Chapter 152: The Road to America

Sure enough, writing a scenario wasn’t as easy as Taeha had expected.

Even after devoting more than a week entirely to writing, the scenario still wasn’t finished. Considering that Taeha usually completed a script of similar length in just a few days, the difference made the difficulty obvious.

With the material, plot, and characters already planned out in advance, the process slowed because the scenes didn’t unfold naturally in his imagination the way a drama script usually did.

Still, on the fifteenth day, he finally completed the scenario.

‘This should be good enough.’

After finishing the final revisions, Taeha sent the file through email. Not long after, a message arrived from CEO Han.

[You worked hard, Writer-nim^^]
[I’ll distribute the scenario right away]

Taeha replied with a brief message asking him to take care of the rest before stretching his body.

‘Now all that’s left is to see whether a film director likes the scenario.’

It would take time before any response came back.

Fortunately, however, his next task had already arrived.

The awards ceremony.

Just as the media had consistently predicted, Taeha had officially been nominated for the Primetime Emmy Awards.

Because of that, he would soon be heading to the United States to attend the ceremony.

‘Come to think of it… this is my first time going to America.’

Even in his previous life, Taeha had never visited the US.

After transmigrating, the closest connection he had was frequently exchanging messages with Seon Min-gi, who was active there, but he had never actually gone in person.

The thought made him strangely excited.

He didn’t feel burdened by the trip either.

His English wasn’t bad.

If anything, he thought it might actually be fun.

Then—

[Are you worried?]
[If you want, I can help you out]

A message arrived from Seon Min-gi.

Reading it, Taeha chuckled softly before replying.

[I’m not really worried, you know]

[Really?]

[Yep. I’m sure of it]

[I’m free next Monday and Wednesday]

Meaning Taeha should make time on one of those days.

After checking his schedule on his phone, Taeha replied.

[Then let’s meet on Wednesday]

[Works for me]

With his appointment with Seon Min-gi set, Taeha’s schedule became packed.

In fact, ever since his official nomination for the Primetime Emmy Awards, messages had been flooding in from all directions.

Every one of them contained congratulations or encouragement.

‘Just being nominated gets this many messages…’

He could truly feel the prestige of the Primetime Emmy Awards.

And with that prestige came pressure.

Looking over his meeting schedule with Seon Min-gi again, Taeha thought:

‘Hmm… since I’m already going, maybe I should ask him for some advice?’

***

“Honestly, I don’t know much either.”

That was Seon Min-gi’s response when Taeha asked for advice.

Taeha stared at him in disbelief.

“What? That’s what you say after eating expensive meat?”

“Expensive? It was just pork belly.”

“Pork belly is expensive these days. And do you know how hard it is to get a private room like this?”

“I don’t know. Even if you pressure me, I’ve got nothing useful to say. I’ve never been nominated for the Primetime Emmy Awards myself.”

Taeha felt betrayed by Seon Min-gi’s shamelessness.

Of course, this was their usual dynamic.

Compared to when they first filmed together, the two had grown considerably closer.

“I came here thinking pork belly would at least be insurance in case you gave me bad advice, but now I’m relieved.”

“…So it was intentional?”

“Oh, come on. I’m joking. Just joking.”

“I don’t believe you.”

Truthfully, there was no special reason Taeha had chosen pork belly today.

Yesterday, after eating so much beef with his aunt and Kang Sojeong, he had simply been craving pork instead.

Besides, Taeha had always preferred pork to beef.

Beef became overwhelming too quickly.

Still, explaining that to Seon Min-gi would’ve changed nothing.

Both of them knew they were just teasing each other for fun.

Seon Min-gi continued.

“Anyway, since we’re done eating, let’s go get dessert.”

“Hyung’s paying for dessert? Then I’ll have beef.”

“Shaved ice. Snowflake shaved ice.”

So the two moved to another café and ordered shaved ice.

Recently, whenever Taeha met Seon Min-gi, this had become their routine:

Meat for lunch, shaved ice for dessert.

Since both of them were careful about maintaining their condition, alcohol was almost never involved.

Looking at the two empty bowls, Taeha said,

“One bowl each again today. Nice.”

“Feels like the shaved ice cost more than the meat.”

“Oh, that’s exaggerated. No matter how much of a glutton someone is, the meal was definitely more expensive. By the way, are you still upset about not getting beef?”

“Very upset. So go to the US and win an Emmy.”

“Huh?”

“Then next time we meet, I’ll buy you beef.”

His usual indifferent tone.

Yet hidden beneath that indifference was sincerity.

A genuine wish for Taeha to win at the Primetime Emmy Awards.

