Lord Of Dying Smoke - Chapter 219



Only Noblemtl

The King of Death Smoke Episode 219

The Hope (7)

It was impossible to come this far and say it was impossible.

Director Henry had no choice but to work hard to come up with this crazy promotional plan while crying and eating mustard.

A few days later, Director Henry handed me the plan with a blank look in his eyes.

“Well, at this rate, we’ll be able to save face somehow. At least we’ll be able to rally the fans of .”

“Hmm.”

“But that’s it. Comic-Con is dominated by mega-series production companies like Marvel, DC, and Lucasfilm. No matter what you do, you’re bound to be compared. It’s better to just give up now.”

“I decided to recommend someone else as the director for my next project.”

“Director Olson! Please! This Henry Pyen is on his knees─!”

Penelope went to her uncle, ignoring the bickering director.

“Please sign.”

CEO Jaylen, who was working, pressed the pen he was holding on his head.

“Oh, Penny… Why are you doing this when you know that! At this scale, we absolutely have to hold a board meeting!”

“I told you that I would pay for the damage with my own money?”

“Oh my god, this is a problem from before! How can you do something like this when the name of the project itself is at stake─”

“I know that you owe me and Min a lot, from to now.”

“… … .”

“Oh, and by the way, when was my contract expiry date? Do you remember by any chance?”

It was an unprecedented threat by an executive director to send him to another agency.

But, in response to that strange threat, CEO Jaylen signed with a grim expression. If it was his beloved nephew, he could have done so…

In that way, the nephew, who even used his maternal uncle as a meat shield, confidently went to see Kangmin.

“I’ve been thinking hard. What can I do to make up for the Emmy you didn’t get?”

“… … .”

“Don’t worry. Penelope Olsen will push you further in your grandmother’s name!”

“… … .”

What should I say?

Kang Min has always been the type to swing people around with excitement.

From PD Han Ye-seul to Director Kim Kang-hyun, stuntman Kim Ho-jin to director Hopper Dusk─ the number of victims who have suffered at the hands of Kang Min has been countless.

Something happened that made them all stand up and applaud.

“… Well, let me say this again. I’m not interested in such things. What’s important is─”

“Don’t worry. I’m not interested in your rejection, so just accept it.”

“… … Ahem, hmmm, and what is it, Penny, you’re also a director of your own agency, so wouldn’t it look bad if you did something like that? It’s also unfair on the company level─”

“If you keep nagging me, I’ll just throw you a moving ticket. It’s not like anyone’s going to give you anything.”

“… … .”

Kangmin was speechless.

* * *

Kangmin tried hard.

I really tried my best.

Secrets that even Seo Bom didn’t know about poured out like crazy.

“I told you! I just want to pretend to die!”

“…i know.”

“Huh, if you know─”

“Is that your lump?”

“yes?”

“But, Min. Didn’t you say that to Aishi? You can’t stop worrying, that’s just how people’s minds are made to be. But it’s wrong to obsess over it, or even to become consumed by self-loathing. That’s what you said.”

“no.”

“I think I can help you.”

“… … .”

Penelope met his eyes.

He had a very serious expression on his face.

And, Kangmin, who saw that, thought blankly.

‘What are you saying?’

No, really, what are you talking about?

It’s not that kind of tricky problem.

If I act like I’m not dying right away, I’ll die in my dreams every day!

“Well, that’s not the problem.”

“…i know.”

“No, that’s not really the problem.”

“… Yes, I know.”

“What I mean is.”

“i know!”

“What the heck!”

It’s been about three years since I debuted as an actor.

Has anything ever made you feel more upset than this?

Kang Min, who was beating his chest, even revealed a secret that he could not tell anyone to the world.

“No, I’m just saying that if I can’t act like I’m dying, I’ll have nightmares where I die dozens of times! That’s why I’m only looking for acting like that! That’s the answer!”

“……ah?”

There was silence.

There was a very long silence.

As expected, this special secret worked.

It was so effective that Director Penelope’s eyes filled with tears.

“Sigh… No way, to that extent…!”

