The Manager Hides His Regression - Part 2
The car was suddenly enveloped in silence.
The moment I heard her voice, a cool and sharp aura flowed through the otherwise noisy interior.
"Oppa. It's already been a whole year since we started working together... If we keep acting like this, I might end up quitting my job."
"That's not what I meant...
"Not what you meant? What else could it mean? Last time I told you, you weren't allowed to raise your voice in front of me."
"Hey, kid, you keep interrupting every sentence."
"Haa... Don't you know today has an important shoot? Is your precious oppa feeling more important than the filming?"
"...
"If you keep it up like this, I'll just ask for a new manager. It would probably be better that way."
"Si, Sia-ya... Please, anything but that...
The sight of the helpless guy in front of me made me burst out laughing.
She spoke so coldly on the surface, yet deep down I knew she would never actually ask for a new manager. That warning about not raising her voice was all she meant.
She was far from the type of person who would report me to the actual representative and demand a replacement.
'I've been rolling around together for a whole year and still haven't fully read her... Sigh, let's end it here.'
If it were up to me, I'd push her harder, but according to her words, Kim Young-cheol was nothing compared to our actress's condition. My priority was keeping her perfectly fine.
Today was an extremely important scene for our actress, after all.
'Can she really handle it...?'
The solo courtroom monologue scene for the female lawyer role. The lines were plenty, and the legal terms were notoriously difficult.
To be honest, I was a little worried.
In truth, Sia didn't memorize lines well. The reason she was cast in the lead this time wasn't because she was a good actress.
She was chosen due to an impossible sync with the original webtoon’s female lawyer character.
Moreover, the director who grabbed the megaphone was none other than Director Kim Gyeong-tae.
That old man would definitely have bullied Sia if he was still in charge. I wasn't sure if she could handle it after all.
'First, let's loosen the atmosphere.'
I thought about Sia’s condition as I tried to break the stiff mood in the car.
I let out an awkward laugh and apologized to the kid sitting beside me.
"Haha... I'm sorry, senior. It's my first time, so my enthusiasm got the better of me."
"Ah, no, it's okay~ Newbies will make mistakes sometimes... Well."
Idiot... If you're going to accept an apology, at least accept it coolly instead of acting all shy...
The kid sitting in the back seat with his tail between his legs was truly a pitiful sight.
I shot a glance in the rearview mirror at the actress behind me and apologized as well.
"I'm sorry, actress. It was all my fault...
Her once angry eyes curved into a gentle crescent and softened into a smile.
"It's okay... It's normal at the beginning~ But I still haven't heard your name...
"Ah, it's Kang Min-hyuk, twenty-five years old. I'm one year younger than you, so please treat me casually!
Since we'll be seeing each other for a long time ahead... it would be easier if you could ask me for favors without being formal, right?
Using honorifics made it hard to bully people.
Of course, there were those who didn't care, but most people did.
Especially someone as shy as her.
"Yeah... I'll try to be a bit more relaxed. But that perfume... Did you prepare it because of me?
"Yes, I don't smoke, and before filming it's best to relax as much as possible.
When you're tense, it's better to have a familiar pleasant scent that comforts the body rather than the cigarette smell you dislike.
That's why I got slippers and this perfume ready for you.
I had no choice but to wear heels, but she had always preferred flats or slippers over heels since the beginning.
Quietly listening to my words, she tilted her head curiously and asked with a puzzled expression.
"Eh? How did you know I hate cigarette smells? And this perfume...
I never once told you I liked it...
Aigoo! I messed up again.
I was trying my best to be careful, yet this guy's lies kept spilling out.
"Ah, really? Since I'm a smoker, most people dislike cigarette smells...
And... the perfume was probably from a magazine I read. I must have misunderstood. Haha!
I rattled off the flimsy excuses, trying desperately to cover my mistake, but it was impossible to hide how weird I was acting.
Then, when the backseat kid finally opened his mouth, the awkward atmosphere grew even more awkward.
"So, is the manager a fan of our sister? Why, there are people like that~ Romantic types who throw themselves at the entertainment industry for the celebrities they love... I'm sure our manager is one of those casings.
"What, what do you mean suddenly!
"Why~ It's romantic~ A man who sacrifices his body to win the love of his beloved... Kya~ Drama, pure drama.
"The kid really doesn't know when to stop saying stupid things... Sorry, Min-hyuk. Don't mind it.
Her flushed face and flustered reaction were strange.
'What... Is she hot somewhere? Why is her face so red? Should I buy her some medicine?
Of course, a guy who had never even dated in his life couldn't possibly know about her fluttering heart...
I hadn't realized yet how destructive my changed looks and body were.
That's how it was: Kim Young-cheol watching Sia’s condition from the side, Kim Sia staring at me with a red face from the back seat, Choi Gae-dong lost in his own imagination without a care, and me worrying about Sia’s condition without thinking.
