Godsent Top Star [EN]: Chapter 19

019. Life is a Battlefield (2)

2021.11.19.

The worst thing about guys like him is how they can sense weakness. They always know when to act tough and when to back down—a classic case of bullying the weak. What’s even more pathetic is how they use someone else’s authority to act like they’ve earned it. Yeonwoo was thoroughly disgusted by people like that. “Looks like you’re finally getting the picture since you’re not saying anything. If you’d understood from the start, you wouldn’t have had to hear such harsh words, right? Isn’t that right? It’s always the dumb ones who only realize they can’t mess around after they’ve been punished. These brainless idiots are always like this.” A sneer crept onto Lee Deokchun’s face. He mistook Yeonwoo’s silent disgust for a sign of victory and adopted an arrogant attitude. “Hey, hey. I’m thirsty from talking so much because of you, so go out and buy some coffee. Buy a lot so you can treat all the staff. And don’t get any of that cheap canned coffee, get it from Starbucks. Got it? Get me a Java Chip with extra espresso whipped cream?” Lee Deokchun, gloating as if Yeonwoo had finally caved after his constant threats, even tried to snatch Yeonwoo’s wallet as if it were the most natural thing in the world. [He’s totally going to rip you off and act like he’s doing you a favor!] The way he was trying to swindle him so smoothly showed just how rotten he was. He must have bullied and extorted so many people to not even hesitate like this. He was the type of scumbag who could easily manipulate anyone. But. ‘You’ve picked the wrong person to mess with.’ Yeonwoo wasn’t weak. That was Lee Deokchun’s mistake.

***

Lee Deokchun didn’t like the manager who had come with Kwon Seonghyun. ‘Who the hell is this guy?’ A drama starring Kwon Seonghyun was practically guaranteed to be a box office hit. He was getting too old to be an idol, and it seemed like it was time to find a new path, like the other members. ‘I’m pretty good at acting, right? I mean, I’m an idol, so this is pretty good.’ Some people called him a terrible actor, but Lee Deokchun was confident in himself. So what if he wasn’t great? The agency would take care of any controversies.

-Do you know how embarrassing this is for me? Do you have any idea what I have to go through because of you?

Lee Deokchun frowned, remembering Min Yerin’s cold glare and haughty expression. Min Yerin had opposed the agency pairing her with Lee Deokchun in the drama.

-Oh, come on, noona [term used by younger males to address older females, like ‘sister’]. I’ll make sure not to tarnish your reputation.

-I’d sooner trust a stray dog.

He tried to lighten the mood with a friendly attitude, but failed when her icy voice shot back at him.

-Instead of being greedy for things you have no talent for, why didn’t you just stick to what you’re good at? An innocent actor had to drop out because of you.

But he didn’t care about that. Who told them to join such a small agency? If they were so upset, they should have gone to a bigger one. Being with a good agency was a talent in itself. Even though he was just riding her coattails, Min Yerin’s attitude annoyed him.

-Is this how you’re going to do well? Being late? Do you even realize what you’ve done?!

-Oh, noona. Who would dare say anything to the great actress like you? People can be late for various reasons, you know.

-Ha. You’re really impossible.

‘Such a temper. No wonder she has a reputation for being a bitch.’ What good was a pretty face and good acting if she couldn’t be gentle and feminine? He shamelessly entertained the crude thoughts that would have earned him a slap from Min Yerin as he followed her to the script reading. And at the script reading.

‘……Who the hell is this guy?’ He noticed someone who bothered him. Someone around his age with a decent-looking face. And he didn’t even flinch when he saw him, just acted indifferent. ‘Could that guy be the one who took my spot?’ It bothered him that there was someone his age at the script reading. Fortunately, he found out that he was a manager, not an actor, but it bothered him even more when he found out who he was managing. The peak was when he overheard the director and writer talking after the script reading.

-I can’t believe someone like that is a manager?

-How can he have such a presence? He looks better than most actors.

The director and writer had never praised him like that. The director, in particular, made no secret of his dislike, which hurt Lee Deokchun’s pride. ‘What’s so great about that lowly manager?’ It was obviously Kwon Seonghyun’s influence. The director and writer were sucking up to Kwon Seonghyun. Anger began to rise. It had already been several years since Lee Deokchun had switched to acting. Lee Deokchun couldn’t believe that the manager was getting better reviews than him. ‘What an unlucky bastard who got lucky with connections. Ugh, annoying?’ Lee Deokchun had also gotten his position through connections, but he didn’t care about that. So he called him out. He was planning to teach him a lesson. The fact that he was a manager also played a part in Lee Deokchun’s recklessness. After all, a manager was just a manager. He might be Kwon Seonghyun’s manager, but he wasn’t an actor, so it wasn’t a big deal. [This time, Min Yerin is also involved, so control yourself! It’s not like the company can stop you every time, so take care of your image! Do you know how hard I had to bow my head to get you this role?]

