You Guys Think Whatever You Want

KBC Yeouido headquarters, large conference room.

The first full script reading for the drama Three Sisters of Jang Pharmacy was underway.

Under PD Lee Han-bit's direction, writer Jeong Eun-young and a host of veteran actors sat ready, syncing their breaths.

And finally, Seo Eun-seong's turn arrived.

"Next up, Part 1, Scene 12. The first emotional exchange between the hero and Seo-ah."

Eun-seong felt a twinge of inner tension.

The character he played, Kim Young-woong, seemed indifferent and gruff on the surface but quietly looked after the heroine, Jang Seo-ah (Kim Na-yeon), from behind—a classic tsundere type.

The script noted it clearly.

"Eun-seong-ssi, Na-yeon-ssi, if you please. Ready. Action."

PD Lee Han-bit gave the cue.

Kim Na-yeon caught her emotion first and delivered her line.

"Ahh! I think my heel broke... So clumsy, seriously... This sucks..."

Eun-seong's turn came right after.

"Haa. Can't you be more careful? Sit down here."

A gruff yet tender scolding.

Eun-seong didn't force any 'acting.' Why? Because this situation was all too familiar to him.

At home, Seo Ha-rin was always knocking things over, spilling snack crumbs everywhere, and acting like a total klutz—along with the rest of those freeloaders.

Whenever he cleaned up after those walking disasters, this was the exact nagging tone he used every single day. He just pulled it out straight from his repertoire.

"So clumsy—what is this? Your stockings are ripped too. Hey? Hold still, I said."

Eun-seong set the script down and let out a small sigh toward Kim Na-yeon.

It wasn't a fabricated voice. More like the brusque tone of a real older brother, genuinely exasperated yet worried she wasn't hurt.

"The bleeding's stopped, but I'm worried it'll scar."

Eun-seong reached out into the air, mimicking a careful, gentle touch as if applying the bandage.

"Don't let it get wet for a while so it doesn't scar later. And no more high heels. You might fall again. Got it?"

That moment.

"....."

A brief silence fell over the script reading room.

"Seo Eun-seong-ssi? You're so natural."

The first exclamation came from writer Jeong Eun-young herself, who clapped her knee with sparkling eyes.

"What was that tone just now?"

"Pardon? Writer-nim? Was it... off somehow?"

"No way? Not a trace of that exaggerated flair young actors these days put on. It's raw. Felt like a real, living person from my own life."

It was true.

To Jeong Eun-young, Eun-seong's performance had been everyday acting at its finest.

"Exactly. So natural. Acting's just soaked into your bones."

"Thought a rookie would be stiff as a board. But you're relaxed—that's no easy feat. Heh."

Veteran actors nodded in agreement, piling on the praise after the writer.

"Haha... Really? Thank you for the kind words, sunbaenims."

Eun-seong's face flushed under the barrage of compliments from his seniors.

Inside, he was breaking into a cold sweat.

This isn't acting—it's just what I say to the freeloaders at home every day...

Honestly, it wasn't acting. But the results were good, so no need to correct them.

The issue was Kim Na-yeon, sitting right across from him.

"....."

She hid her face behind her script, ears burning bright red.

She knew it was acting, but Eun-seong's tenderness had made her heart drop with a thud.

"Na-yeon noona? You okay? Hurt somewhere?"

"Ah, no. I'm fine now, Eun-seong-ssi."

Of course, Eun-seong had no clue.

Anyway, the script reading wrapped up successfully.

After the reading, the full cast gathered at a nearby barbecue spot for a wrap-up dinner.

"Everyone, great work! To the mega-hit of Three Sisters of Jang Pharmacy!"

"To the hit!"

The toasts kicked off the feast.

As the youngest rookie actor, Eun-seong took a seat at the table with the veterans playing his on-screen father, mother, and uncle.

Kim Na-yeon kept glancing around slyly, hunting for a chance to snag the seat next to him.

But PD Lee Han-bit and writer Jeong Eun-young dragged her off to the lead actors' table, forcing her to sit far away.

"Argh... I wanted to sit next to Eun-seong-ssi..."

Na-yeon pouted, sneaking peeks at him from afar.

Meanwhile, thick samgyeopsal and pork neck arrived at Eun-seong's table.

"Shall I grill?"

Just as a veteran reached for the tongs,

Eun-seong shot up from his seat on reflex.

"No, sunbaenim! I'll do it!"

He snatched the tongs and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠scissors at lightspeed.

Grilling meat. This was Eun-seong's ultimate specialty, honed over years to keep Ha-rin and the freeloaders fed.

Whenever those mooches opened wide demanding more, keeping the flow seamless required near-miraculous skill.

"Here we go—meat on!"

Sizzle!

The meat hit the grill.

"Flipping now!"

Eun-seong flipped at the perfect timing, locking in the juices. His scissors hand blurred, slicing into bite-sized pieces. Then he slid them to the edge to avoid burning. Finally, he plated perfectly grilled garlic and kimchi alongside for his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠seniors.

"Sunbaenim, eat now while it's most tender."

"Whoa? Grilling like a pro artist."

The veteran playing his father chewed a piece and widened his eyes.

"Melts in your mouth! You the son of a butcher shop owner or what?"

"No, sir. I cook for my siblings at home a lot, so it got familiar. Here you go, sunbaenim."

Eun-seong smiled bashfully, then topped off the seniors' empty glasses with soju. He refilled ssam leaves and scallion salad faster than the server.

Grilling, pouring drinks, refills—it all meshed like flawless gears.

