episode_0077

While Seo Yisoo was fully dedicated to the filming of “Business Partners”.

Time passed.

And as time went on, in a corner of the internet world, there was an unsettling buzz.

– Seo Yisoo is going too far.

– Seriously… how long do we have to endure this??

– Shouldn’t we stand up for ourselves at least once?

Unsettling words were exchanged in that corner.

Given that the target was Seo Yisoo, the situation could be considered serious.

They were very angry.

It seemed like they were about to take action immediately.

The tension was palpable.

– Seriously! Why!!

– She’s not even appearing on TV!!

– I heard actors from the neighboring area received fan service!

– Neighboring actors! They film ads! They do photoshoots! They have an abundance of content!

– How long do we have to rely on stills from “Criminal Predator” and “Diary of the Sea”!

– Some are even attending fan meetings!

They were extremely outraged.

But the way they expressed their anger seemed pitiful and futile, much like their idol Seo Yisoo’s behavior.

– Please… give us some breadcrumbs for fangirling.

– She’s currently filming a movie, so I don’t even hope for variety shows… no. TV appearances.

– Just an interview for a magazine… no. Personal broadcast… no. Maybe we were too greedy.

– Yeah. Just create an SNS account.

– You don’t even have to post anything… just create an account. We’ll entertain ourselves there…

– An actress who doesn’t communicate in the age of communication…

It was a peculiar phenomenon.

Normally, celebrities seek attention and fans give it to them.

But everything is relative.

And they say in relationships between people, the one who likes more loses.

Since Seo Yisoo hardly appeared on TV and didn’t even create a simple SNS account.

That’s why Seo Yisoo’s fans were eagerly hoping for their beloved actress to show them affection.

Sometimes, desires are suppressed and eventually explode.

That’s how Seo Yisoo’s fans felt.

They were truly on the verge of exploding with suppressed desires.

– If Seo Yisoo does an interview, I’ll buy up all the magazines.

– Just film an ad. I’ll show you how much I can spend.

– We don’t need anything else. Please… just appear on a variety show once…

Normally, when a situation escalates to this extent, fans would stop supporting the actor.

But since the target was Seo Yisoo.

Anyway, she was so charming and radiant.

Once she caught your eye, it was impossible to look elsewhere.

Seo Yisoo’s fans, although their numbers were still small and humble, were faithfully and painfully waiting for Seo Yisoo’s breadcrumbs.

That was the situation.

– Alright. I just hope “Business Partners” is released soon.

– But that’s Director Choi Daun’s work. Post-production takes a lot of time, so it might be around Chuseok.

– If we’re unlucky, it might be delayed until the end of the year.

– Ah…

And so…

From a corner of the internet world.

From a place where the public’s attention had not yet reached.

The prelude to an explosion was taking place.

Sometimes, an explosion seems to come out of nowhere.

No matter how high the flames rise, there must be something to burn for the fire to rise.

There was nothing to burn yet.

So even in the midst of intense heat, there were explosions that couldn’t ignite themselves.

They were waiting for one thing for their own ignition.

Embers.

Or what is called firewood.

When that one ingredient is fulfilled, the flames will finally rise and burn everything fiercely.

The blue was approaching.

***

It had been a few days since the misunderstanding between Seo Yisoo and Bae Soyun was resolved.

The filming set of “Business Partners” was bustling.

Director Choi Daun’s working style was quite rough.

To be more specific, it involved putting himself, the staff, and the actors into the work.

“Ah. Really. If I go back into this human’s work, I won’t be human anymore.”

“I heard rumors. This is beyond unacceptable.”

Choi Da-woon has been notorious for being a perfectionist for a long time.

Despite his young age and short career, he produces top-notch work, but the process is extremely harsh.

Everyone knew what they were getting into when they joined his project.

They knew they would suffer.

But filling a line on their career with participating in a good work was worth more than the suffering.

That was true, but…

“Cut! Let’s do it again.”

“Ah… How many times is this now?”

“I don’t know. I stopped counting after ten.”

“Ridiculous.”

His mental state was deteriorating.

The team was feeling the sense of falling apart every day.

However, there were two people who stood out in that atmosphere.

Hong Geun-sik and Seo Yi-soo.

It was expected for Hong Geun-sik, as he was a well-known actor in Korea.

But Seo Yi-soo was truly unexpected.

“But you know, Seo Yi-soo was more than I expected.”

“Yeah. Even though he’s acting alongside Hong Geun-sik, he doesn’t get overshadowed in the scenes.”

