Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 056
Chapter Title: How About a Lifetime Contract? (1)
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Without a second thought, Yeonwoo tapped the screen, and his body froze.
Messages had poured in from all sorts of people. Dozens from Director Heo. Dozens from Writer Min. Dozens from the drama team group chat. Just one from Min Yerin: "You resting?"
Dozens from Lee Juha, too.
>Hey, friend.
>Hey, friend.
>Hey, friend!
>Hey, friend, you asleep...?
>Hey, friend. What do you think about radio? lol
>It's not cuz my writer noona chewed me out lol
>Heading into a movie OST gig this time, so radio on the side's kinda tough
>Writer noona asked me to ask if you could sub in lololol
>Hey, friend?
>You dead...?
But the one that caught his eye most was from Kwon Sung-hyun. His messages were short and to the point.
>Yeonwoo-ssi. You okay?
>Yeonwoo-ssi. Dongja-ssi came by our place. You're sleeping, so hit me up when you wake.
>Still sleeping?
Unlike his usual flood, just three messages.
And yet.
>Looks like you're up. On my way.
"……?!"
While reading KakaoTalk, the little 1 vanished—who the hell noticed that?—and suddenly a new message popped up.
Not long after.
Ding-dong!
The doorbell rang. Intercom check: Kwon Sung-hyun standing there.
-Open the door, please.
'No way. When did he even get here?'
Teleported or something? Not content with being a superstar, turns out he has superpowers too?
-Dongja-ssi said you'd probably wake up around now.
Ah. Not that, then. Good.
"You okay?"
A large hand thrust out abruptly. Firm yet soft against his forehead.
"No fever, at least……."
"……I just slept a long time."
"Still, you looked so bad before we parted."
"It was nothing a little rest couldn't fix."
"Worries me every time you head overseas. Aren't you a bit too fragile……."
"……?"
What? Kinda scratches at his pride.
Yeonwoo wasn't built like Kwon Sung-hyun, sure, but he was tall and solidly muscled. Might look slim clothed, but underneath was lean, packed muscle.
'This industry's eat-or-be-eaten if you're weak, though. Can't be helped.'
Call it survival muscle. No muscle meant crap stamina, crap stamina meant trivial ghosts latching on easy. One vicious one could torment for days.
Not planning that path, but raised in it, talents suited it—no turning back.
Put simply, the body was a vessel. Better tough and solid to hold spiritual power and ghostly energy.
"No, I'm perfectly normal?"
"Normal people don't go ghost-white from a little motion sickness."
"……."
Fair point. No comeback.
'Tsk. Why'd it have to be seasickness of all things.'
And of course Kwon Sung-hyun had to see it.
But seeing his genuine concern drained the annoyance away.
"Brought porridge. Wanna eat? Figured something easy on the stomach right after waking."
Kwon Sung-hyun unpacked an assortment. Abalone porridge to start, then abalone gut porridge, snow crab porridge, ginseng chicken porridge, wild mushroom porridge, beef porridge, mushroom oyster porridge…… Even sweet pumpkin and red bean porridge.
"You expect me to eat all this……?"
Came in hauling a huge shopping bag—yep, swept the shelves clean.
"Didn't know what you'd like, so brought a bit of everything. No need to finish—just pick what you want."
Felt like some VIP treatment.
'Not a bad feeling, though.'
Never had anyone rush over when he was sick before, much less fuss this much. His only family, mother Kang Yeon-hwa, was always swamped, with more seekers than stars in the sky.
Kids raised alone get used to loneliness.
'Is this why they say people get weak when sick?'
A fact he'd never known till now. Kinda novel, learning these little things one by one.
"Don't drop the spoon—hold tight."
"……I'm not dying or anything……? Just seasick, and sleep fixed it."
"Chew slow and thorough, okay?"
"……."
……Sometimes conversation just didn't compute, drove him nuts.
Flap flap!
Nearly done with the meal, waited on hand and foot by one of Korea's top stars in all his glory.
[Finally up! Actor's here too? Hi!]
A chirping sparrow flew in the window.
Sparrows usually slim down in summer, but this one—stuffed with Child Spirit—was tennis-ball plump, round and bursting.
"Another bird?"
[Leg mobility's a hassle for four-leggers. Sigh. Spotted a cute squirrel, but it'd take a month to lug down there. Had to compromise with reality.]
The tiny chubby sparrow sighed peeps.
"Why go down there?"
[Look at this guy! I took your interpreter ghost home for you.]
"Soo-chan?"
[That translator kid who helped us?]
