Beneficiaries
After that, it was really... Haah.
Ha Moo-young let out a sigh as he wiped away his sweat. His reflection in the bathroom mirror looked as serene as always, but his hands were trembling uncontrollably.
"What's wrong with you."
It felt like someone else's arms had been grafted onto him. He kept trying to steady his nerves, but strangely, his hands wouldn't obey. It had to be that, after all.
"...Yeah."
A stigma imprinted in the faintly fading memories. Like tree rings etched into wood—even if the exterior hardened, the core still bore its traces. Like it or not, it was the past that had shaped who he was now.
"You okay? Ha Moo-young-ssi?"
"Huh? Oh. Yeah, yeah. Just a bit startled."
Yoo Sa-ha's bodyguard poked his head through the bathroom door. Yoo Sa-ha had provoked him with words Moo-young pretended not to hear—something about the chairman father, or how one of the brothers was this or that. Enraged by the taunts, Joo Jeong-dan had swung at Yoo Sa-ha's face.
"Where's the CEO?"
"He's headed to the hospital. He told me to escort you, Moo-young-ssi. Want to go to the hospital too?"
"No, I'm fine. I need to head back to the agency."
Strangely enough, the moment the punch landed, the bodyguards had burst in. And just like that, the investment meeting ended with Joo Jeong-dan dragged off to the police station and Yoo Sa-ha to the hospital.
"What happens now?"
Ha Moo-young asked as he buckled his seatbelt while following the bodyguard. The man looked solidly built. He glanced at Moo-young and gave a vague answer.
"Who knows. Our CEO doesn't act without a plan. Baekgoon might be the only ones in real trouble, right?"
The headlines were already glaring in his mind: Baekgoon exec Joo Jeong-dan, under drug suspicion, storms SJ headquarters in broad daylight and assaults CEO amid conspiracy theories. Wasn't this basically him cutting his own lifeline? It was an unprecedented scandal in Korean history.
"What's the point of all that money if you're living like that..."
Witnessing violence firsthand brought a sudden wave of reality crashing down. Moo-young muttered as he stared out the window. Spotting the familiar road ahead, he made a request to the bodyguard.
"Hey, drop me off up there, please."
"This Big Win?"
"Yeah. It's a pain to maneuver the car if you go further in. Thanks. Head on in."
Ha Moo-young gave a polite bow and headed up to the agency. He could wait here until Tae-seok-hyung's schedule wrapped, grab a meal together, then head to the shoot.
As Moo-young opened the door, a surprisingly chaotic scene unfolded.
"Yes, yes. So auditions next week, right?"
"Please send the synopsis and production plan via email."
"Ah, yeah. That should work out then."
What the hell? Moo-young stood blankly by the door until Na Geum-dong waved him in. The CEO was juggling calls between his landline and cell phone all by himself. Go Kyung-min was tied up helping Tae-seok, leaving no free hands.
"Something happen?"
Unlike the busy Na Geum-dong, Kang Bora lounged on the sofa, scrolling her phone. Her toes tapped rhythmically, as if she were in a good mood.
"You're back early? Thought you had that investment meeting."
"Yeah, it wrapped up. But why's the boss so swamped?"
"Drug scandal celeb A is Cha Ye-sol."
"Yeah, I heard."
"All the projects she was in or eyeing are up in the air now, so they're recasting. How does one body manage to stir up so much mess? And drugs on top of it—impressive, really."
The works Cha Ye-sol had dropped were now seeking new leads. Bora, though no box office hit, had gained recognition from the buzz around Cafe Please.
"Thanks to her, jackpot for me."
She wasn't just playing on her phone—she was scanning emailed synopses. Auditions awaited, but opportunity had knocked.
Ha Moo-young grinned at the unexpected windfall.
"Ooh, nice."
"But what's with you? Hungry? Want a chocolate? Low blood sugar's rough."
Kang Bora rummaged in her bag as she asked. Just then, Tae-seok and Go Kyung-min burst in, both beaming.
"Why do you guys look so happy?"
"Just wrapped a drama meeting—good vibes. One of the kids Cha Ye-sol was tangled with is actor Park Dong-woon? We'll see what the investigation says, but just being named's got people jittery."
"That hit the news too?"
"Nah, just industry buzz."
It really was the full-blown 'entertainment drug scandal.' Only then did Moo-young truly grasp the explosion's scale—tendrils pulling in everyone connected, like sweet potato vines.
"Isn't it weird, though? Cha Ye-sol and Joo Jeong-dan's names are out, but no other celebs mentioned."
Kang Bora's sharp observation. Moo-young, who knew the full context, had noticed too, but damn, she was quick.
SJ's focus on crushing Baekgoon was crystal clear.
"Agency's working overtime, I bet. Anyway, if something good lands for you too, it'd be sweet."
"Me? Nah, I've got Netflix locked in."
Even if other roles popped up, they were pie in the sky for Moo-young. No flower pollen caking him, no reason to chase them.
