Chapter 99

< Block (3) >

Journalist Im Sang-moon, rooted in his seat, clicked his mouse frantically. The urgency was evident from his rough movements.

-Click! Click! Click!

He moved the mouse incessantly. His face was still pale, but his eyes and expression were filled with irritation and anxiety.

“Damn! Really, where did this leak from?”

He grumbled but didn’t stop his hands. It was a waste of time to do so. Originally, he had planned to break the story in July, but now he hadn’t even drafted a preliminary article. The evidence and photos he had gathered were only loosely categorized, in a chaotic state.

“Shit—just the core, the core.”

Im Sang-moon sifted through hundreds of photos. A major exclusive, a scoop. He needed to select photos that would make a strong impact. All the while, he continued to grumble, or rather, curse.

“This isn’t something to be rushed like this, damn it.”

It felt like he was ruining a beautifully decorated interior at the last minute. He was incredibly frustrated, desperately so. Of course, if the story broke now, it would still shake the country, but the impact would be much greater if more seeds were sown, like the projects Seo Chae-eun had been involved in.

‘There was a rumor that she met Director Kwon Ji-taek. If it was true, this would be a historic scoop! Ahh!’

The timing wasn’t ripe yet. But that was only when Im Sang-moon knew about it. Once the editor-in-chief and that Choi Sung-geun got wind of it, the cat was already out of the bag. A scoop, or anything, becomes useless if it’s too flat or too wet.

-Click! Click!

If some tabloid beat him to the punch and broke the story on Seo Chae-eun first, all the time he spent following her would be for nothing. Therefore, Im Sang-moon decided:

“Damn—forget it. Forget it.”

He decided to put his deep thoughts aside and focus on getting the article out as quickly as possible. Select the materials, write the article.

‘Even if I postpone the editing’

It would still take at least three hours. Im Sang-moon checked the time. It was late lunchtime, past 1:40 PM. So, the deadline was 4:00 PM. As a result, his clicking became even faster.

“Hey, faster, kid. Faster! Hey? Can you see your fingers now?”

The editor-in-chief, who had approached without him noticing, chimed in. Already on edge, Im Sang-moon’s irritation exploded.

“Ah! Just—just stay out of it! I can’t concentrate!!”

After yelling, Im Sang-moon quickly resumed his rapid finger movements. The saying goes that the more you rush, the more things go wrong, but Im Sang-moon’s focus was now extremely narrow.

Whether it was intentional or not, the editor-in-chief continued.

“First, the title! How about this title?!”

“Yeah, yeah. Good, good. Just hurry up!”

He started pounding the keyboard.

Meanwhile, in Yeonnam-dong.

A spacious apartment living room, mostly decorated in black tones. The furniture exuded a sense of sophistication. Most notably, a large poster hung on the front wall.

A photo of Ha Yura holding cosmetics.

The reason was simple. This was the home of top actress Ha Yura. At this moment, a woman in a blue pajama set emerged from the bathroom. She had long, slightly wavy hair tied back with a headband and a white face mask on. It was, of course, Ha Yura.

“Ah—drank too much yesterday. My skin is all messed up.”

She whined and sat on the soft sofa. Then she picked up a stack of papers on the table. It was the script for "The Missing Island" that she had received from Director Kwon Ji-taek a few days ago, and she had already read more than half of it.

-Flip.

Ha Yura crossed her legs and focused on reading the script. 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes. Then she paused. Ha Yura, who had been flipping through the pages, let out a long sigh.

“Ah—what a waste. So frustrating. It’s just too good, isn’t it?”

The more she read, the more her desire grew. Not only was the story interesting, but the scale was grand, and the characters were vivid.

‘I can’t let this go to Seo Chae-eun. Ah, I should have come back earlier. This is a movie worth fighting for, even if it means competing through acting.’

Ha Yura didn’t like Seo Chae-eun, but she acknowledged her acting skills. Still, if she gritted her teeth and pushed herself, the situation might have been different. But it was already too late.

Anyway.

-Flip.

Ha Yura, biting her lip in regret, flipped to the next page and stopped again when she saw a character.

“This role—was given to that new actor, Kang Woo-jin.”

She thought of the recent sensation, new actor Kang Woo-jin, who had shaken the domestic scene. The role he was to play was not an easy one.

“Just looking at it, it would take months just to analyze the character. How is he going to handle this?”

Suddenly, Ha Yura recalled the words of Director Kwon Ji-taek. He mentioned that Kang Woo-jin was from the same Method Acting class, something about the wild, and that his acting, though casual, was overwhelming.

“Unlikely. This role can’t be done half-heartedly. I bet he’s working his ass off right now.”

At that moment.

-Hum, hum.

Ha Yura’s phone, with several cubic stones embedded in the case, rang on the table. She picked it up without taking her eyes off the script. The caller was her agency’s CEO.

