Sitting next to Jiyeon, Suhyeon’s eyes sparkled at the mention of his name. It felt like what Hanna brought up was no ordinary matter.
Mom seemed subtly opposed, so I was worried about my next job, but Aunt Hanna is playing the connector role well.
No matter how successful the ads and dramas are, if there’s no “next,” celebrities are quickly forgotten by the public.
In an industry where dozens of new faces emerge daily, it was unavoidable.
That’s why I wanted to sign for an ad or a next project before the 6th episode ends…
Without a separate management company or acting academy to attend to, finding the next gig was a distant dream.
Moreover, once Jiyeon realized Suhyeon’s intelligence and started considering the “study” path, it was a challenging task for a five-year-old kid to counter her wishes.
But if people around her keeps pushing, she’ll eventually be pressured into doing it.
If he couldn’t do it himself, the next best thing was to stir up acquaintances to put pressure on Jiyeon.
Suhyeon was full of plans to use his connections for his future.
…from the Taesung side…
And Hanna came up with an offer even better than he had anticipated.
Taesung? Are you talking about the conglomerate Taesung? For real?
Number one in the business sector, top in electronics.
Taesung was a company that was becoming well-known, not just in Korea but around the world, to the point where people would say they might not know Korea, but they know Taesung.
Of course, not every affiliate of the group was number one in its industry, but the name Taesung brought a different level of prestige.
And it’s about the career too.
Like most industries, but especially in entertainment, it’s quality over quantity. It mattered more where one appeared than how many projects one had done.
And an advertisement with Taesung would be quite a noteworthy addition to one’s career.
I don’t know what it is, but I hope it’s a TV CF.
There was nothing like TV to appeal to industry insiders and quickly raise one’s profile.
Although promotion through SNS and video ads was on the rise, broadcast TV was still the mainstream.
…this time with the phone…
“Mom! Am I going to shoot a phone ad!?”
“Suhyeon, it’s not good to eavesdrop on mom’s calls. Where did you learn such bad habits?”
“But I heard it all! Am I going to shoot a phone ad? For Taesung phones?”
The word “phone” was stuck in his head, and Suhyeon, forgetting all pretense, clung to Jiyeon.
He didn’t hear her stern expression or the scolding tone; he was laser-focused on getting what he wanted.
I’ve never even done a mobile phone ad when things were going well!
After all, mobile phone ads were always far from his life.
As mobile phones became more important in daily life, the hottest and most recognized celebrities usually took on these ads.
This trend continued even 20 years after he had been an idol, and Suhyeon had never been involved in advertisements for carriers, smartphones, or mobile games.
If I had lived longer, things might have been different, but as it is, I never did!
Had he not regressed and continued to rise in fame after a hit drama, he might have eventually become a trendsetter and received offers for related ads.
However, what mattered was that he met with an accident right as he was on the rise, and thus, Suhyeon had never had a real money-making advertisement deal.
Of course, it’s not because I’m the current hot issue.
All he had was one children’s clothing ad and a supporting role in a drama, so it wasn’t likely the offer came in because of his potential or acting skills.
The pay would be less compared to adults, and he’d likely end up as a peripheral character for just a day.
But there’s nothing like this to build a good image and increase recognition.
“Aunt Hanna, I want to do it! Even if mom opposes, I want to do it!”
Suhyeon was adamant about accepting the advertisement and kept calling for Hanna.
He hopped closer to the microphone and wouldn’t back down, despite Jiyeon’s guard.
“This kid, doing something he doesn’t normally do… Hanna, we’ll talk more in detail later, but I need to hang up now.”
“Aunt Hannaaaa!”
In the end, unable to withstand his persistence, Jiyeon ended the call, and Suhyeon’s rebellion came to a close.
***
“Suhyeon, sit up straight.”
“Yes.”
“Don’t smile while you’re being punished.”
“Yes.”
“You need to reflect on your actions.”
