༺ The Project I’m Looking For ༻
The next morning, they strolled along the beach with a cup of coffee in hand.
They didn’t say much, but their interlocked hands and occasionally exchanged glances spoke volumes.
It was a clear, bright day, and the morning sea was a deep blue.
After returning to Seoul, Seryeon dropped Yoomyeong off at his home in Suwon.
“I’ll contact you first.”
“…”
“Goodbye. Do well with your next project.”
“…Sister.”
“Go quickly. I feel like I might sit down again.”
“…Eat well.”
“You too.”
Yoomyeong stood for a while, watching her back until her car disappeared from sight.
Afterward, they occasionally ran into each other at movie premieres and other work-related events, but they never shared a personal conversation. When it was time to part, they exchanged a lingering gaze for a few seconds, silently supporting each other.
It was several years later when she contacted him again.
*
Yoomyeong, who came home during daylight after a long time, stopped by Jiyeon’s room.
“Are you lying down again?”
“I’m ambitiously achieving my life goals!”
Yoomyeong shook his head at his younger sibling’s nonsense and entered his room, followed by Miho.
‘You were in that room again?’
{I like Jiyeon.}
‘You don’t even follow me to the set these days.’
{I need to heal.}
Since the deal that day, Miho seemed different.
The spirit fox never once followed him to the filming set, and it spent most of its time in Jiyeon’s room recently.
Although Miho claimed that Jiyeon’s strong, warm energy was healing it, it seemed as though the spirit fox was slightly avoiding Yoomyeong.
Jiyeon’s room was a sight to behold.
After passing her civil service exam and waiting for her work assignment, Jiyeon declared her freedom and set a new life goal.
She wouldn’t move an inch from the blanket laid on the floor, comparing herself to a yolk firmly attached to the floor, and made an odd remark that it’d also be nice to be like an injeolmi (sticky rice cake) that got stuck while being grilled on a frying pan.
Beside her, Miho lay flat with all four limbs stretched out.
Every day, Yoomyeong would see the two ‘creatures’ competing in a sort of contest to see who could spread out more on the floor. Of course, Miho would be invisible to Jiyeon because the spirit fox was in a non-materialized state.
{Is it over?}
“Yes.”
The post-recording was already done, and Director Ki estimated about three months for the completion of all editing and preparation processes, including the CG. Given his nature, it might even take longer.
{So, what will you do now?}
“I have a project in mind… I need to look into it.”
{Which genre is it?}
“Drama.”
{Ohh…}
Miho’s ears perked up, seemingly regaining interest.
{Dramas are great. There’s a certain thrill when chasing deadlines.}
“Really? What’s so good about being pressed for time?”
{The scene is much more chaotic and intense. It tastes exhilarating.}
Miho seemed to have a taste for it.
“But that energy you talk about… can you only feed on the energy of acting? Aren’t there other types of energy?”
{Since I’m an ‘acting spirit’, I only feed on the energy of acting. The type of energy one can feed on depends on their spiritual profession.}
“Then, besides ‘acting spirits’, are there other types of spiritual professions?”
{Of course. There are sports spirits that gain energy from the passion of athletes and their audience. But nowadays, the most prevalent ones are probably the illicit spirits.}
Ah…
{Those illicit spirits are bad. As the times changed and illicit affairs became more common, many spirits shifted to that profession. But the energy from such matters is stimulating and addictive, so it’s easy to break the rules of the celestial realm and become a malicious spirit, you know?}
Yoomyeong looked surprised by the influx of new information about another realm.
“Are there that many spirits?”
{There are fewer than before. Back in the day, many spirits patiently gathered gentle energy from nature over long periods, hoping to achieve enlightenment. But now, most are just wandering spirits.}
“I can only see you.”
{Unless a spirit has formed a contract or a powerful spirit willingly manifests itself, humans can’t see it. Even in this room alone, there’s an invisible illicit spirit I’ve never seen before…}
As Yoomyeong looked around in surprise, Miho burst into laughter.
{Just kidding! Why, did I hit a nerve?}
“…”
{Anyway, dedicated professionals like me who’ve stuck to one spiritual profession for a long time are rare.}
Miho puffed up with pride.
Upon seeing Miho’s rare boastful expression, Yoomyeong thought it was indeed cute.
As Yoomyeong stroked the fox spirit’s fluffy fur, Miho’s face relaxed. The tension that had settled between them since that day seemed to ease a bit.
Just then,
Whistle—
{Gah!}
Miho bristled and let out a sharp cry.
Startled, Yoomyeong withdrew his hand.
Miho stared intently at thin air for a while, its eyes darting left to right, up and down. It looked as though the spirit fox was reading something.
“What’s wrong?”
{I guess I’ll have to leave for a while.}
“What happened?”
{I’ve been summoned… to the Celestial Realm.}
Leaving behind those words, Miho hastily disappeared.
In front of Yoomyeong, only the afterimage of the dispersed cluster of light remained.
*
Several days later, Yoomyeong made his way to school after a long hiatus.
It was peak time for the Oedipus Summer Workshop. As he entered the Moebius Hall just when the workshop was wrapping up, familiar faces greeted him warmly.
“Wow, Shin Yoomyeong! Long time no see!”
“Oh, the cover model of University Tomorrow is here.”
“How did the shoot go?”
With a cool demeanor, Yoomyeong responded to their greetings.
“I got my payment. Drinks are on me tonight.”
“Woah– Big brother!”
Following the logic that the one who pays is the big brother, Suho immediately addressed Yoomyeong as ‘Big Brother.’
He was soaked in sweat from training.
Being in the Oedipus workshop during the summer of his senior year showed his impressive passion.
“I’ll call the chicken place in front of the school and book a group table. I heard they didn’t have many customers because of the vacation, so Auntie will be pleased.”
