The Woman Who Was Supposed to Be Dead

A sharp, irritated voice cut through the room.

“I told you, I hate this kind of thing!”

The nun gently covered my ears, but even that couldn’t fully muffle the edge in the woman’s voice.

“Mari hated it when I came near her, too. I can’t stand kids.”

“Ms. Ma Soo-jung. It’ll only take a moment.”

“My own child hates me, so why on earth would some other kid like me?”

I lifted my heavy head and looked at her a little more closely.

Ma Soo-jung?

Her shoulders blocked most of her body from view, leaving only a glimpse of brown hair.

I’d heard the name before, but only now did I remember where.

The third daughter of the Sungjin Group family?

I knew ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her.

Ma Soo-jung. Profession: actress. Gorgeous face, decent acting.

She was a pretty successful actress.

Her temper was legendary, which got her into plenty of scandals, but her filmography was solid enough.

We worked on quite a few projects together. Well, not on the same set.

Not that I’d ever had much reason to cross paths with her. I was just a supporting actor with no real connection to the heroine.

Usually a villain’s lackey number one, or the protagonist’s friend number two.

So I’d never actually seen her on set. The closest I’d come was catching sight of her while passing by at award ceremonies.

Oh, wait!

My eyes widened.

Ma Soo-jung died, didn’t she?

Five years ago, Ma Soo-jung had died in a car accident.

The cause was never made public. All I remembered were the absurd rumors that had swirled afterward.

Then… she’s alive right now?

A groan escaped me at the absurdity of it all.

“Waaah…”

The nun soothed me at once.

“Oh, our Gongza must have been startled by the loud voice. It’s all right.”

No, Sister. That’s not it.

“Bba!”

What now?

Was Ma Soo-jung not supposed to have died, or…?

A possibility flashed through my mind.

Wait. What year is it right now?

A calendar hung over the nun’s shoulder. I hadn’t been able to see it before because my neck wouldn’t turn.

Well, damn.

2010?

So this is the past?

And not just any past, but twenty years before the year I died.

I thought I’d been reincarnated. I had no idea I’d come back through time.

I let out a long sigh.

“Whaah…”

So that’s why Ma Soo-jung is alive.

I rested my face against Sister Theresa’s shoulder and studied the version of her from twenty years ago. She looked young, beautiful, and very healthy.

She looks fine.

Judging by how loudly she was snarling, she didn’t look like someone about to die any time soon, either.

Why would someone like that make such a terrible choice?

Whether she knew what I was thinking or not, Ma Soo-jung kept yelling.

“Get someone else to do it! I hate this!”

“Ms. Ma Soo-jung, it’ll only be one shot.”

So she was here as a promotional-photo model.

I flailed my arms and legs as I sank into thought.

Well, that’s one thing, and this is another.

There was no bad blood between Ma Soo-jung and me. I wasn’t interested in scandals, either.

I just needed to get this publicity photo taken as fast as possible.

I don’t know who’ll see it, but if they see this handsome face, I’ll probably earn Love & Peace Coins.

And on top of that, this place, Moseongwon, would get some publicity.

Corporate sponsorship matters. These kids need decent clothes and food.

I looked up at Ma Soo-jung again. Cruelly, she was still bellowing at the top of her lungs.

“I said I don’t want to!”

Hey there, actress Ma. If you keep that up, this is going to get difficult.

“I don’t want to!”

Watching her scream like that, I started to worry we might really fail to get the photo taken at all.

Any way around this?

Then a good idea struck me.

Ah. She said she’d grant me anything, didn’t she?

Then surely I could use it here too.

“Bbuu! Bbuppa, bbaaah!”

Use Love & Peace Coin!

Unwanted, adorable babbling spilled out of me, but I didn’t care one bit.

I said quickly, “Take a photo with Ma Soo-jung!”

“Buuuu! Ppang!”

That way, this orphanage’s money bag would finally start filling up!

Oh, it worked, it worked!

And the price was cheap too!

Proceed!

A red spot? Did that mean a scar would appear? It was a little unsettling, but whatever. I didn’t care.

It’s the sole of my foot. It’s not like anyone’s going to see it.

If it really became a problem, I’d just have it removed when I grew up.

The real issue is the burning?

How intense was this “burning” supposed to be?