It was clear that Hong Geun-sik was the better actor.

He was overwhelmingly better.

It was obvious to anyone.

But the fact that Seo Yi-soo didn’t easily get overshadowed by Hong Geun-sik’s overwhelming acting and followed along in the scenes hinted at his potential as an actor.

“Wow…”

“How can he act like that at his age?”

Their gaze was fixed on the unfolding acting.

***

In the end, Jung-hoon decided to accompany Na-ju.

The information Na-ju received from the kidnappers.

And Jung-hoon tracking down the hideouts of the kidnapping organization by compiling what he knew from the past.

“Where is my daughter?”

“What is this… Wait. Isn’t this that doctor guy?”

Jung-hoon had betrayed the kidnapping organization he used to work with to the police in the past to protect himself.

As soon as they recognized Jung-hoon, they attacked without a word.

Jung-hoon was a doctor.

He was a kind person, far from violence.

But the kidnappers were the same.

There were no professional fighters among them.

Jung-hoon fought against the kidnappers with knives and careful planning.

The fight was not glamorous.

It was rough, desperate, and sometimes messy.

Jung-hoon rolled on the ground countless times, was beaten, and injured.

Jung-hoon’s journey to find his daughter was that harsh.

In such a situation, Na-ju, his companion, was not at ease either.

The kidnappers tried to harm Na-ju, who seemed vulnerable.

Na-ju faced several crises, even more than Jung-hoon.

Jung-hoon found it strange how Na-ju, who was weaker than himself, faced the situation without any complaints or signs of difficulty.

Even though she had a goal of finding her sister…

Na-ju’s attitude of being emotionless beyond perseverance struck Jung-hoon as odd.

“Aren’t you feeling anything?”

After a fight with the kidnappers once.

Despite not finding any significant clues.

In the hideout of the kidnappers, Jung-hoon asked Na-ju.

And…

“…”

Na-ju met Jung-hoon’s gaze with emotionless eyes.

#Chapter 57

– Hideout of the kidnapping organization

“Aren’t you feeling anything?” he asked me.

And for some reason, I felt like that question didn’t quite reach me.

I don’t know…

That question of how I feel.

It sounded like a language from a different world to me.

“Sir.”

I said to Jung-hoon.

“When I was in elementary school. In first grade.”

An old story flowed from my lips.

It was a story of the sadness I experienced.

There are different types of sadness.

Sadness that ends in some form soon.

Or, it is a sadness that never ends, left unresolved and abandoned in the hearts of people.

Most of the sadness I harbor falls into the latter category.

“From then until I graduated from high school, I was constantly bullied. I don’t know why. They just all hated me.”

“When I was in middle school, my parents passed away in an accident. I don’t know why. It just happened one day.”

“And one day, my younger sibling was kidnapped. I don’t know why. It just happened like that.”

My life was made up of various incidents.

And most of those incidents contained an inevitable element of violence.

“Continuing to experience such things, people tend to give up. Instead of resisting fate, they just. End up choosing one of two things.”

That’s why I learned to be resigned.

I don’t resist fate.

I simply make a choice.

Whether to passively accept what comes my way.

Or, to even give up on passively accepting and just let go of everything.

That destructive binary choice is all I can do.

I looked up at Junghoon.

I forced a helpless smile.

“So, it’s the same even now.”

I’m just passively accepting what comes my way this time too.

So how I feel about it isn’t really an important issue.

I told Junghoon that.

“……”

Perhaps, saying such things would evoke quite uncomfortable emotions in me.

Isn’t that right?

People want to live with a positive outlook.

The eyes of a resigned human being only bring a sense of destruction to the viewer, don’t they?

Junghoon, overwhelmed by my words, couldn’t speak for a moment.

Then, perhaps not liking that fact, he spoke reluctantly.

“Hmph. For someone like you. Aren’t you actively trying to find your sibling?”

Is that so?

I laughed again.

“Well, sir, you may not know, but this time too, I’m just doing my best to accept what comes my way.”

“What are you talking about?”

Junghoon didn’t understand my words.

But suddenly, I thought.

At the end of our journey, I hope Junghoon can understand my current state of mind a little.

Yes.

I hope.

That the wicked and selfish human being Junghoon can change into someone who can understand me.

I looked at Junghoon with a passive, shadow-like desire.

***

“Wow……”

“Look at his eyes.”

“That’s a 21-year-old actor?”

Everyone on set marveled.

That’s how incredible Seo Yisoo’s acting was.

Ultimately, the results of performing arts depend on talent, but acting is also greatly influenced by the life experience that the actor has accumulated.

