The scandal that made it seem like I was playing both sides was ultimately treated as nothing more than a minor incident.
After all, it was an unusual scandal, but the company dealt with it firmly and any follow-up reports abruptly ceased.
Even the scandal involving me and Moon Suyeon seemed quite plausible when explained in the context of an actual miniconcert held by the mayor. Since it was announced that we visited the mayor for a site visit and acted as if we were a couple to minimize exposure of our true identities, the public largely accepted this explanation.
– Still, isn’t there a chance I might be in some trouble?
– Given the nature of that child?
– Take it seriously and resolve it.
But there were many who didn’t believe the explanation.
Especially among Luna’s fans, I had quietly become a notable figure to keep an eye on, and I could feel distrust from some.
“Still, wouldn’t it be problematic to expose past events over an incident like this?”
“Well, I haven’t done anything wrong, lied about anything. Since I started the fire, I have to put it out.”
“…You do have some sense of righteousness?”
“I am known for my overwhelming tolerance, right?”
Moon Suyeon then revealed details of that mini-concert at the mayor’s office, explaining that she performed there to thank the local merchants who had supported her during a difficult period. The event was disclosed with the consent of the parties involved, as they wanted to bring more visitors to their struggling market.
– Pilgrimage to the shrine!
– Shrine pilgrimage!
With this, the focus of Luna’s fans shifted from the scandal to a pilgrimage to the mayor’s market, as their interest lay more in visiting a place imbued with Luna’s essence than in my supposed scandal, despite lingering suspicions about the “legendary child.” Thanks to this, the market has recently seen a rise in visitors, creating a win-win situation for now.
The atmosphere around Heavenly Yuah was a bit different. Her fans were happy because she had posted one more image from her daily life. Though it upset some that it was a two-shot picture with me, her fans see even these photos as rare treasures. It seemed like they weren’t particularly interested in the drama of the scandal, and the reason might be because Heavenly Yuah’s private life was mostly kept under wraps. If she shared as much as a moderately revealing entertainer, such a minor scandal might not have attracted much attention in the first place. Poor thing, I felt a bit sorry for her and thought I should upload more photos for her fans.
– Our actor really is some kind of Alphamail, isn’t she?
– Heavenly Yuah and Moon Suyeon? Even half of it being true would be something huge.
Meanwhile, there was one place where discussions about these issues persisted: my fan club, “Doratseuwi.” The atmosphere was intense because my first scandal’s subject was so extraordinary.
“Isn’t anyone mourning over this? Why isn’t there such a mood?”
“Why would we mourn…?”
“It’s quite hard to experience anything romantic toward our actor.”
“She’s just too eccentric.”
Due to the nature of the scandal, we even hosted a live broadcast to clarify things to the fans. However, the reactions were lukewarm, bordering on disappointment. When I asked why, they claimed they weren’t fans due to a pseudo-romantic attachment; as long as I acted diligently, they didn’t care who I dated.
“Still, I’m a somewhat handsome actor, which feels a little frustrating.”
The fan club’s name was as strange as its members.
“Perhaps it would’ve been more genuine if it was a real relationship. With Heavenly Yuah, perhaps?”
“Actually, Luna might be better. With the ‘Moonlight Couple’ story, that relationship seems more poignant.”
Among those guiding the online conversations were named users like Supreme Heavenly Demon and Moonlit Dancer.
In truth, when I first visited the fan club, I noticed nicknames like “The God of Acting” and “Moonlit Dancer.” There was something suspicious, but I let it slide, assuming two people couldn’t breach the wall of questions I’ve broken through over several hours.
However, the “God of Acting” had recently changed their nickname to Supreme Heavenly Demon.
Really, Supreme Heavenly Demon? I wasn’t blind to the implications.
With these movements constantly pushing them forward, how could I pretend not to notice? It was ridiculous to deny it. Although the other members didn’t seem to have figured out these two women’s true identities yet.
“This is…”
It wasn’t a scandal, so the somewhat disappointed responses of the fandom were strange.
During this period, there were two people working to enhance their own standing. Slowly, this bizarre scandal was fading away, leaving only a peculiar sense of defeat.
-Are we entering the age of acting idols? In-depth analysis of the appeal of the top three rising acting idols of today.
-High-Pitched Tae-kyu, now Actor Tae-kyu. Discover the real charm of this man.
Around the same time, articles about Tae-kyu started to pop up everywhere, dominating various communities.
Our planned Tae-kyu promotional project was finally up and running, with the aim of also putting an end to the scandal issue.
It was a fairly successful operation.
With the help of various articles and the enthusiasm of Tae-kyu’s fandom, the campaign began gaining momentum. Since Tae-kyu first joined the acting idol lineup through a drama, this time he would be making his debut as an actor in a blockbuster movie, and the fan base seemed quite excited.
“Our brother, I hope this leads to serious acting roles.”
