episode_0281

Yang Harin’s room, her house, wasn’t exactly tidy, to be honest.

Empty plastic bottles and disposable containers stained with food seasonings were strewn about, and Yang Harin was in the center of it all.

A woman who was once mentioned as a nominee for the Best New Actress award.

Yang Harin’s once-shining appearance was nowhere to be found; she was close to a recluse. It was clear that she had lost weight, hadn’t been sleeping properly, and was living an irregular life.

Sua thought.

They say that when your heart breaks, it’s no different from being dead, and Yang Harin’s current state was exactly like that.

A recluse.

Literally a recluse through and through.

How many people would have imagined that Yang Harin would collapse to this extent? Sua hadn’t expected it either, to be honest.

“…”.

Yang Harin stared blankly at Sua.

Sua quietly greeted her.

“It’s been a while, Yang Harin.”

But Yang Harin didn’t particularly answer, and Sua, expecting that, reacted and thought about what to say next.

‘If what Yang Harin said during the phone call is true, she really suffered an unfair situation. It’s only natural that her motivation is broken.’

At least empathy itself was easy enough. Wouldn’t Sua also feel unfairly treated, tired, and want to give up everything?

But you can’t end it here.

Sua didn’t come just to give her nice-sounding words, but to find a solution.

And the thing to do for a solution is, of course…

‘It would be a disaster if Yang Harin made an extreme choice while I’m looking for a solution. Let’s revive her heart first.’

Today, it’s about reviving Yang Harin’s heart.

“Let’s talk for a bit. Okay?”

The problem is that Yang Harin has no reaction whatsoever.

Well, let’s just watch for a bit.

Sua quietly watched Yang Harin’s actions.

Yang Harin was just sitting still, as if she had become part of the pile of trash. Well, she lost her goal and her will, so there’s no need to move her body.

Sua watched the situation closely, but even as time passed, Yang Harin didn’t particularly do anything.

How much time had passed?

*Swish* ─

Yang Harin rummaged through the pile of trash, took out a cup of ramen, and poured hot water into it. That was her only action.

“….”.

Half a day passed without any results.

Harin didn’t push Sua away, but she didn’t seem to be accepting her either. Every now and then, Sua would say something, but she wouldn’t answer.

“Is that cup ramen tasty?”

“Can I have one too?”

“You know, how about opening the curtains a bit?”

Perhaps Yang Harin is answering Sua like this. ‘Thank you for coming, but I’m going to give up everything and live like this.’

“…Hmm.”

But Sua doesn’t have any intention of giving up on Yang Harin, even if she thinks, ‘This is going to be difficult.’

She came with that determination in the first place, right?

Therefore, Sua just imagined it. Yang Harin making a comeback, smiling brightly.

That’s how the first day ended.

. . .

Sua visited Yang Harin’s house again the next day.

*Bang* ─

“I came again today!”

Actually, she thought about just sleeping at Harin’s house altogether, but to be honest, staying in a house so full of trash was a bit much for Sua.

Soa-muri? Sua-jilseak….

Anyway, Yang Harin didn’t answer again today, but Sua didn’t care. She just thought about what to do next.

Ah, right, should I clean this house a bit?

*Swish swish swish* ─

*Swoosh*!

Sua soon started cleaning up all the trash in Yang Harin’s house. She also neatly remembered to sort it for recycling.

How much time had passed?

“Whew!”

When the house cleaning was finished, Yang Harin finally spoke.

“Lee Sua.”

Yang Harin’s voice was hoarse. That’s probably because she had been living without making any sound.

“Why do you think I’m ignoring you?”

“Because you’re in a bad mood and depressed?”

Then Yang Harin covered herself with a blanket, as if that wasn’t the right answer. That was the end of the conversation that day, and Sua had no choice but to wait another full day.

. . .

The next day, Sua opened her mouth again towards Yang Harin.

“Hi?”

Yang Harin quietly looked at Sua.

Sua chose her words very carefully.

Even while comforting Yang Harin, the production of “Crescendo From Tomorrow” is stopped, and the media is heating up.

Shouldn’t she finish it as soon as possible?

