An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 15

15. #4 – Rival (3)

“I feel so good whenever I come up here.”

I took a deep breath and said.

“Right? The garden terrace is one of our company’s prides. I feel like my chest is opening up whenever I come up here.”

Manager Kim stretched out his chest and continued.

“Let’s rest for a bit and then head down to practice.”

Beep beep.

Just then, Manager Kim’s cell phone rang.

He showed me the screen and answered the phone.

“Yes, Team Leader Park. I’m up on the terrace right now. It’s okay. Yes, I’ll head down right away.”

Listening to the call, it seemed like he had been summoned by Team Leader Park.

He got up from his seat before even hanging up and said.

“Hee-sung, take your time to rest and then go to the practice room. I’ll go see the team leader.”

“Okay, I’ll be practicing.”

Manager Kim left, and I was alone on the garden terrace.

I leaned on the railing and looked down.

Cars filling the road and tall buildings.

And the Han River in the distance.

When I first came to HS Entertainment, I admired this garden terrace.

How happy would I be if I belonged to a place like this and worked here?

Would I ever have such an opportunity?

Eventually, I was standing in the place I had dreamed of.

It was the heart of downtown Seoul, full of gray, but the sight was just so beautiful.

And now, a large light caught my eye.

It was the billboard visible from here.

I wondered if there had always been such a big billboard, but it immediately caught my attention.

How much would it cost to have an advertisement there?

No, how famous would someone have to be to have their face on there?

Then, the screen of the billboard changed, and a person appeared.

It was ‘Choi Seo-bin’.

Choi Seo-bin is such a famous actor that it would be fair to call you a spy if you didn’t know him. [Meaning, he’s incredibly famous.]

He’s top of the top.

Acting, looks.

An actor who lacks nothing.

I guess you have to be that good to have your face on a billboard?

I had no choice but to admit it.

He is really handsome.

I was admiring Choi Seo-bin’s face on the billboard when…

Vibration.

A loud vibration rang in my pocket.

[Sender: Lee Myung-jin, Department of Theater and Film]

“Hello.”

-Hee-sung, it’s me, Myung-jin.

“Of course, I know. It’s been a while.”

-What are you doing? How are you doing?

“Yeah, I’m doing well. What’s up? Why are you calling after so long?”

-I’m calling about the alumni reunion. I’m calling the kids right now.

“Ah… the alumni reunion. When is it?”

-There’s plenty of time. I’m planning to do it around the end of next month. Can you come?

“The end of next month, I’ll check my schedule and go if I can.”

-Hey, Jin Hee-sung. You’re not busy these days. Don’t play hard to get and come.

“I’m busy, you.”

-You’re just working part-time at a convenience store. Find a substitute for one day and come this time.

A few months ago, Lee Myung-jin happened to stop by the convenience store where I worked, and we ran into each other.

Until then, I had no intention of letting him know that I was working part-time at a convenience store.

No, there was no need to let him know.

“I have a lot of other things to do besides that.”

-Why, are you doing another part-time job these days?

I was about to say that I was going to be in a one-act play, but I closed my mouth.

I didn’t want to brag about how I had joined HS Entertainment and would soon be filming a drama.

I wanted to show and prove it directly.

I wanted Lee Myung-jin and the people around me to recognize and admire me on their own.

“Well… there’s something like that.”

-Okay, anyway, come if you can!

“Okay.”

I was about to end the call with him and go down to the practice room when the terrace entrance door opened.

The person who came in here was none other than the head of the department.

“Myung-jin, call me when the alumni reunion is set. I’ll hang up first!”

I quickly ended the call to greet him.

I put my cell phone in my pocket and hurried over to him.

“Hello, sir.”

The head of the department smiled brightly at my greeting.

Did he come here alone to get some fresh air?

I had my doubts for a moment, but soon the person following behind.

It was actor Choi Seo-bin, whom I had only seen on the billboard a little while ago.

The aura I felt even as he opened the door and came in was palpable.

Even though I had only seen him on the billboard, I smiled brightly and greeted him with a happy heart.

“Hello.”

He didn’t seem surprised by my greeting but gently raised the corners of his mouth and nodded.

His features are strong, but how can he look so gentle?

No, wait a minute.

I heard rumors that Choi Seo-bin’s contract was about to expire….

Is he coming to our company?

“Seo-bin, this is the garden terrace….”

The head of the department, who holds a high position in the company, was smiling at Choi Seo-bin and treating him with great respect.

Nevertheless, he was not uncomfortable and was chatting leisurely next to the head of the department.

I couldn’t help but think that Choi Seo-bin was even more amazing.

Will I ever be an actor like Choi Seo-bin?

***

As soon as I saw Choi Seo-bin, I went down to the practice room and picked up the script.

Seeing him made me feel more motivated.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and began to immerse myself in the role, practicing as if it were the real thing.

“13.8 billion years ago, the Big Bang….”

The hour hand went around once, and I was about to finish reading a script.

