Chapter 89
Chapter 89
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: Actor Jung Ji-seok (1)
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So I started by diligently blanching the spinach first.
“Hajin hyung! Stop massacring the carrots already. Seungjun, you’re doing great. Keep it up. Minje hyung, once you’ve cracked all the eggs, stir them for me.”
Somehow, I was the only one frantically busy. Crushed by the disaster I’d brought upon myself, I kept my body and mouth moving furiously.
“Ki Jaeyoon! Don’t eat the raw carrots! Hajin hyung, you know how to stir-fry, right? Turn up the heat on the wok and add some oil. Seungjun, once you’re done, want to prep the cucumbers? Minje hyung, stop stirring the eggs!”
Damn it. Save me.
I let out a massive sigh. The disaster pressed down on the tip of my nose. Could I really pull this off? A groan escaped me involuntarily.
***
Zenith’s manager, Heo Yongdam, strolled into work humming a cheerful tune. Maybe because he’d finally gotten a good night’s sleep at home after so long. The world seemed bright, clear, and even radiant.
He did a little Roomba step as he opened the door to Zenith’s dorm. It was still awfully quiet inside.
Shouldn’t it usually be noisy?
‘Zenith kids are nothing like typical youngsters these days.’
He tiptoed carefully, wiggling his hips, until suddenly—he startled and missed a step.
Thud crash—
Heo Yongdam rubbed his plump butt and groaned.
“Ow ow, my hip joint.”
At the manager’s pained cry, the members scattered around the living room started waking up one by one.
Ki Jaeyoon rubbed his eyes and muttered.
“What is it?”
Yoo Hajin tried to get up but flopped back onto the living room floor.
“Already morning?”
Cha Dowon steadfastly rose amid the chaos.
“What time’s the schedule again…….”
Zenith’s ace, Cha Dowon, who had a movie shoot lined up, staggered off to wash up. Lee Seungjun stretched and rolled his shoulders.
“What, what’s going on? Why are you sleeping in the living room? You’ve got beds!”
Kang Minje quietly pointed to a mountain of aluminum foil piles. The manager spotted the heaps stacked on the dining table and backed away.
“This…… smells familiar.”
“Kimbap.”
“Why so much kimbap? You heading to a picnic?”
“We made 257 rolls. Check our SNS for details.”
As the manager poked at the kimbap, someone else returned to the dorm. They were carrying a handheld camera—people the manager recognized.
“Oh, PR team. Oh, and you’re the new manager?”
“Hello.”
“Long time no see, Yongdam. Kids, they’re filming. Act cute.”
Ki Jaeyoon covered his face.
“Argh, damn it! My face is all puffy! I’ll look huge!”
Yoo Hajin covered his mouth with his hand and yawned.
“Jaeyoon, your face is always puffy and huge whether you sleep or not.”
“Leader hyung!”
“No, but seriously, why’d you make kimbap?”
Ki Jaeyoon quietly snitched.
“Ask Cha Dowon.”
“Oh, Dowon. Oh, you’ve got a movie shoot.”
The manager was rubbing his hip when Cha Dowon emerged into the living room. He shook out his wet hair while checking his smartphone.
“Oh, Dowon. This your handiwork?”
Cha Dowon spotted the camera and flashed a big smile.
“What’re you talking about? Zenith made it all together. Of course…….”
Cha Dowon stretched Ki Jaeyoon’s cheek.
“Hey hey! That hurts!”
“I got crushed by the disaster I brought on myself. Why’d I even say I’d do it? Never again. Hey, Jaeyoon. Didn’t you eat six rolls yesterday, the guy who’s supposed to be dieting?”
“I got hungry while making them!”
“And now you’re complaining your face is puffy?”
“Hey, stop pulling! Sorry!”
Cha Dowon turned and said.
“I’ll take 100 now. Load them up.”
“Oh, sure. Oof, my hip. This won’t do. Sorry, but could this new manager load the kimbap?”
