There Are Four Top Idol Uncles - Chapter 55
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Episode 55
At first, it was definitely a lighthearted feeling.
‘…There’s romance even in the child actor part.’
Isn’t it wrong to make kids do this kind of thing?
Even though it was just a meeting between a young crown prince and the precious daughter of Joseon’s highest aristocratic family – just holding hands once and one forehead kiss – Lee Doha’s brow furrowed slightly.
He felt displeased from the very beginning for no reason.
No, our child is only 7 years old.
Is it okay for her to act in something like this?
‘…Well, still… the beginning isn’t bad.’
At first, it was a concerned gaze as a guardian.
But as he turned page after page, Lee Doha’s page-turning speed increased.
Lee Doha pondered the character setting of the female lead ‘Seolhwa’ that Yewon would be challenging as he turned the pages.
Despite her young age, her strong will to erase her name and decide to live as a man for the sake of her family with six daughters.
Her activities as a ‘court historian who records expressions’ by the side of the crown prince who has enemies everywhere.
He also liked the strength of the female lead who pretended to be expendable selected by the Prime Minister’s scheme while trying to protect the crown prince.
‘…’
Lee Doha eventually had to admit it.
He liked this steadfastness.
The more he read, the more he thought it was a role that suited Yewon well.
A young but strong protagonist.
Could there be a role that fit Yewon better than that?
As the drama’s narrative gradually began to look like Yewon’s narrative, slowly in Lee Doha’s mind – very slowly.
It was transforming into a musical inspiration.
“…”
Lee Doha opened his work laptop as if enchanted.
Lee Doha frantically wrote music, forgetting even the fatigue from staying up all night.
Something.
He had a strong intuition that this song he was writing now would be a gift for Yewon.
How many hours had passed like that?
“Uncle…?”
Yewon, who had woken up and come out to the living room, rubbed her eyes and approached Lee Doha.
“!”
No, why does he look like that…?
Yewon’s eyes widened in surprise when she saw Lee Doha’s disheveled appearance from being absorbed in work all night.
“Uncle, didn’t you sleep? Your face looks haggard…!”
Instead of answering, Lee Doha sat Yewon on his lap. Then he pressed the play button for the song he had just completed, 【Winter Camellia】.
“!”
Yewon’s shoulders flinched when the intro started.
“Uncle, this song…!”
“Do you like it?”
“Yes! Don’t tell me… you made a song for The Flower of the East Palace?!”
“Yeah. Of course, I don’t know if they’ll use it there. I just made it for fun.”
“…”
For something made just for fun, isn’t the quality too good?
Yewon’s eyes narrowed.
…Is this what being a genius is like?
Even though Yewon had grown up being called a genius, she felt a strange sense of deprivation and wrinkled her nose.
But at the same time.
‘…Cool, Uncle.’
Her heart filled with pride.
This too must be Uncle’s way of cheering her on, right?
Yewon lifted her head slightly and looked at Lee Doha.
“I love it so much! Can I read the script while listening to this song?”
At those words, a faint smile spread across Lee Doha’s lips. More than the praise of countless critics, this one short review from his niece was a perfect passing grade for Lee Doha.
“Sure. You’re the protagonist of this song.”
“…!”
At Lee Doha’s gentle voice, Yewon’s heart was moved.
‘I’m… the protagonist of this song…’
Although Yewon had only played protagonist roles since making her name known, there had never been a moment more thrilling than this one.
Lee Doha’s words seemed to-
Make Yewon a real protagonist.
Not simply the protagonist of one drama.
But the protagonist of their lives together.
Just then.
“Ah… Lee Doha, did you stay up all night again?”
Weon, who had just woken up, crawled out to the living room grumbling.
“Hey, seriously, you’re really something, really something. Huh? You’re determined to make us feel inferior, aren’t you?!!? Ugh. After tearing apart all our songs, you just whip up a song… huh?”
Weon’s sleepiness completely disappeared at the sound of music leaking through the speakers. Soon after, Eon, who came out of his room, also stopped.
As the intro and Lee Doha’s guide vocals flowed out, complex emotions appeared on the faces of the two men who had been brutally criticized by Lee Doha last night.
