Washed Up (3)

Wearing a short padded jacket, Kang Jaeha stood face-to-face with actress Yoon Dayeon with disconcerting calm. Long straight hair, clear skin, slender arms and legs. Jaeha studied her with a gaze that was almost unnervingly thorough.

It stirred the conversation he had just seen in his Déjà vu.

The real Yoon Dayeon standing in front of him clicked her tongue and asked in a sharp voice.

"You’re the new manager, right?"

Jaeha did not answer right away. Instead, he looked at her face for a moment.

Adult film.

The kind of adult film he had seen in that Déjà vu wouldn’t just be your ordinary restricted movie.

An ero film.

That happened now and then in the entertainment world. A fairly well-known female celebrity would slide into the adult-film market near the end of her career. A last-ditch struggle. Usually not by choice. Sometimes, though, it was close enough to forced.

These days, people also went that route through YouTube or internet broadcasting, but if you lacked the wit for it, it was not easy.

Either way, if the Déjà vu was right, this was the future of washed-up actress Yoon Dayeon. No, to put it bluntly, it looked grim.

The moment she makes an adult film, her acting career is over.

If she still wanted to keep acting, being a washed-up actress would be better than that. But money. It was always money. Logic knew that, but hellish reality had a way of forcing the issue.

Soon Yoon Dayeon furrowed her brow and said, "Why aren’t you answering? What is it? You ignoring me? You’re the new manager?"

With both hands stuffed in his padded-jacket pockets, Kang Jaeha answered calmly.

"Yeah. That’s right."

"Ah- righ... t? Why are you talking so casually?"

"Because you did first."

"......?"

Confusion spread across Yoon Dayeon’s face as she blinked hard.

"Huh?"

Regardless, Jaeha set aside the Yoon Dayeon of the Déjà vu for the moment and decided to assess the real one in front of him first. Why the company was full of rumors calling her a “crazy psycho,” what kind of temperament she had, what she was hiding under the surface, and so on.

In any case, Kang Jaeha had been assigned to Yoon Dayeon’s team.

Know your enemy. That was how you built a plan, or a design, or whatever else. For Kang Jaeha, who had spent eighteen years grinding through another world, it was child’s play. Yoon Dayeon, meanwhile, stared at his indifferent expression and ended up with a head full of question marks.

What is this? What the hell? I heard he was an unbelievably weak pushover...

He just met me and immediately starts talking casually? That is nothing like the image!

After a brief daze, Yoon Dayeon snapped back to reality.

"...Hey. You know who I am, right?"

"I do. Actress Yoon Dayeon."

"And you still..."

"If someone talks casually to me, I return the favor. No matter who it is."

"......"

Was he insane? The information Yoon Dayeon had gathered on Kang Jaeha had been total garbage. The Jaeha she was facing was a complete maniac, far beyond normal. Maniacs had a way of recognizing one another, and Yoon Dayeon felt that now.

"Unbelievable..."

"You find it unbelievable?"

Jaeha answered for her and silently appraised her in his head.

Yoon Dayeon. She used to be pretty successful, but now she’s washed up.

Years ago, she had carried the label of A-list. Not anymore. Just a forgotten actress, reduced to a has-been. In fact, she had spent longer as a washed-up actress than she ever had at the height of her fame.

And yet she still can’t let go of her pride.

She was far below even C-list now, but her pride was still stuck at A-list levels. That was why everyone around her treated her like a bomb waiting to go off. Yoon Dayeon was still flailing in the ruins of her old glory.

The schedule amounts to a morning daily drama supporting role. It’s almost a bit part.

Once, she’d been discussed as a possible lead. Now even a bit part would be hard to get. That supporting role barely above a cameo was probably the last credit on her filmography. But was a washed-up actress like Yoon Dayeon rare? Not at all. The entertainment industry was crawling with people who had failed, gone to the dogs, vanished.

Yoon Dayeon was just one of them.

Still, Kang Jaeha didn’t see her as nothing more than a crazy psycho. He also found her a little pitiful. Maybe because he had just watched trainees receive death sentences? What had changed her?

