Chapter 52
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: My Heart Pounds at the Sight of a Pot Lid
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Scene 52. My Heart Pounds at the Sight of a Pot Lid.
Kang Man-dong clicked his tongue as if it were a shame, withdrew his fist, then turned and stepped down from the ring.
Lee Jae-yoon, who had been watching blankly, collapsed onto the mat. The strength had belatedly drained from his legs.
“Sir!”
“Are you alright?!”
Park Gyu-hyeon and Kim Byeong-seok rushed into the ring to check on Lee Jae-yoon.
After leaving the ring, Kang Man-dong stood before Han Mi-ra, who was watching him with her hands clasped tightly.
“Ms. Mi-ra. Do you drink?”
“Pardon?”
Han Mi-ra, who had been gazing at Kang Man-dong with a moved expression, blinked as if to ask what he suddenly meant.
“Let's have a drink with that man, Lee Jae-yoon. I know it might be uncomfortable.”
At Kang Man-dong's words, Han Mi-ra glanced back and forth between Lee Jae-yoon, still sitting in the ring, and Kang Man-dong. Then, she nodded as if to say it was no problem.
“Yes! I'll do that.”
Just then, Lee Jae-eun approached, holding the smartphone she had entrusted to Manager Jeong Dae-su.
“Excuse me.”
“Ah, the young Executive Director?”
As Kang Man-dong looked at her inquisitively, Lee Jae-eun carefully held out the smartphone.
“My father... No. The chairman would like to speak with you.”
“The chairman? You mean the chairman of HS Group?”
“Yes.”
Lee Jae-eun politely offered him the phone.
Kang Man-dong accepted the phone with an awkward expression. Anger aside, he had just beaten up the son of a chaebol. Deep down, he felt a little intimidated.
“Ahem. This is Kang Man-dong.”
Kang Man-dong bowed his head to Chairman Lee Won-cheol, who appeared on the screen.
-Mm. Yes. Mmm...
Chairman Lee Won-cheol seemed just as awkward, merely nodding with a sheepish look at Kang Man-dong's greeting.
A moment of silence fell between them.
“I have a bit of a temper, so I was rude...”
-Because of my foolish son...
“...”
-...
The two men, having spoken at the same time, quickly fell silent as if to defer to the other. Another silence followed.
“Please, you speak first, sir.”
-Ahem. Very well. I've heard everything about what Jae-yoon did. I apologize for the unexpected trouble he caused.
“Not at all. I should have reasoned with him calmly, but I went a bit too far. As a father myself, I know that when your son gets beaten up outside, you get angry regardless of who was right or wrong.”
*He beat him to a pulp while counting down, and now he says this?*
Lee Won-cheol wasn't sure if the man was mocking him or simply explaining that the situation had gotten out of hand.
-Your son... he's a sharp one.
Lee Won-cheol's gaze met Yu-hyeon's, who was standing beside Kang Man-dong.
It could have been a polite compliment, but hearing praise for Yu-hyeon from none other than the chairman of HS Group, Kang Man-dong's cautious expression vanished, replaced by one brimming with energy.
“Haha. It's not just because he's my son, but he does have a bit of that in him, doesn't he? Hahaha.”
At the sight of Kang Man-dong instantly turning into a doting fool, not only Lee Won-cheol on the other side of the screen but also everyone watching anxiously nearby wore expressions of disbelief.
Lee Won-cheol looked as though he was thinking, *What kind of person is this?*
*Normally, in a situation like this, wouldn't the typical response be something like, "Thank you for thinking so highly of him," or "I hope he wasn't rude"?*
Feeling a strange headache coming on, Lee Won-cheol changed the subject. He had a feeling that if they continued talking about his son, he'd only be hearing Kang Man-dong's laughter on repeat.
-Let's just put the issues between both sides to rest here.
“Of course. I may have a temper, but I don't hold grudges. Ah, which reminds me.”
-...?”
“I've arranged to have a drink with President Lee Jae-yoon, and I'd like you to join us, sir.”
Lee Won-cheol tilted his head, puzzled. It was strange enough that Lee Jae-yoon had agreed to drink with Kang Man-dong, but the last thing he'd heard from Yu-hyeon at the end of their call had been something similar.
“We don't have to be sitting in the same room to drink together, do we? We can just do it like this, over a video call, talking and sharing a drink.”
-Hmm. Is that so?
“Yes. And we need to settle things between Ms. Han Mi-ra and Mr. Lee Jae-yoon, don't we? Whatever happened in the past, we need to clear the air and move on. If you join us, sir, I think it would help Mr. Lee Jae-yoon get his head on straight. I'm asking you, please.”
Kang Man-dong gave a deep bow toward the screen.
Watching the unabashed Kang Man-dong, Lee Won-cheol started to get a good idea of where Yu-hyeon got his peculiar way of speaking.
