Forever (Part 3)
"Honestly... it really makes no sense."
"Hmm? What does?"
In response to Sion's question, Charlie, who was sitting opposite him and pondering his wording for a moment, replied.
"Your career, I mean. Out of all the movies you've done so far, not a single one has failed at the box office."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah, from your debut right up until now. ...Ah, of course, that's counting from after you came to Hollywood. You were a child actor in Chicago when you were younger, and we weren't working together then, so that doesn't count."
"What? So you're just saying all this to brag about yourself? That it's all thanks to the support of the great Charlie Kang?"
"No, that's not it! Your acting career only truly began here anyway."
"Well, before that, to be honest, it was mostly just minor roles and extra work. My memory is a bit hazy now, but I feel like I worked more as a commercial model than an actor back then."
As light banter was exchanged, Sion found himself recalling memories of the past for the first time in a while.
A fourteen-year-old boy who had taken giant strides up from being a child actor in Chicago to entering Hollywood. Armed with a baseline level of acting ability and an extraordinarily beautiful face, he had starred in a teen romance movie aimed at a younger audience and instantly shot to stardom.
"The line 'Hello, my shining sunshine' was quite the trend that year."
"...I don't think you really needed to bring that up, Charlie."
Regardless of the special meaning it held, Sion felt a wave of embarrassment at the thought of his past self delivering that line. Well, if he had to do it again now, he was confident he could do it with much more slick charm.
"Anyway, with that hit, you instantly rose as one of the next-generation Teen Heartthrobs. Love calls poured in from everywhere. Back then, Yi-siony, you were actually quite innocent. You never showed it even when things were tough."
And that was back when his mother was still alive.
"And what about now?"
"Now, you've gone far beyond that... Should I say you've become mature?"
Watching Charlie smoke a cigarette and reply with a sly grin, Sion couldn't help but chuckle.
Though one couldn't talk about it without mentioning his 'regression,' the current actor Sion Lee had certainly built a rather impressive career, unlike his past life where his face had been ruined and he had lived as a recluse.
Because his face remained flawless, he was able to showcase the acting skills he had accumulated in his past life without any drawbacks, earning widespread recognition.
After pouring his heart and soul into his work, he had made several friends like Elena Asimov, Olga Asimov, and even Jack Nicholson and Michael Jackson.
He had thought that alone was more than he deserved, but now he had become an actor who commanded the attention of the highest-ranking figures in the industry.
Anyway, Charlie isn't wrong. The box office success.
From his debut to his third film—even his worst movie, Deadly Summer Camp—Sion's projects had all succeeded commercially, thanks to a cult following of hardcore fans who would watch his films dozens of times.
"I guess that's why. In just a few years and with only a handful of movies, you've suddenly become a ten-million-dollar actor."
However, Sion responded to Charlie's sentimental reflection with a somewhat cool demeanor.
"It's not just because of my skills or how much buzz I generate. Entering the 90s, the big shots at the top raised the overall guarantees for 'valuable actors.' That just happened to coincide with the period when I started rising, so my pay was adjusted to match those new standards. I'm still in a position where I have a lot to prove."
Tom Cruise, Jim Carrey, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The three highest-paid actors in Hollywood today. Sion believed he was merely benefiting from the inflation these giants had triggered. In a way, he was like a beneficiary of the golden age of salary inflation.
"Even so... Ha, how did you accept that massive sum without a single shred of hesitation?"
Charlie shook his head in disbelief.
"It's not like you don't know that ten million dollars isn't the kind of money you can just swallow easily without getting indigestion."
"I know. Once the contract is signed, articles will flood the press, and everyone will be anticipating the next movie. If it flops, I'll have to accept the damage to my image as an actor. ...But hey, if that happens, I just have to make another hit, right?"
"Wow, Yi-siony. Hearing you say that now, it doesn't even sound like a bluff."
At Charlie's dramatic reaction, Sion started to prop his legs up on the table but stopped himself. He felt there was no longer any need to intentionally play the arrogant jerk in front of him.
But it was true that he believed 'making another hit' was all it took.
Rather than worrying himself sick over the possibility of failure, he found it far better to maintain an attitude of doing his absolute best, trusting in his own skills and the wealth of experience inside him.
To act shamelessly in front of countless staff members as an actor, this simple mindset was much more effective.
"Anyway, thanks, kid. Thanks to you, our company is growing day by day."
"The office looks exactly the same, though..."
"Seeing how we pulled off a ten-million-dollar contract this time, I think this place still has great feng shui. Well, I am looking at a few places to move soon, though."
