Chapter 91
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 91
"Hey, come out."
But it remained silent.
With this, I formed a hypothesis.
"Great work, everyone!"
"Good job today! Wow, Min Ji-heon’s acting was amaaaazing."
"It’s even more intense on set."
"Wait, even more than that?"
Everyone seemed to have a good feeling after finishing the first script reading; faces from the actors to the staff were glowing. People began to stand up one by one. Some flocked to the director, some to Yoo Ji-ah, and the vast majority crowded around Min Ji-heon, forming a literal wall of people.
I quietly packed my script and stood up when the manager, who had been waiting behind me, approached and grabbed my shoulder. When I turned around, he was crying.
"Ho-ho-yun... sniff."
"...Yes?"
"If I’d known you loved acting this much, I would’ve had you try it sooner..."
"I love acting?"
What is he talking about now?
I asked back, dumbfounded, and the manager nodded. Tears dripped from his chin. His sensitivity was off the charts.
"There’s no other way you could be this good! You’ve never even had an acting lesson, so to be this skilled, you must have been practicing on your own all this time, right?"
"Sometimes, Manager, you truly amaze me."
How does he even come to these conclusions?
Even though I let out an exclamation that was closer to a lament, the manager, already convinced, nodded to himself and wiped his tears with his sleeve.
Do those words even make sense after seeing Min Ji-heon act?
Director Yoo, who was passing by, overheard the nonsense and looked startled.
"What? Seo Ho-yun is crazy about acting?"
"Yes, Director... Just look at Ho-yun’s script. It’s tattered. This part is practically torn off."
That’s because Jeong Da-jun spilled coffee on the corner. The director looked at the yellowed script and let out a deep sigh.
"And I had no idea! I really thought you weren't interested. My goodness, I had so many prejudices."
"Seo Ho-yun is quite impressive, isn't he?"
Even Yoo Ji-ah joined in as she approached, instantly creating a heartwarming atmosphere.
I didn't want to end up with a title like 'Idol Obsessed with Acting,' so I spoke up quickly.
"No, no! Compared to everyone else's passion, I'm truly lacking."
But upon hearing that, the eyes staring at me sparkled with an even more ominous intensity.
"I can't believe it—humility, too...!"
"I'm really sorry, Ho-yun..."
Director Yoo suddenly went, "This reminds me of when I first debuted..." and eventually started dabbing at the tiny tears forming in his eyes with his sleeve.
Stop it. I'm just here to take down Min Ji-heon.
Everyone was surrounding me with an iron wall of wholesomeness, responding to whatever I said with "Aw, is that so?" and "Good boy." While I was wondering how to handle this, I saw Min Ji-heon slipping through the crowd.
Fortunately, the topic of conversation shifted to Yoo Ji-ah's debut at just the right time.
"I'll be back, just going to the restroom."
"Ah, sure, go ahead!"
Now, no matter what I said, they just looked at me with fond smiles.
Leaving the discomfort behind, I hurried out and caught up to Min Ji-heon, who was walking off in the distance.
"Min Ji-heon. A moment."
"Oh."
Min Ji-heon, who had been putting on a god-tier performance until moments ago, turned back to me with a bright smile.
"Hello?"
"I'm not doing very well."
I wasn't in the mood to exchange pleasantries with someone who had made me feel like I was coughing up blood. Since there were many people around, I lowered my voice.
"Do you have time?"
"Even if I didn't, I'd certainly make some."
"Let's talk for a moment, just us, without the managers."
Instead of answering, Min Ji-heon stared at me. I couldn't read what he was thinking. I could only detect a slight hint of hesitation.
"...Did we decide to use formal speech again?"
"..."
"I don't quite remember..."
"Use formal speech."
"...Okaaay."
Sigh.
Strangely, whenever I dealt with Min Ji-heon, my patience ran dry in a way that wasn't like me. I practically dragged him by force into the cafe on the first floor of the building.
Perhaps because the timing was awkward, there was no one there except for the staff. It was the perfect place to talk to a suspicious guy.
I ordered some drinks and tried to clear my mind, but Min Ji-heon was perfectly relaxed. No, rather than relaxed, he just seemed like he didn't have a single thought in his head.
"Why did you call me?"
"Why? Do you even have to ask?"
"Hmm."
Min Ji-heon chuckled. Meanwhile, the drinks arrived.
The employee placed the drinks in front of me and Min Ji-heon, gave him a smile, and left, but Min Ji-heon's entire focus was on the beverage.
"...Huh."
He tilted his head as he looked at the Americano in front of him.
"...Did I order an Americano?"
"You ordered a latte."
"Did I? Well, I'll just drink this."
Well, whatever, that wasn't important. I narrowed my eyes and glared at Min Ji-heon as I asked.
"Who are you?"
"Min Ji-heon."
Sometimes... I'm proud of myself for not having killed Min Ji-heon yet.
"Not your name. What kind of person are you?"
"An actor... Ah, that's not the answer you're looking for."
Only then did Min Ji-heon give an embarrassed laugh.
"How did you do it back then? How did you know I was in a car accident? And how do you know I'm trapped in this shitty world..."
"Whoa, wait, wait."
Min Ji-heon raised a hand to stop me and took a long draw of his Americano. Then, he let out a small sigh, scratched his head, fell into thought for a moment, and then grinned at me.
"Hyung. ...Don't get mad when you hear this, okay?"
"Depends on what I hear."
Min Ji-heon turned his head slightly, muttered something to himself, and then blurted out:
"Actually, I don't really know either!!"