“H-Hold on a second. I think there’s been a huge misunderstanding right now, and that nightmare isn’t about that. It’s about a herd of rhinos.”

“What can I do to help…!”

“This is driving me crazy, seriously.”

What goes around comes around.

The law of the jungle is yours.

The price for making so many people tear their hair out will come back to haunt them one day.

There would be many people who would be moved by Director Penelope’s tears, but for some reason, Kang Min was just clutching his head.

If MBS Director Kim Kang-hyun and his vice president partner had seen this, they would have started to cry and imitate seals.

My stomach turned inside out.

‘Shit X.’

Anyway, at this point, it wasn’t even a situation where I could convince him to tell me the whole truth.

If you say something like the ghost of a knight coaching you to play the role of Richard I, you’ll probably end up in a psychiatric hospital.

Kang Min desperately tried to fix it as best he could.

“Well, anyway, isn’t that not important right now? The movie’s momentum is strange! Isn’t now the time to focus on the series?”

“… That’s true.”

“Anyway, we need to discuss how to save the project. We have to do something!”

“Anything.”

“That’s right!”

Penelope looked up.

As Kang Min wiped away the cold sweat, thinking that he had barely managed to pull it together, his red eyes sparkled as if he had found prey.

* * *

A few days later, on the day of the event.

Jack Miller, who runs a hardware store on West 6th Street in Texas and lives a comfortable life, was sweating profusely.

“Oh, it surprisingly suits you, Dad?”

“Hey, Katie? How on earth is it…?”

“You’ve been acting so suspicious for the past few days, so I followed you. You should have just told me.”

“… … .”

It was also physically hot. The armor worn by Mr. Miller was more insulating than I had expected, and the inside of the historic San Diego Comic-Con venue was more heated than I had expected.

But the main reason was that my daughter caught me playing around like this when I was older.

I was drenched in cold sweat.

“that….”

Mr. Miller tried to make an excuse, but a young man’s exclamation was faster than his.

“What is that character?”

“What the heck, Richard the Great! … Oh, wait, I’m going to take some pictures too! Hey, can I take a video too?!”

“Haha …

“Wow, you really practiced your voice a lot! Thank you!”

The young man who had scored the winning shot went back smiling brightly.

Katie Miller was silent.

Mr. Miller, who instinctively let out a ‘hahaha’ sound, also remained silent.

The evil Kang Min’s plot ended up making the daughter look at her once-old-man father with contempt.

The back of Mr. Miller’s neck became damp.

“… That, Katie. That’s not it. I was supposed to do a deal here, but the person who was supposed to come didn’t show up, so I told him I had some clothes left over, and since I was already here, I should try them on.”

“Even if that’s true, don’t you think it’s a bit too exciting?”

“… … .”

“I’m kidding.”

The daughter shrugged and looked around.

I didn’t really like the fact that there were only people who looked like nerds. To be honest, just looking at them made me sick and made me want to go back right away.

But, Mr. Miller had gotten WTS concert tickets after running around for a few days with the connections he had made through second-hand trading. The daughter was not without feeling the change in her father.

Katie, who was looking around while leaving Mr. Miller flustered, soon found a place where a female contestant was renting costumes.

“Hello. Can I borrow some clothes?”

“Katie…?”

“Oh, of course! What character would you like? Given the hair color, Hermione? Jessica Jones? Oh, and to round things off, how about Jaina Proudmoore? She’s my own creation. There’s even a prop, the Gaze of Focus!”

“Uh, I don’t know….”

“That’s great! Then you’ll get to know each other better from today! First, let’s talk about Kirin Tor─”

“… … .”

Katie, who was dizzy from the chatter that poured out like a multi-shot gun, looked around and picked up an outfit that seemed to have been seen somewhere.

The female contestant beamed with delight, her glasses shining.

“Captain of the ! You’re popular these days, right? The reviews say the movie wasn’t as good as expected, but Penelope Olsen and Kang Min are surprisingly good together─”

“Oh, yes. I’ll do this.”

