An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 109

109. #21 – The Beginning and the End (3)

Early morning.

Instead of heading to the office, I went to a quiet café near my house, hoping to avoid the bustling crowds.

As I opened the door, Manager Kim recognized me immediately from across the room.

“Here!”

He waved to get my attention, careful not to call out my name.

I tugged my black hat down further and walked over to him.

“Hyung, you’re here early?”

“No, I just got here myself.”

I nodded and sat down across from him.

Manager Kim placed two freshly brewed cups of coffee on the table.

We sipped our coffee in silence.

Finally, Manager Kim broke the silence.

“So, what you told me on the phone yesterday… it’s all true?”

Manager Kim frowned as he asked, his eyes searching mine.

It was about the information I’d received the night before through SNS messages with Park Soon-hee, the fan café operator.

The moment I saw it, I called Manager Kim.

We decided to meet before work to discuss it.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t lie about something like this.”

I said, opening my phone to show him.

“Look at this. It’s the data that Park Soon-hee already sent to HS Entertainment.”

He took the phone and began reading immediately.

“Jung Yeo-jin… even the detailed personal information is all here.”

“Right? And she was posting all sorts of weird stuff on the café even before she started stalking me.”

“Haa….”

Manager Kim ran a hand through his hair.

“Isn’t it obvious that her posts are strange?”

He nodded, not needing to answer the question directly.

“It’s not just that she liked me as a celebrity… anyone can see that, just by looking at this.”

I continued, venting my frustration to Manager Kim.

“She doesn’t ask what kind of clothes I like to wear or what my style is.”

“Exactly. She’s asking for the password to the 공동 현관 [the main entrance to an apartment building] of 희성이’s house, the color of the refrigerator, the color of the doorbell. It’s not normal to ask those things.”

My chest tightened as I listened to the questions again.

To calm myself and think rationally, I took a long drink of my iced Americano.

After the cold drink helped me regain my composure, I asked Manager Kim.

“Hyung, haven’t you heard anything about this?”

He tilted his head, confused.

“About what?”

“About me, at the company. I heard this was reported to the company several times, so it must have been passed on to the 담당 manager [the manager in charge].”

Manager Kim bit his lip, avoiding my gaze, and shook his head.

“You never mentioned it?”

“No, if I had, I would have told you. Or, I would have prepared for it….”

I nodded, understanding his reaction.

Manager Kim always shared my joys and sorrows, treating my work as if it were his own.

I couldn’t imagine him pretending not to know if he actually did.

If that was the case…

Then the problem lay with HS Entertainment….

“Hyung, isn’t this 직무 태만 [dereliction of duty]?”

I leaned back in my chair, crossed my arms, and continued speaking to Manager Kim.

“They knew, but they turned a blind eye. This was something they could have prevented.”

“That’s right. If they had investigated Jung Yeo-jin back then, this wouldn’t have happened.”

My clenched fist trembled.

Something that might not have happened…

The company did nothing while it was happening to me.

Some might say that this is just something that can happen to a celebrity.

But the person who experienced it doesn’t see it that way.

The road home after dragging my tired body every day was no longer filled with happiness, but with anxiety.

It’s not something everyone experiences.

It’s not something that necessarily has to happen in life.

Experiencing that is definitely not a stroke of luck.

The most infuriating thing was not that I was being stalked.

It was that the company, which should have protected me, should have been a strong fence around me, abandoned me in such a situation.

I learned through Manager Kim that the company had simply ignored the reports internally.

I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing anymore.

“Hyung. Get me a meeting with the 본부장 [General Manager/Head of Division].”

I needed to meet Kang, the 본부장 in charge of overall management at the company.

***

As soon as we arrived at the company, Manager Kim went to arrange the meeting with Kang.

I went into the conference room and sat down to wait.

Kang was literally the 본부장 of the company.

In other words, he was not an easy person to deal with.

He must have dealt with countless celebrities, employees, and companies over the years.

If I approached him simply angry and emotional, the conversation would go nowhere.

I would be the one who ended up being talked down to.

I had to be fully prepared.

However, I had no intention of exaggerating the facts.

I just wanted to ask about the things I wanted to know.

And about the things that happened because the company neglected me.

Since it had already happened, I didn’t expect to receive huge compensation from the company.

I just wanted to hear why they acted that way.

Whether it was simply an employee’s oversight in reporting, or whether any internal measures were taken.

I wanted to hear the story and receive an apology.

Just a sincere apology would be enough.

The wound I received was mental damage.

I went through stalking that I shouldn’t have experienced, and it was so difficult that I developed trauma.

In addition, I hoped that such incidents wouldn’t happen to other celebrities in the future.

I also hoped that the security measures would be strengthened.

First of all, the most important thing was that I was curious about the company’s attitude of turning a blind eye to this.

I opened my phone and clicked on the photo album.

I had taken a picture of the contract in advance.

I started skimming through the contents of the contract.

It wasn’t easy to work with anxiety in such a company.

I checked the remaining contract period.

I once again thought that I had made the right decision to reject the company’s offer.

Last time, they offered a 7-year contract renewal.

I rejected the offer because of the ridiculously long period.

As I stroked my chin and pondered,

“희성, let’s go!”

Manager Kim opened the conference room door wide and came in.

I quickly turned off my phone screen.

I got up from my seat and asked him.

“Is 강 본부장 ready now?”

“Yeah, I told him, and you can go up now.”

“Okay. Thanks, Hyung.”

He smiled and replied.

“No problem. Let’s go quickly.”

Manager Kim turned around.

I grabbed his shoulder.

“Hyung, I’ll go alone.”

He raised his eyebrows, surprised.

