PAYBACK BOOK 2.

Chapter 6.

I had to film an extra scene that wasn't originally planned. It was a scene where I finish work and leave the office before going up to the rooftop. PD Song added that part in. They explained that it was included because of the increased scale of the friend's role, but I still don't understand what the point of the scene where the character finishes work at the office before committing suicide is.

 

Luckily, the acting wasn't difficult, and the lines were short. I wore a pristine white shirt, a neatly tied tie, and a wrinkle-free suit jacket. I wracked my hair and styled it neatly with gel. Although I wasn't used to the glasses I was wearing as a prop, after getting ready and going outside, I immediately became the centre of attention. As I was walking towards the table where he was supposed to set the scene, I noticed my manager and Han-soo staring intently at something.

 

Their eyes were fixed on a woman standing and talking to PD Song on the set where I had to perform. My manager and Han-soo were whispering something to each other. When I approached, they both turned around, froze, and their eyes widened simultaneously. I looked at them with a questioning look, as if to ask, "Why?" They both scanned me from head to toe as if admiring something amazing.

 

"Wow, it's like a completely different person! Wow, he looks so cool!" Han Soo exclaimed, and the manager shrugged, his mouth dropping open.

 

"I knew it, Taemin. I knew you could pull off many different looks because your face isn't uniquely handsome. Wahahaha! Me!"

 

"Man reached the pinnacle."

 

"That's right. Looks changed instantly. It seems like even a little bit of good looks can be important."

 

"Right? You only need to be slightly handsome, like Taemin, to have that aura that can be transformed, haha. Isn't that good, Taemin? Because you're only slightly handsome."

 

Both of them stepped back simultaneously before the manager could speak. "Uh... there are so many people here... Are you going to hit me?"

 

I was really eager to get back at those two, but when someone called my name and I turned around, the manager and Han Soo shouted from behind, "Hehe, good luck!" So I walked towards the table where we were supposed to film, wondering if those two were really in the mood. At that moment, PD Song was talking to a woman around my age and handing her a script.

 

A woman in a matching suit played the role of a colleague at the company, and she had a brief conversation with me as I was nearing the end of my work and preparing to leave. The PD was reviewing the camera frames and blocking, giving precise instructions on where to stop speaking. I listened intently to the woman's dialogue before reading my lines from the script in my hand.

 

"Deputy Head Kim, you'll be going to company xxx tomorrow afternoon, right? What time? I have some business to attend to there as well." 

 

Then I'll tell her the time and leave the company. My line will be 'Four o'clock in the afternoon.' The rest is just sitting back and finishing my work. PD Song puts down the block.

 

King and I discussed how to move, just as I'd told the actress, before he had me sit down first to check the screen we'd be filming on. After having some time to prepare, we had our first blocking rehearsal together. I realised that even though the scene was short, she moved her body very skillfully. She was very natural. If you only watched this one scene, you'd think she didn't have much acting experience because the role she played was no different from that of an extra. 

 

She felt a little awkward, took advantage of the camera adjustments that were delaying filming, leaned against the partition, and started a conversation with me.

 

"Have you really only been performing for two months?"

 

"Yes"

 

"This is quite a big role for a newcomer. Aren't you nervous?"

 

"I'm not nervous."

 

"What did you do before becoming an actress?"

 

"Do I have to answer that?"

 

When I responded coldly, she burst into suppressed laughter and gave me a relaxed smile.

 

"You're as interesting as Hyunjun said."

 

I suddenly realised that Hyunjun was the name of the lead actor in this movie before she continued. "I'm in the same theatre company as Hyunjun. He recommended me because PD Song said they were looking for an actor, since this role was essential no matter what. It will require acting skills. With the scene where they ask Deputy Chief Kim, "What time will you be at company xxx tomorrow afternoon?", what kind of acting skill is required? I'm saying the demeanour. You seem like someone who enjoys joking around. I remembered the moment when the manager and Han Soo were whispering amongst themselves as they looked up at her. She might be a more well-known actress than I thought. Suddenly, her next words caught my attention.

 

"Plus, there are rumours that this movie is really popular, so I thought it would be interesting."

 

The movie hasn't even wrapped filming yet; how could it be famous? I wondered if she was joking, but after filming started for a while, I forgot what she said.

 

Fast-paced. Even though I'm not usually camera-shy, I couldn't help but feel nervous when the director kept asking for different tones and blocking multiple times to achieve the scenes he had in mind. And because filming took longer than expected, the suicide scene on the rooftop was postponed to after noon.

 

Today is a clear blue day with no clouds.

 

"The sky is really beautiful today, isn't it?"

 

The PD spoke with a slightly cheerful tone, as if he genuinely liked the sky. I didn't want to interrupt his mood, but I couldn't help but ask.

