An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 104

Episode 104 #20 – In a Strange Place (7)

“Ready, action!”

At Director Kang’s signal, Jin Hee-sung’s eyes changed.

His face pale with fear, Jin Hee-sung trembled like an aspen [a type of tree known for its quivering leaves].

“D-don’t come…!”

He shouted, looking at the countless zombies.

Jin Hee-sung’s eyes rolled back, turning white.

“Aaaaaah!”

Screaming, he fell, immediately pushing himself up from the ground.

Then, he started running forward.

His full-speed sprint caused the zombies, now devoid of reason, to follow him, their arms flailing behind them.

“Kreeeeaaaaa-.”

The zombies ran, making eerie noises.

To avoid being caught by them, Jin Hee-sung was running with all his might.

Whiiiiish.

A fierce sandstorm swirled in front of Jin Hee-sung and the horde of zombies, but.

Jin Hee-sung’s steps couldn’t stop.

Small grains of sand seemed to have entered his eyes, quickly reddening them.

Despite this, Jin Hee-sung strained his eyes to keep them open.

He ran only forward.

Thud.

Then, a large wall blocked his path.

He couldn’t identify it, but one thing was certain.

A dilemma.

He couldn’t move forward, nor could he return to the zombie-infested area behind him.

“Haa, haa….”

Jin Hee-sung hurriedly looked around.

A long wooden stick caught his eye.

“It’s too weak to be called a weapon.”

But he had no other choice.

“Kwaaaaah-!”

The zombies ran towards him.

Jin Hee-sung’s vision was filled with countless zombies and the wall blocking his path.

And the wooden stick, that was all.

Dada dada.

The sound of footsteps grew closer.

At the sound, Jin Hee-sung’s heart began to beat wildly, as if it would burst.

Gasping for breath, he picked up the wooden stick from the ground.

Then, he turned his head, thinking about his next move.

“Knock down a few, then quickly turn around that corner.”

Jin Hee-sung shouted, as if hypnotizing himself, while looking at the approaching zombies.

“…I can do it. Just wait a little. I’ll come to save you, definitely.”

He clenched his fist, thinking of Han Sia, who liked him in the drama.

“I’ll come to save you. Please, just be safe.”

“Kuaaaa…!”

At that moment, the horde of zombies reached his eyes.

Swish, whack-.

Hee-sung gripped the wooden stick tightly with both hands.

And began to swing it at them.

Thud-!

The zombie fell from Jin Hee-sung’s strike.

He continued to attack them without rest.

“Die, just die!”

Before he knew it, blood was dripping from the palm of his hand that was holding the wood.

But he couldn’t even feel the pain.

His shoulders were hunched over, filled with fear.

Nevertheless, his eyes were filled with a crazy glint as he struggled to survive.

The tightly closed lips, swinging the weapon at the zombies, expressed Jin Hee-sung’s heart well.

Outside the camera, Director Kang was already gaping, immersed in Jin Hee-sung’s acting.

The staff also covered their mouths with their hands, trying not to let any sound escape, as they watched Jin Hee-sung.

At that moment.

“Get out of the way!”

Since the world was covered with zombies, Jin Hee-sung’s body was emaciated from struggling to survive.

It was impossible for that body to push away all the zombies and escape.

Jin Hee-sung swung the wood as if screaming.

The zombie, hit by the wood, made a strange noise and immediately got up like a tumbler [a toy that rights itself when knocked over], attacking him.

It was no longer enough to escape.

“Aaaagh!”

Jin Hee-sung was knocked to the ground by the zombies.

Instantly, zombies rushed onto his body.

“Kreeeeaaaaa!”

Zombie bite marks began to appear all over Jin Hee-sung’s body.

Hearfelt tears streamed down his cheeks.

“I… I want to live….”

Some zombies fell off due to Jin Hee-sung’s desperate struggle, but.

“I can’t… die like this. Ji-hyun… I love….”

His eyes slowly closed.

Tears continued to flow from his closed eyes.

Suddenly.

The zombies covering Jin Hee-sung raised their bodies.

Flash-!

At that moment, Jin Hee-sung’s opened eyes were blood red.

…The same color as the eyes of the zombies in front of him.

“Kuaaaa!”

Jin Hee-sung, who had been lying on the floor, made a strange noise.

His back arched like a bow.

His arms were bent backward as if his bones were broken, and he rolled his body on the floor with his eyes rolled back.

The tears smeared on his face had already cooled.

Squinting one eye and flaring his nostrils, he quickly looked around.

He approached the zombies as if he had always been one of them.

Without remembering that he was human….

The camera zoomed in on Jin Hee-sung’s face, filling the screen.

He opened his mouth and started running towards the camera, his eyes unfocused.

“Kuaaaa!”

“Cut, okay!”

Director Kang’s okay sign echoed through the set.

He immediately jumped up from his seat and clapped his hands repeatedly.

“Perfect!”

At Director Kang’s words, the staff also began to send praises.

“Wow, great job.”

“Wow, the immersion was no joke.”

At their admiration, Jin Hee-sung straightened his bent body and bowed his head.

“Thank you, great job!”

He shook off the sand on his body and exchanged greetings with the surrounding extras.

Behind the camera were numerous staff and actors.

Among them, Song Yu-na was watching Jin Hee-sung’s performance with her arms crossed.

Director Kang was next to her, shaking his head while constantly exclaiming.

“Wow, it felt so real. Look at this. I got goosebumps on my arm, you know?”

When Director Kang said to the staff next to him,

He also showed his arm to Director Kang and replied.

