Chapter 94

94. If it's done, it's history.

KJ Group Chairman Yun Chung-gi's residence.

After winding through the vast interior of the mansion, which seemed like one could easily get lost without a guide, I arrived at a certain door.

As the chairman stopped, the butler unlocked the door and entered the room first.

Click.

The lights in the room turned on.

“Wow!”

The children's mouths dropped open. Filling the spacious room was...

A collection of Hong Gil-dong items that could be recognized at a glance.

It was a comprehensive collection of all kinds of costumes, props, books, and posters related to Hong Gil-dong, almost like a Hong Gil-dong museum.

“Did the chairman collect these?”

In response to Jin-hyuk's question, the chairman shook his head.

“Our youngest son did. He's the one who is two years younger than Se-yeon's mother.”

As Chairman Yun Chung-gi spoke about his son, a pang of sadness hit his nose.

Yoon Jeong-su, the youngest of the KJ Group family, passed away at a young age ten years ago.

He had become a huge fan of Hong Gil-dong after watching the drama as a child, and had collected items to the level of a museum.

Centered around collectibles related to the Hong Gil-dong drama, the collection included movies, animations, books, and toys, all related to Hong Gil-dong.

“Here, this is the original edition of the Hong Gil-dong story, and the complete edition... Here... Ah, here. This is the oldest edition among the copies of the Hong Gil-dong story. It's about 150 years old.”

The Hong Gil-dong story, known as the first Korean novel written by Heo Gyun about 400 years ago, does not have an original copy.

The oldest copy was published around 1850.

“Here are the comic books of the Hong Gil-dong story. The ones from the 50s and 60s are quite rare.”

Chairman Yun Chung-gi, who had little interest in the Hong Gil-dong story, became so knowledgeable about it only because of his love for his son.

“These clothes...”

Lee Young-joon pointed to the clothes neatly displayed on the mannequins on one wall.

“Oh! Those are the costumes worn by the various Hong Gil-dong actors in the KBC drama. Jin-hyuk, you know these clothes well, right?”

One of the costumes Jin-hyuk wore during filming was hanging there.

Jin-hyuk had three sets of costumes, one of which he kept for himself.

“Jin-hyuk has one, the broadcasting station has one, and this is the third one.”

Even after his son's passing, Chairman Yun Chung-gi filled the void as if he were replacing his son, or perhaps being with him.

“I plan to build a small museum in my son's name within the next 2 to 3 years and donate these items.”

Chairman Yun Chung-gi, now in his eighties, was preparing for his own end.

“This mannequin doesn't have any clothes?”

When Min-young asked, the chairman looked disappointed.

“Well... When KBC first filmed the Hong Gil-dong story, they made the first costume. It was made by the intangible cultural asset, Mr. Yoon Nam-su. I just can't find it.”

Jin-hyuk looked at Chairman Yun Chung-gi.

That costume was the one he received from the first Hong Gil-dong actor, Won Sang-ki.

Jin-hyuk couldn't understand why it couldn't be found.

Wouldn't he have asked the actor who wore it?

“My son really tried hard to find it. He went to the broadcasting station, met Won Sang-ki, who played Hong Gil-dong, and even met the prop managers from that time, but he couldn't find it.”

If he met Won Sang-ki and still couldn't find it, there was only one reason: Won Sang-ki was hiding the existence of the costume.

And that was the truth.

Won Sang-ki, who was now in the final stages of his life, had no intention of giving his treasure to anyone. It was a kind of obsessive love.

When the chaebol family came looking for the costume, he firmly denied knowing anything about it.

“My son really wanted to find it, so I searched auctions in China, Japan, America, and Europe. But I couldn't find it. I think it might be lost...”

Yet, leaving a spot for the mannequin was a sign of lingering hope. It was the obsession of a collector.

The desire to fill a gap in the collection by any means necessary, especially when the item is so meaningful.

In Chairman Yun Chung-gi's case, it was more about his obsession with his son.

Jin-hyuk spoke up.

“I have that costume.”

It was a costume that Jin-hyuk was free to dispose of as he pleased.

If it could be passed on to someone meaningful and preserved in a museum for many to enjoy, that would be a good thing.

“Huh?”

The chairman, who didn't fully understand Jin-hyuk's words, looked at him with a puzzled expression.

“After the Hong Gil-dong story ended, the person who had been keeping the costume gave it to me.”

Jin-hyuk didn't mention Won Sang-ki's name to avoid any awkwardness.

“...”

The chairman's eyes widened.

“You have the first Hong Gil-dong costume?”

“Yes.”