“Yes, CEO.”

A slightly husky female voice came from the other end of the phone.

“Yura, having fun?”

“Fun? Let’s call it a break, shall we?”

“Whatever. Did you meet Director Kwon Ji-taek?”

“Yes, I did. I also received the script.”

“Good? Do you think you can get a role? Well, I don’t have high hopes given the timing.”

“Agreed. The casting is almost complete. By the way, CEO, isn’t Kang Woo-jin in it? The new actor. If he’s from the same agency as Hong Hye-yeon, it must be BW Entertainment, right?”

“Right. Oh, that’s right? Didn’t you work with CEO Choi for about a year when you were younger?”

“Yes.”

Ha Yura, changing her crossed legs, asked.

“How is Kang Woo-jin in the market?”

“I just got back to Korea, so I don’t know much, but he’s hot. Not just hot, but nuclear bomb level. Did you see the articles? Star writers, Director Kwon Ji-taek, PD Yoon Byung-seon. No one knows where he came from.”

“But if he’s that big, he must have had some buzz even before his debut.”

“I find that strange too. He just appeared out of nowhere. He might have been secretly groomed by CEO Choi. That guy is amazing at radar.”

“He’s from the same Method Acting class as me.”

“Really? Director Kwon Ji-taek said that? I see, his acting does have that vibe. His expressions and eyes.”

“What does it mean to have ‘rolled in the wild’? Ultimately, acting is something that needs to be refined through education.”

“What?”

“No, nothing.”

Ha Yura shook her head slightly and changed the subject.

“Oh, and I’m thinking of doing a small cameo.”

“‘The Missing Island’? That’s great? You were planning to take a six-month break anyway.”

“Why do I sense a thorn in your words?”

“Not at all. Regardless, joining Director Kwon Ji-taek’s set, even for a few days, is a big deal. And you can see that new actor too.”

“Yeah, right.”

Ha Yura, with a sly smile, muttered to herself.

“Whatever the ‘wild’ means, my combat power has slightly increased.”

On the same day, in the early afternoon, in a shop in Cheongdam-dong.

It was past 3:30 PM. Given the time, the large shop was packed with people. The first floor was filled with regular customers, and the second and third floors were mostly occupied by celebrities. Therefore, there were two entrances. In the central area of the third floor, Hong Hye-yeon was seated.

“Hem—”

She was sitting with her legs crossed, looking down at her phone. Her long, straight hair was being heated by a beauty device, and she was fully made up. It seemed she had finished her morning schedule and was now making adjustments for the afternoon.

Occasionally, she greeted familiar celebrities.

“The fan signing event went well, I see.”

She was reading an article about Kang Woo-jin’s recent fan signing event. At that moment,

“What is it?”

A woman’s voice, slightly aggressive, came from her right.

“Hong Hye-yeon, you come here too?”

Hong Hye-yeon, who had been looking at her phone, turned her gaze. Her expression immediately hardened. Why? Because the one who spoke was short-haired Seo Chae-eun. Seo Chae-eun, wearing a hat, seemed to be starting her schedule, and Hong Hye-yeon let out a long sigh, as if she had stepped in something.

“Ah—my mood was good, but it’s ruined now.”

“What? I’m the one who’s worse off. Why are you here?”

“That’s a strange question. I’ve always come here.”

“Tsk, I’ll have to change it again.”

“Please do.”

Among the two who were bickering, Seo Chae-eun took off her hat and sat next to Hong Hye-yeon. She then answered with a mischievous tone.

“No, why should I change? If you’re annoyed, you move. I’ll keep coming. It’s better than my previous place, wider.”

“Whatever.”

The two didn’t look like they got along at all. Seo Chae-eun glanced at Hong Hye-yeon’s face and bit her lower lip.

‘Why does her skin look better every time I see her? Does she get more intense treatments than me? What hospital does she go to, anyway?’

Seo Chae-eun, inflating her envy, took out her phone like Hong Hye-yeon.

“So, what are you up to now? I heard your drama shooting is over, but I haven’t heard about your next project?”

“Your concern is as vast as the Pacific Ocean.”

“Ha, ridiculous. I was just wondering if you were pushed out by Kang Woo-jin or something? Why? Is the game not working in the company? In the past, directors and producers would swarm you as soon as your project ended.”

“They’re swarming me.”

“But it’s too quiet, isn’t it? I’m preparing for Director Kwon Ji-taek’s project.”

Hong Hye-yeon’s hand paused.

“...You’re doing Director Kwon Ji-taek’s project?”

“Yeah.”

Seo Chae-eun, who had been smirking, suddenly slapped her own mouth.

“Oops. Right, this isn’t supposed to be public yet. Sorry, can you keep it a secret?”

Her smile deepened, as if she had just won. In contrast, Hong Hye-yeon’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. It was quite a shock. So, she and Kang Woo-jin were in the same movie? However, Hong Hye-yeon, who always maintained a composed demeanor in front of Seo Chae-eun, had to remain calm.

