Did I Do Wrong, or Not?
Lee Hye-ri let out a deep sigh. Why hadn't she thought of this? Recalling their conversation from just a few days ago, she began skimming through the article.
The photo showed Woo Dan-wol volunteering at a university hospital. Apparently, he had put on a small play in the pediatric cardiology ward to cheer up the children.
She had no idea how things had come to this. Lee Hye-ri decided she needed to give him a stern warning.
Back to the past. Just like in his previous life, Woo Dan-wol had thrown himself into the field for research.
Acting comes from experience. In the end, actors are still human. Even though Woo Dan-wol was a genius, he was never one to slack off on effort.
He did his best with any realistically attainable experience. That was Woo Dan-wol's acting philosophy. Thanks to it, he could deliver performances that were even more detailed and full of realism. He didn't think he was wrong.
"The article's going up. Is that okay?"
"It's a little embarrassing."
"Doing it secretly is fine, but it's better to let people know."
At Severance Hospital in Seoul, Woo Dan-wol sat on a bench chatting with a reporter. It hadn't been staged from the start. It was purely coincidental.
It really had happened by chance. The reporter was a woman in her late twenties who had come to the hospital to visit her younger sister. As someone active in the entertainment industry, she prided herself on her sharp eye. And yet—
"Dan-wol-ssi?"
"Uh, uh, oh. No, I'm Woo Dan-wol."
Anyone could see it was Woo Dan-wol. His plain clothes made him look like a college student who had come for simple volunteer work, so most people didn't recognize him. But the reporter, who had written articles about him before and taken an interest, couldn't help but notice.
Back again. The reporter pressed Woo Dan-wol, who was hesitating.
"When celebrities donate or volunteer, they get quite a few malicious comments, don't they?"
"That's right."
"You can just ignore all of them."
"Is that… so?"
At her meaningful words, Woo Dan-wol trailed off. The reporter's thoughts, on the other hand, were firm. People often left malicious comments about celebrities' charitable activities, calling it image management, whitewashing, or showing off. But—
"On the flip side, a lot of people also donate after seeing celebrities do it."
"Ah…"
In the end, influence was something that couldn't be ignored. No matter how much people cursed or belittled the value of good deeds, the actions a person took never changed.
"Anyway, that's how it is."
"Haha…"
Woo Dan-wol let out an awkward laugh. He felt a twinge of guilt. He had come to volunteer and worked hard, but his intentions could be called impure. It wasn't a pure desire to help others—it was an action taken to analyze the script. Feeling ashamed, Woo Dan-wol stood up.
"Since I've been caught anyway… I should do it properly."
"Yes. I'll write the article right away."
"I'd appreciate that."
Afterward, Woo Dan-wol adjusted his schedule and performed a simple play for the children. The young patients at the university hospital suffered from serious illnesses—some even needed transplants. The "influence" he wielded was something incredibly important. Not just his words and actions, but the acting he would show in the future as well.
And so, the day came to an end, and Woo Dan-wol had just returned to the company.
"Noona, I…"
"Woo Dan-wol-ssi?"
Woo Dan-wol entered the CEO's office with a cheerful smile, only to freeze at the icy atmosphere. The aura Lee Hye-ri gave off was just like a mother calling him by his full name. It reminded him of his past life.
"N-Noona…?"
"Come here."
Woo Ri-na, who had heard the news, was also thoroughly sulking. After Lee Hye-ri came Ri-na. He was in for a proper scolding at home too, but right now Woo Dan-wol knew nothing.
He slowly approached Lee Hye-ri. The atmosphere was freezing. Even though he knew he'd done something wrong, he didn't grasp the severity. Though he had been a sturdy man in his past life, now that he was possessed in this reversed world, he was an ordinary "man" who was weaker and smaller than women.
"If you keep doing things like today… why do we even have an agency?"
"…I'm sorry."
Lee Hye-ri let out a long sigh. Even though he admitted his mistake, she wanted to instill a sense of caution in him while she had the chance.
"You can go around for script analysis, but you should at least tell me first."
