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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 95
Chapter Title: A Spurt of Growth
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Time flew by in an instant.

‘Popularity is like smoke.’

During the two months of production, not a single person sought me out. My popularity had cooled in a flash.

‘Or… could it be that Mom turned them all down?’

I glanced at my mother. Lying on the sofa, she was as beautiful as ever.

As if sensing my gaze, she asked.

“Gongja, what is it?”

“Mama. Is no one looking for Gongja?”

Mom chuckled and patted the sofa next to her. I quickly got up and nestled into her arms.

She leisurely stroked my head. Honestly, she looked like a well-fed lion.

“Don’t you like having a break, Gongja?”

“No.”

“My son is more diligent than I am.”

Mom hugged me tightly. I struggled to get free, flapping my arms.

“What’s the point of playing?”

“But Mommy likes playing…”

Well, she’d been through a lot of intense filming, so it was fine for her to rest.

‘But not me. I’m just getting started.’

I spoke seriously.

“Mama, it’s not time for Gongja to rest yet.”

“Gongja…”

Mom lifted me up as if she were pulling a radish from the ground. In an instant, we were at eye level.

“At your age, playing is your job.”

“But Mama. Gongja wants to work on a project.”

“My goodness, are you possessed by the ghost of a workaholic?”

Mom patted my back.

“What to do with my Gongja. It seems the Seongjin Group mess isn't getting resolved.”

Oh, damn it.

‘This makes establishing the charity foundation a problem, too.’

If I set it up now, people would obviously say it was to cover up the accounting fraud.

‘Well, it’s true that I’m trying to clean up my image by establishing a charity foundation.’

But I was planning to do it before this whole thing blew up.

‘This is so unfair.’

I let out a long sigh. Mom caressed my cheek and said.

“Are you having a hard time, Gongja? Your schedule might be light, but it’s not completely empty.”

“Turning down offers to only do one or two things when you’re busy is completely different from only doing one or two things because you only have a few offers, Mama.”

Amazingly, the only work I had was related to ‘The Basement.’

“Ahahaha! That’s true.”

Her laughter made our bodies tremble where we were pressed together.

“But Gongja, the public is on edge right now. It’s a time when they’ll pounce on anything. The guilty party should just go to prison, but they’re making such a fuss trying to avoid it.”

Ah, so Mom was thinking along the same lines.

“If sparks had to fly, they had to fly in the most infuriating way. They’re just hiding away, aren’t they?”

Mom growled like a beast.

“Just you wait. I will make them pay the price for tormenting my son.”

Oh boy.

‘Well, you go, Mom!’

I’m cheering for you!

Mom gripped the hem of my clothes tightly.

“And! Seriously, they’re the ones who made the mess, so why are they hitting an innocent child?”

I nodded.

“That’s wight.”

“I’ve already spoken to Madam about Jeok.”

Ah, she told Grandma.

“Um, did Gwanny not know?”

“It seems she didn’t know how bad it was. Knowing her, she probably gave them a piece of her mind.”

“Then, Jeok won’t get hurt anymore?”

“He shouldn’t.”

That’s a relief.

‘This is the best we can do in a situation where we can’t sue.’

At least that grandmother doesn’t resort to violence herself.

Mom sighed and said.

“Madam may hit others, but she doesn’t hit her own grandsons.”

Ah, so that’s how it is.

‘Guess that doesn’t apply to me.’

Grandma did come by yesterday and sniff the top of my head before leaving.

‘Even after all this time we’ve spent together, she still won’t open her heart.’

I rested my forehead against my mother’s chest.

“Hmm? Gongja. Why the long face all of a sudden?”

“Mama, is Gongja not charming?”

“What?”

“It’s not easy to change someone’s heart.”

Grandma, please open your heart.

When I sighed, Mom covered my mouth.

‘She’s holding back laughter.’

I pretended not to notice. Mom cleared her throat unnecessarily.

“Ahem. Gongja, did you find a girlfriend you like?”

I shook my head.

“It’s not like a girlfriend.”

“Eh?”

“I don’t exactly like her, but she’s just… a difficult person. But…”

I clenched my fists.

“Gongja doesn’t give up.”

Addiction is like getting soaked in a drizzle, after all.

“I will succeed, no matter what!”

“Oh my!”

Mom patted my shoulder. I tilted my head, watching her desperately stifle her laughter.

‘I think she’s misunderstanding something.’

Mom gasped for air and said.

“I’m curious what kind of person she is.”

Well, she’s someone you know very well.

“She’s a mystewious person. Evewy time I see her, I’m surpwised.”

“I see. Is she an older girl?”

“Yes!”

“Hmm, I see. So she’s not younger than you.”

Mom squirmed, burying her face in her arms.

‘Hmm, I should probably tell her it’s Grandma soon…’

Thinking it was her son’s first crush, Mom looked far too delighted.

‘I’ll just let it be, as an act of filial piety.’

What does it matter if it’s this way or that? Especially when she’s so happy.

After a long moment, Mom finally caught her breath.

“Gongja.”

Her voice was incredibly gentle. I looked up and met her eyes.

“We ended up taking a break like this by chance, but…”

I nodded.

“Yes.”

“I think this is good, too.”

Mom kissed my cheek.

“I love spending this leisurely time with you, Gongja. Don’t you like it?”

I shook my head.

“No!”

“Let’s just stay like this a little longer.”

I let out a long breath in my mother’s arms.

‘I understand how you feel, Mother.’

Come to think of it, we’ve never really had a period of relaxation like this.

‘Still, I thought Mom would be shocked, too…’

She seems much more okay than I expected.