Suddenly, a thought came to my mind.

It was a memory of a ‘dream’.

What was the dream I had back then?

The dream was so vivid, as if I had actually experienced it.

And I had searched the Internet to study astronomy to improve my understanding of the work.

I, who was completely ignorant of astronomy, understood everything as if I had majored in it since I had the dream.

No, it felt like I already knew it.

At the same time, the image of myself in the dream overlapped.

I was teaching students as an astronomy professor.

And I think I was older than I am now….

In other words, it couldn’t have been something I experienced.

But the scene I saw at that time, the words I said, and the situation came to my mind so vividly.

A feeling as if I had found a memory of my past life, not just a dream?

I burst out laughing at my imagination.

It was a ridiculous story.

Reality is not a movie or a drama.

I shook my head hard and shook off the distracting thoughts.

This is not the time for this.

It is a top priority to familiarize myself with the script as soon as possible.

I focused on the script again.

About two hours had passed since I had been immersed in practice.

Vibration.

The vibration of the cell phone on the table broke my immersion.

[Sender: Mother]

I cleared my throat to get the voice of the character out and clicked the receive button.

“Ahem, hello?”

-Are you busy, son? Can you talk?

“Of course. I always have time to answer my mom’s call, even when I’m busy.”

-Have you eaten?

“Yeah, I ate. What about you, Mom?”

-Me too. I haven’t heard from you, so I called to hear your voice. Are you doing well?

“Yeah, Mom, I’m going to be on TV soon.”

-…Really?

My mother asked back as if surprised by my words.

“Really.”

-Will your face be on a lot?

My mother’s voice was half-doubtful and half-interested.

In fact, both of my parents were vehemently opposed to my path as an actor.

Going back, it started when I was in college.

They said things like, ‘Will you be able to make a living if you go to the Department of Theater and Film?’

They said they didn’t want their son to become a performer.

But my parents were the ones who loved dramas more than anyone else.

Perhaps the real reason they opposed me was because they were worried that I would have a hard time, but at the time, I was upset that they didn’t believe in me and just opposed me.

Nevertheless, the reason I’m holding on is because I want to show my parents my acting and be recognized.

Before even hearing my words, my mother let out a short sigh and said.

-Son, come down whenever you’re having a hard time.

“…Okay.”

I didn’t answer with the intention of going down.

I just didn’t want to have an argument in a long time call.

“Is the farming going well?”

-It’s always the same. The weather luck should be good this year so that the blueberries grow well.

“Don’t work too hard, take it easy.”

-Okay, son. Don’t worry about your mom and dad, eat well. Call me anytime if you have anything.

“I will. Mom, I have to practice the script now. I’ll call you again.”

-Okay, fighting, son! [A Korean expression of encouragement, like ‘Good luck!’]

As soon as I hung up, my will was rekindled.

This one-act play must be successful.

Because it will be the first proof to show my parents.

***

KTS Broadcasting Station Conference Room.

In front of the door, a piece of paper with the phrase ‘Don’t Look at the Stars – Script Reading’ was attached in large letters.

Standing in front of it, I took a breath and straightened my clothes.

I carefully opened the door.

Because I arrived much earlier than the appointment time, no one had arrived at the conference room before me.

This is the first time I’ve attended a script reading.

Usually, for drama mini-series, dozens of people gather, except for short-term actors, to greet each other and match the script.

However, one-act plays like this have a small number of cast members, so instead of renting a separate place, they simply gather in the broadcasting station’s conference room like today to read the script.

At each seat on the conference room table, a name tag made of printed paper was placed.

A total of six people, including my seat, which is one of the main characters.

It was quite a small scale for a script reading, but my heart was still full just by the fact that it was the first script reading of my life.

After checking the name ‘Jin Hee-sung’ and sitting down, my heart started beating even faster.

As I took a deep breath and adjusted to this place, director Park and the writer opened the door and came in together.

I immediately got up from my seat and bent over.

“Hello, I’m Jin Hee-sung!”

“Hee-sung, nice to meet you. You came early.”

The writer greeted me with a bright face.

“Thank you so much for picking me.”

A serious greeting without a smile.

I was sincere.

Perhaps my heart was conveyed, director Park raised the corners of his mouth and replied.

“We picked Hee-sung because he’s good at acting. Please take good care of the drama.”

“I will work hard as much as you trust me and pick me. I will do well so that you don’t regret casting me!”

“Haha, okay. Let’s work hard together.”

As our greetings ended, the actors came in one by one.

“Hello.”

“Hello, nice to meet you.”

I exchanged brief greetings with the actors I met for the first time and moved to my seat.

Soon, the door of the conference room opened again, and another lead came in.

It was the actress who played the female lead.

My first leading partner in my life.

I got up from my seat to greet her and looked towards the door.

I immediately made eye contact with her, and I froze on the spot.

…Huh?

Wait a minute.

That person… is the woman who appeared in my dream…?