Free Web NovelGaldaeguk and Ma Eungyo stared blankly at the hospital ceiling.
The IV solution flowed through the tube connected to their wrists, but neither of them felt even slightly better.
"Daeguk... are you awake..."
"..."
The fact that even Galdaeguk had fallen silent and lost the ability to speak made it impossible to estimate just how devastating the blow had been.
Galdaeguk valued cooperation more than anyone else.
That was exactly why he had ended up like this.
Just then, the curtain was pulled aside and someone entered.
It was the assistant director of <Code Name: Time Seven>.
"You're awake?"
Ma Eungyo didn't even have the strength to turn her head. Still staring at the ceiling, she spoke.
The dry hospital air left her mouth parched.
"What happened...?"
"..."
The assistant director didn't answer.
That silence alone told Ma Eungyo everything she needed to know.
"So it's real..."
"Yes... We're already up to the fourth accusation post..."
"Ha..."
Ma Eungyo squeezed her eyes shut again.
Her head spun.
Trying to match Han Yohan's condition, since he had to carry all the action scenes himself, they had only filmed the leads intermittently while concentrating on the supporting cast.
That had been the fatal mistake.
Kim Jisang's character and Han Yohan's character were deeply intertwined, which made the situation even more maddening.
'If we delete the character entirely, both Matteo and Im Ria become flat characters...'
But reshooting presented realistic problems of cost and time.
'In this atmosphere, no investor reckless enough to pour in additional money would suddenly appear...'
And most importantly—
"How is his agency responding?"
"They're throwing a fit and insisting he absolutely can't leave."
"The contract has that clause, doesn't it? That thing... I don't know why people always say I have a great memory. Maybe it's because I'm so dizzy right now, but I can't remember the words..."
"The morality clause? Kim Jisang's agency keeps insisting everything is false and says they'll handle it legally."
"GAL—!!!!!! Coughcoughcoughcough... You... unforgivable... Cough... public enemy... of the martial world...! The chivalry of this jianghu... cough... has fallen into the dirt..."
Lying in the neighboring bed, Galdaeguk erupted again, unable to suppress his anger.
Blood streamed from his mouth.
Kim Jisang's side had absolutely no reason to withdraw voluntarily.
"If he backs down now, every future project is dead. But if he stays put, this could become the foundation of his comeback..."
The assistant director was right.
The reason controversial celebrities were rarely removed immediately was always the same.
"Unconfirmed allegations."
Nobody could prove yet whether the accusations were true or false.
"...Money. That's the problem."
Money.
Exactly as Ma Eungyo said.
Money was the problem.
Without a legal ruling, removing the actor unilaterally would constitute breach of contract by the production company.
Massive penalties.
Massive damages.
At present, the contract termination would be considered entirely the production's responsibility.
Not only would they have to pay his full appearance fee, but they would also have to compensate him with three times the remaining balance.
The penalty payment owed to Kim Jisang.
The damages.
The signing fee and salary for a replacement actor.
Additional lodging expenses.
Additional location-shoot costs.
There was no investor willing to throw another billion-plus won into the fire within a matter of days.
"The least terrible option right now is... push Kim Jisang out, insert someone else... scrap all the Russian footage... revise the script and storyboard and shoot everything in Korea..."
"Gal—coughcough... That scene... at least that scene can't go... Eungyooooo... cough... Didn't you see it too...? If Han Yohan's action sequence gets cut... sob..."
Galdaeguk spoke again despite the blood still flowing.
The scene he was referring to was one of Han Yohan's greatest action sequences.
Even Ma Eungyo hated the idea of losing it.
But...
"Money."
"Sob..."
"Time."
"Sob..."
"And most importantly, a location permit we may never be able to secure again."
"Waaahhhhhhh...! Cough, cough, coughcoughcough...!"
The action sequence had been filmed at Mayakovskaya Station.
A national security facility originally designed as a wartime bomb shelter.
Because of that, filming was permitted only between 2 AM and 4 AM, after subway operations ended.
Exactly two hours.
No more.
Permit applications had to be submitted months in advance.
And once the approved time ended, not even a single additional minute of filming was allowed.
Bzzz.
At that moment, both Galdaeguk's and Ma Eungyo's phones vibrated simultaneously.
* * *
"Manager."
"What?"
"Looks like reverse-viral manipulation got involved, right?"
"Yep. Looks like you've finally developed an eye for it."
Manager Hong narrowed his eyes at the monitor as usual.
The Kim Jisang school violence scandal was growing like a snowball with every passing hour.
[HOT / Look At The Level Of School Violence Drama Defenders (feat. Code Name Minor Gallery).jpg]
(Post attacking school violence victims.jpg)
-Anonymous 1: Why are people saying "Why speak up now?" lol. Tells you everything.
-Anonymous 12: First drama I've completely lost interest in before it even aired.
↳ Anonymous 16: Same lol. Never watching.
↳ Anonymous 23: Same. If anyone around me says it's good, instant red flag.
