An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 182

182. #32 – Eating from the Same Pot (5)

[Drama ‘Doctor’ Production Presentation, Jin Hee-sung’s Hardworking Looks…]

[Jin Hee-sung Shows Off Extraordinary Looks at Drama ‘Doctor’ Production Presentation…]

[Jin Hee-sung, Lead Role in Drama ‘Doctor,’ “In This Performance…”]

[Drama ‘Doctor’ Ranked as the Most Anticipated Drama of the Year…]

[Production Presentation Drama ‘Doctor’ Quite Different from Jin Hee-sung’s Poster!]

Articles poured out after the production presentation.

At the same time, multiple schedules began to flood in.

“Hee-sung, another one came in,” Manager Kim announced as I entered the office.

Variety show offers came in right after the production presentation.

Manager Kim told me about the programs, but I immediately declined them.

Intrigued by his words that another offer had arrived, I tilted my head and asked, “Didn’t you say all the variety shows were rejected?”

He smirked and led me to the conference room.

“What’s with all the suspense?” I asked.

Manager Kim remained silent until we were both seated.

My curiosity piqued, I quickly sat down and looked at him. “What program is it?”

Manager Kim shrugged, took a deep breath, and said, “Advertisement.”

My eyes widened. “What advertisement?”

Instead of answering, Manager Kim handed me a piece of paper. “What’s this?” I asked.

He pushed the paper closer. “An advertisement offer for you, Hee-sung.”

I looked down at the paper and, as Manager Kim said, it was an advertisement offer for me.
The moment I saw it, I was speechless.

“……”

Not just one advertisement, but several.

I stared blankly at the list.

Manager Kim, looking very excited, said, “There are a whopping eight advertisements!”

“No way….”

It was the first time so many advertisements had come in at once.

*Is this the effect of being a lead actor?* I wondered.

I swallowed hard and stared intently at the list. Then, taking a deep breath, I asked Manager Kim, “Hyung, if I just film these eight advertisements, the advertising fees will be enormous, right?”

He hurriedly pulled the paper in front of him. “But let’s put all these advertisements on hold.”

My face instantly fell. “What?”

“Let’s put all the advertisements on hold.”

I frowned, unable to understand his words. “Why?”

Manager Kim smiled, his expression the opposite of mine. “Don’t you think this drama is going to be a huge hit?”

His sudden words made me squint at him. “What are you talking about?”

“This drama. Don’t you think so too, Hee-sung?”

“Well, yeah. We said it would be a hit while we were filming.”

It was something Manager Kim and I always discussed in the car while filming: that this drama felt special, that it would be a big hit, and that the viewership ratings would be no joke.

We anticipated the success of the drama ‘Doctor.’ Recalling those days, I nodded vigorously.

Manager Kim smirked and looked at me meaningfully. “So I think it’s better to put all the advertisements on hold.”

“Why…”

Before I could finish, he clenched his fist and exclaimed, “Your value will be much higher than the current advertisement rates, Hee-sung. Your worth!”

I nodded, understanding. I hadn’t filmed many advertisements so far, but my value was gradually increasing as I filmed dramas and movies. That value was naturally proportional to my recognition and popularity.

I raised my eyebrows. “…Really?”

***

The first episode aired on the day of the production presentation and started smoothly with a viewership rating of 12%.

After that, the ratings gradually increased, reaching 13% and then 15%.

The rising viewership didn’t falter for a single episode. By the 8th episode, it recorded a whopping 19%, and articles poured out speculating that it might break the highest viewership ratings of the year.

“This drama is really going to be a hit, isn’t it?” Manager Kim couldn’t hide his joy every time he checked the viewership ratings.

Of course, I also enjoyed each day, feeling the reward for my hard work.

Along with the viewership ratings, the viewers’ reactions were also endless.

-Our Hee-sung’s acting is crazy ㅠㅠ

-Jin Hee-sung is doing the best acting of his life in this drama.

-Isn’t the viewership rating crazy? If it’s a drama of this level, it should get 20% to be fully 인정 [recognized/acknowledged]!

└ 인정 [Acknowledgement, agreement]ㅋㅋ. I really watch each episode three times. Let’s go for 20% viewership!!

-Doctor is my 인생 [life’s best] drama.

-The immersion is crazy. What’s up with Jin Hee-sung and Song Yu-na, why are you making me cry ㅠㅠ

-The story is good, the actors are good, and the directing is crazy. This is a masterpiece.

-If you don’t watch Doctor at work these days, can’t you join the conversation?

└You can’t not watch Doctor even if you’re not at work.

└If you don’t watch Doctor, I won’t eat with you.

└You don’t watch Doctor? Okay, go back.

***

I spent happy days feeling the immense popularity of Doctor.

After a few months, the final episode, the 16th episode, which meant I had to let go of Doctor, finally aired.

As soon as I opened my eyes in the morning, I immediately reached for my cell phone to check the viewership ratings of the last episode.

