Chapter 12

11. Daily Life

The crops that grew from the rainbow seeds were sold at prices that exceeded imagination. Thanks to this, although greed arose, I could buy the seedlings and garden decorations I had given up on with tears in my eyes.

I planted magical trees that could not be seen in reality, such as the chocolate cherry tree, the round bread tree, the ice crystal tree, and the ribbon tree. In addition, I planted familiar trees like oranges, limes, lemons, olives, walnuts, and bananas. Since the climate and soil didn't matter in the garden, I planted freely.

The garden decorations came in a wide variety, so it took a while to choose. I selected a tea wine fountain, a floating staircase, and a cotton candy rainbow. The cotton candy rainbow, which could be eaten and would regenerate the next day, was very expensive, but I could buy it without hesitation. There was a note saying that visitors loved it, so I secretly hoped that new visitors would come.

"Taesoo, now we can expand the cabin."

"I saw the message too. We need to choose between a basement and a second floor, right?"

"Yeah! We can only choose one."

"Which one should we choose?"

To properly use the alchemy technology, a workshop was necessary. Although I currently stored all the materials in the warehouse, each herb had a specific storage method, and I needed dedicated storage cabinets and drying racks.

The problem was that Taesoo had to shoot a movie soon. Taesoo was an actor who practiced a lot. Once he got a role, he would isolate himself in a practice room until the shooting started. If we chose the second floor and set it up as a practice room, he could practice freely.

"Xi, can we make a studio on the second floor?"

"Studio?"

"Yeah, a place to monitor acting practice videos or record music and singing."

"Taesoo, I don't really understand what you mean by a studio. Is it different from a stage?"

"Stage?"

"Yeah. A stage is where you sing and act."

"Right."

Xi took Taesoo to the store and pointed to a recipe.

What Xi pointed to was a small performance venue that could be installed in the garden. It consisted of a small stage about a meter high and two tables. It had lighting and sound, so it seemed suitable for small performances. Since it was only for Taesoo, this was enough.

"Wow! Xi, I really like this."

"Taesoo, do you like it? Are you happy?"

"Very much. Thank you so much."

"Sure. Was it helpful, Xi?"

"Xi is always helpful."

It wasn't just empty words. Thanks to the performance venue Xi suggested, I could confidently set up the basement as a workshop. With a stage, I could practice freely.

"Meow."

"Ha. Thanks to you too."

Taesan, who hadn't been to the garden in a while, seemed interested in the many changes and was poking around everywhere. This made Xi busy, as he had to take care of Taesan. Initially, Taesan seemed wary of Xi, but he soon followed Xi, who was twinkling and flying around, finding him likable.

"Taesoo, Taesan is hungry."

"Huh? He just had milk. Is he already hungry?"

"Taesan is ready for solid food. Milk alone isn't enough."

"Already? Tigers usually nurse for about six months."

"Taesoo, Taesan isn't an ordinary tiger. He's an incredibly beautiful tiger."

"Oh, right. He is beautiful."

I didn't understand how being beautiful and starting solid food early were related, but it was good news that Taesan was growing normally.

There was nothing in the garden that Taesan could eat. Since tigers are carnivores, I couldn't feed him fruits or bread, so I bought meat from the store. After grinding the meat and putting it in a small bowl, Taesan, who initially just stared, soon finished the whole bowl.

"Meow."

"Hee. Taesan says it's delicious."

"Xi, can you understand what Taesan is saying?"

"Yeah. Can't you, Taesoo?"

"Yeah. I can't understand Taesan."

"Sure. Then I'll tell you."

"Thanks."

Maybe because Xi was a fairy, he seemed to understand what Taesan was saying. I was a bit envious.

*

Dinner plans were set. Two actors, Jeong Hanseon and Kim Yoonseon, wanted to meet Taesoo and suggested having dinner together through the manager. There was no reason to refuse, so I immediately agreed and got ready to go. Both were actors with over twenty years of experience. Before the regression, there was no connection between them and Taesoo, but now they were meeting.

