An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 106

106 #20 – In a Strange Place (9)

Thud!

“Haa, haa….”

I jolted upright in bed.

It felt like I could still feel the hot flames from my dream.

I gasped for breath, just like when I was running through the blazing fire.

A vivid dream.

My body and the bedsheets were soaked with sweat.

Wiping the sweat from my face, I reached for the water and gulped it down.

I still felt like flames were burning beside me.

I quickly looked around and saw Manager Kim sleeping next to me,

and the hotel was still quiet and dark.

“Hoo.”

I sighed in relief and leaned back against the bed.

I was wide awake.

I didn’t want to close my eyes again.

Now that I was awake, I thought it would be okay to greet the last morning in Australia like this.

And I closed my eyes and began to think.

I didn’t need to think too hard.

As always, every scene was vivid, and my senses of touch, sight, and even smell were clear.

The image of myself reflected in the glass before I woke up.

A navy suit with a white shirt.

And a checkered tie….

And the little girl in my arms.

The sparkling necklace in her hand.

The girl’s name was….

Yuna… Yuna?

I opened my eyes wide and shouted.

“Song Yuna…!”

Song Yuna had told a story at the company dinner a few hours ago.

A strange thing that happened when she was young.

The clothes of the man who saved her.

It was definitely the same as what I saw in my dream.

And she eventually said her last goodbye to her mother in that burning building.

The ‘mister’ who saved Song Yuna.

…That was me?

I grabbed my throbbing head with my hands.

And memories flashed through my mind.

The scenes were piecing together like a puzzle.

Even the scenes I hadn’t seen in my dream were all part of the completed puzzle.

I carried Song Yuna out of the building in flames.

I wanted to save her mother at the time, but her leg was pinned under a collapsed wall.

I couldn’t lift that huge wall alone.

So, I left her and came out with only Song Yuna.

Thanks to that, Song Yuna was immediately taken to the emergency room and saved.

The firefighters went in to save Song Yuna’s mother, but.

The fire grew even bigger.

The firestorm struck and eventually failed to rescue her.

I remembered that time so vividly.

My eyes turned red at the scenes unfolding before me.

The regret was beyond words.

I remembered her face, desperately asking me to save at least her daughter.

My throat was getting tighter.

And at the same time, Song Yuna’s face came to mind.

I couldn’t even imagine the sadness she felt at losing her mother at such a young age.

But I felt like I knew how much she missed her mother.

Also, the necklace that she always wore.
The necklace, which was her mother’s keepsake, was in Song Yuna’s hand at the time.

When she dropped her necklace in the desert last time because of the wind.

I found the necklace, and I felt like I knew her heart when she thanked me for the first time.

Because that necklace would be as precious as her life to her.

***

The day dawned, and we arrived at the airport right away.

Keeping all the things that happened in Australia as memories, I turned around and took in the scenery of Australia for the last time.

There were many difficult things while filming.

But there were more good things that I overcame and filmed.

I smiled and boarded the plane.

The plane seat back to Korea was also first class.

Before I knew it, I forgot the sadness of leaving Australia, and I looked around and found my seat.

And a welcome champagne was placed in front of me.

“Wow, this is delicious.”

I leaned back and took a sip of champagne.

A comfortable seat.

Brand amenities, blankets, and pajamas in front of me.

I raised the corners of my mouth and started looking at them.

It was amazing when I came from Korea two months ago.

But even after boarding again, first class was a new world to me.

“Ahem.”

Then, I put down the blanket I was holding and turned my head at the sound of someone clearing their throat as if calling me.

The sound was coming from the seat right next to me.

“Isn’t this not your first time on a plane now?”

The person who was talking to me with a frown was Song Yuna.

“Huh?”

I looked at her and answered with wide eyes.

“We’re sitting next to each other on the way back to Korea too?”

She shrugged at my words.

And I looked at the champagne in front of her and said.

“You drank a lot yesterday, are you okay?”

I asked with a worried heart because her eyes were a little unfocused at the company dinner.

She glanced at me and answered in a blunt tone.

“Yes.”

I nodded in response to Song Yuna’s words.

She turned her head forward and pushed the champagne away, muttering.

“But I can’t drink this.”

I burst into laughter at Song Yuna’s words.

“Yuna.”

At my call, she turned her head slightly and looked at me.

“You worked hard filming in the desert for over two months.”

Inside the plane taking off to leave Australia.

I sincerely greeted her.

Then she pouted her lower lip and looked at the air, not me, and answered.

“…Yeah, whatever.”

Song Yuna leaned back in her chair with her arms crossed.

And I kept seeing her childhood self that I saw in my dream.

Song Yuna’s face as she cried, leaving her mother behind.

She never saw her mother again.

Also, I felt sorry and sad that I couldn’t save her mother.

But the best I could do at the time was to quickly take Song Yuna out of the building.

At the company dinner, Han Dongmin asked her.

If she had found the man who saved her back then.

Song Yuna shook her head and sighed.

Her words, ‘If I meet him, I want to thank him for saving me,’ lingered in my ears.

But I can’t say that I’m the man who saved her.

Of course.

She wouldn’t know that I’ve lived for a long time.

I looked at Song Yuna and nodded.

She grew up so well even after going through such a hard time at a young age.

