Chapter 122: Casting Is My Decision (6)
“Soo-yeon.”
“Yes?”
“Do you want to let Soo-hyuk debut as a child actor?”
“Huh? You don’t mean… in ‘Peerless Joseon,’ right?”
“Yeah.”
Hong Soo-yeon pondered carefully over Kim Si-woo’s unexpected proposal.
While she furrowed her brows deeply in thought, Kim Si-woo continued speaking.
“There are three main reasons I’m suggesting this. First, he wants to do it himself.”
“Huh? Him? Are you serious?”
“Yeah! I want to do it.”
Kim Si-woo went on to explain that it would give Hong Soo-hyuk a variety of experiences and show him just how hard Hong Soo-yeon works to earn money.
Hong Soo-yeon then looked at Hong Soo-hyuk and asked,
“You… are you confident you can really work hard at it? Acting isn’t a game.”
“I’ll work hard.”
“Whew… Fine. But you have to listen to your hyung. Got it?”
“Yeah!”
Fortunately, Hong Soo-yeon gave permission for him to appear in the film.
In truth, there were a few more hidden reasons why Hong Soo-hyuk wanted to play the child role in ‘Peerless Joseon,’ but those were a secret known only to Kim Si-woo and Hong Soo-hyuk.
“Then let’s grab some food together before we head home today.”
“Okay, Si-woo hyung.”
“Why do you seem to be listening to Si-woo oppa extra well today?”
Hong Soo-hyuk, who had several weaknesses in Kim Si-woo’s grasp, had no choice but to obey.
If he opened his mouth carelessly, not only his allowance but even the computer at home could disappear.
“Wh-what are you talking about? I always listen to adults.”
“Sure, sure. I’m in a good mood. This noona’s treating you to something delicious today.”
“Isn’t it because you’re eating with Si-woo hyung?”
“You little punk!”
Hong Soo-yeon grabbed Hong Soo-hyuk’s head in the crook of her arm and shook it vigorously.
“Alright, alright. Let’s go eat first.”
The three of them—Kim Si-woo, Hong Soo-yeon, and Hong Soo-hyuk—finished a simple meal together.
A few days later, after wrapping up all the meetings—from detailed shooting schedules to meticulous budget planning—Kim Si-woo stood up with a tired body.
“Sigh… Is it already the weekend?”
Now that the weekend had arrived, Kim Si-woo had to go meet Lee Ok-ja.
He had promised to give her a new name, after all.
Arriving at the orphanage right around lunchtime, Kim Si-woo spotted Lee Ok-ja sitting alone at the entrance.
“Ok-ja, why are you out here by yourself? You could’ve waited inside.”
“Oppa!”
Seeing Kim Si-woo, Lee Ok-ja clung to his leg.
“Let’s go inside first. It’s hot out here.”
“Okay!”
Lee Ok-ja stood beside Kim Si-woo and grabbed his hand firmly with her small one.
Once inside the building, Kim Si-woo saw Choi Do-hyun and his theater troupe colleagues enthusiastically rehearsing a play.
‘As expected, he’s really good…’
Kim Si-woo inwardly admired Choi Do-hyun’s performance.
He didn’t know about the guy’s personality, but his acting skills alone were among the best in the country.
Of course, if you added his looks on top of that, he’d be number one…
Being good at acting, tall, and handsome—it was practically cheating.
“Tch.”
Clicking his tongue, Kim Si-woo sat in an empty seat and started chatting with Lee Ok-ja.
“You know what today is, right, Ok-ja?”
“Yes! It’s the day we make my new name.”
“That’s right. Shall we look for a pretty name?”
Kim Si-woo and Lee Ok-ja began writing down characters on paper that could become part of her new name.
While they were writing names together, the play seemed to have ended, and children, Choi Do-hyun, and the theater troupe members who had come to volunteer gathered around them.
“It’s a bit burdensome when you stare like that…”
“Ah! Sorry.”
At Kim Si-woo’s words, the troupe members apologized and stepped back.
“Choi Do-hyun. Go do what you’re supposed to do. Don’t just watch from the side.”
“Hyung-nim. Then… could I help with naming from the side too?”
“No, you can’t.”
“Eh… Really?”
“If you clear out the crowd, I’ll think about it again.”
“Ah! Okay, kids, everyone pair up with a child and let’s get started.”
At Kim Si-woo’s half-threat, Choi Do-hyun hurriedly dispersed the children and troupe members.
“By the way, are they students?”
“Yes, that’s right. Since I’m a bit young, the older volunteers said it feels awkward to be taught by me.”
“I thought everyone looked kind of young. Still, they were pretty good.”