Jeong Hanseon was a middle-aged actor who mainly played supporting roles, while Kim Yoonseon was an actor who mainly played lead roles. Before the regression, they were both known as acting powerhouse actors, but they had slightly different tendencies from Taesoo. Unlike Taesoo, who clearly considered commercial value, these two, especially Kim Yoonseon, would choose roles based on the script alone.

Taesoo and these two had a significant age gap and different preferences in choosing roles, so they had never been in the same production. However, I had watched almost all the movies they starred in. When Jeong Hanseon's independent film was shown in theaters, I secretly went to see it.

"What to do with Taesan. This is a problem."

Taewoo went skiing with friends. Do Yeon from the laundry shop and a few others were going to Gangwon-do for a trip. He had never suggested going on a trip before. He only started traveling after entering college and getting a girlfriend.

It was a small change, but it was more welcome compared to his past behavior. I bought him new clothes and gave him a generous allowance, but now I had an appointment.

"There's nothing I can do."

Taesoo left the house an hour before the appointment. He put Taesan in a large cage and packed gifts like chocolate cherries, Taesan's solid food, and toys, then took a taxi. Since he couldn't bring Taesan to the dinner, he planned to leave him at the office temporarily.

"Oh my. So cute."

"What can we do? Can we take pictures?"

"Cute."

When Taesoo brought Taesan to the office, everyone gathered. People who had initially looked at him strangely for carrying a large bag now offered to help carry it.

"Actor Taesoo?"

It was Team Leader Woo. Behind him were Manager Kim and Director Kim, whom he had seen at the audition. They seemed to have come out of the meeting room because of the commotion.

"Sorry."

"No, it's fine. What's the matter? Shouldn't you be resting?"

"Well, I have a dinner appointment with seniors Kim Yoonseon and Jeong Hanseon tonight, but I have no one to take care of this little one."

"Really?"

"He's still too young to be left alone. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause a disturbance, but I couldn't reach my manager."

"Ah. A baby."

Team Leader Woo pushed the others aside and led Taesoo into the meeting room. The meeting seemed to be over. When Taesoo put down his things, Director Kim and Manager Kim quickly approached.

"Meow."

"Wow."

Taesan, wary of the unfamiliar place, soon started crying and scratching to be let down. Taesoo had no choice but to put Taesan on the floor. The attention of Team Leader Woo, Director Kim, Manager Kim, and a new employee all focused on Taesan.

"Do you know where Manager Kim Geonwoo is?"

"Manager Geonwoo is at an external meeting. He won't be back for a few hours."

"Oh."

"Hmm. Since you're in a bind, I'll take care of it."

I was worried that it would be a problem since I couldn't reach Manager Kim Geonwoo, but fortunately, Team Leader Woo offered to take care of Taesan. Taesoo quickly handed over the box of chocolate cherries he had brought as a gift.

"Wait. This is strange."

"What?"

"Why are you receiving a gift just for taking care of a cat?"

"You're right. It's not right for Team Leader Woo to receive a gift."

Everyone around pressured Team Leader Woo. Taesoo was confused by the situation. The chocolate cherries that Geonwoo had brought caused a huge stir in the office. Taesoo didn't know, but after tasting the chocolate cherries, the office staff had grilled Geonwoo to find out who the seller was.

It was only natural that they wouldn't let Team Leader Woo, who was playing with the adorable and cute cat, off the hook.

"Um. Is your time okay, Actor Taesoo?"

"Ah! I should go to the appointment now. Please take good care of Taesan."

After Taesoo left, a quiet agreement was made in the meeting room. The four of them decided to share the chocolate cherries.

*

The restaurant for the appointment was an Italian restaurant, probably considering Taesoo's young age. It was a famous place for wood-fired pizzas, and Taesoo had heard of it before.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Taesoo."

"Welcome. Thanks for coming in the cold."

Kim Yoonseon and Jeong Hanseon were already at the appointment place.

"Hehehe."

"What?"

"It's just funny. Taesoo, can I call you by your first name?"

"Yes, senior. Please call me by my first name."

