Chapter 62
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: I'll Do My Best!
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The first-floor lobby of the Cocoa Entertainment building.
Seo Eunchan was fondly touching the nameplate under Seojun's photo on the wall, which read 'Cocoa Entertainment Actor Lee Seojun.' He quickly snapped back to reality and headed for the PR team's office.
Despite the high-quality soundproofing materials, the ringing of phones pierced through the walls.
"I expected this, but it's no joke."
The day after episode 5 of *Re-Investigation* aired, Cocoa Entertainment was flooded with calls. It was because Seojun's agency had been registered on his profile on search engine sites.
Seo Eunchan swallowed nervously and opened the door to the PR office.
The ringing of phones assaulted his eardrums. Every phone in the company was ringing, and emails were pouring into the company's inbox. It was absolute chaos. An employee on the phone shouted.
"Sir! It's MBS!"
"This one's SBC!"
Offers for dramas and variety shows were pouring in from all over. Before his cameo in *Re-Investigation*, the offers had been more like hopeful long shots, but now they were serious.
Everyone was clamoring for him, from dramas that already had a broadcast schedule to those that were just starting to cast their actors.
Seeing the broadcasting companies compete so fiercely, everyone thought that if Seojun agreed to star, they might even bump an already scheduled drama to make room for his.
*'Though that's unlikely.'*
In the case of variety shows, sometimes different writers from the same program would contact them separately.
The employees who weren't on the phone were scanning the internet, from KBC's homepage to large online communities. Talk about Lee Seojun was everywhere.
Even people who didn't watch movies knew of 'Hollywood child actor, Lee Seojun.' When news broke that he would be making a cameo in a drama, they wanted to see it.
"The rerun ratings and on-demand views are through the roof."
"KBC is re-airing episodes 1 through 5 to attract more viewers."
"There are also posts asking if Lee Seojun will appear again."
"And a few places have posts saying they hope he plays soccer?"
Among them, some people watched *Re-Investigation* and then sought out Seojun's movies. Others saw *The Devil*, which KBC had shown, and started watching *Re-Investigation*.
With public interest growing by the day, the broadcasting industry was moving quickly. The phones rang incessantly.
The PR team leader, Kim Sooryun, raised her voice.
"What should we do, sir?"
Seo Eunchan scratched his cheek.
"For now, let's turn down all the dramas."
"What?!"
The heads of the employees on the phone and browsing the internet whipped around.
He could have his pick and be set on a smooth path, but he's not doing a drama? Is he shooting a new movie? Hollywood? Korea?
As the employees' questions mounted, Seo Eunchan spoke.
"Actor Lee Seojun... says he wants to do a play."
At those words, a stack of white papers cascaded from the hands of a man who had come looking for Seo Eunchan.
Lee Seojun's manager, An Daho, who had spent the last two weeks reading every drama and movie script sent to Seojun and even writing reports on them, had just dropped today's batch of a dozen or so reports.
Seo Eunchan turned his head at the sound of something falling. He saw An Daho standing at the entrance of the PR office. Seeing An Daho staring at him with a dumbfounded expression, Seo Eunchan smiled brightly and spoke.
"Perfect timing, Daho. You have a minute, right?"
At his boss's words, An Daho, a mere employee, nodded reflexively.
* * *
"This is An Daho. He's 25."
"Hello! I'm An Daho!"
An Daho, a man of solid build, bowed deeply.
He had wondered where the CEO was taking him, and to his surprise, it was Actor Lee Seojun's home.
He'd imagined that an actor who had filmed a Hollywood movie would live in a spacious, single-family home with a big yard and a gallant dog in some wealthy neighborhood, but Seojun lived in an ordinary apartment in an ordinary neighborhood.
Seeing An Daho standing so stiffly and formally, Seo Eunhye and Seo Eunchan couldn't help but laugh.
Seojun also observed An Daho, the man who would be his manager.
Whether by coincidence or fate, Seojun was surrounded by good people.
His neighbors in the same apartment building who never spread rumors. The parents at his kindergarten who were content with just an autograph and a photo.
If it was truly a coincidence, it wouldn't matter, but if it was the influence of his divine energy, he couldn't predict what effect the demonic energy he now possessed would have.
