An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 206

206. #36 – Broaden Your Perspective (3)

This place was scorching, practically on fire.

“Aaaagh!”

“S… Save me…!”

The screams of pain, worse than death, echoed endlessly in my ears.

Even breathing in this inferno was a struggle.

The chilling screams from all around only made me more weary.

“Haa… haa….”

This wasn’t breathing to live.

It was being unable to die even if I wanted to….

It was as if God was forcing me to breathe so I couldn’t escape this torment.

In this hell, there was no escape from suffering.

This agony had to be felt for eternity.

“Kyaaaa!”

I couldn’t tell whose body was burning.

Or if something other than fire was splattering on them.

I couldn’t see anything, nor could I communicate with anyone.

I could only feel this pain, raw and unfiltered.

I just wanted to close my eyes.

I didn’t even want to see this fiery inferno.

“Uwaaaagh!”

I wanted to cut off my ears to stop hearing these awful screams.

I writhed in agony.

I wanted to tear at my ears with my hands, but I couldn’t control any action or movement.

All I could do was.

Stand here and endure the excruciating pain in my body, along with the suffering of others.

I wanted to struggle and scream, but.

I couldn’t even scream as I pleased.

I couldn’t make a sound from my mouth.

I only wailed from the depths of my heart.

Gradually, I began to lose consciousness.

“Haa….”

My vision blurred, and the burning crimson lava began to appear hazy.

팟-! [Sound effect, like a snap or pop]

I snapped awake, my mind clearing instantly.

Just as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, thinking I was back in reality.

“Haa… hurry!”

Someone was holding my hand.

I gripped the woman’s hand tightly, not wanting to let go, and ran with all my might.

…Damn it.

It was still my dream.

The hand I held so tightly, my knuckles about to burst.

I ran through the fiery hell, hand in hand with this woman.

“Just a little more… hang in there…!”

This person was barely keeping up with me.

This woman was someone I loved with all my heart.

Someone I would give up everything for.

Someone I would even sacrifice my life for.

I didn’t know exactly why I was running while holding her hand so tightly, but.

I just didn’t want to show her this pain.

Hell, where only suffering existed.

I couldn’t leave the woman I loved in this fiery inferno.

“Just a little more… we have to run further….”

But the flames soared higher and higher.

The scorching fire was closing in on us.

I was gradually losing consciousness in this suffocating place.

팟-! [Sound effect, like a snap or pop]

“Haa, haa….”

Something hot was trickling down my forehead.

What is it?

Is it still a dream…?

This feeling of being soaked and drenched.

Then.

“Hee-sung, Hee-sung!”

The voice calling me made my blurry vision gradually clear.

“Hee-sung, are you okay?”

Kim Director’s face came into focus.

“Hey, Jin Hee-sung. Can you see my face?”

He shook my shoulders with a serious expression.

I managed to speak.

“Yeah… I see you, hyung [older brother or close male friend].”

“What, did you have a nightmare or something?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“You were groaning so much while I was driving that I pulled over to the side of the road. And you were sweating like crazy.”

At his words, I looked out the window and saw that we were still on the road before reaching the dorm.

I barely regained my senses and gulped down the water in front of me.

“Hyung, I’m okay. I just had a nightmare. You can start driving.”

He looked at me with worried eyes.

I smiled to reassure him.

“I’m serious. Let’s go home quickly. I want to rest.”

“…Okay.”

Kim Director grabbed the steering wheel again and started driving towards the dorm.

Thanks to Kim Director, I regained my hazy mind and leaned back in my seat.

As I closed my eyes, the dream from a moment ago resurfaced.

A dream about being in a scorching hell and escaping from it, holding the hand of the woman I loved.

What kind of dream is this?

Come to think of it… the 10,000 years of life.

I suddenly realized that the end was not far off.

The punishment of living for 10,000 years.

Those 10,000 years meant living a new life every 10 years.

I would be living as Jin Hee-sung for 10 years as well.

Not 10 years after I realized I was reincarnating.

But 10 years after starting as Jin Hee-sung.

So that means there are only about 2 years left.

2 years….

In 2 years, the 10 years as Jin Hee-sung will end.

And the 10,000 years of life will end at the same time.

Then, the time will come for me to make a choice.

Whether to continue living as a human or return to nothingness.

And at the same time, a thought occurred to me.

The Hollywood debut movie I’m currently filming will be released, and not long after….

Just when my desired life as an actor is about to take off.

I have to decide whether to live this life or not….

“Haa….”

I kept sighing.

But there was nothing I could decide now.

Just because my life and punishment will end in 2 years doesn’t mean I should do nothing now.

I didn’t want to waste my time in this life.

***

Filming continued non-stop for several days.

Since the first day of shooting, the scenes I appeared in were filmed every day without fail.

