A heavy silence flowed through the office of CT Entertainment’s representative.
“…What?”
It took Yang Ha-rin a while to finally ask again. It was understandable. In her not-so-long life, she had never once heard that she didn’t know her lines.
What made it worse was hearing it from Kim Sun-il.
Yang Ha-rin had always looked up to Kim Sun-il as her role model—his accolades, his acting skills, and even his sharp attitude. And so, the shock she felt now was immense.
“Sun-il Oppa, what do you mean by that?”
Her voice was drenched in confusion, but Kim Sun-il’s eyes showed no flicker in response, as if to confirm that what Yang Ha-rin had heard was true.
“…Do I have to spell it out for you, Ha-rin?”
“…!”
Yang Ha-rin was visibly shocked, tightly shutting her mouth. After a long moment, she slowly shook her head while muttering.
“I don’t understand at all. I could do that acting. Why do you keep saying that someone else is better than me?”
“Why don’t you face off and see who breaks?”
“How can I even face off? I’m a strong contender for the best rookie award, and she’s a complete newbie! Our levels are different!”
Yang Ha-rin’s tone carried a plea, but Kim Sun-il didn’t engage with her anymore. Instead, he turned his gaze towards Director Park.
“Director Park, I know our circumstances, but…”
“Sun-il…”
“I didn’t know your eyes were only that limited.”
Kim Sun-il said this calmly.
“Didn’t you clearly know who was better?”
Director Park didn’t answer. Or rather, he seemed unable to answer, his expression ambiguous.
As the atmosphere grew colder and everyone was shocked, Kim Sun-il prepared to leave, adjusting his coat. At this moment, the representative finally spoke.
“…From what I’ve heard vaguely, Actor Kim, the interviewee named Lee Soo-a or something really caught your fancy, didn’t they?”
“Let’s speak clearly.”
Kim Sun-il answered firmly.
“It’s less about liking it and more about acknowledging it.”
“Kim acknowledges a debut actor? That’s something I’ve never seen before.”
Both the representative and Yang Ha-rin had much to say, but Kim Sun-il ignored everything neatly and walked away.
“The movie is done for. I’ll leave now.”
…
…
…
…
…
…
“Sun-il!”
Just after leaving the CT Entertainment building, Park Jun chased after Kim Sun-il.
“Sun-il, wait! Let’s talk for a moment! I have just one question!”
When Kim Sun-il stopped, Park Jun huffed and puffed to catch his breath, the difference between the two being strikingly apparent.
Park Jun asked after composing himself.
“Is there something really special about Soo-a, that woman? I’ve never seen you act like this before.”
“…Is that really why you chased after me?”
“Of course. What else would it be? Ah, about the movie?”
Park Jun waved his hand dismissively.
“It’s fine. I’ve decided to retire anyway. That film’s downfall was something I secretly hoped for. I didn’t want to be tied down by CT Entertainment, and it was painful to watch Yang Ha-rin crush rookies.”
“Well then, if you personally don’t care much, it’s fortunate.”
“So, what about that rookie actor?”
Park Jun reviewed the attitude of the Kim Sun-il he knew.
‘The balancer of the set.’
Anything can happen on a film set. The condition of actors or staff might be poor, yet it’s not always easy to point it out.
But Kim Sun-il stepped up every time. Even if it meant facing blame himself, he had the courage to ensure a better final product.
His praise was rare even amidst that.
He barely reacted even to performances that bordered on perfection, making his current high praise for a rookie actor intriguing.
“Hmm.”
Kim Sun-il tilted his head while folding his arms.
“That’s not something you should ask me.”
“Huh?”
“You have eyes, don’t you? You saw her acting firsthand.”
“…That’s true. It was really extraordinary.”
Park Jun nodded in agreement.
“I even considered giving up the idea of scrapping the movie. But then, with Ha-rin around, having such a rookie felt risky…”
Park Jun’s concerns were clear to Kim Sun-il.
He had seen countless rookies crushed by Ha-rin’s relentless nature, leaving only shattered talent behind. He would have worried about this gem suffering the same fate.
Only, Kim Sun-il thought Soo-a was different.
“She wouldn’t get eaten by Ha-rin. If anything, it might be the opposite.”
“Her attitude was unusual too. Ha-rin bombarded her with words non-stop, yet not once did she blink.”
Director Park tilted his head.
“Come to think of it, that’s odd. If this actress has such amazing acting skills and received your approval, why did she come to an audition like this?”
“Director Park.”
Kim Sun-il spoke softly.
“Do you remember her saying that acting is just a hobby?”
“Yeah, she said that. But is that even real? That makes no sense.”
“There are actors like that sometimes. They don’t care about money or interests. They simply dive into projects they believe are right.”
“Wait… Are you saying…”
Director Park hesitated, thinking.
Kim Sun-il nodded.
