Superstar From Age 0

“It's nice to have Seo-jun as a guest, but…”

Kang Soo-jung, the PD, sighed.

“I'm worried that the kids won't have enough energy for filming if they don't eat well.”

“If it doesn't work out, we’ll have to replace them.”

The main writer said, and Kang Soo-jung nodded with a helpless expression. She rubbed her forehead.

“It's already a short show, and it's going to be even shorter…”

If they replaced the kids now, the viewers would barely get used to their characters before they changed to different ones.

And by the time they grew attached to the second batch of kids, the program would probably be over.

It was a mess.

“If we start looking for new kids now, we can review them next week and introduce them the week after.”

The main writer seemed to have made up his mind.

They had been struggling to come up with activities and games that required a lot of energy, in case the kids who didn't eat well collapsed.

“It’ll be complicated, but… It’ll be worth it just for having Seo-jun today.”

“That's true, but…”

Kang Soo-jung splashed water on her face.

“…Let's pick kids who eat well this time.”

She buried her face in her palms and muttered. The main writer nodded as if it was obvious.

“We’ll test them beforehand.”

“Uh-huh. Let's do that.”

***

Seo-jun joined the filming of [Chick Class in the Forest] without changing his clothes.

He just put on a microphone over what he wore.

Heo Un-sung introduced him to the kids with a smile.

“This is Teacher Seo-jun. He's friends with Teacher Ee-deun.”

“Hi. Nice to meet you.”

Seo-jun greeted them with a smile, and the kids shyly hid behind the cast members or giggled among themselves. Jung Na-hee called each kid by name and introduced them to him.

There were seven kids with different personalities, ranging from six to three years old.

Seo-jun briefly checked them with his ability and found that none of them had health problems, but they definitely lacked vitality.

“Who wants to show Teacher Seo-jun around our kindergarten?”

Park Ee-deun seemed more relaxed with his friend around. He raised his hand enthusiastically.

“Me! Me!”

The kids also raised their hands and quickly grabbed Seo-jun's hand and started moving. Park Ee-deun shouted after them, not wanting to be left behind.

“Teacher! Teacher! We have chicks!”

“And rabbits! But chickens are scary!”

“I can catch chickens!”

“Liar! Teacher! He cried!”

“Den-den!”

The kindergarten, which was the filming set, became noisy.

***

“Shall we start our music class now?”

“Shall we?”

Park Ee-deun checked the time and asked Kim Ja-young. She nodded.

“Music class?”

The kids lost interest and wandered off. Seo-jun tilted his head as he watched them, and Park Ee-deun explained with a smile.

“This program is based on a kindergarten theme, so we teach them various things. We teach them Korean and English. We also do arts and physical education.”

“We can't do physical education for too long because it drains their energy.”

The four cast members looked gloomy at Jung Na-hee's words.

“But we have two singers here, so we can't skip music class.”

Kim Ja-young tried to change the topic with a bright voice.

“What about you two teachers?”

Seo-jun asked Heo Un-sung and Jung Na-hee.

“We do storytelling, but the kids always interrupt and change the story, so it's fun.”

“They want to defeat the villains themselves or cry when the protagonist is pitiful. We have to adjust our acting according to their imagination.”

Seo-jun smiled as if he understood.

“That sounds fun.”

“The kids are improving their acting skills too. They could be actors someday.”

“Thanks to you teachers. Na-hee teacher was so scary as a witch that I was afraid she would appear in my dreams.”

“…Park Ee-deun teacher?”

“Come on-! Who wants to sing? Come here!”

Jung Na-hee's faint voice made Park Ee-deun run away from her towards the kids. The three of them laughed at his sight.

Seo-jun also smiled as he saw the friendly cast members and his friend.

They must have become close while trying to feed the kids.

In music class, they taught nursery rhymes to the kids as usual in kindergartens.

Park Ee-deun taught them and Kim Ja-young played the accompaniment.

“Shouldn't it be the other way around?”

Seo-jun asked, considering their musical knowledge and experience.

Kim Ja-young should teach them and Park Ee-deun should play the accompaniment.

Heo Un-sung and Jung Na-hee burst into laughter at his question.

“Teacher Kim Ja-youngis teaching some junior singers.”

It wasn't strange for Kim Ja-young, who had a long career, to teach someone.

“But she keeps using professional terms that the kids don't understand.”