"Huh? What's this?"
Kang Bora, staring at her phone, turned to Moo-young in surprise.
"You went to SJ Enter today, right?"
"Yeah, just back."
"And Baekgoon exec burst in and assaulted the CEO?"
"Yeah, saw it with my own eyes."
The bombshell news halted everyone mid-motion. What the hell was this guy saying so casually?
The small grenade lobbed by celeb A was on the verge of flipping Korea upside down.
* * *
Tap.
Tap.
It was total chaos. Digging deeper revealed ties between Sealing Actors and Baekgoon Enter, even rumors of sexual favors swirling. Whatever the truth, it was a fatal blow to both.
"Let's see..."
Ha Moo-young wasn't just browsing articles—he was searching for his own name. Since he'd pulled the trigger himself, he wondered, worried if even a single line might appear.
"Clean."
"Huh? What is?"
Kang Bora, who had been staring blankly out the window, asked back. Tae-seok was passed out in the back with his mouth agape.
"They wrote the articles nice and clean."
But nowhere did Moo-young's name appear. The BG Line after-party was under investigation too, but no contact came his way; he was just one of many celebs who'd attended.
Jackpot. CEO Yoo Sa-ha's got real skills.
And that was it. Even his clear presence beside the chaos at SJ Enter had vanished from reports. Moo-young marveled alone as he floated through the sea of info.
"Oh, right. You hear?"
"Hear what?"
"Sealing Actors. Their manager Park Mun-cheol's getting arrested too. Not drugs—sexual favors."
Go Kyung-min glanced at Moo-young via the rearview as he spoke. Hadn't that been one of his early choices? Sealing or Big Win.
Ha Moo-young smiled brightly and nodded.
"Scary folks, really. Good thing I came to Big Win, right?"
"Damn straight."
Go Kyung-min soaked up the praise, beaming as he turned the wheel with gusto.
Screech!
They'd arrived at the set: a pension in Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do. A clean white building facing the mountains. Its hallmark was the massive living room window framing the sky like a painting—why it was chosen as the set.
"Hello, we're here."
"Moo-young's team is here!"
"Team lead! What time's sunrise today?"
"This shot's too tight on the line—what do we do?"
Director Bae Cheol-min, reviewing the storyboard with the assistant director, waved them over. Like the river scene before, sunrise was key; everyone buzzed frantically.
"Everyone, over here a sec."
In his hand was a well-worn sheet of paper.
"The final scene needs some tweaks."
"Huh? Why?"
Not budget again, was it?
"Investment budget—"
Yup. Damn money, eternal enemy. How much this time?
"Got bumped up, so we can add more CG."
"Bumped up?"
"Yeah. We split the scene 'cause we couldn't show it burning properly, but now no need. Long take all the way. This is the original ending. And this is what you saw, Moo-young-ssi."
He skimmed both sheets quickly. Listening to the director...
"Vampire deep in sleep, oblivious to dawn, turns to dust. Cut midway, comrades find the scattered ash on the floor—end."
"Yeah."
"But adding the vampire writhing in torment. Dropped it for CG limits, but same acting, no cut."
Too long without sleep. Sunk into the most peaceful slumber he'd ever known, the vampire's body burns at sunrise but he doesn't wake—burns away. A fitting end.
"Ah, okay. Got it. But why the sudden budget boost?"
"Baekgoon mess, right? Spillover benefit."
While Baekgoon's stock tanked at lower limits, SJ rocketed to uppers. A rival market showdown clarifying who was top dog.
"Get into makeup. The seniors arrived first—out back in the garden."
The pension had a nice yard. Rounding the wall revealed a small veggie patch, where Kang Seong-bae and Jin Lim enjoyed tea time, scripts in hand like magazines.
"Oh, Moo-young."
"Hello, sunbaenim."
"How's your condition today? Not the absolute last, but the final scene."
Last scene, but schedule lingered—delays from weather, external factors.
Ha Moo-young smiled brightly.
"Perfect."
"Good. Get ready."
"Yes, sunbaenim."
Yeah. Good. Baekgoon, Sealing—all crumbling on the brink.
"Oh."
While getting made up in a small room, Moo-young texted Yoo Sa-ha.
Cha Ye-sol's 'blockbuster' hit brakes before theaters. Rumors of selling to China or Russia... who knew if that'd fly.
That ended the texts as makeup wrapped. In the living room, fellow actors already prepped sat on the floor amid a trashed booze setup and scattered shellfish.
"Alright, nap time?"
"Lie down, lie down."
The actors claimed the living room center and reclined. Among them, Moo-young in his shirt lay down.
"Hm. Kang Seong-bae sunbaenim, leg a bit this way."
"Yeah, perfect."
"15 minutes to sunrise!"
"Final blocking check."
Ha Moo-young lay still, gazing at the rising sun. Morning light seeped over the mountains. He closed his eyes.
The vampire's final day.