Ghost-seeing actor

Taeju returned to his room.

Without hesitation, he picked up his phone and called Dongrak.

He didn’t want to delay any longer, as he had hesitated for the past ten years.

“Hey, Dongrak, it’s me. The role you offered me earlier, is it still available?”

-Are you seriously doing this? If you’re lying, I’ll kill you.

“Why would I lie about acting? I’m going all in from now on.”

He didn’t notice.

Beside him, Lee Joonghyup was wearing a smug smile.

***

Saturday morning.

Taeju headed to the gym near the Korea National University of Arts.

Today, he was introduced to his opponent and the lead actor, Jo Seongbok.

He was unusually tall and had a lean build. He had been a boxer until middle school.

Seongbok’s gaze, as he scanned Taeju up and down, was sharp.

“Hey, Seo Dongrak. Are you sure you brought a proper person? I’m not acting with someone who just takes up space.”

“Come on, senior. He’s done some acting before… Anyway, he’ll do well naturally.”

Dongrak had hidden Taeju’s past as a child actor, mainly because Taeju wanted to start fresh from scratch.

Seongbok tapped Taeju’s chest with the mitts.

“Don’t try to show off just because you’re on camera. This scene is mine.”

Taeju looked at him in disbelief as Seongbok smirked.

“You should just play the extra role well.”

***

Changing into sportswear, Taeju came out and, since it was still before rehearsal, opened the script.

The movie title was “The Last Battle.”

The protagonist, Myung Hyunseok, was a boxing prodigy who had been chasing his dreams.

But he gave up boxing due to reality and ended up working as a deliveryman.

Later, he enters a boxing tournament with a huge cash prize and makes it to the finals.

Taeju’s role was to be the opponent in the final match.

Although his role was supporting the protagonist, he didn’t want to slack off in his performance.

As the script described, he planned to portray a ‘fierce and intense match.’

‘Alright, let’s practice.’

Taeju suddenly stood up and threw a punch at the sandbag.

Thud!

His hair was soaked with sweat.

Just as he was focused, someone spoke to him from the side.

[Hey, young man.]

Taeju turned his head to find a small, thin old man standing there.

Why is there an old man in the gym who looks like he’s about to collapse?

[I’ve spent my whole life exercising, but in the end, I got diabetes and couldn’t even enjoy my favorite cream bread. Could you eat it for me, instead?]

Confused, Taeju asked.

“There’s a convenience store outside that sells cream bread…”

[That’s exactly why I’m asking you, young man. Can you do an old man a favor?]

Taeju was startled when the old man’s arm passed right through him.

He still wasn’t used to encountering ghosts.

A little flustered, he decided to continue practicing.

Is cream bread the problem right now, or is it the filming that’s important?

But every time he hit the sandbag, he heard voices.

At times, it felt like something cold passed through his body.

[That’s not how you throw a punch. If you throw with your left, you need to be ready to throw with your right.]

[Your weight’s too far forward! What happened to your footwork?]

Without realizing it, Taeju adjusted his movements.

The attack that had been rushed became more controlled.

He glanced around, wondering if it was the coach.

But then he saw the old man and Lee Joonghyup staring at him intently.

Surely the old man wasn’t the one giving him instructions.

‘Did the old man say that?’

Lee Joonghyup, kneeling beside the old man, shook his head.

[No? I’m no expert in boxing. But you’re amazing. Can you still focus with the old man interrupting you like that?]
[Really? Is eating cream bread for me so difficult? If you eat it for me, I’ll be able to taste it too.]

Now, the old man was right next to Taeju, persistently talking about cream bread.

Seeing Taeju’s helpless expression, Lee Joonghyup advised him.

[It’s annoying being interrupted, right? Then why not relieve the old man’s grudge and help him find peace? You’ll be helping the ghost move on.]

‘Isn’t that something the old man, as the ghost leader, could do?’

[No, I can only prevent ghosts from becoming evil spirits. I don’t have the power to relieve their grudges.]

At Lee Joonghyup’s words, Taeju let out a short sigh.

‘Sigh… so how do I help them find peace?’

[You did it before with the little ghost, remember? Just do it the same way.]

Taeju recalled what happened a few days ago.

The little ghost was crying, saying it was scared to be alone, so Taeju offered to stay with it.

Then, it disappeared with a bright light.

‘That’s what it means to help them find peace? I just stayed with them…’

[That was the little ghost’s grudge. It wanted someone to stay with it because it was scared.]

If that’s what “finding peace” means, it sounds doable.

He still had to prepare for filming, but the constant interruptions weren’t helping.

‘But why all of a sudden can I help them find peace?’

In response to Taeju’s question, Lee Joonghyup winked.

[Well… because you’ve won my heart, of course.]

‘So all of this is because of you…’

Taeju’s eyes widened, but Lee Joonghyup quickly cut him off and changed the subject.

