Chapter 54…
The Results Brought by Variety Shows (2):
Public service ad.
That was only the beginning.
From child welfare organizations and beyond, people from all over started reaching out to me again.
The ripple effect of just two variety shows was huge.
Why else would even a toy company called Sonogong come looking for me?
And why did they want me?
They wanted me to film a commercial for a transforming robot.
The concept was… me showing with my facial expressions how I transform into a robot.
Seriously?
I turned it down.
I didn’t want to ruin children’s dreams.
On top of that, offers were now coming in from the film industry too.
Sure, I technically debuted through a movie…
But up until now, most of the scripts I’d received were dramas.
After Running Friends, though, suddenly more and more calls started coming in from film production companies.
Most of them were for horror movies.
At first I thought, Am I that creepy?
Turns out, no. They just thought my ability to change facial expressions would save them money on CGI.
Apparently horror films usually have smaller budgets.
Anyway, my company turned them all down.
I didn’t mind.
Honestly, after the shock of hearing about the Sonogong robot commercial, nothing surprised me anymore.
“Let’s just take things carefully.”
That was Manager Park’s advice, so I cautiously voiced my opinion.
“Don’t you think we’re being too careful? They say strike while the iron’s hot.”
“Hot? You can’t even swim. If you row wrong, the boat capsizes and you drown.”
“…Wait. That rumor spread that far?”
“Anyway, let’s be careful. I’ll filter through the scripts and pick only the solid production companies.”
“Yes, sir.”
I could tell right away—Hyung Daesung must’ve blabbed. Geez, loose lips.
*
Assistant Director Jo Gam-dong was busy these days.
The drama had ended, and he too was looking for new work.
Director Kim Hyun-chul, who had filmed Righteous Will, had invited him to work together, but he refused.
Not because the offer wasn’t tempting, but because Jo also wanted to try directing his own project soon.
Still…
“I’m not your manager, you know.”
“Sorry. But it’s too embarrassing for me.”
“I’m scared, you idiot!”
Jo Gam-dong was now moonlighting in a new profession: substitute driver.
But his only “client” was none other than Woo Suhan.
And the only reason driving terrified him was—
“…Have you ever even driven a foreign car before?”
“Aren’t all cars basically the same?”
“….”
Jo nearly cursed out loud, but swallowed it back with superhuman restraint.
Right now, he was driving the Enzo Ferrari gifted to Suhan by Chairman Yang Mansik.
The only foreign car he’d driven before was a Mercedes a director had briefly lent him, so of course he was rattled.
Still, since Suhan insisted he learned driving practice with this very car, here he was behind the wheel.
“Seriously, how many days has it even been since you got your license, and you’re already pulling this thing out?!”
The problem was, Suhan had driven it all the way onto the highway entrance before panicking and calling him.
‘I think I’m about to end up in Busan! Help meee!’
By the time Jo arrived, Suhan was leaning casually against the Ferrari, doing fan service for girls by posing for pictures.
Jo wanted to smash his phone into Suhan’s face at that moment.
“Cars are meant to be driven.”
“Who doesn’t know that? Just drive it around the neighborhood!”
“At first, it was just the neighborhood.”
“….”
“Then I opened my eyes and—boom—I was here.”
“…Haa.”
Every single word from this hopeless guy turned Jo’s stomach.
“Next time, call your agency. Even if it’s embarrassing, do it. Or do you not feel embarrassed calling me?”
“Eh, I’ve already shown you the good, the bad, and the ugly. You know everything about me.”
“…What are you talking about.”
“There are even pictures of us together. The Panda Brothers.”
“….”
There’s a saying: Stand next to a crooked tree, and you’ll get hit too.
That was Jo Gam-dong’s fate.
He wasn’t even a celebrity, but he ended up plastered online together with Suhan.
“Kyaaah!”
“Hey hey hey! Careful, you’ll crash!”
The car suddenly swerved, and the surrounding vehicles split like the Red Sea.
“Huff! Huff!”
Jo broke into a cold sweat, finally realizing exactly what he was driving.
“So… how much do cars like this go for?”
Truthfully, this was Jo’s first time even seeing one in person.
“Foreign car… maybe a hundred million won?”
“…That’s ridiculous.”
“You’re mad, huh? I can tell from your tone.”
“Ugh.”
After hanging out with Suhan so much, Jo couldn’t even hide his irritation anymore.
“Let’s see… it’s called an Enzo Ferrari, right?”
“….”
Jo noticed Suhan searching something on his phone and got curious too.
He knew Ferraris were expensive, but not how expensive.
“One, maybe two, three hundred million?”
“Hold on. Ferraris have a lot of models. But since it’s second-hand, it shouldn’t be too bad. Here—F60, right?”
Jo’s ears perked up. He wanted to know, after all.
“Hyung?”
“….”
“Hyung? What’s the number?”
No reply.
Annoyed, Jo glanced sideways.
Then he fixed his eyes back on the road, unable to check the price—
But he did catch sight of Suhan’s pale face.
“…So, how much?”
“Uh…”
The silence made Jo’s hands on the wheel start trembling.
“D-does it cost over five hundred million?”