 

"What does a beautiful sky have to do with a suicide scene?"

 

My question must have really upset him. The PD, who was gazing at the sky as if sensitive to something, turned to look at me as if he had just regained consciousness.

 

"I don't know. I just feel like the colour tone is calming and visually pleasing. If this is the last time I get to see such a beautiful sky before I die, wouldn't that be meaningful?" I looked up at the sky, but didn't agree with his words. When I didn't react, the PD brought up what he wanted to say about this scene.

 

"Taemin, go ahead and try the freestyle approach first. You've thought about the final moments before you die, haven't you?" I knew the "final moments before death" he was referring to were a staged suicide, but I heard it in a different context.

 

"Yes, I've thought about it."

 

"Just improvise for now. The camera will be panning in a long take, so don't worry about the timing. Just hesitate for a while before jumping, or maybe mumble something you want to say before you die. Oh, I heard that people usually take off their shoes before committing suicide, to symbolise leaving this world. You can take off yours too. Hmm, anything else…"

 

The PD pondered for a moment before loudly asking those around him, "What should one do in the seconds before committing suicide?" 

 

Before anyone could answer...A variety of opinions.

 

"Was that one last phone call to someone?"

 

"If it were me, I'd probably look up at the sky."

 

"Uh, I guess I'll sing my favourite song."

 

I heard a number of hilarious answers before the staff burst into laughter. PD Song himself also smirked before glancing in my direction.

 

"Oh, you don't have to try jumping first, do you?"

 

He pointed to a chest-high railing. The filming location was indeed a rooftop, but it was the second-floor rooftop. Normally, the upper rooftops are located further inside. The ladder was shaped so that jumping down would only be about one story's height, and there was an inflatable mattress below to cushion my fall. A cameraman was waiting beside the railing, struggling to stand, to film me. He waited in a narrow area behind the railing, poised to shoot me.

 

"I'm going to do it now. Suicide can only be done once. If I move as skillfully as if I've practised, the result might look strange."

 

Then PD Song said, "Oh, isn't that right?" He patted my shoulder lightly and went back to his place. I went and stood behind the rooftop door and closed my eyes. While waiting for my turn to film, I kept thinking about the script I'd read until the pages were tattered. The character was a perfectionist; I used another version of myself, someone I remembered vividly, to imprint on my original self. Today, the work is done. Now it's time to die, isn't it?

 

I opened my eyes again and saw an iron door. I pressed down on the long doorknob and pushed the door open, revealing a grey cement floor in front of me. Besides the railing in front of me, I couldn't see anything else in my field of vision.

 

I strode onto the rooftop at my usual pace, my gaze fixed on the railing ahead, my destination. As I walked, I raised my hand. Check that the buttons on my shirt were securely fastened, then pulled on the sleeves to straighten my clothing. When I reached my destination, which was not far away, I placed both arms to climb up the metal rail at chest level. I lifted one leg and placed it on the railing, then stepped the other leg across to the other side, where there was hardly any space to stand. The area was so narrow that there wasn't even enough room to turn around.'

 

"No, it's alright," I thought, releasing my grip on the railing before unconsciously brushing the dust off my clothes. I then spun around, stepping out into the air with one foot while pushing off the ground with the other, without hesitation. Suddenly, my entire body felt dizzy from the fall. It was a lightheaded feeling, like being sucked into a ravine of death.

 

Thump

Even though I landed just one story high, I fell onto the mattress with a loud thud. Moreover, I wasn't prepared for the fall at all, so I felt pain in my shoulder. My left side hit the mattress, and then I realised it was the same shoulder that had been attacked by that mad dog. When I got up, I wasn't worried about the injury at all. Of course, we still had to film many more scenes with falls. But I was worried about what I would do if, during the fall, I moved unnaturally to avoid hitting my injured shoulder.

 

"Are you in pain anywhere? If it's too stiff, maybe let some air out of the mattress?"

 

The staff member standing by immediately asked worriedly as soon as I landed, patting my shoulder. I simply replied that I was alright before walking back up. Stumbling upstairs, I wondered how many more times I'd have to climb these stairs before opening the rooftop door. The situation up there was completely different from what I'd imagined.

 

Clang, Bang, 

All the staff had just started packing up the equipment, making a lot of noise. I wondered if they didn't like it here or something. Before I could walk towards the group still crowded in front of the monitor, the people watching my suicide scene all simultaneously looked up and stared at me. Even the staff packing up the equipment seemed to glance at me. When I swept my gaze across everyone with a questioning look, wondering what was going on, the PD, who was looking at the monitor, stood up and gave an order to the assistant director.

 

"If you're done packing up the equipment, go back to the office because today you have to edit the film sample with me again." One take, huh? I stared at him, bewildered. But the PD just stared at the monitor silently again before speaking.

