GalaxyTL
Ring, ring... ring, ring... ring, ring...
The longer the dial tone went on, the more CEO Park's leg shook with nervous anticipation.
Tremble, tremble, tremble.
Why isn’t he picking up? He knows I got his number.
‘No way he’s rejecting me before we’ve even started, right?’
Kim Dong-hoo! Do you even know how big this movie is, or who’s in it?!
Just as he was about to shout that into the void—
Click.
Kim Dong-hoo had answered. But the voice was surprisingly deep. It didn’t sound like a 14-year-old at all.
“Hello, this is Park Geum-gang, CEO of Studio Geumgang. Is this Kim Dong-hoo’s phone?”
“I’m reaching out about a movie casting. I’d really love to meet you in person. How does that sound?”
At those words, CEO Park couldn’t help but think of course. The voice sounded way too mature to be a teenager.
‘Wait, Choi Seok-ho?’
Could it be that Choi Seok-ho? It wasn’t the most pressing concern at the moment, so Park continued calmly.
“Oh, I see. Well, could I come by your agency, then?”
“Yes, absolutely. I’ll see you there.”
With that cheerful response, CEO Park ended the call with a small chuckle.
‘Finally, I’m going to meet Kim Dong-hoo.’
He quickly got into his car, where a script for Kim Dong-hoo was resting on the passenger seat.
+++++
Honestly, I was curious. Why had Sims - The Real Life chosen Seok-ho hyung?
Big companies have their infrastructure, and smaller places have their own unique advantages, too.
I knew how enticing Seok-ho hyung’s contract offer was—the 9:1 profit split and the absurdly short contract duration. But these were things I could get even after becoming famous.
‘So, what is it that makes him so special?’
That question lingered in my mind briefly before I realized just how competent Seok-ho hyung was.
“Yes, hello, this is Choi Seok-ho. Do you remember me? Haha, I was just calling about…”
In the once-empty office, devoid of any signs of life, the atmosphere suddenly came alive.
The moment I signed the contract as the main actor, Seok-ho hyung began to work like a one-man factory.
“Dong-hoo, just let me know what kind of projects you want to do. We’re still small, but with your looks, we can push you into a lot of great roles. Also, CEO Park from Studio Geumgang will be here shortly. You okay with meeting him casually?”
After asking me about various things, Seok-ho hyung suddenly looked at me seriously and asked,
“Dong-hoo, what kind of actor do you want to be?”
“Huh?”
“I’ll move accordingly to support your goal.”
The playful man who had just been chatting on the phone disappeared, and his sudden serious question caught me off guard.
‘I guess I’ve never really thought about it.’
Running without a clear goal was dangerous. But at the same time, it was hard to give a hasty answer.
“I’m not sure yet.”
“That’s fine. Take your time to think about it. I’ll support you no matter what.”
Just as the mood started feeling like a scene from a youth drama—
Knock, knock, knock.
“Is this the Veritas agency?”
Studio Geumgang’s CEO, Park Geum-gang, entered. Tall and sharp with a neatly combed hairstyle, he looked every bit like the successful businessman he was.
“Yes, yes, it is.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Park Geum-gang, CEO of Studio Geumgang.”
“Yes, and I’m Choi Seok-ho, CEO of Veritas. Pleased to meet you.”
Seok-ho hyung quickly guided Park to a seat.
“This office has a nice, lively feel to it.”
“Haha, thank you.”
“And... you must be Kim Dong-hoo. You’re even more handsome in person than in the photos. Honestly, I’m a bit surprised.”
Park smiled warmly and extended his hand. He seemed polite and friendly, but there was a sense of urgency in his movements. Glancing down, I noticed his shoes—his toes were twitching.
‘He’s anxious.’
Why would that be?
In any case…
“Yes, I’m Kim Dong-hoo. Thank you for the kind words.”
After a brief greeting, Park immediately got down to business. Normally, people like him would ease into negotiations, but his face showed that he didn’t want to waste any time.
“I’ll get straight to the point. I’d like to cast you in my movie.”
Thud.
As he spoke, he placed a script on the table.
Endless Frontline.
I’d heard of this movie before. It was about the brutal battles over strategic high ground during the Korean War. The film vividly portrayed the final stages of the war and had been quite successful. I even remembered enjoying it in my previous life.
“Would it be okay if I read the script before making a decision?”
“Oh, of course. Take all the time you need.”
Perhaps he wasn’t expecting such a bold response from a rookie actor. Park chuckled awkwardly, and Seok-ho hyung quickly changed the topic to contracts to keep the conversation from stalling.
“But before we move forward with casting, wouldn’t it be better to see a brief acting performance first?”
“Well, yes… but we really don’t have much time.”