” Suhyeon’s mom, you’re being a bit too harsh…”
“Ssst! I need to fix Suhyeon’s habits now, or he’ll never change later. Just look at him, acting all cute and mischievous, trusting in his own adorableness. This could totally go to his head. I told you not to laugh, Suhyeon.”
“My face is laughing on its own.”
“Look at this, always talking back to Mom.”
Sitting in the thinking chair, Suhyeon pressed down on the corners of his mouth that kept trying to rise, with his hand.
Even though he was being punished, the permission for the ad had made him so happy that he couldn’t help smiling.
When things start to go well, they really do go well.
It was terrifying how quickly things were progressing.
Talent and aptitude are this important.
But I can’t get complacent, I need to prepare step by step. Thinking about the future, I have to keep up with my language studies, and one-on-one acting lessons might be good too…
As Suhyeon envisioned his future, time flew by.
Due to how quickly time had passed, Hochan and Jiyeon reflected on whether they had been too harsh, seeing their son sitting quietly in the thinking chair.
“Suhyeon, do your legs hurt?”
“I’m fine!”
“You know Mom and Dad love you, right?”
“I love you too!”
As he beamed with affection, blossoms seemed to bloom on the previously worried faces of the two.
Having spent a great deal of time talking about Suhyeon’s stories—past children’s clothing photoshoots, dramas, and the new commercial they were about to film—they enjoyed a harmonious weekend, making sure to catch the live airing of the second episode.
* * *
“Hello!”
Four days later, having completed the contract for the Taesung phone commercial, Suhyeon arrived at the studio with Jiyeon.
He was greeted by the clean and spacious environment.
“Hello, what a cute kid.”
“Thank you.”
“You’ve heard about the concept we’re shooting today, right?”
“Ah, yes. Between family members…”
While Jiyeon conversed with the staff, Suhyeon looked around the studio.
This was because he had heard about the main model he’d be shooting with during the contract negotiations.
Hasn’t arrived yet…
Scanning the room for a while, he spotted a familiar figure among a crowd and quickly made his way to where the staff were gathered.
“Hello, Lee Seohan-sunbae!”
“…Hello.”
Lee Seohan, standing in the middle of that crowd, responded to Suhyeon’s lively greeting with a slight delay.
Surprise flickered across his face, as if this was news to him.
“Ah, you’ve already met. This is Kang Suhyeon, who’ll be playing the ‘son’ today. And this is Lee Seohan, the main model. You’re both in the same drama, right?”
An employee who had been chatting with Jiyeon introduced the two, who were already familiar with each other and had exchanged greetings.
“Yes. I didn’t know the child actor I’d be working with today would be Suhyeon.”
“Ahahaha. Since we’re ambitiously preparing this ad, we took extra care with selecting the child actor.”
The employee joked about how the selection took a bit longer because of their careful choice.
I heard about it, but it didn’t feel real until now. Since we’re finally meeting alone, I should try to move up to calling each other “hyung” and “dongsaeng.”
With such an age difference, the proper way to address them would have been “ajeossi” or “ajumma,” but everyone secretly enjoys being called a “hyung” or “noona.”
Calculating even the terms of endearment that would unconsciously make the other feel more amicable, Suhyeon ambitiously eyed Seohan.
Even though they were in the same drama, their filming schedules were different and Seohan was busy with various schedules, so their only exchange had been greetings.
The only time they had off together was at the first airing party, but they sat at different tables and Suhyeon fell asleep, so that too ended in failure.
But this time, we’ll be waiting together…
Suhyeon thought about the shoot scheduled for today.
It was a commercial about a breadwinner who couldn’t come home due to working overtime. He was talking to his son through a video call and gaining the strength to work again.
It was a textbook advertisement focused on the desired features.
Using the video call feature as a selling point really shows how times have changed….
Having lived in an era when 5G was on its way out, Suhyeon found it hard to adapt to the present where 3G was just starting to become commercialized.
