-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: The Casting Call
-----------------------------------------------------------------

‘It means there’s a lot of buzz, so that’s a good thing, right?’

I indifferently lifted my head again. The screen had switched back to the interview.

-How does it feel to be forgiven by Gongja?

Kim Jinhyung shifted in his seat and spoke.

“Honestly, I don’t think it was just forgiveness.”

Well, it wasn’t that big of a deal.

It was nothing, but these kids were making such a fuss.

“The moment Gongja said it was okay, seriously. Wow. My eyes were stinging.”

Oh, were they?

‘These kids are definitely going through puberty.’

Either that or they’ve been through a lot.

Kim Jinhyung confessed calmly.

“We hear a lot that we won’t get another chance.”

The boy clenched and unclenched his fist.

‘He’s putting it mildly. The actual words were probably much cruder.’

The public eye is harsh. As a supporting actor who had endured all sorts of hardships, I knew that better than anyone.

These young kids have so much to bear.

‘Just hang in there a little longer.’

You’re all about to become huge.

A sigh escaped me automatically.

‘You guys will make it big, but the problem is me.’

Isn’t there anything for me? I’m free. All I do is eat and sleep every day.

The scene on the screen kept changing. Soon, the part where I wrapped my short arms around Kim Jinhyung’s head appeared.

‘Wow, that’s me, but…’

It was a pretty cute scene.

‘Is it because of the huge difference in height… no, body size?’

I thought I was cupping his face, but it looked more like I was just resting my arms on him.

I stretched out my arms.

‘Short.’

Though they seemed a bit longer than how they looked on TV.

I refreshed the forum on my smartphone. The impact must have been strong because everyone was excited.

Title: LOL, he’s being protected by Gongja

└ So cute I could die lol. I’m dying of cuteness.

└ I’m already dead! Ahh, it was a good death lol.

└ 22222

└ 33 Add one more here!

└ LMAO what is that? I’m dying. He said it felt good to be protected hahaha.

└ I bet it did lol.

└ The weakest of the weak, Kim Jinhyung, protected by Gongja (a baby) hahaha.

└ Hey! Sometimes you need protection in life! lol.

└ Sir, do you really think that’s possible? lol.

└ But Gongja looks like a prince lol.

└ Right? He’s protecting him lol. The kid’s been a prince since birth lol.

└ Even as a baby lol, he’s protecting his hyung. He’ll be something else when he grows up lol. Gongja, protect me too lol.

└ How old are you lol? Dude, control yourself hahaha.

I quietly put down the smartphone.

‘No hate comments?’

There were some earlier. Did they disappear that quickly?

‘Or did they get buried by the positive ones?’

Either way was fine. I was just turning my head back to the TV when I heard a presence.

‘Who is it?’

There was no need to check. A familiar voice rang out.

“President Seo, I told you no.”

My mother was on the phone, and her eyes met mine.

“Mama!”

“Gongja! Mommy’s home! I’m hanging up. Do you know this is the first time I’ve made eye contact with my Gongja in three days? You know what’ll happen if you interrupt, right?”

The moment she hung up, my mother rushed over to me.

“Gongja! My angel! Mommy’s here!”

“Mama! I wuv you!”

“Mommy loves seeing you too!”

I reached out my hands, but my mother shook her head.

“I have to wash up first. Hmm, what are you doing, Gongja?”

Ah, crap.

‘I was watching TV and using the smartphone.’

In the old days, the scariest things were tiger attacks, smallpox, and war, but for modern children, the smartphone screen is the most… ah, let’s stop there.

‘I probably shouldn’t tell the truth about this.’

It was best to just move past it in situations like this. And quickly.

I smiled brightly and pointed at the screen.

“Gongja’s on TV!”

“Oh, is he? It’s a commercial right now, though.”

Instantly, a cold sweat ran down my back.

‘Why is it a commercial now of all times?’

What I needed in this situation was speed.

I tilted my head and said.

