An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 249

249. #45 – A 10,000-Year Life (4)

After the awards ceremony.

Many people, including actor Dominic, headed to the after-party.

It was a party that actors, staff, directors, and many filmmakers who attended the Academy Awards could attend.

Liam approached me and held out his hand.

“Hee-sung, you worked hard today.”

At his words, I smiled and nodded.

“You too, Liam.”

“Well, as far as I’m concerned, the Best Actor award is yours. Many people cried and laughed while watching your performance, Hee-sung.”

I just smiled at Liam’s comforting words.

“Thank you. But Dominic receiving it is also understandable.”

“Still…”

He continued to comfort me, but I just patted him on the shoulder and shook my head.

Liam took my hand and changed the subject.

“Charles and I are going to the party together. Are you leaving right away too, Hee-sung?”

I immediately responded, “No, I don’t think I’ll be able to attend the party.”

“Why? Let’s go together!”

At that moment, Charles approached and held out his hand to me.

“Let’s go to the party together and catch up. It’s been a long time. I heard the Academy Awards party is amazing. Of course, it’s my first time too. Haha.”

Charles joked and tugged at my arm.

Even so, I held out both hands and politely declined the offer.

“Thanks for the thought, but I have somewhere to be. Go and have fun for my share.”

Charles and Liam repeatedly urged me, but I shook my head and left.

The reason I didn’t attend the party was because I had no intention of going in the first place.

It’s been a long time since I genuinely smiled.

I didn’t want to attend the party, force myself to smile, deal with people, and waste time.

I wanted to leave as soon as the awards ceremony ended, but I hesitated because of the conversation with Liam and Charles.

I wasted a little time explaining why I wasn’t attending.

I didn’t want them to think I wasn’t going because I didn’t win the Best Actor award.

I made an excuse that I had a prior engagement and left the awards ceremony.

When I came out, my local manager was waiting for me.

“Hee-sung, over here!”

I hurriedly got into the waiting car.

He also spoke as if to comfort me.

“It’s a shame. You should have received the Best Actor award…”

I shook my head.

“I’m not disappointed. It was good enough to be nominated. I was able to participate in a place like this for the last time…”

The local manager tilted his head and asked, “Last time? You’ll be nominated again next year, right?”

He looked at me through the rearview mirror and continued, “You’ll definitely receive it next year. I’ll be cheering for you.”

“Ah… thank you.”

I unknowingly blurted out ‘last time.’

I just smiled at the manager’s optimistic answer, who had no idea that this was the last awards ceremony of my life.

Several tens of minutes later, I arrived at the hotel.

“Thank you for today.”

“You’re welcome. See you next time.”

“Yes.”

After parting with the local manager, I trudged into the hotel room.

After the awards ceremony and greeting several actors, it had already been several hours, including the drive to the hotel.

After handling a schedule for the first time in a while and meeting so many people, I quickly became exhausted.

“Haa… today was really tough.”

I leaned back on the sofa and opened my cell phone.

As soon as I went online, articles about the Academy Awards popped up.

It’s the world’s largest acting awards ceremony, held only once a year.

Many countries and people were paying attention.

And without a doubt, the biggest issue was the Best Actor award.

The internet was filled with stories about Dominic.

[‘Dominic’ wins Best Actor at the US Academy Awards, beating ‘Jin Hee-sung’… Who is he?]

[The reason why ‘Jin Hee-sung’ of ‘The Villain’ didn’t win… Discrimination against Asians?]

[Has the authority of the ‘Oscars’ declined? Is it okay to continue like this….]

[Still happening Asian discrimination… Critics on ‘Dominic’s’ work….]

Articles expressed anger at Dominic winning the award, questioning whether he deserved it.

There were articles full of conviction that the reason I didn’t receive the award was ‘racial discrimination.’

However, as it is an awards ceremony with a long tradition, it was unlikely there would be any reversal, and I was at the center of the controversy.

I started to feel sorry that the criticism seemed to be unfairly targeting Dominic.

Even if articles were published in Korea, it was unlikely to affect the US Academy Awards.

It just felt like they were expressing anger in an inappropriate way about a Korean actor not winning an award.

I bit my lip and sighed.

I hurriedly went to American news sites and checked the articles.

It was understandable that people in Korea would be upset, feeling sorry that I didn’t receive the award and wanting to support me.

But I wanted to see what kind of stories were circulating in the United States.

[The protagonist of this year’s Oscar for Best Actor is ‘Dominic.’]

[‘Dominic’ decorated the finale of the Academy Awards…!]

[Academy – Best Actor ‘Dominic’… Was it an appropriate award?]

[Korean actor ‘Jin Hee-sung’ who was passed over for the Academy, his acting skills are said to be the best by critics….]

[Korean actor ‘Jin Hee-sung’ a strong candidate for Best Actor… But the reason he didn’t win was ‘localism’… ?]

American articles were celebrating Dominic.

And the opinion that the reason I, a strong candidate, didn’t win was ‘localism’ and ‘Asian bias’ was slowly emerging.

A sigh escaped me as I read those articles.

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

But the only feeling I had was ‘disappointment.’

I didn’t feel upset or angry at all.

But I felt a pang in my heart at the thought of the unfair criticism aimed at Dominic.

It’s not Dominic’s fault that I didn’t receive it.

Furthermore, he has already won the award, and I started to worry that my name might be associated with that precious award in a negative way and hurt him.

