The Haunted Monster Actor - Chapter 41



Only Krnovel

Episode 41

As I entered the bar with Dong-geun, my aunt in the kitchen recognized Hyun-soo and ran out.

“Oh my, who is this! Hyunsoo, why has it taken you so long to come here! No, should I call you actor now?”

When I last saw you, your hair was black, but now it’s starting to turn a little gray, and I can feel the passage of time.

“What about the actor? Just call me comfortably like you used to. How have you been, aunt?”

“Graham! As you can see, it’s the end of the year, but the economy is not doing well, so business is not going well… … Oh my, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you, so what are you complaining about? Anyway, sit down! What’s for dinner? Chicken feet soup, right?”

A smile formed on the corner of Hyun-soo’s mouth as he listened to his aunt’s words pouring out without stopping.

He still remembers the menu that Hyunsoo ordered.

“Auntie, what about me? Can’t you see me?”

“Oh my, you came here the day before yesterday and you’re back again? You were just having fun that day, but today you brought your friend here. Anyway, drink less, you punk!”

“… … No, if someone saw me, they’d think I’m the kind of person who comes here every day to just drink.”

“Not every day, but every week. On days when Hyunsoo’s drama was aired, I would sit in front of the TV at that exact time… … .”

“Ah, dad, give me some soju quickly!”

After exchanging warm greetings with their aunt, Hyunsoo and Donggeun sat down at a small table in the corner.

“You really haven’t changed at all. The moment I saw you, you started groaning.”

Donggeun answered with a giggle.

“Yes. There is one more thing that hasn’t changed.”

“What is that?”

“Auntie’s cooking.”

“… … .”

Just thinking about the spicy chicken feet soup with a rich broth made with gochujang (red pepper paste) and finely chopped Cheongyang peppers makes our mouths water.

braided!

Two glasses filled to the brim with soju clinked together, and the two men soon began to chat about various things in life.

“How have you been?”

“Don’t you know that when you watch TV? I’ve lived my life diligently. What about you?”

“What’s so special about me, a company employee? I’m still just an apprentice Lupin.”

“I heard you got a job at a big company. Judging by your bright face, you must be doing well.”

Contrary to my worries, the drinking party with Dong-geun continued in the same comfortable atmosphere as before.

It felt like I was back in high school, in my early 20s.

The two slowly filled their glasses as if savoring this moment of reminiscence after a long time.

“Auntie, please give me another bottle of soju!”

As the spicy broth surrounding the chicken feet began to sizzle and the drinking party became more enjoyable,

Dong-geun carefully opened his mouth toward Hyun-soo.

No, it was just as I was about to open it.

“Speak, Inma.”

“……ok?”

Dong-geun looks at Hyun-soo, who suddenly hit the player, with a blank expression.

“If you haven’t contacted me in a while, you must have something to say. It’s okay, just tell me. We’re not kids.”

“… … .”

Hyunsoo’s words were true.

Dong-geun had another reason for asking to see Hyun-soo today, aside from meeting a friend he hadn’t seen in a long time.

This was a natural thing to happen.

There was no way Dong-geun, with whom I hadn’t been in contact for nearly 10 years, would suddenly contact me.

“Well, actually, I… … .”

“… … ?”

“It’s been a while since I quit my job.”

“You’re beating up the company?”

“I work part-time these days. At a convenience store.”

“what?”

Could it really be… that you called me here because of money?

“Part-time job? Weren’t you doing well at work? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“that is…….”

Dong-geun hesitates and cannot utter his next words properly.

Hyunsoo waited calmly for Donggeun’s answer, and after some time, he soon opened his mouth.

“I write dramas.”

At Dong-geun’s bombshell remark, Hyun-soo dropped the chopsticks he was holding without realizing it.

“You quit your well-paying job at a large corporation to write a drama script? At the age of almost thirty? What does Yewon say?”

Yewon is the name of Donggeun’s girlfriend whom he has been seeing since his early 20s.

Now that he was at an age where he could start talking about marriage, it was only natural that Hyunsoo would be so excited.

Dong-geun smiled and answered Hyun-soo’s reaction.

“I know, I know it’s crazy. But I don’t want to hear that from a guy who’s been chasing his dreams until he’s almost 30.”

“Then let’s meet today… … .”

“Yeah, I just wanted to show my writing to a successful actor. Why! Are you picking on me?”

“No, it’s not like I’m particularly bothered by it.”

“… … ?”

“… … Actually, I was scared because I thought you were going to bring up money.”

Dong-geun burst into laughter at the honest remark that came out of Hyun-soo’s mouth.

“You little punk, if you bring up money, I said I wouldn’t lend you anything?”

“No, I’ll lend it to you… … but don’t you think Lee Dong-geun looks a little odd?”

“Hehe, that’s true. Don’t worry, I still have some of my saved salary and retirement pay left.”

Donggeun’s story continued.

“You know? I’ve always envied you.”

Dong-geun was the one who supported Hyun-soo until the end, even when his friends secretly ridiculed him for pursuing the path of an actor.

“Even now. I still think you’re cool and I envy you. And when I saw you in the drama this time… … I wanted to show you.”

“… … ?”

“To my friend who is doing what he wants to do, I am also doing what I want to do.”

The look in Dong-geun’s eyes as he speaks like that.

I’ve seen it somewhere.

‘It feels like I’m seeing my old self.’

After all, there was a reason why Dong-geun wanted to see Hyun-soo after nearly 10 years.

It wasn’t about money, it was about talking about ‘dreams’.

“Give it to me.”

“Huh? What?”

“It’s in your bag, the piece you wrote. Let me read it.”

“Oh, really? Would you like… to read it?”