"Taesoo, do you know how awkward it was for us two before you arrived? Two middle-aged men sitting in a pasta restaurant, what could we talk about? Everyone around us was on a date."

"Right. It was awkward. We'd never go to a place like this. We'd only go to sushi or meat restaurants."

"Next time, invite us to a more casual place. I prefer those places too."

After a round of laughter, sharp gazes fell on Taesoo. Jeong Hanseon, with a serious face, started scrutinizing Taesoo.

"Tsk. This guy ruins the naturalness."

"Huh?"

"What are you saying in front of people? Can't you explain properly?"

Jeong Hanseon, who seemed to have something he didn't like, was scolded by Kim Yoonseon.

"Look at his face. Does a poor aspiring singer fit this face? He could build a building just by selling fish cakes. If he just smiles gently, a dozen people would buy him meals and coffee."

"Is that what you mean?"

"Exactly. Not casting this face would be stupid."

"So why not use him?"

"Are you crazy? Of course, we should use him."

Taesoo, who was criticized for being too handsome, had experienced this before. In the early days of his debut, he had been criticized for his looks overshadowing his acting skills.

"Does it bother you?"

"No, it's fine. I've heard this a lot before."

"Huh? Didn't you say you had no experience?"

"Ha ha ha."

"Where did you hear it? Actors have always been undervalued because of their looks. Whether they're handsome or not, they ultimately have to act well to survive."

"Right. Still, being handsome is better than being ugly. If you're handsome and get cut, it's better than being ugly and getting cut. You can't even speak up when you're ugly."

Jeong Hanseon was a cheerful person. His on-screen personality matched his real life. He must have been filming naturally, as he always talked about "real-life acting."

"Oh, you just light up the place when you smile."

"Hehe."

"Just keep smiling. But can you sing ballads?"

"Huh? Ballads?"

"Yeah, you only sang pop songs in your profile and audition. Can you sing ballads?"

"Yes. I've sung a lot of ballads."

After a light conversation about movies, they parted ways. Since they were from the same agency, it wasn't hard to coordinate schedules. Taesoo, who hadn't even debuted yet, found it even easier. He returned to the company with the script Jeong Hanseon had given him.

*

When he arrived at the office, it was almost nine. He had enjoyed talking with the two senior actors and hadn't realized how late it was. Taesoo quickly walked into the office.

"Taesan?"

Thinking Taesan would be in the meeting room, he found him in the office where the staff were working. People were gathered on one side, each holding their phones and filming Taesan.

Taesan was rolling around on a soft cushion. There were new cat toys around him, and his belly was bulging, probably from the solid food Team Leader Woo had given him.

"Team Leader Woo?"

"Ahem. Actor Taesoo. Did you have a good meal?"

"Yes, it was good. Thank you for taking care of Taesan until this late."

"No, it's nothing. Wait a moment. I'll take you home."

"It's fine, I can take a taxi."

"A taxi? How will you handle Taesan? It's late, so I'll drive you."

Seeing the look that said "no arguments," Taesoo agreed. It seemed Taesan had made fans even here. Unaware of it, Taesan wrapped himself around Taesoo's leg with a cute expression.

On the way back in the car.

"The movie won't start shooting until at least June. There are many outdoor scenes, and Actor Jeong Hanseon hasn't finished his current project. It's February now, so look at auditions for projects you can join before then. Discuss with Manager Kim Geonwoo."

"Understood."

"I'll also remind Manager Kim Geonwoo to take care of your health. It's a recovery period, so don't go out."

"I've fully recovered."

"What did you say?"

Seeing the raised eyebrows, Taesoo quickly backed down. After obediently agreeing, Team Leader Woo's face returned to a calm expression.

"Ahem. If you have anything to entrust Taesan with, don't hesitate to ask. Helping the actor is our duty as staff."

"Really? Thank you."

Although taking care of a pet was clearly not part of the job, it seemed to be a kind offer because they liked Taesan. There was no need to nitpick a well-intentioned offer.

The people at Triz were gradually becoming more likable. Although I hadn't known them for long, they were kinder and more considerate than expected. I was eager to meet the other members of the new actor team.