I paused for a moment, stroked my chin, and fell into thought.

Soon, I picked up my cell phone and clicked on SNS [Social Networking Service].

It was an SNS that I hadn’t been active on since long before I came to the United States, but I wanted to share my thoughts about the award, so I finally accessed it again.

Then I started writing my opinion.

-Hello, this is actor Jin Hee-sung.

The reason I am posting after a long time is because of the Academy Awards that took place today.

I was nominated for Best Actor today….

…

It was a very overwhelming and touching thing for me just to be nominated.

I have no regrets or sadness about not winning.

However, I am writing this because I was worried that it might cause unexpected harm to the actor who has already won the award.

I know too well how precious and important the ‘Best Actor Award’ is to an actor.

That precious award that an actor dreams of.

I hope you will prevent the authority of that award from being diminished.

Thank you.

I posted the message quickly.

I wanted to convey my thoughts before more negative stories about Dominic came out.

As soon as my post was uploaded, comments started to appear quickly.

Articles were also being published about my post.

[‘Jin Hee-sung’ who attended the Academy Awards, accepts the result. Please don’t let the award’s prestige be tarnished….]

[‘Jin Hee-sung’ supports the award of US actor ‘Dominic.’ Showing his broad generosity….]

-Wow… Hee-sung oppa [term of endearment for an older brother or male friend], why are you posting after so long!

-Hee-sung oppa, are you doing well?

-It was nice to see your face after a long time, even at the awards ceremony, haha.

-Wow, not just because he’s Korean, but Jin Hee-sung is really cool.

-Is he worried about Dominic? He’s so generous.

-Honestly, Jin Hee-sung’s acting is several times better than Dominic’s….

-Dominic hyung [term of endearment for an older brother or male friend] must have felt guilty after receiving the award, haha.

Comments and articles were being uploaded quickly.

Negative reviews towards Dominic were gradually fading away.

I nodded as I read the articles and comments one by one.

“Even if I didn’t get the award… well, it’s over now…. There’s nothing to regret.”

***

As soon as I opened my eyes in the morning, I looked at the ceiling and sighed.

“Now there are really only two days left.”

Two days before the end of my 10,000-year-long life.

I was still suffering from painful dreams, and now I couldn’t even get angry or cry.

Because in just two days, this hellish nightmare will end.

The long, painful punishment will also end.

And even though there are only two days left, I finally decided not to return to Korea.

I wanted to see the faces of everyone around me and say my last goodbyes, but I didn’t have the confidence to do that with a smile.

Because I couldn’t explain my situation to them.

I didn’t have the courage to just smile and talk as usual, or to look at each other and eat.

“But I want to hear my parents’ voices one last time…”

I swallowed a sigh at the thought of my parents and picked up my cell phone to call them.

As if they had been waiting, my parents answered immediately.

I heard my mother’s bright voice.

-Son!

At the sound of my mother calling me so brightly, I was instantly choked up.

“Mom…”

-Oh my, we were just talking about wanting to hear our son’s voice. How did you know and call?

“Really?”

-Yes, are you eating well and doing well?

“Of course. Are mom and dad healthy?”

-We’re always doing well. I’m worried that our son might be sick in a foreign country.

I bit my lip at my parents’ words, who are always worried about me first.

I didn’t want to cry.

I didn’t want my parents to hear me sobbing.

“I’m eating well, sleeping well, and working hard, so don’t worry. Mom and dad, make sure to get your health checkups and live happily, buying what you want instead of just saving money.”

-Haha, now that our son is doing well, he says all those things. Your dad and I are happy just hearing your words.

“Don’t just say it, really do it and live like that.”

-Okay. Let’s always live happily together, our son.”

The words ‘Let’s live happily,’ which I would have taken lightly usually, pricked my heart today.

“Yes, then I have work to do, so I’ll hang up now.”

-Okay, if you’re busy, go ahead and do your work.

“Okay.”

I barely ended the call, holding back the tears that were about to burst out.

I wanted to call my precious people and hear their voices at least.

In the end, I made my first and last call to my parents.

And after that, I didn’t call anyone.

As I was letting time pass, waiting for the end, beep beep.

A call came from Manager Kim.

I didn’t answer, but he kept calling.

“What, did something happen?”

I finally answered the phone, which had been ringing five times.

“Hello?”

-Hee-sung!

“Yeah?”

-Why aren’t you answering the phone?

“Ah… I was busy. Why?”

-Hey… your lawyer….

“Yeah?”

-I checked and contacted you through your lawyer. A will, what is this all about?

I was momentarily speechless.

How did Manager Kim find out?

When I didn’t answer, he said again, as if shouting, “You… are you thinking about something weird?”

I hurriedly made excuses, “Oh, no. It’s just that you never know what might happen, and life is unpredictable, so I just wrote it down.”

-Still, why a will all of a sudden….

“It’s nothing. I was watching a movie and I thought I should write one too. I didn’t write it with any particular meaning.”

I smiled as I answered.

Manager Kim took a long breath of relief and said, “Haa… I was really worried. You mean nothing’s wrong?”

“Of course. Hyung [term of endearment for an older brother or male friend], really….”

-Okay. I called you urgently because of that.

“I was about to take a shower, let’s talk again later.”

-Okay, I’ll contact you again, Hee-sung.”

I vaguely made excuses and hung up.

After checking the disconnected call, I turned off my cell phone completely.