After Story 217

After Story 217

“A historical drama?” Maru asked as he looked at Geunsoo before turning his head around when he heard the meat sizzling.

While he flipped over the ribs, Geunsoo spoke,

“If you are willing, I can make an appointment with the director. If you think it’s too much, then it’s okay if you don’t take me up on it.”

“No, it’s not that. It’s just a little sudden.”

“The other main actors are almost all decided, but the director kept thinking about the role that I want you to play. We were talking about the cast during a private meeting, and we talked about actors your age, so I recommended you. You were really good in Depths of Evil.”

“Did the director say anything about me?”

“He said he wanted to meet you. That’s why I’m bringing it up. It seemed like he found you good too. Depths of Evil has a good reputation among film producers.”

Maru drank the last sip of the champagne from his glass.

An opportunity to work with Hong Geunsoo? He’d love to do it as long as the conditions were right.

“Is it okay to ask what the work is?”

“It’s not actually based on historical events. The story is based on an era, but it has no historical relation. Rather than focusing on political struggles like long-running historical dramas, it focuses more on action. It’s a cheerful drama that doesn’t require much energy to watch.”

“Action, huh.”

Geunsoo spoke, “I saw your drama, and you were good at using your body without using a body double. I think you’ve learned how to make yourself look cool too.”

“They’re all things I’ve learned on the job. It’s nothing worth boasting about.”

“In any case, I thought you’d do well, so I’m telling you about it. I can’t tell you the details like what scenes you have or what kind of importance you have for now, but I can guarantee that it won’t be small. Consider it lead-level support.”

“I don’t mind how many appearances I have. Even if it’s just one cut, I’ll do it if it leaves a deep impression.”

Geunsoo stopped eating and looked at Maru. Maru stayed still for a while before asking if there was something wrong.

“I was just reminded of something. I told the senior, so, the president, the same words you said word for word.”

“That’s an interesting coincidence.”

Geunsoo nodded.

“Would you like to meet the director and hear him out? I can’t guarantee that you’ll get the role even if you do.”

“In fact, I should be the one begging you to please allow me to meet him. I’m fine anytime, just give me a call.”

“Then I’ll tell you about it after telling the director. It probably won’t take that long. The director likes to take care of what he has to do as soon as possible. Oh, I didn’t even tell you who he is. He’s director Nam Goonghun.”

“The director for Heavenly Paradise, right?”

“Looks like you’ve seen it.”

Heavenly Paradise was a movie about the story of Yi Seonggye[1] before his rise to the throne.

While it wasn’t hugely successful financially, the actor who played Yi Seonggye as well as the extreme attention to historical detail was talked about among those in the industry for a long time.

“He likes historical dramas, so he went with a historical action drama that the masses can accept more easily. Director Kwon Joohyuk, the action director, turned down all the other offers because of this work as well. He’s passionate enough to play a role himself.”

“I’ve heard about director Kwon Joohyuk as well. I heard that the stuntmen working under him will all become first-rate.”

“It’s just as taxing though. There are many actors who run away after boldly stepping forward and saying that they don’t need a body double.”

“It’s fun to work with someone like that.”

“So you’re quite perverse in your own way, huh?”

“Oh, please. I just place a lot of importance on making things look perfect.”

Geunsoo smiled. The sun was setting now.

They took out the potatoes and sweet potatoes that they buried under the charcoal. Maru peeled the charred foil around a sweet potato and put it in his mouth.

“You know, I’ve been thinking about this for a while, but you feel strangely familiar to me. There’s a sense of déjà vu as well. I feel like this happened many times before,” Geunsoo said.

“I do?” Maru smiled. “Who knows? Maybe I talked to you like this in a previous life.”

“Previous? You believed in things like that?”

“I do. Previous lives, the soul, and the afterlife. I believe all of them exist.”

“You seemed quite detached from things like that. That was unexpected.”

“You don’t believe in them?”

Geunsoo looked at the sweet potato that he had eaten half of.

“I’m on the side that wants to believe it. I don’t believe it entirely, but I think that it’d be better if those things exist. It’d be a pity if I ended as a one-off movie. There should be a sequel, a spinoff, and a remake.”

“You never know. You might have lost all the memories of your previous life and reincarnated into the person you are now. It’s a splendid remake.”

“I don’t like that. My memories are what makes me, me.” Geunsoo tapped on his head with his index finger.

Maru shrugged. “Memories might not be everything. Things beyond your recognition will connect you to the people important to you. Also, remembering everything might not exactly be a good thing.”

“For example?”

“If you keep compiling memories without being able to forget the events you want to forget, that will be a neat punishment, don’t you think? Think about it. You confessed to a girl when you were a child, but you got turned down on the spot. Imagine having to remember that every morning.”

“That sounds terrible.”

“You’ll probably kick your duvet in shame to oblivion, right?”

The two of them looked at each other and smiled. When the joke died down, Geunsoo spoke again,

“As you say, if I ever undergo something like reincarnation, I should start over after forgetting everything. It’d be great if I can selectively remember a few things though.”

“Like stocks and real estate information?” Maru asked.

Geunsoo shook his head. “The memory that I loved acting. I want to take that with me at least.”

