Former Warrior Turns Into A Million-Dollar Actor [EN]: Chapter 63

The Lovestick (3)

* * *

Roman Entertainment.

The PR team was in a celebratory frenzy, much like the day before.

“It’s exploding, it’s exploding!”

“It keeps going up!”

“Yesterday, the peak was 14.1%… Today, it’s surpassed 15.3%! It shot up dramatically right before Byun Hwi-seung and Park Geon appeared together!”

Even with the staff in an uproar, Team Leader Gong merely crossed his arms and chewed on his lip.

Today, he was wearing a green suit, even matching his watch strap in green, looking like a single blade of grass standing tall.

“It’s a shame, I thought we’d hit 20%.”

“20%, Team Leader! This drama was hovering around 7% until last week!”

“That was before we intervened. This week, we activated our secret weapon.”

A male employee, who was typing so fast his hands were a blur, shook his head.

“He’s a real mastermind…”

Last week, right after the fourth episode of ‘Gray City Team’ aired, Park Geon visited the PR team without his manager.

‘Is Team Leader Gong available?’

The two of them grabbed an empty conference room and huddled together, whispering for a while. Team Leader Gong returned and dropped a bomb.

‘Geon said he’s going to cause an incident.’

Everyone was horrified at the idea of creating discord rumors, but after hearing the whole story, it made sense.

It seemed there were problems both inside and outside. Pumping up the viewership ratings and settling internal issues at the same time was like killing two birds with one stone.

“What’s the next card?”

“Everything’s ready. Anti-fans are starting to attack the drama along with the actors, so we’re going to amplify them and then detonate.”

“Good. I’ve already talked to Seon-yi, so you can get the materials from her.”

A female employee, who had her face buried in the monitor, looked up as if she’d been hooked.

“But did you really keep it a secret? Even from his sister?”

“So I heard? He just told her not to worry, it was completely confidential.”

The PR war in the entertainment industry is ridiculous. Ironically, the game gets bigger when there’s an opponent to fight.

Walking a tightrope is essential in the process. If you overwhelmingly sway public opinion, it burns out quickly.

Team Leader Gong Gi-hyung smiled quietly.

‘So we have to keep throwing fuel on the fire until others bring money and jump in.’

The reaction was at its peak, with arguments among fandoms about whether the discord rumors were real or fake, and fans insisting their actors would never do such a thing.

The PR team employees also jumped on the bandwagon, creating and spreading memes like ‘Real fight or acting?’ to various online communities.

This is also an investment in the future. If they hadn’t done this for the past week, they wouldn’t have been able to gather this many people in front of the TV today.

“Ah, how’s that side doing?”

At Team Leader Gong’s question, a male employee who understood without needing a subject answered.

“‘Our Three Sons’? It’s at 6% now… It’s steadily declining, and I think it’ll hit 5% at the end.”

“They must be shedding tears of blood right now. Sorry, but the opponent was bad.”

KBC’s new Wednesday-Thursday drama, ‘Our Three Sons,’ had been keeping ‘Gray City Team,’ a terrestrial [public broadcast] rival in the same time slot, in check since before its broadcast.

Thinking about the expressions of the writer and director, who had been spouting nonsense about not caring and looking a little precarious, made him feel full without even eating.

“Now, as long as the drama doesn’t collapse, they’ll be trampled until they’re done. Let’s keep the buzz going and subtly spin it around our leads’ professionalism.”

“Won’t the discord rumors bubble burst as Park Geon and Byun Hwi-seung’s acting improves?”

“Then we’ll have them do some hitting acting. Just one hit, with consent.”

“Eek, Byun Hwi-seung?”

Team Leader Gong smiled meaningfully.

“Yeah, Ji-yu praised him highly. She said it was the first time she’d had a slap that sounded so crisp but didn’t hurt.”

*

“Wow, awesome.”

The idol group ‘Four Queens’ dorm.

A little over 30 *pyeong* [approximately 1,076 square feet] apartment, a welcome guest came to visit with chicken.

Former member Jin Ji-yu and the four current members gathered on the sofa and rocking chairs, watching ‘Gray City Team Leader’ live.

Near the end of the episode, one of the members raised her hand and questioned.

“It’s fun, but… is it something we should all watch together?”

“Right. That *unnie* [older sister or female friend] said she was busy and wouldn’t come to hang out, but she even bought chicken.”

“Guys, they’re colleagues from the same company. We should all work together at times like this.”

Former leader Jin Ji-yu made excuses, but *maknae* [youngest member] So-jin snorted.

“What are you talking about? I’ve never seen you push members from the agency even once.”

There was no way to hide it; these girls had lived together like wolves since their trainee days, for seven or eight years.

