Chapter 26: The Nine-Tailed Fox Doesn't Seduce
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 26: The Nine-Tailed Fox Doesn't Seduce
PD Jang Hyun-soo, who was walking while sipping coffee from a mug, spotted Writer Jung Yoon-ah clutching her head in frustration.
“I wonder which muse is teasing our Writer Jung this time, acting like they’ll give her an idea only to snatch it away.”
Sensing a high-level threat, all the actors and staff had naturally cleared the area around Jung Yoon-ah, like animals fleeing a natural disaster.
PD Jang Hyun-soo leisurely strolled into the eye of the storm.
“Writer Jung, which wretched muse is giving you grief this time?”
“The exit scene for the Sword Spirit Yeon Si-ho. I’ve finished all the stage directions, but…”
“Can I take a look?”
“Go ahead.”
Sitting beside her, PD Jang Hyun-soo hummed and nodded as he read through the script, which didn't even have scene numbers yet.
“It’s good. It’s sufficiently tragic.”
“But I have no idea how to paint the final stroke! I can't figure out how to give it that finishing touch!”
“The lines here seem fine, too.”
“You think these are fine? This collection of trash characters that are boring, unnecessarily pedantic, and read like they’re possessed by an exposition fairy?”
“Then just erase them. Why did you leave them all there with red lines through them?”
“I only marked them so I wouldn't accidentally think of something similar again. The thought of repeating this is too horrifying.”
“And here I was thinking it was a first-tier call-up list. Turns out it was a release list.”
“Aaaargh! Jang Hyun-soo, you bastard! You’re a PD, yet you have no clue what the viewers want! How could you kill that poor, sweet baby!”
“…”
“I need a line that will make the viewers absolutely lose it in just a few words! Why can’t I think of it?!”
PD Jang Hyun-soo quietly stood up.
This particular storm seemed a bit too dangerous, even for him.
*
I went to school. I attended classes.
When lunchtime came, I ate my lunchbox with Jang Ji-hye.
“I keep getting treated to food like this by you. My palate is getting too refined; it’s going to be a problem.”
“Then just become a star actress and use the same home-chef service my family uses.”
“…”
“I heard some twenty-year-old idol just bought a 13-billion-won duplex penthouse in Hannam-dong with a single cash payment. You can be like that too.”
“Hey, how much do you think I even make from appearance fees?”
“For S-grade actors, appearance fees are just for maintaining their dignity and paying their agency staff. The real money comes from external activities like CFs. Listen, I heard that…”
Just then, a boy approached us hesitantly.
When I stopped my spoon and stared blankly at him, he cleared his throat.
“Um, excuse me. Yu-jin. I’m really, really curious about something, so I wanted to ask…”
A male high schooler in my class—someone I’d have to see and interact with until winter break.
I knew exactly how to brush off a kid like this to get the best result.
I looked him straight in the eye for a few seconds. Expressionless.
Then, I spoke in a tone that was neither cold nor cheerful—a perfectly flat, horizontal line on a graph.
“What is it?”
“…”
He hesitated for a moment, then blurted out, “Sorry!” before scurrying away.
Jang Ji-hye watched him with an incredulous look, then whispered to me.
“That guy is something else. Did he seriously think you’d actually entertain him?”
“It wasn't a confession-and-number-snatching attack or anything like that.”
“Huh? It wasn't? How do you know?”
“Just a hunch. Anyway, it wasn't that.”
“Then what was it? Ah! It must be that! They’re wondering if you’re the rookie actress Miss L from Hwan's Torch. The one who sent Kim what’s-his-name to rock bottom.”
“…Is that it?”
Jang Ji-hye said that our classmates had been suspicious and whispering about it for a while.
Only photos of me in a mask were circulating online, but it seemed the kids had identified me just by looking at my eyes.
“Your skin is exceptionally pale, and your eyelashes have that unique, slightly desaturated color, right? I think that’s how they recognized you.”
Come to think of it, Jang Ji-hye didn't know that I was originally silver-haired.
She also didn't know that my mom drew my eyebrows black every morning.
She’s my friend; should I tell her?
‘We’re at school right now, so I’ll tell her later on the way to the set.’
But then, my mom came to pick me up after school…
“Mom? W-what is this?”
“Hi, Yu-seok! Wow, ma’am. Did you get a new car?”
“It’s a Carnival. I thought a van might be a bit much for now, so I got this instead.”
“M-Mom…”
“It’s a lease, so don't worry. I didn't think I’d ever drive a multi-passenger vehicle again after selling the one we had when you were in second grade, but I guess fate brought us back together.”
What a relief. It wasn't a cash payment, an installment plan, or a credit card split—it was a lease. Thank goodness.
‘I feel like I had something to tell Ji-hye, but what was it? Whatever, I’ll remember later.’
“My daughter, what should we have for a late-night snack after filming today?”
“Ma’am, didn't you get the message about the team dinner today?”
“Huh? A team dinner?”
