Godsent Top Star [EN]: Chapter 13

013. Drama Filming Begins! (2)

2021.11.13.

Dong Ja-ryeong howled wildly, seemingly trying to force Yeonwoo to accept something, but… “You know, you’re not threatening at all in that form, right?” [Oops……!] A hamster raising its cute little paws and squeaking fiercely could hardly be considered threatening. How many walnuts had he stuffed into his cheeks until they were bursting? His plump cheeks sagged, burning away even the last bit of his dignity. “I understand.”
“Really? You’re really going to help me?”
“Yes.” This was another opportunity for Yeonwoo. Even if Dong Ja-ryeong hadn’t urged him, even if Kwon Seong-hyeon hadn’t begged with his tail between his legs, he would have accepted the opportunity. It was his first entertainment industry job since the incident with Park. ‘I have a chance to properly observe, so why would I refuse?’ If you know yourself and your enemy, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. Since he had decided to go in this direction, he needed to examine the overall flow and atmosphere of the industry. Jumping in without any preparation would be the same as ruining everything. [So, I get to watch Actor-nim filming?! I get to see Actor-nim filming live?! Is this what they call achieving your dreams?! Who said you can’t meet your idols?!] Dreams…… what? That old ghost sometimes seemed more alive than Yeonwoo. “Thank you, Yeonwoo. Thank you for helping me.”
“No…… well…….” He was going to benefit from this as well. Of course, Kwon Seong-hyeon, who couldn’t possibly know that, smiled brightly, his eyes crinkling. “I’ll do better in the future.”
“……Yes?”
“Don’t worry, Yeonwoo. I will definitely…….”
“……?” He seemed to mumble something, but it was too quiet to hear. ‘……It must have been something I didn’t need to hear anyway, right?’ What could that guy possibly do for him? ‘Right. He was always a bit strange anyway.’ People who reach the top in any field tend to have some odd quirks. Maybe it was those quirks that allowed them to reach the top. Or maybe they were normal, but became strange due to the ennui of those who have everything. Anyway, the conclusion was that Kwon Seong-hyeon was still not in his right mind. ‘Let’s just humor him.’ He was the one who introduced him to the lifespan vending machine and even the ore vein himself. It would be a waste to let go of this free pass just because he was a little strange. And.
-Yeonwoo, the first day of drama filming has been set. The day to mine the ore vein was fast approaching.

