An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 272

272. #49 – Miscasting (5)

30 minutes ago.

“Kim, take Hee-sung to the rooftop terrace to cool off, then come up to the CEO’s office. And Executive Director Choi, follow me right now.”

At CEO Park’s words, Manager Kim and Jin Hee-sung headed to the rooftop terrace.

And Executive Director Choi moved to the CEO’s office, following CEO Park.

CEO Park sighed, looking at Executive Director Choi who was following him.

“Haa… Executive Director Choi.”

“Yes, CEO.”

“Why are you raising your voice at our own actor?”

At his words, Executive Director Choi bowed his head.

“…I’m sorry.”

Having arrived at the CEO’s office, the two immediately took seats on the sofa.

CEO Park got straight to the point with Executive Director Choi.

“So, the plan to make the black comedy a success that you mentioned last time—is this it?”

“Yes, frankly, we’re going into a black comedy, so isn’t it okay to push things a little?”

Executive Director Choi frowned and began to explain, trying to sound reasonable.

“The project Jin Hee-sung chose, frankly, has a low chance of success. But the company allowed him to sign the contract without complaint, so just standing by and doing nothing is unacceptable.”

“That’s true.”

“If Jin Hee-sung had chosen another project and started his next work, it would be a guaranteed hit. We’d be making a fortune. But if he gets to do the project he wants, he should be grateful that the company is giving other actors opportunities….”

Executive Director Choi clicked his tongue as if he couldn’t understand Jin Hee-sung.

CEO Park nodded in response.

“That’s true, but to renew the contract, we need to meet Jin Hee-sung’s conditions too.”

“‘Turntable,’ that project would have been buried if it weren’t for Jin Hee-sung. It’ll get attention because of Jin Hee-sung, so if we promote our other actors in a viral way and raise their profile, it’s a win-win, isn’t it?”

CEO Park thought there was nothing wrong with Executive Director Choi’s words.

“There’s no harm in benefiting each other.”

Seeing CEO Park nodding, Executive Director Choi’s eyes sparkled.

“I’ll persuade Jin Hee-sung.”

“No.”

“Yes?”

“Executive Director Choi, it’ll be hard for you to persuade him alone. Manager Kim too, on the way up, mentioned that Jin Hee-sung seemed quite angry earlier.”

Executive Director Choi nodded, having directly witnessed Jin Hee-sung’s anger.

“Yes, it seems so.”

CEO Park stroked his chin, looking for a good solution.

Executive Director Choi made a ‘tss’ sound and asked him.

“But I heard from Head Manager Han that Jin Hee-sung is a gentle character. Has he always been like this?”

At his words, CEO Park sighed deeply and replied.

“Head Manager Han is right. He used to smoothly get through these things without any trouble. But now that he’s bigger… he gets upset about things like this.”

Executive Director Choi clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“That’s why you need to keep celebrities in check when they’re rising. Otherwise, they think the world is theirs.”

CEO Park shrugged and nodded.

“But now we need to move carefully with these matters. Seeing him so upset, it seems hard to do anything carelessly anymore….”

“Yes, I’ll be careful.”

“Okay.”

He carefully asked CEO Park.

“So, CEO, are you going to withdraw [from the plan]?”

At Executive Director Choi’s question, CEO Park was startled and waved his hand.

“Oh, withdraw? What are you talking about? He’ll be up soon, so I have to persuade him. No, I have to persuade him.”

“Yes.”

“Executive Director Choi, first, try to calm Jin Hee-sung’s anger.”

At his words, Executive Director Choi nodded.

“I understand.”

“Apologize, and let’s try to get through this situation for now.”

* * *

“Executive Director Choi has apologized for the matter, and it’s already happened. So, this time, let’s move on, and from now on, Executive Director Choi shouldn’t put actors in Hee-sung’s projects without saying anything. Got it?”

CEO Park was trying to gloss over the situation.

I was so dumbfounded by his words that I almost burst out laughing.

The apology for what happened is one thing.

I didn’t come here to get an apology for this matter.

I came here to resolve the situation.

Looking at CEO Park, I opened my mouth.

“That won’t work.”

At my words, CEO Park and Executive Director Choi looked at me simultaneously, surprised.

Then, CEO Park raised one corner of his mouth as if he was dumbfounded and sighed.

“Then what?”

“This project’s casting. I can’t let it go like this.”

CEO Park groaned and straightened his back, which he had been leaning on.

“No, the casting is already done, what are we supposed to do?”

“It wasn’t the casting the director wanted. They’re actors our company put in arbitrarily.”

“So?”

I didn’t care about Executive Director Choi and opened my mouth, looking only at CEO Park.

“Remove all the actors who were added after me.”

“What?”

CEO Park asked, raising his eyebrows with a surprised look.

“The actors you put in after I was cast. Remove all those roles. That’s right, isn’t it?”

At my words, CEO Park pulled me closer with a friendly expression to smooth things over with a smile.

“Hey, that’s a bit much. It’s hard to talk to the actors about it too.”

CEO Park nudged Executive Director Choi next to him and continued.

“Didn’t you say they even had the ‘Turntable’ script reading today?”

As if waiting for his question, Executive Director Choi immediately opened his mouth.

“That’s right. Our actors said they went and finished the script reading.”

CEO Park nodded at Executive Director Choi’s words and said to me.

“See, they already had the script reading, how can we cancel the casting? Hee-sung, let’s just let it go this time.”

I had no intention of letting this matter pass by vaguely.

The issue wasn’t whether they discussed putting our actors in with me or not.

And if they had discussed this with me in the first place?

Of course, I wouldn’t have agreed.

