* * *
No matter how perfect your face is, you have to be able to control it to use it.
‘But surprisingly, babies don’t have time to look in the mirror.’
There was a mirror in the room, but it was too high up.
‘I guess it’s because it’s a room with a baby.’
You wouldn’t want to break it.
At that moment, I flailed my arms and legs frantically.
“Kongja?”
Ah, this place!
All kinds of mirrors were laid out. I checked my reflection without thinking and let out a groan.
“Bpu!”
Wow.
“Bpu-ya-bbupu?”
Is this me?
I was reflected in the mirror. In that instant, I took a deep breath.
‘Is this even human?’
Come to think of it, I hadn’t had a chance to see my face up close. I knew I was pretty, but that was just a guess.
Wow…
I tapped my face with my short fingers.
Of course, there wasn’t much force, so there was no sound.
‘Is this a dream or reality?’
I thought there was a doll in the mirror.
‘This is killing me.’
I didn’t expect it to be this much.
I stared blankly at the mirror.
Really, my eyes are big. I’m a baby, but my nose is high. I pressed my cheeks to check my jawbone.
‘Perfect bone structure, beautiful jawline…’
Tears welled up.
I have this face!
“Kongja?”
Mom stopped the stroller. I reached out and hugged a small mirror tightly.
“Oh, oh my?”
“Bpu-ya-bbu!”
Please buy this, Mother.
“Do you really want that?”
“Bpu!”
Yes. I can’t miss this.
“Alright.”
Mom tilted her head, but she put the mirror I was hugging under the stroller.
‘As expected of my mom.’
She didn’t even look at the price tag.
Mom kept moving the stroller. While I was touching my precious face, I found something else I was looking for. I shouted hastily.
“Mama! Mama!”
“Huh? Kongja, what is it!”
“Bpu-a! Bpu-a!”
That, that too!
I pointed to a book with my short arms. Mom squinted her eyes and opened the book.
“Hmm. Kongja, do you really want this?”
I nodded. Mom tilted her head and read the book title.
“Hamlet for Kids?”
I smiled brightly.
‘Basics are the best for anything.’
Classics always help. They have a way of bringing you back to basics.
Mom stared at me intently.
“Mama?”
“Kongja, Mommy doesn’t know much about it, but isn’t it normal for kids your age to chew on books?”
Well, that’s probably true.
‘She’s right.’
What should I do?
I smiled awkwardly and wiggled my arms.
‘Will she think it’s weird?’
Will she take me back to the orphanage?
There was no choice.
‘Let’s use the coin!’
Just as I was about to execute the coin, Mom smiled broadly.
“Well, our Kongja is an angel, so I guess he’s a bit different!”
Wow, Mother!
‘Is she really going to let it slide like that?’
Mom nonchalantly took out the book. I looked at the books piling up under the stroller and took a deep breath.
‘I’m touched.’
My mom really likes me.
Mom pushed the stroller and moved forward. I looked at Mom. She smiled at me.
Then, I smelled something savory. Mom stopped and looked at the baby food sales counter.
“This is something Auntie An would know better.”
While Mom was looking around, a child bumped into the tasting corner.
Thud—
A pretty loud noise was heard.
Maybe that’s why. A small baby snack fell onto the stroller. I grabbed it with my hand.
“Oh, the child who bumped seems okay. Ah! Kongja, you can’t eat that. It’s not the right time yet!”
I looked at Mom and said.
“Mama!”
Mom bent down. As she got closer, I put the white puffed snack in Mom’s mouth.
Mom’s eyes widened.
‘I just wanted to give you something.’
Mom blinked in surprise and ate the baby snack. Then, she ended up laughing.
“Really, my Kongja, you’re an angel…”
Unable to hold back, Mom hugged me tightly. I babbled, clutching her hair.
“Pbooah pboo!”
[Your mother, touched by your gesture, is delighted]
[Love and Peace Coins increased by 50]
[Total coins: 7,657]
Mom patted my back. Honestly, I was the one who felt more moved.
‘How many things have you done for me?’
It was just a baby snack, but she was moved. Mom patted my back. Maybe that’s why my eyes started to droop.
‘Ah, babies do sleep a lot.’
Thinking about it, it was nap time. Maybe because Mom was patting me, I closed my eyes.
Soon, I was falling asleep. Mom placed me in the stroller and covered me with a baby blanket.
I pulled the edge of the blanket closer and quietly fell asleep.
Mom patted my belly until I was fully asleep.
***
Ma Soo-jung was a famous actress, always followed by the paparazzi.
‘Our Soo-jung is quite sensational.’
The third daughter of the owner of the Sungjin Group, possessing stunning looks, and an actress who achieved ten million viewers twice this year. That was Ma Soo-jung.
‘Still…’
President Seo mumbled as he scrolled down.
“Impressive.”
The press posted photos without permission, using the excuse of the public’s right to know. The president rested his chin on his hand, staring at the monitor.
“So beautiful! Our actress Ma.”
Ma Soo-jung looked even prettier that day. Her styling suggested she had been to the shop, but even in low heels and jeans, she stood out thanks to her natural aura.
In the supermarket photos, she wore casual yet thoughtful attire.
That alone would have made the press drool, but that wasn’t the main point.
‘Is this baby… her adopted son?’
The president blinked. He had seen the promotional material too, honestly.
‘I thought there was some Photoshop involved…’
But most paparazzi don’t use Photoshop. Many stars suffered because their true proportions were revealed.
‘Who is this kid?’
The moment he saw, the president exclaimed.
“A doll?”
A baby with slightly light-colored hair and black eyes.
‘…Can a baby be this cute?’
A prominent nose and red lips reminiscent of cherries or some other fresh fruit.
“How can someone look like this?”
Just being cute was enough to kill, but in the photo, the baby was smiling broadly.
Honestly, he could only be amazed.
“Wow.”
If there’s such a thing as a face genius, it must be this baby.
“No, should I say it’s actress Ma’s son?”
Maybe that’s why this photo was everywhere on Korean online communities.
‘Even actress Ma’s expression is different.’
Having seen Ma Soo-jung for a long time, he knew. Though she often smiled, such a bright expression was rare.
‘Well, no matter how strong you look on the outside… who doesn’t have their struggles?’
Ma Soo-jung was strong but unknowingly bore the public’s hatred. She had many festering wounds. Yet here she was, smiling like she had the whole world.
‘A smile that owns the world.’
She and the baby were smiling at each other, looking like a scene from a movie.
‘The place is just an ordinary large supermarket?’
What is this atmosphere?
It wasn’t just that. President Seo kept scrolling. The photos were taken almost every minute.
“How can they all be so viewable? Are these paparazzi photos?”
Ma Soo-jung and the baby seemed to be wandering around the supermarket. But the best scene was this.
“This is it. The baby feeding puffed rice to her.”
The small, cute fingers held the puffed rice and put it into Ma Soo-jung’s mouth.
Honestly, he felt it the moment he saw.
“Oh, so cute.”
Not only did this baby look crazily cute, but also seemed to have a gentle personality.
‘A baby this age can’t be like this…’
* * *
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