Chapter 132
Exactly 12 minutes after Bojana Olson appeared at the Excalibur Burger.
In conclusion.
‘So, this is how it turned out.’
It went well.
Very well, in fact.
“Are you really okay with this?”
In response to Jeffrey Rogers' doubtful voice, Bojana Olson replied with a chuckling face.
“I cleared my schedule for today, so why not? I’ll just think of it as hanging out with a friend.”
That was it.
Bojana Olson ended up appearing as a guest on Last Man Standing alongside Lee Min Ki.
“You’re really joining, right? Truly?”
Jeffrey Rogers' voice was cautious.
It made sense, as she was a rising star who had recently entered the Billboard Top 5.
Getting her onboard guaranteed high ratings.
As a show host, it was natural for him to be ecstatic.
“Just make sure you keep your promise.”
“Ah, of course. Trust is everything in this job as a show host, isn’t it? Haha!”
The promise referred to compensating Lee Min Ki with an appearance royalty.
But it didn’t feel like a loss at all.
If anything, it was more than worth it.
‘If I can bring Bojana Olson on board, paying royalties to Lee Min Ki is nothing.’
Strictly speaking, at least in the U.S., Bojana’s worth far exceeded Lee Min Ki’s.
‘Hmm, I’m not sure if this is going to work out.’
Lee Min Ki, who had unexpectedly gained Bojana Olson as an ally, let out a small sigh.
‘I just wanted her to keep an eye on things to ensure I didn’t get scammed.’
All he had expected was her implicit endorsement.
After all, the detailed negotiations were supposed to proceed through Manager Park Han Mo.
But then.
[Min, should I join too?]
Bojana Olson had casually jumped in and made the suggestion.
The original plan took an unexpected turn.
However, looking deeper, it was a win-win for everyone present, including Lee Min Ki.
‘Hahaha, I came here to scout Lee Min Ki, and now Bojana Olson joins too! And not just anyone, but the Bojana Olson, who’s known for avoiding media exposure! What a stroke of luck!’
Jeffrey Rogers, needless to say, gained tremendously.
‘This’ll be fun. After the quiz show, I’ll chat endlessly.’
Bojana Olson, being a natural hedonist, found no issue with appearing on Last Man Standing.
It was just an opportunity to have fun with a friend.
As for Lee Min Ki.
‘Just appearing on the quiz show is fortunate enough, but with Bojana Olson involved... the buzz will be incredible.’
What he thought was just a pumpkin vine turned out to be a wild ginseng.
And not just any ginseng—a rare, 50-year-old divine root.
Manager Park Han Mo, silently observing the scene, was left speechless.
‘I finally understand why the director always praises the actor’s luck.’
No matter the situation, it always turned out positively.
Could there be another person like this?
From the perspective of someone living a diligent life, it felt a bit unfair.
While lost in deep thought, Bojana Olson shrugged her shoulders and said.
“Ah, but I’m too lazy to do makeup, so I won’t.”
“Hey, you make your living off people’s dreams and fantasies, remember?”
“Then it’s a nightmare.”
“That’s your brag?”
Her friend, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time, had grown significantly in stature but was just the same as ever.
“Since college, you’ve never cared about what others think.”
“This is America.”
“But you’re not American.”
“If I speak English and live in America, I’m American.”
“No, legally, you’re Australian.”
“Well, if I went to immigration and started the naturalization process, it’d be approved quickly...”
“Then which country does Justin Bieber belong to?”
“America.”
“See? This is why you’re impossible.”
“Excuse me!”
Unable to watch their childish argument any longer, Lee Min Ki interrupted with a raised voice.
“You two always start debating whenever you meet. We’re adults, aren’t we? Right? Since we have guests, let’s pause it for now.”
“Actor, I must say, that’s hard to overlook.”
“Pardon?”
Had he gone too far by emphasizing adulthood? While Lee Min Ki was reflecting, Manager Park Han Mo shook his head and spoke.
“Let me clarify—debate only happens between beings of similar intellectual levels.”
“...”
“This is more of a lesson. I’m pointing out and correcting errors.”
What was with this person?
Lee Min Ki’s face turned bewildered at Manager Park Han Mo’s casual bluntness.
‘He’s usually so cool-headed—why does his mental age drop around Bojana Olson?’
This isn’t your usual character.
Just as the conversation was veering off course.
“Alright, alright, alright! So it’s decided!”
Jeffrey Rogers quickly intervened to shift the mood.
“We’re short on time, so let’s head straight to the filming location!”
American studios—how should one describe them?
‘They’re huge.’
They were massive.
Truly enormous.
Korea’s studios were large too.
Having been supported by the video industry for decades, they were well-equipped.
Especially the terrestrial studios, which rivaled major corporate headquarters in scale.
But this?
‘This could pass as a university campus.’
The size of American studios was on another level.
It was a matter of horizontal area.
‘Do they have too much land?’
Korean broadcasting stations tended to build upward.
But here, the height of each floor was lower, while the horizontal space of each was vast.
“Wow... It’s really huge. Successful broadcasters are different.”
As Lee Min Ki marveled at the surroundings.
Manager Park Han Mo calmly spoke up.
“This is Studio 2, and the main studio is elsewhere. Since the land here is expensive, it’s unavoidable. The main studio is about three times larger.”
