The Boy with the Book and the Rewritten Ending
I reached for the script, honestly surprised. Shower was the title, and the child role I needed was in it.
Was this a reinterpretation of the famous novel that even appears in school textbooks?
The Director Won Jong-sa I knew specialized in the underworld.
Politics, detectives, reporters, gangsters. That was the sort of film he made.
But this movie, no matter how I looked at it, didn’t seem like that at all.
I turned a page right away. Sure enough, it wasn’t dark.
No, wait. Is it a little sad?
I flipped through the script quickly. Maybe it was because I’d been drilling speed reading hard for the past few days. The pages turned with surprising ease.
That was when Director Won said, “Wow, look at how fast our Gongja’s turning pages.”
“I told you he was a genius.”
“Look at that face. So serious.”
“Isn’t he adorable?”
I frowned.
“Directors, please.”
“Hm?”
“Be quiet.”
You’re making noise. It breaks my concentration.
The two directors covered their mouths at the same time.
Truly, adorable behavior no one had asked for.
I went back to the script. The basic outline came into view at a glance.
So it’s a love story about a boy and a girl with leukemia.
The boy, the son of a nurse, spent his time more or less idly at the hospital. Then he met the girl, and the story followed the two of them as they grew together.
Does the girl die?
I hurriedly flipped to the back. Fortunately, the girl did not die.
The dialogue is very ordinary.
But it had density. Every line carried weight; nothing felt written in by accident.
I lifted my head and looked at Director Won. When our eyes met, he broke into a grin.
“Well?”
“It’s sad.”
“Gongja, you know Shower, right? Originally the girl has to die for it to be Shower. But I didn’t like that.”
Director Rhy-lac jabbed Won Jong-sa in the side with his elbow.
“Senior, if she dies, you’ll pull in another three million.”
“I said I don’t like that kind of thing. I like obvious movies too. I just hate hopeless ones.”
For a moment, I snorted.
That part of you never changes, does it?
He specialized in films about the underworld, but his endings were always hopeful.
He might leave things ambiguous, but the villains were always clearly punished.
That was why audiences liked Director Won Jong-sa’s films.
It is fresh, though.
AShower where the girl doesn’t die.
Director Won scratched his head and said, “I know the girl dying would add three million viewers. But the reason I want to make this film is my niece.”
I blinked.
“My niece had pediatric leukemia, but she just recovered this time.”
Just hearing it was a relief.
“Who says you have to die if you get leukemia? You can live. Medicine keeps advancing.”
Wow, Director Won.
I smiled faintly.
I think so too.
There was no law saying a child with leukemia had to die.
Prejudice is a frightening thing.
If such a law existed, orphans would have to stay poor forever, and children from single-parent families would have to suffer from emotional deprivation.
Director Rhy-lac nodded.
“Now that’s something I respect about you, senior.”
“It’s a movie I want to show my niece. I want it to end with hope.”
I see.
But if that’s the case, then.
It’ll be hard to get investors, won’t it?
Only then did I understand why this film had never come out.
They couldn’t get funding.
With a child in the lead, the ticket power would be weak. On top of that, it didn’t end the way audiences wanted.
But what if a star with real name value appeared in it?
Then the situation would change, wouldn’t it?
I looked over the screenplay again. I could tell at a glance. Every scene had style. The script was excellent.
And Director Won Jong-sa is a decent human being, too.
Before I knew it, a smile had spread across my face.
“S-so, Gongja, what do you think?” Director Won asked carefully.
“It’s a wonderful story. Gongja likes this kind of thing too.”
I nodded.
“I like that the girl doesn’t die!”
“Right? There’s no law saying she has to die, is there? Patients can recover!”
“That’s right. Cancer can be cured!”
Even Ansan-daek recovered.
With coins, sure.
Still, what law says you have to die? Don’t dismiss modern medicine!
Director Won patted my head.
“Wow, you’ve got a pretty face, and even your speech is cute.”
“Our Gongja is just like that.”
“Why is he your Gongja? He’ll be my Gongja now.”
“Hey, when did you start saying you didn’t believe in him!”
“That was then, this is now.”
I reached out and took Director Won Jong-sa’s hand.
“Gongja?”
“I want to do this work!”
Director Won’s eyes trembled.
“It’s a great work!”
Director Won didn’t move an inch. I’d even taken his hand, but he still didn’t shake it back.
Nothing for it.
I flexed Director Won’s fingers open, one by one. Then I placed my own hand in his.
Once I’d made it into the shape of a handshake, I gave it a little shake.
For some reason, silence fell.
Why isn’t anyone saying anything?
I raised my head again and met his eyes. That was when Director Won grinned so wide it looked like his face might split.
“Hahaha! Gongja, you….”
What? What about me?
Then, all at once, as if a bear had pounced on me, Director Won hugged me tight.
“You’re really, really, really adorable!”
I frowned on instinct.
I don’t want to be hugged by a middle-aged man.
But Director Won seemed so excited that he pounded my back.
“Damn it, you’re a treasure of the Republic of Korea! A national treasure! We should register you as a cultural property!”
Hm. Did he mean an intangible cultural asset?
“What sort of thing even is this! Rhy-lac! I just felt something melt!”
“Huh, senior. What melted?”
“My heart? The thing I’d been cherishing so carefully.”
