Chapter 136: The Offer That Crossed the Ocean

Episode 10 recorded 13.7%, Episode 11 14.2%, Episode 12 14.9%, and Episode 13 15.4%.

Byeonghwa continued its steady rise.

The proof was simple—it had finally broken through the 15% mark.

Naturally, Taeha’s schedule became even busier with advertising contracts.

He was already the face of numerous brands: the School Violence Prevention Campaign, Artworks (outdoor), Masculum (cosmetics), Moble (furniture), Overt (beer), C-Jes (ion drink), Seonyang (ramen), Green Market (online mall), Netsim (coffee mix), Maschulen (automobiles), KS (bank), and even Louis Vuitton as a domestic ambassador.

Among these, contracts with Artworks, Green Market, and Louis Vuitton were set to expire this year.

All three companies wanted renewals.

In Louis Vuitton’s case, they had even offered him a global ambassador position—but Taeha refused.

The reason was simple.

He needed to clear his schedule for new opportunities.

After filming for Byeonghwa ended, Taeha reshot all nine advertisements that still had remaining contract periods.

Every brand wanted to capitalize on his peak popularity.

That was why he had been so overwhelmingly busy lately.

I was really busy… but this isn’t the end.

New work was already waiting.

As soon as the existing shoots were completed, Taeha signed three new advertising contracts.

The first was for a new product from McDonald’s—a global hamburger brand.

These days, there were mixed opinions about its taste and pricing, but its status as a symbol of American capitalism’s globalization remained undeniable.

For that reason, Taeha accepted the offer without hesitation and completed the shoot smoothly.

Since he usually avoided hamburgers due to his strict diet, eating one after such a long time almost made him regret the shoot ending.

He enjoyed it so much that Im Chan-hyung approached him afterward.

“If you wanted one that badly, you could’ve just asked me. Eating one occasionally is fine.”

Of course, the reason Taeha looked like he was enjoying it so much was partly thanks to his Immersion Ability.

Next came a commercial for a newly released TV by Nelji.

Nelji’s reputation was immense—so much so that the phrase “TV is Nelji” was recognized worldwide.

The fact that they approached Taeha proved just how far his name had spread globally.

For Taeha, who had recently been considering moving, it also became an opportunity.

“While we’re at it, let’s replace the studio TV too. I’ll ask the advertiser.”

“Sounds good.”

The very next day after the shoot, the studio’s TV was replaced.

The final advertisement was for Nike—the undisputed leader in the global sports market.

Being selected as a Nike model carried a status comparable to becoming a global ambassador for a luxury brand.

Given its worldwide recognition, Taeha gladly accepted.

Moreover, Nike didn’t just feature him in Korea—they placed his advertisement on their global headquarters’ homepage.

They treated him almost like a global ambassador.

Because of that, Taeha found some consolation for the failed Louis Vuitton deal.

These contracts—with McDonald’s, Nelji, and Nike—clearly demonstrated his international standing.

Maybe… I don’t necessarily need a luxury brand’s global ambassador title.

That thought crossed his mind.

And just as he was thinking that—

He received a global ambassador offer from Prada.

***

Some Time Later

After finishing a hectic period of ad shoots, Taeha turned to a different schedule.

This one was far more personal.

He was looking for a new place to live.

Since leaving his original one-room officetel, Taeha had already moved twice.

His first move had been to a three-room officetel after the success of Virus.

Though still an officetel, the extra space greatly improved his comfort—especially since he spent a lot of time at home.

But it had one major drawback.

Due to the centralized heating and cooling system, he couldn’t freely control the temperature.

June was unbearable…

With summers arriving earlier each year, not being able to turn on the air conditioner whenever he wanted became a serious issue.

So he moved again.

This time, to a newly built 38-pyeong apartment in Sangam-dong, close to his studio.

At first, it was perfect.

He could control the temperature freely and even walk to work.

But over time, two major inconveniences appeared.

The first was noise between floors.

Apartments inevitably had noise issues.

Compared to his previous officetel—which was quiet in the evenings—the difference was stark.

It became worse when a newlywed couple with a baby moved upstairs, and an elderly couple with a dog moved next door.

It wasn’t anyone’s fault.

Just the nature of apartment living.

The second issue was the environment of Sangam-dong itself.

Being a hub for the broadcasting industry, conversations everywhere revolved around shows, actors, and casting.

Taeha found it increasingly uncomfortable.

Especially after overhearing a complaint about casting in his apartment elevator, the discomfort deepened.

Eventually, he decided—

A third move.

This time, he chose a detached house with a yard.

A place where he could control everything freely, avoid noise issues, and not constantly encounter people from the same industry.

“This property should suit you well,” the real estate agent explained. “It offers independent living, and the village has strong security systems to compensate for the usual drawbacks of detached houses.”

Taeha nodded.

He had initially considered buying land and building a house from scratch.

But after researching, he changed his mind.

Building a house was far from simple.

And since he had never lived in one before, committing fully felt risky.

If reality didn’t match expectations, the regret would be huge.

So instead, he chose to rent in a well-developed detached housing complex.

Of course, there were concerns—especially with the recent rise in deposit fraud cases.

But—

Even if I get scammed, I can earn it back.

That was his conclusion.

“It’s definitely a good house,” Taeha said. “The privacy is excellent, and the courtyard feels spacious.”

“Yes, and the bunker-style parking and six rooms are all quite large. It should be very comfortable even for single living.”

Among all the properties he had seen over the past few months, this was the best.

Of course, it wasn’t perfect.

It was far from central Seoul, making access to commercial areas inconvenient.

And managing a detached house came with responsibility.

Still, it felt worth trying.

Let me think about it for a few more days.

Just then—

Buzz. Buzz.

His phone rang.

It was Im Chan-hyung.

“Hey.”

“You need to come to Seoul right now.”

“Now? Why?”

There was a brief pause.

Then—

“Prada sent a global ambassador offer.”

“…What?”

“And that’s not all. Camilla Prada herself is flying to Korea to meet you.”

“…Is that real?”

***

On the Flight to Korea

Seated in first class, Camilla Prada wore an expression of clear anticipation.

She was on her way to meet Taeha.

Not long ago, unable to sleep, she had watched Byeonghwa on Netflix—and was deeply shocked.

The actor playing Kim Seong-wol was… overwhelming.

Originally, she had started the drama because of Song Ji-eun.

Song Ji-eun was an actress Prada had seriously considered as a global ambassador.

Although Gucci had moved first and blocked the opportunity, Camilla still held a favorable impression of her.

That was why she clicked on the drama.

At first, she admired the elegant opening.

Another good choice by Song Ji-eun.

But the moment Taeha appeared—

Everything changed.

His visuals, his acting, his presence—

Overwhelming.

More than that, he didn’t just stand out—he harmonized perfectly with the entire work.

Without realizing it, she watched episode after episode.

By the time she finished episode 9, she felt only one thing—

Regret.

I watched it too quickly…

Unable to stop herself, she searched for Taeha’s other works.

Then she binge-watched everything.

Even works outside Netflix.

And in the process, she discovered something unexpected.

Taeha had written most of his own scripts.

A kindred spirit… He’s an artist.

After days of immersion, she finally made her decision.

She picked up the phone.

“I’m bringing Kang Tae-ha in as a global ambassador. Personally.”

That was why she was now on this flight.

I wonder what he’ll be like in person…

With five hours still remaining—

Her anticipation only grew.