Superstar From Age 0

Chapter 63

He would come home from school and do his homework and worksheets. Da-ho hyung would come and give him a script. He would read it. He would shake his head. Da-ho hyung would leave.

After Da-ho left, Seo-jun asked his dad with a pouty face. Lee Min-joon lowered the volume of the TV.

When can I do a play?

You dont have to rush. Youre still young, Seo-jun.

I know, but I feel like Im missing out on some roles that I can do right now!

Really? Then how about you make your own play that you like?

By myself?

Seo-juns eyes widened. By himself?

Lee Min-joon was half-joking, but his words struck a chord in Seo-juns heart.

Seo-jun had plenty of money, close friends who were famous actors, and excellent directors. All he needed was a good story.

Seo-jun blinked.

Huh? Maybe I can really do it

Isnt that the play that Seo-jun saw?

Huh?

Seo-juns thoughts were interrupted by his dads words. Seo-jun looked at the TV and Lee Min-joon turned up the volume.

[Actor Lee Seo-jun, Lee Ji-seoks Our Neighborhood! Wind Theater Group Interview!]

A short clip of an entertainment news program appeared. The Wind Theater Groups leader, Kim Seon-gon, was on the screen, with a bigger stage than the small theater that Seo-jun had seen.

[How do you like the new theater?]

-Its the first time for all of us to perform on such a big stage, so were a bit awkward, but well adapt soon.

[Tell us about the play, Our Neighborhood.]

-Our Neighborhood is a human comedy play that is built on peoples misunderstandings and misconceptions.

[What is your next work?]

The brief interview about the play continued, and then the topic shifted to Seo-jun and Lee Ji-seok.

As more questions followed about them, the smile on Kim Seon-gons face that was visible on the screen dimmed for a moment.

Seo-jun, who was watching the TV with bated breath, quickly took out his phone and contacted Lee Ji-seok as soon as Kim Seon-gons image disappeared.

The phone rang a few times before Lee Ji-seok answered.

-Seo-jun? Whats up?

Hyung. Did you watch TV?

-TV? No. Why?

The Wind Theater Group was on TV, but the leaders face didnt look good.

The couple, who were curious about what was going on, quietly left the living room. It was better to leave this matter to Lee Ji-seok, a veteran actor.

Lee Ji-seok put on his earphones and searched on his laptop. If the theater group was on TV, it must be entertainment news. He found what he was looking for.

Seo-jun.

-Yes?

Dont worry.

-But, his expression was bad.

There was no one more sensitive to the expressions of others than actors who acted with their faces.

Seo-jun noticed the fatigue and exhaustion in Kim Seon-gons expression.

-Didnt I tell you before? If we promote ourselves with our names, bad things will follow.

Yes.

-This is one of those bad things. Director Kim Seon-gon loves acting as much as he loves his own troupes works.

Seo-jun sat on the sofa and listened to Lee Ji-seoks story.

-We saw the play in April and now its June, right? For almost two months, he must have heard more questions and stories about us two than his own work. Even if the audience asks for the first time, it must be hard for him to listen to the same thing for two months. And its not even about the work.

Yes.

-And this time, it was Director Kim Seon-gon, Wind Troupe, who chose this.

Chose?

-Yes. He wanted to succeed with our names, rather than making his work the protagonist. He loves theater, but he needs money to keep doing it. Work or success. He chose success in that dilemma.

Then how long will it be hard?

Lee Ji-seok smiled and said to Seo-juns gentle words.

-Dont worry. Peoples interest changes in an instant, so it wont last long.

Lee Ji-seok scrolled down the comments. Unlike the first day when it sold out in 30 minutes, there were few stories about the tickets being sold out.

Now that the audience was dwindling, it must have been the reason why Director Kim Seon-gon appeared on the broadcast interview.

He didnt miss the opportunity that came to him, and the timing of the interview was good.

He felt a moment of boredom at the thought that the general public who watched the broadcast would see the play and ask more questions about Seo-jun and Lee Ji-seok.

