Chapter 19: The Rookie Who Extinguished a Star (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 19: The Rookie Who Extinguished a Star (1)
└ Can’t we get that rookie bitch kicked off the show somehow?
└ Should we try? I think if we do what we did to Jo Eun-bit, it’ll work.
As soon as a collective agreement to ruin the rookie was reached, posts and comments began to vanish as they scrambled to destroy the evidence.
However, Jang Ji-hye had already screenshotted everything.
Her desire to succeed as an actress had led her to join almost every popular star’s fan cafe, and that habit was finally paying off in a big way.
These people dare try to get our Yu-jin kicked off? When Kim Ho-jin was the one hitting on her?
Jang Ji-hye scrolled through the captured images.
But what do they mean by ‘if we do what we did to Jo Eun-bit’?
She knew someone who would likely have the answer and already had her number.
The actress Yoon Se-rang.
—Jang Ji-hye? What’s going on at this hour?
“Yes, Se-rang Unnie. There’s something I’m curious about. It’s regarding the actress Jo Eun-bit…”
*
An Si-yu, a die-hard fan of Kim Ho-jin, visited the outskirts of the set today, telephoto camera in hand.
As usual, she hid on a high hill, took her position, and aimed her lens.
I’m definitely catching you today. A shot of that rookie bitch wagging her tail at our Oppa—evidence she won’t be able to deny.
The fans knew Kim Ho-jin had a weakness for pretty actresses.
They had tried everything to stop him, but now they were in a state of resignation. Their mindset had shifted to: Just don’t let us see it.
After all, isn't it the one who loves more that has to endure?
However, if they caught the woman, there was no mercy.
Not for Kim Ho-jin, but for the actress.
The fandom usually turned a blind eye even when they knew about a relationship—until they were in a bad mood, disliked the actress in question, or simply needed a sacrificial lamb because they were bored.
That was when they exercised their "rights" to the fullest.
Once a dating scandal erupted and they pumped up the social outcry against the actress to make it look "massive," the actress would inevitably be cut.
Whether it was from a drama, a movie, a commercial, or a variety show.
That’s how we sent Jo Eun-bit packing. Who didn't know they were dating? That young bitch… if the older sisters gave her permission to meet our Oppa, she should have stayed humble and kept it low-key. How dare she…
According to the fandom’s intel, Kim Ho-jin didn't have filming today; he had a different schedule.
But when An Si-yu saw that schedule, she had a hunch she’d capture a decisive moment today.
Our Oppa went all the way down to Busan early to scout a CF location? Tell me something believable.
An Si-yu’s hunch was rewarded.
She finally spotted Kim Ho-jin and the rookie.
He called over the rookie actress, who was dressed in a palace ceremonial dress and a cotton veil, said something to her, and the two of them slowly moved to a spot away from the others.
It was a location perfectly visible from An Si-yu’s vantage point.
It felt as if the goddess of luck was smiling upon her.
Got you, you little bitch.
*
Kim Ho-jin came to find me on set to say goodbye.
“I’m leaving the show for strictly personal reasons. I came to say goodbye.”
“Is something wrong?”
“Not at all. An opportunity I’ve been preparing for came up, and I felt like I’d miss it if I stayed with this drama. So, as regrettable as it is, I’ve decided to yield this role to a junior.”
“Congratulations.”
As I gave a small nod, Kim Ho-jin watched me quietly before speaking in a low voice.
“Since today will be the last time, I have something important I must tell you, Yu-jin. Can we talk somewhere quiet for a moment?”
Ah, is this what I think it is?
The feeling hit me like a bolt of lightning.
Sigh, of course.
Since this wasn't my first or second time dealing with this, I quietly turned on my recorder and nodded.
“Sure.”
“Let’s go over there.”
Fortunately, the place he led me to wasn't some dark corner, but an open area at the side of the set.
But why do I feel so uneasy?
Is there a venomous snake hiding in the woods over there?
The warning from my intuition grew stronger, and my mood continued to sour.
“Go ahead.”
Perhaps because my anxiety to leave this place was growing, my tone became sharp without me realizing it.
“Yu-jin. Lee Yu-jin.”
“Senior?”
“I’ll just speak comfortably. That’s okay, right?”
“Ah, yes. Sure, go ahead.”
It was a bit absurd, but I suppose it’s a standard industry custom for someone like him.
It only felt ridiculous to me because I planned to return to being a regular citizen after this project.
“Three years. I can wait. You just need to give me a small sign of certainty.”
“Pardon?”
“So, I’d like you to keep me in mind. You know my SNS, right? It’s wide open for you, so send me a DM anytime.”
“…”
“Originally, I wanted to stay by your side as a close senior and then start seeing you naturally once you become an adult. But since I can’t be near you for a while, I felt I could only leave in peace if I conveyed my feelings first.”
