Child actors can serve as a great stepping stone when entering the entertainment industry.  

 

Gaining experience from a young age means building a solid foundation.  

 

It’s undoubtedly a huge advantage when pursuing an acting career later on.  

 

However—  

 

‘It’s currently the year 2001.’

 

The so-called romantic era.  

 

It had only been ten years since the War on Crime was declared.  

 

This was a time when thugs were forming close-knit partnerships with the entertainment industry.  

 

‘Jumping into showbiz at this time is sheer madness.’

 

Unless you had a strong backing.

 

‘Besides, I have no intention of becoming an actor right now.’

 

I appeared on the program to see just how far the power of my perks could go.  

 

‘And this was a kind of investment.’

 

People often say that childhood connections don’t amount to much as you grow up, but that’s because those connections were never deep enough.  

 

As I glanced over, behind PD Kim Young-mo, who was still in shock after hearing my refusal, I saw Kim Yoo-ryun slyly pulling out a business card.  

 

She was probably going to give it to my mom.  

 

‘That’s enough.’

 

I had confirmed my talent for entertainment and secured a top star’s business card.  

 

I could consider this mission accomplished for my current age.  

 

If I ever decide to enter the entertainment industry, that single business card would be a huge opportunity.  

 

Also, maintaining a connection with Kim Su-jin was bound to be incredibly helpful.  

 

‘In my previous life, I didn’t even have this connection.’

 

Being good-looking really does make a difference.  

 

“Thank you.”  

 

“Huh?”  

 

Of course, I didn’t let it go to my head.  

 

After all, it was thanks to Su-jin that I got this opportunity, so I didn’t forget to express my gratitude.  

 

“Thank you for what?”  

 

“Thanks to you, I got to appear on ‘Doctor Joy!’—it’s not something just anyone can do.”  

 

“T-then hold my hand.”  

 

Feeling like she was back in a position of power, Su-jin immediately shifted into princess mode.  

 

It made me realize all over again that she was a born entertainer.  

 

Squeeze.

 

As soon as I held her hand, Kim Su-jin giggled with joy.  

 

Watching her, I briefly drowned into my thoughts.  

 

‘How differently can I live now compared to my ugly past life?’

 

The only difference between my past and present lives was my appearance.

 

It had changed dramatically, but I still wondered.  

 

How far could I truly soar?  

 

———-

 

After firmly refusing Kim Yoo-ryun’s offer to take us home, my mom and I quickly took a taxi and sped home.  

 

“My son appeared on TV! And he got so much praise too!”  

 

‘How long has it been since I last saw my mom smile like this?’

 

I hadn’t seen it often in my previous life.  

 

They say even a hedgehog loves its own young, but if that hedgehog isn’t there, how could the young receive any affection?  

 

“Are you sure you don’t want to do it anymore? You’re not quitting because of Mom and Dad, are you?”  

 

“No. It’s really okay.”  

 

Entering the entertainment industry could wait until later.  

 

Once the era of YouTube truly began, the power of personal media would grow immensely.  

 

What I needed to do now wasn’t to dive deeply into a specific field,  

but to build up multiple avenues like the tentacles of an octopus.  

 

‘It’s oddly like playing a game.’

 

Maybe it was because I played ‘Sims – Real Life’ for so long.  

 

Even though I had lived a past life, I was understanding my current situation as if it were a game route.  

 

Perhaps this too was part of my ‘Thousand Talents.’ 

 

Mastering emotions and analyzing situations were also realms of talent.  

 

“I’m so proud of my son… And he even got paid.”  

 

Saying this, Mom placed a thick envelope in my hand.  

 

Since this was before the 50,000 won bill was issued, the thickness was different. 

 

“I don’t want you to give it back to me when you grow up. This is the first money you earned in such a cool way.”  

 

Suddenly overwhelmed with emotion, Mom’s eyes reddened.  

 

Come to think of it, my mom was a really sentimental person.

 

I held my mom’s hand tightly and discreetly opened the envelope with my other hand.  

 

‘What the heck.’  

 

I had guessed from the thickness, but the amount was unbelievable.  

 

Usually, child actors don’t get paid much at this age.  

 

‘A mere five-year-old, who only appeared once, getting thirty?’  

 

I rubbed the outer layer of the envelope in disbelief, feeling something that didn’t have the texture of cash.  

 

I carefully opened the envelope a bit more to check, and it was a business card.  

 

‘It’s Kim Young-mo PD’s business card.’  

 

This wasn’t just a payment; it was a kind of investment.  

 

A message saying, ‘I’m paying this much attention to you, so feel free to contact me if you’re interested.’

 

‘But am I really worth that much?’  

 

I knew the atmosphere was good, but judging how well the entire broadcast would go is a different matter.  

 

‘Well, I’ll find out when the show airs.’  

 

And so, time flew by, and two weeks later, it was the air date for my appearance on ‘Doctor Joy!’

 

———-

 

Doctor Joy! usually began at 7:30 in the morning.  

 

It’s that busy time when kids are getting ready for school.  

 

A program that parents turn on to briefly divert their children’s attention.  

 

At the same time, kids do gymnastics and learn general knowledge. The hype was such that not turning it on seemed foolish.  

 

‘It really is convenient.’

 

Kim Seong-ha wasn’t too keen on letting kids watch TV from a young age. 

 

However, she picked up the remote to make her morning routine go smoothly.  

 

It was an unavoidable choice for a little breathing room before the rush of getting ready for work.  

 

‘Please give mom a little break.’

 

Click.  

 

With that thought, Kim Seong-ha turned on the TV.  

 

The channel was, of course, Toon Train.  