I clenched my fists, suppressing the urge to slam the table. Then, through gritted teeth, I quietly called his name.
"You little shit."
"...I guess we really did drop the formalities back then?"
"Speak. Before my patience runs out."
Actually, my patience was already gone.
Min Ji-heon definitely knows something. He must have seen something back then that I didn't.
However, Min Ji-heon just picked up his straw and stirred the ice with a clinking sound, grumbling in a nonchalant tone.
"Even if I want to tell you, there's nothing to tell. I really don't know."
A bracelet rattled on the hand Min Ji-heon used to hold his drink. I judged that the ability from that day must have originated from that bracelet. As my gaze fixed intensely on it, Min Ji-heon followed my eyes to the bracelet.
...I rubbed my tired eyes and spoke bluntly.
"Min Ji-heon, you're right. I'm originally thirty-three, and I obviously wasn't an idol. Since I'm not from here, as you know... I probably rambled about not knowing if I was a ghost or a person."
"Hmm...?"
Min Ji-heon tilted his head slightly. That reaction felt strangely unsettling, but I moved past it for now.
"Listen carefully. To go back to my original world, I have to clear this scenario, all these quests."
Everything had been fine so far, but it was fundamentally bizarre. Why did I have to come here? What even is this?
"So, if you can explain what this system actually is—"
"Hyung, what do you mean by 'original'?"
Min Ji-heon cut me off with a question I hadn't expected at all. I faltered and frowned.
"The world I was in, obviously."
"......Ah~."
Min Ji-heon let out a delayed exclamation. Then, he kept his mouth shut and scanned me from head to toe.
What now?
"...Anyway, if you could explain—"
"Hyung."
I tried to continue, but Min Ji-heon cut me off again. I was getting slightly pissed, but when I clamped my mouth shut, Min Ji-heon smiled sheepishly, sensing my mood.
"...Well, I do want to help."
"..."
"But this is a bit... awkward for me to help with..."
Is this guy...?
I sat in a daze for a moment, then closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
Calm down, Seo Ho-yun.
I felt like I had encountered a top-tier, "complete" creature for the first time in a long while. No, maybe it was because Ju Woo-seong and Im Hyeon-su had been such easy marks.
Min Ji-heon was no pushover, which was why I felt like I was being shaken...
I am Seo Ho-yun. I said, I am Seo Ho-yun.
Just do what I've always done. Just like that.
I took a beat, opened my eyes, and looked Min Ji-heon straight in the face.
"Whew. Mr. Min Ji-heon. Don't you want to continue your career as a celebrity?"
I pulled out the blackmail card.
Of course, I knew nothing about Min Ji-heon, but...
Let's just throw it out there.
"Doesn't living like that weigh on your conscience...?"
Honestly, it was a long shot, but I thought it was worth a try.
"Do you think you can hide it forever?"
"......!"
There we go.
I threw the bait, and there was a reaction.
I knew it. There isn't a single person in this world who doesn't have some dust come off them when shaken.
Min Ji-heon stroked his chin with a troubled expression.
"Oh dear..."
"I can keep my mouth shut. If you just give me the answers I want."
Min Ji-heon stared at me and sighed.
"I suppose I can't hide it forever."
The reaction was finally coming. Min Ji-heon rattled his straw with a somber face.
"Actually, I..."
"..."
"I eat a lot. Ten servings is my baseline."
Ah...
As I glared at Min Ji-heon with my hands clasped to stop them from trembling with rage, he put on a wistful look, fell into thought, and began to rattle off other TMIs (which wouldn't even be damaging; in fact, they were the kind of things that would only set a fan's heart on fire).
"My mom wondered if I had a parasite in my stomach and took me to every hospital across the country. But there's nothing. I'm just perfectly fine."
"Hey."
"I was just a pig..."
The 'pig' made a flower pose with his hands under his chin and smiled brightly.
"But Hyung... um, you were threatening me just now, right?"
"You got a problem with that? You going to threaten me back?"
I looked at him with a gaze that said, 'Go ahead and try, you think you can even do anything to me?' but Min Ji-heon shook his head.
"What? No. I quite like you, Hyung. I really want you to succeed. I enjoyed watching the reruns of Shining Star... I'm rooting for The Dawn, too, and I like your surprisingly soft personality."
...Soft?
If the system window could appear right now, it would be spamming question marks. Thanks to that, my thoughts of 'Should I manipulate the data and spread rumors about Min Ji-heon? Ah, that doesn't quite fit my principles,' were completely blown away.
"It's juuuust... the reason I asked is..."
I heard him mutter as he clinked the ice with his straw.
"If you want an answer, isn't a request a more normal way than a threat...?"
"..."
"That's just what I was thinking..."
It was a perfectly logical, common-sense statement coming from a madman.
...Thinking about it carefully, he was right. If you have nothing to blackmail with, offering something is the best way.
But being called out on common sense by a guy who seemed to have none was a shock.
Should I give up on Min Ji-heon and look for someone else... someone with spiritual powers?
No, that's not it. There's no guarantee I'd find out anything that way.
Min Ji-heon really does have an ability.
That damn bracelet is one thing, and the way his eyes occasionally seem to see right through me is another.
Items? He's a guy who can even disable the system window; there's no way they'd work. Besides, with his intuition, the probability of getting blocked while trying was higher.
He was a person against whom none of my usual moves worked.
I glared at him and asked.
"What do you want?"
Fine, then it's persuasion.