“The alien wasn’t bad, but a bit disappointing somehow, you know?”
“Tae-kyu’s voice is really good. The strange alien pronunciation dampened the tone.”
Thanks to a press release emphasizing his voice and articulation, Tae-kyu’s dialogue acting began to attract more and more fans. After all, objectively speaking, Tae-kyu’s voice is quite good, and fans expected more of the real (?) Tae-kyu without the peculiar alien pronunciation.
“Indeed, how will this unfold?”
The attack aimed at us barely left a small scar on me and ended meaninglessly. But how about the instigators? It’s impossible not to be affected by such a fierce wave of public opinion. Of course, Director Sun wouldn’t even show that he noticed, since having Director Sun’s abilities and qualifications makes one capable of ignoring such distractions. But the production company was in a different situation—they have money at stake.
When a rift like this arises between the director and the production company, some loss is inevitable. We won’t know how this turns out until the movie releases, but it’s quite intriguing to await.
Outside there was noise about scandals, Tae-kyu, and Pentaring, but the filming scene remained the same.
Moduri didn’t care about what others might say anyway. She’s a very tenacious woman.
The scandal attacks meant to disturb the mental well-being of me, Moon Suyeon, and Heavenly Yuah returned without effect.
Of course, there was some disruption behind the scenes.
After all, there were as many as two people willing to just acknowledge the scandal outright.
But even with that, we couldn’t be shaken at our location.
“So, Hayoung mentioned…”
“What about her?”
“Recently, I’ve noticed her avoiding me. Did proposing a duet or a feature with her make her uncomfortable?”
“Ah, that…”
Even now, it’s the same.
On the set, while filming the scene where the enchanting Succubus, Yuna (Heavenly Yuah), met the seasoned detective, Nam Sua (Baek Hayoung), Moon Suyeon approached quietly and asked why Moduri rejected and avoided her recent proposal.
It meant that the recent scandal issue affecting Moon Suyeon was less significant than repairing her relationship with Moduri.
If the parties involved thought this way, why would there be issues?
“Maybe she feels burdened because she got reprimanded by a senior popular singer. Do you think that could be a problem?”
“Ah, oh. I hadn’t thought of that.”
She had been responsible for the scandal, but had also disclosed historical information to calm things down. Here, perhaps I should just help out.
So I honestly conveyed what had been said to her, and she nodded in agreement, realizing she had been a bit detached.
“I’ll consider giving a song to Pentaring. It might actually be better.”
“…Senior actress, are you really giving something you’ve written to Pentaring?”
Just the measures she had in mind gave me pause.
If duets and featuring roles were problematic, wouldn’t giving a song be even more so?
While I’m not particularly knowledgeable about this, it seems more serious to me than the previous two options.
Then again, Moon Suyeun is more skilled in this field than I am, so I decided to let her manage it herself.
“By the way, is there nothing between you and Mr. Nam?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know, like… With the Evil Sect and the Demon Path forming the complete set just waiting for Orthodoxy. I thought there might be something between you and Namgung Jianhua, but it seems quieter than expected.”
“…It’s not true. In the first place, I’ve never met the Empress of Soaring Heavens.”
Once the talk about Moduri ended, Moon Suyeon leaned closer toward me and quietly whispered.
When talk of the Martial Forest came up, even I couldn’t resist her pull.
It was a conversation others might misinterpret so it was tricky.
Upon reflection, this woman had always suspected a relationship between me and Mr. Nam. She had previously been unaware of the fact that I had never met Namgong Xian’er due to differences in our intelligence-gathering abilities.
It looks like she has only now begun to recognize the reality after closely observing me for some time.
Still, where did this theory of gathering the three factions of Orthodoxy, the Evil Sect, and the Demon Path into a complete whole come from is beyond me.
The supposed members of Orthodoxy? They are nothing short of irritating.
The only one I consider a true righteous person is South Sea Sword Queen.
“Why is your expression like that?”
“No, it’s just…I’m reminiscing.”
“Reminiscing? What about?”
“…It’s not that kind of woman.”
“Not that kind of…?”
“No, I meant it’s the right person, but not what you’re thinking.”
“…Suspicious.”
When I think about it, the South Sea Sword Queen who I met at the southernmost tip of the Central Plains comes to mind. This is someone whose integrity I even have to acknowledge. Even Supreme Heavenly Demon would likely approve—they’re the real deal. Although she is someone Moon Suyeon might be wary of, she would undoubtedly be the most closely related righteous sect female grandmaster with whom I associate.
“Just in this world, it seems like there’s no chance we’d meet again though.”
“If I ever see South Sea Sword Queen again…”
“If anything, we’d need to share a drink. Of course, she probably won’t remember me…”
It’s a little disappointing, isn’t it?
If South Sea Sword Queen doesn’t remember me.
Thinking of that stubborn woman, I can’t help but smile a little.
