I Don’t Want to Play Villains Anymore - Chapter 8
Difference in Recognizable Range
“…What is that?”
The pride of Dreamlight Kindergarten.
Child actor Seo Hyun-woo blinked his eyes as he looked at the new child who had just arrived.
“Haneul, you need to introduce yourself to the friends, right?”
Haneul, hearing the teacher’s words, said “Ah” and bowed slightly.
“Hello, I’m Baek Haneul, who just came here. Nice to meet you.”
Haneul’s flowing silver hair resembled a sparkling stream.
The shimmering blue eyes looked like the gemstone rings that his mother loved.
Haneul was a presence that left a deep impression even on Hyun-woo, who had met quite a few celebrities.
Hyun-woo still blinked as he gazed at Haneul.
That child was on a different level compared to typical five-year-olds.
No, it was partly because of their appearance, but that wasn’t the only reason.
It seemed to possess something special beyond just being pretty.
‘What is it…? That child.’
Hyun-woo felt a strange sensation.
It was understandable since he had already met numerous child actors through various works, but never had he felt such a powerful impression from someone like Haneul.
“Wow… your hair is really pretty.”
“You look like a doll.”
“You really look like a princess.”
“You seem like an elf!”
The children were all captivated by Haneul.
Hyun-woo observed the situation from a distance.
No matter how young they were, if the attention of the children converged in one place, it was bound to create a subtle feeling of jealousy.
Especially since he had been referred to as ‘the star’ of Dreamlight Kindergarten until now, he felt a sense of unusual competition.
‘Something feels off…’
Hyun-woo pouted his lips and stared at Haneul. However, at the same time, Haneul’s attitude was surprising.
Even when other kids approached and started talking to him, Haneul responded politely, though slightly flustered.
He was answering questions with a smile, introducing himself, and asking for names, which felt…
More like a trained demeanor than a natural one.
‘What’s that? Does he think he’s some kind of princess?’
Hyun-woo kicked one leg and crossed his arms.
Then he glanced at Haneul, still surrounded by the other kids.
At that moment, Haneul’s gaze met Hyun-woo’s.
He tilted his head slightly and began to approach carefully.
“…What are you?”
Hyun-woo instinctively guarded himself and shot back. Haneul seemed a bit taken aback at first but then slowly smiled.
“Hello. I introduced myself earlier, but let me do it again. I’m Baek Haneul.”
“…Okay.”
“By the way, what’s your name?”
“Seo Hyun-woo.”
Haneul nodded.
Then he looked at Hyun-woo with a calm smile.
“Hyun-woo, have you been here for a while?”
“Yeah, why do you ask?”
“I was just curious. You seem to get along well with your friends.”
It was strange.
What was it? Haneul’s cool manner of speaking and attitude made it feel like childlike squabbles or jealousy held no meaning at all.
Instead, it felt like a gentle acceptance, as if an adult was conversing with a child.
Hyun-woo became even more curious.
“Where do you live? I live in Haetae Mansion!”
While mentioning the name of the luxurious apartment where his affluent parents lived, he attempted to downplay his own status…
“I live in Seocho the Hill.”
Haneul responded as if living there was no big deal.
Seocho the Hill.
A place where only the wealthy could live.
“Whoa.”
Hyun-woo couldn’t hide his surprise and shut his mouth tightly.
‘Seocho the Hill.’
No matter how young he was, he couldn’t have been unaware of that name.
A luxurious apartment boasting the highest real estate prices in Seoul.
Living there meant belonging to a family with immense wealth.
‘No way, what? Complete golden spoon!’
Hyun-woo felt uncomfortable, as self-consciousness twisted his body.
He felt completely insignificant for having harbored such feelings of competition.
In the kindergarten, he had always thought of himself as quite splendid, but the child named Haneul shattered that standard in an instant.
Yet Haneul didn’t show any arrogance. He simply maintained his smile and met Hyun-woo’s gaze.
After a while of exchanging glances, Hyun-woo, feeling embarrassed, blurted out something.
“I heard from my mom that you’re also an actor?”
“Yeah. Are you an actor too, Hyun-woo?”
Indeed, being five years old was a simple existence.
Once the topic switched to something to brag about, Hyun-woo regained his energy quickly.
“Yeah! I’ve appeared on TV! I’ve shot commercials and been in dramas! You might have seen me!”
Hyun-woo said, puffing out his chest proudly.
It seemed as if he believed that bragging would make him shine even brighter.
“Wow, that’s amazing.”
Haneul replied, his eyes sparkling in surprise.
And the moment Hyun-woo felt that that gaze was genuine, he somehow started to like Haneul.
“Then what about you? You said you’re an actor.”