“Because I taught them. And they’re all pretty passionate friends.”
“Then use this to order something delicious for lunch today. Don’t worry about the price.”
Kim Si-woo handed his card to Choi Do-hyun.
“Thank you, hyung-nim.”
“I told you, I’m not your hyung-nim.”
Ten minutes later, Kim Si-woo’s phone vibrated.
Bzzz.
“What did he order…? Huh? Over 5 million won?”
A payment notification for more than 5 million won had arrived on Kim Si-woo’s smartphone.
‘What the hell did this guy order? Even a catered buffet wouldn’t cost this much. Does he still hold a grudge against me?’
For a moment, Kim Si-woo suspected that Choi Do-hyun might still harbor some resentment toward him.
A little while later, Choi Do-hyun returned with a beaming face to give back the card.
“What did you order?”
“Uh… king crab and all sorts of seafood.”
“Alright, enjoy it.”
Since he had told him not to worry about the price, Kim Si-woo couldn’t bring himself to complain.
‘Fine, I’ll just think of it as doing a good deed for once…’
Even though he had become wealthy, Kim Si-woo still wasn’t fully accustomed to spending large sums of money.
“Ok-ja, do you like king crab?”
“Yes!”
“Have you ever tried it?”
“Uh… no.”
For no good reason—thanks to Choi Do-hyun—Kim Si-woo ended up venting his irritation on poor Lee Ok-ja, who had been quietly minding her own business.
But seeing her look downcast, Kim Si-woo suddenly felt pathetic about himself and came up with a good idea to cheer her up.
“Ok-ja, let’s go to the sea tomorrow.”
“Huh?”
“Let’s go to the sea and eat king crab, lobster, everything.”
“Yes!”
Seeing her brighten up instantly, Kim Si-woo felt relieved.
“Anyway, is there a name among these that you like?”
From the list of name candidates they had written together, they had narrowed it down to three final options.
The first candidate was Kim Eun-ji.
It was a very common and safe name in South Korea.
For Lee Ok-ja, who had drawn attention because of her unusual name, it was ironically appealing.
The second candidate was Kim Han-byeol.
It was a pure Korean name.
It meant “big star,” given with the wish that she would shine brightly in the night sky like a great star.
The third and final candidate was Kim Da-on.
Like the second, it was a pure Korean name.
It meant that joyful, happy, and good things would come to her.
In fact, the third name was one Kim Si-woo had been saving to give to his future daughter.
First child Da-on, second child Ra-on.
That had definitely been the plan…
“I… want the third one!”
“Okay.”
Kim Si-woo’s plan for his children’s names was wiped out by Lee Ok-ja.
Of course, the name Kim Da-on suited her perfectly.
“Then from now on, you’re Kim Da-on. Got it?”
“Yes! Oppa.”
“I told you to call me uncle.”
“No way.”
“Fine, do whatever you want.”
Despite the 19-year age difference, he had tried several times to make her call him uncle instead of oppa, but it was one of the few things the otherwise obedient Lee Ok-ja refused to listen to.
Changing her family name to Kim was another one.
She had thrown a tantrum, saying she hated the surname Lee because of her old name and wanted Kim instead.
“Anyway, let’s eat the king crab deliciously today and then practice some acting. Da-on.”
“Okay!”
Soon after, the king crab, sashimi, and seafood that Choi Do-hyun had ordered arrived.
Choi Do-hyun and the troupe members quickly arranged the food.
Seeing that, Kim Si-woo stood up, holding the hand of the girl who was no longer Lee Ok-ja but Kim Da-on.
“Let’s go, Da-on.”
“Ah… yes!”
Kim Da-on reacted a little late, still unfamiliar with her new name.
Kim Si-woo picked the crab meat for her and placed it in front of Kim Da-on, who eagerly filled her belly with it.
As she did, she told everyone around her that she had a new name, but since “Kim Da-on” was still unfamiliar, she got confused a few times.
“It’s still awkward, huh? Ok-ja.”
“It’s Da-on!”
When Choi Do-hyun teased her from the side, Kim Da-on shouted incredibly loudly despite her small body.
“Hah, my ears are going to fall off. If you’re too loud, Si-woo hyung might get annoyed, you know?”
“Ah…”
At the mention of Kim Si-woo, Kim Da-on glanced at him cautiously.
‘Huh? Why is that punk selling me out?’
Of course, Kim Si-woo glared at Choi Do-hyun.
“Kim Da-on, come here. You shouldn’t play with a thug like that.”
“Yes!”
Kim Da-on, perhaps feeling upset from being teased by Choi Do-hyun, threw herself into Kim Si-woo’s arms.
