-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: A Close Call on Set
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“I guess that didn’t go over well either?”
“Of course not. Her image has improved now, but Actress Ma still gets hate online sometimes. They say she went shopping for a pretty baby.”
“Come on, I don’t think that’s it.”
The staff member nodded.
“There are always people who love to talk, no matter where you go. Do you think the truth matters to them?”
The director nodded. He agreed with that wholeheartedly.
***
‘Wow, it’s a real film set.’
I took a deep breath. The atmosphere was incredible.
‘I’ve missed this. This space!’
The makeup tent was still chaotic, but to me, it felt like heaven.
‘Even if I’m in a baby’s body, I get to be a part of *City of the Dead*!’
Maybe it was because it was a movie I had loved so much in my past life. Just being here made me happy.
I expressed my joy by flailing my arms and legs. To be here, even getting makeup done, was just so wonderful.
‘Hehe! This is amazing!’
My mother watched me and laughed. Seeing the warrior woman from my favorite movie smile made my spirits soar even higher.
“Mama!”
“That’s right, Gongja. Ah, my Gongja. You still recognize your mom even with her makeup on.”
Of course I do!
I was too excited to even feel sleepy. My mother held my hand and said,
“Ah, I want to rub my Gongja’s cheeks, but Mommy’s in the middle of getting her makeup done.”
I don’t care about that!
My mother shook her head.
“Maybe it’s because of all the zombies crawling around, but my Gongja is already looking a little grimy.”
She lifted me up and looked me over.
“I think it’d be better if my Gongja looked clean…”
Oh, Mother. Wouldn’t it be strange if I were the only clean one in a place teeming with zombies?
‘Still, is this a mother’s heart?’
Wanting her child to look pretty?
It was a bit ticklish, but not in a bad way. Maybe that’s why. A laugh escaped me on its own.
“Gyaah!”
When I laughed, my mother laughed too. She held me and stood up, walking out of the tent. The entire film set came into view.
‘Oh, a green screen.’
That’s for CGI compositing. It’s been a while.
Just then, another actress approached. My mother greeted her cheerfully.
“Hello.”
“Hello. Unni, is this cute baby my son for today?”
My mother bounced me gently, showing me the actress who had greeted her.
“Gongja. Today, you’re Ms. Jihee’s son.”
The pale-faced actress smiled.
‘Ah, so I’m playing her son.’
I finally understood my role.
‘I’m the baby left behind in a pile of zombies.’
It was a scene that hadn't appeared in *City of the Dead*, so I hadn't known. Thinking about it now, it was a new revelation.
‘So this was the backstory for Mom’s ‘warrior’ character.’
My mother's character, a former soldier, had a past of losing a child. Then the zombie apocalypse happened, and the warrior, who was looking after an orphan, barely survived.
She then met the protagonist, joined his group, helped him, and survived until the end of the movie.
‘Since the warrior character’s trauma was losing a child…’
So she was supposed to resolve her trauma by saving a child.
‘Then why was it all edited out?’
The most important scene for the warrior character had been deleted.
“Gongja, you’ll be left alone on the rooftop.”
My mother explained in a low voice.
“Ms. Jihee accidentally leaves you behind. Luckily, you’re on top of the building, so you weren’t attacked by zombies. But it’s dangerous for a baby to be left alone.”
Listening to her, I started to understand.
‘The warrior character must climb up the building to save me.’
I looked at the green wall.
‘They’ll probably shoot it with wire action.’
Just then, the action director called for my mother. She handed me to Ansan-daek and stretched her arms. The vibrant energy of the set made my heart pound.
‘But how am I supposed to act?’
Should I just cry?
Cry my lungs out like a child in danger.
But.
‘No. If it were me…’
In the midst of a horrific zombie apocalypse, it would be better if I were smiling cutely, wouldn’t it?
‘That would amplify the tragedy.’
And it would make the audience feel an urge to save the child.
Just then, the director shouted.
“Do it right! Hey, you want a disaster on your hands?”
What’s this?
Director Heo, whom I had seen earlier, was scolding a staff member. Ansan-daek covered my ears, but I heard everything clearly.
“I told you to manage the wires properly!”
“I’m sorry, sir.”
“What were you going to do if something went wrong!”
“Well, the new guy was being lazy…”
“Guiding that new guy is your job!”
Is there a problem with the wires?
‘Director Heo isn’t the type to get angry for no reason.’
I knew from having worked with him. He could be a bit thoughtless, but he wasn’t a director who took his anger out on others. There must have been a real problem.
‘He really does his job properly.’
Ansan-daek started walking away, so I couldn’t hear what else they were saying.
The film set was just as great as I remembered. Plus, there were a lot of people here.
I let out a small cry. There was something I needed to check first.
“Boobaboo!”
Total coins!
Wow.
‘Director Heo must have been really moved when he saw me. What a haul.’
I guess having a large audience is the key to getting coins.
I watched my mother practicing her action sequence. She was checking her movements.
While discussing with the action director, her eyes met mine. I flapped my hands and called out.
“Mama!”
She looked at me and smiled brightly. Then she blew me a kiss.
‘Wow.’
She looked like a painting. I forgot to even struggle and just stared at her. It felt like the world had suddenly stopped.
‘Is this what a mother’s love is like?’
At times like this, I made a resolution.
‘I’ll be a good son.’
Let’s do well. Lee Hanjo. No, Ma Gongja.
