An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 186

186 #33 – Master of Good Deeds (4)

Clink-!

“To Song Yuna, cheers!”

“Cheers!”

We all raised our glasses high into the air, as if on cue.

“Congratulations.”

“Yuna, seriously, congratulations.”

“I knew Yuna would win the Grand Prize, didn’t I? Haha.”

Song Yuna, the star of this bar and the star of today’s Acting Awards.

She gave a rare smile and bowed her head slightly.

“Thank you.”

Her short, cool greeting remained the same, though.

The drama ‘Doctor’ had an enormous impact on viewership ratings.

With that high number of 27%, I, who played the lead role, received the Top Excellence Award.

And Song Yuna, who also played the lead role with me, received the Grand Prize.

Song Yuna was a much bigger top-tier actress than I was, so it was natural for her to receive the Grand Prize.

She was an actress who had been nominated for the Grand Prize last year as well.

I was an actor who had won the Popularity Award and the Newcomer Award.

I didn’t have a close personal relationship with Song Yuna, but I had worked with her on many projects.

Moreover, I had worked with her in ‘Doctor,’ which had earned me this award.

So, I was also thrilled with her Grand Prize win.

“Yuna, seriously, congratulations.”

Song Yuna, who was sitting in front of me, slightly raised one corner of her mouth and replied.

“Yeah, well….”

Anyone else might have been hurt by her insincere answer.

But I knew her personality by now, so I smiled and nodded.

As I poured wine into her empty glass, Song Yuna murmured in a small voice.

“Heeseong… congratulations on your Top Excellence Award too.”

Surprised by Song Yuna’s words of congratulations, my eyes widened.

She glanced at my face and quickly avoided my gaze, talking to others.

How many hours had passed?

Half of the people had left the large restaurant that had been rented out entirely.

Empty bottles were scattered all over the tables.

And Song Yuna was still sitting in front of me.

Normally, Song Yuna would have left the company dinner less than an hour after it started.

No, she probably wouldn’t have even attended such a crowded company dinner in the first place.

But it seemed she was staying because she was the star of this event.

Several actors were present at this company dinner.

The group was divided into several categories.

The actors and staff who had worked together on ‘Doctor’.

And the actors who had worked with Song Yuna or were friends with her.

Lastly, there was Kim Hana, an actress who had neither worked with Song Yuna nor was friends with her.

However, she had recently appeared on a variety show with Song Yuna, so I thought they might have become friends at that time.

And since she was now a member of the same company, she seemed to be staying to congratulate Song Yuna.

Then.

Kim Hana approached me.

“Can I sit here?”

Since there was an empty seat, I nodded and replied.

“Of course. Hana, how have you been?”

At my words, Kim Hana smiled brightly and turned to me.

“Yes, Heeseong, I received a good wine as a gift from my friends this time. Let’s get together again sometime. I learned how to make gnocchi this time, and it’s really delicious.”

At her words, I opened my eyes wide and asked.

“Gnocchi made with potatoes? It takes a lot of work to make that at home.”

Kim Hana smiled at my words and replied.

“It does, but….”

Before Kim Hana could finish speaking, Song Yuna, who was sitting in front of me, frowned and cut her off.

“Oh my, Hana, you’re here too?”

It was as if she was welcoming her.

But Song Yuna’s voice was not like that at all.

Her tone seemed to have thorns in it.

At her words, Kim Hana closed her eyes once and opened them, looking at Song Yuna and saying.

“Yuna, congratulations on winning the Grand Prize.”

“Ah, yes.”

Kim Hana gave a smile and looked back at me.

Song Yuna cleared her throat to draw attention and then smiled brightly, saying.

“But you didn’t have to come if you were busy, but you came all the way here.”

A strange tone that was different from her brightly smiling face.

But soon, Kim Hana also opened her mouth in a similar tone.

“Oh, I had to come, of course. You even won the Grand Prize, so I had to congratulate you.”