↳ Anonymous 37: Creepy. Hope nobody around me thinks like that.
-Anonymous 54: Amazing. Entertainment really is more important than human rights to some people lol.
↳ Anonymous 77: What's new?
Posts related to <Code Name: Time Seven> were multiplying in real time.
It strongly felt as though professionals were behind it.
"Collecting this many rage-bait posts in such a short time isn't easy."
"Right? They pinpointed exactly what would make people angry. They're deliberately redirecting the blame toward the victims."
"And the conclusion is Han Yeoreum."
They were intentionally pouring oil onto the fire.
"Noh Seungchan's side got involved. Dirty bastards."
"Well, his drama with Goo Minho is competing directly against <Code Name>, so they probably thought this was the perfect opportunity."
Noh Seungchan had nearly played Lee Seohae's counterpart in 〈Unfair Trade〉.
His agency, Jeongdam, happened to have a drama airing in the same timeslot as <Code Name: Time Seven>.
They had every reason to attack Han Yeoreum.
The more brutally they tore her down, the greater the indirect benefit they would receive.
And there was personal resentment involved as well.
"Not every school violence perpetrator gets driven out of the industry. Plenty are still active."
"Exactly. Tonight, when online traffic peaks, someone's going to post a giant compilation."
"So the conclusion will still be Han Yeoreum?"
"Of course. Beating up Galdaeguk or Ma Eungyo isn't nearly as fun as attacking Han Yeoreum."
It was the kind of reverse-viral campaign that worked frighteningly well on the public.
The attention initially gathered by Galdaeguk, Ma Eungyo, and Han Yohan had gradually transformed into concentrated bombardment aimed at Han Yeoreum.
Because of the filmography she had carefully built over time, Han Yeoreum had become synonymous with box-office success in the public consciousness.
Anonymous 101: Honestly the most depressing thing is it'll probably succeed anyway because it's a Han Yeoreum drama lol.
Anonymous 112: Exactly. People will criticize it at first, then start worshipping it later.
Anonymous 135: Yep. Kim Jisang's image rehabilitation is basically guaranteed.
But JC ENM couldn't do anything.
"Ugh... this is driving me crazy."
"The Director is in a meeting. Let's wait a little longer."
"If we could just kick out Kim Jisang or whatever that bastard's name is and bring in a new actor, at least we'd have something to work with."
"Exactly. We can't even release a press statement right now."
Defense.
Distraction.
Neither was possible.
Nothing had been decided yet, so staying still was the safest choice.
"...You think we'll actually find someone to cast?"
"Well... the Producing Team is calling literally everyone right now..."
Meanwhile, at the <Code Name: Time Seven> Producing Team office—
"Yes, yes. The image really fits perfectly..."
"When you auditioned before, you almost made the final round, remember? This time..."
"Everything will blow over soon. You know how attractive this character is, right?"
Actor profiles were scattered across the table.
Everyone was fighting desperately.
—Actually, our actor isn't feeling well. We just found out he has ligament issues after finishing military service. Hahaha.
—His next project meeting happens to be scheduled right now. We're disappointed too.
—Hello? Hello? I can't hear you very well... Beep. Beep. Beep.
Every effort failed.
"What happened?"
"Dead."
"You?"
"He got angry and told us not to offer him emergency replacement roles."
Everyone sighed deeply.
This wasn't just any production.
It was a blockbuster consuming enormous amounts of money.
If the drama failed, it would leave a terrifying stain on an actor's filmography.
Avoiding it was understandable.
"If it were a lead role, maybe. But this is emergency replacement work for a supporting role."
"Yeah. If it were a lead role, people might at least consider gambling on it..."
Because it was an action romance, the actor needed a certain level of height.
Since he was the second male lead, he had to be attractive.
He had to handle action scenes.
He needed the mindset to accept being a replacement.
And he needed the courage to endure the criticism he'd receive the moment he joined.
"No decent actor is going to accept."
Every actor the Producing Team considered acceptable turned them down.
And honestly—
"He'd become the designated punching bag."
There was no way the Galdaeguk–Ma Eungyo combination would fail.
Han Yeoreum had a success rate of one hundred percent.
And everyone unanimously praised Han Yohan's action skills.
The replacement second male lead would obviously become the target of every attack.
"And Kim Jisang hasn't even officially been removed yet, so nobody trusts that the role is actually vacant."
"If I were them, I wouldn't give a definite answer until it was official either."
"What if the CEO of Yeonggwang really shows up? He seriously looks like a former gangster."
"What do you mean former? He looks current."
Just like the JC ENM PR Team, the <Code Name: Time Seven> Producing Team was completely powerless.
* * *
The more I monitored things, the clearer it became that the arrows were gradually turning toward me.
Even after news outlets stopped placing my name next to the school violence perpetrator, the result was the same.
On Tr*tter.
In anonymous comments.
My name kept appearing endlessly.