“Hyung-nim! Calling me a thug is too much!”
“You’re right, you are one. A thug who bullies little kids.”
“But hyung-nim, you teased Ok-ja about whether she’d ever eaten king crab too.”
“No, that was…”
Come to think of it, Kim Si-woo himself was far worse than Choi Do-hyun.
“Tch… Anyway, go take care of your troupe kids.”
“Yes, hyung-nim.”
After feasting on the king crab, Kim Si-woo returned home in the evening and brought up the trip to his parents.
“Mom, Dad.”
“Yeah?”
“Let’s go on a trip tomorrow. To Gangneung.”
“What? All of a sudden?”
“It’s been a while since we saw Seung-oh, right? It’ll be nice. And this time, I’ll come too.”
Kim Si-woo’s parents often went on trips, but he himself rarely did.
When Kim Si-woo suggested going together, his parents immediately agreed.
“Sure, let’s go together.”
Of course, Kim Si-woo conveniently left out any mention of Kim Da-on.
***
The next morning, bright and early, Kim Si-woo arrived at the orphanage secretly to pick up Kim Da-on without telling his parents.
But Kim Da-on, who had been waiting for him, was in worse shape than he expected.
Her face was etched with exhaustion, and she yawned every three seconds.
It was clear she hadn’t slept a wink out of excitement for her first trip.
Finding her appearance adorable, Kim Si-woo teased her.
“You were too excited to sleep last night, huh?”
“N-no… I wasn’t.”
“Sure you weren’t… Anyway, let’s go.”
Kim Si-woo scooped her up and carried her to the car.
Once in the car, Kim Da-on immediately fell asleep and stayed that way until they reached Kim Si-woo’s house.
“She wouldn’t even notice if someone carried her piggyback.”
Arriving home, Kim Si-woo lifted the sleeping Kim Da-on and moved her to his father’s car, where his parents were waiting after finishing preparations for the trip.
“Son… who is this kid? Don’t tell me… a secret daughter?”
Kim Si-woo’s mother was startled at the sight of Kim Da-on in his arms.
“She’s not my daughter.”
“What? Then…”
His mother’s gaze shifted from Kim Si-woo to his father.
“You…”
“I-it wasn’t me!”
“Tell me straight. It really wasn’t you?”
“I said it wasn’t! Kim Si-woo, hurry up and explain properly!”
“Puhahaha.”
Kim Si-woo burst out laughing at the rare sight of his flustered father.
“Mom, her name is Da-on. She’s a kid from the nearby orphanage. She said she’s never been to the sea, so I decided to bring her along. She’s also appearing in my upcoming film, and she follows me so well that I just wanted to look after her.”
“Whew… He takes after his dad with that nosy side.”
“What? The nosiness comes from you, not me.”
“Mmm… shh…”
When Kim Da-on started grumbling in her sleep at the sound of their bickering, Kim Si-woo’s parents called a temporary truce and soon drove off toward Gangneung.
On the way to Gangneung, Kim Da-on woke up and jumped in surprise.
“Wh-where… where are we…?”
“Where do you think? In the car on the way to our trip. Sleep well?”
“O-oppa?”
Still half-asleep, Kim Da-on looked around dazedly.
“You’re awake? Oh my, looking at you like this, you two kind of look alike.”
At Kim Si-woo’s mother’s voice, Kim Da-on blinked wide-eyed, and she introduced herself.
“I’m Si-woo’s mom. The one next to me is Si-woo’s dad.”
“Ah… hello. I’m Kim Da-on. I’m 10 years old.”
“Nice to meet you. Just call me auntie, okay? It’s amazing! Our son suggested a trip out of the blue, and he brings along such a cute kid.”
“Thank you.”
While Kim Si-woo’s mother and Kim Da-on chatted about this and that, Kim Si-woo fell into thought over something his mother had just said.
That the two of them looked alike.
‘Come to think of it, we do resemble each other a little… Is that why?’
Kim Si-woo began to wonder if the reason he liked Kim Da-on so much was because they looked similar.
‘No way, is she…?’
And strangely enough, Kim Da-on—who was usually very shy around strangers—had taken to him so easily from their very first meeting. Perhaps that was why, he thought.
**************
TL Note:
This novel is now translated and finished at Chapter 176
If you’d like to continue right away, the remaining 54 chapters are available on My Patreon Premium tier, along with extra chapters from my other 5 ongoing translated novels.
There’s also a Plus tier with 47 advance chapters, updated at 7 chapters per week.
Link: https://www.patreon.com/cw/Vritratls
For this novel specifically, check the collection under “Genius Writer”
**************