An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 114

114. #22 – Rooting in a New Place (2)

The movie ‘Survivor of the Ruined World’ was breaking audience records every day.

Even though the lead actors didn’t participate much in entertainment shows or radio for promotion.

Always at the top of the movie charts!

It was truly a success achieved solely through the script, directing, and the actors’ performances.

Moreover, although I appeared as a supporting actor, my role was significant enough to be considered a lead,

and my scenes were quite frequent.

Perhaps that’s why entertainment programs started seeking me out more.

“Wow, Hee-sung. You’ve got a ton of offers again today.”

“Really?”

At Kim Manager’s words, I couldn’t hide my joy and smiled.

“Yeah, it’s even more of a hit than I thought?”

He tapped the movie poster in front of him and continued.

“Before we started this movie, I never imagined it would do this well….”

“See, I told you I had a really good feeling about it. Haha.”

At my words, Kim Manager gave me a thumbs up.

“I know. What if I had stopped you more? A good eye is really important for an actor, and you, Hee-sung, are truly gifted.”

“Hey, if you keep praising me like this, I’ll get embarrassed.”

“What does it matter? It’s just us!”

We chatted in a friendly atmosphere.

Before moving on to the next topic, we calmed our excited hearts.

“Shall we start our meeting now then?”

“Yeah.”

After moving to WG Entertainment,

choosing the first role to take on was something I had to be very careful about.

Of course, there wasn’t a time when I wasn’t careful when choosing a project.

But after my name became known in the acting industry,

articles about legal disputes with my former agency were published around the time of the recent movie release,

and reporters became curious about my next move.

Especially in the entertainment industry, where different news pours out every day,

to get a lot of views in that world,

bad news and sensational incidents rise to the surface first,

and become the talk of the town.

In other words, if the project I choose as my first move at WG Entertainment doesn’t do well,

people will definitely say that I’m an actor who was doing well at HS Entertainment but stumbled with one wrong choice.

That’s why I had to be even more careful about the role and project I took on this time.

“Um… this project….”

Kim Manager trailed off, rummaging through his diary,

and I looked at him and asked.

“Weren’t there any offers for projects this time?”

Instead of answering, he bit his lip.

At his negative gesture, I raised my eyebrows and continued.

“Well, we just moved companies. Maybe they haven’t come in yet.”

Trying to act like it was okay, I said to him, and Kim Manager shook his head and replied.

“No, we’ve gotten quite a few offers.”

“Then why the gloomy face?”

“The offers came in… but they’re all supporting roles.”

“…….”

As expected.

As my worries became reality, Kim Manager and I couldn’t hide our disappointment.

Kim Manager was the one who initially discouraged me from doing ‘Survivor of the Ruined World.’

The reason wasn’t the script.

The project was good, but he was worried about me appearing in a supporting role.

For me, who had risen to leading roles,

and who had taken on the lead role in a drama miniseries for the first time, going back to supporting roles was something that couldn’t be ignored when considering the next project.

But I chose the project regardless.

However, as Kim Manager had worried, the fact that only supporting roles were being offered made my heart heavy, and it showed on my face.

As I hesitated, unable to speak, Kim Manager hurriedly opened his mouth.

“But it hasn’t been long since the project ended, so let’s wait patiently.”

“I thought it would be okay since my role in the movie was a supporting one, but it was almost like a lead.”

Kim Manager nodded at my words.

I wanted to act in a good project at WG Entertainment as soon as possible.

I wanted to show them that leaving HS Entertainment was the right thing to do.

But since offers weren’t coming in as I wished,

I couldn’t help but feel down.

Looking at Kim Manager, who was reassuring me so that I wouldn’t worry and be discouraged,

I scratched my head.

“This is more troublesome than I thought….”

***

“Thank you for your hard work.”

The moving company staff left the house after moving the luggage,

and I was the only one left in the new house.

Before unpacking, I looked around the new house, savoring this feeling.

The life in Seoul that I started because I wanted to be an actor.

The first home I prepared to make a living.

It was the first time I had moved out of a house that started with very little monthly rent.

And the fact that I had skipped several steps and moved into such a nice house like this,

filled me with emotion first.