 

“Wow! It’s Dr. Joy!”

 

As soon as she turned it on, her child, who had been lying in bed, rushed out and plopped down in front of the TV.  

 

How he managed to hear the TV from so far away was beyond her.  

 

Even though he was her son, she couldn’t understand it.  

 

“Son, is this show really that fun?”  

 

“Yeah. Huh? There’s a new kid!”  

 

At those words, Kim Seong-ha paused her morning preparations and glanced at the TV.  

 

There’s always curiosity about a new face.  

 

On the screen, a boy naturally began introducing himself.  

 

“I’m Kim Dong-hoo. I’m from Rainbow Kindergarten and Su-jin’s seatmate. My favorite activity is Stretchy Gymnastics.”  

 

It was a typical introduction.  

 

Usually, they mentioned their kindergarten, their identity, and what they liked.  

 

But Kim Seong-ha couldn’t take her eyes off the screen at that moment.  

 

First of all, he was handsome.  

 

But it wasn’t just that he was simply handsome.  

 

Was he carrying a magnet that attracted people’s attention?  

 

It was oddly captivating.  

 

He didn’t do much.  

 

He just introduced himself, had a simple casual conversation, and did gymnastics with Dr. Joy.  

 

Even with just those three things, he left a strong impression.  

 

“Wow… Dong-hoo is really cool.”  

 

Her son seemed to feel the same way.

 

He stared at the TV with his mouth open and even drooling.  

 

—-——-

 

“…  Am I really seeing this right?”  

 

“I can’t believe it either.”  

 

CP Heo Sang-seok asked in disbelief as he looked at the viewership ratings.  

 

PD Kim Young-mo also stood there. He revealed the same disbelief.  

 

“A children’s program which airs at seven-thirty in the morning got a 12% rating?”  

 

It was an unbelievable number.  

 

Of course, this wasn’t the average rating.  

 

“The viewership spiked when Dong-hoo introduced himself and did the gymnastics.”  

 

“… Our ratings doubled during that time.”  

 

During the brief moment Dong-hoo was on screen, the ratings suddenly shot up and then returned to normal in the second half.  

 

“This is something.”  

 

Heo Sang-seok shifted his gaze with a look of disbelief.   

 

‘I’m Kim Dong-hoo.’

 

There was a screen showing a loop of the edited scenes featuring only Kim Dong-hoo.  

 

“No matter how much we tried to boost ratings before, they never went up…”  

 

In the end, was the most important thing in a children’s program the children themselves?

 

Kim Young-mo, who had belatedly realized this truth, slapped his forehead.  

 

He now had a clear idea of where to focus moving forward.  

 

“Shall we do a program overhaul?”  

 

“With what?”  

 

“First, let’s make Dong-hoo the main…”  

 

“Forget it. He said he doesn’t want to.”  

 

“He hasn’t contacted us?!”  

 

Kim Young-mo’s face showed utter disbelief.  

 

They had offered such a generous payment and even included a business card, yet there was no response at all?  

 

“That’s right. Nothing. What can you do if he doesn’t want to? Are you planning to show up at his house? You’ll end up in jail.”  

 

So, he really meant it when he said he was done?  

 

By now, he should have become a popular star at his kindergarten.  

 

This had never happened before in Kim Young-mo PD’s career.  

 

The boy had hogged all the attention on a TV program that every kid dreams of appearing on, and yet there wasn’t a single call?  

 

‘What is he doing?’  

 

As PD Kim Young-mo wondered about Kim Dong-hoo, the boy who had monopolized all the popularity was currently…  

 

Splash. Splash. Splash.  

 

“Haven’t done this in a while; it’s tougher than I remember.”  

 

… Happily swimming in a ball pit.  

 

———

 

{Dong-hoo’s POV}

 

Right after the airing of ‘Doctor Joy!’

 

I had to endure a chaotic life at the kindergarten.  

 

I knew I had to put up with it since it was the result of my own doing, but still—  

 

“Is there really a person inside the Dr. Joy costume?”  

 

“How was it? What’s it like being on TV? Is the broadcasting station super big?”  

 

“Did you meet, uh, Yeon-ji there? I really like Yeon-ji!”

 

“Is Dr. Joy’s laugh really like ‘giggle-giggle’ when you hear it in person?”  

 

“They say the broadcasting station can actually transform into a robot—is that true?”  

 

The barrage of questions from the kids, who rushed at me without hesitation, was quite overwhelming.  

 

For the first couple of days, I thought it would end soon, so I answered them one by one.  

 

‘I never imagined this would go on for a month.’

 

The kids appeared to have forgotten the meaning of exhaustion. They bombard me with questions about ‘Doctor Joy! whenever they had the chance.  

 

Normally, Su-jin would cut them off at an appropriate point, but—  

 

‘It’s about time for her to move.’

 

Su-jin was busy in many ways.  

 

From what I remembered, around this time, she would start looking for an agency and begin working on a new project.  

 

‘Come to think of it, we’ll be graduating from kindergarten soon.’

 

Next year, we’d be moving on to elementary school.  

 

‘Does that mean I’ll see her again…?’

 

The girl who cried because she didn’t want to be my seatmate.  

 

I’d be seeing her again.  

 

Lost in these thoughts, time passed, and it was almost time to go home.  

 

As parents began arriving one by one to pick up their kids,  

an unexpected face appeared.  

 

‘Kim Su-jin?’

 

‘Why is she here if she didn’t even come to kindergarten today?’

 

Just as I stared at Su-jin with that puzzled expression,.

 

“Dong-hoo!”  

 

Our eyes met.  

 

“If you have a moment, do you want to go somewhere with me?”  

 

Suddenly?