 

"Taemin, when did you film your last scene?"

 

The last scene to be filmed is a flashback to my daily life before I died. If everything goes according to plan, we'll be shooting in the studio in two days. But before he could speak, the manager, who was watching the monitor amid the crowd, answered first.

 

"Taemin will be filming in two days."

 

The PD nodded in agreement before reaching for the assistant director's filming schedule. 

 

"Let's postpone it a little."

 

"When has it been postponed to?"

 

When the manager asked a question while pulling out a notebook, PD Song only turned to look at me then. But the expression on his face was a little strange, with a focused gaze and deep thought.

 

"Mmm, I'll contact you again later. You're not particularly busy, are you?"

 

The manager said yes and asked for the reason. I heard the PD (Production Director) mouth something back softly, but from what I could hear, it was something like, 'I wanted to...Just a few script revisions." Of course, that wasn't a pleasant remark to me. Ah, I'd already memorised that lengthy script. So, feeling a little dejected, I walked over to Song, who was habitually putting away his equipment. Just as I reached out to dismantle the lighting system that I'd been responsible for for the past month, someone's hand stopped me.

 

"Please put it down. We'll do it ourselves."

 

Suddenly, a familiar-looking staff member, who I didn't know had walked in yet, became unusually friendly and started disassembling the lights himself. I remember this staff member didn't really like my face. As I stepped back, feeling like something was off, I saw a group of people crowded around a monitor watching the scene being filmed. Because there were so many people, I had to look at the monitor over the shoulder of the person in front of me. Then, it seemed like people were glancing at me in turn. Did my pants rip when I jumped or something? I turned to check my pants before realising someone was standing still beside me.

 

"What's going on?"

 

I asked when I realised the other person was Han Soo, but instead of chatting like usual, he just stared at me silently. Just as I couldn't take it anymore and was about to turn to look at him, they finally opened their mouths and spoke.

"Seriously."

 

I stared at him again before he continued speaking in a serious tone. "I got goosebumps... really. I don't know why, but strangely, it felt like I was witnessing someone committing suicide right in front of me."

 

"Didn't you realise?"

 

When asked what he knew, Han Soo tilted his head and whispered softly. "Taemin, you were smiling when he jumped."

 

I planned to take the subway back myself because my manager had to go handle Cha Jung-woo's matter, and Han Soo said he had some errands to run at the university after changing his clothes first. Actually, the manager could have left already, but he hasn't and is waiting for me.

 

"Where are you going?"

 

"It's a company."

 

"Why are you going to the company?"

 

"I happen to need to go in there."

 

Because I had a few questions, I swallowed the last part of my sentence, but the manager didn't pay much attention to my reply.

 

"I'll give you a ride."

 

"It's alright. Go ahead and do your work."

 

The manager grabbed my arm and lied, saying he was planning to go to the company anyway. I figured even if I refused again, he probably wouldn't listen, so I ended up going with him.

 

"Follow ahead," a calm voice said.

 

"It seems like Mr PD Song is impressed with you. He said that the last chapter was originally left blank, but he revised it because of you." 

 

"Why, because of me?" I asked, turning to look at him in confusion. The manager then proceeded to explain.

 

"Your performance ignited a fire within him. Actors who inspire their work are the directors' dream," my manager said with a wide grin, patting my arm lightly as if to say, "Well done."

 

"I was really shocked. I never expected you to walk straight up and jump down like that. You didn't hesitate or even look up at the sky once. And then he said that the way you arranged the clothes or dusted off the furniture beforehand, like a character in that scene, was perfectly fitting. When did you start planning all of this in such meticulous detail?"

 

"...I never planned it." He turned back and said, "Hmm?" before I mumbled unconsciously, feeling awkward about the compliment.

 

"It was just a simple performance for me."

Therefore, it's not something to be admired at all.

 

"You said it was an easy performance? Not at all. You did really well."

 

I automatically smiled at the manager's flattering words. It really was easy for me, even if it was manipulating other people's feelings.

 

"Manager"

 

"Hmm"

 

"Didn't you say that no matter how big a mistake you make, if you apologise sincerely, you'll be forgiven someday?" He nodded, as if knowing he had said that to Myungshin that morning.

 

"Hmm, yes. But Myungshin... sigh."

 

I expressed my own opinion to him, and he sighed softly.

 

"There are some mistakes that even a sincere apology can't bring about forgiveness," the manager, probably knowing I was talking about Myungshin, asked in a puzzled tone, "What is it?" But I didn't hear what he said because I suddenly snorted. I laughed inwardly. How could I be forgiven when the person who could forgive me is dead?

