An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 129

129. Episode 24 – The Two-Faced Woman (6)

Seo In-woo looked straight at me and said,

“What?”

His words made my eyes widen in surprise.

I frowned and looked at Seo In-woo, asking again,

“The Shin Min-young *I* know?”

Seo In-woo licked his chapped lips nervously and nodded.

“Yeah, that Min-young.”

“……”

I stared at Seo In-woo, dumbfounded.

He seemed to have anticipated my reaction, making a ‘tss’ sound and avoiding my gaze.

Then, he hurriedly began to explain.

“It wasn’t always like this, but recently we’ve been talking a lot, and…”

Seo In-woo began to explain their relationship, as if they were never meant to be together.

Realizing something in that moment, I cut him off.

“…Congratulations.”

In truth, I didn’t have any positive feelings left for Shin Min-young.

I didn’t particularly want to support their relationship, but I had no intention of blaming them since they were already together.

Moreover, I didn’t think it was right for me to interfere.

It’s not like they were forbidden from seeing each other.

It was just that I had seen Shin Min-young’s two-faced side, so I was worried about Seo In-woo, who had become her boyfriend.

That was all.

Previously, we were called the Three Musketeers and had maintained a friendship since the last filming.

Seo In-woo must have wanted to tell me that they had become a couple.

At my words, he nodded with a complicated expression.

Seo In-woo knows that I had a small argument with Shin Min-young; is that why his expression is dark?

But even after hearing my congratulations, his expression only hardened further.

I wondered if it was because I didn’t congratulate him with a bright enough expression.

I felt sorry that I wasn’t happier as soon as I heard the story, so I quickly said,

“So, when did you start dating?”

“It hasn’t been long. But I felt like I should tell you, *sunbae* [senior colleague or mentor]…”

“Yeah, thanks for telling me.”

Looking at Seo In-woo’s still dark face, I called him with a serious expression.

“In-woo-ya.”

“Yes, *sunbae*.”

“Why are you so gloomy when you’re in a relationship?”

At my words, he sighed deeply and said,

“*Sunbae*… is your relationship with Min-young really that bad?”

At his words, I bit my lip.

“Well…”

“The cat story… it wasn’t a big deal, right?”

I could be sure from Seo In-woo’s words.

He doesn’t know anything about what happened in the tent.

Well.

She wouldn’t bother telling her boyfriend Seo In-woo about what she did to me.

And I didn’t want to tell Seo In-woo about it either.

Not now that I knew they were dating.

Telling him what happened in the tent wouldn’t make them drift apart.

And it wouldn’t help me either.

It was just something that happened between Shin Min-young and me.

I was worried that I might drive them apart, so I kept my mouth shut.

When I didn’t answer, Seo In-woo opened his mouth again.

“*Sunbae*, actually… Min-young told me she doesn’t want you and me to be close.”

“What?”

At his words, my face contorted.

She wants to distance me from Seo In-woo because she has become distant from me.

I couldn’t help but be shocked.

Seo In-woo sighed repeatedly as if he was also at a loss.

“I just want you two to reconcile and be close like before… we were always the Three Musketeers.”

His words were sincere.

His drooping eyebrows.

Even his earnest voice.

His desire to return to the past was overflowing.

Frankly speaking, I had no intention of doing that at all.

Of course, it’s true that I was once close to Shin Min-young.

But just because I have the job of an actor doesn’t mean I have to be close to everyone in the industry.

Of course, all connections can be helpful in life.

But I didn’t want to maintain relationships with people while having a hard time.

And if I have to restore the relationship because she became Seo In-woo’s lover?

I didn’t think there was any need to do that.

Because Shin Min-young said that she didn’t like me and told her boyfriend Seo In-woo to stay away from me.

I didn’t want to apologize to Shin Min-young first.

It was Seo In-woo who wanted to maintain the relationship, and I had no intention of doing so with Shin Min-young.

I thought I should keep quiet about what happened in the tent because I didn’t want to drive them apart.

But at Seo In-woo’s words, even the last bit of affection I had for her disappeared.

I looked at him and shook my head.

“Unless Min-young apologizes first, I have no intention of doing so.”

Then Seo In-woo lowered his gaze and nodded.

I spoke to Seo In-woo again.

“If you’re worried about becoming distant from me… I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether to maintain our current relationship or not. I won’t resent you for it.”

“…Then if Min-young apologizes, are you willing to be close to her?”

At his words, I looked out the window and murmured.

“I don’t know if we’ll be close, but we won’t be like strangers like we are now.”

At my words, Seo In-woo looked at me with a slightly brighter expression.

I frowned and said,

“But… seeing her trying to drive a wedge between us like that, I don’t think I’ll be contacting Min-young separately after this project ends.”

Seo In-woo sighed deeply.

“That’s right. We were so close, but even though you knew that what I said back then was for Min-young’s sake. If it’s come to this because she was upset, honestly, I… don’t like it.”

Without adding any lies or exaggerations.

I revealed my feelings about her.

It wasn’t like I was cursing her behavior.

I was just telling Seo In-woo my thoughts, since he was recommending that I restore my relationship with her.

Seo In-woo nodded repeatedly as if he understood my words and replied.

“*Sunbae* is right. I know that the conversation we had back then was for Min-young’s sake too.”

