Godsent Top Star [EN]: Chapter 21

021. That’s Not It? (1)

November 21, 2021

“Don’t come any closer! Ugh! Why do you keep coming closer?!” Is *that* how I can finish your education? Yeonwoo approached with a gentle smile, but Lee Deokchun kept backing away, eventually fleeing the set. [Wow… he’s fast! He could be on the national team.] “Tsk…” Yeonwoo clicked his tongue in disappointment. The staff watching seemed to misinterpret his expression, whispering again. “Lee Deokchun is being Lee Deokchun again. Look at him disappointing such a nice guy.” “Seriously, he’s too much. Yeonwoo even takes care of him so he doesn’t go astray.” “That Lee Deokchun doesn’t even know gratitude. If it weren’t for his manager, no one would care about him at all, and he’s just running away?”

Of course, that wasn’t why Yeonwoo approached Lee Deokchun. But there was no way people would know Yeonwoo’s true intentions. So, the misunderstanding deepened again. And that afternoon.

“Manager Kang Yeonwoo? Are you here?” Kwon Seonghyun, hearing that Yeonwoo had gone to find Lee Deokchun, instructed his manager. “Yeonwoo, I know you have a kind heart, but you don’t need to waste your attention on trash like that. The attention you’ve given him is more than enough.” Saying that, he forced Yeonwoo to take a break. Then, someone came to find Yeonwoo.

***
A voice that was clear but somehow sounded cold. ‘Who is it?’ There aren’t many people who would come to see Yeonwoo in the waiting room. At most, it would be Kwon Seonghyun and his manager, or the director and writer? But that voice wasn’t Writer Min’s. “……!” Yeonwoo, who had opened the door without thinking, paused. An unexpected person was standing there. “Min Yerin…?” “If you don’t mind, can we talk for a moment?” “…?” Yeonwoo stepped aside slightly, and Min Yerin entered the waiting room without hesitation. ‘What’s this? Why is Min Yerin here?’ Min Yerin. The actress playing the female lead in this drama. Known for her solid acting skills and outstanding appearance, she was also known for her strong pride and aloof image. She didn’t mingle with most people. Communication with everyone except the director and writer was done through her manager. When she was acting, she was the most captivating woman in the world, but as soon as the camera was off, she became so cold that you couldn’t even talk to her. And how picky she was! There wasn’t a day that went by without hearing Min Yerin’s sensitive and irritable voice. What was surprising was, ‘Well, when you think about it, anyone would be annoyed, so it’s not like I can’t understand…’ For someone with a sensitive and picky personality, the frequency was less than expected. And there was a reason for it. In Yeonwoo’s eyes, she wasn’t the type to cause trouble without reason. He didn’t know what the staff on set thought. “……” Min Yerin, who had come in, didn’t say anything. [Why did Min Yerin come here?] I don’t know. [Ugh. Look at her eyes. Her aura is amazing. She could turn people to stone with just her eyes.] Min Yerin’s eyes seemed to be filled with determination. ‘Could it be because of what happened back then?’ Just a few days ago, he had kindly given Lee Deokchun, who was in Min Yerin’s agency, a hard time. ‘I remember she definitely turned away back then?’ Min Yerin’s indifference also played a part in Lee Deokchun’s downfall on set. Her attitude was consistent. [Don’t associate me with that human.] There’s always something that can be seen in attitude, even if it’s not said. Since even Min Yerin, who was in the same agency, was neglecting him, the staff had nothing to hold back. ‘Could it be that she’s here to complain about what happened back then?’ When you think about it, Yeonwoo was the starting point of Lee Deokchun’s downfall. But it was also because of the traps that Lee Deokchun had set for himself. ‘That would be a problem. His education isn’t over yet.’ Of course, even if Min Yerin came forward and said something, he had no intention of stopping…

“Manager Kang Yeonwoo.” Min Yerin, who had been silent after coming in, finally spoke. A haughty and cold face, and a chilly attitude. Was she here to blame him for Lee Deokchun’s actions? Just as Yeonwoo thought that and was about to open his mouth. “I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t really do anything wrong… Excuse me?”

“Yes?”

Confusion filled both of their eyes at the same time. “……” “……” After a moment of silence, Min Yerin spoke first. “It seems like you’re upset that I came too late. I’m really sorry about what happened back then.”

“Are you, by any chance, here to apologize?”

“Yes. That’s right. But why ‘by any chance’?” A look of doubt flashed across Min Yerin’s eyes, and then she bit her red lip as if she understood. “I may be a little sensitive, but I’m not *that* rude. Especially since Lee Deokchun is someone I brought along with my name, so I think I have some responsibility.”

“I don’t think Min Yerin deliberately brought him along?”

“It’s an internal matter of the company, but anyway, the fact that he came with me is still the same.” A bitter smile flashed across her face. “Are you really here because of that?” Yeonwoo was puzzled. Min Yerin wasn’t the only irreplaceable top actress like Kwon Seonghyun, but she was still one of the most famous actresses. Would someone like that come to apologize in person? Even though it wasn’t something she was directly involved in?

“No. It’s not just because of that.”

‘That’s what I thought.’ Yeonwoo thought. ‘Is she going to stab me in the back after catching me off guard with an apology?’ But he had to change his mind again at Min Yerin’s next words. “I came here… because I wanted to apologize, but also to tell you that you don’t have to be nice to a guy like that just because of me.”

“…?”

“Why are you looking at me with such surprised eyes? I know that Manager Kang Yeonwoo is deliberately trying to be nice to that scumbag to improve the atmosphere on set.”

