Chapter 1

"Writer Lee Min-ju. Damn, this is really not right."

"Are you crazy?"

After crawling like a dog for the past six years, I can't let this happen.

Is it that hard to give me a writer's title for the drama I wrote?

"Half of the script writing was done by me. Didn't you promise to credit it as a joint work this time?"

"Let's work together from the next project, okay!"

The same bullshit she spouted during the last project.

"You said the same thing last time. Damn it!"

"… Do you really think you can stay in this industry with this attitude?"

The anger in her voice, which initially showed a hint of guilt, grew.

Even if I throw away the past, I have to say what I need to say.

"Son of a bitch. Eat well and live well."

Rustle─

I threw a stack of A4 papers at Lee Min-ju's face.

It was something she always did to me, but I never thought I would do it to her.

The remaining assistant writers looked at me with pity and sympathy.

'You guys are the ones who are pitiful.'

I left the building, leaving behind the studio where a crazy woman was screaming in anger.

Even though I threw away my career of the past years, I had no regrets.

Public holidays? Regular working hours?

I never expected such things.

Being an artist, earning less than half the minimum wage, and writing in a small room every day.

On top of that, searching for materials day and night, seeking advice, correcting typos, and even waiting for drinks.

In the end, the result was an endless tunnel.

If I made the wrong choice from the beginning, who can I blame?

"Ha… I didn't even have a choice to begin with."

I didn't graduate from a drama writing program, and I couldn't afford to go to an academy.

I kept getting rejected in writing contests, and self-study was daunting.

In the end, the only thing I could do was to search through communities and internet cafes.

The recruitment advertisement for an assistant writer that caught my eye as an aspiring writer was the beginning of all my misfortunes.

If I had known this would happen, I would have studied diligently and thought about getting a job.

"What am I going to eat now?"

It's been six years since I graduated from a decent literature department in Seoul.

At the age of thirty, I had no idea what I could do.

Then,

"Kyaah!"

"Big sister!!! I love you!"

"Big sister!!!"

Fans were screaming upon spotting a celebrity's car.

Since the studio is near the SBC broadcasting station, this happens often.

Next, a five-member girl group got out of a black van.

They haven't topped the music charts, but they have a strong following on male-dominated sites.

The visual girl group, Purple Girls.

Watching them get out of the van one by one in real life made me feel a bit pathetic.

At thirty, I was standing among high school students, watching the girl group's music show.

"Being here is legendary."

My income was already less than the minimum wage, but now I'm really unemployed.

However, my body was honest, unlike my mind.

Since I'm already in this situation, I thought seeing the faces of the girl group would make me less depressed.

The leader of Purple Girls was the first to get out of the van, followed by the other members.

They were all so visually appealing, it was like they were all visual members.

"Ha… Damn."

The fourth member to get out was Purple Girls' main dancer, Jae-eun.

A woman who rose to stardom through Lee Min-ju's previous work.

Seeing her face made me feel uncomfortable, reminding me of my miserable boss.

However,

The moment the fifth member got out, I felt a strange sensation.

"Semi…"

The youngest member of Purple Girls, who is average in both dancing and singing but has the most popularity.

A face genius with a unique appearance even among the visual members.

She smiled at me, and my heart started racing.

"Did you see that? She just smiled at me."

"Maniac, she smiled at me?"

Two boys next to me were arguing over something trivial.

If I were five years younger, I would have told them how meaningless their fight was.

'Not you guys, but me. Idiots.'

Today, my first crush at the age of thirty began.

Of course, the girlfriends I dated before were not crushes, so they are exceptions.

"Is this what it feels like to have a crush?"

The pure love I maintained even during my beautiful school days was now broken.

Soon, my beloved Semi disappeared, and I entered a sage mode.

Ding dong─

At that moment, a strong notification sound rang in my head.

"What the hell is this sound!"

I took out my smartphone to check, but there was no change.

However, a mysterious 'memory' suddenly surfaced in my mind.

