An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 223

223. #40 – Their Intentions (1)

“Cut, okay!”

At Director Jeffrey’s signal, we smiled and clapped.

Clap, clap.

“Great job, everyone.”

“Everyone worked hard.”

“We’ll take about an hour break and then shoot the last scene for today.”

I nodded at the staff’s announcement and walked out of the set.

From afar, Bruno approached me with a bright smile.

“Hee-sung, you worked hard.”

“Thank you. Is Bruno shooting the next scene?”

“Yes, I finished shooting in the morning, so I’ve been resting in the trailer.”

He raised his eyebrows and asked me.

“Is Hee-sung going home now?”

“Well… my part is finished.”

Bruno stared at me intently and carefully opened his mouth.

“Then, would you like to have coffee with me now?”

Without a moment’s hesitation, I nodded.

“Sure.”

There was no reason to refuse.

Bruno, the only celebrity Song Yu-na claims to be a fan of.

That meant Bruno was an incredibly famous and popular actor in this industry.

I was also one of Bruno’s fans.

Of course, his acting was a given, and his appearance was also outstanding.

Bruno had started approaching me at some point.

If you asked me to pinpoint when we became close, I couldn’t exactly say.

He would call me during breaks to have coffee and chat with him in his trailer.

I was grateful for Bruno’s approach.

Since I didn’t know everyone’s tendencies, I thought there was a limit to how close I could get to them on my own.

“Shall we hang out here today?”

He pointed to a table near the trailer.

I nodded.

“Let’s do that.”

As soon as we sat down, Bruno took out coffee from his trailer and came over.

“Is Hee-sung going straight back to Korea after filming?”

“Yes, now that you mention it, our filming is really coming to an end.”

“That’s right. Only two weeks left…”

Just then.

“Oh? Can we sit here too?”

Liam and Charles approached, waving cheerfully.

“Of course.”

At their words, Bruno pulled out chairs and said.

Before we knew it, the four of us were chatting like best friends.

“It’s only two weeks left of filming. I’ll really miss it when it’s over.”

“Me too. This is my first project in Hollywood, so I feel it even more.”

Charles crinkled his nose with his unique high-pitched voice.

“Liam and Bruno can still meet after filming, but if Hee-sung goes back to Korea, when will we see him again…”

“If the project does well, I might have another chance to come to Hollywood, right? Haha.”

“That’s true. There’s definitely a reason why this project has to succeed.”

“Right. Let’s do our best. Haha.”

Liam smiled at me.

“Yes. I hope we can work together on the next project.”

One person I never thought I’d become close with.

That’s Liam.

He was the one who used to show blatant racism and contempt towards me as soon as he saw me.

Now, as if he had never hated me, he has become one of the actors who cherishes me the most.

He was always watching me film and giving me a thumbs up.

Now, I’m quite close with all the actors.

That’s why I felt even more sad that the end of filming was in sight.

It was structured in a way that I couldn’t help but become close with not only the actors but also the filming staff.

It was like that in Korea too, but especially more so in Hollywood.

Because the only people I could rely on and talk to here were the actors and staff.

That’s why my intimacy with them gradually increased.

Just then.

“Let’s start filming!”

At the staff’s shout, the actors hurriedly left for the set.

Since I didn’t have the last scene to shoot, I headed to Manager Kim.

“Hyung [older brother/male friend],”

Manager Kim had been waiting for me to finish talking with the actors, and he immediately walked towards me and opened his mouth.

“Did you finish talking?”

“Yeah, everyone went to film.”

He smiled contentedly and said to me.

“The actors keep trying to talk to you whenever they get a chance, you know?”

“Really?”

“Yeah, they all should be resting, but they always come to you when they don’t have filming.”

At Manager Kim’s words, I shrugged my shoulders.

“Is that so?”

“I had a drink with the staff the day before yesterday, you know?”

At his words, I nodded and replied.

“Oh, right. The day you said you were going out and coming back?”

“Yeah, that day, the staff told me that you’re the closest and most comfortable with the actors.”

Manager Kim shrugged his shoulders and said.

I couldn’t help but smile at those words.

Even without hearing the reason, it was clear that the evaluation of me was good.

“Nice.”

“It seems like your good personality works in Hollywood too, Hee-sung.”

He put his hand on my shoulder and started walking towards the car.

“Filming will be over soon. What do you want to do after it’s over?”

At Manager Kim’s question, I immediately pointed my finger in the air without a moment’s hesitation and replied.

“I want to go to Korea.”

His eyes widened as if he hadn’t expected my answer at all, and he asked.

“What, I didn’t think you were homesick… Did you miss Korea that much?”

At his serious question, I burst into laughter and replied.

“No, I just want to eat Korean food so badly. Hot food with red soup.”

“I took you to so many Korean restaurants.”

“No, that’s not enough. I really want to eat home-cooked meals made by my mom.”

“Ah… okay, I totally agree with that!”

Manager Kim and I swallowed our saliva and got into the car.

***

After the long-awaited final shoot.

All the schedules for the project were neatly wrapped up.

We had all worked hard together for months.

To soothe our disappointment, the staff and actors all decided to gather in one place without exception.

