An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 72

72. #15 – Between Lead and Supporting Role (5)

“Wow, it’s nice drinking with just the two of us instead of a company dinner.”

Choi Seo-bin said, pouring a drink.

A deeply pressed hat.

A bare face without foundation.

Dark stubble on his philtrum [the vertical groove between the base of the nose and the upper lip].

Choi Seo-bin, dressed in comfortable training pants and a white hoodie, looked less like a top star and more like a friendly neighborhood older brother.

“I agree. It’s really nice to have a quiet drink with you like this, *sunbae* [senior colleague or mentor].”

Holding the soju bottle with both hands, I filled his empty glass.

Clink.

We clinked glasses, not minding the overflowing soju.

The cold alcohol flowed down my esophagus.

“Kheu.”

Choi Seo-bin finished the soju in one gulp and blew out a cold breath.

“So, Hee-sung, you’re going into drama filming soon?”

Before picking up a snack, I nodded and looked at him.

“Yes, we’re doing the poster shoot next week, and it looks like it’ll start soon.”

He smiled with a face more pleased than anyone else, as if he thought of me as family.

“I thought you would make it.”

“Pardon?”

“The first time we acted together was in a drama, right?”

“Yes, ‘The Clockmaker and the Dancer’.”

He snapped his fingers.

“Right, we acted together for the first time there.”

“That’s right.”

He narrowed his eyes and said.

“I knew it from then. Supporting actors usually have that supporting actor vibe. But you, Hee-sung, your mindset was different.”

Choi Seo-bin praised me and refilled his soju glass.

“Haha, thank you, *sunbae*.”

“Thanks for what? I knew you’d do well. Of course, guys like you should succeed.”

“You keep praising me; I don’t know what to do.”

I grinned at his words, looking awkward.

“Once you take on a lead role, it’s just the beginning. So, in this drama….”

He advised me on the things an actor should have and what to expect in the future.

We talked until the cold soju went cold.

When the soju, poured continuously on an empty stomach, made my stomach ache.

Choi Seo-bin stared intently at my face.

“Hee-sung-ah.”

“Yes, *sunbae*.”

“Do you have any worries?”

At his words, I shook my head.

“No, I don’t.”

“No, you do… Your face is full of worries.”

At Choi Seo-bin’s words, I naturally brought my hand to my face.

Then, as I rubbed my cheek with the back of my hand, he spoke again.

“See? It’s written all over your face: ‘Worries’.”

I forced a smile at his words.

And I became conscious of my face that he could see.

Choi Seo-bin was right.

In fact, there was something that had been bothering me.

It was none other than ‘dreams’.

I haven’t had a dream lately.

I always had dreams after receiving a script.

It’s been a while since I received a script.

It’s already next week for the poster shoot, and soon the on-site filming will begin….

The fact that I haven’t had a dream made me worry for no reason.

But there was no way I could tell him this story as it is.

Of course, it was a story I couldn’t tell.

Even if I did, he wouldn’t believe it.

I raised the corners of my mouth and shook my head vigorously.

“It’s… personal.”

As I opened my mouth as if in trouble,

Choi Seo-bin raised his eyebrows with a face that seemed to say it was okay, contrary to my expectations.

“It’s okay. You can tell me.”

“Can I tell you later?”

“Yeah, if it’s too personal, I understand.”

I bowed my head from my seat towards him.

“Thank you for understanding. And thank you for asking, *sunbae*.”

In any case, Choi Seo-bin had noticed that I seemed to be having a hard time.

My words of gratitude to him were sincere.

Choi Seo-bin smirked, raising the corners of his mouth and narrowing his eyes.

He asked me with a sly expression.

“But if it’s about dating, you have to tell me.”

“Pardon?”

As I opened my eyes in surprise, Choi Seo-bin twisted his lips even more.

“We actors have to date in secret. And I have a lot of tips.”

Choi Seo-bin said with a pleased face.

I laughed heartily and replied to him.

“Haha, if that happens, I’ll consult with you right away, *sunbae*.”

“Yeah. Be sure to tell me.”

