“Uh… No…?”
It was a single line that threw Kim I-seo into confusion.
The idea of having her portrait hung side by side on the building’s wall — in other words, testing her intention to join Mystic Entertainment — had been immediately rejected. Kim I-seo hadn’t anticipated such a swift and decisive answer.
However, she soon nodded slightly in agreement.
“I see. So, Sua…”
There was something Sua had been hinting at.
“…you dislike being placed on the same level as someone else, don’t you? You’re driven to reach the peak no matter what.”
“…”
Sua didn’t respond. She just silently stared at Kim I-seo. It was as good as an affirmation.
‘Just how high is the goal you’ve set for yourself? I can’t fathom it.’
Kim I-seo’s presence beside Kim Sun-il and Seo Yeon-joo seemed to leave Sua completely unmoved. To many aspiring actors, it would be akin to a dream, but not to her.
Sua’s gaze spoke volumes.
From Kim I-seo’s perspective, it was as if Sua intended to ascend alone, without allowing anyone to accompany her along the way, a journey akin to a pilgrim’s silent ascent.
At least, that was the impression Kim I-seo had observed.
One thing became clearer in Kim I-seo’s heart.
‘I absolutely must not let her slip away. Absolutely not.’
Certainly, Sua herself was merely confused.
‘Why is this little CEO acting so strangely?’
Is she upset because of what I said? Sua felt a hint of fear.
That’s all the feeling she could discern.
Kim I-seo’s eyes gleamed with determination.
“…Alright. No agency in the world can keep you forever, Sua. Even Mystic won’t be that ambitious. However, I’d like to be your companion, even if it’s for a brief time.”
“Are you talking about a contract?”
“You’re right. Sua, could you show me the business cards you received yesterday?”
Sua rummaged through her pocket and pulled out the cards.
Due to leaving many at home, the ones in her pocket weren’t all of them, but it was still not a small amount. Enough to play a card game, at least.
Kim I-seo carefully examined each one.
“As expected, there are quite a few. Some decent agencies are here. None of them seem to be offering poor conditions for Sua. But Sua, do you remember something I mentioned?”
“I remember you saying you were confident.”
“Exactly. Mystic’s unique strength. What I’m confident about.”
Sua had also been curious about what that might be.
At the time, she had wondered what it could mean, but now it made sense — it referred to the contract conditions, the cards she planned to put on the table. Sua perked her ears.
“Sua is fire.”
“Fire?”
“Yes. Fire that seeks answers in acting. Fire that will consume various works like logs, growing larger and stronger with each one.”
“I see, that makes perfect sense.”
Sua, Style #1: Pretending to understand complex things.
…Anyway, you’re thinking about me in a cool way, right?
“Alright, does that sound right?”
“I agree.”
Sua, Style #2: Acknowledge compliments aimed at yourself first.
“I’ll put my efforts into ensuring Sua becomes a greater fire, a blaze in the entertainment world. That means actively finding inspiring works.”
With enthusiasm, Kim I-seo continued.
“Of course, Mystic is small. It’s new, and Yeon-joo and Sun-il are our only two members. But I’ve earned some trust in this industry. The pool of scripts I can choose from is the broadest, I guarantee it.”
As Sua listened, she thought: Isn’t this the best feature for someone like me, who possesses special abilities?
“Of course, that doesn’t mean I’ll treat you unfairly financially. Instead of boasting, why don’t you take a look? I’ve summarized the benefits we can provide you.”
Soon, a sheet of paper was placed in front of Sua.
Sua’s eyes quickly scanned over it.
…
[The entertainer Sua (hereinafter referred to as “Party A”) and Mystic Entertainment (hereinafter referred to as “Party B”) hereby agree to the following belonging contract.]
Article 1 [DEFINITION] In this contract, “entertainment” encompasses all activities such as appearance, voice, songs, dancing (stages, TV, movies, broadcast stations, on-site direction, fashion shows, recording, filming, and advertisement production activities) related to…
“…”
Understanding that it wasn’t feasible took only three seconds.
