Chapter 50…
Old Man’s Housewarming (2):
The light chatter in the room quickly died down.
Everyone’s eyes turned to Suhan.
“Do I really have to?”
The words that came out of Suhan’s mouth were surprisingly calm.
Instead, it was Chairman Yang who grew heated at Suhan’s nonchalant response.
“Your so-called relatives took the compensation and insurance payout after your family died, and they still couldn’t take care of one orphaned child. They’re worthless trash.”
The first thing Yang did after hearing Suhan’s story was to track those people down. He mobilized his group’s manpower, and eventually found out that they had emigrated to Australia.
“They’re living quite comfortably. Turns out the settlement and insurance money was a hefty sum.”
“I figured as much. They treated me well in the beginning, though.”
“So, what should I do?”
“Leave them be.”
Yang blinked at Suhan’s answer.
“Leave them alone?”
“Why? Did you already toss them in a cement drum and dump them in the Pacific?”
“You brat! Do you take me for some gangster?”
“Well, in dramas, whenever the chairman gives the order, people end up fish food or ‘commit suicide.’”
“You’re insane.”
Even as he cursed, Yang couldn’t help but laugh.
But he understood then—Suhan truly held no lingering attachment.
Yang had gone through all that trouble, even mobilizing manpower, because he wanted to do something for him.
Only to be met with a response as flat as flat beer.
“These days, kids call that kind of thing suffocating, like eating a raw sweet potato.”
“You only choke if something’s blocked. Honestly, I don’t feel anything toward them. It’s not like they knew about me being possessed by ghosts. Sure, ditching the hospital bills and running away was despicable, but…”
Suhan trailed off, tilting his head as if pondering.
“But?”
When Yang pressed him, Suhan gave a faint smile.
“The funny thing is, even when I was chased out of the hospital and dumped in an orphanage, I never once thought of them. Didn’t miss them. Didn’t even resent them. Nothing.”
Yang nodded silently.
“That’s all the bond we had. We lived like strangers, so it’s only right we keep living like strangers. The money is a bit of a pity, sure, but whatever. Let’s just call it charity.”
“Hah! A beggar talks about charity. That was close to two hundred million won back then.”
“…Where did you say they live again?”
“Puhahaha!”
Yes—Suhan’s honesty was refreshing.
After finishing Chairman Yang Mansik’s housewarming, Suhan and Park Mansu were on their way back home.
“Don’t those relatives bother you at all? That was a lot of money back then.”
“Write me a talisman.”
“Huh?”
“One that’ll make them go completely bankrupt.”
“…”
Mansu couldn’t tell if he was serious or not.
But soon Suhan reclined his seat and spoke casually.
“Forget it. Even if I’d had that money, I still would’ve ended up a beggar eventually. It only would’ve delayed things. The result would’ve been the same.”
“Well… if you say so.”
Mansu let it go and focused on the road back to Seoul.
To lighten the mood, he turned on some upbeat music.
Suhan, half-reclined, began humming along. His mood, a little heavy earlier, seemed to lift.
Relieved, Mansu asked carefully:
“So… when do you want to take on your next job?”
Whack!
Mansu got smacked on the back of the head. The sting reminded him to bring it up again only when Suhan was in an even better mood.
“…”
“What’s with you? Nervous?”
“Uh, yeah. A little?”
Manager Park Yucheon chuckled at the sight of Suhan looking slightly stiff.
It was only natural—this was his first commercial shoot, and technically, he was still a rookie actor.
But watching him on set, no one would think of him as a rookie. He was like a sly old fox slithering about.
Just look at his variety show appearances—he was overflowing with confidence, like someone possessed.
Now, seeing him tense up at an ad shoot almost made him look like a proper rookie for the first time.
“You’ll do fine. Even Daesung never got to shoot a cosmetics commercial.”
“…Pfft.”
“What? Bad comparison?”
Yucheon winced. He realized comparing Suhan to Kim Daesung didn’t fit. Daesung had rugged, manly looks, whereas Suhan wasn’t exactly a “pretty boy” either.
Besides, the theme of this commercial was “transformation.”
“I thought it’d be for men’s cosmetics.”
“Yeah, about that… You’re not seriously thinking you’ll be cross-dressing, right?”
“Hahaha! Even if that were the case, do you think makeup alone would make you look like a woman?”
They both laughed. Neither noticed the CF director behind them, whose expression kept shifting.
The shoot went smoothly.
They told Suhan to express “variety” through his poses and expressions.
Charisma?
He copied the stern face of a city inspector. Pass.
Sadness?
Meal service ran out right before his turn. Of course, sad. Pass.
Anger?
The bread he was served was moldy! Rage! Roarrr! Pass.
It wasn’t hard at all.
That’s when the “extra concept” got added.
“…Another concept?”
