If I Don’t Earn 1 Trillion Won, My Regression Ends - Chapter 30

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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 30

 

It was shocking.

 

It wasn’t an advertisement.

 

That couldn’t be called an advertisement. It wasn’t even in that format and was unlike anything that had existed before.

 

It was aesthetic and dreamlike…

 

Above all, it was experimental.

 

It felt like watching a very short film, or like awakening from hypnosis.

 

After that fantasy-like chase sequence ending in excavation? discovery, my heart was pounding loudly.

 

I was genuinely curious about who that girl was, and I wanted to know.

 

Bae Tae-ak unconsciously looked at his uncle with earnestness, but Bae Seo-nyeok wasn’t in the mood to pay attention to him either.

 

“If this is truly a ‘discovery,’ I’ll consider myself in your debt. Director Ham Gyeong-seok.”

 

‘Ham Gyeong-seok…!’

 

Well done, Ham Gyeong-seok!

 

How dare you create art with someone else’s money?

 

This was Ham Gyeong-seok’s declaration of war thrown at the world, and Seosing-a’s portfolio.

 

My eyes, Ham Gyeong-seok’s eyes, are still alive, so take a good look at this girl I’ve discovered.

 

[One debt recorded. Bill me anytime.]

 

After sending the text, Bae Seo-nyeok pressed the button.

 

His footsteps leaving the living room carried impatience. Fortunately, the ringtone didn’t last long.

 

“Director. This is Seo-nyeok.”

 

Finally releasing the breath held deep in his lungs, Bae Seo-nyeok spoke. His voice trembled at the end with unavoidable elation.

 

“I found her. Our female lead.”

 

♧

 

Thud…

 

The chicken leg from the seasoned fried chicken Father was holding dropped helplessly. His pants were a mess, but no one pointed it out. There was no time for that.

 

The living room that had been bustling and noisy with all the neighbors gathered had become quiet as if by magic.

 

They were all people that loose-lipped Madam Bang Suk-yeong had called together.

 

She had excitedly done this saying our daughter would be on television today…

 

A scene no one had expected appeared.

 

In the strange silence, Madam Bang swallowed dry saliva and muttered as if she couldn’t believe it.

 

“Is that… our daughter?”

 

My feelings weren’t much different.

 

‘Th-that’s me…?’

 

Didn’t they say the concept was Sim Cheong…?

 

How did it end up looking like a mermaid from Pirates of the Caribbean, specifically a mermaid interpreted in Joe Wright’s directorial style?

 

Did they put Dior stockings over the lens without me knowing? Why did the color grading turn out so well?

 

No, more than that, who is that mysterious beautiful girl?!

 

‘Ham Gyeong-seok is pulling a nationwide scam!’

 

I couldn’t even recognize my own face.

 

No wonder he was so confident.

 

The talent worthy of at most an Oscar, at minimum a Blue Dragon Award, was not to be taken lightly.

 

The power of 4-star potential was enough to transform a moderately pretty neighborhood girl into a living, breathing mermaid princess.

 

“My goodness… she looks so different on television! Sing-a’s mother, what kind of blessing is this?”

 

“If I didn’t know Sing-a, I would have thought she wasn’t human!”

 

The room began to get noisy again with the voices of the neighbors who had come to their senses.

 

The excited chatter grew louder and more mixed together until you couldn’t tell who was speaking.

 

If even I, coming from the future, was shocked, how much more so for people from the 90s?

 

Advertisements of this era were cheerful, family-oriented, and warm in feeling. They mainly used celebrities with friendly images as models.

 

Mysticism?

 

That wouldn’t come out until after entering the 2000s!

 

In the 2020s, even if a robot was lying in a junkyard, people would say “Ah, I see” if you claimed it was a bed advertisement, but in ’98, a cell phone ad without a cell phone?

 

Chasing what might be a mermaid or human silhouette underwater for the entire 30 seconds?

 

That green horn-rimmed glasses Ham Gyeong-seok was ahead of his time, but too far ahead.

 

‘Such a genius is pitifully destined to remain unknown-‘

 

“But who made that?”

 

“Right~ I’m curious who it is. Is it a foreigner? It doesn’t seem like a Korean advertisement.”

 

“Whoever made it deserves an award. Could the person who makes something like that be ordinary? They’re a genius, a genius!”

 

【Causality fluctuation detected!】

 

【Causality has been refracted due to the intervention of a singularity.】

 

【The fate of connection ‘Ham Gyeong-seok’ is changing.】

 

Huh?

 

Huh…?!

