Chapter 36
Chapter 36
A Calculated Disappearance
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This wasn’t right.
Among the countless movies and dramas he had watched back in 2207, he had seen scenes similar to this situation.
‘So this is what it feels like to play hooky.’
It wasn’t quite like a scene from a teen drama where you skip evening study sessions and run from the teachers. He was just riding in the van driven by Lee Tae-gyeom, staring blankly at the scenery outside, but it didn’t feel bad to be out and about during a time he was usually on set preparing for a shoot.
“Where did Yeon-seo go?”
“Huh? I don’t see him.”
A few minutes after Yu Yeon-seo disappeared, people started to notice his absence.
“Has anyone seen Yu Yeon-seo?”
“I saw him go outside a little while ago.”
“Really? He doesn’t even smoke…”
A staff member headed outside. All the other cars were there, but Yu Yeon-seo’s van was gone. The staff member hesitantly returned to the set.
“Um… Yeon-seo’s car is gone too.”
“What?”
“Surely he didn’t just… ditch us, right?”
“No way.”
Even if Yu Yeon-seo had a rotten personality, he knew how to separate his public and private life, didn’t he?
“...He’s not picking up. Huh?”
They tried calling Yu Yeon-seo’s manager, Lee Tae-gyeom, but the phone just rang and rang.
(The customer is unavailable to take your call…)
“His phone’s off now.”
The staff members began to murmur amongst themselves.
“What’s going on?”
For the next two days, Yu Yeon-seo lazed around on his bed at home.
“Home sweet home.”
His phone rang intermittently, but he ignored all calls unless they were from Im Seung-hyeon or Lee Tae-gyeom.
But this was a call he probably had to take.
“Hey, CEO Han. What’s up?”
(What’s up? What do you mean, what’s up? Don’t tell me you don’t know.)
“Hmm, I wouldn’t say I don’t know. I have a plan for all of this.”
(A plan? What plan! What on earth are you thinking? And why isn’t that kid, Lee Tae-gyeom, answering his phone?!)
Lee Tae-gyeom was becoming quite the excellent slave. In truth, it wasn’t that he was following Yu Yeon-seo’s orders to ignore the calls, but rather that he was terrified of being interrogated by the CEO and the manager... Yu Yeon-seo smiled in satisfaction. On the other end, CEO Han felt like he was about to explode.
(What are you laughing about!)
“Ah, I told you, I’ve got it all figured out.”
Faced with Yu Yeon-seo’s feigned ignorance, CEO Han was about to scream in frustration but held himself back. After taking a few deep breaths, he decided to try persuading him calmly.
(Yeon-seo… even though your personality is a bit, well, problematic, you’ve always kept your personal and professional lives separate. What’s this about suddenly disappearing from a shoot?)
“What’s wrong with my personality, CEO Han? I’m a little hurt.”
(Come on! Stop picking at my words!)
In the end, CEO Han couldn’t help but shout.
“Just stay put, CEO Han. I’ll handle everything. Besides, the daily wages for the production crew due to the filming delay are coming out of my pocket anyway.”
(It’s not about the money right now, it’s about your reputation…!)
“Did I have any reputation left to lose? CEO Han, if you keep getting angry, I might just head over to JSENM.”
(Fine! Go! I don’t need an actor who causes trouble like you anyway!)
Ah, that didn’t work. Yu Yeon-seo clicked his tongue and stared at the disconnected call screen. Once this was all over, he’d probably come begging, asking if he was really going to JSENM.
Might as well see how the situation has developed.
Yu Yeon-seo Suddenly Disappears from ‘Virtual Reality’ Filming Set
‘Virtual Reality’ Star Yu Yeon-seo Abruptly Refuses to Film, Goes Incommunicado… Production Halted
Network Expresses “Regret” Over Yu Yeon-seo’s Disappearance… ‘Virtual Reality’ Broadcast Canceled
The entertainment news was almost entirely dominated by stories about him.
-Yu Yeon-seo again? An update on the perpetually trending Yu Yeon-seo’s incidents (01.30.19)
-He was quiet for a while lol
-Wow, what a psycho
-His life must be fun, doing whatever he wants
-How long do you think he’ll be gone?
-I was really enjoying Virtual Reality, what the hell;;
-His acting has improved a lot lately and I was starting to like him, but I guess people never change
The reactions in online communities were much the same.
Yu Yeon-seo Sends Certified Letter to ‘Virtual Reality’ Production Company, Our Pictures.