“She's used to it. We also have a lot of terms that only broadcasters use.”

Seo-jun nodded.

Every job and every world had its own language that outsiders couldn't understand. Words that were modified or shortened, like neologisms.

“So she decided to just play the instrument. The instrument is a harmonium, so it's unfamiliar to teacher Ee-deun too.”

A harmonium was a keyboard instrument that was played by pedaling. It looked like a piano, but it sounded more like an organ that made sound by passing air through.

A harmonium often appeared in old works, but it was the first time Seo-jun saw one in real life.

‘I should try playing it later.’

It seemed fun and awkward to play the keyboard with his hands and pedal with his feet.

“But teacher Ee-deun is surprisingly good at teaching.”

Heo Un-sung said with a smile. Seo-jun looked at him and saw Park Ee-deun singing happily with the kids.

“Maybe because he has a similar mental age as them.”

Seo-jun said, and the two of them snorted and stifled their laughter.

“Shall we prepare for storytelling then?”

“Since Teacher Seo-jun is here, let's make the kids go wild. You wait here. I’ll get the storybook!”

Heo Un-sung and Jung Na-hee went to get the storybook and puppets for storytelling. Seo-jun brought back the kids who wandered off from music class and made them sit in front of Park Ee-deun and Kim Ja-young.

Park Ee-deun gave him a thumbs up. He heard him sing.

“Blue sky- blue sky dream-”

Seo-jun sat on one side and watched the kids sing with joy. They had taken music classes before, so they had a good sense of rhythm.

The sound of the harmonium played by Kim Ja-young filled the air. The air that was pumped by the pedals passed through the keyboard and created melodies.

The kids’ voices blended with the organ-like sound of the harmonium.

Meanwhile, Park Ee-deun's small voice kept the rhythm.

He sang along with the kids, making sure they didn't miss any lyrics or beats.

He opened his mouth wide and waved his hands like dancing.

He crouched down when the kids lowered their voices and straightened up when they raised them, unconsciously adjusting their volume.

‘He's good at this.’

Park Ee-deun's music class was just right for the kids’ level.

Seo-jun watched his friend and the kids with a warm smile. His eyes slowly widened and then twitched a little.

‘…Yeah. You can't miss out on music.’

A number that sparkled above Park Ee-deun's head was rising rapidly, like it had an acceleration item attached to it.

It was a rather free ability among the obedient abilities, [(Line) Orchestra Conductor's Connection].

‘But why?’

The number that had been rising by one every two months after the last music show last year was now increasing by one every minute. It wasn't enough to raise his rank, but it was still a scary speed.

‘I'm still the same…’

Seo-jun checked his own number above his head and wondered what caused Park Ee-deun's musical change. Then he saw the kids in his sight.

‘Oh, I see.’

Teaching music to someone meant that there were more people who loved music, and that was something that the Spirit Tree would naturally be happy about.

‘And they say teaching is the best learning.’

Blue Moon, who had [(Line) Orchestra Conductor's Connection], was only in his second year, so he was busy learning and mastering everything he could.

He didn't have time to teach anyone.

‘If it wasn't here.’

The place was a variety show and the target was kids.

If the people he taught were adults or teenagers, Kim Ja-young, who had more experience, would have been the center.

Seo-jun nodded once again at the Spirit Tree's obsession with working hard at this timing.

Then, the youngest of [Chick Class] came running to Seo-jun and hugged him.

“Den-den!”

“Do you want me to sing with you?”

“Yes!”

Seo-jun smiled softly and picked up the youngest. He joined the music class.

He was reluctant to help the Spirit Tree, but he couldn't ignore the cute kids’ wishes.

“Round eyes and a small black nose-”

Soon, the number above Seo-jun's head also started to rise quickly.

***

“And so, squirrel Pipo went back home and ate a delicious dinner.”

Seo-jun narrated and moved his hand.

The squirrel puppet on his hand stood near the table drawn on the background and pretended to eat food-shaped puppets with both hands.

He made a nom-nom sound.

“I can't believe the food I found is so tasty!”

Squirrel Pipo rubbed his pink cheeks with both hands and said with satisfaction. His voice was different from the gentle and soft narration.

It was lively and cute.

“I have to find more delicious food next time! Thank you for your help, friends!”

Squirrel Pipo wiggled his butt and waved his hand at the kids who were sitting on the floor.

“Pipo! Enjoy your meal!”

