Free Web Novel* * *
‘Not bad.’
This kind of drama development. The one who gets persecuted is always the fragile female lead anyway....
‘And it’s even a double strike.’
I looked at Jin Eunseol, who left without even getting to properly begin, and at Gi Juye, who was revving up the engine of her own express train to rock bottom.
“Unnie. Why do you look like that? Are you sick?”
But what’s this? The expression on Coordinator Hwang’s face, sitting next to me, wasn’t good at all.
‘I thought she’d be happier than anyone seeing Gi Juye crash....’
Is something wrong?
I lightly tapped Coordinator Hwang on the shoulder as she sat there blankly.
“Huh? No. No....”
She flinched, then shook her head quickly. The phone in her hand kept buzzing with notifications.
“No, there’s definitely something....”
I leaned closer to her. That’s clearly a lie.
“Unnie, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. But if it’s something I can help with, tell me.”
Who am I?
Han Yeoreum — the one whose broad-minded generosity melted Choo Gaeul, who had tried to assert dominance, who moved even that extremist villain trio who acted like they’d stepped out of a YuX mask drama, and who even won over Geum Bitgang, the final boss of impossible difficulty.
“...It’s just....”
Thinking about it again, I really am broad-minded. Right. After seeing me up close, Coordinator Hwang must’ve hesitated but finally decided to open up like this—
“Gi Juye contacted me. She wants to meet.”
“What!!!”
Forget broad-minded. I shrank into the pettiest version of myself in an instant.
“Is she insane? Why is she contacting you?”
“Exactly.”
“I seriously want to punch her.”
“Exactly.”
Manager Choi, gripping the steering wheel, flared up too. At our reactions, Coordinator Hwang let out a sigh.
“But I don’t know....”
“Don’t know what?”
“What I... want to do.”
Her face turned ashen, as if her past days with Gi Juye were replaying in panoramic sequence. She looked frozen — just like the time she ran into Gi Juye in Japan.
Like someone who could never escape that memory.
“I don’t know if I want to meet her and say something... or just let it go.”
“Unnie....”
“No. You’ve got schedules. You’re busy. It’s not like I can just step out right now. And, ah, I did refuse clearly at first. It’s not like I want to go back to working under Gi Juye or anything....”
I took her hand — the one that never even applied hand cream freely in case it stained fabric. Her fingertips were always rough from touching textiles all day. Hands only someone who works hard can have.
“Then let’s go together.”
“...Huh?”
“Let’s go. To Gi Juye.”
* * *
“I’ll be having my meeting next door, so this counts as part of the schedule, right? You’re not skipping work, unnie.”
She tried to refuse until the very end. After all, her job was to accompany me to my schedules. But I told her to call Gi Juye to the meeting location.
The private café frequently used for meetings had divided second-floor rooms. I, who was supposed to meet So Yesol, tapped Hwang Jihye on the shoulder and went inside. Watching my back, Hwang Jihye took a deep breath.
‘I feel like I’m going to die from nerves....’
Meeting Gi Juye alone — it felt like her heart might leap out of her mouth. With trembling hands, Hwang Jihye grasped the doorknob.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud....
She could hear her own heartbeat in her ears. Gathering her courage, she opened the door.
“Ah....”
No one was there.
She sat in the empty room, trying to organize her tangled thoughts. She didn’t know why she kept shrinking like this.
‘That memory keeps....’
In front of Gi Juye, Hwang Jihye always became the most useless, insignificant being in the world. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t shake off the label of incompetence.
“What is this?”
“I’m genuinely asking — is this pretty?”
“Ah... so annoying....”
Later, even the sound of Gi Juye’s breathing put her on edge. Every night before sleeping, she prayed that Gi Juye would simply be in a good mood the next day.
Click.
The door opened.
Gi Juye appeared, cap pulled low and sunglasses on.
“It’s been a while.”
A sharp voice. A tone that sounded like she was forcibly restraining her temper. All of it familiar.
Like a mouse standing before a cat, Hwang Jihye’s shoulders hunched.
“If you were going to come out like this, why did you—”
“Juye.”
She wasn’t alone. Her manager came with her.
Two against one.
Hwang Jihye’s mouth went dry. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
It was a familiar formation.
Memories she wished to forget clawed back up.
“Enough. How much are you getting paid over there?”
“....”