I was so proud of her, and I wanted to comfort her sadness.

But all I could do was smile as I looked at her, who had grown up so well.

“What, why are you smiling?”

Song Yuna frowned when she saw me smiling at her.

I quickly waved my hand and answered.

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

She shook her head.

“Why are you smiling with such a sad face?”

To quickly change the atmosphere, I looked at her and opened my mouth.

“That’s right, Yuna. The commercial.”

She tilted her head at my words.

“What commercial?”

“Ah, you’ve filmed several commercials, right?”

Song Yuna turned her gaze at my words.

“The Power Balance one we filmed together. They said sales increased after that commercial came out.”

I smiled brightly and said to her.

She shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal.

“I’m the model, so of course sales would go up.”

“Ah….”

“What’s so new about it.”

Her voice was full of sincerity without a drop of humor.

I nodded at her confidence.

“That’s right.”

When I agreed with her words, Song Yuna turned her head and looked forward.

Then, she was fiddling with the necklace gemstone as if it was a habit.

My eyes naturally turned to her necklace.

I slightly raised the corners of my mouth and said to Song Yuna.

“That necklace… suits you well.”

She opened her eyes wide and looked at me, blinking her eyes repeatedly.

And after swallowing hard.

She grabbed the necklace with her hand and turned her head away.

Then, after glancing at me again, she raised the wall between her and me.

Even though the wall was up.

Unlike when I came to Australia from Korea.

I felt like I had become a little closer to her on this flight.

I looked at the wall in between and raised the corners of my mouth.

***

“Everyone, go in carefully!”

“Let’s see each other soon.”

We said goodbye to each other in front of the airport.

And started leaving the airport one by one.

Today, as always, the first actor to leave was Song Yuna.

“Heeseong, you didn’t forget that we decided to have chicken and beer next time, right?”

Han Sia smiled at me.

At her words, Kim Seunghee, Seo Hyena, and Han Dongmin all looked at me.

“Haha, of course. Let’s get together again soon.”

After answering them, I headed to Manager Kim.

Clunk.

As soon as I got in the car, the car door closed.

I leaned back in my seat and opened the window.

“Wow! It’s been so long since I’ve smelled Korean air.”

As I took a deep breath and looked at the sky, Manager Kim said to me.

“They said the fine dust is bad today.”

I smiled awkwardly at his words.

“Hyung [older brother/male friend], but it feels good to smell Korean air.”

“That’s true.”

Manager Kim put on the blinker and said to me.

“You’re going home, right?”

“Yeah, I have to. I need to go wash up and rest.”

“Yeah, I saw you waking up early at the hotel too.”

It seems Manager Kim saw me wake up early because of the dream.

I nodded and yawned as if my mouth would tear.

“I thought I rested well on the plane, but I’m tired.”

“No matter how comfortably you fly, it’s not as good as resting at your own home.”

I sat up at Manager Kim’s words.

“Hyung must be tired too.”

“It’s okay. I can go home and rest right away too.”

Manager Kim looked at me in the rearview mirror and continued.

“Heeseong, you must be tired. Get some sleep.”

“No. I’m afraid I won’t be able to sleep when I get home if I sleep now. I’ll talk to hyung now and rest at home.”

He raised the corners of his mouth at my words.

“Then I’m happy.”

He opened his mouth as if he had been waiting.

“Haa, after sleeping today, I have to eat kimchi stew right away tomorrow morning.”

“Wow- kimchi stew. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.”

Manager Kim smacked his lips and smiled happily.

“And I have to eat soybean paste stew for lunch, and for dinner….”

I shouted before he could finish his words.

“Pork belly!”

“Keuh! Pork belly. Just imagining the sound of it grilling makes my eyes roll.”

“Hyung, I think we’re just going to meet tomorrow and eat all day? Haha.”

Manager Kim and I filled the car with stories about eating like that.

Arriving home after talking for a while.

“Heeseong, you have a lot of luggage, I’ll help you carry it to the front.”

Manager Kim said, looking at my carrier.

I shook my head and pushed him away.

“No. I can do it alone. Hyung must be tired too, go in and rest quickly.”

“But the luggage….”

“It’s really okay. Hyung, leave quickly.”

He patted me on the shoulder and nodded.

“Okay. Go in carefully. Don’t do anything today and sleep well.”

“Yeah, go quickly.”

Manager Kim waved at me.

After answering him with a smile, I hurried home.

With a heavy body and a large carrier, I dragged myself into the entrance of the common entrance.

I couldn’t help but smile at the front door of the house in front of me.

“Finally home.”

Although it’s a smaller house than the hotel, there’s no place as comfortable as my own home.

I turned my stiff shoulders and put my hand on the doorknob.

“Huh?”

The slightly bent doorknob.

Does it feel new because it’s been so long since I’ve been home?

I tilted my head.

But with a series of yawns, I quickly pulled the doorknob.

The sight that unfolded as I opened the door.

……!

Clothes were scattered on the floor.

All the doors of the drawers were open, and luggage was pouring out.

The house was literally a mess.

I couldn’t help but doubt my eyes for a moment.

I quickly rolled my eyes, but there were clear signs that someone had broken into the house.

…Crazy, what the hell is this?

I was so embarrassed that I froze in place.