 

The manager dropped me off, then quickly turned the car around and drove back as if the business matter were a lie, just as I had expected. I stopped by the company to ask something. As soon as I went down to the basement where I had been practising acting for a month, the instructor who had just finished teaching saw me and greeted me happily. When I asked about the kind-faced person who always went everywhere with the blonde-haired person, I received the answer I expected.

 

"Oh, I heard he's been admitted to the hospital right now." The instructor tilted his head and continued speaking with a sombre expression. "I heard he was hospitalised two weeks ago, but we haven't heard back yet..."

 

I asked for the instructor's contact information, and the instructor spoke in a faint voice before leaving. Going to the hospital, huh? I immediately called the number the instructor gave me. The ringing continued, and finally I received a message saying the number I was calling was unavailable. I ignored it and kept calling. After many more calls and quite a while on the phone, I finally heard a faint, weary voice from the other end of the line.

 

"Hello"

 

"I'm Lee Taemin."

 

".."

 

"Do you remember what I told you earlier?"

 

Before the other party could reply, I spoke up again. "The matter of you changing your mind after four years and giving yourself to a man."

 

I heard a soft gasp from the other side. Judging by his reaction to the phrase "giving oneself to a man," my suspicions seem to be correct.

 

"I told you that since you'd made a difficult decision, I hoped you wouldn't change your mind. And you said the same thing, didn't you? That you've entered the path. This is incredibly painful, but no matter what problems arise, I won't back out."

 

"Stop it..." A trembling voice escaped his lips, accompanied by heavy breathing.

 

"Stop it. Why did you call me?"

 

"I wonder if you've changed your mind?"

 

"Then...why would you even suspect that?"

I gave him a faint smile as he grew slightly irritated.

 

"Don't you remember what I said when we talked? I said I could only help you if your intention remained the same." A deep breath and a whisper were heard again. 

 

"...Help me? How?"

 

"I have my own way."

 

If you walk down the long corridor leading to the company's first-floor lobby, you'll see rows of photos of the agency's actors. I stopped in front of a photo of Myungshin smiling broadly before continuing.

 

"This is how I can help you get revenge."

 

When I opened the door to the patient's room that the kind-faced person had mentioned, I saw that his appearance seemed normal, unlike what I had expected. His face, neck, and hands were visible to the naked eye, leaning against half the window frame as if struggling to stand. The small single-patient room consisted of a bed, a TV, a mini-fridge, and a table. There were no clothes hanging on hangers, nor were there any drink bottles or glasses on the table. It looked as if he had been admitted for some time.

 

"...Did you already know?"

 

Instead of a greeting, he asked me a question. His usually cheerful face was now pale and emotionless, as if a mask were covering it. I walked to the large window where he was standing and looked outside. The view from the fifth-floor window was filled with narrow alleys and low, old buildings with age-related cracks. It would take about twenty minutes to walk from the subway, plus another ten minutes to find the hospital amidst the crowded streets.

 

This place is called a hospital, but its exterior is so dilapidated I'm embarrassed for it. The elevator rattles and screeches as if it's about to stop working at any moment. Yet, a kind-hearted person like him is admitted to a hospital on the outskirts of Seoul where no one should be visiting? Seeing my glance around in response, he showed a hint of emotion for the first time, though it was just a sarcastic smirk.

 

"When I woke up, I was here. I didn't even know I was in Seoul until a few days ago. You... do you know what happened to me?"

 

"What happened to you?" I repeated the question, glancing around the cramped patient room once more. "What happened to you?"

 

"You... didn't come to see me because you already know everything, did you?" he said, irritated and still slightly confused.

 

"Or are you here to mock me? Damn it... You came specifically to see me being humiliated in this state, didn't you?" I watched him struggle to stand and stare at me. Seeing the change in him, I felt a sense of relief, thinking that perhaps I could use him.

 

"I don't know the full story of what you've been through, but I can guess." Seeing that the intense gaze had calmed down, I continued in a neutral tone.

 

"I heard that Chung Myungshin is acting like a pimp, luring aspiring actor trainees and then using them as playthings for his sponsors. That's why. You were used as a toy too, weren't you?"

 

I looked into his eyes, which were beginning to tremble, before speaking slowly again. "Were you thrown into the middle of a group of men and raped like a pig or a dog? You might have struggled to escape, but you were caught, and they shoved foreign objects into you. The back passage could also be a form of punishment. What do they shove in there? A liquor bottle or a piece of wood?"

 

"Y-y-you can stop now..."

 

"I think everyone would find it entertaining to see you crawling around with a liquor bottle shoved up your backside. If you beg for your life, you'll be beaten to a pulp. Your body was covered in wounds, and the areas that were beaten were the ones your clothes were covering."

 

"I told you to stop!"

 

He staggered back a step before averting his gaze and letting out a heavy sigh, his chest heaving.

 

"You don't want to think about it?"