He remembered what his manager had said. ‘Bowing your head, my ass. You were just selling Min Yerin’s name.’ This drama was supposed to be his stage. Aside from Kwon Seonghyun, no one else had as much experience as him. He was planning to ride Kwon Seonghyun’s popularity and make a name for himself. He had a mask, and he was a pretty good actor for an idol. In many ways, it was the perfect opportunity for him. But. ‘Who is that slick bastard?’ All the attention that Lee Deokchun should have been getting was focused on some pretty boy. He wondered if he was a replaced actor, but he was just a manager. ‘How dare a mere manager steal the attention I should be getting?’ Aiyo [exclamation of frustration or annoyance]. His real name was Lee Deokchun. He was a natural attention seeker. Fortunately, he was born with the looks and talent to thrive on public attention. He had been neglecting his appearance lately, and people were saying that his features were starting to fall apart, but he blamed someone else for that. ‘Ugh. It’s so hard to make a living as an idol. I’ve been doing this for years, so it’s time to…’ Anyway, this drama was supposed to be his stepping stone to success. But now he had to watch some annoying manager steal his spotlight. ‘Why is that bastard taking the attention I should be getting?!’ There were obviously valid reasons, but Lee Deokchun didn’t care about valid reasons. He just felt like the annoying manager was forcibly stealing all the spotlight that he deserved. ‘How dare you steal what’s mine?!’ Only Lee Deokchun didn’t realize that he never had it in the first place.

Lee Deokchun turned his growing sense of loss into fierce aggression. Ignoring his manager’s warning to stay calm, Lee Deokchun gave him a rough lesson, just like he had done to his arrogant juniors in the past. He threatened and intimidated him, and sure enough, the manager caved. ‘This guy was nothing after all.’ He must be scared and will watch his behavior. Then all the attention will be his. That sense of satisfaction filled Lee Deokchun. It definitely did. “What are you doing? Go buy it quickly. You’re so slow on the uptake and so slow in general. Unless you want to get fired, hurry up and go… Ugh?!” Suddenly, his neck was grabbed. In an instant, his feet were lifted off the ground. Lee Deokchun was shocked and tried to scream. But. “Gack! Cough! Gack!”

“Coffee? What nonsense are you talking about? Why should I listen to you?”

“Gack! Keck!”

“This guy is really something, isn’t he? Blackmail? You’re going to blackmail me? Go ahead and try.”

“Gack!”

“But if you do, you’ll have to be blackmailed too to be fair, right? Should we try it? Who will be blackmailed more thoroughly? If it’s revealed that a current idol has a hidden child, that would be a huge blow, right? Isn’t that right?”

“Cough!” Even as he struggled to breathe, Lee Deokchun’s eyes widened. “H, how……!”

“Who knows? How did I find out? Curious?”

Curious! His mind started racing like crazy. An illegitimate child. That was a very secret that Lee Deokchun had hidden and hidden. Even the president of the agency and the other idol members didn’t know about it.

“Curious, aren’t you? I’m just a manager and a regular person like you said, but you’re a public figure, right? Whose scandal will have a bigger impact? Huh?”

“Cough!” If it was revealed that he had an illegitimate child, it was clear that it wouldn’t end with being blackmailed. Not only would the fans turn their backs on him, but the agency would also take strong action. He would have to drop out of all the programs he was on, of course. He would even have to deal with lawsuits from companies that had signed CF [commercial film] and exclusive model contracts with him. It would be fortunate if the agency protected him, but it was unlikely. The bigger problem was that he would lose all the attention and spotlight he had received so far. That made the attention seeker, no, the attention-obsessed Lee Deokchun anxious.

“Ah, this guy is really hopeless the more I know him? How long has this kind of guy been an idol?”

“Ke, keck! Let, go…… Keck!”

“Hey. How many people’s lives do you want to ruin and live alone like that?”

“Plea, please!” Dangling. Lee Deokchun’s feet, lifted into the air, fluttered pathetically.

“Brea, breath!” Lee Deokchun’s eyes were starting to roll back. It was natural since his neck was tightly strangled and he was lifted into the air. His face, red from lack of blood, was quite a sight to see.

“It would be better for society if this kind of human trash just disappeared.” But before Lee Deokchun completely suffocated, Yeonwoo released his hand. Thud! Lee Deokchun fell to the floor with a sound like a leather bag bursting.

“Keck, keck! Keck!” As the blocked breath returned, Lee Deokchun coughed violently.

“Stop exaggerating?”

“Yo, you, murderer……! Crazy!”

“You still haven’t come to your senses.”

“This is at, attempt, attempted murder!”

“Really? So what are you going to do?”

“Crazy bastard! I’m going to expose everything!”

“Then I’ll expose your illegitimate child too?”

“……!” Lee Deokchun’s shoulders twitched momentarily.

“H, how did you know……? I, I didn’t tell her to give birth! I told her to abort……!”

