Chapter 77. Fuaaaah━━━!
Roaring off somewhere in a yellow sports car. Two men and women with hair whipping in the wind.
"Aoo!"
"Cut it out."
"Can you believe it? Still hasn't sent the script? Who the hell does that old fart think he is—"
"I said shut up!"
Even as they scowled and vented their irritation, the two actors boasted stunningly beautiful features like something out of a painting: Ji Kyung-ho and Joo Min-hee.
In other words, these two—blessed with visuals so dazzling they could claim the top spot in Korea—were now deep in gossip about Director Yoon Chang-ho.
"How many times do you have to repeat yourself? Jesus."
"Aren't you pissed?"
"Who wouldn't be? We wasted our time there! Do you know how much we're worth?"
Joo Min-hee was just as annoyed. The crux of it was this:
The recent Arena Short Film Festival, just wrapped up. Right before the closing ceremony, they'd finally snagged a tea-time chat with Director Yoon Chang-ho.
"Went thinking he'd hand over the script, and all he did was spout bullshit."
"Exactly."
They'd taken offense at his attitude—no talk at all of his next project.
"That crazy old coot. Does he think anyone's dying to chitchat with him just because we got introduced?"
They knew it, too. Director Yoon Chang-ho rarely wrote pre-made scripts for actors; he thrived on improv.
But that didn't stop Ji Kyung-ho and Joo Min-hee from being pissed that they weren't one of those rare exceptions.
With their overwhelming visuals, any romance director would be a fool to pass them up. And yet, here they were, overlooked.
"Whatever. We'll show 'em at the audition."
"What?"
"No one beats us at romance acting. And what about Seol A-yoon? She's total washed-up now."
"Hold on, hold on."
"We can just out-act them. Honestly, all those other actors dating around? They're a tier below us—"
"No, wait!"
Ji Kyung-ho cut off Joo Min-hee's mumbling.
"Audition?"
"Yeah."
"What the hell? That psycho's holding auditions for the male lead too? Fine, maybe for the female lead, but the guy's always handpicks whoever he fancies—"
"Oh."
Joo Min-hee, who'd been gazing at him fondly like he was adorable, let out a smirk. She planted a light kiss on his forehead.
Mwah.
"Oppa, you didn't know?"
She ruffled his hair, flashing a confident grin.
"That's why we have an agency, to pull strings like this."
Daeil Entertainment. Korea's undisputed number-one powerhouse, now in motion.
The day after his first shoot wrapped, Lee Tae-gyu still couldn't shake the thrill.
Insane. Way too much fun...
Han Joo-hyuk and Kim Kwang-woo. The scene with them had been one of the most immersive since gaining his dokkaebi fire power—top-tier, hands down.
Definitely re-signing here.
His trust in DK Entertainment had already been solid, but this sealed it.
Thump!
His heart still raced at the memory—chaining wild bursts of utterly alien emotions in impossible moments.
When's the next shoot again?
So much anticipation. Like an elementary kid before a field trip, Tae-gyu's chest fluttered.
Truth be told, yesterday had its share of chaos too: DK staff hounding him for feedback, Han Joo-hyuk finally cracking a satisfied smile and shaking his hand, Director Yang Yong-chan eyeing him meaningfully, Yang Se-hee slapping her own cheeks raw then grinding her teeth as she stormed off...
But few left a real mark. What stuck was the buzzing energy of the crowded set, and unleashing his intense dokkaebi fire there.
To Tae-gyu, that was all that mattered...
...Ah.
One more thing, important.
Clomp, clomp.
Hunger kicking in, Tae-gyu headed to the kitchen and yanked open the fridge.
No more scrambling for short-term gigs like before. One CF shoot had set him up comfortably. And proof of that income crammed the fridge.
Whoosh.
Ten kilos of LA ribs: premium short ribs soaked to draw blood, cubed with onions, tossed in sesame oil marinade—frozen in neat stacks. A clear badge of his success.
Thud.
Grabbing a slab from the top shelf, Tae-gyu moved to the kitchen counter.
Grilling LA ribs at home...
He fired up the induction burner, set the pan on.
Nice. Slow-simmer without burning—that's the trick. Not a restaurant grill, but he'd nailed it for breakfast and lunch today. Piece of cake.
Sizzle.
Sweet rib aroma wafting. Ssssh.
Placing meat on the hot pan, a faint smile played on Tae-gyu's lips.
