Chapter 25
I’m translating the chapter directly into HTML-formatted prose and preserving the in-world system text as styled blocks, since that’s the part most likely to break if I’m careless.CHAPTER_TITLE: Chapter 25
“What should we dress him in?”
I lay awkwardly in the cradle, smiling faintly, while Ansan-daek solemnly held a bee costume up against my body.
“We’re giving him flowers, so maybe a bee would suit him?”
Excuse me, Ansan-daek.
“Still, maybe a frog is the safest choice?”
Honestly.
Ansan-daek kept pressing one outfit after another against me. I rolled halfway over, wiggling my legs, and a sigh escaped me before I could stop it.
Ansan-daek is a good person.
She really was excellent at her work. Cleaning, of course, but more than that, she took wonderful care of me.
And the baby food is delicious, too.
She was an extremely diligent woman. I could see why Mom trusted her.
But there’s one thing.
I had just discovered an unexpected flaw.
Ansan-daek muttered as she looked at me, “Would a mantis costume be better?”
Oh, come on.
She has absolutely no sense of style.
What are you trying to do to this perfect face?
Plain and simple is best!
A mantis costume? No, why did a mantis costume even exist in the first place?
“This is hard to decide.”
Oh, I was going to lose my mind.
Ansan-daek, you don’t know this, but I already have everything planned for today.
I kicked my legs.
I’m supposed to boost my recognition through the preview screening!
I wanted to become a celebrity quickly and rise in the world, but a mantis costume?
Ansan-daek pondered it seriously and murmured, “Then maybe a cricket would be better?”
No!
I shook my head with all the force I had.
“Bwuya-bwu!”
“Mm? You like that?”
No, I don’t!
I pressed a hand to my forehead. This was the stage where I was supposed to unveil my plans. I could not go to the screening wearing a cricket costume.
“Bwa, bwa!”
Coin use!
How would you like to use the Love & Peace Coin?
Let me wear the polar bear costume!
The one I’d seen before looked like the best option.
I stole a glance to the side. A white backpack was sitting there.
That’s the backpack I’ll be carrying at the screening.
The company that organized the event had brought it directly.
I glanced at Ansan-daek. She was still torn between a cricket and a mantis.
No, why are those the only two choices?
If you wanted my cuteness to shine, wouldn’t a single-color outfit be better?
Then the caption changed.
It costs 500 coins to wear the polar bear costume. Would you like to proceed?
Wow, expensive.
But I guess I have no choice.
I did not want to make the news dressed as a mantis.
“Bwuya!”
Proceed!
All things come at a price.
As the cost of spending coins, you will sneeze for one minute.
Total coins: 28,720
That was a strangely specific price. But I didn’t have time to dwell on it. I sneezed helplessly.
“Achoo! Achoo!”
Ansan-daek tilted her head as she compared another outfit against my body.
“Oh?”
“Achoo!”
“Why is our Gongza sneezing all of a sudden? Is he allergic to something?”
“Achoo!”
I sneezed so much that tears welled up in my eyes. Ansan-daek wiped the corners of my eyes with a towel and set the cricket costume aside for now.
“Is the fabric weird? The one he wore before was fine. Ah, here it is!”
She pulled out the polar bear costume from the wardrobe and held it against me. Like magic, I stopped sneezing.
“Oh, this is fine.”
Hah-hah-hah. Is that so.
Ansan-daek let out a sigh and said, “I want to put something pretty on him, but a polar bear? That’s a bit too ordinary.”
The ordinary choice is the best choice, Ansan-daek.
“Can’t be helped.”
As she changed my clothes, Ansan-daek said, “Gongza. Today we’re going to a young lady’s movie screening.”
I know that well.
“There’ll be a lot of noise because of the movie. Hmm, since it’ll be loud, I should bring earwarmers too.”
As if. There was no need for anything like that.
I’m fine with it.
Noise was music to me.
How long had it been since I’d been to a theater?
I want to see the screen.
I’m a cinephile before I’m even an actor.
Well, if it’s a good work, I’ll watch it whether it’s on a television set or a movie screen.
After all, a masterpiece doesn’t discriminate by genre.
What matters is the work. Still, this is nice.
I probably wouldn’t even watch the film itself once I got there. But just going to a movie theater after so long felt good.
