Chapter 75

75. Piano

“…….”

Siwoo sat on the sofa where Elena Graham had just performed, watching the staff members.

What is this feeling?

Competitiveness? Frustration? Regret? Emptiness?

It feels like entering a luxurious buffet but only having 3 minutes to enjoy it?

Of course, as a professional, one should always give their best, regardless of the amount of screen time, even for a single shot.

Siwoo, who had been acting since he was one year old, was well aware of this.

That’s why he prepared himself to make the most of that one-shot, not just to show his face but to deliver a performance.

Eddie.

A bright and cheerful child with a baseball player father.

With a smile that brightened the surroundings like sunshine, he wanted to win over the hearts of American viewers, even in that single shot.

“Umm~”

Siwoo, sitting on the sofa, swung his feet back and forth, letting out a slightly troubled voice.

Siwoo saw a middle-aged woman.

She was Helen, the director who had been in charge of XOXO since last season.

She was explaining something enthusiastically to the actress playing Elena and her mother, and at that moment, their eyes met.

Director Helen smiled and waved at Siwoo.

In Siwoo’s imagination, her voice echoed.

“Come on over~ It’s your first time as an extra, right?”

Siwoo also waved back at Director Helen.

At this moment, a staff member approached and said,

“Don’t sit here. Go over there. We can’t mess up the sofa.”

“...Yes.”

Siwoo got off the sofa.

The staff member checked the sofa to ensure that the prop positions hadn’t changed.

Siwoo quietly turned around and walked away.

‘...It’s very different from acting in Korea.’

No matter how much he named his character, created his personality, and set his parents’ occupations...

No one here cared.

No one asked him what his name was.

“Baby~ Come on~”

Someone called Siwoo.

It was Lucy.

Lucy was sitting in front of the grand piano, calling Siwoo.

As Siwoo got a bit closer, Lucy asked,

“Since you showed us the lion family dance, can I play the lion family song on the piano?”

Seeing Lucy’s bright eyes, eager to play, Siwoo smiled and nodded.

Although he wasn’t sure what the difference was between American and Korean children, this one felt like a classmate he often saw in Korean kindergartens.

Just that she spoke English very well.

“Yeah~ Sure. You play the piano well, right?”

Clunk-

Lucy’s face suddenly darkened at Siwoo’s casual question.

‘...Why is this?’

Lucy hesitated before speaking.

“No, not really. Anna in the drama plays the piano well, but I don’t. So... I practice a lot.”

Piano practice...

From her expression, it was clear that she was going through quite a tough time.

Siwoo said,

“Try playing something. Not the lion family, but something else. Something you’re good at.”

“Something else...? Hmm... I need to practice what I’m playing today, so... should I try that?”

It was the piece she was supposed to play in front of the children during the shoot.

Lucy opened the sheet music, took a deep breath, and placed her fingers on the piano.

Meanwhile, other children had gathered behind Siwoo.

They all looked at Lucy with eager anticipation.

Hesitation—

Seeing the children’s expressions, Lucy’s face showed a sense of burden again.

Acting was fun, but the piano was scary.

She had been undergoing hard training under a strict teacher whenever she had free time, and even though she practiced hard, reducing her sleep, she received more criticism than praise.

So—

Lucy hated the piano.

“...”

With her hands on the keys, Lucy stopped and looked at Siwoo.

“Should I just play the lion family?”

Siwoo understood Lucy’s feelings.

‘She’s trying to avoid it.’

Just as Siwoo was about to speak, a staff member passing by said,

“Lucy, aren’t you practicing? The shoot is coming up soon. You need to work hard~”

“Yes.”

Lucy, regaining her composure, took a short breath, and then pressed the keys.

Ding!

The first note sounded a bit awkward, like Lucy’s expression.

She glanced at the other children, then closed her mouth and started moving her hands.

As Lucy’s small hands pressed the keys, a bright piano sound filled the living room.

Some parents and staff members who had come with the children naturally focused their attention on her.

Siwoo stood diagonally behind Lucy, listening to her piano with his ears and glancing at the sheet music with his eyes.

It was a lively piece that fit the party atmosphere.

It also had a march-like feel.

However, the problem was—

To express the richness of the party, the piece had too many notes for a young child to play.

‘...You’re playing it all wrong. Wow.’

Even if people with sensitive ears couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was wrong, it was clear that something was off.

Lucy was pressing the keys with a determined face.

‘Her technique is a mess.’

Feeling frustrated, Siwoo almost climbed onto the chair to grab Lucy’s hand and play for her.

Then, Lucy’s performance ended.

It was a short piece, about 1 minute and 30 seconds, but it felt like 10 minutes.

Lucy, embarrassed, smiled shyly and said,

“Well, I usually play better... but with the kids here...”

The staff members shouted,

“Oh! You did well, Lucy! You’ve improved a lot! It was great!”

“Lucy! You did well. Just do that during the shoot.”

“Wow, Lucy. You looked like a beautiful pianist.”

Just like Siwoo received praise from the staff in Korean shooting scenes, Lucy received enthusiastic applause from the staff.

The difference was that Siwoo was genuinely good, while Lucy’s praise was more for encouragement.

In the drama, she only needed to do hand sync and facial acting, but her weakness was that her facial acting wasn’t good when playing the piano.

She needed to be encouraged.

Just as Lucy was starting to feel relieved,

Children are honest, whether in Korea or America.

An unsuspecting child standing behind Siwoo spoke up.

