Life is Easier If You’re Handsome
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Chapter 111 Table of contents

At the height of Kim Donghu's filming for The Traitor: Roots of Corruption, the Korean Boxing Association found itself stunned by an unexpected phenomenon.

"Is this... actually true?"

Thud.

A profile appeared on the screen:

 

Record: 8 fights, 8 wins (8 KOs), 0 draws, 0 losses

 

Not only had he shattered all youngest-record-holder titles, but he was also breaking records for shortest match times.

Some were already calling him the "Korean Muhammad Ali" or the "Korean Mike Tyson."

"Haha."

A chuckle slipped out upon seeing his profile.

"How did such a treasure just roll into our laps?"
"And he’s not even just a regular guy."
"Exactly, exactly..."

The association members’ gazes moved to the name on the profile.

Kim Donghu.

The three bold syllables seemed to radiate pride.

"He’s literally the face of Korean boxing."
"If he maintains this performance, he’ll easily qualify for the national team trials."
"Exactly. As long as he keeps participating in tournaments, his eligibility is unquestionable."
"And no one can fault him for being an actor as his main job. In this field, skill trumps everything, doesn’t it?"

Hearing the growing buzz of conversation, the head of the Korean Boxing Association smiled contentedly.

"Absolutely, absolutely. There’s no issue here. In fact, we’re gathered here to make sure nothing becomes an issue."
"Yes, you’re absolutely right!"

Of course, a superstar isn’t created by mere effort.
No matter how much you beg or scream for one to emerge,
No matter how fiercely you shine the spotlight—

"How long has it been since we’ve had a star? Has Korea ever seen a talent like this?"

—Superstars don’t just appear.
But when one walks in of their own accord, what more could you ask for?

Korean boxing had been steadily shrinking, as though its brief golden age had been nothing but a lie.

"Good things come to those who wait!"

Amid this decline, the arrival of Kim Donghu felt like a miracle—
a priceless treasure and the association's last lifeline.

"That said, let’s not overwhelm him with too much excitement, alright? We can’t put any unnecessary pressure on him."
"Understood!"

The chairman calmed the members and spoke with measured clarity.

"Let me be perfectly clear: no one, and I mean no one, is to put any pressure on Kim Donghu—whether as a boxer or an actor."

Kim Donghu was a spark—
the only spark capable of reigniting Korean boxing.

"No selfies, no forcing him into anything. I trust you all understand what I mean."

Anyone who dared to mistreat him?
Unthinkable.

"Of course, sir!"
"And the press—keep them out. Especially those from the entertainment world. You know the drill."
"Understood!"
"We need to create an environment where Kim Donghu—no, our star athlete—can focus entirely on his matches."

This wasn’t just for Kim Donghu.
This was about restoring the prestige of Korean boxing itself.

The chairman’s words carried a desperate resolve, and everyone nodded in agreement.

"Under no circumstances should he lose interest in boxing."

The chairman closed his eyes and envisioned the future.

Kim Donghu standing on the Olympic stage, winning a heavyweight gold medal.
The dawn of a new era for Korean boxing beginning at that very moment.

How perfect, how admirable, how proud a vision that was.

"Handsome, fit, popular, kind, smart, talented, an incredible actor..."

Thank you for choosing boxing.
The chairman silently offered his deepest gratitude to Kim Donghu.

++++++

If one word could sum up recent events, it would be:

"Busy."

Relentlessly, mind-numbingly busy.

Even with a lenient attendance policy, Kim Donghu made it a point to go to school whenever he could.

If he wasn’t filming, he was at school.
If he wasn’t at school, he was filming.

On top of that, filming locations were almost always out of town,
and the travel alone drained a significant amount of energy.

After spending at least two hours in a van, he’d stretch briefly, act, then return to the van to head to school.

Without consistent exercise, he might have collapsed long ago.

"At least working out is paying off."

While he did feel tired, it wasn’t unbearable.
His body just felt a little heavier than usual.
Honestly, a solid three-day rest would fix that.

"Once my solo scenes are wrapped up, it’ll be group shoots next, right?"

Until then, there’d be some breathing room, enough to fully recover.

"And today, I don’t have anything scheduled, so I can just relax."

He glanced at his phone.
The light from the screen slipped through his tired eyelids, showing the current time.

"…Might as well grab lunch soon."

11:30 a.m.
It was the perfect time to nap a little longer before lunch.
Deciding on this, he let himself drift off—

Sniff, sniff.