“The actors who came into ‘Turntable’—don’t they know their casting is thanks to me?”

At my words, CEO Park’s pupils shook.

“Well… I didn’t specifically tell them.”

At his words, I barely swallowed the sigh that was about to come out.

“CEO, then it’s even more of a problem. They got to appear in the project thanks to me, but they’ll think it’s their skill.”

“That’s how they get a chance. What’s the point of being a company family, right?”

Executive Director Choi chimed in, as if adding to his words.

“That’s right. That’s how we help our family members. Hee-sung, please concede this time….”

I cut off Executive Director Choi’s words.

“If you can’t do it, I’ll say it myself. Give me the list of actors you plugged into ‘Turntable.'”

At my words, CEO Park’s expression gradually distorted.

He glared at me and said.

“Hee-sung, do you have to go this far?”

I wasn’t shaken by his expression.

“Yes, I think we need to correct what needs to be corrected.”

“Why are you trying to do this so much?”

“For no reason. Just because I’m playing the lead role, just because I’m an actor under WG Entertainment, that’s why they were cast.”

Executive Director Choi tilted his head, as if he didn’t understand my words.

I spat out my thoughts to them.

“How many other actors have had their opportunities taken away because of those actors? They must have prepared for days, but it doesn’t make sense that they were cast just because they’re under WG Entertainment without any conditions.”

As soon as I finished speaking, Executive Director Choi burst out laughing.

“Hahaha.”

At the sound of his laughter, I widened my eyes and looked at him.

He’s laughing in this situation?

“What are you doing?”

Looking at him in disbelief, Executive Director Choi wiped away his laughter as if he had never laughed and glared at me.

“No, I just thought, is it really worth making such a fuss over just one black comedy, not even a mini-series?”

“What did you say?”

At his words, I clenched my fist involuntarily.

I jumped up from my seat, looked down at him, and took a short breath.

“Executive Director Choi, then why are you plugging actors into that insignificant black comedy?”

“…….”

Executive Director Choi closed his mouth, as if he had lost his words or been hit where it hurts.

“Isn’t it because it looks like it’ll do well, so you’re trying to get actors in no matter what?”

I calmly confronted him with facts, trying not to raise my voice as much as possible.

At my words, CEO Park blocked me.

“Okay, Hee-sung. Okay, stop it.”

CEO Park’s tone of voice, stopping me, was slightly mixed with annoyance.

Because it was CEO Park who was trying to end this situation.

He seemed to be getting more and more angry with me for continuing to express opinions that were contrary to his.

But I was just as angry.

“Then what are you going to do?”

CEO Park closed his eyes tightly.

He ran his hands over his face and replied.

“I’ll fix it, so Hee-sung, you go home now.”

“…….”

At his words, I stood there blankly.

Executive Director Choi, who had caused this in the first place, was here.

Furthermore, I judged that Executive Director Choi, who had different opinions from me until the end, would not resolve the situation.

CEO Park opened his eyes, which he had closed, and sighed when I didn’t answer.

Then he glanced at Executive Director Choi at the end of my gaze.

Soon, he said to me in a calm voice.

“Trust me and go. You trust me, even if you don’t trust Executive Director Choi, right?”

CEO Park bit his lip and looked at me.

“Huh?”

Seeing him raising his eyebrows and talking to me, I nodded.

“…I understand. I’ll trust you, CEO, and go now.”

* * *

“Hee-sung, we’re here.”

Manager Kim didn’t say a word to me the whole time we were in the car together.

He must have been curious about what was said in the CEO’s office.

But he must have suppressed his curiosity, seeing my expression.

The car stopped in front of my house.

Manager Kim turned on the car’s interior light and looked at me.

I picked up the luggage that had been placed on the floor and said to him.

“Thank you. Drive safe.”

Just as I was about to turn around to open the car.

“Hee-sung.”

At his voice, I stopped.

“Huh?”

When I turned my head, Manager Kim and I made eye contact.

He said one word to me, leaving out all the context.

“Good job.”

But I could understand the missing context without him saying it.

It was his answer to me going to the company and questioning this unfair matter.

But because it was a different answer from what I thought Manager Kim would think.

I tilted my head and asked him.

“I thought you wouldn’t like me doing this….”

Me questioning the company.

That means a gap is created between the company and me, and it becomes uncomfortable.

If that happens, Manager Kim would be the only one who has to play the role of mediator.

Then the most difficult and uncomfortable person would naturally be Manager Kim.

But Manager Kim wrinkled his nose and replied to me.

“It’s true that it’s a bit difficult… but well, what’s wrong is wrong.”

At his words, which understood my heart, the anger that had built up on my face seemed to disappear a little.

Manager Kim looked at me and spoke again.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t have been able to say it if I were you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, actually… I don’t think you, as I knew you, would have done this. Maybe the company thought similarly to me, so they didn’t tell you about this matter.”

I nodded at Manager Kim’s words.

In reality, I wasn’t the type to go and question things like this today.

I was careful to avoid trouble as much as possible.

But after the 10,000 years of memories came in at once.

I think I’ve changed a little… no, maybe a lot.

What should I say, I’m not afraid of confronting things themselves?

Now, I have to do what I want to do, and I have to say what I want to say to be satisfied.

Maybe it means I won’t endure anymore.

Manager Kim said with a faint smile.

“Anyway, I’m in favor.”

At his words, I raised my eyebrows.

“Huh?”

“You used to be bound by something good and felt like you had to desperately achieve something privately. But after the last movie, I like that you seem more relaxed.”

With those words, Manager Kim opened the car door, which had been closed, and saw me off.