I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 97

Seo Chae-eun’s major scandal? The news was clearly absurd, ridiculously preposterous. It was also far too sudden. Yet, Director Kwon Ki-taek, though his face had turned serious, was calmer than expected.

“…Seo Chae-eun is about to have a scandal, and a major one at that.”

Choi Sung-geon’s reply came immediately through the speaker.

“Yes, it seems so.”

“Does ‘it seems so’ mean you’re sure, or is it just an assumption?”

“At the moment, it’s fifty-fifty.”

“Hmm-”

Director Kwon Ki-taek let out a short groan. Even as he accelerated onto the open road, he was lost in thought. The first thing that came to his mind was Choi Sung-geon.

‘Choi wouldn’t be joking around this morning unless he’d lost his mind.’

Moreover, Director Kwon Ki-taek had always held Choi Sung-geon in high regard. He was a person worthy of respect. Most of the big names in the entertainment industry knew Choi Sung-geon. Actors, staff, and so on. He had a wide network, but Choi Sung-geon had maintained his connections without any major issues so far.

In the jungle that was the entertainment industry, this alone was remarkable.

Of course, Choi Sung-geon was also quite capable. He had a good head for business and was quick-witted. Despite having managed many successful actors in his prime, he had the guts to boldly go independent with only Hong Hye-yeon. This, too, was a decision based on future prospects. Recently, he had even taken on Kang Woo-jin, who was rapidly rising to prominence.

Even though the competition was fierce.

There was no way such a man would talk nonsense to Kwon Ki-taek, a big shot in the film industry. He must have heard something through his vast network to be acting like this.

‘Putting aside whether I believe him or not, it’s not hard to postpone the publicity for a few hours.’

It was best to nip any potential problems in the bud. Director Kwon Ki-taek decided to trust Choi Sung-geon’s words for the time being.

“Alright, let’s do that. I’ll put a hold on all the publicity we were planning to start shortly.”

“Yes, Director.”

“I’m on my way to the distributor now. Can you come there?”

“Of course. I just turned the car around and will come to see you and explain.”

“How long will it take?”

After a moment of silence, Choi Sung-geon’s voice echoed from the speaker again.

“I think it’ll be less than an hour. Oh, and Director, you’re the only one who should know about this.”

“…Are you perhaps already doing something?”

“For now, yes.”

“Okay, I need to call the distributor, so let’s hang up.”

“Yes.”

-Click.

As soon as he finished the call with Choi Sung-geon, Director Kwon Ki-taek made a left turn and called the ‘Island of the Lost’ distributor he had contacted earlier. They answered quickly, and Director Kwon Ki-taek gave his instructions immediately.

“Let’s stop all the media releases we were planning for today.”

Meanwhile, Choi Sung-geon, who was also in his car.

“Hoo-”

He let out a small sigh of relief.

“I said it was a major scandal to stop the promotion, but did I go too far?”

The fuse of the bomb had been lit. Whether it was true or not, he had to proceed. Even if Kang Woo-jin’s hunch was wrong. However, Choi Sung-geon just chuckled as he increased the car’s speed.

“That’s that. Well, we’ll deal with it then. I can always apologize on my knees.”

Later.

Director Kwon Ki-taek was sitting alone in the medium-sized meeting room of the ‘Island of the Lost’ distributor. The atmosphere was quiet. Because of this, the way Director Kwon Ki-taek tapped the table with his index finger seemed rather stiff.

“……”

Director Kwon Ki-taek’s face was full of thought and contemplation. It was then.

-Knock knock.

A knock echoed in the meeting room, and then the glass door opened. It was Choi Sung-geon with his ponytail. He also had a serious expression and greeted Director Kwon Ki-taek, who was sitting by the window.

“Director. Hello.”

“You came quickly, sit down.”

Director Kwon Ki-taek pointed to the opposite side. Choi Sung-geon pulled out a chair and sat down. Director Kwon Ki-taek was the first to break the ice.

“So, shall we hear about it? This major scandal of Seo Chae-eun’s.”

His tone was gentle but firm. Choi Sung-geon, who was relatively calm, delivered his prepared statement.

“There isn’t enough time to tell you everything. Briefly, I obtained some concerning information and decided it was too difficult to ignore. I’ll tell you the full story separately after I’ve finished dealing with it.”

“Information. What kind of information?”

Of course, Choi Sung-geon didn’t know the exact information at the moment. So, he expressed it vaguely.

“It seems that media outlets like ‘Power Patch’ have caught wind of something. However, we need to check whether they’re holding onto it or waiting for the best timing.”

“How accurate is that?”

“As I said, it’s fifty-fifty. But even with that level of ambiguity, it’s a bit uncomfortable to just ignore. What do you think, Director?”

