Life, Once Again!

Junmin recalled secretary Kim, who politely said goodbye as he left. The reason that man – a close aide of the chairman – came to visit him was simple. It was about signing contracts for commercials. When he heard the name from secretary Kim’s mouth, Junmin stroked his hair backwards. He knew that the chairman had a private meeting with Maru. The chairman wasn’t someone who could hold back his curiosities, so it was natural. Contrary to Maru’s words, who said that he had just adequately had a conversation with him before leaving, it seemed that the chairman had taken quite a liking to him. Otherwise, there was no way he would let Han Maru take the commercial for the phone launching in February, as well as the one for a cosmetic product belonging to a popular line of products in China, Japan, and Thailand.

For the Q-series phones, YM often went as far as using videos created by college students, so that wasn’t really surprising, but cosmetics was a different story. As the model of the commercial influenced the sales of a product more than the performance of the item, using an actor without any popularity was definitely not in line with the chairman’s business philosophy of pursuing profit. No matter how much of a liking he took towards Maru, it shouldn’t have been possible to make him prioritize Maru over profits.

“President, I think you need to see this.”

Head manager Kang brought about four clear files the size of A4. Junmin looked at the covers of those files. He ended up chuckling in vain.

“These are all scenarios?”

“Yes. I don’t know what happened, but we suddenly got a bunch of them. Some of them even said that they’re willing to bypass the audition as long as we give them the okay.”

He looked at the names of the film production and drama production companies. They were all places that were influenced by YM’s capital. Two of them were quite tempting as well.

“Head manager Kang. Do you know when Nature Beauty’s launch show is held?”

“You’re talking about YM Living’s cosmetic brand, right? From what I know, it’s this winter.”

“Winter, you say.”

Junmin stroked his chin and leaned back on his chair. The problem seemed to be a lack of recognition of the actor, so were they planning to increase the actor’s popularity? If it was someone who didn’t have the skills or unique, attention-grabbing traits, then, even with YM’s support, it would be a short-lived success, but when it came to Maru, there was potential. Not just that, he would absolutely become a big issue.

Junmin believed in his eyes. Although the ‘ear-whatever’ that the people around him talked about was something he no longer saw, his insight was not bad considering how he had been maintaining JA until now. Also, he believed in the chairman’s eyes as well. It would be weird to doubt the eyes of the leader of a super company. This was a silent agreement from both sides that Han Maru was worth investing in.

“It’s rather rushed, but it’s also hard to refuse.”

Maru would refuse his helping hand. Unlike when he was in high school, he was no longer in a rush to do something, but his apologetic feelings towards the company should play a role in this as well. Leaving a five-year gap was definitely a loss for the company. That young man said that he would take care of himself.

Junmin looked at the papers placed in front of him. This was an achievement purely brought by Han Maru. He tapped on the papers with his fingers. It was a pity that Maru was going to take flight with wings given to him by the chairman as Junmin himself wanted to be the one to push his back.

“What are you going to do?” head manager Kang asked.

Junmin piled the documents together and handed them over to head manager Kang.

“Go through them. We’ll let the person in question decide.”

“These are too good to pass up.”

“I’ll persuade him so that he doesn’t. As disappointing as it is, he should row his boat when he can. We can’t just pass up on an opportunity that was given to us.”

“Understood.”

Twenty-six. He was quite young as an actor. The average age of male actors who were considered ‘s-tier’ in Chungmuro was thirty-nine. Meaning, it was impossible to win against the flow of time dissolved in one’s face no matter how good one’s acting may be. However, it wasn’t like simply getting older would make anyone a top actor. There was a procedure. The era when TV and the cinema screen were two different things was a thing of the past. This generation of top actors would be the last ones that would be able to talk about their harsh past. These days, drama stars would easily become movie stars. Above all, new actors appeared in droves. Wandering around theaters and miraculously showing up on screen was going to be a mythical story of the past. Promising youths were already going to movies after appearing on TV, and the opposite was true as well. Although the wall between movies and dramas still remained, it was only a matter of time before it was toppled. This was already true overseas, in the form of drama seasons and drama adaptations of movies. It was going to turn into a market where the same actors appeared over and over again.

Of course, there would be exceptions no matter the time. There were bound to be appearances of actors who rise to stardom even in a turbulent flow. However, what kind of company would wait for a genius that might or might not appear somewhere?

After head manager Kang left, a call came. Junmin checked the name and picked up the call.

