Chapter 16

15. Triz's Actors

"Manager, I need to thank Jinho senior. Should I visit him once?"

"I heard that the shooting has picked up speed lately, so he has some free time. I'll contact him first and let you know."

"When will the scenes we shot yesterday be aired?"

"Next Saturday."

"That's good, with a week's interval."

In the past, when I appeared in a miniseries, the writer ran out of steam. Whether it was due to a lack of ideas or physical exhaustion, he didn't finish the script, and we had to shoot in real-time. Fortunately, the ratings were good, but after that, I never worked with that writer again.

Fortunately, it seems that the script for the weekend drama that Jinho senior is shooting isn't falling behind. Even though they say it's a week's interval, they must have shot more than that. From the personalities of Director Oh Dongdon and the assistant director, it's clear they must have prepared extra footage.

"Did you see the music video that was released last night?"

"Yes, even though Taesan had a small part, he was mentioned quite a bit in the comments."

"Right. Taesan is definitely the real deal. My younger brother captured only Taesan's part. He used to be a TB fan, but now he's a passionate Taesan fan, subscribing to his channel and setting up notifications. Of course, I'm subscribed too. I think most of our company's people are subscribers to Taesan's channel."

'Ah! We're talking about Taesan again. Our manager is kind of cute when he's like this.'

It seems that Taesan has quite a few followers now. Usually, pet owners can't be objective about their pets, thinking they are the cutest in the world, but with everyone around saying how cute he is, it seems like he's wearing rose-tinted glasses. His shoulders seem to be rising a bit too.

He couldn't even remember the view counts of his own videos, but he could immediately answer about Taesan's channel subscribers and video views. He was holding back his words, not wanting to sound like a proud parent, but in fact, he wanted to chime in and join the conversation.

But he was holding back the words that had risen to his throat, knowing that once he started boasting, there would be no end to it.

'Hold on. Once is twice, and twice is thrice. If I start boasting about Taesan, I'll probably ruin the company's image and everything else.'

*

After hearing the manager's story, Jinho said he had time on the weekend and immediately set up a meeting. The meeting place was Jinho's house. Taeju politely said he would see him then.

When Taeju told Taewoo about appearing in BJ Makmeokgun's food broadcast, Taewoo was quite surprised. Although BJ Makmeokgun isn't in the top tier of BJs, he is well-regarded for his informative food broadcasts, unlike other BJs who show overly stimulating content. He covers topics like gourmet restaurants, dining etiquette by country, and seasonal foods, and Taewoo watches him regularly.

"Brother, his real name is Lee Chan-sung."

"Oh. When is he going to appear?"

"I'm not sure, but after the company checks the edited version, he'll probably post it. Since the theme was a tonic, it might take a while to post."

"Should we do a food broadcast with Taesan too?"

"We already posted videos of him drinking milk and eating baby food."

"Aww, that's a shame."

Maybe I should invite him to my house sometime. I think it would be fun to do a food broadcast with the fruits from my garden.

"Brother, I'm going to start a channel with Yeonwoo. A cooking channel and a craft channel."

"Even though Taesan already has a channel, you're making another one?"

"Yeonwoo is having a hard time finding a part-time job, so I thought maybe we could try it."

"You can find a job after getting a certificate. Why are you rushing?"

Taeju had mentioned that he would support Yeonwoo in her cooking studies, but she refused, saying she had already received too much help. She said she would earn her own living and was looking for a part-time job while attending a cooking school, but it didn't seem easy. At 17, she probably wasn't getting proper treatment.

"I want to film Yeonwoo's process of preparing for the chef's exam. I'll film making miniature furniture and pop-up books. We agreed to film each other."

"If you want to do it, go for it. If you need equipment, just let me know, and I'll buy it for you."

"Thanks, brother. We actually needed another PC."

Fortunately, the stock price had risen a lot in two months. In fact, it was really lucky that Taeju knew about the rising stock at this time. He was working part-time, and a colleague suddenly quit, leaving all the work to Taeju.

According to rumors, the colleague had made a fortune from the stock and quit. Listening to his stock stories during breaks helped. Taeju invested all the money he had saved for independence in that stock. With 100 million won in cash at the time, he could afford to invest boldly. He invested a little less than 10 million won, but the stock price rose significantly in two months, earning him more than three times his initial investment.

If he had sold at the same time as his colleague, he could have made even more profit, but since he bought the stock at a very low price, he was already making a good profit.

