Life is Easier If You're Handsome-Chapter 225

"Ten million dollars?"

— Well, it's not exact yet... There's still competition going on.

"Huh? Competition?"

— Ah, yeah, it's just... I'll explain once everything is settled. Sorry, I called in a rush because I was so shocked.

"No, it's fine. Just let me know when things are clear."

— Alright. For now, just know that all four major boxing organizations have their eyes on you and are bidding for you.

"I'll update you again once everything is sorted out. Sorry for calling in such a hurry."

Click.

Seokho had spoken in such a rush that his voice remained tense until the very end.

'But how much is ten million dollars exactly?'

It wasn't the right moment to do currency conversions.

Just as I was thinking that—

"What are you thinking so hard about?"

Evelyn, who had just finished her makeup, tapped my back lightly from behind.

"Ah, um... just work-related thoughts."

"Work? What kind of work?"

"Uh..."

"Judging by your expression, it must be a huge secret. Alright, I'll pass. Some things should be kept private."

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"Thanks."

"Now that you're done thinking about that, isn't there something you should say to me?"

Evelyn lifted the hem of her dress and smiled brightly.

The first thing that caught my eye was the yellow dress.

Then, her neatly styled brown hair and blue eyes.

It was a perfect—no, a 120% perfect reproduction of Jane from the animation.

Although the name was Jane, she looked more like a goddess from Greek mythology disguised in human form.

"You're beautiful."

"Would it be too much if I asked you to clarify how beautiful?"

"No, um... let's just say I can instantly understand why Tarzan fell for Jane."

"Nice line."

Evelyn said that with a genuinely delighted smile as she met my eyes.

She really had a beautiful smile.

Just as I was caught staring for a moment—

Looking slightly shy, Evelyn quickly lowered her head and headed toward the filming location.

And as if waiting for that exact moment, Director McGroy immediately approached me.

"Everything is set on our end. We can start whenever you're ready."

His eyes were slightly tense.

Even up until this moment, Director McGroy was still unsure about this shoot.

Well—

'I can see why.'

It wasn’t some artificial cliff—it was a real one.

No matter how many safety measures were in place, falling wouldn’t mean not getting injured, just getting less injured.

'Depending on the posture, if she falls backward, Evelyn could get seriously hurt.'

Of course, we had taken every possible precaution for the worst-case scenario.

But human emotions couldn’t be controlled that easily.

Even if you know bungee jumping cords are safe, how many people can really jump without hesitation?

It was an understandable concern.

"Shall we get started?"

Of course, that didn’t mean I had any intention of backing down.

"Yes, yes...! But first, let me go over the filming process one last time."

"Got it."

The safety equipment was designed to withstand maximum weight pressure, ensuring that no matter how much the two of us moved, it wouldn’t break.

'Still, this is amazing.'

The safety rig, which looked like a crane, would be completely erased in post-production.

Technology these days was truly remarkable.

"The holds you need to grab while climbing have been marked. Just follow them."

"Understood."

"If you feel exhausted while climbing, let us know immediately."

"Got it."

"The climb is expected to take about three minutes."

Director McGroy explained that the scene would be shot in a long take to emphasize Tarzan’s strength.

I nodded at his rapid instructions.

"So, can we start now?"

"Yes, Evelyn is also ready."

"Good."

With that, we moved to the middle section of the cliff.

Due to the terrain, not many people could be present.

Most of the cameras were operated by drones.

'They're also making sure there are no blind spots in the safety zone.'

Hollywood really worked on a different scale.

I never expected to actually rock climb.

"Alright! We're starting! Get ready!"

"Got it!"

Just as I tensed my body in preparation—

Evelyn suddenly clung tightly to my back.

She wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist.

Like a human koala.

Having to act while holding this pose—

It was definitely going to be a difficult shoot.

"Cue!"

At Director McGroy’s signal—

"KYAAAAAH!"

Evelyn—no, Jane's scream rang out immediately.

***

KYAAAAAH!

At the sound of the scream marking the start, Director McGroy forgot all about his dry eyes and glued himself to the screen.

Gulp.

'It didn’t feel this nerve-wracking in the animation.'

But now that it was happening in real life, it was a different story.

The scenario was quite simple—if it were animated.

Jane, being chased by monkeys, nearly falls off a cliff.

At that moment, Tarzan swoops in and saves her.

Just as she’s about to fall completely—

Tarzan grabs onto a protruding tree root and begins climbing the cliff with Jane on his back.

This scene showcased Tarzan’s physical prowess and, at the same time, built a strong emotional connection between him and Jane.

'It wasn’t in the original movie... And I never expected we'd actually shoot it on location.'

As McGroy anxiously shook his leg, his eyes remained fixed on the screen.

Thud!

Finally, Kim Donghu—no, Tarzan—reached up.

Grabbing the secure hold they had double-checked multiple times—

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

Tarzan began scaling the cliff.

But—

"Huh? Huh?!"

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

He was climbing way faster than expected.

— "KYAAAAH?! W-Who are you?!"

— "Tarzan."

— "Tarzan? Is that your name?"

— "...."

— "T-Thank you for saving me—huh, huh AAAAAAH!"

Had he trained in rock climbing before?

His speed was insane.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Because of that, Evelyn’s lines had an unexpected stability.

'Ironically, the safer she feels, the stronger the fear comes through.'

