Year-End
The countryside night fell faster than in the city. Though the area wasn't rundown and streetlights still lined the roads, the refreshing openness of the sky—unobstructed by concrete forests—was something only the countryside could offer.
"Honey."
"Yeah."
"You didn't drink too much, did you?"
"O-of course not…!"
Woo Dan-wol's parents sat at the table in the front yard, talking quietly while everyone else slept. Their eldest had thrown himself into the theater scene in Daehakro and returned successful before they knew it. The second child still had a ways to go, but he would surely succeed as well.
As parents, they had no more regrets. Now well into their fifties, they could simply spend their remaining years together. They had already shared half their lives.
Woo Hyeon-jeong loved alcohol but couldn't handle much of it. Kang Jin-hyo, knowing this, always worried about her. Because she knew that, she never raised her voice and simply watched her words around him.
"Dan-wol gave us some allowance."
"Really?"
"Time really flies…"
The two of them gazed up at the night sky for a while. The buzz from the alcohol had completely faded. Perhaps that was why unease crept across Woo Hyeon-jeong's face.
"How about another drink?"
"H-honey?"
She looked flustered. After all these years of marriage, she knew exactly what one more drink implied.
"I'll wash up first and bring the drinks. Wait here, okay?"
"Ah… Honey! Honey! Just a second… Honey?!"
Kang Jin-hyo disappeared into the house. He wanted to drink. He was suggesting they drink!
"Why… why is he washing up… Honey, I'm scared."
Left alone at the table, Woo Hyeon-jeong muttered to herself. She knew. She knew precisely what was about to happen to her.
"Please…"
The middle-aged woman did her best to survive another night.
"Is this… real?"
"I don't know. They came out of the same house."
In the editing room of an online news outlet, people who could easily be called paparazzi were talking. Even so, their official title was "reporters"—people who fulfilled the public's right to know. Of course, in modern times that role had become somewhat distorted, but at least in their need for attention, they weren't so different from celebrities.
"Woo Dan-wol… This could make us some money."
"Should we run it right away?"
"No. It's exclusive, right?"
"Yes."
"Let's wait until it gets bigger. The Acting Awards are next week, aren't they?"
"He'll definitely attend the ceremony."
Anyone who watched the latest dramas couldn't possibly not know Woo Dan-wol. Starting with Forest of Flowers, dramas that achieved over 18% viewership were rare—especially amid the media storm surrounding him.
"Let's run it then."
"Yes, but…"
The reporter who had taken the photos actually knew the truth. They were close—very likely family. But did that matter?
"The public always needs something to tear apart. Woo Dan-wol already has plenty of controversies anyway…"
"The views will be insane."
The two women were in perfect agreement. This would definitely damage the actor. They could always issue a correction later. What did his image matter? Their eyes were already blinded by pageviews. The duty to inform the public had long been forgotten. As long as they fed the masses gossip, that was enough.
With greedy smiles, the two of them prepared to clip the wings of a rising star and claim their prize.
Meanwhile, Woo Dan-wol was saying his goodbyes with Woo Ri-na. He had considered staying longer, but his sister had school, and more importantly, the restaurant needed to reopen. They decided to take the train the next morning after waking up.
"Take care on your way back."
"I'll visit again. Mother, Father."
"Mom, Dad, I'm heading out!"
"Heh heh…"
Woo Hyeon-jeong's eyes looked hollow and sunken, her cheeks slightly gaunt. What on earth had happened last night?
Kang Jin-hyo waved them off, urging them to leave quickly—as if he were chasing them out. Was it true that material abundance brought leisure? He took Woo Hyeon-jeong's hand and began pulling her inside. Her complexion grew paler by the second.
"They're in their prime."
"Yeah."
"?"
"What. Why."
Well, a middle schooler would understand these things. Shaking his head, Woo Dan-wol started walking. The train schedule was tight.
The ride back to Seoul was uneventful. The only unusual thing was that Lee Hye-ri called even though it was Sunday.
"I got your call."
[Dan-wol, do you have time? Did the family visit go well?]
"Noona, we're heading up to Seoul Station right now. We'll probably arrive around one."
[Ah, perfect. I'll come pick you up. Want to stay with your sister? Let's go look at houses.]
"…Houses?"
[Yeah. I told you.]
It had only been two days. Woo Dan-wol was once again struck by Lee Hye-ri's terrifying execution speed. Then again, once she made up her mind about something she could do immediately, she acted without hesitation. There was nothing strange about it, so he answered.
"Understood."
[Okay. Then let's go house hunting.]
After hanging up, Woo Dan-wol answered Woo Ri-na's question right away.
"Who was that?"
"The CEO. She wants to go look at houses."
"Ah…"
Woo Ri-na had met Lee Hye-ri a few times before. She was the person who usually drove him home. She had thought she was just a manager, so she had been quite surprised to learn she was actually the CEO.
