Possessed 10 Million Actors C.196:

After attending the Cannes Film Festival,

Jang Sunho, who had dropped me off at home, spoke calmly at the doorstep.

"Well then, Actor, please rest well. You've worked hard."

"Yes, Manager-nim, you've worked hard too. So, there won't be any specific schedules for a while?"

"For now, that's correct. If any schedules come up, I'll contact you."

"Thank you."

"Yes, then I'll be going."

Jang Sunho nodded slightly, greeted me, and closed the door. I immediately went into the living room and carefully placed the trophy I received at Cannes on the trophy shelf.

"When Manager-nim gave this as a gift, it seemed like it would never fill up in my lifetime. But now, it's quite a collection."

Every time I look at it, I feel proud. The coveted ‘Golden Palm' at the Cannes Film Festival was not received for , but instead, Director Yeo Jaeyoon received the ‘Jury Prize'.

That, too, was a tremendous honor, and the media was in a frenzy. The fact that a Korean filmmaker brought home two awards from Cannes was truly a miraculous event.

***

The next morning.

After a long time, sleeping in my bed felt refreshing. The hotel in Cannes was undoubtedly a world-class establishment, but the home was still the best.

"I should have breakfast… What should I order for delivery after such a long time?"

Due to my recent trips to Cannes, for the past few weeks, I have been maintaining Jang Sunho's special green juice and an extremely healthy diet. According to Jang Sunho, it was for "showcasing the best beauty."

Even in Cannes, I had food restrictions under Jang Sunho's strict supervision, so I craved the delivery of food.

Pizza, burgers, chicken, black bean noodles, pig's feet—those kinds of things. Oh, and ramen too.

I found my hidden phone under the bed and opened the delivery app.

Unknowingly, I started humming. I wondered why ordering food through a delivery app made me so happy.

"I'll get a burger, some chicken… and I should order tteokbokki too. I'll put the leftovers in the freezer and eat them later."

As I added drinks and side dishes to the cart, just when I was about to press "payment."

[Jang Sunho, Manager-nim]

A discreet notification popped up at the top of my phone. It felt as if someone was quietly opening the door and scrutinizing me while I secretly snacked in the car, monitoring whether I indulged or not.

Feeling a bit embarrassed for no reason, my finger, about to press "payment," paused.

"…I should probably answer the call first?"

"Hello?"

[I apologize for bothering you, actor. There's something I'd like to discuss.]

"Oh, sure!"

[But is everything okay? Your voice seems a bit shaky.]

"…No, no! I'm perfectly fine."

[…]

After a moment of silence from Jang Sunho, he continued in a composed voice.

[Understood. The reason for contacting you in the morning is regarding your upcoming project, endorsements, and potential variety show appearances. I mentioned yesterday that there wouldn't be any schedules for a while, and we intended to delay these discussions to regulate your condition. However, some opportunities are a bit regrettable to miss.]

"If they're regrettable to miss…?"

[Yes. First, the next project is a film directed by Kang Chanwook. He contacted us last night, saying it's a piece too valuable to let pass. There won't be a separate audition, and if you agree to do it, you'll be cast immediately. Well, that's somewhat expected, isn't it?]

Although Jang Sunho said it was ‘expected' for me to be cast in a project without an audition, it still didn't feel quite real.

Having appeared in numerous works, received awards, and even attended Cannes with a film based on my script, I have grown into a respectable ‘actor.' However, my heart still resembled the Kang Jinseok of the early twenties, struggling to land even a minor role.

"If it's a film by Director Kang Chanwook, I want to do it. I'm a huge fan of ‘Oldman.'"

"Understood. Still, you need to review the script first; we'll bring it to you later today."

"Yes!"

"Now, regarding the endorsement offer…"

Jang Sunho continued his explanation.

"We've received an exclusive contract proposal from ‘LVHM.' It came in shortly after you received the award at Cannes. However, we declined it because we had been advertising with Hermes, and LVHM and Hermes are essentially rival companies."

"Ah… I see."

"But they contacted us again last night… I'd like to know your opinion on it."

"Well, let me think."

While answering, I glanced at the wardrobe. Inside the closed wardrobe were numerous luxury items received when shooting the Hermes ad—clothes, bags, and more.

"I don't wear them often, though."

For some reason, I felt a bit reluctant to wear luxury brands. Unless it was a formal occasion, sportswear felt more comfortable.

"Um, Manager-nim."

"Yes?"

"Where is LVHM located? I haven't heard of it."

"…"

Jang Sunho hesitated for a moment and then began to explain in an awkward tone. It seemed he was taken aback by my unfamiliarity with the brand.

