An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 248

248 #45 – A 10,000-Year Life (3)

Unable to reach Jin Heesung, Chief Kim sighed, his face etched with worry.

He quickly checked the date and time, snapping his fingers.

“That’s right. Could he be unavailable because he’s preparing for the Academy Awards?”

Checking the local time in the US, he breathed a sigh of relief.

“Haa… I hope that’s the reason…”

Chief Kim slumped back into his chair, as if his legs had given way.

He hurriedly began dialing another number.

The reason Chief Kim was in Korea during the Academy Awards was that he had asked the local manager in the US to be Jin Heesung’s day manager.

Chief Kim could have gone to the US for even just one day for Jin Heesung, but Jin Heesung repeatedly refused.

He didn’t know what was going on at all.

He couldn’t bring himself to go to the US because of Jin Heesung’s emphatic words, telling him not to bother coming for him.

He bit his lip, sending a text message to the local manager.

-I can’t reach Heesung right now. Please let me know if he’s doing well and preparing for the awards ceremony.

After sending the text to the local manager, Chief Kim looked at the will notarization in front of him, his shoulders shaking.

“First… I need to go see the lawyer mentioned here right away.”

The ‘will’ amplified his anxiety.

The unexpected word made Chief Kim’s heart clench.

He stopped everything he was doing and hurriedly headed to Jin Heesung’s attorney.

Meanwhile, at the same time.

The local manager, who was with Jin Heesung at the Academy Awards, tilted his head at the message from Chief Kim in Korea.

“What is this? It’s not asking if he’s preparing well, but more like asking about his well-being?”

Jin Heesung opened his mouth at his muttering.

“What’s wrong? Is something the matter?”

“Ah… no. You’ll be entering soon.”

“Okay.”

The local manager looked at Jin Heesung, who was leaning back in his chair blankly, and picked up his cell phone.

He began to reply to Chief Kim in Korea.

***

It had already been an hour since I sat in the waiting room, waiting for my turn.

I was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor and received an invitation, but.

Attending was not mandatory.

Whether I won or not, attending was my choice.

So, I spent many days contemplating whether to attend.

This body that could disappear at any moment.

In the midst of all that, attending an awards ceremony, meeting people with a smile, and being on camera was not easy for me.

Winning an Oscar at the Academy Awards.

That was, of course, my long-held dream and something I had only imagined.

But I never thought it would come at this time.

So, one day, as I was about to tell Chief Kim that I would not attend after much deliberation.

A thought suddenly occurred to me.

If I were to disappear anyway, if this body were to disappear.

Shouldn’t I at least fulfill my dream before I go?

It was something I had longed for as an actor.

Moreover, it was more than just a dream; it was something I had only happily imagined in my head.

“You may enter now.”

At the staff’s guidance, I quickly pulled myself together.

I straightened my clothes and left the waiting room.

The long red carpet.

It was incomparable to the year-end acting awards I had attended several times in Korea.

Numerous reporters from all over the world attended.

And I saw famous Hollywood actors that I had only seen in movies.

The heat of the coverage was so intense that even my body in front felt like it was heating up.

Click, click-.

Flashbulbs flashed everywhere, and cheers poured out for me.

It was overwhelming to receive so much cheers and applause from so many people as an actor from Korea.

And I waved my hand at them and smiled.

I couldn’t even remember the last time I had smiled like this.

I started smiling forcibly, but soon a joyful smile burst out towards the people who were cheering for me.

‘Yes… this is what I wanted. The final destination of an actor that I had dreamed of so much. And winning an Oscar was also part of it.’

As I smiled and entered the awards ceremony hall, my head suddenly throbbed.

My dream…?

Come to think of it, whose dream is that?

Jin Heesung, who was an actor….

Is it the dream that the owner of this body had before I entered Jin Heesung’s body?

Or is acting the dream that my soul had?

Is Jin Heesung me, or does Jin Heesung’s body exist separately?

Now, everything was indistinguishable.

But what was clear was that achieving this dream.

It was definitely the last thing I would do with Jin Heesung’s body and my 10,000 years of life.

***

I sat in my seat, waiting for the awards ceremony to begin.

The atmosphere was quite different from the Korean awards ceremonies.

It wasn’t a solemn or tense mood, but rather a harmonious gathering that felt like it was about to announce the start of a party.

That’s exactly how it felt.

I didn’t know anyone here, and I didn’t feel like stepping forward and engaging in social conversations with various actors.

I didn’t have the will or energy to do so.

I just hoped that the awards ceremony would end without incident.

The reason I came to this awards ceremony was not about whether I would receive an award or not.

I was filled with a sense of accomplishment just by being nominated.

I took a sip of the bottled water in front of me and checked the time on my wristwatch.

“I wish it would start soon.”

Laughter and conversations could be heard here and there.

I felt like I was sitting alone as a solitary figure among the bustling crowd.

Then.

“Heesung!”

Someone called my name and approached me.

It was Liam, who played the lead role in my first Hollywood film, ‘September 11th.’

The moment I saw him, I stood up from my seat as if I had been disarmed and greeted him.

“It’s been a while, Liam.”

At my greeting, he hugged me tightly.

“I heard you were nominated for an Oscar. Congratulations.”

At his words, I slightly raised the corners of my lips.

The person who hated and despised me the most when I first came to Hollywood.