"Hoho! After seeing so many rude youngsters, it's refreshing to meet such a polite, diligent young man!"

"Great acting and perfect manners. Eun-seong, take this drink!"

The big seniors showered him with praise and poured him shots. Suddenly, Eun-seong became their exclusive 'idol,' hogging all the affection.

"Makes me wanna introduce my daughter."

"Eun-seong-ah, how about teaming up on my next project?"

The veterans poured endless well-wishes on him.

And.

"Eun-seong-ssi... how long you gonna stay over there...?"

Na-yeon chewed on innocent lettuce, staring at him longingly.

Eun-seong's popularity was overwhelming. Looked like no time together tonight.

That night, Eun-seong returned home buzzed and cheerful from the dinner.

"I'm home."

Beep.

He opened the door with a bright greeting.

"Huh...?"

He froze upon entering the living room.

"....."

The vibe was off.

A thick stack of weekend drama scripts lay splayed on the sofa center.

And around it: Seo Ha-rin, Choi Eun-jin, Lee Ah-hyun, Kim Chae-yeon, Gomin-ji.

All five freeloaders—no, hyenas—huddled in a circle, dissecting the script like special forces decoding enemy intel. Their faces were grim and fierce.

"Wh-what are you all doing with my script without permission...?"

Eun-seong stammered in shock.

Ha-rin thrust a page at his face with trembling hands.

"Oppa."

"Y-yeah? What?"

"What's this?"

Where she pointed: dozens of red highlighter circles.

"Cough!"

The alcohol buzz vanished instantly.

Oh crap... He'd forgotten to mention the kiss scene in the later episodes, as the romance deepened with the heroine.

"Hey! Bear Doll!"

Eun-jin bolted up from the sofa, hurling a cushion.

"A kiss scene with that vixen Kim Na-yeon? A deep kiss? No way! I'm ripping this script right now!"

Eun-jin fumed, clawing at the pages.

"Unnie! Calm down! If you rip it, Eun-seong oppa can't film!"

Chae-yeon panicked, holding her back.

Ah-hyun clutched a cushion, eyes glistening.

"Eun-seong oppa... how could you kiss another girl without us... That's too much..."

"Oppa Eun-seong's lips getting stolen...?"

Ah-hyun and Min-ji trembled with betrayal, like faithful wives catching their husband cheating.

"Hah?"

Eun-seong was losing his mind.

"Whoa, whoa—calm down, okay? It's a weekend drama. Family viewing hours."

He waved his hands frantically, starting his defense.

"It says 'deep' in the script, sure, but probably just an angle shot with lips barely brushing. What deep kiss in a 15+ rating?"

He tried logic, but beasts don't yield to reason.

"You didn't see how Kim Na-yeon sunbaenim looked at you!"

Ha-rin yelled, eyes blazing.

"That gaze at you wasn't playing around! Stage greetings, when she came to our house carried... Even if the script's just a peck, so what?"

"Urgh..."

Eun-jin piled on.

"Ha-rin's right. That vixen will totally go, 'Oh~ Director~ Got too into the emotion, tongue slipped~' and fake an NG."

"Cough..."

Eun-seong flushed at her blunt, steamy words.

"Why say it so explicitly? Aren't you idols? No shame?"

"Shame? That's not the issue, Oppa Eun-seong?"

Even Ah-hyun joined in.

Yes. The five hyenas bared teeth, roaring unanimous opposition.

No reasoning with this mob.

"Argh! Whatever! I'm showering and sleeping—you guys think what you want. Leave the script intact!"

Eun-seong surrendered and fled to his room, locking the door.

Wails echoed from outside.

"Hah? This is rough."

Lying on his bed, Eun-seong rubbed his dry face.

Too many little sisters was the problem.

Could he even survive the first shoot unscathed?

After Eun-seong escaped to his room,

the five Siren members huddled in the living room for an emergency strategy session.

"We can't just ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠take this lying down."

As his blood sister, Ha-rin declared gravely.

"Kim Na-yeon sunbaenim eyeing oppa is a given. We strike first."

"How? We can't storm the set."

Chae-yeon asked, and Ha-rin smirked.

"Grab control from day one shoot. Stamp ownership publicly."

"Oho? What's the plan, Ha-rin-ah?"

Eun-jin leaned in eagerly.

"We strike first, Eun-jin unnie."

Members' eyes widened at Ha-rin's words.

"Coffee truck? Food truck?"

Chae-yeon caught on.

"Yep. Out-of-pocket: Korea's biggest, priciest coffee truck and buffet-level food truck. In all five our names."

"Whoa...? Sounds delicious...?"

Even Min-ji gaped at the scale.

"Gonna cost a fortune."

"Doesn't matter, Chae-yeon. Think of all the meals oppa's fed us. Time to show it."

Chae-yeon and the members nodded unanimously to Ha-rin's proposal.

"Me too! If it protects ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Eun-seong oppa!"

Ah-hyun burned with resolve.

"Banner text then?"

At Eun-jin's question, Ha-rin pulled up her phone notes with a wicked grin.

"How's this, Eun-jin unnie?"

Siren members cheered at the banner phrases Ha-rin had jotted down.

A warning(?) punning on their group name Siren.

"Perfect. Even that vixen won't dare."

"Right. Time to teach her Eun-seong oppa belongs to us."

The five girls high-fived, vowing to guard his lips.

Whether the other side got the warning was the question.

Meanwhile.

"Na-yeon noona... your lips look soft... Mmm..."

Oblivious, Eun-seong snored away in his room.

End of Chapter 33.