Celebrity
Ma Soo-jung let out a snort of laughter.
Our Gongza? Like that?
She shook her head.
“Why not? Being a celebrity is great. Do you know what happened to the clothes Gongza was wearing just now?”
Ma Soo-jung blinked, and CEO Seo held up his smartphone screen.
“The articles are already out.”
Ma Soo-jung tilted her head.
“That is quite the way to put it.”
“Soo-jung, when I look at Gongza, I’m telling you, this kid might just become a top star.”
Now what kind of thing was that supposed to mean?
Ma Soo-jung snorted. Selling out one set of clothes and suddenly the praise was off the charts.
“Isn’t ‘top star’ a little too itchy?”
“He already has a religion, doesn’t he? Gongza, that kid’s the real deal. The only thing that comes out of my mouth when I look at him is admiration. Soo-jung, you know me, right? My standards are high.”
Ma Soo-jung blinked. The religion part was probably just a joke, but it was true that CEO Seo was hard to impress.
“Mm, really? Still, boss.”
Ma Soo-jung grinned.
“Do you really think our Gongza ends there?”
“Huh?”
She swept her hair back. No one would have known because she never showed it, but the person who praised and supported Gongza more than anyone else was Ma Soo-jung herself.
“Our Gongza is going to become a legend!”
At her sudden declaration, CEO Seo’s mouth dropped open. “He’s this adorable, so of course he is. Ah, this side of our Gongza was supposed to be mine alone, and now I keep having to share him with the public.”
Ma Soo-jung shot him a light wink.
“That’s the only shame.”
“Hey, hey! Soo-jung!”
“That’s what I think. Ah, but that’s one thing, and reality is another.”
Ma Soo-jung rested her chin on her hand.
“Our Gongza won’t even be able to walk around the street carelessly anymore, will he?”
“Of course not!”
“Maybe it’d be better to wait a little longer before sending him to a place like daycare?”
CEO Seo nodded hard.
“Yeah. Probably.”
“Well, it can’t be helped. Boss, please go ahead with the interview.”
“Ah! Good thinking. I already reached out! When I asked, they liked it.”
“What kind of person is he?”
The CEO lowered his head for a moment and let out a sigh.
“Well, you’ll know when you see him. His character is absolutely guaranteed. Diligent, reliable. The more you get to know him, the more solid he is. He’s the kind of person you can truly trust.”
“Mm, that sounds less like ‘you’ll know’ and more like ‘you have to know’.”
Caught.
CEO Seo lowered his head miserably.
“He’s really like a monk. Doesn’t smoke, and doesn’t drink a drop of alcohol.”
“Not even alcohol? Amazing.”
“If he has time, he cleans. If he sees someone struggling on the street, he always helps.”
That sounded good enough.
“Still.”
“You’ll see. Though, no matter what I say, if you hate him, there’s nothing I can do.”
Ma Soo-jung nodded.
“Then why can’t you just say it clearly? This is a little suspicious.”
“P-please just meet him.”
CEO Seo pleaded earnestly.
After a moment’s thought, Ma Soo-jung snorted.
“Fine.”
“You’ll see him?”
“Yes. If the boss is putting it that strongly, then I should at least meet him.”
“S-Soo-jung!”
CEO Seo cried out in emotion.
“You trust me!”
“Yes, of course.”
Ma Soo-jung smiled brightly.
“Not with everything, but with your eye for people.”
“J-just that?”
“Yes.”
“Hey, is my character and everything else just not that great?”
“It’s not that it’s bad, but...”
Ma Soo-jung stood up.
“Just average? I’m heading to filming. I’ll talk to Mijin about the nanny interview, pick a date, and text you. I’m not home much, anyway.”
“Ah, right.”
CEO Seo flopped down on the sofa with a disappointed look. When Ma Soo-jung came out, the secretary who had been watching discreetly leaned in and whispered,
“You’re making him feel small like that.”
“I know.”
“You actually mean the opposite, don’t you?”
Ma Soo-jung winked at the secretary. It was a fresh, bright wink that made the viewer feel oddly cheerful.
“Secret.”
“Honestly. You really do enjoy teasing the boss.”
“I had him sit in the boss’s chair just so I could tease CEO Seo.”
The secretary nodded. Ma Soo-jung smiled sweetly. Maybe because people were praising her child.
I know public attention is as fragile as a sandcastle, but...
Still, it didn’t feel entirely bad.
* * *
When I woke up in the morning, Mom was at home. I looked at her with a slightly uneasy expression.
She didn’t turn down a movie role because of me, did she?
While I was eyeing her suspiciously, Mom smiled brightly.
“Did our Gongza wake up?”
“Yeaah!”
“If you’re up, you can wake Mom too. Our Gongza always waits until Mom wakes up.”
No, Mom.
You’re always busy. If you’ve got a rare chance to sleep, I can’t go interrupting you.
Even if it’s only for a few dozen minutes. Anyone who’s ever overworked themselves knows exactly how precious that time is.
Mom hugged me tightly and said,
“Who did you take after to grow up this sweet?”
Why ask something like that?
“Mama!”
At my answer, Mom hugged me and spun around once in bed.
“You’re just so cute I could die.”
I am pretty cute, aren’t I. Mom kissed my forehead and got up.
“I want to play with Gongza, but I have to go out this afternoon.”
So that was it.
Th-thank goodness.
I had been worried she might skip work because of me, Mother.
“I’m sorry, Gongza.”
“Noooo!”
