The discussion about Han Siwoo’s commercial had been sorted out to some extent.
We decided to go over the contract at home and then talk again in a few days, in more detail.
“Donguk and I have something to talk about separately.”
“Mm! Then I’ll go say hi to Mom and the uncles!”
At Kim Sangcheol’s words, Han Siwoo quickly stood up.
He’d already finished his chamomile tea, and he figured this was a good chance to go greet the troupe actors.
“Thank you so much for taking such good care of him.”
“Oh, not at all. I’m doing it because I want to. If anything, it makes me happy to see Siwoo, who I took a liking to, doing so well. Haha!”
Han Siwoo’s mother stood up, bowed to Kim Sangcheol in greeting, then took her son’s hand and left the troupe leader’s office.
Click.
“Alright, Donguk. Are you going to keep being Siwoo’s manager?”
After seeing Han Siwoo and his mother out, Kim Sangcheol went straight to the point.
Ji Donguk, who’d been wondering what the two of them needed to talk about alone, seemed to snap to attention at Kim Sangcheol’s words.
“Yes… well. That’s what I’m thinking?”
Kim Sangcheol watched Ji Donguk scratch his head as he spoke, then sighed and opened his mouth.
“No, it’s just that it’s getting a bit too much for me to handle all the calls coming in for Siwoo at my level. Before it gets any later, I’m thinking of looking into a good agency for Siwoo. If you’re truly serious about being Siwoo’s manager, I’m going to look into it so you can work at that agency too. Before that, I need to know exactly what you want, so I’m asking.”
“…An agency?”
Hearing that, Ji Donguk’s expression darkened a little.
It was true that he’d been the one to say he’d do the manager job first, but if they went under an agency, then he’d be stepping fully into the real management industry.
Not as an actor, but as a manager.
Kim Sangcheol knew it wouldn’t be an easy decision.
That was why, thinking of Ji Donguk from his troupe, he brought it up like this.
Whether it was really okay to give up his dream and go down that path.
For a moment, Ji Donguk said nothing.
As if he understood Ji Donguk’s feelings, Kim Sangcheol took a sip of coffee and silently waited.
“It’s not something you can decide easily. Then think about it a bit more, and later—”
As the silence stretched on, Kim Sangcheol tried to give Ji Donguk time to think.
But Ji Donguk’s words came faster than that.
“…No. I’m going to do Siwoo’s manager job properly. Please look into my position too, Leader.”
“Donguk, are you really okay with that?”
“Yes. I didn’t just say I’d be a manager for nothing. And once I actually tried it, it feels like it suits me too. Haha.”
Ji Donguk smiled as if it was his own joke.
It wasn’t the face of someone making a firm resolution.
Rather, it was the face of someone who had let something go and felt relieved.
Kim Sangcheol quietly studied that brightened face for a while, then nodded.
“Alright. If that’s how you feel, I shouldn’t stop you.”
“I’m already 28. I don’t know how much longer I can keep living off my noona’s house, and… I’m going to try another path now.”
Kim Sangcheol looked at Ji Donguk, who spoke energetically about his own plans, with a bitter gaze.
It was the face of a senior looking at a junior who once dreamed of becoming an actor and worked hard under him.
Even if he was speaking cheerfully like this now, it was obvious he’d lose sleep for days.
Because he knew what a big thing it was to give up one’s dream, Kim Sangcheol added as if it were nothing.
“If you end up feeling like it’s really not for you, come back. You can start again. What does age matter?”
“You want me to start by mopping again? That sounds kind of rough……”
If he truly couldn’t forget his dream, if he wanted to act, then come back.
It was his choice, but Kim Sangcheol didn’t want to push him off a cliff.
Like a captain’s feelings toward a sailor he once had aboard the same ship.
Doing something because you have nowhere to return to and doing your work quietly even though you do have a place to return to, start from a different mindset.
At the words that he could return to the troupe, Ji Donguk shook his head with a stunned face.
Seeing that, Kim Sangcheol smiled and added.
“Still, with your personality, it does seem like you’ll do manager work well. You’re good at that kind of thing. Did you get close with the staff early too?”
“Haha, I think I found what suits me now.”
“Alright. Work hard. And later, let’s have a drink.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Kim Sangcheol knew that dragging things out with unnecessary comfort wasn’t consideration for Ji Donguk.
He gave Ji Donguk, who bowed his head, a couple of light pats on the shoulder.
In the car on the way home.
Mother and I sat side by side in the back seat, and Uncle held the steering wheel.
“Whew.”
Meeting the troupe uncles had been very satisfying.
Maybe because it had been a while, or maybe because the currently airing The Cactus Flower has Bloomed was doing well, their reaction had been incredibly hot.
Requests for autographs and to take photos poured in, so I told them to line up in a single row.
It was so funny seeing all the actors who’d been chattering noisily suddenly stand in line obediently.
After taking a bunch of photos and hearing lots of praise that I was acting well, it felt like my stomach was full.
Thinking I should come regularly, I stared blankly out the window at the passing scenery, then said,
“I think filming a commercial will be fun. I want to shoot it soon.”
Then twenty million won will come in, right?
I got excited without realizing and bounced my legs.
“Yeah? Did you want to shoot a commercial, Siwoo?”
“Mmh. They said popular people do them. Heeseong ajusshi did one too.”
“That’s true. You can ask Moon Heeseong about things.”
“Mmh!”
Seeing how excited I was, Mother smiled and stroked my hair.
“When did you grow up enough to earn money…. Looks like Mom’s going to live comfortably thanks to Siwoo?”
