Han Seongtae’s home was normally quiet, but today it bustled with the sounds of people moving around.
Han Seongtae was rinsing out a cleaning rag while Yoo Beomsan and Kim Minseok hurried around him, each carrying cleaning supplies.
Kim Minseok, who had been pushing the vacuum cleaner, stopped in place for a moment and straightened the back he had kept bent the entire time.
“Hey, you should’ve just hired someone. Why are you cleaning everything yourself?”
Han Seongtae shook out the rag before answering Kim Minseok’s question.
“It feels uncomfortable having a stranger come into my home. Even if it’s a little tiring, I feel better cleaning it myself.”
“I understand that, but you make plenty of money. When it comes to things like this, you have the strangest stubborn streak.”
Han Seongtae gave a faint laugh at Kim Minseok’s persistent grumbling.
They were cleaning the house because his friends from America would be staying there.
He could not leave the place filthy when guests were coming.
Han Seongtae had intended to clean it alone, but Kim Minseok and Yoo Beomsan had come over, saying they would help him.
He had not called them, but he was grateful simply because they were willing to help.
“You’d better buy us something delicious.”
“Got it.”
Han Seongtae immediately nodded at Kim Minseok’s words.
After he answered, Yoo Beomsan quietly approached and spoke.
“Make it expensive. I’m definitely eating something expensive.”
Han Seongtae laughed at Yoo Beomsan’s words.
They really were entertaining friends.
“Of course. You came all this way to help me. I’ll order you anything you want.”
It was not merely because they had helped him. Han Seongtae would not consider it a waste no matter what he bought for these people.
They were precious to him.
Kim Minseok in particular was someone for whom even giving everything would not be enough.
Han Seongtae continued cleaning while talking with them.
‘Maybe I should’ve kept the place a little cleaner.’
As he cleaned, Han Seongtae suppressed the sigh that naturally threatened to escape.
He lived a busy life.
Not only did he rarely come home, but even when he did, he ordered delivery food and devoted himself to practicing.
He lived a life far removed from housework.
[‘The One Who Defined an Era’ says that even so, this seems a little excessive.]
[‘The One with a Thousand Faces’ says that if you dislike housework, hiring someone is also an option.]
[‘The Founder of Jeet Kune Do’ is pleased, saying that scrubbing with a rag greatly stimulates the forearms and that he may have discovered a new exercise.]
The condition of Han Seongtae’s home was bad enough to make even the gods sigh.
It was a complete mess, and as a result, cleaning it took more than three hours.
“Sometimes I can’t tell whether you’re hardworking or lazy.”
“Seongtae, living a busy life is fine, but isn’t this a little too much?”
At Kim Minseok and Yoo Beomsan’s words, Han Seongtae smiled awkwardly and apologized.
Even he thought the state of the place had been appalling.
It was bad enough to make him consider changing his policy of never letting strangers into his home.
After finally finishing the cleaning, the three of them collapsed into the living room.
“We somehow managed to finish it all. You both worked really hard. I’m honestly so grateful. Order anything you want. Don’t even think about the price. I feel so guilty that I should at least do that much.”
“We were planning to order something expensive even if you didn’t say that.”
“Seongtae, you’re going to regret those words. My tastes have gotten extremely expensive lately. Don’t blame me if you faint when you see the bill.”
Han Seongtae flinched at their wicked laughter.
Listening to them mutter about ordering something expensive made him just a little worried.
They ordered delivery food.
They refused to tell him the price, merely saying he could pay when it arrived, which made him even more anxious.
‘They didn’t order some kind of catered buffet, did they?’
It was not as though he could not afford it. However, after spending so many years living with very little, he could not help feeling nervous.
While waiting for the food to arrive, the three of them talked.
The subject of their conversation was the Hollywood actors.
“Rogers is staying here, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Is Michael coming too? What about Ivy? I’m an Ivy fan.”
“Those two aren’t coming.”
Only a few of the actors would be staying at Han Seongtae’s house.
