviews are conducted.’

There’s another reason I agreed to do this program. It was to learn interview skills.

Whether it’s streamers or VTubers, when guests appear on shows, there’s often a natural flow of questions and ways to handle the interview gaze and process. I wanted to subtly learn some of those techniques.

Even a professional who just eats and conducts interviews would surely have a lot to teach.

I was already starting to look forward to the interview, and for several reasons.

***

“This interview will definitely be something to look forward to.”

Seoyeon, recommended by the truly grateful drama PD Ha Tae-oh, had left this impression on Shin Jae-won.

“Recently, the most talked-about child actor?”

*The Moon That Hid the Sun* isn’t just any drama, is it? The performances by the two child actors, especially in episode 3, have continued to be a major topic of conversation.

Since they haven’t appeared on screens for a while post-episode 3, the curiosity among viewers has reached its peak.

“Just imagine if she makes her first appearance on our show, *Celebrity Live*!”

The thought made Shin Jae-won’s heart race. By the way, Shin Jae-won had recently taken over *Celebrity Live*.

The previous PD had moved on to another position due to being overburdened with work after the *Tai Soom Dal* auditions.

“Thank you for the interview.”

“Of course. This is my bread and butter, so I’ll do my best, naturally.”

The interview segment of this *Celebrity Live*, called ‘Hot Star,’ is managed through the MC, Song Young-jin. He was originally an announcer at KMB but has since transitioned to freelance work and is now thriving.

“Joo Seoyeon,”

Song Young-jin also knew the name well. Not just because she was the interview subject but because his wife had been avidly watching *The Moon That Hid the Sun* recently.

The moment Song Young-jin saw Seoyeon’s performance in episode 3, he was inwardly shocked.

A child around the age of his son displaying such acting skills?

It was a sight no one could deny as ‘genius.’ Even Park Jung-woo, who had previously been known as a child acting prodigy, couldn’t measure up to Seoyeon’s performance at that particular time.

Given such a presence, how many dramas would she shoot or commercials would she star in in the future?

If this all started from *Celebrity Live*, Song Young-jin had nothing to complain about.

“Alright, let’s present our latest *Celebrity Live*, *Hot Star*! Our star today is…”

The filming began. Song Young-jin spoke loudly as he took his seat.

“None other than the princess from *The Moon That Hid the Sun*: Miss Joo Seoyeon!”

Seoyeon walked out, bowing deeply before taking her place. Likely, she was the youngest to appear on *Hot Star* ever.

There was some concern because of her young age—seven years old. Would she be able to handle the interview properly?

After all, acting and giving interviews are different, right?

‘Really, her mother should’ve been here with her.’

That’s what Song Young-jin thought inwardly. Still, the child actor was extraordinary.

Moreover, the Seoyeon sitting across from him now didn’t quite have that ‘child’ vibe. Perhaps because of her calm gaze or expressionless, unflustered face.

“In your role in *The Moon That Hid the Sun* as the Princess Yeonhwa, did you ever imagine that you’d end up being cast for this role?”

“No.”

In response to Song Young-jin’s question, Seoyeon shook her head.

“Of course, it was about building experience. There were strong contenders, so I naturally thought it would be a stretch for me.”

So natural and composed.

Song Young-jin couldn’t help but lose his words as he looked at Seoyeon.

‘Not even a single stutter?’

Even though this was a filming without an audience, plenty of eyes were watching. The staff of *Celebrity Live*. And Song Young-jin himself.

To deliver such a flawless response amidst all that attention, despite being only seven years old—it was hard to comprehend.

‘Is she really seven?’

Thinking about his own son, it didn’t make sense. Not all child actors were like this, were they?

Even Park Jung-woo at seven was a bit more awkward in interviews.

Song Young-jin continued questioning Seoyeon, receiving answers in return. The more they conversed, the more Song Young-bin grew disoriented. It felt as though he were interviewing an adult, not a seven-year-old.

“Your performances in episodes two and three were incredible, and there have been rumors that you might be using method acting. I’ve also heard from other actors that emotional acting is your strong suit.”

It was a widely-known rumor that emotional acting was Seoyeon’s strength. However, her minimal acting experience also hinted at certain limitations when handling complex movements.

“Uh-huh, yes. To be exact, that’s the only thing I can do right now.”

Can’t do anything else? Method acting isn’t something just anyone can handle.

It’s not always the answer and can even be a hindrance sometimes. Could a seven-year-old like Seoyeon really handle method acting without complications?

Honestly, Song Young-jin thought it was excessive. Certainly, up until now.

“In any case, wasn’t it tough? Isn’t method acting often approached by veteran actors?”

“In this aspect… I’m still not sure. But since I only need to do it once in a while, I decided to be bold.”

“Hmm…”

Song Young-jin absentmindedly nodded, but then suddenly remembered a part of Seoyeon’s words that caught his attention.

“By the way, what do you mean by ‘don’t need to do it for a while’? Isn’t that related to emotional acting?”

This question didn’t appear in the script. It was off-the-cuff, yet Song Young-jin didn’t consider it a mistake.

It was strangely intriguing.

“Hmm, well.”

Seoyeon answered with a nonchalant expression, as if it wasn’t a big deal.

“I plan to leave the entertainment industry for a while.”

Delivered with such indifference that Song Young-jin was about to absentmindedly respond, “Ah, I see,” before realizing the gravity of the statement.

“…Huh?”

When someone is overwhelmed by surprise, they can’t speak. That’s exactly how Song Young-jin felt.

To invite someone at the peak of their star power, only to hear an announcement of retirement right then and there—it was practically unheard of.

“What did Miss Seoyeon just say?”

“I heard something about leaving the entertainment industry for a while. Is that right?”

“I thought the same thing….”

The filming set buzzed with excitement.

The crew filming, even the PD Shin Jae-wun—all were caught off guard.

“And this is why…”

This was when the PD Shin Jae-wun realized the meaning of the significant statement Ha Tae-oh had made earlier: “You can expect a lot from this interview.”

Indeed, as Ha Tae-oh implied, this revelation would surely create a significant stir among viewers when aired.

***

And just as Shin Jae-wun predicted, the interview segment on *Celebrity Live* caused quite a splash when aired. Drama-related communities buzzed with energy.

– Is it true that the actress who played Princess Yeonhwa is retiring?

– I heard it’s not a retirement, just stepping away from broadcasting for a while, right?

– Well, what’s the difference? It’s practically the same.

– But, is this real?

With no clear explanation, all sorts of rumors emerged about her retirement—like how the *Tai Soom Dal* shooting schedule was too grueling or that she had earned so much money she decided to leave.

Mostly rumors, but they continued to circulate, overshadowing even the highly anticipated fifth episode of *Tai Soom Dal* that aired that day.

Despite this, episode 5 did recover some ratings, ensuring that *Tai Soom Dal*’s success was nearly guaranteed.

And that child prodigy who shook the nation?

“Hello, I’m Joo Seoyeon, and starting today, I’ll be learning acting at Hyangyang Acting Academy.”

Thanks to the recommendation of Yiyeon, she joined the acting school.

Among the applause of Yiyeon and the other young students, everyone looked on in astonishment at this unusual young figure.

‘…What is this?’

They all wanted to ask the same question—why was she here?

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