"Huh?"

A strange smell wafted through the tightly shut door.

“Doenjang-jjigae?”

Was that really what I was smelling?

Mom must’ve come by, I thought.

But my mom and dad were far too preoccupied to worry about their son living on his own.

Their attention was entirely focused on my little sibling, Kim Seohyeon, who had just turned two—a tiny toddler demanding every bit of their energy.

So, the idea of smelling doenjang-jjigae in my house?
Not likely.

It’s probably not Mom... and surely a burglar wouldn’t break in just to cook stew, I muttered to myself, heading straight to the kitchen.

“You’re up?”

Standing there was Yerim.

Still groggy, I rubbed my eyes furiously, blinking to confirm what I was seeing. But no matter how much I tried to convince myself it was an illusion, Yerim was very much real. Her hair swayed as she approached me.

“I told you I’m your boxing manager, but I realized I haven’t been taking care of my athlete as much as I should.”
“And?”
“So, I decided to come over and at least cook for you.”
“And the passcode...? Oh, right. I told you ages ago.”

So that’s how she got in.

Wait, what do you mean, “that’s how she got in”?

This wasn’t exactly something I could let slide casually.

“This is... honestly kind of overwhelming.”
“Why? Isn’t this, you know, every guy’s dream?”
“No, no, no, no, no, no!”

Yerim’s antics made me wave my hands frantically to stop her.

Seriously, this girl is on another wavelength.

I should’ve known ever since she started talking about wanting to be a model.

“Anyway, I’ve decided—I’ll cook for you every weekend! I’m too busy during the week, but weekends are fine!”
“...So, you’re just going to come here every weekend?”
“Why not? What’s the big deal? We’re friends.”
“Isn’t that... kind of weird?”

Yerim paused, clearly thinking it over. After a moment, she nodded as if she’d realized what was wrong.

“Not friends, then... model and agency boss?”
“...I’m not your boss.”
“Oh, please. I know how things work in your agency.”

This was all Seokho-hyung’s fault for being so obvious about everything.
Deciding it wouldn’t do me any good to argue further, I quickly concluded:

“Fine. Just make sure there’s plenty of tofu.”
“Got it! Extra tofu!”

I watched Yerim trot back to the kitchen, her ponytail bouncing as she moved.
And I thought to myself:

Yeah, I really can’t let anyone catch me in this situation.

For some reason, my instincts screamed at me that letting anyone into the house right now would be a very, very bad idea.

++++++

If there was one clear advantage to group shoots:

“It’s the chemistry. Everyone’s in sync.”

The synergy, the unity—it all came together seamlessly.

Even with multiple people in the frame, there was no awkwardness.
In fact, everyone naturally melted into a single, cohesive scene.
That was the magic of group shoots.

“Cut! Cut! Cut!”

Director Yoon Seongbin yelled the signal, his voice brimming with satisfaction.

“Fantastic! Absolutely fantastic!”

Filming for The Traitor: Roots of Corruption was steadily building its foundation.

The introductions to each character were complete, and soon it would be time to dive into the main plot, where the characters’ fates intertwined.

And that’s when the real clashes begin—the grand confrontations.

Even among the powerless commoners, there are always a few giants.

The "traitors" pulling the rot out by the roots,
And the "nobles" fighting tooth and nail to protect their positions—
The day to capture those battles was fast approaching.

“Looks like I’ll be acting with Donghu again soon.”

Actor Jang Gunho grinned, clearly excited.

Hearing this, the other actors couldn’t hold back their curiosity.

“Is Kim Donghu really that good?”
“It’s the first time I’ve seen you look forward to working with someone like this—it’s almost making me jealous.”
“Exactly! You never say much about us when we’re acting!”

The lighthearted banter filled the air as Jang Gunho chuckled.

“Of course, you’d wonder. But the energy on set—it’s different.”

Watching something on screen and experiencing it live on set were two entirely different things.
That’s why theater remained its own unique art form.

“But we all saw the script readings.”
“Sure, but acting on set is a whole different ballgame.”
“It’s simple—just take what you saw and imagine he’s at least twice as good in person.”
“...Twice as good?”

Jang Gunho’s statement left question marks floating above the other actors’ heads.
Twice as good? Really?

And they finally understood what he meant—

December.
The cold winds of early winter were biting.

“...A swarm of maggots gathering to feast on decay.”

When they stood face-to-face with Kim Donghu’s acting.

 

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