Chapter 30

Villain Only Acting 030

Leaving a Bitter Taste (4)

Hwang Sun-hye, terrified by the fear of being devoured, bit Jin-wook's lips in a last desperate act.

Jin-wook, retaliating, let blood drip from his lips but calmly licked them as if savoring a delicious flavor.

At that moment, the ratings hit their peak, and screams of shock echoed across the nation.

Reactions to the kiss scene were mixed.

Some were overjoyed, while others cried in frustration, feeling deceived.

Among the drama fans, there were almost none who disliked the kiss scene itself.

They were grateful for its existence.

- A kiss so fierce it could be mistaken for a bite. This is Sang-hee's kiss 😱

- Kim Sang-hee didn't hide the kiss scene 😱

- Was hiding the kiss scenes all this time to build up momentum?

- How can you not have given one yet after pulling off such a good kiss scene? Too much, man.

- No way 😭 This kiss is invalid 😭

- What kind of kiss is this? Just a bite.

- Sang-hee, sit down here. Was this the best you could do?

- We demand a reshoot of the kiss scene. Make it as sweet as tooth decay.

- 😂😂😂 This is it 😂😂😂

- I knew it, Kim Sang-hee's kiss scene 😱

- What kind of kiss did you expect from Kim Sang-hee? I'm grateful for this level 😂

- Fits her illegal activities, doesn't it?

Entertainment news was abuzz with the kiss scene from Episode 9 of "Illegally."

"Blood dripped from Jin-wook's lips. It resembled the saliva of a predator in front of a delicious prey, or the juices seeping from a roughly torn piece of flesh.

The sight of blood dripping from his lips made him look like a beast that had just succeeded in a hunt.

'Illegally' presented a fresh interpretation of the kiss between Beauty and the Beast, reimagining it as the beast's hunt..."

"The atmosphere among Yoo Jung-a's fans is tense. Die-hard fans, deeply immersed in the drama, are raging against Jin-wook.

Let's check the fans' reactions."

- I'm going to hate Jung Seo-hoon from now on.

- How dare he kiss our Yoo Jung-a in his debut?

- Ha. It's not even a romance. How can he do a surprise kiss in a thriller?

- Cha Do-jin is okay, but Jung Seo-hoon is not.

- I'm watching you, Jung Seo-hoon.

Originally not a drama fan, but a pure Yoo Jung-a fan.

Jung Seo-hoon became a public enemy among Yoo Jung-a's male fans.

***

Jung Su-yeon was filming Jung Seo-hoon's daily life with a handheld camera.

She was gathering content to continuously supply to fans.

"You've become a complete traitor."

"Me?"

"Yes. Yoo Jung-a's male fans are furious because of you. They're calling you a traitor."

"What do you mean?"

"Every time your favorite actors film a kiss scene, how do you expect them to watch dramas and movies?"

"It's not every time. It has to be the right level. If it were Cha Do-jin, they wouldn't have said anything."

"Is it even a kiss? It was more like a lip collision and a bite."

"Still, a lip collision is a kiss. Ah, female fans are loving it. Only male fans are criticizing."

"How long are you going to eat?"

"Until you grow bigger than Yoo Jung-a? It shouldn't take long. Just hold on. Don't look for hate comments."

"I don't."

"Your indifference is helping your mental health."

At that moment, her mother came upstairs with a fruit plate and called out affectionately.

"Jin-wook, you must be tired from rolling down the mountain yesterday. Let's eat some fruit."

"I didn't roll down a mountain yesterday; it was during filming. Mom, are you completely immersed in 'Illegally'? Don't forget my name."

"Right. Su-yeon, I have something to talk about."

Her mother put down the fruit plate and asked with a serious look.

"How long do you plan to let Seo-hoon go around alone?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm talking about a manager, a manager! Seo-hoon is a star actor now. What if something happens to him without a manager?"

Jung Su-yeon pretended not to hear and reached for a fork, but her mother slapped her hand away.

"What if he gets pushed around by girls? Is it right to fill your stomach now?"

"Ah, discrimination. I'm so hurt."