“Yes, yes. Dad said he finally found the male lead, so we’re having a full team dinner to introduce everyone.”
“Oh, he finally found one. Who is it?”
“I haven't heard that yet either. But he did say it’s an actor who will focus solely on acting without any distractions. So don't worry.”
“Ji-hye Noona, no matter who dares to covet the position of my sister’s brother-in-law, I will guard it with my life. Please leave it to me with peace of mind.”
*
The atmosphere on set was different than usual.
Seeing people gathered over there to watch, it seemed the new male lead was in the middle of filming.
“I wonder who it is? Who came?”
“The PD didn't tell you?”
“No, I begged him this morning, but he heartlessly refused, telling me to see for myself on set. I wish my parents were always in high-performance affection mode like your family, Yu-jin.”
“Ji-hye, what do you mean by that?”
“Ah, ma’am. Well, you know, like the Windows power options: High Performance, Balanced, Power Saver, and Ultra Power Saver…”
“I know about those too, you know. What I mean is, the way you’ve seen me treat Yu-jin so far has been Ultra Power Saver affection mode.”
“Heh, really? That was Ultra Power Saver?”
“Of course. If I loved my daughter at full power, my heart muscles wouldn't even be able to handle it in the first place—”
‘Ah, I should get away.’
I covered my ears and quietly distanced myself from the two of them. I didn't want to be the catalyst for that cringeworthy display.
I prayed no one else was eavesdropping.
Just then, my view cleared, and I saw the face of the man receiving acting direction from PD Jang Hyun-soo, who had a megaphone tucked under his arm.
‘Wow, I’m so damn jealous.’
He was so handsome he looked like a model; it was almost demoralizing. It had been a long time since I felt this surge of envy.
‘Was he a gunnery officer on a Turtle Ship in his past life?’
Military placement really is everything. It follows you into the next life.
Jang Ji-hye hung onto my shoulder and made a fuss.
“Wow, Yu-jin. Isn't that actor incredibly handsome? Though I’m sure he’s just average in your eyes.”
“He’s handsome.”
“Huh? What?”
“I said he’s handsome. I have to admit what’s true.”
“Yu-jin, you? Don't tell me…”
“But he’s such a baby. I don't think he fits the image of the male lead.”
“A baby? He looks older than us, though?”
Jang Hyun-soo spotted me and said something while pointing our way, and the new male lead turned to look at me.
Thanks to my superior physical traits—dynamic visual acuity, reflexes, and so on—that I gained as a reincarnation perk, I caught it instantly.
The flicker in his eyes and the dilation of his pupils.
And even his quick-wittedness in masking it immediately.
It was a very satisfying reaction. It didn't give me a sense of repulsion.
It’s a pattern usually seen in men with clear self-awareness; in these cases, they usually hide it well and never launch a confession attack.
They’re the type I’d want to stay friends with for as long as possible because they’re comfortable to be around, but instead, they tend to vanish without a trace at some point.
I guess nothing in this world is free.
‘That’s why I never had a single female friend my whole life. No, wait, did I even have friends at all?’
Not that I had any intention of going out of my way to get close to him.
He didn't look like the type to ruin the set like Kim Ho-jin, so that alone put my mind at ease.
*
After filming ended, everyone moved to the dinner location.
Group dinners are rare during a busy filming schedule.
However, because of the unpleasant incident, the gathering was organized to boost morale and introduce the replacement who had joined mid-way.
“Many of you probably don't know him. He hasn't had his screen debut yet. But he’s a 'seasoned rookie' who has built up various experiences in theater troupes since he was young—Kang Seok-won! Everyone, let’s give him a round of applause!”
At PD Jang Hyun-soo’s introduction, everyone clapped with genuine enthusiasm.
However, there was one person who clapped reluctantly while trying his best not to show it.
It was the child actor Jang Dong-hyun, who had managed to snag the seat next to Lee Yu-jin.
The youth table was set up separately because of the alcohol.
Lee Yu-jin, Jang Ji-hye, Lee Yu-seok, and the two child actors were seated there.
Lee Yu-jin’s mother, feeling like she wouldn't fit the atmosphere, left her daughter in her son’s care and departed, promising to pick them up when the dinner ended.
Meanwhile, child actor Jang Dong-hyun was displeased with what child actor Kim Yu-jung and Jang Ji-hye were whispering about.
“Isn't he seriously handsome?”
“Yes, Unnie. He’s really handsome.”
“Even Yu-jin admitted he’s handsome.”
“Kyaa, really? If even Yu-jin-nim admits it!”
Jang Dong-hyun was quite grumpy that the replacement male lead was the main topic of conversation at this table.
The plate of meat finally arrived.
Lee Yu-seok politely handed the plate, tongs, and scissors to Lee Yu-jin and bowed his head.
“Noona, I’ll leave it to you then.”
“Got it.”
The two child actors’ eyes widened in shock.
Jang Ji-hye was also flustered and whispered to Lee Yu-seok.
