The Interview That Set Everyone Talking
“So that brat really did brag about it in an interview, huh?”
“Looks like it.”
“Ahahaha! Maybe he doesn’t know any better. Our Gongza is kind to everyone, after all.”
“Exactly.”
“He was whining about his pet-loss syndrome, and then Gongza gave him a kiss or something, and now he’s making a fuss about it everywhere?”
Ma Soo-jung curled her fingers inward. A sharp crack echoed from her knuckles.
“This won’t do. If we don’t do something about this brat, I’m going to lose it.”
“I wholeheartedly agree.”
Ma Soo-jung took a deep breath. When you made a plan, your heart had to be hot, but your head had to stay cold.
“You just wait. I’m not letting this slide.”
Then she let the tension out of her shoulders and smiled brightly.
“Well? Anything else?”
“The Gomja fans are thrilled that Gongza appeared in a movie.”
“The fan cafe?”
“The numbers are still growing. They’re even recruiting deputy admins.”
Mr. Deok-su said that with a lonely look on his face.
“I applied to be a board moderator, but I got rejected.”
“Oh, no!”
“I even sent in a résumé…”
Mr. Deok-su sounded genuinely heartbroken.
“When I told CEO Seo about it, he offered me his sincere condolences. I really wanted to be a staff member for Gongza’s photo board.”
“They say a lot of good photos get posted there, right?”
“Yes. It’s a treasure trove. I check it at least three times a day. That’s why I wanted to help manage it too, but… I found out later.”
Ma Soo-jung blinked.
“Found out what?”
“That it’s not a good idea for insiders to get involved in fan cafes.”
Mr. Deok-su sighed toward the ceiling.
“I had no idea. Is that how it usually works?”
“Even if they do get involved, it’s better if it’s company staff.”
Ma Soo-jung nodded.
“I don’t know much about that part, either.”
“That’s Top Line’s policy, apparently. Well, I was already rejected anyway.”
Mr. Deok-su swallowed his bitterness.
“The Gomja fans are full of anticipation. And they’re very surprised that Gongza has grown so much.”
That much she could absolutely agree with. Ma Soo-jung pressed a hand to her chest.
“For a while, I thought our Gongza was just going to stay bean-sprout small.”
“I never imagined he’d shoot up that fast, either.”
“Thinking I won’t get to see little Gongza anymore makes me sad.”
Ma Soo-jung really did sound regretful.
“Of course, he’s still small now.”
“I hope he doesn’t grow up too fast.”
“Yeah. Watching a child grow is happy, but a little bittersweet.”
Mr. Deok-su nodded. The two of them fell silent for a while.
Then Ma Soo-jung smiled again.
“Anything else I should know?”
“Ah, this is the post that’s most popular on the Gomja board. It’s an interview with a film magazine. Director Rhy-lac talked about Gongza in it.”
Mr. Deok-su held up his smartphone so Ma Soo-jung could see the screen.
“In a few years, it will be a foregone conclusion that Gongza is a genius.”
Q. Some say you praised lead actor Ma Gongja too much.
A. Reporter, I can promise you this. In a few years, the entire nation will admit Gongza is a genius. His looks are so striking that the incredible things this baby is accomplishing are being overlooked.
Q.(laughs) Ma Gongja is undeniably handsome, but I’m not sure about his acting ability. Of course, he has received good reviews so far. But is he really talented enough to be called a genius?
A. I don’t think I’m the only one who feels that way. Anyone who has worked with Gongza has probably felt it, too. In fact, word has already spread quietly among directors.
Q. So this wasn’t a casting decision driven by box-office draw.
A. Marketing isn’t really my field. Of course, we considered it when casting, but for The Basement I looked only at acting ability. Box-office draw? I’ve heard Gongza is popular with kids because of the Whale Family, but this film is rated for viewers fifteen and up. (laughs)
Q. When the article first came out saying you had cast him, I thought you had chosen him for his looks.
A. Well, he absolutely has a face that’s almost too precious to put on camera. It’s true that just looking at him makes you gasp, but honestly, it’s a shame. His sculpted features keep making people overlook how good he is as an actor.
