Chapter 105
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 105
[Min Ji-heon: Congrats]
As expected.
[Me: 🖕]
After sending a brief reply, I turned my head toward the manager.
"I'm going to go meet Senior Min Ji-heon for a bit."
"Min Ji-heon?"
"Yes. We got pretty close while filming, and he asked to grab a coffee since it was our last day on set."
"Pretty close" was a massive overstatement. However, instead of finding it strange, the manager looked at me with pride.
"Right, right! It’s always good for labelmates to be on good terms."
"...We're very close."
So close that I occasionally thought about how much I’d love to see him ruined.
I got out of the car near the cafe Ji-heon had mentioned and walked inside. He was sitting in a corner, looking exhausted as he downed his coffee.
He said he’d rented out the entire place, and true to his word, there wasn't even a staff member in sight.
As I plopped down in the seat across from him, I saw a Frappuccino he had ordered for me waiting on the table.
"Hey."
"...What's with you?"
"Ah, I'm just tired..."
His energy was even lower than usual. I looked at him curiously until I noticed the tattered script on the table, covered in scribbles and strike-throughs. Then I understood.
Well, even Yoo Ji-ah had struggled like hell with the emotional beats this time; I could only imagine what it was like for Min Ji-heon.
"You finished your first drama filming without a hitch. Congratulations."
"Thanks. I heard your popularity in China and Japan is insane right now."
"Haha, it hasn't really sunk in yet."
Min Ji-heon’s popularity had hit the ceiling with this drama. He was already explosive domestically and abroad, but now I’d heard his recognition in China was so high he could practically name his own price... but that was a separate matter.
"That's enough small talk, Senior."
I took off my hat and spoke.
"You heard, right?"
"The ratings?"
"Yeah. 18 percent. The exact number you predicted."
Min Ji-heon popped the remaining ice cubes from his empty cup into his mouth and crunched down on them.
"Yeah. I figured it would land around there."
Scary bastard. I honestly thought he’d be better off opening a fortune-telling stall.
"Then you owe me an answer."
"There was one more condition, wasn't there?"
Min Ji-heon had set two conditions for me.
Hit 18 percent in viewership ratings, and act better than Lee Kang-seok.
I stroked my chin.
"Act better than Lee Kang-seok."
I’d already taken care of him.
He's not even a point of comparison anymore.
The controversy surrounding him had blazed fiercely thanks to the recording. He’d been kicked off the drama, and since all his filmed scenes—aside from those already aired—were being reshot with a different actor, there was no clear basis for comparison.
But since I couldn't say that... I smiled innocently and rubbed my jaw.
"Honestly, didn't I do well?"
In life, you have to be a little shameless to survive.
"Of course, I'm no match for you, but for a total rookie, I think I did a great job."
"Oh, you did. You were really good. The staff members really liked you."
Min Ji-heon gave a thin smile, looking amused.
"But I told you to surpass Lee Kang-seok's acting, not to send him to his professional grave."
I tilted my head as if I had no idea what he was talking about, but Min Ji-heon acted as if he’d already seen through everything.
"You intended to clear him out of the way from the start, didn't you?"
...There was no physical evidence.
Even if he’d caught me throwing that bait to the camera director, he couldn't be certain I was the one who moved. In reality, I hadn't actually done anything.
I just let it happen.
I hesitated for a moment. Should I deny having such intentions, or should I get angry instead?
But before I could answer, Min Ji-heon spoke while tracing the rim of his empty cup.
"Lee Kang-seok... thinking back, it's a bit of a shame."
"......"
"He actually had talent. If it weren't for that recording—no, if it weren't for that inferiority complex—he was someone who could have lasted a long time based on his acting alone."
That tone...
I looked up at him. With his long eyelashes cast down, Min Ji-heon looked like someone who wasn't surprised by Lee Kang-seok's power-trip scandal at all.
...Ah.
Only then did I realize.
I stared at him and said, "You knew."
