After Sua and Seo-jung finished their call.
—
BIB Entertainment CEO’s office.
—
“Did you find a project you’re interested in?”
—
The CEO of BIB Entertainment tilted her head and asked again.
—
She was a very tall woman, with a completely different presence compared to Mystic’s CEO, Kim I-seo.
—
Considering how different Lee Seo-jung and Yeon-joo, the actors under her management are, it’s quite a curious coincidence that Mystic and BIB are so similar in this way.
—
“Hmm.”
—
As the representative fidgeted with her glass of water.
—
“How truly touching. Seo-jung never cooperates with anything we suggest, so this is quite unexpected. Though, the lineup of directors this time was indeed quite impressive. I guess she liked it, huh?”
—
“No, I didn’t choose from that list.”
—
Seo-jung shook her head.
—
“Hmm?”
—
“I want to work on a project by writer Hong Ye-ji.”
—
The CEO’s hand, that had been fidgeting with the glass, froze abruptly. She seemed to have difficulty understanding Seo-jung’s statement.
—
After a brief pause, the CEO furrowed her brows.
—
“Surely… you’re talking about this project?”
—
She pointed to a script lying on the corner of her desk.
—
While scripts by famous creators usually come wrapped elegantly, the stack pointed out by the CEO looked like a random pile of papers.
—
Though the content is even more severe.
—
Seo-jung nodded.
—
“Yeah.”
—
“Ugh, you’re giving me a headache. You truly have a talent for torture.”
—
The CEO rested her forehead with her palm.
—
“Didn’t you keep this script within reach too?”
—
“I didn’t keep it for the script, but as an antidepressant. In this world where stacks of papers like this are called scripts, I think I’m really doing well. It’s for valuing life.”
—
“You’re just being difficult now.”
—
“Quit playing with words.”
—
The CEO quickly drank the water from her glass.
—
“Seo-jung-ssi, why are you doing this?”
—
“It’s what I feel like doing. It’s not the first or second time, am I not consistent? When a project catches my attention, I jump into it. Instead, your behavior surprises me.”
—
“But this time it’s different from all the previous instances where I gave in.”
—
The CEO spoke calmly.
—
“Previous projects… At least…”
—
“I’m listening.”
—
“Even if the movies themselves weren’t great, the character arcs were solid and didn’t harm Seo-jung’s image. We managed to make it clear your performances alone were worth watching. ‘Seo-jung worked hard though the movie wasn’t great.'”
—
“Uh-huh?”
—
“This project is different. You’ll have to learn to differentiate between interesting and just plain laughable. This script makes people who participate in it look ridiculous. It shouldn’t be done.”
—
“Wow, you were cherishing me so much?”
—
Seo-jung nodded approvingly.
—
“You have a point. But…”
—
“But?”
—
“Not negotiable. I’m doing it no matter what.”
—
For a while, their eyes locked in the air. But the CEO’s piercing gaze could not break Seo-jung. From the start, Seo-jung had been quietly smiling.
—
Cunning and gentle, and thus unyielding. Even when it appeared like she would give in—she was completely fine. Truly a troublesome opponent.
—
“Haa.”
—
In the end, the CEO sighed deeply.
—
“Alright. Let’s hear what you have to say.”
—
“You think well. Remember, I’m quite the silver-tongued devil, after all.”
—
“Up to what point did you understand from the meeting? I’m asking about the production status of this script.”
—
“The writer seems to be continuously revising the script, and the casting is ongoing so far. There appears to be no production team either?”
—
“…Isn’t it practically still at the conceptual stage?”
—
The CEO frowned.
—
“There’s no clear progress yet, it still feels like it’s just an idea jotted down in a notebook or in their heads. And with the high risk of failure, I’m feeling it.”
—
From the CEO’s perspective, it was indeed more concerning.
—
A highly regarded actress like Seo-jung jumping on merely a conceptual-level project? Clearly indicative. After all, this equated to Seo-jung carrying the brunt of the project. It was way too risky.
—
“You don’t strike me as someone with such great justice to carry the brunt for this, Seo-jung. Were you struck by lightning, perhaps?”
—
“Why would I carry the brunt? There’s someone willing to carry it.”
—
“Who is it?”
—
“Lee Su-an or Sua.”
—
“Lee Su-an or Sua… Hmm? Kim Yu-han?”
—
The CEO’s eyes widened.
—
“Are you talking about Sua who soared with ‘Special Mobile Unit 808’? That woman will carry the brunt, you say? Has she lost her mind?”
—
The CEO slapped her mouth late into realizing how shocking the mention of Sua’s participation was.
—
“Hong Ye-ji belongs to Lee Geum-sook’s team, and Lee Geum-sook is the writer of ‘Special Mobile Unit 808’, so there’s probably a connection from that side, right? There’s no other intersection otherwise.”
—
“It seems she has unexpected loyalty, despite appearing emotionless. Participating in such trash…”
—
“No more calling it trash. I’m joining too.”
—
Still with a relaxed smile, Seo-jung. However, it appeared that the CEO was reflecting much more deeply than before. Her earnest expression was proof.