***
Yeonwoo was temporarily assigned the position of assistant manager. “The filming site is a bit difficult for outsiders who aren’t staff to enter… So, you’ll have to be a manager, albeit temporarily. Ah, of course, Seong-hyeon told me to take care of all of Yeonwoo’s needs, so you don’t really have to do anything.”
“Is that so?”
“Well… It seems Seong-hyeon relies on Yeonwoo a lot, so it would be nice if you could be with him. Hahaha….” The manager said, laughing, his eyes fixed on Yeonwoo’s shoulder. [Why does he keep staring? Am I that cute? Yeonwoo, do you think I’m cute too?] “Stop talking nonsense.”
“……Yes?!”
“Ah. I wasn’t talking to the manager, but to this guy.”
“The… hamster….”
“Yes.” The manager’s pupils shook violently as he looked at the round hamster squeaking threateningly. “Um… Yes….”
“Is there a problem?” The manager, whose lips were twitching, quickly changed the subject. “Ah… I thought I should mention this. Most people will know how to act if you say you’re Seong-hyeon’s manager, but there are some who won’t. The director for this shoot is a bit picky… And the supporting actors are less famous than Seong-hyeon, but they are much more senior.” He meant that Kwon Seong-hyeon’s influence didn’t work on everyone. But that didn’t matter anyway. Using Kwon Seong-hyeon as a shield to throw his weight around wasn’t Yeonwoo’s style. “Don’t worry. I know how to handle myself. I won’t cause any trouble.”
“Oh, dear. I was embarrassed to say it… Of course, I know Yeonwoo wouldn’t cause any problems, but I still had to mention it….”
“Yes. I understand.”
“Thank you.” The manager’s face brightened as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. “Today, there will only be a script reading. Fortunately, Director Heo is a bit sensitive about these things, so there won’t be any separate filming. You can just relax and watch.” The manager explained this and that, and began to gather the trays he had loaded in the back seat. It was coffee prepared for the first greeting. Thanks to the dozens of coffees neatly packaged, he had been able to smell the coffee all the way here. “Seong-hyeon will arrive separately with the road manager a little later. I got a call saying he’ll be here soon, but you can wait comfortably in the car until Seong-hyeon arrives. Seong-hyeon ordered takeout for you, so you can eat that while you wait….” Although there was no filming, it was still a script reading, and Kwon Seong-hyeon was an entertainer. He needed to show that he had put some thought into their first meeting. That’s why he had headed to the salon first. “No. It’s okay. Let’s go in together. It must be hard to carry that alone.”
“Ah. It’s okay… I can carry it myself.”
“We’re going anyway, let’s carry it together.” The manager had offered to let him rest and wait in the van until Kwon Seong-hyeon arrived, but Yeonwoo had no intention of doing so. The broadcasting station was right in front of him. ‘Shouldn’t I check out my ore vein first?’ Yeonwoo’s eyes sparkled. *** ‘Heavy.’ That was Yeonwoo’s impression as he stepped into the broadcasting station for the first time. It wasn’t that the coffee trays in his hands were heavy. What was heavy was the air. His eyes shone sharply as he looked around. The ore vein he had been longing for was right in front of him. But Yeonwoo’s expression remained blank. ‘Strange. The air is definitely heavy, but there are few spirits to be seen.’ As soon as he entered the broadcasting station, he felt a sense of mass. The air couldn’t possibly have weight, but that was only for ordinary people. ‘Is it because it’s a broadcasting station? But there’s not much to see.’ There were fewer spirits visible than he had expected. The negative energy floating in the air was extraordinary. Even though it was a place where all sorts of desires were concentrated… [Wow. The atmosphere here is no joke….] Squeak! Dong Ja-ryeong, who was in his shirt pocket, noticed the negative energy and peeked out. [It’s worse than most cemeteries?] His eyes sparkled like someone who had a feast in front of them. It was only natural. For a dead spirit like Dong Ja-ryeong, a place full of negative energy was a perfect match. “So, it is like that, right? I’m not the only one who feels strange, right?” [Yeah. I’ve only heard about broadcasting stations, but it’s true that seeing is believing. Now I know why this place is a hot spot.] To put it simply, this place was like Hongdae or Myeongdong in Seoul [popular, bustling districts]. [But considering that, there aren’t many spirits to be seen?] The hamster stretched its head out and looked around. [Did they all go out to play? With this much negative energy, it should be at least half full here?] This was a kind of circulation cycle. A place where all sorts of raw, negative, and explicit desires were concentrated. It was only natural that negative energy would gather there. Following that energy, ghosts would gather like insects swarming around sweets. The more they gathered, the stronger the negative energy became. Negative energy called ghosts, and ghosts called negative energy, and the phenomenon of that negative energy calling ghosts again was repeated. ‘But the ghosts, who are the main culprits, aren’t visible?’ This place was definitely a gold mine. Yeonwoo’s intuition was certain. How else would his mother, Kang Yeo-sa, keep nagging him to become a shaman instead of her? Thinking that, one hypothesis came to mind. “It’s not small fry, but big shots that have gathered.” [Ah, right! That could be it! If a territorial guardian has taken its place, this feeling is understandable.] Dong Ja-ryeong nodded at Yeonwoo’s words. “It’s also possible that those guys ate the smaller ones.” [It feels like a trap that completely lures in prey?] “Well, I don’t know if what I’m thinking is right or not, but it seems likely, doesn’t it?” [Or maybe there’s another hot spot and they all flocked there. There might be a place where negative energy is even more concentrated!]
“If not, some human might be driving around vengeful spirits.” [That’s right. If there are several people like that, it makes sense that there are so few visible spirits with this much ghostly energy.] Whatever hypothesis he chose, the gold mine was still a gold mine. If it was a guy who ate the small ghosts and directly increased his power, he would definitely have that much resentment or desire. He had decided to step into the path of an entertainer, which was the second worst fate, rather than the worst fate of a shaman, but, well. ‘If I can get lifespan, it doesn’t matter what I become, I’ll get it all first and then see.’ Living comes first, doesn’t it! A place where ghosts gather on their own without having to go out and find them. That was a gold mine in the literal sense. Not to mention the ones attached to people. That was a moving gold mine. ‘Right. You shouldn’t be picky.’ Living is the best, always new, thrilling! [But Yeonwoo.]
“Why?”
[You… You’re not going to go looking for them now, are you?] The subject was omitted, but Dong Ja-ryeong and Yeonwoo both knew what he meant. “I am going to.” [I knew it! No! You can’t go now!]
“Ah, why are you being like this?” [How can you not watch our Actor-nim’s monumental comeback drama’s script reading?! Show me the script reading! I want to see it! Let me see it!] Squeak! Squeak! Squeak! The hamster, who was half-hanging out of his pocket, was going crazy. “Um… Is that hamster… Really okay?” The manager, who was walking ahead, turned around. This manager was surprisingly bold. Usually, people find it stranger and scarier when someone talks to themselves, right? “I’m sure people will know you as Seong-hyeon’s assistant manager, so no one will say anything, but the entertainment industry may seem free on the outside, but it’s conservative on the inside… I was worried that you might get into trouble….”
“Don’t worry, he doesn’t have rabies. He won’t bite anyone. And of course, I’ll keep him quiet.” Yeonwoo calmly replied to the manager. ‘I need to make a good impression, there’s no reason to cause trouble.’ Anyway, Dong Ja-ryeong, whom Kwon Seong-hyeon cherished, would know how to behave without being told. Although he looked like a mouse… no, a child, he was a very old ghost. “Oh, dear. I was worrying too much, wasn’t I? Yeonwoo will take care of it. I must be getting weak these days… I keep worrying.” How could he be okay when a living person was keeping a dead person close? He wasn’t an entertainer like Kwon Seong-hyeon, who was born with a strong aura, but an ordinary manager. “Yeonwoo!” As soon as he thought that, a voice called out to Yeonwoo. ‘That guy is no gentleman either. He’s like a tiger. Hmm?’ Yeonwoo narrowed his eyes as he looked at the man approaching quickly. [Gasp. Yeonwoo, I think I’m going to have trouble breathing for a second. Quick, give me CPR…!] The man, who was already handsome, shone even more brightly after being touched by the hands of experts. ‘He’s completely different from usual? Is this what it means to be a top star?’

Perhaps because his role in the drama was a cold-hearted third-generation chaebol [conglomerate heir], his styling also had a cold and intellectual vibe. A tailored three-piece suit fit Kwon Seong-hyeon’s body perfectly. ‘Wasn’t that all sponsored?’ He remembered Kwon Seong-hyeon’s exclusive stylist saying it proudly. A haughty luxury brand that never did sponsorships had offered to sponsor him first for this drama. That’s how much Kwon Seong-hyeon’s atmosphere had changed.