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Chapter 373: Evolution (1)

Beep beep.

The oak-colored electronic door opened.

Standing at the entrance, Choi Ji-Yung greeted us with a bright smile. "Welcome! Come on in~."

As we entered the living room, familiar faces were waiting for us.

Jo Soo-Yung, BJ Do-Jin\'s ex-girlfriend, was holding her daughter, Yumi. "Yoon-Ho oppa. Yoo-Jin unnie. It\'s been a while."

Since Jo Soo-Yung mentioned she had something to consult with me about today, I suggested we all meet together.

At that moment, Yumi, who was cradled in Jo Soo-Yung\'s arms, stretched out her hands toward me and mimicked her mother\'s words. "Oppa! Welcome!"

Yumi\'s speech had improved quickly in the time I hadn\'t seen her. Although she was still at the stage of copying her mother\'s words, it was a significant leap forward.

I asked, "Yumi, did you miss Uncle Yoon-Ho a lot?"

Yumi tilted her head and asked back, "Uncle?"

"Yes, Yumi. Say Uncle Yoon-Ho~."

Yumi tilted her head to the side, then began to shake it vigorously. "No! Appa!"

Yumi stubbornly refused, perhaps because the final consonants were hard for her to pronounce.

She stretched out her hands toward me and shouted, "Appa-ppa~!"

In the end, I decided I could fix my title later and reached out to hold Yumi in my arms. Yumi touched my face as she sat in my arms.

Yumi used to be underweight but now, even her fingers were chubby from eating well. Fascinated by seeing my face after a long time, Yumi giggled while touching my eyes, nose, and mouth. "Appa! Appa!"

"Yumi, you need to say hello to Auntie Yoo-Jin and Miso unnie too."

Yumi turned her head toward Yoo-Jin and Miso. "Welcome! Auntie! Unnie!"

Still in my arms, Yumi slightly bowed her head.

Seeing this, both Miso and Yoo-Jin looked at Yumi with hearts practically popping out of their eyes.

"Yumi! It\'s me, Miso unnie! Do you remember?"

Yumi nodded as if she recognized her. "Yes! Miso unnie!"

Miso grabbed Yumi\'s small hand and burst into laughter.

After the simple introductions, we all sat down in the living room.

Jo Soo-Yung reached out to take Yumi from my arms. "Yumi, Uncle Yoon-Ho needs to talk about work now. Come to Mommy."

When Jo Soo-Yung tried to pull Yumi away, she clung to my chest like a koala and held on tightly. "Noooo!"

"Oh my, look at her!" Jo Soo-Yung remarked shyly.

Miso shook her head in amusement.

Jo Soo-Yung sighed deeply and said, "Fine. You can stay with Uncle Yoon-Ho, but you can\'t disturb him. You have to be quiet, okay?"

Yumi nodded. "Okay!"

Now that she had started talking, her ability to express herself was much clearer.

Even in my past life, I remembered Yumi to be quite expressive with her likes and dislikes. Furthermore, her cuteness had been a big help in Jo Soo-Yung\'s success as a BJ.

Once Yumi quieted down, Choi Ji-Yung smiled and got straight to the point.

"Alright. So you want me to take a look at Miso\'s acting, huh?"

"Yes. Mrs. Oh Bok-Hee is being quite particular."

Choi Ji-Yung originally rose to stardom through her deep emotional acting. After being betrayed by someone she loved and hitting rock bottom, people said her emotional range became richer than ever.

On top of that, Choi Ji-Yung already had a knack for coaching younger actors in emotional acting. That was the reason I asked her for help. I wanted to know if there was a way to add anger and hatred to Miso\'s performance.

Choi Ji-Yung wore a serious expression. "Mr. Jung. It\'s possible, but do you really want to go through with it?"

Choi Ji-Yung was worried that if Miso learned how to convey negative emotions, she might be overwhelmed by them.

