Another summer vacation arrived, and with the coming of the new millennium, it wasn’t just technology that was rapidly advancing—Korean cinema was also developing at a breakneck pace. In fact, Mark King roughly calculated that this momentum wouldn’t slow down until the 2007 American subprime mortgage collapse triggered the global financial crisis. But strangely, in Mark King’s memory, even at the height of the financial crisis, Korean cinema managed to persevere. When the crisis finally passed and the world economy, including Korea’s, gradually recovered, Korean cinema instead fell into a state of financial exhaustion. Of course, by then, according to Mark King’s plan, he would have already shifted to variety shows or semi-retired.

Over the past half year, Mark King participated in the filming of three movies. However, these films were no longer led by child stars; he was just a supporting character who appeared in passing, usually in the main character’s childhood or adolescent flashbacks. But since he had already decided to take this path, he couldn’t turn down these supporting or background roles. Participating in films this way was mainly to get his face recognized by audiences and the media. And don’t underestimate the value of a familiar face—it could bring considerable benefits to his future career.

Right now, Mark King had just finished watching a movie he appeared in with his two younger sisters, and they were eating ice cream by the roadside. In just half a year, the appearances of the three had changed dramatically compared to before.

Mark King was still in his growth phase; the lines of his face were no longer as soft as when he was a child, gradually becoming sharper and more defined, and a layer of fuzz had appeared at the corners of his mouth. It was likely that this fuzz would make it difficult for him to participate in movies over the next two years.

The development of the two girls was completely different. To be fair, when she was younger, Krystal wasn’t very pretty. The area from under her eyes to her upper lip was all scrunched together, and with those downward-slanting eyebrows, she even looked a bit silly—there was nothing goddess-like about her at all. It was only because Mark King had cared for Krystal since she was born, and because Krystal had always been obedient, that he thought the little crystal princess was incredibly cute. As for Jessica, from a young age up until she was ten, she truly deserved to be called a goddess: good skin, relaxed facial features, lively eyes, and clever to boot.

But—here comes the “but.” In just this half year, Krystal had become a true little princess. As she grew older, her nose became more slender, now looking very much like her father’s. And as her nose lengthened, the surrounding facial features opened up, and with her slightly large forehead, she was as cute as could be. Moreover, Krystal was no longer as silly as she used to be; having just started school, she was already showing “an intelligence like her Mark oppa” (according to their father, Mr. Jung). As for Jessica, she could have continued being a goddess. But her never-ending love for sweets finally brought about dire consequences: after her permanent teeth came in, she was already showing signs of cavities, which were starting to subtly affect her facial shape. Fortunately, she got braces early on, and according to the doctor, she’d best wear them until she was sixteen. Another thing was Jessica’s interests—she loved singing and dancing, but just didn’t like studying.

Although to the Jung couple and Mark King’s family, the two sisters were still just themselves, in the eyes of those around them, their status had completely flipped.

In Korea, ice cream is an extremely common treat, and the industry is huge. The ice cream subsidiary of Korea’s Lotte Group was only acquired after Lotte swapped shares within its own conglomerate.

So, even Jessica with braces could find sugar-free pure fruit ice cream—one of the few foods she could still enjoy.

“Oppa, why are your scenes so few? When will you be the lead again?” In half a year, Jessica had already gotten used to Korean terms and customs.

“Leads at this age aren’t easy to come by. Just having such opportunities is already pretty good. I’m afraid it’ll be even harder to find such chances in the coming years.”

“Oppa, you know, even for roles like this, sis is really envious. Last time someone asked you for an autograph on the street, she secretly told me she wants to be an even bigger star than you in the future.”

“Hey! Krystal Johnson, are you looking for trouble?”

Such a cheerful daily life was certainly satisfying. But there are always people who don’t know their place and come over to interrupt.

“Sorry to bother you, but are you three siblings?” A man in a floral shirt, brown sunglasses, and baggy shorts came over to strike up a conversation, his mouth full of yellow teeth. Honestly, in Korea, where brushing five times a day is common, it’s really not easy to end up with teeth that yellow.

“Hey, mister, stay away from my sisters. If you have something to say, say it to me.” Mark King immediately stood up, unceremoniously blocking Krystal, who was closest to the man, behind him.

It was summer, and all the seats in front of the ice cream shop were full. When Mark King shouted so loudly, no fewer than ten burly men looked over, and one of them even stood up.