Yu-ri immediately reserved a spot at their regular chicken place, showing her proactive nature.
“Aren’t you graduating this year, Yu-ri?”
“Yes, but I find the Oedipus workshop helpful, so I’m staying till its end before starting to work.”
Given Yu-ri’s strong opinion, her management must have their hands full. Still, apart from the semester she took off for directing, she chose to graduate from Cosmos without further delay.
Hye-Seon added, unsolicited, that she took two years off so she was in her seventh semester. She mentioned that she planned to audition for theater troupes in Daehak-ro in the autumn.
Soon, they settled down at a rather quiet chicken place.
A group of second-year students, new to the workshop and still brimming with youthful energy, greeted them and promised to eat well. One of them looked at Yoomyeong with amazement and even asked for his autograph, mentioning that they decided to join after watching Oedipus’ performance last autumn.
Shortly after, Yoomyeong sat at a table with Yu-ri, Suho, and Hye-Seon. It was the seniors’ table.
“What’s Ryu Shin up to these days?”
“He seemed to be renewing his contract with his old management and looking for new projects. Haven’t you signed with an agency yet, Yoomyeong?”
“Not yet.”
Come to think of it, he needed an agency.
But there was a problem.
Entertainment agencies existed with the purpose of making a profit, and there were various restrictions in place. They might oppose projects that don’t generate enough revenue, and they might even require an actor to engage in activities outside of acting. Yoomyeong wanted to focus solely on acting… but that might prove difficult.
He had considered continuing to work independently. But without enough recognition to bypass the system, that might be impossible, especially in terms of getting information about which projects were starting and when.
Yoomyeong set that concern aside for the moment.
“By the way, how did Jun-ho’s performance go?”
He had heard that the script for <Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde> was selected for a special performance by Comet. Yoomyeong wanted to watch it… He wondered if the show was still ongoing.
“That special performance by Comet? It was a spring performance, so it ended about a month ago. It received great reviews. Thanks to that, Jun-ho’s building a solid career, and apparently, he even received an internship offer from Comet’s writing team.”
Yu-ri answered.
“I see… Everyone’s finding their path.”
“You should show up more often now that your shoot’s done. Aren’t you going back to school?”
“I have some plans. I sought advice from senior Yoon Hansung, and he said he’d be coming over…”
“What? Today?”
Suho seemed surprised since he hadn’t heard of it.
“Yeah. I guess you didn’t know.”
Ding—
A cheerful message notification sounded.
“He says he’s here now.”
*
And just like that, Hansung made his entrance.
Even with a black mask and sunglasses, the charisma of the renowned actor couldn’t be hidden.
“Wow… Incredible!”
Upon seeing Hansung for the first time, the new members were surprised. He greeted them warmly.
“Learn how to act well. It’s hard to fix bad habits when you’re older.”
Only Yoomyeong, who understood what he meant, chuckled softly.
After sitting and catching up for a while, Hansung suggested that they move somewhere more comfortable to chat.
It was a thoughtful gesture that gave Yoomyeong’s ‘discussion’ considerable weight.
When they were about to leave, Hansung offered his card.
“Oh… Today, Yoomyeong said…”
“Thank you for the meal, senior!”
As Yu-ri tried to speak the agreed truth, Yoomyeong loudly interrupted her.
“Why…”
“I’ll come back next week and treat you guys. There’s no reason to refuse when a capable senior wants to treat us…”
Yoomyeong whispered teasingly to Yu-ri.
“Thank you for the meal! (You should say it too).”
“Senior, thank you!”
Hansung waved with a contented smile, and only then did Yu-ri react with a look of realization.
“Shall we go somewhere I know?”
“Yes. I’m not familiar with the area, so I’ll rely on you!”
“Okay. Wearing a mask is a bit uncomfortable, so we should head over there.”
They got into Hansung’s car and headed to a hidden bar inside a building.
“Welcome. Please come this way.”
Upon exiting the elevator, the manager who had been awaiting their arrival greeted them promptly and led them through a staff entrance to a private room.
The place they arrived at had a panoramic view of Seoul’s night view through a wall made entirely of glass.
“Wow… I didn’t know there was a place like this. Is this like a secret meeting spot for celebrities?”
“It’s nothing fancy. It’s just a bar with private rooms where well-known figures can relax without the public’s gaze. Soon, new actors like you will need places like this to hang out.”
So it wasn’t really about luxury, but necessity.
Despite having acted for a long time, Yoomyeong, who had never felt uncomfortable with people’s gazes, looked around the room with curiosity.
“I’ll have a bottle of soju, some spicy whelk with noodles, and fish cake soup.”
Hansung ordered dishes that seemed out of place with the modern interior.
The manager, who personally took their order, accepted it as if it were expected and left.
“They serve those dishes here?”
“They bring whatever you ask for because what they’re charging for is the space.”
It must’ve been very expensive.
“Ah, it’s been a while since I had spicy whelk with noodles. It’ll be delicious.”
Hansung looked forward to it with a casual expression.
“So, what did you want to ask?”
“Uh… Senior, well…”
After briefly catching up, they got to the main point.
Yoomyeong, who usually spoke his mind, seemed unusually hesitant. Hansung looked at him with a curious expression.
“It’s about your agency…”
“Oh, do you want to sign a management contract since you’re a new actor? Do you want me to introduce you? Anywhere would welcome you with open arms. Our company is not bad, but there are places with better terms for newcomers…”
“No, that’s not it… There’s a project I’m interested in, and I’m wondering if there was any audition notice.”
“Hmm? What do you mean? How do you know about a project when its audition hasn’t even been announced yet?”
Of course, it was because he watched the drama.
In his previous life.
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