I Will Live As An Actor

Chapter 93

A Box Office Sensation.

The Priest’s Confession broke through 8 million viewers nationwide in just 68 days after its release, marking a grand opening. 

To be exact, it was 8.32 million. 

It did not achieve the record of the first 10 million viewers movie in Korea, but it was unbelievable that a domestic movie, and a rated R movie at that, surpassed 8 million viewers.

Considering that the break-even point was 1 million viewers, it was nothing short of a miracle…(omitted)…According to the movie insiders, if the release date had been delayed and overlapped with Chuseok, 10 million viewers would not have been a dream.

But the number of 8.32 million viewers was historic.

Could there be a work in Chungmuro that could surpass the glory of The Priest’s Confession? 

What we should pay attention to now is the actor Jang Young-guk, who played the lead role in The Priest’s Confession. 

He erased the shadow of the nation’s first love, a high-teen star, and showed a priest’s performance that was pale and cold in The Priest’s Confession. 

Now, how will he appear in front of the public? We look forward to it.

Reporter Kim Seung-ah.

“Bong-chui hyung, why are you so gloomy since morning?”

The expression of Bong-chui hyung, who was holding the steering wheel, was gloomy. 

Anyone would think he was going to a funeral. 

Manager Lee Bong-chui quickly fixed his expression after glancing at the rearview mirror.

“Did my expression show too much?”

“Yes, anyone would think something was wrong. I thought there was something serious when you came to pick me up this morning.”

“Wow, did it really show that much?”

Bong-chui hyung must have felt sorry too. After all, if the timing had been right, it wouldn’t have been a dream to reach 10 million viewers like someone said.

“Hey, don’t be so sorry.”

“I’m sorry, Young-guk. I should have pushed harder for the promotion… Even so, the most regretful thing right now is not me or the CEO, but you, Young-guk. I guess I was too selfish.”

“I’m not sorry at all. It’s okay.”

Really.

The media was pouring out regretful words about The Priest’s Confession not breaking 10 million viewers, but I, the person involved, was not that sorry. 

It was because it was not a movie that aimed for 10 million viewers from the beginning.

The title of the first in Korea was regrettable, but 8.32 million viewers was also an amazing number. 

It was a record that had never been seen in domestic movies.

Moreover, thanks to the hot response from the viewers, the distributor extended the screening period by two weeks, which resulted in this.

“But Young-guk, what’s all that stuff next to you? You packed a lot.”

“It’s a gift.”

As I looked out the window, I arrived at my destination. 

It was a university hospital in Seoul. I put on a hat and prepared glasses without lenses, in case someone recognized me. 

After all, after the drama, movie, and play were successful, I became famous enough that most people would recognize me.

‘When I was a rookie, I used to take the subway and no one knew me.’

Before I made my face known as a supporting actor in my past life, I used to use the subway or bus a lot, but even though I showed my face frequently on the screen and the screen, the number of people who recognized me was small. 

Back then, my wish was to ride a van, which was a symbol of a star.

I parked the car in the parking lot and Bong-chui hyung asked me again if he should go up with me. But I refused. If I brought Bong-chui hyung with me and entered the ward where the children patients were gathered, I would get all the attention in an instant. 

That was because Bong-chui hyung’s physique was quite big.

“Bong-chui hyung, wait here for a while. I’ll go up and come back by myself.”

***

Lottery.

It’s something everyone dreams of. 

Like a rope falling from the sky, a sudden fortune appearing in front of your eyes.

 If that happened, you would buy a house, buy a car, and invest the rest of the money in some way. 

It would be a happy dilemma. But Young-guk was not like that.

-Young-guk, are you really going to donate this huge amount?

The shout of Kim Sung-hwan, the CEO, still echoed in his ears. The Priest’s Confession broke through 8 million viewers nationwide, and the investment income was also enormous. 

After all, the person who reached out when The Priest’s Confession was wandering without proper investment was none other than Young-guk. 

No wonder the investment industry called Young-guk the hand of Midas.

-I’m going to donate anonymously, sir. To the Children’s Leukemia Foundation. And please check with the foundation how they use the money, and whose treatment fees they go under.

-They already promised to do that… But still.

President Kim Seong-hwan looked incredulous at Young-guk’s decision. Donating was not an easy thing to do, whether you had a lot of money or not. But he couldn’t break Young-guk’s stubborn will.

If he wanted to make money, he could use his knowledge of the future. 

He already knew the best real estate spots and the most profitable stocks. But he had given up his greed a long time ago. 

Hadn’t he sworn to live a happy life, unlike his past one?

‘Is that him?’

Young-guk spotted a boy in the hospital room and tensed up. 

He had never been nervous on stage or on set. But today, he felt strangely jittery. 

The boy was wearing a white knitted hat, even though it was summer, and sitting on the bed.

He looked out of place in the hospital, a cute little kid. His fair skin had a cruelly large needle stuck in it. 

The mother who was stroking the child never forgot to smile at him.

