Chapter 40

39. Confidence in Variety Shows

After recording the OST in the studio for several days, Taeju resolved not to take on any more music-related projects for a while. Although gaining recognition was important, he felt he had overdone it.

Team Leader Woo and Manager Kim welcomed him, saying it would make for good news later, but Taeju was a bit disappointed that his singing and performance skills were receiving more attention than his acting. He knew it sounded like a complaint from a well-fed person, but he hoped the name Lee Taeju would become more prominent.

“Team Leader Woo will meet with writer Park Ji-yeon. Since the director has worked with us on several projects, I think the OST matter will be resolved smoothly.”

“Really, that’s fast. If it goes well, it might even be included in next week’s episode?”

“It’s a good song, so it might happen.”

‘Really competent. And what a network.’

Triez has twelve actors, including Taeju. The male actors are Jung Han-seon, Kim Yun-seon, Jin Hyuk and his group of four, and Taeju, making seven in total. There are five female actors.

Among the female actors, the most active are Kim Hye-ju and Song Hye-jin, both in their mid-forties. Of the remaining three, two are on hiatus, and the last one is Kim Hee-suk, in her early sixties, who appears in both films and dramas as a lead or supporting actor.

“Our Triez actors have a lot of experience, so they have worked with many people.”

“I was really surprised. Honestly, I doubted that things could go so smoothly.”

Taeju said things were going smoothly, but that was only looking at the results. It was because of the trust and meticulous network management built by Triez’s many employees over the years that they achieved the desired outcome.

Actors don’t need to know about such details. That’s the job of the support staff. Geon-woo calmed down the still amazed Taeju and had him check his schedule.

Compared to his recognition, Taeju had a relatively busy schedule. Other actors from the agency often subtly recommended Taeju. Not just Jin Hyuk and his group, but also Jung Han-seon and Kim Yun-seon. They would add a compliment or two during interviews or mention that a new actor had joined when meeting industry professionals.

“A lot of offers are coming in.”

“The variety show appearance seems to be effective.”

“Definitely, this time ‘Café in the Forest’ got a good response.”

Taeju’s appearance received a lot of positive feedback. Jin Hyuk mentioned in an interview that he brought Taeju, who seemed naive, to do the work, but was surprised by how well he did. As a result, Taeju was able to shed some of the naive image he had from ‘A Small Town Trip’.

This week, if the scene of playing in the stream at the valley is broadcast, it might attract a lot of attention. The preview was edited to feel like a scene from a commercial. While it’s unknown how it will appear in the main episode, given PD Lee’s style, it probably won’t be overly edited.

“I thought variety shows were really difficult. But it seems more doable than I thought.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I thought I had to clap and cheer every time people spoke, but ‘Café in the Forest’ was more comfortable than I imagined.”

“...I see. By the way, have you seen ‘Café in the Forest’ yet?”

“Now that you mention it, I forgot to monitor it.”

“Make sure to watch this week’s episode.”

In the previous episode, Taeju had a significant amount of screen time. He was more proactive than expected, and there were many good scenes. The issue was that he showed a lot of quirky and childlike behavior.

For example, he introduced himself to a goose and asked for permission to enter the farm, or formally apologized to a pig that was startled by Taesan.

At the time, it was just seen as quirky. But when watching the edited broadcast, it felt more like a slightly foolish, innocent charm.

“Writer Oh Soo-hyun from ‘Guardian of the Goblin’ contacted me.”

“Uh.”

“Haha. This time, you won’t be held up all night like last time. It’s just that your appearance on the variety show fits the Goblin King well.”

“The barista role? Or the business side? This time, I came across as a bit more serious, right?”

“Y-Yes.”

“Maybe I have a talent for variety shows?”

Taeju was highly motivated, saying he could do even better next time and was enjoying it. Seeing this, he thought it might not be the right time to tell him what Oh Soo-hyun said: ‘You look proper but do silly things and smile brightly, which is exactly like the Goblin King.’

