An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 198

Episode 198 #35 – Turning Crisis into Opportunity (1)

22nd Century Fox.

The time for Jin Heesung and Hiroto’s audition was approaching.

“What, isn’t that Korean guy coming?”

Hiroto tilted his head and asked his manager.

“There’s no way he wouldn’t come, right?”

“Well, he came all the way to Hollywood; he wouldn’t just skip the audition.”

His manager nodded in agreement.

“It’s against us, of all people. He’ll do anything to come and try to win.”

The manager smirked and continued speaking to Hiroto.

“But still, there’s no way he can beat you in acting.”

Hiroto stretched his mouth wide after hearing his manager’s words.

“His acting is worse than mine, and he’s even late. Isn’t that a bit much?”

They shook their heads, looking at the clock on the wall.

Meanwhile, in the audition room.

The staff were cleaning up the audition site.

James, with a very angry face, burst through the door, breathing heavily.

“Have you arrived, Director James?”

Despite the staff’s greetings, he ignored them, still fuming.

“Are you out of your mind?”

The staff murmured at his angry outburst.

A staff member approached him, offering water, and cautiously asked.

“Director, is something wrong?”

“Jin Heesung… that bastard contacted us.”

At his words, the staff stopped what they were doing and focused their attention.

“What….”

“He said he won’t be auditioning.”

The audition room instantly froze at James’s words.

This audition was for Jin Heesung and Hiroto.

It was an audition for their competition alone.

If Jin Heesung didn’t come to such an audition, this whole setup would be meaningless.

The staff stood there with dumbfounded faces.

And James’s expression seemed to be heating up even more.

“Crazy… how can this bastard bail on the audition on the day of!”

Bang-.

James slammed the table with his fist.

The sound leaked out of the audition room door.

There was a moment of silence in the audition room.

Only James’s angry breathing could be heard.

While James was cooling down.

A staff member approached him with a worried face.

“Director James.”

“What?”

“If Jin Heesung doesn’t come, what should we do with the audition?”

The word ‘Jin Heesung’ made James furious, but someone had to ask this question.

Outside the door, another actor, Hiroto, was waiting for the audition.

They couldn’t just waste time in this atmosphere.

“Haa….”

James sighed deeply, bit his lip, and replied to the staff.

“Tell the Japanese actor to come in now.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Shortly after, Hiroto entered the audition room.

A bewildered Hiroto asked James.

“Am I auditioning first?”

At his question, James forced a smile and replied.

“The Korean actor will not be coming today.”

“Yes?”

Hiroto’s manager, who was listening from the side, also asked loudly with a surprised face.

“What does that mean?”

“The Korean actor, Jin Heesung, has decided not to audition.”

“Why on earth….”

Hiroto stammered, seemingly embarrassed.

James hid his anger at Jin Heesung and said.

“Which of the two roles does Hiroto want to play?”

James quickly changed the subject, and Hiroto quickly regained his composure and said.

“I want to play the terrorist. The villain. I’m confident I can do well.”

Originally, the actor who performed better between Jin Heesung and Hiroto was to be given the role of the terrorist, the villain.

Now that things had turned out this way, there was no need to put Hiroto in the remaining minor supporting role.

He wanted to put Hiroto in a good role, even if it was because he resented Jin Heesung.

At Hiroto’s words, James raised his eyebrows and nodded.

“Okay. Then, can we see the terrorist role performance you’ve prepared?”

“Of course.”

Hiroto continued acting for a while.

After all the acting was over.

The short audition also came to an end with his performance.

After Hiroto left the audition room.

James, once again angered by the fact that Jin Heesung had tricked him, shouted at the staff.

“Release an article about Jin Heesung right now.”

“Yes, in what way….”

Before the staff member could finish speaking, James shouted loudly, making the audition room tremble.

“Release an article about what Jin Heesung has done!”

“…Yes.”

Meanwhile, Hiroto and his manager left the audition venue.

The manager patted Hiroto on the shoulder and said.

“Congratulations on getting to play the terrorist you wanted to play.”

Despite his congratulations, Hiroto frowned and clenched his fist.

“It’s annoying.”

“Huh?”

“I wanted to compete fairly with Jin Heesung in acting.”

Hiroto felt uneasy, feeling as if Jin Heesung had not come to the audition.

It felt like he had abandoned James’s film.

Then, looking out the window, he murmured softly.

“It feels like I’m just picking up the role he threw away…. I can’t see this as a victory.”

***

Director Jeffrey was away for a while, leaving only me and Manager Kim here.

“Director Jeffrey seems to have a great personality, doesn’t he?”

Manager Kim said to me with a smile.

“Yeah.”

I carefully asked Manager Kim.

“Hyung [older brother/male friend], has there been any contact from Director James’s side?”

“Uh, I haven’t received anything… just a moment.”

He opened his cell phone and immediately frowned.

I urgently called him at the sight.

“Why, what’s wrong?”

“Haa… take a look at this.”

Manager Kim handed me his cell phone.

[Korean Actor J, Taking His First Steps in Hollywood. What Was He Afraid Of That He Ran Away….]

[22nd Century Fox Side, ‘Runaway Korean Actor.’ Is This What Korean Manners Are Like?]

[‘Korea-Japan Match’ in Hollywood. Acting Competition That Ended Before It Even Started….]

[‘No Manners’ Korean Actor J Who Didn’t Show Up on the Day of the Audition. Who Is He….]

Articles were pouring out about me not going to Director James’s audition.

These articles were plastered all over the main pages of Korean entertainment news sites.

