Chapter 122: Extreme Difficulty

A high-end steakhouse located in Cheongdam.

Sua and Kim Yi-seo got out of the car together.

Kim Yi-seo looked noticeably haggard.
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“It was tough making a reservation on such short notice. Lucky I had connections built up from before, otherwise, we might not have even gotten a table.”
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At the same time, the CEO cautioned her.

“If Writer Lee Geum-sook is warm-hearted, Writer Park Yumi is the opposite. She’s cool. Let’s try not to provoke her. If Sua stays quiet, I’ll handle the talking.”

“Okay.”

Kim Yi-seo had already prepped her on various things in the van. Pleasantries considering the other person’s feelings.

Sua didn’t forget.
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Kim Yi-seo checked her phone’s notepad.
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[ Notepad ]
– Meeting with Writer Park Yumi
– Filming pet variety show
– Watching Climax
– Meeting with Writer Lee Geum-sook’s team
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Who would have predicted that Sua, merely a rookie, would become so busy so quickly? Kim Yi-seo was genuinely surprised again.

“There’s a lot to do. Let’s finish this as quickly as possible.”

The two entered the restaurant.
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***
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Soon after, five more people joined them.
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At the center was Writer Park Yumi. And surrounding her like a fence were the members of the production team. Kim Yi-seo smiled.

“Hello, Writer Park. It’s been a long time since you were in Korea, right? Mystic was just a startup entertainment company when we last met.”
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Writer Park Yumi also raised the corners of her mouth in response.
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“Don’t be overly modest. I’ve been keeping up with news from Korea periodically, and I know Mystic has grown remarkably.”

“I’m glad you’ve taken an interest.”

“Of course. Let’s see, and this must be the person I’ve only heard about?”
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Park Yumi’s gaze turned to Sua, and Sua politely bowed her head. Sua-manners.
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“Hello. I’m Lee Sua. I enjoyed watching your work, Writer.”

“Really? Which one?”

Sua remained silent after that.
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Fortunately, Writer Park Yumi seemed distracted by something else.
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“More importantly, you look incredible in person. The camera couldn’t capture everything. Are you here as Sua the person right now? In your usual state, not embodying any role?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“You yourself seem like a character. A weighty character. I had some idea, but seeing you in person is truly different.”
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Around this time, Sua thought to herself.

‘She really is the opposite of Writer Lee Geum-sook.’
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If Writer Lee Geum-sook was like a warm-hearted aunt, this one felt like the wife of a conglomerate chairman. It made her constantly wary.
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As the appetizers were served, Park Yumi spoke.

“The meeting was scheduled faster than I expected.”
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Kim Yi-seo opened her mouth as if she had been waiting.

“It should be. It’s the esteemed Writer Park Yumi, and it’s an entry into OTT; we should be grateful you even considered Sua.”

“Have you read the entire script?”

“Of course. As expected, the master of chaebol dramas is different.”

“Hmm.”
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Park Yumi wore a meaningful smile.
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“It seems like things never ended well when CEO Kim started with compliments. Is my memory correct?”
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Simultaneously, she shifted her gaze to Sua.

“Did you read it too, Sua? My script.”

“Yes. I thought I wanted to live like that character. A boring life with so much money that you feel no threat. A life where if you confide your worries to someone, they’d say you’re complaining despite being well-off and stab you.”
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“Exactly. Your look fits perfectly, Sua.”
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Although food arrived in succession, Writer Park Yumi seemed uninterested, staring only at Sua. Her eyes even held a spark of fascination.
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“Actually, I wanted to cast the recently popular Suan in the young master role, but seeing Sua in person, I’m not disappointed at all. No, perhaps Sua is even more captivating.”
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“Thank you.”
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She didn’t wield Sua-acknowledgement. Sua-politeness.

Sua suddenly felt she had grown a little.
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“If I had known Sua earlier, I might have returned to Korea sooner.”
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The production team around them was surprised by the blatant praise. But Park Yumi lightly swirled her wine glass and continued speaking.
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“But you intend to reject my work, don’t you?”
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Then, Kim Yi-seo managed to part her lips.
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“…For now, yes.”

