Chapter 137: Alexithymia

The next morning.

Mystic Entertainment CEO’s office.

Kim Yi-seo’s space, adorned with two large hairpins, resembled a professor’s study.

Thanks to this, Kim Yi-seo sometimes looked like a daughter peeking into her parent’s space.

However, anyone who saw Kim Yi-seo’s expression now would never utter such words.

Because she was currently very serious.

“Drink up. It’s expensive tea.”

“Thanks.”

Seo Yeon-ju and Kim Yi-seo sat facing each other.

As the rich aroma of tea spread, no one actually brought the cup to their lips.

Kim Yi-seo spoke first.

“Yeon-ju is finally returning to the movie theater screen.”

“Indeed. I’ve been focusing on dramas recently.”

“I’m always grateful to the ever-diligent Yeon-ju. I’m cheering for her because she’s admirable too. But because of that…”

Kim Yi-seo tapped the documents with her fingertips.

“…I’m saying this out of concern. I’ve finished gathering information. Do you really want to leave it like this?”

Seo Yeon-ju glanced at it.

[ Seo Yeon-ju is a real case of life reversal ]

[ Seo Yeon-ju was just an outcast…. ]

[ I’m not making this up to insult that actress, but at the time, there were rumors about her parents ]

Kim Yi-seo said with her arms crossed.

“Of course, the majority like Yeon-ju, and these stories are only a very small part. But as a CEO, it really bothers me. I’m also worried that false rumors might spread later.”

“The CEO is indeed a good person.”

“Threats, insults, spreading false information…. A lawsuit is definitely possible. If there’s any action Yeon-ju wants, tell me.”

“It’s okay.”

Seo Yeon-ju quietly sipped her tea.

“Just leave it as it is. I don’t care.”

Her face looked somewhat bitter.

---

8 PM.

At a time when most office workers would have left work, Mystic released all the information they had stockpiled.

They intentionally aimed for this time.

Because those with free time would be checking their phones.

[ Lee Sua retiring? … ‘Groundless’ ]

[ Lee Sua, who made her name with ‘Kim Yuhan,’ is immediately advancing into the film industry. Teaming up with Seo Yeon-ju once again. ]

[ Lee Sua on Netflix too? OTT lands in Korea, countered with Park Yu-mi’s work. Role undisclosed. ]

The content was, of course, about ‘Lies, Lies, Lies’ and ‘High Society.’
People’s reactions were naturally heated.

• ─Wow, she went straight to the big leagues hahaha
• ─Special Task Force 808’s final episode hasn’t even aired yet, and such good news ㅠㅠㅠㅠ Ah, I’m excited
• ─It’s such a relief she’s not retiring!
• ─They were saying she had depression and whatnot, it was just tabloid rumors after all…. This is why reporters should have their keyboards taken away.
• ─But what role is she playing?
• ─ Please tell us what role it is! Please!

She had merely announced her next schedule, yet she was even hearing thanks for not retiring.

Sua realized.

This is why first impressions and timing are important.

Riding on the coattails of Special Task Force 808’s current halo, she was being treated as something far more significant than she had imagined.

Mystic was happy because their intentions got through, fans were happy because Sua wasn’t retiring, and Sua was happy because she was grateful….

…Is everyone happy then? Anyway, it was good!

Also, one thing was now certain.

[ (Exclusive) Summary of Lee Sua’s activities. A career worthy of being called the ‘Midas Touch’? Will Lee Sua’s success story continue? ]

Sua was no longer regarded as a mere rookie, and many were curious about Sua’s next success.

---

10 PM.

After arriving at Mystic headquarters, Sua was fiddling with her face.

Especially, she was kneading both her cheeks.

Huh? Why is she suddenly doing that?

‘Wow, it’s so plump and bouncy! It feels amazing!’

She had just received skin care!

Sua thought.

This is a new world!

They applied various things and even gave her a massage in a warm place, and as her mood improved, her worries and fatigue melted away.

Had she been earning money all this time for this?

Especially, scraping off the dead skin cells felt refreshing.

Sua continued to fiddle with her cheeks and thought.

‘Somehow my life is improving like crazy. Will I be able to do even better later? Like, even walk the red carpet?’

She was also drawing her rosy future.

‘Come to think of it, I need to get a driver’s license too. I have three cars, but I haven’t driven even once. But since I always travel by van, it’s a hassle to get one….’

─Aren’t you actually not confident about passing?

─Just don’t get it in the future either. If Sua-sunbae goes on the road with her intelligence, it’ll be a disaster. Many will get hurt.

─That’s also true. For the sake of peace, don’t get it.

