If I Don’t Earn 1 Trillion Won, My Regression Ends - Chapter 29

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 29

 

“Hey. What are you doing? Don’t just stand there getting in the way—either sit down or get lost. You’re bothering me.”

 

“….”

 

“Move.”

 

Bae Seo-nyeok irritably kicked at his nephew.

 

Bae Tae-ak, a first-year middle school student, felt a surge of indignation.

 

This youngest uncle of his lived in the same house with him, just the two of them, yet had never once asked how he was doing!

 

But now this man, who usually barely came home, had been camping in front of the television for hours just to catch a commercial featuring some other family’s daughter?

 

‘I’m your real nephew!’

 

He couldn’t understand what his youngest uncle had been up to lately.

 

The Bae family had three brothers above them.

 

Including Bae Tae-ak’s own father, they were all cold people, but among them, the most indifferent was his youngest uncle, Bae Seo-nyeok.

 

He was the only son their diplomat grandparents had taken along with them, so he grew up in Japan from childhood and continued moving between various countries as an adult, never learning about human affection.

 

He was distant from his own parents, cold toward his brothers, and showed no bond with his only nephew.

 

That man only survived without getting stabbed thanks to his decent appearance.

 

Even the people rumored to be his lovers would ask if he knew his uncle’s whereabouts whenever they saw him.

 

But they probably didn’t know either.

 

The fact that Bae Seo-nyeok, famous for doting on his nephew, lived in the same house as his nephew yet barely exchanged a word with him once a week.

 

Seeing Bae Seo-nyeok care for someone was something you could only witness on screen.

 

But starting two months ago.

 

‘Did this guy take the wrong medicine somewhere?’

 

Bae Seo-nyeok had become strange.

 

「What do young girls like these days?」

 

「Pfft! Cough, cough!」

 

「Disgusting…」

 

「Cough! Who told you to say nonsense while eating?」

 

「Nonsense to an adult?」

 

「…Anyway! What’s this all of a sudden? What girl?」

 

「There’s someone I need to win over in advance.」

 

「Pfft, you? You need to win someone over? Even the great Bae Seo-nyeok has days like this. If she’s younger than you, how young could she be? Around twenty?」

 

「Eight years old.」

 

「Eight years younger? That’s a bit—」

 

「No, just eight years old.」

 

「…A hidden daughter?」

 

「Forget it. Let’s not talk about it.」

 

Then he started spouting nonsense with a displeased face about how nieces were better than nephews.

 

A niece? What niece!

 

His second uncle was unmarried, and his father only had one child—Bae Tae-ak himself!

 

Moreover, their family was a typical male-dominated household with few women throughout generations.

 

Otherwise, how could Eun Madam continue associating with their family even after what she did with his second uncle? It was only possible because they were such rare female bloodlines.

 

Anyway, he later heard that this ‘niece’ referred to Director Ham Gyeong-seok’s commercial model, and that his uncle was keeping an eye on her…

 

“What’s so special about her? She’s just a rookie child actor with no experience. I heard Director Ham Gyeong-seok only picked her as compensation for an accident at the audition hall.”

 

Bae Seo-nyeok, who had been sprawled on the sofa, tilted his head back over the backrest to look at him.

 

“Tae-ak, how do you know that?”

 

“I heard rumors. It was a project with really high pay. There’s a lot of talk going around.”

 

Bae Tae-ak, who had decided early on to pursue acting following his uncle, attended a fairly large-scale acting academy in the industry.

 

Though he went to the academy less often since he started receiving instruction from Bae Seo-nyeok, he still picked up a lot of stories coming and going.

 

“Namihee went, and Lee Seon-yeop… All the kids who are somebody in that age group probably tried out. But then some unknown kid appeared and got picked, so it’d be stranger if there wasn’t talk.”

 

“You’re quite interested in other people’s business.”

 

“That’s how this industry is.”

 

You had to knock down competitors to make room for yourself.

 

It wasn’t a place where you could succeed just by doing well alone.

 

‘Besides…’

 

Bae Tae-ak swallowed his next words.

 

The director for that project was Ham Gyeong-seok.

 

Even a rotten fish was still a fish. This might be a bad time for him, but Ham Gyeong-seok’s career wasn’t shallow enough to disappear so meaninglessly.

