Living as an Actor (1)
"H-hey, don't be ridiculous! What kind of lie is that...!!"
"Th-there should be a post you wrote on the Stock Gallery as a guest user..."
"Wait! Hold on!!"
Back then, he had posted on the Stock Gallery: "If Hwang Seokju becomes chairman of Somyeong Group, the stock price could go up another 10 percent. Agreed?"
Naturally, no one had paid it any attention, and he’d been left sulking.
But now that everyone’s eyes were on him, the color drained from his face. It was almost like watching a regular username turn blue with shame.
"Just be honest."
You want to be chairman, don't you?
"The direction Somyeong is headed in right now doesn’t sit right with you, does it? You’ve probably been thinking about ways to grow the company even more in your own way. Since the subject’s come up today, why don’t you give the chairman a little briefing?"
I gestured toward Hwang Piljung.
He was as terrifying as a tiger of an uncle, but the ambition in his eyes was obvious.
"Go ahead. I’m not trying to push you out or anything."
After hesitating for a while, Hwang Seokju let out a long breath.
He took off his glasses and rubbed his face.
What emerged was the face of an ambitious man.
"...Understood."
After that, it was an impassioned presentation.
As if he’d prepared for this all along, he confidently laid out the company’s future direction, and Hwang Piljung looked thoroughly satisfied.
"Excellent!! That's right. If you want to be chairman, you have to develop the company further and keep both the employees and the shareholders happy!!"
"Thank you! Chairman!"
"With you, I can retire without worry."
"I'll do my very best!!"
"Congratulations, hyung."
"Congrats."
"Congratulations."
-Clap clap clap!
The people gathered around him applauded and congratulated him.
Watching him awkwardly accept their praise, it seemed pretty clear there was nothing left for me to do.
"Chairman. Then I'll be going."
"Huh?! You're leaving already?! "
"Well, there's nothing else for me to do."
And it was getting late, too.
It wasn't one of my streaming days, sure, but I still had to go home and play Dungeon & Saga.
"Wait! Hold on!!"
Hwang Piljung hurriedly stopped me.
Then he said, very seriously, "Young man, where are you affiliated right now?"
"Uh. Well..."
I told him I was linked with Chairman Hong’s company, Notte World, and Samsung.
And on top of that, I mentioned that I also had connections in Japan.
He nodded gravely. "Well, you do have your feet planted all over the place."
"I want to raise my influence and recognition."
"Why?"
"Because I might need it someday."
"...Have you seen something?"
"No. There’s just a reason I ended up with this ability."
I could see the future, and I could change it.
In the worst-case scenario, if I saw a future where countless people were in danger, then the right thing to do would be to increase my own recognition and influence so I could alter it.
Wouldn’t it be easier for people to accept someone who had built up trust and reputation everywhere, rather than some orphan with nothing to his name?
"Hmm. You're a truly remarkable young man."
"I do have my moments."
"In that case, how about placing one foot in Somyeong as well?"
Somyeong?
Not a bad idea, but could they even create a position like outside director for me there?
"That wouldn't be difficult. Just serve as an advisor for me. As for the annual salary... let me make it like this."
"Wow... that's a lot."
"Don't underestimate Somyeong."
Not that I had ever underestimated it.
Still, if they were offering, there was no reason to refuse.
"I’ll gratefully accept. Though I should mention, since I’d be an advisor, that doesn’t mean I’d only be on call for the chairman..."
"Ha ha. So you don't want to be tied down, huh? Fine. Fine."
He grinned and gave my shoulder a few taps.
"Then we'll see each other again sometime."
"Yes. I'm sure we will."
After greeting Hwang Piljung, I left the mansion.
Hong Si-yeon, who came out with me, smiled brightly.
"You're becoming quite the big shot."
A big shot, huh.
At this point, I probably was one.
"I do have my moments, don't I?"
"Ahahaha~! You sure do!"
Still laughing as if she found the whole thing delightful, Hong Si-yeon slowly brought the car to a stop.
We were already home.
"Thanks for today."
"Not at all. I had fun, too. Just seeing Chairman Hwang Piljung flustered was entertaining enough for me."
"Haha. Then that's good."
"But, Noah."
"Yes?"
"What are you planning to do from here on out?"
"Honestly? I haven't really thought that far ahead."
I wanted to eat well and live well.
But that wasn't everything.
"What I told Hwang Piljung earlier—that was the whole of it."
"...Noah, you're really a kind person."
"I'm an orphan, but I don't want to live like one."
.
.
.
-Hyung! Is this you?!
A few days after meeting Hwang Piljung, I was streaming when one of the viewers dropped a link.
-Whoa, it really is!
-What the heck. This happened when you were in Japan last time?
-That's our hyung! We knew we could trust you!
Ah. This one.
The incident on the train.
It had spread on the Japanese internet, and the attached material included CCTV stills.
They sure recognized me fast.
"Yeah, that's right."
-How'd you know?
"I was nearby, and the kid looked like he was about to fall, so I caught him..."