Our four-person luxury van moved toward the filming location, carrying an awkward atmosphere.
*
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"Hey, Kang Min-hyuk! What kind of 90s primitive era is this? What is this? Yeah, today's newbies have zero sense!"
He shouted as if someone could hear him, scolding me loudly.
But neither Choi Gae-dong nor Sia paid the slightest attention, merely frowning.
'This guy really has no learning ability?
I had only warned him earlier not to raise his voice, yet he still went and berated me...
I sighed and grabbed a can of drink, opening the car door.
"Actress, please wait a moment. I'll go greet the director and the staff."
"Go ahead. And... call me noona. As you said, we'll be seeing each other for a long time...
Her last words were said in a tiny, shy voice, as if embarrassed by them.
But she had clearly told me to call her noona...
'Then I'm thanking you, huh...
Back then it took months to let me call her noona, but thanks to my changed appearance, it happened in just one day.
"Thank you! Thank you, noona! I'll be relying on you from now on!"
She smiled faintly at my gentle greeting, nodding her head.
I quickly grabbed a few cans of drink and handed one to each staff member preparing for filming, bowing deeply.
"Nice to meet you. Kang Min-hyuk, your manager. Please take care of our actress!"
It had been a while since I stepped foot on a filming set.
The faint smell of fresh wood, the overwhelming paint scent that hadn't dried yet...
Even the thick human scent from people running around madly.
I missed this smell so much.
And the owner of this entire site, the person in control.
'Director Kim Gyeong-tae...
According to Kim Young-cheol, energy drink managers were rare nowadays.
Most were brand coffee or snacks like macarons as standard.
Those who were a bit more demanding got sandwiches or coffee trucks from large companies.
But old-timers who had been grinding in the industry all along got a certain vibe from things like this.
Just like him.
"Whoa~ Long time no see... Back then I used to chug a whole can and run all night...
Now it's coffee or whatever... People have lost all romance... But who is this?"
Kim Gyeong-tae. He had no huge hits or masterpieces, but he was just a director who delivered steady work.
When his projects failed, he always blamed the drama's lead actress. That was his bad habit.
"Haha... It's an honor to meet you, Director Kim. Kang Min-hyuk from JS Entertainment."
My overly polite greeting made him take the energy drink I offered and drink it while nodding.
Most arrogant directors didn't care whether a new manager like me greeted them or handed them coffee.
No, the accurate expression was that they treated people like trash.
Especially those with a shortage of hits and filled with inferiority complexes who only picked on low-level staff.
"Haaah... It was delicious, newbie...
Hm? What happened to Sia?
Clearly, the moment the JS Entertainment mention was made, his face twisted as if he had bitten something sour.
"Ah... Yes. I'll greet you again next time."
Seeing his reaction, there must be something wrong with Sia.
Did she get caught on camera...?
It was worrying. What if his bad habit had kicked in...?
At this time, Sia would normally be feeling quite tense about acting.
Moreover, this drama was one that I remembered had completely flopped.
'I can guess without watching it, right...?
His suspicious reaction made me rush back to the car to check Sia’s face, but even in her sleek black suit with her long hair tied back in a simple style, all I could see was her glowing face.
There was no sign of tension or anything unusual.
'Director Kim... I hope not... I just hope that bad habit doesn't affect my actress at all.'
I quietly pressed the recording button on the portable recorder I always carried.
But life never matched my wishes, and my bad premonition was never wrong.
"Kim Sia! What kind of person are you?! Geez... Damn it. How many times is this already?!"
"...I'm sorry."
'It's happening! That damn Kim Young-cheol disappeared somewhere after not taking care of noona at all!'
He had already left the set when it was his third NG.
That's what he meant by not wanting to be berated or bow his head...
I gritted my teeth and pushed through the staff surrounding the filming location to reach Sia’s side as quickly as possible.
Someone, please, we had to fix this situation fast...
"Ah~ Damn it! Did you plan to ruin our drama?! How many times already!
Can you use the words in your mouth?! Why aren't you saying the lines?! Why aren't you saying them?!"
"I'm, I'm sorry, Director... My head went blank...
"Woa, you're too much... What are you even doing as an actress? With that pretty face, you should be pouring drinks in a bar instead of killing my life here! Can an actress not act? Why are you even here wasting my life?!"
'That damn guy... But that's not it at all.'
"Hey, get out! Go pour drinks somewhere else! Now get out!"
Even though it was noona's fault for not acting, it was way too harsh!
I tried to dash toward the camera after the director's endless rant, but it seemed like following Sia, who had run outside in tears, was the priority right now.
'Director Kim... You crossed the line.'
I shot one last glare at the director before chasing after her outside.