Chapter 33: Acting Commander

“Uh… no…?”

It was a single phrase that left Kim Yi-seo feeling flustered.

The idea of having portraits displayed side by side in a building.

In other words, it was a subtle way of testing whether she was willing to join Mystic Entertainment, but she was immediately rejected. The response was so fast and firm that it was unexpected.

However, she soon nodded, albeit slightly.

“I understand. So, Sua is…”

There was something that clicked in her mind.

“…You don’t want to be placed on the same level as anyone else, right? You want to step on the top, no matter what.”

Sua didn’t offer a direct answer. She simply stared silently at Kim Yi-seo. That must have meant she agreed.

‘How high are her goals? I can’t even fathom it.’

For Sua, standing shoulder to shoulder with Kim Sun-il or Seo Yeon-ju didn’t seem to have any particular appeal. This was something that would be a dream for most new artists.

The look in Lee Sua’s eyes.

It was the gaze of someone who would quietly ascend to the top, not allowing anyone to walk beside her. This was how Kim Yi-seo observed her.

One thing became even clearer in Kim Yi-seo’s mind.

‘I absolutely can’t let her go. Absolutely not.’

Of course, Sua was just confused.

‘Why is this kid CEO acting like this?’

Did I make her angry? Sua was slightly frightened. The feelings she had inside seemed to end right there.

Kim Yi-seo’s eyes sparkled with interest.

“…Alright. No entertainment company will be able to keep Sua forever. Even our Mystic isn’t that greedy. However, I would like for us to be partners, even if just for a while.”

“Are you talking about a contract?”

“Yes. Sua, could you show me the business cards you received yesterday?”

Sua rummaged through her pocket and pulled out a few business cards.

She had left most of them at home, so what remained in her pocket wasn’t everything, but it was still a considerable amount. With just these, she could make some good plays.

Kim Yi-seo carefully examined each one.

“As expected, there are quite a few. A few good entertainment companies as well. It doesn’t seem like they’ll offer bad terms to Sua. But Sua, do you remember what I said?”

“You said you were confident.”

“Exactly. Our Mystic’s strength. The thing I’m confident about.”

Sua had been curious about what that meant.

At the time, she had no idea what it meant, but now it seemed that it referred to having a card to offer as part of the contract terms. Sua perked up her ears.

“Sua is like fire.”

“Fire?”

“Yes. The fire that finds the answer in acting. A fire that devours all kinds of works like firewood, growing larger and larger.”

“Ah, I see. I understand now.”

Sua’s one-second strategy: Pretend to understand difficult words.

…Anyway, it seems she thinks I’m cool, right?

“What do you think? Am I right?”

“I agree.”

Sua’s two-second strategy: Acknowledge compliments directed at herself.

“I’ll work hard to help you become a greater fire, Sua. I’ll start looking for works that can inspire you, works that can set the entertainment industry on fire.”

Kim Yi-seo continued passionately, her words filled with excitement.

“Of course, Mystic is small. It’s a new company, and there are only two people, Yeon-ju and Sun-il. But I’ve earned some trust in this industry. I’m confident that I have the widest range of scripts to choose from.”

Listening to this, Sua thought to herself.

A wider range of scripts to choose from?

Isn’t there nothing better for someone like me, who has privileges?

“Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m trying to make you feel unsatisfied financially. It’s better to read it once than to talk about it. I’ve organized the benefits that I can offer to you, Sua.”

Soon, a sheet of paper was placed in front of Sua.

Sua’s eyes quickly scanned it.

[Entertainer Lee Sua (hereafter referred to as “Party A”) and Mystic Entertainment (hereafter referred to as “Party B”) agree to the following affiliation contract]

Article 1 【Definition】 In this contract, “Entertainment” refers to all forms related to image, voice, singing, dance activities (performance stages, TV, movies, broadcasting stations, live direction, fashion shows, recordings, filming, advertisement production activities, etc.)

It took three seconds to understand it.

‘This is difficult. Should I pretend to like it? Or just keep a neutral expression?’

It was awkward.

