Episode 5. Debate
Hyun So-jeong shouted:
“How could King Danjong stand up so boldly against Prince Suyang?! That makes no sense! Even an adult would shrink from such intimidation, so how can a ten-year-old child act that way? If Danjong were really that courageous, why would he have helplessly lost the throne to Prince Suyang in the first place?!”
That was why she wanted to portray Danjong as a tragic victim.
Danjong, to her, was a sacrifice—a figure crushed beneath the villainous charisma of Prince Suyang, there to highlight Suyang’s cruelty and fearsome nature.
But the Danjong played by Lee Ji-woo was completely different.
A Danjong who, though afraid, still lifted his head with defiance and stood up to Prince Suyang’s threats.
That was…
That was…
“Cool, but way too unrealistic!”
It wasn’t as though Hyun So-jeong wasn’t moved by Lee Ji-woo’s performance. But that was one thing, and this was another—an unrealistic script was poison that shattered immersion for the audience.
And as the writer herself, she could not allow it!
(It wasn’t because Lee Ji-woo’s portrayal of Danjong hadn’t been “ruined” the way she intended. Absolutely not!)
Armed with such reasoning, Hyun So-jeong huffed through her nose. Producer Choi and actor Kim Je-hoon exchanged troubled looks.
Choi glanced sideways at Kim Je-hoon. In terms of career and influence, only Kim could confront Hyun head-on. And Kim wasn’t exactly pleased with her either.
“She threw a free-acting challenge at a rookie kid, and when he actually pulled it off, now she’s nitpicking?”
Frustration clouded his expression.
At that moment—
“Um…”
The voice belonged to Ji-woo. With a bright, friendly smile, he bowed politely to Writer Hyun.
“Thank you so much for coming to watch me, Writer HyunSo-jeon~.”
It was hard to spit on a smiling face.
Even more so when that face belonged to a dazzlingly handsome boy with luminous features.
Hyun So-jeong nearly broke into an indulgent auntie-smile before biting her lips tightly.
“E-hem, well. The acting was good, but I think your character interpretation is a little… off.”
Just as Kim Je-hoon was about to jump in, Ji-woo spoke again.
“Sorry, ma’am. When I read the script, I thought this was a stylish fusion sageuk—even if it meant deviating a little from strict historical accuracy. That’s why I performed it the way I did.”
He added with a smile, “Besides, you asked for free acting, didn’t you?”
Then he continued:
“Would it be alright if I explained how I interpreted Danjong?”
Hyun So-jeon almost thought, Why should I listen to this? But at the same time, she was curious. What kind of interpretation could have produced such a shocking performance?
“…Fine. Tell me.”
Ji-woo inhaled deeply, like a nervous child, and began:
“First, I saw Danjong as a firm and strong figure.”
“…?”
“Of course, the common image is that of a pitiful, ill-fated boy king. But when I read through the Annals of Danjong, I came to a different conclusion.”
“The… annals?”
“Yes, the Danjong Annals. I read them while researching the role.”
Hyun So-jeong’s jaw dropped.
“Danjong was forced to abdicate only a year into his reign during the Gyeyujeongnan, with Prince Suyang taking the throne. Yet, despite Suyang’s ambition and decisiveness, it took him six whole years before he finally had Danjong killed.
Danjong had no father, no mother, not even his grandmother to protect him. In the palace, the only person near him was Lady Hye-bin Yang, a concubine with no real political influence.”
“…Oh.”
The whole filming set fell silent, breath held as Ji-woo went on.
“I believe this was thanks to Danjong’s subtle political acumen. For example, after being dethroned, instead of criticizing Suyang, he actually defended him—portraying him as ‘Duke Dan of Zhou.’”
“Duke… who?”
“Duke Dan of Zhou. You know—he ruled as regent for his young nephew, then later returned the throne once the boy came of age.”
“….”
Hyun So-jeong had no idea.
Ji-woo, however, continued calmly, as if reciting a lecture:
“-By casting Prince Suyang in that image, Danjong created invisible pressure—that in time, the throne should rightfully be restored to him.”