“Huh? Gongja disappeared!”

I snuck a glance at her. My mother smiled and said.

“It’ll be back on soon. So Gongja was watching himself on TV.”

“Ung!”

“Well, I was watching it in the car on my way here too.”

Aha. She watched it in the van.

“Thanks to that…”

Just then, the smartphone rang.

“This is crazy. Really.”

My mother checked the number and swiped left.

‘Ooh, she rejected the call and blocked the number.’

Suddenly, my mother gritted her teeth.

“Are these people out of their minds?”

Uh, Mom?

“How did they even get my number? Do I have to change it again? Using someone else’s precious son to what? Help with an election?”

My mother fanned her face with her hand to cool down.

“All sorts of weirdos are calling, trying to ride the buzz. Ugh. Seriously.”

I see.

‘I was wondering why no one was reacting, but that wasn’t it.’

It seemed my mother was intercepting and blocking anything strange.

‘Well, if my mom thinks it’s a bad idea, it probably is.’

Ah, Mom.

My eyes started to feel hot again. I quietly looked up at the ceiling. I couldn’t cry again here.

Then, I heard a familiar voice.

“Oh my, you’re home, ma’am?”

“Yes. I’m here!”

“Go ahead and wash up. Oh, where’s my phone?”

Ansan-daek picked up the smartphone from the sofa.

“Look at me. Here it is.”

No! I wanted to read more of the comments!

Ansan-daek cruelly slipped the smartphone into her apron pocket.

“You left it here?”

“I suppose I did.”

“Hmm, really?”

My mother smiled sweetly.

“I see. Gongja, sweetie. Mommy would rather you stop watching TV.”

Oh, Mother! No!

“But Gongja is on there!”

“Still, no.”

Ansan-daek tilted her head and said.

“But ma’am, you always thoroughly watch the dramas you’re in.”

“I have to watch those. It’s for monitoring. I’ll let Gongja watch his own projects when he has them.”

Ah, you’re being logical.

‘I have nothing to say to that.’

My mother turned off the TV with the remote and said.

“That’s a variety show. You shouldn’t be watching things like this yet.”

“I didn’t get to see it. How was it?”

At Ansan-daek’s question, my mother stared intently at me.

“Why? Was it strange?”

“Ansan-daek, about our Gongja.”

“Yes.”

“Do you think he might actually be a wingless angel?”

Ansan-daek tilted her head.

“Pardon?”

“No, it’s just… I’ve gotten a little used to it, honestly. But right now, I can’t even open my CocoaTalk. My messages are exploding.”

My mother beamed at me.

“They said Gongja took care of the idols.”

“He did? Took care of them? Don’t you think it was just the editing?”

“The baby and I didn’t have a script at all. The entire concept was just Halo coming to our house to take care of Gongja. And even if there was a script, Gongja isn’t an actor yet, is he?”

Ansan-daek looked at me.

“Well, that’s true.”

“I guess the situation just unfolded that way. Yes. And now, I think I know for sure.”

My mother gently stroked my cheek.

“What I must do for my angel.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Hmm, it’s a secret.”

My mother winked at me.

‘Could it be!’

Did she figure something out?

“My gut feeling was right after all.”

Mother!

I blinked at my mother, my chest swelling with respect.

“Honestly, Gongja might resent me for this decision later, but…”

My mother kissed my cheek and said.

“I’m prepared for that. Gongja.”

No, not at all!

‘Resent you?’

I’ll be bowing to you for the rest of my life!

‘Damn. If I don’t treat her with utmost filial piety, I’m not even human.’

I must be a good son. I absolutely must. Lee Hanjo, no, Ma Gongja!

As I was swimming in a river of emotion, Ansan-daek spoke.

“Are you going to keep putting him in the public eye?”

“Yes. I’m glad I know the industry so well. I’ll screen everything and choose carefully. At the very least…”

My mother looked at her glittering phone and said.

“Not these people who are making a fuss right now.”

“They must not be very good.”