I had the same concern, and that was why I hadn\'t brought in a coach for that part of her acting until now. However, Miso was so eager to learn that I couldn\'t help but give in.

After all, being too overprotective wouldn\'t help Miso grow either.

I replied, "I\'m not going to force Miso. But if she\'s this determined, I won\'t stand in her way."

"Hmm... it won\'t be easy." Choi Ji-Yung murmured to herself.

Then, she looked at Miso with a worried expression and asked, "Miso, do you really want this role that badly?"

Miso nodded. "Yes! I really want to act with my mom. That\'s why I begged Uncle Yoon-Ho to help me."

"You asked Mr. Jung for help?"

"Yes!"

Choi Ji-Yung looked at Miso. "Miso. Aren\'t you afraid of acting?"

"No! Not at all. It\'s fun."

"Wow, that\'s really impressive. I\'m still scared of acting..."

Miso tilted her head. "Why?"

"Because it\'s like walking down a path where you can\'t see the end. And you don\'t even know if it\'s the right one."

Miso didn\'t understand Choi Ji-Yung\'s cryptic answer. However, Miso confidently replied, "Even if it\'s hard, even if you\'re tired or scared, you can never give up. The moment you give up, everything\'s over!"

Choi Ji-Yung paused and stared at Miso. "Oh my, listen to her talk."

She seemed amazed that a seven year old could speak with such conviction.

However, what Miso had said was actually a line from her favorite cartoon series, The Powertuff Girls. It was something that Leader Blow always said to encourage her teammates.

Unaware of this, Choi Ji-Yung continued to be in awe of Miso. "If you really feel that way, let\'s give it a try. Alright. Wait just a moment..."

As Choi Ji-Yung fell into deep thought, the living room slowly grew quiet.

***

After a while, Choi Ji-Yung stood up and extended her hand to Miso. "Miso, shall we go to the practice room?"

Director Park Woo-Min of Altoran Planning had made a soundproof room in Choi Ji-Yung\'s house to help her recover as quickly as possible.

Miso stood up and took Choi Ji-Yung\'s hand. Just as I was about to follow them, Choi Ji-Yung shook her head. "Mr. Jung, it\'s better if you don\'t come."

"Pardon?"

On top of that, Choi Ji-Yung wouldn\'t even let Yoo-Jin in. "Yoo-Jin, you stay here with Soo-Yung and Yumi."

"Me too?"

"Yes. Especially you and Mr. Jung shouldn\'t come in."

"Why not?"

"You\'ll understand later."

With that simple explanation, Choi Ji-Yung took Miso and headed into the room.

***

Yoo-Jin\'s face was filled with concern. "What\'s this lesson going to be about?"

I answered, "Don\'t worry. She\'s not the type to be harsh."

Since I\'ve spent a lot of time around actors, I knew a bit about lessons myself. The only thing bothering me was why Yoo-Jin and I weren\'t allowed to watch.

"It looks like this will take some time. Should we deal with Soo-Yung\'s issue first in the meantime?"

"Sure."

Jo Soo-Yung\'s problem was that her subscriber count wasn\'t increasing as much as she had hoped. Jo Soo-Yung had been feeling guilty, thinking she was being a burden to Altoran Planning.

However, the solution was simpler than she thought.

"You haven\'t really put Yumi on your streams much, right?" I asked.

"No. People keep making weird comments in the chat."

A BJ had to communicate with their viewers, but that also came with all kinds of harassment. Because of this, Jo Soo-Yung was hesitant to put Yumi in front of the camera.

After thinking it over for a moment, I suggested a collaboration with Kang Ha-Na. With her six years of trainee life, Kang Ha-Na had built up a strong mental fortitude and had reached the point where she could even counter the chat in real-time.

"With Ha-Na unnie?"

"Yes. Learning from Ha-Na will be really helpful."

"Okay."

"And... to be honest, it might be better to feature Yumi on your stream."