*'No, I have a rough idea...'*
Seojun's eyes darted around. At his gaze, An Daho, who was sitting cross-legged, straightened his shoulders and sat up tall.
After studying him intently like a cat, Seojun broke into a smile. He seemed like a good person.
"Hello, Daho Hyung. My name is Lee Seojun."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Actor Lee Seojun. I'm An Daho."
When Seojun extended his small hand, An Daho's eyes widened. He hadn't even told the CEO, Seo Eunchan, but An Daho was a fan of Seojun.
Two years ago, when he saw *William* in theaters, An Daho had sobbed so hard it felt like the whole cinema could hear him.
He had been living a life of just enduring day by day, trying not to be a burden to his single mother. But at that moment, a dream formed: he wanted to support an actor who could perform like that.
After that, he worked hard. He studied the entertainment industry, joined a new management agency, and took on all sorts of odd jobs.
He'd been a manager for a not-so-famous actor who acted like a diva, and out of curiosity about what it was like to be an actor, he even tried being an extra himself. He quit after four NGs, though.
For two years, a short time in hindsight, his first company went bankrupt, and after drifting from place to place, he ended up joining Cocoa Entertainment.
With only Brown Black on their roster and the next trainees likely to be an idol group, An Daho, who wanted to manage actors, had been looking for a new agency.
That's when a rumor started circulating within the company. A rumor that Actor Lee Seojun had signed with Cocoa Entertainment.
He couldn't believe it, but it turned out to be true. An announcement was posted looking for a manager.
It wasn't explicitly stated, but the manager recruitment notice came out right after the rumor about Lee Seojun joining Cocoa Entertainment started. Judging by the timing, it had to be for Actor Lee Seojun.
An Daho immediately submitted his application. And he was hired. There were several candidates, but in the end, he was the one chosen.
An Daho took Seojun's hand with his own trembling one. Seeing him in person made his young age feel even more real. The fact that this child had delivered such a performance filled him with automatic respect.
And now, An Daho would be able to help Lee Seojun with his acting.
"I'll do my very best."
He meant it. Sensing An Daho's sincerity, Seojun smiled brightly. From the face of this large man who looked like he might burst into tears at any moment, he could feel his honest heart.
"You can speak comfortably with me, Daho Hyung!"
Watching the two shake hands, Seo Eunhye nudged Seo Eunchan in the side.
"You seem to have a good eye for people."
"Daho tried to hide it, but it was obvious he's a fan of Seojun. There isn't a single person in our company who doesn't know."
Seo Eunchan sighed, remembering the mountain of reports An Daho had brought.
He'd only asked him to pick a few to analyze, but An Daho had analyzed almost every script that came in for Seojun.
With a tired face, he had considered good roles for Seojun now, next year, and even several years down the line.
And whenever the topic of Seojun came up, his fatigue would vanish as he talked animatedly. That's when everyone realized. *Daho, you're a Seojun fan!*
"Still, he's good at separating his personal feelings from his work, and he's competent. He'll be a good manager."
Seeing that, they'd half-jokingly, half-seriously offered to let him talk to Seojun on the phone, but An Daho had firmly refused, saying it would be an imposition.
After the manager introductions were over, a glance at the clock showed it was almost time for Lee Minjun to come home from work. Taking the opportunity to have him meet Minjun as well, An Daho was invited to stay for dinner at Seojun's house.
For An Daho, who was being kept late from work, the CEO, Seo Eunchan, gave him a day off.
With Seo Eunchan out grocery shopping on an errand for Seo Eunhye, and Seo Eunhye herself cooking in the kitchen, An Daho sat stiffly in the living room, not knowing what to do.
Seojun, who was at the living room table working on the study workbooks he'd started since entering elementary school, spoke to the awkwardly sitting An Daho.
"Hyung, are you bored?"
"Huh? No, I'm fine. Why? Is there something you don't know?"
"No."
Putting down his pencil, Seojun headed to his room. He returned with some of the scripts he'd enjoyed from his bookshelf and brought them to An Daho.
"If you're bored, you can read these."
