Suhyeon rolled halfway across the bed, hugging a pillow nearly as big as he was.
As his view shifted from right to left, he rolled back in the other direction.
So peaceful…
As the clock approached 3 PM, he still hadn’t left his bed, savoring the long-awaited rest.
He briefly worried that perhaps he was too lazy for a six-year-old, but felt he deserved this level of reward.
I don’t want to do anything… I’m not doing anything now, but I want to do even less.
Maybe it was because of what Sangil said last night, but Jiyeon neither woke Suhyeon nor urged him to eat.
She occasionally opened his door to check if he was awake.
Suhyeon was aware of this but pretended to sleep each time to kill time.
You need to eat well to grow taller, but skipping a meal for a day and doing nothing should be fine.
Despite saying that, Suhyeon got up from bed, unwrapped a candy he had secretly hidden in his desk, ate it, and then lay back down.
Even if he wasn’t particularly hungry, sweets were always the right choice.
This is what it means to live like a bum.
During his idol days, he hated taking breaks even when he was busy and exhausted.
He thought that being unknown and not attending events would lead to being completely forgotten.
It’s not like I was wrong. That’s why it’s even better.
Currently, he had no concerns that taking a short break would disrupt his work.
Despite being a young actor, few could match his acting skills, and his cute appearance helped him stand out.
Although the popularity of child actors was often shorter-lived than that of regular actors, he wasn’t at risk of being forgotten after just a day or two of rest.
It’s not like I don’t have work! I’m just not doing it!
Before filming The Shadow Road, Suhyeon had shot two to three commercials, and offers continue to come.
Although the Taeseong phone commercial was the only one that left an impression on the public, the other products also saw their sales rise thanks to his endorsement.
In other words, Suhyeon was a child actor on the rise, affordable, and with a good image.
Even the pitiful and sorrowful image he had shown in Praise was easily packaged as adorable under the title of a child actor.
My heart is full, and the rest is sweet…
Suhyeon hugged the pillow again.
The fluffy cotton filling felt like his future, filling him with satisfaction.
* * *
Maybe this is a bit too much…
After spending the first day in bed, Suhyeon ended up doing nothing for an entire week.
He even took a break from acting classes, and his daily routine consisted only of waking up, eating, playing, and sleeping.
Surprisingly, Mom and Dad didn’t say anything.
Even though he lazed around at home, neither Jiyeon nor Hochan pressured him.
They might have teased him for being a homebody, but instead, they seemed pleased that he was enjoying himself.
Other kids are busy with kindergarten, Gugumon, or cram schools, but me? I’m just chil—wait a second. Why am I really not being made to do anything? Could it be indifference?
Soothed by comfort, Suhyeon suddenly snapped to attention as a thought popped into his mind.
He was worried that perhaps he was being neglected under the guise of freedom.
Having lived over ten years in indifference, he preferred attention and affection, even if it meant some inconvenience in his activities.
“It’s obvious that going there would just stress you out, and I don’t want to send him just because of peer pressure from kids or parents.”
But his concerns soon proved unnecessary.
“But all the kids go…”
“It’s not like our son lacks social skills. You can have snacks and take naps at home. And it’s not like I’m not home.”
Jiyeon replied gently, wiping the milk from Suhyeon’s lips.
Her eyes were filled with so much affection that he never doubted her feelings.
“Mom, isn’t it hard for you…?”
“What’s hard? Taking care of our Suhyeon? Why would that be hard? A good son shouldn’t worry about things like that and just say what he wants to eat. But you know it’s one snack a day, right?”
“Yes…”
Staying at home didn’t mean resting.
Jiyeon worked from home as a freelancer and was always busy with various outsourced projects.
Yet, she didn’t show any of this to Suhyeon.
“And our Suhyeon is a child with clear goals. I’m not worried.”
Parents taught their young children various things to help them find their path by letting them experience different things in a still small world.
