Chapter 52: ■■ slipped my mind

The vote of the director’s group ‘Barun-gil’, the only one who did not write Kim Jun-ki’s name was Kim Jun-ki himself.

And the person who was expelled was currently staring blankly while holding Park Jun’s phone.

With his trembling hands.

The current affairs program did not stop with its explicit statements.

“Is a comeback possible?”

“A comeback? No! Absolutely not! Someone like this is trash!”

Kim Jun-ki’s legs and arms were shaking, and his vision was blurred. It felt similar to the sensation he experienced during a high fever.

“This… this, what the…”

Being kicked out of ‘Barun-gil’ was unpleasant, but being covered in a current affairs program was an entirely different matter.

It meant not just a few colleagues turning against him, but the entire nation turning into enemies. It meant the loss of his livelihood.

Sure enough, the crimes Kim Jun-ki had been hiding, actions that were not necessarily illegal but certainly condemnable, were being illuminated and exposed one by one.

“Some aspiring actors were promised that he would take responsibility if they got pregnant, only to coerce the woman into using contraception afterward.”

“And of course, there was blackmail involved.”

“That’s why he’s trash. Trash that can’t even be recycled.”

Victims appeared on screen, mosaicked, and participated in interviews. Despite their faces and voices being obscured, Kim Jun-ki knew exactly who they were.

What they said was all truth. And the evidence was indisputable. Kim Jun-ki had no way out.

It was then that Park Jun retrieved his phone. At the same time, the other directors began to refill their glasses.

“You said it yourself, didn’t you? That we shouldn’t cause trouble.”

Go Tae-min spoke to the speechless Kim Jun-ki.

“This is more than just trouble. Talking to you is like falling into the abyss. I knew you were up to something, but I didn’t expect it to be this bad. You’re going to pay for your sins.”

Kim Jun-ki simply stood there, blankly listening.

“Want to know the real reason this happened? It’s because you didn’t make the movie your goal. To you, the movie was just a tool. A tool to lure and exploit women.”

Go Tae-min, as a final parting gesture, offered him a bottle, but Kim Jun-ki, with an expression devoid of life, simply shuffled away.

He walked down the hallway for a long while.

He was numb. His head felt empty.

When he entered the bathroom and looked into the mirror, he realized he was making a truly ridiculous face.

Then, suddenly, he remembered he also had his phone, and hurriedly opened the YouTube app. He still hoped there might be a way to smooth things over.

But…

“F***… really, f***…”

That hope was swiftly shattered.

Above the recommended videos, at the very top of the list, was a huge live broadcast.

The live broadcast was related to Kim Jun-ki.

[Channel name: Trash Research Lab]

[Exclusive] Aspiring Actor ‘Professional Rapist’ Kim Jun-ki

[LIVE]

[Current viewers: 88,000]

Kim Jun-ki was familiar with the channel.

Trash Research Lab, the channel that always stood at the forefront, waiting for an opportunity to tear down public figures and send them straight to the bottom.

The number of subscribers who became addicted to that dopamine was a staggering 1.1 million, with about 90,000 people watching the broadcast in real-time. And now, the one being torn apart was none other than himself.

“F***… how dare they…”

The emotion that still occupied the largest space in Kim Jun-ki’s heart was embarrassment and anger. Or perhaps regret, wondering if things wouldn’t have turned out like this if he had been more thorough back then.

In other words, there was no reflection at all. As Kim Jun-ki desperately denied reality and kept refreshing the video list madly.

[Kim Jun-ki’s true nature? I’ll tell you exactly.]

[‘Life is all about money.’ The reason he’s in big trouble.]

[Kim Jun-ki victim exposé.]

[Kim Jun-ki’s big problem.]

His own videos had exploded in number. Cyber vultures looking for prey had quickly created new videos.

The audio was TTS (text-to-speech), the screen was just simple photos and captions, and these were all that was needed to make the videos, so the production was fast. They were spreading like wildfire.

“F***…!”

Just as Kim Jun-ki was about to throw his phone.

[@ Kim Jun-ki]

He received a mention in the messenger. Upon entering, he saw a group chat had been created. The number of members was nearly 300, and all of Kim Jun-ki’s acquaintances had been invited.

[a: Exposing the true nature of Director Kim Jun-ki.]

[a: (video link)]

When Kim Jun-ki saw that his family was also invited to the chat, he froze completely.

[@ Kim Jun-ki]

[@ Kim Jun-ki]

[@ Kim Jun-ki]

Soon, everyone started mentioning Kim Jun-ki.

It was a death sentence.

How much time had passed? Kim Jun-ki had been sitting on the bathroom floor for a long time when someone approached him.

