I Will Live As An Actor

Chapter 94

Maternal Love.

I have no memories of the college entrance exam in my past life. 

Even if there was a difficult question, I wish I could remember at least one, but how could a delinquent student have such concentration? 

As soon as I got the test paper, I just filled in the answers like drawing a picture with a marker and slept.

But as I lived my life again, my life changed. 

In a way, the math test was like the old feelings I had. 

My mother, who only thought that your son was good at studying, it was the result of forging the report card.

When I came back with the shameful college entrance exam score sheet to show to others, the guilt was indescribable.

-Young-guk, I have to go with you to the test site…

Is it easy to go from Busan to Seoul? 

Moreover, my mother was physically exhausted from working at the store every day. 

I had a hard time dissuading her from coming to the test site.

-Don’t worry, who am I? I’m your mother’s son. I’ll take the test well and go down to Busan right away. I’ll see you then. Anyway, there are a lot of broadcasters in front of the test site on the day of the test.

But my mother still seemed to be worried. In the end.

-I saw the forecast. It’s freezing cold on the day of the test. So I knitted a scarf and sent it to you. I don’t know if you like the color.

How could I not like it? 

In the parcel my mother sent me, there was a pink scarf knitted with yarn. 

She must have made it in her spare time while working. 

I put on my uniform and wrapped the pink scarf my mother knitted around my neck and went down to the first floor.

Sizzle.

In the kitchen, two masters’ voices were mixed with a savory smell.

“No, brother. You have to keep stirring when you make porridge. Look, the bottom is already burnt. What if Young-guk chokes on it? I don’t know.”

“You brat, where do you see this burnt? It’s just nicely browned. We used to make and eat it like this in the old days. If you sprinkle some sesame oil on it, it’ll be shiny and delicious. Look at the soy sauce braised pork you made. It’s so salty that it’s too salty.”

“Hey, what’s so salty about this? Compared to your vegetable porridge, the seasoning is just right. Is it because you’re old? You can’t adjust the seasoning properly. Why do they say that? When you get old, you can’t even put salt in your mouth.”

“You bastard.”

At the moment when Grandpa lifted the ladle he was stirring the porridge with, Uncle saw me and ran over.

“Young-guk, are you ready?”

“Uncle, Grandpa. What is all this?”

“What do you mean, what is this? Our youngest is taking the test of his life today, so we have to prepare a lunch box for him. I was going to ask your aunt, but your brother is so stubborn. But don’t worry. Even though I look like this, my uncle’s cooking is amazing. Your brother’s vegetable porridge is so bland, so be sure to eat it with the soy sauce braised pork.”

“Young-guk, you don’t need to listen to Jun-hyun. You have to have a weak seasoning when you take the test. It’s good for your digestion. By the way, the scarf is very pretty.”

Grandpa smiled happily as he looked at my mother’s scarf. 

Of course, he knew that my mother had knitted it and sent it to me. But Uncle had no idea. 

Uncle looked at the pink scarf closely and asked curiously.

“Young-guk, why do you have a taste like Grandma?”

Thud!

In the end, he was a national actor who got hit on the head with Grandpa’s ladle.

***

The front of the test site was already full of vendors to cheer on the test takers. 

Not to mention the juniors from each high school who came out to cheer early in the morning, but even the broadcasters were there. 

That’s because it was the day of the college entrance exam for Jang Young-guk, a star actor.

‘This is it.’

Young-guk chose a rather early time to avoid inconveniencing other test takers. 

He expected that the crowd would flock as soon as he appeared.

Not to mention how many ENG cameras there were. All three terrestrial broadcasters came out to cover it.

“It’s Jang Young-guk!”

As soon as Young-guk got out of the car, someone shouted. 

Fortunately, most of the test takers had not arrived yet. But as soon as the shout started like a signal flare

Cameras and reporters swarmed in. Fans who had come from far away to cheer for Young-guk were everywhere.

“Thank you, thank you!”

Young-guk had no chance to answer the reporters’ questions. 

After all, there were too many questions to answer. 

And if he stayed here to answer them, he would surely waste time and miss his chance. 

He pushed away the reporters and did not forget to bow his head to the fans who had come to see him. 

That’s when it happened.

“Brother!”

It was Yeon-su, his nose red from the cold. 

And behind her, he saw his other juniors and teachers. 

They were all here to support the students of Sehwa High School who were taking the exam. 

Young-guk quickly bowed his head to the reporters and fans and headed straight for the Sehwa High School staff.

“Why are you out here in the cold?”

“Hey, you know I came to see you, right? The other seniors came to cheer for you too.”

“Thank you, I’ll do well on the test.”

Young-guk stroked Yeon-su’s head as if he were her older brother. 

Unlike the last time when she suddenly showed up during the star documentary filming, her face was full of embarrassment. 

Probably because the ENG camera was actually rolling. Then, the other juniors who were behind Yeon-su pretended to know Young-guk.

“Senior, good luck on the test! We’re rooting for you!”

