episode_0055

You saw the article?

The sudden remark momentarily left me stunned.

As my mind caught up belatedly, I understood the significance of that article.

The scandal article involving Yeongeun.

“Father, it’s not what you think.”

– Not what?

“Yes.”

– Hm, is that so?

“Did you call to ask about that?”

– Of course. The family’s troublemaker finally doing his job, I had to make a call, didn’t I? Even though it’s obvious who that celebrity is…

As expected.

I knew he wouldn’t be calling out of concern for his son.

Was it too much to expect that my father had changed a bit?

“Do you know that I was discharged a few months ago?”

-…

“No, did you know that I enlisted in the military? You didn’t visit once, didn’t contact me once.”

– Every man has to go to the military. Don’t make a fuss over something so trivial.

“You didn’t contact me when I went to the military, but now that a scandal with a chaebol heir has come out, you suddenly want to talk.”

– You have no respect for your father.

The returning voice was cold.

Devoid of any emotion, the voice chilled the ears just by listening.

“I majored in Computer Science. Did you dislike it that much?”

– What can you do with just learning a bit about computers? If you had entered Law, I wouldn’t have said such things.

Here we go again.

– I’ve said it before, a smart person like you becoming a prosecutor would benefit my business…

“No, thank you.”

– I thought you had come to your senses.

“I’ve told you before. I’m not your tool.”

– Do you not appreciate the favor I’ve done for you?

“I appreciate it.”

But that doesn’t mean I’ll agree to be a puppet in my own life.

– You’re still naive. You don’t know the world. I’ve planned your life to live comfortably…

It’s like talking to a wall.

He didn’t even try to listen to me.

It felt like speaking to a wall.

Our conversations always ran parallel, never intersecting.

“Sigh.”

If my father knew, then everyone at school probably knew as well.

“It’s going to get complicated.”

***

As soon as I arrived at school, numerous eyes were fixed on me.

“Is that him?”

“They were alone at the cafe?”

“That guy kneeled and confessed at the cafe?”

“I heard Yeongeun clung to him, crying and causing a scene.”

All sorts of distorted rumors spread from mouth to mouth.

There was no way I couldn’t hear the whispers behind my back.

Every word reached my ears.

Each rumor was unpleasant to hear.

There were even absurd rumors.

That Yeongeun and I were blood-related siblings.

Human imagination knows no bounds.

Even after the professor entered, I couldn’t completely ignore the lingering gazes.

After enduring the uncomfortable class, I came out to find Director Park’s car parked in front of me.

“How did it feel to be the center of public attention?”

Yeongeun, sitting next to me, asked.

How did it feel?

It certainly wasn’t a good feeling.

Was my expression enough of an answer?

Yeongeun chuckled softly and said, “That’s the life of a celebrity. Enduring the jealous and angry gazes takes quite a strong mental fortitude.”

“I thought so.”

There was no time to relax even for a moment.

Even after going out to eat with Miju and Ye-seul, the stares were still cold.

“Do I look impressive now? It’s not common to receive such looks and still remain consistent like this, you know.”

Yeong-eun boasted.

“I guess so. People think celebrities are amazing.”

“Is that so?”

Is my reaction dull?

Yeong-eun seemed disappointed with my indifferent response.

“By the way, did you see the correction article?”

“Yes, I saw it.”

Starting with the rebuttal article from Yeong-eun’s agency.

– Yeong-eun went to cast a photographer for a photoshoot, not for any other reason.

– Malicious articles harassing non-celebrities should stop.

Several articles were posted one after another.

Yeong-eun even boldly revealed her name in an article that was only labeled as famous celebrity A and posted a rebuttal article.

She must be confident.

It seems like she got quite an effect, as the comments were all praising her.

Was there pressure from the top group as well?

The article about Yeong-eun that was prominently displayed on the Dream Daily website suddenly disappeared without a trace.

But the rumors spreading around the school won’t disappear right away.

“If you just ignore it and keep quiet for a bit, it’ll be forgotten on its own.”

That was a problem that time would solve.

The reason why I rode in Yeong-eun’s car today.

“Follow me around for a day to see what kind of person Yoo Yeong-eun, the actress, is.”

…was because of Yeong-eun’s request.

Yeong-eun added that understanding the model was necessary to take a perfect picture.

It wasn’t a wrong statement.

“To take a proper picture of Yeong-eun, this is a necessary task.”

But I didn’t expect her to suggest it first.

It was unexpected.

It wasn’t a bad offer to me.

After all, classes were over.

Tomorrow was a holiday with no classes, so I could sleep until late in the afternoon even if it ended late.

They also pay for a day’s work.

“It’s not bad.”

Yeong-eun handed me an employee ID.

“Take this.”

“What is this?”

“It’s our company’s employee ID. I deliberately prepared a team leader-level ID because many people ignore those who are just regular staff. I don’t like it when my people are ignored. Well, there shouldn’t be anyone who dares to ignore my people, but you never know, right?”

I took the ID she offered.

– Dia Entertainment, Team Leader Choi Jae-ho.

I suddenly became the team leader of a company I had never visited.

“But why are you giving me this?”

“People in the broadcasting industry are a bit… you know. If they start trouble for no reason, you can show them this.”