“You’re going alone?”

“Yeah, you can stay here.”

He frowned, as if he didn’t understand.

I nodded.

To be honest, I didn’t want to meet 강 본부장 alone because it might lead to a confrontation.

But I was an affiliated celebrity, while Manager Kim was an employee of HS Entertainment.

So, I was just someone who signed a contract for a while, while Manager Kim was 강 본부장’s subordinate.

I didn’t want to bring Manager Kim with me to argue with 강 본부장.

It would be like he was going to get angry at his boss.

Then he would obviously be in trouble.

I felt sorry and grabbed him.

“It’s okay. Let’s go together.”

He didn’t listen to me.

“Even if he’s the 본부장, this isn’t right. I’m your manager, and I need to be there for you.”

He seemed to have already realized what I was worried about.

Manager Kim patted my shoulder.

He smiled and took the lead.

At his words, I nodded and followed him to the 본부장’s office.

Knock knock.

The door to the 본부장’s office opened immediately after I knocked.

Thanks to Manager Kim telling him in advance, he was waiting for me.

“Oh, 희성. You’re here?”

“Yes.”

강 본부장 greeted me with a bright smile.

He must have heard what I was going to say, but his welcoming attitude felt disingenuous.

I felt rather repulsed by him.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen 희성이’s face. First, sit down.”

He led us to the sofa and table, guiding Manager Kim as well.

Soon, a teacup with a tea bag was placed in front of us.

“This tea is an expensive tea I received as a gift, and the scent is very good.”

강 본부장 crossed his legs and held the teacup.

“Hmm… Ah, by the way, 희성. How was Australia?”

I didn’t have the time or the inclination to exchange pleasantries with him.

I leaned forward, looked directly at 강 본부장, and spoke.

“강 본부장.”

At my firm and cold tone, he raised his eyebrows and looked at me.

“You know Jung Yeo-jin, right?”

At my words, he put the teacup on the table.

He pursed his lips and looked into my eyes.

I frowned at his expression.

“I’m talking about the stalker who broke into my house.”

“Ah… that stalker?”

강 본부장 nodded and replied.

I took out the materials I had printed in advance.

탁 [sound of something being placed down].

The materials summarized the content that Jung Yeo-jin had posted on the fan café before she started stalking me.

I handed him the materials that Park Soon-hee, the fan café operator, had reported to the company.

I immediately looked up to gauge 강 본부장’s expression.

But he didn’t look surprised or embarrassed at all.

No, he looked rather nonchalant.

“What is this?”

It wasn’t a question asked out of ignorance.

I was surprised by his reaction, as if the material was nothing.

“These are the things Jung Yeo-jin posted on the fan café before she started stalking me. It’s obvious that it’s not normal fan behavior.”

“So?”

강 본부장 tilted his head and gently asked back.

I felt my anger rising.

I tried to suppress it as much as possible and continued to speak.

“So, I heard that this was reported to the company. But I heard that you turned a blind eye to it. Is that true?”

At my words, 강 본부장 picked up the teacup again.

He blew on the hot tea and took a sip.

Then he uncrossed his legs and looked into my eyes.

“How can I check everything that comes into the company?”

“Pardon?”

My face contorted at his shameless attitude.

He nonchalantly drank his tea and said to me.

“Do you know how many celebrity reports and stories come into the company? Just this morning, there are dozens, no, hundreds or thousands. Do you think I have to check them all myself?”

At his words, my heart started pounding.

I came here determined not to get emotional.

Instead, I bit my lip at his confident attitude.

Then I looked straight into his eyes and replied.

“What if I had been harmed?”

At my words, 강 본부장 shamelessly replied.

“You weren’t.”

“Excuse me?”

“And she just wanted to talk to you, 희성이.”

I burst out laughing at his words.

강 본부장 continued to speak without pausing.

“She just went into the house. Nothing happened to you.”

…X발 [a vulgar expression, similar to “fuck”].

Is he really saying that?

My head throbbed at his shameless and absurd attitude.

As soon as he finished speaking, Manager Kim next to me started to speak.

“본부….”

I quickly grabbed his leg to stop him.

Then I narrowed my eyes and asked him.

“본부장, is it because I didn’t renew my exclusive contract that you’re doing this now?”

At my words, he leisurely raised the corners of his mouth.

“Hey, don’t say things like that.”

“That’s right. You’re neglecting affiliated celebrities like this, and so what? It’s no big deal because I wasn’t harmed?”

“What are you talking about, 희성이?”

I finally exploded at 강 본부장’s shameless attitude.

Then I leaned in, stared into his eyes, and said.

“I can’t do this. Let’s terminate the contract.”

“What?”

At my words, he stared at me with a heavily frowned face.

It was the first time I had seen him make such a flustered expression since I came to the 본부장’s office.

“If you neglect affiliated celebrities like this, let’s terminate the contract.”

“What nonsense are you talking about!”

His raised voice echoed in the 본부장’s office.

I didn’t blink an eye at him, whose face had turned red.

“According to Article 12 of the contract, this contract may be terminated if damages occur due to failure to fulfill the respective responsibilities and obligations during the term of this contract.”

I recited the contents of the contract to him.

강 본부장’s pupils shook.

“The company has fulfilled its responsibilities and obligations!”

“Article 12, Paragraph 2 of the contract.”

I got up from my seat and continued speaking to him.

“Due to that, when the mutual relationship of trust is broken….”

“진희성, have you said everything you want to say?”

강 본부장 cut me off and shouted.

I stood up from my seat and shouted in a low voice at him.

“I’m quitting my job at HS Entertainment. Please terminate the contract.”

“You….”

강 본부장’s facial muscles trembled.