There was no way Yoon Dayeon had wanted to become washed up and simply arrived here by choice. Back when she was a rookie, she must have been full of passion too.

But pressure from outside, choices made in the moment, timing, decisions.

Slowly, steadily, she must have sunk.

Whether at her peak or washed up now, Yoon Dayeon had never been criticized for her acting. That meant she wasn’t one of those types who coasted on her face alone. This had just become her life without her fully noticing. She looked up one day and found herself being called washed up.

Seeing her in person, Jaeha decided she wasn’t the genuine “crazy psycho.”

The proof was right there.

"W-woah... you really are my manager?"

Yoon Dayeon was stammering now. She looked rough around the edges, but in Jaeha’s eyes it was just a fairly common kind of naive cuteness. She was rattled, but still trying to act tough.

That usually comes from self-defense.

Maybe she had been betrayed, maybe dismissed. Whatever the wound, she put up her shield first.

So that’s it. If I had to put it simply, she’s the type who looks hard on the outside and soft on ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the inside.

If this had been the Jaeha of the past, he would have avoided her first. But for the current Jaeha, she wasn’t particularly difficult.

Then.

-Thunk!

A heavyset man and a young-looking guy hurried over, apparently having been in the van. The heavyset man looked back and forth between Yoon Dayeon and Kang Jaeha, then laughed loudly.

"Ah, you’ve already met? Dayeon, this is Kang Jaeha. From now on—"

"I know. I heard. He’s my manager."

"Ah, right, right. But didn’t you say you had to use the bathroom? Go on, hurry."

"Hmph."

Yoon Dayeon strode off with a snap of her heels. The heavyset man scratched his head and gave Jaeha a warm, easy smile before extending a hand.

"Jaeha, we’ve met a few times, right? I’m Manager Kim Daeyong."

"Yes. Nice to meet you."

Kim Daeyong. A manager at Team 4 and basically Yoon Dayeon’s lead manager. He had a broad frame and a good face. His personality matched his appearance exactly. He smiled easily and was kind. Then the young-looking man also greeted Jaeha.

"Nice to meet you, senior! I’m road manager Ryu Jinwoo, one year in!"

Ryu Jinwoo, the road manager. A rookie with one year of experience. High-energy, and probably a little flashy-looking because he had dyed his hair. Jaeha returned the greeting briefly.

"Nice to meet you."

That made the three of them Yoon Dayeon’s team, and Kim Daeyong, still laughing, wandered off to retrieve her. Watching him and the one-year rookie road manager, Jaeha realized something.

They’ve attached a Buddha to calm the crazy psycho, and a rookie besides.

Not long after.

As soon as Yoon Dayeon came back, the van pulled out. Ryu Jinwoo drove, Kim Daeyong sat in the passenger seat, and Jaeha took the seat to Yoon Dayeon’s right while she stared out the window.

The atmosphere was awkward for the moment.

Then, perhaps intending to break the silence, Buddha-like Kim Daeyong spoke up.

"Dayeon. Let’s keep things a little quieter today, okay?"

Yoon Dayeon, who had been looking out the window, shot him a fierce glare.

"Like I want to be like this?? The PD keeps repeating the directing over and over!"

"He’s the main PD. Giving direction is only natural."

"I know that! But he keeps directing me like he’s picking a fight with me! Only me!!"

"Mm-"

Kang Jaeha just yawned and listened, while Kim Daeyong folded his arms and tried to restrain Yoon Dayeon.

"Even so, you can’t just blow up at the PD like that. Last time we barely managed to calm him down, so let’s keep it smooth today. Okay?"

"I don’t know! I’m holding back for now, but if he keeps on bullying me, I’m going to lose it!"

No sense of order at all. Still, Jaeha preferred this type over someone who just backstabbed people in private.

Much easier to handle.

Kim Daeyong caught Jaeha’s eye in the rearview mirror and chuckled.

"By the way, Jaeha, you seem a little different. Your vibe and all that."

"Do I?"

"Yes. In my memory, you seemed pretty innocent."