If time was so short, wouldn’t that make it even more important to be careful in selecting the right actor? That thought crossed my mind, but I didn’t say it out loud. Now wasn’t the time for that.
‘So, this is my script.’
Cadet Soldier Role.
It wasn’t a major role, just a nameless character. Still, why would a role like this have a full script?
To answer my curiosity…
Immerse.
I dove into the script.
+++++
“I’d like to eat white rice and meat soup at least once before I die.”
My sister never got to fulfill her dream before she died.
In a world filled with incomprehensible words like “ideology,” two orphaned siblings couldn’t survive for long.
“Live for both of us.”
My sister’s final words clung to me like a curse.
How was I supposed to survive in a time where even bronze bowls were taken to make bullets?
In a world where you either take or are taken from, there was only one choice.
So I joined the army. Or, to be more accurate, I was dragged into it.
“To ignite the flames of revolution! Move quickly, you brats!”
What revolution are they talking about? Struggling not to starve, that’s the revolution?
I think I used to question things like that once.
But now, I’ve forgotten. It doesn’t matter as long as I’m not hungry.
I decided to live for both of us, for me and my sister.
At first, even holding a gun was difficult. But now, I’m used to dragging corpses.
“You bastard! Did you eat my rice ball?”
“Don’t accuse me of nonsense. What are you talking about?”
Days of fighting with no idea who the enemy is.
As supplies grew scarce, I had to survive.
Even when there was no rice left to eat, and we were left with nothing but salt water to drink, I had to survive.
Killing, killing, and killing again.
Under the red flag, we marched forward, muttering empty words of revolution.
“Stop! Stop! You must retake this revolutionary hill! Put your lives on the line!”
How far have we marched? At the orders of the guy with the red armband, I finally looked up at the sky.
The blue sky was heartbreakingly clear, indifferent to the hell below.
Maybe my sister is happy up there somewhere.
“You must! You must retake this hill! Risk your lives!”
At that command, I let out a bitter smile.
Risk our lives while you stand behind us, wagging your finger. How laughable.
“If you reclaim this hill, our great leader has promised us paradise on earth!”
“I will record your valor and report it to the Central Committee!”
As the clown-like man gave his grand speech, I saw the others getting riled up. Paradise on earth? Does such a place even exist?
I looked up at the hill. A small mound occupied by South Korean forces.
How many more lives will be lost trying to take that hill? Will I survive long enough to reach this so-called paradise?
‘If I’d known it would be this hard to eat white rice and meat soup, I wouldn’t have made that promise.’
Sister, you left me with too heavy a burden.
+++++
“To be honest, it’s not a role with a lot of screen time. That doesn’t mean the acting isn’t important, but the character’s presence doesn’t need to be too heavy.”
CEO Park added more reasons for his rush to cast me. If Director Kang had been there, he would’ve been livid. But since he wasn’t, Park didn’t seem to care.
‘When you’re in this much of a rush, you’re lucky if the actor even looks good, let alone can act.’
Glance.
Park stole a look at me. I could tell he was impressed with my appearance.
If I could act even half as well as I looked, that would be enough for him.
While Park hadn’t completely ruled out a screen test, the fact that I had Choi Seok-ho as my manager had already earned me a lot of points in his book.
‘So, he’s really that Choi Seok-ho.’
The only manager Cyberus QA had tried so hard to block. Park had a vague understanding of why.
‘They were scared of him.’
His abilities were undeniable—climbing to a managerial position at a young age and even aiming for an executive role. His talent for maximizing an actor’s potential and securing great scripts. Any actor managed by Seok-ho was bound to be at least competent.
Clatter.
As these thoughts ran through Park’s head, I closed the script.
I hadn’t taken much time reading it, but I was sure I had grasped it fully. Despite Park’s curious look, I spoke clearly.
“I’d like to do it.”
“Haha, I like your decisiveness. So, we’ll have a script reading and a quick screen test next week, followed by signing the contract. Does that sound good?”
“Yes, that sounds perfect to me.”
With that, Park left the office in a rush. The casting was finalized, and now the entire film’s framework was complete. It was time to bring the movie to life at 120% capacity.
+++++
Time flew by, and by the next Monday:
『[Hot Issue] Big hit coming next year? High Dream unveils behind-the-scenes footage!』
High Dream was starting to reveal its true form to the public, and news articles flooded the internet like a storm.
Everyone was talking about High Dream, and there was one common comment across all the promotional articles:
‘Who is this ridiculously good-looking person?’
‘Who? I didn’t see him.’
‘Wait, I see him now, right at the end. How can someone be so handsome in just a short scene?’
‘I’ve never seen someone this good-looking before. Who is he?!’
Kim Dong-hoo’s face was starting to spread across the internet.