“Haha, it’s all good. Let’s send him off quickly and get ready for the shoot.”
“Really… I wonder where things went wrong.”

Taeju grumbled, but still checked his surroundings.

The preparations for the shoot were still in full swing.

“Dongrak, I’ll rest for 10 minutes and be back.”

“Sure.”

As Taeju went outside, Dongrak searched for Seongbok.

It had already been 30 minutes since Seongbok went out to smoke.

“This guy, is he going to act or not?”

Dongrak sighed and recalled Taeju’s figure he had seen earlier, walking back and forth.

The sight of him stepping in front of the mirror repeatedly.

The sight of his knuckles all scraped up from hitting the punching bag.

That made him even more curious.

What kind of performance would come out during the shoot?

***

Taeju sat on a bench right in front of the gym building.

He plopped down on the bench and took a big bite of a cream-filled bread.

“Geez, what a strange wish.”

He had probably never done something like this before.

If it weren’t for the annoying ghost pestering him from the side.

He just wanted to send the ghost off quickly and focus on the shoot.

[Good! Eat more! Eat more!]

The old man’s voice became louder, very pleased.

[When I was alive, I was a boxer. I’m Lee Hak-ki, I had quite the reputation.]
“A famous person like that eating cream bread? Is that your regret?”

[My favorite food was cream bread. But when I was a boxer, I couldn’t eat it to manage my weight, and later, I got diabetes and couldn’t eat it anymore. That became my regret.]
Maybe because he hadn’t had breakfast since coming out early, the cream bread tasted especially good.

He was eating it distractedly when his eyes met Seongbok, who was smoking in front of the building.

Seongbok let out a puff of smoke with a look of disdain, then quickly went back inside.

Taeju’s face turned red.

He quickly finished the remaining bread.

Soon, the old man patted his belly in satisfaction.

[Hehe, thanks to you, young man, I’ve gotten rid of my regret. That was really delicious, the cream bread.]

The old man’s body started to glow brightly.

A strong wind began to swirl around him.

Taeju looked around, hearing the intense wind that whipped around his ears.

‘Is he passing on?’

[You’ve fulfilled my regret, so I should repay you. The fragments of my life, the only thing I can give you is that. Accept it well.]

At that moment,

His vision was drowned in darkness.

***
Blinding lights, the roar of the crowd, the ring that had confined him.

This was the arena where he fought with his fists.

He had shed blood, sweat, and tears to reach this place.

The final match, the spot he had only dreamed of.

His body was sore all over, but Lee Hak-ki’s opponent loomed large in front of him.

Thwack!

Before he could even guard himself, he was pushed back.

His head hit the corner, and he was slammed to the ground.

He struggled to catch his breath, gasping for air.

The swelling on his eyelids, caused by burst blood vessels, made them heavy.

It was then.

From behind the ring, his coach slapped his back hard.

“Lee Hak-ki, get up! Don’t you feel like all your effort has been wasted?”

“The opponent’s too strong. I can’t go on.”

“Stop with the death talk, you haven’t even tried yet! Where did the resolve to become the 1975 world champion go?”

Lee Hak-ki struggled to lift his eyelids, heavy as they were.

In his coach’s eyes, gleamed a transparent light.

He saw himself reflected in those eyes.

A boxer, small but sturdy, covered in blood.

“You fight until you’re satisfied. Like a man, finish it. Don’t be ashamed of the sweat you’ve shed.”

The referee blew the whistle.

With the signal to resume, Lee Hak-ki staggered towards the center.

There was only one thing on his mind.

To see the end of this match.

To create a result he could accept with his own hands.

Wheeee!

At the same time the referee blew the whistle, the opponent in front of him threw a massive punch.

The punch came toward Lee Hak-ki as he wobbled, barely holding himself up.

The opponent grinned, sure of victory.

But in an instant, Lee Hak-ki lowered his body.

He stretched his arm out long and targeted the opponent’s center.

When the opponent hurried to block his center,

Lee Hak-ki smirked, blood dripping from his lips.

“It’s a trap!”

In the blink of an eye, Taeju stretched his left arm out long.

Without giving his opponent a chance to defend, he threw a powerful and swift punch.

Thwack!

The opponent’s face spun violently to the right.

Moments later, his massive body thudded to the ring floor.

The crowd, watching, immediately began counting down from ten.

“5, 4, 3, 2… 1! KO!”

The referee raised Taeju’s hand triumphantly.

A surge of joy from victory filled his heart.

Overcome with pride from doing his best without regrets, Taeju shed hot tears right then and there.

***

Pop!

When Taeju opened his eyes, he was back in reality.

The old ghost had passed on, no longer in sight.

A sense of warmth and fulfillment filled Taeju’s heart, which was proof of the ghost’s passing.

‘Is this what it’s like to fulfill someone’s regret?’

Just moments ago, his shoulders, which had felt heavy, now felt light as if they could fly.

