Nara Kim, with her short hair, lifted her black sunglasses to meet Seo Jun's eyes and smiled. Seo Jun raised his fists and replied,
"Yep!"
"Shall we go then?"
"Seo Jun, you need to take your bag."
Seo Eun-hye brought Seo Jun's bag. Seo Jun slipped his arm through the strap.
Holding his mother's hand in one and Aunt Nara's in the other, they left the house.
"Oh, Jun!"
"Hi, Eric!"
Seo Jun greeted Eric Smith, who was coming out to take out the trash, cheerfully. Eric smiled and asked,
"What kind of bag is it today?"
"Zombie!"
Seo Jun let go of their hands and spun around. Eric saw a bag with a zombie doll, patched up in various places.
The zombie, with its red stains and pale skin, was both realistic and quite cute.
"Nice one! Did Sang make it for you?"
"Yep. Uncle Hee-sang made it. Where's Jack?"
"Jack went to grandma's house. When he sees it, he'll probably cry and want it. I guess I'll have to order more from Sang."
Eric shook his head and extended his fist, which Seo Jun tapped with his own.
Eric greeted Seo Eun-hye and Nara, who were standing behind, and then went down the stairs.
"Hee-sang's dolls are really popular."
"Considering he quit his job to start this, it would be a disaster if they weren't."
Seo Eun-hye sighed, and Nara laughed.
"It's all because of your Nertube."
Since coming to the U.S., Seo Eun-hye and Lee Min-joon have been very busy. There was so much to prepare for starting a new life in a new place.
Especially, they spent several sleepless nights studying about child abuse and other child-related crimes.
Things that would be overlooked in Korea were often considered child abuse in the U.S. It was a necessary measure for the safety of children, but they had to be careful with every action.
If it weren't for the materials Nara Kim prepared, studying would have been much harder.
Despite their busy schedules, the couple quickly adapted to life in LA. However, they soon realized that people here were just as nosy as in Korea. Still, they decided to overcome it, and it felt like they were halfway there.
Seo Eun-hye started posting vlogs about their life in the U.S. on Nertube, gradually featuring Seo Jun's dolls.
Meanwhile, Kim Hee-sang was diligently working on doll designs to satisfy the couple and Seo Jun's tastes.
At first, there were many comments saying the dolls were strange, but gradually, opinions started to shift, and more people began asking where they could buy them.
Seo Eun-hye asked Kim Hee-sang and posted the order method on Nertube. With the influx of orders, Kim Hee-sang happily threw in his resignation.
"Last Halloween, most of the kids in this neighborhood probably had Hee-sang's dolls."
Seo Jun was the trendsetter. The various monster dolls he carried around with his parents initially caught the attention of adults due to their uniqueness, but soon became wildly popular among children.
Especially, Jack, who lived next door and was very close to Seo Jun, would burst into tears every time Seo Jun got a new doll, causing the Smiths and the Seo Eun-hye and Lee Min-joon couple a lot of trouble. The generous Seo Jun would often give Jack a doll he liked less.
"Auntie! Let's go quickly!"
Seo Jun tugged on Nara's hand. With Seo Jun's urging, Seo Eun-hye and Nara smiled and started walking.
Nara and Seo Eun-hye fastened their seatbelts, and Seo Jun sat in the car seat. The zombie bag was neatly placed next to him.
"Seo Jun, have you practiced?"
"Yep!"
In response to Nara's question, Seo Jun wiggled his feet excitedly.
"Seo Jun has never acted before. Will it be okay?"
Before Seo Eun-hye could finish, Seo Jun stopped himself from saying no. He had been incredibly cute and enthusiastic during the Elephant milk commercial. He pouted his lips, trying not to let his mother see.
"You worry too much."
"No."
Seo Eun-hye pressed her forehead at Nara's calm response.
"You were the one who called three days ago and suggested we do a movie shoot. It wasn't even a suggestion."
"Ahahaha."
* * *
Three days ago, Nara called. Seo Eun-hye and Seo Jun were on a speakerphone call.
-Nara: Seo Jun, let's do a movie shoot!
"Mo-vie...?"
"I want to!"
Before Seo Eun-hye could ask, Seo Jun answered.
Movie! A movie! Since coming to the U.S., Seo Jun had only done vlog shoots and was eager to do more. If he hesitated, he might never become a superstar.
Seo Jun cheered and ran around the living room.
"I want to! Seo Jun wants to!"
-Nara: Great! I'll send you the script!
"Wait, wait! Nara!"
At Seo Eun-hye's call, Nara, who was about to hang up, asked,
-Why?
"What do you mean, a movie all of a sudden?"
-Last time, Seo Jun was watching a movie-related documentary, and when I asked if he wanted to be an actor, he said yes.
"Really?"
-Yes. So, I sent the commercials and Nertube videos Seo Jun has done to places looking for child actors, and they replied asking him to come for an audition.
"Audition?"
At Seo Eun-hye's words, Seo Jun ran over and asked into the phone,
"Is it a movie shoot? Or an audition?"
-It's both. They'll probably have other child actors too. They'll use the best video in the movie.
"So, Seo Jun might not be in the movie?"
-Still, think of it as an experience. What do you think, Seo Jun?
"I want to!"
No matter who else was there, Seo Jun was confident he would win. He clenched his fists tightly. Seeing Seo Jun's burning enthusiasm, Seo Eun-hye raised both her hands and feet.
