Wandering (3)
"Artist Ban Jeong-hoon, your makeup is smudging a bit. Please come to the makeup room for a touch-up."
"Mr. Ban Jeong-hoon. Here is today's shooting script. Please familiarize yourself with it and let us know if there are any questions you're uncomfortable with."
"Ah, Mr. Ban. I'm a fan."
"Excuse me, but could you take a picture with me? My wife is a fan."
A stylish suit.
Hair done professionally for the first time ever.
Makeup that makes me look so good in the mirror, it's hard to believe it's me.
Busy broadcast staff moving around under the dazzling lights.
And a waiting seat with my name on it.
I am now in a position I couldn't have dreamed of just a few years ago.
Three weeks ago in Korea.
After spending two days with my family at home, I immediately returned to the office.
And responded to the numerous love calls from broadcasting companies, all in the name of raising my company's fame even more.
In the past three weeks, I've been on five variety shows and three art-specialized broadcasts, and had interviews with over ten newspapers and six magazines.
After today's recording, I have a scheduled interview with a fashion magazine.
Why an interview with a fashion magazine, you ask?
Isn't it obvious? They want to ask about Monica's new brand, which is currently attracting global attention.
It's part of my job. After all, I'm a shareholder of Monica's brand.
Waking up at six in the morning, getting makeup and hairstyling in Sangam-dong, and starting the shoot at ten.
One shoot ends at two in the afternoon, and another starts at four. The magazine meeting is set for eight in the evening, so I won't be home until the early hours.
"Bro, you haven't eaten yet, right? Here's some kimbap."
"Uh... thanks."
A big, tanned guy.
This guy is one of the employees Youngju hired while I was away. What was his name?
I'm sure I heard it when he greeted me, but I forgot because ten new employees greeted me all at once.
Youngju said to have this big guy tag along as a sort of road manager for a while.
He drives and takes care of small things, and he's quite good at his job.
Kimbap given by an employee whose name I can't remember.
It's a hearty kimbap with bulgogi in it, but it tastes as bland as dirt.
'Ha, how do celebrities live like this?'
Sometimes, when I watch variety shows about people living alone, I see the pitiful sight of them working late into the night, returning home with tired faces, having a drink of soju, and then collapsing to sleep.
That's exactly my life now. I thought I'd never live like that.
Of course, back then, I envied such lifestyles.
Living a glamorous life and then feeling lonely and desolate when alone at home, but I envied their homes with beautiful views of the Han River and their expensive, pretty furniture that normal people couldn't afford.
If I could lead such a life, I thought it'd be okay to be busy.
But not anymore.
All the notions I had, thinking it was natural for them to live like that because it's their job, have shattered. I'm so drained now.
Does my work end when dawn breaks?
If that were the case, I wouldn't even complain.
The guy acting as the manager flips through his notebook and says,
"Mr. Ban, I'll pick you up at 5:30 tomorrow morning. There's a program starting at eight, and it's a live morning broadcast. It's just a 10-minute appearance, so you can come 30 minutes early to familiarize yourself with the script."
"Uh... But if it starts at eight, why pick me up at 5:30?"
"You have a CBC radio broadcast at 11 a.m. It's a visible radio show, so you need makeup. Since you need makeup for the live broadcast anyway, let's stop by Apgujeong early in the morning to get it done all at once."
"Uh..."
"After the radio, you have a special lecture at your alma mater. It starts at two, so there's no time for lunch. I'll buy something and put it in the car during the radio broadcast, so you'll have to eat it on the way. And then..."
Ha, I wish I could at least eat properly.
For the past three weeks, I've been eating in the car. Kimbap, tteokbokki, sundae... I got so tired of it that I asked for jjamppong one day, but I spilled it all in the car while moving quickly for a schedule, so I never order anything with soup.
But there's nothing I can do about it.
I want to drop everything and disappear, but thinking about my family and colleagues who are counting on me, I have to row when the water comes in.
"How long are the schedules booked?"
"Well, they're booked up to a month from now. There was a call from a film company yesterday, but that seems like a future matter."
"Why did the film company call?"
"They want you to take charge of the art direction of a film, on the condition that you appear in marketing-related events."
"Ah."
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