Q. You mean that sincerely? (laughs) What is Ma Gongja like on set? Is he the same as he appears on parenting variety shows?
A. I haven’t watched the parenting show, so I wouldn’t know. (laughs) Gongza is the mood-maker on set. He’s so kind that he practically outshines actual angels. If anything, that was what made me worry about him.
Q. In what way? Please explain.
A. Even when he’s injured, he doesn’t show it. We were filming a one-take scene, and the child got hurt in the middle of it. It wasn’t a serious wound, but he kept quiet because he didn’t want the people around him to worry.
Ma Soo-jung let out a long breath. Director Rhy-lac really was an observant man.
He knows our Gongza well.
She already knew about the injury, too. After Mr. Deok-su reported it to her, she had grabbed Gongza that evening and scolded him for it.
“The reporters are all trying to drag Gongza down, but the director is only praising him.”
“The Gomja fans are saying the same thing.”
“I expected it to be like this, but they’re really doing it, huh.”
Ma Soo-jung sighed.
“He’s a child with no flaws except the fact that he’s my son, and they’ve gone and set their sights on him for the wrong reasons.”
Mr. Deok-su thought back to the production briefing. It really had been a less-than-ideal environment for a child.
“Their anger over the accounting fraud is being aimed at Gongza.”
“The Gomja fans worry about that too?”
“They don’t say it outright, but I think they’re hinting at it.”
“I told you before, didn’t I? It’s only going to get worse.”
Mr. Deok-su lowered his head. To be honest, that was what had been keeping him up at night lately.
“How is Gongza handling it?”
“He’s still all right.”
“He must know the reporter is picking a fight. He’s probably figured out it’s because of me, too.”
“I asked him once, and he just said, ‘That’s what reporters are like,’ and let it go.”
Ma Soo-jung ran a hand down her face.
“Our Gongza is so sweet. He really is.”
“He is. I’ll make sure security stays tight.”
“Please do.”
“Um, I have one request, too.”
Mr. Deok-su spoke politely.
“I want to learn how to work as a manager.”
“Oh?”
That was a surprise. Why was he suddenly thinking that way?
“I came in as Gongza’s nanny, but right now, I think what Gongza really needs is a manager.”
“We were already planning to assign one…”
“I’d like to do it.”
“Really?”
“I’ll learn as hard as I can.”
“You don’t have to go that far.”
“I don’t want to hand Gongza over to anyone else.”
Ma Soo-jung sank into thought. Hiring people was, in fact, a tremendously difficult thing to do. She trusted CEO Seo’s eye for talent, but dependable people were always rare.
She looked at Mr. Deok-su. Honestly, at first she had wondered if he would be all right.
But now he’s probably the most trustworthy person around.
He would probably work hard at learning the manager’s job, too. Even now, he had somehow ended up serving as security as well.
Most of all, he genuinely loves our Gongza.
Well, there weren’t many people who disliked Gongza to begin with.
Once Ma Soo-jung made up her mind, she never looked back. Smiling, she said, “All right. I’ll contact CEO Seo.”
“I’d appreciate it.”
“What about salary? If there’s a number you want, just tell me comfortably.”
“I’d be fine receiving exactly what I have now.”
“No, no, that won’t do. No matter how you look at it, we’re all doing this to live well!”
That was another thing to think about. If this was how it was going to be, she’d have to find out the industry average salary first. Ma Soo-jung let out a long sigh as she mulled it over.
Still, there really isn’t anyone better than him. Looks like our Gongza does have a talent for meeting good people.
From Director Rhy-lac to Mr. Deok-su, and even Han Woo-jin, irritating as he was—there were so many people who liked him.
She smiled faintly.
