A Dazzling Landscape
After the audition wrapped up, night had fallen. The place my feet carried me toward wasn’t my cramped one-room apartment. It was somewhere I’d known well in my previous life.
The air buzzed with lively chatter and the rich, savory aroma of hot oil. My mother’s little street food stall.
The name had always embarrassed me. I used to cringe and ask why she’d chosen something so cheesy. Now the sight of it made my chest tighten.
How many sleepless nights had she spent in this tiny space, supporting a son who wandered far from home chasing an acting dream? The thought hit me like a wave.
“Hoo…”
I paused to steady my breathing before lifting the plastic flap.
Before my regression, my mother’s final moments flickered before my eyes. Because of that damn acting career, I hadn’t been by her side. Guilt and regret crashed over me, but at the same time, my heart swelled.
If I lifted this flap—
“What’s this? You didn’t head straight home?”
There she was, apron tied on, moving briskly. Nothing like the frail, sickly figure I remembered from my previous life.
“Yeah. I figured I’d help you get the stall ready tonight.”
I forced a smile, blinking back the sting in my eyes. She was healthy. That was more than enough.
“How did the audition go? Did our big-shot actor impress them?”
“I devoured it. Left nothing behind.”
“Aigoo, my son is amazing.”
Mother laughed warmly and patted my back. I reached for the spare apron hanging on the side and tied it on.
“What’s this? Since when does our actor volunteer for apron duty? You used to avoid the oil like it would ruin your precious face.”
Her teasing words made me flinch inside.
There was no bigger piece of trash than me.
In the past, I’d refused to help no matter how hard she struggled, terrified that the smell of oil on my clothes would leave a bad impression at auditions. Only after years of brutal part-time work at a famous pancake house in Gangnam had I learned how backbreaking it was to stand in front of a hot griddle.
I stepped silently in front of the large iron plate and lit the fire with practiced ease. Mother watched me drizzle oil with familiar skill, her expression turning puzzled.
“Wait, are you actually going to make jeon for us?”
“Of course. And it’s going to be insanely delicious.”
“What if you burn yourself…”
Worry flashed across her face. It was understandable. At this point in time, I could barely fry an egg properly.
But don’t worry, Mom.
I might not look it, but I had five years of experience as a part-timer at a famous Gangnam pancake house. The place always had long lines, and I’d absorbed every trick by watching over people’s shoulders. Tonight I’d finally put that knowledge to use.
As that thought crossed my mind, the plastic door of the stall flew open with a loud rustle.
“We’re here, ma’am!”
“Oh my, welcome! You’re early tonight!”
Mother greeted the group of regular customers with a bright smile. Among them, I immediately recognized the longtime regular uncle and the strikingly beautiful young woman at the front.
I remember them.
They worked at a fairly large food distribution company near the stall. Mother had always praised the owner’s business sense. I think the company was called Samryong.
Come to think of it, the predecessor company that would later become SL Entertainment was also named Samryong.
It had to be a coincidence.
“Hey, isn’t that Doyun? It’s been ages!”
The uncle spotted me and greeted me warmly.
“It has. You’ve been invisible lately. Still running around trying to become an actor?”
“Yes. I came to help out at the stall today.”
Unlike before, I smiled brightly and responded politely. The woman beside him raised an eyebrow.
“Oh? What’s gotten into you? After you grew up you never showed your face around here.”
“I came running the moment I heard Noona was coming. How could I not personally attend to the most beautiful regular customer our stall has?”
My sly reply made both the uncle and the woman widen their eyes at the same time.
“Haha, is my memory failing me already?”
The uncle let out a bewildered laugh.
“Right? Did that rude Doyun just call me Noona? And the most beautiful one, at that.”
Whenever I had helped Mother in the past, I’d worn a stiff expression and worked in silence. My sudden change must have felt completely foreign to them.
Thinking back, I really was a complete piece of garbage.
Let’s forget it! Starting today, I’m the new Kim Doyun! Since I’ve come back to the past, all I have to do is do better from now on!
As I stood there smiling at the thought, the uncle spoke in admiration.