“I’ll give you three thousand more than that. That’s enough, right?”
“....”
She went straight to the point. As if Hwang Jihye’s will didn’t matter at all.
“Juye.”
“Ah, seriously....”
The manager lightly tapped Gi Juye’s shoulder. She turned her head. The manager gave Hwang Jihye an awkward smile and spoke instead.
“You know how Juye was back then — so many schedules, she was exhausted. Mentally and physically.”
“....”
“She was a bit prickly. But she’s reflected a lot. You know how she is — she’s awkward at expressing herself. That’s why she’s showing her apology in monetary terms.”
“....”
“It’ll be different this time! We’ll focus on acting schedules, so outfit condition checks will decrease, and sponsored clothing—”
While the manager scrambled to smooth things over, Gi Juye folded her arms and looked at Hwang Jihye.
As if she had no right to refuse.
‘...She probably knows my situation.’
This job doesn’t pay well. Not nearly enough to live alone in Seoul comfortably.
Gi Juye knew that.
Especially since while working under her, Hwang Jihye had always been drowning in deficits.
“Really?”
Strangely, the more she looked at Gi Juye, the more courage rose inside her.
“I want to hear it from you. Not your manager. The apology.”
While working with Gi Juye, Hwang Jihye had learned something.
Hierarchy.
Just as Gi Juye used to say that if the celebrity did well, the staff benefited too — right now, Hwang Jihye was working for the hottest rising actress around.
She had nothing to feel inferior about.
“...I’m sorry. I was wrong back then. Work with me again. Please.”
“Juye.”
“Ah... fine. Not three thousand — four. Okay?”
There was something else she’d learned from Gi Juye.
“No.”
“...What?”
“Who would work with trash like you? Hey, Gi Juye. Wake up. Everyone around you right now hates working with you. They’ll call you pretty and cute to your face, then smoke outside and curse you out.”
She let the words buried in her heart spill out exactly as they were.
“You think you’re some tragic victim? You’re not. Even over at 〈The Great Garland〉 they’re /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ thrilled they cut ties with you. Just hearing your name makes them want to puke. Disgusting. You go to sponsors, right? There are a lot of words that get attached after your name. You know the one I hear the most?”
She was scared. Her heart kept pounding, her body trembling.
But if she didn’t say it now, she’d regret it forever.
“Juye, I’m sorry....”
“No, I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
Her past self — small, shabby, unable to even breathe loudly in front of Gi Juye—
“Fuck.”
She didn’t want to cry, but tears came anyway. It was unfair. She wanted to ask a hundred times who Gi Juye thought she was to treat her like that.
She wanted to know why she’d been tormented like that.
Even just the reason.
“Your manager’s probably already planning to ditch you someday. Now you can’t pull in China money and your domestic fandom’s a mess. Who’s going to hire you just for you? What are you doing throwing around three or four thousand like that?”
But it didn’t matter anymore.
She didn’t even want to know.
The past would stay in the past.
“Save your money. You won’t be getting work soon.”
Now there was someone who acknowledged her ability. Someone who thanked her for working together.
That was enough.
“If you contact me one more time, I’ll go straight to reporters and open my mouth. Just so you know. Acting like you’re something.”
With trembling lips, Hwang Jihye said everything she needed to. She shot to her feet. Tears dropped from her chin.
She looked down at Gi Juye, still seated. Her face twisted in shock and rage — ugly.
Gi Juye was nothing.
Truly nothing.
Bang!
She deliberately flung the door open and shut it loudly. From inside, Gi Juye’s furious shouting could be heard.
Only then did she laugh.
“Ah... that feels good.”
* * *
“Nicely done.”
It was worth choosing this place because reviews said the soundproofing wasn’t great. I had my ear pressed close to the wall.
Full surround sound.
I counted silently.
‘One, two....’
I should leave after ten. I need to get out before Gi Juye does.
For the record, my meeting time with Director So was an hour later than what Coordinator Hwang knew. I came early on purpose.
‘Coordinator Hwang. You cleared it well.’
I’d been ready to step in if she froze up. But she did far better than I expected.
I quietly opened my door and stepped into the hallway first.
Positioning myself so it would look like I’d just come from farther down the corridor.
The noise died down.
Finally, the door to Gi Juye’s room opened.
Click.
“Oh? Sunbae?”
A few steps away, I called out to Gi Juye on purpose.
