The Rolling Snowball (2)
A mukbang video that showed nothing but a mouth.
Could it be…
"It hit the YouTube trending page. You haven't seen it? It was incredible."
"…"
"She was eating chicken in it. Ever since we got here, that's all anyone's talking about."
"So that's why the chicken?"
"Yeah. Chanhyuk oppa—the actor—apparently went and found a chicken truck that wasn't even in the original plan. Pretty sharp, right?"
"…I guess so."
So this was all because of Master's chicken-eating video?
The views and the reaction were already on another level.
I'd seen the future, so I'd expected something. I just never imagined the response would hit this hard on day one.
"Ah! I saw it too, unnie. She was eating that fried chicken so deliciously. It's my favorite brand!"
"Really? Then should we get some chicken too?"
"Yes, please!"
Master knew exactly who they were talking about—herself. She just played dumb with perfect nonchalance.
Because I'd told her I wanted to keep it a secret for now.
We'd reveal it later. Just not yet.
Master looked at me and winked, as if asking for praise for following my instructions so faithfully.
I smiled and gave her a small nod. She whipped her head away in a hurry.
Why does she keep doing that?
Master turns her head away a lot these days.
I checked the time on my phone. We'd arrived a few dozen minutes early, so there was plenty of time.
"I'll go buy it. Two birds should be enough, right?"
"Oppa, I'll get it. You rest. You're always working so hard driving us around."
"Huh? No, it's fine. The sun's blazing out there."
"Come on, I'll be right back."
Master flashed a bright little smile.
While I was still nodding in a daze, Cocoa Writer's high, delighted voice rang out.
"Aww. Why is our Seoh-ah such an angel? How does someone this adorable even exist?"
Cocoa Writer wore a thoroughly pleased smile, the kind that seemed to spread from Master's own grin.
"Right?"
I nodded in agreement.
Master's lively energy and smile really were more angelic than any other comparison could capture.
Only…
Master had cursed Cocoa Writer out just as mercilessly as anyone else once they were in bed. She'd torn into her for being annoying, no exceptions.
I still couldn't quite believe it.
It was going to take more time to adjust.
If all those insults and backtalk had just been acting, that would almost be easier to accept.
By then Master had already gone off to stand in line.
Even while waiting, she exchanged polite greetings with the people around her.
Master had the kind of presence that left an impression on everyone even without me there.
So what I needed to do right now was simple.
The one job only a manager could do.
The job a manager was supposed to do.
I needed to win Cocoa Writer over.
Make her grow fond of both me and Master.
The work itself would have to look strictly like business, like acting.
But Master could handle that part without breaking a sweat.
So I decided to go further—to dig past business and into the deeper places of emotion.
To make her look back, even once, out of genuine affection at something she would normally have walked right past.
Normally, an original webtoon author doesn't hold much power on a drama set. Producers and drama writers do the adapting and hold the real influence.
That's why you so often see plots and endings changed from the source material.
Improvements are rare, though.
Adaptation is mandatory for television, so the production team's influence is inevitably much larger.
But Ghost Story Company was different.
Cocoa Writer had written scripts before, and almost everything required her approval under a mutual contract.
If I could just persuade Cocoa Writer, I could expand Master's role.
I pulled out the thermos to give Cocoa Writer coffee laced with Red Salt.
Vitamins and coffee were good, but it would be nice to have something with a little more punch.
While I was thinking that, I noticed something odd.
"There's nobody at the coffee truck. They're not selling yet?"
The chicken truck had a line forming, but the coffee truck was empty.
Nothing but dust swirling around it.
Even if coffee came out fast, there were way too few people.
"Oh, come on. What are you talking about, Jiwoo-ssi?"
Cocoa Writer took the thermos and lightly smacked my forearm.
The soft touch made my face flush.
"How could anyone go over there after drinking Jiwoo-ssi's coffee? Right?"
"Th-that…"
"You're so mean, Jiwoo-ssi. You've turned us into people who can't live without our Jiwoo."
I flinched.
Cocoa Writer curved her eyes in a sultry little smile.
When I couldn't answer and just let out a rough breath through my nose, she let out a pretty laugh.
"If it isn't Jiwoo-ssi's coffee, nothing satisfies us anymore. Now that you're not handing it out, everyone's looking worse."
"…Looking worse?"
"Yeah. You didn't know? Director Gun Hyun-woo is getting cursed out at historic levels right now. Worse than when his movie flopped."
Cursed out? What was that about?
"They're throwing fits because they can't get the coffee anymore. They never noticed while they were drinking it, but now they're realizing—our Jiwoo's coffee was basically a tonic."
Was the coffee really that good?
It wasn't even twenty-seventh-century tobacco-grade or anything.
The effect of Red Salt was simply to maximize delicious flavor.
That was all, so people would forget soon enough once time passed.
More than that, she kept saying "our Jiwoo."
And she kept casually stroking my arm.
It was a green light that we were getting closer.
A green light, but…
"What's wrong? Is there something on my face? Hmm?"
"…No. Nothing."
"Is our Jiwoo still uncomfortable around me?"
She was saying that after the company dinner—after the night she'd raped me.
Drinking usually brings people closer, but the timing was just too coincidental.
