An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 320

320. How to Turn an Enemy into an Ally (2)

CEO Lee Seol-in and Baek Min-young left for the accommodation together.

On the way, Baek Min-young shared some details about the house.

“We’ve chosen a lovely house for your stay in LA. I hope you like it.”

As she spoke, a house came into view.

“It’s just over there. We wanted to avoid putting you in a busy area, in case it was uncomfortable.”

I nodded in response to Baek Min-young’s consideration.

“That’s perfect. Houses like this are usually away from the hustle and bustle, right?”

“Yes, most people seem to prefer this area.”

“I do too. I appreciate quiet neighborhoods when I’m trying to relax.”

Before we knew it, we had arrived. As soon as the door opened, CEO Kim, Manager Park, the stylist, and I all stared in amazement.

“Wow…”

“This house is huge.”

Admiration was unavoidable.

A living room so large you could practically run laps in it.

Not to mention the high ceilings typical of American houses.

Baek Min-young and Lee Seol-in stood behind us, watching with proud smiles.

Lee Seol-in gestured towards the inside of the house.

“Feel free to go inside and have a look around.”

“Ah, yes.”

As soon as we stepped inside, we were overwhelmed by its grandeur and couldn’t help but be amazed by its size.

Baek Min-young quickly took the lead, introducing the house like a seasoned homeowner.

“This is the kitchen, and this is the master bedroom. We’ve prepared this room as a practice space. And this is…”

I followed Baek Min-young around, captivated by her tour.

For several minutes, we explored every corner of the house.

The living room and bedrooms were far too big for one person to use alone.

The practice room was several times larger than my apartment in Korea.

There were so many guest rooms that you could have guests sleeping over every day.

It was fully furnished and equipped with appliances, so you could move in without bringing a thing.

Lee Seol-in finally approached me.

“So… what do you think of the house?”

I answered without hesitation.

“Yes, I love it. Thank you very much.”

“You’re welcome. I’m glad you like it. Hee-sung, you’ve been so agreeable and accommodating, so we wanted to provide you with the best possible accommodations.”

Lee Seol-in smiled brightly and continued.

“We’ve tried to include as much furniture and as many appliances as possible, so you don’t feel uncomfortable. If there’s anything else you need, please don’t hesitate to tell us. If you let us know now, we’ll get it taken care of before your next shoot.”

I nodded.

“Yes, I’m happy with everything as it is. I’ll let you know if I need anything.”

“Yes, you can contact Min-young here anytime.”

Baek Min-young smiled and looked at me.

“Oh, we’re going to prepare the house in New York in the same way. I’ll let you know when it’s ready. You can go there anytime.”

“Yes, thank you.”

We eventually emerged from the house, still reeling from its splendor.

I turned to Lee Seol-in with a question.

“By the way, is the staff’s accommodation nearby?”

She answered immediately.

“Yes, it’s not far. Would you like to go see it together?”

“Yes, that would be great.”

After a short drive, we arrived at a building.

Again, Baek Min-young took the lead in showing us around.

“This is where the staff will be staying. Each person gets a single room.”

“Wow… one room per person?”

Manager Park’s eyes widened.

“Yes, the rooms aren’t that big, but I thought it would be more comfortable for everyone to have their own space.”

We followed her inside.

It felt like a studio apartment, a little bigger than a one-room apartment in Korea.

The space was small, but the huge advantage was having a private room.

For the staff, a large house is nice, but a private room where they can comfortably rest their tired bodies is even better.

Manager Park and the stylist also smiled at the mention of a single room.

Even when filming in the provinces in Korea, the staff never got single rooms; they usually had to share rooms in large pensions or similar accommodations.

I was satisfied with the treatment for the staff, as I had requested from WOM [presumably, the name of the company].

“If the staff is happy, then I’m happy too.”

After briefly looking through the staff’s rooms, Lee Seol-in asked me as we came out.

“Then, let’s consider the accommodation settled. I’d like to tell you a little bit about the filming schedule.”

I listened attentively.

Manager Park, who was next to me, took out a notebook and pen, ready to take notes.

“Yes.”

“A trailer will be provided during filming. And we’re going to prepare a personal car for Hee-sung to use comfortably. Do you have any preferred car models or brands?”

I stroked my chin and pondered.

When I first came to Hollywood, I was obsessed with getting a fancy car.

Of course, I couldn’t take that car back to Korea.

I didn’t even drive around that much in those good cars.

Still, I had been driven around in them.

But the more expensive a car is, like a sports car, the better it is to be seen getting out of than actually riding in.

I decided that the car I drive in LA doesn’t necessarily have to be that kind of car.

Rather, I thought a Korean car would be better, just like the comfortable driving experience I was used to in Korea.

“Um… I’d just like a Korean car.”

Lee Seol-in and Baek Min-young looked at me with wide eyes.

“Really?”

“You can choose any car you want…”

They asked me again, as if to make sure I wouldn’t reconsider, but I shook my head.

“I’ve driven a lot of nice cars while filming, but there’s no need to waste money on a car I’m only going to drive here for a short time. Please just get me a Korean car.”

“Ah… yes, I understand.”

Lee Seol-in nodded, pursing her lips at my answer.

***

After all the scheduled events were over,

Lee Seol-in came to pick me up from the hotel.

