The Mother’s Plan
“Yeah. It’s coming in like a tide. Both Gongza and you! Kiiyaaah!”
The CEO spun around again and again.
He’s going to get dizzy if he keeps that up.
Well, there was no point trying to stop him anyway; he never listened.
He must be in a good mood.
Ma Soo-jung leaned back in her chair. To be honest, she was in a pretty good mood too.
“Soo-jung. Your son is a real little treasure.”
“Yeah, he is.”
“Look at these photos from the photo zone. He’s so cute I could die.”
The CEO kissed the screen of his smartphone. Gross. Ma Soo-jung shook her head.
“I didn’t think the production briefing would get this much attention.”
“It’s not usually this big. But your son is Ma Gongza.”
The CEO stopped his spinning chair and said,
“I think our Gongza got showered with love on set.”
Ma Soo-jung crossed her arms.
“Of course he did. Whose son do you think he is?”
“Look at you, bragging out loud now.”
“I always brag out loud.”
“Fair point.”
The CEO nodded.
“I’m not saying this because he’s your son, but I’ve never seen a kid like him. The director and lead actor praised him until their tongues went dry! In the end, it was all about Gongza.”
“They probably know our Gongza has ticket power. Ah, whose son is this, getting this accomplished?”
CEO Seo fired a heart-shaped bullet with his index finger.
“The son of the great actress Ma Soo-jung.”
“Exactly. My son!”
They both grinned at the same time.
“Now that Gongza’s making waves, people are noticing you again too.”
“Wow, I’m really getting to ride my son’s coattails.”
“Congratulations! You’re going to be busy again!”
Ma Soo-jung let out a long breath and gave a small laugh.
“It’s a little embarrassing. A mother’s supposed to be the one helping her son, but it’s turned out the other way around.”
“Hey, as long as someone’s helping, who cares? Why are you worrying about that?”
“Still.”
“Anyway, I was worried about you, but this is a relief. Soo-jung, you need to stay busy. You get depressed when you’ve got too much free time.”
Ma Soo-jung nodded.
“You knew? Since when?”
“Why wouldn’t I know? I used to be your manager, remember?”
“Hmm. So when did I get found out?”
“A long time ago! But seriously, I still don’t get why that accounting fraud thing splashed back onto you and your son. It’s disgusting.”
“Well, they are all in it together. If people don’t know the circumstances, I guess they’d curse at them too. But...”
Ma Soo-jung rested her chin on her hand.
“I expected them to come after me, but I never thought they’d go after Gongza too. Why would they ask a question like that at the production briefing?”
“It’s obvious. They want money, that’s all.”
“Filthy trash.”
“Sometimes I wonder if all reporters in the world are like that, or if only the ones in our country are especially rotten.”
“Not all reporters are like that. It’s always just a few bad ones muddying the water.”
Ma Soo-jung let out a long sigh.
“Still, they had no shame. Gongza’s still so young. He probably doesn’t even know anything to begin with.”
“The situation’s worse than that. Those bastards are framing Gongza.”
Ma Soo-jung shook her head.
“I know. It was disgusting.”
“They’re saying, ‘Look at Gongza, coming out without any self-reflection — the rule of law is collapsing.’ That sort of thing.”
“If they really want to defend the rule of law, there are more effective ways than attacking Gongza.”
“No kidding.”
Ma Soo-jung tapped the table with her fingertips. The frame had been set, and it had been set fast.
“But maybe that frame was put up by Sungjin Group.”
“Ah, so if everyone’s attention goes to Gongza, the accounting fraud scandal gets less heat?”
“Exactly. Doesn’t that sound like Sungjin Group?”
“If that were really true, even for a second...”
Ma Soo-jung exhaled.
“I really live in a house like that.”
“Dirty and terrifying, huh.”
“Yeah. Our Gongza gets hurt or sick because of those trash reporters, and they wouldn’t care. That damned family wouldn’t care either.”
Ma Soo-jung looked down at her own hands.
“Should I just storm in there in the middle of the night?”
“Soo-jung. If you end up in prison on a criminal case, you’re done for real.”
