An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 164

164. #30 – The Weight of a Lead Role (2)

“By any chance… how much weight do I need to gain?”

Actually, even while reading the script, I had an idea about the physique of the character I would be playing.

That the role required a certain bulk.

Since he was quite a macho character, a sturdy build would suit him better than a slender one.

However, my current body was the complete opposite of that role.

Of course, I had imagined that I would have to build my body to match the role.

The problem, though, was how much weight to gain.

Director Hong quickly scanned me from his seat.

“Um… how tall are you now, Hee-sung?”

“I’m 183cm.”

I stood up to show him my body.

He looked me up and down and replied.

“And your weight?”

“72kg.”

He stroked his chin.

I lowered my head to look at my body anew.

A body that had always maintained around 78kg.

But while filming the zombie movie, I couldn’t eat well and had to show a lean image, so I lost weight down to 68kg.

After that, I started eating normally again, but the stomach capacity that had shrunk during the diet didn’t easily return.

I didn’t feel the need to gain weight.

So, my weight was currently hovering around 72kg.

Director Hong clicked his tongue and said to me.

“This is a very… slight image.”

He spoke with a worried voice.

I raised my eyebrows and replied to him in a gentle tone.

“Please, speak freely. How much weight should I gain?”

“…I think you need to gain at least 90kg.”

“At least…?”

Director Hong bit his lip and said.

“I’d like you to gain up to 100kg if possible.”

After speaking, he watched my reaction.

I didn’t show any surprised or worried expression at all.

Rather, with a nonchalant face, I asked him.

“Will I need muscle too?”

At my words, he seemed relieved and released his bitten lip, replying.

“It’s okay. No, it’s better if you don’t have muscle.”

“Yes, I understand.”

At my answer, Writer Park looked at me and said.

“Gaining over 30kg isn’t easy. Hee-sung, please think about it….”

Her gaze was full of concern.

I opened my mouth before she could finish her sentence.

“No. I’ll try to bulk up.”

“We’d be grateful if you did, but it’s difficult to ask this of Hee-sung.”

At Director Hong’s words, I shook my head and said to him.

“I really want to do the ‘Doctor’ project. I’ll definitely build my body by the time of filming.”

At my words, they nodded with satisfied faces.

“Then we’d be very happy. We were glad when you said you’d do it, but we were actually worried about your physique.”

Director Park opened her mouth as if agreeing with his words.

“That’s right. If Hee-sung matches the lead character, we’d be really grateful.”

“No. Isn’t it natural for an actor to match the role? I’ll work hard.”

Director Hong stood up and extended his hand.

“Good. Let’s work well together.”

“Yes, I’ll do my best.”

***

“Did it go well?”

As soon as I got into the car, Manager Kim asked me with a face full of curiosity.

“Of course.”

I smiled brightly at him and replied.

Manager Kim raised his eyebrows and turned to look at me.

“So, what did they say?”

“But, hyung [older brother or close male friend – a common Korean honorific]… I have to gain weight.”

“Really? You kept talking about that as soon as you saw the script.”

After seeing the script for the first time, Manager Kim and I talked about the role I would be playing.

I said I was worried because it seemed like a role with quite a bit of bulk.

Nevertheless, I said I definitely wanted to do this role.

At that time, Manager Kim advised me to negotiate it during the meeting.

In the end, I agreed to gain weight at the meeting and came out.

He frowned and asked me with a worried face.

Hesitating to answer, he swallowed hard and demanded an answer.

“What did they say? Did they say you don’t have to gain weight?”

At his words, I raised the corners of my lips and shook my head.

“What, you decided to gain weight?”

I nodded at his question.

“Hey, Hee-sung. You said you were going to talk about it.”

“But Director Hong and Writer Park also said that the role definitely needs to have some bulk. I guess there’s no choice if I want to portray the character I saw in the script.”

At my words, Manager Kim sighed deeply.

“So… you said you’d do it?”

“Yeah, I really want to do this drama.”

“Still. Hee-sung, can you do it?”

“Of course. Hyung, you saw the script too. The content is good, and the roles….”

Manager Kim cut me off and said.

“No, not the drama. I’m talking about gaining weight.”

At his words, I shrugged my shoulders.

“Of course. It’s not like they’re telling me to lose weight. Gaining weight is easy.”

“How many kilograms do you have to gain?”

Since Manager Kim was already worried about me, I reached out to him with the most careful tone possible.

Then, I slightly spread out three fingers.

“What… 30kg?”

Manager Kim’s eyes widened as if they would pop out.

I looked into his eyes and nodded carefully.

“Hee-sung…!”

I quickly reached out with both hands to calm him down and replied.

“Hyung, I know what you’re worried about, but I can definitely do it.”

“Hee-sung, losing weight and gaining weight are really different.”

“I think it’ll be easier than losing weight. Don’t you think it’s doable?”

At my words, he bit his lip and said.

“You’ve never gained weight before.”

“…Me?”

He nodded vigorously at my words.

Come to think of it.

I’ve never heard anyone say that I’ve gained weight, that I’m chubby, or anything like that.

There’s never been a time when I looked like I had gained weight to anyone.

Of course, that’s just in this life.