Smiling, Taeha replied,

“I’ll make sure it’s Korean beef.”

He hadn’t gotten any useful insider advice about overseas award ceremonies.

But he had gained something equally meaningful.

Sincerity.

***

Another week passed.

At last, Taeha departed for the United States.

Naturally, many people accompanied him.

Besides Im Chan-hyung, Kim Su-jin, and Jo Yong-ho—his usual team—five or six employees from AH Entertainment also boarded the flight.

It was an even larger group than when he had attended the Prada fashion show in Milan as an ambassador.

Which made sense.

The prestige of the Primetime Emmy Awards far surpassed a fashion event.

Incidentally, Taeha had arranged for everyone to fly first class.

AH Entertainment had originally booked business class seats for the staff, but Taeha had felt uncomfortable being the only one sitting separately.

So he spent his own money upgrading everyone.

As a result, the entire area around him on the plane was filled with familiar faces.

Watching the scene with satisfaction, Taeha turned to Im Chan-hyung, seated beside him.

“By the way, weren’t you really busy lately? Is it okay for you to leave on a business trip for several days?”

As AH Entertainment expanded, Im Chan-hyung—now a department head—had become incredibly busy.

Managing multiple celebrities alone was already demanding.

That was why Taeha asked.

Im Chan-hyung smiled.

“No matter how busy I am, who else is going to take care of our company’s flagship star? Besides, helping you is basically the most important part of my job.”

That wasn’t wrong.

To AH Entertainment, Taeha’s presence was practically the company’s heart.

Naturally, the highest-ranking manager would personally oversee him.

More than anything, Taeha felt reassured having Im Chan-hyung nearby.

Then Im Chan-hyung added:

“Besides, Taeha—this is historic. You’re attending the Primetime Emmy Awards, and your chances of winning aren’t low either. How could I miss this? If the CEO tried leaving me behind, I would’ve used my annual leave to come anyway.”

“Good thing it didn’t come to that.”

“Seriously lucky. Anyway, how do you feel? Think you’ll win?”

After a moment of thought, Taeha replied:

“At first, I thought I’d be fine even if I didn’t win. But after sitting on an eleven-hour flight, I changed my mind. Maybe they should at least give me something.”

“Oh? What’s this? You—the guy who always expects the worst at awards ceremonies?”

“Guess I’ve grown a little. More than anything, after attending a few ceremonies, I’ve realized I’m surprisingly lucky with awards.”

And he wasn’t wrong.

Every project he participated in somehow ended up winning something.

Naturally, Taeha had begun to feel optimistic about his chances at the Primetime Emmy Awards.

And he wasn’t alone.

Across social media, online communities, and media outlets, expectations for his win were remarkably high.

The discussion wasn’t whether he would win—

It was how many categories he might take.

‘That drama won six awards, right?’

The record-breaking Korean drama had taken home six trophies.

Since Taeha’s project hadn’t reached quite the same level of impact, most predictions estimated one or two wins.

Taeha thought similarly.

Im Chan-hyung grinned.

“Still, with your luck, who knows? Maybe you’ll win more than expected. Either way, enjoy it. It’s a rare opportunity. Use the chance to network with global celebrities.”

Taeha nodded.

Whether networking happened or not, he intended to enjoy the experience.

***

After enduring an eleven-hour flight—during which he watched the same movie three times, repeatedly dozing off and waking up—Taeha finally arrived in the United States.

And immediately—

He was stunned.

Far more reporters than expected had gathered.

Many journalists had already been waiting in Korea to capture his airport fashion, but he hadn’t imagined receiving this kind of attention overseas.

Even more surprising—

A large crowd of fans had gathered as well.

“Kang Taeha!”

“I’m your fan!”

“Please look this way!”

Momentarily frozen by the unexpected welcome, Taeha quickly regained composure.

Then, without hesitation—

He activated his Immersion Ability.

He immersed himself in the image of a global superstar whose aura felt even more overwhelming in person.

Calmly, naturally, he raised a hand and waved.

The effect was immediate.

Gasps spread through both the reporters and fans.

That day, praise from everyone who saw Taeha in person at the airport spread nonstop.

***

But the smooth start to Taeha’s trip hit an unexpected obstacle.

“Mr. Kang Taeha, an actor from a small country who was virtually unknown until gaining popularity through a single work and eventually receiving a Primetime Emmy nomination—how do you feel?”

The question came from an American journalist.

The tone was rude.

Dismissive.

As if deliberately looking down on him.

Taeha slowly opened his mouth.

A flawless smile curved gently at the corner of his lips.

“What was your name again, journalist?”