Episode 39
"No! Since when do I look like an old man!"
"Senior...."
The actor playing the lead leaned close and whispered into Han Woo-jin's ear.
"You're the most handsome man in the universe, and Korea's representative male lead actor."
"Right."
"But you're not youthful."
"Guhk!"
Han Woo-jin staggered, one hand pressed to his chest.
"That's cold!"
No, that's true.
He's not youthful. But he's still handsome.
People who already have everything always want more.
Even while grumbling, Han Woo-jin still wouldn't put me down. If anything, he started fussing over my feet.
The actor playing the lead said, "This must be the kind of kid people talk about online. He's really cute."
"I didn't want to have a kid, you know."
Han Woo-jin kept kneading my feet.
"If I had a son like this, I'd have to think about it once. Seriously, isn't he adorable?"
"Senior."
The lead actor placed a hand on Han Woo-jin's shoulder. Then he said seriously, "I watched that parenting variety show, and I thought about it."
"Yeah?"
"Kids like this are genuinely rare."
That's right.
"An angel this sweet is maybe 0.000001 percent of the population."
That was probably about the same odds as getting a second life.
"Gongja is nice by nature, but he's cute too. The odds of being born this ridiculously cute are 0.00000001 percent."
Exactly.
The same odds as dying and making a wish to be reborn handsome.
Han Woo-jin pulled me closer and shouted, "I mean, if he looks like me, wouldn't the face be fine?"
Wow. He'd casually started bragging about his own looks.
"The face, maybe."
"What, are you saying my personality's no good?"
"No, no. I'm just saying it's hard to be as angelic as Gongja."
"Hey! People used to say I was an angel when I was little too!"
"Really?"
Han Woo-jin cleared his throat and said, "Only when I was asleep."
Everyone listening to their conversation covered their mouths and laughed.
I clenched my fists tight. Cold sweat trickled down me.
W-what the hell.
Could you two lead actors please stop being funny?
T-this is hard.
No matter how smart a baby I was, it was weird that I understood that and laughed.
I was taking a deep breath when the lead actor said, "Senior, let me hold him too."
"No way. He's my son."
"He's the son in the drama!"
"Still no. He'll get used to people."
Han Woo-jin wouldn't give me up.
"You're harsh. I wanted to see Gongja too!"
"No one's taking him from me! See? Gongja's calmly nestled in my arms. He likes me."
No, I didn't really care.
Still, if this helps us get closer, it's not a bad thing.
I smiled brightly. "Hyung! I likey!"
So let's act well, okay? And if possible, let's stay on screen a long time.
Han Woo-jin's pupils trembled.
Not enough?
I grabbed his hand and flailed my legs.
Then a subtitle rose in front of me.
You made actor Han Woo-jin happy after he heard your cute voice.
Wow.
That was only the second time, and it jumped a lot.
Han Woo-jin really did love kids.
"I-I want to have a son like this!"
"Senior, calm down!"
"I'll find a good match!"
"That's why I'm saying think about the odds!"
Han Woo-jin hugged me tight and said, "I said I like him!"
Wow, if he said that twice more, it might become a disaster.
I wriggled in Han Woo-jin's arms. Honestly, it was pretty stuffy.
No, more than that, what crime did I commit in my past life to end up in a man's arms...?
Damn it.
But I can't exactly complain to the guy who just raised my Coins.
While I was enduring it as best I could, one of the staff members came over and said, "Han Woo-jin, please get ready for the next scene."
"Ah, is it time already? Gongja, let's go."
"Yup!"
The staff member smiled a little when he saw that.
"The baby really listens to you."
"Yeah. He says I'm his hyung."
Hey.
"Huh?"
"I do look like an older brother, don't I? Gongja, say hyung."
I stared at Han Woo-jin.
Should I do it or not?
But Han Woo-jin's eyes were sparkling.
Han Woo-jin, Korea's representative handsome actor.
They did say he was funny, but...
So he's this kind of person.
Fine. Whatever.
"Hyung!"
"Hngk."
Han Woo-jin let out a groan like he'd just swallowed beer, then grinned stupidly.
"He likes me."
No, he doesn't.
"What do I do? What if he cries when we part?"
I won't.
"Babies are supposed to like handsome people."
"Exactly. Gongja probably saw someone this handsome for the first time after being born."
No, it's not like that.
"Man, if I think about it, I kind of want to visit Gongja's house."
"That's Ma Soo-jung's house. What if a scandal breaks out?"
"I-is that so? Right, Gongja's still Nu-na Soo-jung's son. I forgot."
All at once, Han Woo-jin looked up at the ceiling.
"If I asked to borrow Gongja, would I get kicked into next week?"
"W-well, probably?"
"She might swing a bat at me."
Huh?
How does he know my mom swings a bat?
Has she done it before? My respected mother?
Han Woo-jin gave a bitter smile.
"What a shame."
About what?
He kept muttering to himself, but he still carried me off. I didn't get away until we reached the set.
* * *
There were cameras everywhere. Bright lights gleamed from all over the place, and only then did it really sink in.
We're filming.
Maybe because there had already been a lot of pre-shoots, the staff didn't look especially exhausted.
Director Lee Je-min looked at me and said, "You're not crying."
CEO Seo grinned and answered, "That's because he's Gongja. A good boy, aren't you?"
"Like I said before, I wasn't expecting much. But it's strange. I feel like something good is about to happen. Ready?"
