Is This Right?
Inside a quiet café. In a place with not a single other person, two men sat alone. Similar yet different in appearance—in other words, brothers—sipping coffee as they talked.
"Hyung, I heard your next project is a romance?"
"Yeah. They said I'd be the lead."
"As expected of E-Doon Entertainment… I'm so jealous."
"You'll be a rookie actor starting next week too, Geon-woo."
"Thanks, really. Hyung."
Jang Geon-woo's smile was angelic. If anyone from their theater troupe had seen it, they would have been shocked. It was a smile that didn't match his usual behavior at all. That was the kind of expression an actor needed to be able to make.
Though he was his younger brother, Jang Seon-woo didn't particularly like him. All Geon-woo knew how to do was leech off others; he wasn't the type to actually build up his own skills.
Even Jang Seon-woo, who thought this way, wasn't exactly the hardworking type himself. But thanks to his passable acting skills combined with his cute looks, his popularity was rising day by day.
In truth, it was only possible because he was signed with E-Doon Entertainment. Thanks to his uncle being an employee there, he'd gotten an introduction. He'd passed the audition with his characteristically fawning attitude.
The masses called him this: [The Rising Star of Romance Dramas.] It was a result achieved in just two years.
Whether it was thanks to the acting skills he'd built in the troupe, or because they recognized his experience, the company might have seen him as a cost-effective actor. So they decided to push him.
After a life of being bundled into minor roles, he made his screen debut half a year ago as a supporting actor in the acclaimed drama Love, or Nothing. Countless articles and fans praised him.
Jang Seon-woo's arrogance grew with each passing day. With his family and everyone around him showering him with compliments, it was only natural.
If only someone had given him honest criticism. As time went on, his acting skills deteriorated. But it was only being covered up by extreme directing and editing. No wonder there were rumors that any PD who worked with him ended up with hair loss.
It was an ironic situation. From a PD's perspective, someone like him should have been weeded out to create better works and better dramas. But thanks to image-making, he had a solid fanbase. In other words, people weren't tuning in for the drama—they were tuning in for Jang Seon-woo. And since it happened to be airing, the ratings followed.
It was a situation they couldn't escape. A twisted virtuous cycle continued. He appeared in dramas, his fans and praise grew, and even though his acting was mediocre, they had no choice but to cast him. Masterpieces couldn't be born in this structure, but from a capitalist standpoint, there was no better cost-performance ratio.
Anyway, after going around in circles, Jang Seon-woo and Jang Geon-woo clinked their coffee cups together. Work was going well, and they were basking in everyone's attention. How could they not be happy?
Just then, Jang Seon-woo's manager brought over dessert and coffee. She was a bit on the small side, below average height—maybe around 165cm. She had a rather cute appearance.
Her long, jet-black hair cascaded down, and her sparkling eyes reminded one of a kitten. On the contrary, her timid personality showed in her eyes, which were cast downward, lacking confidence.
"H-here you go, Oppa…"
"Hey. Seo Se-ah."
"Eek, y-yes…"
His voice was low and heavy. It wasn't a shout or a sharp snap, yet the manager's body flinched violently, like a child being scolded.
She couldn't meet his eyes properly. As if showing her already eroded sense of self and dignity, she immediately bowed her head and apologized.
"I-I'm sorry…"
"If you know that, then do it right. What the hell is this?"
On the surface, it looked like an ordinary iced americano. The ice clinking when the coffee was shaken seemed perfectly normal. But the contents were downright provocative.
"Iced americano, five extra shots? Is this right?"
"Well…"
Seo Se-ah had brought exactly what was ordered. She'd heard it clearly with both ears. She even remembered asking a couple more times to make sure she hadn't misheard. Jang Seon-woo had given her the bizarre errand of adding five shots to an americano.
Yet now he was annoyed, demanding why she'd brought something like this when he'd ordered it himself, scolding his manager. Seo Se-ah doubted her own ears too.
But she bowed her head. It was something she'd learned from past experience.
"I'm sorry… Oppa."
"I told you I wanted a dolce latte. How are you supposed to handle even simple errands like this?"
"Yes…"
For a moment, Seo Se-ah's gaze turned to Jang Geon-woo. He'd been there when the errand was given—hadn't he heard it too? A flicker of injustice welled up inside her. She looked at him pleadingly, hoping he'd correct the record, but all she got in return was a reply dripping with amusement.