Right then, as if it had been waiting for me, my sole began to sting.

Whoa, this is no joke!

“Waaahhh!”

Clutched in the nun’s arms, I slapped my feet together like a seal clapping.

It feels like my feet are on fire!

I wanted to rub them, but my tiny hands couldn’t reach.

“Gongza, what’s wrong?”

“Buuuu!”

It burns!

Because I was flailing so wildly, the photography crew turned to look at me.

Ah, right. There were people watching.

I had to do this now. For the sake of the coins, I endured the pain and broke into a radiant smile.

“Baaah…”

Please take good care of me. Give me lots of coins.

I’m going to use them to make Sister Theresa healthy again.

At once, the look in the crew’s eyes changed.

It started with Ma Soo-jung, who had been screaming just moments ago; suddenly she was staring at me as if she’d been struck by something.

Did it work?

From here on, there was only one thing for me to do.

Coins and money!

Then there was no helping it.

All right, actress Ma. Look at my smile. It’s going to be the cutest thing in the world.

I kept smiling through the pain, flailing all the while.

“Bbuah-bya-bya…”

I smiled as hard as I could, even making my eyes crinkle.

How long had I kept that up?

The burning in my feet finally faded. But that wasn’t what I was waiting for.

It should be about time for the coins to pop up…

But then—

“…”

“…”

No one moved an inch. They just stared at my face, completely transfixed.

I tugged at the nun’s robe.

Excuse me? Hello?

“Bbaang?”

Then a man holding a camera, his expression dazed, exclaimed, “C-cute…”

And then the other staff members around him let out soft gasps.

“My goodness… I’ve never seen a child this pretty before.”

“Wow… just look at those jet-black eyes and that little nose.”

Yes, that’s it. That’s what I’m talking about!

Of course. There had to be an audience for this to work. And if that was the case, then I couldn’t forget the after-service, either.

I kicked my feet happily and babbled my thanks.

“Bbuppaahh!”

One of the PR staff hurried over to me.

“Wow… you’re really adorable. Sister, what’s his name?”

“We call him Gongza.”

“Gongza? What about his surname?”

“He hasn’t been given one yet. I’m sure he’ll get one soon.”

Only then did the camera staff realize he had a job to do.

“Could you please step back a little? I need to take some pictures.”

“Oh, yes, of course.”

“Wow. I’ve taken pictures of child actors before, but this baby is seriously, seriously cute. How can a baby be this adorable?”

Sister Theresa, who had worn a troubled expression the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠entire time, finally smiled faintly and held me a little more securely.

“Our Gongza really is pretty, isn’t he?”

“He’s absolutely gorgeous. Um, how did this child end up here?”

“He was abandoned in front of the orphanage a few days ago.”

“Oh dear!”

The PR staff member covered her mouth.

“It’s so cold these days!”

“It is. He was almost in serious trouble. The poor thing has had a rough start.”

Suddenly the atmosphere grew heavy.

I grinned to myself. This kind of mood was actually an advantage to me.

At times like this, it’s better if I act even brighter!

That would only make the tragedy feel deeper.

I smiled as brightly as I could.

“Bbu-ppa-ba-ba!”

Expressions of sympathy spread across the staff members’ faces. Sister Theresa silently patted my back.

No one said a word, but I could feel it all the same. Their eyes were already growing wet.

Ah, if this were a human-interest documentary, we’d already have a total tearfest, even without the sad background music. What a pity.

Heh. Rising nicely.

Sister Theresa, I’ll earn a ton of coins and make sure you stay healthy!

I was so thrilled I started flapping my arms and legs again.

“His name is Gongza?”

Ma Soo-jung reached out and pushed the camera aside. Just then, the nun carried me over to her.

“Yes. His name is Gongza.”

“W-wait a second. If he sees me, he’ll cry…”

She looked at me with frightened eyes.

Why would I cry, actress Ma?

I was going to smile as brightly as possible, if only for the sake of publicity.

I held out my tiny hands toward her, then beamed at her with a clear, ringing little voice.

“Bba-yah!”

Ma Soo-jung startled and took a step back. I kept reaching toward her.

“Bbuyaang! Bbyaah!”

How about that, actress Ma? My adorable babbling.

Hurry up and hand over the coins!

But unlike the others, her reaction didn’t come easily.

