Kim Si-a Grows Her Wings 2 (3) Ju Hye-ryeong’s Secret Revealed
Kim Si-a completely ignored the backroom gossip drifting over from the group of people nearby.
This kind of childish teasing and bullying was far from enough to rattle her life.
From the moment she was young, her striking looks had made her a target for every girl's jealousy, so she was all too used to situations like this.
Now is not the time to get shaken by these trivial matters..
One spring night, under a starlit sky, she had made a promise to herself.
She would become the brightest star in that sky, no matter what.
If that was what it took, she could smile and accept even this childish nonsense.
"Um, all the other seniors have gone to the company dinner, so.."
"It's fine, Min-gu. And you know, right? Keep it a secret from Minhyuk."
"But shouldn't the chief know about this?"
"No, not at all~ I actually like coming in early."
That big, sorrowful look from the tall manager was something she could easily understand.
But she was really fine.
Far better to sit at home with her favorite manager and fool around than endure some awkward company dinner.
"Anyway, Min-gu.. never, ever tell Minhyuk about this!"
"Yes, noona.."
She really was fine, yet why were they acting so dramatic?
Starting from the secretary manager all the way up to the writer..
"Si-a, are you really okay?"
"Of course~ I earned my role with my actual acting skills."
"But.."
"Writer, did you bribe or grease the palm to get me the part?"
"What nonsense is that! You're going to cause a big problem!"
"See? I got the role fairly with my skills, and the writer wouldn't have given anyone a bribe anyway."
"I'm truly sorry.. It's all my fault. I had no idea she was the one behind the bullying."
"Aigoo~ Why would the writer be blamed? She was the one who did wrong.."
"Hmm?"
At that moment, a creepy chill ran down Kim Hye-kyeong's spine as she watched Kim Si-a smile sweetly.
'She.. she..'
At first she thought she might have misheard, but
then she caught the quiet voice that followed.
Kim Si-a was clearly not someone who would just sit there and take it..
"If you cross one more line, I really will kill you."
"R-really?"
"So you don't have to worry, Writer~"
"But the chief should know, right?"
"Aigoo, I can handle the busy ones~ I'll talk to them myself,
and you just keep quiet. You can do that, right?"
Kim Hye-kyeong could only nod at the sudden surge of power in Kim Si-a's words, unable to speak further.
She simply prayed that the foolish Ju Hye-ryeong would not cross the line Kim Si-a had drawn.
"Oh my, she's here for makeup too, huh..?"
But even as Kim Hye-kyeong prayed, it was not long before Ju Hye-ryeong crossed that line.
"She really looks like she has no conscience at all. If I were her, I'd be too embarrassed to even show my face outside~"
"You're right, noona. She really has no conscience."
"If she had any, she would have resigned on her own or something..
She stomped on someone's dream like that and actually pulled it off. Impressive, truly impressive."
'The mascara isn't sticking well today.. Ha~ It only happens when Minhyuk is around.'
Kim Si-a paid not a single bit of attention to the chatter from Ju Hye-ryeong and her manager.
Instead, she treated their hateful words like classical music and focused only on her reflection in the mirror.
What was it..?
There was no room in her head for even a shred of that filthy jealousy.
Her mind was completely filled with thoughts of her beloved manager.
"But noona.. Have you seen Kim Si-a's manager? He was super handsome."
"Handsome? It's just a manager.. If he's handsome, how handsome does he have to be?"
"I took a photo, do you want to see?"
"Come on, let me see!"
Ju Hye-ryeong eventually snatched the phone right out of her manager's hand and began openly admiring the photos of Kang Minhyuk.
And only then did Kim Si-a notice the contemptuous looks they had been giving her all along.
'Are they really looking at Minhyuk's photos right now..?'
"Oh, look at this! He's so handsome~"
"From the coordinators down to the managers, there are more people eyeing him than you think."
"Really..?"
"I wouldn't lie. Why, noona, are you interested too? Want me to introduce you?"
"No, it's not like that.."
"Aigoo, what do you mean by that~ If the manager is interested, I'll be grateful~"
"Right..? Then maybe.. Huh? What do you think you're doing, Si-a!"
Kim Si-a, who had been sitting quietly getting her makeup done, suddenly snatched the smartphone out of Ju Hye-ryeong's hand.
And with a cold stare, she deleted the photos of Kang Minhyuk and glared at them.
"Is that supposed to be okay?"
"Have you lost your mind? What are you doing to your senior like this..?"
"Ha.. Even a senior should be treated with respect.. This isn't like bullying kids at school.. What exactly are you trying to do..?"
"W-what? Bullying! Because of that, you're really.."
"You're the one who started it!"
In the end, Ju Hye-ryeong had crossed the line Kim Si-a had drawn.
Everyone had their own lines they should never cross, and for Kim Si-a, that line was Kang Minhyuk..
Since she didn't know that and kept teasing him in front of her, the dam of her long-held patience had finally broken.
***
'I'm going to kill you..! I will kill Ju Hye-ryeong!'
