An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 300

“Great job, everyone!”

After the filming ended.

I hurriedly got into the car.

“Hee-sung, you worked hard.”

Kim, my manager, was waiting for me inside the car.

“Yeah, you too, hyung [older brother or close male friend].”

“That’s my job. Let’s hurry home.”

The car quickly drove away from the set.

“We only have two days off before the location shoot, right?”

At my question, Kim, my manager, nodded.

“Yeah, once we go to the location, we’ll be filming there the whole time.”

“I need to go home and pack.”

He glanced at me through the rearview mirror and said.

“We’ll occasionally come back to Seoul when we have breaks during the location shoot, but it doesn’t look like there will be many opportunities this time. Pack well.”

“Okay.”

“Let’s also stop by the hospital before going to the location.”

Kim, my manager, began to list the things I needed to do in Seoul during the short two days.

“And during the last shoot, you almost got hurt while using the wire. Let’s get the part where the wire grazed you checked again at the hospital….”

He constantly poured out things about me.

I focused on Kim, my manager’s words, and kept them in mind.

As soon as he finished speaking, I smiled and shook my head.

“Okay. I’ll do everything you say. Haha.”

When I showed a smile, he raised his eyebrows and asked.

“Why are you laughing?”

“You’re like my parents, not my manager.”

At my joke, he burst into laughter.

Soon, he snapped his fingers and opened his mouth.

“That’s right. And we need to choose accommodation for this location shoot.”

“I get to choose the accommodation?”

The accommodation was always decided.

And I, as the lead actor, would always get the best room.

“Yeah, this time you can choose between a hotel and a pension [Korean-style lodging], whichever is more comfortable.”

“Is everyone choosing?”

“No, everyone else will be staying at the pension. They’re renting the entire pension and dividing it by room.”

At his words, I tilted my head and asked.

“But what about the hotel?”

“It seems like they’ll book a hotel if the director or a few others want to stay there. You can choose whichever you’re comfortable with, Hee-sung.”

At Kim, my manager’s words, I hesitated for a moment.

Normally, I would have chosen the pension without asking.

It wasn’t because the pension was more comfortable than the hotel, or because the hotel wasn’t good.

The pension where all the actors would be staying.

I chose it because I liked hanging out with them there.

But this time, I couldn’t easily say pension.

I had been suffering from headaches lately.

And it was obvious that it would be more uncomfortable if there were many people around.

And soon, I opened my mouth towards Kim, my manager.

“Hyung, please book me a hotel.”

“I will. How’s the atmosphere on set these days?”

At Kim, my manager’s question, I shrugged my shoulders.

“It’s good. The staff and actors are all great.”

“That’s a relief. I felt bad that I couldn’t stick around when you were acting this time.”

At his words, I immediately shook my head.

Kim, my manager, was playing the role of both manager and CEO of the agency.

He couldn’t focus all his attention on me while doing everything alone.

Seeing him feel sorry for me even while doing all those things, I said with sincerity.

“Hyung, I know you’re busy with CEO duties, but it’s okay if you don’t follow all my schedules.”

Then, I made eye contact with him and continued.

“Since it’s a location shoot, I’ll be there the whole time. I can do it alone….”

Before I could finish speaking, Kim, my manager, smirked and said to me.

“That’s why I was wondering… how about working with a new manager from now on?”

“Yeah, I don’t mind.”

“I was going to introduce you today anyway, you’re a mind reader.”

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

“Today?”

“Yeah, I was originally going to have a drink with you tonight and talk about it.”

“Sounds good. I’m eating dinner with you anyway.”

At my words, Kim, my manager, smiled brightly and nodded.

“Okay. Then I’ll introduce you when we have dinner.”

* * *

After going to Jin Hee-sung’s fan meeting.

Park Soon-hee’s affection for Jin Hee-sung grew even more.

Posters of Jin Hee-sung on the walls of her room.

Photos filled with memories of the fan meeting with Jin Hee-sung.

Park Soon-hee looked at Jin Hee-sung’s photos in her room and raised the corners of her mouth.

“Ah, Hee-sung oppa [term of endearment used by a younger woman to an older male], I wish we could have another fan meeting.”

Then, she shook her head violently at the memory of that day.

“No. What if another crazy person comes again? I’d rather have the ‘Jin Hee-sung Mania’ fan cafe members verified from the next fan meeting onwards.”

She sat at her desk and accessed the fan cafe.

She looked at the occasional posts about Jin Hee-sung’s health.

And the investigation details about the person who wielded a weapon at him.

“That bastard… dares to stab our oppa because of Song Yu-na?”

Park Soon-hee bit her lip and let out a rough breath.

“I thought he looked strange from the fan meeting… I should have told the security guard then.”

She stared intently at the criminal’s photo and sighed.

“It’s okay to like Song Yu-na. He’s just a crazy person looking at her with strange eyes, really.”

Park Soon-hee didn’t have a good impression of Song Yu-na because of the rumors of a relationship between Jin Hee-sung and Song Yu-na.

But this incident seemed to have created a bit of sympathy for Song Yu-na.

“Living as an actress is… not easy either.”

In addition, her affection for Jin Hee-sung had faded due to the dating rumors.

However, the fan meeting rekindled the fire in Park Soon-hee’s heart.

“Our oppa was so… cool at the fan meeting. His acting is crazy, he sings well, he dances well. What can’t he do?”

Her eyes were overflowing with affection as she looked at Jin Hee-sung’s photos.

The first fan meeting she had ever been to.

She seemed to be completely immersed in Jin Hee-sung’s passion there.

“He’s so good at everything, and he works so hard. He’s really perfect, perfect….”

Park Soon-hee started uploading Jin Hee-sung’s photos to the fan cafe.