“……”

What was there to say? It was more than just uncomfortable. Many movies were released every year, and over 70% of them failed even without any issues. Director Kwon Ki-taek knew this all too well.

“It’s unsettling.”

“Yes, it is. Of course, the decision is yours, Director. You don’t have to trust me. But I’m going to do what I need to do anyway.”

“It seems like you’re planning to move quietly. If I wait for you, when can I expect results?”

Choi Sung-geon, who had been silent for a moment, replied.

“As early as today. No later than three days. We’ll get a bite within three days.”

A very confident answer. Soon, Director Kwon Ki-taek, who had been casually crossing his arms, chuckled softly.

“Three days, huh? Can you do it alone?”

“I have to do it alone.”

“Okay, three days. If it’s you, I can delay things for three days.”

“Thank you. Then, I’ll be going.”

-Swish.

It seemed he had another appointment, as Choi Sung-geon got up immediately. Director Kwon Ki-taek stopped him.

“But Choi, you said it was fifty-fifty. What if the information you got is wrong?”

Choi Sung-geon, who had stopped walking, smiled slightly.

“Then we can just be relieved and move on. I’ll even bow down to apologize for the delay.”

Director Kwon Ki-taek shook his head as if he was a bit fed up.

“There’s no need to go that far. Haha, you’re quite reckless, aren’t you, Choi?”

Around lunchtime on the same day.

Inside Kang Woo-jin’s van, which was moving between schedules. Choi Sung-geon was missing from the usual three-person team. Kang Woo-jin, who was staring at the empty passenger seat, thought.

‘Did he find something out?’

His curiosity was growing. The text he had received from Choi Sung-geon this morning fueled it.

-CEO: It has begun.

A very short message. What had begun? Of course, it was impossible for Woo-jin, who still knew less than half of the entertainment industry, to guess anything.

‘Well, I guess I should just focus on my work?’

There was nothing else to do except burn with passion instead of worrying. It would be ridiculous for Kang Woo-jin to worry about his incredibly capable CEO.

In fact, at this time, Choi Sung-geon was.

“Okay, next is the editor-in-chief of ‘Power Patch’.”

He was very busy. He had just finished contacting influential people in the media. He had casually dropped hints over the phone to people he didn’t need to meet in person, and he had made appointments with people he needed to see, like the editor-in-chief of ‘Power Patch’. Kim Hak-hyun, whom he had seen yesterday, was also included.

“If I see Kim, the editor of ‘Power Patch,’ and a few others, I’ll get a bite from somewhere.”

‘Power Patch’ was the most likely candidate, but he couldn’t ignore other media outlets. Choi Sung-geon executed his plan as meticulously as possible. Then, his car, which was driving on the road, reached the vicinity of Gangnam Station.

Choi Sung-geon parked his car in the parking lot of a high-end sushi restaurant.

-Thump!

He got out of the car and immediately checked the time. Then, he entered the sushi restaurant and spoke to the employee at the entrance.

“I have a reservation under Choi Sung-geon.”

“Just a moment—ah, yes. Please come this way.”

It was lunchtime, so the sushi restaurant was full of customers. Choi Sung-geon was led through the crowd to an area with private rooms, and an employee opened the door to the second room.

-Swish.

Choi Sung-geon saw a man sitting alone in the room. He was quite large and had a broad face. He was the editor-in-chief of ‘Power Patch’.

Soon, Choi Sung-geon put on a business smile.

“Oh my, Mr. Kim. You’re already here?”

The editor-in-chief of ‘Power Patch,’ who was called Mr. Kim, lowered the phone he was looking at and smirked.

“Hurry up, Choi. I’m starving.”

Perhaps because of Mr. Kim’s urging, Choi Sung-geon quickly pulled out a chair across from him. At the same time, Choi Sung-geon asked about the menu.

“What would you like?”

“Why bother choosing one by one? How about we just go with the set menu? The one that comes all at once.”

“Haha, sure.”

As soon as they decided, Choi Sung-geon placed the order with the employee who came in. He rubbed his hands together as if he was excited, while also watching Mr. Kim’s expression.

‘He doesn’t seem to be in a bad mood.’

Then it would be okay to start right away. Choi Sung-geon picked up his water glass and opened his mouth.

“Let’s see—‘Power Patch’ has been a bit quiet lately? Why? Nothing to dig up?”

“This guy is scratching at me as soon as he sees me. And what do you mean nothing? Huh? We broke a big story last week.”

“Come on, it’s common for idols to date these days.”

“Then you give me one. Does Kang Woo-jin have anyone he’s seeing?”

Choi Sung-geon let out a long sigh at Mr. Kim’s sudden mention of Kang Woo-jin.

“I’m not crazy. And our Woo-jin is busy acting, busy.”