“Okay! Here, take this hat! It’s a pirate hat and a captain’s hat, but I recommend hiding the latter for character! You brought a bag, so how about letting it show through? That kind of detail is killer! Oh, and if it’s the badge from your intelligence officer days, this way─”

‘I must never come back again.’

Katie is already exhausted.

As I turned around, shaking my head, Mr. Miller was coughing.

Katie sighed and asked.

“Do you want to take a spin?”

“Ahem, ahem… Okay then.”

The woman walked awkwardly.

Although their relationship had improved recently, this was the first time they had walked side by side since Mr. Miller’s wife died.

‘Even a year ago, if I told you I was going to be doing this with my dad, you would’ve thought I was crazy.’

Katie clicked her tongue inwardly as she watched Mr. Miller trying hard to hide the anti-tank rocket that couldn’t be hidden.

‘Come to think of it, my mother used to say that my father was quite a cheerful person when he was young.’

I thought it was nonsense, but maybe it really was.

There must have been various circumstances that made it impossible for that to happen.

For example, having to raise a young daughter alone.

‘… Well, is it too late now?’

Thirty minutes after we started walking together, the awkward atmosphere didn’t get any better.

Katie couldn’t find a topic to bring up, and Mr. Miller was busy looking around.

No one who sees it will be able to recall the cozy atmosphere between a father and a daughter.

Even people who wanted to take pictures were cautious.

Katie, who had gathered up her courage and even borrowed clothes, let out a small sigh.

‘…Shall we go back?’

That’s right, it was while Katie was feeling bitter about her petty actions.

A man and a woman appeared from the opposite side.

“Look at that! There’s more!”

“Huh… Is this really true?”

“‘Anything.’”

“I’m crazy.”

Both of them had their faces covered by sunglasses. But judging from the atmosphere, the man looked grumpy, while the woman looked somehow happy.

Katie honestly thought she was a little jealous.

Until the woman who had come closer smiled brightly and lowered her sunglasses.

‘uh…?’

The woman lowered her voice slightly as she looked at the frozen Katie.

“hey.”

“yes yes?”

“Are you by any chance a fan of mine?”

Katie looked away blankly.

Richard Miller, who saw the original Richard I, was left with his mouth wide open in amazement. The Hope (7)

It was impossible to come this far and say it was impossible.

Director Henry had no choice but to work hard to come up with this crazy promotional plan while crying and eating mustard.

A few days later, Director Henry handed me the plan with a blank look in his eyes.

“Well, at this rate, we’ll be able to save face somehow. At least we’ll be able to rally the fans of .”

“Hmm.”

“But that’s it. Comic-Con is dominated by mega-series production companies like Marvel, DC, and Lucasfilm. No matter what you do, you’re bound to be compared. It’s better to just give up now.”

“I decided to recommend someone else as the director for my next project.”

“Director Olson! Please! This Henry Pyen is on his knees─!”

Penelope went to her uncle, ignoring the bickering director.

“Please sign.”

CEO Jaylen, who was working, pressed the pen he was holding on his head.

“Oh, Penny… Why are you doing this when you know that! At this scale, we absolutely have to hold a board meeting!”

“I told you that I would pay for the damage with my own money?”

“Oh my god, this is a problem from before! How can you do something like this when the name of the project itself is at stake─”

“I know that you owe me and Min a lot, from to now.”

“… … .”

“Oh, and by the way, when was my contract expiry date? Do you remember by any chance?”

It was an unprecedented threat by an executive director to send him to another agency.

But, in response to that strange threat, CEO Jaylen signed with a grim expression. If it was his beloved nephew, he could have done so…

In that way, the nephew, who even used his maternal uncle as a meat shield, confidently went to see Kangmin.

“I’ve been thinking hard. What can I do to make up for the Emmy you didn’t get?”

“… … .”

“Don’t worry. Penelope Olsen will push you further in your grandmother’s name!”

“… … .”

What should I say?

Kang Min has always been the type to swing people around with excitement.

From PD Han Ye-seul to Director Kim Kang-hyun, stuntman Kim Ho-jin to director Hopper Dusk─ the number of victims who have suffered at the hands of Kang Min has been countless.

Something happened that made them all stand up and applaud.

