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Chapter 370: Child Actor Audition for Hwaranjeon (2)

However, Lee Ji-Yeon and Kim Soll-Ip advised otherwise. They insisted that the potential of young actors should never be underestimated. If the actors truly couldn\'t handle the scene, the directors would deal with it on set.

Thus, Hwaranjeon\'s script was created without accommodating the actors\' limitations. Since it was now in the hands of Oh Bok-Hee—who was obsessed with perfection—the audition standards naturally rose even for the child actors.

Yang Yi-Ji and Jin Gong-Ju both tightly clutched their hanboks and took the stage when their names were called.

When the three child actors stood together, Oh Bok-Hee gave her instructions. "Miso will play Princess Yu-Hwa. And as for the eldest Princess Jeong-Hwa and the youngest Princess Do-Hwa... Yi-Ji and Gong-Ju, you can decide between yourselves."

At that moment, Yang Yi-Ji, who was two years older than Miso and Jin Gong-Ju, raised her hand confidently.

"Yi-Ji, what is it?"

"Has it already been decided that Miso will play Princess Yu-Hwa?"

Despite it being in the middle of Miso\'s audition for the role of Princess Yu-Hwa, Yang Yi-Ji boldly questioned it.

Her expression showed that she couldn\'t accept why someone with four years of acting experience like her was being overlooked.

"Yi-Ji, your performance was excellent too. But you know your singing was a little lacking in Scene 11, right?"

Yang Yi-Ji responded assertively despite her young age, fully aware of her identity as a celebrity. "If I practice more, I can do it better!"

"Is that so?"

"Yes!"

"Then how about this? After everyone goes through their parts, we\'ll give everyone a chance to try out as Princess Yu-Hwa."

Yang Yi-Ji\'s eyes sparkled with excitement. She was clearly hoping the roles might still change if she performed well.

As expected, Oh Bok-Hee was creating competition even among the child actors to ensure the drama\'s success.

Yang Yi-Ji nodded and understood the terms. "Then I\'ll start with Princess Jeong-Hwa."

"Alright."

Oh Bok-Hee then turned to Jin Gong-Ju.

"And Gong-Ju, will you begin with Princess Do-Hwa?"

Jin Gong-Ju quickly read the room and nodded. "Yes! I\'ll do whatever you ask."

"Alright, let\'s begin right away."

Scene 22 focused on the quarrel between the young princesses. This was the moment Miso had been most nervous about.

Since Yoo-Jin\'s video call was still open, I asked her, "Yoo-Jin, do you think Miso will be okay?"

Yoo-Jin seemed equally uneasy. She held tightly onto Do Ran-Hee\'s hand and replied.

-I\'m not sure... When we practiced, she didn\'t fully understand the emotions and just memorized the lines to get through it...

Just then, Oh Bok-Hee gave the cue to begin the scene. "Alright then. Ready~ Action!"

***

In Scene 21 of Hwaranjeon, the royal prophet Mu-Mu delivered a prophecy to the three princesses, who shared a close relationship like real sisters although they had different mothers.

-When the most beautiful flower of Gyerim blooms, the other two will lose their light forever.

In other words, when one of the princesses ascended to the throne, the others would meet their deaths.

Following the prophecy, distrust grew between the factions supporting each princess, eventually leading to deadly sword fights among their bodyguards.

Scene 22 took place the day after blood was shed. As the three princesses meet on their way to see the king, they recognize each other as enemies for the first time.

First up, Yang Yi-Ji who was playing Princess Jeong-Hwa glared at Miso and shouted.

『Yu-Hwa. Did you really think that I, the first flower of Gyerim, would die by the sword of someone like you?』

Yang Yi-Ji\'s sharp voice dripped with hostility.

At only nine years old but with four years of acting experience, Yang Yi-Ji had grown up watching Lee Tae-Yeon perform. Acting had been her life for half of her young years.

Drawing from that experience, Yang Yi-Ji stared down Miso with murderous intensity, her body trembling as if barely able to contain her rage. It looked like she was ready to leap at Miso if given permission.

At that moment, Miso tightly clenched her fists and spoke back to Yang Yi-Ji.

『Princess Jeong-Hwa. Why do you accuse me of a crime I did not commit? I simply stand against the swords of those treacherous men who seek to divide Seorabeol in two.』

『W-what? Treacherous...?』

As Yang Yi-Ji flared up in anger, tears welled up in Miso\'s large eyes and began to fall.

