Chapter 180
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 180
Chapter Title: The Long-Awaited Call
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Not long after Seojun arrived home, An Daho showed up.
An Daho, placing the cardboard box he always carried onto the living room table, smiled to himself. Seojun’s eyes sparkled as he looked at the box, as if he’d just received a present.
*Can he really be that happy to see scripts every single day?*
Seojun’s love for scripts was truly a marvel. An Daho spoke.
“These came in last week.”
“Thanks, Daho Hyung. What would you like to drink? Juice? Coffee?”
At Seojun's question, An Daho paused to think. It was a dilemma he faced every time he visited Seojun's house. Seojun understood his predicament.
Seojun's home was stocked with a wide variety of drinks and snacks from many different countries.
Aunt Nara would send them by the boxful from the US, and whenever he had an overseas shoot, his actor friends like Richel Hill and Evan Block would send him local snacks and drinks.
Seojun would share the tastiest snacks with his grandparents, as well as Huisang Samchon and Chan Samchon. He also shared them with his school friends and brought them to Cocoa Entertainment. When he was on set, he would share them with the other actors and staff.
Thanks to him, the break rooms on every floor of Cocoa Entertainment were filled with snacks and drinks from all over the world.
The employees, who could stop by the break room whenever they felt peckish and choose from a wide array of snacks and drinks to suit their tastes, were all smiles.
However, the singers preparing for their comebacks and the trainees who had to watch their weight could only gaze at the break rooms with tears in their eyes.
For some of them, the first thing they planned to eat once their promotions were over and they could eat freely was the snacks from the Cocoa Entertainment break room.
Unaware of this, Seojun shuddered at the endless procession of snacks that arrived just when he thought he’d dealt with them all.
Even when he told them he couldn't eat it all, Aunt Nara and his friends would just tell him to share with his friends and send more. Seojun did his best to reciprocate by sending them Korean snacks and drinks, but he couldn't single-handedly fend off the gift offensive from his numerous acquaintances.
Seojun gave a weary smile as he thought of the next wave of snacks that was sure to arrive.
“Do you have coffee?”
“Just a moment. I have some a friend sent from France.”
“France? You mean Charlie?”
“Yes. *Yeok* was released in France, you know. He said he cried his eyes out watching it. He sent a bunch of snacks, drinks, and other things, saying they were a gift for King Danjong.”
In no time, a cup of hot French coffee for An Daho and a glass of tomato juice for Seojun were placed on the living room table.
Seojun took a sip of the bright red tomato juice and grinned. It was made that very morning by Lee Minjun and blended by Seo Eunhye—tomato juice filled with his parents' love.
With their drinks ready for the script-reading session, Seojun and An Daho sat in their usual spots.
“This is the list of variety shows. Let me know if there’s anything you want to do.”
An Daho handed Seojun the list of variety show offers that was on top of the box.
It detailed the program names and the concepts and formats for Seojun's potential appearances. Of course, *Working Man!* was on the list, along with many other programs from different broadcast stations.
The genres were diverse, ranging from quizzes to cooking shows.
*It might be fun to try one,*
Seojun scratched his cheek.
“I don’t really feel like it right now.”
“Alright. Then.”
An Daho nodded at Seojun’s words. Seojun smiled at his manager’s straightforward response.
Next up were the thin synopses.
Unlike the casual way he had skimmed the variety show list, Seojun now read with intense focus. The only sound in the quiet living room was the rustle of him turning the pages.
*This one’s no good. This one, either... I don’t like this one.*
Seojun read the scripts in silence. But even if the actor said nothing, the manager could read his thoughts. The quick flip of Seojun's hand, the twitch of his eyebrows, the pout of his lips.
*Looks like there’s nothing Seojun likes this time either.*
An Daho hadn't expected to find such a project overnight.
*It hasn’t been that long since the filming for* Yeok *ended, after all...*
But despite that, An Daho had a feeling that a particular project might catch Seojun’s eye.
In the box, which was always organized with a list, then synopses, then full scripts, he had made a special exception this time and placed a single thin synopsis at the very bottom. Seojun picked it up.
His eyes widened at the familiar name.
“This is from Director Choi Daeman. Is this his sixth one?”
“You remembered?”
“Of course. It’s Director Choi Daeman.”
He was the director of his first-ever commercial, and they had also filmed a movie together. It would be stranger to forget.
*Besides, he always presents a new story every time.*
He was a good director, but business was business.
The cool-headed actor, who had turned down his previous five offers and was fully prepared to do so again if this one didn't appeal to him, nonchalantly flipped through the pages and began to read the synopsis.
The white pages contained the characters' names, their descriptions, backstories, and the plot of the work.
A reaction appeared on Seojun's previously impassive face. An Daho, who had been quietly observing him, noticed it immediately.
As Seojun read the synopsis, his eyes began to sparkle and his face came alive with energy. His expression brightened as if he were glowing.
An Daho thought, *This is it!*
“I want to do this one!”
Seeing the actor’s bright smile, An Daho smiled brightly in return.
***
In the living room of Director Choi Daeman’s house.
Director Choi Daeman was sitting in front of his computer. As he mindlessly browsed various websites, a notification popped up in the corner of his monitor, announcing a new email.
Director Choi Daeman flinched in surprise. But despite his reaction, his face held little hope.
“Probably spam.”
Even as he thought that, he couldn't stop his hand from moving toward his inbox. A flicker of hope and anticipation stirred within him.
[(AD) Today’s Shopping! Wet Wipes x30...]
But, as expected, it was just a promotional email.
Director Choi Daeman looked back and forth between his spam-filled inbox and his silent phone, letting out a deep sigh.
“Is it another no-go this time?”
