Free Web Novel“Do you think you can handle it if Bohyung’s role increases significantly?”
Writer Yook asked, staring straight into Yoomyeong’s eyes.
Yoomyeong considered her true intentions.
‘Increases significantly... Does she mean there could be a change to the second male lead? And by “handle it,” she doesn’t seem to mean acting...’
Could he memorize more lines?
Could he handle the increased pressure?
That kind of ‘handling’ was certainly within his capabilities, as Writer Yook already knew from watching his acting.
Then this ‘handling’ meant...
“Wouldn’t Director Moon take care of that?”
“...You’re quite sharp,” Yook Mi-young said with a smile.
Even if relationships turned sour, it would be difficult for TW to do anything to a popular writer and a star producer. But they could still target a rising actor. There was a risk that a newly popular actor could get blacklisted by another entertainment company, which was what Writer Yook was referring to.
“We need to rework the love line. Does your character, Bohyung, have even the slightest romantic feelings for Hana?”
“I acted as though he didn’t, since you never established Bohyung and Hana as being in ‘that’ kind of relationship.”
“Right. Then we definitely need to create a turning point...”
“But, Writer Yook...”
“Yes?”
Yoomyeong hesitated before speaking.
“If Bohyung stops being a ‘supporting’ character, wouldn’t that undermine his original purpose?”
Yook Mi-young let out a soft sigh, surprised by how thoughtful he was.
She had been considering the same thing herself. If Bohyung, originally written as a supporting character tied to Hana, became a romantic interest, it could easily turn into the cliché of a ‘hero saving the heroine.’
But that was her concern as a writer. So she answered firmly.
“Yoomyeong, that’s for me to worry about. You should focus on expanding your role. New actors can’t grow without ambition.”
“Yes, I’m sorry.”
“I understand what you mean. I’ll think carefully about that part, so just focus on making Bohyung a compelling character.”
“Understood.”
With that, major changes began sweeping through the script.
“Yes. Writer Yook Mi-young showed up at the filming location. The atmosphere settled down after that. But she took all the scripts for episode 10 with her, saying they needed revisions.”
Kyu-seong bit his nails anxiously. According to his plan, he should have already received an apology from the writer and a call from the producer asking him to return to the set...
His manager cautiously handed him a USB drive.
“And this arrived anonymously for you... I think you should watch it.”
“What is this?”
“Uh... just play it. I need to run to the restroom, sorry!”
Kyu-seong grumbled as he plugged the USB into the laptop. A video file appeared.
Click—
The first face on the screen was Baek Seunghyo’s. It was the scene scheduled for the day he had boycotted filming. How had they proceeded without him?
He leaned closer, and standing opposite him, dressed as Wolgong, was...
“That guy... why?!”
Yoomyeong was there, delivering Wolgong’s lines.
Tak tak tak tak—
Tapping his fingers against the desk, he initially scoffed in relief as he watched Yoomyeong play Wolgong.
But the moment Wolgong transformed back into Tak Gyu-min, his breath caught in his throat.
What Yoomyeong portrayed was ‘Tak Gyu-min’ desperately trying his best while lacking the skill to pull it off.
Tak Gyu-min’s habits and speech patterns were embedded in Wolgong. It was obvious that trying hard alone wasn’t enough.
It wasn’t a criticism of the actor Yoomyeong, but of the character Tak Gyu-min.
No one watching this would think the actor himself was untalented. It directly contradicted Kyu-seong’s accusations, and his face flushed red.
‘How dare this rookie mock me...?’
And yet, it was true.
If only he had reflected on his acting instead of getting angry. But he wasn’t that kind of person.
He shot to his feet, boiling with rage, and headed straight for the manager’s office.
“Manager.”
“Ah, Kyu-seong.”
The manager greeted him warmly.
Kyu-seong was one of TW Entertainment’s highest-earning actors. This was especially true when it came to advertisements, which were popular with teenagers.
Although managing him was exhausting because staff constantly quit after working with him, he was still an extremely valuable asset to the company.
“How did it go?”
“I reported it to ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) the president. He said he’ll speak to the KBK director.”
“The people on set seem completely indifferent to my situation. It’s disappointing.”