“I had a feeling. All sorts of other compliments came out, but the actual words ‘I want to do it’ never did. It’s obvious.”

“I apologize. Sua is currently too busy.”
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Kim Yi-seo explained step by step.
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From how Sua got busy after the short film ‘Sword’, to her upcoming appearance on a variety show, and the projects with Director Go Tae-min’s ‘Crescendo from Tomorrow’ and the one with Seo Yeon-ju.
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“I know Sua is busy. However.”
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Writer Park Yumi shook her head.
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“You missed an important point. Didn’t Lee Geum-sook’s team also send a love call? I doubt my writing is worse than hers.”

“Of course not. You wrote it very well.”

“So why are you choosing that one?”

“Sua wished for it. Earnestly.”
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Around then, Sua nodded, putting force into her eyes as if to say it wasn’t a lie. Writer Park Yumi remained silent for a moment, then spoke.

“In that case, there’s nothing more I can say. I’m an artist too, so I know. How passion burns when you’re fixated on something you want to do. How hard it is to force yourself to do something you dislike.”

“It’s absolutely not that I dislike your script, Writer.”

“I know that too. That’s not what I mean. However.”
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Writer Park Yumi crossed her arms and said.

“Let me see Lee Geum-sook’s team’s script. I need to see exactly what kind of content captivated Sua.”
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Afterward, the script was handed to Writer Park Yumi.
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“…Ha?”
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A vein popped vertically on her forehead.
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It was quite a while later that Writer Park Yumi regained her composure.
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Of course, this only applied to Park Yumi. The production team was still wandering, unable to escape the chaos.
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“What, what is this?”

“Why can’t I understand the content even after reading it?”

“This is the final version…?”
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Even as the food grew cold, no one moved their forks or knives. Unsurprisingly, the shock seemed immense.
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Writer Park Yumi drank her wine like water before opening her mouth.
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“It reminds me of some scenes I’ve written. You know, in chaebol stories, throwing water in someone’s face is quite common.”

“…”

“Do you think this piece of crp will be more successful than mine? Go ahead, try it. Uttering those lines. It feels peculiar.”
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Sua listened silently.
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She could fully empathize with Writer Park Yumi’s feelings. If she hadn’t seen the rating through her perk, she would never have chosen it.

“Normally, I’d want to let you go coolly. But this is…”
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Writer Park Yumi spoke again.

“The script is so bizarre, and seeing Sua in person makes me covet her. Why is it so hard to let go?”
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Kim Yi-seo thought for a moment, then said.

“Writer Park. There might be a way.”

“Tell me.”

“First, if this meeting ends badly, it’s a loss for both sides, right? Writer Park becomes a writer rejected by a rookie, and Sua gains an image close to being arrogant.”
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“Even more so because the script chosen after rejecting me is a makjang script.”

“Yes. So, how about Sua participates as an extra with a small part? It’s good for both sides.”
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Writer Park Yumi fell into thought, and Sua felt Kim Yi-seo’s judgment wasn’t bad. No, it was actually brilliant.
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‘This work didn’t have a bad rating either.’
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‘Upper Class’ was rated 2.8.

It was a shame to let it go completely anyway.
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Around then, Writer Park Yumi presented a file.
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“This is the character relationship chart. Pick one from here. Ask if you have any questions. I’ll answer anything.”

Thus began the search for an extra role.
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A moment later, Kim Yi-seo let out a sigh.

“It’s difficult. The youngest daughter of the chaebol family was a perfect fit.”

Just then, Kim Yi-seo’s phone rang unexpectedly, and she excused herself before getting up from her seat.
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She said it was a call she couldn’t miss as Sua’s variety show filming was just around the corner.
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Thus, only Sua remained from the Mystic camp.
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Suddenly, Sua pointed to one character.

“What is this role? It wasn’t in the script.”

Writer Park Yumi reacted with an “Ah.”
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“It makes sense you wouldn’t know. She’s such a simple character that I omitted the description. But she’s also incredibly impactful.”

