The Sign
“Hey, Pyra. Just because you’ve got the enthusiasm doesn’t mean you can do whatever you please? Why the hell are you acting like a kid?”
“······ I’m not acting like a kid. I’m certain of it. There’s something inside this wall. Right here! I’m furious! The victim is crying.”
“Pyra······ Lim Hae-seong!”
Her voice trembled with raw emotion, Yoo Hyeon-ah grabbed Deok-su’s arm. She was already deep in character as Cho Yu-ri’s Choi Jung-ah from the hit drama _The Sign_.
“······ Junior, the evidence is gone. All that’s left is······ that goddamn thing. In one hour we have to file the report because that bastard couldn’t prove he was the culprit. The scene is completely trashed······.”
“Here. Right here.”
Their eyes, still blazing from earlier, suddenly glowed with excitement. The reading had gone on a while, yet neither the investors nor the director called a halt. They just kept rolling.
“Thank you, Detective Kwak Jun.”
“You couldn’t do it? I······ I will.”
“Okay.”
Deok-su’s quiet murmur and Lee Hui-yeong CP rose from his seat. Only then did the investors let out nervous coughs, as if waking from a dream. Yoo Hyeon-ah spoke first. “Kim Deok-su, you really sounded that good? How many years of acting have you done?”
“Just a little over three this year.”
“Your diction is flawless and your eyes and expressions······ There’s nothing to criticize. That voice—?”
“I just practiced a lot.” Deok-su answered vaguely. Yoo Hyeon-ah looked satisfied and turned to the investors. “So the two of us are sticking together, right? Has the actor for Kwak Jun arrived yet?”
The investors let out another cough at her innocent expression. No matter how powerful they were, the moment they faced Yoo Hyeon-ah the deal changed. She was one of the handful of top female actresses in Korea. Cho Yu-ri spoke up. “Thank you for coming.”
“Because your scripts are amazing. I get bored staying home all day. Looking at you, though, I guess I’m not the first one invited?”
Cho Yu-ri gave an awkward smile. Deok-su had been the first person to contact her. Yoo Hyeon-ah glared at her, then shrugged. “This is enough······ Even if I were the first, I probably would have been scratching my pride raw.”
“I contacted every actress before I called anyone else.”
While the two women traded increasingly chaotic stories, Hwang In-sik, the president, called the room to order. “······ If we combine the two of them like this, isn’t it quite promising?”
“Hmph.”
O Dae-hee, the vice president of Hanseong Bank, cleared his throat uncomfortably. Min Du-jin, the board head, raised his hand. Everyone’s eyes turned to him and he spoke with easy authority. “I think investing in films is like investing in stocks. The safer the project, the lower the return, and the greater the risk, the bigger the profit. This film has the perfect mix—risky and exciting. A rookie writer and a debut lead, Kim Deok-su.”
“So how do you······”
“To make real money you have to take real risks. I’ll chase if I don’t get anything.”
That was the spark. The other investors quickly shifted their stance, all in favor of Deok-su’s lead role. The only one left was Hanseong Bank. O Dae-hee stepped out, took a call, and returned with a grim face. “······ Personally I think it’s worth it, but the head office has a different opinion. I’ll have to discuss it further inside. I’ll contact you later.”
After a polite bow she left. Hwang In-sik stepped out to talk to the investors alone, and the meeting room was left with only the directors, Deok-su, Yoo Hyeon-ah, and Cho Yu-ri. Cho Yu-ri said, “······ Hanseong Bank pulled out after all. I’m sorry. I should have persuaded them better······.”
“It’s not your fault. They’ve been trying to back out from the beginning.”
“They lost too much on recent reckless investments and don’t have the funds anymore. They would have declined anyway. Don’t worry.”
While Lee Hui-yeong CP comforted Yu-ri, Yoo Jung-an PD turned to the actors. “You two acted beautifully. Especially you, Deok-su. Your face muscles moved so freely. You must have spent hours in front of the mirror.”
“Occasionally.”
“Occasionally? I’m jealous. How much effort it must have taken for an idol treated as a has-been to earn respect as an actor. I finally understand why today. Honestly, it’s a little heavy that Deok-su chose our project, but I’m grateful.”
Deok-su could only smile awkwardly. He knew the moment. The first work after leaving his old agency. A lead role on a rookie writer’s project. Success could be massive, but failure could be a fatal blow to his image.
After locking in the lead role, Deok-su and Yoo Hyeon-ah left the production office. “······I’m looking forward to it, Deok-su. Once Kwak Jun is cast, let’s do more readings. Training together would be fun.”
“I’ll be there anytime, senior.”
After seeing Yoo Hyeon-ah off, Deok-su was about to head out when someone stepped through the door. Min Du-jin, the board head.
The conversation they’d planned to have for a minute stretched long, so Deok-su and Hui-yeong followed him to the nearby makgeolli restaurant. It was Min Du-jin’s favorite spot. “Welcome, sir! You haven’t come in ages!”
“Busy as always. Brought some precious guests today, so treat us well.”
“Aigoo, of course.”
Soon makgeolli and side dishes arrived. The seafood pancake was twice the size of the others, and the rolled egg beside it was massive. Yoo Hyeon-ah unconsciously grabbed a piece and watched the melted cheese stretch. Her eyes spun. “Come on, come on, I’ll eat!”
That was the day Deok-su learned Yoo Hyeon-ah was a true cheese-killer. The makgeolli that day was especially thick. Min Du-jin’s face flushed red in minutes, and Yoo Hyeon-ah hid her own blush while pretending to stay sober.
