Godsent Top Star [EN]: Chapter 256

256. Are There Two Culprits? (2)

Momentary silence.

But soon, Baek Hahyan let out a deflating laugh.

“I guess Kang Seok’s ability isn’t all-powerful. It’s already two people. People Kang Seok couldn’t read.”

“I guess so.”

“Anyway… that’s what I was worried about. If there are really two culprits… why the residual thoughts left on the evidence are different. Things like that.”

“That must be a big concern.”

“Well, yeah…”

Baek Hahyan sighed.

“If there are really two culprits… I’m concerned about the residual thoughts left on the evidence changing in the middle. Until then, it was consistent, and after it changed, it remained the same.”

Toc toc.

Lost in thought, Baek Hahyan unconsciously tapped the table.

“That indicates one thing. The perpetrator committing the crime has changed.”

Baek Hahyan gradually fell into deeper thought.

“Why would the perpetrator change in the middle? What was their relationship? Lovers? Friends? Or… family? Anyway, it must have been a very close relationship. Otherwise, they couldn’t have committed murder together.”

Kim Seonwoo silently stared at Baek Hahyan.

“Why did they break up? Is there any reason? Did they get sick? Or did they break up? Or maybe one of them can no longer commit murder…”

“Hahyan.”

Before Baek Hahyan’s thoughts deepened further, Kim Seonwoo called her.

“Stop thinking about work.”

“Ah, have I been talking too much about work? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, but that thought keeps circling in my head these days…”

“It’s not that I don’t want to listen. Your face looks too worn out. Tell me. Haven’t you been getting enough sleep lately?”

“Well… that’s true…”

The straight and neat fingertips reached towards Baek Hahyan’s face.

Carefully wiping away the dark circles under her eyes as if touching fragile glass.

“The case is important, but you need to rest too.”

“Y, yeah… that’s, that’s right.”

A very awkward answer popped out.

Seeing Baek Hahyan, who was clearly nervous, the finger that had been wiping her eyes slowly retreated.

“I’m worried. I’m afraid you’ll collapse.”

“I’m not that tired…”

“You’ll rest, right?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

Kim Seonwoo gave a soft smile.

Seeing that, Baek Hahyan blinked rapidly.

Like someone caught off guard.

*

“Good times. Good times.”

Gil Sangjoon muttered, looking at the monitor.

“See? What did I tell you?”

Song Jinjoo crossed her arms and shrugged next to him.

The two-shot of Baek Hahyan and Kim Seonwoo had a corner that made people feel ticklish [a scene that evokes a sense of excitement or anticipation].

“With the shaky bridge effect added, they can’t help but fall for it, right?”

“Huh…? Does the shaky bridge effect apply there…?”

“If I say so, it does.”

“That’s true. Everything our Song writer says is right.”

Gil Sangjoon nodded seriously.

The shaky bridge effect [a psychological phenomenon where arousal from fear is misattributed to attraction].

The throbbing heartbeat felt due to the fear felt on a shaky bridge is mistaken for throbbing due to affection for the other person.

It’s not wrong to see it as a brainwashing-like effect caused by the body’s illusion.

“People who already know Seonwoo’s identity must be getting excited. Right? But when they see Seonwoo and Hahyan together like that… they’ll be thinking, when will they get caught? Right? And then they slowly get absorbed.”

“Absorbed…?”

“Getting absorbed. Getting absorbed into Seonwoo. That’s what kids say these days. Director didn’t know?”

“No, I knew it too.”

“Director, I know you’re having an earthquake in your pupils right now [a humorous way of saying he’s surprised or flustered].”

Song Jinjoo, who subtly teased Gil Sangjoon, continued.

“Anyway, that’s another chewy charm [an appealing or intriguing aspect]. Haha, it came out with better chemistry than I thought, so the reaction will definitely be good.”

Ehehe.

An eerie laughter followed, but Gil Sangjoon pretended not to notice.

“The more I see it, the more I film it, the more I realize this is bound to be a hit. Besides, Director. Why is Romeo and Juliet a classic masterpiece?”

