Chapter 17
Chapter 17
At 1 p.m., Baek Seungchan and his sister arrived at “Black Gold Pork.”
“So this is the place you were talking about?”
Baek Seunghee looked around with wide eyes in surprise as they stood in front of the restaurant.
“You know this place?”
“Of course I do. It was featured on Kairos’s vlog.”
Kairos was the idol group Nam Siwoo belonged to.
“It must really be good if there are this many people.”
As she said, the restaurant was already packed with customers.
“Let’s go in.”
“Okay.”
Thanks to Nam Siwoo’s help with the reservation, they didn’t have to wait and were guided inside right away. Connections were useful no matter the era.
“I’ll guide you to your room.”
The hall manager seemed to recognize Baek Seungchan and led them straight to a private room. Their parents were already there.
“What would you like to order?”
“Let’s start with three servings each of snowflake pork belly and pork neck.”
“Understood.”
After the manager left, their parents spoke with concern.
“Son, aren’t you overdoing it?”
“Seriously, why is pork this expensive? It’s not like it’s wrapped in gold.”
Baek Seungchan chuckled at their reaction. It was exactly how he had felt the first time he came here.
“I thought the same at first, but once you try it, it’s worth it. And today is for Seunghee’s birthday, so just enjoy it.”
“Exactly! And if you keep complaining, you’ll make oppa feel bad, right?”
“Right?”
“See? He says it bothers him.”
“I wasn’t complaining, I just said it’s expensive…”
Though they stopped talking, their parents still looked uneasy about the price.
But when the staff brought out the beautifully marbled pork, their expressions began to change.
“It does look good.”
“It really does. Pork with marbling like beef…”
And after tasting the grilled meat over charcoal, their reactions changed completely.
“Wow! This is amazing.”
“I didn’t know pork could taste like this.”
“Oppa! This is so good!”
Watching his family enjoy the meal, Baek Seungchan felt it had been the right decision to bring them here.
“Mom, Dad. I have something to say.”
After finishing the meal with rice ice cream for dessert, Baek Seunghee spoke up.
“What is it, our daughter?”
“Do you want something?”
“I’m going to start music again.”
“….”
Silence filled the room.
Then their parents reacted.
“Seunghee, that’s a wonderful decision.”
“Yes… you made the right choice.”
They were happier than anyone, but the guilt they had carried showed. Their father’s eyes reddened, and their mother began to cry.
Seunghee, seeing them, also burst into tears.
“Mom, Dad… don’t cry…”
“….”
Baek Seungchan, who had been about to give his gift, paused. The timing didn’t feel right.
He waited until they calmed down.
“Are you all okay now?”
“Ahem.”
They answered with awkward coughs.
“Good. Then I have something to give you.”
“Something?”
“I sent it to Dad’s account. Check it.”
Their father checked his phone and was startled.
“Son, what is this money?”
There was 25 million won transferred into his account.
“What else? Use it to pay off the debt. And don’t worry, it’s all earned legally.”
“I can’t accept this…”
“Of course you can. Let’s pay off the debt first. And don’t feel sorry, just be grateful. Compared to everything you’ve given me, this is nothing.”
“Son…”
“Oppa…”
“You’re not going to cry again, right? I’ll go pay first, so finish up and come out.”
Before they could tear up again, Baek Seungchan quickly stood up and left to pay.
“Your total is 250,000 won. How would you like to pay?”
“One payment, please.”
After paying, he checked his remaining balance.
“It disappears in an instant.”
From over 30 million won, only about 500,000 remained.
It felt a bit empty, but his face was full of satisfaction.
That evening, Director Park Taeho, who had lost an entire day to a wrap party hangover, visited his favorite bar near his house to recover.
“Good work today! Let’s have a drink!”
“Finally off work! Today was so long.”
“Oppa, wait, we didn’t take a photo yet!”
“Alright…”
The bar was lively with office workers and couples enjoying drinks after work. It used to be quiet, but after being featured by a popular YouTuber, it had become crowded.
“Welcome. How many?”
“Two. The other person will arrive shortly.”
“This way, please.”
After sitting down, Park Taeho, feeling hungry, ordered first.
“One shrimp and minari pancake, and one shrimp tripe hot pot.”
“And one tonkatsu as well.”
He didn’t like tonkatsu much, but the person he was meeting loved it.
“What about drinks?”
“We’ll order drinks when my friend arrives.”