“I thought more deeply about the question you asked yesterday, and you were hurt too much by the fact that the members who were in the girl group together betrayed you?”

That was Sua’s thought.

Was the shock of betrayal from someone she trusted so great?

But Yang Harin said.

“It’s not even betrayal, the girl group Clive was never on good terms from the start. Besides, wounds don’t stop me. Who in the world doesn’t have wounds?”

“…Really? I don’t think I could do anything if I was hurt. You were a lot stronger than I thought.”

Sua scratched her head, embarrassed, but Yang Harin kept her mouth shut. Does that mean today’s conversation is over? Sua smiled slightly and said.

“I’ll come again tomorrow to give it another shot?”

. . .

*Clunk*─! *Clunk*─!

But the door was locked the next day.

“Huh?”

Sua was genuinely a bit flustered.

Was yesterday the last chance?

Frustration surged without her realizing it.

‘Finding a work and saving a person. This is really hard! It’s driving me crazy, really!’

─Of course it’s difficult. But you must know.

‘Know what? No, rather, there are a few things I need to know?’

Sua was anxious that there might be more than two things.

She wouldn’t remember if they told her more than that. Soa-muri.

─Most people don’t even get a chance to save someone and regret it for the rest of their lives. But right now, you have it in your hands, right?

‘That’s… certainly true.’

─That’s all you need to know. Even if you give up halfway, even if you leave it to fate, no one will resent you or blame you. But please remember this.

‘Yeah. Thank you so much. But you’re wrong.’

─Excuse me?

‘That no one will resent me or blame me? No! I’m sure I’ll blame and hate myself. So I’m going to try again. I’m going to see it through today!’

─….

Just as Yu Sua was wearing a slightly touched expression. Suddenly, a neighbor next door slipped in a word.

“Did you come to look for the girl there? She’s on the roof. I saw her going up a little while ago.”

Sua went straight to the roof of the building.

Yang Harin was staring blankly down at the railing.

The expression Yang Harin was making right now looked dangerous in many ways. It was as if she had no desire at all? It was as if she wouldn’t even bleed if she was stabbed, but would just break.

Sua said, trying to ignore that anxiety.

“Are you sorry to the people of ‘Crescendo From Tomorrow’? Because you think it was stopped because of you, because you’re embarrassed?”

“Of course I feel sorry because I have a sense of shame. But that’s not why I went into hiding. As I said, I’m innocent.”

“Then is it because you’re frustrated that there’s no way to prove your innocence?”

“You should rampage as much as you’re frustrated. It’s even more frustrating to just hold it in and disappear, right?”

So, the frustration of not being able to prove her innocence is not the reason for this recluse life either.

Yang Harin didn’t say anything more again today, but Sua said something first here instead.

“I don’t have much time, so give me one more chance tonight instead of tomorrow. I won’t ask for any more chances instead.”

“….”

Yang Harin looked at Sua as if to say, what does that mean?

“It’s true. I can definitely guess it right tonight.”

Yang Harin turned her head away, but Sua knew that was acceptance.

And what she just said wasn’t just empty words.

Having asked a few questions recently, Sua had been able to organize her thoughts to some extent, and it seemed like she had finally found the answer.

◈◈◈◈◈

Before meeting Yang Harin again at night, Sua stopped by Mystic Headquarters once. The person to meet was CEO Kim Iseo.

Kim Iseo was working hard in her office.

“You’re busy as always, right?”

Then Kim Iseo burst out laughing. However, she couldn’t take her eyes off the laptop screen.

“Thanks to the person who just spoke to me, I’m busy to death. But I feel better every day, so it’s okay.”

Kim Iseo said that and continued.

“You came to say something important, right?”

“How did you know?”

“How would I know? It’s not common for Sua to find me first. That means something important has happened. Whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing.”

“Something has happened, that’s right. I don’t know yet whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing.”

“What happened?”

“That’s…”

Sua paused for a moment and then said.

“You know that ‘Crescendo From Tomorrow’ has been stopped because of Yang Harin, right? Because of the hosting scandal.”

“Of course I know. The work I’m doing right now is related to that. Reorganizing Sua’s schedule, which has been postponed indefinitely, from start to finish.”