“Did you reject the acting teacher again?”

“Yes, he’s a current stage actor. Should I look for another teacher?”

“No, Seon-yeol is fine. If the ‘Guardian of the Goblin’ script comes out, I’ll find one then.”

He repeatedly asked Park Jae-sung for acting lessons but only heard rejections. Seeing a poor theater actor turn down a good teaching position, it seemed he planned to retire at the end of the year. Understanding his desire to give his best on stage without regrets, Taeju decided to give up on this matter, though he felt a bit disappointed.

*

The building at the end of a narrow alley, turning off the main road, had a fresh appearance that didn’t match its secluded location. The sign, made in white and black, read "Ahn’s Cafe."

It was a cafe that writer Park Ji-yeon often visited while writing. She was close with the owner and had a designated seat near the counter where she worked.

Today, her designated seat was occupied by another customer, someone who knew her workspace and had a relationship with her.

“It’s been a while, Writer Park.”

“Yes, it really has. It’s been a year since ‘Queen’s Banquet,’ right, Team Leader Woo?”

“Already? Back then, actor Do Myung-hee had an accident, so our actor had to step in urgently and greet you.”

“Hahaha. Team Leader Woo, I’m busy. If you have something to ask, just say it. No need to bring up old stories to gauge my mood.”

Although they hadn’t met recently, they had a relationship that spanned several years. When Team Leader Woo mentioned a favor from the past, she encouraged him to speak directly.

Team Leader Woo maintained a bit of formality for a moment, but with her permission, he immediately got to the point. As the main writer of a currently popular drama, it was a significant favor to take time out of his busy schedule.

“It’s about the OST. The song fits our actor Kim Hye-ju’s character very well.”

“This is the first time Triez has asked for an OST. I’ll listen to it.”

Triez was an actor-focused agency. None of their entertainers were actors in musicals, only those who appeared in films, dramas, or theater. Asking for an OST was unprecedented.

Park Ji-yeon immediately connected the USB given by Team Leader Woo to her laptop. Inside the USB were a song and the profile of one actor.

“It’s good. It would fit well in the scene where the two meet again. The song has a warm atmosphere.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

“Can I send this to Director Kim? I like it, but I need to hear his opinion too.”

“Of course.”

With Team Leader Woo’s approval, Park Ji-yeon immediately called Director Kim, told him to listen to a song, and hung up. It was a rude call, but knowing the relationship between Director Kim and Writer Park, Team Leader Woo wasn’t worried.

“Does your husband still want to work on set?”

“Hahaha. Just call him Director Kim. It’s too late for him to move up. How can I persuade him when he loves the set?”

“It would be great for agencies like ours if someone like Director Kim were inside the broadcasting station.”

“He’s too emotional for such a position,” Park Ji-yeon said with a light laugh. She then took a trembling call, said a scene number, and hung up again.

“It will be in next week’s episode.”

“Thank you, Writer Park.”

“The profile is of a new actor, right?”

“Yes, he also sang the OST.”

Park Ji-yeon, with wide eyes, checked Taeju’s profile again. He was good-looking, tall, and looked like a model at first glance, and he could also sing.

“Piano, guitar, violin? Equestrian and fencing?”

“Actor Lee Taeju has many talents.”

“Ah, I’ll definitely remember that.”

After a brief chat, they parted ways. Team Leader Woo moved to secure the OST contract, and Park Ji-yeon returned to her manuscript.

*

Taeju was watching the previous episode of ‘Café in the Forest’ that he had paid for. Although he didn’t agree with Eun-hyuk’s comment, he did seem a bit naive in ‘A Small Town Trip.’ He wanted to go back to that day and give himself a hard slap on the back of the head.

“Hey, can I enter the farm?”

The scene of him greeting the goose was on the screen. The goose, waddling with its large body, was still cute. It was also admirable how it stood guard with its long neck stretched out.