Aaaargh, my hands and feet! My cringing limbs!
Why, how, for what reason must the shame and pain always be mine to bear?
You people are always so confident and relieved, so why am I the one whose guts have to twist in knots!
“Yu-jin, your face is red. Are you blushing?”
Don’t misunderstand. This is a flush of pure rage.
I steadied my breathing. Of all things, I was currently clutching the prop Haeju Sword. If I lost my mind and drew this thing, it would be a catastrophe.
Let’s solve this with words, like civilized people.
But what do I say?
I didn't have a template prepared for a situation like this.
I never imagined I’d be subjected to a 29-year-old Hallyu star and notorious womanizer dropping two consecutive "confession attacks" without a single thought for the consequences.
While I was agonizing over a comeback line that could inflict instant death, Kim Ho-jin was waiting with an expectant look, having interpreted my silence in God-knows-what way. It felt like my brain cells were being incinerated.
“Senior—no, I’ll call you Mr. Kim Ho-jin.”
“By all means.”
“Please don’t like me… No, no. Just erase me from your head. Don’t ever let me cross your mind. Act as if I’m someone you never knew from the very beginning.”
“…Yu-jin?”
Seeing his face, which had been brimming with color, crumble into bewilderment made me feel a tiny bit better.
Though even that was nothing compared to the shame, embarrassment, and pain I had endured.
“Wipe it all away. Don’t even think about me.”
“Why…?”
“Because it’s creepy and it’s driving me crazy. Just the thought of you looking at me and thinking of me that way makes me want to jump off a cliff. Do you understand?”
I just poured out whatever came to mind.
I felt like I would go insane if I didn't vent this boiling frustration.
My whole body felt itchy, as if I had just escaped a nest of insects, all because of those greasy, bizarre lines Kim Ho-jin had just thrown at me.
“Why do you keep forcing your feelings on me? Stop it, seriously!”
“Yu—Yu-jin…”
“Let’s not cross paths professionally ever again. Even if we run into each other on the street or anywhere else, let’s pretend we don’t know each other and go our separate ways. I won’t say anything more.”
I spun around and walked away.
I wasn't curious at all about the look on Kim Ho-jin’s face, nor did I want to check.
It’s been a long time since I’ve exploded like that.
Since reincarnating into this body, being hit on by guys had been as common as the air I breathed, and at some point, I had tried to stop attaching any emotion to it.
I had treated it mechanically and dryly, like vacuuming or doing laundry.
But today, for the first time in a long while, I just snapped…
Stomp, stomp, stomp!
Hearing the sound of someone running up behind me, I hurriedly turned around and took a defensive stance.
Kim Ho-jin stopped in front of me, his face beet-red and panting. His voice had grown incredibly rough.
“Is it such a crime that I liked you? Is it a crime?!”
“I don’t know if it’s a crime, but it certainly is pathetic.”
“What are you doing on set right now?!”
Just then, Writer Jung Yoon-ah’s sharp voice cut between us.
Jung Yoon-ah glared at Kim Ho-jin and stepped in front of me as if to shield me.
“Yu-jin, go to the styling room.”
“Yes, Writer.”
*
I heard that Writer Jung Yoon-ah gave Kim Ho-jin a good talking-to before sending him away. Though I doubt "talking-to" was meant literally.
“Kim Ho-jin has completely left the show. You don’t need to worry about him anymore.”
“Then what about the male lead?”
“We can find a replacement easily. We haven't even started filming the adult portions yet. Don’t worry about anything and just focus on interpreting Yeon Si-ho’s emotions. Got it?”
Writer Jung Yoon-ah tried not to mention Kim Ho-jin anymore. She seemed only concerned that my mental state might have been shaken.
“You must have been very hurt. I’m sorry.”
“If I had to describe it, it wasn't really ‘hurt.’ It felt more like being in a rush and having several cult recruiters grab my arms and legs on the street to force me into a ten-minute survey.”
Writer Jung Yoon-ah clapped her hands and even stomped her feet as she burst into laughter.
“Ahaha! What kind of analogy is that? Anyway, I’m glad your mental state isn't scratched.”
In the evening, Kim Ho-jin’s manager came by and abruptly apologized to me.
“I will make sure nothing like this ever happens again. I am truly, truly sorry.”
*
I thought everything was truly settled then.
But then, something big exploded on the internet.
Photos of Kim Ho-jin and me standing together and talking on set from various angles, along with all sorts of speculation, criticism, and insults toward my parents, swept through like a hurricane.
It was a relief that I was wearing the veil in the photos, at least.
└ So this is her? LOL
└ A vixen who got in through connections and tried to get with our Ho-jin Oppa? Hehe
└ Is she not confident in her face? Why is she wearing a veil while talking to Oppa?
