Former Warrior Turns Into A Million-Dollar Actor [EN]: Chapter 88

The Show Stealer of Paris (3)

* * *

Roman Entertainment PR Team.

The PR team was in a festive mood every day, but today there were especially many reasons to celebrate.

“Wow, try this. The beef tartare melts in your mouth!”

“Do they deliver this kind of thing these days?”

“Would they? Of course, Actor Jin bought it himself. Why are you acting like this is the first time you’ve eaten it?”

First, because an angel had bestowed grace upon the poor souls who hadn’t even had dinner,

“Team Leader, the Zarmani show views are exploding! Deparma and Shagol can’t even compare in views relative to upload time!”

“It’s been posted on [social media platform], Quiet US has even dedicated a full page to a special article. We’ve completely secured the top spots for Paris Fashion Week-related search terms!”

Second, it was because of the actor who went to the event and unexpectedly snagged a brand ambassadorship, and then, after being invited to Fashion Week, unexpectedly graced the show’s closing.

“I’m glad I didn’t leave work. See, I told you something else would come up within an hour, didn’t I?”

Team Leader Gong, who had rolled up the sleeves of his wide suit like arm warmers, thumped his chest.

“That’s right, I actually didn’t believe Jung-geun. Even after seeing Emit Jackson’s tweet, he said there was no way, and that the team leader was just keeping us here because he didn’t want to go home······.”

“Hey, when did I ever say that!”

“Park Jung-geun. Do you want to end your PR team life?”

When the PR team members bickered, it meant that the day would be at least a moderate success.

Jin Ji-yoo, who was wearing a satisfied smile as if she had secured an exclusive contract herself, and was searching for real-time articles, raised her hand.

“Wow, even JMRY’s Vice Chairman is up! Twitter official account, 2 minutes ago!”

Lino Carselen, Vice Chairman of JMRY, left only one word without much comment.

The friar of Zarmani.

After Park Geon exclusively decorated Zarmani’s show finale, that nickname became a buzzword at this Paris Fashion Week.

That’s because the impact he left at the end was rated as the best closing in recent years.

The overall concept of the show and the clothes presented were excellent, but the Asian who was dressed in pure white and dominated the stage left an enormous impact.

In addition, the lighting of the cathedral, which was chosen as the stage, was natural light.

The moment Park Geon, standing at the end of the runway, looked into the distance, faint sunlight poured down like a halo, completing ‘The Friar of Zarmani.’

Dozens of cameras captured the scene and broadcast it around the world.

The cameraman who filmed the front of the runway was caught up in a sacred excitement and shouted into the broadcasting station’s camera.

“At that moment, I felt some kind of revelation. This is God forgiving my indifference!”

Modern high fashion shows have become difficult to shock beyond extravagance and obscurity.

In particular, the fact that he received attention at a prêt-à-porter [ready-to-wear] show, rather than a haute couture [high fashion] collection focused on uniqueness and beauty, is proof of the model’s potential.

A male employee, craning his neck to look at a female employee’s monitor, clicked his tongue.

“Wow, but this really suits him even when I see it again. Doesn’t the durumagi [traditional Korean overcoat] look like a cape?”

“It’s not a durumagi, it’s a cape. The designer may not have known when they put it on him, but since Geon was the lead in ‘Black Priest,’ it reminded me of that and I liked it.”

The cape had a chest that was clearly exposed. Even the priest’s robe inside was completely unbuttoned, so bulging muscles could be seen from time to time.

His bulked-up physique means that he is less able to pull off the clothes than a regular model, but… isn’t that exactly why celebrities stand on the show?

“Anyway, let’s finish eating. At this rate, everything you brought will spoil!”

The food that Jin Ji-yoo brought today was beef tartare and cold noodles packaged from a Korean restaurant next to the Roman building.

Team Leader Gong smiled.

“Is it because of Actor Park? The PR team is very popular these days. It feels more lively than the CEO’s office.”

“I agree, if it could always be like this, it would be really fun to work. I think we get more snack gifts from the actors than company dinners.”

Jin Ji-yoo’s ears perked up.

“Who? Was there someone else who came besides me?”

“Well… Philip came last time, and Park Geon drops by often. Would you believe it if I said even Actor Baek stopped by?”

“Baek Ha… Hani unnie [older sister or close female friend]?”

“It’s surprising, but it’s true. Someone who never came even when her own works were coming out, suddenly these days she’s asking where the actors go to promote themselves?”

The male employee who was listening also chimed in.

“That’s right. I think it’s the first time I’ve seen Baek Hani come here herself without sending her manager.”

“······.”

Jin Ji-yoo’s eyes narrowed subtly.

