Seol A-yoon Stunned Speechless
She couldn't grasp the situation for a moment.
......She's really freaking pretty? Was that a compliment? Directed at me? Right now? In this atmosphere? Out of nowhere?
"......"
"......"
"......"
She could feel it. The awkward air permeating every corner of the script reading room, the gazes of the senior actors fixed on her.
Even the veteran performers personally scouted by the renowned director Yoon Chang-ho were watching her reaction with anticipation.
Gulp.
Seol A-yoon decided she should at least say hello. And so.
With Yoon Chang-ho seated at the head table, she mustered her courage and slowly lifted her head to look at Lee Tae-gyu sitting across from her.
But whoosh!
The instant their eyes met, Seol A-yoon whipped her head away.
......What's his deal, seriously!
It was because an overwhelming pressure hit her in that moment. Even after sitting down, he kept glancing her way, and when their eyes met, he curled the corner of his mouth into that sly grin.
Seol A-yoon felt an instinctive aversion to that slimy smile.
......What the hell? What is he trying to do?
This was the first time.
Seeing Lee Tae-gyu act so unhinged.
At the same time......
......Huh?
......It wasn't the first time.
Seol A-yoon suddenly realized it. She'd already witnessed that burdensome gaze from Lee Tae-gyu shooting toward her before.
Seol Woong. The CEO of her agency Dream Entertainment, and more privately, her parents' son—her brother.
She clearly remembered that exact look often flashing in Seol Woong's eyes during her childhood.
Back when she was still in middle school.
Her high school-aged brother would lose his mind every time he got involved with a pretty girl, falling head over heels in love. Seol A-yoon had seen it countless times.
The girl next door, academy classmates, even her own friends.
Regardless of whether she was around or not, he'd show up blazing with passion, clutching roses out of nowhere and blurting out confessions like a lovesick high school boy.
And that was just the start.
The white suit—top and bottom—he'd somehow procured (and still wouldn't reveal the source of) remained taboo in family lore even now......
Yeah, it was exactly that look.
Digging through her memories, she quickly recalled more.
Not just her brother's old antics, but back when she was a high school girl attending acting academy, the stares from boys at the boys' high school she'd pass by—they were just like that.
Fresh barbarism. A mix of shyness and greed, untouched by civilization's polish, the gaze of youths who'd just hit puberty and were sprouting their first buds of romantic passion.
Crackle!
The moment her eyes locked with Lee Tae-gyu's, brimming purely with that intensity.
Is this something you can actually pull off with acting?
She whipped her head away again. She couldn't bear to meet that burdensome gaze from Lee Tae-gyu, his eyes practically sparkling with hearts.
Gulp.
Cold sweat beaded on Seol A-yoon's forehead.
Yes. She'd concluded that Lee Tae-gyu had already fully immersed himself in the role before entering the script reading room.
......What kind of guts does he have, seriously?
This wasn't just any ordinary gathering. With Yoon Chang-ho's reputation on the line, even the supporting roles were filled with veterans and esteemed masters, all glaring intently.
And moreover.
This film, with the working title '108-Month Full Installment', contained elements straight from Seol A-yoon's own life story, evident from even a quick skim of the script.
While most industry seniors were sharpening their knives to test this young superstar's skills, he was going all out like this? She'd known he was a method actor like Han Joo-hyuk, fully diving into roles, but did he really care about nothing else but the performance?
"......"
"......"
"......"
"......"
"......"
The atmosphere had chilled even more than before.
"Ahem."
Director Yoon Chang-ho's deliberate cough finally aired it out a bit.
She could tell at a glance. Everyone was on the verge of flooring the accelerator.
Nod.
The assistant director, long-time collaborator of his, stood cautiously and addressed the industry veterans.
"Alright then."
A spark of varied intensity lit up in the eyes of every actor in the room.
"......We'll begin the script reading."
In other words, the genuine intent of these industry old-timers to test the young actors' mettle gleamed in their eyes.
***
"Do my words amuse you that much, child?"
"Dad, that's not—"
Veteran actor Cha Jin-tak. A graduate of a prestigious university's philosophy department, he'd honed his craft for years in theater troupes during his youth. Now, he was scrutinizing Seol A-yoon's mouth and eyes in real time.