My frown deepened.
Pick it back up and let me go.
Whether he heard my thoughts or not, Director Won shouted in excitement.
“Where in the world do you find a kid like this! I thought he was an angel!”
“Gongja shouldn’t have wings. He’ll fly away!”
What are you even talking about.
Director Won Jong-sa hugged me, spun me around twice, and finally set me down.
“Gongja! Thank you! You must have gotten so many scripts, and you still chose mine!”
“Congratulations, senior. This should solve the investment problem.”
“Hahahahahaha! If we say Gongja’s in it, the other actors will get interested too, right? There are still lots of empty roles, so this is great!”
“But nothing’s actually been decided yet.”
“Oh, right. Once I said the girl doesn’t die, everyone turned it down.”
Hm. So it really was just me who’d been decided.
“Thank you! Really, thank you! Ah, if Gongja hadn’t agreed, I’d have gone bald from worry!”
He actually had gone bald once.
Well, it is better not to lose your hair.
I smiled and said, “Please take care of me!”
“Me too, me too! Please take care of me too! Thank you!”
Director Won trembled all over with excitement.
“Ah, I’m saved now! Now I can do all sorts of things!”
“Of course, senior.”
“First I need to go tell everyone in the neighborhood. Gongja, I’m heading out!”
“Yes!”
“See you next time! Thank you! I love you! I love you, Gongja. If you want later, I’ll even give you the deed to my house! It’s rented, though!”
No, thank you.
Both the first and the second offer were things I sincerely wanted to refuse.
The two directors hurried off. Once the living room grew quiet, I let out a long sigh.
Deok-su said, “It was chaotic.”
“Yes. Whew, sorry for the trouble.”
I looked at the table. Only my pancake was left. The other plates were empty.
At least they ate well before going.
I chewed on the slightly cooled pancake and said, “It’s tasty, sir!”
“I see. But Gongja.”
“Yes?”
Deok-su sat down in front of me.
“Today I realized something. Gongja has no sense of caution.”
No, why are you suddenly saying that?
“Gongja, I certainly told you. If someone strange comes, you must run and ask for help from the people around you.”
I nodded.
“Yes.”
“Then why didn’t you ask for help?”
Huh?
“A strange person came?”
“Director Won Jong-sa is harmless, but he is strange.”
Huh?
A little stunned, I still had to admit it made sense.
They are both like that, come to think of it.
Hah, but I probably shouldn’t say that.
I answered with an awkward smile. “H-he’s not strange.”
“Gongja, don’t lie. Your voice is trembling. Isn’t the director really strange?”
Ah, was it that obvious that I was lying?
“A little. B-but Director Rhy-lac was there too!”
“Gongja. The closer someone is to you, the more cautious you have to be.”
What does that mean?
“You are an extremely noticeable child right now. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say you’re the most famous child in Korea.”
I don’t think I’m that famous...
Well, if you mean celebrity, then I guess that’s true.
I’ve had quite a bit of exposure, after all.
“If another famous child appears, you’ll be replaced!”
Surely Korea has no shortage of talent. Someone who draws more attention in other ways will of course appear.
“That may happen, but for now, it’s you, Gongja.”
Did I cause too much trouble?
I’ve been a little over the top with the projects and the charity foundation.
What was I supposed to do about that?
It feels like I’m only going to get even more over the top...
I let out a long breath. It seemed better to listen to Deok-su’s advice.
“Even if you were not a child who drew attention, Gongja, you are very adorable. But you have no caution.”
Deok-su said sternly, “This is serious.”
“W-well, Gongja is cautious with scary people, of course!”
I knew exactly what kind of person Director Won was because I’d already worked with him in my previous life.
“Gongja. Crime often happens with people you know.”
For a moment, I had nothing to say.
That’s true.
I had seen statistics like that before.
I never even considered it.
I looked down at my hands.
If something serious happens, can I resist?
Wow.
No, I can’t.
This body had almost no strength to begin with.
I’d be helpless.
If I got hit, I’d just take the hits.
I thought Deok-su was exaggerating a little, but...
It was a fair point.
So this isn’t something squats can solve.
I bowed my head.
“I think what you said is right, sir.”
I was a very cute child, and a very rich one.
Even if I go around with Deok-su, you never know what people will do.
I took a deep breath.
Isn’t there something I can do?
I smiled.
There is exactly the right thing for moments like this.
A coin, that’s what. I’d been saving them diligently.
Like a squirrel storing acorns.
I straightened my shoulders. Come to think of it, I hadn’t raised anything except my stamina.
The cost was high.
But what about now?
1,384,789
Wow, as expected. Since this was ten million viewers, I guess that made sense.
I saved up well.
I immediately muttered, “Tell me how many coins it takes and what the price is to strengthen my power.”
2,000 coins will be consumed to determine the price.
To increase the power of popular child actor Ma Gongja, 9,382,387,492,837 coins are required.
The price is that the right leg cannot be used for five years.
Huh? Excuse me?
What is this!
No, subtitle. That’s way too much.
What do you mean I can’t use my right leg? Does that mean I’d have to use a wheelchair for a while?
Or maybe I could use crutches if it was only one leg?
I shook my head immediately.
That’s not the important part.
Who would even trigger this? No, I didn’t even have that many coins in the first place.