Kim Hana spoke to Song Yuna and then glanced at me, continuing.

“Congratulations to Heeseong for winning the Top Excellence Award too. There are so many people in the same company to congratulate, so I had to attend. Don’t you think so, Heeseong?”

The question came back to me.

Kim Hana and Song Yuna looked at me at the same time.

I mumbled at their piercing gaze and quickly drank my alcohol.

***

The end of the year was approaching.

As soon as I opened my eyes, I jumped out of bed with anxiety, not leisure.

A few days ago, I received the Top Excellence Award.

After receiving the Top Excellence Award, I began to feel a little more anxious about choosing my next project.

I had resolved to take my time and choose a project slowly, as Choi Seobin had said.

But as the end of the year came into view, I felt self-imposed pressure to choose a script quickly.

Without enjoying the leisure of the morning, I hurried to the company.

I had been looking at scripts and choosing projects every day without fail.

But I didn’t want to postpone or skip this work under the pretext of having won an award and it being the end of the year.

When I arrived at the company, Manager Kim’s eyes widened as he greeted me.

But a surprised expression caught my eye before a welcoming one.

“Heeseong, what brings you to the company?”

“What do you mean? Of course, I came to look at scripts.”

“No, you can take a break since it’s the end of the year.”

Manager Kim shook his head as if he couldn’t stop me.

“No. If I rest because it’s the end of the year, and rest because it’s some other day, when will I work?”

At my words, Manager Kim seemed to have read my mind.

He immediately put on a worried expression, lowered his eyebrows, and opened his mouth.

“You don’t have to choose your next project in a hurry. Take some more rest….”

Before he could finish speaking, I raised my eyebrows and said.

“Hyung [older brother/male friend], don’t you have any scripts for me?”

At my words, Manager Kim swallowed the words he couldn’t say and replied.

“…I do. Let’s go to the conference room, I’ll show you.”

“Okay.”

After sitting in the conference room for about ten minutes,

I soon saw Manager Kim approaching with a pile of scripts in both hands.

He opened the door with his body because he didn’t have enough hands and said to me.

“It’s been piling up for a few days because of the awards ceremony. These are movie and drama scripts.”

“Wow, that’s a lot?”

“Yeah, these haven’t been sorted yet, I brought them all.”

I rolled up my sleeves and said.

“Okay. I’ll take a look.”

Manager Kim pointed outside with his hand.

“Take your time looking. It’s cold, so I’ll get you some warm coffee.”

“Thank you.”

He headed straight to the pantry.

Looking at the scripts that seemed to go on forever, I began to stretch my wrists and neck.

“Okay, shall we start?”

I was full of motivation now.

I had come with an anxious heart, but looking at the pile of scripts made me feel less anxious.

As Manager Kim said, the scripts were a mix of movies and dramas.

The genres were also mixed up, so I started reading the scripts in the order I saw them, regardless of genre.

As I flipped through a few pages of the script, Manager Kim approached me and handed me coffee.

“It’s cold, so drink this while you look.”

“I’ll enjoy it.”

Manager Kim bit his lip and said to me.

“I have work to do in the morning, so I don’t think I can look at the scripts with you….”

He trailed off with a face full of apology.

I smiled and waved my hand.

“It’s okay. I came when you told me to rest today. Go and do your work.”

“Instead, let’s look at the scripts together in the afternoon. I’ll be back soon after work.”

“Okay.”

Manager Kim kept his eyes fixed on me until the end and then left the conference room.

I was left alone in the quiet conference room and turned my attention to the scripts.

“Let’s focus… and read calmly.”

It had already been three hours since I sat looking at the scripts.

I put artificial tears [eye drops] in my eyes, which had become dry from reading the letters, and rested my dry eyes.

I closed my eyes and tilted my head back as far as possible.

“Haa… why is it so hard to choose a script?”

There were countless scripts piled up on the table.

But there was still not a single script that captured my heart.

I made a ‘tss’ sound and stared blankly at the script in front of me.

