Translator: Marctempest
Editor: Rynfinity
Chapter 122
Was he naive? Or was he pretending to be naive?
I looked directly at the person who immediately apologized, asking if my clothes had been stretched.
‘How could you call busy people for such a trivial matter?’
The police aren’t errand boys.
It was amusing that he let go so quickly to such a ridiculous statement, but seeing his truly frightened eyes was disheartening.
“Director. I have expressed my intentions clearly. I told you multiple times over the phone that I am not interested. You said you would give up if we met just once, and that’s why I came out, but you didn’t keep your promise. Even if I do feel like writing a script, I wouldn’t want to work with someone I’ve already lost trust in.”
“…Sorry.”
“And I told you last time not to wear such thin clothes. Did you come dressed like this on purpose?”
That would only make me more averse.
When I furrowed my brow, Director Jang flustered.
“No, I told you on the phone. This is my lucky outfit! I signed my first contract wearing this coat… Even met you wearing it!”
Lucky outfit or not, if you freeze to death, it’s over.
I had plenty to say, but I thought it would be ridiculous to get mad at someone I wouldn’t be involved with anymore.
Instead, I unwound the scarf from around my neck.
When I wrapped it around the other person’s neck, he thanked me with a bewildered expression.
“Oh, thank you.”
“I’m not giving it to you because I have plenty of clothes. I’m giving it because I hate being cold.”
“…Then shouldn’t you keep it for yourself? You hate the cold.”
When he tried to take off the scarf I had just wrapped around him, I stopped him with my eyes.
Director Jang, who saw my gaze, hesitated and mumbled.
“Thank you… I’ll return it later.”
“No need to return it. It’s a gift, so use it well.”
“A gift?”
“It was my first time going to a theater that day. I watched the movie because of you. As I said, there were a lot of disappointing parts, but it wasn’t bad. Since you gave me a good two hours, consider this a gift in return.”
“….”
Looking at the now silent person, I continued.
“Please stop contacting my manager. He’s already a busy person.”
“Okay. I won’t contact him anymore. Sorry….”
“Alright. I’ll trust you. Although I declined the script work, I still wish you success.”
I signaled Manager Jin-bae at the next table to get ready to leave.
Just as I was about to exit the place, I heard a small voice.
“If I rewrite the script, can I contact you then? Just to have you read it….”
I turned slowly. Seeing a face full of hesitation rather than expectation, I spoke.
“Sure.”
“…! Thank you!”
“But don’t contact my manager. Please send it through the agency like everyone else.”
After greeting the person who nodded earnestly, I finally stepped outside.
“Actor, it’s snowing!”
“Yes, it is.”
If it keeps snowing like this tomorrow, it will be a white Christmas.
What was I doing last Christmas? It was only a year ago, but it felt like a long time had passed.
The streets were filled with Christmas songs.
Even though the orphanage always held Christmas parties, it always felt like someone else’s affair.
“It’s a bit late, but how about buying Santa hats or something? It’d be nice to wear them all together at the party tomorrow.”
“Sounds good. Can I choose one for you?”
“…Even if I say no, you’ll do it anyway, right?”
“You said you trust my taste. Was that a lie?”
Manager Jin-bae shook his head with a resigned expression.
The next day, a film camera photo of Manager Jin-bae wearing a Rudolph headband and nose was on my desk.
***
“I want to go back to Christmas. The party was fun.”
“I had fun too.”
“Don’t kid yourself. You had that look like you wanted to leave halfway through.”
Noh Bi-hyuk laughed incredulously. I had nothing to say.
The party was held at my house, so I had nowhere to go and had to stay.
On Christmas, I invited Hyung Jung-hyun, Noh Bi-hyuk, Sung Lee-jun, and Nam In-hoo to my house.
Except for Nam In-hoo being unexpectedly shy when meeting Hyung Jung-hyun for the first time, it was an uneventful, ordinary dinner.
Compared to the lavish parties seen in movies and dramas, it was modest, but it wasn’t bad.
“It was fun. It was just a bit noisy….”
“You must be tired~. You like it quiet, but it’s always noisy around you.”
It would improve if you just talked a little less.
Although I didn’t say it out loud, my eyes must have conveyed it.
Noh Bi-hyuk avoided my gaze and changed the topic.
“Lee Yeon-jae. Can I give you a birthday present?”
Suddenly?
“A birthday present?”
“Your birthday is coming up. Your fans were in an uproar because you said you wouldn’t accept birthday presents.”
“An uproar…?”
“Well, more like a riot.”
I couldn’t deny it because my fans were indeed upset.
—While it’s understandable that he refuses food support or any other support, shouldn’t he at least accept birthday presents?
—I became a fan because of the birthday gift post last year ㅠㅠ I wanted to see a post with the gift I gave him this year.
—Everyone calm down. If Bambi says no, there’s nothing we can do. At least he’s not rejecting subway ads and stuff.