Rogers and two other male actors were the only ones.
Since Ivy was a woman, it would be difficult for her to stay in Han Seongtae’s home, so she had booked a separate hotel.
‘As for Michael…’
He did not even want to think about him.
Wouldn’t the very idea of Michael saying he wanted to stay at Han Seongtae’s home be ridiculous?
“This really is incredible. They’re all stars. Top stars.”
“Come on. By that standard, our Seongtae is the same. What actor is getting more attention than him these days?”
Han Seongtae shook his head as Yoo Beomsan enthusiastically agreed with Kim Minseok.
Ding-dong.
While they were still talking, the doorbell rang.
Han Seongtae immediately stood and walked toward the entrance.
“That’ll be 325,000 won.”
“Yes, here you go.”
Han Seongtae paid at once and carried the food inside.
His expression became peculiar as he examined what Kim Minseok and Yoo Beomsan had ordered.
‘They ordered from a Chinese restaurant, and it cost more than three hundred thousand won?’
He could not decide whether he should be amazed that they had managed to spend such an enormous amount at a restaurant known for being the ultimate value-for-money option.
Or whether he should be grateful that they had at least ordered from a Chinese restaurant.
“Is this going to be enough?”
“It’s more than enough.”
“We might not even be able to finish all this by ourselves.”
The two spoke as though telling Han Seongtae not to worry.
It looked as if they had ordered every expensive dish on the restaurant’s menu.
There was not enough room on the dining table, so they had to put some of the food on the floor while they ate.
Han Seongtae gave a disbelieving laugh, thinking that even his own description sounded absurd.
Slurp.
Beginning with Han Seongtae eating the closest bowl of jjamppong, all three busily moved their chopsticks.
[‘The Founder of Jeet Kune Do’ says that since you are already eating, you should focus on protein.]
[‘The Actor of Eternal Youth’ restrains ‘The Founder of Jeet Kune Do,’ telling him to leave you alone and let you eat comfortably with your friends.]
While Han Seongtae was eating, Kim Minseok spoke to him.
“When are you holding the autograph event?”
He had not addressed anyone in particular, but Han Seongtae instinctively knew the question was directed at him.
Han Seongtae swallowed what was in his mouth and immediately answered.
“I don’t know yet. It’s been discussed, but they haven’t decided on a date. They said they need to choose the venue first, so I think we’ll have to wait a little longer before we know.”
“Oh, so it hasn’t been decided yet. You mentioned the autograph event before, so I thought they might’ve set the date.”
“What? Seongtae, you’re holding an autograph event?”
“Yes, hyung. I think I’m going to have one.”
“That’s great. This will be your first one, right?”
Han Seongtae slowly nodded at Yoo Beomsan’s question.
It would be his first autograph event across both his previous and current lives, so he was somewhat nervous.
He had even found it difficult to sleep properly because he worried about whether he could do well and whether his fans might be disappointed after meeting him.
“What are you going to do at the event?”
“At the autograph event?”
“Yeah. You’re not going to show up, sign things, and leave, are you? It’s your first one. Shouldn’t you do something commemorative?”
“I was already planning to make merchandise.”
“Merchandise?”
“Yeah.”
After hearing that he would hold an autograph event, Han Seongtae had thought of something.
He wanted to personally give his fans a present.
That was what led him to merchandise.
He would have it made with his own money and give it to them.
“I’m going to make Choi Deoksu masks. They’ll have my autograph on them.”
“Choi Deoksu masks? Wow, that’s insane. You’re turning that into merchandise?”
“Yeah. I’m also going to make lenticular cards.”
Han Seongtae had thought of two pieces of merchandise.
One was the killer mask belonging to Choi Deoksu, which Han Seongtae had personally worn while filming Haru.
The other was a lenticular card that displayed a different image depending on the viewing angle.
“That’s incredible. You’re paying for all of it yourself?”
“Yeah.”
“You really are amazing. Your fans are going to love it.”
