Chapter 8

So profound!

Before, when someone described an actor's eyes as being as profound as the sea, Li Zhenfan had always sneered at it, but now he suddenly believed it!

Indescribably profound, with a hint of melancholy, just right, not too much, not too little!

Why hadn't he noticed before that Park Ji-hoon's "acting with his eyes" was so exquisite?

In the entertainment industry, talent is certainly important, but the first factor for success is never talent—unless it's a talent that defies the heavens! The media and the audience's attention is always focused on the "lead actor."

Moreover, Park Ji-hoon's acting skills were far from being that exquisite. It was just that he knew how to play to his strengths and actively showcase his two best points.

In the subsequent performance interview, even though his performance could only be considered average, in Li Zhenfan's eyes, it seemed to gain a few extra points无形中.

"Go back and wait for the news!" After the interview, Li Zhenfan said solemnly, "If there are no unexpected events, you will receive a notification tomorrow."

"Okay, thank you, director, producer." Park Ji-hoon bowed and then turned to leave the room, not forgetting to carefully close the door.

As soon as he stepped out of the office building, he couldn't help but take a deep breath to release his nervous and excited feelings. Although it wasn't confirmed yet, he saw Li Zhenfan's expression of sudden interest, which meant that the possibility of being selected was very high!

However, there was still something more important to do now!

He hurriedly took a taxi back to the apartment complex and found a boxing gym nearby.

Park Min-ya spent the whole morning at home waiting for news. She couldn't even focus on studying or watching TV. Her worry was no less than Park Ji-hoon's; she hadn't slept well last night!

But it was already past noon, and Park Ji-hoon still hadn't given any news! She didn't dare call him randomly because she was worried he was still in the interview.

She could only wait anxiously.

Just as she picked up her phone to check the time again, the sound of the door opening suddenly rang out. Like a hungry kitten hearing its owner's feeding call, she sprang up from the sofa, not even bothering to put on slippers as she rushed out.

"Bro! What... " The person who came in was naturally Park Ji-hoon, but before she could finish her complaint, she couldn't help but exclaim and hurriedly supported Park Ji-hoon, asking with concern, "Bro! What happened?"

He was drenched in sweat, his clothes soaked through, his hair a mess, and he was even walking unsteadily. When she supported him, she found that his body had no strength at all.

What did he go to do, an audition or something else?

Park Ji-hoon managed a weak smile. Although he didn't want to talk, he still mustered the strength to reassure Park Min-ya, "Nothing, I went to the boxing gym to sign up and practiced for half a day, so I'm a bit drained."

"Didn't Bro go to the audition?" Park Min-ya asked while helping him change into slippers, worried that he might have failed the audition.

Park Ji-hoon briefly recounted the audition process.

"Ha ha!" Park Min-ya couldn't help but burst into laughter. He had indeed learned boxing, but that was back in school. No wonder he was so determined; even if it was in vain, it was better than not being prepared at all.

"You're still laughing!" Park Ji-hoon didn't have the strength to lift his hand, so he just lowered his head and gently bumped her forehead.

"Ah!" Park Min-ya let out a soft cry, not bothering to wipe the sweat on her smooth forehead, and held back her laughter as she helped him sit on the sofa, saying, "Bro, sit down first." After that, she hurriedly went to get him some water.

"Does that mean the possibility of Bro passing the audition is very high?" Despite knowing he was very tired, she couldn't help but ask when she returned with the water.

Park Ji-hoon nodded.

"Great!" Park Min-ya cheered, saying, "I'll make a good meal to reward Bro! Oh, right, Bro should eat first before taking a shower, or you'll be even more drained!"

"Okay." Park Ji-hoon nodded again, weakly.

Although he had only practiced for half a day, he had been so determined that even the boxing coach was surprised. In the end, he didn't even know how he got back home!

Park Min-ya started bustling around, her steps light, like a fluttering butterfly.

Finally, after making lunch and setting the table, seeing Park Ji-hoon's "limp" appearance, she couldn't help but ask with a smile, "Bro! Do you want me to feed you?"

"I can still eat!" Park Ji-hoon picked up his chopsticks and said.

Park Min-ya laughed and carefully kept helping him with the dishes.

After eating, while he was taking a shower, she washed his clothes.

Having a woman in the house made a big difference!

The originally spacious house now had a lively atmosphere, becoming clean and tidy. They no longer had to eat instant noodles or order takeout every day, and he didn't have to wash dishes or clean up alone, nor did he have to pile up his clothes...

In the afternoon, Park Ji-hoon continued to go to the boxing gym. Although he had used a bit of trickery, he had put in hundreds of percent effort!

Evening and the next day were the same, until he received a call from Li Zhenfan.