“Doctor… viewership ratings….”

I searched for the ratings before I could even fully wake up.

The moment I saw them, I dropped my cell phone on the bed.

“No way.”

Unable to believe the numbers, I jumped out of bed, quickly got ready, and headed to the company.

As soon as I arrived, Manager Kim ran to me as if he had been waiting and hugged me tightly. “Hee-sung!” He patted my back with a trembling voice.

I smiled. “Hyung, it’s a hit….”

He released me and said, “You’ve really worked hard.”

Manager Kim must have checked the ratings before I even said anything. He bit his lip, his face filled with emotion. “Is 27% even possible?”

27%.

That was the viewership rating of the final episode.

I had been feeling dazed all morning at that enormous number, but the moment I heard it from Manager Kim, I realized that I had created the best record in my filmography.

At the same time, Manager Kim handed me a file. “Hee-sung, you’ve really hit the jackpot.”

“I know. To think that I’m the lead actor in a 27% drama, I’m still feeling dazed.”

Manager Kim shook his head. “It’s not just that; your advertisements have also hit the jackpot, you idiot.”

“What are you talking about?”

I unfolded the file and confirmed that it contained the same advertisement list he had shown me a few months ago.

“Did I get an advertisement offer?”

“Yeah, there are many new places that contacted me this morning.”

The eight advertisements that came in after the production presentation had multiplied. Now, there were so many that I couldn’t even count them, filling the paper. The amount was an advertising fee that couldn’t even be compared to the last time.

I stared blankly at the list, my mouth wide open.

Manager Kim looked at me with satisfaction. “Your value… has gone up like crazy!”

“Is this a dream?” I pinched my cheek hard.

“Ouch!”

This moment was definitely not a dream.

“Let’s go to the conference room and look at them one by one. I’ll explain it to you.”

“Okay.”

We sat in the conference room, drinking coffee, and barely calmed down from the aftermath of the enormous 27% viewership rating.

Only then did the advertisements come into view again.

“Hyung, the advertisement rates are no joke, are they?”

“Let’s start filming them little by little now.”

“Are we filming all of these?”

He shook his head. “No. We have to choose one of the chicken advertisements that came in, and we can’t film things that overlap. Let’s choose carefully.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

I began to look at the advertisement list slowly, examining the items, rates, and contract periods in detail. My heart began to beat faster at the sheer amount of money.

It was truly enormous.

With this amount of advertising fees, I could earn more than the drama’s appearance fee with just a few advertisements.

“Hyung, if I film just a few advertisements here, I’ll exceed the appearance fee, right?”

Manager Kim smirked. “That’s the good thing about being an actor. The appearance fee is high, but if the work does well, the money that becomes a plus alpha [extra bonus] in addition to the appearance fee is enormous.”

“That’s right. I earn more from advertisements than from appearance fees….”

“Yeah, and now your appearance fee will also jump in the next work.”

“Wow…”

I could only pour out admiration. I felt dazed by the treatment, which was more than I had imagined.

Manager Kim looked at me and smirked. “Hee-sung, if you look at this, it’s organized by item….”

Before he could finish, I tilted my head. “Hyung, what’s this that’s checked separately here?” I pointed to the lists marked in yellow.

“This is what Song Yu-na and you have been offered at the same time.”

“You mean Yu-na and I are filming together?”

He nodded. “Yeah, if you both say okay, we’ll film it right away. What do you think?”

“Has the company already finished selecting?”

“Yeah, the advertisements that weren’t suitable have already been filtered out in the first round.”

I immediately shook my head. “Then I’m all good.”

“Okay. Then if you choose a few from these, the company will check it out.”

***

Song Yu-na twitched her lips and rolled her eyes. “So you’re saying you want to film with me?”

The head of WG Entertainment smiled. “Yeah, we’ll film it right away if Yu-na says okay.”

“Hmm… are all these advertisements filmed with Jin Hee-sung?”

The head looked at the list and nodded. “That’s right. Except for Yu-na’s solo advertisements. This list is all advertisements filmed with Hee-sung. What do you think, Yu-na?”

Song Yu-na slightly raised the corners of her mouth, then hurriedly straightened them, fearing the head would notice.

“If Jin Hee-sung really thinks so… I’ll film it, I guess.”

The head hurriedly handed her the paper. Song Yu-na stretched out her palm and continued, “Ah, but I’ll only film advertisements that make me look pretty.”

The head smiled brightly. “Let’s do that. But how can our Yu-na not look pretty?”

Song Yu-na smirked. He glanced at her and continued, “Yu-na, you look pretty no matter what you film, so how can I choose that?”

“That’s true, but I don’t want to do anything with a weird concept.”

“Okay, let’s just do what Yu-na wants to do. Yu-na, you look good in everything….” The head continued to speak as if persuading her.

Song Yu-na looked at ‘Jin Hee-sung, Song Yu-na’ written on the paper and smirked.