Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Friend
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Being a celebrity means growing by feeding on the public's attention and recognition as nourishment.
Even if you have acting skills that could blow anyone in Hollywood out of the water, if the public doesn't pay attention, no one will give you a shot.
Even if your personality is great and your skills are solid.
Without recognition, you're just a nobody.
Once that attention and recognition kicks in.
When the public starts zeroing in on that celebrity.
Does a happy life unfold from there?
I vote no.
Kim Yerim, sitting right in front of me, is personally proving she's not happy.
"...They say I have bipolar disorder."
"...Huh?"
Kim Yerim rolls up her mala rosé pasta as she spills her pain.
I can feel the managers next to her flinching.
Her own manager seems to already know, staying relatively calm, but Executive Manager Kim Gyu-jin looks seriously rattled.
It's not really that shocking, honestly.
Most celebrities live with bipolar disorder or panic attacks hanging over them.
Doesn't matter if they're pulling in hundreds of millions in ad fees or tens of millions.
Or thousands or millions in appearance fees.
Even stars who seem perfectly fine feel an overwhelming emptiness when they finally drag themselves home after finishing all their schedules. They have to face that void.
Regular people feel that too when they come home alone.
But for celebrities living that glamorous life everyone envies and idolizes—the sparkling ones—the emptiness and void hit even harder.
Kim Yerim burst onto the scene like a comet in high school and skyrocketed like a storm. She's a beautiful actress.
Having one mental illness isn't exactly special.
For me, knowing her secret—that she's Director Kim Chi-seung's daughter—makes her bipolar confession feel like small potatoes.
But to Executive Manager Kim Gyu-jin, it's a bombshell.
Especially since this is the day after she dealt with a stalker incident.
To him right now, she probably looks like a ticking time bomb.
Depression is contagious.
Bipolar is too.
Bad emotions and toxic feelings just double when you share them.
But that's something to worry about between friends.
As an adult, isn't embracing a kid like her just natural?
In my eyes, Kim Yerim is just a pretty girl.
Hearing her unhappiness, sharing her sadness, exchanging emotions with her—none of that spells trouble for me.
'Actually... it might even help my own mental state?'
On the Nomen set, I found myself glancing suspiciously at everyone passing by, getting all guarded without realizing it.
So I forced my energy up, grinning like an idiot as if I'd been hit by a happy virus beam.
But now, face-to-face with Kim Yerim, no such thoughts cross my mind.
I just want to listen to her, hold her close.
"How long have you been dealing with it?"
"Hmm... about a year after debuting, I think."
"Came on quicker than I expected."
In times like this, no need to fake sympathy or pity.
Just listen calmly—that's the best comfort.
I nod, listening intently to her words, when...
"Don't even try to comfort me. You're terrible at it anyway."
"...I think that's a bit off-base."
She must have forgotten how she clung to me sobbing after clashing with Director Kim Chi-seung.
"Wanna give it a shot then?"
"Out of nowhere? ...You don't have to force the brightness. The brighter the light, the deeper the shadows. Just be yourself, shine your natural light."
"Yeah, that's some quote you scraped from a blog, right?"
"... ."
Spot on.
It was a caption under some photo on a blog.
Felt like a line from a book... How'd she know?
Dismissing my attempt lightly, Kim Yerim continued.
"I'm scared of people judging me however they want when they don't know a thing about me... What started as something I loved doing turned into just doing it because it's what I do."
"...Maybe you need a new goal? You joined Nomen because you wanted to be in a movie with your dad, right?"
"But he won't even acknowledge me... That might be making it worse. At this point, shouldn't he admit it? Honestly, I'm doing better as an actress than he is as a director now. Wait, thinking about it, it's ridiculous... He's bombed two movies already, and now he's riding on my fame—mine and yours—just to barely succeed! What the hell is his deal, ignoring me like that? It pisses me off! Maybe I should just quit!"
That gradient rage I've only heard about.
At "It pisses me off for real!", Kim Gyu-jin even dropped his fork.
All eyes in the restaurant turn to our table.
So much embarrassment today...
Yelling like that with all these people around, and she says she's scared of people?
Kim Yerim's the scariest right now.