In the evening after the last shoot.

We opened the door to this place prepared by the production company.

“Wow…”

Manager Kim and I stared at the scene in front of us with our mouths wide open.

“Hyung… this place is crazy.”

This place where you can see the whole of LA at a glance.

Manager Kim quickly looked around with his eyes popping out and said to me.

“The staff told me earlier that the production company’s rooftop is really cool, and it’s true.”

“This place is really nice, why didn’t we come here every time we had a company dinner?”

“They don’t always open it. It seems like they only open it for parties after the project is over. So even the affiliated directors can’t just come whenever they want.”

I nodded at his words.

“But it makes sense. They throw such a grand party, so you can’t just come anytime.”

A scale that seemed like it was only in movies.

I wondered if such a large rooftop even existed.

Sparkling lights and colorful decorations.

And finger foods and champagne that you can easily pick up were laid out in various types.

Manager Kim opened his mouth again and said to me.

“Hee-sung, look over there. All those champagnes are expensive… wow.”

Manager Kim, who was usually interested in champagne, stuck out his tongue and naturally moved his feet.

In the place he headed, champagnes famous for being expensive were lined up.

“Hyung, are you going to drink all this alcohol today?”

“Yeah…. Wow, this place is really good.”

There were so many amazing alcohols prepared that it was amazing even to me, who doesn’t really enjoy alcohol.

We carefully raised our thumbs and said.

“If you finish the project well, they throw such an amazing party, so the directors must enjoy filming.”

Just as we were constantly pouring out admiration for the rooftop party.

Director Jeffrey shouted, holding a glass of champagne high in the air.

“Everyone worked hard filming, and today, let’s enjoy it comfortably without any worries.”

At his words, we responded with cheers.

Without anyone saying anything, we raised our champagne glasses high into the sky.

“Cheers!”

♪♬.

The scene quickly turned into a party atmosphere.

A heart-pounding beat.

In various places, people were seen swaying to the music.

The party was more free-spirited than I had imagined.

There was no one urging us to drink together, or taking us to introduce us and talking for a long time.

Everyone was enjoying the atmosphere.

Enjoying delicious food and alcohol, chatting, and freely expressing the regret of the end of filming.

Just then.

“Hee-sung.”

The person coming towards me with a champagne glass.

It was Evelyn.

She smiled brightly and walked in front of me, clinking her glass against the champagne glass I was holding.

Clink.

With the clear sound of clinking, we drank the champagne.

“You worked hard, Hee-sung.”

“Thank you. Evelyn, you worked hard filming too.”

Evelyn raised the corners of her mouth and crinkled her nose.

“What hard work? I was happy to be able to film with Hee-sung.”

“The honor is mine. Haha.”

She raised her eyebrows and asked me.

“So, is Hee-sung going back to Korea now?”

“Yes, I think I’ll be going back within this week.”

Evelyn quickly made a sad face and pouted her lips.

“That’s too bad. I don’t think we talked much.”

“I hope we can work together on a project with another good opportunity next time.”

At my words, she nodded slowly.

Shaking her cell phone in one hand, she took a step closer to me.

Then, she put her face close to my ear and whispered so that only I could hear.

“I’ll send Hee-sung a message on SNS [Social Networking Service].”

After she finished speaking, she quickly pulled her face away from my side.

Our eyes met very closely.

Then, she raised her eyebrows and curved her lips long.

Her words that she would contact me even if I went to Korea.

Her expression seemed somewhat meaningful, but I was just grateful that she didn’t want to let go of her relationship with me.

Looking at her who had returned to her place, I nodded.

“Okay.”

At my answer, one corner of Evelyn’s mouth was rising.

***

“Hyung, shall we go eat dinner as soon as we arrive?”

At my words, Manager Kim burst into laughter.

“Are you deciding on dinner as soon as the announcement that the plane is landing comes out? Haha.”

“Of course. Now that we’re landing, we have to go eat right away. Let’s decide from now on.”

He still had a smile on his face and replied.

“Let’s do that. Kimchi stew? Or pork belly?”

“Kuh, pork belly is good, soup is good too…”

Manager Kim and I were already seriously thinking about the dinner menu.

In the meantime, the plane was landing on Korean soil.

Manager Kim and I dragged our large carriers and moved our feet.

“I want to go eat Mom’s food quickly.”

“When are you going down to your hometown?”

“I’m going to my hometown…”

Just as I was talking and laughing with Manager Kim.

As the door of the arrival hall opened, I had no choice but to stop talking.

Click, click-.

Flash-.

The flashes that kept going off.

I was startled by the continuous sound of camera shutters and looked at the numerous reporters in front of me.

Blinking my eyes, I asked the reporter who was standing in the front.

“Oh… what’s going on? Who’s coming today?”

At my words, the dozens of reporters standing in front of me all burst into laughter.

Their laughter seemed to echo through the airport.

“Today is the day Hee-sung is coming.”

“Pardon?”

I tilted my head and pointed to myself with my hand.

The reporters were capturing my bewildered expression on camera.

I scratched my head and opened my mouth again.

“The person you came to take pictures of… was me?”