“Haa… it’s worth the hard work.”

The road visible through the window.

The tall apartments and buildings.

It was a view that I couldn’t even imagine in my previous studio apartment.

That house only had a small window that barely opened with a creaking sound.

It wasn’t a Han River view, but this much view was more than enough for me.

Moreover, the most important thing I considered was ‘security.’

The security of the new house was more thorough than any other house.

Even delivery drivers had to be checked at the entrance.

As someone who lived in a neighborhood without a security office or even a few common CCTVs [Closed-Circuit Televisions, used for surveillance], everything was touching.

Ding-dong.

The sound of the doorbell ringing at that moment.

Swallowing the emotion I was soaked in, I approached the intercom.

“Huh?”

Kim Manager waving his hand on the intercom screen.

I hurriedly opened the door,

“Hee-sung, congratulations on moving.”

“Hyung [older brother or close male friend], what’s going on?”

As I greeted him with a surprised face, Kim Manager smiled and handed me a gift.

“You like coffee, but you only have coffee mix at home.”

What he handed me was a capsule coffee machine.

It was a machine I usually wanted, but I couldn’t readily reach out because I was grateful and sorry to receive a gift from him.

“Hyung… this must be expensive.”

“Hey, hurry up and take it. You’ve done a lot for me.”

“No. Still, this….”

Kim Manager cut me off and hurriedly approached the kitchen.

“It would be good to put it here!”

“Hyung, thank you.”

“I hope you do more projects and do well in this house.”

At his words, I nodded and smiled.

“Yeah, so I have to do better for hyung.”

“Haha, I guess the bribe worked?”

He laughed, looked around the house, and opened his mouth.

“That’s right. The doorbell works well here now. At the old house, the doorbell was too old, so I had to knock.”

“Yeah, the doorbell there was just for decoration. Haha.”

“Is this all the luggage?”

“Yeah, the old house was so small. I have to fill it up one by one now.”

Kim Manager shrugged his shoulders and said to me as if embarrassed.

“I came to help you move, but there’s nothing to organize?”

“Hey, there’s still a lot to help with.”

I pointed to the unopened boxes with my eyes.

“Oh my, there was a lot?”

Kim Manager hurriedly rolled up his sleeves and approached the stacked boxes.

We organized the luggage non-stop for several hours.

Before we knew it, our stomachs were rumbling.

“Ah, I’m so hungry?”

Ding-dong.

The delivery food arrived just in time.

I hurriedly spread newspaper on the living room floor.

And spread out the delivered jajangmyeon [Korean-Chinese noodle dish with black bean sauce] and sweet and sour pork on it.

“As expected, you have to eat Chinese food on moving day.”

Kim Manager swallowed and started mixing the jajangmyeon.

“Keuh, this jajangmyeon is delicious!”

Perhaps he was very hungry from helping with the move, he brought the bowl so close that his face was almost in it and ate as if he was inhaling it.

I smiled, watching Kim Manager like that.

“That’s right, hyung. I have to say hello to the neighbors next door and upstairs and downstairs, should I give them rice cakes or something?”

Then he cut off the noodles he was eating and tilted his head.

“Don’t people usually not do that these days?”

“Still, I thought it would be better to let them know I moved in….”

“Well, then the upstairs neighbors will try to make less noise, even if it’s just a little. Do that.”

“Would rice cakes be good?”

At my words, Kim Manager ate the jajangmyeon as if he was drinking it instead of answering.

I watched him eat like I was watching a mukbang [eating broadcast].

Clap!

Suddenly, Kim Manager put down the jajangmyeon and clapped his hands.

“Ah, that’s right!”

Surprised, I raised my eyebrows and looked at him.

“Jeez, why?”

Then Kim Manager pointed to the side with his chin and said.

“I heard actress Kim Hana lives here.”

“Kim Hana?”

At Kim Manager’s words, I quickly rolled my eyes.

One of WG Entertainment’s actresses.

She wasn’t a leading actress, but she was steadily climbing the ladder one step at a time, starting from minor roles.

When I was at HS Entertainment, she was in a different company,

but I was watching her similar growth with interest and cheering her on.

“Yeah, right next door.”

My eyes widened in an instant.

