An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 91

91. #18 – A More Suitable Person (6)

“Hee-sung!”

Manager Kim burst into the conference room, shouting as he approached me.

“What is it? Did we get a call about the commercial?”

It had been a week, and Power Balance hadn’t contacted us.

I joked with Manager Kim, smiling.

His eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open.

“What? How did you know?”

“Huh?”

I was even more surprised by his reaction.

“Power Balance just called and said they want to proceed with the commercial with you, and they want to sign the contract. But how did you already know?”

“They really called?”

I asked, jumping up from my seat in surprise.

Manager Kim laughed heartily and nodded.

“Hey, man. You said you’d take care of it. What did you say to Power Balance that made them change their minds like this?”

I shrugged.

“I don’t know… They didn’t seem like they would change their minds right away…”

Even after thinking about it carefully, I couldn’t pinpoint a specific part of the conversation with the staff that would have convinced them to choose me.

What part worked?

The contract fee and period were better for Baek Young-hoon than for me.

Was it because I was who they wanted from the start?

Is that the only reason they could reverse their decision like this?

Whatever.

The conclusion is that I am the commercial model.

I shouted as if roaring with joy.

“Yes!”

My heart was pounding as much as when I first received the commercial offer.

I exchanged glances with Manager Kim, reveling in the joy.

Then, I cooled down my heated emotions and sat down with him.

“Hee-sung, you’ve really worked hard. It’s amazing that you brought the commercial model back.”

At Manager Kim’s words, I made a ‘tss’ sound and pondered.

Then, I murmured in a small voice.

“I don’t think it’s just because of my meeting…”

***

“Then it seems like we can proceed with the contract as is…”

The meeting about the commercial contract continued.

The commercial that started with me went to Baek Young-hoon.

And then it came back to me, so the meeting went on longer than expected.

Buzz.

At that moment, Team Leader Han’s phone rang.

He looked at his phone and said,

“Would it be okay to take a break?”

“Yes.”

After replying, Team Leader Han looked at Manager Kim and said,

“Manager Kim, for a moment…”

He put his index and middle fingers to his mouth, gesturing to smoke a cigarette.

They immediately left the conference room.

Only Jo Ah-hyun and I were left in the conference room.

She seemed tired from the long meeting, stretching and loosening her body.

I had also been sitting in one position for a long time, so I got up from my seat.

And carefully walked to her seat.

“Um… Ah-hyun.”

“Yes?”

She folded her arms, which had been stretching, and looked at me.

“Are you tired?”

“Haha, no.”

Jo Ah-hyun answered me with a bright smile.

I wanted to ask her about the reason why the commercial model had changed.

I rolled my eyes, wondering how to start the conversation.

But she looked at me first and opened her mouth.

“But Hee-sung, are you close to actress Song Yu-na?”

“Yes?”

I tilted my head at the sudden question about my relationship with Song Yu-na.

Then, I thought it was a question that was usually asked because we were filming a commercial together, so I opened my mouth casually.

“Rather than close… we’ve worked together, and we’re in the same company, so… But why?”

“No, you just seem very close.”

I raised my eyebrows at her incomprehensible words.

What is the basis for saying that Song Yu-na and I are close?

Could it be related to the reason why the commercial model changed?

I smiled faintly and asked her.

“Perhaps, Ah-hyun, do you know the reason why the commercial model changed to me?”

“Ah…”

I could tell right away.

That she clearly knew the reason.

Jo Ah-hyun seemed to be the type of person who couldn’t lie, just like last time.

A flustered face and shaking eyes.

I looked into her eyes and asked again.

“You can tell me. I think I need to know why I’m doing the commercial again, so can you tell me?”

Jo Ah-hyun nodded slowly.

“I thought you knew… Actually, Song Yu-na…”

She began to explain.

The more Jo Ah-hyun spoke, the more my mouth dropped open in surprise.

……!

***

“Haa…”

Baek Young-hoon glared at Director Lee with wide eyes and asked.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, they just finished signing the contract.”

As soon as Director Lee finished speaking, Baek Young-hoon shouted so loudly that the conference room seemed to shake.

“Ah, f–!”

Director Lee flinched at the voice.

Baek Young-hoon, unable to contain his anger, rolled his eyes and cursed.

“Fucking hell. How can this kind of sh*t happen!”

He kicked the chair and stood up, his body trembling with boiling anger.

“Young-hoon, I know you’re angry and upset. But still…”

“What do you mean, ‘but still’? Aren’t you angry, hyung [older brother or close male friend]?”

Baek Young-hoon’s face already seemed abnormal.

His eyes were wide as if they would pop out.

His facial muscles were twitching, and the veins in his neck looked like they would burst every time he spoke.

“No, I’m angry too. But the instructions came down from above…”

Director Lee spoke in a soft tone, trying to appease him.

But Baek Young-hoon cut him off.

“Aww, it’s like a dog sh*t!”

Director Lee was also angry at the news that the commercial had been taken away.

But he gritted his teeth at Baek Young-hoon’s쏟아지는 욕설 [쏟아지는 욕설 is a Korean phrase meaning ‘pouring out curses’].

His clenched fists turned red as if they would burst.

“Jin Hee-sung… dares to steal my commercial?”

He gasped for breath.

“Young-hoon… I’ll get you some water first.”

Director Lee quickly left the conference room to calm Baek Young-hoon down.

As soon as he left the conference room, Baek Young-hoon shouted as if roaring.

