An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 188

188. Hollywood (1)

Kim, my manager, and I were sitting across from each other at the table.

Kim’s expression was still excited.

And my face wasn’t exactly peaceful either.

Kim was still breathing heavily, biting his lip.

“Heesung in Hollywood… I feel like my heart is going to explode!”

At his words, I placed my hand on my chest and replied,

“I heard the word ‘Hollywood,’ and my heart hasn’t stopped racing since.”

Then he burst into laughter and said,

“Heesung, but if your heart stops, you die.”

“Haha, that’s right.”

I stood up and looked at Kim.

“First, I think we’re too excited, so let’s calm down and have some coffee.”

“Okay, good.”

I hurried to the coffee machine I had received as a gift from Kim.

Taking a deep breath, I savored the aroma of the coffee.

“Here’s your coffee, hyung [older brother or close male friend],” I said, using the familiar Korean term.

“Thanks.”

He gulped down the coffee as if he had been waiting for it.

“Haa… I think I’m calming down now.”

“Me too. So, hyung, tell me more about it.”

At my words, Kim pushed his cup away and leaned towards me.

“Suddenly, we got an offer from Hollywood.”

His eyes were sparkling.

My face, looking at Kim’s eyes, was also shining brightly.

“What genre and what role is it?”

“Um… first of all, the role is a supporting one.”

Since I had only been taking on leading roles recently, Kim wrinkled his nose.

But I didn’t show any signs of disappointment.

It wasn’t that I was trying to hide my disappointment.

I wasn’t upset at all that I was offered a supporting role.

Of course, I’m already a leading actor in Korea.

But I never even imagined that I would be offered a leading role in Hollywood, where I’m going for the first time.

The fact that I was even making my way into Hollywood was enough to make my heart swell.

“Of course, you have to start with a supporting role in Hollywood. Surely… it’s not just a cameo, is it?”

I asked cautiously, just in case.

No matter how small the supporting role, if it was just a brief appearance, I didn’t think it would be meaningful.

At my words, Kim nodded vigorously and replied,

“Of course not. It’s not a cameo, and they said it’s a fairly significant supporting role.”

“That’s good then.”

“Yeah, the production company is 22nd Century Fox.”

At his words, my eyes widened, and I asked back.

“22nd Century Fox? Isn’t that a famous place?”

Even as an actor, I couldn’t know every production company.

There are so many production companies.

Especially since it’s not a Korean production company.

But of course, I knew some of the famous production companies in Hollywood.

If you’re an actor working in this industry, and if you’re interested in Hollywood, you’d know.

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Swallowing hard at the thought of such a big production company, I asked Kim.

“So, is the production team from 22nd Century Fox coming to Korea to see me?”

He shook his head at my words.

“No. I don’t know the details yet, but I know they’re giving us plane tickets. We have to go to Hollywood.”

“Even better, isn’t it?”

Hollywood, which I had dreamed of so much.

To be able to go there for acting, not just for travel.

Even though I hadn’t left yet, my heart was already pounding at the fact that the actor named ‘Na’ was known even in Hollywood.

“How about it, are you going to do it?”

Kim looked at me with expectant eyes.

I raised the corners of my mouth wide and shouted.

“Of course, I’m in!”

We clinked our glasses with coffee instead of alcohol.

Clink-.

Kim raised his eyebrows and said to me.

“Then let’s start taking conversation classes from tomorrow.”

***

“With this level of skill, you’ll improve quickly, won’t you?”

The English tutor the company assigned to me tilted her head and said as she wrapped up the lesson.

“Do you think so?”

“Yes, your basics are already solid, so I think you’ll improve quickly if you just have conversations with me in English.”

It wasn’t that I was bad at English.

But I wasn’t fluent like a native speaker.

When I went to New York last time, I was able to communicate with the locals.

However, there was a reason why I was taking conversation classes like this.

If I’m going to Hollywood to act, I need to show the skills of a local, not a traveler.

It wasn’t just a matter of whether I could communicate or not.

It was important that I looked like a person from that country.

There’s a big difference between being able to have a conversation and speaking fluently like a native speaker.

“I don’t think it’s enough to just be ‘good enough.’ I think I have to be perfect.”

She smiled at my words and nodded.

“Yes, I’ll do my best to help you.”

“Thank you, teacher.”

She handed me a stack of papers and said.

“Then it would be good if you read this and practice it by next time.”

I took the papers and nodded vigorously.

“Yes, I’ll do my best. Thank you for your hard work today.”

“No, you worked hard too, Heesung.”

My cell phone rang as soon as the teacher left.

I bowed to her and quickly answered the phone.

“Hello?”

-Heesung, are you in class?

“No. It just ended, and the teacher left.”

-Okay?

As soon as I finished speaking, I could hear Kim’s rapid footsteps over the receiver.

And then the call was disconnected.

At the same time, the conference room door burst open.

“Heesung!”

“What is it, hyung? Were you right outside?”

The person who came into the conference room was none other than Kim.

He rushed to me as if he had been waiting for my class to end and took a seat.

“Yeah, I have something to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“I’ve finished talking with the Hollywood side.”

At his words, I pulled up a chair and sat down, asking.

“Oh, what did they say?”

“I think we just need to set the schedule now.”

I had been excited since I first heard that Hollywood had contacted me.