When staff asked Manager Park for input, Suhan smirked and nodded confidently. He was on fire today.
A moment later, however, he was gripping Yucheon’s collar.
“Repeat what you just said?”
“Y-you said you’d start calling me hyung now!”
“Hyung’s dead today!”
To be precise, he was about to kill him.
“You agreed to it earlier!”
“You never said it was cross-dressing! Whose genius idea was this?!”
Suhan roared, glaring around.
But the staff were all pointing at… him.
Huh?
Turned out:
Suhan himself had jokingly said “cross-dressing” earlier.
Yucheon chimed in.
The director and staff, hearing it, shouted “Eureka!”
…So yeah, it was his fault.
“See? This mess is your own doing.”
“And who encouraged it?!”
“Managers just support the actor’s ideas.”
Yucheon had him cornered.
Just then, the director came over awkwardly.
“Look, commercials don’t always use every concept we shoot. We’ll test it out, and if it’s awkward, we’ll cut it. Honestly, the idea isn’t bad.”
“Urgh.”
“Should we… skip it?”
Damn it.
Why were the makeup staff suddenly looking so downcast?
Especially that lady next to me—why did her eyes look so sad?!
“…The world really is a harsh place.”
The once lively set fell silent.
But in the end, it was Suhan who’d brought it up. He couldn’t throw a tantrum now, especially since everyone was treating him kindly.
“Haah…”
Resigned, he let the makeup artists take over.
“Uh?”
“Mmhm.”
No, no!
Shit! He almost swooned at his own reflection.
So this is what narcissism feels like. He finally understood.
“Why does he look… sexy?”
“Right?!”
People were gathering, whispering.
He remembered what the director had said: “We might not even use it.”
Yet there the director was—smiling the widest of all.
…Not using it? Yeah right. This was going down in history.
Click!
“Stop taking pictures!”
“Ah, sorry! But hey, this is like getting a top actress for free—”
“I’ll make Mansu put a curse on you!”
“S-sorry!”
Sorry, my ass. He was already giggling as he ran off.
Still… damn. He really did look good.
“Heh…”
“Wow! With the outfit, it’s perfect!”
“Woooo!”
Applause erupted.
Inside, Suhan cried.
The “manly” makeup was supposed to balance it out, but it only made him sexier.
They padded his chest with a push-up bra, covered his broad shoulders with a bomber-style jacket, even stuffed his pants and butt.
They called it a “butt pad.” New technology, apparently. He figured students might start using it to soften beatings.
Anyway, fully dressed, he stood before the mirror—
“Ooh! Even the posing’s great!”
“…Huh?”
Shit! Why was he striking confident, sexy poses without realizing it?!
Was this messing with his gender identity?!
Still, he endured, telling himself: I’m a man. I’m a man.
“Perfect!”
“Waaaah!”
He was showered with praise.
No wonder people get confused about their identity after this kind of thing.
“Isn’t it obvious I’m just a man in drag? Doesn’t it look weird?”
In response, everyone flashed double thumbs-up and beamed.
Even Yucheon.
Manager Park Yucheon watched Suhan film commercial after commercial and couldn’t help but be impressed.
“Who’d ever believe that guy used to be a beggar?”
If Suhan hadn’t said it himself, no one would guess his past.
First the cosmetics ad with the “face-off” concept, then a fashion ad the next day—both handled brilliantly.
Though there was a hiccup: when trying on the clothes, Suhan looked… awkward. Like wearing someone else’s wardrobe.
He said it felt like he wasn’t wearing his own clothes.
Funny, since during variety shows he wore anything just fine.
It must’ve been because this time the clothes themselves were the main subject.
So Yucheon told him, “Just pretend you pulled it out of a donation bin.”
Suhan smirked and replied:
“Heh. You know what it’s like to live off a clothing bin?”
It reminded Yucheon of that old hamburger ad: “Do you even know the taste of crab?”
But then, an unexpected twist happened.
A staff member said, “Try on as many outfits as you like, and take them home later.”
That one sentence made Suhan go nuts.
He frantically tried on every outfit possible, posing and laughing like crazy.
…Right. He really had been a beggar.
The staff loved it—most actors had to be coaxed into trying more outfits, while Suhan was eager on his own.
Granted, his goal was to take them home, not the shoot itself.
After wrapping the fashion ad, they moved on to Baeksan Group’s BS Foods commercial.
Now Suhan sat before a lavishly prepared meal.
“Hmm… oh?”
Yucheon caught a gleam in his eyes that made him uneasy.
Something greasy, animalistic…
“Cut! Please, eat deliciously, but with some elegance.”
“S-sorry!”
“Aigoo…”
Watching Suhan shovel food down like a starved man, Yucheon realized—
“…There’s no hiding it.”
Even dressed in fine clothes, Suhan still ate like a beggar.
