An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 86

86. #18 – A More Suitable Person (1)

“Hey, can you talk, Hyung [older brother or close male friend]?”

“Hee-sung, what’s going on so early in the morning?”

Manager Kim asked, surprised by my call.

I calmly spoke to him.

“Do you have any scripts for me right now?”

“What, are you talking about work now?”

He scoffed, sounding dumbfounded.

Despite Manager Kim’s reaction, I was serious.

The zombie horde I saw in my dream, and my trembling self trying to survive there.

It was so vivid that I had to check if there were any scripts that came in for me.

“Yeah, I want to take a look.”

“Hee-sung, it hasn’t been long since you decided to take a break. Are you trying to work again so soon?”

“No, I just want to see the scripts. Are there any that came in?”

Manager Kim replied in a serious voice.

“Well, there are many scripts that came in. What kind of script are you interested in?”

“No, it’s not that. Can I see them all?”

“Okay. I’ll organize them and send them to you by email first, so check them out. And try not to think about work while you’re resting, and come back after you’ve fully rested.”

“I will.”

“What do you mean, ‘I will.’ You’re going to spend all day looking at scripts again, aren’t you? Anyway, just look at the scripts this time and get some rest!”

“Haha, okay, Hyung.”

Manager Kim laughed as if he couldn’t do anything about it and hung up the phone.

And soon after, an email arrived from Manager Kim with numerous attachments.

Several hours passed while checking the scripts from Manager Kim.

Nevertheless, I couldn’t find a single drama or movie with zombies.

No, I couldn’t even find similar scenes or characters.

I bit my lip in inexplicable anxiety and clicked on the next script.

…What the heck was that dream?

Is it just a common, so-called dog dream [a meaningless or absurd dream]?

But there was no way I would have just had such a dream.

The dream with the zombies, like the dreams I had before, was so vivid and clear.

The scene of trembling in the mountains, the sweat dripping from my forehead.

And the zombies with their strange movements that swarmed towards me.

Every single piece of their flesh remained vividly in my memory, and it couldn’t have been just a simple, passing dream.

Moreover, I had never had a normal dream since finding my past life.

If so, this dream must have something to it.

I pressed my throbbing head with my palm, overwhelmed by confusing thoughts, and squeezed my eyes shut.

I pondered for a long time, but in the end, no answer came.

***

Back in college, I used to go camping with my friends as a hobby.

We didn’t have much money back then, so we went to free campsites, with small tents, and camping gear we borrowed little by little.

That alone made us happy.

The leisure of enjoying a night with friends and spending time in our own space was incredibly joyful.

There was a story we shared the most back then.

What would it be like to sleep comfortably in a good tent?

What would it be like to eat our fill of good meat and delicious food at the campsite?

Wouldn’t we be a little happier if we spent a day in a place with good facilities like a paid campsite?

If we could enjoy camping coolly in the summer and warmly with a heater in the winter.

Nothing would be better, we said.

The common denominator of these wishes was all ‘money.’

In those days when we had no money but plenty of time.

Now, I’ve entered an age and time where I have money but no time.

Now that I’m taking a break for the first time in a while, one of the things I wanted to do most was camping.

I have a car, and I can buy the food, tents, and camping supplies I wanted back then….

There was no reason not to go camping.

Plus, I have my own car that’s always in the parking lot without having to rent it.

With camping gear and food packed inside, I headed to the campsite I had reserved.

Unfortunately, none of my friends had the time to go with me.

Everyone had their own lives, and although there weren’t dozens of us.

It was never easy to match dates for more than one night together since everyone started their social lives.

So today’s camping trip was to relax alone.

I arrived at the campsite with a fluttering heart.

The campsite on the mountainside was quite empty because it was a weekday.

In the first place, the campsite itself wasn’t very big, and I had searched hard for a place with few people, so it was as expected.

So it was even better.

I felt like I had rented the mountain all to myself.

I arrived at the campsite late in the afternoon.

I hurried to set up the tent first.

It takes a long time to set up a tent, and the sun sets quickly in the mountains.

Before I knew it, the tent was finished, and my accommodation for the day was complete.

Sweat was dripping from my forehead, but I couldn’t hide the smile that kept leaking out.

“Wow, it’s been so long since I’ve had this kind of leisure.”

I was grateful for the fact that I could spend time alone and reorganize myself without any worries or fears about the future since I started acting.

The desire for success grew even more.

The desire for acting was also proportional to that.

Being able to give back to my parents and those around me with this happiness that I can feel myself.

Because I know that it’s something that can’t be done with just the heart.

I lit a bonfire in front of the tent and leaned back in my chair.

Crackle, crackle-.

The fire quickly caught and burned brightly, and I felt a warm warmth.

Before eating dinner, I warmed myself with a cup of hot coffee and stared blankly at the fire.