—
“…This is truly baffling. Days when golden opportunities are bombarding Mystic, and yet you chose this?”
—
“Just let the CEO worry about that, in any case, I’m joining. Is there anything else left to discuss?”
—
“Sua joining is not bad. Only, do you think the two of you can act well together? Seo-jung, who acts recklessly, and Sua, who seems like the complete opposite—aren’t they polar opposites? It’ll be exhausting if there’s conflict.”
—
“Perhaps not as much as you think? We exchanged glances briefly during the meeting, and it seems our chemistry is pretty good.”
—
Sua would find this claim baffling if she heard it.
—
—
Two days later.
—
Busan Imrang Beach.
—
Today, a shoot for “Lies, Lies, Lies” is scheduled here. It’s not the beach that’s needed but rather a villa overlooking the sea.
—
Why? Yeon-joo is a fraudster and handles a lot of money. There will be a scene showing a luxurious lifestyle.
—
“All this jewelry is genuine! Handle with care!”
—
“Are the balcony lights set yet?”
—
“Don’t move the jars! They’re props.”
—
Everyone was busy with their roles, but the one most active was the bald director Park Mu-ryong. Today, he had no hair, with just his mustache neatly trimmed.
—
“This isn’t some casual shooting! It’s very important!”
—
With great enthusiasm, Park Mu-ryong director moved around the set like a samurai, but instead of a sword, he held a script.
—
“The fraudster in the height of their power scene needs to captivate the audience to the point where they might think, ‘For a life like this, one could abandon their conscience once.'”
—
Eventually, Director Park personally inspected every little detail on the set with his eyes and hands.
—
Meanwhile.
—
Some of the supporting actors gathered to eat a meal on the side.
—
“This villa is really nice. I want to bring my friends here the next time. We’ll drink all night.”
—
“Exactly. By the way, did you see the Outstar controversy? The exiled Jung Seung-hwan left a comment on our movie’s flop?”
—
“While thoughts are free, the problem is he couldn’t resist social media. He ended up going down badly.”
—
“At least we’re doing great. On the set, taking photos was always the first priority. Plus, most importantly…”
—
The supporting actor swallowed a bite of his lunch and emphasized,
—
“…the replacement for the vacant spot wasn’t just anyone—it was Sua! Isn’t that a major hit? You could say the old, broken bus got replaced with a luxury car.”
—
“But Sua is quite scary in a different way.”
—
“Why? Ah, because of her strong image?”
—
The mention of Sua’s name had a powerful resonance, easily changing the subject of the conversation.
—
Soon enough, they began talking about Sua.
—
“I wonder, how would Sua look in a suit?”
—
“Come to think of it, female tough-guy characters are rare, right?”
—
“Indeed. Especially a group leader type… Anyway, she’s doing a decent job, right? Kim Yu-han did fine too.”
—
Everyone was in a mood of anticipation about Sua joining, but not everything in the world is so beautiful.
—
Some were voicing concerns.
—
“In the end, Kim Yu-han’s role was handled with CG because he was male. This role involves a female body, which might feel different. Can the audience really immerse themselves?”
—
“Yes. Her figure is quite attractive, right? Even if she tries to be intimidating, might people still focus on that?”
—
“Also, TV dramas and films are different.”
—
However, their concerns did not gain much traction.
—
Most of those expressing concern were supporting actors who had been in obscurity for a long time. They don’t genuinely consider if Sua fits with the project.
—
Instead, if someone more famous joins, it’s only natural for supporting actors to fear they’ll become even less noticeable. It’s simply the rise of inferiority complex and a sense of competition.
—
“Well, we’ll just have to see with our own eyes, won’t we?”
—
At someone’s shout, everyone nodded in agreement.
—
If expectation and skepticism mix, the result is predictable. Curiosity. No matter what each one thought in their mind, the conclusion they all came to was one.
—
Let’s verify it ourselves. How will Kim Yu-han’s new challenge go?
—
—
Meanwhile, Yeon-joo was alone inside the van.
—
‘Where am I in this story right now?’
—
She shook her head. It didn’t feel right.
—
‘Where am I in this story right now?’
‘Where am I in this story right now?’
‘Where am I…’
—
Yeon-joo stopped her lines and slowly put down the script, realizing why they felt incomplete.
—
She then took a few antidepressants from her bag and examined her expression in a hand mirror.
—
“…”
—
She tried a smile.
—
It felt a bit awkward, so she lifted the corners of her mouth with her fingers. Hmm, now this face looked acceptable.
—
Knock-knock!
—
At that moment, a staff member gently knocked on the van.
—
“Yeon-joo-ssi, let’s prepare for the shoot!”
—
“Yes. I’ll come out now.”
—
—
At the same time.
—
Sua, who arrived at the Mystic headquarters, froze.
—
“Huh?”
—
Suddenly, a special prompt appeared.
—
[Lies, Lies, Lies]
▶ Adequate manifestation elements
▶ 3.5 Class Ranking
—
Crackling!
—
▶ 3.5 Class Ranking → 4 Class Ranking
—
Suddenly, the ranking dropped significantly.
—
“What, what is this? Why are you causing trouble again?”
—
