Chapter 136: Why is the rating like this?

One week later.

[ Lee Sua Gallery ]

[ Title: Is Gallery Owner really retiring? ]
[ No, right? I just became a fan? ]

[ Title: Definitely not retiring ]
[ But I think the depression might be true. The short film ‘Sword’ and Special Task Force 808 were filmed almost simultaneously, even I would be exhausted repeating method acting ]

[ Title: Gallery Owner, please give us some news…. ]
[ Closing SNS accounts and all, what’s going on…. ]

This was the result of a whole week of keeping them on edge.

If it were a fruit, it was very deliciously ripe, and simply put, it was about time to stop.

Because too much is not good.

‘…Deceiving for too long is also a form of fraud.’

A pleasant public opinion war and overkill are separated by a fine line.

But, as expected.

Kim Yi-seo was a CEO who knew how to handle public opinion.

Around the time Sua started feeling sorry for doing this to people, around the time she felt, ‘Shouldn’t we stop now?’, she immediately took the next action.

That’s why the two of them had just gotten out of the van.

Yes, now is the time to prepare something substantial and reveal it.

Ta-da!

The timing to shout, ‘Sua is going to do this!’

Look forward to it!

Sua-imminent!

---

Clack─!

The two entered a high-end Korean restaurant.

It wasn’t to fill their stomachs.

It was to sign the official contract for writer Park Yu-mi’s Netflix debut work, ‘High Society’.

The work that helped Sua learn her ‘foxy act’.

Writer Park Yu-mi, already seated, greeted them.

“Come on, sit down. The food will get cold.”

“As long as the contract is warm, that’s enough.”

“CEO Kim, your jokes are still the same.”

Meanwhile, Sua paid attention to managing her image.

Thanks to learning the ‘foxy act,’ it was much easier than before.

Should I say she could now think about what kind of image to show, what actions to display to gain a little more favor?

Sua-fox!

Sua-tail!

Sua-swish-swish!

Kim Yi-seo asked as if to confirm again.

“It is, as expected, the role you mentioned last time, right?”

“That’s right. A very short yet impactful role. The role of a maid who seduces with her body. Of course, as Mystic requested, completely exposing her backside is off the table.”

“Yes. Just the nape and armpits.”

Kim Yi-seo nodded.

Writer Park Yu-mi said, bringing a piece of fish to her lips.

“It’s still surprising when I think about it now, I thought it was a scene where seduction without exposure was impossible. But Sua-ssi proved it. Sua-ssi, just do it like that in the actual shoot too.”

“Understood.”

“I’ll have to take off your underwear sometime. Don’t you have a tail on your butt or something? It was that bewitching of an act.”

Everyone laughed once at Park Yu-mi’s joke.

Sua also laughed inwardly.

Because she unconditionally loved fox stories.

Hehe.

As the meal continued, the atmosphere gradually improved.

“I’m saying this now, but honestly, when you said you were doing that ridiculous script, I was dumbfounded. You’re ditching my work for this? Are you serious? That’s what I thought.”

“You said that back then too.”

At Sua’s words, the ‘High Society’ production team burst out laughing.

Of course, among them, the one who laughed the loudest was writer Park Yu-mi.

“But now, I just feel reassured. The maid role, it’s too small to be a lead, and the difficulty was too tricky to just cast anyone. Sua-ssi filled that spot. Isn’t this how it feels when a troublesome tooth is pulled out?”

“Yes. I’ll do my best.”

“We’re the ones who have to do our best. The world is going crazy over Special Task Force 808, right? Thanks to that, we all became fools. We debated all night whether it was Lee Suan or Lee Sua… To think both were Sua-ssi.”

“It means you thought of me twice as much. I’m happy.”

Sua had now become capable of smoothly uttering such words.

A harmony of her foxy act and Kim Yuhan, perhaps?

Of course, meanwhile, her head felt like it was about to break.

To the point where she could almost hear cracking sounds.

‘…Ugh, I really can’t do this.’

Sua thought.

I just want to live foolishly!

─Aren’t you already living like that?
─Indeed.

While ignoring the Sua Association’s words, the meal finished, and after the plates were cleared, writer Park Yu-mi gestured with her chin.

It was a moment before the production team brought out the documents.

Finally, it was the official contract for ‘High Society’.

“I watched Special Task Force 808 screaming, I was completely mesmerized by Sua-ssi. Please make the maid scene in ‘High Society’ just like that. I’ll organize the shooting schedule and script separately and send them to your headquarters by quick delivery.”

“Understood.”

“Ah, really. I should have pushed through and gotten the seal stamped that day. Even soaring stocks don’t rise like this. Who would have thought I’d be signing a contract at such a jumped-up price in just a few days.”

Then Kim Yi-seo smiled.

“Still, it won’t be a losing contract for you.”

“I hope so. Definitely.”

Park Yu-mi playfully feigned complaint as she finished signing the contract, and further instructions were given to Mystic.

At the same time, the perk began to shine.

[ High Society ]
▶ Embodiment Elements Sufficient
▶ Rank 2.8 → Rank 1.5

Park Yu-mi rested her chin on her hand and subtly looked at Sua.

“I only thought of you as a wolf, but the more I look, the more bewitching aspects there are. Were you a half-blood mixed with fox blood?”

The perk notification, and the word ‘fox’.

To Sua, it was truly welcome news.

---

Sua and Kim Yi-seo moved without resting.

Ah, this time, one person was added.

Seo Yeon-ju.

It was because they had to discuss the work ‘Lies, Lies, Lies.’

The location was a high-end raw fish restaurant.