Jiyeon believed this and was careful not to mold her son, who had already shown an interest in acting, into a specific frame.
Even if she couldn’t express it in words, she always approached Suhyeon with such intentions.
“Yes…”
Suhyeon lowered his gaze and mumbled.
He had only asked because of past memories, but he couldn’t handle the aftermath.
Do they really like me that much…?
With a slightly coy look, he glanced at Jiyeon.
The tickling feeling in his chest was quite pleasant.
“Mom, are you busy today?”
“Hmm, today’s relatively free. There’s nothing to do with the new project since the concept isn’t fully decided, and the only deadline today is the logo work… Why? Do you want to do something with Mom?”
“Yes!”
“What is it?”
“Mom, finish your work first! I’ll do mine too, then I’ll tell you later! Thanks for the meal!”
“Pfft. Okay, soak them in water.”
“Yes!”
After putting the last spoonful into his mouth, he quickly got up and took his bowl and spoon to the sink.
Although the height was way above his head, there was a stool for Suhyeon, so placing the dishes wasn’t difficult.
Alright. Today, instead of playing, let’s try making that again.
As Jiyeon left the kitchen to finish her work, Suhyeon sneakily opened the fridge.
His sharp eyes scanned the ingredients inside.
I didn’t plan to reveal this vision yet.
Thinking like a martial arts master from a novel, he took out some groceries with his tiny hands.
Water parsley, milk, eggs…
With his arms full of ingredients that seemed on the verge of spilling, he kicked the fridge door shut and waddled to move them.
The starch and sugar are with the seasonings, and the honey is above the range…
Having thoroughly searched the kitchen, Suhyeon placed everything he needed on the table.
Though the ingredients were scattered, he was satisfied with finding most of what he needed.
Alright, then into the bowl…
Suhyeon carefully placed the gathered items in a bowl, mashed, and mixed them.
Because of his small hands, he often fumbled, but he diligently mixed the ingredients.
After about 10 minutes, something black with a peculiar smell was completed.
Still smells terrible.
Bringing the bowl close to his nose for a moment, he quickly grimaced and jerked his head back.
It was a smell that was hard to get used to, even though its effectiveness was undeniable.
Plus, there’s a lot of it. Hmm, will I get scolded for making a mess in the kitchen…? Nah, this is a secret recipe.
Suhyeon stared at the bowl filled with a thick, gooey substance.
Even though it required a lot of ingredients and always resulted in more than four servings at once—making it the epitome of overkill—its perfect effectiveness made it such a luxury that Suhyeon indulged in it once every two or three months before his regression.
Yes, this is the ultimate weapon created by END.
He had no regrets about spending tens of thousands of won just to save a couple of thousand.
“Mom!”
Suhyeon ran to the living room where Jiyeon was, carrying the bowl.
The black, sticky liquid sloshed with each of his quick steps.
“Suhyeon… What is that? We just ate, and you’re already making something else? Call Mom next time.”
“This!”
“…What is this? Suhyeon, you shouldn’t play with food. I should have been in the kitchen with you…”
“Let’s do a face pack, Mom!”
“Huh? A face pack…?”
“Yes!!”
Suhyeon nodded with a bright smile.
The color was wrong, the smell was wrong, and the texture was all kinds of wrong…
It was the ultimate culmination of struggling in poverty, solely focused on maximizing effectiveness.
It was a face pack that Suhyeon and his idol group members loved to use.
* * *
“…Are you sure this is okay to apply? The smell is quite unique.”
“They say it’s supposed to be like this. But I heard it’s really effective!”
“Well, if it’s effective, it makes sense that celebrities use it… Hmm. I think it’s better if only I try it today.”
After cleaning up the kitchen, Jiyeon picked up the sticky liquid with a brush, looking uneasy.
She couldn’t throw away what her child had made with care, yet she was hesitant to apply it.
Yeah, it’s a bit concerning. And I’m worried the smell might linger.