"......"
"From the moment you set the conditions for the bet... you knew Lee Kang-seok was going to blow up."
Why Lee Kang-seok in the first place?
Was it simply because he wanted him gone?
If he wanted to compare acting, an idol playing a similar supporting role would have been a more appropriate target than a supporting lead in the same time slot. There were plenty of those cases.
So, the "comparison" was a lie. Min Ji-heon just wanted to put a problematic guy like Lee Kang-seok next to me to see how I would react.
The moment I said that, Min Ji-heon’s eyes crinkled as he let out a soft laugh. That expression alone was enough.
I was right.
"You really are quick on the uptake, Hyung."
Crazy bastard.
Min Ji-heon hadn't just "awakened" in some other sense.
His ability to read people was chillingly accurate.
"I told you, I used to act like a fool when I was young and it brought a lot of trouble... I practiced a lot after that. Eventually, you just start to see what kind of person someone is."
"......"
"The homemade carrot cake was... well... unexpected, though."
"...Yeah, I didn't expect that either."
Min Ji-heon rubbed his arms as if he were actually getting goosebumps.
...But Min Ji-heon, who had treated Lee Kang-seok normally while knowing all about his abusive behavior, was also far from being a normal human being.
Between the guy who bakes carrot cakes and the guy who sees ghosts...
Maybe the former was better. At least that was cute and tasted good.
Whether he noticed my internal monologue or not, Min Ji-heon shrugged and returned to the main point.
"Right, I knew. If I just wanted to see your acting, I didn't need to bring up a comparison, but the reason I brought Lee Kang-seok into it was..."
"......"
"...Well, it was a test. To see if you'd engage in the bet purely, or if... you'd use a shortcut."
Of course I'd use one, you punk.
"You have a 'Of course I would' look on your face."
"You forgot the 'you punk' part."
"My bad."
I had picked the wrong options from the start. Anger? Denial? Would those work on a guy who acted like he’d swallowed a hundred sly foxes?
I had to admit it: I had underestimated Min Ji-heon.
From the beginning, he had used Lee Kang-seok to test me while rambling about quests. He was thinking several steps ahead, and I hadn't reached that level yet.
"At first, I set those conditions because I was curious if you'd use a shortcut or not... but the more I watched, the more I realized. You definitely would. You have zero interest in anyone who isn't one of your people."
Min Ji-heon looked up, his voice laced with fatigue.
"Does that make you trash? I don't think it goes that far."
"......"
"You're just a pitiful person. A miserable person who will never be able to change for the rest of your life."
Min Ji-heon looked at me and gave a bitter smile.
"...Whew."
Pitiful or not... that wasn't what mattered right now. I pressed down on the bridge of my nose and asked, "...So, are you going to call off the bet?"
"Oh, come on. Your acting was good. Technically, the role of 'Lee Jeong-hun' itself was a bit of a cheat code since it's basically you... but if we count that against you, it wouldn't be fair, right?"
"It wouldn't."
"Theeen, I understand. You worked hard. Ji-heon will tell you now."
I finally got the answer I wanted, but it left a frustratingly foul aftertaste. It felt like my murky inner thoughts had been dissected right in front of him.
"Three things I know. I'll explain them now."
"Why three?"
"Because Koreans love the number three."
Regardless of my disgusted expression, Min Ji-heon lightly shook the bracelet he was holding.
"Alright, let's start with the premise. Do you know what this is?"
"No."
"Just think of it as something like a rosary. Anyway, it's a medium. A medium that holds my power."
Give me a break...
I knew nothing about that kind of stuff, and even if it were true, coming from Min Ji-heon, I felt the urge to nitpick. Even though he noticed my indifferent face, he pushed on with his explanation.
"When I shake this, I can see the true essence of a spirit. That's why I carry it everywhere. It helps me distinguish whether what I'm seeing is a ghost or a real person."
"And?"
"I'm saying that when I shake this, the essence of the spirit becomes clear."