Although Miso\'s performance wasn\'t bad, the emotional tone was off. Miso\'s portrayal leaned more toward sadness rather than expressing anger.

Perhaps because of this reason, Oh Bok-Hee tilted her head in confusion. This wasn\'t the Miso who had impressed everyone earlier.

Next, Jin Gong-Ju took her turn.

『Princess Jeong-Hwa. I\'ve been suspicious of Princess Yu-Hwa ever since she started pretending to be kind while mingling with the commoners. With that innocent face of hers, she\'s deceived not only the king but all of us. She plans to wipe us out without dirtying her own hands!』

Jin Gong-Ju also delivered her lines with a steady and controlled performance that rivaled Yang Yi-Ji\'s.

Her biting remarks toward Miso were full of contempt and her piercing gaze was loaded with distrust.

Jin Gong-Ju\'s emotions were so clear and well-executed that she could hold her own even among adult actors.

\'This isn\'t good...\' I thought.

With Yang Yi-Ji and Jin Gong-Ju both delivering stellar performances, Miso\'s acting seemed even weaker.

If her performance at the climax of Scene 22 was her limit, it was hard to be confident that Miso would land the role of Princess Yu-Hwa.

Despite her struggles, Miso continued to give it her all. Unfortunately, her limitations were apparent.

At this point, Miso still didn\'t fully understand how to portray anger.

Eventually, Oh Bok-Hee called, "Cut!"

The three girls panted heavily, exhausted from pouring out their emotions in such a short time.

After a brief break, Oh Bok-Hee announced a role switch. "Alright, let\'s switch roles and try again."

From then on, the three actresses rotated between playing Princess Jeong-Hwa, Princess Yu-Hwa, and Princess Do-Hwa.

When Yang Yi-Ji took on the role of Princess Yu-Hwa, she skillfully expressed the emotional depth needed for Scene 22. After all, it was an important scene where the once gentle and kind-hearted Princess Yu-Hwa finally revealed her royal dignity and anger.

Next, Jin Gong-Ju delivered an even more intense portrayal of Princess Yu-Hwa\'s fury.

Compared to the others, Miso\'s performance had fallen short for this particular scene.

Finally, Oh Bok-Hee called for the end of the audition.

The exhausted children collapsed into their seats. Oh Bok-Hee told them to rest while she discussed the performances with the other judges.

A few moments later, Oh Bok-Hee returned with a serious expression. "It\'s hard to make a final decision right now as each of you showed strengths and weaknesses. In three days, we\'ll hold a final audition to determine the roles."

It wasn\'t unusual for roles to change even before filming began, so Oh Bok-Hee\'s decision wasn\'t surprising.

Oh Bok-Hee then gave the three girls feedback, hoping it would help them for the next audition.

"Yi-Ji. Your portrayal of a princess\' grace and weight is outstanding. However, you need to bring out more of her playful energy in the earlier scenes."

"Gong-Ju. Your emotional delivery is clear and strong, but sometimes it\'s too sharp in places where it should be softer. Work on that for next time."

"Miso, you were great overall. But I\'d like you to focus more on the climax. If you want to be a great actor, that\'s an area you need to improve."

As expected, Oh Bok-Hee had clearly identified Miso\'s weakness.

This meant it wasn\'t something that could be overlooked. Oh Bok-Hee would undoubtedly focus on that exact issue during the next audition.

It seemed like Miso needed a teacher—someone who wouldn\'t hesitate to give her tough and direct guidance.

Yoo-Jin had helped her as much as she could, but this called for a different kind of acting coach.

At that moment, a name suddenly came to mind: actress Choi Ji-Yung, who had hit rock bottom after her scandal with playboy Choi Jong-Hyuk but made a comeback.

Having tasted the highs and lows of life, I was sure she could help Miso tap into the emotions she struggled with.

***

After finishing the audition, Miso returned to her seat while pouting her lips in frustration. She clutched her hanbok skirt tightly, clearly upset.

"Miso, don\'t worry. You\'ll do even better at the final audition," I encouraged her.

Since this was the first time Miso hadn\'t secured a role right away, I was worried that she might be discouraged.

However, my concern was unnecessary.

Miso looked up at me with her eyes determined. "Uncle Yoon-Ho, what should I do?"

"Huh?"

"How can I get better at acting?"