After the incident with BJ Do-Jin\'s assault, the public showed a lot of interest in Yumi. However, out of an instinct to protect her daughter, Jo Soo-Yung was afraid to put Yumi in front of the camera. She was worried about what would happen if her little girl was insulted by the viewers.

"Are you sure it\'s okay to put Yumi on?" Jo Soo-Yung asked hesitantly.

I nodded. "Yes."

In my past life, the viewers actually became more cautious with their words after Yumi started appearing on Jo Soo-Yung\'s streams.

So I confidently reassured her. "Just focus on showing how well Yumi is growing. Don\'t even look at the chat."

"But do you really think that\'ll increase my subscribers? I mean, what\'s so fun about a mom playing with her kid...?"

I smiled and lifted Yumi in my arms.

Yumi giggled as if she was ticklish. "Kya ha ha ha! Appa-ppa!"

As Yumi\'s laughter filled the living room, everyone\'s faces naturally lit up. The moment I put her down, Yumi immediately asked to be lifted again. "Again! Again!"

Even though it was the same thing over and over, no one could take their eyes off Yumi. I repeated the action until Yumi finally got tired and settled back into my arms.

"See? You just can\'t look away from her, can you?"

It was only then that Jo Soo-Yung, who had been staring blankly, came to her senses. "You\'re right..."

"So don\'t be scared and just give it a try. Don\'t worry about what people say and just show them how happy you are with Yumi. That alone will bring in more subscribers."

"How... happy I am?"

"Yeah. When you\'re happy, the viewers will feel it too."

I knew the regrets that weighed on Jo Soo-Yung. The childhood she lost too quickly had left a deep scar on her heart. However, she had to rise above that past now and find happiness for herself and for Yumi.

Jo Soo-Yung lowered her head.

Yoo-Jin, who was next to Jo Soo-Yung, wrapped her arms around her shoulders.

Pat, pat.

As Yoo-Jin patted her back, tears slowly fell from Jo Soo-Yung\'s eyes.

That\'s when Yumi in my arms stretched her hands out toward her mom. "Mama! Don\'t cry!!"

At Yumi\'s words, Jo Soo-Yung quickly wiped her tears and lifted her head. "I... I\'m not crying, sweetheart."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. And you know, Yumi—you are mommy\'s happiness."

"Happiness?"

"Yes, happiness."

"I\'m~ happiness!"

When Yumi smiled brightly, Jo Soo-Yung made up her mind once again. As a mother, she resolved to face the world alongside her one and only daughter.

"Oppa, then I\'ll leave it to you. I\'ll do the collaboration with Ha-Na unnie and bring Yumi on stream."

I nodded. "You made the right decision. Think of it as early education for Yumi. Who knows? Maybe one day she\'ll become a real star."

"Oh, come on~. There\'s no way."

\'She doesn\'t believe me,\' I remarked inwardly.

I made a mental note to remind Jo Soo-Yung of this moment when Yumi eventually became a popular child actor.

With that, Jo Soo-Yung\'s concerns were resolved.

***

Click.

The door to the soundproof room opened about 20 minutes later. Choi Ji-Yung and Miso, covered in sweat, came out.

Whatever acting they had practiced inside, Miso\'s eyes were bloodshot and traces of tears lingered around her eyes.

That\'s when Miso\'s shoulders started shaking as she saw us.

The startled Yoo-Jin ran over and hugged Miso. "Miso, what\'s wrong?"

Miso kept her lips tightly sealed and didn\'t answer.

"Was it hard?" Yoo-Jin asked with concern.

Miso nodded.

"There, there. You did great," Yoo-Jin consoled her.

Miso clung tightly to Yoo-Jin without saying a word.

As Choi Ji-Yung wiped her sweat, she pulled me aside to a corner. Then she took me out of Miso\'s earshot and asked with a surprised expression, "Mr. Jung. What is up with Miso? Is she a real genius or something?"

"I\'m sorry?"

"She absorbed everything I taught her like a sponge! I was so shocked that I nearly fainted."