“Right? He’s practically dominating everything right now. Wow—where did you find such a gem? You must know, Choi, that everyone in this industry is talking about him.”

The conversation continued about Kang Woo-jin for a while. Then, when the time was right, Choi Sung-geon subtly changed the subject.

“Ah—right, I was just curious. Has anything been going on with Seo Chae-eun lately?”

“Suddenly?”

“Well, I’ve been hearing some faint rumors here and there. I know they’re just rumors, but it’s strange that they’re circulating around the same time. Even Kim Hak-hyun, whom I met a few days ago, mentioned it.”

“…Oh, really? You’ve heard about it too, Choi?”

“No, it’s not that big of a deal. Just a few whispers. Haha, you don’t seem to know anything, Mr. Kim. Is it even worse than a rumor?”

Choi Sung-geon was gently prodding Mr. Kim. He was sprinkling bait. But he didn’t drag it out. He was just short and quick, just enough to pique his interest.

“By the way, did you meet the acting trainer I introduced you to last time? Was it your youngest son?”

There was no need to go deep. Mr. Kim thanked him appropriately, but his expression slightly hardened. Of course, it was because of the talk about Seo Chae-eun that had come up briefly before. Mr. Kim also knew that Choi Sung-geon was well-connected in the entertainment industry.

‘So, there are rumors about Seo Chae-eun?’

About an hour later.

At ‘Power Patch,’ a large media company near Gangnam Station. In the entertainment news office of ‘Power Patch,’ which occupied two floors of a large building, all the reporters were bustling and noisy.

-Swish.

Mr. Kim, with his broad face, stormed in. His steps were quite urgent. Mr. Kim looked to the right side of the office and shouted someone’s name loudly.

“Hey! Im Sang-moon!!”

Then, a man with dark circles under his eyes, who looked exhausted and had a generally dark complexion, turned his head back. He was a somewhat familiar face. One of the three reporters who had been digging into Seo Chae-eun’s past.

“Ah—Editor-in-Chief. You went and ate something delicious by yourself again.”

Mr. Kim quickly approached him, who had spoken casually. Mr. Kim lightly tapped the head of the reporter called Im Sang-moon and whispered coldly.

“To my office.”

There was no explanation. Mr. Kim just strode towards his office. Soon, Im Sang-moon, who was scratching his head, let out a small sigh.

“What is it now, damn it.”

Im Sang-moon had no choice but to follow Mr. Kim. As soon as they entered the room and closed the door.

“Im Sang-moon.”

Mr. Kim brought his broad face close to Im Sang-moon. His eyes were full of urgency.

“How far along are you with what you’re digging into?”

Im Sang-moon flinched for a moment and tried to play dumb.

“Digging into what? What are you talking about? I haven’t caught anything lately?”

“Don’t lie. I’m on top of you, you know. I know you’ve been following Seo Chae-eun lately, so just tell me honestly.”

“……”

“Habitual propofol use, right?”

At this point, Im Sang-moon realized that Mr. Kim knew everything and let out a long breath.

“Ha—those bastards told me not to say anything. There are no secrets.”

“If it came out of your mouth, the secret is over, you bastard.”

“…Tsk. No, I was just trying to wait until the fruit was ripe. There was a lot to gather. If I told you, you’d tell me to release it right away.”

“Forget about that. How far along is it?”

“Seo Chae-eun’s side is mostly done, and I’m collecting additional information from the side characters and the hospital.”

Mr. Kim, having heard the answer, gave a low command.

“Forget about the side characters and release it right away.”

“No! Editor-in-Chief, that’s why I didn’t tell you! I’m going to hit them hard, so just wait a little longer! Not much, just until July!”

“Shut up and do it now.”

“I have a plan, you know? If we release it now, we’ll only get Seo Chae-eun, and the rest will leak out! The side characters are quite juicy too.”

“I know you have a plan, and I’ve been waiting patiently. But it’s not going to work. Do you know CEO Choi Sung-geon?”

Im Sang-moon blinked his eyes immediately.

“Choi Sung-geon? Of course, I know him. But why are you suddenly talking about him?”

“I just had lunch with him, and he mentioned something about Seo Chae-eun in passing? He said he heard some rumors about Seo Chae-eun. If it reached his ears, it must have been circulating for a while.”

“Is that… true?”

“What do you think? Do I lie to you? It doesn’t seem to have spread much yet, so release it before it becomes a rumor, you bastard. You’re a reporter, not an artist.”

Mr. Kim spoke coldly and warned him.

“Wrap it up and release it before this afternoon. Put Seo Chae-eun’s name on it. You got a big scoop, do you want to release it exclusively?”

Im Sang-moon, who was a bit dazed,

-Bang!!

Turned his body and burst out of the office door. He arrived at his desk.

“Shit!!”

It was time to release the scoop he had been carefully cultivating.

End