“That’s right, Director. I got goosebumps all over my body too.”

The staff member who stroked his arm soon ran into the set to clean up.

Director Kang turned his head and looked at Song Yu-na next to him.

Song Yu-na’s gaze was fixed on Jin Hee-sung.

She was still spacing out, biting her lip.

“Yu-na.”

At Director Kang’s call, Song Yu-na was startled and turned her head.

He raised the corners of his lips and asked Song Yu-na.

“You think he did well, too, right?”

Then, Song Yu-na unfolded her arms and shrugged her shoulders.

“Well… I guess it wasn’t bad.”

Her haughty and chic tone.

But at those words, Director Kang widened his eyes in surprise and replied.

“Oh, if you say that, does that mean he did really well? Haha.”

Director Kang, who had already figured out Song Yu-na, pinpointed her true feelings.

“…I don’t know.”

She turned around and went to her manager.

Director Kang sat down and leaned back in his chair, reciting.

“Jin Hee-sung, that guy is really something.”

A faint smile spread across the lips of Director Kang, who was looking at Jin Hee-sung’s face captured in the camera.

***

Choi Seo-bin sitting face to face with Park Seo-won, the CEO of WG Entertainment.

In front of them was steaming coffee.

It was possible for Choi Seo-bin, a top actor, to have a private meeting with the company’s CEO even if it wasn’t a special occasion.

They often shared drinks alone.

“…So, he was good at acting.”

At Park Seo-won’s words, Choi Seo-bin nodded and asked.

“Ah, in the work I appeared in with him?”

“Yeah, that too, and his acting was good in the next drama too.”

Park Seo-won took a sip of coffee and continued.

“I heard that friend is working on a project right now, is that right?”

At his question, Choi Seo-bin immediately opened his mouth.

“Yes, he recently started a movie.”

“Since I got to know actor Jin Hee-sung, it seems like he’s been working non-stop.”

“Yes, Hee-sung takes very short breaks and immediately prepares for his next project.”

Park Seo-won nodded at Choi Seo-bin’s words.

“So, how’s the filming going?”

“It’s almost over. When I contacted him a few days ago, he said that overseas location filming was also in its final stages.”

Park Seo-won frowned and focused on Jin Hee-sung’s story.

“Is he appearing as the main character now?”

At his words, Choi Seo-bin shook his head.

“No. He went in as a supporting role this time.”

Then, Park Seo-won tilted his head and asked.

“Wasn’t he a friend who had risen to the main role?”

“Yes, he recently appeared as the main character in a drama.”

Choi Seo-bin slightly raised the corners of his lips and continued.

“He’s also my type. He does it if the work is good… an actor who is sincere about acting.”

At his words, Park Seo-won raised his eyebrows as if he was interested.

“…Nice. So, you said you’re close to Seo-bin, right?”

“Yes, we’re close. Our personalities match well, and he’s very sociable.”

“…Is that so?”

Park Seo-won raised the corners of his lips and said when Choi Seo-bin, who usually doesn’t praise other actors well, talked about Jin Hee-sung.

“Hmm… I want to see him once?”

Choi Seo-bin knew that those words didn’t simply mean seeing his face.

He slowly nodded at Park Seo-won’s words.

And carefully opened his mouth.

“CEO, but Hee-sung has a few years left on his exclusive contract, so it will be difficult to bring him in right away.”

At his words, Park Seo-won twisted the corners of his lips long.

“You never know. How can things in the world flow according to the contract?”

Park Seo-won showed a meaningful smile and picked up his teacup.

***

The wind blowing on the set.

I frowned and put my hand to my ear.

Because my ear suddenly became itchy, I hurriedly scratched it with my hand.

At the sight, Manager Kim widened his eyes and approached me.

“Hee-sung, what are you doing?”

“My ear is itchy.”

“Why, did a bug bite you?”

His worried eyes.

I shook my head and replied.

“No, it’s just suddenly itchy. But it’s nothing.”

At my words, Manager Kim sighed in relief and said.

“Then someone must be praising you. Haha.”

At his words, I burst into laughter.

“Is that so? Hahaha.”

While we were talking.

“We’re moving!”

At the staff’s voice, we hurriedly moved our feet.

I ran into other actors while walking to the next location.

Han Sia came to me and opened her mouth.

“Hee-sung, I heard your acting yesterday was amazing?”

When I tilted my head at her words, she frowned and said.

“That acting where you turn into a zombie. The rumors are spreading that it was no joke.”

I gave an awkward smile at Han Sia’s words.

“I’m embarrassed.”

She clapped her hands as if she was disappointed and said.

“I’m sad that I couldn’t see it on set.”

When I smiled at Han Sia’s compliment, she asked me.

“By the way, what do you want to do first as soon as you go to Korea?”

“That’s right. We’re going to Korea soon.”

At her words, I moved my gaze to the air and fell into thought.

The first thing I want to do as soon as I go to Korea….

As I seriously rolled my eyes, Han Sia fixed her gaze on me as if she was curious.

And soon, the corners of my lips went up and I opened my mouth.

“I’m… going to order chicken as soon as I get home.”

Han Sia laughed as if I was boring.

Han Dong-min, who was listening to our conversation from behind, ran up and shouted.

“You have to have a glass of beer with that!”

At his words, I stretched my finger to the sky and shouted.

“Beer… call!”

The actors who were walking together burst into laughter at our conversation.

I turned my head and said to them.

“How about we all go out for some cold beer and chicken when we go to Korea?”

At my words, they shouted as if in unison.

“Okay.”

We maintained such a friendly atmosphere on set and prepared for the next shoot.