An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 130

130. #24 – Her Two Faces (7)

Awards ceremony.

Throughout my acting career, I always thought it was a concept that had nothing to do with me.

I hadn’t done any work or taken on roles that would warrant attending an awards ceremony.

And it wasn’t like you could get invited to an awards ceremony just because you gained a little recognition.

Recognition that had slowly been building since last year.

Even so, I had never seriously thought about awards ceremonies.

Was it because I wasn’t famous enough?

Was it because I hadn’t appeared in a top-rated drama?

It was neither.

I just thought it was a world far removed from my own.

Like now.

But the moment the words ‘awards ceremony’ came out of Kim’s manager’s mouth, a shiver ran down my spine.

It wasn’t confirmed yet, but…

It meant there was a possibility that I, too, could be invited to an awards ceremony.

“An awards ceremony for me? It feels like a dream.”

At my words, Kim’s manager shrugged.

“A dream? If you keep doing well, you might even get nominated.”

“Hey, I don’t want to count my chickens before they hatch, so I shouldn’t get my hopes up. Haha.”

Kim’s manager smiled slightly and said to me.

“Who knows, you might even win an award. You never know what might happen.”

“Hyung [older brother or male friend], don’t keep getting my hopes up. I’m getting excited.”

I laughed at his words.

An award at an awards ceremony….

Of course, just imagining it brought a smile to my face.

For an actor, receiving an award at an awards ceremony is…

It’s a scene everyone dreams of.

Of course, just being able to stand in front of the camera is a joyful thing, but.

An award represents the pride of being recognized as the best in that field for that year.

And it means you’ve received recognition from many people.

In other words, the awards ceremony is a dream stage for actors.

It felt like it had been quite a while since I last watched an awards ceremony.

Back when I was first dreaming of becoming an actor.

I would watch the awards ceremony on TV with excitement, thinking that if I acted and became famous, I would be there every year-end.

Then, after becoming an actor and realizing that the dream stage was not easily accessible.

I stopped turning on the awards ceremony channel every year-end.

But now, depending on how I perform, the thought that I could spend the year-end warmly…

The thought that I could step onto the dream stage with many talented people filled my face with a smile.

“Hee-sung, let’s make sure to go to the awards ceremony this year.”

“I wish I could.”

“If this drama does well, MBS [broadcasting station] will invite us at the end of the year.”

The red carpet spread wide at the entrance.

In my head, I imagined walking gracefully on that red carpet, with cameras flashing.

Before I knew it, my fists were clenched.

…I want to go.

I quickly shook my head, dispelling the thought.

Instead of just being filled with anticipation, I quickly grabbed the script to make it a reality.

And my eyes, following along with the script, sparkled more than ever.

***

I closed my eyes tightly and took a deep breath.

I was about to film the last scene of the mistress’s seduction.

This scene required my emotions to hit rock bottom, so I took a long, deep breath to bring up those feelings.

“Okay, let’s go for the last scene of our drama!”

Director Song shouted, seemingly nervous, with his lips pursed.

At his words, all the staff moved to their positions.

I, too, walked calmly towards the camera.

“Hee-sung, are you ready?”

Director Song asked, looking at me through the camera.

I nodded vigorously without saying anything.

“Okay, let’s go for the first take.”

The moment everyone focused at Director Song’s signal.

“Ready, action!”

Director Song’s voice echoed from beyond the megaphone.

I quickly immersed myself in the role at that sound.

Inside the darkened room.

I dragged my exhausted body, groping along the wall to find the light switch.

Clang-.

Then, something caught my foot.

“Ah!”

I quickly wrapped my hands around my foot.

The thing that had rolled away was none other than a soju [Korean distilled spirit] bottle.

Dozens of soju bottles were scattered on the floor, and I nonchalantly pushed them aside, collapsing onto the floor.

“Damn it….”

I finally came to my senses and clutched my head, which felt like it was breaking from the hangover.

“Haa… what did I do wrong? All I did was love!”

Bang-.

I slammed my fist hard on the floor and began to lament.

“In the first place, it’s not my fault that I had those feelings. She seduced me. What did I do so wrong that my life… what did I….”

The anger-filled heart, whether it was because of the alcohol or the exhausted body.

Before I knew it, tears were wetting both cheeks.

The tears that had been falling drop by drop were soon streaming down my face.

Then, at the sight of myself trapped in this darkness, I pounded my chest and began to cry out loud.

The only sounds heard in the dark room were my sighs and tearful sounds mixed with regret.

Recalling my position that had fallen to the bottom, I wailed as if to escape this place.

“I want to turn it all back. Everything….”

I threw the things on the floor here and there as I grabbed them.

Clang-.

Thud.

The loud crashing sounds were buried in my wailing.

Then.

Flick-!

The light in the room turned on, and I quickly covered my eyes with my arms, as if I hadn’t seen light for days.

“Ah, my eyes.”

Then I saw the mirror hanging on the wall.

The mirror was shattered into pieces by the things I had thrown.

Even so, my appearance was visible through the broken pieces.

It wasn’t the appearance of a person.

Hair that was disheveled beyond recognition.

A scruffy beard that I couldn’t even remember when I had shaved.

A khaki-colored t-shirt with a stretched neckline, and…

Eyes that were vacant and unfocused, and a face that looked like it was standing on the edge of the world.

The pathetic sight snapped me back to my senses.

“Are you… really just going to fall apart like this?”

