Time flowed like water thereafter.
For Sua, everything being new made the experience even more intense. And now, Sua faced her provisional profile.
Kim I-seo extended a tablet towards Sua.
There, a preview of the information window that would appear when ‘Lee Su-an’ was searched on the internet portal was displayed.
“Take a look. From the premiere day of Special Mobile Squad 808, this is how it’ll look when you search for Sua.”
“….”
Sua swallowed hard and scrutinized it.
[ Lee Su-an ]
Actor, Talent.
(Sua’s male-disguised face)
Affiliation ▶
Family ▶
Awards ▶
Website ▶
Activities ▶
“Using ‘Lee Su-an’ seemed somewhat off since it’s a male name for Sua. Therefore, I temporarily changed it. To prevent Sua’s true identity from leaking prematurely, we’re also keeping the Mystic affiliation hidden for now.”
“Yes.”
Although most of the blanks remained unfilled, even if they were completed immediately, it would only include basic information like the name, photo, and affiliation. But still, Sua felt a tickling sensation in her heart.
The feeling rising within her now was undoubtedly exhilaration.
To Sua, her bare profile felt like an empty display case. A space where her accomplishments could be recorded. It made her feel both delighted and thrilled.
Because, until now, there had been nothing in her life worthy of proud documentation. But now, she had a public display case, visible to all at any time.
“….”
For now, this cherished emotion was enough.
After all, she believed she would someday fill her filmography.
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.
Meanwhile, while Sua was too busy to notice,
The group chat was quite active these days. Extremely so.
[ Deer: @Monkeying yo, let’s game]
[ Monkeying: Busy managing the gallery]
[ Deer: Managing? What management?]
[ Deer: You, who make chaos all day, are doing what management?]
[ Monkeying: Yeah… I’ve made one]
[ Deer: What gallery?]
[ Monkeying: Lee Su-an gallery lol]
[ Monkeying: Since they keep acting up, I made it to tease them]
[ Deer: Haha, hilarious lololol]
[ Deer: lololol]
[ Deer: Yo, give me the admin rights]
[ Deer: Let’s upload a polar bear on the front page]
[ Monkeying: What’s with the Virtual YouTuber Shikarin promo post?]
[ Deer: Anyway, it’s gonna fail so I just wrote whatever came to mind]
And just like that, a community was born.
[ Lee Su-an Gallery ]
[ A community dedicated to punishing Lee Su-an’s baseless confidence and rebelliousness. Please feel free to share related stories. ]
[ Title: This Place is Now Overseen by Shikarin ]
[ Title: How to Make Alio Olio Pasta ]
[ Title: The First Gallery to Fail at the Moment of Creation lol ]
…Anyway, it was the first birth of the Lee Su-an Gallery.
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Elsewhere, Saeng-ji and Kim Sun-a were also busily at work.
Day after day, countless articles were published, but naturally, some stood out. Employees taking a break drinking coffee would chatter:
“Articles related to Special Mobile Squad 808 are pouring in like crazy.”
“Even if we write carelessly, they generate quite the hits. It’s our honey spot right now.”
“After the airing, it’ll explode even more.”
“But that’s considering the drama does well. What if the drama flops? Once it starts failing, interest will disappear.”
[ Too Overconfident Special Mobile Squad 808 – Will It Be Okay? ]
[ Hiding Too Much – Kim Yu-han, Many Are Concerned… ]
[ Is Kim Yu-han Just Overstating? ]
In such a situation, Kim Sun-a approached her team leader. She carried an article she’d written, revealing that Kim Yu-han’s real identity was Lee Su-an.
“Team Leader, I want to publish this article.”
“This? Wasn’t this what you mentioned before? Who’s this Lee Su-an? Are you saying this person is Kim Yu-han? Searching it brings nothing up.”
“Still, I want to publish it. Or else I’ll quit.”
“Fine. Whatever, go ahead…”
The team leader agreed without much thought, only thinking that Kim Sun-a was quitting now.
Journalists who quit while leaving behind joke articles as if scribbling on the internet were quite common back then. Besides, it wouldn’t even get views, so why bother?
Even Kim Sun-a’s feelings were not much different.
She decided to think of it as a peculiar resignation letter.
‘Anyway, I was going to leave. If it’s right, it’s a bonus.’
Honestly, she didn’t expect much. Sua was already known for playing around so much. She had once claimed bizarrely that she would star in Special Mobile Squad 808.
Could Lee Su-an, revealed by Sua, really be Kim Yu-han?
Or could Sua herself be Kim Yu-han from Special Mobile Squad 808?
