episode_0032
by adminThe gap between night and dawn.
The people at the outdoor set were really getting into the groove. It was only now that they’d found their voices, and there was even plenty of booze and meat, so the atmosphere couldn’t have been better.
However, there were those who deliberately declined such an occasion.
“Okay, Sua, see you tomorrow.”
That was Mystic’s CEO, Kim Iseo, as she ended the call.
Of course, Kim Iseo wasn’t alone. Right next to her, writer Lee Geumsuk and PD Choi Heewon were clinking glasses.
PD Choi Heewon said,
“Sua has succeeded too. Already getting calls from CEO Kim.”
Then, writer Lee Geumsuk, who was standing nearby, laughed.
“Rather, CEO Kim might have succeeded. You know a lot of entertainment agency heads came today? Did you see them all chasing after Sua? They were dying to give her even a business card.”
“Well, she played Kim Yuhan so well…”
The three of them had set up a small table and were having a quiet drink. If they stayed at the company dinner, the lower staff would be too self-conscious, and this was much more comfortable for them anyway.
Writer Lee Geumsuk put down her glass and said,
“Anyway, I don’t know which agency she’ll sign with, but the terms will be amazing. Sua-yang is pretty good at negotiating, too.”
“…A rookie is good at negotiating?”
It wasn’t a question asked to look down on Sua. It was just that, naturally, a rookie wouldn’t have much negotiating experience.
But the two people around Kim Iseo nodded.
Writer Lee Geumsuk said,
“Of course. Just look at this drama. It’s a position a rookie would bow and scrape to get, but she even managed to get paid per episode.”
“That’s amazing.”
“And what about today? She dropped an ad-lib bomb in front of all those agency heads and disappeared? What does that mean?”
Writer Lee Geumsuk raised the corners of her lips.
“…Agencies, all of you crawl under me.”
.
.
.
.
.
Afterwards, Kim Iseo returned to her office.
Even though it was getting late, the lights were still on.
A pure white, wide board, with photos of actors and entertainment agencies plastered all over it. Arrows connecting each photo, as well as lots of sticky notes with something written on them.
At first glance, it resembled a relationship chart used by detectives.
In the middle was [Lee Sua].
Just those three letters written on the paper.
Kim Iseo tried to analyze it coldly.
Which agencies were after Lee Sua, and the situation of each agency, their strengths, the actors they had… Information. Right now, all that mattered to Kim Iseo was information, so that’s what she did.
She never lost focus for a single moment.
She didn’t forget to check the recent rates of other rookies from time to time, and she carefully considered what she could offer and what she should never concede.
“…”
How much time had passed?
“As expected.”
Kim Iseo sat down on the sofa. There was a subtle look in her eyes.
“I can’t catch her with ordinary conditions.”
◈◈◈◈◈
Meanwhile, the company dinner was still in full swing at the outdoor set.
Thanks to the spacious area, simply lining up desks and chairs transformed the place into a huge campsite. The sound of meat sizzling filled the air, stimulating their appetites.
Of course, booze wasn’t missing.
“Is there enough meat over there?”
“The meat is fine, give me some more booze!”
It was a friendly atmosphere. Because the mock filming had been successfully completed. Even the sky seemed to notice, as the weather was great.
But there weren’t many people left.
It was already late, and some people had to leave due to scheduling issues, so now it was about a third of the original number.
Now it was practically a street stall atmosphere.
“The actor who played Kim Yuhan…”
“…Gave you the creeps, right?”
And the topic that was still being discussed from time to time was Lee Sua. Meanwhile, Hwang Myungpil was deep in thought.
Of course, the thought in his head was also about Lee Sua.
‘The ad-lib’s level of perfection was very high.’
Hwang Myungpil, a supporting actor with a comical face.
As a mere supporting actor, he had no choice but to rely on ad-libs to make himself known, and thanks to that, he lived and died by ad-libs.
Wasn’t the title of a great supporting actor earned thanks to funny ad-libs in the first place? He would continue to love ad-libs in the future. Even if it was to be remembered in this acting world.
But.
‘…What kind of ad-lib should I throw at Lee Sua?’
He couldn’t get a feel for what ad-lib to throw at Lee Sua.
No, no matter what kind of acting he did, Sua would accept it, but that wasn’t the problem. To be exact, he couldn’t think of an ad-lib that Hwang Myungpil could do without being eaten up by her acting.
He couldn’t figure out what kind of person she was. Not at all.
A cool voice like she’d come from the winter sea, an expression that firmly hid her inner thoughts like a thick shell. But even in this confusing situation, there was something certain, of course.
‘Her insane skills are for sure. She’s definitely going to raise her level soon, and if I do well, I can rise with her.’
