Chapter 53
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: I'm His Fan
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"By the way... you don't seem that close with Lee Do-jun?"
Suddenly out of nowhere, Park Min-ha tilted her head.
"Pardon?"
I was just as baffled. Why was my name popping up all of a sudden?
Before we could even respond, Lee Jun-hyeong shrugged with a brazen look on his face.
"I mean, the articles made it sound like you two were tight—doing radio together, starring in the drama together. But the way you call each other feels awkward, and you're hardly talking."
I wanted to sock him one right then and there. Wouldn't anyone? You're the one who barged in and kept butting into the conversation, cutting us off.
It was irritating. Fine, ignore me if you want, but why keep picking fights?
Still, I'm closer to her than you are... right?
That single thought hadn't even finished forming when doubt crept in. It was hard to confidently claim we were close.
When it came to personal friendship? We'd never even met up outside of work.
Oh! Wait, once, right? But that was just to ask for advice because of the drama.
'Is that all it amounts to?'
It felt more like a solid company senior-junior relationship. Well, even that much meant I was closer to her than this guy right now.
But Lee Jun-hyeong smirked like he knew everything, grinning slyly as he asked,
"Am I right? I mean, how could our Min-ha turn down the company forcing you two together just to push him?"
"No. We're close."
"Come on, it's just us here—no need to say that. I won't tell anyone else."
"Jun-hyeong sunbaenim."
"Yeah?"
Park Min-ha flashed a bright smile. It was undeniably soft and gentle, yet somehow it felt like a cold wind slicing through the air.
"We're close. How could I not be, when I love my junior's singing so much?"
"Singing?"
Lee Jun-hyeong's face made it crystal clear he couldn't care less. He kept this up right in front of me, and damn, it was getting under my skin.
"Yes. It really tugs at your heartstrings. Have you listened?"
"If Min-ha recommends it, of course I will."
"No. You don't have to."
"...Huh?"
For a split second, Lee Jun-hyeong stared back with a dumbstruck expression. His sudden U-turn confusion was plain as day.
"Anyway, what I'm saying is, I'm a fan of my junior. How could I not be close to someone from the same company who sings songs I love?"
Honestly, I was pretty touched.
She wasn't the only one who praised me like that. Sometimes the over-the-top hype made me embarrassed.
Lee Jae-yoon from my trainee days, the B.O.Y members, manager Kim Han-soo, all the trainers at Pida.
They'd all said plenty of nice things that made me feel good, but this felt different—way better.
'Is it because of our relationship...?'
Unlike them, Park Min-ha was basically a total stranger outside of being in the same company.
And not just any stranger—a massive star I could never even dream of approaching.
For someone like that to casually say she loved my songs... what was it?
'Real recognition?'
Praise from someone who had no reason to butter me up made all the time I'd put in feel truly worthwhile.
"Min-ha, you're done! Let's go!"
Right on cue, Park Min-ha's manager burst into the break room, waving. Kim Han-soo stood beside him with his usual deadpan face.
"Ah! We have to head out. See you at the first shoot. And definitely listen to my junior's songs."
"Uh? Oh... yeah. See you then."
Park Min-ha stood, gesturing to me.
"I'll get going first. Sunbaenim."
I got up too and bowed to Lee Jun-hyeong. No response again.
But this time, it didn't bother me much.
Lee Jun-hyeong's gaze, slightly dazed, trailed Park Min-ha diagonally as she left the break room.
Seeing that made a sense of relief wash over me, unlike the initial snub.
❤
After the script reading wrapped, the CP urgently summoned PD Kim Shin-hyo. He got straight to the point.
"So, what'd you think?"
Called over before the set was even cleared, PD Kim Shin-hyo shot back with clear annoyance etched on his face.
"About what?"
"Argh! Don't play dumb. How was Lee Do-jun?!"
"He's good. Seo Writer's got an eye for talent—you know her rep. You're not doubting her now, are you?"
Already on edge, the CP snapped at his leisurely attitude.
"Still, I gotta see for myself! Just answer the damn question!"
"Hyungnim, when's our shoot?"
"The shoot? A month and a half from now. Why? You gonna bail and leave me hanging with a sub?"
"No. Just one favor."
"What favor? Wait—no, first tell me about Lee Do-jun! You're ignoring everything I—!"
PD Kim Shin-hyo's voice grew serious.
"I think we should cut a teaser before the broadcast promo. Maybe even a preview."
"A preview? What the hell are you talking about?"
Promo before promo? He'd never heard of such a thing.
Other than the language difference between Korean and English, what else separated them?
The CP's thoughts cut off at his next words.
"Looks like PD Ha Chae-rim was right. Edit some decent bits from the script reading, mix in interviews, and it'll hype things up before principal photography even starts."
"Quit beating around the bush and spit it out!"
Unable to read between the lines, the CP finally exploded. His voice was loud enough to startle a passing staffer outside the CP's office.
PD Kim Shin-hyo winced, rubbing his right ear, then continued.
"Lee Do-jun? The kid can act. Good enough I wanted to grab footage right there."
"What?"
