Chapter 98: Lee Sua? Lee Su-an?

Flash! Flash! Flash!

The relentless flashes from the cameras continued to burn into her vision.

But inside Sua’s mind, things were different.

She wasn’t hesitating anymore.

“…”

Because when she looked around her—

She found her answer.

First, the The Sword production team.

Seo Yeon-ju, who had talked about inspiration earlier, was genuinely celebrating Sua’s moment.

Her warm smile carried nothing but sincerity.

Kim Sun-il was the same.

Even in the crowd, Sua could faintly make out his unusually bright expression, something she wasn’t used to seeing.

A look that held gratitude toward her.

Director Park Jun was moved, while CEO Kim Yi-seo looked pleased.

Each of them saw Sua as a falling star, but their wishes were different.

That made it even more precious.

“…First, thank you.”

She had to say it.

For those who believed in her as a shooting star, she had to express her gratitude.

At that moment, the voices inside her quieted down.

Maybe they had realized that Sua didn’t need their help.

Or maybe Sua herself had decided she didn’t need it.

Probably both.

“And I promise you this.”

Her words flowed without a hitch.

A shooting star’s duty to those who make wishes—

There was only one thing to say.

“This is just the beginning.

To those who don’t know me yet, I will prove myself.

To those who believed in me, I will repay you.

I will work harder, create something even greater.

I promise you—I will make it happen.”

She would keep soaring through the night sky.

She would shine even brighter.

That promise alone was enough.

So that more people would see her as their shooting star,

So that more warm wishes could be made upon her.

“And this trophy—it’s still precious to me.

Because I consider it something I share with all of you.

This was never something I earned alone.”

Then, ever so faintly, Sua smiled.

“…So, please continue to support me.”

By then, the entire hall erupted into applause.

Even the ever-calm Director Go Tae-min smirked slightly.

“Something even greater?

In my next film?

I’m looking forward to it.”

As for Sua—

She slowly made her way down the stage.

There was no need to worry about whether she had misspoken.

The tiny versions of herself inside her mind had all given her a silent thumbs-up.

The press cameras followed her like a tail.

And soon—

The awards for other categories continued.

For example, Seo Yeon-ju won the Audience Award, and The Sword won Best Cinematography.

And then—one more.

“Now, it’s time to announce the Best Picture Award!

And—as expected—no surprises here!

The Sword! Congratulations, you’ve won Best Picture!”

Director Park Jun jumped to his feet, as if he had been electrocuted.

The message was clear.

From Best Actor to Best Picture—

Everything.

It was The Sword’s victory.

---

Three Hours Later – Nonsan Military Training Center

The new recruits had just finished their daily training and were resting inside the barracks.

However, they weren’t joking around yet.

Not because of strict discipline—

But simply because they were still strangers to each other.

The reason was simple—

They had just enlisted.

These recruits hadn’t even been assigned to their permanent units yet.

But today, they were lucky.

Thanks to improved military conditions, they were allowed to use their phones.

And what’s sweeter than having a phone in the army?

Before long, the barracks fell into silence.

“…”

It was only natural.

Everyone was too busy with their own screens.

Some were texting their girlfriends.

Others were catching up on news or chatting with friends.

And among them—

One soldier, a man with thick eyebrows, was staring at the charts.

He had a bear-like appearance.

That’s right—he was the one who had been called “Black Bear” in Sua’s group chat.

Even in the army, his habits hadn’t changed.

All he did was check stocks and crypto trends.

And judging by the numbers on his screen, he wasn’t just any investor.

He was dealing with massive sums—

The kind that earned people the title “big player”.

And then—

“…Huh?”

The soldier sitting next to him, wearing earphones and watching MyTube, suddenly tilted his head.

Soldier No. 62 had been aimlessly scrolling through various videos when something caught his attention.

“Wait a sec… Didn’t someone mention this before?”

His curious tone immediately drew the attention of those around him.

One by one, the soldiers started gathering around him.

“What is it? If it’s an ID code, I’m an expert.”

“No, no, it’s nothing like that.”

“Then what? A game?”

“Just look at this first.”

Soldier No. 62 lowered his phone screen so everyone could see.

On the screen was a MyTube drama-recap video.

[Busan International Short Film Festival Grand Prize – Lee Sua’s Acceptance Speech]

“I have no idea why this popped up in my algorithm…

But didn’t someone mention Lee Sua before?”

Immediately, the other recruits became interested.

After all—it was about a woman.

“Oh, wait—yeah!

But hold on, what’s with that face?

She’s insanely pretty.

Are you sure it’s the same person?”

“No, no—it must be.

Didn’t someone say she was an aspiring actress?

Looks like she was more than just ‘aspiring’ if she beat Yang Ha-rin for the Grand Prize.”