Actor Who Abruptly Disappeared Had Poor Attitude on Set… ‘Virtual Reality’ Staff’s Exposé Goes Viral
Yu Yeon-seo’s Attitude on ‘Virtual Reality’ Set Under Fire… Called Fellow Actor “Vulgar”
It was clearly an intentional media play. Had the production company and the network fired the first shot?
But there was one thing they overlooked. No matter what kind of media play they attempted…
‘It’s no match for me.’
It couldn’t hold a candle to the firepower of his social media posts.
Y__Yeonseo
Ahaha, if I’d known it was a plagiarized drama, I wouldn’t have done it, haha.
Before you express regret, how about taking a slow look at the situation?
Now, let’s see how quickly the articles pop up. Yu Yeon-seo smirked and hit refresh.
Yu Yeon-seo, Who Disappeared from Set, Posts on Social Media… “Virtual Reality is a Plagiarized Drama”
‘Virtual Reality’ Plagiarized? Aspiring Writer’s Post Belatedly Gains Attention
Yu Yeon-seo: “I Wouldn’t Have Done It If I Knew It Was Plagiarized”
The response was almost immediate.
Hwang Mi-jeong, the writer of ‘Virtual Reality’, took her hands off the keyboard. It felt impossible to write another word.
‘Virtual Reality’ had been postponed indefinitely. For one, the lead actor was gone, and the plagiarism accusation, which had seemed like it would soon be buried, had blown up beyond control because of Yu Yeon-seo. There had been suggestions to proceed with Yoon Ha-neul as the sole lead, but Yu Yeon-seo was the biggest investor.
In the end, with everyone warily watching each other, everything ground to a halt.
‘This is all because he just had to post that…!’
Hwang Mi-jeong called Jeong Da-hee. Unlike before, when she would let it ring several times, Jeong Da-hee answered right away.
“Yes, hello.”
(Hey, you!)
Hwang Mi-jeong’s sudden shout made Jeong Da-hee flinch.
“Yes, Writer Hwang Mi-jeong. Go ahead.”
(Because of you, I’ve lost billions on ‘Virtual Reality.’ You’re prepared to take responsibility for that, right? Are you prepared to make an enemy of the network and the production company?)
“…”
(I warned you I’d make sure you could never set foot in this industry again, didn’t I? Not just this industry, I’ll make the rest of your life miserable, so just you watch. How dare you cross me?)
Jeong Da-hee let out a hollow laugh. How could a person be so shameless?
Not once had she offered a sincere apology born of true remorse—only a half-hearted one she was pushed into by Kim Sang-jun of Our Pictures, who had begged her to do it.
“Ma’am, I’m recording this call. I’ve recorded all our previous conversations as well.”
(What? What?!)
Flustered, Hwang Mi-jeong moved to end the call. But her pride wouldn’t allow her to seem like she was running away.
(So what if you’re recording? You know this is an illegal recording, right?)
“Don’t you think you have a lot more to lose than a ‘mere aspiring writer’ like me?”
Hwang Mi-jeong clamped her mouth shut. It was a clear threat: if necessary, she would release all the recordings.
“I’m hanging up now. Don’t call me again.”
After ending the call, Jeong Da-hee sighed. She thought she couldn’t be any more disappointed…
‘Virtual Reality’ Gate Opens… Following Hwang Mi-jeong, Park Ji-hye and Kim Ok-seon Face Plagiarism Allegations
Victim Plagiarized by ‘Dear Youth’ Writer Park Ji-hye Sued for Defamation Instead
‘Plagiarism Allegation’ Writer Park Ji-hwan Caught Attempting Belated Settlement
Still, it was good that her case was shedding light on other victims who had been wronged. Knowing the despair of having her work stolen, she hoped their grievances could finally be resolved.
‘If it weren’t for Yu Yeon-seo…’
Would things have ever gotten this big?
“Hello, Writer Jeong Da-hee. My name is Park Cheong-a.”
“Hello.”
“First of all, thank you for agreeing to this interview.”
Jeong Da-hee had decided to be interviewed by a reporter. It was someone who, after she posted her story, had persistently requested an interview, promising to write a transparent article and insisting that the perception of plagiarism needed to change.
She answered detailed questions about how she discovered the plagiarism and how she felt at the time.
“What are your plans going forward?”
“I’ve already contacted a law firm. If they don’t express an intention to settle, we’ll proceed with a copyright dispute.”
“I see. I hope everything works out for you.”
