Chapter 10

9. Manager

The manager was not a talkative person. Like his sturdy appearance, he sat quietly and listened intently.

"So, you're saying that you need to be hospitalized for a bone marrow transplant for your half-brother, and it will be for three days starting tomorrow?"

"Yes, and after that, there will be about two weeks of recovery. During the recovery period, I can live normally as long as I don't do strenuous exercise."

"Phew. I'm glad you told me the truth, but it's a bit of a surprise that your first schedule as an actor involves hospitalization."

"It's not like I'm being hospitalized for something bad. Besides, it's only for three days."

Taeju himself felt a bit awkward. It was his first time discussing work, and bringing up his half-brother felt a bit embarrassing. He knew it would be uncomfortable for others to get involved in his family matters, but he couldn't help it. He didn't want to hide anything, as they might be working together for several years.

He then mentioned that his parents were currently going through a divorce and that he was living with his younger brother. He also talked about how the university registration deadline was almost over and that he had no intention of enrolling.

"Y University is indeed a good school, both for undergraduate and graduate studies. Isn't it a waste?"

"Not really. I probably wouldn't attend properly even if I enrolled."

"I see. Then, let's schedule all the profile reshoots and acting lessons after you are discharged. Is there anything you need?"

"Hmm. Could you get me some scripts? Both from already aired dramas and movies are fine; I'll use them for practice."

Ji-woo, who agreed, carefully asked Taeju about the hospital he would be admitted to and the contact information of his attending physician. Taeju filled out the questionnaire Ji-woo gave him honestly. After completing several pages, he handed them over to Ji-woo.

"You have quite a few talents. I didn't see these in your previous profile: violin, horseback riding, fencing, piano, saxophone, flute, Chinese, Japanese, and English. Can you really do all of these?"

"Yes, I can. I omitted them from the profile because I couldn't prove them, but since we're making a new one, we can select the ones I'm good at and shoot them."

"Horseback riding and fencing, along with various musical instruments, are indeed competitive talents."

He had often done horseback riding before the regression because it was frequently used in filming. He occasionally did fencing but never forgot the basics. He had also learned some things at the action school, but his current body wasn't well-trained, so he didn't list them.

"I see that you don't want to play a chef. Chef roles aren't very common, but they are generally preferred. Why don't you like them?"

"They're the worst."

"Excuse me?"

"My cooking skills are really the worst. Even for filming, it feels wasteful to ruin ingredients, and I feel bad for the farmers."

"Excuse me?"

He noticed the change in the way he was being looked at, but it was truly his honest feeling. If he were to play a chef, he would definitely ruin a lot of ingredients during practice. Recently, he had been doing something like farming in the garden, so the idea of wasting so many ingredients for cooking was very painful.

"I understand. Fortunately, there aren't many works that focus on cooking, so it shouldn't be a problem."

They also discussed various other topics, such as food and items he was allergic to, his relationships in middle and high school, and his academic performance. Finally, Taeju mentioned that he appeared in a video with Taesan. It wasn't a big issue, but he mentioned it because he wasn't familiar with Triz's policies yet.

Previously, he had established himself as a method actor. He never appeared on variety shows and rarely did cameos. He often struggled with his ability to select works, and many people tried to use his popularity, so he mostly refused them.

He didn't do many commercials either. At most, he shot two or three a year, and one of them was a public service ad. He often refused commercial shoots, which caused his manager, Yun-seok, to be quite troubled at the company.

There were many discussions about overseas expansion, but Taeju generally didn't welcome it. He hadn't even won a Best Actor award at Korean film festivals, and he didn't like the stereotypical Asian roles offered.

He had received many modeling offers due to his excellent physical condition but never walked the runway. He had sung for drama OSTs, but only in the studio for promotional purposes, not on air.

"Ah! Now that I think about it, Yun-seok must have had a really hard time. I almost refused everything except movies and dramas. He must have been really troubled."

Taeju was curious about how Triz would manage him. His previous company didn't interfere much with him, as he had a smooth career from debut without major issues. Yun-seok had managed well, and since he and another leading actor were the main breadwinners for the company, they often sided with Taeju.

"That video, I've seen it too. It doesn't seem to be a big problem, but please be more careful with editing in the future."

"Editing? My brother is doing it now, but is it not good?"

"Um, that's not what I mean. Please make sure that scenes or information that can reveal your address are not exposed. Things like buildings visible through the window or the address on food delivery boxes. Fans can often figure out where you live from such small details."

"Oh! That makes sense. I often order chicken, so I'll tell him to be careful not to show it."

"Chicken... Yes, please be careful about that."

*

Kim Ji-woo dropped off the actor he was assigned to, Lee Taeju, at his home and returned to the company. When he first saw Taeju in the audition video, he felt that Taeju had a noble image and seemed a bit difficult. However, in person, he was quite different. He looked smart but somehow seemed a bit sloppy. Still, he seemed talented and enthusiastic for his age.