“Even if he’s your younger brother, he’s still your manager. How can he make an actress grill the meat?”
“Ji-hye Noona, if I try to take those tongs away from my sister, I’ll get beaten up.”
“What?”
“You’ll see.”
The members of the youth table soon understood Lee Yu-seok’s words.
Sizzle. Crackle. Sizzle.
Snip, snip. Snip-snip-snip. Snip, snip.
She tossed the chunks of meat onto the grill nonchalantly, flipped them casually, and gripped them with the tongs to cut them with a relaxed air.
And yet, the pieces of meat, cut as precisely as a CAD blueprint, settled into an orderly arrangement.
The exquisite meat-grilling orchestrated by Lee Yu-jin’s two hands was as precise as a grand maestro conducting a symphony performance.
Lee Yu-jin took the perfectly sliced pieces of meat, glistening with rendered fat, and nonchalantly placed them on the child actors' front plates first.
“It’s done. Eat.”
The two child actors, carefully picking up the meat with their clumsy chopstick skills, had their eyes pop out.
“W-woah! Unnie! This is so delicious!”
Child actor Kim Yu-jung accidentally used the wrong title, forgetting Lee Yu-jin’s usual request.
“N-Noona! Later, will you marr—”
“Hush. Is it even?”
“Yes, yes… it’s cooked really, really well. Much better than when my mom grills it!”
“I see. I just grill it roughly like this.”
While Lee Yu-jin grilled the meat with an expressionless face, she felt proud inside.
‘Hey, have you guys ever grilled meat over a campfire?’
While the youth table was busy devouring meat under Lee Yu-jin’s lead…
“Alright, everyone, say hello! This is our villainous hero who will burn down the Hwan Empire, Kang Seok-won! And here is our incredibly pretty maid-warrior Lee Yu-jin, who protects the Torch of Hwan, and our child actors! Introduce yourselves!”
*
PD Jang Hyun-soo brought actor Kang Seok-won over and sat at our table.
We’ve only finished the first plate of meat, and he’s already that tipsy? How much did he drink? Being a PD really isn't for everyone.
“Now, everyone, enjoy some ice-breaking! Ah, Seok-won! This is the youth table, so you absolutely must not put any alcohol here! Got it?”
“I understand, PD-nim.”
‘Wait, he just drops him here and leaves… well, I guess a PD has a lot to do.’
I thought he was just neglecting us because it was a hassle, but he was going to other tables, receiving drinks, laughing, making eye contact, cracking jokes, then going to another table and doing it all over again, and again… and again…
I quietly whispered to Jang Ji-hye, who was silently watching her father.
“Your dad is amazing.”
“Ugh, whatever. I don't know, I’m just embarrassed. He’s already acting like that because of the alcohol…”
Cute, our Ji-hye.
I suppressed the urge to giggle and focused on grilling the meat.
Burning it or cooking it poorly is a sin. Every piece of meat that makes it to a plate must be cooked deliciously.
“Senior Kang Seok-won, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Lee Yu-jin.”
“Ah, yes. Hello. Nice to meet you.”
“Please eat. This is perfectly done.”
“Oh, yes. Thank you.”
I placed a piece of meat on Kang Seok-won’s plate as well.
“Don't think I’m being stingy by only giving you one piece. From my perspective as the griller, I’m managing five plates right now, not just one. To ensure you eat it at an even temperature before it cools, one piece at a time is…”
“Ah, yes, yes. I see. Right.”
*
The assistant director whispered to PD Jang Hyun-soo.
“PD-nim, look at that. Look at how Yu-jin is charming him. What if the replacement loses his mind and goes down the drain too? Go stop her.”
PD Jang Hyun-soo, his face flushed with drink, glanced over and said incredulously, “Does that look like charming to you?”
“Pardon?”
“If you look closely, she just looks like she’s excited to be lecturing someone. How is that the face of someone seducing a man?”
“B-but…”
*
Meanwhile, Kang Seok-won…
‘Do I like her? No, wait, that’s not it. Does she like me?’
There was no way.
Kang Seok-won pulled himself together. He recalled the words his sister, who was seven years older, always told him.
‘Always be careful of pretty things. Remember that they can lead you to ruin. That’s the only way you’ll succeed as an actor.’
He would not be seduced.
Kang Seok-won, imagining a nine-tailed fox sitting in front of him, worked his chopsticks diligently.
The meat was indeed cooked perfectly.
Just then, child actor Kim Yu-jung asked Kang Seok-won.
“Senior! He and I are nine years old! How old are you, Senior?”
“Oh, I’m twenty. Haha, I’m pretty old, right?”
“Wow, he’s a total baby.”
At Lee Yu-jin’s unintended remark, Kang Seok-won almost spat his heart out.
With a look of realization, Lee Yu-jin quickly apologized.
“Oh, um… I was talking about what Yu-jung said. Please don't misunderstand.”
“Ah, I know. Of course. Naturally…”
No one at the youth table believed that excuse.