An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 289

289. #52 – When True Worth is Displayed (2)

“Everyone worked hard at today’s script reading.”

Director Park rose from his seat and clapped his hands.

Everyone in the room cheered as if with one voice.

“Thank you for your hard work!”

Clap clap-

Applause erupted, celebrating the dedication to the work and the successful script reading.

Soon, the actors began to rise from their seats one by one, exchanging greetings.

Junior actors approached me.

“Senior, you worked so hard today.”

“I learned so much from watching your acting directly. I look forward to working with you.”

They bowed their heads, complimenting my performance.

“No, let’s work well together in the future. Everyone worked hard.”

“Yes, please get home safely.”

“Okay. See you at the next shoot.”

They bowed to me and moved to greet Director Park.

At that moment.

“Um… Hee-sung.”

The person who came to me and called my name.

It wasn’t another actor, but Jang Han-min from the investment company.

I was taken aback by the unexpected call, but I still rose from my seat to greet him.

“Yes.”

And the words that came from his mouth made me even more bewildered.

“You worked really hard today. I enjoyed your acting very much.”

“Ah….”

I couldn’t immediately smile or express my gratitude at Jang Han-min’s words.

My negative impression of him lingered, so it wasn’t that I felt pleased.

It’s just that I knew he was the one who had expressed disbelief in my acting and opposed my taking on the lead role.

I was simply bewildered by his suddenly changed attitude.

As if sensing my feelings, Jang Han-min immediately reached out his hand and said to me.

“I think I spoke rashly earlier because I didn’t recognize Hee-sung’s true worth. I’m sorry if you felt bad—no, you must have felt bad.”

He must have been quite surprised by my acting.

There was no way I would refuse his apology in this situation.

I had no intention of starting off on an antagonistic footing with him from the beginning.

I immediately shook his hand and smiled.

“Thank you for saying that.”

“Your acting… was really good. I didn’t know you were such a good actor….”

I tried to handle the situation with a bit of wit.

“You’ll see more of my true worth in the future. I couldn’t unleash my full potential because I was restricted by the location. Haha.”

At my words, Jang Han-min’s lips quirked up in a satisfied smile as he looked at me.

“Please take good care of this movie. Our lead actor.”

“Yes, I will work hard.”

The unpleasant actions Jang Han-min had shown me.

I put on my best performance to eliminate the cause of those actions.

In the end, the relationship between him and me began to be rewritten.

“Oh, but can I ask you just one thing?”

Jang Han-min grabbed my hand as I was about to let go.

“Yes, of course.”

“I heard you don’t have an agency right now….”

I nodded at his question.

“To be precise, there is a management company. But it’s not officially operating yet….”

“Ah, what do you mean by official operation?”

He seemed interested in my agency and continued to ask questions. I gave him an answer.

“I left the company with the manager I’ve been working with for a long time, so I’m going to work with him instead of joining another agency.”

“So, Hee-sung, are you starting a one-person agency?”

“No. I’m just a starting member, and we plan to develop it into an official agency.”

He nodded, pursing his lips at my words.

“Hmm… I see.”

“Yes, we have to work hard and gradually build it up.”

He smiled and reached out his hand again.

“You’re amazing. Anyway, your acting was excellent today. I look forward to your work.”

“Yes, I look forward to working with you too.”

* * *

After the script reading, I started exercising every day without fail.

The role I played in this work was a police officer.

In other words, there were a tremendous number of action scenes.

I was constantly attending action school to practice the action scenes.

I was also dedicating as much time to the gym as I spent at home to portray a nimble police officer.

“Hee-sung, is lunch also chicken breast today?”

Kim asked, looking at my lunch box.

I nodded, chewing a mouthful of dry chicken breast.

“Yeah, I still have a little more to go to reach my target weight.”

“But you already look like you’re all muscle. Are you trying to lose more weight?”

“To look similar to my stunt double, I think it would be good to lose about 2 more kilos [approximately 4.4 pounds]. Besides, that weight looks more nimble and better.”

He nodded at my words and looked at the chicken breast.

“There’s no way it won’t work out if you do this much.”

“After I eat, I’m going to action school today.”

“You went yesterday, so isn’t today a day to rest?”

“That’s true, but I contacted the coach. I said I’m going today too. It’s best to do as much as possible without a stunt double.”