“Let me tell you in advance that I am an actor, not a director, producer, or producer. I don’t have the ability to professionally judge a scenario.”

“Anyway, he’s an industry insider. And he’s top-notch at that.”

“Who is the best? He’s still a rookie actor.”

“Then he is the best among the rookies.”

“Let’s leave it at that. Let’s read it.”

Soon, Hyunsoo read the scenario with a serious face without saying anything.

As he looked at Hyun-soo, whose expression changed from moment to moment as he flipped through the scenarios, Dong-geun didn’t even think about moistening his parched lips with soju.

“Donggeun.”

“Is it strange, after all?”

“You keep using this.”

“As expected, it’s strange… … Huh?”

“As I said before, I can’t say that I know much about the scenario.”

“… … .”

“I can’t explain it in detail, but trust me and just write it first. I want to read it later.”

“Really?”

“Really. Your writing… there’s definitely something there.”

It wasn’t just words.

Hyunsoo was currently feeling a little surprised inside.

And it wasn’t just because of the first draft of the script that Dong-geun had written.

As I said before, Hyunsoo doesn’t have the ability to judge whether a scenario will be a success or not.

Instead, it has other abilities.

The basic genre of the scenario written by Dong-geun is thriller.

For a moment, Hyun-soo felt Jang Ki-chun inside him reacting while reading the script.

Jang Ki-chun recognized the ‘disgusting feeling’ that made him want to come out.

Of course, it wasn’t as prominent as when I first encountered Eun-joo Ko’s ‘Your Darkness’.

‘That’s what it means… … .’

It felt like he just came out for a moment, knocked on the door, and went back.

Even so, it was clear that there was something in Donggeun’s writing that moved his ‘dream’.

‘Come to think of it, I can’t believe something like this is possible.’

Perhaps it meant that dreams might have the ability to read scripts.

Of course, we can’t conclude that it’s a good work just because the dream being reacts, but based on my experience so far, it’s quite possible.

‘If ‘dreams’ become a criterion for judging a good scenario.’

It not only helps with acting, but also has a great impact on your success as an actor.

It opens up more possibilities to discover good works and participate in their world.

“When it’s more finished, send it to me. I know a PD who might be interested in it.”

“What… …?! Okay, Inma. It’s not like I shamelessly showed you the letter to get a friend’s favor after 10 years.”

Hyunsoo shrugged his shoulders at Donggeun’s sudden seriousness and continued speaking.

“Do you know how many scripts directors and producers read a day? Even if you show them the script, if it’s not interesting, it won’t be made into a video. It’ll be lucky if it doesn’t end up in the trash, so don’t worry and give it to them.”

“Thank you for saying that, Hyunsoo.”

“Thank you. I just.”

“… … ?”

“I want to support you.”

At Hyun-soo’s words, Dong-geun raised his glass with a gentle smile.

braided.

So the two of them clinked their glasses and talked about past memories, current concerns, dramas, and scripts.

How much time has passed like that?

Dong-geun, slightly drunk, suddenly puts down the glass he was holding roughly.

widely!

“Honestly, I was really upset at that time.”

“Upset? Yeah, right. It was understandable to be upset.”

As he nodded toward Hyun-soo, who was speaking with a slurred pronunciation, Dong-geun began to let go of the old lump in his heart that he had kept in a corner of his heart and forgotten about.

“You know, back then… when my mother passed away. Right? I was really sad.”

Hyunsoo nodded with a bitter smile.

“I know, I know, Inma.”

“Do you remember? I grabbed you by the collar and screamed at you, saying all sorts of things.”

What Dong-geun said at that time was quite hurtful for young Hyun-soo.

“At that time, I thought you would contact me later… … but you didn’t?”

“… … I was also very sorry. That’s why I couldn’t contact you anymore.”

I was so upset that I got angry.

I was so sorry that I couldn’t contact you.

Humans are animals that sometimes act in ways that are different from their true intentions.

“I know why you didn’t come that day. You said it was an important audition day?”

“Yeah, that was the first day I passed an audition. And it was for a pretty famous theater company.”

The moment Dong-geun sent his mother away, Hyun-soo was drinking.

I was so drunk that I couldn’t control my body.

‘I’m sorry, sir. Can I go in now? I have somewhere I really need to go.’

‘What? Where do you have to go? Let’s find out where actors have to go other than on stage.’

‘It’s my friend’s mother’s funeral.’

‘Your friend’s mother’s funeral? Hey Inma, don’t you know what kind of place this is? This is your class welcome party!’

‘I’m sorry, senior. I really think I should go first.’

In the end, Hyunsoo headed to the funeral location that day while drunk.

When I arrived around morning time, I had already seen my mother off.

‘Hyunsoo, just don’t say anything and go back now.’

But by then, Hyun-soo already had nowhere to return to.

‘… … While I was drinking with the director, I saw the youngest rabbit for the first time. Hey, he said you don’t have to come out.’

In the end, even the role I had barely managed to get was cut.

Since the play’s director was a man of considerable authority in the theater world, distorted rumors about Hyun-soo’s ill-mannered behavior spread far and wide.

In the end, Hyunsoo ended up not being able to fill anything.

Dong-geun said as he filled Hyun-soo’s empty glass with soju.

“If only I knew how desperately that mattered to you. Thinking back now, I guess I was just being petty and complaining.”

“… … I am narrow-minded. I was just short-sighted.”

“No, I was more narrow-minded.”

“I said my thoughts were shorter.”

The two, who had been bickering for a while, looked at each other and smiled.

In fact, it’s okay not to untie old knots.

“Anyway, it’s been a while.”

Even if you have one or two old feelings.

“When I met a friend… … .”

If only we could laugh and drink together like we are doing now.

“Good.”

That alone is enough.

Continued in the next episode