"His acting is already top-notch. I wonder how he is in other aspects. We'll have to have a meeting with the coordinator and the planning team after he is discharged."

In fact, this audition was a gamble for Triz. Until now, they only recruited established actors. They would only bring in actors who had been active for years and whose acting skills were recognized after thorough verification. They also checked the actors' reputations and personalities.

The creation of the rookie actor team was actually a simple matter. During a drinking session with representatives from other production companies, one representative criticized Triz for being selfish and only caring about money because they didn't nurture new talent. The representative, who valued actors as individual artists, was reluctant to sign contracts easily. The contracts he had signed so far reflected his preference for actors who were dedicated to their craft over profit, which resulted in the exclusion of all rookies. There was no way to refute the rumor in the industry that Triz didn't accept rookies.

The company also pointed out the lack of rookie actors as a problem. The youngest actor under contract was forty-one. It was clearly an issue. Some of the older actors, who were interested in nurturing the next generation, often criticized the company's policies.

"Thanks to this, some people got a chance. Maybe it's a good thing in the end."

The rookie actor team consists of General Manager Woo Won-hee, stylist Lee Mi-na, road manager Choi Hyung-sik, and himself. Except for Choi Hyung-sik, who is learning by following other actors' schedules, all the others are experienced. With the rumor that the representative is grinding his teeth, the support will likely be as strong as for mid-level actors.

"Whatever I want to do, I have to wait until he is discharged and see his condition. I'll probably get a lecture from Manager Woo."

Thinking about his slightly naive actor, he went to report to Manager Woo.

*

Taeju was lying on the hospital bed. He was going to donate bone marrow through a method called "peripheral blood stem cell transplantation." The stem cells would be collected over two sessions over three days and then transplanted. He had already completed the first collection in the morning and was now resting with a slightly elevated temperature.

"Manager, you can work at the company. I don't plan to go anywhere."

"No, I'll stay until you are discharged."

Taeju had explained that it was just a matter of blood transfusions, so Ji-woo had thought it was a light procedure. However, when he saw Taeju return with a pale face after the first collection, he was furious.

He should have noticed when Taeju said he had decided to donate without telling his brother. There was no one to take care of Taeju in the hospital. Taeju said he refused help because he was uncomfortable, but Ji-woo wanted to grab him by the collar and ask what he was thinking to spend three days alone.

When Taeju returned to the room in a wheelchair due to anemia, Ji-woo was so shocked that he felt he could have grabbed him by the collar. It was even more frustrating to see Taeju cheerfully mention that there was no one to take care of him.

"In the fridge, there are strawberries. Let's eat them together. Yes, those."

Taeju pointed to strawberries larger than two adult fists. After washing and handing over the individually packaged strawberries, Taeju happily ate them.

"These are really delicious. They're super strawberries. Have some."

Feeling Taeju was watching him, Ji-woo had no choice but to eat the strawberries. They were indeed sweet and delicious, and he could feel his stiff expression soften. Taeju must have known this would happen.

"Delicious, right? Hehe. Manager, I'm really healthy. I had a health check before the transplant. You don't need to worry."

"How can I not worry? You don't even have a caregiver."

"Come on, I'm not sick. I'll be fine after a good sleep."

Ji-woo felt like hitting his actor, who still didn't understand the situation. Seeing that he didn't consider how others would worry, Ji-woo had a feeling that such situations would happen often.

People who are used to making and handling all their decisions often act like this. They don't think about others who might worry about them. Or they know but ignore it and do as they please. Such people need to be constantly reminded to consider their surroundings. Taeju might be one of these people.

"Rest."

"By any chance, do you have any scripts?"

"Your fever hasn't gone down yet. I'll give you the scripts when your temperature returns to normal."

"Okay."

Feeling a bit relieved by Taeju's disappointed but obedient response, Ji-woo checked his emails. Taeju had already fallen asleep, still looking pale. He was supposed to have another collection tomorrow afternoon, and seeing his face, Ji-woo wanted to stop it, though he knew it was impossible.

*

Vroom.

Seeing the car leave, he finally felt at ease. He had been watching Taeju closely, feeling like a newly enlisted private. When Taeju tried to go for a walk, feeling a bit stiff, and was caught and made to lie down, he was really surprised. The grip was so strong that he couldn't resist and had to lie down obediently.

It wasn't easy to send the manager away when he offered to take Taeju home. After promising several times to rest properly, he finally managed to send him away.

"Wow, Manager Woo and Manager are tough. I bet the stylist will be the same."

It seemed challenging to work with these people. Thinking about how they managed Nam Ji-hyuk for years, it was clear they had incredible management skills. Seeing how Nam Ji-hyuk's career declined shortly after ending his contract with Triz, it was evident.

"Whether it's good or bad, only time will tell, but they are definitely stricter than Yun-seok."

Taeju was both excited and a bit worried about his new life at Triz. He wanted to take a more relaxed approach to his acting career this time, but he wasn't sure if it would work out.