“Well... no one even checked on you after hearing you collapsed. I’ll ask him to speak more firmly on your behalf.”
Kyu-seong finally smiled in satisfaction.
“And that new actor, Yoomyeong... he’s becoming a real nuisance.”
“Hmm... what can we do about a project he’s already part of?”
“It doesn’t have to be immediate. But there are ways, aren’t there?”
Kyu-seong pressed the issue pointedly.
Yu-seok frowned after hearing about the incident on set.
“There have always been bad rumors about that guy.”
“That’s true. Things are fine for now, but the aftermath... TW tends to play dirty...”
Yu-seok was speaking with the head of Actor Management Team 1.
Although he personally managed Yoomyeong, the road and styling teams were assigned through Team 1, so Ho-chul had reported the matter to the team head, who then came to Yu-seok.
“This could come back to bite us if we’re not careful. The writer and producer might be untouchable after this project succeeds, but they could still target Yoomyeong or our other actors later...”
‘That would be inevitable...’
At any other entertainment company, he could have resolved this easily with the cards he held. But TW was the one opponent he was reluctant to confront—a subsidiary of ‘that place.’
His phone vibrated on the desk. He casually opened the app, only to grimace when he saw the sender’s name.
[Mother]
He checked the blinking new message.
[Is there trouble with TW? The president mentioned a minor issue involving you. I told them not to interfere with your hobbies. Come visit sometime.]
Her voice, calm yet serpent-like, seemed to echo in his ears.
— It’s just a hobby, right? Don’t get too greedy.
— You’re a smart and obedient child. I trust you’ll stay within the limits of what I find cute.
Yu-seok shook his head as though trying to dispel her voice.
“Director, are you alright?”
“That issue is resolved now. Don’t worry about it and go ahead.”
“Uh...? Oh, okay. Understood.”
The team head left looking puzzled.
Yu-seok pressed his cold hand over his eyes for a long time.
“I apologize for causing trouble during filming. I’ve fully recovered now.”
“It’s alright. You can’t help being sick. You’re a bit frail, aren’t you?”
“Yes, a little...”
‘Don’t worry. We’ll make sure you get plenty of rest from now on.’
PD Bang Hak concealed his irritation behind a smile.
“Let’s quickly shoot the urgent movie scenes first.”
“Yes, Director. I’m sorry.”
He bowed at a perfect ninety-degree angle, the muscles in his neck visibly tense.
It was the image of a star once overflowing with arrogance now facing defeat.
The previous day, he had been summoned by the president, where he received both a warning not to overstep his bounds and several threats. He had also been ordered to apologize to the producer and return to the set.
Though he complied because the situation was unfavorable, the damage to his pride was obvious, and his complexion looked paler than usual.
Tsk tsk—
The other actors and staff looked at him coldly.
Even veteran actress Lee Ok-hyung, famous for her cheerful personality, openly clicked her tongue and turned away.
Yoomyeong was laughing with the other actors in one corner when he met Kyu-seong’s gaze, causing Kyu-seong to grind his teeth.
“3, 2, 1—Action!”
“Your Majesty. Our country is barely recovering from the aftermath of the war with Geoncheok Kingdom that ended in June. Our beautiful land, with harvest season just around the corner, will once again be stained with blood.”
Kyu-seong struggled through his lines, haunted by the video he had watched the day before.
Who had sent it? Maybe the PD? Irritated and distracted by the vivid memory of that performance, he found it difficult to stay focused on the script.
“Cut— Kyu-seong, it’s not about acting badly. It’s about ‘trying your best and still failing.’ Again.”
“But I am trying my best—”
Kyu-seong stopped mid-sentence as he realized the perfect example of that kind of acting was standing right there.
Everyone on set had seen that performance, and now they were comparing his acting to it. ƒгeewёbnovel.com
‘Fuck...’
His face burned with anger and humiliation.
“Your Majesty. Our country is barely recovering from the aftermath of the war with Geoncheok Kingdom that ended in June. Our beautiful land, with harvest season just around the corner, will once again be stained with blood.”
“Cut— If you put too much effort into the lines, it doesn’t feel like you’re being overshadowed by Kwon Do-jun. Again.”
“Cut—”
“Cut— Again.”
