An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 224

224. #40 – Their Intentions (2)

Kimchi stew, steaming hot.

The moment I saw the red broth, I swallowed hard.

And then, thick slices of pork belly sizzled on the grill.

*Chiii-*

The sizzling sound made Kim and me burst into laughter.

“This is it!”

“Kheeuh… just the sound is driving me crazy.”

We kept swallowing our saliva and took a big spoonful of stew.

“Wow… Hyung [older brother or close male friend], this is Korea.”

He laughed heartily at my words.

“I guess we can’t help being Korean. Haha.”

“I know. It’s so good.”

The pork belly quickly cooked on the hot charcoal.

We enjoyed our first Korean dinner in months with soda instead of alcohol.

For several minutes, we devoured the food without talking.

When the American food we had been eating for months was pushed aside by the Korean cuisine.

I rubbed my full stomach and said.

“Wow, I’m so full.”

Kim also nodded and gave a thumbs up.

“That was a great meal.”

Leaning back in my chair, I picked up my phone.

Just as if it had been waiting for me, my phone started vibrating.

“What’s this?”

The continuous KakaoTalk [Korean messaging app] notification sounds.

With several years of experience as an actor, I could tell right away.

This meant an article about me had been published.

I quickly opened my phone and clicked on the page where entertainment articles were uploaded.

I frowned as I looked at the newly uploaded articles.

[Actor Jin Heeseong’s Confident Strides After Conquering Hollywood!]

[The Return of the King… ‘Jin Heeseong’ Arrived in Korea Today…]

[Beyond Korea to Hollywood…! Actor ‘Jin Heeseong’s Hollywood Debut…]

[‘Jin Heeseong,’ the God of Acting Who Swept Through Hollywood.]

[The Leading Figure of K-Actors Who Advanced to Hollywood, ‘Jin Heeseong,’ His Energetic Presence.]

Photos taken at the airport a few hours ago.

And articles with pictures of me smiling brightly.

I covered my mouth with my hand as I looked at the headlines.

“Wow… Hyung.”

He raised his eyebrows at my expression and asked me.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

“Hyung, take a look at this….”

I handed him my phone.

He smiled and replied.

“The pictures turned out great?”

I shook my head at Kim’s words.

“No, that’s not the point. Look at the headlines.”

He read the headlines at my words.

“The Return of the King… Confident Strides from Hollywood….”

I shouted before Kim could finish speaking.

“Ugh… Hyung, stop it.”

“Why? The articles are all writing so positively about you?”

“That’s what I mean. They’re writing too positively.”

“What do you mean?”

I shrugged and muttered softly.

“I’m not a lead in Hollywood, I’m a supporting actor. I just debuted in Hollywood, but the headlines are too grand….”

The articles were full of praise for me.

As if I were the best actor in Korea who had conquered Hollywood.

But I was just embarrassed by those titles and articles.

The headlines that created expectations felt more like poison to me, who had just taken my first steps into Hollywood.

The work wasn’t even finished yet, and I didn’t know how the public would perceive it.

And I didn’t even know if it would be a hit.

Of course, I filmed the work with the confidence that it would be a hit, but I was just embarrassed to be the main character in the articles amidst such great hype.

Because I had just taken my first steps in Hollywood.

“But since it’s not a bad article, it might be good to let the public know?”

“It’s just the beginning, but I’m a little uncomfortable with the articles that are hyping me up too much…. Can you talk to the company about it?”

Kim nodded as if he understood what I meant right away.

“Yeah, I’ll tell them not to exaggerate too much.”

“Thanks.”

I looked down at the headlines again and clenched my fist.

Then, I muttered in a very small voice.

“I just need to live up to these articles….”

***

*Ziiing.*

*Ziiing.*

The vibration kept ringing.

I groped around with my eyes closed.

And after clearing my throat, I put the phone to my ear.

“Hello?”

I answered the phone calmly with a sleepy voice.

But a loud voice suddenly came into my ear.

-What is this?

“……”

A sulky voice.

The sound woke me up completely.

I rubbed my eyes and checked the caller ID again.

‘Caller: Song Yoona’

After confirming it was Song Yoona, I opened my mouth again.

“He…llo?”

-Jin Heeseong, what’s going on!

“Huh? What do you mean….”

She sighed and said to me.

-No, you said we’d have a meal when you came to Korea.

“Ah… I did.”

-Exactly. So why didn’t you contact me after coming to Korea?

I chuckled at her words.

To call me out of the blue and ask about having a meal.

That was so Song Yoona.

I answered her with a smile still on my face.

“I arrived in Korea yesterday? Haha.”

She took a short breath at my laughter and said.

-I know. So why aren’t you contacting me? Let’s eat soon.

“Okay. We’re supposed to have a meal.”

-Don’t just buy me a meal, buy me something incredibly expensive.

“Huh? I’m buying?”

She replied in a sulky voice again at my playful words.

-Isn’t that obvious?

“Why?”

-Who do you think caused a scandal because of whom? Of course, you have to buy it, Heeseong! So buy the most, the most expensive thing!

I couldn’t help but smile at Song Yoona’s words.

“Then shall we meet next week?”

-What, are you busy as soon as you arrive?

“I’m going to visit my parents’ house right away. I’m going to rest with my parents and come back to Seoul, so I’ll see you as soon as I get back next week.”

-Um… okay, then.