"Alright."
-Nara: I'll send you the script!
Soon, an email from the proactive Aunt Nara arrived. When Lee Min-joon came home from work, he shook his head at the sight of his son, who didn't know how to read, staring intently at the printed script.
"It's Seo Jun's first shoot, but I can't be there."
"I'll take pictures."
Seo Eun-hye raised her camera at Lee Min-joon, who was stretching Seo Jun's cheeks and laughing.
>Ah, I forgot. It's a Marinza movie.
"Marinza?!"
Seo Eun-hye and Lee Min-joon's hearts sank at Nara's message.
* * *
The houses outside the window flashed by. Seo Jun was thinking. There's a proper speed limit on the road, right? Is Aunt Nara following it?
"But how did you know about the videos on Nertube and the commercials?"
"I saw a report from Mansae. It said Seo Jun has been in front of the camera since he was 7 months old, and he's done commercials."
Mansae was Kevin Kim's real name.
Eldest son Uri, eldest daughter Nara, youngest son Mansae.
Uri, Nara, Mansae.
Seo Eun-hye, Lee Min-joon, and Seo Jun laughed for a long time when they heard these names from Nara.
It seemed the names had even reached the ears of Brownblack's fans, causing a commotion in the fan club as they tried to secure nicknames with "Mansae" first.
"Report?"
"Grandpa made us write reports instead of diaries or letters when we were young."
Nara shook her head.
It was strange that their grandfather made little kids with runny noses write reports, and that her brother disappeared because he hated company work, and her younger brother, who loved rap, left home and eventually went to Korea.
Is there no normal person in our family?
"We were more familiar with reports than letters. He sent the report saying, 'Take care of the family.' Four years ago. Of course, I had forgotten about it."
A few days ago, Nara saw an announcement looking for a boy actor with black hair and eyes and immediately thought of Seo Jun.
Come to think of it, Mansae had uploaded a report with similar content. When she searched the bookshelves in the study, she found the report Mansae had uploaded four years ago.
"The milk commercial Seo Jun did is just a regular ad to most people, but it's particularly effective for parents with babies. The eating videos Seo Jun did also have a huge impact on babies under 20 months."
Nara also watched the videos after reading the report.
To her, it was just a regular ad, but the reactions from parents and children were significant.
Nara Kim looked at Seo Jun through the rearview mirror. Seo Jun flinched at her sharp gaze.
"Turns out, our neighbor Eric also saw Seo Jun's videos and said they were very helpful in raising Jack."
Moreover, Seo Jun's videos were popular regardless of nationality.
"I know that."
On the first day they moved into this house, when they knocked on the Smiths' door to introduce themselves, the Smiths were surprised and exclaimed, "Oh, Jun!" at the sight of Seo Jun in Seo Eun-hye's arms.
Seo Jun and the Smiths were also surprised. Since then, the two families have become quite close.
"Besides, the dolls made by Uncle Hee-sang that Seo Jun always carries are also selling well. If it was just for promotion, they would have sold out. That means there's something special about Seo Jun."
Nara was considering using Seo Jun as a model for King's Market. Everyone was against it now because he wasn't famous yet.
Seo Jun tilted his head. He had never used his ability. The dolls made by Uncle Hee-sang were just popular. He thought of Uncle Hee-sang, who was exhausted from video calls and had dark circles under his eyes.
The car stopped, indicating they had arrived at their destination. Nara, who had unbuckled her seatbelt, turned to Seo Eun-hye and Seo Jun in the back seat.
"Don't worry. Just treat it as a light practice. As I said on the phone, it's a brief extra role. Just don't be nervous, look at the camera, and smile. Have you read the script?"
"Yep."
Marinza... Seo Eun-hye recalled the name she had been trying to forget.
Ah... While Seo Eun-hye pressed her forehead in anxiety, Seo Jun was excited. To be in a movie by such a huge company from the start!
"Mom read it to me! I practiced too!"
"Great. Well done!"
Nara helped Seo Jun out of the car and didn't forget to put the zombie bag on his back.
"This way."
Nara led the way. From the direction she was heading, a noisy sound could be heard.
People were moving boxes and running around everywhere. Nara talked to a security guard, who then said something into his radio.
Soon, a person ran over from a distance.
"Hello! I'm Jonathan Will, a staff member. Are you here for the audition?"
Jonathan Will, a boy who looked like a middle schooler with freckles, held a paper full of red marks and asked.
"Yes, I'm Seo Jun Lee."
"Yes. Please wait a moment. Another child actor is currently auditioning."
Jonathan, wiping his sweat, led the three of them inside. On the right, there was a bustling scene, but no sound.
"This way."
Jonathan, speaking in a hushed tone, opened the entrance to a makeshift tent.
At that moment,
"William!"
A woman's scream and
"Ahhh!"
A child's cry were heard.
Jonathan closed his eyes tightly. The three, who didn't know what was happening, tilted their heads.
When the child's crying didn't stop, a loud voice was heard.
"Jonathan Will!!"
"Yes! Director! I'm coming right away!"
Jonathan, looking pale at the director's stern voice, quickly said,
"Wait here. A makeup artist will bring you the costume. Change into it and wait. When you're called, come out. I might not be able to come back."
"Jonathan Will!"
"Yes, yes!"
Jonathan ran towards the shooting area, where the child was still crying.