* * *
“Our Kongja is a bit cute, right?”
“Actress Ma. This isn’t just cute. It’s insane. How can someone look like this?”
“We hear that a lot.”
“Wow, I saw the magazines, but they’re nothing. I’m really surprised.”
The baby stared at Director Heo and extended his other arm.
A small, adorable finger pointed out in front of him.
“Bba!”
The director quietly clutched his chest. He stomped his foot once or twice for no reason.
“Director, what’s wrong?”
“I feel like something’s about to break inside me, so I moved a bit. Ah, it feels like something fundamental is changing. I’m scared. Scared. But are babies usually this cute?”
The props team member said,
“No, not usually.”
“This baby is special.”
“R-right? The other kids who came to the set weren’t this cute. Everyone feels the same, right? Ah, I’m normal!”
The director stomped his foot a few more times. Seeing this, Ma Soo-jung held out her hand.
“500 won, please.”
“Actress Ma, between us?”
Everyone laughed. Ma Soo-jung knew. Director Heo was overacting to lighten the tired atmosphere.
‘He’s a good director. Well, our Kongja is cute, after all.’
Her angel babbled again. Ma Soo-jung, about to kiss Kongja, stopped.
She looked like she had been rolling around in a zombie pit.
“Are we going to film a lot with our Kongja?”
“I was thinking of doing a close-up, but it’s too much. It’s the kind of cuteness you want to put into a movie unnecessarily often.”
“No way!”
“I’ll discuss it with the editor. But wow, Ms. Ma Soo-jung.”
The director playfully bowed his head and raised it.
“Thank you for lending us your foster son.”
Ma Soo-jung smiled brightly.
“Director.”
“Yes?”
“Even though Kongja and I met at the orphanage.”
The baby reached out to grab his mother’s finger.
And as always, he called Ma Soo-jung.
“Mama!”
Oh, so cute.
Ma Soo-jung gave her finger to the baby. She felt the warm grip.
“I could die for this child.”
“Uh…”
“I’m serious. Oh, you don’t believe me.”
The baby adorably flailed his arms and legs. The director awkwardly laughed. Her words had weight.
“And saying ‘lend’ is for objects, isn’t it?”
“Oh, sorry. Ms. Ma.”
“Yes, I know you didn’t mean it.”
The director scratched his head.
Even someone as oblivious as he could tell from her tone.
‘Seems she didn’t like the term foster son or the expression lending…’
Well, fortunately, Ma Soo-jung was an actress who, even if angry, wouldn’t hold a grudge if it was resolved on the spot. The director exhaled deeply and spoke.
“Please take care of it later.”
“Yes, director. Please take care of us too. Kongja, say goodbye.”
“Bwaa!”
The director waved at the baby and left the makeup tent.
A staff member who came out with him spoke to the director.
“Director! Why did you say foster son?”
“Oh, I guess that was bad too?”
“Of course. Although her image has improved now, Ms. Ma still occasionally gets criticized online. They say she shopped for a pretty child.”
“Really? I didn’t think it was like that.”
The staff member nodded.
“There are always people who talk too much, wherever you go. Do you think facts matter to those people?”
The director nodded in agreement. That was very true.
***
‘Wow, it’s really a filming set.’
I took a deep breath. The sense of reality was overwhelming.
‘I missed this place!’
The makeup tent was still chaotic. But to me, it felt like heaven.
‘Even though I’m in a baby’s body, I get to participate in “City of the Dead”!’
Maybe because it was a movie I loved so much when I was alive. Just being here made me happy.
I expressed this joy by flailing my arms and legs.
It was so exciting to even be getting makeup done here.
‘Hehe! So fun!’
Mom watched me and laughed.
Seeing the warrior woman from my favorite movie smile made me feel even better.
“Mama!”
“Yes, Kongja. Ah, our Kongja. Even though mommy is wearing makeup, you recognize me well.”
Of course!
I was so excited I couldn’t even sleep. Mom held my hand and said,
“Ah, I want to rub your cheeks, but mommy is still in makeup.”
It’s okay!
Mom shook her head.
“Maybe because there are so many zombies, our Kongja already looks dirty.”
Mom lifted me up and inspected me.
“I think mommy prefers you to look clean…”
Oh, mother. Wouldn’t it be weird if only I were clean in a place full of zombies?
‘Is this a mother’s heart?’
Wanting her child to look pretty?
It was ticklish but not bad. Maybe that’s why I laughed automatically.
“Kyaa!”
When I laughed, mom laughed too.
She picked me up and walked out of the tent.
The filming set came into full view.
‘Oh, the green screen.’
That’s for CG compositing, isn’t it?
It’s been a while.
At that moment, another actress approached.
Mom cheerfully greeted them.
“Hello.”
“Hello. Is this cute child my son for today?”
Mom showed me to the actress while entertaining me.
“Kongja. Today, you’re Ms. Ji-hee’s son.”
The pale-looking actress smiled.
‘Ah, so I’m playing her son.’
Only then did I realize my role.
‘I’m playing a baby left among the zombie corpses.’
It wasn’t a scene in “City of the Dead”, so I didn’t know.
In retrospect, it was quite new.
‘So this is the backstory of mom’s warrior character.’
Mom’s character, a former soldier, had a past of losing a child.
Then the zombie outbreak happened, and the warrior woman, who took care of orphans, barely survived.
She joined the protagonist, helped them, and survived until the end of the movie.
‘Since her character’s trauma was losing a child…’
She must have saved a child and resolved her trauma.
‘But why was this scene cut?’
It was the most crucial scene for the warrior character.
“Kongja, you’ll be left alone on the rooftop.”
Mom explained quietly.
“Ms. Ji-hee accidentally leaves you behind. Fortunately, since you’re on the top of the building, you’re not attacked by zombies. But it’s a big deal to leave a child alone.”
Listening to mom, I could understand.
‘The warrior character climbs the building to save me.’
I looked at the green wall.
‘It’ll probably be shot with wire action.’
At that moment, the action director called mom.
She handed me over to Auntie An and stretched her arms. The vivid sense of the scene made my heart race.
‘So how do I appear?’
Just crying?
I just need to cry like a baby in danger.
But.
“No. If it were me…”
In the midst of a horrifying zombie apocalypse, wouldn’t it be better to smile cutely?
“That would only make the horror more intense.”
Additionally, the audience would feel a strong impulse to save the child. At that moment, the director shouted.
“You’re not doing it right! Hey, do you want something bad to happen?”
What’s this?
Director Heo was scolding a staff member.
Auntie An covered my ears, but I could still hear the conversation clearly.
“I told you to manage the wires properly!”
“I’m sorry.”
“What if something goes wrong?”
“The new guy was being lazy…”
“Isn’t it your job to guide the new guy?”
Is there a problem with the wires?
“Director Heo isn’t usually one to get angry.”
I knew this from working with him.
Though he might lack some foresight, he wasn’t one to take out his anger on others.
There must have been a serious issue.
“He’s thorough with his work.”
Auntie An moved on, so I couldn’t hear the rest of the conversation.
I loved being on a movie set. Plus, there were so many people here.
I called out softly, needing to check something in advance.
“Poopou!”
Total coins!
[Total Coins: 20,890]
Wow.
“Director Heo was moved when he saw me earlier, and now I’m earning with coins.”
It seems having a large audience is the key.
* * *
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