└ Rumors are spreading all over the set that she’s a total snake. They say she twists her whole body in a pathetic attempt to seduce Kim Ho-jin every chance she gets.
└ It’s because these man-crazy bitches keep throwing themselves at him that our Oppa gets falsely accused of being a womanizer ㅠㅠㅠ
└ Our poor Ho-jin Oppa, who became a womanizer because of these man-crazy girls ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
My mom turned pale and lost her composure after seeing the comment reactions. Eventually, I had no choice but to take her phone away.
But Jang Ji-hye was different.
She was snickering as if she found the situation enjoyable.
“I’ve been busy infiltrating secret group chats and closed threads, basically anywhere I could, to fan the flames.”
“Ji-hye, this was your doing?”
“No, no! These people were planning to ruin you from the start. I just went undercover and worked hard to collect evidence while slightly obscuring one single fact.”
“What fact?”
“That you’re a minor.”
“…”
“None of Kim Ho-jin’s extreme fans can even imagine that you’re a minor right now. Every time a rumor like that popped up, I worked hard to bury it completely.”
PD Jang Hyun-soo, standing nearby, chuckled and chimed in.
“Yu-jin, don’t worry. The bigger this fire gets, the more they’re just burning down their own house. Kim Ho-jin is in big trouble now. He’s about to be killed by his own fans.”
“Killed by his fans?”
“He lied to his CEO and said he understood, then suddenly went and dropped a second confession attack on you, right? He barely managed to clean that up pathetically, but now his fans are coming forward to light the fire. His agency must be losing their minds right now.”
“So you’re saying this atmosphere is harmful to Kim Ho-jin, not me?”
“Exactly. The moment we fire back with the ‘minor’ counter, all this karma will return to them.”
“Kim Ho-jin’s fandom thinks they’re sending you to hell for his sake, but in the end, they’re just pushing Kim Ho-jin off the cliff.”
“Oh, right, Yu-jin. You said you have a recording? Can I listen to it? You don’t have to give it to me, I just want to hear it so I can give their agency some ‘guidance.’”
“Yes.”
PD Jang Hyun-soo listened to the ‘confession attack’ I had recorded all the way to the end, then clutched his stomach in laughter.
“This is really going to give their CEO a brain hemorrhage. Just wait a bit. I’ll make these noisy people shut up in no time.”
“Dad, I gathered a lot of evidence while doing my undercover investigation. We’re going to sue, right?”
“That’s up to Yu-jin. If you want to sue, I’ll actively help you.”
“Yu-jin, just sue them all. I really worked hard to collect the evidence.”
*
CEO Kim of Kim Ho-jin’s agency received a call from Jang Hyun-soo.
—I heard the details from Yu-jin, and you won’t believe what Kim Ho-jin said…
Jang Hyun-soo didn't explicitly admit it, but CEO Kim could sense the fact that ‘there was a recording.’
So, who should he blame now?
Kim Ho-jin? Of course.
The fandom? That goes without saying.
Their obsession and malice, driven by the belief that they were protecting their beloved star, had led them to try and ruin an innocent young actress—and now it had come back around to strangle Kim Ho-jin.
“Ho-jin, memorize this exactly and do the press conference. Don’t add a single syllable, got it?”
“…Yes, CEO.”
“If they decide to hold a grudge and drag this out, your acting career is truly over. So just read it exactly as it is.”
“I understand.”
“Sigh, I knew you’d pay for that karma someday…”
And so, to clean up the mess his fandom had made everywhere, Kim Ho-jin stood before a crowd of reporters.
“Please stop all the slander attacking the rookie actress, Miss L, because of me. The fault lies entirely with me, and Miss L is merely a one-sided victim.”
Under the gaze of reporters who looked like a pack of hyenas before a fallen herbivore, Kim Ho-jin read the script his CEO had prepared.
“Miss L is just a tenth-grade girl in her first year of high school, full of dreams and sincere about her acting. Please, I beg you to stop this terrible slander.”
In that moment, the live chat rooms occupied by Kim Ho-jin’s fandom froze.
“I am the one who felt an attraction and confessed. Miss L was only interested in showing good acting.”
└ So… she’s a minor?
└ I told you guys we should stay neutral
└ I was neutral
└ Oh, we’re fucked. Holy shit.
The number of live viewers, caught in a state of panic, plummeted instantly.
Everyone began moving frantically to erase the traces they had left behind.
*
Writer Jung Yoon-ah laughed as she watched the malicious comments being deleted at an incredible speed.
“Our Yu-jin, your debut is certainly colorful.”
Kim Ho-jin, who had been the idol, the love, and the hatred of many actresses.
A rookie had extinguished such a star starting from her very first project.