“Impactful?”

“Closer to a supporting role than an extra, perhaps?”
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Impactful despite having very little screen time?
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Sua’s ears perked up.
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“What kind of role is it?”

“A housekeeper. But not an ordinary housekeeper.”
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Writer Park Yumi held a peculiar smile.
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“A housekeeper with an incredibly sensual body.”
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Writer Park Yumi chuckled softly.

“Eventually, she catches the eye of an upper-class man. They sleep together, and afterward, she experiences a thrilling rise in status.”
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Sua inwardly cringed. Sleep together? s*x?

“Uh, um, does that mean doing… that kind of thing?”

“Of course.”

“…Do you film that?”

“Hey, no, not that.”

Writer Park Yumi stated firmly.

“She reveals her back in the bathroom and lets her gown fall to her feet, and an upper-class man happens to see it. The scene ends implying some sort of transaction occurred afterward.”
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So, no s*x scene, at least. That was one big hurdle cleared.
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But Sua still felt uneasy.
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“How do you show the back? Does she take off all her clothes?”
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“Of course, we film it with underwear on. The camera will only capture the calf area. She drops the underwear and gown near her ankles. It’s directed to look like she’s nude.”

Park Yumi shrugged.

“I’m not an a*shole like Kim Jun-ki. Demanding various poses nude saying he needs to check the composition, taking pictures, using them for blackmail to sleep with them later… I don’t do that.”
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Sua was genuinely surprised.
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‘Was he really not even human? Scum.’
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The thought came along with how scary the world was.
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“The acting required for the housekeeper is simple. Feel the man’s gaze, turn your head, make eye contact, and that’s it. But the gaze is important. A gaze that makes it impossible for the man not to pounce.”
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“It’s definitely very short yet impactful.”

“Right. There’s only one problem.”
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Writer Park Yumi sipped from her newly refilled wine glass.
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“Whether Sua can pull off seduction.”
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“Hmm.”
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Sua thought. Of course, I don’t know how.
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Since it was a 2.8-rated script, it seemed good to participate even lightly, but the problem was that seduction was a very difficult field.
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It felt like the most difficult acting she had encountered so far.
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Seduction? How do you even do that?
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She remembered a time when she worked an office job, tried to act cute asking for a mistake to be overlooked, and ended up getting scolded twice as hard. After that, Sua suppressed that behavior…
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‘Besides, I know now. I’m not an arctic fox.’
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She was just inherently sharp-featured.
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It was a despairing fact, but she was slowly coming to accept it.
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Still, maybe I should check with the perk, just in case.
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“Writer, just a moment.”
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Sua said that and touched the script.
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[ Upper Class ]
001 – Heo Ahyun
002 – Lee Ahyoung
.
.
.
009 – Housekeeper 1
[ *Includes Special Ability ]
[ *Prerequisite Exists: Extreme Difficulty ]
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‘Prerequisite? This is the first time I’ve seen this.’
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It was then that Yuhan Sua chimed in.
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• [– It seems a prerequisite is needed to experience Housekeeper 1, and meeting it appears to be extremely difficult.]
  ​
• [– That much, even she should understand. So, what is the prerequisite? Can we check it beforehand?]
  ​

Around then, Sua had already attempted the experience.
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[ …Prerequisite needed… ]
[ …Checking prerequisite… ]
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[ Achieved ]
[ Physical Compatibility S ]
[ Injecting ‘Foxiness’. ]
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• [– Hmm?]
• [– Eh?]
  ​

‘Huh?’
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It seemed the prerequisite was just her body.
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Strictly speaking, it was her figure and proportions, but Sua didn’t know that.
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‘It said extreme difficulty? But I passed immediately?’
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She was just happy about the news that she simply passed.
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Ssssss–!

Something began to be injected into Sua’s mind.
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• [– …Is it really okay to achieve it this easily?]
• [– It is indeed originally an extreme condition. Senior Sua is just exceptional. It seems the Creator sculpted only her body and then quit.]
  ​

This came with a brief comment from the Sua Association.