Chapter 86
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: The Ghost from the Ruins
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“I saw the article about the audition. It said even someone like me could give it a try.”
He had looked like a machine shoveling food into itself back at lunch. His daily life was utterly barren, no stimulus able to fill the void inside him.
“You did great. Really well done.”
I thought that if it had been any later, he might have just withered away in that tiny room.
Na Young-woong only came alive when he was acting earlier or singing.
Besides writing, I had one other skill. It was a forced acquisition, but over those ten years, I'd done something for my colleagues all the same.
“Do you have a dream?”
“I do.”
“Mind if I ask what it is?”
Isa-ra perked up her ears from the passenger seat.
“My mom. If I get famous, she'll come find me.”
“......”
He didn't even have sadness left in him. I thought he'd clam up, but surprisingly, he kept talking.
“I wanted to ask her. If you're gonna be like this, why have me at all?”
No anger even at the moment it should have boiled over. Every emotion inside him had already died.
“After Dad turned out like that, I don't remember much, but I kept waiting, I think. If not today, then tomorrow. If not tomorrow, someday.”
Were we sitting side by side like this?
He's just a kid.
Isa-ra might not have sensed it. But I knew. This guy's lips were trembling. When they pressed tight, I gave his shoulder a pat.
“......!?”
He looked at me in surprise, then soon furrowed his brow.
“You don't have to pity me.”
It must have been exhausting. Since I was just another stranger anyway. No one had ever truly empathized.
I straightened up and spoke softly.
“It's about someone I know.”
To him, I probably didn't seem much older.
“He said that after ten years locked away, unable to meet anyone, he realized one thing.”
He showed interest.
“Did he go to prison or something?”
“Prison lets you meet people. This guy was truly alone.”
“How's that even possible?”
“Right?”
As I smiled and replied, he whipped his face away.
“So?”
Good, he's hooked.
“He said he'd do everything that was taken from him. To catch up on ten years of what others did, he'd have to live busier than ever.”
“......And what would that change?”
“Who knows? You'd only find out by trying.”
With that, the car fell silent all the way to Sintan-jin.
When we arrived at a farmhouse far from the city, Na Young-woong got out. It was so rundown you had to wonder if anyone could actually live there—it was practically abandoned.
No wonder he seems like a ghost.
If we got close later, I'd have to drag him to a psychiatrist first.
“Thank you.”
I let out a long sigh as he bowed and headed inside.
Isa-ra asked from beside me.
“What does that guy do now?”
“He's a writer.”
“......Was that story about you, President?”
I chuckled.
“Everyone carries some kind of loneliness or solitude, don't they?”
“Glad he escaped it.”
“Thanks to you.”
“Oh my, how exciting.”
I was excited too. To see what kind of reaction the world would have when this ghost from the ruins stepped out.
Four days passed.
“Hello.”
Na Young-woong had just one small bag.
“I've heard a lot about you. This way, please?”
Ye-jin led Na Young-woong up into the building. She'd assign him a room and show him the cafeteria.
I discussed the details with Isa-ra.
“Your father was admitted to the nursing hospital today.”
“Send us the bill later.”
“I'd love to help out myself, but that wouldn't be right, would it?”
“He's family now.”
Na Young-woong had signed with our Memento Mori. It wasn't some groundbreaking deal—just putting his dad in a good facility and providing him a place to live.
“Perfect. We'll blast the audition results all over the media today. Starting tomorrow, programs for skin care, acting coaching, and more will kick off for Mr. Na Young-woong.”
“What about script readings?”
“Day after next. If Writer Byeon gives it her all.”
“Now it really begins.”
“Second time around, so you're used to it?”
“No. I'm nervous.”
“You'll get numb to it eventually.”
We headed up to the rooftop too.
DM was out for a broadcast, and Bin was manning the cafeteria.
“This place always feels so cozy, no matter when I come. Like there's real life here.”
Isa-ra said as she sat.
It was amazing how the youngest daughter of a chaebol adapted so easily to a spot like this.
“You should eat.”
“I'll wait for Young-woong.”
I nodded to Bin, and he stepped away.
“Director Byeon is handling the acting coaching herself, right?”
“Yeah, and with the small theater here, it won't be hard.”
Expectations were sky-high, so lots of people had rolled up their sleeves to look after Na Young-woong.
After a short wait, Young-woong and Ye-jin came in.
“Have a seat.”
With the four of us gathered, the mood felt strangely off. I had a gloomy personality myself, but now an even gloomier guy had moved in.
Isa-ra forced a smile and spoke up.
“How's the dorm?”
“It's good.”
A goshiwon couldn't exactly be called luxurious, but compared to where he'd been, it had some warmth.
Bin handed out meal trays one by one.
Ye-jin looked at his and said,
“Feel free to come anytime and eat as much as you want, but keep your shooting schedule in mind and manage your weight. A chubby elf wouldn't quite work, right?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
As he stared blankly at his tray, I spoke up.