Of course, this was just Taeju’s personal opinion. Later, he learned from the farm owner that the goose barked and guarded against everyone, causing a lot of trouble.

It was good when the farm only had cattle, but after it became an experience farm, the goose still guarded against people, causing problems. It often escaped the pen and troubled visitors.

“I want to visit the farm again. Maybe I’ll take the kids there to play?”

“Haha. Hyuk-ssi makes the food like a chef.”

“Jung-guk-ssi looks good even when he’s tired.”

Taeju enjoyed the program quite a bit. Watching it as a viewer rather than an actor, he found it wasn’t bad.

He watched it casually without analyzing how the actors expressed themselves or how to move his body when the camera was at a certain angle.

The next episode hadn’t aired yet, but he felt this level of monitoring was enough. He did well in the café and appeared a lot on screen. He didn’t give naive answers like before.

Taeju, who didn’t feel the quirky aspects that others noticed, was thinking that maybe he had developed a talent for variety shows.

“I think I could do well on a show like ‘Law of the Jungle.’”

After appearing on two variety shows, Taeju had become overly confident. Not knowing how to use social media and not caring about online communities, he was unaware of how he was perceived.

Taeju’s image was changing from a neighborhood loafer to a cheerful, quirky person. Because of this, the company’s PR team was busy working to change his image. They were mobilizing all their resources to highlight a softer image in healing interviews and an artistic side by showing him singing on the street.

They were posting Taeju’s photos on various sites, guiding conversations in that direction, and including his name in articles about Jin Hyuk.

*

Taeju was worried about Taesan’s frequent appearances on TV. Other animal actors often experienced high stress, and he was concerned that Taesan might be the same.

Of course, Taesan was a registered pet, and Hye frequently checked and informed him of Taesan’s condition. However, he still couldn’t feel at ease. Whenever he had the chance, he checked Taesan’s status through the book fragment and gave him pet supplements, but he couldn’t stop worrying because Taesan was still a young puppy.

‘This year is his debut year, so most of his work is domestic, but soon he’ll have overseas shoots. The days when I can’t take him to the garden will increase, and I’m worried.’

Taeju sighed and picked up Taesan. Taesan kept biting the nose of the slippers Taeju was wearing, so Taeju held him tightly to stop him.

“When are you going to stop teething? Look, there’s not a single piece of furniture in my room that’s intact.”

“Eee-yang.”

The little rascal, unaware of Taeju’s concerns, just wanted to play. Taeju knew that all these worries were unnecessary. Taesan would never leave him.

At one point, Taeju had considered whether he should limit Taesan’s real-world activities. He was worried about going to the hospital and what would happen if his true identity was revealed.

All of these were unnecessary worries.

Registered pets were more special than Taeju had imagined. It was as if the system knew all of Taeju’s concerns and had already addressed them.

‘Pets can live in the garden or go out with the gardener. Engage in a variety of activities with your pet.’

The answer was in the pet system explanation that Taeju had complained was too simple. From the beginning, the system had given pets the ability to go out with the gardener.

Taeju had worried about the hospital and Taesan’s identity as he grew, not knowing this. He learned the truth from Hye during a consultation, and the embarrassment he felt then was something he didn’t want to recall.

The most embarrassing part was that if he had just checked Taesan’s status once, he wouldn’t have had all those unnecessary worries.

“Camouflage, designed to blend in with the surrounding environment. I was so worried without knowing this. If I had checked the status when I designated him as a pet... Sigh.”

Thinking about it again, he felt a bitter and hot sensation. There were many opportunities to check the status, but he never did. How indifferent he had been, leaving the garden management to Hye. Without Hye’s help, he wouldn’t have been able to maintain the garden so well.

“I should spend time with Hye today. Let’s play with Taesan too.”

Taesan, who was in Taeju’s arms, struggled to be put down, but Taeju, feeling a bit spiteful, held him even tighter.