“Have you been there before?”
“I interned and toured there as a student.”
Come to think of it, Manager Park Han Mo had studied video in the U.S.
As Lee Min Ki recalled this, Jeffrey Rogers, who was walking ahead, turned around and asked.
“Oh, no wonder your pronunciation is good. You interned at this station? Does that mean you studied in America?”
His probing remark came out of nowhere.
“I studied video at GIA (Grafton Art School).”
That one sentence caused a subtle glimmer of surprise to flash in Jeffrey Rogers’ eyes.
“What’s your major?”
“I studied producing.”
“It’s already impressive that you went to GIA, but producing there? An elite, huh. Did you graduate cum laude?”
“I graduated summa cum laude.”
“…That’s remarkable.”
This time, there was no pretense or exaggeration.
Jeffrey Rogers widened his eyes in genuine surprise.
‘The manager must be quite extraordinary.’
Was this what it meant to have credentials that could impress an industry-renowned show host?
Usually, once someone entered the workforce, academic background rarely mattered.
Professionals were judged based on their abilities in the field after starting their careers.
Even so, was it impressive enough to cause such a reaction?
‘Come to think of it, I feel like he often evades when talking about why he’s working in Korea.’
Jeffrey Rogers seemed curious as he pointedly asked about that part.
“Then why don’t you work in the U.S.?”
“…”
“If it’s uncomfortable to answer, you don’t have to.”
“No, it’s not that.”
Manager Park Han Mo shook his head and replied.
“I don’t think working in this industry necessarily means I have to work in the U.S.”
“Still, isn’t the market too small?”
“You’re not wrong, but…”
The next moment, he turned his gaze toward Lee Min Ki.
What he said next could only be described as a statement that made time momentarily stop for the listener.
“By working in Korea, I was able to meet our actor.”
“…”
This man.
He’s saying that because he came to Korea, he met me.
Was he implying that this one fact alone made coming to Korea worthwhile?
The weight of his words felt that significant.
Jeffrey Rogers cleared his throat and said, “Well, I see I’ve been presumptuous. I apologize.”
“It’s fine. I hear it often.”
“I like this guy.”
Even though they had only exchanged a few words, Jeffrey Rogers seemed to genuinely like Manager Park Han Mo.
Perhaps it would be accurate to say he felt a small sense of inner peace.
For someone so energetic, one might think he’d get along with similarly excitable people, but it seemed his preference leaned toward calm individuals like Manager Park.
“Today must be my lucky day.”
“Is that so?”
“I mean it. In this line of work, I often think a good day is when you meet good people.”
They walked for quite some time like that.
Eventually, Jeffrey Rogers stopped in a hallway, cleared his throat, and said, “We’ll start shortly, so let’s get you two spruced up. Our studio stylist will assist you.”
“Yes.”
“I’d rather not.”
“Even just a quick hair touch-up should suffice.”
With those words, Jeffrey Rogers disappeared promptly.
It seemed he hadn’t been joking when he said he was in a rush.
Did you know?
There’s a common misconception about Asian entertainers active in the U.S. market.
It goes like this.
[They’re mostly hired like a quota system for ratings.]
Many believe that most of them are chosen not for their actual acting skills but to cater to the local market’s tastes.
From movies to dramas, musicals, and variety shows, weren’t Asians often featured like corn kernels embedded in a sausage?
Calling it a misconception feels odd.
After all, it’s true that including or excluding even one entertainer from a certain country could significantly impact revenue.
[It’d be better if there were no Asians.]
[Even if they can’t act, there’s always one Asian chosen, and I hate that.]
[In teen movies, there’s always an Asian friend character. They wear glasses and are good with computers.]
This perception, in a way, also served as a barrier to entry.
It made it easier for Asians to enter the market but simultaneously prevented them from receiving proper evaluation.
To summarize:
For new Asian entertainers breaking into the U.S. market, it was never friendly.
The American Dream was an illusion.
The U.S. was a local market.
No matter how hard the actor worked, most faced strong rejection and were eventually pushed out.
[An Asian who got lucky and joined one major production.]
This was the kind of stigma they had to bear.
Now.
In this market, one man was finally stepping in with both feet.
And not just in any way.
“Let me introduce you to Korea’s K-pop superstar, Air Doctor, Bojana Olson’s friend, the dance master from Korea, Lee! Min! Ki!”
Through a quiz show, no less.
“Who’s that?”
“Must be someone famous?”
“Bojana Olson’s friend?”
“Did his agency tell him to say they’re friends?”
His recognition was still relatively low.
However.
Just 10 minutes into the broadcast.
“Oh dear, better luck next time on the charts.”
After Bojana Olson was eliminated in just three questions, another 20 minutes passed.
“Here comes the fifth question. In the 1960s, what term was used to describe American Western films made in Italy?”
When the initial pool of 100 participants had shrunk to around 20.
Bang!
There was someone who always answered faster than anyone else.
“Spaghetti Western.”
It was none other than Lee Min Ki.
By this point, there were few who could still look at him through a lens of prejudice.
“Did he get it right again?”
“He answers almost instantly every time.”
“His mind works so fast.”
Amid the growing admiration, only one thought filled Lee Min Ki’s mind.
‘…These questions are too easy.’
Easy.
Almost ridiculously so.