“Yeah. I’m filming a drama too. It’s called ‘The Story of Quiet Days’…”
Haneul slightly trailed off.
That seemed like a story too complicated for young children.
And since it hadn’t aired yet, Hyun-woo wouldn’t have known about it.
“Ah! Really? Well, let me know when it airs, I’ll definitely watch it!”
And unsure of how well ‘The Story of Quiet Days’ would fare, Hyun-woo simply smiled.
‘…I’m going to regret this later.’
Haneul, who was contemplating whether to say something, finished off the day at the kindergarten with a smile on his face.
***
“Ha.”
“Haneul, did something fun happen?”
Dad looked at me through the rearview mirror while driving.
I knew my dad was a very busy person, so I was just grateful he came to pick me up.
“I made new friends.”
“Oh, I see. I’m sorry for coming home late because of work.”
“It’s okay! It was even more enjoyable.”
Seeing the kids’ behavior was cute.
Compared to the phase and jealousy I experienced while being an actor, it seemed trivial.
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Dad smiled slightly.
He looked tired yet seemed relieved to hear about my day.
The scenery outside the car window slowly changed.
The sunlight filtering through the city began to turn golden.
“So, what did you play with your friends?”
“Um… We played house. But it was a bit… unique?”
I wondered if I should share this, but…
“My parents should be fine with it.”
“Unique, you say?”
“I played the role of Snow White, a crazy drug lord who vowed revenge after losing my parents at a young age.”
“……?”
Dad’s expression suddenly froze.
It seemed as if he was trying to double-check what he just heard.
‘It’s not that I made it up…’
It was a story that the kids created after watching a Latin version of Snow White at the kindergarten.
“A drug lord Snow White…?”
“Yes. It was a setting made by the kids. I was vowing revenge and became a legendary criminal to punish the villains.”
“……”
“And later, I would join forces with a righteous cop and vow to change the world. That’s the story?”
Dad fell silent, as if he didn’t know what to say.
I smiled slightly and added,
“The kids have such a rich imagination, right? It seems the influence of recent dramas or movies is significant.”
“Ha, ha… Is that so?”
Dad laughed uneasily somewhere.
“Still… was it fun?”
“Yes! It was really fun. I didn’t expect playing with the kids would be this enjoyable.”
As I spoke a little excitedly, Dad nodded slowly.
“Good. I’m glad Haneul had fun.”
“I was a bit worried at first. I wondered if I could get along with the kids.”
“But it seems like you got along well. Our Haneul can do well anywhere.”
Dad spoke as if he was a bit proud.
I stared at Dad quietly and suddenly felt curious.
“Dad. But you’re busy, and you came to pick me up. Thank you.”
“Even if I’m busy, I have to take care of our Haneul. Today was your first day at the kindergarten, after all. Just in case something happened.”
Dad’s tone held a hint of warmth.
I felt warmth in my heart.
“Well. Dad, you must be busy too, but please come to pick me up again sometimes. I like going together with you.”
“Sure, I’ll come to pick you up whenever you want.”
Dad responded with a smile.
I let out a small sigh of relief as I saw that smile.
Today was quite a fun day.
While I felt that playing with little kids wasn’t bad at all…
A complex feeling lingered in a corner of my heart, one that couldn’t simply be described as good.
‘…I enjoyed playing with five-year-olds.’
As the reality hit me, I turned my gaze back outside the car window.
“The story of quiet days will be ending soon.”
“Yeah. Haneul worked so hard.”
“Haha…”
The showcase of ‘The Story of Quiet Days’ would soon come to a close.
Yeomra doesn’t appear much in the story.
Although she was a highly important figure in the original material, her appearances were relatively few.
Since Yeomra was a strong character, if she appeared too much, it wouldn’t quite work.
‘But that just makes her final appearance all the more important.’
The moment Yeomra’s emotions burst forth.
When the usually cold and indifferent Yeomra displays feelings, it would elevate the drama’s emotional climax.
Therefore, there could be no mistakes.
We had to leave Yeomra’s built-up image intact while also leaving a strong impression.
To achieve that, I had to capture the flow of emotions precisely.
“Haneul. We still have some time before going home, so you should rest.”
“Yes…”
Even as I tried to close my eyelids, my thoughts spiraled endlessly.
‘If it were Yeomra, she wouldn’t explode with emotion out of nowhere but would steadily let her emotions build up.’
Unable to resist the spell of youth, I was still a child’s body.
But my mind calculated and thought about the performance like no other.
‘First, I have to express the injustice and bitterness. And let the flow of emotions be natural… but I mustn’t overdo it.’
I took slow, deep breaths as I tried to drift off to sleep.
I hoped that the practice for Yeomra would continue in my dreams.