Chapter 5

Chapter 5

A dark studio with all the lights off.

Inside, Minhan Kim was looking at the laptop screen with his blank eyes.

On the screen, an old doctor with gray hair is seen.

“Hello Doctor. Can you hear me well?”

He spoke into the laptop, and the doctor on the screen responded.

[Yes, Mr. Minhan. how have you been doing?]

“It was as usual.”

[As usual... . thank god. Because it hasn’t gotten any worse.]

“Yes.”

Minhan Kim has been receiving psychiatric counseling through video conferences for several years.

A long time ago, he wanted to relieve himself of the guilt that his younger brother had died because of him.

[It just so happens that the consultation date coincides with the anniversary of my younger brother’s death. Is there anything you would like to tell me about anything special that is different from usual?]

“Nothing in particular.”

[Okay. Is what you are doing okay? Are you sure you don’t work too hard every day, except when you’re giving online consultations?]

“It’s business as usual.”

[As usual, you are overdoing it.]

“···.”

[I’ll say it again, it’s really dangerous. It is inevitable to blame yourself out of guilt toward your younger brother, but punishing yourself through ‘work’ is really dangerous.]

“... .”

[No matter how talented a doctor Minhan is, if he works without resting, he will inevitably make mistakes. Then Minhan will come to hate himself so much that he can’t turn back. Should I contact Hanhyang University Hospital? Doctor Minhan Kim, are you saying you still wanna perform the surgery?]

Kim Minhan smiled bitterly at the consulting doctor’s reprimand.

‘I know very well what you are saying. But I can’t help it.’

Even if everyone in the world says it is not his fault, Kim Minhan has already condemned himself as ‘a criminal who killed his younger brother.’ That’s why Kim Minhan couldn’t live without punishing himself.

So he went into the operating room every day without a break. That was my punishment.

‘Unless I die and meet my brother and ask for forgiveness... There is no forgiveness for me.’

The long consultation ended like that.

[Then let’s end it for today. And Mr. Minhan, please make sure not to over work in the operating room. I will call Hanhyang University Hospital to check.]

“All right. “Then I’ll just leave.”

[Yes. I will send you the schedule for the next consultation by email.]

Minhan Kim turned off his laptop. As the bright laptop light disappeared, the moonlight coming through the window illuminated the room particularly brightly today.

Kim Minhan fell into while looking at the moonlight.

‘Do I need more counseling? ‘It wouldn’t be of any use anyway.’

“Whoa...”

Minhan Kim sighed and leaned back deeply on his sofa. Then he looked at the ceiling and remembered the day his brother died.

‘It was exactly 30 years ago today.’

His younger brother died because of him. It’s because his younger brother foolishly gave up the kidney to him.

‘Because of that disease... shit.’

Nowadays, I could survive with medication and dialysis and wait for a transplant, but at that time, I was in a situation where I would die if I didn’t get a transplant right away.

My brother and myself.

‘If only I had died then...’

I’ve thought about this countless times. But that wasn’t possible. Because I felt sorry for my dead brother because of me.

So Kim Minhan lived like crazy.

He studied to death while caring for his mother who lost her husband and his son. As a result, he was accepted to medical school and became a surgeon.

A doctor who specializes in organ transplantation, something everyone avoids and finds difficult.

Someone said that Kim Minhan’s grades and efforts were not worth it, and recommended a field where it is easy and convenient to make money.

But Kim Minhan couldn’t do that.

Because he felt too sorry for his younger brother who should be alive and lived comfortably and happily.

‘Shit···.’

He took the day off today because it was his younger brother’s death anniversary.

I tried to somehow smile and stay cheerful today, but I couldn’t.

Eventually, he started drinking alone in the morning, and his room became full of empty liquor bottles and cigarette butts. If he drank this much, he could get drunk, but Kim Minhan kept his cool, perhaps because it was the anniversary of his younger brother’s death.

Squeak...

“Have we run out?”

I don’t smoke or drink alcohol at all. So the alcohol I bought this morning was all I had at home.

‘This is my last bottle. ‘I’ll have to get some from the convenience store.’

Kim Minhan put on his clothes and came out.

[It is on the 1st floor.]

‘It’s Minsu’s death anniversary. Should I buy some ice cream? ‘With the taste that Minsu liked.’

Kim Minhan, who thought about his younger brother for a moment, came out of the common entrance.

“Brother!”

“···?”

At that time, someone called ‘brother’ from behind.

But there was no one around him except himself.