Kim Sun-a imagined both scenarios.
“….”
At the very least, she hoped one option was just a joke.
‘A drama failing, could that even happen…’
◈◈◈◈◈
Six directors gathered at a bar.
On the table sat exquisite liquors with hefty prices, spaced evenly apart. Beautiful fruits in various slices were also elegantly displayed.
A luxurious setting. No one else except them was permitted here.
This gathering was no small matter, and it was also highly important. Each director was renowned in their own right.
Clink – Clink –
Instead of the sound of glasses clinking, the noise of something being hurriedly written caught the attention. They weren’t enjoying drinks but conducting a vote instead.
“It’s been ages since we’ve done this kind of voting.”
“True, it has been nearly five years since we last conducted one.”
The gathering of the six directors, named “The Righteous Path,”
had a special rule: any individual who could no longer be a good example would be expelled by vote.
Although a drastic rule unimaginable in other groups, in “The Righteous Path,” it was quite normal. From its inception, it wasn’t an ordinary gathering to begin with.
“Speaking of it, this gathering has been going on for quite a while.”
“Yeah. Since our obscure days.”
“There used to be quite a lot of people too. Almost twenty?”
“The Righteous Path” wasn’t a group formed by those who’d already found success. It was a gathering created by unknown directors coming together to support each other. As time went by, only those who succeeded stayed.
The first to lay down the pen was Director Kim Jun-ki.
“Finally removing Park Jun, that thorn in our side.”
The person who suggested today’s vote was Kim Jun-ki himself. His plan was to expel Director Park Jun, the director of “Sword.”
This was due to the factional issues in “The Righteous Path.”
Kim Jun-ki’s faction had three members, and Ko Tae-min’s faction also had three members. But, as they couldn’t remove the leader Ko Tae-min, eliminating junior member Park Jun would suffice.
With Park Jun, who was recently on a downward trend, it justified the expulsion in terms of reason and the potential gain was significant. Losing one member in Ko Tae-min’s faction meant Kim Jun-ki’s faction could gain numerical superiority.
“Director Kim Jun-ki,” another director said cautiously, understanding what was implied.
“Director Park Jun is truly on a downward slide.”
“Hmm?”
“But the important thing isn’t whether they’re successful or not, it’s their work ethic right? Director Park at least gives it his best effort with each project. That itself can be exemplary.”
“Well, that part is somewhat true.”
Kim Jun-ki intentionally dropped the pen with a loud sound.
He looked around at the gathered directors one by one.
“However,”
He emphasized his voice with tremendous strength.
“If someone’s best results are this paltry, isn’t that indicative of a bigger problem?”
Everyone fell silent.
“Effort is important, but when repeated failure happens despite one’s best effort, it just means their capabilities are at this level. At that point, they’re no longer someone others can look up to. On the contrary, they could instill the notion that hard work is futile.”
Kim Jun-ki sent an ominous glare towards Park Jun, openly hinting as if it didn’t matter whose name he had written.
“Don’t use the excuse of ‘doing my best.’ When it’s obvious it’s going to fail, and you still make what you want, that isn’t effort. That’s stubbornness or obsession.”
“…”
The room fell into a brief silence.
Then, Ko Tae-min, the leader, spoke for the first time.
“Sounds like you’re saying that nothing is more important than results.”
“Huh? Is my statement wrong?”
“No, no. It’s true, results are an important factor.”
Ko Tae-min nodded with an enigmatic expression.
“But.”
“But?”
“Barring Park director having the capacity to produce good results later, I wonder if it was necessary to hold this vote.”
“Hah!”
Kim Jun-ki sneered.
“This is a gathering of those who’ve already proven themselves, not one to nurture or comfort aspiring directors. How can you expect us to trust someone constantly tumbling down a slippery slope? You might as well go buy lottery tickets instead.”
After pondering something for a while, Ko Tae-min smiled.
“Director Kim Jun-ki, I must admit, I wasn’t too excited about this vote in the beginning.”
“Huh?”
“Indeed, I had been contemplating whether holding this vote was necessary at all.”
“What?”
Kim Jun-ki frowned at Ko Tae-min’s frustrating speech but his expression quickly relaxed when he heard Ko Tae-min’s next words.
“But now I understand. We don’t really care about work ethic. Nor do we need to consider the possibility of reform. Decisively dismissing someone is the job of this group after all.”
“Exactly! That’s exactly it!”
Kim Jun-ki’s expression brightened.
“Sparing someone just because they try hard has its limits. No matter how much you support them, if it burdens the people around them, it becomes a major harm. Decisively removing them is necessary. Even if….”