“Understood.”
Soon, crispy shrimp and minari pancake, tonkatsu, and a bubbling shrimp tripe hot pot were served.
“Your order is ready.”
The savory smell made his mouth water.
Just as he was about to take a bite, a familiar voice spoke.
“You couldn’t even wait a little, huh?”
Park Taeho looked up to see a middle-aged man wearing sunglasses and a thick beard.
The man sat across from him, grumbling.
“You always had good luck with food.”
Park Taeho laughed.
The man was Go Jinseok, a fellow director and his friend.
“Why are you eating without drinks?”
Go Jinseok ordered soju immediately.
They poured drinks and clinked their glasses.
Clink!
After drinking, Park Taeho took a bite of the pancake and sighed in satisfaction.
“Ahh, that’s good.”
Go Jinseok watched and said,
“You seem to be in a good mood. You were full of complaints before filming started.”
“Things worked out somehow.”
Park Taeho said, thinking of Baek Seungchan.
“But what about you? You look miserable.”
Go Jinseok sighed.
“I need a supporting actor with a decent role, but I can’t find anyone suitable.”
“What kind of role?”
“A mute killer under the protagonist. Early 20s male.”
“That’s tough.”
A role with no lines meant conveying everything through expressions and eyes. Even veteran actors struggled with that.
And Go Jinseok prioritized acting skill above all else.
He also preferred lesser-known faces for immersion.
In other words, he needed a complete rookie with exceptional emotional acting.
Like finding a needle in a desert.
But Park Taeho knew that needle.
“Jinseok, watch this.”
He handed over his phone.
“Your latest project?”
“Just watch.”
Go Jinseok played the video.
On screen was Nam Siwoo.
“…Was he always this good?”
He remembered Nam Siwoo’s acting as terrible.
But now, it was solid.
“This level would work.”
Though his face was a bit too gentle, his acting was good enough.
“Can you get me his contact?”
“He’s not the one I’m talking about. Keep watching.”
“…Really?”
Go Jinseok resumed the video.
“My name is Kang Hyuk.”
Baek Seungchan appeared.
“…What is this guy?”
Go Jinseok was immediately drawn in.
“His look is good.”
Cold, sharp, exactly what he wanted.
“Nice…”
At some point, he even took off his sunglasses, completely immersed.
When the video ended, his expression was like someone who had finally found a needle in the desert.
Early morning, at Yeouido Station, Baek Seungchan called out brightly.
“Team leader!”
In front of the yellow extra actors’ bus stood Kim Sungho.
“Hey! Our actor Baek!”
Kim Sungho greeted him warmly.
“I heard filming went well. Good job.”
“Thank you.”
“By the way, this is for you.”
Baek Seungchan handed him a shopping bag.
“A tracksuit? What’s this for?”
“It’s a gift. You’ve helped me a lot, so I wanted to thank you.”
Baek Seungchan had a firm belief—repay both kindness and grudges.
And Kim Sungho’s help deserved repayment.
“You did it all yourself…”
“No way. Without you, I would’ve never gotten that supporting role.”
“You would’ve made it anyway.”
“I don’t think so. I got there because of you.”
Kim Sungho nodded, overwhelmed by his conviction.
“…Alright, if you say so.”
“So don’t feel burdened. Think of it as reverse fan service. You’re my first fan.”
“…Thank you. I’ll wear it well.”
“And you should rest more. Aren’t you tired?”
“I’m fine. I feel great.”
“Actually, you look even better than before.”
“Guess I recover fast since I’m young.”
In truth, it was thanks to Cheonyeong Simbeop training strengthening his body.
“I miss those days…”
Kim Sungho sighed, then added worriedly,
“There haven’t been many auditions lately.”
For three weeks, opportunities had existed but conflicted with filming.
Baek Seungchan smiled.
“You seem more worried than me.”
“Of course! I want to see you on TV soon.”
“That’ll happen once Jjintta Legend releases.”
“Exactly. They’ll come calling.”
The release was three weeks away.
Buzz—buzz.
His phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
“Let me take this.”
He answered—then hung up immediately.
“Why hang up?”
“Scam call. Said he’s a drama director and wants me to audition.”
“Good call. Those scammers are everywhere these days.”
Buzz—buzz.
The phone rang again.
“Oh, it’s Director Park.”
After the call, Baek Seungchan looked stunned.
“…Team leader, that call from earlier wasn’t a scam.”