"Ah, thanks."
Seojun worked on his daily assignments, while An Daho read the scripts. The occasional notes, seemingly written by Seojun himself, tugged at the fanboy heart of An Daho.
[I want to try this one]
[This one's not good]
[The script and the movie are really different]
[Director changed midway]
An Daho opened his notebook and jotted down the characteristics of the roles Seojun wanted to try and the genres of the movies. He also wrote down the titles of the scripts that were marked as 'not good.' He decided he should look into them when he got home.
In the quiet of Seojun's home, the scratching of a pencil and the rhythmic chopping of a kitchen knife sounded like music.
Seojun, diligently working on his workbook, turned his head to look at An Daho. He liked the sight of him engrossed in the script. A grin spread across Seojun's face before he focused back on his work.
The quiet, however, didn't last long. Seo Eunchan and Lee Minjun opened the front door and entered. Seojun shot up from his seat and ran into Lee Minjun's arms.
Lee Minjun smiled brightly and lifted Seojun into the air.
"I heard Seojun's manager is here?"
"Yeah! It's Daho Hyung!"
As if he'd never relaxed, An Daho stiffened up again and bowed deeply.
"Hello. I'm An Daho."
"Ah, hello. I'm Seojun's father, Lee Minjun."
With Minjun's arrival, dinner began. As Seojun talked about his day at school, the adults listened enthusiastically. This made Seojun even more excited to share his stories.
He talked about how many times he presented in class, about playing soccer in the schoolyard, and about moving on to the next textbook at his music academy. Listening to Seojun chatter away, An Daho's stiff shoulders gradually relaxed during the seemingly ordinary family dinner.
After finishing the dessert Seo Eunchan had bought, An Daho and Seo Eunchan left Seojun's house.
"So, what do you think?"
"Pardon?"
"Seojun. He's more ordinary than you expected, right?"
"Ah, yes."
An Daho, sitting in the passenger seat, nodded at Seo Eunchan's words as he drove.
"Seojun is a good actor and smarter than other kids his age, but you don't need to feel pressured. Just look after him like a younger brother. Stop him if something seems dangerous. If he says he wants to do something, hear him out. And if anything major happens, contact me."
"Ah. I understand."
"There's a guy named Kim Heesang, you know?"
"Yes?"
"He knows Seojun well. My brother-in-law and sister know Seojun well too, of course, but it's a different field. When it comes to manager-related work, it's probably better to get advice from Heesang than from my sister and her husband. I'll introduce you next time."
"Ah, thank you."
"Daho."
An Daho responded to Seo Eunchan's low voice.
"Yes, sir."
"Please take good care of our Seojun."
Seo Eunhye, Lee Minjun, and Seo Eunchan had all said the same thing throughout the day.
*Please take good care of our Seojun.*
Taking the concerns of the people who cared for Seojun to heart, An Daho spoke as if making a vow.
"Yes. I'll do my best!"
* * *
Although they had entrusted the task to Cocoa Entertainment, Seojun and Seo Eunhye didn't just sit back and wait. The two of them searched the internet together.
"He's too young for this one."
"This one is for ages ten and up, too."
There were few plays featuring children. The roles were scarce, and there were height and age restrictions. At eight years old, Seojun was often disqualified by the age limit, unable to even apply for auditions.
"Seojun, are you sure you want to do a play?"
"Yeah!"
The play he had seen with Jiseok Hyung had left a deep impression on him. The actors performing right in front of him, the audience so close he felt he could hear them breathe. That small theater had found a special place in Seojun's heart.
"They perform so close to the audience. I want to do that too."
What would it feel like to see people's reactions to my acting in person?
Unlike the staff, who had to focus on filming, the audience would be there solely to watch my performance. An audience that wouldn't be thinking about editing or box office numbers, but would focus only on my acting.
Movies and dramas were great, but he wanted to see the raw, direct reactions with his own eyes. Just thinking about it made his heart pound.
Seeing the sparkle in Seojun's eyes, Seo Eunhye rolled up her sleeves.
"I see. Well then, shall we search some more?"
Seojun searched on his phone while Seo Eunhye used her laptop, both scouring the internet.