Jin Ji-yu left ‘Five Queens,’ and after many twists and turns, the remaining members reunited at another agency and became ‘Four Queens.’

Before Jin Ji-yu could answer, current leader Im A-hee clicked her tongue.

“Guys, how many years have you known her and you still don’t know that *unnie’s* taste?”

“Tall and handsome.”

“Good physique. Head size is important.”

“Not idol style, but definitely actor or model vibes. No pretty boys.”

Jin Ji-yu’s eyebrows twitched at the list of ideal types pouring out like freshly popped popcorn.

“But look, he has all of that, and unlike celebrities, he has this crazy wildness. How could you not fall for a non-celebrity who eats actors for breakfast?”

Im A-hee, who had rattled off like a storm, added.

“It’s a bit of a turn-off that he hits women well.”

“Hey, she said it was acting!”

In the end, the former leader’s punishment fell. They were active idols who exercised regularly, but originally, fighting is all about physical strength.

Even while her hands and feet were being held and she was being beaten with a cushion, Im A-hee struggled and shouted.

“*Unnie’s* type is an intelligent beast, isn’t it? You even texted me that if the guy from the armored unit had your face, you would have asked for his number!”

“······.”

The current leader, who pushed away the dumbfounded former leader, interrogated triumphantly.

“So how far did you go? Did you get a confession? Or did you make it?”

“How can you confess when you’ve only known each other for a short time!”

“*Unnie* is originally a no-hesitation, straight shooter. You’re amazing at playing with men’s hearts.”

“Jin Fox.”

“Jin-ger Ale.”

“Jin Shi Huang-nyeo [a play on Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, implying she’s conquering men].”

The members who added one word each prepared to run away, but Jin Ji-yu shook her head with a dazed expression.

“It doesn’t work at all. He’s crazy about scandals…”

Im A-hee pointed in shock.

“What? With this in front of you?”

“…Im A-hee, your finger is pointing in the wrong direction?”

“No way. When *unnie* was an idol, she got contacted by an average of 60 celebrities a year, and even with this set up, he’s not coming?”

One of the members listening was shocked.

“Crazy, Im A-hee counted all of that.”

“I wrote it down. Jin Ji-yu has several secret notebooks; I’m going to sell them when I get married and go on my honeymoon.”

“Go ahead, do whatever you want…”

“But I can’t believe it. I haven’t seen anyone who hasn’t fallen for Ji-yu *unnie* yet… Oh, could it be?”

The *maknae* muttered with a shocked expression.

“That *oppa* [older brother or male friend] is from the same agency, right? Maybe, just maybe… he likes ‘Run, Baek Ha-ni’?”

It’s not like the members don’t know that a certain actress with the same name as an old cartoon character is always bickering with Jin Ji-yu.

Im A-hee crossed her arms.

“That could be it. Baek is pretty; she’s a more innocent style than *unnie*.”

“But it’s not that great when they’re together, right? She was completely crushed by her dress at last year’s Blue Dragon Film Awards.”

“That’s only below the neck.”

“Well, the victory is still controversial.”

Jin Ji-yu smiled coldly and grabbed a cushion, but the members engrossed in the discussion didn’t notice.

Soon, a dark shadow loomed over their heads. Im Sang-mi, who belatedly sensed the eeriness, glared and pointed.

“Eek, it’s Jin Ggeok-jeong [a legendary Korean outlaw, implying she’s about to cause trouble]!”

“What? Only below the neck? Victory? Then let’s feel who’s stronger, too.”

“Take that away! Even if that *unnie* hits you with a cushion, your nose will bleed!”

That day, the popular idol’s dorm turned into a chaotic scene where dolls and cushions were flying cotton.

*

The airing day of ‘Gray City Team’ episode 8.

The whole family gathered at the house of the eldest son who had moved out.

The *officetel* [a studio apartment that is also used as an office] living room that CEO Noh Joong-man had secured was spacious enough for Park Yeol-ho, Han Young-ju, and Park Seon-i to sit around comfortably.

And today, there was even one more special guest.

“I’m Byun Hwi-seung, who is filming with your son. I’d like to formally introduce myself.”

Han Young-ju was flustered as she helped Byun Hwi-seung, who was bowing deeply, up.

“I’m sorry. Actually, I hated you so much. After the discord rumors article came out, I cursed you every time you appeared in the drama, calling you a terrible person…”

“Oh, Mother! It’s absolutely okay. We’re sorry for surprising you.”

“Ahem, ahem, Hwi-seung. I was just watching. It was like that when I was active. Team members sometimes argue…”

“Are you kidding me right now?”

“Dad, Mom, we have a guest!”

Park Seon-i hurriedly started to stop Han Young-ju, who had her eyes blazing.

Byun Hwi-seung, who leaned in slightly, whispered in Geon’s ear.