The voice I heard then.

Like a ray of light coming to me from below, piercing through the basement floor.

I squinted my eyes, which couldn’t even open properly, and raised my head.

Above me, my wife, or rather, my ex-wife, was looking at me.

“How did you get here….”

I couldn’t finish my sentence.

Tears were already welling up in her eyes as she looked at me with pity.

“I’m really sorry.”

She was biting her lip to hold back her tears.

She was biting so hard that her lips and facial muscles were trembling.

I quickly grabbed her legs and shouted.

“So-hee, I’m really sorry….”

“Are you even human?”

“I… without you… sob….”

My wife, seeing me grabbing onto her pants, was shedding tears.

I screamed and wailed as if to escape this place.

Bang, bang-.

Then I repeatedly slammed my head hard on the floor.

As a result, my forehead was flushed red.

“Stop it, stop it. You’re really going to get hurt.”

Despite her pleas, I kept shedding tears and banging my head on the floor.

The sight was enough to freeze everyone on set.

The sound of my regret-filled voice filled the cold air of the set.

“Cut, okay!”

The voice of Director Song that I heard then.

At that sound, all the strength in my body suddenly drained away, and I collapsed to the floor.

Because I had put all my effort into immersing myself.

I was completely exhausted.

Applause and cheers erupted on the set.

Clap, clap, clap.

“Wow! Your acting was crazy.”

“Hee-sung, you’ve worked really hard.”

“The viewers’ reaction to the last scene is going to be insane, right?”

“Wow, I think this scene will be talked about a lot.”

Then, Director Song approached me.

“Hee-sung, you’ve worked hard.”

He held out his hand to me.

I grabbed his hand and got up from my seat.

“You’ve worked hard, Director.”

All the staff and actors on set gathered in one place.

We concluded the drama with applause and cheers.

“You’ve all worked so hard!”

“Everyone’s worked hard.”

The scene where we exchanged greetings for a long time.

We let go of the drama with the last group photo.

There were actors and staff shedding tears in various places.

Director Song clapped his hands and shouted.

“There were many all-night shoots, and there were episodes that we ran like a live broadcast. Thank you for following along without complaints, and you’ve worked hard.”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Then, the assistant director smiled brightly and said.

“We’re going to have our wrap-up party, that is, the last dinner, on the day the drama’s 16th episode, the last episode, airs. Let’s all watch the broadcast together that day.”

“Yes!”

We shouted as if in unison.

In that way, the last farewell filled with regret continued for another hour.

***

♪♬.

The sound of strong beat music filled the streets.

And a car stopped in front of the club.

Men with large builds wearing suits approached the vehicle entrance, drawing attention.

In the middle of them, Im Ha-joon got out urgently.

“Have you arrived? Everyone’s here inside.”

The man in the suit bowed politely to Im Ha-joon, then extended his hand to guide him.

Click-.

Click, click.

Someone aiming at Im Ha-joon, who was barely visible among the large men from afar, took pictures.

As if he had been waiting for Im Ha-joon across the street, he munched on a hot bar [Korean street food] and pressed the shutter of a large camera in succession.

“Okay, Im Ha-joon appears.”

As Im Ha-joon’s figure was revealed, his lips stretched into a long smile.

He quickly opened his laptop.

Tap, tap.

He quickly wrote something down.

Buzzzing.

Then his cell phone rang.

“Yes, this is reporter Lee Young-min from the entertainment desk. Yes, I think I’m about to get a scoop. Of course. Yes, I understand.”

Lee Young-min, who hung up the phone, smiled continuously, looking back and forth between the laptop and the club in front of him.

Inside the club.

Im Ha-joon met his friends in a room that was set up as usual.

“Hey, why are you so late?”

They grumbled at Im Ha-joon.

“We were about to start without you while waiting for you.”

“Ah, I’m sorry. What can I do if the filming ended late?”

Im Ha-joon sat down heavily and pointed to his friend Jang Jae-hyuk’s bag.

“Jae-hyuk, hurry up and take it out.”

“Hey, you have filming tomorrow, right? Is it okay to do this?”

At Jang Jae-hyuk’s worried question, Im Ha-joon frowned deeply and shouted.

“Then what, you bastard? I came straight from the filming site, doing whatever it takes to be here now.”

“You’re still a celebrity….”

“Shut up. Just hurry up and take it out. I feel like I’m going crazy right now.”

Jang Jae-hyuk smiled at Im Ha-joon’s reaction, then put his bag on the table.

“This guy, already crazy about propofol [controlled substance].”

Even at his words, Im Ha-joon gasped and shouted.

“Enough, open it quickly.”

Jang Jae-hyuk shouted towards the employee standing near the door.

“Hey, close the door and keep a close watch in front.”

The large man in the suit bowed and replied.

“Yes, I understand.”

In the room where only they were left, extreme darkness was gradually cast.

How many hours had passed like that?

Outside the club, Lee Young-min, sitting at a convenience store, had a tired look on his face.

“Haa….”

He yawned loudly and fixed his gaze on the club.

“Ah, when is Im Ha-joon coming out?”

Waiting here for 5 hours, just waiting for Im Ha-joon.

“If he went in 3 hours ago, he should be coming out now….”

Then.

Im Ha-joon was seen walking out of the entrance, leaning on the employee’s body as if being dragged.

Lee Young-min raised the corners of his mouth and quickly captured his appearance with the camera.

“…Got him.”

Click, click.