“Wait… it’s used, so depreciation applies, right? But new it cost 800 million… no, wait—these crooks! In Korea it’s nearly two billion!”
Sweat poured from Jo’s hands onto the steering wheel.
His heart pounded violently—because he realized he was driving something worth more than a Seoul apartment.
“…I-it’s fine. The old man’s a chaebol, he must’ve bought it at base price. No way he overpaid…”
His chest thudded wildly, in sync with the roar of the Ferrari’s engine.
Then Suhan suddenly brightened.
“Oh, right! It’s second-hand. It’s old, like twenty years! 2002 model—haha, the old man gave me a total beater! Over twenty years old!”
“H-ha… hahaha!”
Only then could Jo breathe a little easier—
Until the next sentence.
“…But wait. Why is the used price nearly five billion?”
“….”
“They say it keeps appreciating. How does a used car go up in price?!”
“….”
“Gam-dong?”
“….”
“Gam-dong…”
“Shut it! I’m driving, you’re breaking my focus!”
For the rest of the trip home, Jo could only keep his eyes glued to the road.
[Is he dead?]
“Does he look like a ghost to you?”
[No. If he were, he would’ve answered me.]
“Smart girl, our Yeonju.”
“Shiiing!”
Gam-dong snapped again.
Whoops. Better stay out of his way.
Two drives with Suhan, and he was about ready to die.
Still… what kind of old man gives a car like that as a gift?
Well… thanks, I guess.
If I resell it, how much would I get? They say it’ll only go up in value.
At least they promised to handle the taxes and fees.
Gas guzzler, though… hmm.
“…Guess I’ll just use it for grocery runs.”
[Talking about the car?]
Heh.
Come to think of it, Yeonju hasn’t even seen my car yet.
Well, she’s practically family. Let’s be generous.
“Wanna ride?”
[Really?!]
“Yeah! The doors open upwards, like chicken wings!”
[Wooow!]
“Don’t you dare!”
Gam-dong nearly exploded from the driver’s seat.
“Yikes!”
“Don’t! Last time you almost drove to Busan!”
Shrinking from Gam-dong’s fury, I meekly suggested,
“…It’s just the supermarket nearby.”
“Last time it was ‘just the café nearby.’”
[He’s really mad, judging by the way he’s speaking casually.]
“…Fine, we won’t go. Want to just listen to music inside? The sound system’s insane.”
“Get out!”
And so, we respected Gam-dong’s wish.
Later that evening, Jo sighed as he looked around the now-quiet house.
“God… I’m exhausted.”
Then he remembered the Ferrari again.
“…There’s no way he’s gonna take that thing out again, right?”
If he did, Jo swore cursing wouldn’t be enough this time.
But suddenly, Jo froze.
“…Huh?!”
His hands were gripping an imaginary steering wheel in front of him.
Both hands, locked tight.
“Wh-what the hell?!”
He glanced at the TV.
His reflection there wore a strange, twisted grin.
“…Snap out of it!”
But his face grew dazed again.
“Heh… so I drove a car like that, huh? Heh.”
Then he buried his head in his hands, overcome with shame.
I stood quietly outside his room.
After a moment, Yeonju slipped out through the door.
“Is he really that mad?”
[He looks insane.]
“Huh?”
[Laughing one second, ripping at his hair the next, then grinning again.]
“Ah… that just means he’s fighting with his instincts. That’s good—he’s not insane yet.”
[If you say so. But he seems really stressed these days.]
“…Stressed?”
[I think he wants to shoot an indie film. He’s practically wrestling with his laptop all the time.]
“Really?”
[Sighing a lot, too.]
“…Hmm.”
I knew he wanted to make an indie film.
That’s why he moved in here in the first place—to save up for production costs.
But I didn’t realize he was already agonizing over it.
“You read his script yet?”
[…I’m a cultured ghost, you know.]
“Is it good?”
[Yeah.]
“…Where’d your cultured manners go, then?”
[Hey! Stop interrogating me like that!]
Tsk. You’ve got a long way to go before you can keep up with me.
Still, so that’s how it is, huh.
I narrowed my eyes at Yeonju.
“I’ve got a special mission for you.”
Jo Gam-dong trudged into the house later, looking tired.
“Oh, you’re back?”
“Yes.”
As always, Suhan greeted him cheerfully.
“Part-time job?”
“Yes.”
These days, Jo had been working whatever paid decently.
Thankfully, Director Kim Hyun-chul had referred him to some good gigs.
“Got some time before the next project, huh.”
“Yes. You should rest while you can.”
“…What should my next project be?”
“Well… I heard you’re getting a lot of scripts?”
At that, Jo frowned slightly.
He’d heard Suhan was being offered significant roles in both films and dramas.
And since the buzz around him still hadn’t died down, the company was carefully managing things.
“…I’m thinking maybe a film next.”
“A film?”
“Believe it or not, I did debut in a movie.”
“…Pfft.”
Jo just smiled faintly at that.
But today, his response was strangely subdued.
“Nothing like… you know, fighting against the other me?”
“Then tell that inner you to get it together.”
“Like a dream demon, tempting me…”
At that, Jo froze.
Slowly, his head creaked toward Suhan like a broken fan.
