The Eyes That See Lies

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Actress Seo Bom has a somewhat special ability.

From her orphanage days as a child, she had sharp instincts.

Sharp enough to read how much truth was etched on people's faces.

"I really like you, Bom! Let's be friends forever!"

"That's too bad. What if I became your dad? Uncle just wants to be your parent, purely."

"Thanks to you, Bom, we've gotten so much sponsorship. I'm grateful."

Thanks to this intuition, the girl abandoned at four had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠grown into adulthood without major incidents.

And her success as an actress was possible because she knew exactly how genuine her actions appeared to others.

In her stormy childhood, the world looked full of malice and envy to Seo Bom's eyes.

Until she met one person.

"Seo Bom, huh. Nice name."

"...Yeah, abandoned at four. I can't really empathize, but sorry for saying it so casually."

"Please, Bom! 'My parents are idiot trash, so maybe my head's trash too' isn't a reason to score 12 on math! You just bombed the test! Come on, let's try again!"

...Truth.

"Oh my god, Bom! If someone asks about your parents' well-being, just ask back! Say your parents pour blood and sweat into money, so why are you uglier and dumber than me? Even your parents got a bad draw—tell them that instead of swinging first!"

"Hic... huuuh...!"

"But why's she crying again! Did you hit her?!"

"I believe in Bom. She said she wouldn't do it anymore."

"You little brat, where do you get off talking nonsense! I was gonna let it slide with an apology, but like any orphan...!"

"Spend the time elegantly searching for your parents and bring evidence. I said it again: Bom didn't do it. She promised she wouldn't."

"You, you little...!"

"If you're just gonna spout nonsense, I'll make it public. You confident?"

"Sniff, to think I'd live to see Bom get into a liberal arts high school! Dad—er, as your guardian, Kang Min has no regrets even in death!"

"......."

"Grr...!"

"Hey, why'd you hit me."

"Grrr...!"

"I bought you that bag, what's the complaint...!"

Kang Min and Seo Bom's relationship was, well, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠something like that.

Even after leaving the orphanage as an adult and starting her trainee life, it didn't change much.

Kang Min was purely happy for Seo Bom's success. Unlike others, there was no envy in his gaze.

Buoyed by that support, she strove for even greater success. She had failed auditions lately for some reason, but once she made big money, she could buy a nice house and live together.

Double rent wasn't ideal anyway. Kang Min always nagged to save money.

...So their first fight a few months ago was absolutely not intentional.

"Sunbae, what's with your face?"

"Huh... what about it?"

"You look exhausted. Really."

"Ahem, no. I'm fine. Anyway, congrats—you got the lead this time, so now—"

'.......'

The first lie Seo Bom had ever seen from him.

She was stunned for a while. The shock of Kang Min lying to her was that profound.

But it didn't end there.

After that, the lies piled up day by day.

"I'm fine, just a bit tired."

"Yeah, nightmares are rough, but it doesn't affect my daily life."

"It's manageable. Not a big deal."

'.......'

Seo Bom thought she tried.

Unlike usual, she approached cautiously, subtly, reading his expressions carefully, desperately trying to understand the situation.

'.......'

But it was impossible.

Kang Min had started lying at some point. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠She could tolerate that much.

But his increasingly deathly pallor was unbearable.

Her patience reached its limit.

And one day, it exploded.

"Sunbae."

"Yeah?"

"Quit acting. Right now."

"......What?"

"I said quit!"

Their first real fight, unprecedented in scale.

Emotions ran high, words grew harsh.

And inevitably,

Words she never meant slipped out.

"It's none of your business. If the script says die as a homeless guy, I will. So drop it."

"Grr! Fine, do whatever! Die or not, I don't care!!"

Truly,

A horrific thing to say.

"I have lived a shameful life."

"......."

"They say repaying kindness with enmity is humanity's original sin. If so, mine is closer to Augustine than Irenaeus. Adam's pride birthed the flaw in our nature, and that sin's essence passes eternally through bloodlines. I had to know that. I had to know the seed of pride I harbored and the results it would bear..."

Unfortunately, this wasn't some confessional or religious gathering.

It was Seo Bom muttering blankly in her dorm after fainting and waking.

Her junior Jo Yun-a eyed her agency senior like she'd lost it, while Manager Chu Yeon-ji shot back a look of you know she's always been a bit off.

But alas, a manager's job is to handle the actor whether they're crazy or not.

Manager Chu Yeon-ji mustered loyalty and duty, clearing her throat.

"Ahem. So, what's up? The spanner doesn't fit? That was the most expensive one—Swiss-made."

"......."

"Or mad about how I handled last time? No choice—their pad lip came first, but your wording was brutal! I preempted sympathy votes and buried them; that's damage control!"

"......."

"What then! Covering your smack to that sasaeng's head as guard overreaction was best. Lucky no one saw!!"

Jo Yun-a pondered philosophically how her bestie survived the industry.

Just pretty-face her way through? Public that blind?

But Seo Bom had no time for her manager's dying pallor.

Her pale lips moved blankly.

"...It was real."

"Huh?"

"His acting. It was real."

Her nails dug into her palm.

Seo Bom could spot lies.

It hugely aided her acting success: Act as truly as possible, and that was the answer.

It also gauged other actors: Higher seeming-true ratio meant better performer, even if not always spot-on.