“No……” That’s not it. Yeonwoo was definitely caught off guard. In a completely unexpected direction. “So, you don’t have to be nice to Lee Deokchun?”

“In other words, yes. That’s what I mean.”

“……” This is unexpected. [That’s a complete reversal. I thought she was going to complain about why we messed with her people, but it was completely the opposite? I thought Min Yerin was picky, but what’s going on?] Even the child spirit was so surprised that he muttered like this.

“Are you really saying that I shouldn’t be nice to Lee Deokchun?”

“Did I say something that’s hard to understand?”

“No… it’s not that… it’s just that it’s quite…”

“Unexpected?”

“…Yes.” Usually, people protect their own. But there was no sign of that in Min Yerin. “I have eyes and ears. Rather, I’m grateful to Manager Kang Yeonwoo.”

Even grateful?

“I’ve heard a lot about Manager Kang Yeonwoo. That you’re deliberately trying to embrace even that scumbag to improve the atmosphere on set. I’ve also heard that it’s out of consideration for me. That’s why I feel even more sorry. I should have warned you in advance, but I didn’t, so Manager Kang Yeonwoo suffered.”

“…I don’t think Min Yerin needs to apologize.”

“I just don’t feel comfortable. Anyway, that scumbag is beyond saving, so he’s not worth paying attention to. So just leave him alone.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes. That kind of guy is just trash that should be abandoned anyway.” Min Yerin, who had a consistently cold expression from the beginning, didn’t seem like someone who had come to apologize. But compared to the expression she made when mentioning Lee Deokchun, it was nothing. Yeonwoo realized. ‘Ah. Was that not a cold expression, but a blank expression?’ There are some people like that. People who look cold because they have sharp features and a blank expression. ‘I thought her expression was like that because she had a cold personality.’ But it wasn’t. ‘Kang Yeonwoo. You still have a long way to go. Judging people by their appearance.’ Isn’t this no different from the discrimination he had experienced? He knew how much those stereotypes hurt people.

“I understand.”

“Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me. Rather, I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry, Kang Yeonwoo? I’m the one who’s sorry. Gratitude is gratitude.” A slightly stubborn tone. It wasn’t like he had done it for Min Yerin’s sake anyway. To improve the atmosphere on set, to be considerate of Min Yerin. These were all misunderstandings of the people. ‘I just chased after a guy who was running away.’ Misunderstandings are so scary. Well, it wasn’t a bad thing, so Yeonwoo decided to just let them misunderstand. That misunderstanding had actually been helpful.

“But you know.” Min Yerin, who seemed like she was about to turn around and leave, hesitated a little. “Back then. Did you really strangle him?”

“……” No. Why are you suddenly hitting me with that again?

“I’m not going to say anything. I’m just… curious. You strangled him, right?” It wasn’t a probe, but rather a tone of certainty.

“What are you going to do if I did?” Yeonwoo first avoided answering. But Min Yerin smiled brightly for the first time, as if that alone was the answer. “Thank you. I feel so refreshed thanks to you.”

A genuine smile that wasn’t mixed with any acting or pretense. It was the first genuine smile that Min Yerin had shown.

***
[Min Yerin is cooler than I thought? I thought she was just a picky actress who was good at acting.] ‘Agreed.’ He didn’t expect her to hit him with that again at the end. ‘This woman is more unpredictable than I thought.’ He thought she was going to come alone and get angry, but instead, she apologized. She smiled brightly, thanking him for knowing that he had strangled Lee Deokchun. She was the first person he couldn’t figure out besides Kwon Seonghyun. ‘It’s wrong to judge others rashly. Let’s reflect.’ Yeonwoo secretly apologized to Min Yerin again. He had apologized directly, but it felt like Min Yerin didn’t understand, so, well. [I didn’t really like her because I thought she was a little lacking as our actor’s partner, but I’m going to have to like her from now on! I’ll join the fan club first…] No matter how I think about it, the child spirit seems to have forgotten that he’s a ghost. He’s fidgeting in his chest pocket, saying he’s going to join the fan club. He was probably trying to come out. But Min Yerin witnessed it.

“Excuse me, what’s that in your chest…?”

“Yes?”

“Something keeps moving…?” It was a thin shirt, so the movement of the plump hamster would have been visible. “…It’s nothing.” Yeonwoo quickly covered his chest pocket with his hand. ‘My social reputation is at stake!’ Have you ever seen a man carrying a hamster in his chest? It was a situation that had already been foreseen since the child spirit appeared as a pigeon, but Yeonwoo hadn’t given up yet. ‘Why did I persuade the child spirit to abandon the pigeon!’ You can’t hide carrying a pigeon. But a hamster is different. Hamsters are small, so you can hide them. Yeonwoo had believed that until now. But.

[Ah, why! Kang Yeonwoo! Move your hand! Min Yerin is curious about me! Don’t you know me? I’m a hamster, you know? A super cute hamster? No one hates hamsters!] The child spirit, who was blocked from coming out, squeaked. [I need to make a good impression on Min Yerin, so hurry up and move your hand! I need to see Min Yerin!] He had forgotten, but the child spirit was quite aggressive when it came to things he liked. Considering that he had taken on the body of an animal to talk to Kwon Seonghyun, who valued his spiritual power so much, it said it all. The child spirit’s aggressive tendencies were evident this time as well. [Ugh, heup!] It was when the child spirit, who hadn’t missed the gap, quickly escaped from his chest pocket.

“Kyaa!” At the same time as the child spirit peeked out, Min Yerin’s scream echoed through the waiting room.