-Have you been notified?

“Yes, chairman. It’s such a shocking offer that it puts me in a tight spot.”

-Like hell it does. I’m doing something so I should do at least that much. So, how is it? Are you going to accept?

“I have no reason to refuse since we’d be earning money. But I’ll have to listen to Maru’s opinion. Even the most tempting offer is useless if he doesn’t want to do it.”

-Of course, I presume you’ll persuade him?

Naturally. Although he had decided on that, he asked back anyway,

“What did you like about him so much? It’s been a very long time since I saw you support anyone like this.”

-I like how he did not flatter me and yet still observed how I looked. He’s not someone who’s too proud, but he did not abandon his pride like those sneaky ones. Above all….

The chairman stopped for a beat before continuing,

-It was fun talking to him. So much so that I want to call him over quietly to my house and drink with him quietly.

“I see.”

-Anyway, do accept our proposals as only then will we be able to bring him up to suit the name of YM. If I put him in a cosmetic commercial as he is now, the board directors will obviously nag at me and tell me that I’m senile. Although it’s launching in winter, we can delay it to next year depending on the situation, and engraving the name Han Maru into the ears of the public is an easy feat in a year. I’ve had a look at the works he appeared in. They were pretty good.

“You aren’t someone who’ll invest in something that wouldn’t work out. How is it? Do you think he’ll bring you benefits?”

-If I could predict that, why would I be staying at YM? I would’ve gunned for president.

“You didn’t turn down that position because it’s too boring?”

-What a good joke. Anyway, do tell him for me. Don’t make me a senile old man.

“Okay.”

Junmin hung up. He bought a cup of tea from the vending machine and left the company. The weather forecast said that it was going to start snowing in the afternoon, and it was right. Looking at the falling snow quietly, he took out his phone.

-Yes, president.

“You busy?”

-We just quit the shoot. The snow suddenly got worse.

“It just started snowing in Seoul. Looks like the snow’s coming from the South this year. How’s the shoot?”

-It’s progressing smoothly. Though, the director did grumble, saying that the weather forecast was only right at times like this.

“I guess even geniuses can’t win against the whims of God.”

A snowflake fell into his cup. It was pretty big.

When he didn’t say anything for a while, Maru spoke,

-Did something happen?

“Did something happen, huh? A lot of things happened.”

Junmin placed the cup on the banister of the stairs.

“For now, congratulations, your fortune with work just exploded.”

-My work fortune?

“I’ll have to talk about the details face to face, but for now, just know that many places are paying attention to you. Depending on the situation, you might have a full schedule until the end of the year.”

-There’s no way something like that will happen without reason, so did the chairman do something?

“Unlike what you thought, it seems that the chairman has taken quite a liking to you.”

-I felt like that drinking occasion was going to be the last one.

“The chairman is someone who talks to men who define the future of this country. If you could read everything off him, then YM would have collapsed a long time ago or would be in someone else’s hands.”

-That’s true.

“I want to know your thoughts first. Are you going to do it, or not?”

-This is rather sudden, so I’m a little taken aback. When you said that my schedule for the rest of the year might be full, it means that I have scenarios for some titles, right?

“There’s five in my hand right now, and who knows if there might be more. Also, you got an offer to be a model for a commercial.”

-I don’t think I have the right face to be a model.

“That depends on how you’re prepared. Above all, the chairman’s more knowledgeable than me when it comes to productization. I guess he found something that would work on the public in you.”

-Is it for an electric drill or something? Or some farm tools?

“Cosmetics.”

-I’m sorry?

The always calm man was so taken aback that he had to ask back. Junmin smiled and continued,

“Before I hear your thoughts, I’ll say mine. Do it. I had plans for you, but this is a much better opportunity than that. Of course, you might not like the chairman’s proposal. You were involved in not-so-good matters with him after all.”

-What happens if I say I won’t do it?

“Everything will go to naught, and you’ll get on his bad side. Of course, if that’s what you’re worried about, I can cover you, so don’t worry.”

There was no reply for a while. Snow piled up on the rims of the paper cup and on the inside. The snow was getting thicker. It seemed that Seoul would be covered in a blanket of white tonight.

-I guess I should grab an opportunity that’s given to me.

Maru finally said after the silence. Junmin nodded.

“Alright, got it. We’ll talk about the details in Seoul, then.”

He put the phone, which had become quiet, in his pocket.