But,

Kang Min's acting before she fainted was different.

'It was incredible.'

And,

'It was unfamiliar.'

It was like seeing a Kang Min she didn't know.

Every emotion felt infinitely true. Like watching a master method actor.

Seo Bom couldn't understand. But she was thrilled.

Whatever happened, his acting was amazing—she knew how hard he'd worked. Any ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠miracle, she'd celebrate.

Until she saw him collapse on screen.

In that instant,

A dazed sound escaped.

A falling scene. A death acting scene.

It couldn't be true. No one had that experience, so no truth existed.

Not even Hollywood greats nailed it truly.

Then,

Why was that,

True?

"......."

Suddenly, her breath caught.

A chill spread through her body.

An unwelcome hypothesis invaded her mind.

Seo Bom's "truth" was her perceived truth. Acting truth was what she believed true.

Thus, she sometimes saw actors' skills skyrocket—usually from personal experience infused.

That meant,

Kang Min had half-died.

"Grr! Fine, do whatever! Die or not, I don't care!!"

While she spat that crap and cut contact,

He'd nearly died.

'.......'

Seo Bom stared blankly at the screen.

A bodiless imagining haunted her mind.

All the more horrific for it.

How painful an accident enabled that acting?

How horrific an experience birthed that expression?

And,

'How much does he hate me now, that even after that, no contact...'

Of course, a misunderstanding.

Even armchair detective king Hercule Poirot couldn't deduce: "Ah, actually, that friend dies in dreams every acting take, fakes genius via curse."

That's not detection; that's insanity.

'Ah...'

Non-insane Seo Bom fainted again.

In her dream, she bashed past-self with a spanner to rewind history. Awake, no spacetime powers.

She woke unhinged, just trembling.

Didn't know what to do.

Just guilt.

'Sunbae...'

Tears fell pathetically.

Manager pitied whatever this nutcase ate wrong, tears falling too.

In this misunderstanding-laden scene, junior Jo Yun-a totally misread too.

'So.'

Jo Yun-a pieced Seo Bom's mutters, hands over mouth.

'That Kang Min guy, never died, so obsessed with acting he tried near-death for the feel?!'

The unfortunate origin of a grave misunderstanding for her.

Days later, "reliable" rumors about Kang Min swirled the industry.

They ballooned, infiltrating agencies targeting the genius shaking the world.

Reactions? About like this.

"...Hoo."

"That Kang Min kid won't settle for ordinary terms, huh."

"Huh, made up with Bom?"

"Oh, right. We fought. Wondered why no contact lately. Still sulking?"

"What, haha! Not her style. Tougher than any guy."

Three days after King and Sovereign's premiere.

My surroundings had changed quite a bit.

First, congrats calls poured in from everywhere, naturally.

Bellowing Kim Kang-hyeon section chief.

Yu Ho-hyeon PD already slurping kimchi soup.

Tearful Baek Chae-i writer.

Plus acquaintances and total strangers—texts and chats uncountable.

I shrugged at first, but soon muted after freaking at every ring.

Plus, unimaginable situations arose.

"Uh, um... are you Hui-yul...?"

"...Yes."

"No way! Knew it!"

"Photo! Just one pic?! Autograph too!"

Passersby started recognizing me.

Not celebrity-level numbers, but not ignorable.

For trash-fashion convenience store guy like me, every excited approach was awkward.

Now I dress up going out, but still weird.

"Thanks!"

"Cheering for the drama!!"

The two girls beamed at my scribble-autograph, left happily.

Curious onlookers gathered, so I bolted.

Hong Ji-ho on the phone chuckled, getting it.

"...Yes."

"Dunno."

I pondered briefly.

My late dad said fame's just tiring—live moderately healthy, happy, doing what you want.

Brat-me: 'Dad's lazy. I have ambition.' Got whooped in Mario Kart.

'Never saw this even in dreams.'

Entertainment sites splash my name in headlines, passersby recognize, lurking reporters shove mics.

Feels good. If hated, wouldn't dream acting.

...But not worth the horrific deaths per role.

'Fame my ass—living like this is insane.'

Can't call alive if unsure dead or not.

Dad might've been right...

Chewing regret, I spoke.

"I'd rather no one care and just shoot Unbelievable."

"No, really aiming for Unbelievable. Honestly, your advice last time sucked."

"......."

Hong Ji-ho, culprit in this mess, just laughed it off.

I just sighed.

'What now—'

Unbelievable's Wi Min-jun PD freaks at my calls; MBS's Kim Kang-hyeon pitches some Chaebol Hunter where protag doesn't die.

Felt boxed in.

'If no Unbelievable, maybe retire post-King and Sovereign...'

No confidence continuing in this state. Beyond validation craving.

As I sighed in frustration, as always.

Hong dropped a bombshell.

"Agency?"

"Hm, I'll think."

I didn't buy it fully.

Seemed random; I needed death-per-role shows, not agency.

But his follow-up differed.

"Bonuses?"

"...!"

Near crosswalk, my feet halted.

Hong kept talking, but ears rang deaf.

Lungs filled with fresh air. Foggy mind cleared instantly.

Lightning-bolt epiphany.

'My god, that solution!'

'Possible! Perfect! Flawless plan!'

I rejoiced in certainty.

Had to.

'What agency rejects an actor asking for one reenactment show over fat signing cash?!'

Agency Atrocities (3)