I need to figure out whether the terms are good or bad before I can decide on a concept, but since I can’t even understand it from the start, I don’t know what to do…

While glancing at Kim Yi-seo’s reactions, Sua eventually made eye contact with her, completely by accident. It was a disaster.

“Sua, what’s wrong?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

That was the best answer Sua could give. No matter what, I can’t answer any questions. If I say something wrong, it would be so embarrassing.

However,

“Sua, if you feel anything, please tell me in detail. I need to listen to your thoughts and make a decision.”

“Really, it’s nothing.”

“Still, please. I’m asking you.”

Kim Yi-seo’s attitude was more persistent than Sua had imagined.

“Um, it’s just…”

Sua tilted her head slightly, then quickly came up with another answer. Compliments should be fine, right?

“…You’re cuter than I expected.”

Kim Yi-seo’s face turned pale.

At the building of the agency ‘Bada Actors’, Park Do-hee was in the practice room, which had full-length mirrors on the walls instead of regular ones.

It had been nearly 12 hours. Dark circles under her eyes were thick.

He had been practicing acting all night, and now, there was a brief break. The manager had come with coffee and donuts. Park Do-hee, who was wiping her face with a towel, spoke.

“Manager.”

Hearing her name, the manager, who had been looking at his phone, raised his head.

“Do you remember that newcomer? Kim Yuhan, who was supposed to play the role of Lee Sua.”

“Of course, I remember him.”

“What do you think of him?”

“What do I think? He’s crazy. After I gave him my business card, I searched the entire parking lot. I was worried he might have thrown it away. He really made me act like that.”

“…Right. It was impressive.”

Park Do-hee asked.

“Did he contact us again?”

“I’ve actually been waiting for that. If I bring this person in, I might get promoted. No, I’ll definitely get promoted, right? I even gave my business card first, and I made a pretty long appeal. There’s hope.”

“Hmm.”

“Anyway, I’m leaving now. Don’t push yourself too hard.”

After the manager left, Park Do-hee couldn’t bring the donut to her mouth easily. Her mind was too cluttered. The conversation that had taken place during the dinner at the outdoor set kept replaying in her head.

• “Do you have any information about Sua?”

Park Do-hee had asked.

Depending on how you heard it, it could have seemed like a suspicious question, but Park Do-hee was so desperate that she had asked it. She needed to understand her opponent a little more if she wanted to make an apology easier.

The answer came from Seo Yeon-ju.

• “Is there anyone here who isn’t curious about that? But in the end, no one knows. Sua is just a monster who acts.”
• “Ah, but I heard a little something.”

That was when someone else interjected.

• “I asked her what she had done before drama. She said she did various things like soccer, golf, swimming, etc.”

There was a brief silence.

• “I wonder if she’s good at those things too?”
• “You can tell by her personality. She probably didn’t do it half-heartedly.”
• “What kind of hobbies are those…”
• “From acting to sports, can you even get that kind of high-level exposure in Korea? Oh, wait, maybe she’s from overseas?”
• “That’s a possibility. Actually, that makes sense.”

After retracing those thoughts, Park Do-hee returned to reality.

She felt lost.

She had tried to understand Lee Sua more to increase her chances of success with the apology, but now she realized more than ever how terrifying she truly was. What should she do now?

Park Do-hee asked the manager, who was eating a donut in the corner.

“Manager, did you receive the notification about the mock shoot results?”

The mock shoot, which had invested significant time, money, and resources, came with a major stipulation: If it was judged that it didn’t fit the drama, the contract would be terminated.

The manager shook his head.

“They say the results will be out tomorrow. Come on, do you think they’ll terminate your contract? You did well, right? You even left a pretty impressive scene.”

“…No, if it’s not terminated, then that in itself is a problem.”

It wasn’t a joke.

It meant she’d have to stand in front of the camera with that monster again. At the very least, she had to do better than the mock shoot, but Park Do-hee was certain she didn’t have the confidence for that.

‘I can’t just bite her again…’

Back then, it was possible because she had lost his senses. There was no way she could do that sober.

But then, what should she do? An ad-lib that could have the same impact without causing harm to Sua?