After that, Kim Iseo blinked.

“…You came to talk about that? No, this is definitely a bad thing without even checking?”

“No. There’s a chance it’s a good thing.”

“How on earth?”

“Yang Harin is innocent.”

“…!”

Then Kim Iseo looked at Sua with her eyes off the laptop monitor for the first time.

With her eyes twice as big.

“…Really? Is that true?”

“Yes. It’s true.”

“Then… then right now! Ah, what about the evidence?”

“There’s no evidence yet.”

Kim Iseo’s actions stopped abruptly.

“There’s no evidence? Ah, wait, could it be…”

“That’s right. It’s just a feeling again this time.”

“….”

Kim Iseo hung her head as if she had been given an impossible task, and then slowly raised her head again with a look as if she had made up her mind.

“…Sua’s feeling has never been wrong before. Okay. Let’s start looking for it right now.”

“I’m really touched.”

Sua murmured sincerely.

It was already night after passing through Mystic Headquarters.

◈◈◈◈◈

At night, Sua went to see Yang Harin.

This time, the door to the house was wide open.

“Did you eat cup ramen again today?”

Sua said while cleaning up the cup ramen trash, but Yang Harin didn’t answer.

It doesn’t matter. Just the fact that the door is open means that she is ready to listen to Sua.

Sua said, organizing the answer she had thought of.

“I’m confident I can get the answer right, but promise me just one thing instead. If I get it right, you’ll grant me a wish.”

Yang Harin quietly glanced at Sua.

Giving her a look. It was obviously the meaning of acceptance.

“You just didn’t have confidence. It wasn’t that you were backstabbed by the Clive members, or that the hosting scandal broke out that was the problem. You just couldn’t find a way to play the role of Kim Yoonkyung, and you felt despair at yourself as an actress who was only that skilled. Is that right?”

“That’s right.”

Yang Harin didn’t deny it for even a second.

“Lee Sua, what you said is right, and I’m afraid of one thing.”

“What one thing?”

“I’m afraid that I’ll try again and work hard.”

Yang Harin continued.

“I used to think I was versatile, but now I see that it’s all superficial. I haven’t become first-class in any field. Not as an idol, not as an actress, not as a daughter of a family… No, just not anywhere.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I’m knocking here and there, but in the end, I’m always falling off like a drop of water on a rock. So I’m afraid of myself. I’m afraid I’ll think, let’s try it one more time, I’m afraid I’ll be passionate again. Even though I know it won’t work, I’m afraid I’ll stupidly crash into it.”

Lee Sua was surprised.

That’s because there was a rare sincerity in Yang Harin’s voice.

“Isn’t it pathetic? A genius like you won’t understand. The fact that something doesn’t work out even if you try it, the fact that you can never do something no matter how many times you do it.”

“No? I don’t think it’s pathetic?”

But Sua shook her head.

Even Sua was sincere.

“Rather, I think it can be solved more easily than I thought.”

“…What?”

Then Yang Harin refuted, greatly surprised.

“I know myself best. I’m just a second- or third-rate human being. I’m an unfortunate middle class that can never reach first-class no matter how much I struggle. I’m different from you.”

“Well, I guess you know yourself best.”

“Then what are you going to do to solve it?”

“But, on the other hand, I know myself well.”

Just as Yang Harin knows Yang Harin well, Sua knew Sua. And what Sua has felt about herself so far is…

‘Move forward together. Always.’

She’s very lacking, ugly, stupid, uncivilized, and has low intelligence, but that’s why she valued other people’s help. How much grace has she received from the Sua Association?

So.

Yang Harin, to you too.

I’ll tell you. How to walk together.

“I’ll help you.”

“What?”

“I’ll help you. In the first place, your premise is stupid. Why is it natural to crash into it alone? Your ally can be by your side. This time, I’ll be it.”

Sua raised one fist.

“Rock? The problem is that it’s blocking the way, right? I’ll break it for you instead. You just flow. In other words…”

Along with shameful words that she had never said in her life.

“…Acting, I mean! I’ll teach you! How about that?”

Even in one day! Somehow!

It was the moment Sua challenged herself to be an acting teacher.