Charlie, who had been looking around the cramped office with a sentimental gaze, finally brought up the main point.
"Now, well... even if you decide to leave and find another agency, I won't hold a grudge."
"...Suddenly?"
"Holding onto you out of Korean solidarity is starting to weigh on my conscience. Our company only has me and Chloe, and I wonder if we can properly manage someone who's about to be treated as a mega-star. If you go to a place like CAA or WMA, they'll manage your career perfectly."
That was, after all, what agencies were for. They negotiated to get the actor the highest possible pay, 'selected' projects that fit their image, and ultimately controlled the direction of their career. They decided whether to focus on commercial films, aim for an Oscar, or star in a project to reset their public image. And most crucially...
"Above all, they can play politics and handle crises."
To ensure the actor didn't take unnecessary heat.
But Charlie Kang's CK Agency, which had rented this office based on saju fortune-telling, naturally lacked the crisis-management capabilities of giant agencies like CAA or WMA. Back when Sion was a reckless troublemaker causing minor scandals, Charlie could just run around like his pants were on fire and throw money at the problem. But now, the stakes were different.
Sion, who had been listening to Charlie's words in silence, slowly stood up.
"Yeah, I get it. I guess this is where we part ways."
"...?"
"Thanks for everything, Charlie. I'll look into other agencies."
"Are you acting right now when someone is trying to send you off nicely?"
"Spot on."
Pew, pew! Sion Lee made finger guns with both hands.
He understood perfectly why Charlie was bringing this up, but since he wasn't the type to get overly emotional and cry, he sat back down and spoke.
"Do you really think CAA or WMA would put up with my bullshit?"
"Well, that's true. If you catch another paparazzi and beat them like a Thanksgiving turkey again..."
"Hey, how long ago was that..."
Sion muttered grumpily at Charlie, who looked horrified just imagining it. But that was indeed the case.
Even if it's not just to repay Charlie.
The reason he chose to stay here instead of moving to a mega-agency was... because it was easier to move freely.
"You trust me now. You know that even if I cause trouble, there's always a reason behind it."
"Well, that's true."
"Don't hesitate, Charlie."
"Right, right!"
When Sion narrowed his eyes in dissatisfaction, Charlie nodded repeatedly.
"Who else would I trust in this far-off American land if not you?"
"I'm not Korean, so I think I could just trust the folks at the Korean church, but whatever."
"S-Still... even with this negotiation, if you went to a bigger place, you wouldn't have to step forward yourself..."
"How can I trust their negotiating skills?"
"Don't look down on professionals."
"I look down on them because I have a reason to."
Thanks to his 'regression,' Sion possessed all kinds of future data. Therefore, rather than a giant agency that would micromanage every detail, he judged it far better to work with Charlie Kang, who moved in perfect alignment with him based on mutual trust. Even if he went to a major agency, he would still end up doing whatever he wanted, but he didn't want to waste time explaining and proving his methods through presentations over and over again.
And to play in a bigger pond in the future.
The grand plan he had vaguely envisioned right after his regression was finally starting to take shape. Thus, rather than becoming an actor who simply did as he was told, Sion believed it was better to grow the size of this agency.
"Anyway, you know one of my childhood goals."
"What goal?"
"I want to be a franchise star. Like 007, Star Trek, Star Wars, or Indiana Jones—movies that keep releasing sequels. A movie that can remain 'Forever' like this Batman film. Ideally, a series built entirely around me."
Top stars usually had at least one such franchise. Like Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible, which was set to release in 1996, Bruce Willis's Die Hard, or Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminator.
They became the face of the franchise, and once the movie hit big, sequels were produced at regular intervals, turning the IP into a massive cash cow.
Having established himself to some extent as an adult actor, even though he was still a bit young, he felt that given the current trends of the era, now was the perfect time to shoot such a film. To make that happen smoothly, he needed a trustworthy partner who was easy to work with. And Charlie Kang and CK Agency were exactly that to Sion, from his past life to the present.
"So, if a giant star like me keeps working with you, you should be grateful and think about expanding the company to support me better, instead of getting all sentimental and trying to graduate me. You can afford to be a bit greedy. You probably have hair loss from cleaning up after my childhood messes anyway."
"H-How did you...?"
...Whoops. It was a wild guess, but it hit the mark.
"Anyway, that's not the important part. The point is, let's keep doing well together."
"...Yeah. Since you've become a giant, I'll hire more people and move the office sooner to match your status. And I'm thinking of assigning someone exclusively to you... since you'll need someone to drive your trailer car and all. Oh, how about Chloe? I feel like we can trust her."