It was Park Jun, the director of the short film ‘Sword.’

“I found you here.”

Park Jun said this as he looked at Kim Jun-ki’s phone, which had been tossed aside. Though it was on silent, someone was calling nonstop. It was probably the people involved.

“Sigh… how did this happen?”

Park Jun sat down next to Kim Jun-ki, who just stared at the floor with a lifeless face, seemingly unaware of who was by his side.

In this situation, Park Jun spoke.

“Director Kim Jun-ki, do you remember? This was before ‘Barun-gil’ was even created. It was when I was learning under you as a director. Back then, actor Cha Jin-hee was bullying a supporting actor.”

“Back then, you yelled at Cha Jin-hee, saying that once someone participates in your work, they’re all the same. There’s no hierarchy among actors, so don’t get confused and bully anyone.”

Kim Jun-ki showed no reaction. It was unclear if he was even listening, but Park Jun continued.

“Honestly, who takes care of the supporting actors? It could have been overlooked, but in the end, Cha Jin-hee apologized, and the staff, including me, all…”

“I became a fan of the director. As a result, even the supporting actors gave their best, and the movie hit big.”

At that moment, Kim Jun-ki, who had shown no reaction until now, finally opened his mouth.

“…I was young. Back then, I was just a kid.”

“No. It’s not about being young,” Park Jun slowly shook his head.

“It was passion. Back then, Director, you were filled with more passion than anyone else.”

It was a very simple fact.

But the change was immense. Kim Jun-ki’s face, which had seemed to have lost its soul, was now filled with shock, as if he had been hit hard in the back of the head.

“Passion, passion…”

Yes, a long time ago.

It seemed that he had something like that too.

Regret began to show on Kim Jun-ki’s face.

This was a sign that the man, who had been consumed by anger, was now beginning to reflect.

But at the same time, it was already too late.

As all kinds of emotions swirled within him, Park Jun turned to leave, but Kim Jun-ki stopped him with a hoarse voice.

“Director Park.”

“…Can I ask you one thing?”

“What is it?”

“I used to think there was no director who had lost passion as much as you. But now, our positions have completely flipped. What happened? How did you regain your passion?”

Kim Jun-ki could not understand this at all.

Park Jun had grabbed a hit movie but then spiraled into a huge downfall, showing signs of depression.

So much so that among directors, there was often talk about how they worried Park Jun might commit suicide soon.

But the current Park Jun didn’t look depressed at all.

Like the young Kim Jun-ki, he had that bubbling passion.

Kim Jun-ki couldn’t understand. How had Park Jun, whose life was full of failures, managed to recover? What had driven him to find the strength again?

After thinking for a moment, Park Jun said:

“I just got some help from a rookie.”

“…A rookie?”

“Yes. Her name is Lee Sua. She’s like an unquenchable spark.”

“Lee Sua?”

Kim Jun-ki asked with a hint of disbelief.

“Lee Sua, Lee Sua? Could it be… the one from Mystic?”

When Park Jun nodded, Kim Jun-ki burst into a small laugh. That chuckle quickly turned into a manic laugh.

Park Jun left Kim Jun-ki behind and exited the bathroom.

It wasn’t exactly pleasant to see someone who was once a mentor fall so far. It was a complicated feeling.

As Park Jun walked down the hallway, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Someone was leaning against the wall in the corridor.

It was none other than Director Go Tae-min.

“…”

“Did you hear everything?”

“Don’t misunderstand. I didn’t intentionally try to overhear. I was just in a hurry to use the bathroom, and I thought I shouldn’t interrupt, so I quietly waited for my turn.”

“Yes, well, anyway, Kim Jun-ki was my mentor.”

It was now clear that the title of “director” had been dropped.

“Are you still regretful?”

At that, Park Jun shook his head.

“Not at all. Actually, I should be angry. But since the whole country will be scolding him anyway, I let it go. Kim Jun-ki has done unforgivable things, and now he must face the consequences.”

“Yeah, that’s right. It’s his karma. But…”

Go Tae-min spoke.

“…As I was listening, there’s just one thing that really caught my curiosity.”

“Curious about what? What is it?”

“You said Park Director regained his passion because of a rookie, right? I heard that much, but I didn’t catch the name. Can I ask who it is?”

“Oh, it’s Lee Sua.”

“Lee Sua, Lee Sua…”

Go Tae-min quietly rubbed his chin.

She was the one who managed to save Park Jun, who looked like he might commit suicide, while Kim Jun-ki was sinking deeper into the mire.

Regardless of her acting skills, she was bound to draw attention.

“I’ll have to remember that name.”

Lee Sua.

The head of ‘Barun-Gil,’ Go Tae-min made sure to remember that name.