Having finished the basic explanation, he snapped his fingers.
"Premise set, let's get to the point. I used this to repel your 'thought-form' back then. That's the first thing I'm telling you."
"...You realize you're sounding incredibly chuunibyou right now, right?"
"Didn't you watch the drama? This kind of stuff comes up all the time."
When I frowned, Min Ji-heon pondered for a moment, wondering how to explain, before continuing.
"How can I make this easy... Right, that lump that's stuck all over you. You can't see it, but it's at the level of an obsession."
"Hmm."
Stuck to the point of obsession. I figured he was referring to the System Window, but then something flashed through my mind.
"Was my 'thought-form' created by accumulated notoriety?"
"What?"
"When I first came to this world, there was a mention of Notoriety Points being accumulated. It said the conditions to start the game were met..."
"...Notoriety Points?"
Min Ji-heon furrowed his brows before bursting into a hollow laugh. Whatever he found so funny about my words made him crack up, and he laughed for a good while before wiping a tear from his eye.
"Ah, seriously, that's gold... Notoriety Points... That's insane."
"......"
"Hyung, you should try living a kinder life..."
...Ignore him.
Regardless of his reaction, I organized the information. If my notoriety is this "thought-form," and that was the condition for starting the game? Then I think I know why the System Window disappeared when the thought-form was gone.
"Ahem, I don't really know what that lump is, but I can tell you one thing for sure."
"......"
"What I did back then wasn't intended to show you your trauma. Why would I be that crazy? I simply peeled off 'that thing' that was clinging to you."
Min Ji-heon... had been quite flustered back then.
Considering he acted as if he never imagined I’d have such severe trauma, there was a high probability he wasn't lying.
"You said you saw a past car accident. I don't know why... It might have been a side effect that touched upon the core of your trauma."
I bit my lip. I thought while tapping my finger on the table.
"Now, for the second thing."
Min Ji-heon, the source of all this, was looking at me with his chin resting on one hand.
"How did the character of PD Lee Jeong-hun come into the world?"
The drama character was basically a copy of my life. The reason I started acting in the first place was to find out how that happened and to dig secrets out of Min Ji-heon.
"Do you know why?"
"Of course."
Min Ji-heon took his hand off his chin and pressed his eyes.
"Fragments of an original existence are leaking in. That's likely why that drama and the role of Lee Jeong-hun appeared."
"......"
"But that thing attached to you is desperately blocking those fragments from flowing in."
My jaw dropped at the unexpected information.
"Why?"
Why would the System Window block that?
"What is it? Why is it blocking it?"
Because it was so unexpected, words tumbled out of my mouth without any filter or calculation. I couldn't even stop myself. However, Min Ji-heon didn't seem to mind the questions. He just didn't have the answers.
He simply tilted his head.
"...Who knows?"
"...Hey, you said you'd tell me everything."
"I really want to tell you, but... this isn't the kind of thing someone else can just guess. Alright, that's the end of the second thing I know."
Min Ji-heon smiled, rubbing his mouth. Then he held up three fingers.
"Now for the third and final thing. It's somewhat related to what we just talked about."
"......"
"Why is this happening only to you... Why did a PD living in Seoul get ten years younger, become an idol, and end up struggling like this? It's partly because you're lucky, but..."
Min Ji-heon’s smile deepened. It looked almost pitying.
"It's because you're loved."
"......?"
"Ah~ what can you do when you're in love? You have no choice but to throw everything away and cling on. Just like everyone else..."
What kind of bizarre nonsense was this now?
However, Min Ji-heon acted as if he’d said his piece and began stirring his straw. He clamped his mouth shut as if he wouldn't answer even if I asked more.
I watched him for a moment, wiped my face with my hands, and added, "Is it normal that you told me three things and none of them were helpful?"
"...That's a bit harsh."
Min Ji-heon had talked a lot, but it was all just speculation; in the end, I still didn't know exactly what this was. I was also... quite something for listening to this weird nonsense until the end.
