Chapter 5

13 Years Later (2)

PD Yoo Jong-won lowered his gaze from the tablet.

Seo Eun-young, the writer, asked as if she had been waiting for it.

"How is it?"

It seems like he can tell how it feels, but...

He looks at the man on the screen again.

Eyes of a moderate size without double eyelids, a well-formed nose that isn't too long. It's not the pretty-boy style preferred in daily dramas, but he definitely has the look of an actor.

His appearance, which could be described as "perfect transformation" in the comment below, was decent and hard to disagree with.

"Do you know why he disappeared from the film industry?"

"There's no way I wouldn't know."

"Exactly. There's no way I wouldn't know, so why this guy? Ah, of course, I can guess why. Especially since his first greeting was so heartfelt, it seemed to fit the character of An Juyeon that Writer Seo wants."

In the drama, An Juyeon is a naive girl. She works part-time jobs, smiling optimistically despite her family's worried looks and nagging.

But inside, she harbors a burning desire to become an actor.

That must have been what drew Writer Seo Eun-young to Baek Seung-kyul.

PD Yoo Jong-won scratched his nose and leaned in.

"But, this isn't acting."

"So, I thought we should give him a try."

"He's been busy working as a delivery man. What could have changed?"

"That's true, but..."

He's hooked.

Seeing the disappointed Writer Seo Eun-young, PD Yoo Jong-won diagnosed her.

It's quite common for writers or PDs to get hooked on certain actors, shooting locations, or lines.

And there's no cure for it, so if you ignore it, it will leave a nagging feeling.

Of course, if you firmly oppose it, you can change their mind, but...

'Do I really need to?'

It's not like they're planning to cast him immediately. They just want to bring him in for an audition.

If his acting is uncertain, they can just check it out.

Writer Seo Eun-young is a perfectionist like any other industry professional, so she wouldn't steer the project in a direction that would harm her work.

'But what if his acting isn't as bad as we think?'

His thoughts raced.

Let's see, the YouTube video has... 600,000 views.

The reactions are good. It will likely be titled as a comeback work for Haebi.

If people remember Baek Seung-kyul, who wouldn't be curious? It will definitely generate buzz.

At this point, PD Yoo Jong-won thought it might not be a bad idea from a different perspective than Writer Seo Eun-young.

"Sure, why not. It's not hard to meet him. Do as you wish, Writer Seo. After all, it's not a major role, and it might be better to have someone who can get a news article than a complete newbie."

#

After the shoot, my mundane life began to change.

It started when the video was uploaded to YouTube.

Honestly, I didn't think it was a big deal to appear on a terrestrial entertainment show or to shoot a YouTube video.

But I was wrong. Once the video hit 1 million views, things felt different.

The reactions that were confined to the comment section began to spill over into the real world.

Not many, but people started recognizing me.

One day, while waiting with my truck parked in front of a large company building between Jongno and Myeongdong, employees with ID badges around their necks came over to recognize me.

Some factory workers who already knew my identity were quite enthusiastic.

"Mr. Han, did you appear on a show?"

"One of our young employees told me. Mr. Han, you did an interview on YouTube."

"Mr. Han, are you preparing to become an entertainer again? You're not quitting your delivery job, are you?"

Older people, who are much older than me, were surprisingly adept with their phones. They subscribed, liked the video, and asked when I would appear again.

What is this? How do they do it?

I smiled awkwardly at them.

Then, I turned around and...

laughed more openly, more quietly.

Attention.

The thrill that anyone can become addicted to spread through my veins.

The more I received it, the more I felt a sense of loss. That this attention came from an interview.

So, I looked forward to it. Just once more. Not an interview, but standing in front of the camera to act.

If only I could.

'If I could, I would really...'

Knock, knock.

At that moment, someone knocked on the passenger door. I turned my head. One of the factory uncles was standing there. When I rolled down the window, a small bottle of energy drink fell in.

"Here... drink this on your way..."

"Thank you."

