An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 42

#10 – Not One or the Other (4)

“Hyung, can we go over the last part of the dialogue again?”

Kim, the manager, nodded without hesitation at my words.

“Sure, you mean the last line here?”

“Yeah.”

“Ahem, ahem.”

Kim, the manager, cleared his throat before starting the lines.

Kim, the manager, always recited the lines like reading from a textbook, but now he was immersing himself in the acting for my sake.

After all, it was better to have the opposing actor read the lines as if speaking, rather than just reading the words.

Thanks to his efforts, I was able to immerse myself more easily and quickly, even in practice.

Kim, the manager, was also proud of my improving skills.

“How can you communicate with fans there, Mr. Minho!”

Kim, the manager, put on a passionate performance with his hard-earned skills.

“Then what am I supposed to do there?”

I clenched my eyes shut, trying to hold back my annoyance.

“That’s…!”

Knock knock.

At that moment, the door opened, and a head peeked in holding a notepad.

“Manager Kim.”

It was Manager Lee Ho-yeol.

Although we had never worked together directly, I often saw him in the office since he was always at work.

He was also a manager, like Kim.

At Manager Lee’s words, Kim, the manager, still frowned and replied.

“What’s up?”

Manager Lee looked at the script in front of me and Kim, and said.

“Oh, you were practicing the script. Sorry.”

“It’s okay, what is it?”

At Kim’s words that it was okay, Manager Lee’s lips curled into a smile.

He opened the door wide and pulled the man standing next to him by the hand.

“I just stopped by to introduce you.”

A neat-looking face with his forehead completely exposed by hairspray.

He smiled, his lips slightly curled inward.

Kim, the manager, looked at him, a question in his eyes.

“Uh…?”

The man opened his mouth again with a welcoming face, as if he already knew Kim.

“Are you actor Baek Young-hoon?”

Instead of Baek Young-hoon, Manager Lee answered Kim’s question.

“That’s right. He’s part of the family from today.”

Only then did Baek Young-hoon speak.

“Hello. I’m Baek Young-hoon.”

He bowed at the waist.

“I look forward to working with you.”

I made eye contact with him as he straightened up. I stood up from my seat and extended my hand.

“Jin Hee-sung here. I look forward to working with you too.”

We exchanged glances and shook hands.

Baek Young-hoon’s hand was warm.

He didn’t say anything particularly striking, but I could feel a strong will in his face and eyes.

Today was his first day at our HS Entertainment.

A time when passion is burning.

Manager Lee looked back and forth between me and Kim, the manager, and then spoke.

“First, I’ll go say hello to other departments.”

“Okay.”

“Hee-sung, work hard.”

Manager Lee saluted with a playful face.

“Yes, sir!”

I responded to his gesture with a smile.

After they left, I immediately asked Kim, the manager.

“Hyung, is that who I think it is?”

Kim, the manager, raised his eyebrows.

“The guy who was in that drama ‘Love Like a War’.”

“Oh, right.”

I also knew Baek Young-hoon.

He hadn’t done many projects, but he was an actor who caught my eye in a few supporting roles.

The fact that he remained in my memory meant that he was somewhat good at acting.

Since I monitor so many works, actors with mediocre acting skills don’t stick in my mind.

“Baek Young-hoon… wasn’t he in an actor-specialized entertainment company?”

Kim, the manager, nodded.

“Yeah, he’s been touted as a promising player for about three years, but the company decided not to renew his contract, saying he’s about to hit his stride.”

“His contract with his previous company must have expired just in time.”

“Baek Young-hoon is about the same level as you, Hee-sung.”

Then, he made a ‘tsk’ sound and looked at me.

“That means if a role comes up within our company, you two might have to compete.”

I tilted my head.

“Really?”

“Of course, there are cases where castings come to the actor directly, but there are also times when there is an opening [TO, Table of Organization] for a role.”

I slowly nodded at Kim, the manager’s, words.

I realized what he meant.

The roles that were left unannounced in the last Clockmaker and Dancer project.

And Park Min-joon, who is in the same agency as Choi Seo-bin, came to fill that spot.

He meant that when such a position arises in the company, I and Baek Young-hoon might compete.

“I guess we’ll have to be competitors and friends.”

At my words, Kim, the manager, squinted one eye and said.

“But don’t get too close.”

“Why?”

He leaned towards me and whispered softly.

“They say… he’s a bit jealous.”

I nodded and listened to his words.

“Of course, jealousy isn’t a bad thing as an actor.”

“That’s right. Jealousy is also a desire for achievement.”

“I mean, it would be good to keep a moderate distance and just have a friendly relationship.”

I looked at Kim, the manager, and blinked.

“I will.”

“Shall we start practicing again then?”

“Yeah.”

Kim, the manager, and I picked up the script we had put down again.

***

At the script reading site for the drama ‘Entertainment Industry Extra’.

I hurried to Director Im Sang-jae, who was standing in front of the door, and bowed to greet him.

“Director, hello. I’m Jin Hee-sung.”

He straightened up from leaning against the wall and extended his hand to me.

“Ah, actor Hee-sung. Nice to meet you.”

I held his hand with both of mine.

“It would have been nice to meet and talk in person before the reading, but I was a bit busy with my schedule so I couldn’t.”

“No, I wanted to go and thank you for casting me….”

He looked at my lowered eyebrows and cut off my words.

“Oh, no need for thanks. Please take care of the drama in the future.”

Director Im, with his easygoing demeanor, patted my hand and replied.

“I’ll work hard, Director.”

“Okay. I’ll see you inside later.”

“Yes, sir.”

After giving him a light bow, I opened the door.

As I entered, Han So-jeong walked towards me with a bright face.

“Hee-sung!”

She was cast as my stylist in the drama.

“So-jeong, it’s been a while.”

