---

As I explained, the excuses I kept making ended up in silence.

Fortunately, thanks to the director of <The Sunshine>, Kwon Jae-hyup, who came to meet Baek Tae-hoon and Ha-eun, we could quickly escape the frustrating silence.

“It’s been a while, Ha-eun.”

“Oh, it’s been a while, Director.”

Unlike Baek Tae-hoon, who was meeting Ha-eun for the first time today, Kwon Jae-hyup had already met her two months ago for a meeting regarding the character Kim Jeong-hyun.

With his gentle appearance and generally friendly demeanor, he was easy to talk to.

In any case, Ha-eun was here solely to observe the child actor auditions.

Eventually, I followed Kwon Jae-hyup as he guided Ha-eun to her seat, which had been prearranged in the audition room.

The problem was that the seat with Baek Tae-hoon’s name was right next to Ha-eun’s.

After all, both were the male and female leads of <The Sunshine>.

It may have been natural to seat the two together, but still.

“I can’t breathe…”

Due to the awkwardness stemming from the ice-breaking experience with Baek Tae-hoon that had become a complete failure, it was no wonder that Baek Tae-hoon felt awkward as well.

The palpable presence next to me made me unconsciously steal glances.

Crucially, Baek Tae-hoon was Ha-eun’s ‘senior actor.’

He had been walking a solid path as an actor for years, even before Ha-eun debuted as Kim Ji-ah in <The Neighbor Uncle>.

It was just that he looked so young that the age difference between him and Ha-eun did not feel significant.

“I know he’s not an old-fashioned person, but…”

It was difficult. In many ways.

I couldn’t even bring up light topics that were neither here nor there easily.

Maybe that’s why.

“Ha-eun. Ha-eun-ssi. How should I address you?”

When Baek Tae-hoon, who had been sitting silently, suddenly asked how to address Ha-eun, I was taken aback.

I hadn’t expected him to speak to her first.

“I think it’d be best if you called me by my name.”

Baek Tae-hoon, whether in age or acting experience, was a senior to Ha-eun.

Considering his naturally stern impression, if he continued to use formal speech, it would only make things more uncomfortable.

I understood that everyone else had respected Ha-eun out of consideration for her, but currently, it felt more important to shorten the distance with Baek Tae-hoon.

It was after this that Baek Tae-hoon handed her what looked like evaluation sheets.

He added that Ha-eun’s opinions could be referenced to some extent in this <The Sunshine> child actor audition.

“You’re the only one here who has acted since childhood.”

“Well, that’s true… but is it really okay?”

“It’s just for ‘reference.’ Just keep it simple and take notes while watching.”

As Baek Tae-hoon turned his gaze towards the entrance of the audition hall, indicating that it would start soon, he appeared ready, with the thin pen in hand to evaluate the children’s performances.

However.

‘…I feel like I should say something before problems arise.’

Since Ha-eun had helped some of the child actors preparing for this audition, she worried that there might be complaints later about her opinions reflecting in the audition results.

She opened her mouth again.

“There are kids I helped among the applicants. What if the other kids think it’s unfair later…?”

She voiced her concerns to Baek Tae-hoon next to her.

Participating in an audition not as an applicant but for a role was a first for her, and there was much more she didn’t know than what she did.

What followed was a brief silence.

Then, Baek Tae-hoon responded as if he thought Ha-eun was worrying about something strange.

“Is there such a thing as unfair acting or fair acting in acting?”

He also brought up what could truly become a problem.

“It would be an issue if someone got a score based on something other than acting. So I’m asking, do you have any thoughts about favoritism?”

“Oh, no. I don’t.”

Ha-eun’s memories of <The Sunshine> were of a well-regarded masterpiece drama.

She had no intention of ruining such a grand drama over personal relationships.

In the first place, she only learned that her opinions would be reflected in the final results after coming to the audition.

Therefore.

“Please come in for waiting number 4~.”

As a staff member’s high-pitched voice signaled the start of the <The Sunshine> child actor audition, Ha-eun focused solely on the acting before her.

‘The audition scene is in the early part of episode 1. If I remember correctly, it was emotional acting.’

This <The Sunshine> child actor audition was to cast the child actor for the young version of the male lead, Park Joo-ho.

The scene to be performed in the audition highlighted just how sorrowful young Park Joo-ho’s childhood was.

‘This scene, in a way… could also be seen as an abuse scene.’

In the story, young Park Joo-ho was a slave.

Moreover, he was a lowly slave living in a noble household where the female lead, Kim Jeong-hyun, was ‘the cherished granddaughter.’