The sense of freedom was brief.

A doubt pierced his mind.

What if what I saw earlier was just an illusion the ghost showed me?

The child ghost didn’t show me anything like that before…

The old man ghost was a bit strange though. He showed me weird dreams too.

[The old man probably showed you his past.]
“Are you sure?”

[Well, you can check for yourself.]

Taeju immediately picked up his phone and started searching.

“He definitely said he was the 1975 boxing champion.”

He couldn’t believe it until he saw it with his own eyes.

Soon, a familiar name appeared.

Lee Hak-ki, 1975 Boxing World Champion.

The match he had experienced in his dream was the most glorious moment of his career.

It was an era when Brian Will dominated as the strongest boxer.

Lee Hak-ki faced him in the final match for the world champion title.

Who would have thought that an unknown Korean boxer could defeat the world’s strongest?

But he miraculously won and became the new champion.

The name Lee Hak-ki was proudly etched in Korean boxing history.

It felt strange.

***

The old man, who loved cream bread so much, was this person?

“Well, before he passed on, I should have at least gotten some boxing lessons…”

[Why regret that? You received something much more.]

“Yeah, I got a stomach full of three cream breads.”

Taeju quickly got up.

“I need to run for now. How am I supposed to shoot with my body feeling this heavy?”

Junghyeop, who had been following him, shrugged.

[Well, maybe it’s better not to know just yet.]

***

Taeju ran around the building a few times before returning to the gym.

“Let’s start the rehearsal!”

He immediately climbed into the ring.

Dongrak had even arranged for the gym’s coach to be there for this movie.

The professional boxers who had come along and Seongbok seemed to recognize each other.

“Hey, hyung, you really think I’m going to give my all against an amateur? There’s no way it’s a match.”

“Just take it easy, he’s a regular guy.”

“Hah! It’s embarrassing to face someone who just eats bread instead of practicing.”

“Alright, alright. Enough chit-chat, come here!”

The coach called Taeju and Seongbok over.

He first looked after Seongbok and then quickly moved to Taeju.

“You’re a beginner, huh? Well, try throwing some punches with confidence.”

As Taeju extended his fist, the coach held out the mitts.

A few minutes passed.

Soon, the coach let out a sound of admiration.

“You’re good. Where did you learn this?”

“I just practiced a bit.”

“This isn’t just a bit of practice. You’re at a level where you could go straight to a match!”

Taeju immediately matched the rhythm, realizing his skill was much higher than expected.

He now stood in front of Seongbok.

It felt like a thrill ran through him.

Maybe it was because he hadn’t shot in a while, or maybe it was because of the familiar feeling of having two fists in his hands.

Dongrak raised his hand, signaling.

“Three, two, one… action!”

The scene began with Taeju pushing the opponent back.

Thud, thud, thud.

He powered his arms to throw a long, straight punch.

Taeju’s barrage of punches forced Seongbok to raise his arms to guard his face.

Even though Taeju’s punches were light, the technique landed perfectly.

Seongbok was slowly pushed back.

“Ah, good. Keep pressing forward like that, with impact!”

The coach smiled with admiration as he looked at Taeju.

What’s going on?

Even Seongbok, who had been exchanging punches, seemed to be confused as his eyes wavered.

Thud.

Seongbok’s back hit the corner of the ring.

He bent down and swung a powerful outside hook.

Normally, it would’ve been just a light tap.

But Seongbok put all his strength into it.

“Ugh!”

Taeju widened his eyes and focused.

He wanted to dodge the punch coming straight at him.

However, it felt like some invisible force was holding him back.

It felt like the power within him was telling him to wait.

Wait until the end.

Finally, the punch reached his eyes.

Around them, the crowd murmured, confused.

“What… what’s going on?”

“Hyung, this is just a rehearsal!”

But Seongbok didn’t stop his punch.

He was about to hit Taeju’s face with full force.

Just as the punch was about to reach Taeju’s eyes, he suddenly bent his waist.

It was an instinctive reflex.

Seongbok, unable to keep up with Taeju’s speed, swung his fist through the air.

Thud.

The force of the missed punch caused Seongbok to stumble.

The staff gasped in surprise, all at once.

“Wow, amazing! That was awesome earlier!”

“We can use this scene as it is!”

“We should’ve filmed it, that action sequence was amazing!”

“Better than expected! He moves so well. Right, Dongrak?”

***

“Y-yeah…”

Dongrak stared in shock at Taeju.

He quickly grabbed Seongbok, who was heading toward Taeju after getting off the ring.

“Hyung, this is a rehearsal! What are you doing? You can’t get hurt! You know we’re short on actors right now.”

Seongbok, his face flushed with anger, growled.

“Hey, aren’t you the one who lied to me?”

“What do you mean?”

He glared at Taeju and shouted.

“What if you brought in a real athlete instead of a stand-in?”