They didn't run into each other often, but they exchanged greetings whenever they did.
"Already?"
Woo Ri-na's reaction came a beat late. Now that she thought about it, Woo Dan-wol had only mentioned it two days ago. She nodded as if it were perfectly normal and smiled.
"That's just how she is."
"……."
As expected, the people at Haesung Entertainment weren't normal. Did the company only hire people like that? Woo Ri-na genuinely began to doubt the agency.
"How about this place?"
"Whoa…"
"I mentioned it because there happened to be a good one available. It's perfect for a celebrity."
Woo Ri-na was impressed. It wasn't just spacious—the house was stunning, the kind you only saw on YouTube. It was an apartment in Seoul. Even though the company had units there, it was famous for housing many celebrities.
With security that protected privacy and kept sasaeng fans at bay, it was already a passing grade. There was no need to look anywhere else. The furniture was already there too. In reality, they only needed to bring clothes and books. Woo Dan-wol hadn't expected it to be this nice.
"I-is this okay?"
"Hmm… No?"
He looked flustered. Normally people would say it was fine, right? He had asked out of concern for the company's finances, but now he was genuinely worried. Lee Hye-ri had simply been honest. She wasn't thinking anything else. It was a bit of a burden, but leaving their top—and only—actor in a studio apartment? That would cause controversy. The company couldn't possibly allow that, especially when the actor was clearly on an upward trajectory. She knew his acting ability. It was a perfectly reasonable decision. Why make him keep moving from place to place?
"Instead…"
There it was. Lee Hye-ri's "that look." It was the legendary gaze that even Woo Dan-wol, who was obsessed with acting, supposedly had to yield to. She was fully in "Let Woo Dan-wol do whatever he wants!" mode. But whenever she wanted something, she would send him that look.
He knew she was looking out for him. Refusing her after that would feel uncomfortable—human nature, really. Resigned, he decided to hear her out.
"Just film one CF."
"One?"
"Yeah. After that, you can do whatever you want."
"…Got it."
Whew. A sigh of relief escaped Lee Hye-ri's lips. She had been worried he might refuse. Today's "Our Dan-wol is the best" stack increased once again. Then, at his next question, she smiled.
"But… what is it?"
"Pepsi Zero. They want to sign you as the model."
"P-Pepsi?!"
Woo Ri-na's eyes grew even wider. Her brother was a global star? And not just any brand—it was Pepsi Zero, her favorite drink. The one with the lime flavor! She hadn't realized it much at school, but hearing this made her newly aware of just how impressive Woo Dan-wol was.
Time passed. Within a few days, Woo Dan-wol had moved all his belongings and finished settling into the new place. Now he was lounging around the house.
"……."
Bored. The thought of boredom filled his mind. What did he used to do? Whether in his past life or this one, he couldn't remember doing anything during his free time except acting. Watching dramas or movies. Analyzing scripts. That was what he usually did.
If Lee Hye-ri hadn't begged him to take time off work and enjoy his own life, he wouldn't be lounging like this right now.
In the end, he went into the room with the computer. A computer he barely used except for watching movies. He had bought one after moving.
"Hmm…"
He thought back to his past life. What had he done before acting? His life had been so dull that it took him a long time to remember.
"League?"
Would it exist here too? He turned on the computer. It had been one of the few games he played in his previous life.
When he searched, it was still there. Incredible. He quickly tried to recall his old account, but of course it didn't exist. After creating a new account, he downloaded and launched the game. The character felt strangely unfamiliar even though everything else was the same—except the gender was reversed.
"Whoa, Varus is a lesbian? But why isn't Taric?"
He was dumbfounded. The questions from his past life still remained. Since he had just created the account, his level was low.
Woo Dan-wol, who had chosen the nickname, queued up for ARAM. It was a mode where you could fight other players even at low levels.
"Heh heh…"
It had been a long time. He was returning to his old self, chasing after the justice of Demacia! Woo Dan-wol focused on the game. And soon, he began to feel the full spiciness of the reversed world.
If you counted the years, it had been almost four. Of course this would happen after that long a break. Simple insults and swearing—he could laugh it off because he was a public figure. If he got worked up over this, how would he ever handle malicious comments?
At that moment—
"Huh…?"
A sound of disbelief escaped Woo Dan-wol's lips. It was because of the same teammate who had been picking fights and swearing since earlier.
"Ha…"
He was speechless. Woo Dan-wol took his hand off the mouse and placed it on the keyboard instead. He could somehow endure insults directed at himself or even his parents. After all, he was a possessor. But telling him—the one who analyzed and studied characters—that he had no understanding of the character?
That, he couldn't let slide.
-Tap tap tap.
The sound of him typing on the keyboard grew louder and louder. Woo Dan-wol's frustrated breathing echoed through the room as well.
"I… analyze characters all day, every single day…!"
His teeth were clenched so tightly from anger that even that sounded like acting. Truly, he was an actor to the core.