“He doesn’t do lovestagrams [Instagram posts hinting at a romantic relationship] like other celebrities, or secretly show off couple items. Look at how he’s completely focused on acting.”

She clicked her tongue as she looked at the behind-the-scenes photos posted by Jin Hee-sung’s agency.

“Wow… the action in this movie is no joke?”

Park Soon-hee frowned and scrolled through Jin Hee-sung’s photos.

Photos of him hanging from wires on set.

She checked every still cut of him acting without missing a single one.

She remembered the moment she first fell for Jin Hee-sung.

“I used to get excited when I saw Hee-sung oppa’s photos… but I like him even more now.”

Park Soon-hee spent hours with a smile on her face, looking at Jin Hee-sung’s photos and participating in fan cafe activities.

Then, her eyes sparkled with a sudden idea.

“Ah, instead of doing this, should I send that to oppa’s filming set?”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Park Soon-hee immediately posted an announcement on the fan cafe.

[Recruiting party members to send a coffee truck to the movie ‘Undercover’ filming set!]

* * *

The meat restaurant that Kim, my manager, and I entered.

Opening the door to the pre-booked dining room, one person was waiting for us.

“Hello.”

A tall height and sturdy physique.

He greeted us with a gentle smile and a warm face.

Kim, my manager, waved his hand at his greeting.

“Oh, Tae-hyun. You were here early?”

“Yes, CEO.”

“Haha, it feels strange when you call me CEO instead of sunbae [senior/mentor].”

Kim, my manager, looked at me and opened his mouth.

“This is my junior, Park Tae-hyun, who I told you about earlier.”

At his introduction, I immediately bowed my head and greeted him.

“Hello. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Yes, I’m Park Tae-hyun. Nice to meet you, Hee-sung.”

“Okay, let’s sit down and talk slowly.”

We sat down at the urging of Kim, my manager.

He led the atmosphere and started the conversation.

“Tae-hyun here is a junior I’ve been close to since I worked at WG Entertainment. He’s a solid and kind guy.”

“Oh, sunbae-nim. No, CEO-nim. You flatter me. Haha.”

“I can’t get used to hearing you call me CEO.”

Kim, my manager, smiled and introduced me.

“There’s no way our Hee-sung doesn’t know him.”

“Of course. How could I not know Hee-sung, the famous actor who left WG Entertainment?”

At his words, I smiled and waved my hand.

“No, I’m not.”

Kim, my manager, placed a beer glass in front of him and made three glasses of somaek [a Korean cocktail of soju and beer], handing one to each of us.

“Shall we have a grand toast?”

“Sounds good.”

Clink-

Our three glasses collided in the air.

With the alcohol, the boundaries of our first meeting were gradually dissolving.

While eating meat and drinking for a while.

“I’ll be right back, I’m going to the restroom for a moment.”

Park Tae-hyun got up from his seat as if reporting to Kim, my manager.

He nodded.

“Hyung, shouldn’t I call you CEO now too?”

At my words, he smiled and joked.

“Why are you doing this too? It tickles me when I hear CEO.”

Kim, my manager, no, CEO Kim, shook his head.

“Why, I should call you CEO too. Isn’t that right, CEO?”

“Ah, really. Just call me hyung.”

“Okay. It feels strange for me to call you CEO too. Haha.”

Clink-

CEO Kim and I clinked glasses.

I cautiously asked about Park Tae-hyun, who had briefly left his seat.

“But hyung, when did he leave WG Entertainment?”

“It hasn’t been long. He contacted me a few days ago. He said he wanted to work with me.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

CEO Kim checked Park Tae-hyun, who couldn’t be seen through the slightly open door, as if monitoring him.

He lowered his voice and continued.

“He said he fought with the higher-ups at WG Entertainment. Originally, he had a good relationship with the higher-ups. He’s such an affable and hardworking friend….”

“But suddenly he fought?”

“Yeah, he didn’t say why he fought. But anyway, it seems like their relationship soured, so he quit.”

CEO Kim nodded at my words.

I pursed my lips with unresolved curiosity.

“Hmm… I’m curious about the sudden reason.”

“I’ll tell you if I find out. I was close to him when I was at WG Entertainment. I think he contacted me to work after he quit.”

“I see. He’s been in this industry for a long time, so he must have wanted to continue this work.”

“Yeah, I know Tae-hyun is good at his job too. I immediately said okay.”

At that moment.

Park Tae-hyun opened the door and came in.

Our conversation had to be stopped there.

* * *

CEO Kim and Park Tae-hyun.

In other words, the manager who would now be called Manager Park arrived at the location shooting site.

As soon as the car stopped at the site, Manager Park’s mouth dropped open.

“Wow… the set is really big.”

At his words, I nodded repeatedly.

“It is. The set is huge.”

We got out of the car and looked around the site where no one was yet.

Then I asked CEO Kim.

“Hyung, did we come too early?”

At my words, he looked at his watch and replied.

“We came early, but it seems like everyone went straight to the accommodation. Let’s take a quick look around and go to the accommodation too.”

“Okay.”

I left CEO Kim and Manager Park behind and approached the building.

A closed hospital that is no longer in operation.

It seemed that they had borrowed this long-abandoned place and turned the inside into a set.

I put my eyes between the gaps in the glass door and looked inside.

Even though it was bright daylight, it seemed that not a single ray of light entered the building.

At the sight, I felt like I was suffocating.

“Hyung… this set is a bit scary.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, it’s a real abandoned hospital, so it’s… too realistic.”

CEO Kim raised the corners of his mouth and replied as if satisfied.

“Then that’s perfect. The set has to be realistic for the video to come out well.”

“That’s right.”

I nodded, but continued to look at the building with my eyes.

And a chilling… something eerie feeling.

Looking around this place where there was nothing but mountains, I murmured.

“This… will be okay, right…?”