*I'm the chairman of HS Group, for crying out loud. Isn't this father-son duo going a bit too far? They're treating me like some neighborhood geezer.*
Lee Won-cheol felt a bit dumbfounded, but since his afternoon schedule was clear anyway, making time wasn't an issue.
Still, agreeing so readily would be a blow to his pride, so he hesitated for a moment. That's when Yu-hyeon stepped forward.
“Chairman-nim. Wouldn't it be best to have an elder present for an occasion like this? Please.”
Following his father, the son now bowed his head deeply.
-Ahem. Well, if you both insist. It'll be the strangest drinking session I've ever had in my life, but very well.
As Lee Won-cheol nodded and ended the call, the gym began to be quickly tidied up.
The attendees for the drinking party were: the host, Kang Man-dong; the guests, Lee Jae-yoon, Lee Jae-eun, Han Mi-ra, and... Bishop Duan?
“What? Why is the bishop here?”
Yu-hyeon took Duan's arm and led him to a corner.
“I was already surprised by your unannounced visit, but if you have something you need to say...”
“His Holiness repeatedly instructed me to ensure you are not inconvenienced in any way.”
“No, this is different. And it's not that big of a deal.”
“How could that be? Hardship knows no size, big or small. If one's heart changes with the scale of the problem, how can that be called true care?”
Yu-hyeon tried several times to convince him it wasn't necessary, but he ended up getting the back of his head held and having to listen to a prayer for over ten minutes.
“And so, the Lord said...”
*Ugh! Th-that's enough!*
“I fully understand your intentions, Your Excellency. Your presence will surely brighten the occasion more than ever. Yes. Of course. Absolutely.”
As Yu-hyeon nodded with a weary expression, Duan finally stopped his prayer with a benevolent smile.
“You were thinking the same thing I was. As expected of you, Brother Camu.”
*My thoughts are absolutely not your thoughts, but if I say that, you'll pray all night!*
“Well then, shall we go? I heard the wine from two years ago is quite excellent. I hope we can procure that vintage.”
Duan left the gym with a broad, cheerful smile.
*
After breakfast, Yu Han-seong went outside to walk off his meal. He found a group of people gathered and murmuring amongst themselves.
“Damn it. Did something else happen?”
Ever since arriving in Malta, problems had been popping up one after another, so the mere sight of a murmuring crowd made him anxious.
At this rate, he felt like his heart would start pounding at the mere sight of a pot lid.
As Yu Han-seong approached, he saw the film crew, actors, and managers all mixed together, staring at a single spot.
“Director Bae. Did something happen again?”
“Ah, CP Yu. I'm not sure if something has happened or is about to happen, but... over there.”
Bae Cheol-su pointed to a warehouse at the far end of the farm. It was so far away it was hard to see clearly.
“What is it?”
Bae Cheol-su handed Yu Han-seong the pocket binoculars he was holding.
“See for yourself.”
Yu Han-seong put the binoculars to his eyes and looked in the direction Bae Cheol-su had indicated. "Huh?" he grunted. More than twenty vehicles were parked in a line in front of the warehouse, and among the people coming and going, he could make out Lee Jae-eun.
“It's HS Group.”
Lowering the binoculars, Yu Han-seong's expression grew worried. He recalled Yu-hyeon's words, demanding an apology within 24 hours.
“They don't look like they're here to apologize, do they?”
“A major corporation? No way.”
Bae Cheol-su nodded in agreement with Yu Han-seong. Just then, two of the vehicles in front of the warehouse started moving toward the main building, and another one headed toward where they were standing.
The car stopped in front of the pension, and Yeon Jeong-suk emerged from inside.
“Oh, Actress Yeon Jeong-suk?”
“I'm glad I caught you.”
Yeon Jeong-suk looked at Yu Han-seong and nodded as if things had worked out well.
Just then, Yu Han-seong's smartphone shrieked, demanding to be answered.
Yu Han-seong's face stiffened when he checked the number. It was the department director.
“Just a moment. I need to take this call.”
“Yes, of course.”
After Yeon Jeong-suk nodded for him to go ahead, Yu Han-seong quickly answered the call.
“Yes, Director.”
-CP Yu!
His voice was full of excitement.
*Damn it. Did HS Group finally make a move?*
Yu Han-seong answered with a grim expression.
“Yes, go ahead.”
-What in the world are you doing over there!
“Well... haaah... about that.”
-HS Group wants to invest more in our drama! And it's 5 billion won!
“Things with HS Group just kind of... what?”
-And all the ad slots before and after the drama have been sold out! Hahaha! Can you believe it? A show that hasn't even aired yet has sold out all its ads!
*What is this nonsense?*
Yu Han-seong switched the phone to his other ear.
“What was that again?”
-And they said they'll sponsor anything you need for filming at the corporate level. Ahh! Doesn't that just fill you with pride?
Yu Han-seong was dumbfounded for a moment.
“Director, hold on. I'll call you right back.”
-Huh? Oh. Okay.