“Hee-sung, you worked hard again today.”

I maintained a bright smile at Kim Director’s words and replied.

“No, it feels a bit different here after filming ends compared to when it ended in Korea.”

He nodded in agreement with my words.

“Well, it seems like this place is really optimized.”

“That’s right. I guess that’s why everyone says Hollywood, Hollywood.”

This place that all Korean actors dream of.

No, Hollywood, which all actors in the world want to come to so much.

There was a clear reason.

Hollywood’s system for actors and filmmakers was so clear and distinct.

First of all, the filming environment in Hollywood was amazing.

The staff worked 5 days a week, excluding weekends.

And they worked 8 hours every day.

If filming was delayed due to weather or other factors, it would be 10 hours at most.

The work environment was maintained so that it never exceeded 10 hours.

Because the staff kept those hours strictly.

The time I filmed was naturally less.

That’s because I don’t appear in every scene during those 8 hours of filming.

There were days when I filmed, and there were days when I didn’t, so it wasn’t 5 days a week for me.

Furthermore, if the scenes I appeared in were finished in the morning.

I would go home in the morning as is.

Time was not the only thing.

The treatment of the filming site and the actors was incomparable to what I had filmed in Korea.

I was overly nervous during the first shoot, but.

Now I had somewhat adapted to the Hollywood filming set.

Kim Director looked at me and asked.

“Hee-sung, what are you going to do when you go home now?”

I shrugged at his words.

“I have to practice.”

“You don’t have filming tomorrow either.”

I nodded at his words and replied.

“That’s true.”

“We’re scheduled to film here for at least 6 months, but I don’t think we can just live like this, going to the filming set, home, filming set, home every day?”

Kim Director asked as if he felt sorry for me.

It seemed like he was worried about me, as I didn’t have separate meetings with other actors here.

I was always repeating the same pattern.

“That’s true. If it were Korea, I would have taken up a new hobby… but it’s not easy here.”

Kim Director stroked his chin and muttered.

“Hollywood… What kind of hobby would be good for you to do in LA?”

***

A weekend spent in Hollywood.

I didn’t go to the set today, even though I didn’t have any filming.

I always went to see the other actors’ performances even when I didn’t have any scenes, but.

Weekends were days off for all the actors and staff.

The story Kim Director and I had a few days ago.

His suggestion to take up a new hobby on these days off.

I lay in bed and racked my brain.

“Surfing or exercising?”

I shook my head vigorously.

“Hey, it’s dangerous if you get hurt here. Then should I try YouTube to communicate with fans…?”

The feeling that it was a good idea made me snap my fingers and jump up.

But soon, that thought was swallowed back into the depths of my heart.

“Well, I don’t have anything to film since I only go back and forth between the filming set and home.”

I got out of bed and naturally headed for the script.

I stared intently at the script and bit my lip.

I remembered myself admiring the performances of other actors.

I sighed briefly.

“Now is not the time to play around and have hobbies. There’s still so much to learn from acting….”

I quickly got up from my seat and started getting ready to go out.

A few hours later.

“Brian, over here!”

It was Brian, whom I was meeting after a long time, after he introduced me to Director Jeffrey.

He smiled, waved his hand, and came towards me.

“Jin, how have you been?”

“Good. Thanks to Brian, I started filming with Director Jeffrey….”

We spent time exchanging stories we hadn’t been able to share.

After a while, he brought up the main point.

“So, what’s the reason you suddenly asked to see me today? You didn’t just call me to see my face….”

There was another reason why I contacted him in the morning.

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

“I want to be in the work Brian is appearing in.”

At my words, his eyes widened as he asked back.

“You’re saying you’ll be in the work I’m appearing in?”

I already knew that Brian was currently filming.

I didn’t see him often, but after meeting him since coming to Hollywood.

I had been in frequent contact with Brian.

The director of the work he was appearing in was neither Director Jeffrey nor Director James.

I shook my head vigorously and said.

“Yes, I definitely want to be in it.”

But Brian avoided my eyes and only stared at the coffee in front of him.

His face clearly showed that he was in trouble.

Then he raised his head and looked at me, carefully opening his mouth.

“I know very well that Jin is good at acting, but you know we’re already filming. And the casting for the main and supporting roles is already over.”

Brian paused and continued to speak to me.

“Besides, there’s Jin’s pay. I’m sorry, but you definitely won’t be able to receive as much as Jin usually does.”

At his words, I smiled and quickly replied.

“I don’t want to play the main or supporting role.”

“What? Then what do you want to do?”

He made a surprised face and met my eyes.

“If it’s a work that Brian is appearing in, even a minor role is fine.”

“A minor role?”

I looked at Brian and shook my head.

“Yes, I definitely want to appear in it, even as a minor role.”