Chapter 63
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Drunken Resentment
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“...Fuck.”
Lee Jun-hyung spat out a curse thick with the stench of booze. The room had been spinning like a worn-out VHS tape for ages.
There was the woman next to him, passed out drunk in her slip, and his own reflection in the mirror.
But one scene played back with pristine Blu-ray sharpness.
Do-jun slipping into the role of Kim Jin... and himself, completely thrown off and forgetting his lines.
Just one thought filled his mind now.
‘Fucking embarrassing.’
What haunted him wasn’t even Do-jun’s solid acting—it was blowing his lines in that moment. That was the real problem.
“No, screw that.”
If that punk had just politely declined like, “How could I possibly take a role meant for a senior like you?” none of this would’ve happened.
Parachute hire or not, cozying up to the PD and wagging his tail right in front of a senior like him?
“Clueless bastard.”
Of course. If the guy had any sense, he wouldn’t have rubbed him the wrong way from the start.
A guy with manners wouldn’t have snatched up a script boosting his screentime without knowing his place.
Yeah, that’s where it started. Handing more lines to a rookie at the expense of his own.
The writer, the PD—everyone had lost their minds. What the hell did that punk do to get pushed so hard?
It pissed him off even more. Losing screentime to some no-name newbie with zero acting chops.
The more he thought about it, the hotter his rage burned. He shoved an empty glass toward the side and barked,
“Hey, pour me another.”
“...”
But the woman, dead to the world from the booze, didn’t stir.
“What? When’d you pass out?”
Lee Jun-hyung clicked his tongue and staggered over to grab the whiskey bottle. But it had been empty for a while.
“What the—out of booze already?”
He shook every bottle on the table one by one, then finally snatched his phone from the bed.
He scrolled to his manager’s name in the call log and hit dial. After a few rings, the familiar voice answered.
- Hey, Jun-hyung. What’s up this late?
“Bring me some booze.”
- What?
The manager’s voice dripped with panic. Shooting started at dawn in just a few hours.
But Jun-hyung snapped back irritably, not giving a damn.
“You know what I drink. Hurry up. You got thirty minutes.”
He hung up without waiting for a reply.
The room spun like a carousel. He flopped onto the sofa.
“Phew...”
He’d sent the errand boy out, so might as well kill time on his phone until the booze arrived. Humming to himself, he opened YouTube.
At the top of the feed: Oh, My Cat videos. He skipped straight to the comments.
The top one praised Park Min-ha and him. All good vibes—put him in a better mood.
But the second he spotted Lee Do-jun’s name, his face hardened.
“Tch.”
He tsked. Unlike before, most comments were glowing praise.
Pida affiliation this, has Writer Seo Ji-hye ever cast a bad actor that?
What do they know from a teaser? Think acting’s that easy?
He nearly chucked the phone but held back and checked his fan cafe instead. That might calm him down.
The fan cafe was buzzing more than usual thanks to Oh, My Cat. Seeing his photo pinned on the main page brought a smile.
But it didn’t last.
“...What the hell is this?”
He couldn’t believe his eyes.
- This drama’s casting is flawless, no holes.
- Thought they grabbed some random idol since Writer Seo Ji-hye vouched, but the teaser? Solid!
- Was worried since he’s got no acting experience—might drag Jun-hyung down. But looks fine lol.
Is this my fan cafe or Lee Do-jun’s? Some idiot even admitted watching the teaser for Jun-hyung but getting hooked on Do-jun.
Where’s the hate?
Recent posts were all hype and excitement. Couldn’t exactly post rants there.
Finally, the boiling fury won out. He hurled the phone. It smashed against the wall with a crash and skittered across the floor.
“Arghhh!”
Still not enough—he bellowed at the top of his lungs. How many times?
Beep, beep, beep-beep-beep.
The door lock chimed. The manager arrived.
The place reeked of alcohol, and the barely dressed woman asleep in awkward pose. Jun-hyung’s shouts leaking out the door.
He pieced it together fast but played dumb.
“What’s wrong? Everything okay?”
Jun-hyung just thrust out his hand, eyes wild.
“Booze!”
The manager reluctantly handed over the bag. Jun-hyung peeked inside and flung it to the floor.
“This is beer!”
Clang!
The heavy thud echoed through the spacious living room.
Anyone could see he wasn’t right, but the manager stayed cool.
“You’ve got shooting soon.”
“I said whiskey! You mocking me too, hyung?”
“I’ll get it tomorrow, right after wrap.”
“Fuck! You think I’m joking?!”
That’s when it happened.
The phone on the floor, screen cracked, suddenly blazed white.
‘Who the hell at this hour?’
Another girl?
While Jun-hyung fumed, the manager checked the caller and snatched it up.
“Yes, CEO.”
“What? The boss?”
Some shred of reason remained—he caught his breath at “CEO” and yanked the phone away.
“Y-yes, CEO. It’s me.”
Then, with a slurred haha,
“Juuust a little. Shooting’s no big... Huh?”
Reason flickered back in his eyes.
And as the call dragged on, the grin on Jun-hyung’s face grew wider.
Lee Jun-hyung met Carrot Entertainment’s CEO after the dawn shoot wrapped in the dim predawn hours.