 

He turned back with a resentful look in his eyes, staring intently as if to ask, "Are you asking because you don't know?" But I needed to hear the answer clearly from him.

 

"Since you don't want to think about it anymore, I'm done with here."

 

"...Huh? Why?"

 

I turned around to respond, to let him know I wasn't just saying it casually. "If you want to avoid pain, you can get revenge." I took a few steps towards the door, and before I could even grab the doorknob, he called out to me.

 

"Do you really have a plan? Can I get revenge?" Slowly turning his head towards the trembling voice, he saw him clenching his fists tightly.

"Just as you heard on the phone, even if I had a plan for revenge, if you're in this situation, I couldn't even begin to act."

 

"Why? What's your method?"

 

"You must return to that hellhole once again."

 

He held his breath, staring at me, and remained in that position for a long time, his face pale and lifeless, before he murmured something in a faint whisper. "You're saying... I have to go back there again?"

 

"That's right. Hide your wounds and pretend nothing happened. But you can't even bear to think about it now, can you? That's why you have to give up, or find your own way to get revenge."

 

I looked at him and added..."Keep living like that."

 

This time I actually grabbed the doorknob and turned it, but his words held me back from taking another step. "No, I don't want... I don't want to live like this," I heard a faint voice say, the words I had expected. "I want revenge. Damn it! I want to kill those bastards... every single one of them!"

 

I didn't immediately walk back to him, but leaned against the door and watched him indifferently from a short distance. Just wanting to kill him wasn't enough. He sensed my thought, removed his hand from the patchy face frame, and straightened his swaying body.

 

"You asked what happened to me, right? Well, as you said, they blindfolded me, said it was just a game, and took me to a room. Just…" His voice began to tremble violently again, but he still managed to continue speaking. "About five or six of those Chadhi men stripped me naked and took turns raping me. When I resisted, they tied my hands behind my back and beat me as if they were kicking a football until I passed out. After a while, I felt something burning and stinging on my body, so I opened my eyes... Those bastards shoved a big candle up my backside and lit it. I was lying naked... prone in the middle of them, and they lifted me up into the air. That's when I realised what was stinging was the candle wax dripping between my legs. As soon as they knew I'd drunk it, they started shouting and giggling about something. Do you know what they were doing? They were singing "Happy Birthday" because it was one of those bastards' birthdays. Isn't that a little too funny? Lighting candles for a birthday? Ha ha... I guess they thought I was a birthday cake. A birthday cake, huh? How ridiculous." A tear streamed down his distorted smile before his voice calmed down.

 

"While I was receiving the semen and urine of those guys, an old man named Chairman Kim was watching from a corner of the room and giving all sorts of orders. With that hoarse voice, they made those two try putting it in at the same time, and had several people spray their fluids into my mouth simultaneously. Those bastards obeyed that old man's orders without question. And do you know who was diligently performing oral sex on that old man's penis? It was Chong Yoo-han! That's when I realised that Hyung-seok lured me and arranged for me to meet Chong Yoo-han to use me as a sacrifice. Hyung-seok knew what Chong Yoo-han was doing and what the old man who was his sponsor wanted."

 

He paused before glancing around the patient's room. "This hospital... didn't you feel strange when you came in? You should know why I was admitted, but why am I in the internal medicine department?"

 

His gaze swept over the pillow, which bore the hospital's name. "This is where they clean up after utterly wrecked people like me. Of course, I'm not the first one dragged here. The doctors and nurses don't blink. A little about my condition: the back of my body is completely torn apart, and my hips are covered in blisters from the candle wax. Yet, they irritably said it was very difficult to get the hardened candle wax out of my anus. I've been admitted for three weeks now, and I still have trouble dragging myself to the bathroom. The only reason my face looks fine is that those jerks told me I'm an actor, so they forbade anyone from touching my face. But everything else is awful. And Song Yoo-han said that once I'm better, I should come see him for a reward. Apparently, he's going to get me an important supporting role in a cable TV drama."

 

After finishing his lengthy speech, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment.

 

"For the past three weeks, no matter how hard I try to forget it, the laughter of those bastards still won't leave my ears. The happy birthday song they played. That song is still haunting my ears."

 

He looked up first and asked me with a calmer expression. "If you really have a way to get revenge as you say, I'd like to tear those bastards to pieces and get rid of those voices in my ears once and for all. But before that..." He stopped speaking abruptly and coldly, then stared at me with a questioning look. "Why would you intend to help me?"

 

"I never said I would help you."

 

"What? Just that..."

 

"I was just going to tell you how to get revenge."

I smiled at him for the first time. “That's right. Because I also have a vendetta against Chong Yoo-han. That's why I used you as a tool to achieve my revenge."

