Chapter 1058: Needing Miso (1)

The fact that child acting prodigy Miso had actually flubbed a take was enough to shock every staff member on set. After all, Miso could memorize an entire script in one go and possessed acting skills that easily surpassed most adult actors. Until now, she had never made a single mistake.

"Miso. What's wrong?" PD Ju Se-Hyung asked in surprise.

Miso wiped the tears gathered in the corners of her eyes with her elbow before answering, "I don't know either. The tears just suddenly started pouring out."

"Hmm... I guess Miso got a little too immersed in the role. It's okay. Why don't you catch your breath and then we'll try again?"

Miso answered brightly, "Okay!"

The staff let out relieved sighs and, trying to lighten the mood, each chimed in with a comment.

"Come on, every actor flubs a line once or twice. Right?"

"Exactly. I heard even award-winning actors rack up a few NGs every single day."

"Miso would've gone right back into the scene if you'd just waited three more seconds, Mr. Ju. You cut too early! Interrupting an actor's immersion? That's a little harsh, don't you think?"

Ju Se-Hyung jokingly accepted the blame. "Yeah, yeah. It's all my fault, my fault!"

Laughter spread through the set, instantly lifting the atmosphere.

"All right, we're rolling again! Everyone, stand by!"

At Ju Se-Hyung's call, the extras moved into their assigned positions. Jin Gong-Ju, who played a child leukemia patient named Lee Sol-Ji, lay back down on the hospital bed and closed her eyes. Finally, Miso remained seated in her wheelchair and took one long, deep breath.

After confirming everyone was ready, Ju Se-Hyung called out energetically once more. "Here we go. Ready~ Action!"

Drip.

Tears began rolling down Miso's cheeks. But this time, something even worse happened. Miso couldn't immerse herself in the role at all.

"Uh... uh... uh... I... what's... happening to me?"

In the end, Ju Se-Hyung had no choice but to stop filming again. "C... Cut."

The first NG could happen to anyone. When an actor immersed themselves too deeply in their emotions, mistakes like that were common. However, being unable to even begin acting, like she was now, was a completely different issue.

Something was wrong with Miso.

***

After Miso made two NGs, Ju Se-Hyung realized this wasn't just a simple mistake. Something had happened to Miso's mental state.

The problem was that they couldn't afford to leisurely wait for her to recover. The daily drama had been scheduled so suddenly that everything they filmed today would air tomorrow. That was why Ju Se-Hyung was doing everything he could to calm Miso down and continue shooting.

"Miso. Why don't you take a long, deep breath and try again?"

Miso tried once more to immerse herself in the role, but I stopped Ju Se-Hyung. At this rate, forcing her would only make it even harder to solve the problem.

"Mr. Ju, I think it'd be best if we took a short break."

Ju Se-Hyung frowned. "Chief Jung, you know our schedule. We have to finish filming everything by this evening."

"I know. Even so, this isn't the kind of scene that'll work if we just keep pushing through it. Let me talk to Miso for a bit. Why don't you film the other scenes first?"

After grumbling to himself for a moment, Ju Se-Hyung finally nodded. "All right. I'm counting on you."

Having bought us a little time, I beckoned Miso over with a wave of my hand. "Miso. Can you come here for a second?"

Miso climbed weakly out of her wheelchair and walked over. Normally, she would have stayed in character and wheeled herself over. The fact that she had gotten up and walked was enough to tell me something was seriously wrong.

Keeping a calm expression, I led Miso to a quiet corner of the hospital room. Her shoulders slumped as she looked down miserably.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Yoon-Ho."

I knelt down until we were eye level and firmly shook my head. "What are you apologizing for? These things happen when you're acting. Can you tell me if something's bothering you? Just me."

"I don't know either. As soon as I try to act, I just start crying."

Miso said she couldn't understand it herself. It would have been nice if we knew the reason, but since we didn't, I decided the first thing to do was help take her mind off it.

"Miso, you know they released the new Power Tuff Girl drink today, right? Want to go buy one with Uncle Pil-Seop?"

"Then... what about filming?"

"They're filming Gong-Ju's scenes first, so we've got plenty of time. Let's grab a cold drink and take a little break."

"Okay..."

I motioned to Choi Pil-Seop, the talent agent who had brought Miso here. "Pil-Seop, can you take Miso down to the convenience store on the first floor and buy her a drink?"

"Yes, Mr. Jung!"

After Choi Pil-Seop took Miso's hand and left the room, the staff hurried to prepare for the next scene. While they worked, I started thinking about how to get Miso back to normal.

