Chapter 98
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 98
I had just run into Han Chae-ri and briefly considered telling Ju Woo-seong that his ex-girlfriend was worried about him... but since the self-proclaimed "woman-crazy" Ju Woo-seong looked more than fine—healthy, even—I decided against it.
As I turned my phone off again, the system window spoke to me.
[What’s wrong?]
“…Nothing, really.”
Just as I was about to cut off my trailing thoughts and move on, the system window, which had been silent for a moment, suddenly popped up again.
[So, how does it feel?]
“Huh?”
[The treatment you receive now is markedly different from when you were a PD.]
I stared at the flickering characters on the blue system window… and let out a smirk.
‘It’s totally fishing for a reaction.’
Lately, it felt like I was playing a game of push-and-pull with the system window.
It was clear that Min Ji-heon had become a trigger for something to be revealed. However, it still wasn't clear what the system window was seeing that made it react so sensitively.
Right now, it seemed to want to evaluate my "PD days" negatively and emphasize the unearned goodwill I was receiving.
‘Then I guess I’ll throw out some bait of my own.’
Watching its reaction, I carefully chose my words.
“…In the old days, I would’ve just been cursed out on the internet and that would be the end of it.”
I refrained from saying things like "I’m always grateful" or "I want to stay here forever because of this fresh experience," as those would be too obvious.
“It is a bit of a novelty, isn't it?”
[Hey.]
The system window suddenly pinged.
[Don’t even think about testing me.]
“Oops….”
Maintaining the smile on my lips, I gazed at the flickering blue window. As if annoyed, the system window hammered out text in a flurry.
[I can see riiiiiight through what you’re thinking. No matter what you say or what bait you throw, I’m not answering from now on.]
“But you were just testing me, too. Talk about a double standard.”
[…I’m different!]
“How are you different?”
I scoffed. A moment later, the system’s words and mine overlapped.
[I’m diff—]
“Were you going to say you’re different? Like some cheesy pick-up line?”
[Aaaaaagh!]
[So annoying!]
[I’m leaving. Bye.]
And with that, the system window vanished. It really was a satisfying guy to mess with.
Seeing that reaction, I was certain of one thing: the system window hadn't been lying just now.
I tossed the empty can into the trash and organized my thoughts as I walked toward the drama set.
‘The claim that it’s acting for my sake is likely true.’
Though it was mischievous and the penalties were high, the quests ultimately progressed in a direction that benefited me, and it was sensitive to how others evaluated me. Well, I tended to ignore it sometimes because I hated the forced nature of it all, but regardless.
That just left…
As I stepped onto the set, Min Ji-heon, who had been checking his script, snapped his head up and called out to me.
“Ah, Seo Ho-yun.”
“Yes, Senior Min Ji-heon.”
‘Then the important thing is to figure out what’s a lie and what isn't.’
I didn't have to look far. I just had to grill this guy standing in front of me. He was the one who knew the most about my current situation.
“It’s our first shoot together. I’ve been looking forward to it. I’m in your hands.”
“I’m not particularly looking forward to it.”
“Haha, prickly again today?”
Min Ji-heon closed his script and laughed. Maintaining a proper distance, I glanced at his wrist.
Hmm, good. He wasn't wearing the bracelet.
Min Ji-heon followed my gaze and snorted.
“Hyung, are you scaw-ed?”
“…….”
‘I really, really want to hit him just once.’
But thoughts were thoughts, and actions were actions.
Having bumped into him quite a bit on set already, I was perfectly capable of maintaining a poker face against this level of provocation. We had to film a scene soon, and I didn't want to deal with his nonsense, so I tried to ignore him and walk past, but then I stopped.
There was no one else around.
“…Hey.”
It wasn't in my nature to just stay quiet and wait for him to give me an answer.
I spun around and approached Min Ji-heon, who was looking at his script again.
“What are you up to?”
In cases like this, a direct frontal assault was the answer.
