Chapter 78

78. Sea Child

April.

Although the weather was still chilly, winter had ended once again, and spring had arrived.

How many springs had he experienced in his 100th life?

'Maybe I should count the spring I experienced when I was born, since I was born in May.'

Siu leaned against the car window, watching the cherry blossoms outside, and counted the number of springs he had experienced so far.

The driver, Tae, said,

"It would be nice if your mother could come too, but Shi Yun has a fever, which is a big problem. I hope he gets better."

Siu, wearing a yellow kindergarten sports uniform that matched the color of forsythia, kept his gaze fixed outside the window and replied,

"He'll be fine~"

In the early hours of the morning, 5-month-old Shi Yun had a brief fever.

Xianzhu, who had only raised Siu, who never fell ill, was at a loss and prepared to go to the hospital. Meanwhile, Siu quietly went to the baby's crib, cast a healing spell on his younger brother, and then went to kindergarten.

And now, after a sweet morning shift, he was on his way to a script reading with Uncle Tae, who had come to pick him up.

"Our Siu, is this your first script reading since you were three? Siu, do you remember the drama 'The King's Path'? 'Dad of the Hardcore Fans~' Do you remember? You don't, right? You were too young."

If I can remember my past life, why can't I remember when I was three?

Siu modestly replied,

"A little~ I remember."

"Oh, really? Well, Siu does have an exceptional memory. How about your internet Go rank? Oh, I mean, your level, right?"

Yunshushu, who was active on the Haneulbaduk site, was still at level 30.

Now, he had developed an attachment to the nickname 'Invincible 30,' and aimed to be a 30-level player who could beat 9-dan players, intentionally not raising his level from the beginner stage.

"3... level?"

"30 levels? That's right. You're doing well."

In fact, Tae had no idea what level was good, but since Siu was a Go prodigy, he assumed he must be good and praised him.

"Anyway, it's been a really long time since you've done a drama. Let's do our best, Siu. Being the lead at seven years old... really... it's unbelievable. Not even in a children's movie, but being the lead in a Friday-Saturday evening drama at seven... wow..."

Two months ago—

When the script first came to the company, Tae thought Siu would only appear in the early part, and the production company also gave that impression.

However, the passionate fan of Siu, writer Jo Jin-hee, refused the production company's request and insisted on her plan to make Siu's role as long as possible, which led to significant difficulties in casting the male and female leads.

The script, which was heavily skewed towards a seven-year-old child for the first half, continued to be written, and male leads refused the casting offers after seeing their parts.

When famous male actors all turned down the roles, named female actors also eventually dropped out, leaving a promising new female actor and a male actor with a model background, who had not been verified for acting, to take the lead roles.

The script itself seemed to have potential, and the production company, after hesitating, reluctantly allowed Siu to take the lead role.

Thus—

Through the writer's persistence and a few lucky breaks, Siu's first lead role was about to be born.

"Wowahaha! Siu! Uncle, look! Oh, you've grown so much! Do you know who I am? Huh?"

A middle-aged male actor in his forties, with a muscular build, was posing like a bodybuilder in front of Siu.

"Power! Do you want to feel Uncle's muscles? They're harder than bricks!"

Siu, who had appeared on the variety show "A Day in a Fishing Village" at the age of four, where he was responsible for cooking, greeted him.

"Hello~"

Siu neatly placed his hands above his navel and bowed politely.

"Oh~ You've grown so much! Do you go to kindergarten? Is that a sports uniform? You're so cute. Come here! It's been a while, let me give you a hug!"

Donghoon, as he did on "A Day in a Fishing Village," lifted Siu onto one arm and played with him like a ride.

Donghoon entered the reading room with Siu in his arms.

The young actors stood up at the sight of the 20-year veteran.

"Hello! I'm Lim Ji-seok! I'll do my best!"

The male lead, Lim Ji-seok, greeted him.

The female lead, Son Su-hyun, bowed deeply.

