“What is all this?”
Looking over the documents his manager had brought, Rowoon asked.
Judging by the way his manager was grinning from ear to ear, it was obviously good news.
“Ads.”
“…Ads?”
Not project proposals?
“Yeah. Surprised? Every single one of these came in saying they absolutely want to use you. Heh heh. The pay’s all decent too. Of course, it’s a bit lacking compared to Taewoon, but that place is on another level.”
Thump!
Curiosity piqued, Rowoon quietly looked through a few of them.
His eyes soon widened.
‘How many zeroes are there?’
It was not merely a decent level.
If he picked only a few, an enormous amount of money looked ready to drop into his lap in no time.
“Cosmetics, food, home appliances… just say the word. You can pick and choose!”
The more places there were looking for the celebrity under his care, the higher the manager’s shoulders rose along with it.
If he used to shrink for no reason every time he went to the company before, these days the manager’s shoulders were not just straightened but practically soaring into the sky.
Today was the same.
‘Our Rowoon will be so happy if I bring him this!’
With light steps, the manager had left the company and come running straight to Rowoon’s house.
Now our kid is a super star too!
A super star filming all kinds of ads!
But Rowoon’s reaction was unexpected.
“Hyung, other than ads, were there any projects that came in?”
“…Huh? You don’t like ads?”
“It’s not that I dislike them, but… I’m an actor, so I think it’d be better to focus more on my main work.”
“Then what about that variety pilot that came in last time? The one that’s supposed to air in the weekend prime-time slot.”
It was a variety show with a very flashy lineup of members set to join.
Of course, it was not quite on the level of Kang Chaheon, who could do the work of a hundred men alone, but they were still names most people would recognize if you mentioned them.
“That’s not bad either, but… there’s no real need…”
Rowoon trailed off.
It was obvious at a glance that he was not very inclined toward it.
“Why, why?”
The manager panicked.
He had been sure Rowoon would like it.
Because the fact that this many ad offers had come in also meant Rowoon’s recognition had risen that much, and that the industry acknowledged him.
But…
“Looking at it, the character overlaps with Forest Restaurant. I don’t think there’s any reason to consume that image at this point in time…”
“……!”
The manager, who had come in with his shoulders risen all the way to the sky, felt as if someone had gone bonk and smacked the back of his head.
‘No, our Rowoon is having thoughts that are this cautious and thoughtful?’
It was true.
At the same time, it was also something you could not say unless you had confidence in your own skills.
And it was that difficult a road as well.
The reason being, there was no guarantee anywhere that the next project would succeed.
So once one work hits big, most people try to use that image down to the marrow as much as possible.
A road where success is already guaranteed vs. taking a risk.
If those were the choices, wouldn’t anyone pick the former?
“Rowoon…”
But Rowoon chose a different path.
Leaving aside the easy road and taking the road that was the textbook proper way, one that might be rough.
“…Hyung, are you crying again?”
“Again? When have I ever cried?”
“The fact that you can’t remember that is kind of amazing too, hyung…”
Now he was skilled enough not to be flustered and just handed over a nearby tissue.
“Right. An actor has to win with his work.”
Even though the words came out nasal because he was blowing his nose, Rowoon somehow managed to make them out.
“Win…?”
His face looked like he had no idea what on earth this hyung was talking about.
And in fact, that was exactly the case.
‘Why… why is he crying again? Did I say something like a brute again?’
Seeing him talking about winning and all that, it also seemed possible he had just read some shounen manga very movingly somewhere…
Rowoon stopped thinking too deeply about it.
His manager was the sort of person who could get teary-eyed over a single leaf drifting by.
“Okay. So for now, you definitely don’t plan on doing ads or variety shows, right?”
“Yes. At least, I don’t think so right now.”
Fortunately, compared to before the variety show aired, the number of higher-quality works had increased.
Up until then, his image had been all Chae Yujeong from Gwiro and nothing else, but after Forest Restaurant, perhaps because he had shown a more multifaceted side of himself, a fairly wider range of roles had come in at least.