Yoon Dayeon, listening, snorted.

"Innocent? He’s obviously got a filthy temper."

With a faint smile, Kang Jaeha replied, "I’ll take that as a compliment."

"That wasn’t a compliment!"

"Then it was an insult?"

"It wasn’t an insult either!"

"Which is it, then?"

"Somewhere in the middle!"

Ignoring her at a reasonable distance, Jaeha checked the schedule for Yoon Dayeon’s day that had been sent to his phone.

Soon after, Jaeha was standing on a sprawling filming set.

It was a long row of small rooms, each one only a few pyeong in size. One was dressed up as a living room, another as a bedroom, another as a bathroom.

"Lighting team!! The PD says to bring the light down a bit here!"

"Yes sir!!"

"Props! Props!! They said this chair squeaks, so replace it!"

"Got it! I’ll check right away!"

"Actors, standby!!"

Dozens of staff voices were calling out, the place buzzing with frantic energy. This was the filming set for MBS’s daily drama The Last Man, and it was also Yoon Dayeon’s only current project.

Standing off to one side and looking over the storyboard for today’s shoot, Kang Jaeha thought,

A supporting role. Well, they call it supporting, but it’s practically a bit part.

As Jaeha was gauging Yoon Dayeon’s part, Kim Daeyong came over beside him.

"Heh, it’s almost the same as a bit part, right?"

"Yes, seems that way."

"I heard you were only ever in Team 2. Was it idol work all the way?"

"No. The first year, I was with the acting team."

"Who was it?"

"Doh Kyungwoo. He’s transferred now."

"Ahh, then I guess you know the acting side too, more or less."

Kim Daeyong looked pityingly at Yoon Dayeon as she entered the set after finishing makeup.

"Everyone calls her a crazy bitch or a maniac, but from where I’m standing, Dayeon’s just a poor kid."

"Poor kid."

"The environment, the people around her, they made her this way. They fed her empty promises without taking responsibility, then scraped at her pride. You know how ugly the people in this business can be with jealousy and spite."

He gave a bitter smile and met Jaeha’s eyes.

"Don’t look at Dayeon with too much hatred."

"That’s not the case."

"Hm?"

"I don’t really have any feelings toward Yoon Dayeon."

"Haha, well, that’s a relief."

Then.

"Action!"

The shoot began. Inside the set, Yoon Dayeon launched into a vicious argument with the other actress. Before long, the other actress grabbed Yoon Dayeon by the hair.

"You filthy bitch!"

"Aaaah!"

Do you know what daily dramas are watched for? Exactly this kind of trashy chaos. Or stimulation. You have to pour in every ounce of MSG the world has to offer and seize the living room before the ratings come.

"How dare you try to seduce my husband?!"

"Aaaagh!!"

The other actress shook Yoon Dayeon’s hair without mercy, while Yoon Dayeon simply delivered a pained performance, crying out in anguish. It was good. Not because Jaeha liked seeing Yoon Dayeon suffer, but because the acting itself was good.

To Jaeha’s eye, the other actress was a little stiff, while Yoon Dayeon’s reactions were far more realistic.

So experience really can’t be dismissed.

But the PD who shouted cut had other ideas.

"Cut!! Ah- Dayeon, can’t you make it a little more flashy??"

He was pointing at Yoon Dayeon rather than the other actress.

"Like this! Huh?! More wildly, all over the place! Huh??!"

"...Me??"

"Yeah! Dayeon! Who else would I mean!"

"......"

The next take was much the same.

"Hey! Dayeon! Be a little more nimble with it! How many years have you been acting?"

The bespectacled PD kept directing everything at Yoon Dayeon, and everything he said was maddeningly vague. Watching quietly, Jaeha stroked his chin.

Hm. Interesting.

The same scene was repeated three or four times. Thanks to that, Yoon Dayeon’s hair had turned into a ragged mess. But the PD still didn’t say okay, and his directions stayed as vague as ever.

"Dayeon, be more aggressive!"

By this point, Kang Jaeha was certain.

