---
Prologue
"Chuckle."
The old woman gave a strange laugh.
Happiness, sadness, exhilaration.
Et cetera.
It was a laugh that mixed various ambiguous emotions.
"Huh?"
A man witnessing the scene was taken aback.
The image of an old woman with a hunched back in the shape of a 'ㄱ', wearing a black beret.
Moreover, there was an indescribable atmosphere surrounding her—both mysterious and bizarre.
It definitely looked familiar.
"Finally, this moment... hehehe."
The old woman kept muttering incomprehensible words, laughing continuously.
"Grandma, back then..."
Just as the man was about to speak,
"Your name was Baek Woo-jin."
The old woman, who had been laughing for a long time, suddenly stopped and said.
Then, step by step, she slowly approached him.
The distance between the two gradually decreased.
"I've been waiting just to meet you again."
Soon, the old woman, now standing in front of Woojin, took off her beret.
Her face, still full of wrinkles, stared back at him.
"Excuse me, Grandma. May I ask you just one thing?"
"Speak."
Up close, the sense of intimidation emanating from the old woman was overwhelming.
Flinch.
He was slightly taken aback by her energy, but Woojin couldn't stop himself from asking the question he had been dying to ask.
That diary.
"Why did you give it to me?"
The diary.
The fundamental reason that brought the two together now.
"Chuckle."
At Woojin's question, the old woman smiled once again.
This time, the sly feeling was a bit stronger.
"That's just how it is..."
The old woman's lips, which had slowly parted, subtly curled upwards.
---
Episode 1
After graduating from high school, I enlisted in the military right away.
And right after being discharged, when I came to Seoul with dreams of becoming an actor, I was 21 years old.
Since then, Woojin had endured 15 years of obscurity.
The driving force behind it all was...
"If you want to become an actor, be prepared to go to 500 auditions."
It was advice from his first acting teacher, whom he met at an acting academy while juggling part-time jobs.
There would be countless setbacks in the future. Of course, if luck was on his side, he could succeed soon. But most actors don't. They remain unknown for their entire lives. Don't count on luck. Luck comes when you're prepared, and opportunities will arise if you endure and don't give up—determined to go through 500 auditions. Got it?
From that time on, I always kept the number "500" in mind.
I promised myself I wouldn't give up until the 500th audition.
I had no doubt I would succeed before reaching that number, but what if I couldn't even after trying that many times?
Back then, I always thought I'd quit without regrets.
"I'll definitely succeed as a lead actor within 500 tries!" A life dedicated to acting, driven by that determination.
And now, 15 years later, standing at the moment of his 500th audition—a moment he never thought would come—he was still an unknown actor.
---
Sizzle~ Crack!
The cheerful sound of a beer can opening shattered the surrounding silence.
However,
"A person destined to fail will fail to the end..."
Bitterness, emptiness, sadness.
The cheerful sounds contrasted sharply with the grim emotions etched on Woojin's face.
"Sigh."
Woojin let out a deep sigh and looked at his phone.
His gaze was fixed on a lengthy message displayed on the screen.
---
Unfortunately, I regret to inform you that I will not be able to participate in this project. If the opportunity arises later, I look forward to seeing you again in the next project. Wishing you success.
Assistant Director Dream
---
In short, it was a 'rejection notice.'
No matter how many times he read it, the content remained the same.
Snicker.
A hollow laugh escaped his lips.
"I really believed it would work this time..."
He thought back to the third audition for a commercial film that took place just a week ago.
It was a role where only one of the five actors who had passed the first and second auditions would be cast.
There,
"You're really good at acting. Why have you only done minor roles? I don't get it."
"Can you clear your schedule starting mid-next month?"
As soon as he performed the prepared act, the words from the audition staff, including the director, replayed in his mind.
It was a reaction no one would have thought was just a false alarm.
But why on earth?
As soon as he got the text and wanted to know the reason for his rejection, Woojin called the assistant director.