Min Ji-heon scratched his cheek.
"Well, I'm feeling a bit bad about it too."
Still, it wasn't a total loss. While I was busy mentally organizing the three pieces of information he’d dumped on me, Min Ji-heon stood up, having finished his business.
"Anyway. There are all sorts of things in this world, but you're the most fascinating case of them all."
"......"
"However~ you won't be able to change. That's absolutely impossible."
He’d been tormenting me with this "humans are selfish" and "they can't change" bullshit for a while now, and in the end, that was the only conclusion Min Ji-heon reached after this whole farce.
I let out a long sigh.
"...Is that your conclusion?"
"Yeah, in my own way."
...Since I’d heard everything Min Ji-heon had to say, I figured it was time for me to say what I needed to. I took a sip of the melted, watery Frappuccino and wiped my mouth.
Filming ended successfully.
I heard all the nonsense (all three parts).
I won't have to run into Min Ji-heon much in the future...
Good.
Shall I?
The cafe was rented out so there was no one else, no CCTV, and Min Ji-heon wasn't the type to record or film like I was. I called out to him.
"Ji-heon."
Since I usually only cursed at him, this was the first time I’d called him so familiarly. Min Ji-heon’s eyes went wide. I beckoned him over nonchalantly.
"Come here for a sec."
"Huh? Why?"
Min Ji-heon approached quite obediently. He was surprisingly good at following directions at times like this.
"Lean your head down a bit."
"Okay."
And as Min Ji-heon lowered his head...
WHACK!!!
"Agh!!"
I smacked him right on the head.
Whack.
Whack.
Whaaaack.
I felt a satisfying illusion of an echo ringing out. Min Ji-heon collapsed with a scream, but I just poked my straw into my drink and grumbled.
"Your tone is so annoying, seriously..."
"Wh-what..."
"You act like you know everything when you don't know jack... And you, you said you know my real age. Then why do you act so flippant? Life must be too easy for you lately, huh?"
I felt refreshed, having finally landed the blow I’d been planning since I realized I wouldn't have to see him regularly after filming.
"Why... why did you hit me?"
"You still don't know, Ji-heon?"
I smiled kindly.
"Because you were acting out..."
"......"
Min Ji-heon looked stunned, as if he couldn't believe it, but since I’d heard what I needed and landed my hit, I was done. I waved him off.
"Fine, you can go now."
"...So you're done with me now that you've heard everything?"
"Why else would I be here with you? Get lost."
"...Hyung, you really, really, really have the worst personality ever. You know that?"
"How could I not?"
Perhaps because today's filming was over, the bracelet on Min Ji-heon’s left wrist was making its presence known. I looked away, feeling a slight pang of regret.
Min Ji-heon frowned, a rare expression for him, as he rubbed the bump on his head. Even so, he didn't say or do anything else, perhaps thinking he had been a bit too cheeky.
"Sigh......"
Min Ji-heon pressed his forehead, then suddenly slumped onto the table like a sloth. He grumbled incessantly, twisting only his head to look at me. If a fan had seen him, they would have swooned over how he looked like a model in a photoshoot, but it just pissed me off.
"...Still, let's see each other again. I want to see how this ends. It's really rare for me to act like this even after being hit..."
"......"
"...Wait, is this Stockholm Syndrome?"
I rubbed my arms and muttered, "Hey, just... stop being so creepy..."
"If you keep that up, next time I'm bringing carrot—no, whipped cream cake."
Min Ji-heon grumbled until the very end, checked the time on his phone, and stood up. I raised my middle finger at his retreating back.
"Hey! Min Ji-heon!"
"What!"
"It was disgusting being with you, let's never see each other again!!"
"No way!!"
Shouting that at the back of his head made me feel a bit better.
"That bastard Min Ji-heon, seriously..."