‘It’s a familiar voice... no,I’m just hearing things...?’

Normally, I would have just continued on my way. Because there was no one in this world worthy of calling me ‘brother’.

But maybe it’s because today is his younger brother’s death anniversary. For some reason, the word ‘brother’ stuck in Kim Minhan’s ears. Kim Minhan’s heart and mind, which had not wavered even after drinking a lot of alcohol, responded.

The voice he called ‘brother’ resembled the voice of his younger brother in his memories. Although it was definitely a different voice.

Minhan Kim slowly looked back.

It’s unlikely, but it’s possible that miraculously, I have a younger sibling.

‘It’s okay to be crazy. If only I could see Minsu even just once.’

***

I got the part, but I still had to work part-time. So today, like yesterday, I was carrying heavy loads.

“Hey~ Top star!!”

The work foreman called me in a sly voice. Yesterday, I was asked about the results of the audition and the result was, ‘The PD gave me an extremely favorable review.’

‘I guess I’ll just say It that way rather than not saying anything...’

However, I wanted to share my joy with those who each saved 1 million won. So for now I was just thinking about doing it.

“Yes, captain.”

“They said they are going to vacate Sector A today, so I think I need to prepare in advance. “Let’s go after lunch.”

“All right.”

After cleaning up, I came to eat.

The restaurant is a Baekban restaurant that I have always loved. It was a place where many office workers came, so there were a lot of customers.

“Mr. Kim, what are you going to eat?”

“Um, half a dozen.”

“No, since it is a Baekban restaurant, it must be Baekban. “But what kind of white spot is this?”

“Um, what I ate yesterday.”

“No, what is that?”

It wasn’t a small restaurant, but it was noisy because there were so many customers. The customers at the other tables glanced at me, amazed that I was sitting among the men.

It was then.

Wooooow.

“??”

My cell phone rang. It is not common for my cell phone to ring because I have no one to contact.

Is this a call from the audition?

A thought suddenly occurred to me.

And when I checked-.

[<Dream of the Sun Rising> Audition Manager]

“···!”

It was really that phone call.

His heart started pounding hard.

“Whoa...”

He took a deep breath and carefully answered the phone.

“Hello?”

[hi···. Jinseok... fit···?]

The surroundings were so noisy that I couldn’t hear what was being said. However, it was too burdensome to ask him to say it again.

The foreman, who was arguing with Mr. Kim next to me, asked if I was bothered by the fact that I answered the phone in a restless manner.

“What? “Are you sure the youngest is getting a call from the audition?”

When I nodded slightly, the man got up from his seat.

Clap clap!

“Okay, everyone be quiet for a moment! “Please be kwayat!!”

The work foreman’s deep voice echoed throughout the restaurant.

Other customers responded by asking ‘What is it?’ and ‘Why should you shout like that?’, but the man didn’t care at all.

“Oh my, sorry while I’m eating! “My youngest made a very important phone call...”

Some of the guests ignored the man’s words and continued to talk noisily, but they soon became quiet due to the fierce looks in the other men’s eyes.

Thanks to this, I started hearing calls better.

[Are you Jinseok Kang? Are you having a hard time making a phone call?]

“Oh, no! “It was a bit noisy for a moment.”

[Ah yes. It was none other than a call to say that you passed the audition for the role of ‘Minho.’]

Daebak...!

“Yes Yes!”

[We need to adjust your schedule for filming, but since you don’t seem to have an agency, we will contact you directly.]

“Well, what? “What happened?”

“Did you got it?”

I nodded slightly and said.

“···Yes.”

After hearing PD Kim Mansoo’s words on set, I had a strong belief that I would succeed.

But receiving confirmation like this in person was a different feeling.

The guys slapped me on the back. It hurt a little, but it felt so good that it didn’t really matter.

“Okay! What did I say! “Didn’t I say you’d be a top star someday?!”

“Hey! Kang Jinseok! Order whatever you want today! Do you want to eat beef?!”

“Okay, okay! “The guys are shooting today!”

“No! “It’s not the ‘old men’, it’s the foreman president who shoots!”

“Shall I shoot you?! “Why are you fucking with my money?”

Now, people telling me that I will become a ‘top star’ even though I only got one small role. He seemed happier than me.

At that time, a text message arrived.

——

Hello, Jinseok Kang.

This is Kang Heeyeon AD of <Dream of the Sun Rising>.

We will share the shooting schedule with you.

August 27th...

——

It has finally begun. The life of the actor.