"Um… LVHM is the world's largest luxury goods company, ranking first in market capitalization on the European stock market."

"Is it such an impressive company?"

"Yes. ‘LV' in ‘Louis Vuitton' represents the company. It's an impressive company that deals not only with clothing but also with beverages, cosmetics, and more."

In my experience, there was nothing Jang Sunho called ‘impressive' other than when he commented on my acting. However, saying it like this made it clear that it was indeed an extraordinary company.

"But why would such an impressive company want to use me?"

I asked that to myself.

Jang Sunho asked with a subtle tone.

"Actor, are you curious about why such an impressive company would want to use you?"

"…"

"Seems like I hit the mark."

Whether it was my mood or not, I could faintly hear Jang Sunho's sigh through the phone.

"As I've mentioned before, you need to more firmly recognize your value. Your mobile phone, the car you drive, the food you eat—everything becomes an issue. Thanks to that, this time, even President Oh Haneul recognized you as the representative of the entire OS Group… Anyway, you understand, right?"

"Um… yes. I understand."

"While your answer is somewhat uncertain, it bothers me a bit, but if I guide you consistently, it should get better. Returning to the main point, your opinion is crucial for this advertisement. The contract with Hermes is about to expire, so partnering with LVHM poses no problem. However, your decision is important in terms of advertising shooting or schedule adjustments. And keeping loyalty to Hermes by rejecting LVHM is also…"

"I see."

After a brief response, I asked Jang Sunho.

"Manager-nim, in your opinion, which one do you think I should go with?"

"My opinion is less important than yours. Still, since you asked, financially, LVHM would be more advantageous. Of course, Hermes is also a giant company, but it's weaker than LVHM in terms of finance. However, in terms of advertising shoots or schedule adjustments, Hermes would be better. Also, to maintain loyalty with Hermes, rejecting LVHM is…"

In response to my short question, Jang Sunho explained the pros and cons of the two companies for almost 10 minutes. Honestly, I understood the first few sentences, but as it went on, the specialized terms became difficult for me to comprehend.

However, I could understand the essence.

Despite the elaborate explanations, it somehow felt like I had come back to square one, but it might be due to my mood.

After explaining for a while, Jang Sunho asked me.

"Now, Actor, which one will you choose?"

I found myself in a position to choose between two of the world's top fashion brands.

After discussing the upcoming project and endorsement, Jang Sunho proceeded to talk about an opportunity for a variety show. Although variety show participation felt somewhat less weighty compared to the previous two matters, it was still important enough for Jang Sunho to personally inform me. This variety show was something I genuinely wanted to participate in.

***

"Ah, hello! I'm PD Seo Hyunwook! It's truly an honor that Actor Kang Jinseok responded to our program's invitation and even came here personally!"

In the meeting room of BDD Broadcasting Station, PD Seo Hyunwook introduced himself as such, bowing at a 90-degree angle and extending his hands to hand me his business card.

I reciprocated by bowing similarly to receive the business card. Not to mock Seo Hyunwook or anything, but he was being so polite that I felt I should reciprocate in the same manner.

"Haha… No, thank you for the offer. I enjoy watching ‘.' As far as I know, this is your first program, and it's truly impressive."

"Y-you enjoy watching my show?"

"Yes."

Upon my response, the writers and production staff, who had been watching the situation from behind, started playfully hitting each other, saying, "He's watching ours!" As they made a commotion, Seo Hyunwook looked back at them and restrained his subordinates.

At that moment, Jang Sunho, who was sitting beside me, cleared his throat and ventilated the situation.

"Ahem. PD-nim, as you may know, Actor Kang Jinseok just returned from Cannes the day before yesterday. So, he's still in a state of considerable fatigue, and I'd appreciate it if we could conclude the meeting quickly. I intended to come alone, but Actor Kang insisted on meeting you in person, so I brought him along."

"R-right! I understand. First, what we are planning with Kang Jinseok is—!"

Seo Hyunwook continued his explanation, showing me his tablet.

" is a variety show where actors and idols travel to observe local reactions.

While the main item is ‘local reactions,' as it is a travel variety show, they carefully select places to introduce not only well-known tourist attractions but also lesser-known ones.

"Well, I am looking forward to that."

While I was having various thoughts, Jang Sunho and Seo Hyunwook quickly adjusted the schedule. Since I had expressed my willingness to participate before coming to the meeting, Jang Sunho was efficiently managing the schedule.

"So, let's proceed like this!"

Seo Hyunwook, who had been chatting with Jang Sunho for a while, spoke in a cheerful voice. Judging by his expression, it seemed like he hadn't expected me to be so proactive.

And thus, my appearance on " was decided.