I felt completely drained just being around him. I tapped the table with my finger and thought. Based on the circumstances, there were three facts I could clearly organize.
First: The System Window is an obsessive thought-form.
Second: If the System Window is detached from me, I feel pain and see my trauma.
Third: Traces of me are leaking in from the other world, and the System Window is blocking them.
Those facts led to this deduction:
The reason the System Window is blocking contact with my original world is, perhaps...
...No.
...That's too much of a leap. There wasn't enough evidence to prove the logic, so I retraced Min Ji-heon’s words. Honestly, the last thing he said made the least sense.
Because I'm loved?
No matter how much I thought about it...
"What absolute bullshit..."
It was pure nonsense...
Having reached that conclusion, I downed the rest of my Frappuccino. Even so, I couldn't dampen the fire rising in my chest.
I’d gone through so much trouble, and this was all I got.
"Hey."
The System Window remained silent even after Min Ji-heon left. It was a sort of protest, a sign that it would never answer even if I asked.
"Hey..."
Still no response. After calling out for a while, I gave up and slammed my forehead onto the table.
"What even are you?"
This level of information was nowhere near enough.
In the end, I had no choice but to uncover the truth as I progressed through the Main Scenario.
The System Window, that bastard. It said all that stuff about being for my sake, but it had been deceiving me the whole time.
Even as my heart burned, my head cooled down with cold logic.
...Let's not get ahead of ourselves.
I didn't have any cards in my hand yet.
* * *
[Subject: T_T I guess the Jeong-Jeong Couple isn't happening...
My husband and I watched it religiously T_T
My husband was rooting for Min Ji-heon, and I was rooting for Lee Jeong-hun.
My husband asked me seriously why I liked Lee Jeong-hun so much and if I enjoyed being looked down on...
But what can I do when his face is that handsome.... T_T
It really is a shame. T_T]
[Subject: Uwaaaaah, this last episode of the Jeong-Jeong Couple, seriously ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Lee Jeong-hun ended up being a failed investment ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I told you he was the second lead!!!!!! I told you!!!!!!
>>>>"What a waste, really."<<<<
Did you hear that!!!!!!
If that's not the #1 line in a romance, then what is?!
I'm listening to the OST right now and fuming.
Give me back the Jeong-Jeong Couple.
└ Calm down.
└└ Do I look like I can calm down?
└└ OP, that's not me above.
└ But is that line really about lingering feelings?? It just sounds like he's genuinely feeling bad for her as a senior.
└└ They definitely dropped that bait on purpose. Ah T_T Writer Suki, how could you give us a character so perfectly our type and then do this until the very end~!!!]
[Subject: People who liked Lee Jeong-hun this time.
The actor's real personality is ㅋㅋㅋ similar.
└ Don't talk nonsense. There's no way an idol has the personality of that 'my-way-trash-my-precious' PD.
└└ No, it's true. He's holding back a bit lately, but everyone who knows, knows... He's got no manners and is pretty cute.
└└ Is it okay to say an idol has no manners...?
└└ Just a Noeul passing by... It's true... so I have nothing to say...]
[The actor is having a comeback in October.
└└ For real??????? Wow, he's really working hard without a single day off;]
The drama ended successfully, maintaining a peak of 18 percent until the final episode. Please Take Care of the Camera created a bigger splash than expected.
Daepasung went into a frenzy, tagging every video of The Dawn with hashtags to attract the massive influx of international K-drama fans. Perhaps thanks to that effect, the view counts rose significantly. Seizing the moment, Seo Ho-yun—now free from his drama schedule—prepared for the comeback and created another piece of self-produced content.
However, that self-produced content was (once again) strange.
[Main Vocal 1: Um, I was a bit worried. About whether I could find a matching partner.]
[Sub-Vocal 1: Anyone... as long as they're quiet. In that sense, Seong Ji-won—no, Main Vocal 1—would be better.]
[Rapper No. 1: Say hi~ I’m Rapper No. 1~]
It was a matching program.