“Hmm?”
“Are you trying to help me, or are you trying to get in my way? Why go such a long way around when you could just tell me easily? Why are you so interested in me in the first place?”
“…Ah~. Haha. Are we starting a heart-to-heart? Sure, let’s do it.”
Min Ji-heon gave a troubled laugh. He turned his gaze toward the set where the staff were moving busily in the distance, rested his chin on one hand, and began a random tangent.
“Hyung, do you think people can change?”
“……What?”
“I don’t think they can.”
‘So what?’
Min Ji-heon flipped through his script before closing it with a sharp thwack.
“I believe people are fundamentally selfish. And I also believe that people aren't meant to be fixed and reused.”
“It’s my fault for asking you. I’m leaving.”
Talking to him always felt like wandering through a fog. As I clicked my tongue and tried to leave, Min Ji-heon turned his head. His eyes weren't fixed on me. Once again, he was looking at something beyond me.
‘……Behind me?’
The thought sent goosebumps down my arms.
“But looking at you, Hyung… someone bet everything on the idea that ‘people can change.’ That’s why I was curious at first. Whether you were worth that much.”
“…….”
“Of course, now, not just me but many people like you. But I’m still curious.”
Min Ji-heon lowered his eyelids and then raised them again. The gaze we met was far too calm compared to the words he was spitting out.
“Are you really worth that much, Hyung…?”
I stared directly into his eyes for a moment before brushing my hair back.
Feeling Min Ji-heon’s gaze persistently following the movement, I spoke slowly.
“So what?”
“…….”
Ah….
This was great.
I’d only thought it to myself before, but saying it out loud was refreshing. Seeing Min Ji-heon staring at me blankly, lost for words, I gave him a kind smile.
“Let’s go film, Senior Min Ji-heon.”
It was a signal to shut up and do our jobs.
Min Ji-heon let out a disbelieving "Ha," pressed a hand to his forehead, and bowed his head before soon chuckling to himself.
“You’re the one who asked… and this is how you react when I answer? You really treat me terribly….”
“…….”
“And even elementary schoolers don’t use slang like that these days. Only we use it, only us….”
‘Whatever,’ I muttered to myself as I walked away.
* * *
“Wow, it’s the first shoot with Min Ji-heon.”
Min Ji-heon’s character, Min Seung-tae, was a third-generation chaebol who loved Yoo Jeong-hwa very, very deeply.
However, because his father had framed Yoo Jeong-hwa’s father and caused his wrongful death, Seung-tae hated his own father and tried to uncover the truth behind everything. At the same time, he was a character in agony, unable to act easily for fear of being rejected by Yoo Jeong-hwa.
On the other hand, Yoo Jeong-hwa, played by Yoo Ji-ah, was unaware of these facts. Following in the footsteps of her righteous father, she joined a broadcasting station wanting to be a PD who made "fair broadcasts," but the setting was that she ended up in the variety department by chance.
“This is a scene where you’re both digging into each other quite lightly, but I want you to be careful with your acting.”
“Yes.”
The first scene I was to film with Min Ji-heon wasn't the first meeting between the protagonist and PD Lee Jeong-hun.
It was a scene around Episode 3, where PD Lee Jeong-hun notices the past connection between the protagonists and probes Min Ji-heon.
The director pointed at the script and said, “This is where Lee Jeong-hun’s character setup is clearly revealed. He notices a clue to the incident and subtly mocks Min Ji-heon, but he’s not a righteous enough character to reveal it himself.”
It was basically me.
Even Min Ji-heon acknowledged that.
“Yes. Well, that’s the kind of person he is.”
I also admitted the resemblance.
“He’s a character who has taken the brunt of society’s storms head-on. Sometimes he’s so incredibly rude that you just want to grab him by the collar and shake him!”
“…….”
Wait, that’s a bit offensive?