“She liked your movie. Maybe more than I did. I decided to make a special appearance, but she resolved to take the lead role.”
“She… liked it?”
Director Park’s eyes widened.
“My movie? This unpopular project?”
Kim Sun-il maintained his gaze at Park Jun silently, as if to say there was no need for him to respond.
“No, if this were true, it’s too ironic…”
Director Park scratched the back of his neck.
“There’s a highly skilled actor who showed interest in my movie. But I have to let them go. It hurts so much. If my situation was a little better…”
“Director Park.”
Kim Sun-il called out to Director Park again.
“This time, I have just one question for you.”
“Huh?”
“Director Park, are you really okay with giving up on this movie?”
Caught off-guard by the unexpected question, Park Jun was perplexed.
“What… why such questions suddenly?”
“You still seem to have a lot of attachment.”
Park Jun was left speechless.
“Coincidentally, we’ve found a highly skilled supporter for your movie.”
“…”
After a while, Park Jun mumbled the words he had overheard.
“Attachment… you think I have a lot…”
It could very well be true.
If the situation wasn’t so difficult, if he could secure investments from various places, if he could cast according to his own wishes… Would things have been different?
“…”
Things would have been different.
He was simply tired; his love for this project hadn’t faded. Hearing these words from someone else, however, was an even greater shock.
“It’s not too late. Try to hold onto it. CT Entertainment has already pulled out. If anything, we’ll find a way to get the money back.”
Kim Sun-il left, leaving only that statement behind.
“…”
Park Jun stayed in place, his face reflecting deep contemplation.
…
…
High-end Chinese Restaurant.
The sophisticated and spacious red room featured a large circular table adorned with extravagant food.
The production team of Special Mobile Unit 808.
But today, more faces were present in addition to Choi Hee-won (Director), Lee Geum-sook (Writer), and Seo Yeon-joo. These were the key supporting role actors who would fill important segments of their drama.
Lee Geum-sook, the writer, picked up her chopsticks and spoke first.
“Yes, we need a gathering like this. Awkwardness on set can inhibit even otherwise good performances.”
“True. So this is a good time to get familiar.”
Choi Hee-won, the director, nodded in agreement while Seo Yeon-joo picked up a piece of small diced Dongpo Pork with her chopsticks.
“Actually, these kinds of gatherings are most necessary for Kim Sun-il, aren’t they? The one who would fit perfectly didn’t even come today, it’s irritating.”
“Hahaha, you’re right.”
“Not really. Now that I think about it, he wouldn’t be helped even if he came. A hundred of these gatherings wouldn’t make him befriend anyone.”
It was then.
The production team had suddenly noticed the glitter of something; the strange gazes from the side actors on their side caught their attention.
“Um…”
“Perhaps…”
“…”
Finally, all the actors began to speak simultaneously in baby bird-like tones.
“Is the actor who’s playing Kim Yu-han’s character not coming today?”
Upon hearing this, the seated crew erupted in laughter.
“Well, of course. I was waiting for this question to come up. You looked eager to ask from the start.”
“True. You were practically dying to ask!”
Responding cunningly, Lee Geum-sook and Choi Hee-won made the supporting actors appear even more distressed.
“You’re teasing us. We’re serious. We’ve been so curious about who’s playing the character of Kim Yu-han that we couldn’t sleep…”
“Right?”
“Yes! My neck might fall off any moment now!”
But even Seo Yeon-joo, who was expected to support them, teased instead, making the supporting actors even more eager.
“Well, then, tell us if it’s Jo Il-hyun or not! Everyone’s speculating it’s him!”
“Could it be Choe Kang-woo? I’m a fan of him.”
Choi Hee-won’s defense was as solid as his muscles.
“Continue your guesses. Enjoy the process.”
“Don’t you think it’s a bit too much to hide this? It’s meant to be an introduction among the actors initially. With you hiding so much, we can’t even exchange pleasantries.”
“It’s not really something you can get close to anyway. Anyhow…”
He smoothly changed the subject.
“For this production, to pour all our efforts, we’ll proceed with a simulated filming method for the table read session instead of the usual one.”
“Huh?”
The supporting actors’ faces simultaneously tilted in confusion, and they quickly exchanged bewildered glances.
“Simulated filming?”
“Is it necessary?”
“Isn’t it several times more expensive than just a table read?”
Their concerns were justified.
A table read is done by simply sitting together and going through the lines, but simulated filming involves acting out the scenes practically on the set. It uses up resources exponentially.
“Director PD, are you anxious about something?”
“We’ve had lots of shooting experience. Just meeting for the table read before would suffice to warm up the body.”
At this moment:
“This isn’t to familiarize you with shooting.”
Yeon-joo’s relaxed tone carried across.
“It’s to familiarize you with acting against the monster.”
…
The next day.
“Hmm~ Hmm~ Hmm~”
While lying in bed, Su-a clutched her bunny plush toy tightly while aimlessly scrolling through her phone.
