* * *
“Ah…”
“So, Mr. President, you can be my relative for the day.”
“Alright, sure. I’ll be your relative. Hello there, cutie. From today, I’m your uncle.”
I giggled and extended my hand.
“Un-co?”
“Yes, uncle. Wow, even your voice is cute. But does the camera not do your face justice?”
“Right?”
“You’re even cuter in person. It seems like the premiere video didn’t capture you well either. Wow.”
Indeed, as expected from the president of Top Line. He knows how to judge people.
“Un-co! Un-co!”
I held out my hand again. The president took my hand and muttered softly.
“Un-co!”
“Goodness, this kid isn’t shy at all.”
[The president of Top Line is delighted by your cuteness]
[Love and Peace coins increased by 100]
Wow.
‘The coins really went up.’
The president was genuinely impressed.
“Ms. Ma, honestly, I thought you were exaggerating, but now I get it.”
“Right?”
At that moment, unfamiliar guests arrived.
Mom slowly walked over to them, carrying me.
“Oh, you’ve arrived. Ms. Soo-jung.”
Huh?
‘Could it be designer Jang Lily?’
I turned my head. Soon, I made eye contact with someone wearing a black lace dress and a red coat.
‘Wow, it’s really Jang Lily.’
Korea’s top fashion designer. Jang Lily.
She’s an exceptionally talented designer, who will later receive global acclaim for combining Eastern design elements with practicality.
“You invited me, how could I not come?”
“I know you’re busy.”
“You said it was a casual event, so I came. Oh my, you look great today.”
Mom immediately twirled.
“I dressed simply, how do I look?”
“As expected of you. Your face is so striking that simple suits you. Oh my, is that the baby?”
Heh. The moment I’d been waiting for.
I lifted my head to look at Jang Lily.
‘Wow. A regular baby would cry.’
The combination of black and red was striking enough, but everything she had was adorned with jewels.
‘Wow, even the glasses frames sparkle.’
Though it was my first time seeing her in person, I was honestly a bit surprised.
‘But not me.’
I smiled brightly and said,
“Sparkly!”
“Oh my!”
Jang Lily’s expression changed.
‘Things are going smoothly.’
“Sparkle, sparkle! Like a star!”
“Oh my!” Jang Lily lightly nudged my mother’s arm and said, “Maybe because it’s your kid. The child is quite amusing. Sweetie, am I sparkling?”
She really seemed to be in a good mood.
Despite the heavy makeup, her uplifted cheeks gave it away.
‘Then, let’s go one more time.’
“Pretty!”
“Oh my, my, my, my!”
Jang Lily laughed so wide it looked like her mouth might split.
“The child knows how to appreciate people.”
“Ha ha ha, Kongja is a bit special.”
“Everything about this baby is pretty. Pretty face, pretty words. Sweetie, is the baby’s name Kongja?”
“Yes, it’s Kongja. My angel.”
“I usually don’t remember just any name, but I think I’ll remember Kongja. Wait a minute!”
Jang Lily suddenly stepped back a few steps and looked me up and down.
“Hmm… Is this why people design children’s clothes?”
“Teacher Jang?”
“Sweetie, I never had a hobby of designing children’s clothes. But now, seeing the baby, I think I understand a bit. Ah, Secretary! My tablet!”
The secretary hurriedly handed over the tablet.
‘Wow, bringing a secretary to a first birthday party.’
I suddenly felt sorry for the secretary.
I swung my legs while watching her sketch, and Jang Lily kept mumbling something.
“I must not forget this cuteness. Ah, I get it now.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes, sweetie. I’m going to sit and work for a bit.”
“Yes, please feel free to enjoy yourself.”
Mom walked away with me in her arms.
“That’s strange. Teacher Jang doesn’t usually get inspired like this.”
Ha ha ha, is that so?
‘Well, it might be a bit over the top, but good is good, right?’
This face can surely inspire some creativity. Mom mumbled while carrying me.
“But Kongja, you…”
What about me? I tilted my head curiously, smiling. Mom stared at me for a moment and then patted my shoulder.
“Maybe it’s just a feeling, but I think our Kongja will be very popular.”
Of course. With this face.
“If there were a social scene, you’d sweep it.”
Oh, do you mean I’m too outgoing?
‘I did act very cute for the sake of the coin, didn’t I?’
Is too much not good?
‘What if Mom loses her affection for me?’
I looked up worriedly, and Mom gently tapped my cheek.
“Well, it can’t be helped. Our Kongja is a bit special!”
Wow, Mom.
‘Are you letting it slide again this time?’
I felt a renewed sense of my mother’s love. Smiling, I confessed sincerely.
“Mama! Like!”
“I like Kongja too. Oh, other guests have arrived. Let’s go!”
“Yes!”
Mom carried me over to some familiar faces.
“Oh my, Director Heo, you’re here?”
“I heard there’d be good food. I brought several people along, is that okay? I’ll pay a lot!”
Mom shook her head, smiling.
“No need to pay.”
“Wow, as expected of actress Ma Soo-jung. Here, meet Lee Jin-hwan.”
“Hello, I’m Ma Soo-jung.”
“I’m Lee Jin-hwan. I won an award for a short film and am preparing for my first feature.”
Mom blinked.
“Oh, I know. You won Best Director at the Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival, right?”
“Oh, you know. Yes, I’ve received a few others as well.”
“A few? More like over ten. So humble!”
Wow, Lee Jin-hwan!
‘To think this was before Lee Jin-hwan even made his official debut!’
I flapped my legs excitedly.
‘Lee Jin-hwan will become an amazing director.’
His first film didn’t do well, but from the second one, he hit commercial success.
‘I even worked with him once.’
Though as a supporting actor.
“Is this your first feature? What kind of project are you preparing?”
“It’s a story involving a child. I haven’t found investors yet, though.”
Oh no. I froze.
‘Right, Lee Jin-hwan’s first movie had a child protagonist.’
The movie was called ‘Boyhood.’
‘It was terribly criticized.’
I had heard that it was due to unreasonable editing demands from the investors.
‘And the actor was bad too.’
I heard the child actor’s family invested, so the problem was probably the actor.
‘I saw it in theaters too, and it was pretty bad.’
Lee Jin-hwan’s eyes met mine. I smiled brightly and greeted him.
“Hello!”
“Oh! Speaking already?”
“Our Kongja speaks early. Well, it’s not really the first year, but still.”
“I heard about that. So, he’s not actually one year old?”
“I don’t know either. But I think he speaks quite well.”
Lee Jin-hwan stroked his chin, observing me.
“Even if he’s two, he’s quite big.”
“Is he?”
“And speaks well too.”
Uh-oh.
‘He’s got a hunch.’
Director Lee Jin-hwan is thinking about me?
‘Then I should show him something!’
Let’s see, what lines do I remember from Boyhood?
There was just one.
I smiled broadly and said,
“I like the wind!”
* * *
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