Meanwhile.

Special Task Force 808 main shooting D-1.

The entire production team of the Special Task Force gathered at the movie complex studio located in Jeonju. They had already unpacked their things at a nearby hotel.

They had already experienced mock filming, and the actors, who had quickly become familiar with each other, began chatting naturally.

“Today, we’re filming the teaser and interviews… something like that, right?”

“Yes. Drama is much easier. For movies, you have to move quickly to hold a premiere, but for us, once we shoot it, that’s it.”

Movies are fundamentally a medium shown in theaters, and holding a public screening is no small feat. The lead actors have to go around all the theaters themselves.

In contrast, dramas can be considered quite easy.

You just shoot the pre-interview video, and once it airs, that’s all. While you can’t actually meet the actors, it’s broadcast nationwide, so it has a similar effect to a premiere.

“Unni, the uniform really suits you. It’s like your calling.”

“You look great today too. The makeup’s perfect.”

As the actors chatted, they soon stopped talking.

They had their attention completely stolen by someone new.

The star of the moment was Sua, dressed up as Kim Yuhan.

Her white bowl cut and makeup made her look like a male idol. She wore loose clothes, but perhaps because of the hot weather, some parts of her outfit clung to her, accentuating her contours.

…She couldn’t help but steal the spotlight.

Everyone’s minds were racing. Most were in awe.

“Was that the person who was mistaken for a parking attendant?

I mean, of course, I guessed she was pretty back then…

But this is a completely different person.”

At first, everyone was cautious and just glanced over, but soon they started openly watching her.

It felt impossible not to look.

“There’s no sense of discomfort. No uncanny valley, unlike the typical failed makeup.”

“I think she could capture both men and women.”

“…Isn’t that a bit much? Is there CGI involved?”

It was at that moment that Sua quietly crossed her arms.

As a result, the actors also became tense in an instant.

It was only natural.

The image of Sua etched in their minds was of a “talented rookie,” “the loyal type who rejected a legendary director’s work to choose this one.”

It was mostly things like that.

They felt a pressure to perform well, perhaps.

In fact, Sua’s expression was indeed very serious right now.

With her arms crossed and her eyes sharper than usual, she seemed like she would tear anyone apart who dared to speak out of turn.

Of course, there was a reason for Sua’s demeanor.

“What should I do?”

Cold sweat ran down Sua’s back.

“What should I do… what should I really do?”

She swallowed dry saliva.

The reason was simple.

…She wasn’t wearing a bra. What should she do about that?

She hadn’t worn a bra. That was the conclusion.

It was her first time dressing as a man, and perhaps because she had gotten so immersed in Kim Yuhan, she hadn’t thought about it.

Now that she realized, it was too late.

It was hot, and she was wearing white clothes.

It was a disaster. What should she do?

At first, she tried to pull her clothes away from her body, using her fingers to tug at the fabric. But that approach quickly reached its limits.

The shape that was revealed through the thin fabric was one thing, but the color was an even bigger problem.

Even Sua could see the faint pink hue showing through.

In the end, there was only one solution: she had to cover up.

Sua crossed her arms with all her strength.

She couldn’t afford to let her guard down. Sua’s thoughts, and the actors’ thoughts that today must not have any mistakes, tangled together.

“Alright, has everyone gathered?”

PD Choi Heewon appeared.

He had a phone pressed to his ear and, while giving instructions to various people on the set, he made his way towards the actors.

After hanging up, he put the phone in his pocket.

“Tomorrow, we’ll go straight into the main shoot! So let’s finish the pre-interviews as quickly as possible, and today, let’s try to rest as much as we can! Everyone, stay strong!”

Then, it happened.

Tap, tap, tap, tap─!

The sound of hurried footsteps and commotion echoed.

About three people were running toward him, and to PD Choi, they were familiar faces.

It was none other than the CG team.

“PD! PD Choi!”

PD Choi Heewon was secretly taken aback.

The look of confusion on the CG team’s faces was so obvious it was almost palpable.

He waited until they got closer before asking.

“What’s going on?”

“This, this… You need to see this.”

One of the CG team members handed PD Choi his phone. It was a news program, and from the looks of it, it was a huge sensation.

The chat box was rapidly filling up, a clear sign of the attention the program was getting.

And when he finally read the title, it said:

[Shocking Exclusive] Aspiring Actor ‘Serial Rapist’ Kim Jun-ki

“…!”

PD Choi Heewon’s eyes widened in shock, and his gaze turned toward Sua.

The crew members shared the same reaction.

The actors, who were still unaware of the situation, quickly turned to look at Sua as well.

All eyes were now on her.

…!

Sua, too, was startled and tightened her crossed arms even more.