Chapter 137
Chapter 137
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 137
Chapter Title: The Story of a Delivery Driver
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-[The Story of a Delivery Driver]
At forty, I lost the job I’d dedicated fifteen years of my life to. I tried to find another one, but there were limits to the kind of work a forty-year-old from human resources could find. I recklessly started a business, only to have it fail within a year, and my marriage fell apart.
That’s how I became a delivery driver. It was a dangerous job, risking my life on the road, but for the hours I worked, I could make better money than at a regular office job. During the brief lulls, I developed a hobby of watching Tube videos at the waiting areas.
And that’s how I discovered Answer. I was so captivated by the mirror dance performed by the two silver-haired members that I couldn’t help but become interested in the group. I saw my own unfortunate circumstances reflected in theirs, and I began to root for them.
I even joined their fan cafe and was nurturing my fandom one day when I heard the news that Answer had assaulted their dance instructor. I felt a profound sense of betrayal.
On that day, when a chilly wind blew as if winter had returned, I didn't even want to make money and ignored the delivery calls. Then, a request popped up for a delivery in the direction of my home. I decided to take that one last job and head back.
A dark, uphill alley and an old, four-story villa. I grumbled under my breath as I climbed the stairs in the elevator-less building, annoyed for no good reason. Then I knocked on the door.
A clear voice answered from inside, and the door opened. The goddess Ro-si herself appeared before me. She looked so different from how she did on screen, but her unique silver hair, and the sight of another silver-haired girl, Seul-bi, behind her, confirmed that this was Answer.
It was only for a moment, but I still vividly remember the end-of-the-world atmosphere emanating from their dorm. It was clear they had ordered food for their last supper.
In that gloomy atmosphere, Ro-si offered me a warm can of coffee.
‘I’m so sorry for the trouble. Please have this.’
In that moment, hearing the angelic voice of Ro-si apologizing for making me climb the stairs, I was certain. There was no way Answer were the kind of people who would assault their mentor.
The foul mood that had plagued me all day vanished, and even the biting spring night wind felt warm. When I got home and checked the articles again, I found that it had all been a malicious rumor, and the reporter had even posted an apology.
That day, I purchased the first-generation fan club membership for Answer. And today, I had the honor of attending their showcase. It was a truly incredible performance. Both Answer and the singer-songwriter named Lee Yoo-ah, who bought them time while they changed outfits.
My life had been one of resignation. I used to think it wouldn’t be so bad to just die in a car accident while living like this.
But now, I have a new joy in my life. I find the strength to go on, dreaming of a day when I, like Answer, will have my own revival.
-Photo: [The can of coffee Ro-si gave me]
The photo and post from a delivery driver spread across the web, helping to promote Answer’s new album and successful showcase.
“We should pick this person, right? There’s a connection and a story.”
“Of course, we should. He did a great job promoting them, too.”
Perhaps as a result of the successful showcase, our company was allocated 100 reserved seats for Answer’s comeback stage on a music show, and we ran an SNS event on the fan cafe to distribute them. Broadcast stations never assigned seats directly to mid-tier groups, so it was clear they had high expectations for Answer.
In a world dominated by video streaming sites, a group that was a medium hit or better was an incredibly important ingredient for boosting dwindling TV advertising revenue.
“Congratulations, Team Leader Min. No, ‘Producer’ suits you better now.”
“Thank you, Team Leader Lee.”
“I heard you hit number one on Mango without any chart manipulation.”
“It’s all thanks to the fandom.”
“The song is really good. It’s been a while since I’ve heard a disco track, so it’s super catchy. The hook is like a hypnotizing spell; it just keeps replaying in my head. It’s going to be number one for a while.”
Besides the Isa-nim and Siljang Ji, who were at the showcase, the first person from the company to congratulate me was, surprisingly, Team Leader Lee.
The fact that he’d mustered this much courage, even though things must be awkward between us right now, suggested he had let everything go.
That’s good. I can use him as an executive later on.
“Ooh, our Producer Min-jun. You’re here early?”