"...D-Do you really have to?"
"No, trust me on this one. Chloe is perfect."
Seeing Charlie speak with such confidence, Sion felt a slight headache coming on.
...Do we really have to expand the company?
In his past life, she had succeeded Charlie as the head of the agency, and because of his lingering discomfort and guilt, he hadn't been able to form a deep connection with her.
Since that day, his smoking had only increased.
"Dammit."
Terry Semel was deep in thought, feeling his already thinning hair fall out even more.
With his blonde hair tied in a pigtail, a thick double chin, and a generous belly, he was a cold-blooded businessman, which meant he was constantly agonizing over finding the optimal answer. Whenever he was stressed, he had a habit of chain-smoking. He continued his train of thought while building a Christmas tree of cigarette butts in his ashtray.
Ten million dollars.
Certainly, considering Sion Lee's marketability and future value, it was an amount worth investing 'reasonably.'
But the problem was that, from the company's perspective, this wasn't money to be thrown away. Just as Sion had said, they had signed him at a low point, but Terry wanted to make sure he got a proper return on his investment. And thinking about it that way, the production budget was the issue.
You can't take an actor you signed for ten million and only spend ten million on the production budget, can you?
They had to make a guaranteed blockbuster. Literally, an 'action blockbuster.'
But if we're doing a new project, what is something people would instantly fall in love with these days?
Suddenly, his eyes fell on the superhero comic books his staff had left on his desk as samples. Terry casually flipped through the book on top, which featured a superhero in a green spandex suit wearing a ring, before shaking his head.
Right, we can't make him do another superhero movie.
It overlapped too much with his recent image, and considering the talent and potential Sion had shown so far, it felt like a waste.
As he was lost in thought, a knock sounded.
"Sir, you have a call from Sion Lee."
"Put him through."
A moment later, Terry picked up the connected line.
"Ah, Terry! It's Sion. Hope you're doing well."
"Oh, Sion. I was actually just thinking about you."
"Just like every middle school girl in America. Everyone's always thinking of me. ...Anyway, I was getting worried since I hadn't heard from you. I wanted to see how the movie you're planning to shoot with me is coming along."
"I'm still deliberating. I can't even reveal this to anyone else yet."
Because they still hadn't figured out exactly how to utilize an actor like Sion Lee.
Terry toyed with the comic book on top and muttered, "Green Lantern...?"
"Absolutely not."
"Excuse me?"
"...Ah, no. I just had a sudden flash of a bad memory."
Sion forced his voice to calm down, sounding flustered.
"Besides, I don't think another superhero movie is a good idea."
"You're right. Batman just came out, and I'd love for you to return as Lucid in the sequel, so we can't have you playing a similar type of character. That means we have to go with an entirely new genre... Maybe action, a disaster movie, or perhaps fantasy."
As he bounced ideas off someone, a specific title suddenly became clear in Terry's mind.
"Ah, my dear actor. Have you by any chance heard of a work called Shadowrun?"
Shadowrun was a TRPG system depicting a near-future cyberpunk world. With its unique end-of-the-world atmosphere blended with bizarre Eastern colors, several spin-off novels had been released over the past few years.
"In a world filled with magic and high technology, it's about fighting against the conspiracies of multinational corporations that are stronger than nations. The lore is surprisingly deep and interesting, and we've actually been planning a film adaptation. With your acting skills, I think we could make a gritty, hard-boiled noir action movie out of this."
"I don't know. Just hearing that makes it sound like it would take forever to produce."
"That's true. We'd have to use heavy CGI or tons of special effects."
"As expected, shooting something set in reality is much easier. You can just light a real fire and blow things up."
"Hahaha! Exactly! Rather than sitting in front of a computer clicking away to knit CGI together stitch by stitch, blowing things up looks much more beautiful on screen! You really get it, don't you?"
"...I heard Tom Cruise is shooting that kind of movie this time."
"Ah, right. The rumors are already spreading. Was the title Mission: Impossible?"
"If we shoot something similar but with a slightly different flavor, we might be able to ride their coattails a bit, don't you think?"
"...Oho."
Commercial art always drove trends by exchanging works and concepts.
As if his ideas had become clearer through his conversation with Sion, Terry's eyes began to shine. Although it was still in the planning stages and he didn't know if they would actually go with Shadowrun, he felt like he had found a clear direction.
...And Sion, who had barely managed to steer the conversation away, let out a sigh of relief on the other end of the line.
At least I don't have to wear green spandex.
He felt like thanking whatever god had sent him back to this era for allowing him to avoid that absolute catastrophe.