Chapter 187: Secret Weapon (2)
Chapter 187: Secret Weapon (2)
"Seriously, have you actually lost your mind?"
A battered and exhausted Park Jung-woo let out a deep sigh as he sat in the cafe.
After kidnapping him, Seo-yeon had tossed him into her van and driven to a cafe quite a distance away. She had even come prepared, providing sunglasses and a mask to hide his face. Of course, since the cafe was empty, there was no real need to use them.
So this is how people get kidnapped.
Jung-woo had occasionally seen those "kidnapping" videos where someone is snatched into a van in the blink of an eye. He had always wondered if it could really be that easy, but after experiencing it himself, he realized it was entirely possible.
"You're the one who didn't answer my messages first, Senior," Seo-yeon said in a sulky voice.
With her hair tied high in a ponytail and wearing sunglasses, she gave off a different impression than usual. She looked more... energetic? Perhaps it was because her eyes were hidden.
"Messages? You mean those?"
To begin with, Jung-woo and Seo-yeon didn't contact each other that often. Well, it wasn't that they didn't talk at all; it was more that they rarely had a 'proper conversation.'
The messages Seo-yeon sent him usually looked like this:
A few days ago:
- 10:00 Howling Abyss?
Three days ago:
- 10:00
Yesterday:
- Howling Abyss?
And today:
- Gogo.
At first, he had wondered if it was some kind of code. Of course, he knew exactly what it meant now. He had seen that "Howling Abyss?" prompt so many times it was impossible not to know. Jung-woo didn't even play those kinds of PC games normally; he had only started because of her.
She definitely just wants me to keep playing with her.
Jung-woo knew the truth. The reason Seo-yeon kept calling him was that, among everyone she knew, he was the only one worse at the game than she was. Lee Ji-yeon was already much better than her, and it seemed she had tried testing the waters with Jo Seo-hee once.
「Ohohoho! I finally hit Platinum. Isn't it amazing? Am I not incredible~?」
Jo Seo-hee had apparently taken a liking to streaming; she went live more frequently on her days off as a VTuber. Jung-woo had only started watching because Seo-hee pestered him to. In reality, it wasn't that she wanted him to watch for fun, but rather to monitor if she was doing a good job.
Why did she add cat ears?
The VTuber Alice. It was likely taken from Alice in Wonderland. The cat ears were probably a nod to the Cheshire Cat. A Villainess concept with cat ears... the funny thing was that it actually suited her.
Anyway, watching Seo-hee’s streams, her skills were improving at a terrifying rate despite having just started. Jung-woo wasn't a gaming expert, but he could tell just by looking at the viewers' reactions.
Most importantly:
The person who sent that Super Chat to Seo-hee was the very girl sitting in front of Jung-woo right now. He knew because Lee Ji-yeon had given him Seo-yeon’s nickname—or ID, rather.
Regardless, Seo-yeon was feeling a sense of dread (?) toward Jo Seo-hee, who had surpassed her in an instant. Consequently, whenever she wanted to play, Jung-woo was the one who got dragged out.
Does she just refuse to accept anyone stronger than her? He couldn't help but wonder.
"You ask to play every single day. Of course I'm going to ignore you."
At his words, Seo-yeon’s eyes narrowed. Jung-woo flinched at that sharp gaze and took a sip of his green tea.
Man, that look is chilling.
He could see why she only played villains. Come to think of it, Jo Seo-hee and Lee Ji-yeon, who often hung out with her, also had quite the presence. He had seen the three of them walking together once, and students nearby had visibly scrambled to get out of their way. Usually, when people recognize actors, don't they try to get closer? These people clearly knew who they were, but they stayed far back, only clicking away with their phone cameras. No one had the courage to actually approach them.
Of course, Seo-yeon’s current expression was just a pout. It made him wonder if this was truly the same girl from the Shorts that had gone viral recently. In the Magical Girl Shorts, Seo-yeon was so cute that even Jung-woo had to rub his eyes to make sure it was really her.
He wanted to tease her about it, but he knew it wouldn't end with just a glare. He’d likely get the "finger-poke" treatment that Jo Seo-hee suffered through constantly. She even seemed to think he was sturdier because he was a man, sometimes hitting him with her elbow. Once, when he took a hit without thinking, he nearly fainted.
"Gaming is a social activity, you know."
"Why don't you play on the Rift?"
"I'm bored of it."
Bored, my foot. She probably just couldn't climb the tiers, so she stuck to the Howling Abyss. Jung-woo didn't bother arguing, though. Seo-yeon was currently gripping a fork in her hand.
"But I'm serious, you know?"
"About what?"
"...It was because of the movie."
