Chapter 133
“Before that, can I ask you something?”
“When did I ever say no? What is it?”
“On what basis do you select actors, Director?”
Director Yoon wrinkled his nose, as if the question was out of the blue.
“Well, I only have one. Is the actor capable of portraying the character I created?”
“And besides that?”
“Not at all. I don’t care.”
Not at all?
His unexpected answer made me ask again quickly.
“Not even the actor’s reputation or morality?”
“Right. How they live their lives doesn’t matter. What matters is how they fit into my lens.”
Director Yoon smiled brightly.
It was a childlike smile, but also seemed devilish.
“I don’t care if the actor has killed someone or committed a crime. As long as they perfectly portray my character.”
“……”
“But that’s just my opinion. Investors think differently.”
“Because the audience doesn’t like it?”
“Exactly. They persuade me to drop the actor due to potential boycotts.”
“But even then, if you have to use that actor, what would be the reason?”
“Didn’t you say you had only one question?”
“If you answer this, I’ll really tell you.”
“Hmph. Stingy.”
After looking at the ceiling for a long time, Director Yoon finally spoke.
His words were simple.
“Only if there’s no alternative. An irreplaceable actor.”
“……An irreplaceable actor.”
“Yes. If it’s impossible to shoot without that actor, you have to push through, no matter what issues arise.”
It was a very simple answer.
At the same time, it also provided the solution to the problem I’d been pondering.
Is Seol Seung-jun an irreplaceable actor?
‘No.’
Not to that extent. Of course, he might be to someone else.
But that wasn’t my concern.
Once I made up my mind, I acted immediately.
After checking the three-digit number on my phone screen, I pressed the call button.
―Hello. This is Emergency Services 112.
* * *
Ha, I felt so refreshed.
After neatly handling the planned tasks, I returned to the studio.
As soon as I opened the door, Director Yoon, who was sprawled on the sofa, asked.
“You suddenly went out, where did you go?”
“The convenience store.”
“You should have told me if you needed something. What did you buy?”
“Nothing.”
His face asked why I went to the convenience store then, and I smiled softly.
“I reported it to the police.”
“What?”
“Actor Seol Seung-jun is having a drug party with people right now. If he hadn’t made an excuse about having an appointment with you, I would’ve been called there too. He texted me to come over after our conversation, so I borrowed a phone from the convenience store owner and reported it anonymously.”
“……”
Facing his stunned expression, I grinned. Ah, it felt refreshing.
Director Yoon was speechless for a moment.
“No, wait a minute, did you think it through before doing this?”
“Of course.”
“I told you not to get involved with Seol Seung-jun, didn’t I? Do you know who’s behind him?”
“Yes, I do.”
His face said, ‘How on earth do you know that?’
I didn’t feel the need to explain that, so I shrugged.
“No, then you should’ve done it alone. Why tell me?”
“So I warned you. You might get into trouble.”
“……”
Director Yoon rubbed his forehead as if he had a headache.
“Yeon-jae, you’re… you’ve made a mistake. Do you think reporting it to the police is the end? The local police probably already know. It’s all a setup.”
“Probably.”
“Why are you answering so calmly? This is driving me crazy. Am I the strange one here? Where’s your manager? Bring him here.”
Jin-bae hyung had taken me to Director Yoon’s studio and then went home.
When I said I wanted to talk to the director alone, he told me to call when I wanted to come home and left after making me promise three times.
“I’ll call him when I go home later. He said taking a taxi is dangerous.”
“Right, taxis are dangerous…. No, right now, you’re the one in danger!”
Director Yoon pounded his chest in frustration.
“Hey. Do you think there are only a few celebrities who do drugs? They’re all connected. Why did you do this?”
“I told you. Even if we get through today, it’s only a matter of time before they catch us. I can’t keep using you as an excuse.”
“……”
Director Yoon was left speechless with astonishment.
After a long silence, he asked quietly.
“At least borrowing someone else’s phone was smart. Was it to avoid being traced?”
“Yes. But it won’t matter much. If they ask the phone owner, they’ll say a customer borrowed it. They’ll check the convenience store CCTV and see me. Even if I wore a hat and mask, anyone who knows me will recognize me.”
Most importantly, the police went to the address Seol Seung-jun sent me on the day he messaged me.
Even if he’s dumb, he won’t miss such an obvious clue.
But it didn’t matter if Seol Seung-jun figured out I made the call.
He wouldn’t be able to bother me tomorrow.
As I calmly organized my thoughts, Director Yoon waved his hands as if shooing away a fly.
“I don’t know. I really don’t know. You’re so strange. Really, truly strange.”
“Thank you.”
“That’s not a compliment! Ah, my head hurts because of you.”
“Then I’ll go. Thank you for your time today.”
When I stood up without hesitation, he looked at me in disbelief.
Wondering if he meant for me to stay, I sat back down on the sofa, and Director Yoon shouted.
“Go! Get out of here!”
“Yes. Goodbye.”
I obediently got up and contacted Jin-bae hyung.
A moment later, I received a text that he had arrived downstairs. As I put on my shoes, I felt someone behind me.