CEO Park Jae-yong also greeted me with a beaming face, and Team Leader Lee, after greeting the CEO, discreetly slipped away.
Now he’s calling me Producer?
“Good morning, Daepyo-nim.”
“Yes, yes. Don’t you have a schedule this morning?”
He was probably asking why I’d come to the office first.
“It’s on the way, and I needed to talk to Yoo-jun about the fandom.”
“Ohoh. Today’s a happy payday, huh? Have a good one. My little bro, fighting!”
It was the first time since I joined the company that I had seen CEO Park Jae-yong smiling on payday. It felt good to see the company’s situation improving.
“Aigo, Min-jun-ssi. It’s been a while.”
It was President Gu, JD Enter’s largest shareholder, who seemed to have followed the CEO.
“Good morning, sir.”
His usual insistence on being called Chairman instead of President or CEO made the honorific awkward. Calling him Chairman felt like I was sucking up to someone, and I hated that feeling.
But the fact that President Gu, who rarely showed up, was here… did it mean a significant change was coming? If so, I hoped it was for the better.
“Min-jun-ssi, I’ve heard all about your great work. Come to my restaurant for some meat sometime. I’ll treat you to a big meal.”
“Thank you.”
“These days, watching Answer is the highlight of my life.”
The two of them entered CEO Park’s office.
“Yoo-jun took Seul-bi and Yi-na to the gym, and Seol-ah is at the shop in Cheongdam right now. It'll take about an hour and a half, so pick her up and head to her schedule.”
“Should I just go to the dorm?”
“No. She’s in the parking lot.”
“Huh? Why didn’t she come with you guys? It should be a party atmosphere after the showcase.”
“She’s scared to see the Isa-nim.”
“…Ah! Aah… InBody? Ke-keuk.”
Choi Yoo-jun, having a moment of realization, started cracking up by himself.
“You’re going to get your back slapped again if you keep that up.”
“Hey, you got hit too, Hyung. My back is bright red. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. That’s why you should lift weights or something.”
“Whoa! Hyung, are you looking down on me?”
Choi Yoo-jun lifted his shirt and tensed his stomach, revealing faint abs.
“You call those abs?”
I followed his lead and slightly lifted my own shirt.
“…Gasp!”
Choi Yoo-jun’s jaw dropped in shock. It wasn’t because of my abs. It was because the Isa-nim had walked in at that exact moment.
“Gasp!”
“Hmm… you two sexy men over there. What are you doing in the office?”
“Good morning, Isa-nim!”
Choi Yoo-jun greeted her shamelessly, while I hastily pulled my shirt down. My eyes met the Isa-nim’s for a fleeting moment, and she seemed a bit flustered.
In times like these, it’s best to play dumb.
“Yoo-jun, when Seul-bi and Yi-na are done with their workout, bring them here. For their InBody test.”
“Aah, yes. Heh.”
“…I’ll bring them. I think Yoo-jun needs to go see Seol-ah.”
“Alright, then. Min-jun-ssi, you’re going with Ro-si, right?”
“Yes. It’s her first lesson, so I think I should be there.”
“Okay. The statements and settlement reports should be ready by then. Go on.”
“Yes, we’ll be on our way.”
Choi Yoo-jun quickly finished up his fan manager duties and went down to the parking lot with me.
“Where are you headed, Hyung?”
“Yeah. Ro-si-ssi has her first acting class today.”
“Ah, so that’s today.”
“I’m thinking of checking out the acting teacher’s physiognomy.”
“Pfft! Physiognomy. Heh heh heh.”
“Hey, kid. Saju-palja might not be accurate, but physiognomy can be if you know how to read it.”
Of course, you’d need a special ability like mine for that to be true.
Choi Yoo-jun got into the driver’s seat.
“Good morning, artists! A very good morning to you!”
“Hey, Yoo-jun.”
The members waved at Choi Yoo-jun, and I had to deliver the news.
“Seul-bi-ssi and Yi-na-ssi, you have to do an InBody test after your workout today.”
“Kyaa! The witch!”
Yi-na shook her head and let out a small scream.