‘You’d think someone like actress Ma Sujeong would have to work like a horse.’

Wouldn’t the film industry benefit if Mom had even one more project under her belt?

“Gongja. Acting is important to me, but my time with you is also incredibly precious.”

Ah.

‘I’m sorry, Mother. My thoughts were too shallow.’

Of course, she must have struggled with not being able to act.

‘But she’s this relaxed because she enjoys having this time entirely with me.’

I stared at my mother intently.

Suddenly, I remembered the price of a coin I’d almost used.

‘Come to think of it, back when I asked to use a coin for a smartphone, wasn’t the price that Mom would have to take a break from three projects?’

At the time, I’d thought it was a huge tragedy and protested vehemently.

‘But looking at it now, even if that had happened…’

She might have been more okay with it than I thought.

‘That’s how precious I am to her.’

It’s incredibly difficult for an actor when they can’t act.

Mom stroked my cheek.

“My Gongja’s eyes are sparkling. What are you thinking about?”

“I’m thinking that love is stwong.”

“Oh my?”

“I think it’s twue that it’s the stwongest thing in the world.”

All this time, I thought money was the strongest. I guess there’s a reason the most popular book in human history hammered home how strong it was.

I buried my face in my mother’s embrace.

“To be honest, if you weren’t by my side, Gongja, I would have been very anxious, too.”

I nodded.

‘Come to think of it, in my past life, they said actress Ma Sujeong’s health deteriorated significantly around this time.’

Well, stress is the root of all illness.

Still.

“Mama. But you like working, wight?”

“Oh my? Ahahaha!”

I could feel her body tremble with laughter. Feeling the vibration, I lifted my head.

Mom gently tapped my nose and said.

“I will offer no comment.”

I knew it.

I grinned.

‘Yes, Mother. I understand.’

What’s the point of resting? No matter how much you like the second-best option, the best is still the best.

I smiled brightly and stood up.

“Gongja, where are you going? Let’s cuddle some more. We can take a nap.”

“What’s the point of playing? It’s almost time for Jeok-hyung to come. I’m going to play soccer with him.”

“Jeok comes over often. It must not be comfortable for him in that huge mansion. Yes, you two get along well.”

“Yes!”

I stood up from my spot.

‘Well, they say I don’t have any work.’

But the press screening was coming up soon. When the movie was released, I’d be part of the package, and if it did well, I might be able to turn the tables.

‘I can’t let Mom just rest.’

I got up. I had to prepare for the screening.

As I slid off the sofa, Mom said with a smile.

“Gongja, are you going out to play?”

“Yes. But there’s something I have to do before that.”

“What is it?”

“I’m going to dwink milk.”

“Huh?”

I immediately ran toward the refrigerator. The task I had to do now was ‘get taller.’

* * *

‘Growth is great for an image change.’

It was different from adult actors. For them, it was about transforming their acting or changing their style, but I was a child actor.

‘Well, I’m not saying I’m going to graduate from being a child actor.’

I couldn’t, anyway. I was still a preschooler.

I wanted to keep my kind and gentle image, but I definitely wanted to shed the baby image.

‘Right now, my image is like a baby the nation raised.’

Like the nation’s baby.

I put down my glass of milk. Mr. Deoksu said.

“Gongja, you aren’t small. You are remarkably taller than your peers.”

“I want to be taller!”

“You will grow naturally.”

“I want to gwow up fast.”

Mr. Deoksu said seriously.

“Why do you suddenly want to get taller?”

“Teacher. Gongja wants to play other woles, too.”

It’s true.

“Gongja is too small wight now, so I only get offews for small child woles.”

I let out a deep sigh.

“I’m confident in my acting, though.”

Honestly, even for the son roles I was getting now, I had to act as a child who was a year or two older.

I downed another cup of milk. Mr. Deoksu spoke seriously.

“I understand your concern, Gongja. But drinking a lot of milk doesn’t mean you’ll shoot up like a bean sprout.”

Normally, that would be the case.

‘But I’m not normal, am I?’

I shook my head with all my might.

“Still, I can’t just do nothing!”

“Haa… I will give you just one more glass. You can’t drink too much milk and then not eat your meal.”

“Okay! I’m going for a wun! I’ll be back after I digest it!”

I drank the milk Mr. Deoksu gave me and ran for the elevator. Then, I pressed the button with a familiar motion.

I crossed my arms and took a long breath.

‘It’s all part of the plan.’

I immediately said in my head.

‘Use coin! Tell me the price and coin amount for growing 10 centimeters taller.’

<50 coins will be consumed to determine the price.>

The number of coins was manageable, but the price was a bit scary.

‘Still, I have to do it. Execute!’

It’s just pain I have to endure, right?

*Ding—*

The elevator stopped. I shook my head as I walked out.

‘They’d be shocked if I suddenly grew taller.’

If I grew 10 centimeters overnight, Mom would take me to the hospital.

‘That’s why I’m drinking milk.’

I needed an excuse.

‘It’s a bit flimsy, but who knows, maybe the milk will have a great effect.’

A grin spread across my face. I stretched my arms and legs and ran out into the garden.

‘The press screening is in a month.’

It would be great if I showed up then, having shot up in height.

‘An image change through growth. This is good.’

A privilege of being a child actor, perhaps.

‘If I feel like I’m getting typecast, it might be a good idea to use coins to change my appearance…’

But would that cost a lot of coins?

I caught my breath and ran through the garden. My legs felt as light as a feather.

‘Anyway, I’m looking forward to it.’

I grinned, thinking of the press screening. It was about time I went back out into the world.

Chapter 95