“This guy was even more of a dog than I thought.” Yeonwoo clicked his tongue. “Ah. Seriously. I think I’m too nice. Removing the grudges from this kind of human trash…… Ha. If it weren’t for that lifespan.” Yeonwoo’s gaze flicked towards Lee Deokchun. Lee Deokchun, who was crying and snotting, looked very unsightly. Seeing that, he felt a little satisfied. ‘I don’t really like these primitive methods, but there’s no point in talking to a guy like that.’ They say a beating is the best medicine for a mad dog. Yeonwoo was a good descendant who followed the words of the ancient sages very well. ‘Why does this guy have the longest lifespan?’ No. When he thought about it, it wasn’t a coincidence, but a natural result. He was like non-recyclable nuclear waste, so it was only natural that he had so much resentment attached to him. He was tempted. But. ‘Life is a battlefield, you X-hole.’ He didn’t have a hobby of avoiding fights that he started. Wasn’t it polite to give back more than you received? A guy who threatens others needs to be threatened himself to understand. It was quite a sight to see the face of the guy who was spouting nonsense distorting.

“Don’t even think about threatening people anywhere? Unless you want to end your life.”

“Ugh……. You……. You bastard……!”

“You still haven’t come to your senses.” Yeonwoo clicked his tongue. ‘Should I just do it?’ The grudges attached to Lee Deokchun were abnormally large in number and size. But only a few of them had a lifespan. Yeonwoo had eliminated those few grudges with a lifespan. ‘The rest are still there……’ The spiritual power mediated by blood is several times more effective than using a regular amulet. If he could inject that power into that guy’s eyes…….

Smirk. A deep smile appeared on Yeonwoo’s face. “Wh, what!” Lee Deokchun, feeling fear instinctively, shouted like a seizure. Perhaps that’s why. “Um……. Is there a problem?” A man with a staff name tag approached with a nervous expression and asked. “No. There’s not really a prob…….” Lee Deokchun quickly cut in front of Yeonwoo, who was about to answer. Lee Deokchun’s instinct to monopolize all the attention instantly wrote a drama. A perfect way to get attention as a pitiful victim and screw over the manager who dared to oppress him.

“Huh? Strangled?”

“That bastard tried to kill me?! That bastard is a murderer! A complete psycho!” Lee Deokchun shouted, trembling as he gave a passionate performance as the victim of attempted murder. The surprised staff member hurriedly examined Lee Deokchun’s neck. But. “……There are no marks?”

“What the hell are you talking about? I almost died! How can there be no marks on someone’s neck when they’ve been strangled?!”

“Are you saying I’m lying? What am I supposed to do about something that doesn’t exist?” The staff member’s voice hardened, feeling unpleasant. Lee Deokchun’s eyes changed in an instant. “Ah. Are you in cahoots with that bastard too? Are you in cahoots! Are you plotting to kill this great star Aiyo in advance?!”

“What? A great star? What nonsense are you talking about…… Hey, Aiyo. Get a grip?”

“You two slept together and are trying to kill me, right! Even the staff are trying to kill me! Damn it! I’m going to report you all! I’m going to report you!” Lee Deokchun’s eyes rolled back. He was clearly about to die. How could his neck be fine! It was clear that these two guys were jealous of him, the rising star, and were doing this. ‘Have I ever seen such a stupid guy?’ Yeonwoo clicked his tongue again. Yeonwoo, who knew the answer, smiled mockingly. ‘How did he become an idol with that stupid head? Did he really think I would leave a mark that would be disadvantageous to me in the middle of a crowded filming set?’ The method was simple. By using the spiritual power already wrapped around his hand, he could replace physical strength. However, the spiritual power that remained because of that disappeared, but it was worth it because he strangled the guy’s neck. There was no way there would be marks because he strangled him with a transparent glove. ‘Besides, there are no witnesses.’ It’s not for nothing that they say you can fool people’s eyes, but you can’t fool ghosts.

“What’s going on? Why is it so noisy?” As Lee Deokchun’s voice grew louder, people began to gather one by one. “Isn’t that Aiyo? Why is he like that?”

“Wow……. That’s pathetic. What is that?” Even the onlookers joined in, adding a word each. Lee Deokchun shouted like he was having a seizure. “That bastard is a complete murderer! He even bribed the staff to strangle me! Look at the marks here?! He’s trying to kill me to stop me from becoming famous……!”

“Murderer?”

“Strangled him?”

“Wow, really.”

“But what do you mean by stopping him from becoming famous? How can someone famous for bad acting become famous?” The noise grew louder and even the filming was stopped. “What’s all the commotion on the set!”

“Ah, director. Aiyo is saying something strange.”

“What?”

“Director! You’ve come at the right time! That bastard is a bastard who should be kicked out of this industry right away!”

“What? Aiyo, what are you talking about?”

“Look at my neck! That bastard strangled my neck! It’s all to stop me from succeeding……!” Lee Deokchun once again expressed his injustice. But. “……Lee Deokchun. Do you think the set is a joke?” Instead of the reaction he expected, only a very cold gaze was directed at him.