Scratching his head vigorously, Director Choi Daeman got up from the computer and sat at the table in the living room. It was surrounded by papers covered in black ink and a stack of clean ones.
“What should I write next?”
Since this one seemed to be a failure, he had to write a new project. Placing a clean sheet of paper on the table, Director Choi Daeman picked up his pen. He found it easiest to start the initial concept of a project by hand, sketching out relationship charts and settings.
*Beep-beep-beep-beep—*
Just then, the sound of the electronic lock disengaging was heard.
A man burst through the front door and let out a deep sigh upon seeing Director Choi Daeman sitting on the living room floor, leaning against the sofa. Since Daeman always started his initial concepts by hand and wrote the scripts on the computer, it seemed he had been rejected yet again.
“Hyung. Did you get rejected again?”
It was Park Jaemin, his assistant director since *The Evil Spirit*. It had been eight years since they filmed that movie. Enough time had passed that Assistant Director Park Jaemin, who once spoke formally, now spoke to him casually. The fact that he even knew the passcode to his house said it all.
“Yeah.”
“Shouldn’t you just pick a project already? You’ve been so fixated on filming with Seojun that you haven’t shot a single thing since then.”
It had already been four years since he released the follow-up project that Seojun had rejected back during the *Naeuiwon* days. Director Choi Daeman had been churning out a new synopsis almost every year.
Placing a large bag on the kitchen table, Assistant Director Park Jaemin clicked his tongue.
“Your imagination is something else. Do the ideas just flow out like that?”
“I have an idea notebook I’ve been keeping since way back. It’s not a full script, just a synopsis, so it’s manageable.”
“Still, it’s not like you’re half-assing it.”
Director Choi Daeman gave a bitter smile at Park Jaemin’s words.
Opening the large bag, Park Jaemin took out the side dish containers one by one and put them in the refrigerator. Park Jaemin’s parents owned a side dish shop, so he was a regular customer. Since they were regulars and knew each other, Park Jaemin sometimes delivered them himself.
“Well, do what you want. What can I say to a director who’s making good money shooting commercials?”
“Aren’t you going to go independent?”
At Director Choi Daeman's words, Park Jaemin replied as he neatly stacked the clean, washed containers back into the bag.
“I have a feeling you’ll work with Lee Seojun again someday. I’ll go independent after I get a little closer to him then. Maybe he’ll agree to be in one of my projects later?”
Assistant Director Park Jaemin was just as optimistic as Director Choi Daeman. The director let out a small laugh.
“You know how good Seojun’s eye for projects is... *Naeuiwon*, *Over the Rainbow*, and now *Yeok*. Three consecutive blockbusters. He’s not going to star in something just because he’s friendly with you.”
“I guess you’re right.”
The internet was full of talk about connections and such, but Director Choi Daeman, who had been rejected six times, and Assistant Director Park Jaemin knew that wasn't true.
“I’m making good money following you around, so I’m fine.”
After Seojun’s first commercial became a huge hit, Director Choi Daeman had made a name for himself in the advertising world.
In the four years he hadn’t been working on a film, he had become even more famous in advertising, and Assistant Director Park Jaemin had been working on commercials with him.
“Just don’t forget your main job. Your main job.”
At Park Jaemin’s quiet words, Director Choi Daeman was lost in thought.
His main job.
The film director, Choi Daeman, scratched his head and spoke.
“Alright. I’m going to create a new synopsis... Let’s work on this one.”
“First person we’re offering it to is Seojun, right?”
Director Choi Daeman gave another bitter smile at Park Jaemin's matter-of-fact tone.
“I’m serious. We’re filming this one even if he turns it down.”
“Okay, okay.”
Director Choi Daeman picked up his pen again and began to focus on the paper. Park Jaemin, familiar with the director’s house, sat at the computer and browsed various sites.
July.
The movie *Yeok*, starring Lee Seojun, was still a hot topic. It had surpassed ten million viewers long ago, and everyone was speculating on how high its numbers would climb.
As the assistant director was reading posts about Lee Seojun and netizens’ predictions for his next project, he noticed a notification peeking out from the corner of the monitor.
It was an email alert.
“Hyung, this...”
Seeing Director Choi Daeman completely absorbed in his idea notebook and the new synopsis, Park Jaemin scratched his cheek and clicked the notification.
*Well, it’s probably just spam.*
The assistant director, who had been casually checking the email, froze.
Sender: [Cocoa Entertainment]
At those five words, Park Jaemin’s heart began to pound so hard he thought it would leap out of his chest. His eyes, which had been darting around in shock, slowly rolled to the side.
Certain words in the long email stood out.
Director Choi Daeman. Synopsis. Enjoyed it. Actor Lee Seojun. Decided to star... Decided?
Decided to star!
Park Jaemin, who had been reading the email as if chewing over every word, managed to speak.
“Hyung! Look at this!”
At the sound of Park Jaemin’s booming voice, the focused Director Choi Daeman looked up with a bewildered expression.
Park Jaemin’s face was flushed red with excitement. He was grinning from ear to ear, his arms raised high in a victory pose.
“Yeah! Woohoo!”
Director Choi Daeman narrowed his eyes.
*That guy... has he been drinking?*
Park Jaemin, who had been cheering, collected himself and shouted at Director Choi Daeman, who was now looking at him with a cold stare.
“It’s here! It came!”
“What came?”
“The email...!”
*Ring, ring.*
Just then, Director Choi Daeman’s phone rang.
Both men turned their heads toward the loudly ringing phone. Park Jaemin’s flushed face and excited gestures, the phone ringing for the first time all day.
Sensing something, Director Choi Daeman’s heart also began to pound.
Finally,
The call from actor Lee Seojun had come.
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