“……”
“Some scholars have even evaluated this as a highly sophisticated political maneuver that both limited Suyang’s freedom of action and safeguarded Danjong’s life.”
“…Scholars?”
“Oh, yes. I also read some related academic papers. They’re great, you know? You can download a famous professor’s research for just a few bucks these days.”
“……”
First the Annals, now academic papers? And not only read them, but paid money to download them?
Unaware of the stunned stares around him, Ji-woo smiled radiantly.
“So, I interpreted Danjong as young, but resilient and strong—and acted accordingly.”
The explanation ended, but no one on set could speak.
He was only ten years old. Kids that age usually read comic books. Yet here he was, rattling off research with the weight of a graduate thesis.
Producer Choi was dumbfounded.
“So it wasn’t method acting—it was like he built a whole character sheet. He studied King Danjong’s life obsessively to understand him. But how does a ten-year-old even study like this?”
Then again, he thought, maybe it wasn’t impossible.
“There are kids who solve university-level math at that age. Maybe he’s just one of those geniuses.”
And not just a talented actor—a brilliant mind too!
Choi sneaked a glance at Han Soo-ji, Lee Ji-woo’s mother. Surely she would be proud.
But instead—
“Lee Ji-woo?!”
She looked utterly shocked.
She had bought him books and DVDs about Danjong when he asked, but never imagined he’d study enough to cite historical annals and academic papers.
“Could it be… my son is actually a genius?”
Her heart trembled.
Meanwhile, Writer Hyun’s mental defenses collapsed.
If she kept arguing now, she’d only look petty.
“F-fine! Fine, you’re right!” she cried, her face red.
“Now that I hear it, that interpretation is actually convincing—and could add depth to the story. But…!”
She countered fiercely:
“Public perception matters! If we air a bold, strong Danjong, there will definitely be viewers complaining, ‘That’s not how Danjong was!’”
At that point, Producer Choi stepped in with a strained smile.
“Of course, the public image of historical figures is important. But remember, our drama is a fusion sageuk. A unique character interpretation like this isn’t a problem—and besides, it’s based on historical evidence, so there’s no real issue.”
“B-but…”
“Writer, from the actor’s perspective—you asked for free acting. Ji-woo researched the role thoroughly, brought in his best version of Danjong, and made it compelling. Shouldn’t we keep a more open mind?”
“Guh…”
Already reeling, Hyun looked like a boxer taking a final blow.
Choi offered her a lifeline:
“But of course, you’re right as well—popular appeal matters a lot. This is something we can adjust together. Personally, as I’ve said before, I think it’s a shame for Danjong to exit so early.
And after seeing Lee Ji-woo’s performance today, I’m convinced—this is an undiscovered talent who could shock the audience. We may never get another chance like this.”
“…Won’t the viewers want to see more of Kim Je-hoon though?”
“Writer, I think the brilliance of Danjong is what allows Suyang’s darkness to truly shine.”
Kim Je-hoon winked at Ji-woo and added:
“Honestly, after Danjong’s exit in episode 3, the plot becomes mostly Suyang overpowering the Six Ministers and a romance with Queen Jeonghui. It felt like Suyang was just too strong, leaving no tension.”
“Hmm…”
That was an issue Hyun So-jeon herself had noticed.
The more emphasis she put on Suyang, the more he turned into an unstoppable demon king, flattening the story’s tension.
Kim Je-hoon’s acting prowess could carry it, but it was still a problem.
“But you saw it, didn’t you? The tension in the scene between Danjong and Suyang. If we could carry that further, the drama’s quality would rise immensely.”
Hyun had no choice but to surrender.
“…Then the script… needs to change, right?”
“Please, Writer.”
“…Alright. Give me three days. No, one week.”
Choi brightened.
“Perfect. In the meantime, I’ll put together a teaser. With scenes this good, we’ll have plenty to use—and I’ll pitch the story changes to the director with it.”
“Okay.”
And thus, the entire direction of the drama shifted.
Three days later, when the drama division chief watched the completed teaser, his jaw dropped.
“…Huh?”