On the surface, you might think it’s because of the friction with ‘Hyperion.’ Because they clashed at the Zarmani show, she must want to win.

However, anyone who knows the actress Baek Hani knows how absurd that is.

‘In the first place, Baek Hani has no intention of beating anyone. She’s the kind of person who’s happy as long as she does well on her own.’

That’s why it’s even more suspicious. Moreover, ‘General Baek’ is currently on a winning streak.

Historical dramas shot with other people’s money, a top actress who has nothing to be desired, the reason she’s suddenly acting like this······.

At that moment, her cell phone vibrated.

“Oh, is that mine?”

“Of course it’s the team leader’s vibration. We set ours to ringtones.”

In this industry, most of the calls that come in are from unknown numbers rather than known numbers. Team Leader Gong casually took out his cell phone.

“Yes. This is PR Team Leader Gong Gi-hyung. Yes… Yes? A hospital, you say?”

Team Leader Gong’s expression changed as he answered the phone. After hanging up, the female employee asked.

“What’s wrong, Team Leader? Who is it?”

“…It’s Park Seon.”

Jin Ji-yoo’s gaze also turned when a familiar name came up.

“Manager Park Seon? You said it was a hospital earlier.”

“Yeah. She said she had an accident coming up from Buyeo.”

“Where is she now!”

The PR office trio looked towards the source of the sound. Jin Ji-yoo, who had jumped up, was clenching her fists and shooting fire from her eyes.

“Is it a matter of being seriously injured or not? A team member was injured, so of course I have to go!”

Jin Ji-yoo asked about the hospital and room number where Park Seon was hospitalized, and then left without even putting on her jacket.

The people who had instantly become people without a sense of camaraderie stared at each other blankly. Team Leader Gong muttered somewhat sullenly.

“No, who said I wasn’t going to visit······.”

*

“Hello, how can I help you?”

“I’m a guardian of patient Park Seon.”

The clerk’s office.

The nurse who was sitting at the desk to work the night shift covered her mouth.

She recognized Geon, who was wearing a baseball cap pulled low.

“Where do I go up to the 5th floor?”

“Ah, yes… take that elevator over there, and ask at the nurse’s desk there!”

He said thank you and got on the elevator. When he got off on the 5th floor, the nurse, who was equally wide-eyed, told him the room number.

Room 508, when he opened the door to the private room, a faint smell of disinfectant and the unique scent of the hospital floated around.

“Seon-ah.”

Park Seon was asleep. Soon, her closed eyelids blinked a few times and then opened.

“Oh… Hyung [older brother or close male friend]?”

“I took a taxi as soon as I got off the plane, but the road was blocked even at this late hour. I’m sorry I’m late.”

Park Seon wiped her mouth with an embarrassed expression.

“What are you sorry about? I was sleeping with drool coming out of my mouth.”

“How’s your body? Are you badly hurt?”

“Huh? No, I’m completely fine. I feel like I skipped school and secretly took a vacation.”

Geon frowned.

“…You’re fine?”

Park Seon cheerfully waved her arms.

“Yeah. CEO Noh and Team Leader Gong almost forcibly hospitalized me to rest. I’ve already had X-rays and the necessary tests, right? Unless there are separate aftereffects, I’m completely fine.”

Looking at her expression, she wasn’t lying to avoid worrying him.

‘Her breathing is normal······.’

If the hospital said so, it must be right that she wasn’t seriously injured. He can’t see through the bones with his current eyes, except for movement.

An hour ago.

Geon flew in from De Gaulle and caught a taxi as soon as he landed at Incheon Airport.

‘I’ll give you three times the meter fare. Please take the fastest route possible.’

While the driver was searching for the fastest route with his eyes blazing, Geon calmed his breathing.

He heard the news of his sister’s accident just before boarding the plane back home.

She had a minor collision on the way to Seoul, but the sister he knew was a master of defensive driving who would be hit rather than crash.

The cause of the accident was told in a text message from Team Leader Gong, which he received on the plane.

Gong Gi-hyung: [It looks like paparazzi were following her. She was coming up from the Baek General filming set, and it seems she made a mistake trying to shake them off.]

“Tell me, what’s going on?”

As if she had expected to be scolded by her brother, Park Seon lowered her eyes.

“Well… since I’m hanging out with people from C&J these days, I can see the paparazzi clearly. A car that was waiting for me was subtly following me on the way up from Buyeo······.”

“Following you?”

“I thought I should shake them off. That way, I thought I could protect the privacy of whoever I took with me later, whether it was you or someone else. But I guess it wasn’t enough yet, I was in a hurry and just crashed into the guardrail, hehe.”