The reason I announced I wouldn’t accept birthday presents was simple.
A year ago, when I received presents from the fan club, the membership was less than ten thousand.
‘Now it’s over sixty thousand.’
Searching for celebrity support and birthday gifts quickly led to a conclusion.
The scale of the gifts fans gave their favorite celebrities was beyond my imagination.
It might be a delusion, but just imagining that enormous scale coming to me was suffocating.
‘I haven’t done anything for them…’
I hadn’t done anything for my birthday; it was just a birthday, so there was no reason to receive gifts.
So I declined. The sparkling eyes looking at me during fan signings were more than enough.
Since I had always declined even the cafe car support sent to the set, I thought this would pass without issue.
“…Do you think the fans are very upset?”
“Not upset, just disappointed. They’ve been holding back, waiting to finally give you something, and now you don’t want it.”
I mulled over Noh Bi-hyuk’s words.
‘I don’t want to hurt their feelings…’
But I didn’t want to accept gifts either.
Remembering the endless list of gifts for other celebrities reinforced my decision.
While pondering what to do, Noh Bi-hyuk’s phone rang.
“Ugh, I have to go to practice now.”
“Hang in there. Don’t overdo it.”
“Yeah. Anyway, I’m giving you a birthday present. Don’t refuse mine.”
“Alright. I’ll be grateful. Just give me anything.”
“I’ll make sure it’s something special!”
Stop it, man.
He disappeared, scratching his ear.
I stayed in my room, lost in thought. What should I do?
The fan club president lay despondently on the living room floor.
Her younger brother, who came out to drink water, was startled.
“Whoa! You scared me.”
“My world has crumbled….”
“I don’t care~.”
Her brother indifferently returned to his room.
Left alone, the president murmured.
“I had a perfect list prepared… How could you, Bambi….”
A few days ago, the fan club administrators had a meeting.
They met offline to prepare for Yeon-jae’s birthday, which was only a month away.
Even though it was their first time meeting, they quickly overcame the awkwardness.
They shared a common interest: “Lee Yeon-jae.”
“So, what should we give Bambi for his birthday? He doesn’t seem to have any particular preferences.”
“He always wears the same watch. How about giving him several branded ones?”
“Hmm. Bambi doesn’t seem to like luxury items….”
As expected from those who loved Bambi, their character analysis was spot on.
The president suggested watching the latest magazine video before discussing it further and pulled out her phone.
They collectively fell silent.
Understandably so, as all the items Bambi introduced in the cherished items video were gifts.
Every time he took something out of his bag, the description was the same.
“This is from my manager,” “This is from a friend,” etc. Everything was a gift from someone.
When asked if there was anything he had bought himself, Bambi looked troubled.
[“I’m not very interested in things. My manager takes care of all the essentials.”]
[“Even if it’s not essential, wasn’t there anything you wanted or desired? Even one of the items you shot today?”]
The voice suggested they would steal to give it to him.
The president, thinking “The staff also fell for our Bambi’s charm,” saw Yeon-jae smiling.
[“Well, they’re all expensive items…. I don’t desire them, and I’m just happy as I am now.”]
He spoke like a monk ready to leave the secular world.
The administrators were briefly confused, but collective intelligence prevailed.
They made a list of moderately priced but not low-quality items.
However, just as everything was falling into place, a post went up.
It was a sternly written message from Yeon-jae, politely declining birthday gifts.
Bambi’s fans, including the administrators, were all heartbroken.
Just as many fans had joined due to last year’s gift post, many had high expectations for this year.
“Maybe he declined because he felt burdened.”
Whatever the reason, it was still sad.
And they couldn’t force gifts on someone who didn’t want them.
So, they decided to make a donation in Yeon-jae’s name to underprivileged communities.
They wouldn’t take no for an answer this time, but luckily, they received a positive response.
‘We’ll proceed with the billboards at Gangnam Station and Jamsil Station… I need to organize the donation items list.’
The president calmed her bitter feelings and opened the Excel file.
As it involved money, the accounting needed to be thoroughly organized.
Thus, it took her a while to realize the fact.
Bambi had texted her from his phone.
Two days after discussing birthday presents with Noh Bi-hyuk, I visited the company.
“Actor, they’re waiting in Conference Room 5.”
“Okay.”
I got into the elevator with Manager Jin-bae.
Standing in front of the door labeled “Conference Room 5,” I took a short breath.
‘Don’t show you’re nervous.’
I had met fans before. I could handle this.
With that self-encouragement, I opened the door.
And there she was, a woman frozen with a pale face.
“Are you unwell? Are you okay?”
She looked so serious that I spoke without greeting.
As I hurriedly approached, she stuttered and backed away.
“Wait, wait. Stay there for a moment. Don’t come closer.”
“…?”
Wasn’t she the fan club president?
Why was she looking at me like I was in a horror movie?