The scene in the makeup room unfolded in a completely different direction from what I had expected.
"Eh..?"
It was utter chaos..
Her manager was cowering in the corner, terrified,
and Si-a noona's hand was wrapped around Ju Hye-ryeong's hair.
"Let go, Kim Si-a! I said let go!"
"Don't act crazy, you started it!"
"Heeeuuu, what did I do?! What did I do wrong?!"
"Do you see me as stupid? If I was just sitting there, you wouldn't have known?"
"T-that was your false audition.."
"Don't make me laugh, I passed the audition fairly."
"..Still, I'm your senior and this is way too much.."
"This is exactly it!"
"H-hee!"
What the hell..?
Just hearing the writer's words, I had thought Si-a noona was the victim heroine being harassed.
But who was this warrior grabbing Ju Hye-ryeong's hair..?
"Ha.. I knew this would happen.."
"Huh?"
"That's what I was going to say earlier.. I thought Si-a would explode any moment."
Exactly.. The writer had not been worried about Ju Hye-ryeong's bullying at all.
She had sensed it on the day of the audition.
If that foolish girl kept pushing, Kim Si-a, who looked ordinary on the surface, would never stay quiet.
And as expected, the irreversible event had already happened.
"Do something about it, Chief. This is going to be a huge problem."
I was staring blankly at the makeup room when the writer's urgent shout snapped me out of it.
'Damn, I forgot what kind of person that noona is.'
The actress who had been kicked out of JS for not being able to act and was still thriving.
'She's the great actress Kim Si-a after all..!'
Such a woman would never be shaken by bullying from someone like Ju Hye-ryeong.
What I should have been worried about was not her depression from the harassment,
but how long she could hold back before she exploded.
"Um.. Writer, could you ask the staff to sign a non-disclosure agreement?"
"Eh..?"
"Strictly enforce the NDA so nothing gets leaked to the media."
"We don't need to worry about that.."
"I'll take care of the two of them, so don't worry..
Please just have the staff inside check their phones.. Do you understand?"
"I understand."
She knew.
If those two's disgusting faces ended up in the news in this situation, everything they had worked so hard for would be wasted.
At the worst possible moment, we could go down with them..
"Writer, I can handle any complaints from the dinners or whatever.. but you must do the phone check."
I wanted to do it myself, but I didn't have the authority right now..
For now, I had to trust the writer and clean up the situation inside.
After sending the writer and the staff away,
I gently took Si-a noona's hand from where she was still gripping Ju Hye-ryeong's hair and snarling.
"Noona, let go now."
"Those two.. those two!"
"I know, so please stop, noona."
With a slow stroke of her back.
Only then did Si-a noona release the hair she had been clutching so tightly..
She looked at my hardened face with wide eyes, finally returning to her senses.
"M-Minhyuk, when did you get here..?"
"Just now."
"I.. I didn't mean for this to happen.."
"I know. Noona wouldn't do this if nothing was wrong."
"H-huuueee!"
Just like a little child, she burst into tears and threw herself into my arms.
She had panicked.
The anger had exploded and she had acted, but now that she had calmed down, she had no idea how to fix it.
Even if she had ignored the insults and harassment, as a person she couldn't have zero damage.
Seeing her favorite manager's face in that state, even a strong Kim Si-a would break.
All the accumulated pain had shattered in one hug from her manager.
"I'm sorry, noona.. I should have been more careful."
And I simply held her tightly in my arms and stroked her back, unable to say anything else.
If it weren't for my own desires and plans, she would never have suffered like this.
"Ha.. I'm really an idiot. I was the one bullied, yet you're crying and acting crazy!"
The sharp voice from Ju Hye-ryeong rang out.
"Hey, Ju Hye-ryeong.."
"What? These bastards are going crazy together! Hey, Ju Hye-ryeong?"
"Yeah, it's you, Ju Hye-ryeong.."
"You really lost it? Can you even see what your hair looks like now?! Can you?!"
"I can.. very well.."
"But the manager said that? Watch, I'll show you how I deal with this!"
"Heh heh heh, you can file a complaint, or leak it to the media.. it's up to you.. but are you really okay?"
"What!"
"Kim Hee-ju from Eun-gang Women's High School, are you really okay?"
-Thud. Ju Hye-ryeong's legs suddenly gave out and she collapsed where she stood.
"Hee..!"
And she covered her mouth with trembling hands, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Hik, h-how..?"
"You're really okay?"
I slowly walked up to her and smiled wickedly, locking eyes with her.
"I asked you if you're really okay.."
I had lived in the future, so I knew a lot about Ju Hye-ryeong.
Why she had to retire at the end of Lovely Lady.
Everything she had lived through and the wrongs she had committed.
Kim Hee-ju, the school bully from Eun-gang Women's High School.
Rachel, the top hostess at Space Med Club in Ten Pro.
'I was watching this time, thinking she might live differently this time.. but it didn't work..'
Unfortunately, actress Ju Hye-ryeong had been handed down to me again in this life.