“You really mean what you said yesterday?”
“When have I ever bullshitted you?”
“Never, of course.”
Jun-hyung’s face lit up as the CEO lit a smoke and drawled on.
“Pida crossed the line this time.”
He was dead certain Writer Seo Ji-hye rewrote the script because Pida greased palms or something.
Otherwise, why cut proven talent like him for a gamble?
That’s why that arrogant Kim Shin-hyo PD disrespected the lead.
“Time Seo Ji-hye learned how risky it is shoving some no-name rando.”
“Right, exactly.”
“Pick a few kids around like before, tell your manager. We’ll slot ’em in.”
The words he’d waited for curved Jun-hyung’s lips into a smile.
“You’ll tip off that reporter, right?”
“Yeah. Got material?”
“Plenty of half-decent ones.”
“Half-decent won’t cut it.”
“Obviously. Got ambitious types too. Clueless ones.”
Finally, that sour lump in his chest dissolved. Jun-hyung sipped his coffee, feeling lighter.
Then a sudden thought—he ventured carefully,
“Ratings won’t tank, right?”
“Real-time trends? That’ll boost it. What’s the problem?”
“Just in case...”
The CEO tsked. Whining for help one minute, weak second-guessing the next.
He got that it was a big deal for Jun-hyung too.
But crunching the angles, Do-jun’s scandal breaking would benefit the drama more.
“People are already buzzing about that kid’s casting. Add a girl scandal? Throwback to his idol days.”
“He’s done.”
“Not just him—the whole group tanks.”
“Hahaha! Yeah!”p>
Jun-hyung burst out laughing, delighted at the thought.
But the CEO wasn’t done.
“So you be careful too, Jun-hyung.”
“Huh?”
“Touch Park Min-ha? Wait till after broadcast.”
His bright face shadowed instantly.
“After? That’ll make meeting up...”
“So you were planning to?”
Sharp jab—Jun-hyung flashed an awkward grin. The CEO exhaled smoke and smirked.
“Eh, Park Min-ha’s not a bad catch.”
“Right?”
“But hit 10% ratings first. Then a dating rumor? They’ll say you’re a perfect match.”
Jun-hyung mumbled reluctantly.
“CEO, it’s cable, not terrestrial.”
“I know. Terrestrial’d be 20%.”
The CEO pulled another cig and continued.
“PD’s cocky, but script’s tight. I’ll handle buzz. Can’t hit that? Quit dating guilt-free.”
A sleazy smile twisted his face.
Shhh.
Wind rustled through the leaves, chasing away the creeping heat with a refreshing hush. Ambient noise faded into a quiet world.
A serene world. I didn’t doubt for a second that I was Lee Jung-woo.
The animal clinic—practically my home—came into view.
I clocked in without a day off, spending every waking hour there. Felt more familiar than my actual place. Babies didn’t care if it was weekend or weekday.
And that felt normal. No second thoughts. It was my life.
Lately, though... things shifted a bit. Thanks to that clueless guy who showed up with a tiny kitten...
“Cut!”
PD Kim Shin-hyo’s call yanked me back to reality.
‘Ah.’
I knew it was acting, but disappointment hit. Like my world vanished.
Two months into shooting Oh, My Cat. Deeper I got into Lee Jung-woo, easier the immersion.
Hell, wake me from sleep asking about him—I’d rattle it off.
The issue...
‘They say character hangover lingers.’
Lee Sun-jeong’s old warning surfaced.
Back then, I just nodded. Now? I got it.
Deep character dive meant mirroring their inner world too.
‘If this sticks through album promos... tricky.’
Surface traits and fleeting emotions? No sweat.
But owning a full role? Night and day. Actors were badass.
‘Dealing with this every shoot...’
Every move, I blurred—me or Jung-woo?
Even at the cafe, I eyed smoothies over my usual Americano.
Post-shoot worried me, but results? Solid.
“Good take! Nailed it—moving on!”
PD Kim Shin-hyo’s satisfied shout. Heard it endlessly these two months, still swelled pride.
‘Better than sucking.’
Beats constant NG and “wooden acting” jabs.
“Alright, next scene...”
PD Kim Shin-hyo didn’t finish.
Sky’d been brooding—sudden downpour.
The set turned battlefield.
“Hurry! Gear first!”
Assistant director dashed protecting pricey equipment. Staff moved like clockwork.
I ducked under cover to save makeup.
“Whew...”
Almost redid hair.
Staff panicked as rain thickened. Extras scattered to buildings.
“Just a shower?”
“Gotta be. No forecast.”
“Damn Weather Service... never right.”
Tell me about it.
Worse: unfinished daytime shots meant returning. Soul-draining already. Please stop soon...
[‘Fatigue is Due to Lack of Sleep’ recovers the user’s fatigue...!]
‘Ah, buzz off.’
I swatted the uninvited status window away. Rain stops, no fatigue. But nah, ignores the root.
Wonder if there’s a “rain off” item...
‘Nope?’
Knew it. Pesters for items or 500k likes nonstop—then ghosts.
Fill that for what? Upgrades just pile junk items.
‘Say something, you punk.’
That’s when,
“Excuse me.”
Before I turned at the unfamiliar voice, a white paper cup thrust into view.