The staff sent up an okay sign. The director stepped back and said, "First, the entering scene."
Ah.
I know what scene this is.
This wasn't a scene with Han Woo-jin in it. The camera would probably move toward me a little.
From the viewer's perspective, the camera's line of sight is Ju-hyuk's line of sight.
So, in other words, I had to welcome the camera like it was Han Woo-jin, no, like it was Ju-hyuk in the story.
He's someone I can only see now and then because Emergency Room is so busy.
The staff moved briskly. The PD shouted, "Stand by, cue!"
The camera approached. I turned away from the lens, then slowly looked back.
And I held out my hand and said, "Papa!"
Honestly, this acting was easy.
I just had to act like I was looking at Mom.
Smiling brightly, I pushed myself up on the crib rail. Of course, I didn't forget to let my legs go slack just a little so I could land on my butt.
"Paaapa~!"
I said it again, and only after a long moment, while I was rising once more inside the crib, did the sound I'd been waiting for finally come.
"Cut!"
The noise around us swelled into a buzz. CEO Seo covered his mouth and came toward me.
"Wow! Soo-jung brought us a genius!"
Damn, they found out. So you know now?
The CEO hugged me and said, "Gongja, you're really the best."
Of course I am.
I glanced over the CEO's shoulder at Director Lee Je-min. He was stroking his chin and watching the monitor.
"Ah, I want to see Gongja again."
CEO Seo carried me off and bounded away like a wild horse.
"Director! What do you think?"
As I was brought over, Director Lee Je-min stroked his chin.
"Damn. That was intense."
The crew looked at me and said, "No, how did he do that?"
"This is beyond amazing. How did a kid give us exactly the scene we needed?"
Director Lee Je-min muttered, "I wasn't really asking for much, either."
"Maybe we're just being blessed because we're not greedy, Director."
"Is that really it? Right, child actors do need protecting."
No, that's not it.
At the very least, you should give me acting direction!
Whether they understood how I felt or not, the crew kept whispering among themselves.
"Anyway, this is huge."
"If I were a viewer, I'd cry too. Ju-hyuk opens the door, and then this baby reaches out and goes papa, papa? Ugh, I'm already tearing up."
Director Lee Je-min stared at me for a moment, then said, "If the next scene is a hit too, let's do a threefold hurrah."
"You mean the scene where Ju-hyuk picks up the baby?"
"Yeah. Wow, just thinking about it gives me chills. In a good way."
Director Lee Je-min turned to Han Woo-jin.
"How about it?"
"My impression? Good, right? Um..."
Han Woo-jin looked at me and said, "I'm actually nervous. It feels like a masterpiece is about to happen, and I'm worried I won't pull it off."
"Come on, no way."
"It's funny, isn't it, Director? But really. Well,"
"Then maybe I should remind Gongja to wish you luck on the next scene."
Wow, Han Woo-jin.
He's sharper than I expected.
The crew probably thought it was all coincidence.
Well, as long as the scene comes out well, that's fine.
Whether by coincidence or luck.
I don't care as long as the word spreads.
What matters is the bottom line, isn't it?
Getting into good works even one more time. That's what matters.
I couldn't help smiling.
Director Lee Je-min loosened his shoulders and came over to me.
"Mm, Gongja. Please take care of the next scene too, okay?"
I raised one hand and shouted brightly, "Yup!"
"Oh, you're cute. But does he even know what I'm saying right now?"
I do.
"All right, let's roll. Get ready."
"Yes!"
CEO Seo carried me back to the crib.
This scene is the one where Ju-hyuk picks me up, right?
I puffed out my cheeks and loosened my facial muscles.
You can't overdo this kind of acting.
I had to do it naturally.
I heard Director Lee Je-min's voice.
"And... stand by! Cue!"
Han Woo-jin, no, Ju-hyuk in Emergency Room, slowly lifted me up.
His expression is pretty good.
I was the son he was seeing in a final hallucination as he died. I smiled broadly and kicked my legs.
Ju-hyuk looked at me with wet eyes. Then he gently brushed my cheek.
Oh, nice.
Ju-hyuk gave a tiny smile back at me. But it was an awkward smile, his cheek twitching faintly.
If he keeps this up...
I laughed brightly and clapped my hands.
Like a child who was overjoyed simply because his dad was smiling.
Ju-hyuk hugged me tightly. How long did he hold me like that? The sound I'd been waiting for finally came.
"Cut!"
The set felt different from before. It was utterly quiet.
Why is the mood like this?
While I blinked in confusion, the FD came over.
"Woo-jin, it's cut."
"Ah...."
Han Woo-jin drew a breath and said, "Ah, yes. Wow. I know we're done, but wow."
Why did he keep going wow, wow, wow?
"That lingering feeling won't go away."
Han Woo-jin looked down at me and said, "I want to keep holding Gongja."
"Pardon?"
"The heart-stopping sound comes right after this, doesn't it?"
"It, it does?"
"Wow. Geez."
"You're leaving behind a son like this? I couldn't die even if I wanted to."
Hadn't he already said that?
Han Woo-jin hugged me tight.
"Damn it. This is insane."
I tilted my head up. Han Woo-jin was rubbing his eyes.
He's holding back tears.
Huh. You're softer than I thought.
I reached out and patted him.
"Hyung. Don't cry."
Han Woo-jin blinked.
"Don't cry!"
For a moment, silence settled again. Then, as if they'd been waiting for it, laughter burst out all around us.