“No. At the very least, it has to be a place that protects child actors.”

My mother let out a deep sigh.

“This industry is rough.”

“It is.”

“If it’s a weird director or a bad set, I have to make sure he avoids it. Because I’m Gongja’s mom.”

Oh, Mother.

‘If I don’t treat you with devotion later, please smack me on the back of the head.’

That should bring me to my senses.

Ansan-daek smiled a little and picked me up.

“What if you get a call from a good place?”

“Then…”

Just then.

*Ring, ring, ring—*

The ringtone of my mother’s smartphone echoed. My mother checked the caller ID and said.

“I’ll have to consider it. Like this.”

My mother swept her hair to one side and answered the phone.

Perhaps because the living room was quiet, I could hear the entire conversation.

“PD Lee, hello.”

-Oh, Sujeong! It’s been a while.

“I heard you started a new project.”

-Yeah. The ratings are doing well.

“I know. Everyone’s saying it’s what you’d expect from PD Lee.”

-Thank you for the compliment.

“Not at all.”

PD Lee?

‘Who could that be?’

There were countless PDs with the surname Lee. But if it was a PD Lee known for making good projects, that was a different story.

-I’m busy, so I’ll get straight to the point. Sujeong, I need your help.

“Oh my? Do you want me to make a special appearance?”

-A special appearance would be great, but that’s not it. Phew.

The person on the other end of the line took a deep breath.

-You know I’m filming a medical drama, right?

“Of course, I do.”

I knew instantly who it was.

‘It’s PD Lee Jemin.’

His show had a 20.8% viewership rating. It would later move to an OTT platform, but for now, it must be on IBS.

‘I worked with him once in my past life.’

I was an extra when he was filming a historical drama.

‘Was I Beggar #23?’

I recalled the old scene. I was eating a potato when my character was wiped out by enemy forces.

‘He was quite experienced.’

He was strict, but his directing skills were solid.

‘He was a decent person, too.’

Which was why the atmosphere on set wasn’t bad.

-We have 20 episodes of pre-filmed content.

“That’s just like you, Director. It’s always good to have a lot of pre-filmed footage.”

-Right. I threw a fit, saying I wouldn’t do it without this much pre-filming, so I got it. But the thing is, the main character dies later on.

“Oh my? Director, I’m enjoying that drama. That’s a spoiler.”

I knew exactly which drama it was.

‘Emergency Room.’

Wow.

‘This one’s a masterpiece.’

It was a 26-episode series about two emergency room doctors, where each patient’s story was incredibly moving. And the highlight of the drama was when one of the protagonists died from an incurable disease.

‘The always-stern mentor character eventually died.’

To make matters worse, this mentor’s son had just celebrated his first birthday.

‘It became a total tearjerker.’

I’d heard it rode the Hallyu wave and brought in significant overseas profits.

‘So they’re filming that drama now.’

I had no idea.

-Sorry, sorry. But we can’t find a suitable child actor. The one we were originally going to film with caught the measles.

“Oh my?”

-I was looking for a suitable child and saw the variety show. Sujeong, please let me cast Gongja.

Wow. Mom!

‘You have to take this!’

The mentor’s son!

‘That’s an iconic scene!’

I have to be in this! I’ll do it!

I stared intently at my mother, my heart pounding.

“You mean our Gongja.”

-Please, I’m begging you. Huh?

“My phone’s been blowing up today because of that variety show. I guess my angel was just that amazing.”

-As I watched, I thought he looked like the mentor character, ‘Han Woojin.’

Wow. Han Woojin.

‘He’s in his late thirties now, but he’s still a handsome actor.’

Even ten years from now, Han Woojin’s name would be the first to come up when talking about handsome actors.

“You know how old our Gongja is, right?”

-I do, I do.

“And you know the set atmosphere can’t be harsh, right?”

-I’m famous for following the guidelines to the letter.

My mother grinned.

“I know. That’s why I’m agreeing. Got it?”

Mother