Yeah, that’s bullying. And that vague directing too. Textbook useless PD behavior. Is he picking on her because the other actress is getting a bit hot lately?

Or maybe it was also because he enjoyed tormenting the “crazy psycho.”

And then there was this.

That other actress. Song Miyeon? She’s weird too.

Even though retakes kept piling up, the other actress seemed to enjoy tearing at Yoon Dayeon’s hair. She apologized every time there was an NG, but there was no sincerity in it. Jaeha knew that better than anyone.

Not long after.

"Cut, cut! Haa... this won’t do. Let’s take ten."

The PD announced a break. The other actress apologized to Yoon Dayeon, saying, "Oh no... I’m really sorry." Again, it lacked any real remorse. She returned to her own ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠team and whispered to the stylist with a smile.

"Ahh, that feels great. That really takes the stress off. I think I nailed her today? Nice one, PD."

"Still, wasn’t that a bit too much for a senior?"

"Too much? Yoon Dayeon’s already washed up, isn’t she? In this business, the one who’s popular is the senior."

She was, of course, talking about Yoon Dayeon. Yoon Dayeon, her hair now in disarray, also returned to her seat.

"...Damn it, why is it always me getting shit on?"

She grumbled in frustration, looking unfairly aggrieved, but she was still trying hard to hold it in.

"God, I’m pissed. I’m so pissed!"

Kim Daeyong immediately tried to calm her down. Behind him, Kang Jaeha looked down at Yoon Dayeon in silence. At the same time, he recalled what Kim Daeyong had said earlier.

The environment, the people around her, they made her this way.

He roughly understood what that meant. There had probably been plenty of incidents like this, beyond all the small ones. For an instant, Jaeha found Yoon Dayeon irritating. Or rather, impossible to ignore. Meanwhile, Kim Daeyong kept soothing her.

"Dayeon, don’t get too worked up."

"Ah! It’s annoying, okay? How many times is this now? How long am I supposed to put up with it!!"

Kang Jaeha said flatly, "Don’t bottle it up. Let it out properly."

"...What?"

Yoon Dayeon spun around and glared at ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠him. Jaeha, meanwhile, didn’t react much at all.

"Let it out. But do it through acting."

"Through acting?"

"Once you focus, ad-libs come out too. That kind of thing."

"......?"

"Don’t hold back. Show me your character properly."

"What character?"

What character? The crazy psycho character, obviously.

"Just do what I say."

Yoon Dayeon’s eyes widened as she listened to the explanation. Before she could even recover, the assistant director shouted, "We’re rolling again!!"

Yoon Dayeon, who had been looking at Kang Jaeha with his hands still buried in his padded jacket, quickly returned to the set. Once again, Yoon Dayeon faced the other actress. The PD, watching the monitor, called out the cue.

"And... action!!"

Once again, Yoon Dayeon was grabbed by the hair.

"You bitch!!"

"Aaaah!"

Jaeha watched the acting with a blank face. Kim Daeyong, broad-faced and anxious, glanced at him.

"A-are you sure this is okay? That plan?"

"We’ll see."

"Huh?"

"You’ll know when you watch."

Then.

"Aagh!!"

Yoon Dayeon, her hair still being yanked, suddenly lifted her head.

"You crazy bitch!!"

She delivered the ad-lib Jaeha had given her.

"Tch!"

And spat directly onto the other actress’s head. Not even slightly. Right on target. Since it wasn’t in the script, the other actress froze in surprise. But Yoon Dayeon didn’t stop there.

"Eat this! Tch, tch!"

At the sight of that dazzling spit technique, the PD’s jaw dropped open and he shot to his feet.

"W-wait, wait!! What are you doing right now, Dayeon!!"

Yoon Dayeon quickly smoothed down her disheveled hair and apologized to the other actress with the sweetest smile she could manage.

"Oh no, what do I do? I’m sorry."

Still smiling, she turned to the PD and answered him. That line, too, had been fed to her by Kang Jaeha.

"Your vague directing just set my imagination on fire."

"......"

The set went quiet.

"That ad-lib wasn’t bad, right?"

Because the crazy psycho had started running wild.