"Hello, senior. I'm Son Su-hyun. Please take care of me."

Donghoon smiled and responded to their respectful greetings.

"Sure, nice to meet you. I don't know you well, but both of you have excellent looks. When did you debut?"

"I debuted in the drama 'Strong 1st Squad' two years ago."

"I debuted in the movie 'In the Name of God' last year."

At Su-hyun's answer, Siu's eyes widened.

"In the Name of God~?"

Siu, still in Donghoon's arms, looked at Su-hyun with curiosity, and Su-hyun opened her mouth with genuine delight.

"Ah, yeah. I... I didn't have any direct scenes with Senior Ryu Seung-hyun, but I played a minor role in a cafe with him..."

Seeing Su-hyun call Siu 'senior,' Donghoon laughed heartily.

"Hahaha! That's right, senior. Siu is a seven-year veteran. If you've only been in the industry for a year, you should treat him with respect."

"Yes! Of course. Please take care of me, senior."

Su-hyun smiled and waved at Siu.

"Oh!"

Siu raised his voice, recognizing Su-hyun's face.

"You're the one who gave your phone number to Senior Seung-hyun!"

Su-hyun's smile brightened, pleased that Siu remembered her.

"Yes! That's right! You're the one who ran out crying after being rejected by Senior Ryu Seung-hyun!"

After that, she signed with a famous agency, appeared in web dramas, and even landed a supporting role in a terrestrial channel at the end of the year, experiencing a magical year.

Her outstanding beauty and not bad acting skills for a newcomer were her strengths.

"I'll also do my best! Senior Yun Si-woo. Haha."

The male lead, Lim Ji-seok, also greeted Siu.

Two years ago, Ji-seok, who had transitioned from modeling to acting, was a visual powerhouse with a tall stature and handsome appearance.

However, as he had only recently transitioned to acting, he was slightly criticized for his acting skills.

For both actors, this drama was a significant opportunity that could change their future acting careers.

Although their previous work had a 5% rating and flopped, writer Jo Jin-hee, who always had good writing skills, had deliberately written a drama to match the current trends.

A Friday-Saturday evening drama during prime time.

A popular fantasy theme.

If it succeeds, it will be a smooth road ahead.

And the key to the success of this drama, no matter what anyone says, is this small child in front of them—

Yun Si-woo, who at six months old had moved the nation with the line "Mom..." and is now a seven-year veteran.

At seven years old, Siu felt the burden of being the lead actor as he saw the eyes of the two young actors who relied on him.

However, he didn't feel bad about it.

* * *

After the script reading, the official promotion for the drama began, and articles flooded the internet.

Siu, who had recently made a special appearance in the American series "XOXO Season 6" and regained his popularity among domestic fans, was the center of attention.

– Wow! Yomra! I'm looking forward to it! But the Yomra character is so strong that I'll keep thinking of Yomra while watching... I don't know if that's good or bad.

– Jo Jin-hee. Trust and go. The title is 'Sea Child'? Hahaha. I'll tell you the content. It's a drama that shows the various ways of life of different people through small episodes in a fishing village from a child's perspective, forcing healing and emotion on the audience. I predict a 0.5% rating. Ah, but Yomra is so cute, so with luck, it might reach 1%.

– I don't expect much from the drama, but the three leads have the best visuals ever. Please show more of Siu's face. If Siu has a lot of screen time, I'll watch it.

– The lead lineup has the best visuals, but a seven-year-old child has to carry the acting? Hahaha.

– They brought in a model instead of an actor for the male lead? And a self-proclaimed web drama goddess that no one knows? Change the title to 'A Day in a Fishing Village' and make a variety show with Siu and Donghoon!

– Jo Jin-hee is doing fantasy... After flopping with her previous works, she must have been desperate for money. She said she hated fantasy, but the writer has no pride. Hahaha.

This was the first time.

I'm looking forward to it.

I want to watch it soon.