“Her body proportions…

Ah—never mind. If I say what I’m thinking, I might get disciplined.

Anyway, why are we even talking about this woman?

Is she someone’s girlfriend?”

“Someone definitely mentioned her before.”

As the group’s excitement grew, even Black Bear took an interest.

“What are you all talking about?”

Immediately, questions were redirected to him.

“Hey, do you remember the name Lee Sua?”

Black Bear nodded without hesitation.

“Of course.

I was the one who brought her up in the first place.”

“Wait—oh, right!

Didn’t you say she was your friend?”

“Yeah.

Not my girlfriend, just a friend.”

At that moment, the other recruits’ eyes widened in shock.

“Holy shit.”

“Wait, didn’t you just say she was an aspiring actress?”

“Yeah!

You just said she was learning how to act!”

Black Bear’s brows furrowed slightly.

“She did film a short movie, but it wasn’t some big deal or anything.

So… why are we suddenly talking about Sua?”

“Why?! Just look at this!”

Someone shoved a phone into Black Bear’s hands.

And everyone started chattering like a flock of baby chicks.

“She beat Yang Ha-rin for the Grand Prize!”

“Look at that flawless white skin! I’m so jealous!”

“What the hell are you—”

Black Bear quietly stared at the phone screen.

And after a moment—

“…Huh?”

His eyes widened just like everyone else’s.

On the screen—

Sua stood gracefully, holding the broken trophy in both hands like a work of art.

The title beneath her name—Grand Prize Winner.

And to top it all off—

She was speaking Japanese.

“Uh… Uh… What?”

“Wait—she speaks Japanese too?

Was she actually a foreigner?”

“Does she have a boyfriend?

Please introduce me to her!”

“Can we get a video call with her later?”

“Video call!”

Soon, the conversation had completely shifted to whether or not they could get a video call with Sua.

“No. 54!

Please! Next time! Video call!”

A video call wasn’t impossible, but Black Bear was still too stunned to care.

It felt like someone had smacked him in the head with a hammer.

He rewound the video and watched again.

Of course—

The other soldiers thought he was checking something else.

“Ooooh…”

“Even watching it again, it bounces a lot.”

“Wow….”

But Black Bear wasn’t focused on Sua’s figure.

Lee Sua winning the Grand Prize?

Fine. Her acting skills were good enough, so maybe winning an award wasn’t surprising.

But Japanese?

What was with that fluent conversation she had with the director?

The same Sua who struggled with Korean… speaking Japanese so effortlessly?

“…What the hell is going on?”

---

Meanwhile, at the Star Catch Headquarters, a Celebrity News Agency.

The office was chaotic.

Most employees had their phones pinned between their ear and shoulder, taking endless calls.

Those who weren’t on calls were typing furiously, as if possessed.

The reason?

The recent Short Film Festival awards had caused a media frenzy.

After what felt like forever—

Two exhausted men stepped into the building’s smoking lounge.

After sitting at their desks all day, they felt like they were dying.

Taking a smoke break was the only thing keeping them sane.

“Haah…”

The team leader exhaled heavily.

“One person quits, and suddenly we’re drowning in work.”

“Tell me about it.”

The man beside him nodded.

This was the same guy that Kim Seon-ah—nicknamed Field Mouse—used to call “senior”.

The same senior who stole every article she wrote.

“Seon-ah was a hard worker, I’ll give her that.

She’s not coming back, but we’ll just have to push through until we find a replacement.”

“I mean, I’ll push through, sure… but of all times to quit, she picks the busiest season?

Right when the Short Film Festival is happening?

What a crazy b*tch.”

“But, hey—”

The team leader lit another cigarette and spoke.

“Do you remember the article she submitted when she quit?

You must’ve read it at least once.”

“Of course.

It was about Special Task Force 808, right?

She claimed she found out Kim Yuhan’s real identity.

Something about “Lee Su-an”, or whatever.”

“You know…

Seon-ah was thorough when she worked.

Do you really think she’d quit and leave behind a fake article?

Maybe she wasn’t making things up—maybe she was just fed up with us.”

“No way.

How would a rookie reporter uncover Kim Yuhan’s true identity when no one else could?

It was bullshit.

New hires these days have no backbone.

The second things get tough, they just hand in their resignation….”

And then—

“Team Leader! TEAM LEADER!”

A different male employee burst into the smoking room.

It was bizarre.

He was someone who never smoked.

But that didn’t matter now.

What mattered was what he said next—

And everyone’s jaws dropped.

“It… It was TRUE!”

“What was?”

“Kim Seon-ah’s article!”

His face was flushed with excitement as he continued.

“The male actor in the Special Task Force 808 teaser—

His name is Lee Su-an!

Everything in Kim Seon-ah’s article was correct!”

No one reached for their cigarettes anymore.

It was like time had stopped.