That Lee Sua had insane skills. So if he didn’t get eaten up by her acting, he was confident that he could get the trickle-down effect.
Of course, that was only if Hwang Myungpil didn’t lose in the ad-lib game, but even just thinking about it was an exciting possibility.
But then.
“Still, she’s a rookie, anyway.”
Someone suddenly said something.
“I know she’s good at acting, but that’s separate from personality, isn’t it? It would be nice if she acted a little more affably on set.”
Her tone was half drunk, half sharp. It seemed like she was finally venting her dissatisfaction with the help of alcohol.
“I’m saying this because I’m worried. You know what I mean? Like, some people get too caught up in trying to reach the peak of their acting career and end up tiring out the people around them.”
“Hmm.”
“They hole up in their van to get into character and don’t come out, make everyone fold up the equipment because they say they can’t film today, make everyone around them watch their back. I really hate that kind of thing.”
Hwang Myungpil, who was listening, clicked his tongue.
“Hey, even I don’t use the expression ‘affable’ these days. Should Sua-ssi have stayed until the end and grilled meat?”
“I don’t necessarily mean that, I just wish she wouldn’t act so high and mighty. I’m just saying we should get along.”
“Then you should stop acting like a senior first. What did Sua-ssi do wrong? She just didn’t participate in the company dinner, and you know the reason why she couldn’t attend, right?”
“…Was there an important reason? I didn’t hear about it?”
“I didn’t hear it directly either, but it’s obvious.”
Hwang Myungpil took a shot of soju and said,
“You seem to have forgotten, but Kim Yuhan is an incomplete role. Writer Lee hasn’t even written the middle and later parts of the script yet.”
“Hmm…?”
“We have time to play like this. Why? Because we received the script a long time ago and learned it. Because we warmed up today. But what about Kim Yuhan?”
“…”
“What about Kim Yuhan, I said. There’s so much to research, and she hasn’t even received the middle and later parts of the script yet. Do you still not know how selfish you were?”
The people who had sympathized with the woman’s story now hung their heads. They had no choice but to agree.
Lee Sua, even just holding onto Kim Yuhan would be a waste of time.
“Come to think of it, that’s true.”
“Did you see the script dedicated to Kim Yuhan? It filled an entire box?”
“…I couldn’t even memorize the lines.”
“But seeing her ad-libs today, her understanding isn’t ordinary, is it? Did she read through all of it? No, did she even sleep?”
“She…must have been out of time…”
Now even the atmosphere had become solemn.
Hwang Myungpil opened his mouth again.
“We have to see that the time she lives in is completely different from ours. In fact, the actor in charge has to do everything from understanding to directing Kim Yuhan. There’s no time to play. She’s more like a pitiful person.”
“…Come to think of it, that’s true. I bothered someone for no reason.”
The person who had brought it up in the first place was very embarrassed.
“From now on, we don’t have time to play either.”
Kim Sunil opened his mouth almost for the first time.
“At the company dinner to commemorate the start of production, Lee Sua said something like that. In the end, no one but herself would stand out.”
“…”
Silence immediately fell.
She said something like that?
No, she had the kind of impression that she could say something like that.
And that skill. It’s not a story to be passed over.
Tension spread across everyone’s faces.
“Everyone has to do it desperately. To stay in people’s memories.”
The surroundings became quiet at once. Because none of the stories they had just discussed felt like a joke.
As the image of Sua was gradually piling up with misunderstandings.
There was one person who was trembling unusually.
“…”
It was none other than Park Dohee.
She kept writing and deleting text messages.
“…”
What should she do? She bit a being that couldn’t be understood by common sense.
What should she apologize for? She had no idea…
◈◈◈◈◈
The next day.
Sua visited the hospital early in the morning. Almost as soon as it opened.
“Whew, I’m so glad…”
She muttered in an emotional voice.
Because she had heard from the doctor that it was nothing serious. She was so afraid that a scar would remain on her arm, even though her acting life hadn’t even officially started yet.
Once she had removed her biggest worry, she finally had the leisure to look back at other things. First, check the messages that came in the morning.
[Unsaved Number]
▶ Hello my name is Park Dohee
▶ Ah I accidentally pressed send while practicing
▶ I’m sorry
▶ I’m sorry for a lot of things but I’m sorry for this too
“…What is she practicing?”
She’s not practicing biting people, is she?
Sua thought. Anyway, this person is also very unique.
[Seo Yeonju]
▶ (V sign selfie with the company dinner table in the background)
▶ Let’s definitely eat together next time!
‘…Crazy. How can she be so pretty.’
That was Sua’s impression. All she can see is Seo Yeonju’s face.
…Maybe this woman has a special perk too? A face perk.
