The longing to become famous was rooted entirely in his desire to help his father succeed.
To do that, he absolutely had to appear on this broadcast.
A large staff, location preparations and all.
Uju knew very well how great a burden it would be if a broadcast suddenly fell through.
Just then, his own phone was thrust in front of him.
It was Geuru.
“Wh-what?”
On the screen was the name “Father.”
—Hello? Uju?
Uju hurriedly took the phone.
“D-Dad.”
Should he try saying he was sick?
—You know you’ve got filming today, right? It’s been a while since I got to see my precious son’s face, haha!
There was pride in his father’s voice when he called him his precious son.
“Y-yeah… I know.”
—But why did you call? Is something wrong?
“Mm, no… I just suddenly got a bit of a fever.”
—What? Really? Will you be okay to film?
At the startled voice, Uju quickly shook his head.
“No, I want to film. I can do it.”
—I’m so weak when it comes to my son. If you insist on doing it, then I suppose there’s no helping it. Should Dad ask your manager to buy you some medicine?
A relieved voice. An intonation that rose slightly, as if to say thank goodness.
The more skilled Uju became at acting, the more accustomed he became to reading emotions.
From the faint emotions in a voice, a breath, an expression, he had come to know all too well what benefited his father and what made him happy.
“It’s okay. I’ll ask hyung—”
Before Uju could finish speaking, the phone was snatched away.
Geuru took the call at once and said,
“Hewwo, mister! I’m Uju’s friend, On Geuru from Chick Class!”
“What, what are you doing!”
When Uju tried to take the phone back, Geuru dodged his hand and slipped down.
Geuru scampered away and spoke quickly.
“Mister! Today! Uju’s been all woozy sick since morning! I don’t think he can film ’cause he’s sick!”
“S-stop it!”
Uju chased after Geuru, but his feverish body could hardly keep up.
“My dad? Dad’s on a business trip today… Yeees. I can do that.”
As Uju fidgeted anxiously, Geuru, still on the phone, held the phone back out to him.
Then she smiled brightly and said,
“Geuru’s gonna film instead! Uju, you rest!”
“What? Hah, hah…! You?”
Uju clutched his knees, bent over, and squeezed out the words.
“Mm-hm. He said to come out with Dad, so I said okay.”
“Even your dad?!”
If it was Geuru and Jurim, public attention was guaranteed.
Even a simple interview with Jurim sent ratings soaring.
On top of that, he was the guildmaster of Hyeonak, and she was his daughter.
It actually fit the intent of this variety show perfectly, making it even better, but….
“So Uju, go to the hospitaw. Okay?”
Geuru held Uju’s cheeks in her hands and smiled innocently.
“Look. Uju’s face is super hot.”
Uju breathed shallowly, his eyelashes trembling.
Was it fine as long as it wasn’t me?
As long as he got attention, would anyone do?
“…Then I’m going to the filming site with you.”
“Mm? Why?”
“Just because. I’m going with you.”
Uju took Geuru’s hand and moved to ask the teacher for permission.
“It’s your first time filming. There might be something I can help you with….”
The tips of his ears were flushed red from the fever.
*
Uju’s father, Producer Seo Unmo, was preparing a web variety show called Working Baby.
It was a program where children experienced a job for a day, and in line with current trends, it took the format of an observational variety show with the theme of healing and the adorableness of children.
Whether this variety show survived or died would depend on the shoot today.
‘I have to do well. I have to….’
Seo Unmo clenched his trembling fist.
A one-hit wonder. Seo Unmo had been living off a variety show that became a hit ten years ago.
Opinions were divided on whether he would make a comeback with this variety show or not, and the pressure of that was driving him even harder.
Since the format was called Working Baby, it would have been quite troublesome if they’d had to postpone filming because Uju was sick.
Seo Unmo gazed at Geuru, who was looking at him with a beaming smile.
‘A blessing in disguise.’
As a father, it was certainly unfortunate that Uju was sick. But ironically, as a producer, it had become something to be grateful for.
Thanks to that, he had managed to cast a guest who would create tremendous buzz.
For some reason, excitement welled up in him that he might be able to lead this program to success.
“Geuru, by any chance, what did you say to the guildmaster?”
Because the concept of this variety show required Jurim not to know what kind of shoot it was, Seo Unmo had been quite worried, but Jurim had readily agreed to appear.
When Seo Unmo asked out of curiosity, Geuru imitated Jurim and said,
“‘A variety shooow? All of a sudden? When are you filming it? Fine.’ That’s what he said.”
At the child’s playful act, Producer Seo let out a small laugh.
“Really? Guildmaster On is just as soft on his child as I am. I tell Uju everything is fine too. Ahaha!”
He laughed good-naturedly, as if embarrassed.
Geuru stared at Producer Seo and shook her head.
“Dad says ‘no’ and ‘forbidden’ a lot. Geuru doesn’t like it when he says no. But he says when Dad says no, it’s because he’s worried.”
“Ah….”
So that was how it was.
Producer Seo suddenly looked at Uju.
Sitting anxiously at the edge of a chair, Uju was flushed red from fever.
His manager took Uju’s temperature.
‘Saying no is because you’re worried….’
The face of his son, whom he had seen for the first time in ten days, somehow looked thinner.
Was he dieting again because he had a shoot, or had he been sick all along without his father knowing…?
“Producer Seo! Are you really changing the plan?”
“Ah, the basic format is similar. We’re just changing the setting and the guest. I’ll explain, so everyone gather around.”
When Producer Seo gathered the staff, Uju turned his gaze back to his father’s face, now absorbed in work again.
Geuru stared intently at the two of them.
‘Why doesn’t Mister go to Uju?’
Uju would like it if his dad took his temperature, asked if he was very sick, and kept paying attention to him….
Producer Seo was leaving the sick Uju alone and immersing himself in work.
Uju looked calm, as if he was used to not receiving his father’s attention.
Come to think of it.
‘Even when we first met….’
Uju had said his dad wasn’t interested in him.
Until then, Geuru had only thought Uju’s father was an extremely cold person.
But the mister she met today was very passionate about his work, and….
‘No, he’s cold.’
He’s that cold to Uju….
Just then, Producer Seo called Geuru.
“Geuru, could you listen to my explanation for a moment?”
“Okaaay.”
“We’ll be filming you first today. How this works is….”
After hearing the explanation for the shoot, Geuru let out an “oh” of admiration.
‘That sounds fun!’
*
A few days later.
‘And now a full-fledged variety show too….’
Jurim sat at the table on set, legs crossed, leaning deeply back in his chair.
Even when he had appeared on variety shows before, it had only been light talk. There was no way he had ever done anything like an experience program….
The reason he had ended up appearing on a variety show he would normally have flatly refused was entirely because of his daughter.
She said she wanted to help Uju and Uju’s dad.
He had often heard about the woman who was like a mother to Uju, but he had hardly ever heard a word about his father. Hearing that the man actually existed had been surprising enough.
At any rate, Jurim had not yet learned how to refuse his child’s earnest request, so he was sitting there now, dragged in like an obedient dog.