Episode 44
Episode 44: The Third Project
The parents, too shocked, could only blink for a while without saying anything.
"Son… is this real?"
Breaking the silence, his mother asked.
Before Baek Seung-chan could answer, Baek Seung-hui replied with a bright smile.
"Of course it’s real! Oppa prepared it as a surprise for your birthday. And the furniture is my gift! What do you think? Pretty good taste, right?"
Though she tried to lighten the mood, their parents still looked frozen.
"You two really…"
Their mother couldn’t finish her sentence, her eyes turning red.
Soon, tears streamed down her face.
"How can I accept something like this… I feel so sorry…"
Her voice was filled with both gratitude and guilt.
It was overwhelming—
Not only had her children paid off their debts, now they had even bought a house.
"…"
Their father also closed his eyes tightly, unable to speak.
His trembling hands said everything.
"Mom…"
Baek Seung-hui hugged her, unable to hold back her tears.
Watching them, Baek Seung-chan recalled the past five years—
The collapse of their home, the sacrifices, the endurance.
His chest tightened.
But he steadied himself.
"I told you before, don’t say you’re sorry. Compared to what we received, this is nothing."
He meant it.
Compared to the love they had given him, money meant nothing.
"And next time, just say thank you. If you cry every time, you’ll run out of tears before I finish giving you things."
At his gentle joke, Baek Seung-hui, who had been crying, let out a small laugh.
"In a moment like this… honestly…"
Seeing her, their parents’ expressions softened.
"Alright… thank you, my son, my daughter…"
Their mother hugged them both.
Their father held them tightly as well.
They were smiling now.
Seeing that, Baek Seung-chan felt grateful once again for his past life.
And he made a vow—
To keep those smiles on their faces forever.
Writer Kim Se-hee, who had seen Baek Seung-chan on the set of ‘The Outcast Legend,’ was still working on her next project.
When she heard that ‘The Killer’s Shopping Mall’ had been released, she watched it immediately.
"Wow…"
She was shocked by his acting.
"Is this… beyond interpretation?"
She knew the original novel well.
But Baek Seung-chan’s ‘K’ felt even more like ‘K’ than the original.
"How can someone this young act like this?"
He wasn’t a veteran.
Yet he perfectly embodied the character.
"But why are you becoming famous so fast…"
She felt both happy and anxious.
The more famous he became, the harder it would be to cast him.
"I need to speed up."
From that day, she reduced her sleep and focused on writing.
Ji Pyeong-san of Dream Entertainment was busier than ever—
But also happier than ever.
‘The Killer’s Shopping Mall’ was a hit.
Baek Seung-chan had secured his position.
And Baek Seung-hui had proven herself as a talented singer-songwriter.
Even the group Kairos had succeeded in their overseas tour.
Nam Si-woo’s performance had improved, gaining popularity in Southeast Asia.
Everything was going well.
"If I hadn’t signed him back then…"
He shuddered at the thought.
"But there’s one concern."
Offers were pouring in—
Drama, film, even theater and musicals.
But none were quite right.
"Kim Se-hee should be contacting me soon…"
She had promised a script by the end of the year.
Then—
His phone rang.
"Speak of the devil."
It was her.
"I just finished writing. I’ll send it now."
"Sounds confident."
"Just read it."
After the call, he opened the script.
"…This is good. No—this is really good."
He finished it in one go.
"This is a hit!"
He was certain.
"I have to invest."
But first—
He needed Baek Seung-chan’s approval.
He sent the script.
That evening, after dinner, Baek Seung-chan checked the script.
"Kim Se-hee?"
He remembered her.
The title was ‘Afterlife Restaurant.’
"Interesting title."
From the beginning, it felt different.
It pulled him in immediately.
The story—
A martial officer named Lee Shin.
After his wife is killed, he lives in guilt and despair.
He hears of a mysterious tavern where the dead gather.
Hoping to meet his wife again, he searches for 50 years.
He finally finds it—
But she has already moved on.
Instead, he becomes the owner.
And 500 years later—
He runs the “Afterlife Restaurant.”
A modern fantasy romantic comedy.
After finishing—
"…This is good."
Better than anything he had read.
Even more than ‘The Killer’s Shopping Mall.’
He called Ji Pyeong-san immediately.
"I’ll take this project."
Then he asked—
"Will this air on a broadcast network?"
He had one goal—
To win an award next year.