“Your mother is soft-hearted. You have no idea how much I’ve been cursed by parents until now.”

“Because you play villain roles well?”

“No, because I made their sons and daughters cry. Isn’t this complete celebrity reverse discrimination?”

A vertical line that rarely appeared on Geon’s forehead was furrowed. He hadn’t met many male actors, but this was a first.

“You made their sons cry, too?”

“I don’t know, maybe I stole their girlfriends without knowing it. They all said they didn’t have boyfriends to me.”

“…You really won’t die peacefully.”

“That’s why I was going to retire, but you stopped me. You even broke into my house.”

Byun Hwi-seung, who retorted, frowned.

“But if you’re going to call me *hyung* [older brother], just drop the formalities; we’re not that far apart in age.”

“I’m not good at dropping formalities. This is more comfortable for me.”

If you add up the years in the Iron Kingdom, it’s older than my father.

It’s okay to call a distant younger person *hyung*, but it’s more difficult to speak informally.

“*Hyungs*!, the commercial is about to end!”

“It’s starting now, so let’s focus. We came to monitor, so we have to watch without missing anything.”

Soon, episode 8 started, and the episode of ‘Gray City Team,’ which had passed the midpoint, continued.

ㅡLee Jin-ha, you can’t beat me. You shouldn’t have looked at a tree you couldn’t climb.

Seok Tae-oh, the head of AF Mall, interferes with Lee Jin-ha’s work in every way.

He finds out about the orders he’s won and steals them with higher conditions, and he steals the models he’s cast for the self-brand launch show, weakening his position.

ㅡIs this a debt? I’m the type to get back the money I lend.

If it weren’t for Yoo Bi-eun, the president of the model agency who has a crush on Lee Jin-ha, the company’s reputation would have been greatly shaken.

ㅡLee Jin-ha, isn’t he a little shaky these days?

ㅡThose guys who are so proud of themselves are all like that. Let’s watch when they fall.

A rolling stone gathers no moss. There are many people inside ‘The Chic’ who are jealous of Lee Jin-ha, who is uniquely outstanding and has been promoted to team leader without any backing.

On the way back from promising a date with Yoo Bi-eun in exchange for supplying models to the show, Han Tae-ri, who is sitting in the passenger seat, cautiously asks.

ㅡTeam Leader. By any chance, that person named Seok Tae-oh……

ㅡDon’t be interested. It’s not something Han Tae-ri needs to know.

But Han Tae-ri, who has already lost her heart to Lee Jin-ha, starts investigating Seok Tae-oh.

A ‘white hacker’ best friend, who she doesn’t know why she has, tells her that Lee Jin-ha and Seok Tae-oh were high school and college classmates, implying that their bad relationship has been long.

ㅡHe must have never beaten your team leader during his school days. The son of a huge department store owner, a perfect guy with looks and abilities, kept getting beaten.

ㅡ…Is that why he’s bothering Team Leader?

ㅡI don’t know. Seok Tae-oh went abroad right after graduation, and Lee Jin-ha entered the strategic planning office of Cheongryu Electronics and then resigned.

ㅡStrategic planning office? Not the sales team?

ㅡYeah. Then Seok Tae-oh came back and the two clashed, because the industry is the same.

Maybe Lee Jin-ha’s secret is also in the past. Just as Han Tae-ri is biting her lip and worrying, she gets a call from a superior in the same team.

It’s past quitting time? As soon as she tilts her head and answers, a hurried voice pops out.

ㅡTae-ri, the police are in the company… in our team…!

That’s how episode 8 ended. As soon as the commercials started, viewers complained.

“Wow… they cut it off here?”

“The editing skills of the broadcasting station people are getting better and better. That, the weekend movie you watched with your mom wasn’t like that.”

“Dad, these days they call that a cliffhanger. It means they cut it off at the most curious part.”

While Park Seon-i, who was in charge of the commentary, was calling the PR team to check the viewership ratings, Byun Hwi-seung threw a very ominous bait.

“Fathers and mothers, which of those heroines do you think suits Park Actor better? The new employee or the model agency president?”

“I think a more reliable friend would be better, wouldn’t you? Han Tae-ri was more friendly and assertive.”

As soon as Han Young-ju chose Han Tae-ri, Park Yeol-ho cleared his throat and argued.

“Ahem, from a father’s point of view, the agency president seems more suitable. It would be difficult if you started a company romance and something went wrong.”

“Both of you are right. I guess I’ve met both of them, haha!”

Originally, a romantic comedy is all about weaving imaginary couples here and there. While they were laughing and talking, Han Young-ju turned to Geon with a smile on her face.

“So, when is our son’s kiss scene coming out?”

“…Yes?”

* * *