“I’m going out of my mind here. Our Gongza really had nothing to do with this.”
Leaning back in her chair, Ma Soo-jung fell into thought. CEO Seo stole a glance at the actress and said seriously,
“Soo-jung, I think this’ll blow over.”
“I know.”
“If you keep your schedule light and ride it out, it’ll pass. Even if the internet boils over like a pot, public opinion cools just as fast.”
Ma Soo-jung nodded.
“I know. That’s why I took time off and stayed quiet.”
“And Gongza got free time too.”
“Resting wasn’t bad. But the problem is, this isn’t the end of it.”
“Right.”
“So I put my head together and came up with a way.”
“What way?”
Ma Soo-jung brushed her hair back.
“I’m not sure I’d call it a method, but...”
“No, what is it?”
“Gongza wants to start a charity foundation. He’s actually in the middle of setting one up.”
“Ah, right. You mentioned that before.”
“If that gets out, the arrows pointed at Gongza should ease up, right?”
“Of course. You don’t mess with a kid who volunteers and donates.”
“The problem is making sure people find out. Bigger than the bad stuff.”
CEO Seo nodded.
“Right. And it has to be revealed against their will.”
“Why does it have to be against their will? Isn’t volunteering and donating something that should be known either way?”
CEO Seo spun his chair once around.
“I agree with you, but you know how they say the left hand shouldn’t know what the right is doing.”
“That’s so frustrating.”
Ma Soo-jung crossed her arms again.
“So I was thinking we could establish the foundation and then reveal the donations in a way that really hits.”
“In a way that hits? How? Soo-jung, are you trying to stir up attention?”
“Yes. Exactly.”
CEO Seo dropped his head and spun around again.
“Sounds risky.”
“A little. But the method itself is simple. Gongza and I just need to work hard.”
“Hmm. If you get a lot of exposure during a time like this, people are going to rip you apart.”
“Yeah. Once they’ve eaten their fill of that, we’ll reveal the welfare foundation. It’ll turn things around in an instant.”
CEO Seo stopped his chair. Instinct told him:
The method itself is good.
It was an extremely effective one.
“Hey, Soo-jung. Fine, you can take it. But even if you can handle it, can Gongza?”
Ma Soo-jung let out a sigh.
“That’s what I’m worried about too.”
“He may have shot up in height all of a sudden, but he’s still a baby, isn’t he?”
“I know. Why wouldn’t I know? But if we don’t change the course of this, it’ll keep burning.”
Both of them fell silent at once. The room seemed to go still.
“Thinking about that sweet kid getting hurt...” Ma Soo-jung murmured, “I don’t like this either.”
“But if you leave it alone, he’ll get hurt even more.”
“Yeah. I guess I’m just weak.”
Ma Soo-jung looked up at the ceiling. The LED light was bright enough to make her squint.
“When I brought Gongza home, I really thought I could protect him no matter what. What is this, seriously?”
She muttered it under her breath.
“Should I just kidnap that second brat and leave him in the Amazon jungle?”
“Soo-jung.”
“That bastard. Seriously, why should our Gongza suffer?”
Ma Soo-jung thought about it several times a day while she was resting.
I really want to handle it myself, if only I could.
But then it would just become news all over again, in a different way.
In the end, the conclusion was the same.
“We have to do it, right?”
“Right.”
“If I tell Gongza, will he understand?”
Ma Soo-jung imagined Gongza’s clear eyes. He was such a kind child.
He’d nod even if he didn’t like it.
Just thinking about that already made her sad.
“Gongza would understand more than enough.”
“I’m going crazy.”
Ma Soo-jung let out a breath so deep it seemed to sink into the floor.
“I’m really getting to see the filthy side of the world, aren’t I, our Gongza?”
“Soo-jung. No matter how hard you try to protect him, this is the kind of thing he’ll run into sooner or later.”
“I wanted him to go through it later.”
“If Gongza were just an ordinary child actor, maybe that would’ve been possible. But your son is the most famous preschooler in all of South Korea right now.”
Ma Soo-jung nodded.
“I knew there was a limit to what I could do. I just didn’t know it would come this fast.”