"Lee Jun-hyeong? Han Yeo-ul? If this were principal photography today, they'd have been eaten alive. Pida snagged another big one after Park Min-ha."
Of course, it was just a script reading, so the others hadn't gone all out either.
But even so, based on today, Lee Do-jun had dominated.
The CP gawked at the over-the-top praise.
"You take a bribe or something?"
Nothing else explained it.
Lee Do-jun's story was already public knowledge. If he had that kind of talent, GH wouldn't have let him go.
GH was famous for spotting raw gems—no way they'd drop someone this good.
'If this is true, GH's done for.'
Whatever the reason, it proved their training system had a massive hole.
But believing all that was less likely than PD Kim Shin-hyo losing his mind.
Though a star PD like him going nuts was equally absurd...
"Bribe?"
The very PD who'd thrown the CP into confusion replied with brimming confidence.
"Yeah, got one lined up. You'll hook me up with a fat bonus after the drama airs."
❤
"Fuck!"
Back at the car, Lee Jun-hyeong nearly hurled his phone but stopped. Instead, he slammed his fist into the passenger seat with all his might.
Once wasn't enough to vent. He screamed inside the car too.
How many minutes passed like that? When it quieted, his waiting manager opened the door and peeked in.
"You done?"
Lee Jun-hyeong panted heavily.
"...More or less."
"If it's done, it's done—'more or less' what?"
"Argh! Fuck off!"
Five years together had inured the manager to his outbursts. He climbed in calmly.
The engine started, and the car smoothly pulled out of the lot.
How far had they gone?
The manager glanced in the rearview.
"What happened? Something up?"
"What happened? Fuck. Just suddenly in a shit mood."
"Then we should hit the hospital."
"Hospital my ass."
Their exchange teetered between sharp and vague. Silence fell briefly.
Feeling the mood lighten enough, the manager broached the point.
"Why'd meeting Park Min-ha sour your mood? You like pretty girls."
"Fuck, wanna know what went down?"
His face flushed red just thinking about it, and he spilled every frustrating detail from the break room.
"Didn't you say Park Min-ha's got a great personality? Whoever told you that was dead wrong. This industry's full of fakes anyway."
"Yeah, sure."
"Fuck, that's why I hate networking. Parachute kids deserve to get ignored, right? That bastard wedged in, and who knows how much hell he put the other actors through?"
"Mm."
Since when did he care about other actors? Plus...
'From the script reading today, he didn't seem like a total parachute.'
But with his experience, the manager knew better than to voice unfiltered thoughts. He just nodded along.
After ranting incoherently for a while, Lee Jun-hyeong thrust his pinky toward the driver's seat irritably.
"You think those two are dating? Like this?"
Straight pinky up. The manager finally freaked.
"What the hell? You didn't say that in front of Park Min-ha, did you?"
"You think I'm an idiot? Of course not. But it seems suspicious."
"Don't talk nonsense. GH's already got them on edge."
"So she sides with some rookie she's not even dating over me?"
Lee Jun-hyeong sighed in disbelief, muttering, "She's totally crazy," and shook his head.
In low-budget dramas, girls fell for lines like "You're the first to treat me this way." But in his shoes? Nothing but annoyance.
How to get payback for this mood.
After a moment's thought, he called lowly to the manager.
"Hey, hyung."
"Yeah?"
"Straight talk."
A sinister grin filled the car.
"Rumors of them dating wouldn't hurt me, right?"
The manager balked at the childish idea.
"Don't even. Lee Do-jun's fans won't budge on rumors. If they catch you spreading it, you're toast."
"Fuck, so I just take this lying down? Me, Lee Jun-hyeong?"
Eyes bulging, he fumed, then kicked the passenger seat from the back again, thrashing.
The manager gripped the wheel steadily, but his mind raced.
'What to do? How to handle this?'
One wrong move, and chaos from day one of shooting.
He'd already heard Seo Ji-hye Writer was pissed about today's lateness.
To slip by quietly...
'Ah!'
A decent idea hit just as impatient Lee Jun-hyeong prodded.
"Hyung! We just let it slide? Swallow it and hit back the same way!"
"Don't touch Park Min-ha."
"What're you saying?"
"She probably did it because of Lee Do-jun. So he's the root cause, right?"
Lee Jun-hyeong, who'd been raging, sat straight, eyes sparkling.
"You think?"
Seeing it land, the manager piled on.
"Yeah, your screentime got cut because of him. He's the problem. Not Park Min-ha."
This should be safe. Lee Jun-hyeong wouldn't outright assault him over revenge.
Pida expected some script friction anyway.
'Just keep Park Min-ha out of it.'
Then it could be managed. Report to the company first, of course.
"Hyung makes sense."
Oblivious to the manager's fraying nerves, Lee Jun-hyeong nodded satisfied.
Yeah, Park Min-ha did nothing wrong. This wouldn't have happened without Lee Do-jun.
'And she is pretty.'
Calculations done, he grinned and declared to the manager.
"Alright, like you said. I'll give Lee Do-jun a proper lesson—as his senior."