Patch? Paparazzi?
“Are they following me?”
Whoa. Was this because of the drama Emergency Room?
“And come on, chasing after a baby?”
Did they have nothing better to do? No, wait.
Come to think of it, the children of celebrities in Hollywood basically lived with paparazzi on their heels.
In a way, it was only natural.
Besides, this wasn’t the first time.
They’d already caught us on camera when I’d gone out with Mom last time, hadn’t they?
Well, looking at it that way, it made sense.
And it was probably something I’d get used to.
Wow, maybe every move I make will be exposed to the entire world?
A chill ran down my spine.
Usually, I’d hate that...
But maybe because I wasn’t usual at all.
I kind of like it.
Ah, reincarnated or not, there was no stopping a healthy appetite for attention. Seriously.
I’d have to be careful, though. Very careful.
I grinned. CEO Seo, who had no idea what I was thinking, turned the wheel and said, “Photos of you and Soo-jung at the hospital are all over the place too.”
Ah, that.
“There was even an article wondering whether our Gongza was sick. They got ridiculously specific and even guessed at a diagnosis. Talking crap about a kid—those rotten bastards.”
Well, people like that existed everywhere.
As long as they were only rotten, that was a relief.
Come to think of it, Mom must’ve been stressed after seeing that.
“Of course, Soo-jung just laughed it off.”
Haha. Thank goodness. So it hadn’t bothered her.
Our mom really is cool.
CEO Seo said seriously, “Gongza, from now on you need to be careful around people. Once you’re famous, all sorts of useless trash start clinging to you.”
I know.
“Soo-jung’s used to that sort of thing because she’s from the Sungjin Group family, but even so, she was worried. Gongza, careful, and then careful again, all right? You’ve got to test the stone bridge before you cross it, and even people you know well need a second look. Everyone except your mother—be careful around them, Gongza.”
Hmm, fair enough.
But if that’s how we’re doing this...
I smiled brightly and said, “You too, Uncle?”
You’re included in that, aren’t you?
“Huh? Me?”
“You too, Uncle?”
“Ah, no! Not me! I’m your uncle!”
Weren’t you just saying everyone except Mom?
I tilted my head innocently, and CEO Seo flailed desperately. “I’m the exception! Gongza! If you want, I can be your godfather! No, wait.”
Then he suddenly turned serious.
“Hmm, actually. Yes. Gongza. You should be careful around me too.”
Oh?
That’s not what I expected.
CEO Seo turned the wheel again and said, “A kid like Gongza should be wary of everyone. Including your uncle.”
Wow.
CEO Seo, I had no idea. You’re actually a pretty good guy.
Not many people could say something like that to a child who knew nothing.
So that’s why the actors under his agency don’t leave, huh?
There was a reason Mom trusted this man.
I grinned and said, “Gongza likes Uncle!”
I glanced sideways at CEO Seo. In the driver’s seat, he went completely silent for a second.
“Uncle?”
“Aaah! I’m dying here! Thank you! Gongza! I like you too! This is insane. How did Soo-jung bring back something this adorable? I totally get why my daughters are losing their minds over you!”
Okay, the first part made sense, but what was that second part?
Are those the daughters I saw at the first-birthday party?
They really had been unusual.
“My girls are all shouting at me to bring you home. They said if they could make you their little brother, they’d give up the chocolate they love forever.”
Wow. I wasn’t sure I understood, but that sounded like an enormous sacrifice.
“Oh, what a sinful little bundle of luck.”
Now what did that mean?
I snorted with a laugh. Well, it felt a little over the top, but not in a bad way.
* * *
The studio was the same as always. I was carried inside in CEO Seo’s arms.
“Hello. Thank you for your hard work. Our Gongza’s here!”
The moment I went in, the staff swarmed around me.
Wow.
This thing called popularity really was something else.
“So this is Gongza? Wow, he’s adorable.”
“I’d heard the rumors, but he really is. Oh my. Look at those cheeks.”
“He’s prettier than he looks on TV. No, seriously, how is he even built like that? Look at that nose bridge. He’s still so little, and he already has a nose bridge.”
“He’s got a different kind of bone structure, doesn’t he? He’s cuter than I expected.”
The compliments were no joke. And sure enough, coins popped up too.
Staff 2 is moved by your cuteness.
Love & Peace Coin +100
Staff 5 is amazed by your looks.
Love & Peace Coin +50
Thank you, everyone.
Let’s have a great shoot.
I’ll do my best.
Just then, a man wearing a hat approached me.
One look was enough.
The director.
The man smiled at me with a grin. “Wow, so it’s true.”
“Director, please take good care of us today.”
“I’ve seen a lot of child models, but you’re in a league of your own.”
The director folded his arms and looked me over from head to toe.
“How do I even film this? You really are the kind of kid everybody talks about these days.”
I answered with a radiant smile. “Thank you!”
“Huh! Ah, right, they said you talk!”
Excuse me? The fact that I could talk was already obvious from variety shows, wasn’t it? Why was he so shocked?
“Our Gongza is pretty quick with words.”
“Yeah, I know, but seeing it in person is still surprising. All right, let’s get ready fast. Baby models need their naps too. You said Entertainment Stroll was coming today, right?”
The director kept staring at me and said, “This is the first time an entertainment program’s come to shoot an ad for children’s clothes, but I guess it makes sense. Wow. The more I look at him, the more incredible he is.”
Thank you. I smiled sweetly and made a little bow.
“Thank you!”
“H-huh!”
“My God!”
The staff let out little gasps, and the director blinked.
“Director, this is no joke.”
“Y-yeah, I see that. I wonder if he’ll act well too.”
“First we should try on the costume.”
“The outfit looked kind of old-fashioned. I wondered whether he could pull it off, but if it’s that kid...”
