Fighting Fire with Fire

Fighting fire with fire.

Create a new issue to bury the old one.

Fighting fire with fire.

A method people reach for all the time.

Of course, that only works when you do it on purpose.

Before the broadcast began, Ara had already asked for understanding.

"Uh…… so. You're saying you're going to slam the table set out in front of you?"

"Yes. I want to make a strong appeal. That this is a misunderstanding. This one needs to land hard."

There were two things Ara needed to clear up.

That absurd nickname, Gwang-nyeon-i — and the explanation about her agency.

She had to put on a show of genuine anger.

People only got it when you did it that way.

So she had explained everything in advance to the production staff and the other actors.

A sudden table-smashing stunt might startle them — and it was also, frankly, extremely rude.

"Are you sure about this, Ara?"

"Yeah. Do you really have to go that far?"

Yu Ha-yeong and Lee Seo-jun asked.

"Yes. I'll be fine."

The public eye? Her own image? Fine.

Anything's better than Gwang-nyeon-i.

What the hell even was Gwang-nyeon-i, anyway?

Right. Better to be a little rude.

So she would overwrite it with an even stronger ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠image.

"Hahaha! Ara must have her own plan!"

Lee Min-hyeok laughed heartily.

And a little more time passed.

"Five seconds to start. Five! Four! Three! …. …."

The live talk show finally began.

.

.

"Alright, everyone! Hello! This is the surprise talk show streaming on the official MBS channel! We've got the hottest people of the moment — let me introduce them! Please welcome the cast of the drama Forest of Crime!!"

Lee Min-hyeok entered first and began his self-introduction.

"Hello! I'm Lee Min-hyeok! Hahaha!"

Next came Lee Seo-jun and Yu Ha-yeong, who finished their introductions in turn.

"Alright! That wraps up the introductions for the cast of Forest of Crime!"

The viewers, of course, lost their minds the moment the introductions ended.

There was the sudden controversy, sure — but at the root of it, they simply wanted to see Gil Ara, the woman who had played Lee Eun-ju.

Gil Ara had never once appeared on any other broadcast, so the reaction was only natural.

"Alright, everyone. That was a joke! Now then — Gil Ara!!"

Hearing her name called, Ara walked slowly onto the set.

Ugh. I'm nervous.

Come to think of it — even if it was remote, this was the first time she was showing her face to an audience of viewers.

Tension crept up on her, but she forced it down and stepped into view.

Then she turned toward the camera and greeted them.

"Hello. I'm Gil Ara."

A little stiff from the nerves, but a clean, simple greeting.

The MBS announcer serving as MC waited for the chat to settle, but there was no sign of it quieting down.

"Well then — talk show and Q&A! Let's begin."

Pressed for time, he had no choice but to move on.

"We'll go in fair order. First — Lee Min-hyeok."

"Yes, Director."

"Could you briefly explain the direction Forest of Crime will take going forward?"

Forest of Crime after Lee Eun-ju's exit.

Plenty of people were curious about that.

"First of all, Forest of Crime is a sixteen-episode series, and the first episode has now wrapped."

"Yes."

"I can't go into detail about the stories coming next, but we'll be covering a variety of crimes. Especially organized and group crimes, I think."

Lee Min-hyeok answered carefully, staying within the pre-agreed boundaries.

"So does that mean we won't be seeing any more individual villains?"

"That's right."

Lee Min-hyeok answered, then shot a glance at Ara.

"Hasn't an individual already given us more than enough of a performance? Hahahaha!"

"Thank you for that answer! Next — Lee Seo-jun!"

"Yes."

"A lot of people have expressed regret over your sudden exit. How are you feeling about it?"

"Hmm. Well. Honestly, I didn't get that much attention, did I? Gil Ara put on such an incredible performance."

"But we can't overlook Lee Seo-jun's role in going up against that, either."

"Thank you for seeing it that way."

"Then let me change the question a bit. At the time, when you were tied to the chair as Lee Eun-ju's victim — how did that feel?"

"Hmm……."

?

Lee Seo-jun glanced sideways, then barely managed to get the words out.

"…No comment."

"Hahaha. Understood."

"Hahahahaha! This kid couldn't even make it to the wrap-up dinner that night."

Lee Min-hyeok chimed in from the side.

"Oh. Why not?"

"Probably wasn't in any state to get food down."