“Work hard. Ro-si-ssi, you’re coming with me.”
“Ah, yes.”
With pouting lips, Seul-bi and Yi-na waved at us.
“See you later, Ro-si unni.”
“Fighting, Ro-si!”
“Okay. See you later.”
Ro-si offered them a mysterious smile as she saw them off.
* * *
-[Actor Academy]
“Hoo…”
Ro-si, who had been breathing heavily, let out an even deeper sigh as the sign came into view.
“Don’t be so nervous. You said you trust me.”
“Yes. I do.”
Looking at it again, the name was just so cliché.
Unless you had a connection, it was a name no one would ever seek out on their own.
The unnecessarily flashy lights and red floor seemed intended to make one imagine themselves walking the red carpet at an awards ceremony, but… in an old building like this?
“It’s a red carpet.”
“I bet actor Jeong Hyeong-sik was very pleased with it, don’t you think?”
“Hee. I think so too.”
Ro-si seemed to share my sentiment, offering an awkward smile. Thankfully, she appeared a little more relaxed.
“How could you do this to me! You know full well what I’ve been through!”
As soon as we entered the academy, the faint sound of someone reciting lines with intense emotion reached us.
There were two small rooms and one slightly larger one. Inside the large room, where the sound was coming from, about five people were receiving acting guidance from actor Jeong Hyeong-sik.
“We’re ten minutes early, but it looks like he has a packed schedule.”
“Yeah. It’s so amazing to see someone from TV in person.”
It seemed Ro-si still hadn’t fully grasped that she was a celebrity herself.
“Other people probably think the same thing when they see you.”
“No way. It’s still rare for anyone to recognize me.”
“Some people might just be pretending not to. And you haven’t been to a music show broadcast yet.”
We watched with interest as actor Jeong Hyeong-sik taught. His long acting career had given him excellent vocal projection, which carried well even outside the door.
“No, that’s not it. Don’t just look at the tree, look at the forest. Everyone, listen up. Let me give you an extreme example. ‘I hate you! Please, just get lost!’”
The sight of an actor well into his mid-forties acting like a woman could have been comical, but the students’ expressions were all serious.
“You have to consider what the protagonist was feeling when they said that line. They might have said it because they truly find the person repulsive, but if the protagonist is considerate, they might be saying harsh words to protect the other person from getting hurt because of them. Or they could be saying it under duress from someone else.”
The students nodded.
“A slight tremor at the end of the line is what determines the detail. That’s why I always emphasize: first, understand the character well. Second, don’t just look at your own lines; pay attention to the progression of other people’s dialogue. You need to know the overall framework to convey the correct emotion.”
At actor Jeong Hyeong-sik’s insightful words, Ro-si seemed to have a realization and said to me:
“Ah, so even for just a few short lines, you have to understand the entire script.”
“That’s correct in principle, but it’s a bit extreme. Ro-si, you’re going to get incredibly busy; I’m not sure if that’ll be possible.”
A moderately successful group would be swamped with profitable events alone.
To be honest, no matter how talented an actor one was, acting was usually an attempt to replenish a consumed image after achieving sufficient commercial success.
Still, the reason I was starting her on acting earlier than planned was because Ro-si’s self-esteem was too low. I also felt guilty for using her, with her great acting talent, as a girl group member to achieve my own goals.
For now, the priority was to build her acting skills by practicing in her spare time. After all, acting training could take even longer than vocal and dance training.
Ro-si was looking at me with a strange expression.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Oppa, you’re a really fascinating person.”
“…”
“I’m not being sarcastic. It just seems like you know everything so well. Even things that don’t seem possible to know just through effort.”
“I’m pretty amazing, right?”
“…”
I even threw in a smug joke to lighten the serious mood, but Ro-si’s expression didn’t change.
It felt like my secret was about to be exposed.
“Ro-si, I like that proactive look in your eyes. I have a good feeling about this lesson.”
“Ah?”
Only then did Ro-si turn away, looking embarrassed.
There’s no way my ability could be discovered, but I’m getting nervous for no reason.