An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 268

268. #49 – Miscasting (1)

“Director Cheon?”

As soon as Executive Director Choi saw Director Cheon entering his office, he stood up from his seat to greet him.

“Ah, yes. Hello.”

“Yes, nice to meet you. I’m Choi Joong-hyun, Executive Director.”

Executive Director Choi took out a business card from his desk and handed it to him.

Director Cheon accepted his business card.

“Thank you for coming all this way. Please, have a seat.”

“…Yes.”

The meeting between the two had been arranged by Executive Director Choi’s call.

The location was WG Entertainment’s executive office, not a cafe or bar.

Although the company didn’t have a separate executive office, Executive Director Choi had asked CEO Park for a private room to handle his work.

It was a small space, but Executive Director Choi always held meetings there.

Director Cheon sat down and quickly scanned the executive office.

Seeing this, Executive Director Choi began to speak.

“Can I get you something to drink? Coffee or green tea…”

“Ah, it’s okay.”

Director Cheon refused with a wave of his hand.

Nevertheless, Executive Director Choi smiled kindly and got up from his seat.

“No, you’ve come all this way; the least I can do is get you something to drink. I’ll take care of it. Haha.”

Executive Director Choi left the office, placing a stack of documents on the table.

As soon as he left the executive office, Director Cheon became interested in the documents.

The reason he was called must be in those documents, he thought.

Director Cheon turned his head and glanced at the tightly closed door of the executive office.

He reached out towards the stack of documents.

“…No, I’ll find out soon enough anyway.”

He withdrew his hand and closed his eyes tightly.

Perhaps Director Cheon had anticipated the purpose for which Executive Director Choi had called him.

Appearance fee.

The company must have called him to say what the actor who would appear couldn’t bring himself to say.

Because he thought there were no sensitive issues other than ‘money’.

“Haa….”

Director Cheon kept sighing.

He hadn’t expected to face the problem of having to readjust the appearance fee with Jin Hee-sung already confirmed as the lead actor in his project.

Moreover, if the appearance fee was not increased, there was no other way for him.

He couldn’t raise the investment amount enormously now.

He couldn’t drastically cut the appearance fees of other actors and give them all to Jin Hee-sung.

He couldn’t give up on Jin Hee-sung either.

Director Cheon sighed repeatedly, his eyes tired.

At that moment.

“Oh my, I’ve kept you waiting.”

Executive Director Choi came in with coffee in both hands.

At the sight of him, Director Cheon forced a smile and shook his head.

“No, not at all.”

Two cups of coffee were placed in front of him.

“I’ll enjoy it, Executive Director.”

“Yes, be careful, it’s hot.”

Director Cheon nodded and took a sip of coffee.

A moment later.

Executive Director Choi began to speak.

“The reason I asked to meet you today is because of our actor who is appearing in this work.”

At his words, Director Cheon immediately put down the coffee he was drinking.

He bit his lip and answered carefully.

“I thought the agreement about Jin Hee-sung appearing… was all settled at the meeting.”

At his words, Executive Director Choi nodded with a smile.

“Of course. The agreement about appearing in the work is all finished with the director.”

“Then what’s the matter….”

Director Cheon licked his lips, which felt dry.

Executive Director Choi raised his eyebrows and said to him slyly.

“Ah, isn’t there a part that the actor is reluctant to tell the director directly? You understand?”

At his question, which felt like what was coming had arrived, Director Cheon bit his lip and nodded.

“…Yes, I guess there are things that actors have a hard time saying directly.”

“Yes, that’s why I said let’s meet separately today. Why does an actor have a company? It’s there to say these difficult and hard things for them, isn’t it?”

Executive Director Choi smiled leisurely and raised his eyebrows.

Before they knew it, an invisible power dynamic had been established between them.

There was a moment of silence between the two.

Director Cheon made a ‘ssseup’ sound and broke the silence.

“But as you know, Executive Director, the production cost of black comedy is not enough. So, there is a limit to the production cost, so Jin Hee-sung’s appearance fee is….”

Before his words were finished, Executive Director Choi waved his hand, his mouth open.

“Oh my, of course. I understand enough. Instead….”