There was nothing on the entertainment news board, so only Seo-jun noticed it.

You have good eyes.

Lee Ji-seok chuckled and said.

-Its okay. If you look at our neighborhood on the stage, you still have some room left. If its really hard, he would have put up a new work. People are interested in the play we saw.

Seo-jun thanked Lee Ji-seok for his words and hung up the phone.

Protagonist

That word remained in Seo-juns head.

He had always received attention, but he knew well enough how it felt to not be the protagonist. It was a feeling of exhaustion that had nothing to do with his love for acting.

No, it wasnt unrelated. The situation of not being the protagonist slowly eroded his love for acting.

Who could immerse themselves in acting comfortably in a situation where they couldnt get any attention and were overshadowed by others? Could they still love acting?

He blamed his talent and himself and eventually quit acting.

Wouldnt a person who truly loves acting be someone who acts until the end in that situation?

Suddenly, he thought of that.

****

Seo-juns search for his next work continued.

This one has no dialogue at all. How about it?

Seo-jun tilted his head at Ahn Da Hos question. There was no weight for child actors, but it was a play that did well last year. This year, they were going to put it on stage with different actors.

Um. Is there anything else?

Yeah. Lets look for more.

Ahn Da Ho put down the script at Seo-juns words. He sighed inwardly.

There werent many plays with child actors, but would there be any that Seo-jun liked? He had to ask the company to look for more.

Seo-jun and Ahn Da Ho put their heads together and diligently examined the scripts.

Just then, ding-dong- the bell rang.

Ahn Da Ho got up, stopping Seo-jun who was about to get up, and headed to the intercom. After a brief conversation, the front door opened.

Uncle Hee-sang!

Kim Hee-sang had come to the house. Seo-jun greeted him with a smile. Kim Hee-sang hugged Seo-jun and extended his hand to Ahn Da Ho, who was standing awkwardly.

Ahn Da Ho quickly shook his hand.

Hello. Im Kim Hee-sang, Seo-juns uncle. Youre Seo-juns manager, right?

Yes. Im Ahn Da Ho, the manager of actor Lee Seo-jun. Nice to meet you!

Please take good care of our Seo-jun.

They met without any introduction from Seo Eun-chan. Kim Hee-sang exchanged greetings and sat down on the living room floor. Seo-jun and Ahn Da Ho also sat in their seats.

So, whats up?

I was wondering if you had any new designs.

Yeah! Ill bring the sketchbook!

Seo-jun gave Kim Hee-sang a sketchbook full of monster drawings that he drew while playing. As Kim Hee-sang slowly looked through the sketchbook, Seo-jun and Ahn Da Ho started reading the script again.

Impossible, impossible, possible.

Seo-juns drawing skills had improved day by day. He drew so realistically that many of his drawings were rejected for product design.

He looked at the drawings that he thought could be simplified and lifted his head. He saw two people immersed in the script.

The drawings were quick and easy to see. Kim Hee-sang finished his work and took out one of the scripts that were piled up.

What is this? A drama? A movie?

No, a play script!

A play?

Kim Hee-sang tilted his head and read the script. There were black letters on the white paper.

He flipped through a few pages and saw lines marked with a highlighter pen. There were barely ten lines in one part of the script.

Is this the child actors part? Its very short.

I dont mind the length. But theres nothing interesting.

Seo-jun slumped on the table. His hands and eyes were still on the script.

Ah, what should I do? Should I find something better here? Then, this one. And this one.

Kim Hee-sang, who was reading the script, shrugged his shoulders and picked up his phone.

Is there anything posted on the internet?

Uh-huh. Mom and I looked around, but theres an age limit on that side. Da-ho hyung picked out the plays that dont care about age.

Really?

Yes. We chose the plays that could be the most popular with the team members from Team 2.

At Ahn Da Hos words, Seo-jun, who was slumped, and Kim Hee-sang, who was searching on his phone, turned their heads and looked at him.