“Hee-sung, over here!”

She opened the window in the driver’s seat and waved.

And there was Choi Seo-bin sitting next to her.

The moment I saw Choi Seo-bin, I ran to the car with joy.

“Senior!”

“Oh, Hee-sung. I’m so glad to see you here.”

“Me too. How did this happen…”

Before I could finish, Choi Seo-bin smiled and said.

“Haha, get in the car quickly. Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

Lee Seol-in in the driver’s seat, Choi Seo-bin in the passenger seat, and me in the back.

That’s how the three of us started driving on the LA roads together.

I had questions about this unexpected combination, and I asked them.

“How do you two know each other?”

Choi Seo-bin smiled awkwardly and cleared his throat.

“Ahem… well…. Ah, I’ll tell you slowly when we go out to eat.”

I tilted my head, curious.

Lee Seol-in, who saw the scene in the rearview mirror, sighed and muttered.

“Seo-bin, you’re the same as you were when we first met, or even now.”

Choi Seo-bin replied in a blunt tone.

“What am I doing?”

“Don’t you remember? Back when we were dating, every time I asked you something, you’d say, ‘I’ll explain it later. Later… later.’ You kept putting it off.”

I covered my mouth, and Choi Seo-bin chuckled and replied.

“Seol-in, you remembered all that? You’re something else.”

“That’s enough. We were so young back then.”

From their conversation, I could easily infer their relationship: Choi Seo-bin and Lee Seol-in were former lovers.

I bit my lip and tried to ignore the awkwardness.

Choi Seo-bin, noticing my discomfort, burst into laughter and said.

“Hee-sung, Seol-in and I…”

Choi Seo-bin told me about their past as if it were nothing.

I couldn’t help but be even more surprised that these two, who used to be lovers, were in the same car and in such a friendly atmosphere.

Lee Seol-in smiled and added to Choi Seo-bin’s explanation.

“We got busy with work, and I came to the United States… and we naturally grew apart. We didn’t break up because someone did something wrong, and we often contact each other and get along well.”

“Ah….”

I nodded and listened.

Choi Seo-bin smiled, as if recalling the past.

“That’s right. We were both young back then. Besides, our values about marriage were different, so we wouldn’t have been able to get married even if we continued to date. Right?”

Lee Seol-in smiled brightly and nodded.

“Yeah, that’s right. If we had any regrets about dating, we wouldn’t have been able to stay friends like this. I like our current relationship better.”

“Me too.”

I was impressed by their conversation.

The two seemed to have broken up for mature reasons.

That’s why their relationship seemed more comfortable than most friendships.

***

Clink-

A glass of wine to accompany the food.

We talked and toasted for over an hour.

Then Choi Seo-bin’s cell phone rang, and he jumped up.

“I’ll take this.”

“Yes, Senior.”

As soon as he left, I asked Lee Seol-in.

“CEO Lee.”

“Yes, Hee-sung.”

“Why isn’t Senior Seo-bin involved in this project?”

She hesitated to answer.

I tilted my head, confused, and asked again.

“Senior Seo-bin has been acting longer than me, and he’s very well-known in Korea.”

Lee Seol-in smiled and replied playfully.

“Hey, Seo-bin can’t act!”

“Yes?”

“I’m kidding. Actually, Seo-bin and I have different artistic visions, so we’d probably fight a lot.”

I laughed at her tone and expression.

“Haha, you two are really comfortable with each other.”

“Of course. And there’s another reason why I can’t work with Seo-bin on this.”

“What is it?”

“Seo-bin’s English isn’t that great.”

I waved my hand dismissively, defending Choi Seo-bin.

“No, Senior Seo-bin speaks English well.”

“Seo-bin’s role in Hollywood this time is also a Korean character. He speaks English, but he’s not as fluent as you are, Hee-sung.”

Lee Seol-in wasn’t criticizing Choi Seo-bin; she spoke as if she knew him intimately, so I replied as if agreeing with her.

“So, you didn’t cast Senior Seo-bin in this project?”

“Of course not. That’s why I kept an eye on you, Hee-sung, since Seo-bin recommended you so highly, and ultimately cast you.”

Lee Seol-in glanced at Choi Seo-bin, who was talking on the phone outside, and continued.

“Seo-bin praised you so much. I was surprised that he was so happy about my casting you, as if it were his own accomplishment. I thought you two were in a special relationship.”

I turned to look at Choi Seo-bin.

A few months ago, when I decided to end my career in LA, Choi Seo-bin suddenly came to me and confessed his feelings.

He openly revealed that he was jealous and envious of my success in Hollywood, where he had failed.

But I didn’t feel betrayed by that confession; rather, I felt grateful to Choi Seo-bin, which seemed to make our relationship even stronger.

Because I didn’t take those words badly and talked to Choi Seo-bin to resolve the issue.

Lee Seol-in, seeing me looking at Choi Seo-bin, said.

“Hee-sung’s acting and talent have been proven worldwide. But Seo-bin said that no other actor in your position has such a great personality.”

“…….”

“That’s why I kept an eye on you and extended this opportunity.”

The fact that Choi Seo-bin thought of me that way made me smile.

I nodded, thinking that I had made Choi Seo-bin an ally rather than an enemy.

Now, Choi Seo-bin has become a reliable ally.