“Instead… what kind of….”

Executive Director Choi took a sip of coffee, looking at Director Cheon, who seemed nervous.

He then raised the corners of his mouth and revealed the main point.

“There are still many vacant roles in that work, right?”

* * *

“I’m home!”

As soon as she entered the house, Park Soon-hee threw her bag on the bed and tied her hair up high.

“Soon-hee, have you eaten?”

At her mother’s question from outside the door, she opened the door slightly and shouted.

“Yeah, I ate with my friends. Mom, I’m going to do something now!”

“Oh my, you little thing. You mean don’t come into my room?”

At her mother’s nagging, she smiled shyly and acted cute.

“You know me well. Mom, I love you.”

“Okay. Go do your work quickly.”

“Yes, Mother!”

Only then did Park Soon-hee close the door tightly and take a seat in front of her laptop.

“I’ve been too busy lately to do any activities. Our Hee-sung *oppa* [term of endearment for an older brother or male celebrity] must be waiting.”

She hurriedly connected to the internet and searched for Jin Hee-sung.

Searching for Jin Hee-sung is one of Park Soon-hee’s daily routines.

In fact, she searches for Jin Hee-sung on the internet dozens of times a day.

Of course, Jin Hee-sung also had such a schedule [referring to his busy schedule and public attention].

New articles about Jin Hee-sung poured out every day.

Park Soon-hee quickly skipped the articles she had already seen.

[Song Yu-na’s SNS is pink… What about her lover Jin Hee-sung’s SNS?]

“Our *oppa* doesn’t show off his love on SNS.”

She quickly skipped the articles related to love with a sulky expression.

“Is there any new news?”

Park Soon-hee kept pressing the refresh button in the news window.

Then, the screen changed and a new article came up.

[The center of attention ‘Jin Hee-sung’ His next work ‘Turntable’.]

[‘Jin Hee-sung’ After renewing his contract with WG Entertainment, his next work ‘Turntable’ is confirmed….]

[Jin Hee-sung, what is ‘Turntable’ that he chose as his Korean comeback work….]

[Jin Hee-sung, confirmed to appear in the movie ‘Turntable’. Will his trend continue this year….]

Articles about Jin Hee-sung’s next work were quickly uploaded.

Park Soon-hee’s eyes widened as she checked the articles.

-Actor Jin Hee-sung has confirmed his appearance in the movie ‘Turntable’.

The movie ‘Turntable’ is directed by Director Cheon Ji-ho….

As it has been confirmed that Jin Hee-sung will play the lead role in the black comedy genre ‘Turntable’, the film industry is paying attention.

Park Soon-hee stopped her gaze at one place while reading the article.

“What, black comedy?”

It was a genre that made even her, a fan of Jin Hee-sung, hesitate.

“If it’s black comedy… isn’t it a difficult work to be successful?”

She made a ‘ssseup’ sound and tilted her head.

But Park Soon-hee’s hands did not hesitate for a moment and were in the process of capturing the article and moving it to the fan cafe [fan community website].

“He became famous in Korea and worked hard to establish himself in Hollywood. Why is he suddenly doing black comedy as his comeback work?”

She muttered as if she didn’t understand Jin Hee-sung.

Nevertheless, she looked at Jin Hee-sung’s photo and nodded.

“There must be a reason why *oppa* decided that, right?”

Park Soon-hee swallowed her uneasy feelings and started writing a post on the fan cafe.

“Hee-sung *oppa*, is he now choosing artistry over box office success…. I feel like *oppa* has become unfamiliar.”

Tap tap-

The room was filled with only the sound of her typing.

Soon after posting, comments were quickly posted.

The comments on the fan cafe were no different from her reaction.

-헐 [Korean slang for ‘OMG’], Black comedy?

-Oppa, why are you suddenly filming a black comedyㅠㅠ [crying emoticons]

-I like black comedy! Is our *oppa* finally going to bring this genre to the surface with a bang?

-*Oppa*… from Song Yu-na to movies. Why are you suddenly like thisㅠㅠ

-Turntable? Good title?

-Isn’t Song Yu-na coming out there too? lol [laughing out loud]

-Song Yu-na ruined our *oppa*….