Time was passing without delay while watching the fire.

But I was so happy.

It seemed that this leisurely time was also necessary for my mind and body in this busy modern society.

“…This is healing.”

After blowing on the steaming coffee and taking a sip.

At that time, when I was leisurely enjoying camping.

A cold air brushed past my cheek.

I didn’t want to miss this atmosphere where red flames were rising high in front of me.

I quickly took out the cell phone from my bag.

I was busy capturing everything I saw in the camera.

“Wow! It turned out really well.”

I couldn’t help but admire the photos on my cell phone.

In an instant, ‘Jin Hee-sung Season’ came to my mind.

I used to go to my fan cafe [online fan community] whenever I had time.

Searching for my name on the internet was also one of my daily routines.

Some people say they are embarrassed to search for themselves and look at fan cafes.

But I liked it so much.

Jin Hee-sung, fans who like myself without any conditions.

I was so grateful to them that I didn’t know what to do.

So I checked all the photos and posts that fans uploaded.

I thought that the way to give back to the grateful fans, even a little, was to work hard and communicate with them.

I wanted to show the fans this photo of the scene in front of me and communicate with them.

I stared at my cell phone.

“Ah, this makes me want to do SNS [Social Networking Service]?”

I installed the SNS app, but I couldn’t easily sign up.

I couldn’t do everything as I pleased yet.

“After I rest and go back to the company, I should ask if I can create SNS….”

After closing the cell phone like that.

I jumped up and started preparing dinner.

***

-♪♬

With fast BPM [beats per minute] music playing in the background.

Hums a tune and gets up from the seat, pushing the tableware to one side.

“Haa… It’s annoying, should I clean it up when I wake up tomorrow?”

After plopping down on the seat, opened a can of beer next to me.

Cheer [sound of opening a can].

“Yeah, let’s clean it tomorrow and just heal today.”

Asked and answered alone, raised the corners of the mouth, and took a sip of cool beer.

“Keah.”

The cold alcohol ran through the mouth and wet the esophagus.

Entrusting the body to the quietly heard music, closed the eyes tightly.

…I’m happy.

Eating, resting, and playing all day without any worries….

Lost in thought for a while.

At some point, the scripts that Manager Kim sent unfolded in my head.

Still with eyes closed, recalled the scripts I had seen yesterday.

The next work would be fun to do in the genre of the script I saw first yesterday?

Before I knew it, the exciting music didn’t come to my ears.

Started to think about what kind of character can create a synergy effect when a new work and I act.

Then suddenly.

The words that Manager Kim told me to rest came to mind and a smile leaked out.

“Yeah, let’s really rest and go.”

Shook the head vigorously and erased the thoughts of the script.

Took another sip of beer and indulged in the music again.

Rustle.

Hastily put down the beer I was drinking at the sound coming from the bushes behind.

What is it?

But soon the sound subsided and leaned back on the chair without much thought.

Rustle-.

This time, at the rustling sound that was heard again, took off the back and looked around.

It was definitely heard clearly.

This campsite… It’s in the mountains, but I came because there are no big wild animals….

With small movements, strained all the nerves.

Started to lower the volume of the music to the maximum.

-♪♬

Did not turn off all the music because it was too deep and dark in the mountains.

Because being quiet can also cause fear.

It’s definitely not because of the zombie dream I had yesterday.

After being fully alert, got up from the seat quietly.

If it’s a small animal, it should run away when it realizes that there are people.

As someone who has to spend a day here, I had to chase the animal away.

“Ahem.”

Deliberately coughed and shouted towards the rustling side.

“Ah ah!”

When I shouted while loosening my throat for no reason, the bushes shook.

It seems to be surprised by my voice.

Carefully picked up the lantern next to the chair and shined it on the bushes where the sound was coming from.

Pot-!

But even in the strong light of the lantern, the grass did not move at all.

It doesn’t seem like the animal ran away…?

Rustle.

At that time, the bushes shook.

Surprised, the heart began to pound.

“Ah, I was surprised.”

I was nervous because the surroundings were too dark, but I couldn’t go into the tent as it was.

Carefully took a step forward… took a step.

At that time.

“…Please save me.”

A small voice came from the bushes.

The eyes widened at the sound.

My heart was pounding as if it would explode, but the moment I realized it was a person, I ran towards that side.

“Please help me.”

A voice crying out desperately.

“Are you okay?”

Parted the tall grass with my hands and searched for the side where the sound was coming from.

Not long after, I was able to find the shape of a person.

A woman crouching and trembling.

“Please help… me.”

I was startled by the sight, but frowned to see it in detail and shined the lantern.

I’ve heard that voice a lot somewhere?

“Can you walk?”

Shined the road with a lantern and held out a hand.

She slowly raised her head and stood up….

“Song Yu-na…?”