Superstar From Age 0

Chapter 148

At Kim Suhans words, the staff retreated from the set.

Ill give you a signal when youre singing. You can start from then.

Okay!

The kids headed to room 7 with excited faces.

Seo-jun and the two child actors took their seats comfortably. 

Kim Jukyung looked professional as she opened the karaoke book on the chair. 

Kim Hanseok was already holding a tambourine in one hand.

Seo-jun laughed.

Arent you two too familiar with this?

Ahaha. I went with my friends last week.

Me too! Im the best at playing the tambourine.

Then who should sing first?

Jin hyung!

Okay. You go first.

Seo-jun pressed the number he had memorized.

After the rehearsal, Seo-jun asked the kids to call him Na Jin during the shooting. 

The kids laughed when they heard that he had submitted his audition form under the name Na Jin.

While Seo-jun and the kids were singing enthusiastically, smoke began to rise from a corner of the set.

Several camera lenses focused on the kids.

When Kim Suhan gave the signal,

[(Line) The ancestral memory of the Moss tribe is activated.]

Na Jin opened his mouth.

Dont you smell something weird?

Smell?

Kim Hanseok sniffed. Kim Jukyung furrowed her brows.

Yeah. Theres a strange smell.

Is something happening outside?

Na Jin opened the door. 

As soon as he did, the pungent smell got stronger. 

Na Jin peeked out into the hallway and saw something faintly glowing and disappearing at the end of the hall. 

It looked like,

Smoke.

At Na Jins words, the two kids gasped.

If theres smoke, doesnt that mean theres a fire?

A fire?

It looks like theres a fire, but I only see smoke.

The expressions of the two kids changed. They looked fearful. 

Na Jin was no different.

No, Seo-juns expression was different from the two child actors who only showed fear.

His hands that didnt know what to do, his breath that he hurriedly drew in. 

His eyes blinked rapidly. 

His heart pounded and his head turned white.

Seo-juns acting was captured by the camera. 

The director Park Jungwoo, Kim Suhan, and the staff swallowed their saliva as they watched the monitor. 

He was not Jin Natra or Gray, but just an ordinary elementary school student who faced a fire.

With Seo-juns acting, Kim Hanseok and Kim Jukyung also started to get immersed. 

Even though they knew it was fake acting, they were scared by the pungent smell.

H-hyung

Jinah

At the frightened voices of the kids, Na Jin, who had been breathing heavily, came to his senses. 

This was not the time to be like this. 

Na Jin recalled what he had learned at school about how to evacuate.

We have to get out of here.

Na Jin quickly checked his and the kids clothes. 

If it had been winter, he would have soaked his sleeves in water and covered his mouth, but it was summer now. 

He never hated his short T-shirt more than now. 

Na Jin looked around the karaoke room and found some tissues.

Tissues. Lets soak some tissues in water and cover our mouths.

Tissues There are too few

We have to cover them anyway.

At Na Jins firm words, Kim Hanseok and Kim Jukyung nodded. 

They divided up a few tissues and wet them with water they had bought earlier.

Here, Hanseok. Take one more.

But what about you

Im fine.

Kim Jukyung handed a tissue to Kim Hanseok, who was sobbing, and Na Jin silently gave one of his tissues to Kim Jukyung. 

Kim Jukyung smiled incredulously. 

It was only that much, but it eased the tension of the three kids.

Lets go. We have to get out quickly.

Yes!

When we get outside, we have to bend our waists and lower our bodies. They also said its better to talk less.

The kids nodded at Na Jins words. 

The door of room 7 opened.

Cut! OK!

The smoke stopped and the fans on the set started to spin. 

Several fans blew away the smoke outside.

Meanwhile, the guardians of the child actors approached their kids. 

Unlike their worried guardians, the kids were chatting happily.

Jin hyung, youre really good at acting.

Yeah. I thought you were really scared.

You guys did well too.

Kim Hanseok and Kim Jukyung looked at each other awkwardly and smiled.

We were really scared.

Your acting was so good, I got confused for a moment. I thought there was really a fire.

Me too. I almost forgot my lines.

Huh? Arent you supposed to NG then?

Since their roles were ordinary elementary school students, they acted scared and got more immersed than expected.

But, arent you supposed to NG at times like this?

Seo-juns eyes turned to director Park Jungwoo. 

Director Park Jungwoo and Kim Suhan were talking earnestly about something.

Theres no word from them, so it wasnt bad enough to NG?

Seo-jun scratched his cheek.

Was it? Should I do it a little weaker?

That would be nice!

Okay.

A little weaker. Seo-jun adjusted the intensity of his acting while director Park Jungwoo and Kim Suhan continued their conversation.

Jungwoo hyung. Too much immersion is not good either. You have to cut it properly.

I know I know that

Kim Suhans words made director Park Jungwoo touch his forehead.

How can I do that when Im filming Seo-jun? Everyone will say something to me if I dont have this much impact. Theyll say I wasted such an actor.

Kim Suhan sighed inwardly. 

He understood director Park Jungwoos pressure. 

It was just a normal video with Seo-jun in it, and people would doubt the directors ability.

Hyung. Its okay because this is a public service advertisement. Everyone will think that way.

Director Park Jungwoo agreed with Kim Suhans words.

He was right.

This was not a movie or a drama with a clear plot, but just a few minutes of video. 

And it was a public service advertisement.

People would cheer just because Seo-jun was in it. 

He knew that, but director Park Jungwoo had another reason why he wanted to shoot a better, more memorable scene.