Then I thought, what would knowing even change?
If I was right, what was I going to do about it?
"Not at all. There's no one here I'm more comfortable with than you, Writer-nim."
"Oh my, really? You're not just saying that?"
"It's true. I come talk to you every day, don't I?"
It wasn't like I was going to pout and ask her to hug me if I was right…
If I was right, I'd just throw a tantrum about keeping the "Park Haeun" character alive. Haa.
I shook my head and pulled out the vitamins Cocoa Writer liked as well.
These days they were an essential item I took twice a day without fail.
I always gave Cocoa Writer two at a time.
Handing over a whole bottle or dozens at once was obviously out of the question.
It was better to keep her needing me.
So I kept bringing them one by one under various excuses.
Once filming wrapped and it got harder to meet, then I could give her a full bottle.
Our hands brushed as Cocoa Writer took the vitamins.
It felt like she was deliberately, suggestively tracing the back of my hand.
"Thank you so much for the vitamins. The coffee too, the vitamins too. How am I supposed to live without Jiwoo-ssi now?"
"You're too kind. It's really not that big a deal."
"I'm serious. Without Jiwoo-ssi, nothing stands up stiff and ready."
"…Women stand up too?"
The second the words left my mouth, I regretted them.
Too blunt.
"Hehe. What were you thinking just now? 'Women stand up too'? How naughty."
"…Writer-nim."
"I'm kidding. Why is teasing Jiwoo-ssi so addictive? Do you know how cute you are?"
Cocoa Writer stroked and squeezed my forearm again.
"When I take the vitamins, energy blooms through my whole body. Stiff and ready…♥"
"Y-yes…♡ St-stiff and ready."
Stiff and ready.
That phrase again…
Every time I heard those words, my mind went straight to filthy places.
I felt like I was going to lose it.
In my slightly hazy vision, Cocoa Writer wore a meaningful look.
"…Writer-nim, why are you looking at me like that?"
"Ah, I just remembered something I need to do. Sorry, but can you bring me the chicken once you buy it?"
"Y-yes, of course. Go ahead."
"Thank you. I'll enjoy the coffee too. It's nice seeing you healthy, Jiwoo-ssi."
With that, Cocoa Writer hurried off.
I hadn't managed a single word about "Park Haeun"—about the work itself—but that was fine.
Cocoa Writer wasn't the type to keep work and personal feelings rigidly separate.
Last time she'd even suggested going the route of keeping the character alive first.
As long as we got closer and she felt grateful to me, she would take my side whenever I needed her to.
But what did she mean by "healthy"?
I glanced down without thinking and felt a chill race up my spine.
Oh god. When did I get hard?
I quietly rolled my eyes.
Please, let Cocoa Writer be one of the people who raped me together with Oh Jihyeon.
"Manager Park Seoh-ah, hello."
Someone called out to me just then.
I waited for my cock to wilt at top speed before turning around.
A man with a warm, almost sleepy-looking face, as if he walked around with his eyes half-closed.
His posture looked permanently bent from how much he must bow.
He offered a friendly smile and held out both hands.
"This is some red ginseng. I managed to get really good stuff cheap, and you just popped into my head, Manager."
"Huh? Uh… thank you."
Red ginseng? Why red ginseng all of a sudden?
"That coffee… I really enjoyed it. Just drinking it gave me energy. The vitamins too."
"Ah, yes. Thank you for thinking so highly of it."
He saw my expression and hurriedly added,
"Director Gun Hyun-woo must really look out for you, Manager. He blocked it so you wouldn't have it so hard, right?"
"Uh… is that so?"
"I could taste how hard you work just from the coffee. All that effort is what makes it first-class."
"Come on, first-class is a bit much."
"I'm not trying to pressure you at all. I just can't forget your coffee. If you happen to have any left over, could I maybe ask for just one cup?"
He continued,
"If you don't have any, please don't force it. Just… if there's any left by chance… would it be okay to ask?"
"Yes. If there's any left, I'll make sure to give you some."
"Thank you. I'll be going now. I bought the sweet kind of red ginseng so it should be easy to drink."
"Yes, I'll enjoy it. Thank you."
Coffee…
Just like Cocoa Writer said, people were missing it.
Coming right up to me like this.
"Jiwoo-ssi?"
I turned and another man had arrived.
This one was a manager too.
I knew him by face but hadn't memorized the name.
A lot of people I'd only greeted on set without ever catching their names.
This time it wasn't red ginseng—he was holding a plastic bag reeking of oil.
"This is from that chicken truck everyone's lined up for. Looked like you hadn't bought any yet, so I grabbed some."
"Th-thank you."
"A comet just fell on YouTube out of nowhere. Our actor even said he wants chicken for lunch today."
"Ahaha… is that so?"
After a bit of small talk,
"Uh, do you have any gum? The gum you gave me last time. When our Woohyun chews it, his focus and immersion get insanely…"
He finally got around to asking about the gum.
After that, managers came and went in a steady stream.
Just one cup of coffee, please. Any vitamins or gum left over?
Their actors' conditions had tanked without them.
They absolutely needed some, just once, please.
One of them even tried to poach me into his agency.