“… Well, let me say this again. I’m not interested in such things. What’s important is─”

“Don’t worry. I’m not interested in your rejection, so just accept it.”

“… … Ahem, hmmm, and what is it, Penny, you’re also a director of your own agency, so wouldn’t it look bad if you did something like that? It’s also unfair on the company level─”

“If you keep nagging me, I’ll just throw you a moving ticket. It’s not like anyone’s going to give you anything.”

“… … .”

Kangmin was speechless.

* * *

Kangmin tried hard.

I really tried my best.

Secrets that even Seo Bom didn’t know about poured out like crazy.

“I told you! I just want to pretend to die!”

“…i know.”

“Huh, if you know─”

“Is that your lump?”

“yes?”

“But, Min. Didn’t you say that to Aishi? You can’t stop worrying, that’s just how people’s minds are made to be. But it’s wrong to obsess over it, or even to become consumed by self-loathing. That’s what you said.”

“no.”

“I think I can help you.”

“… … .”

Penelope met his eyes.

He had a very serious expression on his face.

And, Kangmin, who saw that, thought blankly.

‘What are you saying?’

No, really, what are you talking about?

It’s not that kind of tricky problem.

If I act like I’m not dying right away, I’ll die in my dreams every day!

“Well, that’s not the problem.”

“…i know.”

“No, that’s not really the problem.”

“… Yes, I know.”

“What I mean is.”

“i know!”

“What the heck!”

It’s been about three years since I debuted as an actor.

Has anything ever made you feel more upset than this?

Kang Min, who was beating his chest, even revealed a secret that he could not tell anyone to the world.

“No, I’m just saying that if I can’t act like I’m dying, I’ll have nightmares where I die dozens of times! That’s why I’m only looking for acting like that! That’s the answer!”

“……ah?”

There was silence.

There was a very long silence.

As expected, this special secret worked.

It was so effective that Director Penelope’s eyes filled with tears.

“Sigh… No way, to that extent…!”

“H-Hold on a second. I think there’s been a huge misunderstanding right now, and that nightmare isn’t about that. It’s about a herd of rhinos.”

“What can I do to help…!”

“This is driving me crazy, seriously.”

What goes around comes around.

The law of the jungle is yours.

The price for making so many people tear their hair out will come back to haunt them one day.

There would be many people who would be moved by Director Penelope’s tears, but for some reason, Kang Min was just clutching his head.

If MBS Director Kim Kang-hyun and his vice president partner had seen this, they would have started to cry and imitate seals.

My stomach turned inside out.

‘Shit X.’

Anyway, at this point, it wasn’t even a situation where I could convince him to tell me the whole truth.

If you say something like the ghost of a knight coaching you to play the role of Richard I, you’ll probably end up in a psychiatric hospital.

Kang Min desperately tried to fix it as best he could.

“Well, anyway, isn’t that not important right now? The movie’s momentum is strange! Isn’t now the time to focus on the series?”

“… That’s true.”

“Anyway, we need to discuss how to save the project. We have to do something!”

“Anything.”

“That’s right!”

Penelope looked up.

As Kang Min wiped away the cold sweat, thinking that he had barely managed to pull it together, his red eyes sparkled as if he had found prey.

* * *

A few days later, on the day of the event.

Jack Miller, who runs a hardware store on West 6th Street in Texas and lives a comfortable life, was sweating profusely.

“Oh, it surprisingly suits you, Dad?”

“Hey, Katie? How on earth is it…?”

“You’ve been acting so suspicious for the past few days, so I followed you. You should have just told me.”

“… … .”

It was also physically hot. The armor worn by Mr. Miller was more insulating than I had expected, and the inside of the historic San Diego Comic-Con venue was more heated than I had expected.

But the main reason was that my daughter caught me playing around like this when I was older.

I was drenched in cold sweat.

“that….”

Mr. Miller tried to make an excuse, but a young man’s exclamation was faster than his.

“What is that character?”

“What the heck, Richard the Great! … Oh, wait, I’m going to take some pictures too! Hey, can I take a video too?!”

“Haha …

“Wow, you really practiced your voice a lot! Thank you!”