If he weren’t my son, he wouldn’t have to suffer through all this, and he’d probably be even more amazing.
Maybe that was why she felt happy and sad at the same time.
＊ ＊ ＊
The waiting room was warm and cheerful. I was tucked under Jung Yu-jin’s arm as I looked around.
Director Rhy-lac gulped down some steaming coffee and said, “Wow. I’m glad it’s doing so well. Ah! It’s hot!”
“Director, are you okay?”
“I touched my tongue to it. Ah, I didn’t realize it was that hot.”
Director Rhy-lac blew on his tongue with his hand. He’d just suffered an unfair accident, but he still looked delighted.
Well, the movie is doing great.
It was only natural.
The buzz from the advance screening was going to come first.
Korea was a nation of cinephiles. If something was fun, people would usually head to the theater to see it.
Hmm, I’ll have to run the numbers later, though.
I thought of the reviews Jung Yu-jin had shown me.
Critic Kim Pyeong-won gave it half a star more, didn’t he?
I knew because I was a fan of The Basement. In my past life, it had gotten four stars. Now it was up to four and a half.
I looked at Jung Yu-jin.
The only difference from my past life was that the lead actor had changed.
I want it to do even better than it did back then.
Jung Yu-jin smiled at me. “Gongza, are you sleepy?”
I shook my head.
“No!”
“Our Gongza’s full of energy. I’m a little sleepy, though.”
Well, it had been a brutal schedule.
I’m a kid, so I can get through a bit of it, but Jung Yu-jin isn’t.
We’d been going nonstop on the movie’s promotional schedule.
Jung Yu-jin rolled her shoulders and said, “Still, I’m happy. It looks like the movie’s doing well.”
“Right, Yu-jin. Our movie seems like it’s going to be a huge hit.”
“The director must be relieved.”
“Ahh, the family is safe. Thank goodness.”
Hmm. At this rate, he might make more than his investment back.
If things go well, he’s going to get rich, isn’t he?
Director Rhy-lac blew on his coffee and said, “My wife’s been praising me lately. Saying I did well.”
“Oh, that must feel great.”
“Of course it does. What a relief. How about you these days, Yu-jin?”
“I’m doing well, too.”
She smiled brightly and counted on her fingers.
“Commercial offers and casting calls are coming in like a flood.”
“Wow, congratulations.”
“The advertising world is always the quickest to sniff things out. Though these days, the busiest one is probably our Gongza.”
Hmm, was that so?
I’ve shot a lot of smaller stuff.
Right now, I was gathering attention everywhere.
Thanks to that, my image is in pretty bad shape.
And yet the advertising world kept looking for me.
If I shoot one bigger thing, maybe it’ll start bubbling up a little.
Scripts that had gone quiet for a while, both for Mom and for me, had started coming in again.
Well, that’s for later. What else came in lately?
I swung my legs lightly. There had been a lot of smaller offers, but one in particular stood out.
“Gongza, that perfume commercial was really pretty.”
“You saw it?”
“Yeah. It’s famous. It’s all over the internet.”
Director Rhy-lac swallowed his coffee and said, “Oh, that poster! We’ve got one at my house, too.”
Huh?
“My wife bought the perfume just to get the gift. Gongza, your face is in our living room.”
Well, then.
I had no idea they gave that poster out when you bought the perfume.
Still, it was promotional material, so I supposed it didn’t matter how they used it.
Kind of old-school, though.
Jung Yu-jin stroked my hair and laughed. “That poster’s so popular people keep stealing it.”
“It really is nice. Gongza looks like an angel. I actually felt guilty for a second—how could they dress such a pretty kid in rags?”
The director patted his belly and laughed.
“I should’ve put him in something pretty at the end.”
“Wow, we really should have done that. We’d probably have gotten another million viewers if we had!”
“Hahahahaha! Ah, Jung Yu-jin. How many million do you think our movie will get?”