Former Warrior Turns Into A Million-Dollar Actor [EN]: Chapter 61

Love’s Scourge (1)

* * *

Inside the steamy bathroom.

Hot water pours from the showerhead, cascading down his muscular physique.

“Damn, it’s hot. Am I getting old?”

Byun Hwi-seung, water dripping as he steps into the living room, roughly dries his hair and faces the full-length mirror.

A well-maintained, though noticeably less imposing than it was a few years ago, muscular body is reflected.

Having aged, he now understands. The early and mid-20s are different, and the mid and late 20s are different again.

And now, even the first digit has changed to 30. Even though he hasn’t stopped exercising while drinking and smoking, it’s difficult to maintain his old physique, even with personal training four times a week.

“…Damn self-management. I should just retire.”

Muttering words that would shock his agency’s CEO, Byun Hwi-seung puts on a gown.

He has been consistently talking about retirement for the past year. Now, everyone around him must have made their own preparations.

‘Moon Hong-hyung [hyung refers to an older brother or male friend] will cry and beg, though.’

The agency has grown quite a bit, and juniors he doesn’t even know have taken root here and there.

There’s no need to worry about the pillar shaking just because one troublemaker leaves. The company’s stock price will drop for a while, but it’s better to get hit early if you’re going to get hit anyway…

A drop of water that had formed on his head trickles down his nose. As he wipes his chin, the alarm bell of the apartment’s main entrance rings.

“Hmm?”

He gave all the girls he’d been seeing lately the main entrance number on the first floor.

Was it the girl he brought over a while ago… no, even before that?

Strolling over and checking the intercom, Byun Hwi-seung is momentarily stunned.

“Hey, why are you here?”

-You told me to come over.

“When did I ever!”

-At the company dinner after the second shoot. When I said I was moving, you said you lived in the apartment in front of that officetel [a building with residential and commercial units], gave me the number, and told me to come over…

“Ah, okay, come on in!”

A moment later, Park Geon enters the living room. A hoodie, black ball cap, mask, and even the hood of his flight jacket cover his face in a triple layer.

“Hey, did you come here for a secret love affair?”

“I can’t get caught coming here.”

“By whom?”

“Reporters, paparazzi, all of your fans, sunbaenim [a term of respect for a senior colleague or mentor].”

With those words, Park Geon throws off everything he had been wearing all at once.

Byun Hwi-seung, sniffing a few times, mutters.

“…I don’t smell alcohol, but you drank something strong.”

*

“……..”

A subtle silence flows.

Byun Hwi-seung glares at the uninvited guest in front of the sofa, where only his manager Lee Jong-pil… no, often women, had sat.

‘Is this bastard here to bury me? Is he trying to get the lead role by getting rid of his senior because the ratings aren’t coming out?’

It’s a crazy thought, but judging by his outfit, he looks more like a robber than a celebrity in a secret relationship.

“I should have contacted you first, I’m sorry. I only gave you my number that day and didn’t get yours.”

‘It was just something I said when I was drunk, did you really think I’d come?’

Of course, he hadn’t saved the number either. Byun Hwi-seung naturally changes the subject.

“It’s okay. But I’m a little busy today, so if you don’t have any business…”

“Sunbaenim.”

The moment the indifferent voice calls him, short goosebumps rise on his arm.

“…Why are you calling me that? You’re making me cringe.”

“Do you have ambition, sunbaenim?”

“Ambition?”

Byun Hwi-seung inadvertently asks back. Not to Park Geon, but to himself. The appearance fee has been agreed upon, and the balances that will increase with this work have already been calculated.

Is there any more ambition to have? It’s rich man’s talk for an entertainer who is seriously considering retirement.

“Yes. With this work.”

“I don’t know. What if I don’t have it, and what if I do?”

“If you don’t, then excuse me. If you do…”

Park Geon leans closer and says in a tone as if suggesting a drink.

“Let’s work on something together.”

*

“Ehem, ehm, ehm…”

PD [Production Director] Hwang Chang-jae crosses the set lobby, humming.

The production team staff, who happen to be passing by with equipment, greet him.

“Hello, PD-nim [term of respect for the PD].”

“Oh, hello. Have you eaten?”

“We’re going to eat now.”

“You have to eat on time. As actor Go said, stamina is money in our industry. Eat a lot, cheer up, and let’s do well, okay?”

Hwang PD clenches his fist and shows it, then starts walking lightly again.

“…Does he have something good going on?”

“Our ratings can’t be that good…”

Unnecessarily bright, suspicious voices are heard, but Hwang Chang-jae’s mood is too good today to pay attention to them.

‘Ratings? I saw them. Why, they’re just right!’

Just looking at the tally makes him chuckle. Episode 1 was 7.5%, Episode 2 was 9.1%, and yesterday’s Episode 3 was ranked at a whopping 8.2%.

‘This is the average!’

Just about 10%, as everyone expected, how good is that?