“Ugh! Jin Hee-sung, you sh*t bastard. Do you think you’ll be safe after taking what’s mine?”

Baek Young-hoon’s eyes were already gone.

His shoulders began to heave rapidly.

Bang!

Unable to contain his anger, he threw the script on the table against the wall.

The sound echoed throughout the conference room.

Starting with that, he began to throw everything he could get his hands on.

“What is that bastard, why is he always blocking my way!”

The small conference room was already a mess.

“Jin Hee-sung… if it weren’t for that sh*t bastard. The drama and the commercial would all be mine. If it weren’t for him!”

His voice was already cracking because he kept shouting at the top of his lungs.

He groped around, but there was nothing to grab, so he turned his head to look at the table.

But there was nothing left on the table.

Baek Young-hoon had thrown everything, so there wasn’t a single intact item.

He still didn’t seem to be able to calm down his anger, so he started kicking the table legs.

Thud-!

“Ouch!”

In the end, Baek Young-hoon hit his foot on the steel table leg and roared as if wailing.

“Even this damn table is a mess.”

He was breathing rapidly, supporting his body with both hands on the desk.

Just as he was gasping for breath to the point of hyperventilation.

Director Lee came into the conference room with a glass of water.

At the chaotic scene, he opened his mouth and sighed deeply.

“Haa, Young-hoon…”

But Baek Young-hoon’s condition in front of him was also not normal.

He quickly sat Baek Young-hoon down and handed him the water.

Several minutes passed.

Baek Young-hoon seemed to have calmed down.

But there was still a murderous look in his eyes.

“Hyung [older brother or close male friend].”

“Yeah, Young-hoon. Are you okay now?”

Without even answering his question,

“Bring me all the scripts, all the scripts that have come in.”

“Now?”

Baek Young-hoon shook his head violently.

“Yeah, quickly.”

“But let’s rest a little…”

“No, bring it to me quickly.”

“Young-hoon, I think it would be better to think calmly and then look at it.”

Director Lee looked into his eyes and bit his lip tightly.

But Baek Young-hoon didn’t care about his persuasion.

“I… I have to crush Jin Hee-sung with my next work. I don’t have time, bring all the works that came to the company without leaving any out.”

His eyes were full of venom.

Director Lee gritted his teeth and nodded.

“Okay, I’ll bring it, so let’s read it calmly together.”

Bang!

Suddenly, Baek Young-hoon put both fists on the table and looked at Director Lee.

“And find out everything that Jin Hee-sung is going into in the future.”

His fists were shaking, and the vibration was transmitted to the entire table.

“Without missing a single thing…”

***

First day of commercial shooting.

I didn’t put anything in my mouth after 6 p.m. the day before, lest my face swell.

Thanks to that effort, my facial condition seemed better than usual.

“Hello!”

When I arrived at the set, numerous staff and Power Balance officials greeted me.

“You’re here. Hee-sung?”

“Yes, please take care of me today.”

In response to the greeting, a Power Balance employee smiled at me.

“Oh, we should be the ones asking you to take care of us. Haha.”

“I’ll do my best. Then I’ll get ready and come out quickly.”

“Yes.”

After a while, Song Yu-na arrived at the set.

Immediately, the shooting director, Power Balance officials, Song Yu-na, and I.

We started talking about the commercial concept and storyboard.

“…Yes, I think we can proceed like this.”

“Okay. I’ll try to make the most of it.”

The shooting director replied to the Power Balance official.

He gave Song Yu-na and me a look.

“Then let’s go with this concept first. Change your clothes, get ready, and go in right away.”

“Yes.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Song Yu-na and I headed to our respective waiting rooms.

After changing clothes.

The first concept shooting began.

I took a pose with Song Yu-na with the harmony we had practiced slightly in advance.

Click, click.

The shooting director’s continuous shutter.

Brightly shining lights.

First commercial shoot, first photo.

There was still awkwardness, but remembering what I had practiced countless times.

I tried to shake off the awkwardness.

“Good. Keep going.”

The shooting director smiled and continued shooting.

“You’ve worked hard. Let’s take a break and start the next shoot.”

At the shooting director’s words, I bent my waist.

“You’ve worked hard.”

Thanks to the break, I relaxed my tense body and leaned back in the chair.

Song Yu-na was standing on one side, bending and stretching her legs.

I found her and carefully approached Song Yu-na’s side.

“Um… Yu-na.”

Song Yu-na glanced at me and was indifferently rubbing her arm.

I had something to say, so I swallowed hard once and said to her.

“Thank you.”

I wanted to thank Song Yu-na.

I heard that Song Yu-na recommended me, not Baek Young-hoon, for this commercial shoot.

And she threatened that she would not do the commercial shoot unless her partner model was changed to me.

I don’t know what she was thinking when she brought it up to the company’s higher-ups.

Anyway, it was thanks to Song Yu-na that I got the commercial model back.

It was natural to express my gratitude to her.

Song Yu-na looked at me sideways.

“For what?”

“This commercial.”

Song Yu-na shrugged and replied.

“…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Whether it was because she was embarrassed by the thank-you, she pretended not to know until the end.

She stretched out her arm that she was rubbing and crossed her arms.

Then, she turned her body away and turned away haughtily.

“Oppa [older brother or close male friend], buy me some coffee.”

Song Yu-na shouted to Manager Choi with her back to me.

At her call, Manager Choi quickly replied.

“Okay, I’ll buy it right away.”