"Listen to me! Why? Why do you always make me out to be the bad daughter?!"
An aggrieved tone in the line. Cha Jin-tak smirked inwardly.
Through inflection and emphasis alone, she'd conveyed irritation at her father's meddling distrust and her desire for approval.
......Pretty mature for her age.
Playing her father, Cha Jin-tak gave her high marks.
Rumors check out.
To him, titles like "30-million actress" meant nothing. Once a leading man dominating the spotlight, now he supported the next generation while taking a breather.
Only acting mattered. Stripping away popularity from his judgment criteria, he found this superstar's reading unusually solid for someone so young.
"I have a car! I told you I don't need one?!"
"Ah, so you're saying this useless father who can't even feed himself can't gift his daughter a car, huh?"
"Dad!"
Our big star doesn't need some cheap car from me? Doesn't need a pathetic father trying to give a secondhand junker?!"
"Why are you doing this?! That's not what I meant!"
During the reading, Cha Jin-tak's eyes flashed.
......Found it.
Like spotting a tiny crack in a gleaming marble lobby floor, he'd pinpointed a minor flaw in Seol A-yoon's delivery.
......Room for improvement.
Even in a reading, he could tell at a glance. How much emotion an actor infused into lines, their habits in handling feelings.
She's rushing the line endings. Feels like she's wrapping up the emotion on her own side.
A common pitfall even for skilled actors. The habit of resolving emotional aftertaste in their own lines instead of leaving it for the partner.
Natural acting meant volleying emotions back and forth like a game of catch.
I did that when I was young too.
Cha Jin-tak smiled. Youths often think the world revolves around them. A star's acting that doesn't trust the partner and handles everything solo stands out against masters like him.
Acting ripens with age—the peak isn't in one's thirties. That's gospel in this industry.
In that light, Cha Jin-tak decided to offer this starlet a subtle lesson.
"......I've failed as a father."
"Again! Always with that!"
"I ruined my own life, and now I've ruined my daughter's education too. I'm sorry, my girl. This worthless father ruined everything."
"......"
"Don't worry. This shameful father will vanish where no one can find him and live alone."
It was exactly half a beat.
The scripted silence marked in the script—he jumped in half a beat early.
Before she could process the emotion he'd tossed her way, he pierced with his own feeling-laden line.
That alone did it.
"Hic, hngh."
The reaction came instantly. Midway through prepping her next line, emotion welled up like in a real scene, tears pooling in Seol A-yoon's eyes.
"Why... why do you always have to......"
Normally, the scene would end here and move to the next, but.
The script reading room fell silent. They knew she needed a moment to collect herself.
"Shall we take a short break?"
"Yes, please, sir."
"A-yoon, your reading was fantastic."
"Whew."
"Starting off that strong—how are old folks like us supposed to keep up? Haha."
"......Haha. No, sir. I just need to hit the restroom quick."
"Go on, go on."
"Alright, 10-minute break, everyone!"
On the surface, Seol A-yoon had kicked off the reading with sincere immersion.
But Cha Jin-tak knew. By now, she'd realized the danger of shouldering emotions alone.
Still, that's impressive.
For her age, reaching that level explained her rise. Korea's film scene still had a bright future, he thought.
And so, after 10 minutes.
"Alright, resuming the reading!"
"Cha Jin-tak sunbaenim and Lee Tae-gyu-ssi, ready? Let's jump right in!"
Cha Jin-tak glanced at Director Yoon Chang-ho.
Nod.
This time, the one he aimed to test was the rookie who'd earned the "10-million supporting actor" title in under a year.
Director Yoon Chang-ho, already eager to probe Lee Tae-gyu, had pre-approved some ad-libs.
Let's see.
Cha Jin-tak sized up Lee Tae-gyu.
Start with the basics.
Seol A-yoon had passed muster thanks to her youth paired with vast experience.
Back in our day, you waited a year just to say one line...... You're climbing too fast.
In his eyes, Lee Tae-gyu still had much to prove. Acting aside, attitude too.
99% of rookies lack preparation.
