Chapter 362: Character Study
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 362: Character Study
First of all, Cheon Yun-seong was a bad guy. A truly bad guy—the worst of the worst.
Pretending to be the kindest person in the world to manipulate the media, he set an enormous trap to catch the protagonists who were chasing him.
Cheon Yun-seong: Why do you look so surprised?
Gong Ji-chan: ……
Cheon Yun-seong: It’s a bit troubling if you think you’ve been "caught." It makes me feel like I’ve been underestimated that much.
Ham I-seo: What do you……
Cheon Yun-seong: Reporter Ham. Do you still think this is a secret gathering of business leaders that you and Gong Ji-chan discovered in total secrecy?
In a meeting they had infiltrated, believing it was a chance to uncover Cheon Yun-seong’s hidden connections, Ham I-seo and Gong Ji-chan are eventually dragged before him by suit-clad bodyguards.
Cheon Yun-seong: Vice President Chu Gwi-yeon, the man who made you so certain you had to be here—by his original schedule, he should certainly be in Japan right now. You must have judged that whatever brought him here was significant enough to cancel his plans, making it a gamble worth taking. Do you really think so little of Cheonju Group’s influence?
Gong Ji-chan: ……Could it be?
Cheon Yun-seong: A firefighter indeed. You’re quick to grasp the scale of the situation. Though you’re disqualified for only realizing what’s going on now, despite all the clues.
Cheon Yun-seong approaches the two.
Cheon Yun-seong: It was all a setup. The gathering, the information pointing here. Everything.
Ham I-seo: That’s impossible. Then why did Chu Gwi-yeon……
Cheon Yun-seong: I asked you. Do you really think Cheonju Group’s influence is a joke? (He whispers so only Ham I-seo can hear) Whether it’s the Vice President of Sugang Enterprise or the executives of Cheonju Group…… if I tell them to come, they come. I don’t need a reason or a justification. If I say, "I need to kill a few flies, so come spray some pesticide," then whoever they are, they have to come running and do as they’re told.
To the question "Why would you do such a thing?", the character Cheon Yun-seong counters with, "I decided to do it, so why are you questioning me?"
To him, throwing a fake feast and summoning the nation’s top business figures just to make those digging into his past realize the reality of the wall before them wasn't even considered a waste.
After showing the two protagonists the wall of reality, Cheon Yun-seong returns home. This was the part where the much-discussed scar was finally revealed.
A flashback overlapped with Cheon Yun-seong looking up at a family portrait.
Chairman Cheon spoke to a young Cheon Yun-seong, who was slumped on the floor, bleeding.
Cheon Gang-hyeok: Do not forget, Yun-seong. You are to do exactly as your father says. As long as you were born into the Cheonju Group, that is your fate.
An elite forged through the rule of fear.
It was revealed that even he, who appeared to be the one taking charge of Cheonju Group’s dirty work to stay in the Chairman’s good graces, was nothing more than a pawn.
‘Is this a coincidence?’
To say they wrote this knowing my circumstances, it hadn't been that long since UA found out about my family affairs. It wasn't as if the character’s past was some unprecedented, unique setting, either. They said the script and the character settings themselves were decided long before I joined.
At the same time, it was exquisite. To the point where it was understandable yet left a bitter aftertaste.
Just then, something I had forgotten surfaced in my mind.
+
[SYSTEM] Some calibration effects based on performance have been removed.
▷ The "Negative Emotion Perception Rate" adjustment function, granted for achieving "Excellent" in "Attendance Management," has expired.
+
When I met my parents, the system had retracted the emotion perception function. Seeing as the sensation of blood rushing to my head remained, I could only guess that I must have poured out all sorts of words to the two of them.
But now, an additional element reminding me of the past had appeared. Could I really say the system had no hand in me getting this role? Was it a stretch to think that making me appear on In My Office was also a step in the process to lead me here?
The system making me feel unpleasant emotions in their entirety, not giving me a penalty for expressing them, and instead constantly exposing me to similar environments……
‘……Does it want me to overcome it?’
Considering how the system had been favorable to me in strange ways, it wasn't a completely baseless assumption. It wasn't exactly news that the system’s methods were inhumane. I didn't know what the system stood to gain from this, though.
Furthermore, its methods were far too subtle. If I had learned Cheon Yun-seong’s backstory without having met my parents, I might have just moved on with a slight feeling of unease. As long as I reached the destination, it might not matter much to the system whether I realized the details or not.
The mysterious sense of relief I felt after Act On ended must have been due to this as well. Back then, I felt as though the wounds I received at Hanpyeong Industry had been healed, even if only a little.
Once the drama is over, will the emotions I have toward my family be diluted like that? Before that happens, should I make sure not to bury how much I loathed them and how much I suffered because of them?
