Translator: Marctempest
Editor: Rynfinity
Chapter 123
“Yes. I’ll stay here, so don’t worry.”
I was surprised by the unexpected reaction but figured there must be a reason, so I stayed silent.
The woman kept staring at the floor, apologizing earnestly.
“I’m sorry. I’m just really nervous.”
“No, it’s fine. Actually, I was nervous too. It’s nice to meet a fellow comrade.”
“……”
I spoke as gently as possible, hoping it would ease her tension, but her expression only grew more rigid.
Did I make a mistake?
While I was only moving my eyes, Jin-bae hyung smiled and whispered in my ear.
“Didn’t I tell you before?”
“…?”
“There are people who really, really like you. I think the chairman is one of them.”
Ah, now I understood.
So, she wasn’t avoiding my gaze because she disliked me, but because she was too much of a fan.
I still didn’t fully understand the sentiment, but I nodded, thinking of singer Choi In-jun.
“Chairman.”
“Yes?”
“I have plenty of time today since I don’t have any schedules. It’s okay, so take your time and talk to me when you feel ready. I won’t move a step until then.”
“Oh, no. I’m sorry. It’s just… I’m such a fan.”
The woman hesitated before finally lifting her head.
Seeing her face only enough to glimpse her eyes gave me a strange sense of déjà vu.
“Did you come to the signing event a month ago?”
“Yes.”
“Your name is… In-ah noona?”
What was her last name again? Was my memory always this poor?
While rummaging through my distant memory, her face lit up brightly.
“Yes! Kwon In-ah. How do you remember?! There were so many people!”
“You gave me a deer headband decorated with flowers back then.”
“Yes! That’s right. Wow, you have an amazing memory. Thank you!”
Shouldn’t I be the one thanking her?
Although I felt a bit awkward as if our roles were reversed, I took it as a good sign that her expression had softened.
“Can I come closer now?”
“Yes. I’m sorry! I’m still not used to seeing your face in person.”
The chairman spoke more embarrassing words with a bashful face.
After a few more conversations, the awkward atmosphere dissipated.
“At first, I thought it was a voice phishing scam! I’ve only communicated with the manager via email until now.”
“I’m sorry for surprising you. It was urgent, so I wanted to contact you directly.”
“No, it was good, I mean, it was okay. So, you want to hold your first fan meeting on your birthday?”
I nodded with a smile.
For the past two days, ever since my conversation with Noh Bi-hyuk, I’d been thinking about it.
If fans were upset because I wasn’t accepting gifts, what could I do to alleviate that?
Following Jung-hyun hyung’s advice to officially hold a fan meeting, I borrowed a work phone from the company to contact her.
“I want to proceed in a way that doesn’t require fans to spend extra money. The company agreed to cover the venue and event costs.”
“Then we should proceed with a random draw. We can select the number of attendees from those who are registered in the fan cafe.”
The chairman was much more capable than I had expected.
Without avoiding my gaze, she immersed herself in the meeting.
“Could you look at the laptop screen? These are the recent statistics of fan cafe registrations. Since ‘Goodbye, My Summer,’ foreign fans have significantly increased due to the Look ad.”
“Because of the Look ad?”
“Yes, the dance challenge video you made. It went viral on TikTok.”
Ah, I vaguely remembered hearing about it from the PR team.
She explained that the video had a lot of views on the short-video app, and foreign influencers participated in the challenge, drawing more attention.
“I mentioned this because there could be foreign fans among those participating in the fan meeting. Of course, anyone attending would likely know some Korean.”
“I see. Thank you for considering that.”
Just in case, I should study English more.
I deeply engraved the chairman’s words in my mind. She’s really impressive.
“How do you know all this? You’re amazing.”
“I have a lot of otaku, I mean, fan experience….”
“I’m glad I contacted you, In-ah noona. Thank you.”
When I thanked her with a smile, she bowed her head deeply.
“No, I’m the one who should be thankful that you’re discussing such an important matter with me. As I mentioned earlier, there’s a lot to prepare, so I need to discuss it with the administrators.”
“Sure. Feel free to contact me.”
“And… Actor. Could you call me ‘Chairman’ instead of my name?”
Did she take it the wrong way?
I hurriedly tried to apologize, but she spoke quickly before I could.
“Of course, I’d love to be called by my name, and it feels a hundred, no, a thousand times better. But the relationship between a celebrity and a fan needs to maintain a certain distance for both parties’ sake. It’s really sad to say this… Honestly, I wish I could take back my words….”
The chairman continued, looking truly heartbroken.
“There might be talks about special treatment, so please just treat me as the fan club chairman. Especially in front of other fans.”
Isn’t being a fan club chairman already a position of special treatment?
It didn’t make sense logically, but since it was an unfamiliar field, I readily agreed.
The two hours filled with meaningful conversation flew by.
* * *
“Yeon-jae…! You’re early?”
“Hi.”
I was slowly stretching before a proper workout when Sung Lee-jun approached.
“It’s so great to see you every day…!”