 

【Due to information changes, the connection information for ‘Ham Gyeong-seok’ has been fully unlocked.】

 

【Connection – Ham Gyeong-seok, born 1969】

 

【Category: Culture·Arts (Film Director)】

 

【Potential: ★★★★☆

 

Destiny Power: ★★☆☆☆

 

Compatibility: ★★★★☆

 

Connection Level: ★★★★☆】

 

【He was born with the misfortune of never receiving the spotlight in his lifetime, but who said fate cannot be changed? An irregular that didn’t exist in his original destiny miraculously appeared and added luck to his fortune. This is what you’d call the power of ‘connection,’ isn’t it?】

 

What?!

 

‘The power of connection?’

 

Destiny Power could actually increase?

 

No, more than that-

 

Compatibility and Connection Level are both 4-star?!

 

“Oh right! This isn’t the time for this! Shouldn’t we get Sing-a’s autograph?”

 

“That’s right! Sing-a, come here! What are you doing!”

 

“I said from the first time I saw her that this kid was different. Look how pretty she is~ Could a kid like this grow up ordinary?”

 

Coming out of the brief shock and regaining my senses, I found the neighbors surrounding me and chattering.

 

The way they looked at me was different from before.

 

They were amazed and much more affectionate, but there was also a strange sense of distance and cautiousness mixed in.

 

“Many things will change when May comes, Sing-a.”

 

I couldn’t feel it more keenly than I did now.

 

That the direction of my life had completely changed from before.

 

♧

 

“Alright~ kids. Take your seats! Let’s blow out the cake candles! Everyone needs to sing happy birthday to Sing-a, right?”

 

“Auntie! What about the firecrackers? Where are the firecrackers?”

 

“Can’t I sit next to Sing-a? This isn’t fair!”

 

“No way, move! I’m going to sit there!”

 

‘Ah… this is chaos…’

 

Madam Bang Suk-yeong was struggling with the commotion the kids were causing, but I didn’t feel even a bit of sympathy for her.

 

The mother and daughter of capital I had said it multiple times.

 

The atmosphere seemed unusual, so let’s close the door and blow out the candles quietly as a family.

 

Therefore, this current scene was purely a disaster that the ENFP madam had brought upon herself, believing that the more people at a party, the better.

 

That’s right. Today is May 25th.

 

My birthday.

 

I thought I’d become the protagonist of that meme crying because no one came to the party… but everything changed after yesterday.

 

Because NEU’s commercial was an absolute mega-hit.

 

Since this was an era without smartphones, I couldn’t check real-time reactions, but there’s something called a surrounding meter, right?

 

After the commercial ended, neighbors who heard the rumors were lingering in front of our house, and today at school, not only kids from other classes but even upperclassmen came flocking over, causing a huge commotion.

 

I don’t know how many times I was called to the teachers’ office just today.

 

「This is Sing-a from our class~ You saw it, right? Yesterday’s commercial, the mermaid girl!」

 

「Oh my! That child was from your class, teacher?!」

 

I had somewhat prepared myself since the commercial’s first broadcast time was right before 《Sunday Night》, during prime time… but I was wrong.

 

I had underestimated the viewing rates of the 90s!

 

An era with no YouTube, no Netflix, and where the three major broadcast networks monopolized all channels, let alone cable.

 

It was a time when the entire family gathering to watch TV was the nation’s entertainment, and without needing any algorithms, whatever was on television immediately became the topic of the entire country.

 

In other words, without any exaggeration, half the nation’s population saw my commercial as soon as it aired yesterday evening.

 

And the commercial was still playing continuously on TV screens whenever there was a break.

 

“Suk-yeong unnie~ The phone’s been ringing non-stop. Shouldn’t we answer it?”

 

“No, leave it! They’re strangers. Newspaper reporters, managers, how on earth did they get our home number! This won’t do. Let’s just unplug the cord.”

 

I listened to Mother’s voice while firmly grabbing the hem of the clothes of someone trying to get up next to me.

 

“Just stay.”

 

“…I’m in a different grade anyway-”

 

“Stay with me. If you move away, it’ll get even more chaotic.”

 

At my whispered words, Jeong Hyeon-gyo sat back down with a troubled expression.

 

This model student seemed ready to voluntarily give up his seat because of the kids throwing tantrums about wanting to sit next to me, but who said he could?

 

Jeong Hyeon-gyo glanced at my hand tightly gripping his clothes.

 

Oh right~ This kid doesn’t like being touched, right?

 

“…I didn’t mean for you to let go.”

 

“I know~ I know everything. It’s okay.”

 

“No, really-”

 

“But that’s strange? Auntie! Why aren’t you turning off the fluorescent lights when Sing-a’s blowing out the cake candles?”

 

At one child’s innocent question, the adults’ side hesitated, and it suddenly became quiet.

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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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