Can I really do this?
“Yeah, relaxing feels good…”
Yes, she could.
The short film she was scheduled to act in had disappeared, and she hadn’t even received the script for Special Mobile Unit 808 yet. What’s more, there was still time left for her beverage commercial, so she was technically unemployed legally.
Of course, she wasn’t spending all her time idly.
She had recorded her acting performances on her phone several times and had observed herself. She wasn’t entirely lazy.
[Deer: @Monkeying, game login G]
[Monkeying: Hey S*B]
[Monkeying: Busy with my phone]
[Deer: Why are you cursing?]
[Monkeying: Because of Yang Ha-rin.]
[Monkeying: The project she was working on suddenly got canceled, it’s on the news.]
[Holding the phone absentmindedly, Su-a couldn’t help but respond.]
“Oh, the entertainment world is super fast.”
Yesterday’s movie interview had already made headlines saying it had fallen through overnight. It was faster than Su-a had imagined.
[Monkeying: I don’t know why it was canceled.]
[Monkeying: There’s no detailed information in the articles.]
“I think I have an idea?”
Su-a recalled the overbearing attitude of Yang Ha-rin, impossible to endure in the surrounding area. Perhaps they couldn’t find anyone willing to act opposite her so, they canceled.
[Su-a: Yang Ha-rin does too much overlord stuff.]
Ick, I quickly edited that. I shouldn’t show that I know.
[Su-a: Just, kind of had that vibe.]
[Deer: If that’s how you judge by face, you’re a murderer.]
…
– Chat moderator has kicked Deer out –
– Deer has re-entered the group chat –
[Black Bear: Su-a is kinda scary indeed.]
[Alive Ji: Every crime scene, isn’t it?]
[Monkeying: ? Why discrediting Ha-rin?]
[Monkeying: An evil girl like you should have an entirely different start.]
[Monkeying: I bet your mindset is anything but angelic.]
“…Why did I start a video call with them back then? Sigh.”
I wasn’t meant to show my face to these people.
Still, Su-a learned something from this situation.
‘Ah, this is why actors manage their image.’
Realizing that even the atrocious Yang Ha-rin was portrayed this way to the public, Su-a thought she had better manage her image well as an actress.
‘Thinking about it, it’s really true. That intimidating Kim Sun-il is also popular among fans for being courteous.’
She made a firm decision right then and there.
“Alright. I’ll also manage my image. A great actress with charisma… I’ll become someone like that.”
Of course, she didn’t say this in their group chat.
…
For now, only her beloved bunny friend.
“Isn’t that right, Bunny? Aren’t I someone like that? Yeah, no, not really. I’m a psycho who bites if you try to do anything mean.”
For some reason, it seemed like the bunny was shaking its head. As Su-a was playing around by rubbing her cheek against its belly, the phone rang.
Alright. Image management practice.
“…Hello?”
Su-a answered as coolly as possible.
“Ah, I am very sorry! I am Bak Joon, the director of the short film ‘Sword’. You had expressed interest in the role of Wi Ji-hye, right?”
“…”
Why is this person calling me?
As Su-a blinked and adjusted her posture,
“Miss Su-a, I’ve truly given this much thought.”
“Huh?”
“I absolutely love this project. Even without securing investments or actors, I can do anything to bring it to completion.”
“What is this suddenly?”
“So, might I ask you for a little of your time?”
Su-a thought about it for a moment and,
“No.”
Replied firmly.
What’s left to talk about for a film that’s already gone belly-up?
“S-Su-a, please just give me a moment…”
“Sorry. Have a good day.”
Su-a hung up the call as if fleeing.
After all, her interest had cooled, and she was worried it would be highly awkward to get involved with Yang Ha-rin again.
That was when it happened.
“Eh?”
Su-a’s eyes widened in surprise. The upgraded character information on her system indicated something hard to believe. Right there for everyone to see.
[Short film ‘Sword’]
▶ Enough to manifest
▶ Experience Completed /Grade 1.5
“Grade 1.5?”
Su-a blinked her eyes and looked again.
“…”
Still Grade 1.5. Why?
“1.5 grade? No, wasn’t it 2?”
The exact mechanism is unknown, but one thing is very clear: The short film ‘Sword’ has skyrocketed almost one full grade.
Why did it improve? What are the principles or reasons?
“Ah, it’s driving me crazy. Should I have done it?”
While pulling her hair, the phone rang again.
Same number as before. Director Park Jun.
“…!”
Su-a immediately answered.
Before she could speak, the other party seemed even more urgent, hurriedly explaining,
“I apologize for calling repeatedly. But Miss Su-a, I really just need a moment. Just a short one would do…”
“…”
Su-a thought about it.
“…”
After waiting for quite some time,
“Hmm, since you mentioned it… especially…”
Image management, image management…