“No, she’s really bad at it.”

...

Why was it that,

Even though the staff were giving her a lot of praise and the surroundings were not quiet, the small voice of one child echoed loudly in everyone’s ears like thunder.

Siwoo turned to look at the child, and all the staff members, parents, and Lucy also looked at the child.

The child, overwhelmed by the sudden attention, fidgeted and hid behind other children.

Lucy, after looking at the child who had pointed out a fact she already knew, burst into tears.

“Sob... Sob... I know. I know I’m bad at it. Sob... Sob...”

As the six-year-old Lucy, who was hurt, started to cry bitterly, her mother approached to comfort her.

Lucy shouted,

“Sob! Mom, go away! Mom, I hate it! I hate the piano! I hate playing the piano! Sob!”

“L-Lucy...”

Lucy’s mother tried to calm her, but it was no use.

“Sob! I hate the piano! I always get scolded by the teacher!”

Finally, Director Helen stepped in.

Director Helen, lowering her body to meet Lucy’s eyes, spoke kindly,

“Lucy, calm down. No one is asking you to become a pianist. You just need to act like you’re playing the piano. You’re an actor. Let’s take a break and start again.”

The shoot was interrupted.

Lucy sat alone in front of the grand piano.

Lucy’s mother watched her daughter with a sad expression from behind.

As Siwoo moved to the corner of the living room with other extra children, he glanced at Lucy.

‘Maybe I shouldn’t have suggested she play something she’s good at. I should have just told her to play the lion family. No, it was the piece she had to practice anyway.’

Siwoo, who worked as an actor and kindergarten assistant in Korea, was concerned about Lucy, who was still sniffling.

For Lucy, who had welcomed him the most, Siwoo slowly approached.

“Sniff... Sniff...”

Ding!

Approaching the grand piano, Siwoo glanced at the adults and gently pressed the keys.

Lucy, who had been crouching on the chair, lifted her head.

Her face was a mess of tears and snot.

“Can I sit here?”

When Siwoo asked, Lucy nodded slightly.

Siwoo climbed onto the chair, straightened his back, and sat in front of the grand piano.

Siwoo’s left hand rose to the keys.

Pa- Bam- Pa- Bam-

A majestic low note resonated heavily.

Pa-Bam- Pa-Bam- Pa-Bam- Pa-Bam-

Siwoo’s fingers gradually picked up speed.

It was the lion family.

Siwoo was deliberately playing with his left hand only.

Lucy, wiping her tears with her sleeve, watched Siwoo play the piano and, without thinking, brought her right hand to the piano.

Siwoo, playing the low notes with his left hand, Lucy started to play the melody of the lion family with her right hand, timing it perfectly.

Ding- Ding-Ding Ding- Ding- Ding-Ding Ding-

Lucy, as if she had never cried, was happily playing the piano with Siwoo.

By the end of the piece, Lucy was smiling.

“You play the piano well!”

Siwoo, smiling, replied,

“You do too! Want to try the piece from earlier? I’ll help you.”

“Huh? The one from earlier?”

Lucy’s face darkened.

With all the staff and children, including Director Helen and Lucy’s mother, watching with interest, Siwoo placed both hands on the keys this time.

“First, don’t be nervous. Don’t worry about making mistakes.”

Even children who usually play well often mess up in competitions.

In any field, the same applies: nervousness and pressure can hinder one’s performance.

Siwoo decided to play just the beginning of the piece Lucy had played earlier.

As Siwoo started playing, the clear and clean notes that came from his fingertips were incomparable to when Lucy had played.

The charm of the lively and beautiful original piece came to life.

Lucy, with her mouth wide open, alternated between looking at Siwoo’s hands and face.

Siwoo’s small hands danced quickly over the keys.

And—

Siwoo played the piano with such joy, as if expressing the music with his whole body, not just the piano sound.

Clunk-

The exciting piano sound suddenly stopped.

Siwoo turned to Lucy and said,

“Let’s try up to here...”

Just as Siwoo was about to speak, Lucy burst out,

“Wow! You really, really play well! How can you play the piano so well at your age? Are you a piano player?”

“No, not really. I learned from my mom, who plays the piano well. You can do it too.”

“Really? How?”

With a pleading look, Lucy asked, and Siwoo, with a sparkle in his eyes, said,

“You have to trust me completely.”

* * *

“Welcome to Anna’s piano recital! Everyone! Let’s give Anna a round of applause, shall we?”

When Anna’s mother spoke, the children at the birthday party all clapped.

Anna, in a pretty dress with a tiara on her head, slowly descended from the second floor.

Watching Lucy, who had transformed into Anna, come down, Siwoo thought he should binge-watch the drama from season 1 when he returned to Korea.

The mother character in the drama had deliberately sent her daughter to the second floor, dressed her in a dress and a crown, and had her make an entrance.

‘The character is unique.’

Finally, Anna descended the stairs.

Anna, with an awkward smile, waved at the children.

Her expression conveyed that she didn’t want to do this but was forced by her mother.

Seeing Anna finish descending the stairs, her mother turned to the children and called out a boy’s name.

“Eddie! Can you help Anna?”

Eddie.

A bright and cheerful child with a baseball player father.

With a smile that brightened the surroundings like sunshine, he wanted to win over the hearts of American viewers, even in that single shot.

The child who had not achieved his dream in such an early shot.

“Yes!”

Siwoo, with a bright smile, stood up to win over the hearts of American viewers.

All the cameras were focused on Siwoo.

Oh