Chapter 84
Chapter 84
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: Deer... Beware the Deer
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Deer... Be careful of the deer
Elizabeth Stormwalker, the actress who had successfully wrapped up filming for Last Sign.
Throughout the shoot, she had exuded an extraordinary charisma befitting a famous Hollywood actress...
But at this moment, Elizabeth was clutching her phone, throwing a tantrum like a child.
"No, no! I'm not going back to America!"
-"You've stayed long enough already. How much longer are you going to put off your schedule here? Even if you have to come back later, return home for now."
-"Ughhh..."
Her father's command was utterly uncompromising.
He was George Stormwalker, the director who usually respected his daughter's opinions to some extent, but right now, he was issuing a clear order for her to return home.
And understandably so. His daughter, who had said she was just popping over to Japan briefly, had suddenly holed up in Korea and refused to come back for over three months now.
At this point, it was an issue for her career as an actress, but more than that, he couldn't help but worry about his daughter's situation.
Having failed to secure permission for any further stay, Elizabeth dragged her travel bag toward the airport with a face full of regret and reluctance.
Suddenly finding herself boarding a plane ahead of Chae Soo-jeong,
Elizabeth was accompanied by Chae Soo-jeong herself,
and her daughter Seon-hwa and Ha Yu-ra, who were always stuck to her like glue.
"What a shame. It would've been nice if you could have stayed for the premiere too..."
"...Haha. Well... what can you do..."
Elizabeth forced an awkward smile as she chatted.
Watching her face, which clearly showed how much she didn't want to leave, Chae Soo-jeong offered some light words of comfort.
"Take care on your trip. You've worked hard all this time."
"Worked hard? It was just fun the whole time. If I could, I'd love to stick around and enjoy more."
Her words were laced with genuine sincerity,
but Chae Soo-jeong simply took it as the remarkable passion of an actress.
"We'll see each other again soon. Stay healthy until then."
"Yes. Safe travels."
Chae Soo-jeong waved lightly as Elizabeth departed.
At that moment...
"..."
"?"
The next instant, Elizabeth suddenly turned her gaze back,
and...
-Smack!
"!?"
"Huh?"
"Wha... what?"
A warm sensation spread across her skin.
Along with a soft, tingling feeling, Soo-jeong's eyes widened.
The situation was incomprehensible in that split second.
In the midst of the sudden confusion, Soo-jeong belatedly realized.
That Elizabeth was kissing her cheek...
"..."
"Wha... what are you doing right now?"
Ha Yu-ra spoke in a voice thick with bewilderment, dropping all formalities.
Grinning amusedly at Yu-ra's reaction, Elizabeth quickly pulled back.
"Hehe... This is the classic American goodbye. See you later, my dear deer."
"...Uh... y-yes? Ah... o-okay."
"This... this girl!"
"..."
Leaving behind the still-dazed Chae Soo-jeong and the even more outraged Ha Yu-ra, Elizabeth swiftly vanished into the departure gate.
"...Deer? What's with the deer all of a sudden?"
"Tha... that... ugh... ah... it's nothing! Jus... just means the teacher thinks you're cute, probably."
"Is that so..."
"..."
Chae Soo-jeong accepted the vague excuse without a second thought.
Ha Yu-ra let out a small sigh, unsure whether to feel relieved or worried that someone usually so quick on the uptake could be so oddly oblivious in moments like this.
"Haah... Well, shall we head back then, Teacher? You have that interview today and plenty more to do."
"Got it. Seon-hwa, let's go."
Chae Soo-jeong called out to her daughter and started to step away.
At that moment...
"...? Seon-hwa?"
"...Huh? Uh... yeah, com... coming... Mom..."
Seon-hwa's response came a beat late, somehow.
A faint question arose in Soo-jeong's mind, but she didn't dwell on it and firmly took her daughter's hand as they left the airport.
Unaware of the child's gaze, colder and more sunken than usual.
-Last Sign?
-Crime thriller? Or maybe medical drama...