‘This is tough. Should I pretend to like it, or stay emotionless?’
It was a dilemma.
If only she could grasp whether the terms were good or bad, she could decide on an approach, but understanding it in the first place was impossible, leaving her unable to do anything.
And so, while surreptitiously watching Kim I-seo, their eyes suddenly met. It was awkward.
“Sua, what’s wrong?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
That was the best Sua could reply. Asking anything would only lead to trouble, wouldn’t it? It could get ugly.
However…
“Sua, if you have any thoughts or concerns, please tell me in detail. It’s my job to judge based on your input.”
“It’s really nothing major.”
“Still, I’d appreciate it.”
Kim I-seo’s persistence was beyond her expectations.
“Um…just…”
Sua tilted her head in thought.
She quickly fabricated another excuse. A compliment would be safe, right?
“…you’re cuter than I expected.”
Kim I-seo’s face turned pale.
◈◈◈◈◈
In the building of the agency ‘Ocean Actors’, Park Do-hee was located in a practice room lined with floor-to-ceiling mirrors instead of walls.
Nearly 12 hours had passed, leaving dark circles under her eyes.
The reason she was exhausted from practicing all night had halted only for a moment because her studio director had arrived with coffee and donuts. As Park Do-hee wiped her face with a towel, she spoke.
“Director.”
At Do-hee’s call, the studio director, who had been looking at his phone, looked up.
“Do you remember that newcomer? Kim Yu-han, who was to play Sua’s role.”
“Of course, I remember.”
“What do you think of him?”
“What do I think? He’s crazy. After I handed him my card, I scoured the parking lot. I was worried he might’ve thrown it away. That’s the kind of impression he made.”
“…Yeah, he was impressive.”
“Dohee, did you get any follow-up contact?”
“I’m waiting for that. Bringing him in might get me a promotion. No doubt about it. I gave my card first and pitched pretty well. There’s a chance.”
“Hmm.”
“Anyway, I’m going now. Don’t push yourself too hard.”
After the director left, Park Do-hee couldn’t bring herself to eat the donut. Her mind was too cluttered. The conversation during the drinking party at the outdoor set kept coming back to her.
-Doyou have any information about Miss Sua?
Park Do-hee had asked.
Depending on how it was interpreted, it was a suspicious question, but her desperation had driven her to ask. Even a slight increase in understanding the other person might make an apology smoother, right?
Seo Yeon-joo had answered.
-No one here doesn’t wonder about that, do they? But ultimately, none of us know. Miss Sua is just an acting monster.
-Ah, but I heard something.
At that point, someone else chimed in.
-I asked casually about what she did before the drama, and she mentioned football, golf, swimming, and various other things.
-…
There was a brief silence.
-…Is she good at all those too?
-You can kind of speculate from someone’s character. I don’t think she would do things half-heartedly.
-What kind of hobbies are those…?
-From acting to sports, can you even access those at a high level in Korea? Perhaps she comes from abroad?
-That’s a possibility. No, that must be it.
After recalling that point, Park Do-hee returned to reality.
“…”
Frustrated.
By trying to understand Sua better to improve her apology’s success rate, she realized Sua was an even more terrifying monster. What should she do now?
Park Do-hee turned to her manager, who was munching on a donut in the corner.
“Manager-nim, did we receive the mock shoot result notification?”
The mock shoot, involving substantial investment in money and manpower, had a significant condition attached — the contract could be terminated if judged unsuitable for the main drama.
The manager shook his head.
“The results will be out tomorrow. Come on, they’re not going to cancel your contract, right? You did well, and you left a lasting impression.”
“…But if it isn’t canceled, that’s another problem.”
She wasn’t joking.
Doesn’t that mean she’ll have to stand in front of the camera again with that monster? At the very least, she’ll have to perform better than during the mock shoot, but Park Do-hee had no confidence in doing so.
‘I can’t bite her again and pretend I’m mad…’
It had only been possible back then because she’d lost her sanity. Biting another actor in full awareness was something that could never happen.
