An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 243

243. #44 – Unfounded Rumors (1)

“Heesung, you’ve worked hard.”

Manager Kim said, packing three large suitcases full of luggage.

I hesitated to answer, looking at Manager Kim.

But I couldn’t hide it forever.

I had been worrying and putting off when and how to tell him.

I couldn’t delay it any longer.

The day to return to Korea was tomorrow.

“…Hyung.”

Even with my call, Manager Kim focused on taking luggage out of the closet, answering while keeping his eyes fixed on the suitcase.

“Yeah?”

“Can I talk to you for a bit?”

“Of course. Tell me.”

“……”

When there was no answer, he carefully turned his head and looked at me.

“Heesung, what is it? You can tell me comfortably.”

“I wanted to talk for a bit.”

“Our flight is early in the morning, and we need to pack quickly. Is it a story we need to go out to the living room to talk about?”

Manager Kim said, looking at the scattered luggage and the time.

I bit my lip and answered.

“No, you can listen while packing.”

“Okay. What is it?”

He turned his gaze back to the luggage.

“Hyung, I want to stay in LA longer.”

“Hey, even if you want to play more, you can go back and come again.”

Manager Kim replied casually, as if my words were a joke.

“No, I’m not going to Korea tomorrow.”

Thud-.

As soon as my words ended, Manager Kim dropped the hanger he was holding and widened his eyes.

“What? You’re not going to Korea?”

Only then did Manager Kim realize the seriousness of the situation, stopping his packing and pulling my hand.

“Come on out. Let’s sit in the living room and talk calmly.”

I was led by his hand to the living room sofa.

“Tell me in detail. What are you suddenly saying?”

“It’s as I said. I’m not going to Korea. I’m going to stay in LA longer.”

Manager Kim stared at me with an increasingly hardened face.

“So, what exactly are you saying? Why are you staying in LA longer? Filming is over.”

“Just because. I don’t want to go to Korea right away.”

Manager Kim was flustered, blinking his eyes.

Rolling his eyes, he asked me in a calm voice.

“So, where are you staying?”

“I booked a hotel.”

“Where?”

I showed him the hotel information I had booked in advance.

“It’s a hotel nearby. This penthouse costs money, and there’s no need to be in such a big place alone. I booked a hotel right nearby.”

“……”

Only then did Manager Kim realize that my words were not a joke, and he sighed.

“No, why are you suddenly not going to Korea? You’ve been here for months. You should go to your family’s house….”

I cut off his words and answered.

“Next time. I just want to rest in LA.”

“Still, it’s okay to go to Korea and rest.”

I was not at all persuaded by his words.

My mind was firm enough not to be swayed by his story.

The reason why I wanted to stay in LA even after filming was over.

No, to be precise, I should say it’s the reason why I don’t want to go to Korea.

If I’m in Korea, too many people come to mind.

I don’t have much time left now.

If I keep facing them, I don’t think I’ll be able to face my end.

Whether I miss the people next to me, or they come to mind vaguely, my end is coming anyway.

So I didn’t want to go to Korea.

Rather, if I’m in LA, where no one knows me, where there are no precious people to me.

I thought it would be okay to quietly finish my 10,000 years of life.

“I want to rest here.”

At my firm words, Manager Kim was lost in thought for a moment.

Soon, he broke the silence and said to me.

“Then I’ll talk to the company and stay here too. Let’s be together.”

“Oh, hyung [older brother/male friend]. We’ve been together every day, why are you trying to stick around even here? You should go to Korea.”

“How can I go when you’re here?”

I waved my hand and answered.

“You’re newly married. How long will she wait? Go quickly.”

At my words, Manager Kim closed his mouth as if he was speechless.

He had been on a business trip to LA for several months, not long after his marriage began.

Of course, he would want to go to Korea.

“I told you. I’m really here because I want to rest alone. So you can really go. No, I really want you to go.”

“…Okay. Then call me if anything happens or if you need anything. I’ll come right away.”

“I will.”

***

LA, left alone.

I felt lonely being all alone without anyone.

But rather, this loneliness was not difficult.

Only by being completely alone like this could I calmly organize my long life.

In the quiet hotel room.

I didn’t bother to go outside and stayed quietly in the hotel.

At that time.

Beep beep.

The only sound ringing in this quiet place.

It was the vibration of a cell phone.

Since it was a new phone I made after arriving in LA, only a few people knew my number.

Manager Kim, my parents, and Director David.

Tiliting [Tilting] my head, I looked for the cell phone I had forgotten where I had put it.

The cell phone was still vibrating.

[Caller: Director David]

I tilted my head at the call from Director David.

The movie schedule or related stories were done through the company or Manager Kim, not me.

He had never called me before.

At Director David’s first call, I made a “tss” sound and pressed the receive button.

“Hello?”

-Heesung, are you busy?

“No. What’s going on?”

-You heard about our movie’s release date through your manager, right?

“Yes, I confirmed it.”

-I’ve finished everything now. But I thought I should tell Heesung, so I called.

“About….”

-Before starting the full-fledged movie advertising, I urgently changed the title.

“The title?”

