Ch.251Pianist

Kim Donghu’s 3-rep max measurement video.

As evident from the community’s reaction.

It spread quickly around the world, generating an enormous response.

In less than a day, it recorded ten million views.

News articles were just the beginning.

《 Man of the hour! Reviewing God Donghu’s workout video! 》

《 Casually measuring 970 on his big three?! Watching actor Kim Donghu’s workout! 》

《 Sorry, I’ve already sent an email. I really want to work out with you 》

YouTubers with over a million subscribers quickly reviewed Kim Donghu’s workout video.

They didn’t even care that they couldn’t monetize due to copyright issues.

They all unanimously declared:

“Top-tier powerlifter, truly world-class. He doesn’t seem human, maybe he’s a god or something?”

“As far as I know, he’s extremely busy… but this kind of thing requires strength training, right? Must be natural talent?”

“Pulling 370 with no straps and alternating grip? That’s practically like an official competition record.”

Comments like “he doesn’t seem human” and

“I don’t understand how an actor can be like this” were everywhere.

Nothing but praise across the board.

“Fake? It can’t be fake. Those are competition plates so there’s no weight discrepancy.”

“He’s truly serious about working out. Everything he uses is high-end. Even the belt he’s wearing is for advanced users…”

“With local gym rules, if he wore all the proper gear, he’d easily hit 1000 on his big three. And he didn’t even use knee wraps.”

“I really felt like he could be some general from history books. At this level, he might actually be the strongest since the founding of Korea.”

No one suspected it was fake.

Not because they didn’t want to go against the positive atmosphere.

But because from Kim Donghu’s form to the quality of the gym equipment,

There was nothing suspicious about any of it.

Steroid controversy? That wasn’t possible either.

Starting with Olympic doping tests.

And the doping tests he underwent while preparing for the WBC heavyweight match.

If the world’s most stringent doping test agencies found no issues,

How could any individual challenge that?

“He’s really like a manga character. Usually, strong people are supposed to be slow or something…”

So all they could do was praise him.

【Hello Actor Kim Donghu, after seeing your workout video, I would like to propose a collaboration…】

【I can’t count how many times I’ve watched your workout video. We specialize in making protein…】

Companies began sending collaboration emails to Kim Donghu one after another.

It was only the second day since starting his YouTube channel.

His status was growing at an uncontrollable rate.

+++++

By the time Kim Donghu’s YouTube video surpassed 20 million views.

“Donghu, Edward is asking if you can postpone the match?”

“What? Suddenly? There’s only 5 months left.”

“Yeah. He just suddenly wants to.”

“Tell him no. The champion usually has the upper hand in these things, right?”

“Right? I’ll tell him that then.”

Out of nowhere, Edward had reached out.

Could he have gotten scared after seeing my workout video?

‘No way.’

He’s the former WBC heavyweight champion after all.

He wouldn’t get intimidated by something like this.

“We’ve received tons of variety show requests because of this video. What do you want to do?”

“Please decline them all. It’s not time for Musashi promotions yet, so I don’t see the point.”

“From Rushman to… there are so many shows begging you to appear.”

“I’d really love to go on them… haha.”

In the past, I would have just appeared on variety shows.

But now my thinking has changed a lot.

Because my status has risen much higher than I expected.

I needed to move as carefully as possible.

‘More precisely, I need to maximize the effect.’

Rather than appearing as a guest when nothing is happening,

It would be better to appear when there’s something definite.

With negative public opinion about <Musashi> still prevalent,

I wanted to promote it properly and erase all controversies.

And at that moment.

“Hm? Donghu, we just received a project proposal by email. Want to check it out?”

“What? Suddenly?”

“Yeah, if it was just any email I wouldn’t mind, but it came to my personal address so I couldn’t ignore it. What do you want to do?”

“Where’s it from?”

A script arrived by email at an unexpected time.

Manager Seokho continued with a face that was hiding something.

“Well, it’s from Disney? That… Disney Plus, seems like it’s for their original content.”

Strengthening OTT services naturally involved original content.

With Netflix currently dominating in this area,

It was only natural that Disney would be ambitious too.

But by email? Don’t they usually contact in person for these things?

Thinking I’d find out soon enough, I nodded.

As soon as the script was printed out,

I understood everything the moment I saw the writer’s name.

“Writer Lee Minha? Is this for real?”