When will I ever get to capture Seo-jun on camera?

Kim Su Han sighed at the regretful voice of Director Park Jung Woo.

***

Ready, action!

The children bent their bodies and moved quickly along the corridor filled with smoke. 

Na Jin was in the front, followed by Kim Han Seok and Kim Ju Kyung.

They headed for the coin karaoke entrance. 

The door that always opened automatically was tightly closed, as if it had broken due to the fire.

Its closed!

The automatic door of the coin karaoke was closed. 

The three children tried to open it, but the door did not budge.

While Na Jin and Kim Han Seok were hanging on to the automatic door, Kim Ju Kyung looked around and found a green light.

Emergency exit! Jin Ah, Han Seok Ah! Lets go out through the emergency exit!

Yes!

Kim Ju Kyung soaked some tissues in water from the cash register and handed them out to Kim Han Seok and Na Jin. 

The children felt relieved with the thick tissues and smiled briefly without making a sound. 

They headed towards where the green light was coming from.

They could go down or up through the emergency exit. 

The childrens eyes sparkled with hope.

Na Jin, who was leading the way with his body bent, stopped walking. 

Kim Han Seok, who was following him, tilted his head.

Hyung, arent you going?

Jin Ah? Whats wrong?

Its no use

At Na Jins trembling voice, Kim Han Seok and Kim Ju Kyung stood next to Na Jin. 

Through the hazy smoke, they saw that the emergency exit was blocked.

It was blocked by trash and soda boxes that came out of the coin karaoke, and heavy-looking boxes.

Tears began to well up in the childrens eyes. 

Kim Han Seok sniffed.

Can we clear them?

At Kim Ju Kyungs words, Na Jin wiped his tears with his arm and tried to lift one of the boxes. 

The other two children also helped Na Jin. 

They put more strength than ever before with a desperate heart, but the boxes did not move at all, as if something was inside them.

It wont budge

Uhuhu

At Na Jins wet voice, tears dripped from Kim Han Seok and Kim Ju Kyungs eyes.

That was when it happened.

Crash!

They heard something breaking. 

An orange light shone from the other end. 

The flickering shape looked like fire. 

No, it was fire. 

Even though it seemed impossible, it felt like it was getting hotter.

Huuuu

The childrens eyes were filled with fear. Na Jin took a deep breath.

He felt like the thick smoke was seeping into his lungs.

Two faces came to his mind, which had turned pale with fear. 

Mom, dad. 

He felt like crying at their bright smiling faces, so he clenched his teeth hard.

He had to calm down. 

He had to stay composed.

Na Jin thought of his mom and dad who were waiting for him.

They had planned to go to his grandmothers house on the weekend. 

They had planned to go to the sea during the vacation. 

Na Jin wanted to be an actor when he grew up. 

He wanted to be a shining star.

He had a lot of things he wanted to do and places he wanted to go. 

He couldnt give up here like this.

Hoo

Na Jin let out a heavy breath and tightly grabbed Kim Han Seok and Kim Ju Kyungs trembling hands. 

The two children who had red eyes lifted their heads and looked at Na Jin.

Director Park Jung Woo unconsciously zoomed in on Seo-juns face. 

Everyone stared blankly at the screen that showed Seo-juns face.

It was not the face of a reliable superhero or a hero. 

His trembling hands, tightly closed lips, and shaking eyebrows showed Na Jins fear as it was. 

But they couldnt take their eyes off him.

Na Jins black eyes.

In his fearful expression, they saw his firm black eyes that had made up his mind.

Lets get out of here.

His eyes seemed to say that, and they inspired confidence.

The confidence that they could get out of here.

Even though they heard a crashing sound and saw orange and red flames dancing, the children did not lose hope. 

They did not lose their calmness. 

The three children who covered their mouths with wet tissues had sparkling eyes.

Lets find another way.

Na Jins faint voice calmed down the two children. 

Before they knew it, Kim Han Seok and Kim Ju Kyungs eyes had changed too. 

They had firm eyes that received Na Jins heart. 

Kim Ju Kyung wiped her tears and said,

The door wont open and the emergency exit is blocked. Where do we go?

Lets go back to the room.

To the room?

They moved into the room with a window and blocked the door gap. 

To prevent the smoke from coming in. 

It would be easier for the firefighters to find them if they were near the window.

Lets do that.

Kim Ju Kyung nodded her head. 

Kim Han Seok also nodded his head repeatedly.

There were a lot of rags and tissues at the cash register. Lets take them with us.

Yes!

The children started to move.

Cut! OK!

The set was quiet even after the OK sound.

Kim Ju Kyung and Kim Han Seok did not lose their concentration. 

They felt like they had taken a step further than their previous acting. 

They wanted to shoot the next scene with this feeling, this state of mind.

The parents swallowed their saliva at the quiet children.

Is this why the child actors who worked with Seo-jun are still active?

They couldnt go near them, afraid that they might interfere.

Director Park Jung Woo and Kim Su Han were also having a serious conversation. How to edit it. 

Even Kim Su Han, who had said it was over-immersion, threw away his mind to send Seo-juns acting as a mere commercial. 

The staff also kept their mouths shut and worked hard on their tasks.

The employees of Cloud, the advertising production company, felt guilty. 

They wondered if they could send this out as an advertisement, or if it was too good for an advertisement.

There was one person who was peaceful in the set full of thoughts.

He bit a snack that Cloud had prepared and smiled brightly when he met eyes with Anh Da Ho. 

It was Lee Seo-jun, the actor who had shown a brilliant eye acting just before.