Miso had only spent about 20 minutes practicing her acting in the soundproof room. However, in that short time, she apparently learned everything she needed to.

Baffled, I asked Choi Ji-Yung, "What exactly happened? You have to explain this to me."

Choi Ji-Yung looked a bit troubled. "I\'m sorry, but Miso doesn\'t want to talk about it until the audition tomorrow. Oh, and I have a favor to ask of you and Yoo-Jin."

"A favor?"

"Please don\'t go into the audition tomorrow. Neither you nor Yoo-Jin should be there."

I couldn\'t understand why we shouldn\'t be visible to Miso, just like today.

Nonetheless, we had no voice but to follow the expert\'s advice.

***

The day of the final child actor audition for Hwaranjeon came.

Jung Sang-Bong escorted Miso to the seventh-floor audition room at MBS.

Meanwhile, I parked in the MBS parking lot with Yoo-Jin. We were planning to watch the live stream of Jung Sang-Bong\'s updates from the scene.

I asked, "By the way, didn\'t Miso say anything to you?"

Yoo-Jin answered, "Nope, not a word. Every time acting was mentioned, she kept her lips sealed. I think she had a phone call with Ms. Choi Ji-Yung last night, but she even told me to leave the room."

\'Miso kept the secret from Yoo-Jin too? What kind of lesson did she receive?\' I wondered.

Just then, Jung Sang-Bong started the video call.

-Mr. Jung, I\'m starting the stream now.

"Okay."

It seemed like Yang Yi-Ji and Jin Gong-Ju had both sharpened their acting skills. Their expressions showed they were ready for battle.

That\'s when I noticed someone totally unexpected.

Yang Yi-Ji\'s mother, whom we didn\'t see on the first day of the audition, appeared below the stage. She was Lee Tae-Yeon, one of the top five actresses in her 40s, and she was watching the stage intently with her arms crossed.

"Oppa, Mdm. Lee Tae-Yeon is here," Yoo-Jin remarked.

"Yeah, I see her."

"Do you think she\'s here to put pressure on the audition?"

"Of course."

Yoo-Jin\'s face filled with surprise. "Then shouldn\'t we go in as well?"

"No. That\'ll only backfire."

There were a few reasons I specifically requested Oh Bok-Hee to direct Hwaranjeon. Oh Bok-Hee was someone with a firm sense of direction that she wouldn\'t easily cast Miso just because they\'re acquainted for the sake of the show\'s success.

In other words, Oh Bok-Hee wouldn\'t be swayed by external pressures no matter who came—be it actress Lee Tae-Yeon or anyone else.

At that moment, Oh Bok-Hee acknowledged Lee Tae-Yeon seated in the audience.

-Mdm. Tae-Yeon. Aren\'t you busy? You\'ve come all the way to the child actor audition?

-I happened to be at MBS for filming and decided to stop by to watch my daughter\'s audition. Please don\'t mind me.

It was clear Lee Tae-Yeon wanted Oh Bok-Hee to pay attention to her presence. However, Oh Bok-Hee reacted exactly as I expected.

-Then I\'ll pretend you\'re not here.

At that moment, Lee Tae-Yeon\'s face slightly twisted.

Oh Bok-Hee didn\'t flinch at all. In fact, she completely ignored Lee Tae-Yeon and immediately had Miso start performing the role of Princess Yu-Hwa.

Oh Bok-Hee addressed the three child actors.

-Alright. Let\'s see how much you\'ve improved, shall we?

-Yes, ma\'am!

-Alright, let\'s start with Scene 22. Miso, are you ready?

-Yes.

Miso slowly closed her eyes.

Recognizing that Miso was trying to immerse herself in the role, Oh Bok-Hee waited for a moment.

After a brief pause, Oh Bok-Hee shouted in a loud voice.

-Ready~ Action!

At that instant, Miso\'s eyes shot open and she began delivering a performance unlike anything we had ever seen before.

My eyes widened. \'What... what is this?\'