How a Loan Shark Survives as an Actor – Chapter 62

Author: Cireng

Chapter 62

“Mr. Seulho, a flower delivery has arrived.”

“Flowers? Who sent them?”

“There’s a message card attached. You should take a look.”

On top of the bouquet that Choo Seomok handed me was a small message card.

When I checked the sender, it was Choi Ran.

[Congratulations on your escape, oppa.]

A simple message consisting of just a single line made me smile.

The moment news of my transfer to a new agency became public, I received congratulatory messages from countless people whose contact information I hadn’t even saved.

I even got a message from Lee Seulgi, whom I’d only met once during a variety show shoot, yet Choi Ran hadn’t contacted me at all.

And then she went and sent a surprise gift like this.

‘Just from this, you can tell what kind of person she is.’

She seemed to think of herself as indifferent and aloof.

But just as Lee Seulgi had once said, Choi Ran was actually soft-hearted and full of affection.

The drama ‘Our Space’ had left me with many things, but Choi Ran was by far the most valuable thing I gained from it.

‘Thanks.’

I placed the bouquet neatly on the coffee table in the living room.

It would probably look even better if I put it in a vase, but with my terrible handicraft skills, that would be difficult.

“You have a meeting with Team Leader Ahn this afternoon.”

“Got it. But Seomok.”

“Yes?”

“Are you really not going to speak casually with me?”

We were the same age. Was there really a need for honorifics?

The moment I got over my dissatisfaction with Choo Seomok yesterday, I suggested that we speak comfortably with each other.

But he refused, saying that formal speech was much more comfortable for him.

“If you miss the timing once, you end up using honorifics forever. This is the last time I’m asking.”

“This is genuinely more comfortable for me.”

“Fine.”

Do whatever you want. I offered twice, after all.

If some personality controversy ever came up later, I’d just say my manager stubbornly refused.

“The meeting is scheduled for 2:30…”

Seomok glanced at his watch.

“How about we leave at 2:00 to give ourselves plenty of time?”

“Sure. I prefer arriving early too.”

“Then I’ll come back at 1:50. Please contact me if you need anything.”

Seomok bowed his head and left.

‘How long is he going to keep acting like that?’

I appreciated how he tactfully gave me space just now.

But seriously, how long was he going to keep behaving like a soldier?

‘He quit last year, yet he’s still affected by it. He must have taken it pretty seriously.’

Then again, how many people enter the Korea Military Academy at eighteen?

Still, even considering that, it felt excessive.

No matter what kind of life he’d lived, Choo Seomok was only twenty-five years old now. He had far more years ahead of him than behind him.

‘I mean, he’s not even a soldier anymore. There’s no reason he has to keep his hair that short.’

Various thoughts crossed my mind, but I let them go.

Whatever. He’ll figure it out himself.

Afternoon arrived, and I got to the company right on time.

“You’re here?”

Team Leader Ahn waved as though he’d been waiting for me.

“Give me a minute. Let me finish up some work.”

“Take your time.”

I walked past a desk piled high with documents and sat on the sofa.

Since I’d asked Seomok to stop using formal speech yesterday, I also asked Team Leader Ahn to speak comfortably with me.

I thought he’d probably say that honorifics were more comfortable for him too, but surprisingly, he immediately dropped them.

‘Well.’

Given the age difference between us, maybe that was only natural.

After waiting a few minutes, Team Leader Ahn approached with a sigh.

“Sorry. Things are hectic.”

“You seem busy.”

“Always. So, how was spending a night with Seomok? Think he’ll work out?”

“…You have a strange hobby of phrasing things weirdly. It wasn’t a night, it was a day.”

“Haha. One of my few hobbies. Anyway, shall we talk business?”

Laughing, he changed the subject.

Come to think of it, this guy wasn’t exactly normal either.

“I think it’s about time we decided on your next project. Anything you want to do?”

“Nothing in particular, but I’d like to prioritize Director Baek Jinhee’s project.”

If Director Baek hadn’t connected me directly to Team Leader Ahn, I wouldn’t be at Wooyeon Entertainment right now.

Everything had gone smoothly thanks to her, so naturally I should repay the favor.

‘Returning what I’ve received is good for me too.’

Repaying kindness was just as important as taking revenge on someone.

If you gradually turned people into your allies one by one, there would come a point when their numbers suddenly multiplied.

“I figured you’d say that, so I checked Director Baek’s project first. The script turned out really well.”

Team Leader Ahn handed me a thick stack of papers.

“You’re not the main lead, but it’s still a fairly significant role. Since it’s a movie rather than a drama, scheduling will be much easier. If you’re okay with it, you could even work on another project simultaneously.”

“Sounds good. I’d like to do as many projects as possible.”

The more projects I did, the more money I’d make.

Suppressing my true thoughts, I gave my answer.

Team Leader Ahn smiled in satisfaction.

“But there’s something even more important than choosing your next project. Maintaining your buzz.”

“Buzz?”