But then, what else could she do? An adlib that could create an impact without harming Sua?
Nothing came to mind.
What to do, what to do, what to do…?
Park Do-hee clenched and unclenched her fists. Her palms were already drenched with sweat. After pondering for a long time, she finally mustered the courage to contact Sua.
▶ Hello, Miss Sua. It’s Park Do-hee.
▶ Is your arm okay? I’m very sorry.
▶ And I have one question.
▶ Do you have any adlib plans for the main shooting?
To her surprise, a reply came immediately.
▲ The doctor said your arm is fine.
▲ Bite all you want. If you must.
“…”
Park Do-hee momentarily dropped her phone.
She barely managed to catch the phone spinning in the air, extended her hand, and checked Sua’s reply again.
“…”
Reading it again confirmed the message.
Are you really up to biting this time? She was asking whether Park Do-hee could handle it if she bit back. Cold sweat trickled down her forehead.
Park Do-hee quickly began typing furiously, almost at lightning speed.
▶ No, definitely not.
▶ I’m very sorry.
▶ That day, I wasn’t in my right mind.
▶ It wasn’t even an adlib.
▶ Please, send the hospital bill.
▶ I’ll meet you with another act that doesn’t cause harm.
After sending the message, Park Do-hee stuffed her phone into her pocket and immediately turned to look at her manager.
“Hey, can you go to the department store right now?”
“Department store? What for?”
“A necklace, no, designer handbags. Bring a few nice ones.”
“What? Shouldn’t you go yourself? Don’t you remember the last time I went? You got mad and yelled, ‘What is this?'”
“I’m not buying it for myself! I’m giving it to Sua! And cancel all my schedules except the main shooting. I might lose my mind.”
Her voice was tinged with desperation. She had every right to be. For Park Do-hee, it was a matter of survival.
Finding an adlib that would stick in front of the camera apart from biting, a way to survive Sua. She had to brainstorm a lot. It felt like having a bomb-laden necklace around her neck.
And this wasn’t something just happening to Park Do-hee alone.
At an acting academy in Gangnam.
“Is everyone here?”
A group assembled, including the renowned supporting actor, Hwang Myung-pil. Though a supporting cast, their expressions were resolute. They had agreed to come together to rehearse scenes today.
Their shared sentiment was largely the same.
Survival meant there was no other option but to work persistently.
“Let’s practice one scene.”
“At the very least, let’s try shooting with our phones.”
“Should we order food ahead?”
Whether to restrain Kim Yu-han, fear him, or anticipate his success to benefit from a trickle-down effect… It all converged on one path: they had to refine their own acting as well.
Thus, it was a time of flourishing for the Special Tactical Unit 808.
.
.
.
.
.
.
In the meantime, Sua, who had returned home, was lost in thought.
“I don’t get what’s going on.”
-It seemed our CEO was quite cute.
After Sua blurted that out, Kim I-seo’s face had turned pale, and she quickly took back the contract to amend something.
Is she planning to change it for the worse? If so, that’s problematic, but the deed is done, what could she do now? Time to let it go.
Meanwhile, Park Do-hee’s text also troubled her.
‘So, she’s still eager to adlib. As an actor, that’s understandable, isn’t it?’
Sua could somewhat empathize. Striving for a more perfect performance in front of the camera was a natural desire, something any actor would want to achieve.
Thus, Sua readily granted her permission.
Only…
‘…I should definitely wear something like an arm guard. Or maybe use special makeup to simulate thicker skin. Biting would just hurt otherwise.’
Just as she was contemplating such matters,
(!)
“Ing?”
Suddenly, an exclamation mark-shaped notification popped up in her special skill window. Without much thought, Sua tapped it with her finger, and a detailed explanation unfolded below.
[A skill acquisition is in progress.]
[Skill: Acting Commander]
[Effect: Encourages surrounding actors.]
Current Progress ■□□□□ 20%
“…Skill?”
It was a new possibility that Sua had never considered before.