“Wow, a celebrity lives next door to me?”

At my words, Kim Manager burst into laughter.

“Hey, Hee-sung. You’re a celebrity too. Haha.”

“That’s right. I’m a celebrity too.”

“Yeah, and you’re doing better than actress Kim Hana?”

“Hey, still… anyway, it’s really amazing. Next door, I should say hello next time.”

“Yeah, now that you’re in the same company, it would be good to get to know each other.”

We ended the conversation and focused on the jajangmyeon and sweet and sour pork in front of us.

“Let’s eat before it gets soggy.”

Several tens of minutes passed.

After eating all the Chinese food, Kim Manager started the coffee machine he gave me as a gift.

“Wow! Hyung, this is amazing.”

“I’m glad. The employee there said that machine is the best seller.”

“The coffee scent is no joke.”

Kim Manager approached me with a proud face and took the coffee.

“It’s nice to give a gift. I’ll have to come over to drink coffee from now on.”

“Of course. Hyung bought it for me, so come over to drink it anytime.”

He and I stared blankly out the window and sipped our coffee.

“It’s been a while. Relaxing like this without any thoughts.”

Then Kim Manager turned his head slightly and looked at me.

“That’s right. You’ve been too busy lately.”

At his words, I nodded.

Recently, I had to worry about not only acting activities but also things related to the agency.

“Haa… still, I’m glad that moving agencies was resolved smoothly without any problems.”

I raised my head with a relieved heart and said.

Kim Manager looked at me like that and carefully opened his mouth.

“Hee-sung, I was wondering when to tell you this….”

“Why, what is it? You’re making me anxious.”

As I frowned and looked at him, Kim Manager smiled and replied.

“No. It’s nothing weird.”

He took a sip of coffee and continued.

“When HS Entertainment terminated the contract, they said they would terminate it cleanly all of a sudden.”

At Kim Manager’s words, I shook my head.

“That’s right. They acted like they wouldn’t, but then they suddenly did. Why is that?”

“I didn’t know either, but I heard it from another team leader while moving to WG Entertainment this time.”

He swallowed hard and lowered his voice.

It was a cautious story, even though it was just the two of us at home.

Perhaps that’s why I focused more on his words and listened carefully.

“Choi Seo-bin helped you at that time.”

“What?”

As soon as he finished speaking, my eyes widened as if they would pop out.

My face contorted at the unexpected name.

I asked Kim Manager again, wondering if I had misheard.

“No. Seo-bin sunbae [senior colleague] really helped me?”

“Yeah, I heard it a few days ago. Chief Kang wouldn’t have wanted to tell you or me on purpose.”

“…No way.”

I couldn’t hide my embarrassment at the words that Choi Seo-bin had helped me.

It wasn’t that I didn’t like it.

It’s just that I was so grateful that she helped me during that difficult time, even though she was in a different agency,

and I couldn’t express that feeling in words.

As I stared at Kim Manager with a blank face and blinked repeatedly,

he patted me on the shoulder and opened his mouth.

“Hee-sung, you’re lucky to have good people around you.”

Kim Manager’s words made me think a lot.

And at the same time, I thought of the people around me.

As the sun began to set,

the luggage arrangement was coming to an end, and Kim Manager left the house before that.

I dissuaded him from helping me until the end.

After sending off the hardworking Kim Manager, I started the rest of the arrangement.

Alone in the house.

I shook off my hands at the sudden thought and picked up my cell phone.

And immediately called Choi Seo-bin.

Before the signal rang even twice, he answered the phone.

-Hello.

“Sunbaenim [term of respect for a senior colleague], is it a good time to talk?”

-Of course. I heard you’re moving, did you do well?

“Yes, I moved everything today, and it’s getting better now. Haha.”

-I’m glad. I should go visit your house next time.

“You’re welcome anytime.”

-Good.

“Sunbaenim, I want to see your face after a long time and have a drink, when are you free?”

-I’m resting these days, so I’m available anytime. You’re still resting too, right?

“Yes, I’m at home every day. I’ll 맞춰겠습니다 [match my schedule] to sunbaenim’s available day.”

-Then shall we meet at the usual bar next week?

“Sounds great!”