“Yes, I’ll contact you when I come to Seoul next week.”

She hung up the phone with a calm tone, as if she had never been sulky with me.

I smiled as I looked at the name ‘Song Yoona’ on the disconnected phone.

Song Yoona was the first acquaintance to call me as soon as I came to Korea.

It’s… kind of nice?

***

The suitcase that I had finally emptied after returning from Hollywood.

But the suitcase was quickly filled with my luggage again in a few days.

Because I was usually busy, I only spent a day or two at my parents’ house at most.

But this time, I wanted to spend a little more time with my parents.

“Done.”

Just as I was about to leave the house after barely closing the full suitcase.

*Ding-dong.*

Kim was standing in front of the door with the sound of the doorbell.

I tilted my head and opened the door.

“Hyung, what’s this? Why are you here?”

He smiled brightly at my question and raised his eyebrows.

“To take you.”

“Me?”

“Yeah, you said you were going to your parents’ house today.”

“That’s true, but I can go alone.”

Kim usually took care of picking me up for my schedules.

That was also the job of a manager, but he was considerate of me even when I had personal schedules, if the time was right.

But he had never taken me to my parents’ house before.

Of course, he always said he would take me, but I had always refused.

Because it was too personal of a schedule.

Because I had always refused, Kim came to pick me up in person today, instead of calling.

I waved my hand at the sight and said.

“Hyung, I’m really okay to go alone.”

But Kim didn’t seem to be listening to me at all.

“No. I really want to take you today.”

“Hyung, you just came to Seoul after a few months, you can rest.”

“It’s okay, you.”

He raised the corners of his mouth and snatched the suitcase in my hand.

I opened my mouth with a sense of guilt and gratitude.

“Still, Hyung….”

“I wanted to take you to your parents’ house once. I won’t take you again even if you ask me to next time, so don’t even mention asking me to take you then?”

I ended up laughing at Kim’s playful words.

“Okay. Thank you, Hyung.”

The car started heading towards my parents’ house.

It was a congested road, but I was excited at the thought of seeing my parents.

Kim, who was holding the steering wheel, glanced at me and opened his mouth.

“Heeseong, our work is expected to come out in about three months.”

I opened my eyes wide at his words and asked.

“That fast?”

Usually, filming a movie takes at least a few months, and sometimes more than a year.

And the period it takes to edit the footage and create a single work is even longer.

But only three months after the filming of this work was completed.

I couldn’t help but be surprised.

Kim nodded at my words and replied.

“Hollywood has a very thorough division of labor system.”

“I guess, that’s why the production costs are so enormous.”

“Yeah, so the editing was done simultaneously with the filming for this work.”

I gasped again at the scale of Hollywood at his words.

“Wow… that’s amazing.”

“Yeah, I was really surprised too.”

Kim made a *tss* sound and opened his mouth again.

“But this is a bit fast even for Hollywood.”

“Why?”

“Because of Director James.”

I frowned at Kim’s words.

“What do you mean?”

“Director James’s filming ended even earlier.”

“Then the editing will be finished even faster?”

He nodded at my words and replied.

“Yeah, so Director Jeffrey is editing incredibly fast to match the release with Director James’s work.”

As soon as I heard his words, I exclaimed.

Director James and Director Jeffrey were rivals of each other.

And both of these works were about the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

“I guess, it would be ambiguous to release the same material with a few months difference, not a few years apart.”

“Yeah, so it seems like they’re going to release it on almost the same date.”

Only then did I nod at Director Jeffrey’s fast progress.

“It’s a real head-to-head match.”

“They’re fighting for pride, and neither of them will ever back down. In the end, it seems like they’re releasing it on the same day with the same material.”

My heart started beating fast at Kim’s words.

Before I joined hands with Director Jeffrey.

I almost took on the role of Director James’s 9/11 terrorist attack material.

So the success of these two directors’ works was even more crucial to me.

Because it would immediately reveal whether it was a good thing that I gave up Director James’s work and came to Director Jeffrey.

A few hours later.

The car had almost arrived at my parents’ house, and I could tell without seeing the house.

Because my parents were standing far away.

Because I had told them in advance that I was coming in the manager’s car.

My parents seemed to be waiting for me outside, not inside the house.

I hurriedly got out of the car as soon as I saw my parents.

“Mom, Dad!”

My mother and father greeted me with bright smiles at my call.

“Son!”

My mother hugged me tightly and stroked my shoulders and back with her hands.

“Son, wasn’t filming abroad hard? Are you hurt anywhere?”

And she looked into my eyes and asked again.

“Look at how gaunt your face has become. Did you not eat well there? Are you hungry? Let’s go up and eat quickly. Mom has prepared a meal.”

I laughed at my mother’s words and replied.

“Why do you always talk about food when you see your son, Mom?”

My father, who was standing quietly next to me, opened his mouth.

“Of course. Your mother woke up at dawn today because you were coming and has been in the kitchen ever since.”

“Oh, you could have just prepared something simple.”

My father quickly scanned me and said.

“Was there anything wrong abroad? I heard it’s hard to go….”

I smiled at his words and shook my head.

“There wasn’t, if there was, I would have punished them all. Whose son am I? Haha.”

Kim greeted them, and then my father took my luggage.

I looked back and forth at my parents and raised the corners of my mouth.

‘Now it feels like I’m really home.’