“Uh, uhm? Why is that…?”

“Because it’s a subject that stimulates people’s interest, like forbidden love, now and then. Look. A murderer and a woman who doesn’t know he’s a murderer and falls for him… a relationship of pursuer and pursued enemies, but one side doesn’t know at all! Besides, for some reason, one side doesn’t kill the other right away! This relationship! Kya. This is exactly the modern Romeo and Juliet.”

Song Jinjoo added that she wanted to show that such a relationship could be created even without secrets of birth or chaebols [large family-owned conglomerates].

This relationship was not present in the early stages.

There was no reason to give a relationship with an important supporting actor to a disposable villain who would only appear once.

But.

‘This… this will work…!’

The lightning-like realization that came after seeing Yeonwoo acting at the audition.

That was the reason that made her rewrite the synopsis with a possessed momentum.

“Well. We filmed it, but this is bound to be a hit.”

“Right? It’s not a random romance either. It’s a detective drama, but the plausibility is more than enough. Even if there’s no plausibility, it’ll be created when you see Yeonwoo and Yerin’s acting.”

Gil Sangjoon and Song Jinjoo confidently predicted a hit.

This was different from self-intoxication or arrogance, like words usually said to oneself.

The programs they touched turned out to be such huge hits that the word ‘hit’ was insignificant.

Even the travel program they produced caused such a huge butterfly effect that it changed the trend of the travel industry itself.

Especially this drama is the first work after establishing their own production company.

They poured all kinds of affection and sincerity into it like gold and jade [with utmost care and dedication].

“It’ll be a hit.”

“It’s a hit.”

Gil Sangjoon and Song Jinjoo were very satisfied with this situation.

They could already see the results in the eyes of those who had created all kinds of hits.

The result of rapidly rising viewership.

*

“Aren’t you going to get an article about that?”

Yeonwoo, who was getting makeup, asked back at the sudden sound.

“What article?”

As the drama shooting reached the end of the first season, Yeonwoo’s makeup and styling became more and more fancy.

‘Something about the modifier is a bit strange.’

The problem was that there was no way to explain it other than the word fancy.

It was as if he was being diligently decorated by the hands of a craftsman like a peacock courting.

The reason for this was simple.

“An article about you and senior Yerin.”

“Why would that come up?”

“Why! Are you asking because you don’t know?”

“…?”

“You’ve been completely stuck with senior Yerin these days!”

Stuck…?

Yeonwoo paused to organize his thoughts.

These days, Baek Hahyan and Kim Seonwoo had many scenes together.

As the investigation of Baek Hahyan progressed more and more towards the end of the second half, it was in a precarious state whether Kim Seonwoo’s identity would be revealed or not.

Not only that.

Overall, as it entered the second half of the first season, the content gradually became more complex and heavy at the same time.

If the first season focused on how Kang Seok, a person who gained special abilities, grew up.

The second season, which will follow, was about Kang Seok, who had grown up, unintentionally getting caught up in various troublesome things because of his psychometry ability [the ability to discern facts about a person or object by touching it].

-That special ability you have. If you have that, we can be the best.

As Kang Seok’s case resolution rate soared to the sky in a short period of time, the attention focused on Kang Seok also increased.

‘The second season is about the worldview gradually expanding from Kang Seok’s personal story.’

In addition to Baek Hahyan, the characters who recognize Kang Seok’s ability are also part of the case.

Do Gangwook.

A prosecutor with ambition.

Do Gangwook, who came from an orphanage, overcomes harsh environments and passes difficult exams to seize the position of prosecutor.

However, he was a typical ambitious man who had no intention of being satisfied with being a regular prosecutor.

Do Gangwook, who went to Kang Seok, tries to seduce Kang Seok with the words ‘we can be the best’.

-You don’t have to pretend you don’t know. I already know. If you’re going to pretend you don’t know, you’ll know if you investigate from now on.

