May 5, 2007.
In this era, they said this day was for children.
For today at least, I too was seated at a samgyeopsal joint with the Bisangcheolddo 777 family.
Because for this year’s Children’s Day present, I said I wanted to go to the after-party.
Today was the final performance of <Five Teachers, One Student>.
A performance that, right up to the last show, happily sold out and ended in success.
When everything was over and we stood onstage, the audience that filled the seats to the brim gave us a standing ovation.
Five Teachers, One Student became hugely popular as a play that captured both gentle humor and emotion.
People who “knew theater” said, as expected of Kang Yonghui. Fans who came to see cute me cried tears and rejoiced.
Just like I did previously, this time too I diligently greeted fans on my way out.
Back then, because the performance itself ended so late and they worried the crowds would swell too much, someone as young as me wasn’t allowed to do stage-door greetings.
Thanks to that, in this production I got to roam the stage as much as I wanted and meet fans, and I was very satisfied.
The last performance ended safely and successfully.
To mark the day, Kim Sangcheol called every staff member who worked on the show to a barbecue place.
“Alright, everyone, raise your glasses. Great work, all!”
“Thank you for your hard work!”
“Siwoo, eat a lot!”
“Okay!”
Beaming, I sat with the other actors, snapping up pieces of samgyeopsal my uncle grilled for me.
Maybe because it was after a show, it tasted even more heavenly.
In between, talk about the play and acting flowed freely.
Ah, so this is a true company dinner.
I’m happy, so happy.
“Okay, everyone, attention!”
Once people had enjoyed enough meat and drink, Kim Sangcheol sprang to his feet and shouted.
“Most of you have already heard through the grapevine, but our youngest, Siwoo, is going to appear in a KMB drama this time. No less than PD Cha Ilnam’s project, and he’ll be acting with Moon Heeseong. Applause!”
With a proud face, Kim Sangcheol delivered the news of my joining the drama.
At that, all the people who’d only known by rumor cheered loudly.
Among them, those who didn’t know about Moon Heeseong joining were stunned.
“Wooooow!”
“Our youngest has made it! A drama with Moon Heeseong.”
“Bravo! I always knew our Siwoo would go far!”
Because of the sudden announcement, I had to offer my head to just about everyone.
To make a surprise announcement like that without telling me.
With my hair thoroughly mussed from the onslaught, I rolled my eyes white at Kim Sangcheol.
But already pleasantly tipsy to the point his cheeks were red, Kim Sangcheol just wore a contented smile and grabbed the actor next to him to brag about me.
“See? I knew from the sprout. Bam. Huh? There was a reason I kept Siwoo in our troupe…!”
Hm, if I go over there to argue now I’ll only tire myself out.
I ditched the idea of going to protest smartly and attacked the steamed egg.
For some reason, the steamed egg at a barbecue place tasted different from the one at home.
What Mom made was silky and very delicious, but this had something that made you want to keep eating.
“Wow, so Siwoo’s going into a drama with Moon Heeseong now?”
“That’s insane. Your first drama and it’s with Moon Heeseong.”
“Yep, I’m excited.”
I swallowed the mouthful of egg and answered.
All the other actors zeroed in on the fact I’d be acting with Moon Heeseong and made a fuss, saying they were jealous.
“But, Siwoo… after standing on a big stage like RUN, was it alright to stand somewhere small like here? Haha, wasn’t the contrast too much?”
At a cautious remark from one actor, the table fell silent as a mouse.
Even the merrily drunk folks shut their mouths and watched me.
What is this mood?
Everyone acted like they assumed I would think that and said nothing.
Maybe they really did think so, even if they hadn’t shown it to me.
Sigh, it can’t be helped.
I should clear this up.
“Hmm? A stage is a stage to me. And if I hadn’t gotten up on this stage, I wouldn’t have done RUN either. I like the Bisangcheolddo 777 stage better!”
Not just to liven the mood. I meant it.
Bisangcheolddo 777 was special to me.
No other stage could be compared with this one.
How could I forget the place that recognized my potential first and took me in.
“S-Siwoo…”
“Sniff—did you hear that? Huh? Did you hear him. That little kid just…”
The actor who had spoken looked apologetic at my words, and Kim Sangcheol swallowed a tear.
I guess he was moved.