“······I didn’t know the board head was personally investing. It means you’ve poured in a lot of money just to meet the actors······.”
“Whether the project flops or booms······ It’s easier for me to judge than for others. Raising three kids on a salary is tough.”
“The board head is chatting with us······ But for this project, you’re confident it’ll succeed?”
Yoo Hyeon-ah’s voice grew tighter. Min Du-jin shrugged and glanced at Deok-su, who was still methodically using his chopsticks. “If you even know a little about actor Kim Deok-su, you can’t help but invest.”
Deok-su’s chopsticks froze. Min Du-jin had been the head of JMT actors, but they had never met directly. “I heard the board head hated me······.”
“I did. Before.”
Min Du-jin smiled and raised his glass. Deok-su and Yoo Hyeon-ah clinked theirs against it. The sweet-sour makgeolli warmed their insides.
“You’re my manager no more. You’re the president now. Congratulations.”
“Thank you······.”
“It’ll take some time to get used to. By the way, did you tell the president? I originally wanted to put Deok-su on my team.”
Deok-su poured the board head’s glass full again. “If you’d gone to the actor side······ would there have been no connection to Signature?”
“Somehow······ I would have stopped it. But it would have been hard. That’s why I couldn’t catch the two of them when they tried to leave.”
Deok-su showed a trace of regret and Yoo Hyeon-ah flinched. “It’s a shame the board head gets neglected······ We’re grateful. I never imagined you knew everything about us.”
“Well, my seat won’t be safe for much longer.”
Deok-su’s eyes widened. “That means······.”
“President Kang is nothing like he used to be. He’s no longer giving teams freedom and judging by results. He’s clamping down from the start. He only hires people who listen to him······ Well, they’ll survive somehow.”
Deok-su took the glass with a bitter smile.
Days passed. The two lead roles were confirmed, but the actor for Kwak Jun still hadn’t been cast.
“······The article about L’Vyu and Yoo Hyeon-ah being cast is being prepared. Is that okay?”
A call came from the publicist at the production company. “Yes. It seems the casting for Kwak Jun isn’t going smoothly.”
“We’re still holding auditions, but finding a good person is tough. Anyone who would decline······.”
“Understood. Please proceed.”
The call ended with thanks. As articles about the lead casting circulated, the public reaction began.
“Actor L’Vyu confirmed for lead in _The Sign_ (working title).”
“Yoo Hyeon-ah returns after seven years, pairing with L’Vyu······.”
“L’Vyu takes the lead······ Xtnn genre film······.”
“Specialist villain actor L’Vyu selected in mixed reactions······.”
As the news spread, Park Hyeon-woo uploaded the schedule to Deok-su’s official fan cafe. “Our oppa’s first lead!”
“Coffee truck, coffee truck needed. Club president, let’s raise funds.”
“Ride!”
“These days bento is trendier than coffee trucks. There are a lot of high-quality bento companies······.”
“Just do both lol.”
“Whatever you want, I’m in.”
Amid anticipation and concern, Deok-su began serious training.
“I’m afraid I won’t be able to pay lessons for a while, but helping this much······.”
“It’s your first lead, remember? What else would I do if I didn’t help? Stare at the wall practicing alone?”
Contrary to his words, Kim Hyeok-jung showed up at DH Entertainment once every three days to help with Deok-su’s acting. Of course the sessions were brutal.
“When did I say acting starts?”
“The eyes. Eyes are half the expression······.”
“So how should I do Im Hae-seong’s eyes? I said he doesn’t trust people. What if I raise my eyebrows like when playing the villain?”
Im Hae-seong was the type who didn’t trust anyone and clung only to evidence.
But over time he learned cooperation and became a more brilliant detective.
“That’s the eyes when Kang Seo-won acted. Move your face muscles more.”
Deok-su’s acting was flowing, but Kim Hyeok-jung could still see gaps.
“‘······ Even I find it hard. This guy seems capable, though.’”
Following his instinct, Deok-su filled in the gaps one by one.
“How can I properly express Im Hae-seong? Got any ideas?”
“The character is prone to conflict with others. First the reason for the conflict must be clear, and the later changes must be certain.”
“I like that writer’s eye. So what then?”
“Someone with deep childhood wounds. At first sharp, then through communication with Kwak Jun he solves the case and changes······.”
Kim Hyeok-jung’s advice was a huge help. As Deok-su received so much, guilt began to creep in.
“I should repay everything I’ve received······.”
“Just wait. You’ll get your chance soon.”
“Even so, no guarantee······.”
At a cafe near Hongdae, Kim Hyeok-jung sat across from Deok-su with a relaxed smile.
“Hey this······ No guarantee exists even between parents and children. Anyway, wait. I’ll need your help someday······ Um? What’s up, miss?”
The two turned toward the table next to them where the noise had suddenly risen.
Deok-su already knew the person.
“Yun Chae-gyeong?”
The woman behind the counter who had given Yoo Hyeon-ah her card. Kim Hyeok-jung’s eyes lit with interest.
She was hard to overlook.
Pretty face was debatable, but makeup, hair, and fashion were anything but ordinary.
“Excuse me, L’Vyu. May I ask just one thing?”
“Sure. What is it?”
Yun Chae-gyeong
“······ I don’t know exactly, but she seemed troubled lately. She stopped coming to the cafe after that reading. Is it really okay to ask?”