He does not hesitate to subtly threaten him and plays a role in dragging Kang Seok into the complex political arena.

The second season is the main one, but Baek Hahyan often clashes with him because he gradually lays down rice cakes [hints or foreshadowing] from the second half of the first season.

“If you count that way, senior Park Junghyuk is also often attached.”

Park Junghyuk. He was the actor who played Do Ganghoon.

-Seok is not a tool.

Baek Hahyan cleverly recognizes and interferes with Do Ganghoon, who is trying to use Kang Seok.

Baek Hahyan also came to Kang Seok to get help at first, but she became attached to him as a person while getting to know him.

She confronts Do Ganghoon to prevent Kang Seok from being used carelessly.

“You have many scenes together these days.”

“No. No! That’s not it!”

Kim Sihyuk pounded his chest as if he was frustrated.

“Doesn’t it hurt?”

When I asked while looking at it,

“Uh… it hurts a little.”

Kim Sihyuk rubbed his chest, lowering his fist awkwardly.

“It’s different from senior Junghyuk! It’s almost like a duel with senior Junghyuk! You’re different!”

“You have to say it right. Not me, but Kim Seonwoo.”

“Yeonwoo. You’re saying that because you don’t know yet. Actors can’t perfectly separate the role and the body, no matter what role they play.”

“…?”

“Anyway. Really, there’s nothing like that? Why. There are couples who fell in love and got married while filming a movie, you know.”

Yeonwoo looked at Kim Sihyuk with a bitter look.

He was kind and innocent, but one problem was that his brain was pure.

“I guess it’s because he’s still young, but he’s interested in strange things…”

“Excuse me? You and I are the same age?”

“It’s not going to happen, so don’t say strange things. Do you know that it’s a huge disrespect to senior Min Yerin? And. You’ve been filming with me longer than senior Min Yerin. So, are you and I going to have a dating rumor?”

“What?! Me? With you?! Why?!”

“That’s your logic. You said that if you’re together, you’ll have a dating rumor. If I think about the role I’ve been with the most, it’s Kang Seok…”

“No! That can’t be! That can’t be…!”

Kim Sihyuk jumped out in disgust.

He came to tease, but he was rather thoroughly 털렸 (beaten/shut down).

“Weren’t you teasing him too much?”

A calm voice was heard in the quiet space after Kim Sihyuk ran out.

One head slyly came out from behind the sofa covered with clothes hanging.

It was Min Yerin.

“If you were careful with your mouth, you wouldn’t have been teased.”

“That’s true. By the way, Sihyuk doesn’t know anything. If he knew where Yeonwoo’s agency was, he would know that there’s no way a dating rumor could happen…”

“Even if he knows, I bet 100 won he can’t think that far.”

As Min Yerin said, Kwon Seonghyeon was the one who turned on the fire when it came to media play after several incidents.

-The company has a duty to protect its affiliated actors.

Kwon Seonghyeon kept those words to heart.

Perhaps there will be no major changes in the future.

“Dating rumor… it feels like it’s been a long time since I heard that word.”

“It’s been a long time?”

“I’m so busy with the company that I don’t have time to breathe. I’ve always thought that I wouldn’t meet people in the same industry… but these days, I’m just so busy that I don’t even think about it. I guess it’s because it’s my first time being a company president.”

Even Min Yerin had debts of billions of won.

She was not foolish enough to be fascinated by the momentary sweetness in front of her.

Min Yerin knew exactly what the priority was.

“I think I have to pay off the debt first before I can do anything. Hmm. Still, I’m glad that my Baek Hahyan acting isn’t bad. The fact that it looks like a dating rumor means our acting is okay. Right?”

“That’s right.”

“While we’re at it, let’s match our lines.”

“Okay. Shall we start with the scene where we’re being chased by a stalker?”

“Yes.”

They go into rehearsal so naturally like flowing water.

Look at this conversation that couldn’t be more 담백 (plain/unaffected).

“Those acting maniacs…”

Kim Sihyuk, who had run away far and awkwardly returned, muttered.