Kim Jun-ki spoke with a wicked smile.
“…it is someone we’ve seen for a long time, isn’t it?”
Ko Tae-min nodded, as if to show understanding.
“I see. I’ll participate in the vote.”
“At last, we see eye to eye. I thought we wouldn’t get along for a moment.”
With a relaxed expression, Kim Jun-ki looked at Ko Tae-min. He thought to himself that Ko Tae-min had finally given up on Park Jun. After all, if he thought it through, the reasons to expel Park Jun were flawless.
Finally, the vote started within the “The Righteous Path.”
.
.
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.
After a little while, all the directors completed their votes.
Kim Jun-ki glanced at the two directors he had prior agreements with, but felt a subtle, strange vibe. It was because he noticed both of them avoiding his gaze.
“?…”
But soon, he understood.
“Ah, rightly so. There’s no need to show factions too obviously. I appreciate this thoroughness.”
Everything seemed to be proceeding smoothly. Ko Tae-min spoke then.
“After all, it seems that all of us, except one person, wrote the same name.”
“Haha! Hahahaha—!”
Without realizing it, Kim Jun-ki burst out laughing.
“Whoever it is, they sure have some nerve to the end!”
He was pleased enough to applaud.
The identity of the one who didn’t conform was too obvious. In desperate straits, Park Jun must have found it hard to write his own name and decided to write something random instead.
Thus, with a smug expression, Kim Jun-ki turned his attention to Park Jun, ready to witness his demise—but,
“Kim Jun-ki, five people have nominated you. You’re expelled.”
Director Ko Tae-min announced this.
A heavy silence immediately enveloped the entire space.
“…”
It took Kim Jun-ki a while to realize what he had just heard.
“Wh-what? Wh-what did you say?”
It was a result that defied common sense.
First of all, he had written Park Jun’s name, and the two whom he had pre-arranged with should have written Park Jun’s name as well. That would mean Kim Jun-ki should have already secured three votes, making Park Jun’s expulsion the only logical conclusion.
…Why? Why on earth?
Could Park Jun have manipulated something? Did he spread money around somewhere in the meantime? Or perhaps Ko Tae-min falsified the results?
As various possibilities unfurled in his head,
Director Ko Tae-min spoke once again.
“Director Kim Jun-ki, your arguments had several valid points. And while listening to them, we couldn’t help but reflect on you. That’s all.”
“What…! What nonsense is this right now…!”
Overcome by rage, Kim Jun-ki kicked his chair. The neatly arranged bottles of liquor crashed over.
“You bastards, collectively conspiring to humiliate me? How could you protect a trash like Park Jun instead of someone competent like me? Fine, we’ll see how all of you turn out.”
“In fact, I thought of giving you a chance.”
However, Ko Tae-min’s voice remained perfectly composed.
“I considered maintaining some friendship, even if we couldn’t work professionally together anymore. But you were right. It’s hard to believe in someone going downhill, right? Probably what the public would think too.”
“Are you drunk? What’s with this nonsense about the public? You ridiculous fool!”
That was when it happened.
Park Jun, who had been quietly observing the entire time, extended his smartphone.
On the screen, a certain current affairs program was running. While the situation wasn’t clear at first, Park Jun subtly adjusted the volume to full.
“—Excuse me, without any consultation, changing the screening rating to adult-only, then casually hinting at a bedroom scene. Isn’t this what it is now? Isn’t this practice really possible?”
“—That’s correct. Though it appears absurd at first glance, this is enabled due to the name of a so-called master. Would the victims dare to outright refuse? No, it’s not like that at all.”
A terrible sense of foreboding arose, and Director Kim Jun-ki leaned closer to listen. Then, a name he should not have heard struck his eardrums.
“—Director Kim Jun-ki. Because there’s a name, some families of victims initially thought: Oh, it’s the director’s request, there must be a reason behind it. Once he earns a lot of money, it’ll be okay, they said that, didn’t they?”
“—In the midst of relentless pressure, the director even threatened them, leaving them no choice. Kim Jun-ki, you’re trash. An atrocious piece of trash.”
“What, wh-what is this? What… right now…?”
Before Kim Jun-ki even realized it, he clenched his phone so tightly that he was ready to shatter it. As his mind went blank,
“Kim Jun-ki.”
Ko Tae-min spoke.
“No matter what efforts you make or what possibilities you might harbor in the future, it’s none of our concern. I offer this as advice from a person I once considered a friend. You know this person well.”
Ko Tae-min’s voice was colder than ever.
“Disappear from our sight. Immediately.”