‘Looking again, he still resembles a samurai.’

That was Sua’s impression upon reuniting with Director Park Mu-ryong.

His mustache showed signs of meticulous grooming, but his hair was sparse.

Not completely bald, but bald with hair only on the sides?

‘…Or an octopus?’

Sua put down the boiled octopus she had picked up with her chopsticks.

How should I put it, eating it in front of a bald person felt strange.

Director Park Mu-ryong exclaimed heartily.

“Just getting Yeon-ju as the lead was joyful. But now that Sua-ssi is also participating, I feel very reassured!”

His voice was bright.

It was understandable.

Someone had to fill the vacancy left by the actor banished due to the Liberation Day statement controversy, and that someone was Sua, whose stock price had skyrocketed.

Wouldn’t anyone welcome her with open arms?

In reality, Park Mu-ryong was only physically sitting there; his aura was clearly one of excited agitation.

“I never imagined Kim Yuhan was Sua-ssi. I thought you were relaxing comfortably after winning the short film award. But to appear there! My head was properly reeling!”

“I’m glad if it was a pleasant twist.”

Kim Yi-seo smiled brightly, and Seo Yeon-ju shrugged.

“Director Park, you should know it’s thanks to me. Sua said she became interested in this project because she wanted to help me, right? So, it’s okay to order one more plate of raw shrimp, right? The biggest one.”

“Of course!”

“Huh? It was a joke.”

“I am not joking.”

Park Mu-ryong said with serious eyes.

“Furthermore, the contract fee will be set based on the current standard!”

Moreover, he coolly brought up the part that Mystic had been most hesitant to mention.

He had decided to generously offer a large contract fee.

Thankfully so.

Thanks to that, the contract proceeded smoothly.

---

“Director, you spent a lot of money. She’s not even the lead, but you gave a larger contract fee than when casting a lead.”

“You guys didn’t intend to oppose either, did you? This industry, you know, it’s the blunt but sharp friends who are amazing, rather than the kind ones who can’t do their job. Sua-ssi is like that.”

“That’s right.”

Everyone just nodded their heads vertically.

There was no one who opposed Park Mu-ryong’s words, nor anyone who opposed Sua joining.

“Her filmography is unbelievable in the first place. Grand Prize at the short film festival, lead role in Special Task Force 808 which surpassed 40% viewership; where on earth do you find a rookie like this?”

“Yeon-ju called her a meteor. It was a relatable statement. However, personally, I have one question that arose.”

“What is it?”

“Sua-ssi kept looking at me.”

Park Mu-ryong fiddled with his mustache.

“…What was she trying to say?”

It was fortunate Sua wasn’t there.

Because she only looked because he was bald.

What other reason could there be….

Vroooooom─!

Inside the van returning to Mystic headquarters.

“Sua, we’ll release the news articles about you joining starting tomorrow.”

Kim Yi-seo said.

Sua nodded.
For those who were worried about what would happen if Sua retired, good news would drop tomorrow.
Because she had secured two major contracts.

‘Everyone, please just bear with it until tomorrow. I’ll repay you with good news. And I’ll work hard on my acting too! Tremendously!’

Sua was inwardly murmuring so.

It was because every bit of attention towards her felt precious.
The days she spent before starting as an actress were that hard.
She would do even better from now on.

Sua-fans-precious!
Sua-love!

It was then that Yeon-ju opened her mouth.

“I was touched. That Sua is following me to my project too.”

“Unni, you helped me once before too.”

“Right. I did.”

Seo Yeon-ju let out a small laugh.

“Until then, it felt like helping out a rookie I liked, but what is this? Now some huge meteor is falling on me? I’m not going to die, am I?”

Playfulness, a headband that always suited her, innocence.

In Sua’s eyes, she was always perfect.

Such a Seo Yeon-ju seemed genuinely happy right now, but Sua couldn’t fully enjoy this situation.
The reason was….

[ Lies, Lies, Lies. ]
▶ Embodiment Elements Sufficient
▶ Rank 3.8 → Rank 3.5

Because the perk window was too shocking.

‘…This is ridiculous.’

Even though Sua’s twist was revealed to the world, it only went up by 0.3.
It was an incomprehensible number.
After Kim Yuhan’s identity was revealed, everything else had risen significantly.

‘Why is it like this? I don’t understand?’

No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t understand.

The internet is overflowing with talk about Sua.
Shouldn’t it have a bigger impact?

Seo Yeon-ju stretched.

“Anyway, it’s a shame. I wanted to live with Sua longer.”

“With me?”

“Yes. I get lonely easily.”

“…I can’t imagine Unni being lonely.”

She was serious.

In Sua’s view, Yeon-ju was friendly, pretty, and even had an excellent personality.
Sua knew the lives of such people.

Their phone contact list would be endless, they’d receive over a hundred birthday gifts… that kind of life.

Therefore, Sua said.

“Unni, I think you must have been incredibly loved since you were young.”

“When I was young?”

“Yes.”

“When I was young. If it was when I was young….”

Seo Yeon-ju placed her index finger on her chin and pondered for a moment.

“It was quite cold. I can’t think of any other expression.”

Then she smiled brightly.

“Yes. That’s right. It was incredibly cold.”

But it was strange.

In that smile, Sua felt a depth of shadow she couldn’t possibly fathom.
It was simultaneous with an ominous and intense thought flashing through her mind.

‘….’

Sua swallowed dryly.

It was the dizzying thought, one she had never had before, never even anticipated, that perhaps Seo Yeon-ju herself might be the culprit lowering the script’s rank.