The young man who had scored the winning shot went back smiling brightly.

Katie Miller was silent.

Mr. Miller, who instinctively let out a ‘hahaha’ sound, also remained silent.

The evil Kang Min’s plot ended up making the daughter look at her once-old-man father with contempt.

The back of Mr. Miller’s neck became damp.

“… That, Katie. That’s not it. I was supposed to do a deal here, but the person who was supposed to come didn’t show up, so I told him I had some clothes left over, and since I was already here, I should try them on.”

“Even if that’s true, don’t you think it’s a bit too exciting?”

“… … .”

“I’m kidding.”

The daughter shrugged and looked around.

I didn’t really like the fact that there were only people who looked like nerds. To be honest, just looking at them made me sick and made me want to go back right away.

But, Mr. Miller had gotten WTS concert tickets after running around for a few days with the connections he had made through second-hand trading. The daughter was not without feeling the change in her father.

Katie, who was looking around while leaving Mr. Miller flustered, soon found a place where a female contestant was renting costumes.

“Hello. Can I borrow some clothes?”

“Katie…?”

“Oh, of course! What character would you like? Given the hair color, Hermione? Jessica Jones? Oh, and to round things off, how about Jaina Proudmoore? She’s my own creation. There’s even a prop, the Gaze of Focus!”

“Uh, I don’t know….”

“That’s great! Then you’ll get to know each other better from today! First, let’s talk about Kirin Tor─”

“… … .”

Katie, who was dizzy from the chatter that poured out like a multi-shot gun, looked around and picked up an outfit that seemed to have been seen somewhere.

The female contestant beamed with delight, her glasses shining.

“Captain of the ! You’re popular these days, right? The reviews say the movie wasn’t as good as expected, but Penelope Olsen and Kang Min are surprisingly good together─”

“Oh, yes. I’ll do this.”

“Okay! Here, take this hat! It’s a pirate hat and a captain’s hat, but I recommend hiding the latter for character! You brought a bag, so how about letting it show through? That kind of detail is killer! Oh, and if it’s the badge from your intelligence officer days, this way─”

‘I must never come back again.’

Katie is already exhausted.

As I turned around, shaking my head, Mr. Miller was coughing.

Katie sighed and asked.

“Do you want to take a spin?”

“Ahem, ahem… Okay then.”

The woman walked awkwardly.

Although their relationship had improved recently, this was the first time they had walked side by side since Mr. Miller’s wife died.

‘Even a year ago, if I told you I was going to be doing this with my dad, you would’ve thought I was crazy.’

Katie clicked her tongue inwardly as she watched Mr. Miller trying hard to hide the anti-tank rocket that couldn’t be hidden.

‘Come to think of it, my mother used to say that my father was quite a cheerful person when he was young.’

I thought it was nonsense, but maybe it really was.

There must have been various circumstances that made it impossible for that to happen.

For example, having to raise a young daughter alone.

‘… Well, is it too late now?’

Thirty minutes after we started walking together, the awkward atmosphere didn’t get any better.

Katie couldn’t find a topic to bring up, and Mr. Miller was busy looking around.

No one who sees it will be able to recall the cozy atmosphere between a father and a daughter.

Even people who wanted to take pictures were cautious.

Katie, who had gathered up her courage and even borrowed clothes, let out a small sigh.

‘…Shall we go back?’

That’s right, it was while Katie was feeling bitter about her petty actions.

A man and a woman appeared from the opposite side.

“Look at that! There’s more!”

“Huh… Is this really true?”

“‘Anything.’”

“I’m crazy.”

Both of them had their faces covered by sunglasses. But judging from the atmosphere, the man looked grumpy, while the woman looked somehow happy.

Katie honestly thought she was a little jealous.

Until the woman who had come closer smiled brightly and lowered her sunglasses.

‘uh…?’

The woman lowered her voice slightly as she looked at the frozen Katie.

“hey.”

“yes yes?”

“Are you by any chance a fan of mine?”

Katie looked away blankly.

Richard Miller, who saw the original Richard I, was left with his mouth open in amazement.