Chapter 107
Chapter 107
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 107
Chapter Title: Why Are You Coming Out of There? (2)
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“That’s true.”
Woo Do-gyeom readily acknowledged it.
“You need to apologize properly for this incident.”
“If I say sorry, will you let it slide?”
“Not just me—you need to apologize to everyone who suffered because of you, Mr. Woo Do-gyeom.”
“Hmm… How about this? I’ll properly invest in this movie. What if I cover all the costs until it hits ten million viewers?”
“That’s not for me to decide, is it? But does that mean you’re refusing to apologize?”
“There’s no need for them to know the truth. Sometimes, it’s better when supernatural mysteries like this stay unknown.”
I wanted to smack him one right there… Would he just take it if I did it now?
Yeonwoo seriously contemplated it.
“So, about that apology?”
“Hm. More than that… You look too skinny.”
“...?”
Woo Do-gyeom said something out of left field.
“I’m sure I fed you well. Sure, the Kwon family young master got in the way, but I still made sure you had three solid meals a day. Tsk.”
A large hand suddenly approached, grabbing Yeonwoo’s wrist and turning it this way and that.
This was ridiculous.
“Who do you think is to blame for this?”
“My fault? Yeah, it’s my fault.”
Yeonwoo stared at Woo Do-gyeom nodding his head with utter disbelief in his eyes.
“If you get that, then let go.”
“The Kwon young master was so clingy for a reason.”
Tsk. Woo Do-gyeom clicked his tongue once more and called his secretary.
“Secretary Kim. Take care of him first.”
People swarmed over in an instant, wrapping him in thick blankets and quilts before handing him a warm, sweet cup of cocoa.
“Drink this first and then we’ll talk. There’s research saying sugar relieves fatigue.”
“...Most of that fatigue seems to be because of the guy right in front of me, though?”
“I’ll repay you for this over time. Even if I handed you my company right now, you’d probably refuse.”
“Who are you planning to dump that exhaustion on?”
“You’re probably the only one who’d call Cheongwang tired, Yeonwoo.”
Someone once said that you can’t win against people who don’t even understand what you’re saying.
“Whew…”
With the movie tangled up in this, cutting ties with him outright was tricky.
What if things went south and the film fell through because I acted on impulse?
It’d be a massive loss for the cast and crew.
The actors would have canceled schedules, missing out on other gigs they’d turned down.
The staff would be stiffed on pay for their work so far, hitting them financially.
And besides…
‘Director Ji might shed those big ol’ crocodile tears with that huge frame of his…’
Just imagining it was dizzying.
‘...He might even quit filmmaking altogether?’
The guy was already massive, and shooting this ticklish romance—outside the usual mainstream vibe—he’d taken all sorts of grief and scolding for it.
It felt like just yesterday he’d been beaming with that stoic face despite his size, finally greenlit to film.
But if it all collapsed?
‘Losing a talented director like that would be a problem.’
Noticing Yeonwoo’s internal conflict, Woo Do-gyeom grinned slyly.
“Drink first and talk later. You can wash up and rest plenty. It won’t be too late to discuss then. After that, I’ll do whatever you want. Okay?”
His coaxing tone was gentle.
Yeonwoo could feel Woo Do-gyeom’s secretary staring in shock from the side.
‘My boss has lost it!’ That was the look.
Clearly, Woo Do-gyeom was going unusually low-key.
‘He says he’ll do whatever I want, but he knows I can’t go completely off-script…’
No matter how I sliced it, the guy was rotten.
“Th-this way, please. We have a heater and food ready.”
The secretary led Yeonwoo.
Filling his stomach first wouldn’t hurt, at any rate.
As he sat down, Director Ji, who’d been seated nearby, shyly stood and approached.
“Yeonwoo… you okay…?”
He sat a subtle distance away, voice timid.
Compared to his super shy early days, this was huge progress.
‘Tch. Making a guy like this cry would be downright cruel.’
Yeonwoo could guess why Woo Do-gyeom had brought the whole film team instead of just him.
At the same time, it hit him late that Woo Do-gyeom wasn’t some saint to begin with.
Of course not.
The guy had started off by straight-up kidnapping him when asking a favor.
‘Maybe this compensation offer is the better deal…’
In the end, Yeonwoo hadn’t exactly taken a total loss.
His depleted spiritual power from Woo Do-gyeom’s antics had refilled—thanks to the man, in a way.
And that wasn’t all.
‘Worship for the Forgotten God.’
An S-rank ability, no less.