The gap in status between young Park Joo-ho and Kim Jeong-hyun was immense, as he wasn’t even allowed to look at her.

Therefore, when an unintentional mistake by young Park Joo-ho leaves a shallow scratch on Kim Jeong-hyun’s wrist.

– You lowly thing! How dare you touch someone’s hand─!!

Even being on the verge of death from a pounding could not earn him forgiveness.

Park Joo-ho’s parents were also dragged in and began to face brutal beatings before his eyes.

Eventually, what young Park Joo-ho faced was the horrifying sight of his beloved family becoming lifeless.

Unable to withstand the rising despair, young Park Joo-ho ran to young Kim Jeong-hyun, begging her to spare his parents’ lives.

The scene to be particularly focused on in this audition was the moment young Park Joo-ho pleaded with young Kim Jeong-hyun.

When Ha-eun previously assisted child actors, the emotions she mostly highlighted were those of young Kim Jeong-hyun.

Maybe that was why.

“Why, why is my parents’ lives worth less than just a scratch on you!!”

She was able to immerse herself even more in the performance of the child actor kneeling on the audition floor and crying out.

The desperate gaze and voice were directed towards ‘Kim Jeong-hyun,’ no matter how one looked at it.

Soon, Ha-eun began to jot down her impressions on the white evaluation sheet.

She wrote in short memo form about how the child actor’s performance resonated with her.

Right next to Ha-eun, Baek Tae-hoon was also scribbling comments like “focus on details,” “good enunciation,” and “slightly unstable gaze” on his evaluation sheet.

Then, before long, he fixed his gaze on the child actor who had just finished their performance and was heading towards the exit of the audition hall.

The child actor, who inadvertently made eye contact with Baek Tae-hoon and was scrutinized by him, soon stopped walking.

– Bowing.

With a nearly 90-degree bend of the waist, the child actor politely greeted him.

Baek Tae-hoon, in return, acknowledged the child actor’s greeting with a brief word of encouragement.

What was unexpected was that in that fleeting moment afterward, Baek Tae-hoon lightly tapped Ha-eun a couple of times with his elbow.

– Tap, tap.

‘…?’

For a moment, Ha-eun’s eyes were filled with question marks at Baek Tae-hoon’s sudden touch.

But as soon as she met the gaze of the child actor standing right in front of her, she realized the meaning of it.

“Oh, I saw well. Keep fighting… okay?”

She offered a short encouragement to the child actor.

Just then, a youthful voice saying “Thank you” reached Ha-eun’s ears.

Afterward, thanks to Baek Tae-hoon, who continued to make eye contact with the child actors who had finished their auditions, all of them were able to greet him one by one without exception.

As Ha-eun, who had been sitting right next to him, unexpectedly ended up greeting all the child actors as well.

Thus, as time went on and on.

When this <The Sunshine> child actor audition completely wrapped up.

“Um, senior. I have a question.”

“?”

Curious about the reason Baek Tae-hoon had taken the time to greet so many child actors, Ha-eun approached him and spoke.

What followed was Baek Tae-hoon’s voice explaining that even a brief moment of eye contact and short encouragement could provide sufficient motivation.

“Just 10 seconds. No, even 5 seconds will do. Some memories can’t be forgotten until the day you die.”

He added that calling Ha-eun for this audition was also for the motivation of the child actors.

Considering Ha-eun had long been known for her outstanding acting skills, Baek Tae-hoon believed that her encouragement would be a significant boost for them.

“While actors’ own performances are essential, nurturing the next generation is equally important. After all, it all continues in this way.”

“…Have I reached an age where I should nurture the next generation now?”

“You are indeed a proper veteran. And you’re in a position where you can encourage others.”

It was after Baek Tae-hoon had advised that it would be good to start taking on ‘responsibility’ that she understood what he was conveying.

With a slight nod, expressing that she comprehended Baek Tae-hoon’s thoughts, she managed to part ways with him.

However, this was the first time she had heard words concerning the ‘position’ of actor Lee Ha-eun.

‘Hmm….’

Even after getting into the van that Jo Jeong-yoon had come to pick her up in, her mind remained somewhat tangled.

Thus, she eventually asked Jo Jeong-yoon about her position.

“Um, sister. Am I famous?”

“…? Are you asking because you don’t know? You’re all over the internet because of your kiss scene─”

“Oh, no! Not that kind of fame!”

As a result, she learned things she really didn’t want to know.

Just then, Jo Jeong-yoon teasingly showed Ha-eun a screenshot of the kiss scene from <The Moonlight That Pierced Through the Clouds> and perfectly knocked her out.