He complained about the distant relationship and the thought that he might be separated from me forever.

“But why is Min-young like that… why doesn’t she have any intention of getting along with *sunbae* again…”

I patted Seo In-woo, who had his head down, on the shoulder and replied.

“Now that she’s your girlfriend, think carefully about your relationship with me. I’ll understand even if you don’t approach me as happily as you used to.”

He bit his lip at my words and didn’t say anything.

***

Already half of the drama’s broadcast has passed.

Before we knew it, the day of the 11th episode broadcast, the latter half, was approaching.

The viewership ratings were gradually increasing, but we couldn’t become lax in promoting it.

We had to continue filming, so we didn’t have time to go on other entertainment shows or programs.

However, every Monday and Tuesday, before the broadcast, I always posted on social media.

Today, I grabbed my cell phone on set to upload to social media as well.

And I handed the cell phone to Manager Kim and said.

“*Hyung* [older brother or close male friend], take some pictures of me.”

“You’re going to post it on social media, right?”

He took my cell phone as if it was natural now and clicked the camera.

“Yeah, I’m going to post it before evening.”

I walked to one side of the set and struck a pose.

I brought the script with ‘The Other Woman’s Temptation’ written on it close to my face and smiled.

Click, click-.

Manager Kim clicked the shutter continuously.

“Ooh- the pictures came out well today.”

He handed me the cell phone with a satisfied face.

“Thanks, *hyung*.”

I took it and immediately clicked on social media.

The post that appears at the very top.

It was a post uploaded by Choi Seo-bin.

Manager Kim, who was looking at my social media with me, spoke as soon as he saw the post.

“That’s right, Blackman episode 1 is airing this week.”

“Really?”

I quickly checked the date and immediately said,

“That’s right. Seo-bin *sunbae* also posted a message asking people to watch Blackman episode 1 this week.”

Choi Seo-bin’s appearance standing in front of a background with the PBC [Private Broadcasting Corporation] mark largely written on it.

A photo of him with Im Ha-joon with his arms around each other’s shoulders was uploaded in front of it.

“Looks like he’s become close with Im Ha-joon.”

I looked at the photo and quickly clicked on my post.

Then, I uploaded the photo I took a little while ago and added a message.

-Will you be watching ‘The Other Woman’s Temptation’ episode 11 live?

See you on MBS [Munhwa Broadcasting System] at 9:55 PM tonight~!

After writing a short message.

I immediately posted it on social media.

As if waiting, fans started leaving comments.

-Oppaㅠㅠ I only wait for Mondays nowㅠㅠ When will it be 10 o’clock!

-My mom also enjoys watching Hee-sung *oppa* [term of endearment used by younger women for older men] with me these daysㅎㅎ I’ll be watching live today too

-I get angry when I see you committing adultery, but my heart, like a reed, melts away again when I see *oppa’s* face.

-I’m waiting for episode 11 while reviewing episode 10!

I read the comments that were being posted in real time.

I was reading with a happy face when.

The social media alarm rang again.

When I refreshed it again, the person who liked my post appeared.

The person who set off the alarm was none other than Choi Seo-bin.

As soon as I checked Choi Seo-bin’s account, the corners of my mouth turned up.

The phone call I made to him a few weeks ago.

I took a long breath and regained my peace of mind, thinking that my relationship with Choi Seo-bin was gradually recovering.

***

Ring ring.

The alarm woke me up in the morning.

I rubbed my eyes, which wouldn’t open naturally due to lack of sleep, and the first thing I picked up was my cell phone.

Last night, episode 14 was broadcast.

As soon as it was morning, I was eager to check the viewership ratings.

It’s not like I’m filming a drama for the sake of viewership ratings.

But when a drama is broadcast, I was busy checking the previous day’s drama viewership ratings every morning.

Viewership ratings were a measure of a drama’s popularity.

Calming my trembling heart, I clicked on the viewership ratings.

I slowly opened my tightly closed eyes and checked the numbers.

1….

The number that comes after 1.

“Please…!”

I covered the cell phone with my hand and gently checked the numbers.

18.2%.

“Wow!”

I couldn’t help but cheer at the viewership ratings.

It had been steadily rising until episode 13, but it hadn’t been able to surpass 18%.

After confirming that it had surpassed 18%, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Now all that’s left is 15 and 16.

Only 2 episodes left.

With the determination to break through the 20% mark, I jumped out of bed.

This week’s filming was the content of those last 2 episodes.

I have to keep my mind focused and devote myself to practice until the end.

After finishing my short preparations, I got into the car.

Manager Kim greeted me with a bright face today as well.

“Hee-sung, how’s your condition?”

“Good. *Hyung*, did you see that we broke through 18% yesterday?”

He smiled brightly at my words and replied.

“Of course. We’ll surpass 20% in the last week now.”

“I hope so.”

He smiled at me and immediately grabbed the steering wheel.

After the car moved for a while, Manager Kim looked at me through the rearview mirror and said.

“Ah, Hee-sung.”

“Yeah?”

Just in time, when we were stopped at a light, he turned his body and said to me.

“It’s autumn season now, right?”

At his words, I looked at the fallen leaves outside the window and nodded.

“Right?”

“If we do well… we might be able to go to the awards ceremony.”

Awards ceremony…!

My heart started beating like crazy at that word.