“I’ll use it well.”

At that moment, Manager Park, who was driving, spoke.

“We’ve arrived.”

“Ah, thank you.”

The place we arrived at was a filming set filled with cameras.

Over ten cameras and dozens of staff members were bustling around.

“Oh, have you arrived?”

The assistant director rushed towards Yeong-eun.

“Did I come a bit early?”

Yeong-eun asked.

“No! We’re about to start soon. Would you like a brief overview of today’s filming concept?”

The assistant director, who was bowing deeply with his waist almost touching the ground, replied briskly.

But what kind of filming is this?

It definitely wasn’t for the drama .

Is it for a variety show?

My question was quickly answered.

As soon as I saw Kim Seok-jae, the national MC, discussing the cue sheet with the PD, I immediately realized what today’s filming was about.

It’s a famous variety show.

I thought it was only natural, considering it’s a flagship program of WBS.

“Watch closely.”

Yeong-eun smiled at me.

It was her usual confident smile.

***

Yeong-eun stood in front of the camera, and the variety show began smoothly.

This time, the concept of ‘What Do You Do When You Rest?’ was about teaching acting to Kim Seok-jae, who came to learn.

And the one teaching him acting was Yoo Yeong-eun.

“Hello. Wow, I am working with Yeongeun, who is responsible for a significant part of the popularity of ‘Youth Never Fades’ today. It’s an honor.”

“Ahaha, the honor is mine too. It’s an honor to act with the nation’s MC.”

A beautiful smile.

A flawless smile with no flaws to be found.

That was her.

Yoo Yeongeun, the best actress that the public outside of TV sees.

Even Kim Seokjae, the nation’s MC, swallowed his breath at her beautiful smile that captivates men.

“Oh, did you just hear that? The staff are buzzing. It seems like they’ve fallen for Yeongeun’s smile just now, don’t you think?”

“You’re exaggerating.”

She laughed, covering her mouth.

She was not a haughty heiress, but a professional actress, Yoo Yeongeun.

‘So she’s an actress.’

She was truly perfect.

Humble, lifting others up, acknowledging her own shortcomings, and sometimes playfully bantering with Seokjae’s jokes.

“You’re too humble, aren’t you?”

“No, there are so many actors who are better than me.”

“Then, can we see your acting skills?”

“Of course. But can we keep it short? I’m a bit embarrassed.”

“Oh, sure!”

After a brief smile, Yeongeun raised her head.

“Let’s begin. I’ll act as if I’m looking lovingly at the male lead whom I haven’t seen in a long time.”

“Sounds good!”

And her gaze turned towards me, who was hiding among the staff.

She glanced around for a moment.

The only person she saw was me, no one else was visible.

Could it be that she’s acting towards me?

It seems likely.

But why me?

However, the thought didn’t linger.

“Phew.”

As Yeongeun exhaled, the air around her changed.

A heavy air enveloped her.

“Do you know that?”

Her expression changed in an instant.

It was not Yeongeun, but Hwaryun who stood there.

Yeongeun’s eyes looking at me sparkled.

The light reflected in her pupils was pure and gave a sense of relief to the viewer.

It naturally evoked the desire to be embraced by her.

The moment when it seemed like the male lead of the drama fell in love with Hwaryun.

“I, I love you. Not seeing you for so long… Look, my heart is beating.”

She continued the act as if she were speaking to me.

Even though she knew it was acting.

‘Impressive.’

My heart sank.

The excitement of first love.

The sweet and tender, gentle excitement tickled my heart.

“I was feeling down until a moment ago. Actually, I didn’t want to come out today, but seeing you now makes me think it was a good decision to come. Do you know what this means?”

I think I do.

As if I had become the other character, I almost answered without realizing it.

I was so immersed in the world she created that it felt like there was only her and me.

It was an overwhelming sense of immersion.

This is a top-tier actress…

Indeed, a professional is a professional.

The Yeongeun I knew until now was a bit arrogant and self-centered, not to mention a bit lacking in manners.

She may have had the talent, but she was closer to a third-generation chaebol than an entertainer.

‘If she couldn’t act properly on set…’

The flow of the act was short.

Was it about 30 seconds?

But now she…

For over three minutes, she continued to act flawlessly as Hwaryun.

Even Seokjae couldn’t interrupt her in the middle.

My evaluation of Yeongeun changed in my mind.

I focused on her to not miss a single moment of her acting as Hwaryun.

“I love you.”

As the last line ended.

…

A moment of silence fell on the set.

“…Wow, amazing.”

MC Kim Seokjae belatedly applauded.

Everyone on set realized.

Why she is considered the best actress.

I felt the same way.

‘Incredible.’

The filming continued for about an hour after that.

By the time my legs, which had been standing all this time, started to ache.

The filming for “What Do You Do When You Rest?” has ended.

“How was it?” Yeong asked me.

“Acting is definitely different,” I replied.

“Will it help with your photo shoots?”

“Of course.”

It will be very helpful.

I could be confident.

After seeing that performance, how could I not be?

I already had her photo concept in my head.

The main concept will be a third-generation chaebol, actress mask.

“Do you have any schedule after this?”

“You probably will, right? But why?”

“You still have to get your PT today.”