What was that supposed to mean? Was it some kind of difficult outfit to wear?
CEO Seo carried me over and said, “Gongza, time for the costume.”
“O-kay!”
“It’s a costume designed by Madam Jeong Ri-ri. Soo-jung looks tailor-made for her clothes. I wonder about Gongza, though.”
Well, I’m a baby. They weren’t exactly judging the body type.
I smiled to myself. Honestly, I was looking forward to it.
* * *
They say fashion is completed by the face.
So that applied to babies too, apparently.
I stared at the mirror and let out a small breath.
“Wow!”
Was that really me?
Madam Jeong Ri-ri’s design was definitely old-fashioned. I didn’t know much about fashion, but the white embroidery was clearly something special.
It looks like the clothes a European noble child would wear. And yet it suits me perfectly.
No, seriously—unless you had this body, there was no way you could pull it off.
I thought all kids’ clothes were more or less the same, but I was wrong.
I stood up and took a few steps.
In the mirror stood a refined little child. Honestly, I looked like someone had ordered a little prince from a painting and had him delivered straight here.
Just looking at me made me feel full.
Yep. Fashion really is completed by the face.
When I turned slightly, CEO Seo shouted, “Wow, now that’s getting scary. Pulling off that outfit like that...”
Of course. CEO Seo, this is the power of looks.
“No way, I can’t keep this to myself.”
CEO Seo picked me up and carried me back out. The staff all stared at me in amazement.
“Wow, that’s insane.”
“How does it suit him that well?”
“Director! Look at him. He fits the ‘prince’ in the commercial perfectly, doesn’t he?”
“Yeah, I’m surprised too. Wow. If we do this right, we might have a huge hit on our hands.”
The director’s eyes grew eager. I smiled to myself.
Good.
So please give me some acting directions.
Preferably specific ones.
I’ll do great, really.
The director took off his hat, then put it back on again. “So, Gongza?”
“O-kay!”
“Go sit over there.”
The director pointed to a lavish chair.
That looks like a throne or something.
It was child-sized, so it was a little small, but still.
I nodded.
“O-kay!”
“Look over here, then turn your head around like this and that. Then look back at this again and smile like you’ve just seen a new toy!”
Good grief.
Explaining it like that makes it harder to understand.
Still, I could translate it.
Look at the camera, then glance around, then smile like you’ve seen Mom walking in with a toy.
Well, a bright smile would do.
I nodded.
“O-kay!”
“Oh, he’s adorable. I don’t know if he actually understands, though.”
I understand perfectly.
CEO Seo added quietly, “Director, Gongza is an incredibly smart kid. Just look at how he talks already.”
“Yes, well. We’ll know once we try. All right then, Gongza. Let’s roll.”
“O-kay!”
I sat in the chair.
“When the uncle says cue, you look at this.”
I understand, Director.
“O-kay!”
I nodded. A moment later, the director shouted, “Stand by, cue!”
I looked at the camera. Then I glanced around as if searching for something.
He said to smile like I’d seen a new toy.
Honestly, I liked work better than toys anyway.
It should be a look of interest, of fascination.
And for me, this was work too.
I looked back at the camera and smiled brightly, as if I’d just been handed a great script.
“Cut. Okay. Wow.”
The director blinked.
How was that?
Pretty good, right?
I waited quietly for praise, but for some reason there was only silence.
What, what’s going on?
As I looked around, the director finally said one word.
“Wow.”
Then, as if he’d been waiting for it, the silence broke.
“That’s no joke.”
“So cute. No, seriously, what is he?”
“How is a kid that good?”
A grin tugged at my lips.
Excellent.
Go on, be more amazed.
The director came up to me, breathing hard.
“You, you’re a genius!”
Only now did you realize it? But I probably shouldn’t let that show.
“O-kay?”
When I tilted my head innocently, the director rattled off, “Kid—no, Gongza. Your eyes were sparkling. No, I’m not exaggerating, they were shining like stars! W-what kind of toy were you thinking about? A game console?”
Does a two-year-old even play games? That didn’t sound right, and it probably wasn’t great for child development either.
“Nope!”
“Then, a doll? Snacks?”
Actually, it was the script, but I definitely couldn’t say that. I smiled brightly and gave him the perfect excuse.
“Mama!”
“Huh? Your mom?”
“Yep! Gongza likes Mama more than snacks!”
“H-huh!”
“Whoa!”
“Holy—!”
Groans and gasps rose from all around. When I turned slightly, one staff member thumped his chest.
“Damn, my heart actually hurts!”
“I feel like I’m being exorcised by pure innocence! That was insanely sacred just now!”
“He’s exactly like he is on variety shows! I’m jealous of Ma Soo-jung!”
No, why was everyone reacting like that?
That’s a bit much.
Still, good reactions were good reactions.
The director took a deep breath.
“Gongza. I’m not the kind of person who gives an okay on the first take.”
Ah, I see.
“But there’s no way this isn’t an okay. Let’s change the outfit and keep rolling, all right?”
“O-kay!”
A staff member immediately picked me up. CEO Seo followed after us and asked, “Director, is that true?”
“Yes. It’s true. I’m not the type to shoot carelessly, but still, let’s do a few more takes.”
CEO Seo scratched his chin and said, “Looks like our Gongza just knocked over a picky director.”
That was a little extreme.
“Still, that shot was amazing. I thought there were jewels in his eyes.”
“They were sparkling, weren’t they? Gongza!”
“O-kay!”
“Good job! Oh, our treasure!”
Well, praise was always nice no matter when you heard it. I kicked my legs and smiled brightly.
“By the way, the next outfit is that one, right?”
“Yes, it’s the rabbit one.”
Huh?
—