I don’t know how long I was like that. The director shouted.
“And… action!”
My mother was hooked up to the wires. And the scene began.
***
Honestly, my part of the shoot was easy.
‘All I had to do was smile on a green platform, and it was over.’
Well, a huge camera was filming me from directly above. I wiggled my arms and legs and smiled brightly.
‘It’s too short.’
After that was the scene where my mother handed me to that actress, Ms. Jihee. I just had to stay still for that too, so my screen time was over in a flash.
‘Let me film more.’
The dreamlike time passed in an instant. My mother held me and said,
“Gongja, this is our last scene, huh?”
“Boo! Babooyah!”
Yes! I’m sad it’s over!
“Hmm, this one is with Mommy, isn’t it?”
My mother rolled her shoulders. Thanks to that, I was jostled around.
Director Heo spoke.
“Ma Sujeong, the next scene is you jumping over a building while holding the baby, right?”
“Yes. In the movie, it’s between two buildings, but in reality, it’s just 50 centimeters.”
The director chuckled a little.
“Thank goodness for that.”
“I agree.”
“Let’s get right to it. By the way, the baby is holding up really well.”
My mother looked at me and smiled brightly.
“I know, right? But he must be tired. After this scene, I should feed him and put him to sleep. I’ll be on my way.”
Holding me, my mother stood on the set. The staff immediately hooked up her wires. She waited for the cue, holding me in her arms.
“Standby.”
My mother’s posture changed.
“Cue!”
As my mother kicked off the ground, the wires pulled her upward. It wasn’t a big deal, but maybe because the movement was so fast, I felt the wind on my cheeks.
It was then.
Suddenly, my mother started to fall.
‘Huh?’
The moment stretched into an eternity. Then, a pair of strong arms wrapped around me.
Her body was warm. In the instant I realized my mother was protecting me.
*Thud—*
We landed on the special mat with a strange sound.
I felt the impact, but I was completely fine. My mother rolled a few times on the floor. But even then, I was okay.
I blinked. I could hear my mother’s breathing. Soon, people’s voices scattered around us.
“Ma Sujeong!”
“Oh my god!”
My mother checked on me first.
“Gongja…”
I was fine. I didn’t have a single scratch.
‘But, Mom is…’
How bad was the impact?
My mother touched my hands and feet. I was truly unharmed.
“Mama! Mama!”
I was more worried about her. I raised my short arms and flapped them.
“Mama?”
Mom, are you okay?
After checking my body, my mother gave a faint smile. I was just starting to feel relieved when she suddenly curled her back.
“Ah…”
Sweat beaded on her forehead. Even so, instead of groaning, she called for Ansan-daek.
“Ansan-daek, Gongja!”
“Yes, yes. Ma’am.”
As the woman took me in her arms and stood up, people crowded around my mother.
‘No.’
A fall from this height could result in a serious injury.
‘Even with a special mat, a sudden accident… it could be fatal.’
But my mother had wrapped herself around me. She hadn't tried to break her fall; her only thought must have been to protect me.
Instinct was faster than thought. I immediately called out.
‘Use coins!’
Heal Mom’s injuries right away.
<5,000 coins are required to immediately heal Ma Sujeong’s injuries. Would you like to proceed?>
“Booyah!”
Proceed!
I blinked. The last message was concerning, but I had no time to worry about it. It was more important to check if my mother was healed.
“Huh?”
I heard my mother’s voice.
“Actress Ma, are you okay?”
“Sujeong, can you move your arm?”
“Oh, I’m suddenly fine.”
People murmured amongst themselves. But my mother paid them no mind. As soon as she felt better, she asked,
“Where’s Gongja?”
As she looked around, the crowd parted. Held by Ansan-daek, I just stared at my mother.
“Waaah…”
Just then, tears started to fall.
“Gongja?”
“Waaaaaah!”
A strange sorrow exploded out of me. I kicked my arms and legs and wailed loudly.
“Waaaaaah! Waaaaaah! Waaah!”
My mother blinked, watching me cry. Ansan-daek tried to wipe my face, but I couldn’t stop crying.
This isn’t something to sob my heart out over.
Even as my rational mind tried to hold me back, the tears wouldn’t stop.
To be honest, I was a little scared.
‘The only person I can rely on is my mother.’
Why did you have to get hurt?
My mother stood up and slowly walked toward me. I struggled, trying to get to her.
She immediately took me into her arms. The soot from her makeup smudged onto me, but no one cared.
“Mama!”
Ansan-daek handed over a baby towel and said,
“Gongja isn’t a baby who cries like this…”
“I know, right?”
“Oh no. He must have been so scared. Mommy’s so sorry. I should have made sure you weren’t frightened.”
Being scared was nothing. What made me choke up was the fact that my mother could have been seriously hurt because of me.
‘I hate being a baby.’
To be this powerless.
‘If I didn’t have the coins, Mom would have been really hurt.’
I looked at my mother and whispered softly.
“Mama…”
“Yes, Gongja. Mommy’s here.”
Please don’t get hurt again!
Tears were still streaming down my face. My mother held me and soothed me. I kept crying as if I was wringing all the moisture from my body.
My crying stopped exactly 10 minutes later. If Ansan-daek hadn’t given me the barley tea right after, I might have actually gotten dehydrated, just like the message said.
My mother continued to hold me and comfort me. As soon as I finished the water, I fell asleep.
When I opened my eyes again, I was no longer on the film set.