Suhyeon gazed at the viscous liquid with a distant look.
At first, he only tried natural packs because spending money on packs felt wasteful.
But as it became more enjoyable, Suhyeon and the members of END started mixing strange ingredients to create natural packs.
It was quite an interesting experience.
Since an idol’s face was their greatest asset, most prototypes ended up with the manager.
Sometimes they caused skin problems, but the manager willingly lent his face.
And that’s how this came about.
While continuing the hobby half-jokingly, half-seriously, they accidentally created something a bit unsettling to be called a face pack.
A perfect skincare pack that could rival expensive aesthetic treatments.
The Super Black Star.
Just calling it a Black Pack sounds cooler, but we childishly tack on “Super” and “Star.” Now it annoyingly sounds similar to Blackstar.
The pack, which ended up incorporating all the members’ naming suggestions, became END’s greatest asset.
Though it was quite strong, making frequent use impossible, just ten minutes of application showed noticeable effects.
“Mom, it’s okay! You saw everything I put in earlier!”
“Well, nothing dangerous was in there… Hmm, just keep it on for ten minutes, okay? Tell me right away if it stings.”
“Okay.”
Suhyeon lay down straight, feeling the damp mask cover his face.
Although the smell from the various ingredients mixed together was strange, having not smelled them for a long time, they felt nostalgic.
It’s amazing how, even with such a strange smell, only a fragrant herbal scent remains after washing.
While Suhyeon was lost in thought, Jiyeon had already finished applying the face pack to his face.
She was now in front of the mirror, applying it to her own.
Once her chin and mouth were covered, she lay down next to Suhyeon.
It’s so quiet. Having a face pack on makes it hard to talk, so it feels a bit boring.
Suhyeon wiggled his fingers, teasing Jiyeon.
Even though it might have been annoying, Jiyeon gently stroked Suhyeon’s playful hands with a kind touch.
And after ten minutes.
“Oh my.”
After quickly washing Suhyeon and her own face, Jiyeon looked at her reflection in the mirror and admired her skin.
“My skin has really improved. Celebrities sure have different secrets.”
In just ten minutes, her skin had become noticeably brighter.
Even the redness had calmed down significantly, giving her skin a polished look without having applied any foundation.
“This is really good. The person who told you about this must really like our Suhyeon. Oh my, is this possible in just ten minutes?”
“…”
While Jiyeon marveled at her face in the mirror, Suhyeon was deeply shocked by his own transformation.
He picked up a hand mirror and carefully examined his face in the reflection.
After a good rest, his skin was clear and flawless, with a porcelain-like texture.
Silky skin without visible pores.
Lips resembling a rose, without any dead skin.
Such perfect skin was… unfortunately, not much different from before applying the face pack.
It’s the first time I feel cheated after using a face pack!
Suhyeon finally realized that even if you scored over 100 points, the perfect score was still 100.
For an already perfect skin, the Super Black Star was unnecessary.
It’s a relief that mom is happy… but why is my skin so good?
It should have been a reason to be happy, but why did it feel so unfair?
Suhyeon looked at the delighted Jiyeon with a wistful gaze.
At least it was a relief that someone was happy.
“I’m back, Suhyeon’s mom, Suhyeon. Hmm? Did Suhyeon’s mom put on makeup today? Your face looks even more radiant than usual.”
“Oh, I just did a face pack. Does it show?”
“You look so pretty that for a moment I thought I had traveled back in time. Why does noona look like she’s in her twenties? If you look younger than me, it dulls the charm of being younger.”
“Pahaha! Come on, stop exaggerating. You’re not funny.”
“No, I’m serious. Why did you become so pretty all of a sudden? It’s unsettling.”
Thanks to Jiyeon’s radiant transformation, Hochan was completely absorbed in flirting with her after coming home.
Meanwhile, Suhyeon had to avert his eyes from the display of affection between his parents.
But Suhyeon truly felt relieved…
