Chapter 34

34. Script Reading

Hyunju followed the production company staff into the reading room and felt as if her breath was being cut off.

‘Wow…!’

Her mouth wouldn't close.

She had seen a script reading for the movie "My Scary Wife" before, but the atmosphere and scale were completely different.

"My Scary Wife" was a film where all the focus was on the two actors, Lee Soo-jin and Han Tae-su.

Therefore, the number of actors involved was not very large.

However, the new work by director Lee Hong-gyun, "The King's Path," which Siwoo was about to film, was a grand drama with a huge production budget, and many actors were expected to appear.

Actors that Hyunju and Siwoo had seen on TV passed by them one after another.

Hyunju, holding Siwoo, carefully made her way to the farthest, corner seat to avoid bumping into people.

The production company staff called out to Hyunju.

“Madam~ Not there, over there! Please sit there.”

The spot the staff pointed to was the second closest to the central VIP seat.

“Here?”

“Yes. The director will sit in the middle, and the two writers will sit on either side. Next will be the young actors Seung-hyun and Siwoo.”

Siwoo, being a baby, did not formally participate in the reading.

However, he was seated at the main table to help the other actors get into character, as per Director Lee Hong-gyun's instructions.

“Hmm? Then, where is actor Song Jun-young…?”

“Actor Song Jun-young is currently in the United States. Since this is the reading for episodes 1 and 2, there is no part for him today.”

Episode 1: Yoon Siwoo.

Episodes 2, 3, 4: Ryu Seung-hyun.

From episode 5 onwards: Song Jun-young.

Hyunju bowed to everyone she could see and made her way to the seat the staff had indicated.

Thud.

While holding Siwoo and greeting others, Hyunju's elbow accidentally brushed against the shoulder of a male actor sitting there.

Startled, Hyunju politely apologized.

“Sorry.”

The male actor slowly turned his body.

He was in his forties.

A middle-aged actor with a long mustache.

Siwoo, who was in his mother's arms, immediately recognized the actor's name.

‘Hwang Dong-sik?’

He was a renowned supporting actor, the role model for the male lead Han Tae-su in the "My Scary Wife" series.

Hwang Dong-sik, who looked as if he had just woken up, yawned widely and raised his hand.

“It's fine. I should have pulled my chair closer, but I wasn't thinking. Haha.”

Dong-sik showed interest in Siwoo, who was in Hyunju's arms.

“Is this Deok-gu? He's so cute. Just as the director said, he's full of charm.”

Siwoo took a closer look at Dong-sik.

His messy hair and untrimmed beard.

His sunken eyes and hollow cheeks.

He looked like someone who hadn't washed or eaten for days.

‘Is he already preparing for his role?’

As far as Siwoo knew, Dong-sik's role was…

The lowest of the low.

In other words, the scum of scum.

And, he was the father of Deok-gu, the role Siwoo was playing.

Most of Siwoo's few scenes were with this middle-aged actor, Hwang Dong-sik.

“Siwoo, say hello. Hello~”

Siwoo followed Hyunju's words.

“Hello~”

Dong-sik laughed heartily.

“Hello. Let's do our best together. I heard from Tae-su that the child is very smart. When was the movie filming…?”

Hyunju answered.

“From April to June last year, so it's been exactly a year.”

“Wow, you've grown so much since then. You must be even better now, right? Little one~ I'm looking forward to it. I'll take good care of you during filming. I'm a father to a seven-year-old, so I'm good at playing with kids. Hahaha.”

“Yes, thank you. I look forward to working with you.”

“Sure thing~”

Siwoo's greeting made Dong-sik and Hyunju laugh together.

After greeting Dong-sik, Hyunju carefully made her way to the designated seat to avoid bumping into anyone else and sat down.

Then, someone sitting opposite her suddenly stood up and bowed to Hyunju.

“Hello.”

Hyunju immediately stood up again to return the greeting.

“Ah, yes. Hello.”

He was a very handsome middle school boy.

The most popular and highly valued among all child actors, a boy who seemed to have just stepped out of a comic book, Ryu Seung-hyun.

Siwoo also knew this well from his internet searches.

‘I've heard that the actors he worked with, even though they were young, were praised for being kind and deep-hearted…’

Ryu Seung-hyun was the dream of all Korean mothers with sons.

Especially for mothers like Jung-tae's, who wanted to make their sons child actors.

Seung-hyun, who had taken his seat, waved at Siwoo, who was staring at him from across the table.

Siwoo also waved back.

Seung-hyun smiled, pleased with Siwoo's response.

Both children had the same thought at the same time.

‘He's so cute.’

Seung-hyun, who had been tense sitting alone among adults, started to play around a bit when he saw Siwoo.

He placed two fingers of his right hand on the table and mimicked them walking.

Gradually, he increased the speed and started to make his fingers run.

Seung-hyun then deliberately made his running fingers collide with the script and acted out the fingers stumbling and falling to the side.

He then looked at Siwoo with sparkling eyes.

“…”

“…”

‘…What am I supposed to do? Why are you looking at me with such a burdened expression?’

Siwoo took a deep breath and, as he wished, gave a little laugh.

Seung-hyun, seeing that the baby found it funny, this time placed an eraser he had brought on the script and made it hop.

The eraser soon began to show off impressive tricks, such as triple jumps and somersaults.

‘…If I keep laughing, he'll probably continue, won't he?’

While Siwoo was pondering what to do, fortunately, Director Lee Hong-gyun entered the reading room.

“The director is coming in~!”

All the actors stood up at once.