“Yes, please have a drink, *sunbae*.”

“Good.”

We continued to drink.

Before long, the soju bottles lined up, and Choi Seo-bin’s face, visible under his hat, was slightly flushed.

“Haa- It’s the first time a movie hasn’t broken even.”

He sighed deeply.

Since I was also in the movie, I sighed along with him.

“Still, thanks to you, *sunbae*, it seems to have reached nearly 3 million.”

“Let’s just drink.”

“Yes.”

Clink-.

“But….”

Choi Seo-bin, who put down his glass, trailed off with a short sigh.

At his words, I nodded and looked at him.

“During the filming of this movie, I wish we had taken our time instead of rushing… I feel that way.”

The filming was rushed in the hot weather.

Choi Seo-bin seemed to regret that he had to digest each scene quickly.

He drank alone.

Looking at the air, he murmured softly.

“It wasn’t my first time working with Director Jang, but this time, there were parts where my chemistry with him faltered….”

Choi Seo-bin seemed to be very disappointed that he didn’t break even.

He repeatedly listed the unfortunate aspects of the filming site and environment.

He didn’t badmouth anyone or blame anyone.

It didn’t feel bad to hear his complaints.

The heart of the leading actor, who wanted to spread the blame somewhere, was conveyed as it was.

Rather, I felt that top actor Choi Seo-bin was also ‘human,’ and I even felt sorry for him.

I even felt like patting him on the back.

But all I could do was be his drinking buddy.

I nodded without saying anything and filled his empty glass to the brim.

***

Taptaptaptap.

A constant sound echoing in my ear.

The sound of something being chopped quickly is….

Yes.

It’s chopping.

“Sniff sniff.”

And the scent of fire stimulating the tip of my nose.

Whirr.

The sound of a large flame that you would see in a restaurant, not just a simple gas fire.

I sniffed to smell what it was.

The scent coming into my nose was the smell of stew.

One more thing I felt.

There was nothing being sucked into my nose other than the smell of food.

In other words, air was not coming in and out of my nose.

Wait a minute.

This is… a dream!

“Hey, Im Jun-ki! Why aren’t you hurrying up?”

The moment I realized it was a dream, a loud voice called me.

I frowned.

Soon, my feet naturally turned to the person who called my name.

“Yes, did you call me?”

“What are you doing standing there blankly!”

“…I’m sorry.”

Park Hyun-min, the main chef of this restaurant, shouted in a cold tone.

“Hurry up and take care of what you’re told. If you don’t, you’ll lose your mind again when the dinner guests rush in.”

“I’ll do it quickly.”

That’s right.

I was the lowest in this restaurant.

So, I was an assistant who was always getting scolded.

The place I rushed to was not in front of a knife or fire, but at the sink.

It was a dishwashing area where dishes and utensils were piled up.

“Haa.”

I couldn’t help but sigh at the pile of dishes, but I couldn’t slack off.

Because there was no one to do it for me anyway.

I turned my head and looked at the busy kitchen.

Everyone was chopping, shaking woks, and cooking.

I wanted to be a chef who creates dishes, not washes them.

That’s why I stayed at this restaurant, even though I wasn’t welcomed.

At that time.

Park Hyun-min approached and opened his mouth.

“Im Jun-ki, you’ll be holding a knife from dinner tonight.”

“Pardon?”

“Can’t you hear me? I said hold a knife.”

Suddenly.

No, the opportunity has finally come.

I opened my eyes wide and opened my mouth towards him.

“Yes, then….”

Pot-.

I was clearly talking to Park Hyun-min.

Ring ring.

The white wallpaper and lighting visible on the ceiling.

Damn it.

The alarm woke me up from my dream.

I was worried about not having dreams these days.

I had a dream right away, as if my worries were unnecessary.

This dream was also so vivid.

And the restaurant I was in.

It was definitely a high-end Korean restaurant.

This drama was also set in the same background.

I slowly recalled the memories I saw in my dream and fell into deep thought.

***

“Hee-sung-ah. Did you go to bed early yesterday?”

Kim, the manager, asked, looking at me getting into the car.