‘….’

Just when Sua couldn’t inwardly refute it.

“Sua!”

Kim Yi-seo ran over and grabbed Sua’s hand.

“Sua! No!”

“…?”

“You were thinking of touching your face just now, weren’t you?”

“Pardon?”

What?

The CEO continued with a serious face.

“It’s a phenomenon everyone goes through. You get used to your reflection in the mirror, and you find something you don’t like about your appearance in photos, so you resort to plastic surgery. But Sua doesn’t need to do that.”

“Hmm?”

“Sua is perfect just the way she is now. Understood?”

Sua was praised unexpectedly.

Sua-thanks?

Yi-seo only looked relieved after reassuring Sua several times.

It seemed she had mistaken Sua for considering plastic surgery.

“Let’s go up now. There’s an important meeting.”

“Okaay.”

Sua quietly followed behind the CEO.

---

Clack─!

As the meeting room door opened, the scene inside came into view at once.

Two familiar faces.

Seo Yeon-ju and Kim Sun-il.

Yeon-ju raised a hand first and greeted her.

“Oh my, Sua, you’re here?”

“Yes.”

Afterward, Sua turned her gaze to Sun-il.

“Is your sister’s matter resolved well?”

“Thanks to you, very much so.”

Seo Yeon-ju, wearing a headband, is pretty today as well, and Kim Sun-il, who still only chooses to wear all-black clothes, looks brighter than before.

His face also doesn’t look as haggard as before.

Sua only became curious after sitting down.

‘What kind of meeting is this that everyone has gathered like this?’

But then.

Clatter─

The sound of a teacup hitting its saucer was heard, and its origin was far across from her.

Only then did Sua realize that besides the Mystic family, there were external guests.

“…?”

And inwardly, she gasped.

She almost let it out.

She was very surprised.

‘Wha-what? What is it?’

It’s somewhat familiar.

By now, there were many people Sua would find familiar, but among them, this was an unmistakable face.

The person was….

“…!”

Sua’s eyes widened as she identified them.

It was then that the guests greeted her.

“Hello.”

“Good day.”

“Hi.”

In order, Saengji, Saseum, and Wonsunging.

Sua almost jumped up from her seat.

Because the Sua Task Force had gathered in one place.

A thunderbolt struck her head.

‘What in the world happened? What’s going on?’

How should I put it, it felt like discovering a fish frolicking in the mountains?

Guys who absolutely shouldn’t be here are brazenly present.

How should I take this?

No, my brain stopped because I couldn’t take it.

Yeon-ju opened her mouth with a smile.

“Sua, say hello. They’re not our guests, they’re your guests.”

“Guests…?”

Seo Yeon-ju chuckled at Sua’s reaction.

“You look like you’re wondering why we’re here too, right? Of course, we should be. Those who help you are also people we’re grateful to. Because you’re precious to us.”

“….”

Sua wanted to shake her head.

If you consider me precious, please leave this place right now.

Please.

These guys are dangerous!

Yet Seo Yeon-ju pointed to them in order.

“First, here, the team leader of StarCatch.”

Yes, well, Saengji could be.

Because she was an entertainment reporter even before Sua started acting.

But.

“This person is the fan cafe president. They say she’s a monitoring expert.”

A monitoring expert?

Isn’t she just a shut-in?

No, more than that, you were the fan cafe president?

What about my expectations?

What about my touched feelings?

“And here, the person wearing a mask is the top V-Tuber in the industry. They said she promoted Special Task Force 808 tremendously this time.”

Not the fiercest woman in the industry?

“….”

Sua was still flustered.

No, to be honest, she was anxious.

‘Ah, what do I do? I feel like I’m hanging off a cliff!’

These guys know Sua’s true self completely.

They even misunderstood her as having Savant syndrome.

If they brought up such a story, she might die of shame.

Kim Sun-il opened his mouth.

“Sua, shouldn’t you at least say hello? They’re your guests.”

“….”

Say hello?

Even that was difficult.

Because she didn’t know how much they had already said.

Had they already revealed Sua’s embarrassing past?

Her usual personality?

Or that darn Savant syndrome….

But then.

Instead, the other side greeted her.

“Sua-ssi, hello. I’m reporter Kim Sun-ah.”

“Sua-nim. Hi. I’m the fan cafe president.”

Thanks to that, Sua was flustered once again.

‘Why are these guys like this? As if it’s our first meeting.’

Of course, situationally, this was better.

Acting as if it’s the first meeting is advantageous for maintaining the image she had built up.

But more than that, she was curious.

Why are you guys like this?

“…!”