"See? You should do better. I clearly heard it was a dolce latte too."
"Ah…"
Her expression filled with despair. There was no one on her side here. She realized it. Her head drooped of its own accord. Maybe it was because she'd lived with the words "I'm sorry" on her lips. She looked like a sinner with her head bowed.
She didn't know how things had come to this. Though she was introverted and socially awkward, she'd dreamed of supporting someone brilliant. She'd studied hard and honed her skills in her major.
Thanks to that, she'd been able to join E-Doon Entertainment, one of the top three agencies. But this industry was far too harsh on the girl who'd once dreamed.
Maybe it was stubbornness. It was something she'd dreamed of for over five years.
In this narrow, connection-driven world, Seo Se-ah couldn't even blow the whistle. All she could do was endure. It was a big agency, after all. If she held on and built her skills, wouldn't she eventually see the light?
With that mindset, Seo Se-ah had endured every single day. The voice that reached her ears was truly cruel.
"Drink it."
"What?"
"I said drink."
"…Yes."
She received the bitterly bitter coffee. She, who usually drank lattes because even regular americanos were too bitter for her, forced down the five shots.
The bitter taste rose up, twisting her expression. Her empty stomach began to burn.
Watching her, Jang Seon-woo wore a faint smile. Only after making sure she'd swallowed every last drop did he start pulling money from his wallet.
"Take this. I'll be chatting for about an hour, so go kill some time somewhere."
"Ugh… yes…"
Two 50,000-won bills. If it had been ordinary harassment, she would have gritted her teeth and endured. But being treated like a toy, like some kind of errand game, made her feel like her very personhood was being chipped away.
Still, she had no choice but to take the money. A rookie road manager's starting salary was meager, after all.
If she'd simply been given a mission to drink a five-shot americano for 100,000 won, she might have done it without thinking. But his behavior—reducing her to someone incompetent—was truly harsh. Both personally and emotionally. Her hand trembled as she accepted the 100,000 won.
The world was truly bitter. Just like the lingering aftertaste of the americano in her mouth.
***
"Aaaagh…!!"
"A-are you okay? Dan-wol?"
"Noona, you're not doing this on purpose, right?"
"O-of course not… You asked me to get the script."
Haah. Woo Dan-wol let out a deep sigh. Even in a private meeting with the company CEO, there wasn't a hint of discomfort on his face. If anything, it was Lee Hye-ri who grew more anxious watching him sit in the CEO's office, staring at the script.
Did she know the common point between children who overworked their bodies and children who refused to eat? Either way, it hurt as a parent. That was exactly how Lee Hye-ri felt.
Filming had just ended, yet here he was, already hunting for another script after only a few days. Actors were supposed to empty themselves in proportion to how deeply they'd immersed. But to chase after another role while still carrying the previous one? It gave her a sense of dread, like watching a predator that had already caught its prey still searching for more.
What's more, he was even worrying about making money for the company. From Lee Hye-ri's position, she was grateful, but it left her feeling dazed.
"Man Cops? What the hell is this…"
Woo Dan-wol muttered in disbelief. It was a comedy film composed entirely of male police officers. Ever since possessing this body, what frustrated him most—and what made him truly feel the difference of this world—was the gap in physical strength.
Unlike his previous life, there was an insurmountable divide between genders. That made it all the more absurd to him. Wouldn't it be more efficient for strong women to catch criminals? Conversely, cases requiring sensitivity to the opposite sex, like sexual crimes, could be handled by male officers.
Reading a film born from talk of gender equality and whatnot, he let out a hollow laugh.
"Why are they doing this? Why is the guy suddenly…"
Woo Dan-wol's eyes grew increasingly rotten as he looked at the next project. Watching him, Lee Hye-ri felt a strange sensation. The frustration she'd always felt was being pinpointed through the lens of gender, and it felt refreshing, like drinking soda.
"If they're different, they should just live differently. Why make it like this…"
"Ah, haha…"
Woo Dan-wol grumbled. If they wanted to include that kind of message, at least the script's quality or entertainment value should have been decent. But when he used his ability, scripts carrying those kinds of messages were always either white or green.
Just then, a drama script glowing blue caught his eye.
"This is…?"
The corner of Woo Dan-wol's mouth lifted.