“Sure.”
Cha Dowon glanced at the new manager.
“You’re new?”
“Oh, you didn’t greet him. New manager, come here. Dowon, say hi. Your personal schedules got so packed we brought in an extra.”
Cha Dowon politely bowed and straightened.
“Hello. Looking forward to working with you.”
But the new manager couldn’t meet Cha Dowon’s eyes. For a trendsetting idol these days, that was weird—he tilted his head.
“Alright, Dowon. Let’s go.”
Cha Dowon stared at the new manager for a while before slowly following. Then he asked Heo Yongdam.
“Manager, your leg’s hurting?”
“My hip joint aches.”
“Shouldn’t you go to the hospital?”
“Maybe. Want me to drop you off first? Ack, you all scared me half to death. Why’d you sleep in the living room!”
“We were tired. After making all that, I meant to rest a bit and just passed out. Ah, wonder if they filmed that for promo too.”
“Probably. Good visual.”
That’s when Kang Minje emerged from the biggest room with a perfect face.
“Oh, Manager hyung’s here? Oh, I filmed you all sleeping last night on video.”
Cha Dowon scanned Kang Minje up and down.
“You could’ve woken us, Minje hyung.”
“It was kinda fun. Off to the shoot? Have fun.”
Cha Dowon replied half-heartedly.
“Yeah. I’ll be back.”
Heo Yongdam held back a laugh inside. Dowon, you rascal—you let Kang Minje’s perfect looks slide without a fuss.
Cha Dowon pulled off amazing feats so casually, but sometimes he acted his age.
“But Manager, is your hip hurting bad?”
“Yeah, a bit.”
“Hmm. Okay.”
Cha Dowon pulled out his smartphone and tapped the screen. The manager walked to the car, then suddenly tapped his own hip.
“Huh, doesn’t hurt?”
Cha Dowon said as he climbed into the back seat.
“Really? Glad to hear it. Achoo.”
“Weird. Why’d the pain vanish? I was sure it needed a hospital. At least physical therapy…… Strange. But Dowon, sneezing? Caught a cold? Should’ve slept in bed.”
“Achoo. Sneezes end after five, so not a cold.”
“What kinda answer is that?”
Cha Dowon smoothly changed the subject and opened his script. Then, as if it just occurred to him, he looked up slightly.
“By the way, why couldn’t that manager look me in the eye?”
“Probably shy.”
“People who avoid eye contact fall into two types.”
Cha Dowon stroked his chin.
“Either shy like you said, or they’ve done something wrong.”
“Hey!”
“I don’t suspect good people out of habit. I said it ‘cause he’s suspicious.”
The manager frowned while driving. That new manager?
“Dowon, don’t suspect people carelessly!”
The kid was great in every way, but sometimes too sharp for no reason.
He expected a retort, but Cha Dowon stayed quiet.
“Anyway, let’s hurry. Good thing the hip’s better.”
“Yeah. This guy’s just too suspicious…….”
The manager tapped his hip again. Strangely, no pain.
***
Maybe because my acting got recognized during the table read. Even after the chaos at the press conference, people were decent to me. No, that wasn’t all. Thanks to pulling in more investment, some were downright friendly.
“You really made this, Dowon?”
The director mumbled around a mouthful of kimbap.
“It wasn’t just me—my members made it.”
“What am I supposed to do with you being this sweet?”
“Remember this. Zenith at its peak—for you.”
The idol chant made the director clutch his stomach laughing.
“You’re too adorable. Dowon, a kid like you only has an elementary education? End times, end times.”
“An honor, Director. But soon middle school.”
“Middle school, huh. Perfect timing. This is good. Thanks.”
The director wandered off. As I adjusted my costume and reviewed the script, the lead actor Jung Ji-seok approached.
“Selling cute only lasts a season.”
Picking a fight again.
“Every business in the world’s just one season, senior.”