 

I thought there would be nothing I could do if the other person got angry, but he just kept looking at me with a strange expression. After a while, he said something unexpected. "You are a truly interesting person."

 

".."

 

"If you're really going to use me, you shouldn't say things like that, should you?"

 

"So what am I supposed to say? That your condition is so pathetic that I'd want to help? Lying is incredibly exhausting. Because it's not just a one-time lie, but a continuous lie. The only person I need to get revenge on is that two-faced guy."

 

He seemed to smile faintly for a fleeting moment before nodding shortly afterwards.

"That's what makes you interesting. Even though you seem like a contrarian, there's a clear line between being straightforward and direct. That was unexpected, wasn't it?"

 

I frowned for a moment before replying in a calm voice. "Okay, since we're being straightforward, let me add one more thing. If you want revenge as I suggested, you need to be prepared. There might be events that you might have to sacrifice the back door to those despicable bastards again. If you don't want to do it, then give up now, because I just want to use you in a straightforward manner, as you've praised me for, and I have no intention of helping you. You were there from the very beginning."

 

I thought he would be silent for a while, but unexpectedly, he responded not long afterwards with an emotionless face. "What do I need to do?"

 

This time, I simply looked at him, unable to react immediately, before slowly opening my mouth to speak. "You have to accept Chung Yoo-han's offer, and then ask if others can join that party." 

 

He immediately shook his head. "I'd rather be involved with them again, but I don't want to drag other people, or the trainees who know nothing about it, into it."

 

"You don't need to do that. Just pretend."

 

"Things like that get out of hand very quickly..."

 

"No way. Besides, doesn't Song Yoo-han have a filming schedule abroad soon? So you only have a few days to fool him."

"It's only a matter of time. I can just pretend to be sick and not have to do anything at all."

 

Earlier, Alice's boss said that Myungshin would definitely be going abroad. So it'll probably be for three or four days, or maybe a week at most.

 

"First, if you join that group, go and instigate trouble with that guy named Hyungseok while Chung Yoo-han is away."

 

"What did you say?"

 

I raised the corner of my mouth in a smile at him. "Now, Chung Yoo-han has probably given up and ordered Young-seok to gather the desired victims instead, while he himself continues to reap the big rewards. Try poking Hyung's ear."

 

This is what he meant: 'You're the one who did all the most important things. Don't you think it's unfair? Therefore, you should be the one to perform oral sex on President Kim, shouldn't you? All the duties that Chung Yoo-han is doing should be yours.'

 

"You want me to manipulate those two into falling out? But Hyungseok is afraid of Song Yoo-han; he probably won't listen to me. Besides, Song Yoo-han is still capable...It's so easy to get rid of someone like Hyungseok."

 

When he shook his head, indicating it was difficult, my smile widened even more. "Then the method is even simpler, isn't it? Just make sure Youngseok isn't afraid of Chung Yoohan, and make sure Chung Yoohan can't touch Hyungseok, and that's it," I answered his question briefly.

 

"I'll handle that myself. Don't worry," he said, looking as if he wanted to know more details, but finally nodded and mumbled…"Understood. Then... I'll get back to the work that needs to be done." After saying that, he glanced up with a serious expression, as if remembering something important.

 

"And what about Da Gaen? Didn't he manage to get revenge on Chairman Kim?"

 

"...Someone else will handle that."

 

"Who is it?"

 

He asked in return, "Is there anyone who could possibly do something like that?" before waiting for an answer with a look of bewildered shock. But there's nothing I can say at that moment.

 

"Yes, there are. A bunch of crazy people."

 

That night, I stared at the ceiling because I couldn't sleep. If I wanted to get rid of the blonde guy's fear of Myungshin, I needed help. Firstly, if the goal is to prevent Myungshin from touching the blonde-haired person, or in other words, to keep him busy dealing with the blonde-haired person, then help from another person is also needed. Even so, it's alright, because I can ask those two for help. Both photographer P and Cha Jung-woo are happy to cooperate. Although I kept thinking about what I needed to do now until dawn, making it difficult to fall asleep, strangely enough, what bothered me wasn't something I had to do in the future.

 

"You don't need to worry about that person."

 

The words that lunatic said about Chairman Kim haven't faded from my mind. No, actually, I keep picturing my immediate response: "Well, it did sound like You're worried about me, aren't you? Then he walked out of the room without saying a word. Why do I keep thinking about things like that? I do it all the time.

 

I received important information from an unexpected person when I arrived at the company the next morning. Actually, I arrived a little early to ask about the cream product. The manager looked exhausted from staying up all night handling matters concerning Cha Jung-woo at the company. It seemed he was busy preparing for an upcoming press conference.

 

Meanwhile, they didn't forget to prepare the small magazine advertisements for Han Soo and me to try out. Incidentally, before Han Soo arrived, that unexpected person came into the small conference room where my manager and I were, so I overheard it.