Knock knock.

At the sound of the knock, the boy and the mother turned their heads at the same time. 

Unlike the mother who looked puzzled by Young-guk’s sudden appearance, the boy seemed to recognize the person hidden under the hat. 

The boy’s pupils shook violently, as if there was an earthquake.

“Young-guk hyung?”

He loved theater, the boy. He loved it so much that he wanted to be an actor when he grew up. He had sent fan letters to Young-guk’s agency several times.

Young-guk had read every fan letter without missing any, so he couldn’t forget the boy. In the fan letter, the boy said he wanted to see ‘The Spring of Joseon’, but he couldn’t because he was sick.

“Hello, Da-jeong.”

He took off his hat and glasses, and the mother’s eyes widened like lanterns. The boy who had shouted

‘Young-guk hyung?’

with his own mouth couldn’t hide his surprise as Young-guk’s face became clear. Young-guk smiled with a playful expression and added.

“If you keep being surprised like that, I’ll leave.”

“Is, is it really Young-guk hyung?”

“Yes, Da-jeong. Hello, mother. I’m sorry I came so suddenly. I wanted to get your contact information, but the hospital said they couldn’t give me the patient’s personal information.”

“Oh, no. But are you really the actor Jang Young-guk? Am I dreaming right now? I knew Da-jeong always sent fan letters to you. But I can’t believe you’re here.”

Young-guk smiled and handed over the gifts he had prepared. 

Da-jeong’s eyes turned into rabbit eyes as he saw the gifts Young-guk had prepared. 

They were the costume and the script he had used while performing ‘The Spring of Joseon’.

“Do you like them?”

The boy nodded his head repeatedly with tears in his eyes. Young-guk hugged Da-jeong carefully. 

It wasn’t easy to hug him because of the IV and the needles that measured his vital signs.

Young-guk couldn’t even imagine how much pain this little boy had gone through. The mother who had been watching him wiped her tears with her sleeve.

****

Summer passed by, and autumn came. 

The heat wave subsided, and the clouds carried the autumn wind. 

The colorful leaves also signaled that autumn had fully arrived.

The students who ran around the playground wore short gym clothes, even though it was autumn, and sweated as usual. 

At that moment, the sound of the roof door opening was heard.

“Are you here?”

He put away the self-study book he had used as a blindfold, and saw the familiar hem of his clothes.

“President.”

“I’m not the president this year! You long-legged guy!”

She was the president who had been in charge of the class with him last year. 

The reason she called Young-guk a long-legged guy was this.

Young-guk had donated to the Children’s Leukemia Foundation and visited some of the patients personally. 

He had met Da-jeong there.

Somehow, a reporter got wind of the news and wrote an article about it. That’s how he got the nickname of “Long-legged Mister Jang Young-guk”.

“Why are you always here at lunchtime? If someone doesn’t know you, they might think you rented the school rooftop for yourself, Jang Young-guk.”

Young-guk gives a faint smile.

“It’s cool here.”

The truth is, there’s no special reason why he comes to the rooftop every lunchtime. 

He can’t study in the classroom anyway, with so many people looking for him. 

Not only the juniors, but even the classmates would glance at him as they passed by the hallway.

That’s why he gave up his seat for the sake of the other students who couldn’t study either. He felt better sitting in the open space.

“Here you go.”

The class president tosses a notebook at Young-guk, who is lying down.

“Thanks, prez. You saved my life.”

He sometimes skips classes because of his schedule. 

The class president is also good at studying, even though he’s overshadowed by Young-guk. 

He’s one of the top ten students in the school. 

With the math test coming up soon, the class president’s notes are like rain in a drought.

“Your notes are amazing, as always. I’ll return them by tomorrow.”

“Are you just saying that?”

“Is there anything you want? Should I buy you some ice cream at the cafeteria?”

The class president blushes and pretends to think.

“Ice cream? That’s too cheap. Don’t do that, just take a picture with me and my mom when we graduate, and sign it too.”

“Of course. She’s your mom, after all. But why are you talking about graduation already?”

“We only have a few months left.”

As the class president says, their long school days are coming to an end. He wasn’t without affection for his school life. He had spent his school days as a troublemaker, unlike now. But now, things were different. It was a series of moments that made his heart flutter, as much as being in love. He felt sorry to face the inevitable farewell.

“Prez, you must be bored without anyone to nag you.”

Young-guk teases him, and the class president narrows his eyes. 

Young-guk doesn’t know. She also has a goal of going to Korea University. 

Of course, Young-guk never said out loud that he was going to Korea University. But somehow, everyone assumed that he would, since he was the top student in the school. 

Young-guk strokes the class president’s head and adds.

“Thank you for everything, prez.”

She steps forward, hiding her cheeks that are red as apples. 

The autumn wind on the rooftop flutters the hem of the class president’s uniform. 

She will remember the view of the schoolyard from the rooftop and the scent of the autumn wind for the rest of her life.