“Wow, when did our Doyun become so friendly?”
“It looks good on you~. Keep calling me Noona from now on, got it?”
The woman’s mood improved instantly. She beamed and pulled me into a hug against her chest.
I’m going to die. If I die like this, does it count as a good death?
I finally pulled free, face slightly flushed with embarrassment, and stammered.
“Ah, y-yes, Noona!”
She looked at my flustered state and smiled as if I were adorable.
Maybe regressing had turned my mental age back to my younger days too. I cleared my throat awkwardly.
“Please wait just a moment. I’ll make your usual order right away!”
“Sure, sure.”
I ladled the pre-mixed batter onto the hot plate. It sizzled, releasing a mouthwatering aroma.
Yeah. Perfect.
“Doyun, when did you learn to make pajeon…”
“Here you are!”
Mother looked startled and tried to speak, but the regular uncle who had already taken a piece frowned first.
“What is this? Why is the pajeon so dry? Ma’am, did you tell Doyun to skimp on the flour to save money?”
Mother waved her hands in panic.
“Oh dear, I’m sorry. Let me make a fresh batch properly…”
I cut in with a smile before she could finish.
“Just try it first. If it doesn’t taste good, I’ll pay for everyone’s drinks tonight.”
“What? You? Well, if you’re that confident…”
The uncle picked up a piece with a doubtful expression and brought it to his mouth.
Go on, mister. Taste the signature pajeon from a shop with fifty years of tradition. The magical pancake that even a dieting actress had devoured two whole plates of.
Crunch—
The crisp sound rang through the stall. The uncle’s eyes flew wide open. Without a word, he kept chewing, then urgently pushed a piece toward the woman beside him.
“T-try it!”
“Why are you making such a fuss?”
Even as she scolded him, she popped a piece into her mouth.
Crunch—
“What the—?! How can pajeon taste this good?!”
It was no surprise. I’d used the bare minimum of flour, frying it in plenty of oil so the outside achieved extreme crispness while the inside preserved the natural flavors of the ingredients.
It worked.
This was more than enough to be my first real step in helping the stall.
The woman kept murmuring in awe.
“This is the first time pajeon has actually tasted good to me…”
“Right? If you want to eat pajeon this amazing, where should you come? Noona? Hyung-nims?”
When I asked playfully, the uncle burst out laughing.
“Hahaha! Obviously Doyun’s Pojangmacha! Don’t worry, all our company dinners from now on will be held here!”
“Huh.”
The woman let out a half-amused, half-disbelieving laugh. “Fine. This noona gives her permission.”
Both of them seemed completely won over by my changed attitude and the taste of the pajeon.
It feels good.
If only I had acted this friendly in my previous life. Why had I been so stubborn and foolish back then?
Mother joined in happily at the sight.
“Our Doyun isn’t just good at making jeon! Did you know my son went to a huge audition today? You know that famous director Lee Tae-ryun, right? It’s for one of his works!”
“Whoa, Director Lee Tae-ryun? Isn’t he the one who only makes hits? Doyun, you’re really going to make it big!”
At the customers’ praise, Mother’s shoulders lifted with pride. Then a customer drinking alone at a corner table sneered.
“Getting all excited over just an audition. They say getting cast there is harder than plucking a star from the sky.”
The warm atmosphere instantly turned chilly. Mother’s face began to stiffen, but the regular uncle spoke up first.
“Come on, Mr. Kim. Just because things aren’t going well for you lately doesn’t mean you should take it out on a young man.”
“That’s right, Doyun! When you become a real actor later, you can’t forget this noona, okay?”
The regular woman tried hard to smooth things over. I simply smiled at her kind words.
“Haha, I still have a long way to go. The director is so incredible that we’ll just have to wait and see.”
My calm response seemed to take the wind out of the man’s sails. He clicked his tongue and returned to his drink.
After living as an aspiring actor for twenty years, I had heard far worse. This level of sarcasm no longer bothered me.
“Ah, forget it! It’s on me today! Doyun, this noona is treating the whole table! Come sit and eat with us!”