I skimmed the script one more time and stepped into the area where the cameras were set up. Min Ji-heon, who was already standing there receiving final touches from the makeup artist, held a script whose corners were just as worn as mine.
‘Acting with Min Ji-heon.’
I was a little nervous.
‘I’m bound to be overshadowed.’
Yoo Ji-ah was the same, but Min Ji-heon was especially the type to suck the energy out of his scene partners while acting. Not only did he overwhelm the other person, but he had the power to shift the atmosphere in a direction favorable to himself.
“I’m in your hands.”
I took a deep breath and greeted him, and Min Ji-heon turned his eyes toward me.
“I’m excited… to film together.”
“…Mr. Min Ji-heon, I am so excited as well.”
“Ahaha.”
Since we were in front of the cameras, I couldn't openly mock him. When I played along appropriately, Min Ji-heon laughed and did a final check of the script. We coordinated our movements and waited for the slate… when Min Ji-heon suddenly leaned his head in close.
“Seo Ho-yun.”
At least he used my name since we were in front of the cameras. It might just be my opinion—though seeing how everyone called him "Sweet Min," it might be 100% true—but Min Ji-heon’s "aggro" wasn't a one-time thing (I decided to call this "Min-gro"). I stared at him calmly, and Min Ji-heon slightly curled the corners of his mouth.
“Want to do something fun?”
“What?”
“I’m a bit curious… about what you were originally like, Seo Ho-yun. What kind of person you are.”
“Ready—Action!”
Before I could ask what he meant, the shout of "Action!" rang out and the slate was snapped.
‘……Now what?’
No, focus for now. Standing outside the camera angle, I looked at Min Ji-heon.
On the rooftop, Min Seung-tae, having finished a phone call with his father, crushed a curse word under his breath in frustration.
Having arrived on the rooftop before him, I was fiddling with a pack of cigarettes at the edge when I glanced toward Min Seung-tae.
The camera zoomed in on me. Discovering me late, Min Seung-tae started in surprise before quickly switching to a smiling face to greet me.
“Hello.”
“Yeah.”
Deliberately drawing out the end of my words, I rested my chin on my hand. At the gaze that openly scanned him from head to toe, Min Seung-tae—who had heard about Lee Jeong-hun through Yoo Jeong-hwa—furrowed his brow slightly before quickly showing his usual, habitual smile.
“You were here. I think you were here last time, too. You must come up often.”
“Yeah, well.”
I answered half-heartedly, but Min Seung-tae’s gaze continued to follow me persistently. It was a probing look, trying to see if I had heard the phone call or not. I stared back at him and asked.
“The son of Seonghu Corporation?”
“…….”
“Wow, a leading conglomerate. Which one are you? The second son?”
At my words, the smile on Min Seung-tae’s face vanished in an instant. His mask crumbled.
I tapped the rooftop railing with the cigarette pack and added in a calm voice, though I couldn't help the sarcastic tone.
“It seems your childhood friend still doesn't know….”
“…….”
“If there’s any crumbs for me to pick up, let me know in advance. What are seniors and juniors for, right?”
I let out a smirk and tucked the cigarette pack into my jacket, intending to pass by Min Seung-tae. My part in this scene ended there; after that, it was just a close-up of Min Seung-tae’s flustered face.
However, the moment I tried to pass him, an ominous glint sparked in Min Seung-tae’s eyes.
‘What?’
Min Seung-tae’s arm blocked my path. His gaze wavered with the anxiety of his secret being discovered by his beloved childhood friend… but at the same time, he wore a cold smile, as if wanting to eliminate an uncertain element.
“Are you going to tell her?”
“…Excuse me?”
“Jeong-hun. Our PD-nim.”
Min Seung-tae… didn't just block me with his arm; he took a step forward and smirked. A shadow fell over my face.
His eyes were murderous.
“I’m asking you… if you’re going to tell Noona.”
This crazy bastard…
“Want to do something fun?”
He had just pulled an ad-lib.