I'm a fan.

I support it.

Most of the comments were like this.

However, this work had a different starting point.

Mockery of writer Jo Jin-hee, who only wrote outdated stories.

Criticism of the male lead, Lim Ji-seok, who kept getting lead roles based on his looks despite being a model with poor acting skills.

Suspicion and resentment towards the female lead, Son Su-hyun, who secured a TV movie lead role just a year after debuting.

There were a significant number of negative comments.

Writer Jo Jin-hee, Lim Ji-seok, and Son Su-hyun were particularly targeted by the trolls.

Meanwhile, Yomra, the lovely muscleman Kang Donghoon, and director Lee Sang-chul, who directed "Hotel Red Moon," were providing some comfort to the drama.

Well, to be precise, the prevailing opinion was to keep these three and replace the writer and the male and female leads.

Siu, who checked the comments on his mother's laptop, sighed.

"The negative comments are really something. Why do they have to be so harsh?"

If it were a fair critique of acting skills, it would be one thing, but there were also comments that went beyond the line of personal attacks.

"They must be really intimidated. It's severe."

While Siu was worried about Ji-seok and Su-hyun, he heard a knock on the front door from the living room.

"Yes~"

Xianzhu went out and received the delivery.

It was Siu's birthday and Children's Day gifts from Jeongtae's mother.

Jeongtae's mother, who always sent gifts on special days like birthdays and Christmas, had a mixed relationship with Siu.

She could never forget the incident where she pinched his leg during their first meeting, but for the past five years, she had taken very good care of him.

Of course, Siu knew that the purpose was to get something in return.

"Si-woo, come and try on the clothes!"

Responding to Xianzhu's call, Siu went from the small room to the living room.

'I wonder what strange clothes she sent this year. Jeongtae's mother's fashion sense is really on the edge.'

Fantastic or horrible.

There's no middle ground.

"Our Si-woo is doing the drama 'Sea Child,' so she chose clothes that match that image. And she even sent sea exploration toys. Si-woo, how nice."

Xianzhu took out the clothes and showed them to Siu.

"Ta-da! Oh? This time, the clothes... Oh, they're really cute?"

Siu stopped in his tracks when he saw the clothes.

A smile appeared on Siu's face.

They say even dog droppings can be used as medicine—

'This time, it's fantastic? This... is even better than the clothes the company picked out?'

* * *

"Ready, action!"

Director Lee Sang-chul loudly called out "Ready, action!"

A small one-room apartment where a 21-year-old female college student lived.

The space was cozy, but like many apartments in dramas, it was beautifully decorated with a professional touch.

Sitting on the floor of the one-room, Su-hyun looked at the utility bills on the table and rubbed her forehead.

"Really... I have to study, I have to earn money, and the cost of living in Seoul is so high. Food... food... I eat too much. That guy. He says he's from the sea, but he only eats expensive seafood. Does he have no sense of kinship?"

Bang!

Su-hyun slammed her pen on the table after organizing the utility bills.

She then slumped onto the table and lifted her head again.

"Well, they probably don't eat cows or pigs in the sea. They probably only eat seafood all their life. I should understand. It's not like he's being cheap... or anything..."

Shaking.

Su-hyun held a bill and trembled.

It was a bill for water and sewage.

"There's no way I can tolerate this. Is my house a spa!?"

Hearing the continuous sound of water from the bathroom, Su-hyun finally got up from her seat.

Thump, thump, thump!

Su-hyun ran to the bathroom and burst open the door.

"Hey! You! Get out already! Isn't this too much!? And at least fill a container with water before you go in! Why do you keep the shower running!"

A small child was taking a half-bath in a mini bathtub in the bathroom.

Siu's cute and beautiful face appeared on the camera.

Siu, wearing a T-shirt with a drawing of a pod of dolphins, was happily flapping his legs in the bathtub like a mermaid's tail.

"Stagnant water and running water... how can they be the same?"