I Will Live As An Actor - Chapter 4

I Will Live as an Actor Episode 4

The night sky of Yeongdo is beautiful. The night view of the city reflected across the sea water, which looks like black paint spread, is also beautiful, but it is nothing compared to the night sky. The feeling of satiety given by natural beauty, not artificial beauty, makes you feel alive just by looking at it and makes you aware of being alive.

I remembered when I was a child and my father taught me about the Big Dipper among the stars that adorned the dark sky. At that time, I had a vague memory of walking around the sea at night on my father’s back. My father’s light was brighter and more reliable than the lighthouse that illuminates the sea at night. Like a mountain that doesn’t collapse.

“Are you having a hard time? You can go in first.”

“No, Mom. I just looked at the night sky because it was particularly pretty today. I could even see the Big Dipper, which I normally couldn’t see.”

After helping my mother organize the fish stall, dusk had already fallen on the ground. The merchants around me all complimented my mother, saying that they envied her for having a dutiful son and that Kook could handle the work of ten people easily.

Each time, many emotions passed through my mother’s face. I am happy to hear praise for your son, but I feel sorry that he may be going through trouble that he should not have to do because of his poor mother. Because I knew how my mother felt, I just held her hand without saying a word.

“excuse me.”

At that time, an unknown voice was heard from behind. It was a pair of man and woman. Looking at their outfit, they looked like tourists who had visited Taejongdae and then visited Namhang Market. When I saw the camera he was holding, more weight was placed on the idea that he was a foreigner. It seems that there are only a few locals carrying cameras around Namhang Market.

“I’m sorry, all the fish I prepared today has been sold.”

“No, that’s not it. I want to talk to the student for a moment. Is the person next to me your mother?”

“?”

My mother’s face was filled with confusion and worry. You wonder if your son did something wrong. The man who spoke at the sight quickly took out a business card from his pocket.

“Oh, I’m not a strange person. He’s a famous person who works as a PD at KBC Broadcasting Station. The person next to me is Choi Eun-sook, a broadcast writer. It’s because your son is so special and full of filial piety.”

“Are you the one in this world who makes a program like this?”

“Um, no. That’s a different broadcasting station, and it’s the current affairs and culture department, and I’m in the drama department. To put it bluntly, I’m wondering if your son is interested in becoming a child actor. He has a lot of talent and talent to be active as an actor. “I think so. Please don’t feel pressured and I would appreciate it if you could contact me.”

The mother seemed dumbfounded by the sudden proposal. After all, wasn’t he someone who had no connection with a broadcasting station his entire life? In order to raise my son alone, I woke up early in the morning and worked at the fish stall until late at night, so I couldn’t even watch the common weekend dramas. Meanwhile.

‘Famous?’

I was embarrassed in a different way than my mother. I never imagined that I would meet someone from my past life like this. I thought I would no longer live my life as an actor. I promised myself that I would not regret doing anything as long as I could take care of my mother well. But he’s a famous producer.

‘What’s the drama director doing here?’

In his past life, he was famous as the head of the drama department at KBC Broadcasting Station. Moreover, the person who accompanied Yoo Myung was writer Choi Eun-sook. I couldn’t tell by looking at the face, but after hearing the name, I felt like I could remember.

‘Choi Eun-sook, the king of viewership ratings.’

His debut work was a huge hit, and he produced hit after hit, becoming a popular writer on terrestrial broadcasters, including KBC. I heard that she was so big that a cable network offered an absurd amount of money to cast her. Moreover, her script had such an enormous influence that even the head of the drama department could not say this or that.

“Student, what is your name?”

I suddenly came to my senses after hearing a question from a famous PD.

“This is Jang Young-guk.”

“Jang Young-guk, England. The name is cool. The face is also handsome. Please make sure to contact him once. Please.”

The famous PD seemed to be leaving in a hurry, fearing that his mother and son might feel burdened. Nevertheless, he kept glancing back and looking at me with earnest eyes. It’s like asking them not to forget to contact you.

* * *

“What are Jang Young-guk’s hopes for the future?”

Kim Bong-du scratched his head and looked at the student in front of him. It was a meeting that took place every year at the end of the semester. It was the educator’s duty to check students’ career paths and motivate them for the future. The future aspirations of first-year middle school students are diverse. From presidents to celebrities. However, I have interviewed many students so far, but this is the first time I have heard of their future aspirations like this.

“A local government official.”

“This is the first time I have heard of a local civil servant as a student’s future dream. So why a local civil servant? There is also a national civil servant.”

“For national positions, you can be assigned anywhere in the country. In contrast, for local positions, you can only be transferred within the region, so I thought it would be easier to take care of my mother.”

“her.”

Kim Bong-du was astonished when he saw the student’s eyes as he spoke calmly. Or, does that mean he was a teacher at Songdo in Ulsan in his past life? His behavior and speech were too mature to be considered a mama’s boy. Sometimes, when we talk to each other, I feel like I’m talking to someone of the same age.