Park Cheong-a said with sincerity.
“Yu Yeon-seo’s social media post played a big part in making this situation blow up, didn’t it? Did you know he was going to do that?”
“Actually…”
Jeong Da-hee started to speak, then closed her mouth.
[It would be best not to disclose the fact that my young master was involved in this case from the beginning.]
There was also a penalty clause, which could make it look like the whole thing was orchestrated to get out of paying it. And besides, Yu Yeon-seo didn’t want it known that he had helped her beforehand.
But…
‘Is it right to just stay silent like this?’
The fact was, she had received an immense amount of help. Im Seung-hyeon had introduced her to the law firm, and she hadn’t paid a single won in fees. It was all thanks to Yu Yeon-seo’s design that he had deliberately escalated the situation to bring her this much attention.
‘This much storytelling should be fine, right?’
Jeong Da-hee was a writer, too. She quickly improvised.
“Actually, after I posted on the forum, I received a call from Yu Yeon-seo.”
“…Really?”
“Yes. He said he saw the plagiarism accusation and was calling to confirm if it was true.”
Reporter Park Cheong-a’s eyes lit up.
The prevailing opinions on Yu Yeon-seo’s sudden disappearance were either “Yeon-seo being Yeon-seo,” or that he was just tacking Jeong Da-hee’s plagiarism claim onto his unprofessional walkout.
But if he had verified the facts first? That changed the entire story.
“So, what happened?”
“After hearing my whole story, he just said, ‘Okay, I get it,’ and hung up. But the very next day, the news about his disappearance broke.”
“Oh my gosh…”
“At first, I was like, ‘What? Did he just call to confirm?’ and I was disappointed…”
Right. The point was that he wasn’t involved ‘from the beginning.’ This much… should be fine, right? Jeong Da-hee struggled to keep her expression neutral.
“I never imagined he would actually blow the case wide open like that. I’m incredibly grateful to him.”
Jeong Da-hee put on a moved expression while subtly gauging Park Cheong-a’s reaction. The reporter was completely absorbed, filled with a sense of mission to report this new fact immediately.
“This wasn’t supposed to happen.”
Yu Yeon-seo scowled as he was flooded with messages.
(CEO Han Jun-o) Yeon-seo. I was short-sighted.
(CEO Han Jun-o) I should have known your personality changed because of the amnesia.
(CEO Han Jun-o) You’re not really going to Juseong, are you? It was my fault.
(CEO Han Jun-o) Please pick up the phone.
CEO Han was pestering him with messages once every hour…
(Park Min-woo) Now I know why you mentioned Writer Hwang before.
(Park Min-woo) You had a plan all along, hyung!
No, that’s not it.
Yu Yeon-seo let out a deep sigh. All he wanted was to peel back one layer of his ‘arrogant psycho’ image and cultivate a perception of ‘he’s an ass, but he sometimes does good things.’
Yu Yeon-seo’s Disappearance Was Justified… Confirmed Facts with Plagiarism Victim in Advance
‘The Hope of Rookies’ Yu Yeon-seo Walks Off Set for the Sake of a Wronged Victim
Yu Yeon-seo Contacted Aspiring Writer First to Verify Facts… An Act No One from Production or the Network Bothered With
They’d turned him into some kind of dark knight fighting injustice. Who did this?
To continue his cushy celebrity life, he needed to maintain his image as an arrogant, ill-mannered brat. It’s too easy for a celebrity with a good image to fall from grace. It’s better to be the guy with a bad reputation from the start.
-Wow, is this for real?
-Would this have blown up into a huge scandal without Yu Yeon-seo?
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-He was playing the long game, this is insane lol
-I’m seeing Yu Yeon-seo in a new light.
-This is how you use your chaebol privilege lol
-Other actors who are still working with plagiarizing writers should reflect on this lol
But judging by the public’s reaction now, they were practically deifying him. Just don’t use me to bash other actors…
“Are you sure you warned Writer Jeong properly?”
“Yes. I told her not to mention that you were involved in this case ‘from the beginning.’”
Hey, Im Seung-hyeon. You planned this, didn’t you? Yu Yeon-seo’s eyes narrowed.
“Well… since it’s already happened, would you like to see Writer Jeong? She’s very eager to meet you, Young Master.”
Im Seung-hyeon avoided his gaze. Yu Yeon-seo stared at him for a long moment before sighing.
“Fine.”
As Im Seung-hyeon said, what’s done is done. Yu Yeon-seo rose from his seat.