It’s not easy for a person in their 20s to portray an 80-year-old’s life.

Yet Seo Yisoo, at just 21 years old.

Was able to express emotions beyond his age.

A lot of it was thanks to the power of the Dragon, ‘Yuhi,’ but.

Ordinary earthlings didn’t know that fact.

So they just marveled at Seo Yisoo.

“I only heard about it, but. If you have such incredible talent, you can transcend your age.”

“That’s right.”

Seo Yisoo’s talent is that amazing.

Well, being born as a Dragon is both a curse and a talent that Seo Yisoo possesses.

It’s not entirely wrong to have such an impression.

Anyway, that’s how it is.

Seo Yisoo was completely immersed in the filming of .

While most of the staff and actors were being scolded by Director Choi, at least from Seo Yisoo’s perspective, everything seemed to be going smoothly.

“Oh, I’m at a loss.”

However, in the midst of all this, Shin Jihu was scratching his head, lost in thought.

The reason for the fans’ opinions on Seo Yisoo, which were being discussed on fan cafes, related galleries, communities, and social media, was because of the fans’ opinions.

Shin Jihoo muttered in frustration, “Who wouldn’t want to do that kind of thing?”

Seo Yisoo seemed strange.

So, what can be done about worrying that doing something like a variety show might lead to an accident for no reason?

Of course, satisfying what the fans want right away is not an easy task.

Taking small photoshoots or signing advertising contracts is something that even Seo Yisoo could manage.

“But… even if you do that… it won’t really help Seo Yisoo much,” Shin Jihoo said.

What Seo Yisoo needed was widespread recognition.

A big issue that could capture the attention of the general public in South Korea.

While also being able to avoid damaging her image with Seo Yisoo’s strange behavior.

That’s what was needed.

“Hmm. What to do.”

Shin Jihoo repeatedly pondered over the problem that didn’t have an easy answer.

“Shin Jihoo, Shin Jihoo.”

Just then, Seo Yisoo, who had finished filming, approached.

She started chattering in Shin Jihoo’s ear as she leaned in, “Listen. After we finish filming, we’re going to eat tteokbokki with Bae Soyun.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah, yeah. She said it’s incredibly spicy tteokbokki.”

“Okay, got it.”

Seo Yisoo, looking forward to eating tteokbokki, seemed genuinely cheerful.

Unable to appear on variety shows. Unable to do interviews.

The manager was filled with frustration like this.

While the actress was having a blast on her own.

Shin Jihoo asked with a puzzled smile, “But why are you telling me this?”

“Well, tteokbokki, isn’t it delicious?”

“And?”

“…? So, I wanted to tell you. Tteokbokki is really delicious.”

“Okay, got it.”

“Yeah, yeah. Remember that. Hehe.”

What was her intention?

Seo Yisoo kept talking loudly by herself and chuckled.

“…”

And Shin Jihoo, looking at the strange Seo Yisoo.

‘The things she does are strange, but she looks pretty.’

He felt a sudden sense of urgency.

Shin Jihoo had decided during the last filming of .

As Seo Yisoo’s manager.

To make everyone in the world know how beautiful and radiant she was.

To make her the most radiant person in the world.

To do that with his own hands.

Hadn’t he made that decision?

Seo Yisoo is still shining brightly.

More than anyone else.

Even now, she looks pretty and lively.

‘Am I doing well?’

Doubt crept in.

Are there still simmering fans’ emotions on the internet and elsewhere?

Even now, isn’t Seo Yisoo one of the brightest actors in the big project ?

To make Seo Yisoo shine even more, isn’t there a more effective way than what he is doing now?

When Shin Jihoo was troubled by such thoughts.

“Oh, Seo Yisoo, you’re here.”

Hong Geunsik approached the two.

“It’s good that the manager is here too. It went well.”

“Sir, please speak comfortably. I’m much younger.”

“No. No. In public relationships, regardless of age, we should respect each other. More importantly…”

Refusing Shin Jihoo’s request to speak comfortably, Hong Geunsik mentioned the matter.

“For the promotion of , we received an interview request. It’s for a magazine interview. It’s from Screen 21. It’s quite famous here.”

Screen 21.

It could be said to be the oldest, most credible, and most major film-related magazine in South Korea.

“They want to interview Seo Yisoo. What do you think?”

The cliffhanger that fans were eagerly waiting for.

And the dilemma that Shin Jihoo was pondering over.

End.

Sparks were beginning to fly as a popular issue was brewing.