I fluttered the sleeves of the fluffy polar bear outfit and grinned.
All right. Time to begin.
Smiling, I recalled my plan.
Today was the day.
Final check, Ma Gongza.
I quietly summoned the caption again.
“Bwuaaw!”
Total coins!
Even after using 500 coins earlier, I still had plenty left.
I’m close to thirty thousand coins.
The reason was simple.
The paparazzi and magazines did the heavy lifting.
They had slowly piled up, and here I was.
The numbers have been climbing since the release.
Apparently the film was doing well, because this was already the second screening. I smiled contentedly at the caption.
Viewer 34, who watched The City of the Dead, is moved by your adorable appearance.
Love & Peace Coin increases by 1.
Laughter came out of me on its own.
Looks like everyone’s touched by my appearance.
It felt like sowing seeds and reaping the harvest.
At this rate, I’ll pass thirty thousand coins in no time.
I was thrilled. I smacked my feet together and flapped them.
This is exactly what I was aiming for.
I laughed aloud.
“Bbuah!”
Time to make a flashy haul today.
Ansan-daek was packing this and that into a bag. “Oh my, Gongza. You’re smiling a lot today. Now you should take a nap. Why won’t you sleep today?”
Because I’m excited.
Ansan-daek waved one hand at me and went back to work. I kicked my legs again. I was so wound up that sleep was nowhere to be found.
* * *
“Young lady!”
At Ansan-daek’s call, Mom turned around and smiled. Seeing her in a pantsuit, I reached out toward her.
“Mama!”
“Gongza! My angel!”
Mom took me into her arms and patted my back.
“Oh, Gongza’s here?”
“Gongza, do you remember your sister?”
Of course I didn’t. But fan service mattered.
I met people’s eyes and smiled.
“Byaaaah!”
“Gasp, Gongza smiled at me.”
“Wow, even after all this time, he’s unbelievable.”
“How can he be this pretty? I’ve never seen a child like this before.”
Mom lightly touched my cheek and said, “Our angel is pretty, isn’t he?”
“A little is not the word for it!”
“He’s cuter than the movie.”
Everyone was proceeding exactly as planned, marveling at my face.
Ah, this is nice.
Please praise me more.
Praise about my looks never got old.
It always feels fresh.
That was when the director walked in. Mom held me in her arms and stood before Director Heo Bong-pal.
“Ah, our so-hot celebrity!”
Oh, what a devastating evaluation. I giggled and clapped my hands.
“Baa!”
“Wow.”
Heo Bong-pal shrugged and looked me over from head to toe.
Maybe it was just my imagination, but the director’s slanted eyes seemed rather sharp today.
“I thought this back then too, but Director Lee’s son is really something else.”
Of course I am. What baby is this cute?
Mom smiled and asked, “In what way? Because he’s an angel?”
“Well, yes, he’s as cute as an angel. But that’s not all. How should I put it?”
Heo Bong-pal met my eyes.
“Director Lee, this baby...”
“Yes?”
“Doesn’t he seem a little fearless?”
Mom blinked.
“Really? Our Gongza?”
“Director Lee, most kids cry when I come near them.”
The staff member standing nearby answered, “Ah, I think I know what you mean.”
“Huh?”
The staff member gave the director a once-over.
“You are a little scary, Director. Your face, your build, and that skeleton costume too.”
“Yoo-jung. That’s harsh, don’t you think? You just killed me three times.”
“But it’s true. Admit it. It’s the plain truth. It’s the screening today, and you showed up dressed like that again.”
The director drooped his head.
Good grief.
I laughed and patted his head.
“Kyaa!”
The director muttered under his breath, “Rock is alive. Metal is forever.”
Oh, dear.
I kept patting him. Heo Bong-pal caught my hand and said, “The only one comforting me is a baby.”
Mom laughed. “Our Gongza is kind, isn’t he? I told you he’s an angel.”
“I concede, Director Lee. But still, it’s not just that he’s good. It’s strange, you know?”
Mom held me and asked, “In what way?”
“I noticed it during filming too. The kid just likes the camera.”
Mom nodded.
“It does seem that way.”
“After the movie came out, another director asked me about it. They wanted to know how we shot that. How did the baby not cry and just smile like that?”