At his words, I was surprised and jumped up from my seat.

Changing the movie title is something that can happen.

But now, with the release just around the corner.

Suddenly changing the title was not a common occurrence.

Did something go wrong?

“Suddenly changing the title?”

At my words, Director David opened his mouth with a faint laugh.

-I’ve watched the movie I completed dozens of times already. But I couldn’t go with the existing title. I didn’t think I should go that way.

“Are you saying that the existing title, ‘Creatures That Lived Again,’ is not good?”

-Uh, the newly created title is ‘The Villain’.

“Yes? ‘The Villain’ means….”

I was so surprised by the newly changed title that I couldn’t help but slur my words.

The only villain in this movie was me.

The title ‘The Villain’ meant that the main character was only me.

Only then did Director David laugh heartily and answer me.

-Yes. Heesung, I changed the title because of your acting. This movie will be a movie that will be a success with only actor Jin Heesung.”

“……”

I was speechless at his words.

I couldn’t do anything as if my feet were tied to the spot where I was standing.

The movie that will be the last work of my life.

So I put all my effort into acting.

Whether others recognized it or not, I just wanted to work hard as if pouring my soul into my last work.

The thought that the result came back as the title ‘The Villain’ made the heat surge from deep inside my heart.

***

A thumping BGM [Background Music] flowed from the screen.

Song Yoona’s gaze was fixed on the TV at the sound.

Then her brow was gradually furrowing.

‘The Villain’

On the screen, along with Jin Heesung’s appearance, an advertisement for the movie ‘The Villain’ starring him was being shown.

The moment she saw Jin Heesung’s face.

Song Yoona bit her lip and let out a long sigh.

“Geez. It’s not just filming a movie, it’s about to be released, but you still haven’t contacted me?”

She hurriedly picked up the remote control and turned off the TV.

“It’s really annoying. What’s the reason for living like strangers like this?”

As if filled with anger, Song Yoona gulped down bottled water.

Then, she took out her cell phone and looked at the SNS [Social Networking Service] messages she had sent to Jin Heesung.

“You don’t even think about telling me the changed number. Just don’t read the SNS messages. Why do you read them all and ignore them? It’s annoying….”

She threw her cell phone onto the bed.

“I don’t know. I’m not going to contact you again!”

Song Yoona tightly closed her eyes and shook her head violently.

That’s how the space became quiet.

She slowly opened her eyes and glanced at the turned-off cell phone.

“But I came all the way to America and contacted you, so I hope nothing happened?”

She was worried about Jin Heesung, who had not been in contact for a long time.

She clicked on his SNS and looked again to see if there were any new posts.

This was not the first time Song Yoona had looked at Jin Heesung’s SNS like this.

It was an action she did almost every day, and it was her daily routine.

“I’ve been in America for over a month and contacted you, can’t you reply at least once? Are you angry with me…?”

However, there were no posts on Jin Heesung’s SNS for months, and there were no traces of him even leaving comments.

She sighed deeply as if she had moved from anger to worry and then to resignation.

“Okay. What do I have to be sad about with Jin Heesung? Did you change after going to Hollywood? I’m never going to contact you again!”

She turned off the message screen she had sent to Jin Heesung.

She plopped down on the bed and tightly closed her eyes.

***

Splash-.

This place I visited after a long time.

When filming, I couldn’t stand the frustration and came here every day.

A deserted sea.

I always shook off my frustration by looking at these waves.

I could just stare blankly at the waves and not think about anything.

But now, alone in LA, I didn’t come to this sea every day.

Anyway, until I opened and closed my eyes, I was the only one in the hotel room.

It was enough to be blankly thinking about the end of my life in the room.

But a few days ago, I couldn’t stand the unbearable pain and finally left the hotel.

“Haa… Yeah, I have to come here to shake off my thoughts.”

The one person who keeps tormenting my mind.

That person was Song Yoona.

The appearance of Song Yoona, who appeared vividly in my dreams, was too much.

But since a while ago, she didn’t sleep and wasn’t a dream, but kept appearing in front of my eyes.

So I felt like I couldn’t stand it if I didn’t come to this beach.

Because I wanted to run to Song Yoona without even knowing it.

But I didn’t want to do that.

I didn’t go back to Korea to avoid giving even a little bit of my heart to those who were left behind.

I couldn’t see her just because Song Yoona came to mind.

“Before ending my 10,000 years of life… Will I be able to see Song Yoona even once before I go?”

The reason why Song Yoona keeps appearing in front of my eyes and in my head.

Is it because I see her in my dreams every day?

Was it because I realized that she was the person I loved the most in my 10,000 years of life?

“……”

And I realized while looking at the crashing waves.

The reason why I keep thinking about Song Yoona is definitely not just because of the past and dreams.

The heart and longing for her were created in this life.

It was clear that I missed actress Song Yoona, whom I met and exchanged feelings with in this last life living as Jin Heesung.

Is this heart just because I’ve grown fond of her?

I didn’t want to face her and have a conversation, or dream of the future.

I didn’t miss Song Yoona in the emotion of wanting to do something.

“I just want to see you just once before I disappear from the world….”