Yu Han-seong approached Yeon Jeong-suk.
“By any chance, did HS Group...”
“Yes. They apologized. Mi-ra's casting issue has also been resolved. And they said there's no problem with the HS Fashion contract, so we can proceed as planned.”
Yu Han-seong asked several times if it was really true, then covered his mouth with his fist.
“*Sob!* So we can keep filming our drama without any problems, is that right?”
He thought the whole thing was going to fall apart before they even got a proper start. But as they say, life is full of ups and downs. This turned out to be a massive stroke of luck.
“Yes. There shouldn't be any problems.”
Yu Han-seong quickly redialed.
-Oh. Right.
“And? Is there more?”
-There was also talk of wardrobe support. They said you can discuss it with Executive Director Lee Jae-eun, who's on site.
“Oh... Is there more?”
-There is! There's more.
“What is it?”
-You know the drama that's airing now.
“Our drama?”
-No. The one that's currently on air.
“'Truthful You'?”
-Yeah. That one.
“What about it?”
-It looks like it's going to end early.
“What? But why...”
-The lead actor got drunk and caused trouble.
“You're kidding!”
-And of all things, the title of the drama is 'Truthful You'. But the lead actor gets drunk and causes a scandal...
“So instead of 'Truthful You,' it's 'You Who Raised Hell.'”
-Exactly. Anyway, the drama department is in an uproar because of it.
Yu Han-seong suddenly felt a chill. He moved away so others wouldn't overhear the conversation, but the quick-witted Bae Cheol-su immediately followed, his eyes asking what new disaster had struck.
“No, right?”
-Ahem. CP Yu.
“Come on. You'd have to be crazy.”
-Han-seong.
“Be reasonable! We've only filmed one scene! Is this drama a joke to you? The schedule is already tight because it was moved up.”
-Then what do you want me to do? Rerun an old drama in a prime-time slot?
“So what, should I bring in a fish-shaped pastry machine and start churning out drama-flavored pastries? You might as well just tell me to drop dead!”
-Hey, hey. Don't get so worked up. In return, I'll add another 5 billion won to the production budget, you'll get tons of sponsorships, and I'll call in all the idle staff to give you another assistant team. So... Han-seong... let's just try to make it work.
“What about the other dramas? Ours isn't the only one in production.”
-They're still casting and putting teams together. There's no hope for them.
“Wow. I'm speechless.”
-And frankly, who else but you can handle a crisis like this? Remember when our competitors were poaching all our PDs and you and I ran around like madmen to keep the station afloat? We did it then. Let's do it again. I'll give you all the support I can from here! Huh? We're comeback kings!
*Comeback kings, my ass. I collapsed from overwork back then and almost died young. And you want me to do that again?*
“I can't do it.”
-Really? Well, if that's the case, it can't be helped.
“What's with that weird reaction?”
-There are plenty of guys who'd be willing to taste shit just to see what an overseas shoot is like. If you can't do it, I'll have to send one of them instead. I can't just let the broadcast slot go empty.
“Director!”
-So just do it. That's all. If this goes south, you think I'm the only one going down? Your shot at the director's chair goes down the drain too.
“Wow! What a shitty threat.”
-So you'll do it, right? Right?
“...”
-Okay. I'm trusting you and moving forward. I'm doing it, okay? That's alright with you, right?
“Do whatever you want. I don't know anymore.”
-Great. Thanks.
The director hung up quickly, as if afraid he might change his mind.
Bae Cheol-su, who had been listening in, met Yu Han-seong's gaze and shook his head like a madman.
“Call him back. Call him back and tell him you can't do it!”
Bae Cheol-su yelled, his face a mask of horror.
“But he said if we don't, he'll fire us all and let some other crew take over the set... You still want me to do it?”
“.......Agh. Shit.”
*This drama. Can we really film it properly?*
*What kind of damn curse is this? It never lets up!*
*I know life is full of ups and downs, but at least give us a moment to breathe between the ups and downs!*
And around this time, a strange rumor began to circulate in the Korean entertainment industry.
Several actors, especially those who had been unintentionally snubbed during the casting process, exploded in anger.
"What? What's wrong with my character! Who is it? Who's spreading such ridiculous rumors!"
Everyone dismissed the rumors as nonsense, but then, as if on cue, a special feature article appeared online.
And then, like a time-delayed attack, a series of articles about 'Lovers in Malta' followed.
As 'Lovers in Malta' "character feature" articles sprang up like bamboo shoots after a rain, management agencies began to suffer. Their actors were all demanding that they find a way to get them a role in 'Lovers in Malta'.
'They're saying if I don't get a part in that show, everyone will think I'm a piece of shit! Is this a joke or what?! Ah, I don't know. I don't know how, but whether it's a cameo or something else, just get my face on screen! You can at least try that much, can't you?! My fans are in an uproar, asking why I'm not in it! Are you just going to sit back and watch this happen?'