As there were many action scenes, there were light action scenes and intense action scenes where I had to throw my body.

Usually, actors can handle some of them by coordinating with their co-stars.

But for intense action, they use a stunt double who has a similar body to mine.

If a stuntman appears.

The action may look good, but there are also clear disadvantages.

No matter how similar the physique is, the face is different, so if a stunt double appears, the camera has to capture it from a distance.

That means you can’t show acting and action at the same time.

If that happens, you can enjoy the action, but the audience will inevitably lose immersion.

I wanted to prevent that loss of immersion.

I tried to do it myself without using a stunt double as much as possible.

That way, I could double the immersion for the viewers.

“Okay. So, after eating, you’re going to action school and then going straight to the gym?”

“Yeah, it’s okay if I go to action school and then do the rest of the schedule alone.”

“No. I’ll go with you to check too….”

I waved my hand at Kim’s words and replied.

“You’re busy preparing the office right now. It’s okay if I do it alone. You go and take care of work.”

“Then I’m grateful.”

Along with my filming preparations, Kim was busy creating a management company.

Apart from the paperwork, funds were also needed to grow the company, and to do that, investments had to be made.

It seemed like he was contacting several companies.

Kim didn’t bother to reveal his shortcomings to me when it came to money.

It seemed like he thought it was his job now, even though I had invested.

And I knew that feeling, so I didn’t bother asking Kim about it.

“Yeah, tell me anytime if you need anything.”

“I will.”

At that moment.

Beep beep-

[Sender: Senior Choi Seo-bin]

It was Choi Seo-bin’s call after a long time.

I checked the caller ID and immediately clicked the receive button.

“Senior!”

-Oh, Hee-sung. Can you talk?

“Yes, of course.”

-What are you doing?

“I’m about to go to action school. What about you, Senior?”

-I’m at home. I heard you’re going into a production this time?

“Yes, your news travels fast as always. Haha.”

-Of course. So, how was the script reading?

“Yes, it went well, and I’m preparing for the production now. What have you been up to these days, Senior?”

At my question, Choi Seo-bin opened his mouth as if he had been waiting for the question.

-I’m making my Hollywood debut this time, so I’m also preparing for a production.

“Really? Wow, congratulations, Senior.”

-What congratulations. Haha.

“Of course, it’s something to celebrate. Please make time sometime. We should have a celebratory drink, Senior.”

-Sounds good.

“You won’t be able to see you for a while when you go to Hollywood. When are you available?”

-Then shall we meet tomorrow? Are you available?

“Yes, I’m available. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

* * *

The next day, I visited Choi Seo-bin’s house.

The place where we gathered to congratulate Choi Seo-bin, who was about to make his Hollywood debut, was not a bar or a party venue, but his house.

Since it was my first time being invited to Choi Seo-bin’s house, I rang the doorbell with both hands full of gifts.

Ding-dong-

The door opened as soon as the doorbell rang.

When the door opened and I stepped inside, Choi Seo-bin welcomed me with open arms.

“Hee-sung, you’re here?”

“Yes, Senior. How have you been?”

“Of course, come on in.”

I was ushered into the hallway by his hand.

I quickly looked around, my mouth wide open from the entrance of the house.

The hallway was so wide that I had to walk several steps even after taking off my shoes to enter the house.

And the long, stretched-out house, the hallway.

“Wow….”

I couldn’t help but exclaim.

I can’t say it’s the ‘most’ among the houses I’ve ever been in.

At least, it was by far the most amazing house I had ever seen in Jin Hee-sung’s body.

I exclaimed even after seeing Song Yu-na’s house, but this house made me realize Choi Seo-bin’s class again.

When I exclaimed with my mouth open, Choi Seo-bin waved his hand as if he was used to such reactions from guests and called me.

“Don’t just stand there, come in quickly. I’ll give you a tour of the house.”

“Ah, yes!”

A long hallway leading to the living room.

At the end of it, I saw a ceiling that made me tilt my head back.

A high ceiling that couldn’t come out of an apartment.

The top floor of the apartment, consisting of a duplex.

In other words, a penthouse.

It was a house I had only seen in dramas or movies.

A huge and sparkling chandelier was lighting up the living room.

Choi Seo-bin smiled and introduced the house.

“This is the living room. Well… I’ll show you the house one by one while you’re here.”