They looked surprised.

What, is there something you dont like?

Popularity?

Popularity?

At Seo-jun and Kim Hee-sangs words, Ahn Da Ho unknowingly knelt down. Cold sweat ran down his back. He stuttered a little and answered.

The evening sun was setting behind the skyscrapers, casting long shadows on the streets. Seo-jun and Ahn Da Ho were sitting on the couch in the living room, flipping through the pages of a script. 

They had been practicing for hours, but they still couldnt find any excitement or passion in the lines. 

They sighed and put down the script, feeling frustrated and bored. Just then, they heard a loud ding-dong from the doorbell. 

Seo-jun jumped up, hoping it was someone who could save them from this dullness. But Ahn Da Ho stopped him and got up instead. 

He walked to the intercom and pressed the button. 

A familiar voice greeted him from the other side. 

Ahn Da Ho smiled and opened the front door. It was Kim Hee-sang, Seo-juns uncle and a famous illustrator. He had come to visit them with a surprise.

Yes, for actor Seo-juns filmography, weve gathered plays with the highest potential for success. Considering all factorstalented actors, renowned directors, and famous writers

Ahn Da Ho trailed off as he noticed the increasingly displeased expressions on the faces of the others. Something was amiss.

Seo-jun looked at the script he had already read three times with a deflated expression. It seemed to him that there were too many remakes of previous plays or translations of famous foreign plays.

Kim Hee-sang laughed at the sight of Seo-juns dejected figure and Ahn Da Hos restless demeanor. It appeared he was still unaware of Seo-juns preferences.

What did the president say, Mr. Ahn Da Ho?

The president? He just said to find suitable scripts since Seo-jun wants to do a play.

It wasnt incorrect, but the explanation was lacking.

Perhaps Team 2, dedicated to actor Seo-jun, was seeking a hit to follow Shadowman 1, Evil Spirit, and Shadowman 2. Indeed, even Kim Hee-sang wouldnt dare suggest a project that seemed destined to fail.

I dont care about hits, Mr. Ahn Da Ho.

Ahn Da Ho looked at Seo-jun in surprise.

Id rather do plays that I want to do. So next time, give me all the scripts that seem doable.

After hearing Seo-juns words, Ahn Da Hos shoulders slumped as he replied.

Got it. Sorry.

No need to apologize! I just want to play a variety of roles, regardless of the box office. Of course, exclude the ones that seem truly doomed!

How about this one?

Kim Hee-sang interjected between the two apologizing men. He showed a colorful announcement on his phone screen, which made Ahn Da Hos gaze turn skeptical.

Its a play targeting child and teenage actors. No adult actors, and it only runs during the summer break. Age doesnt matter.

I saw that too, but it didnt seem like the right fit for Seo-jun

To be honest, it felt like it wasnt the right level for him.

Do you have the script, uncle?

At Seo-juns question, Ahn Da Ho looked at him. Seo-juns eyes sparkled. Really, he didnt care about the box office? Ahn Da Hos pupils shook.

Its uploaded here. You read the script and apply for the roles you think you can do.

Uncle, print it out for me!

Alright.

Kim Hee-sang moved towards the printer set up in one corner of the living room. Seo-jun stood by his side, eagerly waiting for the script to print.

Ahn Da Ho felt a strange sensation.

Working in the entertainment industry, he had met many actors who only sought projects that seemed likely to succeed.

Famous actors meant a plus, newcomer leads meant a minus. Renowned directors meant a plus, newcomer directors meant a minus. The same went for writers and production companies.

Team 2 at Cocoa Entertainment was no different. They all thought the same way, searching only for scripts filled with pluses. But could such a play also be acceptable?

The printer whirred to life, and the script began to print. As soon as it did, Seo-jun read each page as it came out, unable to take his eyes off the script.

He collected the papers neatly as they emerged from the printer, all the while engrossed in the script.