Seung-hyun, who had been playing, and Hyunju, who was holding Siwoo, also stood up to greet the legendary historical drama director, Lee Hong-gyun.

Director Lee Hong-gyun entered with two writers and waved his hand.

“Please sit down. We see each other every day, so let's not be too formal.”

Director Lee Hong-gyun gestured for the actors to sit and took his place.

He greeted the actors lined up on both sides of the long table.

“Hello. I'm Lee Hong-gyun. I'll be directing. I look forward to working with you.”

Clap, clap, clap, clap!

Applause echoed through the reading room.

“The two writers will introduce themselves, and then we'll go around the circle starting with Seung-hyun on the right. Our baby will introduce himself last.”

A female writer in her late forties and a male writer in his late thirties introduced themselves, and applause broke out again.

Next was Seung-hyun's turn.

Looking a bit pale from the pressure, Seung-hyun began.

“Hello. I'm Ryu Seung-hyun, playing the role of Deok-gu… no, Deok-gu and the Crown Prince Lee Yeong. I'll do my best!”

Clap, clap, clap, clap!

Several actors then introduced themselves, and finally, it was Hwang Dong-sik's turn.

“Hello~ The honorable scum. A hidden lead in the early part.”

Laughter from the actors could be heard.

Dong-sik continued.

“I'm Hwang Dong-sik, playing the role of Da-gil, Deok-gu's father. Writers, please make my death as cool as possible. Hahaha.”

More laughter echoed.

The main writer in his late forties asked Dong-sik.

“Mr. Dong-sik, we were planning to send you off sadly. What do you prefer? Sad or cool?”

Dong-sik answered as if it were obvious.

“Sad but cool!”

“Got it.”

Clap, clap, clap, clap!

Siwoo, clapping with the adults, thought that even talk of death could be so warm and friendly.

Acting, he realized, had something in common with living a hundred lives.

It was now the last turn.

Hyunju, with an extremely nervous face, stood up with Siwoo in her arms.

The main writer beside her said.

“Please let our baby sit on the table for a moment so everyone can see him.”

“Yes.”

Hyunju placed Siwoo on the table so he could be seen from a distance and introduced him.

“Hello… I'm Yoon Siwoo, playing the young Deok-gu. I'll do my best. Siwoo, say hello.”

Siwoo, still seated, put his hands on his stomach and loudly greeted the many distinguished actors.

“Hello~!”

Bow!

Then, with a bright smile, he showed off a skill he had learned from his mother.

“Thank you~!”

Bow!

He finished with an ad-lib.

“Thank you so much~!”

He raised his hands above his head in a victory sign.

Punch!

Siwoo wiggled his bottom and leaned his body from side to side.

The adults, seeing Siwoo struggling to make a heart with his short arms, jumped up from their seats.

“Squeal! So cute!”

“Look at the baby making a heart with his hands! Hahaha!”

“Wow, what is this? He's ten times cuter in person than in commercials!”

“Wow, wow, wow! Baby! I'm falling over!”

The reading room was filled with laughter thanks to the adorable baby Siwoo.

Hwang Dong-sik, chuckling, was already boasting about his son to those around him.

“Our little Deok-gu, he was already a star in 'My Scary Wife' as a toddler, eating up the camera. I couldn't see anyone else in that movie. Who was the lead? I can't even remember. Hahaha.”

The actors sitting around him laughed at Dong-sik's joke.

And Seung-hyun, who had seen Siwoo's charm up close, was thinking—

‘Ah… I wish I had a little brother like that.’

* * *

“If… the concubine gives birth to a boy… then… that… that boy must be… made Crown Prince… and the current Crown Prince… must be… deposed… at all costs….”

An elderly actor with white hair, breathing heavily as if he were about to collapse, spat out his lines with a voice full of anger.

“Your Majesty! It cannot be!”

“A bloodbath will be unleashed by the hands of the Crown Prince!”

The reading room was heated up.

The two actors playing the ministers, Hwang Dong-sik and another male actor, competed to pour out their intense emotions.

Ten minutes later.

“Ugh! Ahhh!”

This time, a middle-aged actress with a beautiful face clenched her teeth and screamed.

“Your Majesty! Just a little… a little more….”

“Aaaaaah!”

Even though it wasn't a real shoot, she clenched her fists so tightly that her hands trembled, and she let out a scream that shook the reading room.

The actors, in a solemn atmosphere, turned the pages of their scripts simultaneously.

And a little while later.

Hwang Dong-sik, who had appeared as one of the two most trusted ministers of the king, stepped forward again.

Dong-sik, hugging his outer robe tightly, roared like a beast.

“Step back-! How dare… how dare you scum-!”

Siwoo was purely amazed by Dong-sik's acting.

‘…Wow, he's amazing. His performance is so intense.’

It felt real.

Even though it wasn't a real fight.

Dong-sik, with his eyes wide open, spat out his lines word by word.

“Go and… tell them. They will pay for all this one day.”

“Seize him!”

A supporting actor at the reading called out.

And time passed—

Hwang Dong-sik, looking up at the ceiling of the reading room, opened his mouth.

“Wow~ What a nice day! Isn't it, Deok-gu? Perfect weather for hunting! Hehehe!”

His tone, eyes, and the subtle movements of his facial muscles.

It was hard to believe it was the same person as before.

Sniffing and rubbing his nose, Dong-sik was truly the scum of scum.

When Dong-sik's lines ended, all the actors' eyes were on one spot.

Siwoo, sitting on the table as he had during the introductions, turned to Dong-sik and smiled brightly.

Siwoo's