“Usually, people would start memorizing lottery numbers.”

“If I have the room for that, then I’ll memorize one. If you were to reincarnate with a single memory, what would you like to remember?”

“Me? Just a single name. That’s enough for me.”

Geunsoo grinned and waved the sweet potato in his hand.

“I won’t ask what that name is. But introduce that person to me later.”

“I will.”

“On a side note, I should start looking to date someone as well.”

“You know you can do it if you are willing.”

“You see, it doesn’t really go the way I want it to.”

“You shouldn’t come to a place for couples and go somewhere else.”

“If you want to give me advice, then do it after you introduce me to someone.”

“Should I really? If you’re willing, I’ll set you up.”

“My personality is quite eccentric, so I wonder if anyone would be willing.”

“The person I know is quite eccentric too. Her name is pretty though.”

“What’s the name of this eccentric person?”

“Miso.”

“That’s a pretty name.”

“If you’re willing, you should meet her once.”

Geunsoo shook the ash from his hands. “If I have the opportunity later, sure. Oh yeah, let’s get going now. We just have to clean up a little around here and leave the rest to the couple that disappeared without a word.”

They cleaned up the surroundings and brought the dishes to the kitchen sink. Geunsoo gave Ganghwan a call, saying that they were going to go.

“Let’s come together again next time.”

They got in the car, being seen out by Ganghwan and Suyeon who returned.

Maru spoke as he looked at the house that was becoming distant,

“It doesn’t look like a taxi would come here. How are those two going to leave?”

“Jaecheol will drive them home, so don’t worry about it.”

“He’s going to have a hard time.”

Maru smiled as he thought about Ganghwan’s manager. The car entered Seoul. Getting off in front of Yeouido station, Maru said goodbye to Geunsoo.

“Drive safe.”

“Keep your eye on that phone. You might get something as early as tonight.”

“Yes.”

“Thank you for helping out today.”

“Don’t be. I had a good time eating and listening to good things.”

“Like Ganghwan said, let’s meet up again sometime.”

“I’ll go anytime. Oh, please think about that blind date seriously.”

Geunsoo waved and drove off. There was something that Miso said to him every time they contacted each other. She would ask if there were any decent men around him. She was probably saying that half as a joke, but after hearing it so many times, Maru felt obligated to introduce her to one person at least.

Though, if he told Miso about it, it was likely that Miso would be taken aback and become flustered.

“Yeah, it’s me. I’m outside because I had something to do. I’ll do the groceries so you should come home right away. Okay, good luck with practice.”

He finished the call with his wife before going to the supermarket. He said hello to the granny watching a small TV and picked up some things. Just then, he got a call from an unknown number.

“Hello?”

-Maru, it’s me. Geunsoo.

“Yes, senior.”

-I realized I hadn’t told you my number. I got your number from Ganghwan. Save this, okay?

“Okay.”

-Also, can you make time tomorrow?

“Tomorrow?”

He thought about the last performance that his wife was going to do.

“I have somewhere I have to go.”

-At what time?

“Five in the afternoon.”

-Are you okay before that? Do you think you can meet the director during lunch?

Maru put down the eggs he was holding.

“You asked already?”

-It’s better to do things like this as fast as possible. How is it?

“I can do lunch.”

-Then I’ll call you again tomorrow morning. Oh, and also, don’t suit up when you come. He doesn’t like being all formal.

“I’ll wear casual clothes.”

He hung up and looked at his phone that had gone to standby. He was resting, but work was rolling his way. Maybe this was what it felt like to be ‘blessed with work.’

* * *

“I’ll be there in time,” Maru said.

His wife, who was putting on her trainers on the porch, raised her head and replied,

“You should think about leaving a good impression on the director instead. If the director tells you to have a drink, then you do what he says.”

“I wonder where the person who told me to come to the last performance went.”

“Your work is on the line, sweetie, so how important is celebrating? Just wrap things up well over there and come over if you have the time. I’ll tell the others about it.”

“I don’t plan to become a cold-hearted senior, so I’ll definitely visit with a bouquet. I need to see you crying.”

“Me? You think I’d cry after all the uncountable number of performances I did?”

“You know you cry easily.”

Haneul tilted her head and frowned, but she eventually smiled.

“I’ll probably cry. I don’t want to, but I always end up crying for some reason after my last performance. Anyway, good luck with the director. It’s an opportunity to work with senior Geunsoo.”

“Okay. I’ll take care of my own work, so you focus on your stage.”

After sending her off, Maru also got ready to leave. He put on a t-shirt, a casual-style shirt on top, and put on a pair of loafers.

He brought a hat with him and got in his car. When he arrived at the place that Geunsoo told him, it was 12. There were about 30 minutes until the appointed time.

Just as he was planning to wait inside the car while reading a book, Geunsoo messaged him saying that he had arrived. Maru got out of the car and made a call. The director seemed more early than punctual.

“I’m here as well. Where should I go?”

-There should be a restaurant named Beef Village nearby. We booked a room so you should go there as well.

“Okay, I’ll be there soon.”

Maru hung up and started walking.

[1] A general in the late era of Goryeo and the founding King of Chosun.