Geon covered his forehead.

This is… a miscalculation.

He had expected that DG, or those instructed by others, would move when he was away.

But he never imagined that it would be directed at his family, or that his sister would risk getting hurt trying to protect him.

Has he still not adapted to the fact that this world harms those around him, even after experiencing the Jangmi incident?

‘I was foolish and complacent. A mistake that I would never have made if I were in the Iron Kingdom······.’

Perhaps because she was more anxious because there was no scolding he had expected, Park Seon asked hesitantly.

“Hey, Hyung… are you very angry?”

“What anger? I’m not angry at you.”

“Then you’re angry, aren’t you? You really don’t have to be, huh? It’s purely my fault, and there are originally a lot of paparazzi following managers······.”

“Then I need to reduce the number a bit.”

Park Seon blinked.

“Huh? The number?”

“I’ll be back in a minute. Rest.”

Worries instantly filled Park Seon’s expression.

“Hyung, no. No matter how angry you are, things will get bigger if you go yourself. Let’s talk to Team Leader Gong first and work with the police. That’s why we borrowed the power of the C&J people.”

“You don’t have to worry, I can handle it quietly.”

“Wait, Hyung!”

Park Seon called out desperately from behind, but Geon left the hospital room without looking back.

It’s something he can explain someday. That the brother his sister knew and the current him are completely different people.

After leaving the hospital, he made a phone call, and Chief Jin Gyu-il answered immediately despite the late hour.

-It seems you’ve returned home.

“Did the information come in?”

-Of course. The guys who followed your sister match the ones we identified. There are a few more teams, but these guys seem to be the main ones.

“Send them this way, I don’t need support.”

-Are you sure? I know how you feel, but there’s justification, so you don’t have to hit them yourself······.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t ruin our work.”

There was no response from Jin Gyu-il on the other end of the phone. After a while, a chillingly burning encouragement returned.

-I’ve sent everything. If you’re going to do it, you have to see it through to the end.

“Of course.”

*

A shabby building in Sangdo-dong.

On the third floor of a shabby building that looks like it’s about to collapse from the outside, three men gathered.

A white baseball cap, a red beanie, and a hoodie. Today, they had just returned from stalking a former girl group actress.

The man wearing the beanie took off his mask and asked.

“Hey, how is she?”

“She just got hospitalized. It looks like they didn’t put our story in the article.”

The hoodie, who was chewing gum, made a tsk sound.

“Hehe, what would they put up because they’re embarrassed? That she crashed on her own while running away from the paparazzi.”

These were a trio of paparazzi team called ‘Apache.’

They mainly followed celebrities by receiving requests or designating targets, and sold the information they obtained to newspapers or agencies.

All three were ex-convicts with criminal records, so they were willing to commit illegal acts such as using hidden cameras and miniature telescopes, as well as picking locks and breaking into residences.

Thanks to that, the private life data of celebrities they collected exceeded the scale of a single paparazzi. That was why they were called a disaster for agencies and a blessing for issue YouTubers.

“No, I thought he was crazy. I was following him from behind, and he suddenly made a sharp turn. If a car had come out from the side, he would have crashed and died.”

“Idiot, he’s filming a movie.”

It was when the man wearing the beanie sat down on the sofa, chuckling.

Suddenly, the fluorescent light in the center of the office went out. In an instant, the surroundings darkened, and only the computer monitor emitted a blue light.

“What, is there a power outage?”

It wasn’t, but the computer was running fine. The hoodie, who was clicking the mouse in front of the monitor, tilted his head.

“That’s not it, is the fluorescent light dead······.”

“No.”

The moment a hoarse voice was heard, the other three reacted quickly as if they had promised.

The baseball cap, who quickly pulled out his smartphone and turned on the flashlight, shouted with a fierce look.

“Who is it, a cop?”

“That’s not it.”

On the wall illuminated by the monitor light, a black shadow flickered and disappeared.

“I thought you were the worst in this industry, but you were just bottom-of-the-barrel criminals. Robbery, theft, fraud… you went to jail and came out, and all you do is paparazzi?”

“Damn it, who are you!”

“Don’t come out right now? Who the hell are you!”

The other two also shouted and shone their flashlights here and there, but strangely, there was no one in the office.

Only that rough, hoarse voice, like scraping metal, echoed through the space.

“You’ve taken a lot of pictures. You coveted, harmed, and fattened yourself without permission. You persistently followed and harassed innocent people.”

Soon, even the monitor that was illuminating the wall went out with a blue spark.

Someone screamed, but it was already too late. The hoarse voice was approaching his ear.

“Now, you won’t be able to do that anymore.”

* * *