What was she talking about? What did the Howling Abyss have to do with a movie? As Jung-woo stared blankly at her, Seo-yeon’s grip on the fork tightened. Is she going to bend it? He watched with genuine curiosity.
"I couldn't just call you out of the blue and keep asking if you're really going to be in the movie we agreed on."
"Ah, that."
Now that he thought about it, she had asked about that whenever she called him to play. He just hadn't given it much thought because he was too focused on the game.
Wait, it really was a social activity for her.
He hadn't realized she possessed such delicacy. Jung-woo looked at her with an impressed expression.
"You mean Director Jo Bang-woo's movie, right? I heard it's a disaster film."
"That's right."
Jung-woo felt a bit puzzled by her answer. He had heard about it from the director's son, Jo Min-tae, but he wondered how Seo-yeon knew. They had a connection through The Moon That Hides the Sun in the past, but Seo-yeon wasn't particularly in contact with Jo Min-tae these days.
"It was called Seoul Escape, right?"
"The title hasn't been decided yet."
"...Is what I thought. Doesn't it sound plausible?"
"I guess it does."
At Jung-woo’s reaction, Seo-yeon subtly averted her eyes. It was a habit she had whenever she did something wrong. He found it a bit strange, but...
A disaster movie.
Jung-woo thought about Director Jo Bang-woo's new project. If asked whether he would participate or not, the answer was obviously yes. After all, he had promised Seo-yeon. The reason he hadn't thought deeply about her probing questions during their games was that he had intended to do it from the start.
"The audition is at the end of this year. You're definitely coming, right?"
"I said I'm going. I haven't even received the script yet."
"I think it'll come soon."
She sounded strangely certain. However, Seo-yeon fell silent under Jung-woo’s gaze. she had no intention of repeating the same mistake she just made.
In the original timeline, Senior Jung-woo turned down the role in 'Seoul Escape'.
Of course, she wasn't talking about the present. In the 'past life' Seo-yeon remembered, Park Jung-woo had definitely declined Seoul Escape. Since no one wanted to star in a film by Director Jo Bang-woo after his string of failures, the director had tried to leverage his personal connections—even going through his son’s friends. It went without saying how miserable Director Jo must have felt back then.
Of course, since they had the investment, other actors eventually joined.
But none of them were what you'd call 'the real deal.' Director Jo had picked and chosen from what was available and settled on a lead. That had been the fatal mistake.
Was it Kang Dae-hwan? That actor.
The man who had played the lead in Seoul Escape in her past life. He had a reputation for decent acting, but he was mediocre in Seoul Escape. Not only that, but a scandal had broken out right at the wrong time, branding the movie with all sorts of negative perceptions. The result was a total disaster. Since it was the last film he had managed to get investment for, it became the final full stop on Director Jo Bang-woo's career.
Come to think of it, there were a lot of rumors about Senior Jung-woo in my past life, too.
There wasn't anything truly malicious. It was mostly other actors on variety shows saying he acted like a know-it-all. Occasionally, there were articles or news segments about the 'arrogant Park Jung-woo.' But strangely, none of that existed now. Was there a difference?
Is it because of me?
Even as she thought it, it felt strange. What could she have possibly done to change Park Jung-woo? Well, for now, being 'Howling Abyss friends' was enough.
"Honestly, the problem isn't me," Jung-woo spoke up.
It seemed Seo-yeon had wanted a firm confirmation today that he would be in the movie. Of course, Jung-woo was fully committed. She was a girl who did absurd things sometimes, but regardless of that, he truly wanted to act with her as a fellow professional. Just like they had in The Moon That Hides the Sun when they were children.
He had hoped to recapture that nostalgia in Dream Future, but unfortunately, there weren't many scenes where their characters interacted. So, this Seoul Escape was a great opportunity for Jung-woo. A chance to properly show Seo-yeon how much he had grown and improved since the old days.
However...
"You already have two projects lined up that I know of, don't you?"
Mine and Gyeongseong Lady. Neither was a project to be taken lightly. Furthermore, knowing Seo-yeon’s personality, she wasn't likely to stop doing dramas or variety shows while filming a movie. No matter how sturdy she was, he couldn't help but worry. Jung-woo had seen countless people burn out after working with that kind of intensity.
"And aren't both of them villain roles?"
"One of them is the protagonist."
"Huh? You're the lead in Gyeongseong Lady?"
"I'm the lead in Mine."
"That one?"
Jung-woo recalled Hyper Action Star. All he remembered was her beating up a Japanese actor and some guy howling like a supercar. Anyway, based on the scene where she was running around with an axe, she looked like a villain to anyone's eyes.
"The audition was specifically to choose the protagonist, you know."