 

"Manager Choi, I have something to report... *gasp*!"

 

I don't know if Chief Park had a problem coming into our room, but he jumped at the sight of me, even though he cleared his throat to try to cover it up. But when I saw him roll his eyes, it was as if he had suddenly remembered his transport business at the sight of me. And if he knew I was the guy in the mascot costume carrying a cake box filled with rocks, he'd probably run away.

 

"Oh, Chief Park, what business brings you here?"

 

The manager, in his usual approachable style, pulled the stiff-looking Chief Park to a chair. As soon as he sat down opposite me, he still didn't dare make eye contact with me.

 

"Ahem, I have something to inform you about."

 

"Hmm, what is it...?"

 

"Hello, Chief Park."

 

As soon as I interrupted the manager, he awkwardly averted his gaze.

 

"Ahem, yes, Mr Lee Taemin."

 

He cleared his throat again before trying to turn away, but I quickly continued speaking. "Looks like you've been pulling an all-nighter."

 

"What? Uh, well..."

 

"Are you talking about Dream Production?"

 

I felt his head, which was about to turn away, freeze before he looked at me with a shocked expression. "Are you talking about Dream Production?"

 

"You know everything, don't you? That Dream Productions is currently having problems because of the arms dealer, Chairman Kim, who is the new shareholder."

"That's interference."

 

I smiled at him as he blinked in surprise, then turned to ask the manager. "The manager remembers, right? What Song Yoo-han said to Director Yoon in the morning meeting yesterday,". The manager nodded, saying "Oh," and then asked Chief Park on my behalf. At that point, I just stepped back and listened to their conversation quietly.

 

"That's right, Chief Park. What's the real situation with that? Dream Production is probably swamped with finding investors to finance the drama right now. This is a huge production, isn't it? Why did Chung Yoo-han say that Dream Production might be snatched away? What happened?"

 

"Well... uh... It's top secret."

 

"Hey, what's all the secrecy? Rumours only spread when time permits. Aside from that, I've heard some strange things from..."

 

"What did you hear?"

 

When Chief Park flinched and sat upright, the manager lowered his voice as if about to reveal a secret.

 

"There are rumours that Dream Production might become independent."

 

"Huh? Wait a minute, how did you know that?!" The chief was startled, and before he could recover, the manager was equally surprised. 

 

"Huh? So it's true then!"

 

"Gasp! N-No, it's not...it's not..."

 

"No way! Just now, Chief Park was asking how I knew!" Chief Park, his face pale, retorted, "That's not it!" But he couldn't win against the manager, whose rhetoric was becoming increasingly potent.

 

"Even though they kept it quiet, if rumours are still leaking out like this, it means everyone in the neighbourhood knows, right? Especially if Dream Production splits up."

 

"If I actually go, it'll be a big problem. What exactly happened? Ah, Chief Park knows how tight-lipped I am, doesn't he?"

 

I've never seen anyone as talkative as my manager in my life, but I didn't say that out loud because I'm a man of few words.

 

"Tell me, because it's a company matter, and I'm worried too. Besides, it involves Chong Yoo-han, so I feel even more concerned. Things have gotten out of hand involving those close to me. Chief Park was in the meeting yesterday too, so he probably knows, right? Phew... he knows exactly how I'm being targeted..."

 

The manager sighed deeply, wiping away the few tears that hadn't yet fallen.

 

"This time I might be lucky, but if Chong Yoo-han gets involved in something bad and blames me again, then... sigh... if my life is ruined, Chief Park..Will you take responsibility for not telling me anything?"

 

"Manager Choi, why would you say something like that? It's...uh, I shouldn't have said it." He scratched his head in frustration, but finally revealed the secret that had been swept under the rug to the complaining manager.

 

"The managing director and the board of directors, who are opposing the chairman, are planning to take over the reins using a large-scale production currently in preparation. As you know, they've already chosen someone from their side to direct the play, right? Once the director is from their side, they'll likely determine everything else: the actors, filming locations, sponsors, and so on. The manager, hearing this, frowned.

 

"If it's the director making that drama, you mean Director Song who used to work at S TV station, right? Ah, that guy... his work isn't very good," I thought. If even the manager says it's bad, it must be really incompetent. Then Chief Park agreed.

 

"Yes, that's him. Although there have been some issues with accepting bribes and similar matters, he does have experience managing large projects. Seven different approaches have already been considered, and their capabilities are decent. When the decision was initially made, we didn't object. Later, we found out they were aligned with the other party, but the contract had already been signed, so we couldn't change the director. And if that wasn't enough, they were also planning to keep Dream Production completely under wraps. As you know, even though Dream Production is a subsidiary, it hasn't been fully merged yet. The opposing side is therefore buying up shares in Dream Production. We knew they lacked the financial resources to do that, so we didn't get involved. However, then someone suddenly appeared, like a rising star, and bought up a huge amount of shares in Dream Production, which was the subject of all this controversy."