"Oh. Him."
The interpreter ghost: Korean grad student haunting a Eastern European airport, wandering alone among foreigners. Name was Soo-chan, yeah.
'Busy right before the flight, forgot about the request.'
Full name? Not even that stuck. The request popped as the drama team boarded for Korea.
-H-H-Hey…… C-Could you…… take me to Korea too……?!
Vague memory of the timid ghost mustering courage.
Impressed by perfect handling of Salieri, Prima Donna, Paganini requests.
-That it?
-Huh?
-Just take you to Korea?
-If possible…… all the way home…… Stuck at airport again……
-Deal.
Body remembered despite crashing post-boarding. Instincts sharp.
[Additional Harvestable Ability: Basic English Interpretation (B+)]
Spotted it, blurted "Deal" without thinking. Tiny spiritual power boost snapped his foreign chains.
Flew back with the bodiless Child Spirit—remembered that much.
"You delivered him?"
[Yup. Thanked me profusely. I did the legwork!]
"I gave the spiritual power."
[I did the physical haul!?!]
"Coulda ditched the body and ghosted."
[Argh, the kid…… Plummeted from nest, bawling. Couldn't leave him. Looked half-dead, but fattened him up in two days!]
Explains why tinier than others. Backstory noted.
"Had a ghost tagging along in Europe?"
[Yup! Sweet translator kid—made things easy.]
"Ah…… Someone I didn't know? The whole time?"
"Not a person—a dead soul."
"Still, 24/7 with Yeonwoo-ssi?"
Kwon Sung-hyun rubbed his face with a big hand. Fidgety vibe.
"Maybe Dongja-ssi’s right—better off dying for real……."
"……What kinda crazy talk?"
The all-hours lifespan vending machine quitting? Yeonwoo straightened, blocking it. Kwon Sung-hyun smiled faintly, sighed.
"No real attachment to this life anyway."
"I do."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
Wasn't this clinging to life?
Even shunned and isolated, Yeonwoo never thought dark. Same reason he slaved to fill minus lifespan.
"Kwon Sung-hyun-ssi."
"Yeah, Yeonwoo-ssi."
"Might sound funny, but gotta say it. The todays and tomorrows you shrug off? Could be someone's precious day. So don't say no attachments."
Seen hordes like that. Dead with stories untold.
One dying en route to parents' birthday. One gone before seeing newborn face. One stepping afterlife while kin rushed from afar.
[Just one more day…….]
Their collective murmur.
Not playing saint. But Yeonwoo was no different—craved every day desperately.
'When lifespan hit minus, thrilled over days gained. Hold up.'
Kwon Sung-hyun tilted at Yeonwoo's stern face. Peeking up from below, almost guilty?
Weird fit, but……
'No way he's looking guilty?'
Like a big dog wrecking house while owner's out, then sheepish on return.
Thought eased tension.
"Mad?"
"……Why ask that now?"
"Wanna apologize. Didn't mean it that way. Sorry if it hurt."
"Fine if not what you meant."
"Got hasty."
"About what?"
"Places seeking you: endless. Ones I can't see? Panic sets in."
"No need to worry—never jumping agencies."
"For real? Great."
"I honor loyalty."
"Know you do. Worry's not you—it's around you. Troy War wasn't Helen's fault, right?"
"Huh?"
Random. Yeonwoo blinked.
Troy. 'Know the horse. Infiltrate enemy disguised…….'
Train of thought snapped.
"But you saying that eases my mind more."
Kwon Sung-hyun cut in.
"Anyway. Since it's up: contract?"
"Huh?"
"Brought the papers."
That fast? Hidden behind porridge bag: document envelope.
Long straight fingers eased out the stack, neat before Yeonwoo.
"Management exclusive contract……?"
"Yeah. Take a look. Lawyer-vetted, best terms. Tweak anything off."
[Yeonwoo! Lemme see too!]
Tiny sparrow hopped over.
One man, one bird huddled, scanning.
[Whoa…… These terms…… Too good? Actor, you sure?]
Yeonwoo agreed.
Overlooked the flipped A/B dynamic.
"90% revenue to A……? This okay?"
"Of course."
Kwon Sung-hyun smiled soft.
"Wanted 100%, but couldn't stand legally."
"No, 90% to me—how's the company eat?"
This loose with cash?
"Don't worry. Not hurting for it. Just enjoy top treatment, Yeonwoo-ssi."
Come to think: Kwon Sung-hyun's agency was a solo outfit, him only.
And Kwon Sung-hyun was……
'Chaebol heir. Right.'
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