“Me too.”
Sung Lee-jun blushed even before working out.
How did he become a celebrity with that personality? It’s still amazing to me.
“Is everything okay after moving? Need any help?”
“Yeah, it’s fine. I used to find it a bit stuffy to jog with a hat and mask on. Now that I can go to a gym, it’s more convenient.”
I had recently moved to a new apartment.
Although I had grown attached to the place I had lived in for almost a year and didn’t see the need to move, it was a direct order from CEO Jang, so I complied without complaint.
The new place was overwhelmingly spacious, but it had a residents-only fitness center, making it easier to exercise. Money does make a difference.
“This place has a lot of celebrities, so no one will bother you! I never expected to be neighbors, but I’m so happy…!”
It turned out that Sung Lee-jun lived in the same apartment complex.
Why does he look like he’s about to burst with excitement?
Having seen the same look on Mist’s face so often, I had developed an unnecessary affection for it.
“I’m happy too. I’m about to start running now.”
“Oh, okay! Do well! By the way, today….”
“Yes, we’ll have lunch together again today.”
Even at my indifferent response, Sung Lee-jun looked at me with eyes full of laughter.
After working out for a full hour, I stepped outside.
“Yeon-jae. Do you have any projects you’re working on?”
“No. Just reading scripts and practicing. What about you?”
“I might start a drama soon!”
His voice floated as if he was walking on air, so I asked what drama it was.
When I heard the answer, I couldn’t help but stop in my tracks.
“I even spoke directly with the writer….”
“…….”
“Yeon-jae…? What’s wrong all of a sudden?”
Seeing his bewildered face, I composed my expression.
“No, I just read that script a while ago. It’s good.”
“Right! I liked it so much that I begged our CEO right away.”
“What role did you get?”
What was I asking? Of course, it would be Han Seung-min.
“Han Seung-min! I was worried, but they confirmed it immediately. I’m so excited to start filming soon!”
“You’ll do great.”
I smiled, and Sung Lee-jun laughed brightly.
‘What is this feeling?’
It was a peculiar feeling. Powerlessness? No, it wouldn’t feel this strange if it were.
It wasn’t unfairness, since it wasn’t my role to begin with.
The agency’s decision was reasonable and understandable.
So, I accepted it without complaint….
“Why….”
“Hmm?”
Why did I feel so awful?
I stared blankly at Sung Lee-jun. A strange sense of discomfort crept up.
‘Should I have insisted on taking the role back then?’
Regretting past decisions was useless, but I felt a slight pang of regret.
Along with that, I took a deep breath, feeling an old familiar emotion.
“Ha.”
Self-loathing doesn’t help. It’s useless.
“Yeon-jae…? Are you angry? Did I say something wrong―.”
“Hyung, you didn’t do anything wrong. I’m just narrow-minded.”
“Huh??”
Seeing his bewildered face made me feel even more foolish.
What a ridiculous situation.
“Actually, I wanted to do that drama too. In the role of Han Seung-min.”
“Ah….”
“The agency opposed it, so I let it go, but hearing you talk about it, I realized how much I wanted that role.”
“Yeah, I get that… I’m sorry. I didn’t realize.”
“It’s not your fault. I missed the opportunity. You seized it. That’s impressive, and I’m jealous.”
“…….”
At the same time, one thought grew stronger.
‘I need to persuade the agency no matter what next time.’
I would persist and do whatever it took to pursue what I wanted without regret.
Of course, I was still the agency’s product, obligated to do what they wanted.
But feeling this much disappointment and regret made me realize.
Even if things didn’t go my way, I’d deal with it then.
“…You’re surprisingly honest. Admitting you’re jealous isn’t easy.”
“It’s just being narrow-minded. But I mean it when I say you’ll do well. You’re going to nail it.”
I knew he had the skills.
Sung Lee-jun muttered a shy thank you.
While waiting for the elevator, I imagined Sung Lee-jun playing Han Seung-min.
He fit the role better than I thought.
“I’m curious to see you as Han Seung-min.”
“Really…?”
“Yeah. The character is fundamentally tough but has a vulnerable side. I think you’ll capture that well.”
“Oh, I’ve been focusing on that part in my practice!”
Sung Lee-jun’s voice brightened noticeably.
During lunch at his place, we talked about Han Seung-min the whole time.
Our character interpretations were slightly different, making the conversation more interesting.
“Talking to you gave me a better idea of how to practice. Thanks…!”
“I enjoyed it too. It was fun.”
“I feel bad getting all the help…”
Despite my reassurance not to worry, he whimpered like a puppy.
“Oh! Didn’t you say you’re studying a foreign language lately?”
“Yeah. Focusing on English.”
The upcoming fan meeting wasn’t the main reason.
Languages aren’t something you become proficient in within a few days.
The real purpose was to prepare for the Cannes Film Festival, which was only four months away.
“Then, should I help you with English?”
I almost declined out of habit but paused.
Come to think of it, Sung Lee-jun….
‘He’s American.’
What a stroke of luck.