It wasn’t unexpected.

Nevertheless, I frowned at the provocative article titles.

“Haa… look at these article titles.”

“I know. They don’t even know the details. James must be very angry.”

I hurriedly scrolled down to look at the comments on the articles.

-ㅋㅋ That’s what I thought.

-Jin Heesung, it wasn’t his place to go to Hollywood, right? Didn’t he realize his skills while going to the audition? ㅋㅋㅋ.

└Jin Heesungㅋㅋㅋ No, they only said Actor J?

└Is there anyone who doesn’t know that Actor J who went to Hollywood is Jin Heesung?

└Well. It’s strange that we, who were boiling with the Korea-Japan match, couldn’t find out that Actor J is Jin Heesung.

-Ah, seriouslyㅡㅡ Did Jin Heesung run away from the Korea-Japan match without even fighting?

-It’s embarrassing that he ran away in the Korea-Japan match!

-Didn’t Jin Heesung run away from the Korea-Japan match because it wasn’t worth fighting?

└Please let that be the case. It’s too embarrassing to run away from the Korea-Japan match.

└Yes, next Jin Heesung fan~

└Isn’t Jin Heesung writing the comments himself? ㅋㅋㅋ.

Numerous comments were made about me.

The comments were full of malicious attacks due to the provocative phrase ‘Korea-Japan match’.

Articles and malicious comments were overflowing, all guessing that I wasn’t confident in my acting.

They assumed I was afraid that I would lose to the Japanese actor.

The only ones who knew the truth, me and Manager Kim, shook our heads as we looked at the comments and articles.

“Director James must be very angry. The articles don’t stop.”

“I know.”

Manager Kim, who refreshed the articles and checked the enormous number of articles, looked at me with a worried look.

“Heesung, should we release a rebuttal article?”

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

“No, let’s release it after we get a firm stamp from Director Jeffrey.”

“Should we?”

“Yeah, even if we say it’s a movie we abandoned, they won’t believe it and will make other guesses. I think it’s enough to make an official statement after we’ve definitely secured the work.”

Manager Kim raised the corners of his mouth.

“Good.”

***

Two days had already passed since the meeting with Director Jeffrey.

And I visited his office again.

Although this was only the second time I had come here.

This road had already become familiar and enjoyable.

Knock knock.

“Yes, come in.”

Director Jeffrey greeted me and Manager Kim brightly, just like at the first meeting.

“Good morning, Director Jeffrey.”

“Oh, it’s good to see your faces again.”

He greeted us with a smile and sat down.

The reason we came here again.

It wasn’t to have another meeting.

Director Jeffrey had offered me a casting right after seeing my performance that day.

Today was to confirm the contract terms and finalize my appearance in Director Jeffrey’s work.

Perhaps that’s why my steps to Director Jeffrey’s office felt particularly light.

He looked at me and opened his mouth.

“Director James must be very angry. A lot of articles have been pouring out.”

Director Jeffrey’s lips were raised as he told the unfortunate story about Director James.

Their relationship was clearly a rivalry.

“Yes, the articles came out like that because I said I wouldn’t go to the audition on the day of.”

He smiled contentedly and stroked his chin.

“To be honest, one of the reasons I chose Jin Heesung was because of Director James.”

“Yes?”

I tilted my head at Director Jeffrey’s words.

What is it?

He wanted to pick me because of Director James….

Was it because he just wanted to take away the actor that he was trying to cast out of a pointless sense of rivalry?

He raised his eyebrows and said to me.

“Um… Director James is a rival that I always want to beat, but I admit his skills.”

“Ah… yes.”

“The public always calls him my rival. He’s someone who deserves to be called my rival, so of course, Director James’s skills are outstanding.”

He said with a smile.

His composure was amazing and cool.

Instead of belittling his rival.

He thought of him as an equal and acknowledged and respected his skills.

I nodded and listened to his words.

“But the fact that Director James even contacted Jin Heesung in Korea to scout him, I already think Jin Heesung’s acting skills have been verified.”

I smiled brightly at his words.

“But when I actually saw the performance, I immediately understood why James wanted to take Jin Heesung so badly.”

“Thank you, Director.”

“Oh, I’m the one who’s grateful. To be working with such a great actor.”

We continued talking with smiles.

Before the full-scale contract, Jeffrey handed over a document and continued speaking.

“First of all, these are the things I can provide to Jin Heesung. A trailer in the filming location. And I can provide a house and a car to stay in the United States.”

The trailer I had only heard about.

Hollywood was said to use a private caravan, a so-called trailer, as a space for actors to rest on set, rather than a shared lounge.

And to think that I would actually use that trailer.

A smile escaped me just from imagining it.

“You’re providing a house and a car too?”

“Yes, of course. The place to stay isn’t a hotel like this….”

Director Jeffrey showed me a photo, passing over a generic photo of a 5-star hotel.

“Ah, here it is!”

And then he showed me a large photo of a house and said.

“It’s the house you see in this photo. We’ll support you with this house.”

The moment me and Manager Kim saw the photo, we opened our mouths wide and exclaimed.

A luxurious-looking house just from the photos.

Manager Kim unknowingly uttered Korean.

“Wow! Is this the Hollywood class?”

I burst into laughter at his words.

After continuing the story of a few clauses and filming for a long time.

Only after a short meeting with Manager Kim and I was I able to stamp the contract.

Bang-.

As soon as I stamped the contract, I became curious about the new reactions of the many haters who had left malicious comments saying that I had run away from Hollywood.