It didn’t come to her. It just wouldn’t come.

What should she do? What should she do?

Park Do-hee clenched and released her fist for no reason. Her palm was already damp with sweat. After thinking for a long while, she finally mustered up the courage to contact Sua.

“Hello, Sua. This is Park Do-hee.

How’s your arm? I’m really sorry.

And if it’s okay, I’d like to ask you one thing.

Do you have any plans for ad-libs in the main shoot?”

To her surprise, she received a reply almost immediately.

▷ The doctor says my arm is fine.

▷ Feel free to bite me. If you want to.

Park Do-hee almost dropped her phone.

The phone spun in the air, but she managed to catch it with her hand, reaching out clumsily. She then looked at Sua’s reply again.

It was clear.

It meant, “Do you have the guts?”

It meant, “Can you handle it if I bite?”

Cold sweat was dripping down her back.

Park Do-hee quickly began typing. Her fingers almost couldn’t be seen.

“Ah, no? There’s no way I want that.

I’m really sorry.

I wasn’t in my right mind at that time.

It wasn’t even an ad-lib.

Please send me the hospital bill.

I’ll meet you with some acting that won’t cause any harm.”

After sending the message, Park Do-hee shoved the phone into her pocket. She quickly turned her head to look at the manager.

“Oppa, please go to the department store right now.”

“Why the department store all of a sudden?”

“A necklace, no, a luxury handbag. Buy a few pretty ones.”

“What? You should go for that yourself, right? Don’t you remember? Last time, when I bought some, you got mad and said, ‘Why did you pick only these?'”

“I’m not buying them for myself! I’m buying them for Lee Sua! And also, cancel all my schedules except the main shoot. I feel like I’m going crazy.”

There was a hint of desperation in her voice. It made sense. For Park Do-hee, this was a matter of survival.

Besides biting, she had to think of something memorable in front of the camera, a way to survive with Sua. She had to come up with many things. It felt like a bomb collar was being placed around her neck.

And this wasn’t something happening only to Park Do-hee.

At the Gangnam Actor Academy.

“Is everyone here?”

Several people, including the famous supporting actor Hwang Myeong-pil, had gathered. Even though they were supporting characters, everyone’s expressions were determined. They had promised to get together and rehearse their scenes today.

Everyone’s thoughts weren’t much different.

The only way to survive was to do everything with determination.

“Let’s practice scene 1.”

“Let’s at least try filming it on our phones.”

“Shall we order food in advance?”

Whether they were trying to suppress or fear Kim Yuhan, or whether they sensed his success and hoped to benefit from the trickle-down effect… everything pointed in one direction.

They had no choice but to refine their own acting.

In the end, it was the special task force 808 that would grow prosperous.

Meanwhile, Sua, who had returned home, was lost in thought.

“I have no idea what’s going on.”

— “The CEO is quite cute, I think.”

As soon as Sua spoke those words, Kim Yi-seo’s face turned pale, and she quickly took the contract back, saying there was something that needed to be amended.

Was she going to amend it in a bad way? If that happened, it would be troublesome. But what could be done? It had already happened. She had to let go of her regrets.

At the same time, Park Do-hee’s text also caught her attention.

“It seems like you have a craving for ad-libs. Is it because you’re an actor? Is it normal?”

Sua didn’t entirely disagree with that feeling. Wanting to capture a more perfect version of oneself on camera was a natural desire. Every actor would feel that way.

So, Sua had willingly granted permission.

However…

‘…In that case, I’ll have to wear some sort of arm support. Or maybe use special makeup to add a thicker layer of skin. It just hurts without it.’

It was while she was thinking about such things that…

(!)

“Huh?”

Suddenly, an exclamation mark-shaped notification appeared on her special abilities screen. Without much thought, Sua tapped it with her finger, and a detailed explanation unfolded below.

[Ability acquisition in progress]

[Ability: Acting Commander]

[Effect: Encourages surrounding performances]

Current progress:
20%

“…An ability?”

This was something entirely new to Sua, a possibility she had no idea about.