 

Rather, some people were saying it would be beneficial to extend a hand to Ham Gyeong-seok while he was struggling.

 

The film industry running on connections wasn’t news, and there were plenty of people who would jump into fire if they could establish ties with a promising director.

 

Though Bae Tae-ak was still a rookie before debut, thanks to having Bae Seo-nyeok as solid backing, he had seen quite a lot while freely moving between the academy and film sets.

 

“Seeing how she calls you uncle, that kid’s obvious too. Instead of thinking about improving her skills, she’s already using tricks at such a young age—”

 

Bae Seo-nyeok glanced at him.

 

“Don’t get too close with the academy people.”

 

“…Yes.”

 

It was a cold warning. Bae Tae-ak was startled into silence.

 

Bae Seo-nyeok chewed on squid legs and fixed his gaze back on the TV screen.

 

“See for yourself and judge. Whether she’s special or not. If you don’t even have that much discernment, quit. Go study instead.”

 

“….”

 

Deflated, Bae Tae-ak fell silent.

 

Actually, Bae Seo-nyeok was a bit curious too.

 

He had already made some judgment, but film couldn’t be checked immediately on set, and Ham Gyeong-seok hadn’t even shared a rough edit.

 

He had even extended the post-production work scheduled for a month by ten days, so it was frustrating wondering what he was up to.

 

‘His voice didn’t sound bad on the phone… Anyway, today will settle it.’

 

Bae Seo-nyeok fidgeted with the cordless phone in his hand.

 

He still hadn’t decided whether to contact Director Haemun.

 

The clock hands pointed to 30 seconds before 7 o’clock sharp.

 

Uncle and nephew, each lost in thought, simultaneously stared at the TV screen.

 

…

 

Haah… inhale, haah…

 

It was blue water.

 

The old, rough grain characteristic of 16mm film cameras filled the screen along with breathing sounds trapped as if in an underwater respirator.

 

There was no music.

 

Human anxious breathing. The sound of bubbles bursting in water.

 

In the heavy silence, viewers unconsciously leaned in and held their breath.

 

And through the sunlight densely piercing below the surface, a ‘silhouette’ of someone swimming appeared. Whitish dust-like particles floated gently around.

 

It was a dreamlike, ethereal image.

 

The dizzy screen was chasing that very silhouette.

 

Was it human?

 

Was it a mermaid?

 

Following the trajectory of pearl-colored arms stirring underwater, water spray scattered like the Milky Way.

 

White dress fabric teasingly brushed across the screen. It seemed like a mermaid flicking its tail.

 

She’s playing with me.

 

During the chase, the screen never cut away. The camera kept showing the mysterious profile before losing it again repeatedly.

 

Each time, the young girl’s wet eyelashes, delicate and immature cheeks, and languid gaze filled the screen in close-up.

 

I have to catch that.

 

Everyone who had been watching intently thought desperately.

 

And in that fleeting moment.

 

Got it…!

 

Just as the viewer let out a sigh of relief, the screen was roughly thrown out of the water.

 

The breathing sounds had somehow transformed into heartbeats, then into dizzying, echo-like music.

 

On the beach.

 

Along with the wet sound of footsteps on sand grains, wet hands and white fingers approached and grasped the lens.

 

The shaking screen came into focus.

 

Moving upward, showing wet hair, skin beaded with water droplets, and trembling lips in sequence, until their eyes met.

 

Those eyes.

 

The music stopped.

 

The beautiful unknown opened her mouth. She asked them.

 

〚”Are you ready?”〛

 

Simultaneously, the screen faded to white as if burning up, and the girl’s clear laughter grew distant.

 

〚Closer than imagination,〛

 

〚Connecting the unknown with you〛

 

〚New Era, Your First Universe. NEU〛

 

…

 

“….”

 

“….”

 

The advertisement ended.

 

Soon after, the loud sounds typical of variety shows filled the living room, but neither of them could speak.

 

Bae Tae-ak because of the lingering impression.

 

Bae Seo-nyeok because of his mixed emotions.

 

“…How old did you say she was?”

 

Bae Tae-ak’s voice, finally spoken, sounded dazed.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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