【※ System Setup: 110-110101-1011 (Virtual Account, W Bank)】

【※ Deposit Amount: 0 won / 1,000 won】

It wasn't in Korean or English.

It was a language I had never seen before, but it was vividly recorded in my mind.

"1,000 won? What is this memory…?"

The memory was stored as if someone had etched the characters into my mind.

A bank account number composed only of 1s and 0s, like a computer program.

I accessed the bank transfer app as if handling a homework assignment.

If the amount had been slightly larger, I might have thought more rationally.

Ding dong─

【You have been promoted to Iron Level.】

【Searching for a work that suits the actor you recently met.】

"What the hell is this!?"

At that moment, a series of information flooded my mind.

【Title: Heir's Pure Macho 1】

【Genre: Romance, Heir】

【Location: Near Exit 4 of Oamokgyo Station, Cafe Venus】

【Time Limit: 20 hours】

【※ Bronze Promotion: 110-110101-1011 (Virtual Account, W Bank)】

【※ Deposit Amount: 0 won / 10,000,000 won】

After crawling like a dog under Lee Min-ju, I ended up with a mental illness.

"This much, and I need to pay for hospital bills."

Actually, after six years as an assistant writer, ideas do run wild in my head.

But no matter what, it's strange for an alarm to ring and a title of an unfamiliar genre to pop up.

"10 million won? Are you kidding? What's this promotion thing?"

On my way home, I stopped by a pharmacy to buy and take some headache medicine.

However, every time I recalled 'that' memory, the timer kept running.

【Time Limit: 19 hours 11 minutes 2 seconds】

* * *

"Big brother, you're here?"

"Yeah. Where's mom?"

"Still at work."

My sister, who had become one with the sofa, didn't even look at me.

A few words were enough for a warm conversation between siblings.

"Hey, take a shower and sit down."

"Deal with it."

"Ugh, you're so dirty. Do you do this at the studio too?"

Thud─

The memory of being fired from the studio surfaced, and my brows furrowed.

"Kim Hee-jung, do you even know how ugly you look on stage?"

"What? What the hell…."

"You're still an extra after two years. They probably know too."

"Do you want to die?"

She forced her way into the theater department and suddenly took a leave of absence to join a theater group.

I tried to persuade her to finish school first and even scolded her.

Looking back now, she's three times better than me, who threw away six years.

Click─

I took out my smartphone and stored my sister's precious bare face in my photo album.

"What are you doing!"

"Buy it from me when you become a top star. About 100 billion won?"

"Delete it now. Hey, hey!!!"

Thump thump thump─

I entered my room and locked the door, leaving behind my sister's warm voice.

Bang, bang─

My sister, deeply rooted in Confucian values, knocked on the door with respect.

"Son of a bitch, open the door quickly?"

"Yeah. Go away."

"I'll wait and break the door down."

"Ugh, how will she ever get married."

Despite the tough day, the small conversation with my sister was a big help.

Indeed, the value of a younger sister is only proven when you tease her.

Whir─

The sound of the old laptop turning on.

I checked the results of my work over the years.

The scripts and scenarios I had accumulated over six years.

Perhaps, they will never see the light of day.

Now, as a viewer, I read through the works one by one.

Seeing my work from outside the industry, it felt crude and trashy.

"My writing is so bad…."

Even if I tried to sell it alongside the main writer, I doubt I could get my foot in the door at a broadcasting station.

Now, to get a foothold in the industry, I need to rely purely on my skills, and also overcome the wall named Lee Min-ju.

"I should have just quietly left."

After making a fuss with Lee Min-ju, being blacklisted from the industry was a foregone conclusion.

While talent is important, connections are equally crucial in this industry.

Click, click─

I opened the community for a currently airing show.

The viewers' reactions were explosive.

The drama, which had only aired two episodes, had already surpassed a 20% viewership rate.

In a market that has been sluggish due to YouTube, it started with the best performance.

"Damn."

Among the five assistant writers, the script I wrote was used almost as is.