“Then what are you going to do during summer vacation? Why don’t you go to England and have fun in the valley like the rest of your friends?”

“Summer is the season for fish, so they must be selling fish hard at the market. Fish is not as profitable as expected. In my spare time, I plan to study English for civil servants.”

“her.”

Sometimes I heard it through rumors from other teachers in the teacher’s office. If you go to Namhang Market, you can meet a unique kid. Kim Bong-du also did not know that the little fish seller who had established himself as a specialty of Namhang Market was Jang Young-guk. At a recent school affairs meeting, even the principal said he was impressed by the filial piety and brought up the idea of giving England a scholarship.

“Man, take this with you.”

As the interview was coming to an end, Kim Bong-du took out the tutorial and writing supplies he had prepared in advance. Didn’t you suspect that you were cheating the other day? Not only did I feel sorry, but after learning that England was selling fish at the market for his mother, I felt pity and pride.

Moreover, the stories I heard from the class president made me look at England from a more positive perspective. He doesn’t shy away from doing dirty work during cleaning time, and even takes the initiative to clean the bathroom when others are reluctant to do it. In some ways, he was a child who acted more like an adult than an adult. Kim Bong-du moved his lips as if he could not contain his curiosity as he looked towards England, who bowed his head and left, saying thank you.

“Jang Young-guk, let me ask you one thing honestly. How can you suddenly become mature like that?”

A short answer came to Kim Bong-du’s serious question.

“Once you die.”

* * *

If you were to pick the most important part of life, each person would say something different. Some would call it happiness, others would call it love. But most people will answer money. This is because the poorer the people, the more desperate they become, and the richer they are, the more blinded they are by desire. After returning to my life, I was able to confidently say that I had let go of my attachment to money.

‘Luxury apartment with a clear view of the Han River’

was not funny. Why did I envy the mere rolling waves of stagnant water so much? At night, it turns pitch black like an abyss that no one can see into. I promised myself again and again that I would live this life for happiness and that I would look back on the mistakes of my past life and live without regrets. But.

“Yes, I’m sorry, but can you give me a little more time? They said they were raising the rent too suddenly.”

My mother was struggling to continue the phone call, almost in tears. How great it would be if only happiness continued in the drama called life. But like Murphy’s Law, the landlord had to put the brakes on it.

‘Nonsense!’

In my heart, I wanted to immediately pick up the phone and scold him. Obviously, less than a year has passed since the real estate contract was signed, so why are they demanding that the tax be raised without any reason? However, the landlord was insisting that he would raise the rent at all costs, saying that he had not received a deposit in the first place. It wasn’t even funny. Who pays the deposit for a shack like this?

“Yes, then, let’s just skip this month and we’ll do that from next month. Thank you.”

For a moment, joy appeared on my mother’s face, as if a fish had been sold. Seeing my mother like that made me feel like my mind was falling apart. Because I know that it is not because of ignorance, but simply relief that comes from a desire to protect my son.

“Mom, I’m going out for a moment.”

“Where are you going at this late hour, son?”

“It’s Byeong-sik’s house. I decided to change the math tutorial today.”

I hurried out of the house, even selling the name of a friend I wasn’t close to. I knew that my mother wouldn’t be comfortable with what I was seeing, so I broke down and left. She may have been overcome with guilt for showing her son the image of an ugly mother. Worse yet, I am barely able to shake off the anxiety of having to move from inn to inn again.

“Bad!”

He vomited quietly under the dim light of the street lamp. Funnily enough, money was the issue again. A life that only pursued happiness was scratched again. I couldn’t hesitate any longer. I took out a business card from my pocket and looked down. A business card from a famous producer who visited Namhang Market a few days ago.

‘It’s acting…’

I promised myself I would never act again. In his past life, didn’t he neglect his mother and come to Seoul alone to pursue his dream of becoming an actor? As a result, he was able to gain wealth, but he lost his mother. In some ways, acting was my sore finger and my love and hate. but.

“What a thing!”

What’s the big deal? I witnessed my mother struggling so hard with my own eyes. There was no way I could make money at such a young age. What I learned was stealing, so I had to recall the memories of my past life, but the pain was nothing compared to the pain that a weak mother had to endure raising her son alone. The place I arrived at with familiar steps was a public phone booth. It will be hard to find it in 20 years, but now you can find it wherever you go in the neighborhood.

‘Famous PD.’

In my past life, when I won the Best Actor award and made my name known to the public, the famous producer was the head of the drama department at KBC Broadcasting Station. I didn’t know his entire filmography, but I knew that he was a talented producer who had produced many hit films in the past and was considered one of the best of all time.

-Yes, it’s famous.

Before the number of rings died, the other person answered the phone.

“Producer. This is Jang Young-guk, whom I met at Namhang Market before.”

“Oh British student—!”

“There is something I would like to ask you directly.”

No matter what, you have to get your money’s worth.

“How much can you give me?”

It was a moment when the Big Dipper in the night sky shined under the bold question, and somehow the boy’s back leaning against the public phone felt as big as Mount Tai.