I felt guilty for ever doubting her. Miso wasn\'t giving up, but she was facing her challenges head-on and working to overcome them.

It made me feel proud of how much she had grown.

"I\'ll find the perfect teacher for you, Miso."

Miso nodded enthusiastically. "Then I\'ll work really hard!"

"Alright. I\'ll call the teacher right now."

"Okay!"

Seeing Miso\'s renewed determination, I immediately called Choi Ji-Yung.

Choi Ji-Yung answered, saying she was on Jeju Island now and would be back home tomorrow afternoon.

-I\'m free after 6 p.m, tomorrow. Can we meet then?

"Of course. Thank you so much, Ms. Choi."

After arranging to meet at her home the next day, I left the audition hall.

When I told Miso that I had found her a teacher, her face brightened and she said excitedly, "Uncle Yoon-Ho! Let\'s go see Mom now!"

"Alright, let\'s go."

Since Yoo-Jin and Do Ran-Hee were still in the PD\'s office, I hurried to get them.

That was when I heard a loud commotion from the end of the hallway.

"Kang Si-Ah! Why did you stammer so much in Scene 17? How many times have I told you to get your diction right!? And after two years of training, why are you still so bad at expressing emotions?"

"I\'m... sorry, Mdm. Choi."

"Sorry? How many times do I have to hear that? I told you. You have to land this role no matter what!"

At the end of the hallway where all the other kids had already left, Choi Yi-Sun was berating Kang Si-Ah. The real problem, of course, was Choi Yi-Sun herself and her terrible acting guidance.

At that moment, Choi Yi-Sun shifted to an even more unreasonable attack on Kang Si-Ah.

"Si-Ah, do you even know how much money is being spent on you? Lesson fees, costume fees, transportation costs..."

Choi Yi-Sun began listing a bunch of expenses that a ten-year-old like Si-Ah couldn\'t possibly understand.

\'She hasn\'t changed one bit, has she?\' I thought.

Choi Yi-Sun had always used this tactic of constantly reminding Kang Si-Ah of the costs involved in raising her as a star.

However, this was all a setup. If Si-Ah ever switched agencies or when it was time to settle accounts in the future, Choi Yi-Sun would use this to justify stealing from her earnings and claim high expenses.

Although I needed to address Miso\'s acting issue, my meeting with Choi Ji-Yung was scheduled for tomorrow afternoon and there was still some time.

Right now, Kang Si-Ah\'s situation took priority.

I turned to Jung Sang-Bong and said, "Sang-Bong. Go to the PD\'s office and take Miso and Yoo-Jin home. Tell Ran-Hee to drive Ms. Han Woo-Ju back as well."

"Understood."

"And Miso. Practice hard with your mom, okay? I\'ll come home tonight to check on you."

"Okay! Uncle Yoon-Ho, you need to watch my acting again later, alright?"

"Of course. I will."

Miso nodded and held Jung Sang-Bong\'s hand before heading to the PD\'s office.

After sending her off, I made my way over to where Kang Si-Ah was still being scolded.

"Mdm. Choi?"

Choi Yi-Sun, who had been berating Kang Si-Ah, turned to face me. "Oh, Mr. Jung! Hello."

After a brief greeting, I got straight to the point.

"How much would it take to transfer that child to Hoop Entertainment?"

For a moment, Choi Yi-Sun looked stunned. She was clearly caught off guard by the sudden proposal.

Soon, her face lit up with a bright smile."Oh, are you interested in Si-Ah?"

"Yes. She has some flaws, but her voice and presence are appealing. I\'d like to try working with her, but it depends on the transfer fee. If it\'s reasonable, I\'d like to negotiate."

The moment I threw out the bait, the greedy Choi Yi-Sun took it without hesitation just as expected.

She had no idea the sweet bait was hiding a sharp hook inside.

Suddenly, Choi Yi-Sun hugged Kang Si-Ah tightly as if she hadn\'t just been scolding her. "Hahaha! Indeed, you have a keen eye! Si-Ah is quite the talent, isn\'t she? How about we head to my office and discuss this in more detail?"

Choi Yi-Sun even added a nasal tone to her voice, clearly pleased.

I nodded. "Sure. Let\'s do that."

As I planned to save Kang Si-Ah, I also made up my mind to bring down ES Acting Academy along the way.

\'When pulling weeds, you have to get the roots.\'