Just then, Lee Sa-Yeon, who had been sitting on bed number six near the entrance, called out to me. "Yoon-Ho..."

"Yes, noo-nim?"

As I walked over, Lee Sa-Yeon hesitated before speaking. "Earlier... Miso was looking at her phone... and she looked really sad. Do you think... maybe she saw some hateful comments?"

"I told her not to search her own name while we were filming."

"She was checking because... she heard the new drink had come out..."

Whenever Yoo-Jin or Miso were working on a project, I always told them not to look up online reactions. There were plenty of people on the internet who insulted and attacked celebrities for no reason at all. If Miso had accidentally searched her own name, there was every chance she had come face-to-face with that kind of malice. After all, Yoon Kkot-Nim, the character she was playing, was the drama's most hated character.

I immediately unlocked Miso's phone and checked her search history.

[Search History]

-Power Tuff Girl drink

-Gift for Mom

-Gift for Uncle

-Ox Tail Bone Soup

-Jung Yoo-Jin

-Miso's mom

-Jung Miso

-Yoon Kkot-Nim annoying

-Jung Miso personality

-Jung Miso is so full of herself

...

It looked like Miso had searched for the Power Tuff Girl drink first, then looked up gifts for Yoo-Jin and me. From there, she searched for Yoo-Jin's name, then "Miso's mom," and eventually the autocomplete suggestions had led her to search her own name.

Wondering what kind of hateful comments she had seen, I opened each of the searches one by one. The news articles weren't much of a problem. The social media posts, however, were overflowing with vicious comments.

-Yoon Kkot-Nim from Land of Happiness is fucking cancer.

-Did you see Miso playing Yoon Kkot-Nim? Looks like she's just showing her real personality.

-Seriously, I want to turn off the TV every time I see Miso's face. My mom says she feels sorry for the kid, though. I seriously don't get people who watch daily dramas.

-Miso's real personality is apparently just as bad. I heard even the teachers at her school can't handle her.

-It's not just Land of Happiness. I can't stand Miso herself. Every time I see that little brat screaming and throwing tantrums, I get PTSD from thinking about my nieces and nephews.

-Doesn't that kid make billions of won a year? Honestly, I'm jealous. Isn't there something seriously wrong with this world?

-Her agency's so greedy they're working Miso to the bone, and her mom's just standing there smiling like she loves it.

...

'Those bastards...'

Rage shot straight to the top of my head, and my fists clenched on their own. Miso had done nothing but follow the script. Yet behind the safety of anonymity, people were hurling every kind of abuse imaginable at an eight-year-old child.

Just then, Lee Sa-Yeon's voice brought me back to my senses.

"Yoon-Ho... are you... okay?"

I turned to see her looking at me with concern. Holding up Miso's phone, I answered, "You were right, Noo-nim. I think Miso saw the hateful comments on social media, and that's what caused this."

Lee Sa-Yeon nodded before gently trying to calm me. "I think so too. But if you make that kind of face... Miso will only become even more shaken. At the very least... you have to stay steady for her."

Having spent years in a theater troupe alongside Park Sang-Gyu, Lee Sa-Yeon knew this industry all too well.

For a moment, I wanted to call the company's legal team and sue every last one of them. However, there was something I needed to do first. I had to help fix what had broken inside Miso. The problem was that Yoo-Jin and actress Choi Ji-Yung, Miso's acting teachers, were both tied up with their own schedules and couldn't come right away.

As I wondered what to do, my eyes fell on Lee Sa-Yeon, whose expression was just as pained as mine. I had found the answer.

"Noo-nim, I think I'm going to need your help."

"Mine?"

***

During the eight years she spent performing with Park Sang-Gyu, Lee Sa-Yeon had been the star of the theater troupe Once in a Lifetime. However, believing Park Sang-Gyu's potential far surpassed her own, she had given up acting herself, worked part-time jobs, and supported him instead.

According to Park Sang-Gyu, though, Lee Sa-Yeon was every bit as talented an actress as he was. He had also told me she had a real gift for teaching acting and had served as the troupe's acting instructor.

So I asked her, "Noo-nim, please help Miso."

"How could I help someone like Miso? She's an acting prodigy. She's probably a better actress than I am..."

"Sang-Gyu hyung-nim says otherwise. He told me you're even better than he is."

"...Sigh. What has he been telling people..." After letting out a quiet sigh, Lee Sa-Yeon stared toward the door Miso had just gone through. "If Miso's confidence was shaken because of those comments on social media... it won't be easy. I don't know if I can do it."