-*Oppa*, are we finally seeing you on the screen!

-Ah… after dating Song Yu-na, what’s your taste in choosing worksㅡㅡ [disappointed emoticon].

-I hate Song Yu-na. When are you breaking up, *oppa*? I really hate Song Yu-naㅡㅡ.

Park Soon-hee looked at each of the comments that kept coming up.

She sighed as she looked at the comments that had nothing to do with the post.

“Haa… Song Yu-na’s curse keeps coming up in any article.”

Jin Hee-sung, who seemed to have drifted away from her at some point.

She thought she knew Jin Hee-sung well.

From the sudden dating rumors to the unexpected genre of the next work.

Park Soon-hee felt strange as she watched the events that had recently happened to Jin Hee-sung.

“Okay. It’s not like I liked him because I wanted to date him anyway. I’m not going to quit because he’s dating.”

She bit her lip and tried to ignore Song Yu-na.

“Well… I’ll wish you well in your relationship. It’s good to see *oppa* happy…. But still, I feel a little bit like that.”

Park Soon-hee suppressed the emotions that were rising without her knowing.

Then, she looked at other posts on the fan cafe and her eyes widened.

Posts full of Song Yu-na’s curse.

These were articles that were often seen in Jin Hee-sung’s fan cafe after the news of their relationship.

She deleted those articles every day and made a promise.

“Please… let’s not do this. We have to support him as fans. What is this…!”

Park Soon-hee clicked on the post creation and started leaving a long notice.

Because she had the same feelings as them as soon as the dating rumors broke out.

But she was already realizing that such feelings were eating away at her favorite celebrity.

And she was realizing that it was eating away at herself.

* * *

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a script reading. Isn’t that right, Hee-sung?”

Manager Kim made eye contact with me, who was sitting in the back seat, through the rearview mirror.

At his question, which seemed a little excited, I closed the script I was looking at.

“I know. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a script reading with you, *hyung* [term of endearment for an older brother or close male friend].”

“That’s right. Especially in Korea, I’ve already forgotten when I went? Haha.”

He looked at the script I put on my lap and raised his eyebrows.

“Did you practice a little?”

At Manager Kim’s question, I shook the script and smiled.

“Yeah, I practiced a lot.”

“Oh, our Hee-sung is a practice bug?”

“Of course. Besides, this work feels especially good.”

At my words, he exclaimed in unison.

“Wow, if it’s especially good, how much are you going to be successful?”

While Manager Kim and I were expressing our expectations for this work.

Beep beep.

The phone I put next to me vibrated.

[Sender: Choi Seo-bin Senior]

I picked up my phone, showed it to Manager Kim, and said.

“*Hyung*, I’ll take a call for a second.”

“Yeah, take it.”

He turned down the music that was playing at my words.

“Yes, Senior!”

-Oh, Hee-sung. Can you talk?

“Of course.”

-What are you doing?

“I’m going to the script reading now.”

-Turntable?

“Yes, did you know and call me?”

-Of course. I knew your script reading date and called you, you idiot.

“Haha, you know everything about me.”

-Of course. How’s your condition?

“Well… it’s always the same. Where are you, Senior?”

-I’m also on schedule. I called you during a break.

Choi Seo-bin seemed to have called me to cheer me on.

I was about to express my gratitude to him.

-Hee-sung.

“Yes, Senior.”

-It must have been a difficult decision, but you’re still great.

“Ah… no.”

-It’s hard to choose your next work at the moment when all the attention is focused on you after returning from Hollywood. Everyone has a lot to say about this and that.”

“That’s right.”

-If you’re in that top position, you have a huge fee and a guaranteed box office success for any drama or movie. You rejected all those temptations and chose a low-budget black comedy? You’re really great.”

At his words, I smiled faintly.

“It’s all thanks to you, Senior.”

-Thanks to me?

“Yes, thanks to you, I have the courage to do it myself. The courage to do what I want….”

-Why is that thanks to me? You’re the one who had great courage. I really respect you.

“Thank you, Senior.”

-Let’s have a drink before filming starts.

“Okay. I’ll contact you.”

-Okay, do well today and come back. Let’s talk again.