“Of course. I didn’t want to get bloated, so I didn’t eat anything after 6 pm yesterday and went to bed early.”

“Good job. That’s why your skin looks so good today.”

The car that left the house arrived at the shop in no time.

Kim, the manager, stepped on the brakes in front of the shop door.

Ziiing.

As the car door opened, he turned to look at me and said.

“Hee-sung-ah, go in and get ready. I’ll park and go in right away.”

“Okay.”

Thanks to Kim, the manager’s consideration, I was able to enter the shop right away.

“Hello.”

I entered the shop with a bright smile.

I was greeted by the staff who always greeted me at the entrance.

“Hee-sung-ssi [term of polite address], you said you’re taking a poster today, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Yes, I heard from Kim, the manager, that the director is waiting inside….”

Her words were cut off by someone blocking the way.

“I ran into you here.”

The person who greeted me with a blunt voice was Park Min-joon.

“Do you have to greet me like that from the morning?”

I frowned and said to him.

Park Min-joon raised one corner of his mouth and replied.

“No, I’m just glad to see you.”

Glad to see you.

A burst of laughter came out at his words.

“*Maknae* [youngest member]!”

At that time, a loud voice came from inside the shop.

The staff who was guiding me quickly answered.

“Yes, I’m going.”

Then, she carefully opened her mouth to me.

“Um… the director is calling for you.”

“Ah, yes. You can go.”

“Then talk and come inside. Do you know where it is?”

“Of course.”

I smiled and answered her.

The staff bowed her head to me and ran inside.

And Park Min-joon was still standing in front of me.

With his arms crossed and one corner of his mouth raised.

I frowned and asked him.

“What is it? Do you have anything to say to me?”

Park Min-joon nodded.

“Were we in a position to have a leisurely conversation?”

I replied to him bluntly.

“You know I’m going into a drama this time, right?”

Of course, I know.

It was a drama that I was offered the lead role in.

But I rejected the lead role because of the content that was made differently from reality.

I knew through Kim, the manager, that Park Min-joon was the one who took that place.

“So what.”

Park Min-joon shrugged and raised his head.

Then he lowered his eyes and looked at me and said.

“You were going to come into this drama, but you couldn’t because of me, right?”

As soon as he finished speaking, I burst out laughing without realizing it.

Park Min-joon frowned at my reaction.

Soon, he loosened his expression and opened his mouth.

“What are you doing?”

I shook my head and shook off the laughter.

I looked straight into Park Min-joon’s eyes and said.

“Park Min-joon… I don’t think you know very well.”

“What don’t I know?”

I leaned my body towards Park Min-joon.

I put strength into each word and answered clearly.

“You went into the drama that I threw away.”

As soon as I finished speaking, I pulled my body back, and Park Min-joon’s face turned red and blue.

“Should I say it again? I said I rejected the casting for the drama that was offered to me. I turned it down ‘myself’.”

Looking at his lips trembling slightly, I tore one corner of my mouth long and continued to speak.

“Don’t worry about others; just do well yourself.”

Then I tapped his shoulder and walked forward.

“Hey!”

Park Min-joon’s shout came right away.

I stopped at the sound.

Then Park Min-joon shouted again.

“Have you said everything you want to say?”

At his loud voice, I rubbed my ears and smiled slightly with my head slightly turned.

“Do you have anything else to say?”

“You seem to think you’re something because you’re doing a little well? You’re going to be over soon. A guy like you….”

I cut him off.

“You’re like a supporting actor.”

“…What?”

“I said you’re like a supporting actor in my life.”

I looked down on him as if looking down on him and opened my mouth again.

“Do you know that the second place is very wary of the first place? But the first place only has to look at the higher place, so there’s no time to worry about the bottom.”

The eyes that met Park Min-joon.

He was trembling as if he was filled with anger.

I scattered a sneer, turned my body, and walked inside leisurely.

“Jin Hee-sung you….”

Park Min-joon, who was trembling, couldn’t continue his words.

I shook my head and slowly moved my steps towards the chair where the director was standing.