"Woojin's image and acting were the best. The director was considering him too, but there's a rookie the production label is pushing, so we had no choice. I sincerely hope you get a better opportunity next time, senior. I'm sorry."
Woojin heard something he didn't want to.
The practice of casting a rookie affiliated with an agency while also casting a more well-known actor.
Commonly known as 'actor bundling.'
It sounds polite, but in reality, it's almost coercion, making it hard for the production team to refuse.
"It's time to quit now..."
Having been subjected to this kind of situation more than once, he was familiar with it.
But never in his wildest dreams did he think he'd lose out on a role because of a bundled deal at his 500th audition—the one he thought would be his last.
"You could have just said my acting was lacking…"
If that had been the case, he wouldn't have any lingering regrets or feel like he'd wasted his time.
"It wasn't my path."
With a blank expression, Woojin mumbled and downed the beer in one go.
---
Gulp, gulp.
Thud.
In the blink of an eye, the empty beer can joined several others rolling around at his feet.
---
Woojin trudged along the night road, heading home.
"Missing out on being together? Not a chance..."
Even though the alcohol was kicking in, his mind was strangely clear.
It would have been better if he were completely drunk—at least then the loneliness wouldn't be so overwhelming.
"Why does the hill feel so steep today?"
It was a short distance of less than 10 minutes on foot from Mangwon-dong Han River Park to his one-room apartment.
It was a road he passed by frequently, but today it felt unfamiliar.
"Was it always this quiet?"
No matter how late it was, there were never this few people around.
Moreover,
"Why is it so dark?"
Despite the streetlights, the alleyway felt unusually dark and silent.
Even though the sky was clear, the surroundings were hazy, as if shrouded in fog.
It was a phenomenon he had never experienced before.
"I should get home quickly."
Feeling uneasy, Woojin quickened his pace.
---
Squeak.
At the end of the dim alley, the sound of something clattering echoed.
On any other day, he would have just gone home...
What is that?
Maybe it was the alcohol, but curiosity surged within him.
Woojin slowly approached the source of the sound.
Just then,
"Hey, young man."
A voice called out to him.
"Yes?"
Suppressing his surprise, Woojin headed toward the end of the alley, soon feeling relieved.
The owner of the voice was an old woman in an ordinary appearance, wearing a hat and pulling a cart.
"Did you call me?"
"Sorry, but could you help me with this?"
"Ah, yes, of course!"
Woojin quickly ran to her and grabbed the cart.
"I'll pull it."
"Just pushing from behind is enough."
"The fog is thick. It's dangerous. Let me pull it. Please, Grandma."
"Then, could you pull it to the end of that uphill road?"
The cart was heavy, but not too heavy for Woojin to pull.
"Yes, let's go."
"Thank you."
As Woojin pulled the cart, the old woman silently walked beside him.
---
While walking, Woojin asked, "Grandma, are you okay? It must be tough with your back bent like that."
"..."
The old woman remained silent, so Woojin awkwardly pulled the cart in silence.
After a while, the old woman suddenly spoke.
"By the way."
"Yes, Grandma?"
"What does the young man do for a living?"
"Oh, me?"
Woojin hesitated, thinking about how to respond.
Should I say I'm an actor?
"I am…"
When he tried to say it, the words got stuck in his throat.
He had just decided to quit acting.
"I was an actor."
"Acting?"
"Yes. I was an actor. Well, not anymore…"
Without realizing it, Woojin trailed off.
He sighed as he continued pulling the cart.
---
After about 10 minutes of walking in silence, they reached the end of the uphill road. The old woman turned to Woojin.
"Young man, thank you."
"No, it was nothing. I'll pull it a bit further if you'd like."
"No need. This is far enough."
At her firm tone, Woojin gently put down the cart.
"Then, please be careful."
Just as he was about to turn and leave,
"Bachelor."
The old woman called out to him.