“No, that's a replica... Look, we have replicas here. What I'm looking for is the genuine article made by Mr. Yoon Nam-su. Only one was made.”

“Yes, the one I received is the genuine article. I'm sure of it.”

It wouldn't be difficult for the chairman to have an expert verify if it was made by Yoon Nam-su.

But if the young man in front of him was certain, it must be true. The chairman thought so.

The chairman's heart raced. It was a costume his son had been searching for nearly 20 years, and one he had been searching for 10 years.

“How... How did you...?”

Jin-hyuk said to the surprised chairman.

“If you want it, I'll give it to you as a gift.”

If you want it! How could he not want it? It was more than just a desire; it was a lifelong goal.

This was a dinner prepared to show gratitude to Jin-hyuk for appearing on “Challenge, High School Quiz King.”

The gifts he had prepared for Jin-hyuk, in addition to those given to other friends, were still unopened.

But before he could give the gifts, he received an incredible one.

He had to forget about the gifts he planned to give.

What kind of gift could he prepare to repay this?

The chairman's mind was in turmoil.

***

“Now, we will announce the winner of the 2012 KBC Drama Grand Prize, the prestigious acting award. The announcement will be made by last year's winner...”

The actor who received the announcement gave a brief greeting and took a deep breath.

“The winner of the 2012 KBC Drama Grand Prize, the acting award, is...”

– Please...

– Woo Jin-hyuk! Woo Jin-hyuk!

– If Jin-hyuk doesn't win, I won't watch KBC dramas next year.

...

The real-time comment section was scrolling by so fast it was unreadable.

Woo Bong-soo and Kim Sun-hwa, Jin-hyuk's parents, who were attending for the second time this year, held hands tightly again.

The faces of Do Min-woo, Kim Min-young, and Lee Young-joon, sitting next to the couple, were no different from last year when Jin-hyuk won the rookie award.

“Wow. I'm so nervous.”

“Don't worry, you'll get it.”

Do Min-woo reassured the flushed Kim Min-young.

“Congratulations! Mr. Woo Jin-hyuk!”

““Wow!!””

Cheers erupted. Jin-hyuk's parents and friends all stood up.

The comment section also exploded.

“Yes. Congratulations to Mr. Woo Jin-hyuk. After winning the rookie award last year, he has now won the grand prize this year...”

Next to the KBC CEO, who was presenting the award, the drama department head met Jin-hyuk's eyes.

Drama Department Head Lee Sang-soo, who had played a significant role in this award.

‘Isn't he too young?’

‘No, what does age have to do with it? We should evaluate his qualifications as an actor, not his age.’

He was the one who quelled the opposition from internal executives.

‘He's working with TVC for his next project, right?’

‘Come on. Can an actor only work with one broadcasting station? Is Jin-hyuk not going to do dramas with us again? Let's talk about his performance this year, not other things.’

After shaking hands with the CEO, Jin-hyuk bowed to Drama Department Head Lee Sang-soo in gratitude.

Lee Sang-soo sent a deep look, hoping to work with Jin-hyuk again.

Jin-hyuk stood in front of the microphone.

“I am honored to receive such a significant award, which I never imagined. There are many people to thank. First...”

And so,

people witnessed the birth of the youngest-ever grand prize winner in history, at the age of 18 years and 7 months.

Actor Woo Jin-hyuk was now

creating a new history in the Korean entertainment industry with every step.

***

“Wow. How long has it been since we saw the KBC Grand Prize trophy?”

WP Entertainment's Lee Kwang-soo, the team leader, held the grand prize trophy with a moved expression, examining it from all angles before passing it to the team members.

The team members each touched the trophy.

Lee Kwang-soo's face was filled with a satisfied smile. He asked Jin-hyuk.

“Jin-hyuk, have you thought about appearing on ‘Born as a Man’?”

A real military experience variety show.

In the past, it was a show he would never have appeared on. The words "military" and "variety" didn't go together for Jin-hyuk.

It wasn't that he had any trauma from his mercenary life.

As someone who deeply understood the purpose of the military, he found it emotionally difficult to turn it into entertainment for people.

But. After starting a new life for two and a half years,

perhaps it was time to accept it like everyone else.

Perhaps this variety show appearance would be another hurdle for Jin-hyuk to overcome in his new, ordinary life. That's how it felt.

“I'll give it a try.”

“Really?!”

“Yes.”

“Good, you made the right decision! Your popularity is beyond question, but since you've chosen a cable channel, it's best to do all the promotion you can. It's a running guarantee contract, after all.”

While his basic drama appearance fee was already at the highest level, this contract included a running guarantee, where additional fees would be paid based on ratings.

