* * *

I looked at my mom, who was practicing her action scenes.

She was checking her movements with the action director.

Mom caught my eye and I waved my hands excitedly.

“Mama!”

She smiled brightly at me and blew a kiss.

“Wow.”

She looked like a painting. I forgot to wiggle and just stared at her. It felt like the world had stopped.

“Is this what a mother’s love is?”

I resolved once again.

“I’ll be filial.”

I’ll do my best. Lee Hanjoo. No, Ma Kongja.

I don’t know how long I stayed like that. The director shouted.

“Shoot’s starting!”

Mom fastened the wires. The acting began.

* * *

Honestly, my scenes were easy.

“Just smiling on a green platform, and that’s it.”

Well, a big camera was filming me from above. I wiggled my limbs and smiled brightly.

“Too short.”

Next, Mom would hand me over to that person Ji-hee. For that scene, I just had to stay still, so my part was over in no time.

“Let me film more.”

The dream-like time vanished quickly. Mom held me and said.

“My Kongja, it’s the last scene?”

“Poop! Bauyau!”

Yes! It’s a pity!

“This time, we’re filming together?”

Mom stretched her shoulders, making me move around.

Director Heo spoke.

“Ms. Ma Soo-jung, the next scene is where you carry the baby across the building, right?”

“Yes. In the movie, it’s between buildings, but here it’s just 50 cm.”

The director chuckled a bit.

“That’s fortunate.”

“Indeed.”

“Let’s go right away. By the way, the baby’s holding up well.”

Mom smiled brightly at me.

“Right? But it must be tiring. After this scene, I’ll feed him milk and put him to sleep. I’ll get going now.”

Mom carried me and stood on the set.

The staff quickly secured the wires.

Mom held me and waited for the cue.

“Stand by.”

Mom’s stance changed.

“Cue!”

Mom pushed off the ground, and the wires lifted us up.

It wasn’t much, but the speed made the wind rush against my cheeks.

Then it happened.

Mom suddenly plummeted.

“Huh?”

The moment stretched into eternity.

Then, a strong arm wrapped around me.

I felt the warmth of her body.

I knew instinctively that Mom was protecting me.

Thud-

We hit the special mat with a strange sound.

I felt the impact but I wasn’t hurt.

Mom rolled several times on the ground, but even then, I was okay.

I blinked. I could hear Mom’s breathing.

Then voices of people around us filled the air.

“Ms. Ma Soo-jung!”

“Oh my God!”

Mom checked on me first.

“My Kongja…”

I was fine. Not a scratch on me.

‘But, Mom…’

How much impact did she take?

Mom touched my hands and feet. I was completely unharmed.

“Mama! Mama!”

I was more worried about Mom. I flailed my short arms.

“Mama?”

Mom, are you okay?

After checking my body, Mom faintly smiled. I felt a bit relieved. Then, she suddenly hunched over.

“Ah…”

Sweat beaded on Mom’s forehead. Despite that, she called out for Auntie An instead of groaning.

“Auntie An, Kongja!”

“Yes, yes. Miss.”

Auntie An lifted me up, and people surrounded Mom.

“No.”

Falling from this height could mean serious injury.

“Even with a special mat, an unexpected fall could be fatal.”

But Mom shielded me.

She didn’t even try to break her fall, only focused on protecting me.

Instinct moved faster than thought. I shouted immediately.

“Use coins!”

[How would you like to use the Love and Peace coins?]

Heal mom’s injury immediately.

[It will require 5,000 coins to heal Soo-jung Ma’s injury immediately. Would you like to proceed?]

“Pyuyah!”

Execute!

[Everything comes with a price.

[The side effect is that you will cry for 10 minutes.]

[Be careful of dehydration.

[Total coins: 15,890]

I blinked.

The last message caught my eye, but I didn’t have time to worry about it.

It was more important to check if mom was healed.

“Huh?”

I heard my mom’s voice.

“Actress Ma, are you okay?”

“Soo-jung, can you move your arm?”

“Oh, suddenly it feels fine.”

People were murmuring around, but mom paid no attention to them.

As soon as she felt better, she spoke immediately.

“Where’s Kongja?”

When mom looked around, people stepped aside. I was in Auntie An’s arms, staring at mom.

“Waaah…”

Then tears started to pour down.

“Kongja?”

“Waaah!”

Strangely, I burst into tears. I flailed my limbs and cried loudly.

“Waaah! Waaah! Waaah!”

Mom blinked as she watched me cry.

Auntie An wiped my face, but I couldn’t stop crying.

This wasn’t something to cry about so bitterly.

Even though my rational mind tried to stop me, the tears wouldn’t cease.

Honestly, it was a bit scary.

‘I only have mom to rely on.’

Why do you have to get hurt?

Mom stood up and slowly approached me. I struggled to reach her.

She hugged me immediately.

The soot from her makeup smudged on me, but no one cared.

“Young lade!”

Auntie An handed over a baby towel.

“Kongja usually doesn’t cry like this…”

“Right?”

“What should we do? He must have been scared. I’m sorry, I should have made sure he didn’t get scared.”

It wasn’t about being scared. I was overwhelmed because mom almost got seriously hurt because of me.

‘I hate being a baby.’

I didn’t realize I’d be this helpless.

‘Without the coins, mom would’ve been seriously injured.’

I whispered while looking at mom.

“Ma…”

“Yes, Kongja. Mom is here.”

Please don’t get hurt anymore!

Tears kept streaming down.

Mom hugged and comforted me.

I cried as if all the moisture in my body was being drained out.

The crying stopped exactly 10 minutes later.

Without the barley tea that Auntie An gave me, I might have really gotten dehydrated like the message said.

Mom kept holding and comforting me.

After drinking all the tea, I fell asleep.

When I woke up again, I was no longer on the set.

***

Ma Soo-jung gently patted the sleeping Kongja.

The child who had cried tears like there was no tomorrow earlier was now sleeping like an angel.

Auntie An put Kongja’s clothes away and spoke.

“It’s rare for Kongja to cry so desperately.”

“You must have been surprised too.”

“Yes. I was so worried, thinking you were hurt.”

“I’m sorry. But our Kongja seems like such a gentle child.”

Auntie An agreed. Honestly, he rarely cried. He didn’t fuss much and didn’t whine.

“He always smiles brightly.”

“Yes, my angel smiles so well.”

“I was a bit startled to see him cry like that.”

Soo-jung gently brushed Kongja’s hair. The baby was fast asleep, unaware of the world.

“Do you think he was in pain from the fall?”

“I’m not sure. But Auntie An, maybe it’s because I’m his mom?”

Soo-jung shared what she felt at that moment.

“I don’t think Kongja was in pain.”

“Really? There weren’t any visible bruises.”

“Yes, we’ll visit the hospital tomorrow, but there doesn’t seem to be any obvious injuries.”

Soo-jung recalled that moment. She had definitely protected Kongja then.

‘My back hurt so much.’

After confirming that Kongja was okay, all she could do was groan.

It was so painful that even breathing was hard.

‘But then I suddenly got better?’

* * *