Next to the word "script," only Lee Min-ju's name was clearly written.

The casting was good, and after seeing the shooting estimates, my name was quickly removed.

"I don't want to put my name on a hit work."

I accessed the broadcasting station's site and watched the rerun.

The golden lines delivered by the actors echoed in my ears.

The sentences were slightly altered, but they were clearly from my mind.

A single tear rolled down my cheek.

"It's not showing."

Click─

At that moment, my sister broke into the room.

She always keeps her promises.

"Why are you in my room?"

"Big brother… were you crying?"

My sister slowly approached and sat on the bed.

"Hey."

"Yeah?"

I looked at my sister's fake face and said,

"Take your hands off my phone. Or else."

"Son of a bitch."

* * *

The next morning.

Ding─

"Ugh."

Messages flooded in early.

It was the group chat with my former assistant writer colleagues.

[Seon-woo, the writer wants you to pick up your stuff]

[I've already packed your things in a box. Sorry I couldn't help more.]

[She said she didn't want to cause problems by throwing your stuff away]

[Come by at lunch if you don't want to see her ㅠㅠ]

"After stealing my entire work, what kind of problem is she talking about?"

I cursed Lee Min-ju and checked the rest of the messages.

[You were a bit too harsh yesterday]

[Maybe you should apologize? Six years is too much to waste]

[The atmosphere is really tense]

[You knew this industry is dirty, so why did you do it ㅠㅠ]

Sincere and sympathetic interventions.

I left a formal reply of gratitude and apology and left the group chat.

"Will she accept an apology now?"

I don't really want to apologize, and Lee Min-ju isn't the type to let it go.

Yesterday, I thought they were comforting me.

Now, it feels like they were trying to keep me from advancing.

"I did well to leave."

Even at the moment of quitting, I couldn't repay even 1% of the oppression and insults I endured.

What did I do wrong to deserve such reactions?

This is why, when you're in a bind, you need to be the one in charge.

"When my sister becomes a top star, I'll be the one in charge."

With makeup, she doesn't look bad, and her acting skills are decent for her experience.

In about 50 years, she'll be a good acting talent.

"Lee Min-ju… wait 50 years."

Whether I'll still be in the industry or even alive by then, I don't know.

After a while, I finished my preparations and grabbed my bag.

I was unsure whether to take my laptop.

"I won't need it anymore."

The object of love and hate that I used every day for six years.

I sighed deeply and, as always, put the laptop in my bag.

I didn't expect this small decision to change my future.

* * *

Thanks to a kind former colleague, I left the studio safely without seeing Lee Min-ju's face.

The box in my hand was lighter than expected.

After pouring over half of my 20s into it.

Thinking that this box is all I have left made me feel a bit sad.

"Now, back to Oamokgyo Station…. Ah."

【Location: Near Exit 2 of Oamokgyo Station, Cafe Venus】

【Time Limit: 5 hours 11 minutes 38 seconds】

Thinking about the related content, the memory from yesterday resurfaced.

The timer was counting down in real-time, second by second.

It was too precise to be a mental illness.

"Yesterday, it started with 20 hours… now about 15 hours have passed."

Rationally, I should go to the hospital immediately.

But aren't writers inherently imaginative beings?

What if I just close my eyes and follow the instructions of the unknown language?

Since it even gave me a title and genre, maybe a brilliant idea will come to me.

As someone who loves cultural content, I can at least use my imagination.

"Really exists. Cafe Venus."

Before I knew it, my steps had led me to Cafe Venus near Oamokgyo Station.

Actually, it's a franchise, so it could be anywhere.

Especially near a broadcasting station, it's not unusual to find such a cafe.

But if there's a spot inside the cafe where white light is seeping out.

If the light is so bright that no one notices anything strange.

Is it because I have a mental illness?

【Time Limit: 4 hours 54 minutes 12 seconds】

With less than 5 hours left.

I was drawn to the spot where the light was flashing, as if under a spell.