The kids greeted him back, and Park Ee-deun lowered the curtain of the small stage he made for puppetry.

Kim Ja-young played a gentle ending song on the harmonium.

“Oh no, is it time to say goodbye already?”

Squirrel Pipo acted surprised and spread his arms wide. Then he leaned down and showed his face between the curtains.

He waved his hand at the kids again.

“Bye! Kids! Let's play again next time!”

“Don't go! Pipo!”

“Play with us!”

The kids seemed to feel the same regret as they stuck out their bodies between the curtains and waved their hands until they couldn't see them anymore, just like Squirrel Pipo who greeted them until the last moment.

“Pipo! You have to come in now! It's bedtime.”

“Yes. Daddy!”

Squirrel Pipo, who was waving his hand with a sullen face, quickly went inside the curtain. The kids sent him off with understanding expressions.

And so, the puppet show ‘The Adventure of Squirrel Pipo’, a story that was good for kids who didn't eat well, which Jung Na-hee and Heo Un-sung had worked hard to find, came to an end.

While Jung Na-hee and Park Ee-deun gave dried sweet potatoes to the kids who were sad, seo-jun, heo Un-sung, and Kim Ja-young cleaned up.

Heo Un-sung moved the scary wolf puppet on his hand around. It was supposed to be a puppet that moved with the same fingers, but he couldn't imitate Seo-jun's natural acting. It was like the movement of a puppet master. He couldn't help but admire him.

“Teacher Seo-jun. Where did you learn puppetry?”

Seo-jun smiled softly.

Seo-jun's puppetry, no, his puppet play experience was almost as long as his life.

When he was young, he played with himself and his friends, when he grew up a little, he played for Su Bin, and when he grew up more, he played for Eun-su.

‘I thought Eun-su would grow up and stop playing too…’

He didn't expect to do it here.

“I have some younger cousins, so I used to play with them a lot when I was young.”

“I see. Can you teach me some tricks? When you leave, teacher Na-hee and I have to do it.”

Heo Un-sung followed Seo-jun and moved his fingers. But it seemed like his nerves were connected, as his pinky and ring finger moved together.

“What are you doing? Teacher?”

“Teacher Na-hee. Can you do this like teacher Seo-jun?”

“Uh, uh? I can't do it either?”

Jung Na-hee, who came back after giving snacks to the kids, also put off cleaning and moved her fingers with Heo Un-sung. Seo-jun laughed and neatly arranged the puppets.

Meanwhile, the production team of [Chick Class in the Forest] collected the camera that they had placed behind the kids’ seats in the center of the living room. Only exclamations came out of their mouths.

“I thought they did well in the last shooting too… But today was really no joke, right?”

“Right. Is it because they are actors?”

Jung Na-hee, who left a deep impression on the viewers with her villainess acting, played a mischievous parrot and Heo Un-sung, who was the final boss of this play, played a scary wolf. They had the cuteness of puppetry, but they really suited their roles.

“But the best one was Pipo.”

“I was really mesmerized too. I thought he was alive.”

Actor Lee Seo-jun's Squirrel Pipo acting was amazing.

He captured the mood of the puppet show without making it feel heavy, but also made them sweat in tense scenes and burst into laughter in funny scenes.

“He even asked the kids for help in between.”

“As expected of Cheongryong…”

The kids who were just sitting and watching the play got up from their seats at his words ‘Help me!’ and helped Pipo. That scene was captured by the camera.

Kang Soo-jung PD and the main writer looked at Seo-jun who was cleaning up with their mouths covered by their hands. They had never seen such a benefactor.

“We secured enough footage for this episode…”

“Right. We don't even have to edit it!”

Of course, since there was an original fairy tale, they had to discuss the rights and profits with them, but they thought they would gladly agree if they thought of the novel [Mirror] that became a bestseller with the play [Mirror].

Cuckoo! Cuckoo!

Then, the cuckoo clock sounded five times.

Jung Na-hee and Park Ee-deun who were playing with the kids, heo Un-sung and Kim Ja-young who were moving boxes, and the production team all stopped their movements and looked at the cuckoo clock on the living room wall. Seo-jun blinked his eyes at the sudden change of atmosphere.

An unknown tension flowed in between them. Then Heo Un-sung opened his mouth.

“…Let's start preparing.”

“…Yes!”

Three times a day.

The time of hardship that came back when they forgot about it, the mealtime, had arrived.