-Seeing doctors in white coats, it might be medical...
The promotional campaign for the movie Last Sign had officially kicked off.
However, most people weren't showing much interest in the film.
With Hollywood superheroes flooding the market lately,
Korean films with relatively low budgets and familiar plots were struggling to stand out amid the deluge of blockbusters.
There were certainly films receiving good reviews for their quality, but box office success was another story entirely.
A few like Village of Crime had managed 7-8 million viewers and held their own, but the absence of a 10-million-viewer hit—which symbolized true success—spoke volumes about the dire state of the Korean film industry.
In this climate, expectations for the newly released Last Sign weren't particularly high.
The fact that Chae Soo-jeong, the actress currently making waves, was in it drew some attention, but it wasn't enough to spark major hype.
Unlike the subdued first trailer, however,
the second one started drawing eyes in a different way.
-"Don't worry. Everything has been taken care of."
-"Good work. Dr. Chae."
A hospital director's office overlooking downtown Seoul.
Two people conversing there.
One was Chae Soo-jeong as Hospital Director Chae Mi-ri.
The other, a woman in a crisp suit—a U.S. military officer.
She slowly turned her head toward the camera, revealing her identity...
The unexpected appearance of the actress.
Elizabeth Stormwalker, who had been riding high from Athena: Goddess of the Battlefield and Rivengeance: New Beginning.
Her surprise cameo stunned viewers and instantly flipped the lukewarm reception on its head.
Content aside, people were buzzing over the star power synergy alone.
This interest snowballed with the revelation that the director, Ko Seok-hoon, was a well-respected name,
and the unique premise blending detective and medical drama with rare U.S. military ties.
Plus, with holidays and red days coming up but no standout domestic films on offer,
people hunting for weekend movies started turning toward Last Sign.
Thus, amid this mix of half-doubtful anticipation, the film Last Sign held its official premiere screening.
With the director's rep and star draw packing the house, one man—sunglasses pulled low—slipped furtively into the venue, glancing around nervously.
'Haah... I'm no criminal, so why am I sneaking around like this...'
Grumbling inwardly while hunching his shoulders, the man entered and took his seat.
Lee Sung-min.
He found his fame more hindrance than help in situations like this, settling in cautiously.
But then...
"Huh?"
"...Huh?"
The next moment, eyes met with the person in the seat right beside him.
Even with the mask, Sung-min recognized him and asked with a hint of surprise.
"...Park Chan-su? What are you doing here..."
"Wha... and what brings you here, Senior... Ahem..."
Chan-su nearly raised his voice too loud and clamped his mouth shut.
The two fell silent, but their minds raced in real time.
'Why is this guy here...? I had my suspicions, but no way—he's into Chae Soo-jeong too?'
'He always seemed to hover around Chae Soo-jeong... Is it real?'
It had been like this during the drama shoot, and before and after—strange overlaps centering on Chae Soo-jeong.
And this premiere was no different.
Honestly, without Ko Seok-hoon, Elizabeth, or Chae Soo-jeong, neither would have bothered showing up.
They weren't sure what to call these feelings yet.
But one thing was clear: anything involving that woman piqued both their interests.
Pushing aside the awkward vibe toward each other,
they sipped uncomfortably at their pre-bought drinks.
'So this... is the movie that woman Chae Soo-jeong starred in.'
A woman sat in one corner, sunglasses and mask concealing her face.
Jeong Se-hwa.
The actress who had recently left ASD for ST Entertainment.
Personally, she didn't like actress Chae Soo-jeong one bit.
She thought she'd moved to a decent agency, but lately, all her projects felt off—like something was missing.
The industry slump made it inevitable to some degree,
yet amid it all, Chae Soo-jeong kept racking up wins.
Her streak was too consistent to chalk up to luck alone.
And it stung even more that these successes came from ASD, the agency Jeong Se-hwa had ditched.
That's why she'd carved out time for this premiere—pure inner irritation.
She wanted to see that woman fail, fixing her gaze on the screen as the movie began.