By Zephyria 
Despite running so desperately, the caller, contrary to my expectations, was my grandmother.
Song Hyun-soo collapsed onto the mattress, clutching his toe, and connected the call. He tried his best to hide the voice of him enduring the pain.
“Oh, Grandma. It’s me.”
[Why is there still no news?]
“Huh? What did you say?”
[News, I said news. The news about you filming a drama. They said it would be out soon.]
“Ah… that.”
It hurt enough to bring tears to my eyes for a moment, but thankfully, my toe looked fine on the outside.
[Are these old folks just living in lies? They’re treating your grandfather and me like liars.]
“Please wait a little longer. It’s been delayed by one to two weeks.”
[Why? Is something wrong? Is the drama getting canceled?]
A dark look instantly mixed into my grandmother’s voice.
“No. It’s a movie the Crown Prince is filming, how could it be canceled?”
[Right, of course. That’s true.]
Song Hyun-soo chuckled, as if he could see his grandmother nodding.
This was the level of public trust in the name Yoon Joo-ho. While there were many young actors popular with teens and twenties, few actors spanned such a wide age range, from children to the elderly. This was why Yoon Joo-ho was always so active in the advertising industry. The scope of his recognition was different, so the effect of his advertisements was bound to be different.
Song Hyun-soo’s grandmother also felt a sense of familiarity with Yoon Joo-ho, whom she had watched since she was a child. Even if it was through TV, she had watched the entire growth process of a child, so she had grown fond of him.
[But Hyun-soo, how pitiful is the Crown Prince?]
“Why is the Crown Prince pitiful?”
Where else in the world could there be someone living so well and eating so well… there could be. Song Hyun-soo quickly thought of reasons why Yoon Joo-ho might be pitiful and nodded to himself in understanding.
[His parents are appearing everywhere and making him out to be such a bad person.]
“Right, Grandma?? Those people are very strange, aren’t they?”
Song Hyun-soo’s eyes immediately lit up with the joy of finally finding someone who understood.
[You know, I had a huge fight with the shopkeeper’s wife. That woman, she said that no matter what, a child shouldn’t treat their parents like that, and she took the side of that heartless mother and father.]
“You did well. You did well, Grandma.”
[Should children treat their parents that way, but parents can treat their children like that? A parent can die protecting their child.]
“That’s exactly what I’m saying!”
[He was a son who listened obediently without complaint for 30 years. Did what he was told and didn’t do what he wasn’t supposed to. There must be a reason why such a son is acting like this. Is he going to suddenly grab someone by the neck in mid-air?]
The kettle began to whistle loudly as the water boiled. Song Hyun-soo got up and walked to the kitchen. Since one of his rabbit slippers was stuck in the corner, his gait was uneven. He thought it was fine, but his little toe was a bit uncomfortable when he stepped on the floor.
[He must have so many unspeakable things in his heart, unable to talk about them openly. He must have a chest full of stories he can’t tell people.]
“…”
As soon as he turned off the gas, the kettle fell silent.
My grandmother would tear up at the mere mention of someone being sick on TV. Yoon Joo-ho, whom she doted on like her own grandson, was suffering, so she must be upset.
[You’re filming a drama together, aren’t you? The people around him should offer a warm word or two.]
Because he was working on a project with Yoon Joo-ho, Grandma seemed to think Song Hyun-soo was practically Yoon Joo-ho’s best friend. I had embellished things a bit with some exaggeration, but…
However, he couldn’t shatter his grandmother’s dream by telling her the truth.
“Grandma, but what is Grandpa doing…”
Ddu-ddu-ddu-ddu.
However, as always, the call with Grandma ended abruptly and unilaterally. Song Hyun-soo looked down at his phone with an awkward expression, almost dropping the phone from the vibration and ringtone he felt in his hand. This time, it was a message, not a call.
“This is Director Bang. Joo-ho’s manager ^^
Can you come to this address by 1 PM today?
We’ll discuss the job details and specific conditions when we meet later.”
Song Hyun-soo hobbled over to the clothes rack. He found and put on the slipper that was upside down and replied to Director Bang.
Is Director Bang coming? Then it’s not something with Yoon Joo-ho? Well, what reason would Yoon Joo-ho have to hire someone for a part-time job?
He threw his phone onto the mattress and pulled back the curtain covering the clothes rack, then browsed through the clothes. Fortunately, Jung-ho had lent him a bunch of clothes. He held up a thick gray hoodie in front of his chest and stood in front of the mirror. Was he supposed to wear this with the brown padding? This looks too much like a student?
He tried on a navy sweatshirt with dark indigo jeans. This looked better. What did Jung-ho say? Should I fold the hem of these pants?
Laying the pants on the mattress and folding the hem, Song Hyun-soo suddenly stopped. He realized he was choosing clothes with more passion than on the script reading day. It wasn’t to impress Director Bang. The expectation that he might see Yoon Joo-ho was still lingering within him.
Song Hyun-soo let out a scoff and straightened his bent back.
“So what if Yoon Joo-ho shows up? Am I supposed to seduce him?”
Leaving the chosen clothes as they were, he ruffled his hair and headed to the kitchen. He felt he needed some coffee. However, the water he had just boiled had already cooled to lukewarm.
“Ah, it’s Grandma’s fault.”
Blaming his innocent grandmother, he turned on the gas burner.
■■■
After taking a bus once from Exit 3 of Sinsa Station, I drove along Dosan-daero.
It was the same route as going to the script reading. Even passing the ‘Look Planning’ building was the same.
But this time, Song Hyun-soo’s emotions as he looked up at the building were slightly different.
The building still stood imposingly. Its gleaming glass surface seemed spotless, and the ‘Look Planning’ sign was still there.
In one sensational article about Yoon Joo-ho’s dispute with his parents, it was reported that the current value of the building, which Yoon Joo-ho had bought for 30 billion won, was at least 50 billion won.
However, Yoon Joo-ho had not shown his face at his own building and company for several months. Whether he wasn’t showing up or couldn’t show up, he didn’t know, but it had been since the end of
Look Planning started as a one-person agency with only Yoon Joo-ho as its sole artist and has now grown into a medium-sized agency specializing in managing actors.
Everyone knows. That Look Planning’s growth was impossible without the power of the actor Yoon Joo-ho. Only Yoon Joo-ho’s parents and those who side with them pretend not to know.
However, Look Planning was also a company with bad rumors circulating in the industry. Rumors like how they force-feed their affiliated actors into projects starring Yoon Joo-ho, or how they poach actors after other companies have spent years nurturing them from obscurity only for them to finally start gaining traction.
If, as Yoon Joo-ho’s father claimed, his parents had been in charge of Look Planning’s management until now, then those rumors were their responsibility. In short, they had gathered only actors who could make money by leveraging Yoon Joo-ho’s name. And Yoon Joo-ho is probably trying to change that management style.
Despite such rumors, it’s true that Look Planning is the most coveted agency among actors. Of course, it was the same for Song Hyun-soo. But for me, it was an unreachable tree. They don’t sign someone as unknown as I am.
Outside the Look Planning building, several girls were taking pictures. Though Asian, they had an air about them that made them seem somewhat foreign; they were likely Yoon Joo-ho’s fans.
The light changed, and the car accelerated. Gazing indifferently at the scenery outside the window, Song Hyun-soo turned up the volume on his earphones. Was it because of his dream? Even listening to his favorite “Becoming an Adult” didn’t lift his spirits today.
If only he had more popularity, if only he had more influence, Choi Hong-seo wouldn’t have ended up like that. But it seems that wasn’t the case either. He had thought that a top star like Yoon Joo-ho could do whatever he wanted and live life with ease…