Superstar From Age 0

Chapter 114

Natalie headed to the park with Choi Yoo-seong. She was surprised when he said that he had come to the park on Sundays, both last week and the week before.

So you come here every week?

Well, this is only the fourth time. I hope it helps, even if its only once a week.

Really? Youre so kind, getting a scholarship and all.

There seems to be someone else who comes here every week. He uploads videos on YouTube every time.

Really? 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Choi Yoo-seong opened the YouTube app and showed her the videos. There were three videos on a newly opened channel with low views and subscribers.

How are the reactions?

Well, theres not much feedback since the views are low. There are comments from people who ask why hes busking with such skills, and others who say they remember when they first learned the violin.

I know, I felt the same way when I first held the violin. It was amazing to hear the sound.

Natalie and Choi Yoo-seong walked and talked about their memories of the first day they held the violin.

Today, there were quite a few people in front of the violin boy. Choi Yoo-seong greeted the people with blue whale pictures and took his usual spot.

He stood on the left side of the boy, where his fingers plucking the violin strings were clearly visible. As usual, he checked the mistakes in the boys playing, which sounded squeaky. He had started filming with his phone since last week.

I should get to know him better and teach him later when I show him the videos.

He was filming the boy with a pleased expression, when Natalie hit his side with a surprised look.

Why?

She lowered her voice at his quiet question.

Hes improved a lot, hasnt he?

What?

Didnt you notice? His posture and sound are better than the first time we heard him.

At Natalies words, Choi Yoo-seong looked at the boy again and recalled his posture and sound on the first day.

Oh?

It was true. The boys posture was closer to the standard than the first day. The sound was also listenable, with only a few mistakes.

Of course, it was still far from Choi Yoo-seongs ears, who learned the violin professionally, but considering that only three weeks had passed, it was an astonishing change.

Does he have a teacher?

His clothes were old but clean. His violin was small for his body, but it sounded good.

He wondered if someone who used to play the violin was teaching him.

He would get better and better. Choi Yoo-seong and Natalie put money in the violin case with happy faces.

Seo-jun smiled brightly as he put coins and bills in the transparent piggy bank.

It was his fourth busking. He earned $7, $10, $14, and today, $20.

Your subscribers have increased a lot, right?

Yeah! Now I have 100!

Seo-jun said proudly, and Seo Eun-hye and Lee Min-joon laughed.

The growth rate of the channel [JUN] was indeed abnormal. The channel [RAINBOW] made by Whale Studio had a normal growth like other channels.

At first, everyone subscribed as they usually did. Seo-jun had a lot of acquaintances, but there werent many people who subscribed without knowing anything.

Seo-jun and mom and dad, and the Brown Black kids, and Eun-chan and Hee-sang.

And Da-ho hyung, and Ryan director, and Eben and Rachel!

And Soo-hee and Soo-ryeon, and the Cocoa Enter staff.

And Benjamin professor and Jason, and Catherine and Paul. The director and the staff did too.

They gathered and gathered people, and there were 94. There were only six people who subscribed without knowing anything.

Six. Will this be enough for promotion?

Maybe the promotion team will take care of it?

Seo-jun and his parents tilted their heads at the subscriber and view counts that didnt change even after refreshing.

***

A new character appeared in this shooting. It was Grays mother. She was raising her son alone in Downlock after her American husband died.

This is Ji-yeon Jo, who plays Grays mother. And this is Seo-jun Lee, who plays Gray.

At Sarah Roths words, Ji-yeon reached out her hand. Seo-jun also smiled and shook her hand.

Hello!

Hi! Im so glad to meet you!

Seo-jun laughed at her words. It was his first time acting with an Asian actor.

Williams mother, Melissa, was white.

Unlike the comic where William was white, in the movie, Williams father was a Korean-American.

At first, it was just a passing role, so they didnt set such detailed settings. But when Seo-jun took on the role of Jin Natra in Shadowman 2, the settings were added.

There were different opinions until the official setting of the movie came out. He was mixed, adopted, etc.

I enjoyed your drama.

Ji-yeon smiled shyly at Seo-juns words.

It was the last one I filmed three years ago. Did you watch it?

Yes. Youre famous in Korea because you acted in Korean.

Ji-yeon Jo starred in a drama in the US. It was a medical drama, and she played a sharp-eyed surgeon. Some episodes where she acted in Korean went viral on YouTube, and many people looked for the drama.

Then lets work hard on the shooting!

Yeah. Lets do that.

Ji-yeon, who had a soft impression unlike before, smiled and said.

Ready, action!

A small house. A faded sofa. Old-looking things. But the house was clean and cozy. While his mother was out working, Gray picked up the small violin he had received from Rebecca, the one she used when she was young. Gray recalled yesterdays memory.

Rebecca and George said they were going on a family trip. Rebecca said she couldnt give him the violin she was using now because it was expensive, and she was sorry. Gray refused with his hands waving.

I had one when I was young!

Rebecca thought she had thrown it away, but it was in the house storage. It was old, but it was decent enough after changing the strings and fixing the bow. George gave him a lot of delicious snacks.

Practice with this. Ill check it when I come back from the trip.

Work hard on composing too.

Gray smiled and shed a tear at the sight of Rebecca and George putting on a show. Thats how Rebecca and George left for a trip with their family and were not expected to return until three weeks later.