“No need to watch out for anyone here, and things are about to get busy, so rest up well today.”
He picked up his spoon, and Isa-ra smiled as she asked,
“When did you start singing?”
“No idea. It just kinda happened at some point.”
This guy was still an uncut gem. No telling what kind of actor he'd become, but polish him right, and he could grow into a star representing Korea.
This isn't the future I remember, though.
Until now, I'd only thought about idol groups, but Na Young-woong made me decide to scout promising talents like him more often.
No need to stick strictly to what I remember.
No matter how I racked my brain, Na Young-woong hadn't existed in my future. If he'd flunked this audition, he'd probably have just scraped by in that rural house.
A butterfly effect from the Jiri Mountain Elf, maybe?
“Director, please look after Young-woong for a while.”
Ye-jin smiled as if it were obvious.
“President, let's talk more after you eat.”
“Of course.”
Since it was my first actor contract, I had a ton of questions.
“I'll get up first. Take your time finishing.”
I left the cafeteria with Isa-ra and headed to the practice room. Ye-jin would pester Young-woong for a good while. What he needed wasn't facilities—it was people, and I'd asked Ye-jin to handle that yesterday.
In the practice room, Team Leader Cha poured us coffee.
“As investors, we can only hope the projects do well, but not every product sells big, right?”
“That's why selection matters.”
Isa-ra nodded at my words.
“Instead of me investing personally like before, the company corp will handle it professionally.”
“Where to next? Got some promising works?”
“Games, movies, dramas, all kinds of content.”
“Spreading out the mat in earnest?”
“No! It's investment, professionally.”
“Sounds the same to me, hehe! Go on.”
“Some are too big for me alone. That's why I'm asking you, President. You're sharper on this stuff than I am.”
“Turning into a content investment specialist?”
“Sort of. We make stuff too, but we need to keep rolling big money.”
“What if that big money all goes poof?”
“Guess I'd have to write harder.”
“Hohoho! That's reassuring. Even if investments flop, the company won't go under.”
Objectively, the market ranked webnovels < webtoons < games. Entertainment came after, and I knew which content would succeed for the next nine years.
I wasn't stepping on anyone's stage. Just investing purely in winners and using the profits to scout guys like Na Young-woong.
“You could do it alone. Why need me?”
“Your company already has the systems in place.”
We were short on hands and space. Her company, on the other hand, looked slick no matter who saw it—probably from dumping money everywhere.
I knew appearances mattered in business.
“Plus the trustworthy JJ Group image.”
“Why not just go into business with me directly?”
“Sorry. My roots are as a writer. My room's the comfiest spot.”
“Sigh, writers always play the underdog card. Fine, first venture—tell me. Where are you investing?”
“Solo creators. Think of it as an agency gathering them, managing, and sharing ways to max profits.”
“Like AmericaTV?”
“Similar but different. My stage is YouTube. Start with travel, food, real estate, cars, beauty, then expand. Subtitles are a must.”
There were countless Na Young-woongs in the depths, and YouTube was the easiest way to find them.
“Hold on. How do you invest and profit?”
“Mostly ad revenue, but as subs grow, money follows. Content with 1 mil, 10 mil views becomes the product itself.”
“......10 mil? Isn't that too dreamy?”
No, later content hits 100 mil casually.
“Early on, many can't even try without gear. Lend space, pro equipment, editing, subtitles—the quality skyrockets. Beyond profit, it builds a group that can shape opinion or speak out. Ads too. One mention from a Jiri Mountain Elf in 10-mil-view content changes everything.”
“Hm...... Next?”
“Games too. Direct stakes in promising companies.”
“Standard investment.”
“Also build a team to train and manage pro gamers.”
“Don't those exist? Starcraft gamers?”
“They do. E-sports.”
The key was I knew player names.
“Sponsors aren't just for soccer or baseball. E-sports is global, and our company logo on their uniforms? Prime marketing.”
“YouTube and games—two to start?”
“Yeah. More big money later, try others.”
“Okay. Estimated costs for these two?”
10 bil each to three game studios.
Not big ones like MC Soft—target startups just launching.
“30 bil for games, 10 bil for YouTube.”
“We split half-half, 20 bil each?”
“First round.”
“Not places like X Lizard, right?”
“No way.”
Looking into her eyes, I saw monitor text reflected. Fragments from my memory.
【A company makes a 2-tril-won revenue game on 4 bil initial dev costs. Others blow 200 bil and flop. You're one-person ops—don't half-ass it! Don't treat failure as normal!】
Why was our team leader so pissed? Fine, poke more. Seeing that jerk rage is righteous revenge.
【4 bil to 2 tril revenue? You serious? -1】
Team leader shoved news articles at me like see?
【Convinced?】
Ah, damn...
It was real.