'I'll keep some of the money I made this time and invest the rest in [XX Tech]. It should have a big breakthrough around the time I get discharged, in about four years.'

It might not be as profitable as investing in some coins, but this was enough. With a guaranteed profit of hundreds of millions in about four years, it seemed better not to take bigger risks, as he didn't know much about the field.

For Taeju, it seemed easier to succeed as an actor and land a commercial than to study and invest in stocks from the beginning. In four years, when the investment profits would come in, Taeju's value as an actor would definitely have risen. He had succeeded in a much smaller company than Triz, and with all the support he was receiving now, he was confident he could do even better. It seemed better to focus on improving his acting skills than to take risks with stocks he didn't know much about. For Taeju, that was the easier path to success.

*

Stepping into the ultra-high-rise mixed-use building made famous by a popular idol, Taeju felt a sense of nostalgia. He had once lived in such a place, though his current residence wasn't bad either.

"Hello."

"Come in, come in."

Jinho, who greeted Taeju at the door, looked a bit thinner than on screen. He had read in the news that Jinho was a fitness enthusiast with less than 3% body fat, and his appearance was indeed sharp, contrasting with his warm demeanor.

"Sorry, but people wanted to see you since you're coming."

"That's fine. I wanted to see everyone too."

It seemed that more people had come than expected, as he had come out to the door in advance.

"Really glad to see you. You coming here is a real treat for me."

'Why is he so genuinely happy to see me?'

With a light sense of curiosity, Taeju entered the living room, where several people were already gathered.

"Brothers, the new junior is here. I'm not the youngest anymore. He's the new junior."

"Ah, kid. You must have really hated being called the youngest, but you seem to be enjoying it now."

"Brother, I'm 41 now. It's time to graduate from being the youngest."

The people gathered were all actors from Triz. They seemed to meet quite often, as they were known to have good relationships. After a quick round of greetings and taking their seats, drinks were served. Taeju, who hadn't had a beer in a long time, was about to take a sip when someone stopped him.

"Wait! Isn't he a minor?"

"What? Is he a minor?"

Someone who knew Taeju's age intervened. Although Taeju was a minor, he hadn't expected anyone to be so strict about it in such a private setting.

"Hey, take his glass."

"Right, right. You drink soda. We have all kinds."

Suddenly, Taeju's glass and beer were taken away. He looked confused, not understanding why they were making such a fuss over age in a private gathering.

"Sorry, you have to understand. That brother is a real FM. He follows the rules no matter what."

"Ah, I see."

"Next time, when that brother isn't here, I'll buy you a drink. Today, you drink soda."

The true nature of the senior actor, whom Taeju had admired before his return for his perfect self-management and acting skills, seemed to be a rule-following FM. According to Jinho, once he got started, he could lecture for an hour or two. As a result, everyone tended to follow his rules.

'Ha, there are some interesting people here.'

Although Taeju couldn't drink, the atmosphere didn't sour. One of the senior actors, who usually played villains and had a rugged appearance, was showing off his newly adopted puppy, and everyone burst into laughter at his lisping.

Jinho, the fitness enthusiast, Han Jeong-min, the rule-follower, and Bae Dong-seok, the new puppy dad. Even before the drinking session had started, Lee Sung-gun, known for his heavy drinking, had already emptied several bottles. The lineup of Triz's actors, including the absent Kim Yun-seon and Jeong Han-seon, was truly impressive.

"Before, we used to call ourselves the Triz F4. We can't do that anymore."

"Right, I've never heard anyone say I'm ugly. This kid is unique. I remember when he shot with Bin."

"Ah, that movie. You played a lumberjack in the gang, right?"

"Yeah. When Bin saw you, he said, 'How can a guy be so handsome?' This kid is no joke either."

Taeju's appearance became a topic of conversation among the actors. Even in casual clothes, he was hard to look away from, and they imagined he would be unmatched when properly dressed.

"With this face, he'll definitely become famous, but the problem is that his roles might be limited."

"I'll just cast him, no matter what."

"Even if you say that, you're very picky about roles, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I guess."

Lee Sung-gun, who had been drinking silently, asked Taeju a question.

"You can play the violin, right? Is that true?"

"Uh, yes, I can."

"Then I'll give you a book. Take a look at it."

People started to dissuade him, knowing what book Lee Sung-gun was talking about.

"Hey, that's not right. Why would you block a young kid's path?"

"Right. He can do that after he's established himself."