To be honest, the idea of finding one’s way with a hand-drawn map instead of using navigation apps, and the excessively detailed nature of such maps, was somewhat terrifying.
“The phones we had before could make video calls, but this new product we’re releasing has been designed for faster transmission and multitasking over the 3G network.”
“Then shouldn’t a telecommunications company be advertising this, not you, Taesung-ajeossi?”
“Ajeo…… *cough* Well, in the long run, yes, but currently, our product is the only one that can deliver this speed and quality. And shouldn’t you be calling me ‘hyung’?”
The employee, explaining the product they were going to advertise today, emphasized calling him “hyung” with a kind voice.
Suhyeon pitied the employee’s hair that was barely covering the receding hairline in an M-shape.
The screen is so small. It’s like a car key.
Suhyeon inspected the slide phone handed to him, pretending not to hear the employee’s request.
For him, who equated 3G with smartphones, the idea of a slide phone utilizing 3G data was a novel concept.
“Suhyeon’s mom, we’ll start shooting once Suhyeon changes his clothes. Please follow that staff member over there.”
“Okay. Let’s go, Suhyeon.”
“I’ll be back soon.”
Returning the phone, Suhyeon quickly went to the dressing room to change his clothes.
Today’s outfit was an adorable animal onesie that doubled the cuteness of a child.
The mane on the hood and the wagging tail had the perilousness of a terrorist.
Children’s clothes really must be cute to look good.
Although many boys disliked being called cute, Suhyeon was not among them.
On the contrary, he felt thrilled every time he received compliments for being pretty and cute.
“Compliments on my good looks are always a pleasure and feel new.”
“Huh? What did you say, Suhyeon?”
Seeing his satisfying reflection in the mirror, Suhyeon accidentally blurted out his thoughts and then widened his eyes, shaking his head.
“No! I didn’t say anything!”
“…Really?”
“Excuse me, Mrs. Suhyeon, could you please read and check this?”
“Sure.”
Distracted by the timely conversation with the staff member who had entered, Jiyeon and Suhyeon let out a sigh of relief.
Because of his innocence, his thoughts often slipped out unchecked and put him in awkward situations.
“Mom, I’m going to go ahead and wait!”
“All right, but don’t run.”
“Yes!”
Suhyeon quickly left the dressing room on his own as soon as he got permission.
Staff members passing by covered their mouths and shook as they witnessed his majestic stride.
Is it because of my height? I can’t find the people I need.
Confidently setting out, Suhyeon failed to find Seohan.
Even going as far as the set, he couldn’t see Seohan’s manager, let alone anyone who appeared to be the PD.
Eventually giving up on searching alone, Suhyeon approached the closest woman.
“Excuse me, noona.”
“Oh my, how scary… There’s a lion over here.”
The woman in the indoor clothes exaggeratedly pretended to be frightened upon seeing Suhyeon.
Suhyeon, though only outwardly five years old, awkwardly curled his lips into a smile at a situation other kids might have found amusing.
“Do you know where PD-nim and Seohan-sunbae are?”
“Seohan-sunbae? Oh, are you Suhyeon? You’re even cuter than in the pictures; I didn’t recognize you.”
She didn’t hesitate to pet his head as if fawning over him.
The lack of decorum for a staff member made Suhyeon roll his eyes and examine the woman.
Is she an actress shooting with me today? She doesn’t look familiar. But still, this kind of touch is inappropriate for a child.
Suhyeon dodged the impolite hand and stared at the woman intently.
Feeling the pressure from his gaze, she awkwardly withdrew her hand.
“Ah, um. Sorry. I can’t help myself around children.”
“Okay. But who are you, noona? Are we shooting together today?”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
With a big nod from Suhyeon, the woman straightened her back and stretched her mouth into a grin.
There was a sense of charisma in her confident stance.
“I’m your mother.”
But the charisma he thought he saw might have actually been madness.