“You punks. What are you saying to a kid!”
Kang Yonghui, who yelled unnecessarily at the actors, had red ears.
One look and I could tell.
He was happy but pretending not to be.
Grinning slyly, I looked up at Kang Yonghui.
“What, brat.”
“Make me a ssam1, Gamdong-nim.”
To tease the embarrassed Kang Yonghui, I smiled even brighter as I said it.
At my look, he started to say something, then let out a long sigh and picked up lettuce and perilla leaf.
“You act like a thirty-year-old, but your hands are so small you can’t even wrap a ssam by yourself. Hey, Donguk. Does Siwoo eat garlic?”
“He finds raw garlic too spicy. Grilled.”
At my uncle’s words, a ssam was born with a nicely grilled clove added from the grate.
Kang Yonghui held the wrap right up to my mouth himself.
“And your palate is so picky. Here.”
“Chomp.”
Grumbling, he popped the ssam into my mouth.
I chewed, unable to suppress the smile blooming on my face.
“Our Siwoo will do well anywhere!”
“Right, and we’ll never forget what you just said.”
Maybe it was catching from Kim Sangcheol.
The actors’ eyes brimmed with tears as they blessed my path forward.
I cocked my head, wondering if after-parties were always like this.
“Why are you talking like you won’t see me again?”
Another beat of silence at my words.
Why is everyone like this today.
Tilting my head in confusion, I got an explanation as Kang Yonghui put a nicely cooked piece of meat on my plate.
“People who go on TV don’t really come back to theater. That’s why everyone’s acting like this is their last time performing with you.”
“Huh? I’m coming back.”
“Well, I’ll be.”
At my instant promise to return, a faint smile tugged at Kang Yonghui’s mouth.
And the actors listening to us let loose what they’d been holding in.
“Really? Siwoo, your uncles will be waiting right here, okay?”
“Uncle wants to share a stage with you again, too…”
Only after I said don’t worry, I’ll come back about a hundred times, was I allowed to escape.
Come to think of it, I suddenly had a lot of uncles.
A Chinese restaurant in Seoul.
“Welcome. Actor Moon Heeseong, nice to meet you for the first time. I’m Cha Ilnam.”
“Hello, I’ve heard a lot about you, PD-nim.”
“I’m Han Yuju, who wrote this project. Pleasure to meet you.”
The three, meeting for the first time, exchanged warm greetings.
Holding Moon Heeseong’s hand, Han Siwoo left the adults to it and claimed a seat first.
From the look of it, the spinning round table in this Chinese restaurant was the most fascinating thing before his eyes.
“Order anything. We wanted to treat you today as a token of our gratitude. Haha!”
“Thank you. Siwoo, what do you want to eat?”
Having greeted PD Cha, Moon Heeseong asked Han Siwoo, who was carefully reading the menu.
Studying the pictures and descriptions, Han Siwoo pointed to a dish and asked.
“What’s this one?”
“Kanpung-gi2 can be a little spicy—will you be okay?”
Seeing the kanpung-gi with sliced chiles on top, Han Yuju asked, worried.
At the word “spicy,” Siwoo’s hand quietly dropped.
“Then how about this? It’s called yurin-gi3—also fried chicken. If there are chiles on top, Uncle will pick them off.”
“Great!”
After ordering the food amid friendly chatter, Cha Ilnam turned to Moon Heeseong and Han Siwoo with a bright smile and expressed his thanks.
“Haha, thanks to you two we got a good time slot. Casting is complete. I couldn’t just let it pass, so I asked you here today.”
“I didn’t do anything. I happened to see the project Siwoo was doing, and it was so good I wanted to join.”
“Yep! Writer Han is the best.”
At their words, Han Yuju seemed moved. She nodded and smiled broadly.
“The script did come out pretty well this time, didn’t it?”
Cha Ilnam had, in the end, secured a weekend evening slot.
Thanks to Siwoo he got Moon Heeseong, and thanks to Moon Heeseong he got the slot.
So lately, giddy with joy, he laughed heartily as he urged more dishes on Moon Heeseong.
“Please, eat, eat. Would the actor care for a drink?”
“No, I’ll pass on alcohol today since I’m here as Siwoo’s guardian.”
It was thanks to Han Siwoo and Moon Heeseong that everything went well.