The acting combination of Park Geon and Byun Hwi-seung, who are still hidden cards, is before the broadcast. Even if it drops a little more, the average will be hit, and if it does better, we can get a fairly good report card.

Not so bad that he’ll be shot down for losing his touch, and not so good that it’ll put pressure on his next work.

“Cheese ramen and two rolls of kimbap [Korean seaweed rice rolls], please.”

After ordering at a nearby snack bar, Hwang PD takes out his smartphone.

His motto is written in large letters on the background screen, which is covered with numerous alarms.

[DO IT APPROPRIATELY]

There was a time when he was more passionate than anyone else. That was until he crashed into a guardrail while driving on the highway in Wonju to meet the schedule during his second year as an AD [Assistant Director].

‘I almost died.’

Thanks to the airbag, he ended up with a fractured rib, but he could have fallen down the mountain path.

And that experience brought him some changes.

Never rush. Don’t try to beat anyone. Always maintain only the middle score.

…Even the fastest runner will crawl if he overcomes a near-death experience, right?

So when he got into this rom-com [romantic comedy], he was worried.

It’s not because it’s not a blockbuster. Rather, the problem is that the size is bigger than expected.

It’s obvious that they’re trying to make up for the hole in their pockets with a rom-com plastered with PPL [Product Placement] because of the failed works before and after.

In these cases, it’s half water and half poison. It’s not the Holy Grail, and drinking it has a high probability of killing you.

‘Hey, Hwang Chang-jae! You still have complaints? Other people want to take on this size but can’t!’

Joo Sang-joon CP [Chief Producer] even gave him a stern warning in front of the cafeteria because he was always looking so grim.

‘It’s not that I was dissatisfied because the size was small…’

If the result is good, everything is good. He eats the food that came out neatly, gargles, and goes up to the set.

“……..?”

The air is chilly.

Hwang Chang-jae is also a human who has been rolling around on the filming set for over 10 years. There’s no way he couldn’t notice the changed air from before.

“What’s wrong, what happened?”

AD Yoo Ho-young, who comes running in a hurry, whispers in a rarely shrunken voice.

“Actor Park Geon and actor Byun Hwi-seung…”

“So why, what did they do?”

“…They fought?”

Hwang PD feels his mind go blank. In those 30 minutes that he was away?.

The whole story of the incident that Yoo Ho-young told was as follows.

About 10 minutes ago, there was a commotion in the men’s restroom attached to the first floor lobby. When the staff went to see, Park Geon and Byun Hwi-seung were arguing.

“So why did they suddenly fight!”

“I don’t know.”

Yoo Ho-young continues to be sullen, whether Hwang PD is trembling or not.

“I really don’t know. They were both saying things like acting this and professional spirit that, with no context.”

“What the hell is this…”

“But why would they? Byun Hwi-seung is always late, and Park Geon didn’t like that, and there can’t be two suns in one sky.”

Hwang Chang-jae PD rubs his forehead. The worst situation had happened.

The number one and number two on the set fought. The cause of the conflict? That doesn’t matter. The problem is that fire has been set to two piles of gunpowder.

“…Was Hwi-seung late today?”

“About 5 minutes?”

“Where are they both now? Aren’t they together in this scene?”

“Yes, in the scene we’re about to shoot. Park Geon is upstairs and Byun Hwi-seung went out, towards his car.”

The powder keg has already exploded. While he was diligently drinking ramen soup.

A miserable blood vessel springs up on Hwang PD’s temple.

“I’m going crazy, really.”

*

Kwon Yu-jin asks cautiously.

“…Sunbaenim [term of respect for a senior colleague], are you okay?”

“Do I look okay?”

“I’m sorry…”

Seo Ye-ni, who was racking her brains in the ‘Gray City Team’ set on the 18th floor, in the sky lounge, makes a groan.

Comfortable sofa and modern interior. Even though you can see the panoramic view, her head is throbbing.

How can this scenery catch her eye when the ace guys in the group project are fighting?

Far away, one of the culprits is standing by the window with an expression that is impossible to know.

Even though he was caught up in the trouble, he doesn’t seem particularly angry. Rather, it feels more like he’s just finishing a scene as usual and taking a break.

“Really, why did Byun-ddo [Byun, the family name, combined with ‘ddo’ which is a slang term implying someone is foolish or does something repeatedly] have to scratch him for no reason…”

Seo Ye-ni looks at Park Geon with a resentful look, but Kwon Yu-jin knows the whole story of the incident.

‘It burst out because he was frustrated.’

He probably felt frustrated for a long time. While filming the scene together, Park Geon led the acting as if he was trying to pull her along.

But it’s a difficult task for a rookie who has only filmed one web drama and lacks practical experience.

‘And because it’s a drama, not a movie…’

There was no miracle like the Black Priest. Her acting skills didn’t improve by leaps and bounds, and she often made NGs [No Good – a filming term for mistakes] even with Park Geon’s cover.

There’s nothing more self-deprecating for an actor than not being able to receive a perfect performance coming from the front.