Han Seongtae smiled as Kim Minseok expressed his amazement.
He intended to prepare everything diligently, so he hoped his fans would appreciate it just as much.
It was because they had loved him that someone named Han Seongtae had been able to continue living as an actor.
“Wait a minute. You said your friends from America were coming over.”
“Yeah.”
“And you said you’re holding an autograph event.”
“I did.”
Han Seongtae immediately nodded at Kim Minseok’s words.
“Then couldn’t the dates overlap?”
“…What?”
“That’s right. So far, they’ve only said they’re coming and that the event will be held. Nobody said exactly when.”
“That’s true.”
“Then they could overlap.”
“Come on. No way.”
Han Seongtae shook his head, saying that made no sense.
It would be difficult for the two schedules to overlap.
His American friends would visit Korea soon, but the autograph event still required complicated arrangements such as securing a venue, so it would not happen until much later.
It made no sense for them to overlap.
[‘The One Who Lives and Dies by Speed’ laughs, saying that sometimes one can never know what will happen.]
[‘The One Who Creates Laughter in Tragedy’ says that one should never jump to conclusions.]
Despite the gods’ words, Han Seongtae shook his head.
There was absolutely no chance the two schedules would overlap.
Yes, that could not happen.
A few days later, that belief was shattered by messages arriving from two people at the same time.
That day, Han Seongtae was once again rehearsing with the cast of Youth My Way.
While practicing with them, Han Seongtae paused to catch his breath and turned another page of the script.
The scene they would be acting this time was a conversation between Lee Mihee and Park Sejun.
Because it portrayed a realistic conversation between the adult Park Sejun and Lee Mihee, realism was more important than in any other scene.
Tap.
Han Seongtae looked at Park Yeeun, who sat opposite him.
She was also looking at him.
Their eyes met.
Park Sejun opened his mouth.
“I put the containers of side dishes on the dining table.”
“Okay, I’ll take them. Where are you going? You don’t have a shift today.”
“Someone at work got hurt, so they asked whether I could fill in for them. They said they’d pay me well, so I agreed.”
Lee Mihee, who had been gathering the containers, stopped at his words.
She turned toward Park Sejun, an unreadable expression appearing on her face.
Park Sejun did not see it.
“What happened with that application? You said you had a good feeling about it this time.”
“I’m not going to take it. I don’t think that company suits me.”
“Hey! How can you say that? Where else will you find a place that stable?”
“Why are you getting angry? I’m the one who decided not to do it.”
“Because you’re frustrating me. You need to join a respectable company and get married too.”
Park Sejun gave a dry laugh at Lee Mihee’s words.
Marriage.
There had once been a time when he had wanted to start a family, but someone who could barely take care of himself had no business creating one.
Even marrying and living an ordinary life was something only people with the proper qualifications and abilities could do.
He could not claim to possess those abilities.
Therefore, Park Sejun was not even allowed to hold such a dream.
“Who would marry a worthless guy like me?”
Lee Mihee frowned at his self-deprecating voice.
After considering something for a moment, she spoke to Park Sejun.
“I……”
Bzzzt.
A call came in.
Park Yeeun stopped speaking and looked at the smartphone sitting on the table.
It belonged to Han Seongtae.
“I’m sorry. I forgot to put it on silent.”
He immediately apologized and checked the screen.
He had received messages from two people.
One was Rogers, and the other was Jung Dusik.
Rogers: We’re planning to come at the end of this month. These are the dates. Check your schedule.
Jung Dusik: Seongtae, the venue has been decided. They said this is the only date it’s available. Can you check whether it works for you?
Han Seongtae could not help laughing as he looked at the dates and times they had sent him.
The visit to Korea and the autograph event overlapped.
The exact situation he had believed could never happen had arrived.
[‘The One Who Creates Laughter in Tragedy’ asks whether he did not tell you not to jump to conclusions.]
Han Seongtae released a sigh that sounded almost like laughter.
He was beginning to worry about what lay ahead.
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