“Yes? Ah… I understand.”

I stuck out my tongue at the words that he would show me one by one.

How big is the house, and how many rooms are there that he’s going to show me in order?

“Ah, Senior. Here’s a gift.”

I handed him the gift I had prepared in advance.

Choi Seo-bin frowned and replied to me.

“I told you to come empty-handed, why did you bring so much?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. But I couldn’t come empty-handed. Haha.”

“Thank you. Let’s go to that room first. I’ve set it up.”

“Yes.”

The place I followed him to.

I thought it would be the kitchen, but it was a lavishly decorated room like Choi Seo-bin’s own bar.

“Wow….”

A large room with ‘Seo-bin bar’ written on it.

There were liquors, champagnes, wines, etc., set up all over the wall.

“This is a room I set up because I sometimes want to invite acquaintances and play like a bar. You know. We can’t go to a bar and drink comfortably.”

“That’s right. But I don’t think you can go to a bar, Senior. This place is so good, there’s no need to go to a bar, right?”

At my words, he smiled and handed me a drink.

“Is that so? But I don’t invite many actors or acquaintances to my house, so you’re the third actor to drink with me here.”

“It’s an honor, Senior.”

“What honor. Haha.”

Clink-

We clinked glasses.

I smiled and drank in an atmosphere that I couldn’t usually create at home.

“Senior, I sincerely congratulate you on going to Hollywood this time.”

“Thank you. But why am I following you in America?”

At his words, I smiled and playfully opened my mouth.

“Senior, I’ve paved the way well. Just follow me. Haha.”

“Okay, you rascal.”

Choi Seo-bin burst into laughter and poured me a drink.

“So, are you doing well?”

“Yes, the actors appearing in this work are good, and the content of the work is also good.”

“That’s a relief. I’ll sweep America, so you do a good job acting in Korea.”

“Yes, just leave Korea to me.”

We talked for several hours, clinking glasses.

Choi Seo-bin said to me with his cheeks flushed.

“Shall we sing a song?”

At his words, my eyes widened, and I asked him.

“Where?”

“Come this way.”

Choi Seo-bin raised the corners of his mouth and pulled me.

Passing through the hallway and heading to the end room, a soundproofed room appeared.

“There’s a karaoke machine and everything here.”

“Wow… Senior’s house is not a house, but heaven, isn’t it?”

“Of course, I made it all by working hard.”

“But, is it okay to sing at this time? It’s still an apartment….”

“I paid quite a bit of money to install soundproof walls here. It’s okay to sing even at dawn.”

Choi Seo-bin boasted about the room and turned on the karaoke machine.

“And right next to the room, I installed a screen and speakers to monitor. Watch it with full sound there too. I installed a soundproof booth together.”

“Wow, Senior’s scale is real….”

When I gave him a thumbs up, Choi Seo-bin smirked and handed me the microphone.

“Okay, feel free to sing. The soundproofing is perfect.”

At his words, I nodded and immediately started singing.

“Then, I’ll sing a song.”

As soon as the song ended, Choi Seo-bin tilted his head and looked at me.

“Hee-sung.”

“Yes, Senior.”

“You… can sing a little?”

“Haha, really?”

When I looked at him and answered with a smile, Choi Seo-bin said to me with a serious face without a smile.

“Yeah, really. Actually, I don’t have a talent for singing, so I just use it to relieve stress at home. But if you’re at your level, you could do musicals?”

“Musicals?”

Choi Seo-bin nodded more seriously than ever.

Musical….

I scratched my head, considering an area I had never thought of.

“No. I’m having enough fun and enjoying just acting right now.”

“No, musicals are really fun. I gave up because of singing.”

“But isn’t it hard because you have to repeat the same performance every day in a musical?”

At my question, he shook his head with a serious face.

“Not at all. Every performance is new. I haven’t done musicals, but I’ve done plays because of singing. The audience changes every time.”

“That’s right.”

“So, the reactions are different every time, and the thrill is… indescribable. But when I look at the actors who do musicals around me, they say that thrill is several times greater.”

At his words, the smile on my face was turning into curiosity.

Choi Seo-bin, seeing my expression, frowned and advised me.

“Think about it while looking around at musicals when you have time later.”

“Yes, it’s a field I’ve never thought about… I want to go see one next time.”