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"That's how it is. Tough it out—it's the path you chose."
"...Senior, this isn't your problem, so aren't you being a bit too casual about it?"
"You think you're the only one? I'm dealing with dissociative identity disorder right now... I haven't met a single actress without some kind of mental issue."
How did things end up like this?
Kim Yerim chugging Balvenie 25 Year Rare Marriage—a single malt whiskey worth well over a million won—straight from the bottle.
And Geum Yuna sipping Chateau series wine with a dignified expression and elegant hand movements.
Me, Jeong Gyeowol, pathetically chasing soju shots on the side.
Surprisingly, this body doesn't take to foreign liquor or wine well.
Only soju and beer go down smooth. Best cost-performance ever.
Passing up million-won bottles to sip soju.
Are these tears in my eyes?
"But Senior, are you close with Gyeowol?"
"Huh? More than close."
"So you're not close at all."
"You... don't pick up on hints, do you? Anyone would hear that as 'super close.'"
How did I end up at Geum Yuna's place?
They're not just fighting—they're ganging up on me now.
Should've dodged Geum Yuna's call.
Shouldn't have mentioned bringing Kim Yerim to my place.
Or maybe the problem is getting chummy with these two cats to begin with.
If I go there, starting as an actor is the issue...
And turning into a woman named Jeong Gyeowol is the real root...
'...Stop!'
I'll dig a tunnel straight to the Big Bang at this rate.
Maybe they sensed my expression souring.
Geum Yuna clings to my right arm.
Kim Yerim to my left.
I thought they were comforting me, but nope—took three seconds to realize.
"Jeong Gyeowol! It's me, Senior Yuna. Pick already."
"You think yelling will make me pick you? Obviously me."
...What are they, elementary kids?
"I like myself the most!"
"...Senior Yuna has DID, I have bipolar, and you have narcissism?"
Is this a mental ward...?
"Did I teach my lectures too well? Your self-esteem is off the charts."
I pry the kids off my arms.
Clink—
Pour soju and down it.
Slurp at the foreign liquor.
Gulp at the wine.
Like a stingy villager eyeing dried mackerel hanging from the ceiling while eating rice.
Eyes on the fancy stuff, mouth on soju.
Feels like I'm getting drunker somehow.
"No, seriously—who do you like best? Besides me."
"Exactly, Gyeowol—this is important."
"Why the hell is this important...?"
This isn't picking between divorcing parents.
Sitting two friends down and asking who you like more is important?
Kim Yerim, sure—affection-starved kid.
But I never expected it from Geum Yuna too.
Give me back Senior Geum Yuna's aura.
"Me... I..."
Their faces inch closer.
I've seen them read scripts—they're more focused now than during rehearsals.
Is this really necessary, you two?
So pissed I blurt out something I shouldn't.
"CEO Kim Seulgi's the best! Then Lee Arang!"
"... ."
"... ."
After declaring Kim Seulgi supreme, I felt like an outcast—but not quite.
They hog the whiskey and wine...
If I try forcing my way in, they tell me to meet Kim Seulgi instead...
They're the immature ones!
They were just fighting a minute ago!
So absurd I accidentally overdid the drinking.
Ended up passing out without realizing.
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"Mm..."
Falling asleep at Geum Yuna's always leaves me feeling pinned down like sleep paralysis.
Glance left, check right.
Sure enough, they're hugging me from both sides.
I carefully slip out of bed without waking them.
With their hugging pillow gone, now they're cuddling each other.
Something tells me I shouldn't stare too long.
Head out of the room to the bathroom.
Still such a massive house.
Even if I strike it rich and buy a place, I won't need one this big.
Cleaning aside, the walkways are too damn long.
At my place, I'd be in the bathroom by now—still walking here.
Quick wash-up, get ready to leave Geum Yuna's.
Tonight's a meeting with the Pocari advertisers.
Hit the company gym to sweat it out, de-puff, lose the booze smell.
Visit the hair salon KS Entertainment contracted, even pick up clothes from Atelier.
Full hair, makeup, and costume ready, then show up like, "Jeong's got this," for the advertisers.
Some might think it's overkill for a deal that came to me first.
But considering how many deals flop mid-meeting, this effort's nothing.