Seo-yeon looked at Jung-woo coyly and pressed her fork down hard against the plate. Naturally, Jung-woo’s eyes followed the fork. Is she going to pierce the plate? He watched with internal excitement until Seo-yeon lifted the fork.
"Senior."
"Yeah?"
"Sometimes you look at me like I'm some kind of exotic animal."
"...Ahem."
Jung-woo fell silent. But the more Seo-yeon performed these eccentric feats, the more curious he became about her limits. She had pierced a coconut with her finger before; if she were serious, how much could she actually pierce? That was the question Jung-woo had been harboring lately. Of course, he couldn't ask, fearing he might end up with a hole in his own body.
"Ahem, anyway, I thought you had two villain roles, but I guess your image won't overlap then."
"You're worried about image consumption, right?"
"Exactly. If you appear too much... your image gets used up that much faster."
That was why many actors limited the number of projects they took on per year. Of course, there were also those who took on everything they could while they were popular.
And that happens even faster for lead actors.
Seo-yeon was in a bit of a gray area. Most of her roles had been villains. Villainous roles also had a tendency to wear out an image quickly. Jung-woo found it impressive how she had managed to offset that. Honestly, a role like Cha Seo-ah was the kind of character that could define an actor's image for years to come.
But then she turned into a magical girl...
It was truly surprising. For younger people, Seo-yeon’s image was becoming more strongly associated with the magical girl than with Cha Seo-ah. That was how powerful the Shorts were. A celebrity's image can be overturned by a single, powerful scene. There was once an actress who appeared on a military-themed variety show and became a massive star through a single moment of aegyo. It was a scene with such impact that she was known as the icon of aegyo for a long time. Seo-yeon’s magical girl was similar in a way. If it had aired on a major network, the impact would have been several times stronger.
"Anyway, you're definitely doing it, right?"
"I said yes."
"You should have just answered like that from the start."
"Stop dragging me into games and just ask normally."
Jung-woo sighed, then his expression turned serious.
"And like I said, the problem isn't me. It's you."
Jung-woo spoke in a grave tone as he looked at Seo-yeon. He was sincere. He was already aware of the bad news surrounding Gyeongseong Lady, which Seo-yeon was currently filming.
"I heard the main actors dropped out. If the schedule isn't handled properly, things could get really messy."
"It's fine," Seo-yeon replied, glancing at her phone. The message she just received was related to exactly what Jung-woo was talking about. "In fact, things are going quite well."
"...?"
Seo-yeon gave a bright smile to the puzzled Jung-woo. Of course, the fact that Jung-woo was horrified by that smile was another story entirely.
*
"I heard they found an actor for the role of Goto Isamu."
"Hmm, that's a crucial role. They shouldn't just pick anyone."
The production staff of Gyeongseong Lady looked grim. Several actors who had promised to appear had recently backed out due to various issues. Since they had only signed the initial contracts and then paid the penalty to cancel, there wasn't much the production could say. This kind of thing was common enough. It was just that the number of people leaving was a bit high this time.
"I heard there's a rumor they're all joining the movie Director Shin Ho-chul is putting everything into."
"Ah, that one? Are they really leaving just for that?"
"Who knows? But at the very least, they probably have a lot more money than we do."
Gyeongseong Lady had managed to secure investors somehow. It was investment gained by leveraging Director Baek Min’s reputation. However, it wasn't a massive source of funding, so their budget was limited.
No wonder they were so happy to pay the cancellation fees.
The fees weren't even that high since filming hadn't started yet.
To make matters worse, 'Goto Isamu' was the main antagonist of the story. The role required a high level of acting skill to truly bring the character to life. They had thought the original actor, Kang Seo-hyuk, was perfect for it, so his departure was a double blow.
"Is there any actor who can replace Kang Seo-hyuk?"
"Honestly, I'm not sure. There are some, but I don't know if they'll even accept the script."
"And there are many veteran actors who avoid Director Baek Min’s films."
To veteran actors, Director Baek Min’s style was often too unique, and his films frequently featured values that didn't align with theirs. After all, wasn't Gyeongseong Lady a film that dealt with homosexuality?
"Seo-yeon."
Just then, Director Baek Min walked in and greeted Seo-yeon. The production staff were puzzled to see her at the audition site.
Why is Ju Seo-yeon here?
Wasn't today for seeing the actor for Goto Isamu?
Honestly, they felt they should just hire whoever they could get at this point, regardless of a formal audition. But then, Ju Seo-yeon had suddenly appeared. Curious gazes turned toward her.
"He said he'll be here soon."
Seo-yeon spoke and smiled at the people gathered there. It was finally time for the secret weapon of this movie to make his appearance.