“No, what’s with this atmosphere. When you’re filming, you can be late and you can fight…”

“Hyungnim [term of respect for an older brother or male friend], please be quiet. Everyone can hear you!”

Over there, another group of actors are gathering in groups of three or five and buzzing.

People who were in a festive mood even when the ratings were lower than expected. Colleagues on the team who forget the script and stutter, but turn around and smile.

Kwon Yu-jin bites her lip tightly.

‘All I can do is…’

Just watch. She’s a rookie who doesn’t have the power to speak sharply, nor the talent to lead the play.

It was when she thought that today’s filming was ruined.

“Why are you all gathered here?”

“Hwi… Hwi-seung-ssi [term of respect]!”

Byun Hwi-seung, who got out of the elevator, walks into the lounge.

The eyes of the PD, AD, and cinematographer, who were discussing something with serious faces over there, widen.

‘No, if they fight again…!’

Someone screams inwardly, but the two leads don’t even look at each other. Byun Hwi-seung, looking around at the frozen people, frowns.

“What, aren’t we filming today? If I don’t have a scene, I’m going home?”

“No, no! We were just having a meeting with Director Park… right, director?”

“Oh, that’s right. What are you all doing, not getting ready!”

When cinematographer Park Jong-soo urges them, the staff scatters like startled chicks.

“…Sunbae [term of respect for a senior colleague], weren’t you going home?”

Seo Ye-ni, who was relatively friendly, lowers her voice and asks.

“Home? Why would I go there now.”

Park Geon, who was talking to his manager in front of the window, crosses the lounge.

The next scene is a showdown between the male leads. A sharp smile appears on Byun Hwi-seung’s lips.

“I have to earn money.”

*

The cue drops in a tense atmosphere.

The scene to be filmed today is the point after the middle of the play. Seok Tae-oh, the villain and rival AF Mall’s business manager, begins to declare war on Lee Jin-ha.

“Hey, long time no see. Team Leader Lee Jin-ha.”

“Why are you here? Our company doesn’t need negative experts.”

“Team Leader Lee, what kind of manners are you showing to the head of the department!”

Nominally, Seok Tae-oh visited this place for AF and The Chic’s collaboration.

The sweat-soaked manager scolds him, but Lee Jin-ha doesn’t budge, and Seok Tae-oh’s provocation continues.

“Yes, Jin-ha-ssi [term of respect]. You have to be polite to your precious guests. I heard that your projects have been going wrong lately?”

“Business Manager Seok Tae-oh stole the S-Winder agency models and ruined the show. He intentionally checked the launch of the NKK brand this time, and is interfering by stealing the company’s orders.”

An icy gaze flies and pierces him. Go Gwang-pyo, who plays the role of Manager Lim, flinches and shrinks.

Is it just his imagination, or does it seem like he’s angry at himself for using tricks until now?

“Oh, uh! This person is still!”

“I have nothing to say to someone who came to harm the company. Go in first…”

“Is it because you’re an orphan without a father, you’re so scared.”

A cruel personal attack flies at Lee Jin-ha, who is about to turn around. The eyes behind the expressionless silver-rimmed glasses distort for the first time.

Originally, they only had a verbal fight, but Lee Jin-ha, who turned around, grabs Seok Tae-oh… no, Byun Hwi-seung’s collar and lifts him up halfway.

“What did you just say?”

The suit button is torn off by the terrifying grip, and his neck is strangled. Seok Tae-oh also grabs Lee Jin-ha’s wrist and twists his mouth.

“It’s just the beginning, Lee Jin-ha. I’m going to completely destroy you. It won’t take long.”

“…You’re talking nonsense.”

“Are you scared belatedly? Then you shouldn’t have taken what was mine. This Seok Tae-oh’s pride, what right do you have to dare…!”

The low growl turns into a cry that seems to spit blood. It’s a much more intense ad-lib than the script, but no one can stop him.

The cinematographer who grabbed the camera, as well as Hwang PD and Seo Ye-ni, are just watching the two actors’ fight, which is disguised as acting, with their mouths half open.

At that time, Han Tae-ri, who came up to the sky lounge, runs in and calls Lee Jin-ha.

“Team Leader!”

Lee Jin-ha flinches as he tries to turn to the side for a moment. But it’s already too late.

Seok Tae-oh’s bloodshot eyes sparkle like a devil, looking back and forth between the two men and women who don’t know what to do.

“Ha! Was that it?”

“……..!”

Pak! The men in suits who pushed each other away clenched their fists, but the company’s security guards blocked them.

Seok Tae-oh, who shook off his crumpled shirt, greets him with a sly smile.

“I’m sorry for making a fuss, even though this isn’t our company. Then let’s see each other again.”

The cinematographer, who was capturing Go Gwang-pyo, who was sweating profusely, Kwon Yu-jin, who didn’t know what to do, and Park Geon, who clenched his fist, unconsciously thought.

‘…Wasn’t this a romantic comedy?’

*

Words without feet travel a thousand miles.

That evening, rumors of discord in the ‘Gray City Team’ spread.

* * *