He’d thought to offer at least a glass of kaoliang, but when Moon Heeseong declined because of the child, Cha was inwardly a bit disappointed.
“Who would’ve thought Mr. Moon Heeseong would appear in my project. It’s such an honor.”
Saying it felt like a dream, Han Yuju kept looking over at Moon Heeseong even as she ate.
“Haha, the honor’s mine. The script was really great.”
“Gasp… thank you. It fits you so well I wondered if I’d written the role with you in mind. Truly.”
In a tone softer than usual, Han Yuju kept up conversation with Moon Heeseong.
At that sight, Cha Ilnam stared at his junior with eyes of disbelief mid-meal.
Han Yuju didn’t care.
“Haha, were you two already close?”
“Pardon? Ah, yes. Writer Han was my junior in college; we’ve known each other.”
“Well, I joined the company and there was Senior Cha as a PD, you know?”
Listening to their story, Moon Heeseong smiled comfortably.
“We never imagined Siwoo would be acquainted with Mr. Moon.”
“We were really surprised. I answered a call from Siwoo and never thought he’d put Mr. Moon on…”
“Yes. Uncle Heeseong asked me.”
Biting into a big piece of yurin-gi that Moon had served him, Siwoo answered PD Cha.
“That’s good, isn’t it. Siwoo, it’s your first try at a drama. Isn’t it nice to have someone you know with you?”
“Yes! I like doing a project with Uncle. There’s so much more I want to learn from him.”
At Siwoo’s bright-eyed words, Moon Heeseong smiled.
“Siwoo, how much do you need before you’re satisfied? I already feel you breathing down my neck.”
“Heh. Uncle, you’re scared of my rise to fame and glory, aren’t you?”
For all his swagger, he was still a child, so it was only cute.
Moon burst out laughing at the fresh new four-character idiom.
“Haha, Siwoo. Do you read a book of sayings at home or something? I never taught you that one.”
“The road of mathematics is long and arduous.”
Meanwhile, listening quietly to the two, Han Yuju and Cha Ilnam were so shocked they forgot to eat.
“…No wonder Siwoo reads a script so smoothly. Do normal six-year-olds talk like that?”
“I don’t know either. More to the point, those two must really be close.”
One day in May, after Bisangcheolddo’s run ended and I’d had a bit of a quiet spell.
At last, the day dawned when every actor and staff member joining the new drama would gather in one place.
“Hello!”
“Oh my, hi. Siwoo. Are you here for a meeting today, too?”
“Yes. With the PD and another director.”
Holding Mom’s hand, I crossed the KMB lobby and greeted the ladies at the information desk.
After going back and forth for meetings a few times once casting was set, we naturally got close.
Having secured fans who fell for my formal bows, I gave daily fan service.
“How cute. Do your best today too, Siwoo.”
“Ah, want to take this and eat it?”
“Yes! Thanks.”
So cute—!
With the echoes of the ladies’ squeals drifting through the lobby, I headed back toward the elevators with Mom.
Phew, this morning is off to a very rewarding start.
“Hello.”
“You’re here, Siwoo?”
“Ay, looking sharp again today.”
The first time I came into a place called a broadcasting station, I found it so big and complicated.
By the time I passed Variety, Current Affairs & Culture, and Radio and arrived at Drama, I was worn out.
But now I was used to it enough to greet the employees I passed with ease.
After hearing “how cute” about thirty times from security staff and cleaning ladies I encountered along the way, I arrived at the conference room.
On the way, I downed a cool little yogurt drink the ladies had given me.
“Ahhh.”
“Siwoo, it’s your first script reading today. Are you nervous at all?”
Mom straightened my outfit once more and asked.
In her tone were both pride and worry.
To reassure her, and from the heart, I answered,
“Nope! I can do great!”
- In the context of samgyupsal (Korean BBQ pork belly), ssam (쌈) refers to the act of wrapping grilled meat, typically pork belly, in lettuce or other leafy vegetables, along with other side dishes, to create a single, bite-sized portion. It’s essentially a Korean-style lettuce wrap. ↩︎
- Kkanpunggi is spicy garlic fried chicken stir-fried with vegetables and a sweet, sour, spicy sauce. ↩︎
- Yuringi is fried chicken with peppers and a light sweet sour sauce. ↩︎
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