Trip

The scenery outside the window of his narrow room was gloomy. Dark clouds were hanging as if it would rain soon. The downlock of summer was about to start the rainy season. Gray, who was staring blankly out the window, jumped up.

Theyll hear it.

The upstairs uncle went out to work at night and was sleeping now, and the downstairs brother hated noise. It was scary when the upstairs uncle and the downstairs brother fought. The apartment was not soundproof.

Gray carefully pressed the strings with his fingers and pretended to turn on the violin.

This is do, this is re.

Mi-fa-sol-la-si-do. He played with the violin strings without sound, then put the violin in the case and took out a paper from an old bag. It was the staff he was composing.

Gray sat at the small and old dining table and picked up a pen and wrote down. He revised the front part he had written in the park and came up with a new melody.

He pondered and moved the pen and pondered and moved the pen, and time passed like light.

Ray. Gray?

Gray, who was immersed in composing, didnt even know his mother had come. He was startled by the touch of shaking his shoulder and looked to the side, and there was his mother with a tired look on her face.

What is all this?

There were things he didnt buy. A violin that looked old but expensive. His mothers expression hardened and Gray quickly opened his mouth. He told her what had happened. He met a friend in the park and learned the violin and composing.

This is what Rebecca lent me. She said she doesnt use it now because its what she used when she was young.

His mother was speechless at the sight of her son who was shining more than ever.

Cut! OK!

Sara Roths voice was heard. Jiyun, who was really out of it, came to his senses. He thought of his son as he looked at Seo-jun, who was sparkling. His son, who said he would go a hard and difficult way. He remembered his son who smiled brightly at Seo-juns face, even though he was against that way for his son.

Well start the next shoot.

The shooting continued regardless of Jiyuns thoughts. Unlike Jiyun, Grays mother was looking for a way to help her son on that path.

Before he knew it, Jiyun was assimilated into Grays mother.

Grays mother, who worked at the downlock mart, asked around about the violin teacher.

A violin? Who would teach such an expensive instrument?

You dont have the money to do such nonsense.

Despite the sharp words, his mother diligently asked around. She couldnt forget Grays shining face.

It was true. Downlock was not safe as it got farther from Starfield. The apartment near the park, where he lived with his child, was the safest place to live.

It was a place where he barely paid the expensive rent. There were many other places where money went out.

But

She thought there might be a cheap and good teacher if she looked for it. His mothers eyes sparkled as she tried for her son.

And at the end of it, hope appeared.

Gray! Theres a violin teacher on the other side of the bridge.

Gray tilted his head at his mothers words as he played with the score. It was raining and he couldnt go to the park. A safe and quiet place. There was nowhere to turn on the violin except the park.

So Gray devoted himself to composing instead of the violin. It was fun to draw the music that came to his mind on the staff.

His mother was so excited that she smiled and said.

The lesson fee is cheap, and hes not famous, but he graduated from a music school.

I see.

Gray blinked his eyes. What does that have to do with me? His mother opened her mouth, expecting her son to be surprised.

So I asked him to teach Gray too. You can go every other day starting tomorrow.

Uh. Gray blurted out without knowing.

Money?

He was surprised and covered his mouth with both hands. Money worries were the saddest thing for his mother. Gray covered his mouth and rolled his eyes and looked at his mother.

His mother expected her son to smile happily, but her heart broke at that word. Even so, she didnt show it. She smiled wider and said.

Its very cheap, right? I can afford that much.

Whether that sounded sincere or not, the young Grays eyes sparkled.

He could learn the violin. He could learn from a teacher!

He was so happy that he cried. Gray smiled broadly and shed tears. He was so surprised and happy that he didnt know what to say and muttered, and Gray cried and spat out a word.

Uaaaang! Mom! Uaaaang!

Do you have to work hard?

Yes! Yes!

He cried and smiled and hugged his mother. He was so happy.

Cut! OK!

There was a sound of applause from all over the place with Sara Roths voice.

Some people cried at the childs touching expression, and some people cried at the mothers earnest heart. Seo Eun-hye and Lee Min-joon also had red eyes.

Jiyun decided to find a way to make his sons way easier after todays shooting.

***

What are you doing, Seo-jun?

His mother and father, who had red eyes, peeked out and looked at Seo-jun sitting at the desk. They had red eyes all day long, thinking of Seo-juns acting whenever they forgot.

They tilted their heads at the sight of Seo-jun pondering with the stand on.

Its not a script?

Staff? Score?

Yeah. Theres a scene where I compose during the shoot. So I wanted to try it.

I see. Tell me if you need anything.

Okay!

Seo Eun-hye and Lee Min-joon quietly left Seo-juns room. Seo-jun recalled the song that had passed by then.

A happy and joyful melody. He couldnt write it then because of the shooting, but he wrote it down little by little when he came home.

So, what was next!

The problem was that the inspiration that passed by like lightning only left the tip of his head.

He didnt have to use the ability to compose. It wasnt something he had to do perfectly, and it was okay to take as much time as he wanted. It was just something Seo-jun wanted to do. He decided to do it slowly like a hobby.

Ah, I remembered!

Composing, which expressed what came to his mind on the score, was a different fun from acting. He laughed and filled the staff with notes.