The way she trembled, filled with terror—

The emotions came across naturally.

His solid back ascended the cliff without a single tremor.

The lack of instability paradoxically made her acting even more intense.

It wasn’t just a suspenseful scene anymore—

It was electrifying.

Like the perfect balance of spicy and savory.

Even as McGroy had that thought—

Tarzan continued his climb effortlessly.

It was truly an inhuman level of athleticism.

— "Thank you. If it weren’t for you, I would have died."

— "...."

— "Ah, um... sorry, you’re focusing on climbing... I didn’t mean to distract you."

At this point, Tarzan still didn’t fully understand spoken language.

This meant he had limited ways to respond to Jane.

And, of course, Jane had no idea about this.

So, she gently whispered into Tarzan’s ear.

Forgetting her fear, she held on to him tightly as she spoke.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

The cliff looked incredibly high, but Tarzan scaled it effortlessly, reaching the top in the blink of an eye.

Watching that scene—

"I see it."

McGroy instinctively began thinking ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) about how to use this moment in the film.

Or rather, the vision had already come to him.

Seeing Kim Donghu’s fearless ascent, inspiration struck him naturally.

How long had they been climbing?

Tarzan and Jane finally reached the top of the cliff.

— "T-Thank you... I-I should get down now. I really... really imposed on you."

The moment Jane saw the ground, she tried to get off.

But—

Whoosh!

— "Eek!"

Tarzan grabbed Jane’s legs.

If he let down an exhausted person immediately, it could be dangerous in case of another sudden attack.

So, without hesitation, Tarzan was about to climb into the trees with her still in his arms.

"Okay, cut!"

At that moment, McGroy called the scene.

"Great! That was perfect! You can come down now!"

— "Ah... yeah, I should... I mean, yes, but... my body... I’m still a bit tense from the adrenaline."

Evelyn didn’t come down right away.

***

At the same time that Kim Donghu was wrapping up his shoot—

Seokho was currently—

"Are you the boss?"

"No, I’m a representative."

At Top Rank Promotions.

The most powerful fight promoters in the United States, controlling major boxing events.

The four major boxing organizations determined the world rankings—they were the stage.

Promotions like Top Rank were the ones who built that stage.

Without them, there would be no fights.

They handled everything from event promotion to matchmaking, ticket sales, and broadcasting rights.

Because of that, they had a strong voice even in major governing bodies.

"A representative? I thought you were the CEO... So you’re just a representative?"

"Yes, I’m just a representative."

"Good, very good. Fighters should be the ones in charge, after all."

The head of Top Rank Promotions—

Bob Dylan—smiled in satisfaction at Seokho’s response and extended his hand.

A mere agency CEO sitting across from a historic fight promoter.

Normally, such a meeting would be impossible.

But one person in Seokho’s agency had made it happen.

"Please, have a seat."

"Thank you."

They sat across from each other on the couch, waiting for coffee.

But Bob Dylan clearly didn’t like waiting, because he spoke first.

"We see Donghu Kim as the embodiment of the next generation of Asian champions."

"Excuse me?"

"Of course, there have been incredible Asian fighters before... but there haven’t been any new faces in a long time."

For years, boxing championships seemed like a Western-only stage.

Champions were almost always one of two ethnicities.

"There was no space for them. And even when there was, no one made room. That’s why so many ended up turning to MMA instead."

Bob Dylan nodded.

"I get it. But boxing... Boxing isn’t like those ground-grappling sports. It has a different level of spectacle."

"It’s history. It’s tradition. That’s a power new fight leagues can never replicate."

Bob Dylan suddenly became visibly emotional.

His voice rose with intensity.

It was no longer just a conversation—it was a speech.

"And now... a new force has emerged. A fighter who is about to break that tradition head-on.

"And in the ultimate weight class—

THE HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION!"

He didn’t even have to say who he meant.

Everyone already knew.

Donghu Kim.

He even answered his own question—out loud.

"How far can he go?"

"Right now, EVERY major organization wants to set up a fight with him."

At first, they considered matching him against a contender.

But that was nonsense.

"Donghu Kim is a fighter unlike any other in boxing history! No one knows how brightly he’ll burn!

"Will it be an inferno? A mere candle flame? Who knows?!"

The moment he steps into the ring,

The whole world will be watching.

Bob Dylan laughed.

"I’m truly looking forward to it. So... let’s get straight to the point."

He took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts—

Then spoke.

"WBA Heavyweight Title Match. Twenty. Million. Dollars."

"That’s the highest amount we can offer—right now."

When Bob Dylan finished speaking—

"...?"

Seokho’s brain froze.

Twenty million dollars?

How much is that even?!

They just doubled their previous offer?!

'No. I can’t let money sway me. Donghu makes the final decision anyway.'

Just as he thought that—

Bob Dylan whispered something even sweeter.

"And, of course... that’s just the fight purse."

"What?"

"Pay-per-view. Ticket sales. Sponsorships. Advertisements.

"Victory bonuses. Post-fight bonuses.

"And, of course, a rematch clause.

"If we factor in everything—

"The minimum total revenue will be forty million dollars."

"F-F-Forty million...?"

Seokho’s vision blurred.

At that moment, there was only one thing he could do.

'O, my guiding light... my beacon... show me the way when I’m blinded...'

It was time—

To call Kim Donghu.