“Yeah, I was surprised too. That’s why it came to my personal email.”

“Is that why you had that secretive look?”

“Was it obvious?”

“Very.”

“That’s why I don’t act.”

The title was <Pianist>.

A very simple title.

One that makes it obvious what it’s about.

“Writer Lee Minha doesn’t say it outright, but she really loves your piano playing.”

“I’m grateful she thinks highly of it.”

“Seriously, it’s almost… on the level of Chairman Edward Park.”

“…”

At the mention of Chairman Edward Park, I quickly bowed my head.

‘The MEET music video… when it hit 100 million views, they hung my banner at Daejong High School.’

They even hung one at Shinbit Middle School.

I’m truly grateful for the banners,

But the embarrassment was really something else.

Anyway.

Pushing down all the small emotions welling up,

I immediately grabbed the script.

‘Immersion.’

Piano after a long time.

I was excited to see what world would welcome me.

+++++

Those who do not understand beauty deserve to die.

What is beauty, what is classical music.

There are too many ambiguous things in this world.

Ambiguous talent, ambiguous beauty, ambiguous life.

Things whose existence I cannot comprehend.

When I see such things breathing and living, I truly,

Sincerely.

“Want to tear out their throats and hang them.”

Disgust rises within me.

So I killed them.

Stab!

To save these pitiful souls living ignoble lives.

How terrible would it be if such lives continued and reproduced?

It would surely spread like an unspeakable plague.

“How meaningless it is… to be poor but bright.”

A streetlight shining in a dark alley has no great value.

It only attracts insects.

It has no meaning beyond that.

“So, so I have no choice but to kill them.”

Those germs just about to leave the orphanage.

Those preparing to become adults.

Who else but me could kill them?

Still, I wasn’t lonely.

“Thank you all for coming to my recital today.”

Because there exists friendship to enjoy food and appreciate classical music together.

Ten in total.

We don’t know each other’s faces.

We don’t know each other’s identities.

We just wear masks and eat food when my performance begins.

The performance is always clean and simple.

Today I’ll play Schubert’s Erlkönig.

Like the Erlking descending,

Trying to take away the son.

The performance begins for those who live noble lives.

Taking life from the filthy ones.

A performance to kill the wicked thoughts of those who try to preserve poverty within poverty.

And to that performance,

Clatter clatter.

A dark, spacious room.

People’s utensils make sounds around the long table in the center.

I can feel people’s gazes occasionally fixed on me.

How do I appear in their eyes?

A millionaire.

A pianist with the talent of the century.

An eccentric with various obsessions.

A chef who cooks poverty.

All of these things make up who I am.

But I wanted to define myself differently.

‘One who… values desire.’

Ah, after a recital ends, I cannot contain my sexual desire.

My seething heart writhes like a worm, gnawing at my reason.

The reason I don’t kill

Drug-addicted, failed homeless people is

Because I know they have no future.

I don’t bother with expired germs.

My hands press the keys with greater force.

‘However.’

But it’s different for young people

Who are about to shine brightly and dream of the future.

I simply cannot bear to see

The wings of an ignoble soul spread.

‘That… that must be broken for my desire, my heart.’

To find release, I must ultimately break those wings.

The sensation of pressing the pedal feels like trampling someone’s dream.

Worthless and pitiful lives.

I understand what that religion meant when it said life is suffering.

For them, life must be nothing but suffering.

A life lived because they cannot die, a chain that someone must break.

Perhaps I am the angel who willingly breaks that chain.

♬!

With that sound, the performance ends.

Since this is a kind of dinner show,

The deserved praise naturally follows.

Everyone hastily stops eating,

Forcibly swallows what they were chewing, and stands to applaud.

This applause

Is the value befitting an angel’s performance.

Just as that thought crosses my mind.

Crash!

The world shatters.

And inside is a small child who grew up being abused…

“…Huff!”

The immersion breaks.

From the moment I started reading the script, I realized which character it was modeled after.

“Did you read the script? It’s almost like an homage? That kind of feeling. Does the character immediately come to mind?”

“Yes, I recognize it right away.”

So they’re turning this into a pianist?

‘Writer Lee Minha wrote this?’

The person who wrote High Dream suddenly writing content like this?

Is it really the same person?

With those thoughts, I checked the script’s rating.

<Pianist, S>

Without a doubt, it was the highest.