Chapter 18: The Beginning of a Comparison

“Chairman, here is the investigation material.”

“You’ve worked hard.”

Jo Beomgyu nodded to the secretary who handed over the investigation material on Kang Myungwoo and then opened the documents.

The documents contained detailed information about Kang Myungwoo.

His family background was moderately affluent, so he skimmed over it lightly and focused on reading his acting career.

“Hoo, he’s handsome, and his acting is genius-level.”

No wonder Lee Yuhee had her eye on him, and he gained that much popularity with just a few episodes in the drama.

Moreover, they say his personality is good and he’s polite.

He was the complete opposite of his own youngest son.

“Good, he’ll be a good stimulus for Seungha.”

If he used this kid, even their good-for-nothing Seungha might get his act together a bit.

“Today happens to be the advertising day, so I should go see.”

Jo Beomgyu thought that and stood up.

The number of people impressed by Myungwoo’s crying acting was not just one or two.

“Crazy…….”

Film director Jo Jaesik, who had cast all the other actors but couldn’t find a decent child actor, stared wide-eyed at the screen where Black and White Mask was airing.

On the screen, Kang Myungwoo was screaming in despair at the news of Nam Younghyun’s death.

“Found him.”

He had looked and looked for a child actor he liked, even checking the child actors in dramas, and at this moment, he praised himself that his choice was the best.

He sparkled his eyes, saying he would find information on this child actor as soon as dawn broke.

Unaware of what stories and thoughts were being exchanged about him, Myungwoo moved his steps to shoot the newly incoming advertisement.

[Myungwoo-ya, an ad came in!]

“Really? Already?”

[Already! Do you know how popular you are right now!]

“Ahaha, thank you.”

[Anyway, it’s from JB, and it’s a children’s clothing ad. The clothes look cool and good. Shall I say yes?]

“Yes, yes. Please do that.”

An ad already. Myungwoo brushed his hair back.

“It seems face really is important.”

In his previous life, proper ads didn’t come in until he became considerably famous.

Da.

Da.

“Well, it’s a good thing.”

The current him had this face, after all.

Thinking that, Myungwoo arrived at the advertising shoot site.

“Hello, Kang Myungwoo sir!”

“Hello!”

“Hello.”

To the people welcoming him warmly, Myungwoo also smiled and greeted back.

While doing so, he looked around.

The equipment is…… not bad. As expected of JB.

Perhaps because it’s a fairly successful company, he liked it.

In fact, getting an ad already was an amazing thing.

No matter how popular, securing an ad wasn’t easy.

Moreover, since it’s a children’s clothing ad, it’s not one that could damage his image.

And the client was a successful company.

From Myungwoo’s perspective, there was no reason to refuse the ad.

“You can change clothes here!”

“Ah, yes, thank you.”

Myungwoo received the clothes to wear for this ad and went into the changing room.

When he came out after changing, a quiet and tense atmosphere enveloped Myungwoo.

Hm?

Everyone was watching their cues.

And the target they were watching wasn’t him but someone else.

To find the culprit of this atmosphere, Myungwoo looked around.

“Oh, our model for today has come out.”

An unfamiliar voice called Myungwoo.

A deep voice.

Instinctively, Myungwoo thought the owner of this voice created this atmosphere and turned his head.

“Ah, hello.”

An unfamiliar face, but somehow familiar.

Myungwoo rummaged through his memory and recalled that his face resembled Jo Seungha’s.

JB, and Jo Seungha…… no way?

“Nice to meet you. I’m Jo Beomgyu.”

As expected, Jo Beomgyu smiled contentedly at Myungwoo’s polite attitude and introduced himself.

“Hello. I’m Kang Myungwoo. Nice to meet you.”

“To our actor sir, well, it might be easier to understand as the father of actor Jo Seungha.”

As expected.

He had hoped not, but it was indeed Jo Seungha’s father.

Myungwoo smiled brightly and nodded.

“Ah, so you’re that person’s father. I met actor Jo Seungha not long ago.”

“Yes, I heard a lot about you from Seungha.”

……What stories? 

I can’t think of any good ones at all.

Myungwoo glanced at Jo Beomgyu’s reaction and racked his brain.

Jo Seungha had sent hostile glances until they parted, and that attitude was probably the same toward his father.

Da.

But in Jo Beomgyu’s eyes looking at him, there was no coldness or hostility.

Rather, it contained a bit of probing and favor.

Probing? Favor? What is it?

Jo Seungha couldn’t have said good things about him, so what was that gaze?

Even in this incomprehensible situation, Myungwoo maintained a smooth smile and looked at Jo Beomgyu.

“Oh dear, first, since our model has come out, let’s start shooting.”

“Ah, yes, Chairman! Thank you for your consideration.”

“Haha, no. I’ll rest here for a bit.”

His personality is completely different from Jo Seungha.

Jo Seungha was a complete good-for-nothing.

Was it image-making because he’s the chairman? Or is Jo Seungha a special case?

Well, either way, it wasn’t something he needed to worry about.

Right now, shooting the ad was much more important.

“Alright, then let’s start shooting!”

The photographer announced the start of the shoot, and Myungwoo went to the shooting zone and stood.

Myungwoo, who went to the shooting location, posed and relaxed his facial muscles.

It was his first in this life, but in the past, it wasn’t like he had shot ads just once or twice.

Moreover, what he was crazy about was acting, not ads, so he wasn’t nervous, and his heart didn’t race.

I should finish it quickly and well.

The photographer would also consider that he was a child and not take too much time, and probably put in a lot of break times.