"Even so, please. Right now, there's no one else I can ask."

After thinking it over for a moment, Lee Sa-Yeon finally nodded. "Okay. I can't promise anything... but I'll do my best. I'm helping because you asked, Yoon-Ho... but Miso's my precious niece too."

"Thank you."

"Then help me first."

Since Lee Sa-Yeon still couldn't properly use her lower body, I lifted her into the wheelchair beside the bed. Once she was seated, she looked up at me.

"I'd like somewhere quiet..."

"I'll borrow the supply room on the fourth floor."

The fourth-floor supply room—where Park Sang-Gyu had once filmed his audition tape for Director Na Tae-Yang's Doppelg?nger—was surprisingly well soundproofed, making it the perfect place for privacy.

"Okay."

As I pushed Lee Sa-Yeon's wheelchair out of the hospital room, I quietly spoke to Assistant Director Park Byung-Seo. "We're going to step outside and talk with Miso for a little while. If Mr. Ju asks for us, please give me a call."

"Understood. Just don't take too long."

"Yes, sir."

After giving a quick bow, I pushed Lee Sa-Yeon's wheelchair out of the hospital room.

***

In the hallway outside the room, while waiting for Miso, I called the hospital director and got permission to use the supply room.

Just then, Miso stepped out of the elevator, holding Choi Pil-Seop's right hand. She was carrying the new green Power Tuff Girl drink bottle in her left hand, but instead of happily sipping through the straw like she normally would, she had only taken a couple of sips before leaving it untouched. That alone was enough to tell she wasn't herself.

Then, seated in her wheelchair, Lee Sa-Yeon straightened her slumped shoulders, sat up proudly, and spoke with newfound confidence. "Auntie knows exactly what's weighing on your mind right now, Miso. How about letting Auntie teach you something?"

The Lee Sa-Yeon who had stepped forward to help Miso no longer looked like a rehabilitation patient struggling through a difficult hospital stay. At that moment, she looked every bit like the leading actress of a Daehakro theater production.

Miso's drooping shoulders immediately lifted as her eyes widened. "Really?"

"Mm-hmm. Before I got sick, I was an actress in a theater troupe. The lead actress, in fact. So I know exactly what you're going through."

The instant she heard that, Miso dashed over to Lee Sa-Yeon. "Really? Auntie, you can help me?"

"I can."

Although she had been uncertain moments ago, Lee Sa-Yeon projected unwavering confidence in front of Miso, hiding every trace of her own anxiety.

"Then please hurry. I... I have to act."

"All right. I already borrowed the supply room on the fourth floor, so let's go there. I'll give you a quick one-on-one lesson."

"Okay!"

Miso even handed over the new Power Tuff Girldrink bottle—something she normally would have refused to let out of her hands.

"Uncle Pil-Seop, could you hold this for me?"

"Sure."

Taking the opportunity, I turned to Miso. "Miso, could you push Auntie's wheelchair for a bit? We're just going down one floor to the fourth."

"Okay."

Miso took hold of the wheelchair while Lee Sa-Yeon lightly guided the wheels with her hands.

After telling Choi Pil-Seop to stay behind and handle things with the PD if necessary, I sent a Kk Talk message to Team Lead Kim Mi-Hye at the company.

[Chief Jung Yoon-Ho: Get the legal team on this immediately. Track down every single social media account that left hateful comments about Miso. Don't miss a single one.]

[Team Lead Kim Mi-Hye: Yes, Mr. Jung. I'll take care of it right away.]

I had absolutely no intention of forgiving the people who had broken Miso.

***

I switched on the fluorescent lights of the fourth-floor supply room of Hope Hospital and stepped inside.

After parking her wheelchair in one corner of the room, Lee Sa-Yeon spoke in a calm but authoritative tone. "Miso... you saw those comments on social media earlier, didn't you?"

Miso flinched. She lowered her head and fidgeted with her fingers. "Well... I wasn't trying to look them up... I was searching because I was curious about my mom... and then it just... started autofilling..."

Caught off guard by the question, Miso looked like a child confessing to a crime.

Lee Sa-Yeon stretched out both arms, wrapped Miso in a gentle hug, and said, "I'm not scolding you. More importantly... those comments really hurt, didn't they?"

Miso trembled slightly before giving a small nod. "...A little."

"I thought so. Then now we know exactly what's hurting you."

At the suggestion that she understood why she suddenly couldn't act, Miso looked up at her with hopeful eyes. "What's wrong with me?"