“No matter whether you choose a movie or a drama, it’ll take at least several months before the public sees it. If you leave that period unattended, the attention you have right now will disappear quickly.”

Oh?

“Then should I do variety shows?”

“No. For actors, variety shows are a double-edged sword. Appearing occasionally for promotion is fine, but you should avoid getting stuck with a funny image.”

Team Leader Ahn pulled one document out from the mountain of papers on his desk and handed it to me.

I accepted it absentmindedly, but the unexpected word written on the first page made my mouth fall open.

“Commercials?”

“Short filming time, short editing time. They pay well too. No reason not to do them.”

He gestured for me to keep reading.

As I flipped through the pages, the names of various brands flashed by.

Quite a few of them were familiar names, honestly surprising me.

“We got this many offers?”

“You’re probably the only one who doesn’t realize how much attention you’re getting. Take your time looking through them. Ah, I filtered out a few brands. Too many of them wanted to push you into a comedy image.”

“I see. But… can commercials really maintain my popularity?”

Weren’t commercials basically just holding a product and pretending to look cool?

How could that maintain public interest?

The moment I asked, I realized my mistake.

‘As far as he knows, I’ve been an actor for twenty years.’

Wouldn’t I seem embarrassingly ignorant?

I glanced at Team Leader Ahn.

He was wearing an unreadable smile.

“Of course they can. The important part is what kind of commercial you film.”

“…Could you explain in more detail?”

At this point, I might as well lay my cards on the table.

The moment I made that decision, I adjusted my tone.

“I’ve technically been active for a long time, but I’ve always just done whatever my parents told me to do… so my industry knowledge is lacking. If you’re willing to teach me, I’d like to learn and grow.”

I deliberately relaxed my eyes to create a pitiful, innocent impression.

I didn’t fully trust Team Leader Ahn, but I did know he had a reputation for being exceptionally competent in the industry.

If I wanted to squeeze industry know-how and knowledge out of someone like him, acting weak to this extent was necessary.

“We’re family now, so of course I should teach you.”

Whether my attempt to evoke sympathy worked or he simply found it unpleasant to have another man sucking up to him, Team Leader Ahn nodded readily.

“You know how the public image of ‘Yoo Seulho’ has changed dramatically over the past few months, right? Let’s break it down from the beginning.”

“Yes.”

“For the past twenty years, your image has been… well, not exactly positive.”

“You can say it plainly.”

At my urging, he immediately changed his wording.

“You spent twenty years getting criticized as a useless actor who couldn’t act, and then your last drama finally proved your skills. A lot of people like you now, but more people dislike you.”

“That makes sense. They’ll feel resentful.”

“Objectively speaking, though, your image is now closer to favorable. Recently you’ve been seen doing positive things, like catching criminals. Looking only at the result, you’ve successfully transformed your image from disliked to liked in just a few months.”

Okay.

So far, I understood.

“But because that change happened so suddenly, it needs to be handled carefully. Suppose you film a funny commercial right now and make yourself seem more approachable. Your favorability would rise even further. What problem would that create?”

“Hmm… I’d end up with an image that’s too warm and friendly?”

“Exactly.”

Team Leader Ahn smiled as though looking at a good student.

“As an actor, it’s best to avoid getting trapped in any one image. You need to keep changing the impressions people have of Yoo Seulho. I’m not saying you should deliberately do things that make people dislike you. But there’s also no need to push the image of a ‘good person’ or a ‘kind celebrity’ too strongly.”

Hmm.

‘I think I get what he’s saying.’

Part of me wondered if he was overthinking things, but I agreed that if you wanted to sell the product called “celebrity” for a long time, you had to be that careful.

‘People aren’t naturally attracted to someone who’s just endlessly nice.’

Even if I suddenly volunteered to carry several tons of coal briquettes, it wouldn’t necessarily come across as charming.

‘It might even make people uncomfortable.’

Just as Team Leader Ahn said, because my image had suddenly shifted into a favorable one, the number of people who disliked Yoo Seulho had probably increased dramatically.

Someone they’d comfortably criticized for years had suddenly reinvented himself and started acting virtuous.

Of course, that could rub people the wrong way.

“Then I should film a commercial with a concept opposite of warmth and humanity. Something villain-like?”

“Exactly. The role that earned recognition for your acting was a trashy villain, wasn’t it? If it had been a righteous, heroic character instead, the reaction wouldn’t have been nearly as explosive.”

Man, this was complicated.

I understood what he meant, but there were way too many psychological factors to consider.

‘Selling a celebrity really isn’t easy.’

Rubbing my aching head, I asked:

“So what’s the conclusion?”

“I recommend a not-so-nice role in a commercial and a good-hearted role in your next project. That’s why Director Baek’s movie is a perfect fit.”

“Hmm… Alright. Let’s do that.”

It wasn’t easy to understand everything, but I appreciated how detailed his explanation was.

It was far more satisfying than simply being told to do as I was told.

“The problem is the commercial concept. How exactly do you advertise a product while playing an unlikable character?”

Actually, before that…

What products could even be advertised that way?