With all the buzz around, Cha Jin-tak was skeptical if this actor could truly sync with Seol A-yoon.
The key is role details.
Especially for such an unusual profession.
Used car dealer. In an era where even extras had to embody their roles fully, Cha Jin-tak believed starring as one required near-professional expertise.
100% role comprehension. To impress directors or prep for any shoot scenario, he'd memorized every detail in his youth before even stepping on set.
Recalling those days.
"Oh man, you're the one who contacted me, right?"
"Hm."
Cha Jin-tak tossed a slight ad-lib at Lee Tae-gyu, tweaking the line's detail.
"But this...... the car number doesn't quite match what's on the site?"
***
At the same time.
In an office in Incheon Songdo.
"You ain't up to no bad shit these days, right?"
"Ah, hyungnim! You can totally trust me! Hands are squeaky clean!"
The burly guy with gangster tattoos and a hefty gut handed over a paper cup of instant coffee mix with a grin.
"Since I got out, I haven't scammed once."
"If that's a lie, drop dead right here."
"H-Hyungnim!"
The man infamous as Incheon's fake dealer. He hurriedly defended himself to Detective Seo Woong-tae, who spun his fist idly.
"I'm doing YouTube now, hyungnim. Outing my face to hunt fake dealers—why would I scam and ruin it?"
He knew the detective's quirks. Seo Woong-tae would drop in on criminals he'd personally jailed.
It was his habit when he couldn't find a punchable crook right away: latch onto any excuse to label them scum and beat them down.
"The old me is gone. Thanks to you, hyungnim, I'm fully reformed! Now I'm hustling to spread legit used car culture across Korea—"
"Whatever."
Seo Woong-tae cut him off with a hand, eyeing him with murderous doubt.
"You pullin' some side hustle behind my back?"
"Nah, how could I."
"You guys are pros at it. Swap the signboard just enough, train some kid scapegoats with your know-how, let 'em run the same scams while you skim commissions from below."
"Hahaha, that's ridiculous."
The ex-fake dealer, now used car YouTuber, burst into roaring laughter.
"That's why, hyungnim—we're breeding successors, right?"
"Well, if you wanna nitpick."
Tears welling from laughter, he waved dismissively, as if no worries at all.
"Everyone knows used car dealers got a bad rep these days. Not many kids jumping into that life, let alone the scams."
"So, there are some?"
"But successors? In this high-risk game? Who's sane enough to dive in? Laws have tightened since my prime—not even passion cuts it without real smarts."
"This punk's bragging subtly."
"Ah, hyungnim! Crime talk's awkward, but you know the effort? Vehicle models, mechanic connections, skirting laws from consult to contract—points to nail ain't few...... Ow, ow! Why hit me, hyungnim!"
"Good. You ain't reformed."
"No, hyungnim! Sorry! Won't brag! Total trash move!"
He'd started boasting his flashy old techniques toward the fake dealer side when Seo Woong-tae smacked his head.
"......Ah, there is one!"
He suddenly shouted.
"W-Wait, hyungnim! I remembered!"
"What're you on about."
"S-Successor! Dude who memorized my know-how—recordings and all—not enough, mimicked my expressions and speech perfectly!"
"Who."
"Huh?"
The ex-fake dealer's eyes widened suddenly.
He opened his mouth in a what-kind-of-question-is-that tone.
"Don't you know? You introduced him."
"Who, then."
"Th-that actor."
"?!?"
Recalling the mad actor who'd memorized every used car scam detail diligently, matching his vibe to perfection.
"......Lee Tae-gyu."
***
Actor Cha Jin-tak's pupils trembled.
Gulp.
A veteran who'd experienced more than most for this craft. Battle-hardened through everything.
But he never imagined the tiny ad-lib he'd tossed to test Lee Tae-gyu would ripple this big.
"No, boss. Looks like you don't get it."
Yes. Right now.
In the '108-Month Full Installment' script reading room.
"Used cars rack up mileage the second you turn the key. If you don't buy now, boss, you're basically telling me to starve!"
The legend of Incheon's fake dealers had descended—
"I've got a daughter at home not even five. Please, boss, let me live."