I've made it...
LA ribs for every meal—this was... paradise?
"Heh."
Wiping drool from his unconsciously watering mouth, he pulled out his phone. While the meat cooked, he logged into his fan cafe.
Daecheongyo Acting Gospel
This cafe, officially designated by DK Entertainment not long ago, had ballooned in members since launch.
'We joined too.'
'Huh?'
'Industry folks lurk in star fan cafes.'
'Ooh.'
'Join if you're curious later. Fans love you—tons of scraped articles.'
Tae-gyu was a member now. Unlike typical cafes, the vibe here—calling him their cult leader—was intriguingly weird.
The buzz of rumors swirling around him, shared by countless fans.
Articles on the upcoming Hoshi-jeol popping up online, meticulously scraped in real-time.
All this fervor, fans eagerly awaiting his next move—it stirred something deep in Tae-gyu.
...Yeah, I'm actually famous now.
And more.
'Hey, Tae-gyu. Got some lecture requests.'
'Lectures?'
'Yeah. You starred in that Arena Grand Prize short. Plus Monster City supporting role made you known.'
'But I'm not a big actor.'
'Not huge gigs—middle/high schools, welfare centers. Oh, prison too. Planning to pass, but figured I'd mention.'
Lectures. His rising fame, growing influence hitting home.
Munch munch.
A faint unease on his face as he savored the rib juices—then his phone rang.
♪♬♪
"Tae-gyu! Script's here! Sent it by email—check now!"
The script for a potential next project, maybe shooting alongside Model Detective 3.
...So that's his taste.
Tae-gyu scrolled through the first polished script from DK Entertainment, imagining Director Yoon Chang-ho's shock.
108-Month Full Installment
The more he read, the wider his eyes grew.
Oho.
Much better.
Guess he's really all about improv scripts.
The rough draft had been decent, but the male lead's backstory layered on top? Compelling as hell. Immersive just reading.
[Dokgo Gwang-cheol]
The name alone evoked the unhinged roles Tae-gyu had played—intense.
...But kinda sweet?
Perfect for rom-com. A sleazy used-car dealer obsessed with sales quotas, but a hopeless virgin at love. The irony? Gold.
And not forced.
Descriptions flowed naturally. The money-grubbing dealer side, the desperately romantic but eternally failing awkwardness—seamlessly fused like a real person.
Spot on.
Tae-gyu nodded. This was opportunity.
Prime chance to properly splice different dokkaebi fires.
Last time the ratios were off.
He'd mixed wild tiger and CEO Do Yoon-seop's fires for Hoshi-jeol, but the tiger's burned too quick.
But now?
This could work great.
Used-car dealer and fiery virgin bachelor. Blending their fires evenly? Could birth something killer.
Let's do it.
Decision made, Tae-gyu dialed someone.
"...Ah, yes. Hello. Detective! This is Lee Tae-gyu."
"Oh, Tae-gyu! Finally decided on the police exam?"
Detective Seo Woong-tae.
"...Role research... Still acting, huh... Kinda disappointed, but... Anyway, talk. Who do you need to interview?"
A tinge of regret in his voice, still clinging to hopes of molding Tae-gyu into a detective. But he greenlit the request without hesitation.
"Used-car dealer? Crook or legit? Trust me. Pick a day—I'm there whenever."
Dealer sourced in seconds. Done.
"...Thank you so much!"
A subtle smile on Tae-gyu's face as he nodded. Seo Woong-tae might prove useful for future criminal interviews too.
Anyway.
Dealer side sorted.
Now...
The other half: the lovesick virgin.
Come to think of it, yeah.
Tae-gyu had always sourced fires via crime types or jobs. Pinning down a "hopeless bachelor" type? Trickier.
How to snag this one.
Made sense. People didn't wear personality tags or dating histories on their foreheads.
Hmm.
Tae-gyu crossed his arms, deep in thought.
This one was tough.
"Hot-blooded mama's boy bachelor!"
⟨ Role Description ⟩
After agonizing, Tae-gyu's eyes lit up.
...There!
He'd found it.
Specifically, for the role of...
A pure-hearted yet desire-filled, immature but fresh-faced mama's boy bachelor!
One spark of romance, and he barrels forth like a runaway locomotive!
⟨ Hot-Blooded Mama's Boy Bachelor ⟩
...he decided to infiltrate a nearby all-boys high school━━