‘But the problem is that none of them really look all that good.’
Even without the Eye of Discernment, the number of works that looked pretty decent was strikingly low.
A few of them looked decent enough, but…
‘Could it be that the Eye of Discernment and the Insight of the Wealthy Man can also disagree?’
He found himself pausing at that unexpected result.
According to the ‘Insight of the Wealthy Man’, they were indeed works of value, but when he checked the results with the ‘Eye of Discernment’, the outcome was not very good.
‘If it means the result value came out badly when applied to me, then I can at least understand why the outcomes would differ this much.’
Taewoon’s ad was one such example.
Of course, the ad itself had also gotten a good response, and it had produced the result of Taewoon’s sales shooting upward.
But if one looked at nothing but the karmic burden value, it was like it had gone negative by just as much as it had gone positive.
‘That must mean there are various figures that can intervene in the result value besides completion or artistic quality.’
For instance, things like rumors going around.
Thinking of it that way, there was not just one or two things he had to consider.
So he could not just recklessly pick anything.
After all, even if he confidently expected a splendid golden success, he could instead end up making a self-defeating move if things went wrong.
‘It’s like a poisoned chalice.’
Fortunately, the manager supported Rowoon’s thinking.
Though what exactly he thought and how he arrived there was a mystery.
“Rowoon. Hyung supports you. That road you’re walking, the road to becoming a true actor, hyung will be watching from behind, so if things get hard, tell hyung anytime!”
He did say this sort of incomprehensible thing, but…
Anyway, good was good.
There was more good news too.
[Have you been well in the meantime!]
“Cheonghwa-nim!”
Cheonghwa, who had been absent from his place for a long time, had finally returned.
[Hm?]
The water droplet with horns and a tail halted.
[What in the world have you been doing that your karmic burden has dropped so much…? Could it be that ten years have passed?]
It felt like the question mark effect he had often seen in Forest Restaurant was floating above Cheonghwa’s head.
[No, that can’t be it. Looking at your face, you still look young, so it can’t have been ten years. Could it have been half that, perhaps…?]
“What? No. It hasn’t even been half a year yet. What do you mean, ten years all of a sudden?”
[Why, you must have heard it too. The saying about how one does not realize the handle of one’s axe has rotted away while playing among immortals.]
“Ah. I’ve heard of it.”
[That is a true story.]
“What?”
Ding!
[Starlight 486 nods solemnly, saying that saying is true!]
“…?”
[Starlight 783 sheds tears of repentance, saying they never thought it would turn out that way!]
[Starlight 486 scolds the observer next to them, saying they were careless!]
[These old geezers, honestly. They got all excited again already! I think I told you once before, but the flow of time is different from the human world.]
“Yes. I remember.”
[Partly because those old codgers talked so much, but also because the flow of time kept changing so completely on its own, you see. So I got startled, thinking years had passed.]
Saying it had almost been a disaster, Cheonghwa rubbed his chest in relief.
[More importantly, what on earth happened? Not quite saving a nation… but did you perhaps save an entire village? Or did you go and film another one of those movie things again already?]
Apparently remembering how the karmic burden had gone down like mad the moment Gwiro opened, he asked in a subtle tone.
“No. Not a movie. I filmed a variety show.”
After hearing the rough explanation, Cheonghwa clicked his tongue.
[Truly, it is astonishing. Astonishing. I thought this back then too, but it really is such a strange thing. To think that you can offset karmic burden through something like that. Well. If I knew everything in the world, I would not be in this state either.]
The small droplet drooped low.
But only for a moment.
[That’s right. This body also brings good news! Did I not say I was going to go and brawl with those old codgers who kept putting forth absurd requests to me? This body won!]
As if he had never drooped at all, he became spirited again at once, sparkling as he flaunted his presence.
[For the third request, a mishap like the second request will not occur.]
“Right. Has the third request perhaps been decided?”
[It is still being coordinated. Ahem. Now that they have clearly seen that even impossible requests can be made possible, if they have any sense at all, they should know that ordinary levels of merit will not even begin to suffice!]