Sua soon realized.

‘Ah, these guys are sulking.’

They seemed to be seriously sulking.

Come to think of it, it was natural.

They liked Kim Yuhan so much, but when the shell was peeled off, what came out was Sua.

The shock must have been immense.

At the same time, they must have felt disappointed with Sua.

…It’s scary. What if they retaliate because they’re sulking.

Sua also bowed her head very slightly first.

“…Hello.”

She finished greeting Wonsunging and Saengji.

What remained was Saseum.

Sua was about to bow her head again when….

Kim Yi-seo said.

“I was surprised. You said you’re friends with Sikarin-nim?”

“….”

Sua’s head froze, upright.

It was simultaneous with an insane surge of anxiety.

‘Ah, f*ck.’

Among the Sua Task Force, Saseum was the one who had treated Sua most casually.

At the same time, she was also the one with the fiercest personality.

“….”

Why did Saseum reveal that she was friends with Sua?

To expose everything in this place?

She thought it might actually be possible.

Seeing the clips, she was screaming and all.

The silence naturally lengthened.

The Mystic party began to look puzzled.

“Sua, why aren’t you saying hello? Are you not happy to see them?”

“Perhaps you weren’t actually friends?”

Sua shook her head at Kim Sun-il’s words.

“No. We are friends.”

“Really? Then why.”

Eventually.

Sua couldn’t overcome the atmosphere and blurted it out.

“Ah, hi…. Nice to see you….”

The problem was that she said it with a very strange intonation.

Was it just the intonation?

The speaking interval was also strange.

Like a fool.

Sua immediately pinched her own thigh.

This foolish Sua!

Idiot Sua!

What on earth are you doing!

What’s with that tone!

Are you going to lose the image you’ve built up all at once?

No, in the first place, why are those guys here?

“Wow….”

It was then that Saseum lowered her black mask.

Cold sweat trickled down Sua’s spine.

What on earth is she going to say.

One second feels like a year.

Afterward Saseum─Go Eun-bi said.

“You greet like a proper human now, huh?”

“…?”

Sua tilted her head.

Because she couldn’t understand what Saseum was saying.

However, question marks had already appeared in the minds of the Mystic party.

Because it seemed they would understand Saseum’s words.

‘What does she mean? Like a human now?’

‘Is she saying Sua isn’t human?’

‘Huh? Is there something wrong with Sua?’

It was a question directed at Sua.

Because Saseum’s remark sounded like she was greeting a non-human entity.

Amidst that, Saseum spoke once more.

“Much better than before. It’s good to see you getting along well with other people. I was worried because you seemed like a machine.”

“….”

Sua blinked blankly.

What is she suddenly saying?

A machine?

“Ah, could it be?”

It was then.

Seo Yeon-ju opened her mouth.

Her eyes glinted like a detective’s.

“…I’ve heard of it. Alexithymia.”

Afterward, Seo Yeon-ju whirled around and grabbed Sua’s shoulder.

“Sua, you, have you been acting out human emotions all this time?”

Simultaneously, light bulbs lit up above the heads of the Mystic party.

‘They say if you repeat method acting without rest, you lose your humanity. Was she empty all along? Lee Sua, it means her skills weren’t obtained without effort.’

‘My goodness, then whenever Sua dealt with us, did she have to recall emotions fitting the situation and act them out? How hard must it have been every moment. She was making insane efforts to get along with us.’

‘Sua, you were going through such pain. I finally understand. That’s why you were severely blunt and sometimes awkward. It wasn’t that your Korean was unrefined.’

As their individual misunderstandings tangled in the air, Sua was merely confused.

Not knowing the reason, this silence was just burdensome.

Unaware that she was being regarded as an acting machine incapable of feeling human emotions, she was just curious.

‘A machine? Why are these people like this?’

But she knew one thing for sure.

She didn’t know why, but her friends had helped Sua.

So that Sua’s image could be maintained at the agency.

Why on earth?

For what?

She would soon know the answer.

Just then, Sua’s phone rang.

[ Sender: Go Eun-bi ]
▷ We did well, right?
▷ The agency probably thinks you’re an acting machine?
▷ If your contract fee goes up, it’s thanks to us?
▷ Pay us back later for sure.
▷ Go on a date with me dressed as Kim Yuhan.
▷ OK? You’ll do it, right?

What?

What did she say?

Sua felt a shock as if she had been hit on the back of her head.

“….”

She too had been gravely mistaken.

Her friends weren’t sulking at all.

Rather, they had developed immense expectations for Sua.

Sua pressed her forehead.

It was a truth dizzying enough to make her feel faint.