The counselor’s words—that forgetting isn't always the answer—kept ringing in my ears. Memories I had let drift away because they were too hard to bear, things that had floated off to who knows where, filled my head like a thick fog.
The image of Cheon Yun-seong in the script, looking out at the night sky, was vividly drawn before my eyes.
A man who thought the place he stood was a barren land hidden in shadows, only to realize it was actually the far side of the moon. A human being who had never seen a bright sky during the time he spent in his own space.
And…….
Ham I-seo: It’s strange.
Gong Ji-chan: What is?
Ham I-seo: I mean Cheon Yun-seong. If he had that much power, it would have been faster to just destroy us rather than warn us. Just like how we were fooled by him. Cutting off our livelihood would have been the easiest way to remove an obstacle.
Gong Ji-chan: Are you saying Cheon Yun-seong revealed himself on purpose?
Ham I-seo: I don’t know the reason…… but while he wants us to back off, it doesn't seem like he intends to bury this case.
Gong Ji-chan: So he has an intention.
……A voluntarily isolated being who walks alone, no matter what he’s plotting.
If Cheon Yun-seong really is like me, then this bastard might not be a completely evil character. At the very least, he’d have a shred of morality.
If that’s the case, I might actually feel sympathy for Cheon Yun-seong. Just like how I felt sorry for myself on the day I died in that studio apartment.
‘If they say Cheon Yun-seong has a hidden older sister too, I’m going to lose it.’
I took out my frustration on the script, using my agitation as an excuse. Since I couldn't crumple the precious script, glaring at the cover was the extent of my temper.
Because my lines had increased, this shoot took longer than before. It was a stroke of luck that I wasn't playing a role that had to be in the background every time an office appeared, like in In My Office.
"I-wol, do you really not know how the story develops in the latter half?"
"I'm dying to know myself……!"
To prevent leaks and ensure pure acting without spoilers, all the actors received the scripts in installments. I, too, had been receiving the scripts for each episode with tension, not knowing when Cheon Yun-seong might be written out.
Thanks to that, the breaks on the set of Exclusive Report had turned into something of a mystery-solving game. Having transitioned from a good role to a villain, I had to endure being grilled by my seniors one by one.
"There’s definitely something up with Cheon Yun-seong that I-wol isn't telling us."
"This is unfair. Please give me a chance to prove my innocence."
But no one gave me the floor. Unable to bear the attention, I escaped outside the set.
"I-wol? Why are you out here?"
The PD, who was smoking next to a truck, hurriedly put out his cigarette. I had come out thinking I’d help move something if there was work to do, rather than looking rude by lounging in the van. But with seniors over there and a boss over here, there’s no room for a rookie to breathe.
"I came out for a moment because I had a call to make! I'm sorry for disturbing your break."
"No, it’s fine. I should be heading back in anyway."
After confirming the cigarette was completely out, the PD called out to me.
"How’s the script? It looked good to me."
"I enjoyed reading it. Though I feel the pressure!"
"You’re doing great today, what pressure?"
The PD asked if the filming was manageable and if I’d gotten close to the other actors. I did my best to answer so I wouldn't seem like someone lacking social skills.
"How many episodes of the script have you received, I-wol?"
"I’ve received up to episode 10!"
"You have a good memory. The scriptwriting is finished, but the writer asked me to check something with you."
"What would that be?"
"You know, the assignment."
There it was again, the mention of the assignment. What on earth did I write in there? Has my discipline already slipped just because I haven't been to the office in a while?
"The writer asked if it would be okay to use it as dialogue."
"My response?"
"Yes. She said your interpretation was excellent, even though she’d only seen the early drafts."
Just how much did the writer like it?
And what exactly did I write……?
"I don't think it could possibly compare to the writer’s own work!"
"Sometimes sincerity is what matters most!"
I indirectly pleaded, 'Please forget my writing practice notebook,' but it didn't work. I was even more anxious because I couldn't remember the sentences I had written.
It’s common sense to make a copy when submitting documents to a department that doesn't return the originals. My discipline really has slipped.
"I-wol."
As I tried to make a quick exit, the PD continued.
"I think you’re really good at character analysis."
"Thank you for the compliment. It’s an honor."
"I’m not just saying that. There are areas you can reach through study, and areas you can't."
Maybe it’s just because I’ve regressed. I’ve met more than enough people to last a lifetime.
As if reading my mind, the PD looked me in the eye and spoke.
"It’s easy to define what kind of person someone is, but it’s hard to understand them. You seem to be the type who understands people deeply. Whether that subject is a role or someone you work with."
"Ah……."
"Knowing how to love humanity is a talent for an actor. I hope you continue acting even after this project is over."
At the PD’s suggestion to head back in, I followed behind him with stiff movements.
A talent, rather than a habit formed from being an expert at reading the room, or a necessity forced upon me by work.
It was an impressive expression. A kind expression that made me feel a little less miserable.
I thought it was a wonderful compliment.