“It’ll be okay. I’ve watched Gongza, and I know he’s a strong kid.”
“He may be strong, but he’s still a kid.”
Ma Soo-jung closed her eyes. The helplessness felt like a wound.
“Don’t torment yourself over it too much, Soo-jung. I’ve got kids too, so I know exactly how you feel. Let’s just think of it as the weak sacrificing themselves for the greater good.”
“You’re talking about giving up flesh to take bone. What if it hurts our Gongza’s flesh?”
“Flesh grows back. Bone doesn’t.”
“Artificial bones exist these days.”
“Ah, really?”
The two of them stared at each other for a second, then burst out laughing.
“It’ll all pass.”
“I know.”
“Then I’ll handle all the money-smelling stuff for a while.”
“Yes, please proceed like you used to.”
“Got it. Ah, here are the scripts. Take them. Gongza’s too.”
CEO Seo got to his feet, then swayed.
“Whoa, dizzy.”
“Serves you right for spinning around like that.”
“I was excited.”
He really was the same as ever. Ma Soo-jung shook her head.
“Here. Oh, wow. I should call someone. This is a mountain.”
The scripts were stacked quite high.
“You’ve got a lot too. No matter how much chaos is going on, you know a lot of people are still looking for you.”
“I know. Well, of course they are. I’m Ma Soo-jung.”
CEO Seo laughed and nodded. Ma Soo-jung lifted the stack of papers as if they weighed nothing.
“Oh? Not heavy?”
“Not at all.”
“Huh? It feels heavy to me.”
Ma Soo-jung swept her gaze over CEO Seo from head to toe.
“Boss, have you gotten weak?”
“Ah! How can you say something that harsh? Give it here!”
CEO Seo snatched the stack of scripts from her.
“I-It is heavy!”
His face was turning red. Ma Soo-jung snorted a laugh.
“Give them back. You’re going to drop them.”
“Hey, how is this not heavy?”
“I keep telling you, you should work out. I did it regularly even while I was resting.”
Ma Soo-jung took the scripts back with ease and walked toward the door. CEO Seo rubbed his arms and said,
“Soo-jung. I’m normal, and you’re the weird one.”
“Don’t use your own weakness as an excuse.”
“No! Hey, I’m not weak in any human sense!”
Ma Soo-jung nodded as she walked.
“I’m telling you, I’m serious!”
“Sure, if you say so.”
“Look at her.”
She ignored him entirely and opened the door to the office. Behind her, he was still protesting, but she didn’t pay any attention.
The door shut.
She looked down at the scripts. Honestly, their weight made her feel better.
She smiled faintly.
* * *
My mother had said,
“Gongza. This is Mom’s plan.”
I clapped my hands.
Excellent strategy, Mother.
It was even what I had been aiming for.
To think you’d come to the same conclusion. As expected, you’re my god.
Mom’s plan was simple.
Once they’re busy tearing us apart, we reveal that we’ve set up a charity foundation.
Once that happened, it was obvious we’d gain a right to protection equal to however much flak we’d taken.
I didn’t exactly plan on getting torn to pieces, though.
As expected of my superstar mother, she really was different.
I really need to do filial piety properly.
If I don’t, you can kick me in the back of the head later.
Hmm, so that’s why there were so many CF offers.
I smiled brightly. Honestly, maybe because I’d been so bored, I was happy to have any kind of work at all.
Still, I never thought I’d end up doing something like this.
I looked at the wreath on my head. Somehow, there were real flowers tucked into it.
And this outfit is really...
I felt like I’d only ever seen this in a museum.
Some kind of Greek or Roman place, maybe?
I looked at my reflection in the mirror. There I was, draped in white, fluttering fabric.
Honestly, it should have looked wrong.
But my face carries the whole thing.
A pretty-boy straight out of a wall painting stared back at me.
What a precious face.
I really needed to take care of it. If I messed this up, it would be a national treasure–level loss.
Is that why they gave me an ad like this?
Honestly, this was the first time in my two lives that I’d gotten an ad like this, so it was a pretty big surprise.
Perfume, huh.