Despite the objections, Lee Sung-gun couldn't be swayed. He called his manager on the spot to bring the book.

Taeju didn't understand what they were talking about. At this time, Taeju preferred live house performances to movies or plays. He was deeply into guitar playing and worked part-time as a guide voice actor, so he was well-informed about music issues but not about the film industry.

"Phew, Sung-gun is really something."

"What's going on?"

Jinho, sitting next to him, took a sip of beer and began to explain. The book Taeju was to receive was a script written by a director, a long-time friend of Lee Sung-gun. The director had hastily signed a contract with a production company, and the project was tied up for years without any filming. However, when the director won an award overseas for another film, the production company proposed to produce the project.

The director, who had a deep affection for the script, reluctantly accepted the offer and began pre-production. Just as he was about to start filming with the best cast and crew, he was replaced by the production company for an inexplicable reason. It turned out that the production company was trying to promote the child of a high-ranking official.

Upon learning the truth, the director began a legal battle and fought for years to regain the script. During the lawsuit, he lost everything. He divorced his wife due to financial difficulties, and his friends turned their backs on him when he started fighting the powerful production company.

Although he won the lawsuit, all he had left was a ruined body and overwhelming debt. It was Lee Sung-gun who helped the director during the lawsuit, supporting him financially and offering to help when the director returned to make the film. However, the director refused and only asked for help when the time came to make the film, then disappeared.

Recently, he returned after paying off all his debts and securing the capital needed for the film. However, he couldn't find actors willing to appear in a film that had caused trouble with a major production company. In particular, no one applied for the role of a young violinist who would play alongside the orchestra conductor.

Rumors circulated in the industry that taking on this role would end an actor's career. Even if that wasn't true, the film was risky because it was directed by someone blacklisted by the production company. Everyone who heard that appearing in the film would put them on a blacklist refused the role.

In the past, Taeju would have ignored a project with such a backstory. He would have avoided anything that could affect his awards. But now, he found it intriguing.

A script that a production company had tried to snatch away. A film that the director couldn't let go of, even after losing everything. The title was unknown, but from the unfamiliar content, it seemed like a project that never saw the light of day in his previous life.

"I'll take a look at the book. I'm not sure about the filming, though. I need to discuss it with my manager."

"Just take a look. To be honest, Sung-gun was pushing it a bit."

"Right. Sung-gun went too far. It's not like he's pouring sewage on a beginner."

"The film isn't sewage. It's a good project, but it's just had bad luck."

"No, I'm not criticizing the film, but the situation is what it is."

The room quickly became noisy. The four drunk seniors were making quite a racket. If you combined the fans of these four, it would be on par with a famous idol's fandom. If they saw this, their illusions would probably shatter.

'Why are they throwing snacks like this? They should stop.'

'Why is that senior climbing up there? How much is he worth, and what if he gets hurt?'

The problem book and everything else were secondary to the drunk uncles in front of him. Lee Sung-gun, who seemed well-behaved, kept climbing to high places. He sat on the back of the sofa, then moved to the mantel, and finally climbed onto the bar counter.

The others weren't much better. Bae Dong-seok was being lectured by Han Jeong-min for 30 minutes with a look of disgust. Jinho, who had somehow gotten up, was throwing snacks like medals and shouting.

'I might as well get drunk. It's weird to be the only sober one in a room full of drunk people.'

Lee Sung-gun's manager arrived with the book. He seemed used to the situation, quickly tidying up and collecting the remaining drinks. Taeju didn't have time to help. In the blink of an eye, he had finished cleaning and led the other seniors to their rooms, taking care of Lee Sung-gun and Taeju, who was still standing in shock in the living room.

'What did I just see?'

The most impressive part of the meeting with Jinho wasn't the luxurious building, the four famous actors, or the controversial book. It was the manager of Lee Sung-gun, who silently and efficiently handled the situation and took care of everything.

Taeju had never seen such a capable person. Later, he heard that the manager was so skilled and took good care of others that the actors competed to have him. However, he refused, saying he would stay with Lee Sung-gun, whom he had been with since his debut.

*

"It's a project by Director Lee Je-yeong."

Director Lee Je-yeong. A talented director who had won awards overseas, but by the time Taeju debuted, he was no longer alive. Taeju had been deeply moved by "The Ladies" and had looked for any scripts he might have, but learned that the director had passed away. He couldn't remember the exact cause, but he had died of a serious illness.

"If I take this project, it will be the director's last work."

He needed to discuss what to do with someone else.