To take care of him, Park Min-ya hadn't stepped out of the house for days, except to buy groceries! The one who was most excited about the successful interview was not Park Ji-hoon, but Park Min-ya!

She spent the whole afternoon preparing a sumptuous meal and reminded him not to forget to invite Zhao Daxi.

Having such a sister, what more could he want?

Boxing, movies, and his sister—this was now his entire life.

...

The movie production was really urgent, and on the third day, he went directly to the set.

Zhao Daxi originally wanted to send him off, but the company had some business, so he had to go alone by bus.

Although he left early, due to his unfamiliarity with the bus routes and the terrain, he was still a few minutes late.

"Sorry, sorry..." Without any explanation, he bowed and apologized to all the main staff on the scene, including a little girl around ten years old who had been waiting.

"Senior, you... you!" The little girl was clearly startled by his politeness and hurriedly bowed in return, stuttering a greeting.

Seeing him alone, without a car, agent, assistant, or stylist, Li Zhenfan's eyes flashed with understanding. He didn't blame him but instead introduced him to the other actors.

"This is the Thai actor Tanawat Wangtrakul."

"This is the female lead you will be acting opposite, Kim Sae-ron, hehe..."

"This is Kim Hee-won."

Park Ji-hoon bowed to each of them, being very polite. Although he wasn't naturally this formal, he was very clear about his current situation, and politeness was the only thing he could easily do.

What surprised Li Zhenfan was that Park Ji-hoon could easily converse in English with Tanawat Wangtrakul, which made him nod in approval.

Although he might not need to use English, having an additional skill would always be valued.

On the first day, they just got to know each other, read through the lines, and tried out the camera, so there wasn't much work.

Before wrapping up, Park Ji-hoon found Li Zhenfan.

"Any difficulties?" Li Zhenfan asked proactively.

"Um." Park Ji-hoon responded softly, saying, "Director, I promise to do my best. However, I can't participate in the group stay, and I need to find various jobs... I'm sorry, I hope the director can approve it." He didn't want to waste such an opportunity, nor was he being greedy, but reality forced him.

Li Zhenfan frowned and then sighed, asking, "Your life isn't that hard, is it?" Although he had always played supporting roles, his "luck" had made him more famous than some leads.

"My contract with the company has expired, and I don't have plans to join another company for now," Park Ji-hoon explained. "And, before this, I just bought a house."

"Why not join another company?" Li Zhenfan asked, frowning.

"I want to fight on my own!" Park Ji-hoon said after a moment of silence. S.M. Entertainment's influence in the film industry was much weaker than in the music industry. If he spoke up, many companies would recruit him. However, with his "ambition" ignited, how could he be content with being a simple artist? Besides, he had already wasted a lot of his youth and now wanted to go all out.

Li Zhenfan was taken aback, seeing something familiar in him.

Who hasn't been passionate? Especially a director who aspired to make "real buddy movies"?

"Alright!" After a moment of hesitation, Li Zhenfan nodded and said, "But I'll tell you in advance, the movie will be released next summer, so the filming will be very tough!"

Park Ji-hoon didn't expect it to be this urgent, gritted his teeth, and said, "I understand, thank you, director!"

"Don't let me down!" Li Zhenfan said with a hint of admiration. He hadn't expected to misjudge his character, which was so different from his gentle appearance.

"Definitely not!" Park Ji-hoon said seriously.

Li Zhenfan, however, detected a hint of arrogance in his seriousness and was taken aback again before saying, "Alright!"

Park Ji-hoon thanked him again and then turned to leave.

Good things come in pairs!

That evening, he received calls from two friends, inviting him to appear on two popular shows, one of which was a regular guest. Although there wasn't much income, being able to appear was the best reward.

Don't think he hadn't gone out much these days; he had been busy practicing boxing to avoid being exposed. In fact, he had been calling familiar and unfamiliar friends for help.

Fortunately, he had good relationships.

It seemed like he was back to his school days, living a monotonous yet fulfilling life between the set, home, and the boxing gym.

Park Min-ya took care of him while preparing for her upcoming interview.

...

On December 21st, after an all-night shoot, Park Ji-hoon didn't rest but sat in front of the computer, hesitating about something.

Yesterday was Girls' Generation's first concert!

To watch or not to watch?

He wasn't interested in the concert itself but in a certain person, and there would definitely be videos uploaded by audience members online.

While he was hesitating, the door was gently pushed open.

"I knew Bro wouldn't be sleeping." Park Min-ya walked in and saw Park Ji-hoon sitting in front of the computer, saying softly. Her brows were furrowed with concern and a hint of dissatisfaction.

"Hehe..." Park Ji-hoon smiled awkwardly.

"Bro, you're mistaken!" Park Min-ya said softly as she came to him.