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Chapter 116: Junho’s Voice, and Silence
The time was 7:34 PM. Min-jun’s phone rang. It was Junho.
As soon as he saw the name on the screen, Min-jun felt his breathing become shallow. The background music at Starbucks was still low, and the people around him were still ignoring him. But everything seemed to have come to a standstill. Junho’s call was no longer just a simple phone call. It was a choice. To answer or not to answer.
Min-jun picked up the phone.
“Did you sign it?”
Junho’s voice was calmer than expected. So calm that it was even unsettling. Like the voice of someone who already knew everything and had planned everything out.
“Yes.”
Min-jun replied, his voice trembling. He was having a hard time controlling his emotions.
“Where’s the contract?”
Junho asked.
“In my bag.”
“Did you show it to anyone?”
“No.”
“What about PD Park Mi-ra?”
“No, she just told me the script reading schedule over the phone. Tomorrow morning at 10 AM. At The Star Studio.”
Junho fell silent. The silence was long, lasting over 10 seconds. Min-jun thought to himself that he must have said something wrong. Junho’s silences were always ominous, a sign that he was thinking, and whenever he thought, Min-jun ended up on the losing side.
“What are you going to do at the script reading?”
Junho spoke up again.
“I’ll read the script, I guess.”
Min-jun’s response was foolish, but he didn’t have the energy to be smart anymore.
“Do you know who you are in this drama?”
“No.”
“You’ll find out later. But there’s one thing you need to remember. You can’t trust anyone in this drama. Especially PD Park Mi-ra. She’s the kind of person who treats actors like tools.”
As Min-jun listened to Junho’s words, he felt like he was sinking deeper into a dark abyss. Junho’s words always seemed to have a double meaning, like a gentle breeze that could turn into a storm at any moment.
“But Junho, who…?”
Min-jun stopped himself. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to ask, but he knew it was something important. Who had chosen him for this role? Was it PD Park Mi-ra or Junho? But asking that question would be like opening a Pandora’s box.
“What?”
Junho asked.
“Nothing.”
Min-jun replied, hesitating.
“Good. And one more thing. You need to get enough sleep tonight. At least 5 hours. You can’t look tired tomorrow.”
“Yes.”
“And remember, your face is no longer yours. It belongs to Lee Su-jin, the PD, and Netflix. You can’t have any flaws on your face. Understand?”
Min-jun felt a lump form in his throat as he listened to Junho’s words. He thought to himself that he needed to look in the mirror. His face, which was no longer his own.
“Yes, I understand.”
Min-jun replied, trying to hold back his emotions.
“And Min-jun.”
Junho said, using Min-jun’s name for the first time. It was a name that carried a sense of responsibility, or perhaps guilt.
“Yes?”
“I’m worried that you might not be able to handle this drama. You’re too weak. You’re too transparent. I don’t know if you can survive in this industry.”
Min-jun didn’t know how to respond to Junho’s words. Was Junho trusting him or not? It seemed like a mix of both emotions.
“Please help me.”
Min-jun pleaded, his voice filled with desperation.
“Can I really help you?”
Junho asked, his voice laced with uncertainty. Even Junho didn’t know if he could help Min-jun.
“Yes, you can.”
Min-jun replied, though he wasn’t sure if it was the truth.
“Call me at 8 AM tomorrow before you head to the studio. Got it?”
“Yes, I understand.”
“And Min-jun.”
“Yes?”
“The contract you signed, it’s your protection. Don’t forget that. It’s proof that you’re now an important person. Be proud of it.”
Min-jun felt like crying as he listened to Junho’s words, but he couldn’t. The people at Starbucks were watching him, or rather, not watching him. That’s why he couldn’t cry.
“Thank you, Junho.”
Min-jun said, trying to hold back his emotions.
“You need to breathe again.”
Junho said, before hanging up the phone.
Min-jun put down his phone, his hand trembling. It was a small, almost imperceptible tremble, but it was there.
The time at Starbucks was 7:47 PM. Min-jun looked at his iced Americano, which was still empty. He didn’t know when it had become empty, but it was empty, just like his heart.
Min-jun grabbed his bag, which contained the contract. Five pages, all signed. His name was written five times. MIN JUN. It felt like proof of his existence, but at the same time, it felt like a tool that could erase him.
As he walked out of Starbucks, the neon lights of Gangnam were getting brighter. The streets were crowded with people, all heading somewhere, doing something, living their lives. But Min-jun stood still, like a statue.