Am I not cute enough?

Sister Theresa smiled and said, “Gongza seems to like you, Ms. Soo-jung.”

“Huh? Th-there’s no way… I hate babies. Mari used to scream and cry every time I tried to hold her…”

“But Gongza is smiling and reaching out to you like this.”

“Uh…”

The nun placed me in her arms.

“Why don’t you hold him for a moment?”

“Uh, I, I…”

She was pushed forward by her hesitant hands until she ended up taking Gongza from me. I settled obediently against her. With one hand supporting my back, she held me quite skillfully.

She’s staring right through me.

I met Ma Soo-jung’s eyes. They were trembling.

Don’t be scared, actress Ma.

I’m not going to cry.

In fact, I’m going to smile even brighter.

I slowly smiled back at her.

“Bbu-kyaa!”

I did every cute little thing a baby could possibly do.

“Oh? Gongza?”

I kicked my arms and legs and shook my head. Ma Soo-jung couldn’t tear her gaze away from me.

“I, I…”

She couldn’t speak for a long while, then finally managed a single sentence.

“J-just a second! Put some sanitizer on my hands first.”

“Pardon?”

“Hurry up.”

Sister Theresa immediately squeezed hand sanitizer onto her palms. Ma Soo-jung rubbed her hands together at lightning speed and then supported my back again.

Why is she sanitizing?

Then she grabbed my tiny fist and suddenly blurted out in a rush, “Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! You’re adorable! How can a kid be this cute? What did you say his name was?”

The words poured out of her as if she’d become an entirely different person.

If I were an ordinary baby, this noise would’ve made me cry.

But I’m different! I just kept grinning as if this were the most wonderful thing in the world.

“Bbyaahh!”

“He’s pretty, isn’t he? His name is Gongza.”

“Oh my goodness, what am I going to do! Even his name is pretty!”

Hmm, no.

Wasn’t that a little much, actress Ma?

Even if you’re babbling nonsense because I’m cute, how on earth is Gongza a pretty name? If anything, it sounds like the sort of name that would get you teased, even if the surname were Gwi.

“But somehow, it suits him! If he were just some ordinary kid, I’d think his parents had odd taste. Why is it that, for this child, it feels perfect?”

So basically, my face carried the whole thing, huh?

I kicked my legs in satisfaction.

Then I’ll take that as a compliment.

After all, anything looks better when it’s handsome.

I wriggled happily in her arms with a proud little expression. Ma Soo-jung began to stroke my round shoulders and little limbs.

“Warm and soft.”

That’s true whether it’s me or not, actress Ma.

“But… this is strange. Why isn’t he crying? My own child used to cry whenever he saw me…”

“Gongza is just naturally gentle.”

“Mari was gentle around other people too. She only cried around me, so… so…”

She let out a sigh. I patted her with my small hand, as if to tell her not to worry.

“I thought all children hated me…”

Now that I looked at her, I could see she had it rough.

“Bbuuu, ppa-ppa!”

Cheer up, actress Ma.

Why would a child hate his mother? It must have just been then.

Maybe my comforting had reached her heart, because Ma Soo-jung looked at me and smiled sheepishly.

“Gongza. Are you comforting me right now?”

“Bbuaya!”

Of course!

Ma Soo-jung stared at me intently.

If those eyes had been a camera lens, this would’ve been the kind of close-up that drags in a soul along with it.

A single-camera shot? Then I’d better give it my all…

I poured everything I had into a dazzling smile.

And then, all of a sudden, a drop of water rolled down from Ma Soo-jung’s eyes.

Huh?

No, why was she crying?

I panicked and flailed all over again.

“Bbuppa-paa, bubba-bya!”

If you see a cute child, you should laugh, not cry!

Sister Theresa looked flustered too and hurriedly asked, “Ms. Soo-jung?”

“I… I always thought I was only good at making people frown…”

Ma Soo-jung dabbed at the corners of her eyes, voice breaking.

“I never knew I could make someone smile. Even if it’s just a little child…”

Sister Theresa quickly brought over some tissues.

But Ma Soo-jung refused the kindness. She didn’t even ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wipe away the tears. She only kept staring at my smiling face.

That was when it happened.

Click—

I heard the shutter of a camera. Ma Soo-jung looked toward it, as if waking from a spell.