The one who often made derogatory remarks about Asians was now someone who was cheering me on, which was ironic.

Now that I had become close to him, I could fully receive his support.

“Thank you, Liam.”

I shook his hand and exchanged greetings after a long time.

A group of people who were watching the scene approached us.

“Wow… Jin Heesung, Korea’s best actor.”

“Heesung, it’s been a while.”

People approached me with joy.

They were also actors from the ‘September 11th’ film that I had met in Hollywood.

Bruno and Charles greeted me and had a pleasant conversation with Liam, who was next to me.

“It’s been a while, everyone.”

They were also catching up after a long time.

I didn’t join their hustle and bustle and quietly sat down in my seat.

But they took their seats next to me and continued the conversation.

“Heesung, have you prepared your acceptance speech for today?”

At Bruno’s words, Charles added and said to me.

“That’s right. I’m going to run out and give Heesung a big hug as soon as he wins the award. Haha.”

“Okay. Then, Heesung, if you win the award, can you shout out my name ‘Liam’? Hahaha.”

I just smiled and replied to their conversation.

“I’m just giving meaning to my attendance. I don’t think I can win an award.”

At my words, they shook their heads and shouted.

“What are you talking about? Your acting in ‘The Villain’ was amazing this time.”

“Of course. It’s a completely successful film this year, who else would win an Oscar if not Heesung.”

They were more excited than I was and exchanged words.

I was just quietly listening to the conversation.

Bruno, who was quietly watching me, gently placed his hand on my shoulder and asked carefully.

“Heesung, is something wrong?”

I raised my eyebrows at Bruno’s words.

“No?”

“Are you nervous? You look a little different than usual today. No, a lot different.”

Bruno had always been watching me closely when we were filming the previous film.

He seemed surprised and worried about my changed appearance today.

“No. There’s nothing much different from usual….”

He bit his lip and lowered his eyebrows as he replied.

“Your tension is too low… today is Heesung’s day at this Academy Awards.”

At Bruno’s words, I forced a smile and nodded.

“I think it’s because I’m not feeling well.”

As soon as I finished speaking, Charles clenched his fist and shook it in the air, saying to me.

“I’ll cheer you on hard, Heesung, cheer up!”

“Yes, thank you.”

Liam pulled Bruno and Charles away from the noisy table and opened his mouth.

“Heesung, don’t overdo it. We’ll be cheering for you over there. Take care of your condition, and I’ll come back to congratulate you when you win the award later.”

Liam pushed them away and returned to their seats.

The awards ceremony began.

After a long time, the awards ceremony was coming to an end.

The highlight and the last award of the Academy Awards, ‘Best Actor.’

Including me, a total of 4 people were nominated.

I became more and more convinced that I would not win among these nominees.

If I had to pick the most promising candidate among the four, I couldn’t say it right away.

Aaron, an elderly actor who had been at the top in Hollywood for a long time.

If I had to count his career, I couldn’t even count it on my fingers.

People cheered for him just because Aaron was nominated.

Aaron’s acting was needless to say, and he was an actor who had been steadily loved by Hollywood.

The second is Dominic, an actor who started to establish himself last year.

He was an actor in his 30s who was building his career step by step.

He received applause for his acting skills, but when I thought of a Hollywood character actor.

He wasn’t an actor who came to mind and was called out right away.

But he was an actor who was loved by the public a lot.

And the third is Grady, an actor who receives good reviews from directors and critics.

He wasn’t the main character in a movie that was loved by many audiences.

But he consistently appeared in good works with good acting skills, and he was always an actor who was loved by people in the industry rather than the public.

So, people had no choice but to admit that Grady was nominated for this award.

And finally, the fourth nominee, me, Jin Heesung.

The only Asian among them, and the one who started to make a name for himself in Hollywood this year.

Of course, this year’s popularity was enough.

I confidently made a name for myself in Hollywood with my performance in ‘September 11th.’

And ‘The Villain,’ which ended recently, topped the North American box office for a long time.

And it took the top spot not only in the United States, but also in several countries such as Korea and Japan.

That’s why I was able to be nominated for this award.

Finally, the last order came.

People began to cheer for the nominees for this year’s Best Actor, who were about to be announced.

“Wow!”

“Kyaa…!”

At the cheers of the people, my heart started beating faster.

The actor who won the Best Actor award last year was smiling and stalling the announcement.

“Hurry up!”

The actors, including the audience, sent playful jeers.

He looked at me and the other nominees one by one and tightened the awards ceremony with his composure.

“Okay, then I’ll announce it now.”

Thump, thump-.

A grand BGM [background music] echoed on the stage.

Numerous people here focused on the mouth of the actor holding the microphone on the stage.

“The actor who will win this year’s Academy Oscar for Best Actor is….”

He raised the corners of his lips.

Soon, he looked at another actor, not me, and shouted.

“Congratulations, actor Dominic!”

When actor Dominic was called, he was moved and teared up.

“Oh my god….”

He covered his mouth and headed to the stage.

I clapped my hands for him.

Of course, I was disappointed that I didn’t win the award.

It would be a lie if I said I wasn’t disappointed that I was nominated but someone else won the award right in front of my eyes.

But I definitely had no regrets.

I did my best in acting.

The words, expressions, and eyes that I showed.

All of that acting was the best I could do.

I smiled and nodded, looking at Dominic, who had become the main character on the stage.