“Yeon-jae, let me ask you one thing.”
“Yes?”
“You can really handle this, right?”
His voice, tinged with anxiety, sounded like that of a child today.
It meant the situation I created wasn’t light.
But I wasn’t taking it lightly either. It wasn’t something I did without resolve.
I answered with a serene smile.
“Even if I can’t handle it, I have to.”
It was too late to complain about a choice I made with my own hands.
* * *
“That son of a b*tch, ignoring my calls….”
Seol Seung-jun repeatedly called the same number, as if he was about to break his phone.
But he had already heard the message that the phone was off fifteen times.
“Ah, how should I kill this b*stard?”
His rage was evident, clouding his rationality.
He wanted to beat up a passerby, but instead, he gritted his teeth and stared at the name on the phone screen.
[Lee Yeon-jae]
From the beginning, he didn’t like him.
He thought he was just going to play around with him a few times since they didn’t seem to get along anyway.
‘If you’re going to be this reckless, I won’t hold back either.’
When Lee Yeon-jae said he had an appointment with Director Yoon and apologized sincerely, he was okay with it.
There was plenty of time anyway. The party they had prepared couldn’t be postponed just because one kid was late.
So they continued to party as usual.
When he answered the doorbell, which should never have rung, the police were standing there.
Fortunately, it was a police officer who was friendly with Seol Seung-jun’s group, and he warned them lightly before leaving.
The officer said he would handle it as best as he could, but since there was a report, he had to file it.
In other words, they had to change the venue.
The frustration of having to abandon a perfectly prepared place washed over him.
‘What an embarrassment in front of the kids.’
He couldn’t tell his juniors who were cursing at the sudden turn of events that it was probably the kid he invited today who made the report.
The police offered to trace the reporter, so he sent them away for now.
After ending the gathering, he called Lee Yeon-jae continuously on the way home.
‘So the photo was from Lee Yeon-jae too.’
The reporter had clearly stated that people were doing drugs.
How did that kid know he used drugs?
Despite his boiling anger, he calmed down after a few hours.
‘He’s just a kid anyway.’
Wasn’t he in his second year of middle school? His face still looked very young.
He knew well because one of the kids who partied today was the same age.
What could a kid that age do?
Even though he was a celebrity under Wuyeon, he didn’t have a powerful backer like himself.
He wondered how he got that photo, but his drug-addled mind turned positive quickly.
‘Forget it. I’ll call Lee Yeon-jae first thing in the morning.’
Thinking about how ridiculous it was to be blackmailed by a middle school kid, he felt absurd.
He planned to repay this humiliation tenfold.
The thought of seeing Lee Yeon-jae’s scared face, begging for forgiveness, made him smirk.
‘I’ll think about it after I sleep. I’ll stomp him tomorrow.’
After taking a refreshing shower, Seol Seung-jun fell asleep.
The next day, he woke up to a phone full of missed calls.
“…?”
What is this?
Still not grasping the situation, Seol Seung-jun stared blankly at his phone.
All the missed calls were from one person.
Someone who wouldn’t
normally do such a thing.
‘Why is this person…’
Why did they call me so much?
At that moment, his phone vibrated.
[Sister]
A simple name appeared on the screen.
It was the same number as in the missed calls list. He knew instinctively.
‘I’m screwed.’
The thought of Lee Yeon-jae vanished, and his mind went blank.
Buzz—
The vibration made his anxiety grow even more.
‘I should answer.’
It was someone he shouldn’t keep waiting.
Suppressing his confusion, he answered in the kindest voice possible.
“Sister, what’s up? Why did you call so much? Did you miss me so much―.”
―Come down to the parking lot. I’m waiting downstairs.
“……Huh?”
Hearing the chilling voice for the first time, all he could manage was a stupid reply.
Ignoring that, the voice commanded.
―Get down here immediately, and crawl if you have to.
* * *
“So, Senior Seol Seung-jun is dropping out of the drama? Without any explanation?”
―Yes. We just received a contract termination document…. So my uncle, I mean, the PD went directly to his agency, but they seem to be in chaos too. They said they can’t reach him either.
On the other end of the phone, Sung Lee-jun’s voice sounded very unstable.
It was understandable since the co-lead actor suddenly dropped out.
Feeling somewhat responsible, I tried to calm him down.
“Hyung, don’t worry too much. It’s not common for a lead actor to drop out mid-production, but there are many talented actors.”
―Yes, that’s true….
“And since Senior Seol Seung-jun missed so many shoots, there’s barely any footage with him. If you cast a new actor and work harder, it will be fine.”
―Thanks, Yeon-jae…. Hearing you say that helps me calm down a bit.
A few minutes later, Sung Lee-jun returned to his usual calm tone.
―Why would Senior Seol Seung-jun do this? This will definitely make the news.
“I know.”
―Could he be in danger?
No. Seol Seung-jun is safe and sound.
I saw him myself with his girlfriend at an overseas villa through Mist.
‘If we’re talking about safety…’
Safety can mean different things to different people.
By my standards, Seol Seung-jun was safe.
For reference, my standard was having all limbs intact.
‘That’s enough.’