"Yes…"
Woo Dan-wol hung his head low. So this was the pattern on the office floor tiles. Everything Lee Hye-ri said was correct—absolutely right. Since Woo Dan-wol had acted on impulse without notice, he couldn't complain even if he was being scolded.
"It's lucky it was just ordinary volunteer work today. If you had to play a homeless person, would you actually go sleep on the streets?"
"Eep…"
In that moment, Lee Hye-ri and Woo Dan-wol's eyes met. Her emotions grew rougher. She had seen the sincerity in his gaze.
She knew all too well how obsessed Woo Dan-wol was with acting. That was exactly why she was more worried. In those eyes, she saw the conviction that he really would sleep on the streets.
In reality, Woo Dan-wol reacted as if he'd been caught. It was because he had experience being homeless in his past life. Why wouldn't he do it in this life too?
Having experienced death and now living in a new world, Woo Dan-wol's actions were still rooted in his past life.
"Will you do it, or won't you?"
"That's…"
A rough laugh escaped her lips. It was anger mixed with emotion—more precisely, worry—but she was furious at how defenseless he was.
If he had given a clear answer, maybe. But even when asked like this, he wouldn't say he wouldn't do it.
"Watch carefully."
"Y-Yes, Noona?"
In that instant, Lee Hye-ri grabbed both of Woo Dan-wol's hands. Then, as if making him surrender, she lifted them above his head and pinned his wrists with one hand.
Woo Dan-wol's eyes widened as both his hands were suddenly bound.
"What are you doing, all of a sudden?"
"……"
Woo Dan-wol put strength into both hands. This was something that could never happen in his past life. If he wanted to, Lee Hye-ri's grip strength was nothing…
"Huh…?"
He tried with all his might, but Lee Hye-ri easily held both his hands with just one. He couldn't understand how she was restraining him with only her left hand.
Only then did Woo Dan-wol begin to panic. He felt uneasy under Lee Hye-ri's silent gaze.
No matter how much he struggled and resisted, in this CEO's office with just the two of them, he couldn't do anything against her actions. That fact hit him—it was the reversed world.
"Noona, Noona… let go."
"Why, why… don't you know how scary women can be?"
Woo Dan-wol's pupils trembled. His expression was genuinely frightened. This wasn't how it was supposed to go.
Lee Hye-ri, looking startled, immediately released his hands. Her heart sank with a thud.
She turned her head away. Woo Dan-wol, still held by her hands, could only look at her with trembling eyes.
Was it because of his visuals? Or was it sadism?
Lee Hye-ri turned her back to calm her racing heart. Staring out the window at the scenery, she spoke softly, careful not to let her true feelings show.
"So be careful. I'm worried about you."
"…I understand. I'll ask for permission next time."
"Good."
This much should be enough. She worried about what would happen to Woo Dan-wol if he recklessly tried to sleep on the streets. Even in Korea, crime wasn't nonexistent. Lee Hye-ri had made the mistake of trying to teach him caution.
The atmosphere grew a little strange.
"My wrists hurt."
"A-Are you okay?"
Lee Hye-ri spun around in surprise, moving faster than ever. She approached him and gently rubbed his wrists, checking for marks.
"Pfft."
"Ah…"
He was fine. Only after seeing Woo Dan-wol's mischievous smile did she let out a sigh of relief.
"Hey!"
"Ahaha, that tickles. I'm sorry, Noona."
"Geez…"
She was relieved. Even though she looked annoyed on the outside, Lee Hye-ri was grateful to Woo Dan-wol.
Middle. The word "middle" was quite subtle. It wasn't the beginning or the end, yet it held an essential position that couldn't be skipped.
And in the movie Middle, the next project Woo Dan-wol would act in, he would take on the role of "middle" as well.
[Woo Dan-wol × Han Da-sol, this time as partners!]
[The movie's theme is organ transplants? With such a rare topic, what kind of performance will they deliver…?]
"Director!"
"Hello, Director."
"Oh my! The actors are here?"
Director Park Soo-yeon beamed with her kind face. Her complexion was glowing, and the haggard look and dark circles from before had long since disappeared.
The director who had chased after romance was finally achieving her dream. Holding a camera as a director. At this moment, what she felt was excitement rather than anxiety.
Filming for the movie Middle had begun.