But the life I’ve lived is different from people like Manager Kim in front of me.

A life of 10,000 years, having lived a thousand lives.

Even if I only counted those, I’ve gained weight countless times.

I’ve been obese, I’ve been excessively thin, I’ve experienced all of that.

So, gaining 30kg for filming?

That was nothing to me.

Of course, I couldn’t suddenly gain 30kg overnight.

Everything requires effort.

But I can put in that effort.

I’m confident.

I wasn’t burdened because I had experienced countless hardships and experiences in my past lives.

Manager Kim lowered his voice with drooping eyes.

“Don’t you remember when you filmed the zombie movie?”

“Filming the survivor movie in the destroyed world?”

At my words, he nodded and replied.

“Yeah, you worked so hard to lose weight for the zombie movie, and you couldn’t even restore it to its original state.”

“Hey, it’s because I didn’t need to restore my weight to its original state.”

The nagging he was spewing wasn’t because he was angry about gaining weight.

I knew it was entirely out of concern for me.

To persuade him, I continued speaking in a gentle tone.

“But if I set my mind to it, I can gain weight quickly. You don’t have to worry too much, hyung.”

“No matter what, I can’t help but worry. It’s not just 10kg, but if you gain 30kg from your current weight, you’ll be over 100kg.”

“That’s true.”

He stroked my thigh with his hand and said.

“If you’re not careful, you might get stretch marks. We’re not filming any nude scenes, but wouldn’t it be bad if an actor had stretch marks on their body?”

“Hyung, you said it’s okay if I gain weight while managing it well.”

It was like a battle between a spear and a shield.

Manager Kim tried to stop me from gaining weight until the end.

Seeing me trying to persuade him, I burst into laughter for a moment.

Then Manager Kim also burst into a chuckle.

We looked at each other and laughed.

I quickly erased my smile and looked at Manager Kim with a serious face.

“Gaining weight will definitely require hard work, but more than anything, I really want to do this project.”

At my words, he tucked his lips in and avoided my eyes.

“Hyung… you know. Please trust me.”

For a moment, silence flowed quietly in the car.

He soon raised his head, looked at me, and shook his head.

“…Okay, who can stop you?”

Manager Kim seemed to have realized that he couldn’t stop me anymore.

He was always the one who gave in to my persuasion.

I looked into his eyes and smiled brightly.

“Thank you, hyung.”

At my greeting, he shook his head and continued speaking with a sigh.

“I surrendered to your persuasion.”

“Haha, I’ll try to do it while managing it well.”

“Okay. Since you’re doing it anyway, let’s not overdo it, but let’s work hard. I’ll help you.”

“I understand.”

Only then did Manager Kim turn around and grab the steering wheel.

I patted him on the shoulder and said.

“Hyung, shall we go eat to gain weight?”

***

As soon as I opened my eyes in the morning, I groped for my cell phone.

As always, I checked the internet and social media.

Then, suddenly remembering something, I put down my cell phone and jumped out of bed.

“That’s right. I need to eat first.”

Today was a day without any schedule.

On days like this, I would always wake up early and head to the gym.

It wasn’t that I was exercising for the purpose of dieting.

But to improve my stamina and maintain my figure, I would go to the gym whenever I had time.

I would do fasted cardio [cardiovascular exercise performed after an overnight fast].

When I had time in the evening, I would lift weights to build my body.

But after going to the meeting yesterday, I immediately sent a message to my trainer.

That I wouldn’t be exercising for the time being.

I knew that gaining weight while exercising could help me gain weight healthily.

But the role I would be playing didn’t need muscular bulk.

Since he was just a friendly-looking doctor, there was no need to gain weight while exercising.

Furthermore, I thought that if I gained weight systematically, it would be harder to lose later.

I decided to reach my target weight with just diet alone.

I didn’t eat at home often, so the refrigerator was always empty.

It was my daily routine to order food or meet Manager Kim outside to eat.

I wasn’t very greedy about eating, so when I was alone at home, I didn’t usually bother to eat.

I would just eat a bag of chips or skip meals.

But since I had to gain weight, I ordered meat, rice, and various other foods the day before and filled the refrigerator.

I smiled and opened the refrigerator wide.

I rummaged through it and picked up some food.

Chicken breast that I used to eat to maintain my figure.

I switched from a protein-based diet to a carbohydrate-based diet.

I grilled a frying pan full of pork belly.

Sizzle-.

I didn’t usually eat breakfast, but from today on, breakfast was a must.

“Fat is good, but carbohydrates are the best for gaining weight.”

Rice to eat with the pork belly.

I filled a bowl with steaming white rice.

About ten minutes later.

“Ah… I’m really full.”

Before clearing the rice bowl, I got up and headed to the scale in the dressing room.

I carefully stepped on it.

-72kg.

“What, I ate so much for breakfast, but I didn’t even gain 1kg?”

I shook my head and stepped off the scale.

“Okay, let’s start today and gradually increase it.”

Then, to suppress my slightly anxious mind, I opened the snack cabinet in the kitchen.

I took out a calorie bar covered in chocolate and put it in my mouth.

“The goal is 95kg.”

I looked at the sparsely filled snack cabinet and nodded.

“I need to fill the house with food first.”