Myungwoo decided to get through all that process quickly.

“Good! OK!”

“Kang Myungwoo, is this your first time shooting an ad?”

“Yeah. But you’re really good at it.”

“You’re still young, no complaints, no issues.”

Compared to Jo Seungha.

That was the common thought among the staff.

Since it was the JB children’s clothing team, the model they usually shot was mainly Jo Seungha.

And Jo Seungha’s attitude was very different from Kang Myungwoo’s current attitude.

“Ah, hurry up and shoot!”

“What? This should be enough. What’s the problem?”

“The break time is too short.”

The shooting site’s atmosphere was harmonious, completely different from Jo Seungha who was full of all kinds of complaints.

And Jo Beomgyu’s impression wasn’t much different from theirs.

Even though he’s young, he’s a promising kid.

Jo Beomgyu, sitting in the important position of chairman, had a good eye for people.

And to him, Kang Myungwoo was truly a promising celebrity.

How can a mere 10-year-old be like that?

Good at acting, polite, good personality.

And now he even shoots ads well.

He does well, and it even looks like he’s used to this.

But as far as he knew, this was Kang Myungwoo’s first ad shoot.

Yet he could create such an atmosphere and shoot.

As far as Jo Beomgyu knew, there was only one type of person like that.

Genius.

Kang Myungwoo was truly born with the qualities of a genius to become a celebrity.

It would be good if Seungha could watch and learn.

How great it would be if his son could emulate even that aspect.

Even if not to the level of genius, just polite and good personality.

His face was already handsome, so if he did that, it would be perfect.

While Jo Beomgyu was thinking various thoughts, Kang Myungwoo’s shoot ended quickly.

“You’ve worked hard!”

“You’ve all worked hard!”

“You’ve worked hard!”

Amid the staff exchanging greetings, Myungwoo also greeted.

“Goodness, to finish so quickly.”

“Yeah. He’s only 10, but so mature, didn’t take a single break.”

“The shooting was too good. Isn’t he a real genius?”

“His acting was really good too. Is that what they call a prodigy?”

“Yeah. And his personality is good, incredibly polite.”

At the employees’ words, Jo Beomgyu smiled bitterly inside.

Words that anyone could tell were sincere.

A completely different tone from the insincere words he heard when occasionally watching Seungha’s shoots.

I raised my child wrong.

He shouldn’t have spoiled him just because he was the youngest.

In Jo Beomgyu’s eyes, he saw Myungwoo going to change clothes after the last shoot.

It would be really good if our Seungha could be even half like that kid…….!

Jo Beomgyu, thinking that, shook his head.

His son was already like that.

For now, rather than regretting the past, it was more important to use the kid Kang Myungwoo to correct Seungha’s personality even a little.

“Hello, Chairman. You’ve worked hard.”

“Hard work, what. Our employees did it all.”

“Oh no, not at all, Chairman!”

“That’s right! Hard work, not at all!”

To the words echoing around, Jo Beomgyu smiled small and turned his eyes to Myungwoo.

“Yes, our little actor sir, do you have a moment?”

“Time?”

“Yeah. As Seungha’s father, I have something I want to say.”

Something to say as Jo Seungha’s father?

What could it be? Myungwoo tilted his head at his completely unpredictable business.

He looked at Jo Beomgyu as if probing.

Still no bad vibe. Rather, it seems like he’s about to ask for something.

A request. Maybe something related to a role?

Like yielding so Jo Seungha could return to the role he was pushed out of?

If that’s it, it’s bad.

He had no desire to yield, but if the other side sincerely exerted power, who knows what could happen.

At the unpleasant thought, Myungwoo’s mood sank.

Let’s talk first and think.

Yes, he hadn’t even heard properly yet.

Myungwoo organized his thoughts and nodded.

“Yes, alright. Where shall we talk?”

“Ah, hehe, it’s not that serious a story.”

Jo Beomgyu laughed and waved his hand.

Not a serious story.

Then what?

Myungwoo tilted his head at Jo Beomgyu’s completely unpredictable words.

“While shooting, did you become close with our Seungha?”

“Yes?”

“I heard you shot together once before.”

Jo Beomgyu smiled and looked down at Myungwoo.

No way we became close.

With that personality, how could they become close?

Myungwoo smiled awkwardly and evaded the answer.

Jo Beomgyu, figuring out the answer just from his attitude, smiled and patted Myungwoo’s head.

“Oh dear, feel free to say. I’m not trying to scold if you didn’t become close.”

“We…… didn’t become close.”

There was no need to hide, so Myungwoo answered honestly.

“I see. Our Seungha is hard to get close to, right?”

“Uh…….”

…….

Was he telling him to badmouth his son right in front of the father?

Since it was a question he couldn’t answer properly, Myungwoo trailed off.

Jo Beomgyu, watching Myungwoo’s reaction, soon bent down to meet Myungwoo’s eyes.

“But I would like Myungwoo-kun to be friends with our Seungha.”

“Yes?”

It was a sudden request.

“Why?”

“Hmm, from what I heard from Seungha, Myungwoo is very good at acting. If he keeps seeing such a kid nearby, I think our Seungha will work harder on acting too.”

Because I’m good at acting?

There are many other great actors, right?

Why me specifically?

“And if our Seungha acts up a bit on set, could you say a word as a friend? Our kid doesn’t listen well to adults, and adults can’t say harsh words to Seungha well.”

Ot.

So that’s it.

He needed someone who wouldn’t watch his cues and could say a word to Jo Seungha.

Plus stimulate Jo Seungha’s competitive spirit.

I can use this.