This was why Lee Kwang-soo was even more pleased with Jin-hyuk's decision.

The new MBS variety show “Born as a Man,” which guaranteed promotion for Jin-hyuk's cable drama.

A variety show where participants would experience real military life for a week, with very intense training promised.

The concept involved visiting different bases, with a team of six regular cast members and 1-2 guest members changing weekly.

Jin-hyuk would be the first and sole guest.

MBS's variety department had high hopes for Jin-hyuk's box office power, which had boosted the ratings of KBC's “Challenge, High School Quiz King” from 3% to 15%.

January 2, 2013.

The enthusiastic start of MBS's new variety show at the beginning of the new year.

The first meeting of the cast for the real military experience program “Born as a Man.”

“Wow. Thinking about going back to the military after so long, I'm getting excited. It's been a while since my reserve duty ended.”

A 30-something actor who would be appearing on the show with Jin-hyuk said excitedly.

“But, from what I hear, the military these days isn't really a military. Back in our day...”

A junior singer sitting next to him asked.

“Which division were you in, senior?”

“368th Division.”

The junior singer, who was a veteran, said with a knowing look.

“Oh, that's a reserve division. You had a sweet gig.”

“Hey, do you know how tough a reserve division can be? We had to do all the training and prepare for reserve duty.”

The typical response from a reserve division veteran, to which the junior singer replied excitedly.

“Oh, reserve division veterans always say that. If you had been in a regular division, you would have realized how sweet a reserve division is.”

“Hey, where were you then?”

“I was in the 426th Mechanized Division. A real man should ride a huge tank and kick up some dust. That's what the military is all about.”

When veterans gather, no matter what topic they start with, it always ends up being about the military.

Especially since they were about to appear on a military-themed variety show, it would be strange if they didn't get into it.

A senior comedian, Jang Su-yong, who was listening to their conversation, said.

“Man, 426th Mechanized Division is still a rear unit. Veterans who had it easy are talking tough. ‘I won't be able to live if I don't come back’—don't you know that?”

A military saying expressing the toughness of the front-line units in Inje, Gangwon-do.

“Still, you have to experience GOP duty to feel like you really did the military.”

GOP (General Outpost) duty, which involves guarding the front line of the Demilitarized Zone.

Jang Su-yong's shoulders straightened.

“You had a tough time.”

To Jang Su-yong's boast about his GOP duty, a veteran actor, Oh Young-pil, with a rugged appearance, smiled kindly and said.

Jang Su-yong waved his hand.

“Tough? What do you mean? You just do what you have to do. Where did you do your military service, senior?”

The comedian asked excitedly. Oh Young-pil answered in his characteristic slow manner.

“Me? I did it in the rear.”

“Wow, you had it easy. Where in the rear?”

“Chungcheongbuk-do.”

Jang Su-yong, recalling, said.

“Chungcheongbuk-do? That's the 337th Division?”

“No, the 313th Airborne Special Forces Brigade.”

Actor Oh Young-pil smiled. Everyone's eyes widened. The appearance of the Army's elite force, the Special Forces and Airborne Brigade.

“Oh!”

“No, you were in the Special Forces?”

“Yeah, it just happened that way.”

Though he spoke nonchalantly, the pride of the black beret was deeply etched in his eyes.

As if looking down on the ground from a parachute, his calm gaze at the other cast members.

In front of the Special Forces, the cast members who had been boasting about their tough units fell silent.

“Hey, our senior Oh Young-pil was a paratrooper. Ha ha!”

Jang Su-yong burst into an awkward laugh and put his arm around Jin-hyuk's shoulder.

“Our junior Jin-hyuk doesn't know much about the Airborne Brigade, right? It's the unit you see on TV, jumping out of planes. It's a really tough unit. Parachuting might look easy, but it's not something just anyone can do.”

Parachuting.

Jin-hyuk hadn't done it in a while. The last time was during a mission right before his regression, about two and a half years ago.

“Is Jin-hyuk the only one who hasn't served in the military among the cast?”

“That's what I understand.”

Jin-hyuk nodded, and Jang Su-yong patted his shoulder.

“Don't worry, Jin-hyuk. You're not really joining the military, just a week-long experience. If you follow us, there's nothing to worry about. Ha ha!”

Jang Su-yong laughed heartily.

The other cast members, who had been silent for a moment due to the appearance of the Special Forces, also spoke to Jin-hyuk.

“Yeah, yeah. It might be a bit scary before you go, but actually, the military...”

Feeling sorry for Jin-hyuk, who hadn't served, they began to explain military life to him as best they could.