“I know. I was going to contact you after I got cast….”

She smiled and trailed off.

“I knew I was working with So-jeong too.”

“We’re almost always filming together from now on, let’s work well together again this time.”

I nodded at Han So-jeong’s words.

“Okay, let’s do well again this time.”

Just as we were finishing our greetings,

The actors who arrived on time came in all at once.

The supporting actors who came in one after another.

They were the two actors who played the roles of actors and comediennes in the drama.

Park Hyun-young, who played the role of an actress, had a glamorous appearance.

Large eyes with deep double eyelids.

A sharp nose and straight eyebrows.

She came in with her long wavy hair fluttering and sat down in her seat.

Following her, Shin Seol-hee played the role of a comedienne in the drama.

Originally, she was an actress, not a comedienne.

The role she played in the drama was characterized by a clumsy and clueless character.

Thanks to her neatly tied low ponytail hairstyle, her first impression was very kind.

She didn’t open her mouth, but just bowed her head and sat down.

With a prim face, she checked the name tag in front of her after a long time.

“Oh… this isn’t my seat?”

Shin Seol-hee, who was sitting in another role’s seat, jumped up and grinned as she looked for her seat.

The reason why the production team is said to have done a good job of casting roles is probably because they cast so perfectly.

After that, several actors continued to arrive.

Before I knew it, the wall clock was pointing to 2 o’clock, the scheduled time for the script reading.

At that time.

The only empty seat.

The main character of the lead role arrived.

Because he appeared at the very end, everyone in the script reading room focused their attention on him.

Kang Chan-sung, who opened the door and came in, was not making any expression.

Even with a nonchalant expression, he exuded force.

Hair covering his eyebrows.

He was very attractive with his large monolid eyes.

He didn’t say anything, but the charisma that poured out was enough to overwhelm this place.

My gaze was fixed on him.

My gaze also moved slowly, following his steps.

Wow….

Indeed, the aura of the lead actor is different.

Even as a man, I was about to say that he was cool.

Kang Chan-sung is a figure who has risen to the ranks of top stars like Choi Seo-bin.

But there was a difference between Kang Chan-sung and Choi Seo-bin.

Choi Seo-bin is an all-rounder who is successful in both dramas and movies.

On the other hand, Kang Chan-sung was easily labeled a ‘drama actor’.

It’s not that he only filmed dramas.

He filmed about three movies, but none of them exceeded the break-even point [the point at which total revenue equals total costs].

After that, he didn’t get any movie castings.

He became famous as an actor who always devoted himself to dramas.

As I was admiring Kang Chan-sung, the words that Kim, the manager, had told me came to mind.

Kang Chan-sung’s personality.

He was extremely picky and didn’t spare advice to be careful.

Contrary to Kim, the manager’s, worries, he actually looked gentle.

Of course, I haven’t grasped his actual personality yet.

“Okay, now that everyone seems to be here, shall we greet each other first?”

Director Im closed the door for the last time and came in.

“If we shoot a project in the future, we’ll be together for longer than family. You all know that, right?”

At his words, we opened our mouths as if singing in unison.

“Yes.”

“I actually think that the acting comes out naturally when the actors get close to each other. I hope everyone will build friendships by borrowing this opportunity today.”

After finishing his words, Director Im sat down.

Then, he pointed to Kang Chan-sung, who was sitting right next to him, and opened his mouth.

“The greeting will start with actor Kang Chan-sung, the lead of our project.”

At his words, Kang Chan-sung stood up from his seat.

“I’m Kang Chan-sung. Please take care of me.”

A soft voice and a kindly smiling face.

But in his eyes, which he showed for a moment, I felt something unusual.

Once again, Kim, the manager’s, words lingered in my ears.

Something….

It’s dangerous.

Until the sunlight that brightly illuminated the script reading room gradually disappeared,

Our script reading continued.

As expected, Kang Chan-sung’s acting, who played the lead role, was impeccable.

He obediently changed his acting tone according to the demands of Director Im and the writer.

Compliments poured out of their mouths.

Then Director Im stretched out his bent back and shouted.

“Okay, let’s take a short break and start again.”

As he got up from his seat, everyone stretched and moved their bodies as if they had agreed to it.

Han So-jeong, who was sitting at the end of the table, was the first to get up and move.

I also quickly got up from my seat to build friendships by talking to the actors I met for the first time today.

After approaching a supporting actor who was alone and talking to him,

I saw Kang Chan-sung sitting far away.

He was having a friendly conversation with Han So-jeong.

Since I also had a friendship with Han So-jeong, I walked towards them without hesitation.

“Really? Haha.”

Kang Chan-sung said to Han So-jeong with a bright smile.

After confirming that their conversation had stopped, I opened my mouth.

“Hello, I’m Jin Hee-sung.”

At my greeting, Kang Chan-sung only raised his head while sitting.

Then he just stared at me blankly without saying anything.

So I opened my mouth again.

“Could I possibly get your number?”

At my cautious question, his face changed.

He glared at my face with cold eyes.

Feeling embarrassed, I swallowed hard.

“The director said that the actors should get to know each other….”

“Ha….”

Before I could finish my words, Kang Chan-sung scoffed and said.

“Why would I?”

“…Pardon?”

Confused, I blinked rapidly.

He opened his mouth without any change in expression.

“An actor just has to act according to the role, what’s with the immersion in reality… Did you accept the role without even having that confidence?”

In an instant, the smile disappeared from Han So-jeong’s face next to me.

Han So-jeong also seemed quite surprised by Kang Chan-sung’s sudden change in attitude.

My face was distorted by his words.

Before I could even open my mouth in embarrassment, he turned his gaze away.

He waved his hand in the air as if he was too lazy to say more.

“Just go away.”

…What the hell is this bastard?