“Really? Is that okay?”
“Of course! Don’t I make decent money?”
It came back to me then. Come to think of it, it wasn’t the uncle but this woman—no, this noona—who was the president of Samryong Food Distribution.
“Aigoo, everyone! We need to close up now! Time to head home!”
When Mother called out, the now quite drunk uncle and woman rose with visible reluctance.
“Ma’am, you’re so mean~ What kind of owner kicks out her customers~~.”
The woman grumbled with a slurred tongue.
“Hey! Doyun, you come with this uncle! We’re going for round two!”
“Hey! Our Doyuni is the president’s son and you’re trying to kidnap him right in front of me? Doyuna! Come with Noona! Noona will buy everything tonight~!”
At some point they had both ended up beside me, chatting and drinking until they were thoroughly drunk.
“Leave my son alone!”
“Why not?”
Mother shielded me and finally managed to send them on their way.
After the small commotion died down, I wiped the tables out of habit and spoke to her.
“Mom, I think I’ll keep helping at the stall from now on. Everyone seems to like me so much.”
Mother’s hands, which had been cleaning the griddle, froze.
“Why? Did the audition not go well today? Is that why?”
“No! It went really well. I even got praise from a famous actor who auditioned with me!”
I exaggerated a little, bragging with some embellishment. It wasn’t a complete lie—Lee Se-rin had said something close to praise. Not to mention the compliments from the people in the Actor Gallery, even if I didn’t know their identities.
“One of the people who complimented me had even won three awards!”
This much bragging should be acceptable, right?
Only then did Mother smile in relief.
“My son, you know Mom likes you best when you’re acting.”
“Huh?”
It was the first time I’d heard her say that.
I had known she never opposed my dream of becoming an actor and silently supported me from behind.
But she liked watching me act?
“Whenever you talk about acting, your face lights up so brightly. Your eyes sparkle. Just like right now.”
My chest tightened again. Before my regression, I had been the worthless son who couldn’t even stay by her side when she passed.
All because I loved acting too much to let go of that empty dream. That was the tragedy.
Yet here she was, saying she loved my acting.
When I hesitated, Mother gave me a playful grin and lifted the corners of her mouth.
“Besides. Honestly, don’t you think it would be much better for you to shoot CFs and land drama lead roles to spoil your mom instead of making jeon here?”
“…What?”
“Mom wants to go on a cruise before she gets too old, try the slot machines in Las Vegas, and do so many other things.”
Sl-slot machines?
Startling words kept tumbling from my mother’s lips.
“And you know what?”
She smiled brightly.
“Before I had you, your mother was quite the famous gambler in the neighborhood. My fingertip sense was practically artistic.”
“M-Mom?”
This was bewildering. Who are you? Give me back my real mother.
After a moment of shock at her sudden confession, she rubbed her fingertips together and continued.
“It wasn’t that my technique was outstanding. But I was really good at betting. I went all-in without hesitation!”
Mother gripped my shoulder firmly.
“So don’t worry. This time, Mom has gone all-in on you.”
She laughed brightly.
It was a radiant smile that carried the beauty of her younger days, one that didn’t match the word “hardship” at all.
I see.
Her playful words lifted the heavy weight that had settled in my heart.
So this is what eases me. Yeah… I’m still a worthless son.
Ring—
Just then, my phone vibrated briefly in my pocket.
When I casually turned on the screen, I saw a notification for [2 Missed Calls] and a text message from an unknown number.
My hands trembled so much I could barely read it properly. But the word “casting” stood out crystal clear.
Is this really okay? Will I end up with regrets in this life too?
I closed the phone screen. Then I looked at my mother again.
A helpless chuckle escaped me.
In the end, it was this path again.
“I like myself best when I’m acting too. So let’s go to Las Vegas together.”
Even if it was the same path, it had to be different. In this life, I would become a successful actor without fail.
I would stand in the scene that Director Lee Tae-ryun and actress Lee Se-rin saw. No—I would surpass them and look beyond, at the scenery that lay even further.
And I would make sure to show that dazzling landscape to this person as well.