“Jang Young-guk! The pride of Sehwa High School, Jang Young-guk senior!”

“First in the school, Jang Young-guk senior! We believe you will make history today! Sehwa High School fighting!”

“Hey, don’t put too much pressure on the senior! Just do as you always do, senior! You’ll ace the test anyway!”

Young-guk thanked each of his juniors who cheered for him enthusiastically, making eye contact with them. 

And then, his homeroom teacher, who always looked stern, approached Young-guk. He was a kind teacher who always silently supported his students from afar.

“Young-guk, it’s cold, so drink something warm before you go in. There’s coffee, water, and various drinks, so don’t worry. Just do as you normally do, I believe in you, Young-guk.”

The homeroom teacher handed him a warm cup of water. It was a warm affection that he had never felt in his previous life. 

The homeroom teacher even melted his hands with a hot pack, in case Young-guk was nervous.

Young-guk held the teacher’s hand and nodded his head. 

At that moment, the ENG camera of the terrestrial channel captured that warm scene.

***

How much time had passed?

The faces of the students who came out of the exam hall were full of various emotions. 

Some had regretful eyes like the falling leaves of autumn, while others had joy overflowing on their faces. But there was one thing in common.

The golden fields of rice swaying in the wind told of the season of harvest. 

They felt an indescribable sense of accomplishment and regret for putting an end to the two words of entrance exam that they had sweated for.

‘It was exactly this feeling when I was discharged.’

He suddenly remembered the feeling when he finished his military service and thought he would feel relieved, but it was mixed with bitterness and regret. 

It felt like he had left his past years there. 

It was the same for his school days. 

He had overcome the huge wall of the college scholastic ability test, and now he had nothing left to do but to grow up as an adult, not a student.

Just as Young-guk stepped out of the exam hall, the ENG cameras that had been waiting for him rushed to him.

“Mr. Jang Young-guk, how was the test? Did you do well?”

“We know you are an amazing student who ranked first in the school. Especially, the math section was harder than usual, how did you feel about it?”

“What are your thoughts on taking the last test of your fresh school days?”

The reporters’ relentless barrage of questions continued. 

He gave brief answers and looked around, and saw that the place was crowded with people. 

Not only the broadcasting staff, but also the crowd that had gathered to see Young-guk. 

He was in trouble, wondering how to get out of this predicament, when a man with a bear-like physique broke through the crowd.

“Bongchui hyung!”

It was his manager, Lee Bongchui. He was the person who had waited for Young-guk in front of the exam hall until the test was over. 

As the saying goes, three years in a village school makes one recite the poems of the moon, his experience as Young-guk’s manager must have helped him.

“Please contact the agency later for detailed interviews! Mr. Jang Young-guk is very tired from taking the test today. We ask for your generous understanding, fans!”

Manager Lee Bong-chun easily cleared the way to the parking lot with a shout. He finally felt relieved when he got in the car. He glanced at the rearview mirror and made an apologetic expression.

“Young-guk, I’m sorry. I should have been out there earlier, but I fell asleep in the car. I swear I was wide awake. I guess I get sleepy whenever I’m near the school. It doesn’t suit me at all.”

His face, which resembled a bear, had a sheepish look on it. 

No wonder there was a faint mark on the side of his plump face. 

Manager Lee Bong-chun handed him a warm thermos, feeling sorry. 

When he opened the lid, a spicy ginger scent filled the air. He was not a subordinate who blindly followed the celebrity. 

Rather, he had a symbiotic relationship with him. 

Just like now.

“I prepared this for you. I should have given it to you before the test, but I was afraid you might vomit. This is not right. You have somewhere to go urgently.”

“Where?”

“Your mother came to Seoul. She arrived shortly after you entered the exam hall. She came all the way to the exam hall, but she was very disappointed that she couldn’t see your face. She said she had somewhere to go and told me to wait for you. I couldn’t even take her there. I just got a call from her. Let’s go quickly.”

The car arrived at none other than a temple. 

A secluded temple in the mountains with thick pine trees. 

The wind chimes under the eaves made a clear sound, along with the recitation of the Lotus Sutra and the mantra of Avalokitesvara. 

There was a person praying endlessly under the Buddha’s gaze. 

She was wearing the same clothes she wore when she sold fish at the market, as if she had rushed to the capital from the island.

Mother was sunburnt by the sea breeze, and rubbed her palms full of calluses in front of the Buddha. 

She was wearing only a thin pair of socks on the cold wooden floor. Her hands were red from praying for so long. So was her face.

Her wrinkled face opened her lips continuously, forgetting the cold. 

She was reciting a prayer for her son. Young-guk approached his mother from behind and hugged her.

“Mom.”

Then he took off the pink scarf around his neck and wrapped it around his mother’s neck. 

Mother was startled by the sudden warmth and turned around. 

She saw Young-guk’s face and gave him the most affectionate look in the world. Then she raised her hand and caressed his face.

“My baby, you must have had a hard time. Your face is half gone.”

Yes, many things had changed from his past life, but one thing remained the same. His mother’s unchanging love.