It seemed that, whatever it was, some sort of discussion was passing back and forth among them.
“Now would’ve been the perfect time. That’s a little disappointing.”
With no projects and this being no different from a forced break, it was the perfect timing to carry out a request.
[Do not be impatient. If the heart grows hurried, even what should work will not.]
Cheonghwa offered advice weighted with age, which was unusual for him.
Come to think of it, because he usually acted like an enraged chihuahua, Rowoon had forgotten.
That Cheonghwa was a being aged by several hundred years.
[If you put your mind at ease, everything will unfold according to the natural order.]
“…When I don’t have work, I keep remembering the past. I guess I’d been anxious without realizing it, worried it might turn out like back then.”
[That life was never a fate that originally belonged to you. So it was only natural that the life you lived then was a twisted one. Now this body is with you, so you need not worry about such things.]
The day after their reunion.
“The day after tomorrow? Wasn’t it originally next weekend?”
An official schedule had finally come in again after a long while.
“Uh, yeah. It was. You remember the talk about a Forest Restaurant special broadcast, right? I guess that got set faster than expected. So the call came in rather suddenly.”
It was none other than filming for Forest Restaurant’s special episode.
Previously, according to what he had heard from PD Han, they were supposed to adjust the timing after the regularly scheduled episodes had all wrapped up.
‘Wasn’t it because that way they could draw out the popularity for longer, little by little?’
But seeing it moved up all of a sudden like this, it seemed the response to Forest Restaurant had been even better than the station expected.
Seeing that they were planning to carry the buzz forward altogether, that is.
“It’s okay, right? Or if not, I can call them now and say let’s change it, so feel free to say so.”
“No. It’s okay. I’ll go. I was getting bored anyway because I had nothing to do.”
Cheonghwa’s advice from just yesterday had been that if he put his mind at ease, everything would work itself out according to the natural order.
‘It turns out like this?’
Of course, the extra shoot for the special broadcast was something they had already talked about.
Still, he had not expected the timing to be brought forward immediately like this.
‘Then again, since she came from the Purification Water, I guess it kind of makes sense…?’
The two days passed in an instant.
The filming was scheduled to take place at a studio in the TVX building.
At the place he arrived at under the staff’s guidance, Rowoon found himself facing familiar faces he had not seen in several weeks.
“Oh my! Mr. Rowoon! Long time no see. Look at your face. Your complexion’s gotten positively radiant!”
“It’s been a while, PD-nim. But is the camera rolling right now…?”
Before he had even stepped into the studio, as soon as he got off the elevator, the camera followed him, and as he asked in confusion, he heard Kim Bonggeun burst out laughing from far away.
“See, PD-nim? It’s not just me who thinks it’s weird. What kind of program starts this recklessly without even an opening?”
“The camera is rolling right now, so stop standing there looking blank, Lee Rowoon, and take this.”
“Oh, okay?”
Kang Chaheon, holding a drink carrier full in both hands at his side, suddenly popped out and handed him the one in one hand.
Apparently the elevator next to them had arrived at the same time.
While Rowoon took it without thinking and stood there with a question mark practically over his head,
PD Han continued the conversation as if it were nothing.
“These days, this kind of natural, really natural broadcast is the trend, you know.”
By the time he came back to his senses, he was already seated in a studio surrounded on all sides by transparent glass walls.
The topic had already moved past the reactions around them and into recent updates about how everyone had been doing.
“I’m telling you, I think that day really opened my eyes. No, I’m serious, it can be that fun. All kinds of stray thoughts disappear, and it even feels like spiritual training.”
PD Han said it was all thanks to Rowoon.
“PD-nim, at this rate, you’re going to end up moving to the countryside.”
“I’m telling you, it’s really rewarding. It feels too wasteful for me alone to experience this kind of reward, so I’m thinking maybe next season we should make farming the main focus.”
Shiver.
It felt like goosebumps had suddenly risen on his skin.
For some reason, the eyes of PD Han, shining clearly beyond her glasses, seemed to glint with madness.
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