School Violence Perpetrator
4,118
Image Laundering
4,739
It's Han Yeoreum Anyway
2,228
"This is driving me insane..."
Ma Eungyo and Galdaeguk still hadn't returned.
I squeezed my eyes shut and gripped my phone as if praying.
Monitoring any further felt meaningless.
And then—
Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz.
[Myeong Jeha]
Myeong Jeha was calling.
The moment his name appeared on the screen, I felt the anxiety draining out of me.
I immediately smashed the answer button.
"Yeah, Yeoreum. Why did you call so many times?"
Hearing his familiar gentle voice made me shout without realizing it.
"Why are you only calling now?!"
"I was flying back to Korea today... I was on the plane."
Judging from his tone, Myeong Jeha had no idea what was happening.
"School violence, school violence exploded... Director Gal and Writer Ma ended up in the hospital... everyone keeps saying it's a Han Yeoreum drama... filming got suspended, and nobody knows when we'll start again... and I messed up the kiss scene too..."
I started pouring out every thought that came into my head without any order.
A quiet laugh came through the receiver.
"This isn't something to laugh about."
"Slow down. Slow down."
"It's one step away from total disaster..."
"As if you'd ever fail."
Myeong Jeha spoke with his usual composure.
"I'm here, aren't I?"
It was exactly what I wanted to hear.
The words I wanted most.
The words that always sounded like he could save me no matter how terrible the situation became.
"Fine. Since you brought it up, answer me this. How did a school violence guy end up in my project when you're around?"
"A school violence guy? Han Yohan isn't that kind of person."
"Not him. The second lead. Kim Jisang."
"Hmm... Yeoreum, give me ten minutes. Just wait a bit."
Myeong Jeha hung up.
It sounded like he was going to investigate.
'Good.'
The call had lasted barely thirty seconds.
Yet the pressure that had been crushing me until moments ago had already disappeared.
Exactly ten minutes later, Myeong Jeha called back.
"Things got a little tangled..."
"What? You didn't know Kim Jisang?"
"No. Not at all. He never existed before."
That answer was completely unexpected.
"Do you remember the birthday gift I gave you before? The scripts."
"How could I forget? I nearly fainted."
I remembered Myeong Jeha's plan.
The scripts where he had altered both the casting and the story, completely overturning the future I knew.
"Everything up to that point was within my projections because those were things I'd personally influenced. But afterward, you started eating into the male actor pie, Yeoreum. Goo Minho, Noh Seungchan, and several others."
Come to think of it, the influencer role in 〈Faster Than the Law〉 hadn't been particularly important.
Then I got Goo Minho removed from the villain role.
I pushed Noh Seungchan out of 〈Unfair Trade〉.
And I ended up taking virtually every major advertisement opportunity.
Because I, Han Yeoreum, had seized all the opportunities that would have allowed other male actors to grow.
As a result—
A person who had never existed in Myeong Jeha's plans appeared.
"So the people who were supposed to establish themselves didn't create the same synergy as before. While that happened, some unknown actors managed to rise up instead. I've been too busy lately to pay attention. Sorry."
The fear that public opinion was beating me to death began melting away.
A strange emotion tickled somewhere deep in my stomach.
Only now did it fully sink in.
I had created something even Myeong Jeha hadn't predicted.
The moment I realized that, I became certain I could reverse public opinion.
"Hmm. First, the quick conclusion. I invested in <Code Name>, so I can have Kim Jisang removed immediately. That's easy enough."
Fortunately, the source of the problem could be eliminated right away.
If an article came out saying he'd been swiftly removed, public opinion would largely recover.
Myeong Jeha seemed to have gathered and calculated an incredible amount of information in just ten minutes.
It was the kind of decisive competence that manipulated entire game boards.
His comforting voice drifted through the receiver.
"And fortunately, Director Jegal Rok has defended things well enough that no investors have pulled out. The biggest issue now is the Russian filming location. Rebooking it will be difficult."
Then what do we do?
My anxiety immediately returned.
"Of course I'll handle that too."
"Could you maybe tell me everything at once...? My heart is about to explode over here."
"I'm also going to arrange additional investors to keep the existing investors from running."
"How?"
"Honestly, by now they might come even if I do nothing... but that's a story for later. An actor shouldn't be worrying about these things. You focus on preparing for the reshoots."
"Then what about the second lead?"
"I'll put someone in the role. A good actor. Someone who's never had a personal scandal in his life."
I practically screamed with joy.
If Myeong Jeha personally said an actor had never had a scandal, then that was trustworthy.
"Wait a second. He needs to handle action. He needs the height and looks. He needs actual acting ability. And he's completely clean? Someone like that would never agree to become emergency replacement casting for our drama."
And then Myeong Jeha's answer left me speechless.
"...Well, it's not exactly that he has no controversies..."
"Haha. Still, I think he's a pretty good card to play."
As Myeong Jeha said, the actor had no personal scandals whatsoever.
The problem was that he was controversial for an entirely different reason.