Ah, that bitter face again.
I stared at Mother’s face, then dove into her arms.
Is she feeling sorry for me, that I’m already earning money?
She doesn’t need to.
Inside, I’m already a grown adult.
You gave me a new life, so I should repay you at least this much, shouldn’t I?
“Hehe.”
“What’s gotten into you? Our Siwoo is being this clingy.”
Since I’m not usually one to hug first, it seemed Mother’s mood lightened quite a bit.
I felt relieved seeing her expression soften, but then an excited voice flew in from the driver’s seat.
“Ooh, Siwoo. What are you going to do with the ad money? You’re going to be rich now!”
“Um, um…… I’m going to buy Mom a car!”
“Gasp.”
At my words, Uncle sucked in a big breath.
And Mother, startled, asked back,
“Really? Siwoo is going to change Mom’s car for her?”
“Mmh! I always take the car, so Mom doesn’t have a car. I’ll buy you a car with the ad money I get this time! Um… can’t you buy a car with twenty million won?”
They looked so shocked that I asked nervously.
Then Mother shook her head and said that wasn’t it.
After thinking quietly, Mother held my hand and asked,
“Haha, Siwoo, is there anything you want to buy for yourself?”
“Umm. If I buy Mom a car and there’s money left, I’m going to buy the huge TV they have at Heeseong ajusshi’s house!”
“Ahahaha, that’s such a Siwoo thought.”
Maybe my saying I’d buy a TV was funny, because Uncle burst out laughing.
Mother, who was laughing along, suddenly seemed to think of something, and her smile disappeared.
“But Siwoo…. A TV that big, we can’t fit in our house.”
“How big is Moon Heeseong’s TV, exactly?”
At Mother’s serious words, Uncle asked, aghast.
It seemed when I’d bragged before that I’d seen a huge TV at Moon Heeseong’s house, it hadn’t felt real to him.
I told you it was huge, but you didn’t believe me. Really.
“Mm… Then that won’t work.”
Other than a huge TV, there’s nothing I particularly want right now.
So our house can’t fit that TV.
Fine.
Then first, we need to move to a huge house.
As I made plans step by step in my head, Uncle kept glancing at Mother in the rearview mirror.
Why is he doing that instead of driving?
After fidgeting like he had something to say, Uncle quietly let the words slip to Mother.
“But noona……. You’re really attached to this car, aren’t you?”
“What?”
“No, it’s just… it’s the car you’ve been driving around all this time, and if you suddenly get a new one, wouldn’t it be hard to adjust…… so.”
Oh, I see.
Since I said I’d buy a car, Uncle must want to drive a new one himself.
For someone who acted, his facial control is terrible.
I shook my head in my heart, but Mother pulled my head in close against her.
“Our Siwoo says he’ll buy Mom a new car too. Our Siwoo is all grown up.”
“Mmh!”
Of course!
If we’re being technical, I’m over thirty, Mother.
I started acting and earned tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands little by little, but maybe this commercial feels dif`ferent to her.
It didn’t seem like she was using that money anywhere, so she’s probably saving it for me.
With Mother’s hand repeatedly stroking my face, it felt like her feelings were coming through.
She seemed worried that earning this much money at such a young age would make the responsibility that comes with it too heavy.
“I’m okay, Mom.”
“Hehe, really? That’s right. Our Siwoo will do very well.”
My one line wouldn’t wipe away all of Mother’s anxiety, but I spoke up to lighten the burden in her heart even a little.
Mother smiled brightly at my words and hugged me even tighter.
Just as the two of us were making a touching scene like that, Uncle’s rowdy voice came from the driver’s seat.
“That’s right, noona. You have no idea how well Siwoo ate cereal on set. Anyone would’ve thought he’d been starving since morning. Was it that good, Siwoo?”
“Hey, I was told to eat the cereal with gusto. The director told me to!”
Honestly, that was all acting too.
I was dumbfounded at Uncle not recognizing my acting soul.
“Hehe, then you’ll film the commercial easily too. My son.”
“Mmh! Trust me, Mom.”
“Then who else would I trust if not our Siwoo.”
With my small, chubby hand, I patted the arm Mother had wrapped around me.
“Siwoo… then you’re buying Uncle a car too, right? Right?”
“You really…!”
With Uncle repeatedly ruining the tender mother-and-son moment, Mother finally got angry.
As I watched Mother whip her head toward the driver’s seat, I silently prayed for Uncle’s wellbeing.
“Hello!”
“Oh, Siwoo, you’re here?”
After that, time flew quickly, and before I knew it, it was the final filming day of the show.
I entered the set greeting Cha Ilnam and the staff gathered around him.
The drama was going smoothly.
No, more than smoothly, in the words of the people here, it was “a huge hit.”
Episode 12, the latest episode that aired last week, recorded a 39% rating.
While many people were watching to see whether our drama could surpass 40%, I walked with somewhat drained steps.
Filming ends today.
There’s relief in finishing safely, and there’s also regret that it’s ending like this, but…
My mood felt especially unsettled and down.
“Ehh.”
Sighing, I sat down in the chair Uncle had set out for me.
It would still be a while before filming started.
I felt like I’d gotten used to this long waiting time to some degree.
And just as I was getting used to it, it felt like it was ending, which made the regret even bigger.
“Siwoo!”
“You’re here, Siwoo?”
The moment I settled into my spot on set, I looked at the two people rushing over to me with dull eyes.
Ah… because of those two, the waiting time I was getting used to was going to feel far away again.
These days, my waiting time was never a time I could actually rest.
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