Ah, I understand what he means.
The set is pretty stark.
It really wasn’t a place where a baby could be expected to laugh. And with all the CGI, the whole place was covered in green cloth.
For an ordinary baby, not crying would be the miracle.
Though sometimes, a baby might laugh instead.
“Really?”
“Everyone envies me. In every congratulatory call, the baby comes up at least once!”
Mom looked down at me and said, “People do remember the scenes with our Gongza a lot.”
“Honestly, it wasn’t even a very important scene, but this baby was so pretty it became incredibly dense.”
“They said it suddenly hit them all at once.”
The director scratched his chin and nodded.
“Right. It’s like the reality of a world overrun by zombies suddenly comes crashing in.”
“The scene with Gongza is short, but somehow it feels strangely long.”
Heo Bong-pal stared at me. I smiled brightly and held out a hand.
“The more I look at him, the stranger it gets.”
The director extended a finger. I took it and gave it a little shake.
“So, you’re saying our Gongza has some kind of talent?”
“Yes, exactly. Something about that scene was just too pure. If a baby naturally walked around with that expression, I wouldn’t think much of it...”
Huh.
Director Heo Bong-pal is surprisingly sharp.
Had I been found out a little?
“Now that I think about it, that doesn’t seem to be the case. It was more like... he was acting on purpose.”
“Really?”
“Hahaha! Well, that’s absurd. There’s no way this baby was acting innocent on purpose, right? Hahaha!”
That is exactly right.
I shook Heo Bong-pal’s finger again.
“If that were true, this baby would be a genius.”
Wow.
That’s a hell of a compliment.
Say more, Director.
Heo Bong-pal scratched his chin and said, “Anyway, as a scene-stealer, it was a perfect score. Excellent work.”
I grinned.
Hmm, it feels like my secret got found out.
I had only acted according to the situation, of course, but I’d briefly forgotten that I was still far too young to be doing actual acting yet.
Well, as long as the result was good.
Success.
I laughed, flapping my legs.
“Bwaaa!”
Heo Bong-pal looked at me and said, “Was I overdoing it? Ah, it’s time. Let’s go!”
“Ah, yes!”
He let go of me, and Mom quickly handed me over to Ansan-daek.
“Please take care of him, Ansan-daek.”
“Yes, young lady.”
The makeup staff hurried over to Mom. Ansan-daek turned away with me in her arms and headed out.
“Gongza. Let’s go.”
I smiled sweetly and swung my legs.
Ah, I’d like to hear a little more praise, though.
I clenched my fists and opened them again. The long-awaited stage was being prepared.
A smile tugged at my mouth.
* * *
It seemed the movie had ended, because the area was bustling. A staff member led me and Ansan-daek to the closest audience seat.
The staff member said to Ansan-daek, “You already saw the proposal, but I’ll explain once more. When the host says that she prepared a gift for Ma Soo-jung, please hand me the baby. Then I’ll take the baby over to Ma Soo-jung.”
Ansan-daek nodded.
“All right.”
I shrugged. A toy flower was hanging from the white backpack.
So this is the bouquet for Mom.
Not bad planning.
But it’s lacking.
The moment I saw the plan, I knew it.
It needs some MSG.
Having me brought over was fine. But this plan alone wouldn’t get the kind of attention I wanted.
I thought about how to make it more effective.
And then I prepared it.
I murmured softly, “Bwua-bu!”
Coin use!
How would you like to use the Love & Peace Coin?
Make the staff member put me down on the screening stage floor.
It costs 300 coins to make the staff member, who is especially tired today, place Ma Gongza on the floor. Would you like to proceed?
Well, that was a reasonable price.
I grinned and said, “Bwuya!”
Proceed!
All things come at a price.
As the cost of spending coins, you will fall asleep for ten hours one hour from now.
The price wasn’t bad. A baby could sleep that long, no problem.
I sat in Ansan-daek’s arms, folding and extending my legs. I needed to warm up in advance.
The host kept the program moving.
It’ll be soon now.
Just as expected, the staff member shouted, “Baby, please!”
“Here you go.”
Then the host called out, “This is a gift for Ma Soo-jung!”
The moment I had been waiting for had arrived.