Please don’t be sorry about that. Go to work. You can even stay away for months on an overseas shoot!
“Oh, my angel.”
Mom picked me up and stood.
Just then, the aunt who did the housework came in.
“Miss, you’re awake?”
“Yeah. You know, right? Today the nanny candidate is coming for an interview.”
“Yes. I’ve prepared. Give me Gongza, and you get ready.”
“Okay.”
I was transferred into the aunt’s arms.
Mm, but I’ve grown a bit.
I wasn’t really at the age to be carried anymore, was I?
I said to her,
“Gongza wants to walk!”
“Oh? You want to?”
I got down to the floor, took the aunt’s hand, and walked along. But after exactly ten steps, my legs gave out.
Has it really not even been a year yet?
Good grief, I’m annoyingly slow. Hanging onto the aunt’s hand, I walked again.
When I went out to the living room, there was a stranger there.
“Oh my?”
I could feel the aunt startle through the hand I was holding.
Ah, I think I know why she’s surprised.
I blinked at the stranger.
He’s huge.
He was wearing a black suit and sunglasses.
So dark.
How was I supposed to put it? Even with his face partially hidden, the features that showed were scary enough.
And he’s got a scar on his cheek too. He looks like someone who’d do real work for an organization.
Why was someone like that in our house?
It’s not like Sungjin Group went bankrupt and took out loans from loan sharks.
Mom couldn’t possibly be in debt. No, in the first place, there was no way a gangster would just come all the way inside the house.
The aunt hid me behind her and asked,
“W-who are you?”
The man in the black suit answered,
“I’m here for an interview.”
“Wh-what? An interview?”
The aunt stammered.
“A n-nanny?”
Huh?
He’s the person who’s going to take care of me?
I blinked.
Really?
Just from his face, he looked like the kind of man who might be waving a weapon around somewhere.
The aunt stood there at a loss. But the man seemed used to situations like this and simply stayed where he was.
I studied him closely, and then I noticed something.
Aha!
I let go of the aunt’s hand and toddled toward the man.
“Go, Gongza! Stay with Auntie!”
“I’m fwenches!”
“No, you’re not okay!”
It was just as I was almost in front of the man that my legs gave out again and I lost my balance. The man quickly lowered his head and caught me.
As expected.
I raised my arms and greeted him.
“Mister! Hello!”
Even through the thick frame of his body, I could feel his muscles lock up in surprise. I ignored that and introduced myself first.
“I’m Gongza! Who’re you, mister?”
The man’s expression didn’t seem to move at all. But I knew better.
His lips are trembling.
And his cheek was moving too. Barely, but it looked like he was smiling.
“I-I’m Kim Deok-su.”
“Deok-su mister?”
“Y-yes.”
Kim Deok-su suddenly trembled all over. I tilted my head and asked,
“Mister, you’re shaking. Are you cold?”
“N-no, it’s not that...”
Kim Deok-su said calmly,
“It’s because this is the first time a child has looked at me without crying.”
Goodness.
Well, honestly, that makes sense.
For a kid, it would be strange not to cry at the sight of this man.
“Gongza. I know all about you.”
Wow.
He means he knows me because I’m famous, right?
Though, really. Was it just me, or did this man have the perfect face for misunderstandings?
Sure enough, when I turned my head a little, the aunt looked even more uneasy and at a loss.
Oh dear.
I understand, Auntie.
“You saw me on TV?”
“Yes. I did.”
Kim Deok-su’s cheek twitched. Maybe because of that, his already frightening face looked even more menacing.
“I saw everything you were in.”
The aunt couldn’t take it anymore and screamed.
“Eek!”
Oh dear.
She rushed over at once and tried to take me away.
“N-no! I don’t know who you are, but let him go!”
“No, I, I’m—”
“Let him go first. Gongza! Run away!”
She was desperate.
I shook my head.
“Noona! I’m finwee!”
“No! You’re not fine!”
“I’m really finwee! See?”
I took out the antibacterial wet wipes and hand cream from the man’s suit pocket.
“Huh?”
“There’s this too!”
There was also a handkerchief with a cute pattern. The aunt blinked.
“B-baby supplies?”
To clear up the misunderstanding quickly, I hurriedly asked,
“Mister, why are you here?”
“Ah, I came for an interview.”
So he really was the nanny candidate.
Just as I was putting the giraffe-print handkerchief and wet wipes back into the suit pocket, a familiar voice rang out.
“Oh my, you’re already here?”
It was Mom.
“Mama!”
“Yes, Gongza. Oh?”
Mom blinked at the man’s face.
She didn’t know either?
But Mom quickly smiled.
“You look just like the photo on your resume.”
“Ah, yes.”
“You’re here for the interview?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The man bowed politely and straightened again.
“My name is Kim Deok-su. It’s just as written on the resume.”
Mom nodded and sat across from him. Then she picked up the papers that had been laid out.
The aunt asked,
“Miss, he’s really the nanny applicant?”
“Huh? Yeah. He is.”
“No, but how could someone like this...?”
“He was introduced by someone trustworthy. Ah, how do you know CEO Seo?”
The man lowered his head slightly.
“I got to know him while working at a snack shop. His wife and children are regulars there.”
“Oh, really?”
“It’s a shop my older brother runs.”
The aunt hurriedly said,
“M-Miss. That snack shop isn’t run by a retired gangster, is it?”
When the aunt looked at him suspiciously, the man quickly defended himself.
“N-no! It’s been in the family for three generations. And it’s a famous place. Very well known.”