Lee Sa-Yeon gently tapped the spot just below the center of Miso's chest. "Right here."

"My chest?"

"Mm-hmm."

Miso looked down at her own chest and tilted her head in confusion. Keeping her finger against Miso's chest, Lee Sa-Yeon continued.

"Miso... do you know the one thing an actor should never do?"

"No."

"It's bottling up your feelings inside, just like you're doing now."

"Really?"

"Yes. An actor's job is to express... emotions. But if you keep forcing them down... like this... then just like food getting stuck here, your emotions won't be able to come back out either... That's why this happened."

"So... I got indigestion?"

"That's right. You got indigestion from all those hurtful words. Right here."

Lee Sa-Yeon explained it in the simplest way she could so that a young child like Miso would understand.

Miso placed a hand over her chest and slowly nodded. "I see..."

"So now... we're going to clear that blockage."

The moment she heard that, Miso's face fell. "Does that mean I have to take medicine? I like herbal medicine, but I don't like hospital medicine."

Lee Sa-Yeon let out a small laugh. "No. You don't need medicine. We'll fix it another way."

With one hand still over her chest and the other raised high above her head, Miso declared, "As long as it's not medicine, I'm okay with anything!"

"Good. Then all you have to do is repeat after me. But you have to say it loudly, okay?"

"Okay."

"Then stand right in front of me."

Eager to get back to acting, Miso quickly stepped in front of Lee Sa-Yeon. "I'm ready."

Lee Sa-Yeon nodded. "Repeat exactly what I say. Keep going until I tell you to stop."

"Okay."

As Miso clenched her little fists, Lee Sa-Yeon spoke. "I'm so annoyed..."

Miso blinked in surprise. "Huh?"

"You have to repeat it."

After struggling for a moment, Miso finally spoke. "I'm... so annoyed?"

Too kind by nature, Miso instinctively turned it into a question instead of saying it with conviction.

Lee Sa-Yeon urged her on. "Miso. Repeat exactly what I say. Louder. I'm... so annoyed!"

At last, Miso squeezed her eyes shut and shouted, "I'm so annoyed!"

"Louder!"

"I'M SO ANNOYED!!"

Finally, Miso's voice rang through the room.

Only then did Lee Sa-Yeon nod and continue. "Now... I'm so angry!"

"I'm so angry!"

"I hate them!"

"I hate them!"

"Again!"

"I hate them!"

"Louder!!"

"I HATE THEM!!"

Lee Sa-Yeon was making Miso voice every feeling she might have toward the people who had left those cruel comments online, forcing her to release the emotions she had been keeping trapped inside. Miso had grown up without ever cursing at anyone, but little by little, every word she spoke began to carry genuine emotion.

'She must have felt so suffocated and hurt...'

Every time Miso shouted, I could feel all the emotions she kept bottled up inside, and my chest ached for her.

Miso continued repeating each phrase after Lee Sa-Yeon five times. Then, she clenched both fists tightly and, with all her strength, screamed into the empty air.

"They were so mean! They were really, really mean!"

It was as if the blockage in her chest had finally cleared, her voice ringing out with newfound freedom. And then, large tears began pouring from Miso's eyes.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Watching her silently, Lee Sa-Yeon stopped asking her to repeat the words. Instead, she opened her arms, hugged Miso tightly, and gently stroked her back over and over. It was as though she wanted to brush away every last trace of the hurt still lingering inside her.

"That's it... That's it, Miso. You did so well. You worked so hard."

At that moment, Miso wrapped her arms around Lee Sa-Yeon and burst into loud sobs. "Waaah! Auntie!"

The sorrow she had been holding back spilled out all at once, and she cried for a long, long time. Lee Sa-Yeon continued comforting her, then looked at me and gave a small nod as if to say there was nothing left to worry about now.

'Thank you, Noo-nim.'

I bowed my head in gratitude toward Lee Sa-Yeon.

Just then, my phone which I had left on silent lit up with a Kk Talk notification.

Flash. Flash.

[Team Lead Kim Mi-Hye: Mr. Jung, the legal team has started actively responding on social media. The accounts with large followings and recognizable names have already taken their posts down. But there are still way too many anonymous assholes who are flat-out ignoring us.]

'So that's how they want to play it.'

There were still countless people out there who had no idea what they were getting themselves into.

The problem was that legal action took time. It wouldn't make those posts disappear overnight. In that case, there was only one option left.

I would have to use a remedy that would wipe those social media comments off the internet immediately.