Yeonwoo activated his status window.
[Worship for the Forgotten God][S]
-A special ability manifested by a god who gradually lost followers and fell into decline, desperately trying to regain past glory.
-It instills a power that makes others feel attracted and compelled to serve in some form.
-But after devolving into an obsessive thought entity, no one remained to serve the old god, leaving only faint remnants of its attractive force.
It didn’t look like much at first glance.
For an S-rank tied to god-worship, the description straight-up called it “remnants.”
One might dismiss it as underwhelming for a power from a fallen god.
Charm.
An incredibly vague, abstract concept, right?
But.
‘This is a total jackpot, no matter how you look at it.’
If Yeonwoo were an ordinary person, it might’ve been useless.
But for those in entertainment? Charm like this was no joke.
‘Come to think of it, Kwon Seonghyeon had something similar.’
S-rank aura control and presence dominance.
Plus a super specialized people-beguiling ability.
Their common thread? All presence-related.
The names said it all.
The implication was simple.
For actors, singers, entertainers—presence was crucial.
Manager Lee Gyu-han had once shown him articles like this.
* [Actor X’s ‘Daring Exposure’ in Film… Fans Buzzing] [Idol Singer X in SNS Controversy… Fans Say ‘Some Things You Just Don’t Say’] [Entertainer X at Fashion Show Sparks Personality Drama… What Happened?]
“What’s this?”
When Yeonwoo asked, Lee Gyu-han explained.
“Yeonwoo, know any of these names?”
“Nope. Should I?”
Just months ago, Yeonwoo had zero ties to entertainment.
He was barely learning now—no way he knew obscure names.
“Right? First time hearing them? So, what pops into your head seeing headlines like these?”
“Dunno… Makes me curious what it’s about?”
Titles designed to hook you.
You might ignore if you hadn’t seen, but once you did? Clickbait city.
“Exactly. They craft sensational titles to bait clicks. More views mean more ad revenue, so sensationalism wins.”
Sounded plausible.
Lee Gyu-han continued.
“But to write clickbait, they need some base material, right? Reporters can’t just fabricate—libel or insult suits would follow.”
“True.”
“So even puffed-up stories have a kernel of truth, and it gets messy.”
Here’s what Lee Gyu-han laid out.
These weren’t always reporter scoops—agencies fed them info sometimes.
Or celebs stirred deliberate controversy for attention, which got covered.
Sure, some clueless stars caused real scandals.
But entertainment wasn’t some lawless jungle—daily blowups weren’t realistic.
“They plant these on purpose? Why bother with that nonsense?”
“To them, it’s not nonsense. Noise marketing. Heard of it?”
He had.
“These are noise marketing plays. The most provocative way to grab eyes.”
“Huh…? They go that far? Isn’t it damaging? Bad for their image…”
Yeonwoo couldn’t wrap his head around it.
“They force buzz. It’s do-or-die for visibility. Why do you think there’s a ‘struggling unknown’ phase? Debuted, but no one knows you. No gigs. Visibility flatlines. No gigs. Vicious cycle.”
Lee Gyu-han went on.
“Sure, some break through after years or decades of obscurity. Pearls in the mud exist. Some grind experience, steadily building fame.”
Yeonwoo nodded.
“But they’re the minority. That’s why some pump noise articles for any recognition. But Yeonwoo.”
“Yeah.”
“You sometimes have a heavier presence than even Seonghyeon. That’s a rare gift.”
“Huh…?”
Overkill, right?
No matter what, Seonghyeon’s experience dwarfed his.
Reading his face, Lee Gyu-han said.
“It’s not about tenure. Yeonwoo, what’s most vital for a star?”
“Acting chops? Looks?”
Key for entertainers.
But Lee Gyu-han shook his head.
“Those matter, but something trumps them.”
“What?”
“Presence. Some call it charisma, others aura.”
“Huh…?”
“Might sound odd, but veterans agree. Pretty face, great acting—but no ‘it’ factor? They plateau. Never true ‘stars.’”
“Ah…?”
Kinda getting it, kinda not.
Yeonwoo thought of drama co-stars.
Some had twice Seonghyeon’s experience as supporting roles.
Known actors, sure—but not ‘stars.’
“In that sense, you’ve cleared the biggest hurdle. You have a unique vibe others lack. Presence outweighs acting or looks.”
Same acting, but with vibe vs. without? Subtle difference.
That nuance makes the final product pop.
People flock to the magnetic one.
That’s what Lee Gyu-han meant.