‘Oriental style? Then an OST? He said yesterday was his first time reading the script. Then that couldn’t be…??’
Frustration.
‘That crazy guy won’t just stick to one thing. Just do one thing.’
A sense of deprivation.
Those kinds of emotions.
“…”
“Dude, you really made this in one day? For real?? You’re not lying, really??”
Weon gaped in shock.
“…This is sickening, really…”
Eon clicked his tongue with a very displeased face and went back into his room.
“…”
And Lee Doha and Yewon looked at each other and chuckled.
It was the start of a peaceful morning.
* * *
“Cut.”
Director Yeon Taejung’s short word froze the air on the set.
It was already the twentieth take. Yeon Taejung sat motionless without taking his eyes off the monitor.
That terrible silence felt more cruel to Jeyeon than hundreds of sharp curses.
“What take is this now, cut…?”
“Almost the twentieth… No, it’s not even that important a scene, but if there are this many mistakes…”
“At the very least, shouldn’t she memorize her lines properly before coming… This is why we need to cast child actors well…”
The murmuring sounds of the staff began to pierce Jeyeon’s ears one by one.
“Again.”
Director Yeon never criticized at length.
He just shouted cut, again, again, again… that was all.
However,
“…Uh, Mother, I, I-”
But Jeyeon thought she’d rather be cursed at.
Like what her father did, being cursed at with profanity would have been more comfortable.
“Cut. You can’t cry yet. Listen to the other person’s lines and then cry after that.”
“…Yes…”
However, Yeon Taejung’s eyes remained cold. No, they weren’t just cold—they were empty.
‘She’s hollow.’
Yeon Taejung swallowed his deep disappointment inwardly.
There was no soul whatsoever in Jeyeon’s acting.
In fact, there was only one reason why Yeon Taejung had placed Jeyeon in the important role of the protagonist’s child actor.
It was because Jeyeon’s agency, Future Entertainment, happened to also represent the lead actress, so they did what’s called ‘package dealing.’
Normally, Director Yeon would never have tolerated such package dealing, but since Future Entertainment had invested heavily in the project, Yeon Taejung had no choice but to compromise.
“…Let’s call it a day. I don’t think we’ll get an okay sign even if we continue any further.”
“Yes! Director! Thank you for your hard work!”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Yeon Taejung stood up from his seat, swallowing his disappointment. Over Jeyeon’s empty face, Yewon’s cool eyes overlapped.
He had a strange conviction that Yewon would have gotten the okay sign long ago.
“…”
Those were definitely good eyes.
You could tell just by looking.
Yewon’s eyes were the eyes of a good actor.
As someone who was once the greatest actor and is now the greatest director—Taejung knew well what the essential qualities of a good actor were.
‘…Those eyes resembled Juhyang’s…’
Perhaps it was because she resembled Juhyang, who was the greatest actress of her time.
His granddaughter’s eyes were so deep, as if they could express everything in this world with just a look.
Eyes that could say everything—those kind of eyes.
Right now was the moment when exactly those kind of eyes were needed.
“Heesung.”
Taejung called the assistant director.
“Ah, yes, Director.”
“…That kid I mentioned before. Did you watch the video?”
“Ah! Yes yes, Director. Of course I watched it. Wow, she was amazing! Her name was… Lee Yewon? Right? Lee Doha’s niece from GLEET!”
The assistant director said excitedly.
“As expected, your eye is really accurate, Director. Ha. If she had taken on Heewon’s role right now, we would have gotten okay signs streaming out long ago…”
‘Heewon’ was the name of the child role that Jeyeon was currently playing.
“…Exactly.”
“It’s unfortunate, but let’s cast that friend next time, Director!”
After Director Yeon nodded and left.
“…”
Behind the car, Jeyeon, who had been cleverly hiding, was trembling.
‘…Did they just compare me to her?’
Realizing that Director Yeon’s gaze had been looking through her to chase after Yewon all this time, something snapped inside Jeyeon.
All this time.
He’s been… constantly comparing me to that girl.
In Jeyeon’s eyes, tears filled with malice began to form.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————