When he arrived at the subway entrance, Min-jun took out his phone to check the time. But what he really wanted to check was if anyone had contacted him, if anyone needed him.
There were no calls, only a message from Junho, sent at 7:52 PM.
“You still owe me. Remember that.”
Min-jun felt like he was sinking deeper into a hole as he read the message. Junho was both his savior and the one who was pulling him down.
As Min-jun walked down the stairs to the subway, he thought about his officetel. The moldy ceiling, the sleeping bag, the silence. He would have to sleep there for 5 hours, as Junho had told him. His face couldn’t show any signs of fatigue. His face was no longer his own.
Min-jun arrived at his officetel at 9 PM. He opened the door, and the musty smell hit him. It was a damp smell, like the inside of his lungs. He felt like his insides were spilling out.
Min-jun got into his sleeping bag, but it no longer felt comfortable. It felt like his tomb. He closed his eyes, but he couldn’t sleep. He was supposed to sleep for 5 hours, but he couldn’t.
Instead, he stared at the mold on the ceiling. It looked like a finger, pointing at his chest, squeezing his heart. He couldn’t escape that finger, because if he did, he would cease to exist.
At 11 PM, Min-jun’s phone rang. It was Lee Su-jin, the CEO. The person who held his entire life in her hands.
Min-jun didn’t answer the call. Instead, he let it ring, three times, before it stopped. Then, a message arrived.
“Min-actor, there’s something you need to be careful about during the script reading tomorrow. Your role is crucial to the drama. I hope you don’t make any mistakes. And one more thing, please keep your interactions with others quiet. There may be privacy issues.”
Min-jun felt like he understood everything as he read the message. He was no longer his own person. He belonged to Lee Su-jin, Junho, and PD Park Mi-ra. And most importantly, he no longer belonged to himself.
In the middle of the night, Min-jun looked in the mirror. His face was the same, but it was also different. It was a face that belonged to someone else, a face that was seen on screens, a face that belonged to an actor.
Min-jun touched his face with his fingers. It was still warm, still alive. But that warmth was no longer his own. It belonged to someone else.
At 6 AM, Min-jun woke up. He hadn’t slept at all. He hadn’t kept his promise of 5 hours. But Junho’s words were right. His face couldn’t show any signs of fatigue. His face was no longer his own.
Min-jun washed his face with cold water, trying to wake himself up. He looked in the mirror again, and his face was still the same, but different. It was a face that belonged to someone else.
“It’s okay. I’m ready.”
Min-jun said to himself, trying to sound convinced.
He got dressed in gray clothes, trying to blend in, trying to become a background, a ghost, or something that didn’t exist.
At 7:58 AM, Min-jun’s phone rang. It was Junho.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
“How’s your face?”
“It’s fine.”
“Don’t lie. You’re not good at lying.”
Junho’s voice was warm, but it was also firm.
“Yes, I’m tired. But I’m fine.”
Min-jun replied, unsure if he was telling the truth or not.
Junho laughed on the other end of the line, a sad laugh.
“Okay, I’ll see you at the studio at 10 AM. I’ll be there with you, from start to finish. Let’s go.”
The call ended.
Min-jun held his phone for a while, feeling the weight of Junho’s words. Junho would be with him, and that thought gave him the strength to carry on.
Min-jun grabbed his bag, which contained the contract, and headed out to the subway. The city was already awake, and people were rushing to get to their destinations.
Min-jun got on the subway, finding a seat by the window. He looked out at the city, watching as the buildings and streets passed by. He felt like he was on a predetermined path, with no way to deviate.
As the subway arrived at the next station, Min-jun got off. He stood in front of The Star Studio, a gray building with no signs or logos. It was a place that seemed to exist in a state of nothingness.
Min-jun took a deep breath and entered the building. He was no longer the same person, but he was still the same. He was just borrowing someone else’s name.
The contract had his name on it, but it was a name that belonged to someone else. Junho had told him to become that person, to embody that name.
Min-jun’s heart was racing as he stood in front of the studio door. He could hear the sound of voices and laughter coming from inside. He raised his hand to knock, but it hesitated.
“If I go in now, I won’t be able to turn back.”
A voice whispered in his ear, but Min-jun wasn’t sure if it was his own voice or someone else’s.
“No, I’ve already passed that point. I’ve already made my choice.”
Min-jun took a deep breath and pushed open the door. He was ready to face whatever lay ahead, with Junho by his side.