But it didn’t feel real.

I thought it might not lead to anything in the end.

But at the words that we just needed to set the schedule, my heart fluttered once again.

“So, when are we going?”

“First, you need to take some English conversation lessons, and they said they can’t do it this month anyway… I’ll check the dates with the company and let you know.”

“Okay. Then I need to study conversation more quickly.”

I quickly shifted my gaze to the book.

At that moment, Kim clapped his hands loudly and shouted.

“That’s right. And Heesung, there’s more news!”

At his words, I raised my eyebrows and asked.

“What news?”

“You know the malicious commenter we reported last time? They’ve secured his identity.”

At his words, I slammed my hand on the desk and said.

“Really? Who the hell is it?”

Kim pouted and shrugged.

“They said they can’t tell us yet. They said they’ll summon him, investigate him, and then tell us.”

“Okay. I need to see the face of the guy who’s been harassing me for so long.”

“Yeah, those guys can’t even say a word when you actually meet them.”

I sighed deeply and replied.

“Haa… I know. Tell me as soon as he’s caught.”

“Yeah, there’s no leniency for those kinds of people.”

I frowned, recalling the malicious comments that commenter had left me.

“I’m going to study for now. I’m going to see the head of the department.”

“Okay, see you later.”

As soon as Kim left the conference room, I immediately focused on studying.

How many tens of minutes had passed?

Someone knocking on the door while I was engrossed in studying.

Knock knock.

At the sound, I looked up at the door.

“Heesung.”

“Oh, Seobin sunbaenim [senior colleague]!”

Choi Seobin smiled brightly and approached me.

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m studying, haha. What about you, sunbaenim?”

He pointed outside and replied.

“I have some business at the company. It’s nice to see you unexpectedly like this at the company. Haha.”

“I know, right? Are you going in now, sunbaenim?”

“No, I just arrived.”

Choi Seobin looked at the conference room clock and asked me.

“Are you going in soon?”

“Yes, I think I’ll go in after doing a little more.”

“Really? What are you doing when you’re done?”

“I… I just have to go home.”

Choi Seobin gestured as if he was drinking alcohol and asked me.

“Then, shall we have a drink when you’re done?”

At his words, I raised the corners of my mouth and nodded.

“Sounds good!”

“Okay. Then I’ll call you when I’m done.”

“Yes, I’ll be waiting here. I’ll go out as soon as you call.”

“Okay, see you later.”

***

Clink-.

“Kuh, it’s been a while since I’ve had a drink with Heesung.”

“Indeed.”

I poured alcohol into Choi Seobin’s empty glass and asked.

“Sunbaenim, are you working with Director Ryunosuke from Japan that you mentioned last time?”

“I think I’ll be going in soon.”

“Wow, what about Japanese?”

At my words, he frowned and replied.

“Ugh, I thought I was going to die studying Japanese.”

“That’s right. Studying a language isn’t easy.”

“Yeah, but now I’m pretty fluent. Haha.”

“Oh, that’s amazing.”

Choi Seobin picked up his glass.

We clinked glasses once again.

Choi Seobin looked at me with wide eyes and asked.

“Heesung, what were you studying earlier?”

“I started studying English conversation.”

“Suddenly?”

I was embarrassed to proudly tell him that I had received a call from Hollywood, so I scratched my head and replied quietly.

“I got a call from Hollywood this time, and I thought my conversation skills were lacking, so I started studying.”

As soon as I finished speaking, Choi Seobin’s pupils shook rapidly.

“What, Hollywood?”

He looked very surprised.

There was a subtle tremor in his voice as he asked back.

“Yes, I got a call a while ago, but the date to go to Hollywood hasn’t been set yet.”

Choi Seobin hesitated for a moment to answer.

He just pursed his lips, exclaimed, and nodded.

As a top actor in Korea, Choi Seobin had tried to break into Hollywood before.

But the results weren’t very good.

“…Congratulations. Hollywood, that’s really amazing.”

I could feel a strange sense of jealousy in Choi Seobin’s tone as he congratulated me.

But even though I noticed that feeling, I didn’t feel any animosity towards Choi Seobin.

Of course, it would have been better if he had congratulated me with all his heart.

But I thought people’s feelings were inevitable.

After Choi Seobin finished speaking, I forced a smile and bowed my head.

“Thank you, sunbaenim. But I haven’t been to Hollywood yet, so I’ll tell you more when I get back.”

I quickly tried to end the conversation about Hollywood.

Choi Seobin raised one eyebrow and asked me.

“But is your appearance confirmed?”

“Pardon?”

I tilted my head and asked him.

Choi Seobin then gave me advice with a serious face.

“I was wondering if it was a meeting request, not an offer.”

“Um… this is the first time I’ve received a call from Hollywood, so I don’t know exactly. I just got a call, and other than the fact that I’m going to meet the production team in Hollywood soon…”

He stroked his chin at my words and made a tsk sound.

“If it’s an offer, it’s definitely a good thing. But sometimes they ask you to come for an audition instead of casting.”

“If it’s an audition, I could fail, right?”

Choi Seobin shook his head with a serious face.

“That’s right. Well, of course, you can pass the audition, but you can also fail. Check it out again.”

At his words, my expression gradually distorted.

Could it be that the call I received was for an audition?

…Something feels off.