"Then how about you, Gil Ara? Did you enjoy the wrap party?"

A sudden ambush question flying at Ara.

"Huh? Yes."

She answered on reflex before she could stop herself.

"I see! Got it."

"Hahahaha! For the record, the meat at the wrap party was Hanwoo 1++."

"Alright! Next — Yu Ha-yeong! How did it feel shooting your family?"

"Huh? Why only me?"

"Just kidding."

"What is wrong with you!"

The questions for Yu Ha-yeong wrapped up.

Now it was Ara's turn.

Hoo— hoo—

Ara took a quiet breath, steadying herself so she'd be ready for whatever came flying at her.

"Finally, it's your turn. Honestly, the person viewers have been most curious about is Gil Ara, who played Lee Eun-ju."

"So there are quite a few questions. Is that alright?"

"Yes."

"First question. Gil Ara, your age isn't listed on your profile — is there a particular reason for that? Viewers are curious. Would you be willing to share it?"

"Huh?"

Sometimes, when a person gets a question so absurd it short-circuits them, their thoughts freeze solid.

Apparently her age had been left off.

"Ah. If it's uncomfortable, we can skip it."

"Ah, no. I'm twenty-one."

"Oh! I see."

"Then, next question."

The next question. And the one after that. All of them basic, almost bland.

She'd been so tense for nothing — the questions were so hollow they made her feel a little pathetic.

But thanks to that, her nerves had almost completely settled, and now she could answer naturally.

"There's a scene where Lee Eun-ju gets a nosebleed mid-scene. It became a huge talking point for how realistic and immersive it was. Was that something you came up with yourself, or was it directed by the production team?"

But sometimes, a little tension was necessary.

"Huh? That was a real noseblee—"

The words slipped out before she could stop them.

"Hmm…… I see. Understood."

Honesty could be poison, sometimes.

A recording? You could edit it.

But this was a live stream.

The quiet words Ara had just spoken traveled straight through the mic to every YouTube viewer watching.

Words already spoken couldn't be taken back.

Not unless you rewound time.

"O-our Ara! She's not a weird kid!"

From beside her, Yu Ha-yeong suddenly launched into a defense.

Ha, stop it!

It only backfired.

Ahem—!

The announcer cleared his throat and tossed out a few more questions.

And not long after, the question they had arranged with Ara in advance finally revealed itself.

"A question for Ara. This may be a sensitive matter, but so many viewers have asked that I have to bring it up. Regarding the recent controversy over unpaid appearance fees and an unfair contract with YW — is there anything you'd like to say?"

"Yes. I'm well aware of it."

Ara began the answer she had prepared.

Hoo—

"I'd like to use this opportunity to set the record straight. Not only my appearance fee, but the contract itself — the terms were far more generous than I deserved. So please stop insulting the people who have been so kind to me. Otherwise……."

Now was the moment to slam the desk.

How should she hit it for maximum impact?

Ara kept thinking, and one method came to her.

Recalling a moment when she had been truly furious.

Recalling what she had gone through on that lonely battlefield.

Ara carefully raised her arm.

Ah crap, thinking about it is pissing me off all over again?

The emotion of that moment rose again.

Nostalgia romanticizes. Memory distorts.

^Oh^

This son of a—

BANG!!

And so the fist Ara had tempered with a shotgun smashed down onto the desk.

CRACK—!

And it split cleanly in two.

Huh?

Wh-what the hell, why did it break……?

Ara was thoroughly rattled —

""……""

— and the people who had been preparing to act surprised were genuinely shocked.

"Ah, no, why did this…."

After a brief freeze, Ara opened her mouth again.

"So…… I'm not a crazy person…."

At any rate, she had said what she needed to say.

"S-sorry…."

With that apology, the interview came to a close.

.

.

.

"Thank you, Ara. For my sake."

"……."

How could he not be grateful?

His own signed talent had worked so hard to clear his name.

The only problem was that she had completely demolished her own image in the process….

What is she, the Hulk?

He still had no idea how she had even broken that thing.

Anyway, that was that.

"…So you're interested in this?"

"…Yes."

What Ara handed over was —

"…Please look into this for me."

A script with an ominous title.

Of all the things she could pick, she had to pick this one.

Stalker.

An ill-fated project that had sat unproduced for a long time.

A work by Director Bong Jun-seo — a man who had once basked in brilliant glory.