"By the way, you know we were just joking about you becoming an entertainer again, right? You're not upset, are you?"

"What? Of course not. Why would I be upset over a joke?"

"Right? Ha ha. I was worried for nothing. But, your expression just now... it was a bit strange."

What was my expression like?

I was puzzled, but quickly denied it.

I started the engine and drove out of the Jongno alley toward Myeongdong.

The screen of the phone on the dashboard lit up. An unknown number?

Assuming it was a call about a late delivery, I pressed the call button.

"Hello?"

—Hello, this is KNS Broadcasting. Is this Mr. Baek Seung-kyul?

As soon as I heard that, I thought of the KNS Broadcasting building.

No, there's no such place. Not a single one. Then...

"Yes, that's me. But?"

—Hello. The reason I'm calling is to invite you to an audition for a daily drama we're about to start shooting. I heard you don't have an agency at the moment, is that correct?

"I don't have an agency other than the delivery company..."

My answer made the person on the other end laugh.

They continued with the details. What kind of daily drama it was, which PD and writer were involved, and so on.

During this time, I tried to calm my bewildered feelings. Of course, I failed. How could this be real?

Is this for real? It can't be a prank call or a scam, right?

Just then, a message popped up on the call screen. Hyun-tae, my colleague, said, "Wow, KNS Drama Department contacted one of our employees! Do you know his contact information?"

If he says this, it must be real.

—...So, PD and the writer would like to meet Mr. Seung-kyul. What do you think?

In short, they want you to come in for an audition.

My neck tingled. Goosebumps rose, and my hands tightened on the steering wheel.

I quickly turned the wheel and hit the brakes. I couldn't drive while having this conversation.

—Hello?

"I'm sorry, I was driving."

—Oh, should I call back later?

"No, it's fine now."

I took a deep breath. I finally calmed down. Now, I need to think...

Think? Do I need to?

"Sure. That's fine. I'll come."

To prevent any second thoughts, I blurted it out.

I pulled over to the side of the road.

"When and where should I go?"

I put my foot on the accelerator of my life, which had been at a standstill.

#

A few days later, I visited KNS Broadcasting.

I wore the most presentable clothes I had.

How long has it been? Since I was 12, my acting career was completely cut off, so it's been about 13 years.

But the scenery here feels too unfamiliar to indulge in nostalgia. After all, the broadcasting stations I used to visit in Yeouido have long since moved to Sangam-dong.

Saying this makes me sound really old, doesn't it?

I called the assistant writer I had spoken to on the phone, and she soon came down.

We exchanged brief greetings, passed through security, and got on the elevator.

I looked around, wondering if I might see anyone I knew from the past, but it was unlikely. Maybe that's a good thing...

Instead, I could feel subtle gazes on me. Probably because of the YouTube video.

We passed through corridors and offices that resembled ant colonies and entered a meeting room.

At the same time, a man with a gentle appearance stood up from inside.

"Oh, you're here. Hello, I'm PD Yoo Jong-won."

I shook his hand and bowed.

"It's been a while since I've been to a broadcasting station."

"Yes, this is your first time at the Sangam-dong station, right?"

"Right! The last time you came was in Yeouido. Wow, then you've been in the industry longer than Writer Seo, haven't you?"

"That's true. I never even got to see the Yeouido station."

My gaze shifted to the woman who answered.

Writer Seo Eun-young, with whom PD Yoo Jong-won has worked on three projects.

I naturally greeted her as well, and we sat down.

"Usually, we have meetings in the writer's studio, but our writer doesn't have one yet."

"Even if she did, I wouldn't get one. I'm more comfortable here as an office worker."

Muttering, "Then why don't you just work at a company instead of being a writer...," PD Yoo Jong-won shook his head and looked at me with a smile.

The atmosphere was not at all tense. It didn't seem rushed, and they were friendly and kind.

But because of that, I could clearly feel how PD Yoo Jong-won was looking at me.

I don't have high expectations for you.