-As expected of hyung!
-We believed in you!
-The fortune teller feared by Japan and coveted by China, as expected!!
I had no idea why Japan feared me and China coveted me, but whatever.
The chat exploded again.
Looks like I should rein it in.
"It wasn't a big deal, so don't make such a fuss. All right... next—"
-Me! Me!
-Please take a look at me too!! Should I dump Taeyoung Materials stock right now? Huh?
-Hyung! Me too, please! I’ve got two companies where I passed interviews, and I can’t decide which one to take!
"Gulag. If you confess this time, you'll succeed. That girl likes you, too. Hang in there."
-Boo!
-Couples, get lost.
"Baymans. It's not any special illness, but I think there's something weighing on her mind. It’s probably because of something her friend's son gave her, so you should give her a gift of some kind, too."
-Baymans: Ah... then should I cut back on the money I send to support hyung?
"Go ahead."
-Baymans: Huh? Really?
"Do you think I'd covet that little amount of money..."
I don't even have a mother!
Anyway, Baymans immediately typed that he was going to prepare a gift, and the other guys in chat started worrying about presents too.
They were asking me, but I had no idea what their mothers liked either.
Maybe I'd know if their mothers started typing in chat themselves...
After chatting idly and reading the fortunes of the ones who were worried about something, the broadcast ended before I knew it.
"Anyway, that's ten people done for today. All right, then. See you again next time."
-Bye~!
-When will it be my turn to get a reading...
-Please make sure to look at me next stream!
It hadn’t been anything especially remarkable, but it was still a pretty fun stream.
"Mmm~!"
After talking so much, my throat was dry.
I opened the fridge to grab something to drink, but...
Nothing.
There were only two bottles of water in there.
I was craving coffee, but...
Was there even a café open at this hour?
I checked the clock and saw it was already 9:40 p.m.
If I went to a nearby café, maybe I could still squeeze in one last order?
I threw on some clothes and headed outside.
It was late at night, but the storefront signs and streetlights around me kept the area from feeling particularly dark.
After walking down that street, I finally reached the café.
Luckily, they still hadn't closed...
"We're closed."
Damn it.
What a shame, but there was nothing for it.
I sighed and kept walking.
By the time I was nearing home, just as I was thinking about grabbing some cheap coffee from the convenience store on the opposite side of the café I’d just left, I spotted another café.
It was the place where I had first met Gang In-jeong before.
That place normally closed at nine, didn't it? But it was still open?
"Hello. Are you still open for business?"
"Welcome."
The café had a quiet atmosphere, and there were no customers inside.
"Don't you normally close at nine?"
"Haha. Yes, that's right. But my daughter hasn't arrived yet, so I'm keeping it open a little longer until then."
"I see. Then would it be all right if I placed an order now?"
"Of course."
The easygoing middle-aged owner smiled and started making coffee.
What a relief.
"One café latte, please."
"Yes. I'll make it delicious."
I was sitting there waiting for the coffee when—
-Ding!
The door opened.
The person who came in was a young woman, maybe just barely an adult.
She looked about my age.
"Dad! You're still not done?"
"Oh! Se-gyeong. I'm almost finished. I'll just make this customer's coffee and then close up."
Father and daughter.
To an orphan like me, it looked incredibly nice.
"Your coffee is ready."
"Thank you. I'll pay—"
"Haha. This one's on me. My daughter and I were going to drink one too, anyway."
Unbelievable.
Free coffee.
I looked at the father and daughter.
They really did seem like a close pair.
So I had to say it.
"Do you know me?"
"Uh... are you a celebrity?"
"Sorry, we don't really know much about that kind of thing..."
"My name is Kang Noah. If you don't mind, would you turn over this card for me?"
I held out a trump card I always carried with me, just in case.
The café owner took it with a doubtful look and flipped it over.
It was the Two of Spades.
In that case, I should tell them.
"Sir. Two days from now, at 4 p.m., a customer will come here."
"What does it matter if a customer comes to the café..."
"Ibin."
"...!!"
Ibin.
The national actor—fifty-something, a middle-aged star.
He'd achieved ten-million-ticket status with three films.
And he was the actor this owner and his daughter adored.
People like them never meet the celebrities they love in their entire lives, and yet this was going to happen.
"R-really?"
"Oh my God... should I not go to school that day?"
For that much information, I figured I’d more than repaid their kindness with a single cup of coffee.
"And one more thing."
"Yes?"
"Don't put out the almond pound cake that day."
"What? Why? It's our most popular item..."
"There'll be an allergic reaction."
I had seen the future.
The owner, overjoyed to see Ibin, would bring out an almond pound cake he made himself.
Ibin would happily eat it, and then everything would go to hell.
He'd be rushed to the emergency room, and the owner would be left utterly stunned.
That future was...
already starting to change.
Into a scene of Ibin marveling over the coffee, and the owner and his daughter beaming with pride.
Into Ibin becoming a regular who came by often.
For a single cup of coffee, it was a more than satisfying return on kindness.