“This kid never backs down.”
“For now, being young is my asset. Gotta switch it up eventually.”
I beamed.
“Daddy, stop nitpicking. Time to act.”
“You tell me to stop, so I should? Hey, drop the attitude. People are nice to you for no special reason. Think you’re all that?”
Oh dear. Never thought of that. Specially considering it for my sake—Daddy’s so touched.
I ticked off on my fingers why people were nice.
Pulled investment, tough worker, good actor, listens well, brought kimbap.
‘Too many reasons to like me.’
How to explain this.
“Huh, smirking? You tasteless punk. I’ll never eat with you.”
Huh.
“So you won’t touch what I brought?”
“Of course not! Coffee or whatever, ruins my appetite.”
Oh my.
That’s when Teacher Yoon Mi-hyun poked my back.
“Dowon, this kimbap’s delicious! Homemade, no less—been so long!”
“Made 100 rolls. Enjoy.”
“Wow, so good. Real talent in these hands!”
Teacher Yoon Mi-hyun happily devoured the kimbap. I shrugged and whispered to Jung Ji-seok.
“Guess you won’t eat kimbap either. Too bad.”
“K-Kimbap?”
“Group project. For video content, but we worked hard. Oh well, if you won’t.”
I poked Jung Ji-seok’s arm.
“Shame, senior.”
I couldn’t help laughing.
‘You love kimbap.’
Everyone knew kimbap was Jung Ji-seok’s favorite food. Not widely known yet, but clips of him eating it deliciously swept every community as memes.
Jung Ji-seok glanced around. Cast and crew were all devouring my kimbap happily.
Lonely not eating, huh?
“Th-That wasn’t catering?”
“I made it. Oh, seen ‘Country Life’? I’m good at cooking. Lots of praise for my touch.”
Jung Ji-seok’s pupils shook.
“I’m good at singing, dancing, acting—and cooking. Can’t help it, born this way. Oh, right.”
I clapped three times.
Clap-clap-clap.
“And now I’m young too.”
Jung Ji-seok’s face twisted oddly. I bowed with a smile.
“Ah, pity. You’ll regret skipping now. Perfectly snack time. Savory burdock, crunchy spinach, well-stir-fried onions and ham. Fluffy rice with sesame oil. Oh, and thick, pillowy egg omelet.”
Didn’t plan it that way, but Kang Minje over-stirred the eggs.
Jung Ji-seok swallowed hard.
“Well, gotta go! Senior, next scene for me.”
I dashed to the set. Glancing back, Daddy’s face was quite the sight.
‘Fun.’
What a unique charm.
The manager following me said.
“Don’t tease too much.”
“Why? It’s fun.”
“He might snap?”
“That’s how you bond with his type. Better if he blows up honestly. Hates fakeness.”
“Really? Come to think of it……”
The manager pondered, doing a Roomba step. I tilted my head. Why so many dancers at Friends Entertainment?
“Makes sense. But where’d you learn that?”
I laughed it off.
Couldn’t say “difficult customer.”
***
Jung Ji-seok and I had lots of scenes together. The character I played, Yi Jeong, was a kid who lost his mom to the Khitans. He treasured his only dad.
“Daddy!”
I waved and smiled; Yi Saein, played by Jung Ji-seok, smiled back.
“Yeah, son.”
“Liquor smell. Another drink?”
“Hey, son. Just one. Time flies by~ One for emptiness, one missing your mom!”
“You’ll drown in booze. Hunt anything? Daddy, work. Gotta earn for more chicks!”
“Raising chickens? Just wolf food.”
I shook my head and balled my fist.
“They’ll lay eggs before dying! How precious!”
Jung Ji-seok chuckled cutely at me raising chickens.
“Go wash up. Time to eat.”
“Yeah.”
“Still caught a vulture hunting. This one’s meaty.”
Scene over. Director yelled right away.
“Cut! Wow, perfect.”