Well, anyway, it must have been fun. But Sua was confident that even if time turned back, she would not attend the company dinner.
Because she knows herself. If she was put in such a place, she would be so suffocated that she couldn’t even eat a grain of rice, let alone meat. For sure.
More than that, it was time.
‘The appointment with Mystic’s CEO.’
It was a very sudden meeting, but it wasn’t easy for Sua to refuse. She was the one who solved the investment cost for the top-tier script, the short film ‘Sword,’ so she had to listen to her.
But…
‘I hope she doesn’t ask for something huge in return?’
She was a little worried that she might use this as an excuse to make an unreasonable request, but she shook her head. No. When we talked in the van, she didn’t seem like such a bad person.
A short time later, Sua arrived by taxi.
“Wow…”
That was her reaction immediately after entering the Mystic Entertainment building.
The interior was generally white and sophisticated.
But among them, there was something that especially caught Sua’s eye. Three huge portraits hanging very large.
Seo Yeonju, Kim Sunil, and CEO Kim Iseo in the middle.
What would it feel like to have your face hanging so big? What’s it like to go in and out of this building like it’s your home? She wondered anew.
Then.
“Excuse me, are you Lee Sua-ssi? I’ve been waiting for you.”
A woman dressed in a suit approached. The way the name tag was engraved on her chest was very neat.
Sua nodded in a daze.
“That’s right. You recognize me even though it’s our first time meeting.”
“She said Sua-ssi is the one who comes looking especially scary.”
“Pardon?”
“…It’s nothing. I’ll guide you.”
It was a moment before she reached the CEO’s office following the employee. The huge door opened to both sides with a creaking sound, and Kim Iseo was sitting at her desk to greet Sua.
“…”
It was a moment of silence.
Mystic’s CEO, Kim Iseo.
Because of her smaller stature than the chair, she couldn’t even see her back in the van. Therefore, Sua was seeing Kim Iseo’s face for the first time today, and she couldn’t help but be very surprised.
‘…No, is she this small?’
A fist-sized face, and two large hairpins were placed on the bangs of her light brown hair that resembled a wheat field.
But the most noticeable thing was her physique.
Above all, a very frail and small physique.
If she didn’t have a serious expression, she wouldn’t even think she was an adult. No, even now she looks quite like a kid.
‘It’s like she popped out of a cartoon. This can be.’
What should I say, even if you took a picture of her like this and published an article as [The World’s First Middle School Entertainment CEO], everyone would believe it.
While she was immersed in such thoughts, the other person opened her mouth.
“Sua, this time I see you at the Mystic building. You’re sharp as ever. It seems like your impression is being completed day by day.”
Sua muttered softly. Was that a compliment…
“Anyway, let me formally introduce myself. I’m CEO Kim Iseo.”
“I’m actress Lee Sua.”
Sua was very proud at this point. The day has come when I introduce myself with the word ‘actress’ in front of my name. The self in her head was very confidently puffing out her chest.
“Good. Then let’s talk as if there’s Lee Sua, not Kim Yuhan, in this seat today. More than that, did you get home safely yesterday? How’s your body?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“…As expected, your passion for acting is still not ordinary.”
“…”
…No? This is a doctor’s opinion?
“I know that Sua-ssi’s schedule will be very busy in the future. The filming of the short film is tomorrow. But that short film, I invested the full amount. Do you know that?”
“Of course.”
Sua nodded. In the first place, she couldn’t refuse this meeting because of that one reason.
“Ah, of course. Don’t misunderstand.”
It was then that Kim Iseo waved her small hand.
“I don’t have the slightest intention of asking for anything in return for investing. I’ll count that value as a cost to bring Sua-ssi here.”
Sua thought. Really?
‘I thought she would definitely ask for something, but she didn’t?’
Is she generous? Or does she think of me that well?
…Maybe both?
Sua asked, wondering.
“Then what’s the purpose of calling me today?”
“That’s, well, Sua.”
“Yes.”
“What did you see when you entered the building?”
Sua briefly recalled her memory and simply answered honestly.
“I only saw the huge portraits.”
“That’s right. There’s still one seat empty.”
Kim Iseo nodded.
“Don’t you think Sua’s face would look good hanging next to them?”
“Um… No…?”
Sua answered without much thought.
Hang my face up? That would be a disaster. All the visitors who came would run away. It’s like a charm to ward off humans…
Of course, there are many other problems besides that. It’s not a good fit to have my face hanging next to Kim Sunil and Seo Yeonju in the first place. But why are you suddenly asking me this? Ice breaking?
‘Huh?’
But Sua couldn’t help but tilt her head soon.
Kim Iseo was starting to sweat profusely.
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