"Discrimination? Let's do a financial audit. Who has spent more money so far?"

Jung Su-yeon pretended to flinch.

Whenever the topic of education costs came up, she had no argument.

Jung Seo-hoon attended high school and university with full scholarships. He even earned his own pocket money with scholarships.

In contrast, she spent a lot of money on university, acting school, and auditions.

"I'm looking for an agency now. Offers are coming in, but the conditions aren't satisfactory. For now, there's no problem, so it's better to sign a contract after the drama ends for better terms."

Her mother's expression softened.

"At least you're looking out for your brother. Anyway, quit your job at the broadcasting station."

"Why?"

"Why? You should be Seo-hoon's manager. You know how things work there, having worked for a few years."

"Should I clean up after my younger brother? Mom, my dream is to be a PD, not an agency manager."

"Isn't it the same?"

"Totally different! Managing is completely different from what I do. I'm going to be the one receiving greetings from managers."

Her mother seemed convinced but still felt regretful.

"What if our innocent Seo-hoon gets scammed? Siblings should help each other, at least in the beginning."

"Even if he gets scammed, it will be me, not him. And Mom, which will help Seo-hoon more in the future: a sister who works as his manager or a sister who is the head of the drama department at a broadcasting station?"

Her mother's expression wavered at the mention of the drama department.

"Anyone can be a drama department head?"

"Twenty years from now, Ms. Lee Jeong-suk will have a daughter who can control the broadcasting industry with a finger. Ten years later, she will have a daughter who is the CEO of a broadcasting station."

"......Find a reliable agency quickly."

Her mother stopped pushing for her to be Jung Seo-hoon's manager.

As they left the house in the car, Jung Seo-hoon asked.

"Really, you'll become a drama department head later?"

"Assistant director, associate director, director, CP, drama department head, broadcasting station CEO. Why not?"

"Not everyone can climb to the top of the tree."

"Don't worry. I'm good at climbing. Climbing trees is a piece of cake."

***

Oh So-hee rushed home as soon as she got off work to watch the rerun.

She was taking off her clothes and makeup when the doorbell rang.

"Did you order chicken?"

"I ordered it on the way. It should arrive soon. You get it. I need to shower."

"Okay."

Kim Da-hye nodded and carefully put the canned beer in the freezer. Chicken and beer are best when slightly chilled.

"Ah, why isn't it on Netflix? Then we could watch it multiple times easily."

"It's about money. Watching it multiple times generates more revenue. Why put it on Netflix so early?"

Recently, many production companies have been receiving support from global OTT platforms like Netflix to cover production costs.

However, Song Jung-woo, who has had four consecutive hits, and Kim Sang-hee, who has never had a mediocre performance.

Their combination didn't need Netflix's support.

They could make substantial profits from domestic revenue, DVD and merchandise sales, and overseas exports.

"How much did Netflix offer for Song PD to hold onto the project? They have a small budget, small."

"The offer was too low to accept."

Ding dong! Ding dong!

"Ah, the chicken is here!"

Excited, Kim Da-hye opened the door and froze at the sight of a tall man standing awkwardly.

"Brother Tae-woo?"

"Planning to watch the rerun?"

"Are you here to watch 'Illegally'?"

"Yes. I can't watch it at home because of my parents."

Oh So-hee poked her head out from behind Kim Da-hye.

"What? My parents are huge fans of 'Illegally.' They don't know we have a younger sister? Mom is so excited about Lee Jin-wook."

"......I'm worried he might get angry while watching. I can't do that in front of my parents."

"Ah, I see. But you didn't come empty-handed, right?"

"I brought pizza and beer."

"Oh, good, good."

The chicken arrived, and the three of them sat in the living room, waiting for the rerun to start.

Oh Tae-woo suddenly asked.

"By the way, how can I get the cast's autographs? Can I go to the set?"

"Are you serious? That's a nuisance. And filming is almost over, right?"

"Only three episodes are left, so most of the filming should be done. Just the final touches and a bit more, I guess."

"Really?"

Oh Tae-woo, who had been quiet