 

Although I've heard similar stories from managers before, what Chief Park told me was clearer and more concrete. While I was thinking about what this company was like...

While playing marbles, I could actually hear the manager murmuring.

 

"That rising star...that's Chairman Kim, isn't it?" Chief Park nodded, then frowned and continued.

 

"Sigh. If it weren't for Chairman Kim, the largest shareholder in Dream Productions would definitely be Director Yoon."

 

"Is that Director Yoon?"

 

When the manager tilted his head in surprise, Chief Park immediately continued explaining.

 

"On the other hand, Director Yoon doesn't hold many shares in Dream Entertainment. In fact, I heard that the Chairman summoned Director Yoon back to Korea to exchange this for shares in Dream Productions. It seems your intention is to give Director Yoon complete ownership of Dream Productions. But then Chairman Kim appeared, like a rising star, just before that. That's why Director Yoon and the opposition are now fighting amongst themselves. If Chairman Kim were to join forces with them, it would be like being completely taken advantage of."

 

"That big-budget drama is all gone."

 

The manager's face contorted when he heard the chief's conclusion. "So you're saying we need to join hands with Chairman Kim to prevent him from siding with the opposing faction?"

 

"Well, I guess this is the best way to do it right now."

 

"Damn it! Ugh, I don't know why it has to be like this."

 

The manager angrily placed his clenched fists on the table.

 

"At least Director Yoon is the best person in this field..."

 

Even though the manager trembled at the mention of Director Yoon's name, he rushed out upon hearing that he had gone to City XX, insisting that he absolutely had to go and greet him. But it seemed he did it because he admired the other person. The manager remained silent and serious, as if genuinely saddened, and Chief Park sighed as well.

 

"Even though he assigns so much work, like a demon king, he's still very capable, and there's a lot to learn, so I enjoy working with him. But lately I haven't been teasing him in front of the kids because I'm worried. Phew."

 

The manager and I simultaneously turned to look at Chief Park.

 

"...Are you making fun of me?"

 

When the manager spoke in such a stunned tone, Chief Park was taken aback and quickly shook his head.

 

"N-no, I wasn't making fun of anyone. I just misspoke. Haha!" Even so, his flushed face betrayed his daily habit of making fun of people. Taking advantage of his momentarily stunned silence, I asked him about something I was curious about.

 

"What did Chairman Kim obstruct Director Yoon on in America?"

 

"Well, uh, I'm not entirely sure about that..."

 

"Then tell me, how can I become good at making fun of people?"

 

He took a deep breath, then glared at me with a furious look before I could add anything.

 

"I have some free time lately, so I'm thinking of going back to my part-time delivery job."

 

"Director Yoon used to work in a subsidiary of Dream in America, but he already has his own investment company. Upon returning to Korea, he delegated the management of that company to others, but he still makes the overall decision-making. I heard that Chairman Kim is trying to obstruct Director Yoon's work because it's something he personally oversaw. That's all the information I have."

 

The chief revealed the information with a strained expression before the manager patted his shoulder to comfort him.

 

"Really? Chief Park did a great job."

 

Chief Park wiped away the tears that were streaming down his face with the back of his hand after hearing the manager's praise. Wiping away the tears was useless, because he had just spilt a top secret. The company has revealed everything. If you piece together what the boss said, it means that crazy guy is facing a tough battle on all sides.

 

"Chief Park, but why are you here?"

 

When the manager asked, as if suddenly remembering, Chief Park rose from his seat, recalling his original purpose.

 

"Oh, this isn't the time to talk about that. The manager has been busy with Cha Jung-woo for a while now, hasn't he?" As soon as the manager replied, "Yes," Chief Park immediately pulled out his phone and answered him.

 

"Lately, Lee Taemin and Lee Han-soo have been unexpectedly busy with their workloads, so I'll be arranging a special road manager for them while their regular manager is away."

 

"Then I must thank you! But who is it? While we're at it, could it be a young man who's eager to get the job done…?" The manager's hopes were now fixed on Chief Park.

 

"That's me. Please come up to the meeting room on the third floor, room sixteen, right now... Is the elevator out of service because it's being checked? If so, please take the stairs."

 

"Come on... What? You have knee pain and can't climb the stairs? Ah, come on up. You're only forty, and you're already putting so much strain on your knees. What are you going to do? How are you going to find a part-time job like this?"

 

The boss stormed off to see the arthritis patient, visibly irritated. After he left, the manager spoke up in a serious tone.

 

"Taemin, it would be good to buy some pain relief bandages."