“Have my standards become too high?”

I tilted my head and thought.

“No. My standards have to be high to choose a better script….”

I nodded, convincing myself.

I couldn’t adopt just any script just because I was getting more and more anxious.

But if I rested any longer here, I felt anxious that I was taking too long of a break.

“I need to find a script before the end of the year….”

I felt that my popularity had recently increased thanks to the drama.

But if the hiatus became too long, it was only natural that I would be gradually forgotten by viewers.

And in the industry.

But I couldn’t choose a script that I didn’t like just to avoid being forgotten.

There was only one answer.

To quickly choose a script that I liked and a project that would be a hit.

It was such a clear answer.

But finding that answer was not easy at all.

I stroked my chin and sighed.

“Is this why actors’ breaks are getting longer and longer?”

***

This place where endless white desks were spread out.

“Yes, I answered the phone.”

Tingling.

Tinglingling.

Telephones were ringing loudly everywhere.

People were frantically focusing on their work.

“No. Please send the documents by today.”

“Yes, I’ll be right there.”

I blankly looked around, mesmerized by the sounds of each person’s work.

‘What the heck?’

Then.

Tinglingling.

Tinglinglingling-.

The phone rang louder and louder.

My brow furrowed naturally at the sound.

Nevertheless, the phone kept ringing.

Tinglingling-!

“Alex.”

A man approached me and shook my shoulder violently.

“Alex, what are you doing spacing out!”

At his call, I opened my eyes wide and turned around.

“Huh?”

“You have to answer the phone. Alex, what’s wrong?”

Even at his words, I didn’t know what to do and my body stiffened.

The man who called me Alex shook his head and answered the phone on my desk.

“I answered instead. Yes, this is Henry. Yes, Alex is away for a moment… I’ll pass it on.”

Henry quickly picked up a pen and started writing notes on the desk.

Soon, he hung up the phone and looked at me with a worried expression.

“I’m busy, so let’s talk again later.”

Then, he patted me on the shoulder and returned to his seat.

Alex….

Henry….

The voices chattering busily everywhere.

All the words were in English, not Korean.

Of course, I was also answering them in English.

Come to think of it, even the name….

I took a deep breath.

At that moment, I could tell right away.

This is… my dream.

The thought that came to my mind as soon as I realized it was a dream.

I haven’t even looked at any scripts yet?

But what kind of dream am I having?

Just as I was worrying.

The phone on my desk was ringing again.

Tinglingling.

My hand moved naturally, picked up the receiver, and put it to my ear.

“Yes, this is Alex.”

Then, I heard a familiar Korean voice over the receiver.

-Hello. This is Korea….

At that voice, I quickly opened my mouth.

“Yes, I’m Min Suho, the person in charge of Korea.”

I answered the phone and sat in my chair, raising my head.

There was a small nameplate on my desk.

‘Trade (Korea) Alex’.

Alex, an employee of a trading company.

So, I continued to work today without a break.

“Haa….”

After hanging up the phone, a short break came.

Laura, a blonde woman sitting next to me, loosened her wrists and spoke to me.

“Alex, it’s been so hectic lately. The work has been crazy since morning.”

I wrinkled my nose at her, who was talking to me with an exhausted face, and replied.

“I know. But Laura, didn’t you end up going home yesterday?”

I scanned her clothes and said.

Laura nodded with a weak face.

“Yeah, I don’t know if I can go home today.”

“Well, what can you do? It’ll be a little quieter after this period passes.”

“That’s right.”

Laura rubbed the dark circles under her eyes with her hands and asked me.

“I’m so busy that I don’t even know how time is passing. Alex, what’s the date today?”

At her words, I chuckled.

“Laura, you’re something else. How can you not even know the date? Haha.”

I turned my head to look at the calendar and opened my mouth.

“Today is September 11, 2001.”

At my words, Laura raised the corners of her mouth and shook her head.

…Wait a minute, this date is?