“Cut—”
Someone had raised the standard for a successful take in that scene considerably, and because of Director Bang Hak’s unexpectedly long-lasting grudge, that day’s filming became a thorny road for Kyu-seong.
In hindsight, it might have been for the best.
After that, his screen time was noticeably reduced.
With filming running smoothly again, episode 7 of aired.
The first half of the episode quickly summarized the main story.
Do-jun discovered Hana secretly practicing acting. Surprised by her talent yet irritated by it, he asked what she was doing. Hana honestly confessed that she also dreamed of acting and wanted to become an actor like him.
Moved by her sincerity, he recommended her as a trainee to the company, asking them to audition her while keeping his involvement secret. Hana passed the audition and became an acting trainee.
Her astonishing talent and hard work quickly became apparent during practice. Gyu-min comforted her as she pushed herself relentlessly day after day. Watching this, Do-jun was consumed by an inexplicable rage. At the same time, after noticing Do-jun’s reaction, Jun-kyung decided to sabotage Hana by inviting her to an ‘exclusive actors’ year-end party.’
– Showbiz Studies –
– Episode 7 –
“Mimi~”
“Meow~”
“Do I look pretty? I got invited to an important event. This is my best outfit, right?”
“Meow~”
“You can’t believe it? Neither can I. Actress Ryu Jun-kyung approached me herself. She’s so beautiful. She told me, ‘You’re Hana, right? Do-jun said you’re a talented actor. It’s just a casual gathering between friends, so feel free to come.’ Can you believe it?”
“Meow~”
“You don’t believe it either, right? I’m skeptical too. I can trust Ryu Jun-kyung, but that jerk Kwon Do-jun calling me talented? I doubt it. Anyway, I’m heading out now. Take care of the house.”
As she left home and headed toward the bus stop, Bohyung suddenly ran out and grabbed her wrist.
“Uh? Bohyung, were you home? That’s good. Make sure to have dinner with Grandma.”
“Hana, do you trust me?”
Wearing his usual gentle smile, Bohyung suddenly asked an unrelated question.
“Of course. You’re the person I trust most after Grandma!”
“Then trust me and come with me for a bit.”
“Uh? But I have plans...”
“I won’t make you late.”
Bohyung took Hana to a department store.
From the moment she arrived—or rather, from the moment Bohyung pulled up in a car that looked absurdly expensive—she was left speechless.
This wasn’t the Bohyung she knew.
“Why are we here...?”
“There’s a dress code for the event you’re attending tonight.”
“But they never mentioned anything like that...”
“Hana. I’m on your side, right?”
“Of course!”
“Do you think that person is?”
“Um... I’m not sure...”
“Then trust me. I would never do anything to hurt you.”
Rendered speechless by his words, Hana let Bohyung skillfully choose dresses, shoes, and accessories for her from the luxury boutiques.
“Bohyung, you’re broke too! We can’t just return clothes after wearing them. That’s wrong...”
“Um... there’s something I lied about... I’ll tell you tonight and accept whatever scolding I deserve. But we don’t have time now, so hurry.”
Professional stylists suddenly appeared and began doing her hair and makeup.
Swept up in the whirlwind of activity, Hana’s transformation was complete before she knew it.
“Our Hana looks beautiful.”
Bohyung smiled as he stood her in front of the mirror.
Stunned, she stared with her mouth slightly open.
“Is this... really me...?”
As if proving that it really was her, the beauty reflected in the mirror gaped back at her foolishly.
“Stand up straight and keep your eyes confident. What did I tell you?”
“Fancy appearances, business cards, wallets—they’re all just outer shells. What matters is what’s inside.”
“That’s right. Hana is naturally beautiful, but there’s no reason for you to be looked down on at a gathering where appearances matter. You lack nothing, in either looks or heart, so be confident and hold your head high.” freewёbnoνel.com
“There’s nothing lacking? But it’s right here.”
She stuck out her tongue playfully.
After lightly flicking her forehead, Bohyung drove her to the party.
The person most shocked by Hana’s transformed appearance wasn’t Ryu Jun-kyung, but Kwon Do-jun.
As episode 7 aired,
the viewer forum exploded with activity once again.