“Sure, I’ll keep it a secret. I’m busy with the drama that hit 25% ratings. Oh, sorry, you wouldn’t know that feeling. What was the rating for your last drama? 5%? 4%?”

Seo Chae-eun, feeling a twinge.

“5.9%??”

“Whatever. It’s still a single digit.”

“Ha, whatever. Anyway, BW Entertainment people. Oh, and while we’re on the topic, teach Kang Woo-jin some manners. He’s been acting too cocky lately. I don’t know where he learned to talk back, but he’s sharp with his words. He thinks he’s something special.”

This time, Hong Hye-yeon flinched.

“You do you, you. Compared to your attitude, Woo-jin is nice.”

“Nice my ass. What? Is there something between you two?”

“Between us? What are you talking about? Get the Botox off your face.”

“...Really? Got it. Then I’ll personally teach Kang Woo-jin manners. Slowly—throughout the entire movie shoot.”

Seo Chae-eun, mocking her, made Hong Hye-yeon laugh disdainfully. She really didn’t understand Kang Woo-jin at all.

“You and Kang Woo-jin? Go ahead, waste your time. It’s like throwing an egg at a rock. Focus on your acting.”

“Whatever.”

“You should be careful. You might end up in hell if you keep acting like this.”

“Who are you talking about? I’m going to be an actress for life—”

Right then.

“Hey! Seo Chae-eun!!!”

A loud noise and a shout came from the second-floor entrance. A man with a sharp look ran over, out of breath. He was Seo Chae-eun’s manager team leader. His face and demeanor were unusually agitated. Interestingly,

“What the hell is this?!”

His team members followed closely behind. Seo Chae-eun, looking as if to ask what the fuss was about, stood up.

“My ears hurt. What’s going on, bro? Why the commotion?”

The team leader, panting, grabbed Seo Chae-eun’s arm.

“Ah! It hurts!”

“Shut up. Look at this. What is this?!”

The team leader handed her the phone. With a scrunched-up face, Seo Chae-eun checked the screen.

“It hurts. Let go and talk... What?”

The screen displayed an article. Seo Chae-eun’s expression changed instantly. Her irritation disappeared, replaced by a deep sense of shock. Naturally, it was due to the article she had just read.

[Exclusive] 'Repeated Propofol Use Suspected,' Top Actress Seo Chae-eun’s Hidden Addiction Diary / Photos by Power Patch - Im Sang-moon

What is this? Seo Chae-eun couldn’t speak, frozen in place. In contrast, the team leader shook her shoulders violently.

“Don’t just stand there! What is this? Snap out of it. Answer me. Is this true? Hey, Seo Chae-eun!!”

But Seo Chae-eun was just a shell of herself.

“...No. This isn’t me. What? No, what?”

She seemed to be on the verge of a breakdown. Her hands, holding the phone, were trembling slightly. Sensing the strange atmosphere, Hong Hye-yeon moved next to Seo Chae-eun and looked at the phone screen.

The bizarre content of the article made Hong Hye-yeon snort and laugh.

-Swoosh.

The trembling spread throughout Seo Chae-eun’s body. Hong Hye-yeon leaned in and whispered in her ear.

“See? You’re going to hell. And it’s today.”

A few dozen minutes later, in the CEO’s office at BW Entertainment.

Choi Sung-geun, who had been busy with various tasks today, was still at the company, not attached to Kang Woo-jin. He had to act immediately if there was any buzz. Therefore, Choi Sung-geun, sitting by the window, had been:

-Click, click.

Monitoring while handling various calls related to the bait he had set. And about 30 minutes ago.

“Of course, it was ‘Power Patch.’”

The bomb had exploded. ‘Power Patch’ had scooped up the breadcrumbs he had scattered.

“Repeated propofol use—familiar or unexpected?”

It was not a small matter. Naturally, ‘Power Patch’ would have follow-up articles, evidence, and witnesses. At this scale, Seo Chae-eun could be completely destroyed.

“This will definitely lead to an investigation. If other drugs are found... Seo Chae-eun’s acting career will be over.”

At the same time.

-♬♪

Choi Sung-geun’s phone on the desk rang. The caller was Director Kwon Ji-taek. It was a call Choi Sung-geun had been waiting for. He didn’t need to make the call himself; the positions had changed.

Anyway.

“Yes, Director.”

A gentle yet serious voice of Director Kwon Ji-taek came from the other end of the phone.

“I saw the article. I was shocked, this kind of thing—this must be CEO Choi’s work, right?”

Choi Sung-geun shook his head slightly.

“No, if you think about it, it’s Woo-jin’s work.”

Director Kwon Ji-taek fell silent for a moment before asking.

“...Woo-jin’s work?”

< Block (3) > End