Chapter 124: Aftermath
It was really…
“Ah.” Muyoung sighed and wiped away his sweat. His reflection in the bathroom mirror was as calm as usual, but his hands were trembling.
“What’s wrong with him?”
It was as if someone else’s arm was attached to his body.
He tried to calm himself, but strangely, his hands wouldn’t listen.
Maybe it was one of those things.
“……Hmm.”
A brand imprinted on his fading memories.
Like the rings of a tree, even if the outside had hardened, the inside still bore the traces. Whether he liked it or not, it was the past that made up who he was now.
“Are you okay, Mr. Ha Muyoung?”
“Huh? Oh. Yes, yes. I was just a bit startled.”
One of Yusah’s bodyguards poked his head in through the bathroom door.
Yusah had provoked Muyoung with words he didn’t understand.
Something about his father, the chairman, and how his brothers were this or that. Upon hearing this, Joo Jungdan, enraged, struck Yusah in the face.
“Where’s the representative?”
“He’s been taken to the hospital. I was instructed to escort you there, Mr. Muyoung. Would you like to go to the hospital as well?”
“No, I’m fine. I need to return to my agency.”
But strangely, as soon as he was hit, the bodyguards rushed in.
And so, Joo Jungdan was taken to the police station, and Yusah to the hospital, bringing the investment meeting to an abrupt end.
“What will happen now?”
Muyoung asked as he followed the bodyguard and fastened his seatbelt. The bodyguard, with his imposing appearance, glanced at him and replied nonchalantly.
“Who knows? The representative isn’t the type to act without calculation. I think only Baekgun will be in trouble.”
The headline was clear in his mind.
Baekgun’s Joo Jungdan, under drug charges, claims SJ conspiracy, storms headquarters and assaults representative in broad daylight.
It was as if he had cut off his own lifeline. An unprecedented event in the history of South Korea.
“What good is having money if you live like that…”
Witnessing the violence firsthand, a sudden wave of realization hit him.
Muttering to himself, Muyoung looked out the window. As the familiar roads passed by, he asked the bodyguard.
“Uh, could you drop me off up ahead?”
“Is this Big Win?”
“Yes. If we go any further, it’ll be hard to turn the car around. Thank you. You can go now.”
Muyoung politely bid farewell and headed up to his agency.
He would wait here until Taeseok’s schedule ended, then they’d all eat together and head to the shoot.
As Muyoung opened the door, he was met with a rather perplexing scene.
“Yes, so the audition is next week, right?”
“Please send the synopsis and production plan via email.”
“Ah, yes. I think it’ll be fine then.”
What is it?
As Muyoung stood blankly at the door, Na Geumdong gestured for him to come in. He was busy juggling the landline and his cellphone. Ko Gyeongmin was tied up helping Taeseok with work.
“What’s going on?”
Unlike the busy Na Geumdong, Bora was lying on the sofa, playing with her phone. Her toes wiggled rhythmically, as if she were in a good mood.
“You came early? I heard there was an investment meeting.”
“It ended up like that. But why is the boss so busy?”
“Celebrity A, Cha Ye-sol, is involved in drugs.”
“I see. I heard.”
“The projects Cha Ye-sol was in or was going to be in are up in the air, so they’re recasting. How could she have gotten herself into so much trouble with just one body? And to think she did drugs with that body too, she’s really something.”
The works that Cha Ye-sol had dropped out of were now looking for new leads.
Bora, though not a big star, had gained some recognition from the drama Come to the Cafe.
“Thanks to that.”
She wasn’t just playing on her phone.
Bora skimmed through the synopsis sent to her via email.
She’d have to audition, but just having the opportunity was something. Muyoung smiled at this unexpected turn of events.
“Oh, that’s nice.”
“But what’s wrong with you? Are you hungry? Want some chocolate? You’ll feel weak if your sugar drops.”
Bora rummaged through her bag and asked.
Just then, Taeseok and Ko Gyeongmin burst in, looking cheerful as ever.
“Why are you guys in such a good mood?”
“We just had a drama meeting, and it feels good. Apparently, there’s an actor named Park Dong-woon among the cast members Cha Ye-sol worked with? The investigation will tell, but it’s worrying that his name came up.”
“Is that news too?”
“No, only those in the industry know.”
It was truly a ‘showbiz drug scandal.’
Muyoung only then realized the magnitude of the situation. So many people were involved, it was like pulling on a sweet potato vine.
“But isn’t it strange? Cha Ye-sol and Joo Jungdan’s names came out, but no other celebrities have been reported.”
Bora’s sharp observation.
Only Muyoung, knowing the full story, had noticed this, but she was quick on the uptake.
SJ’s intention to focus on taking down Baekgun was clear.
“I guess the agency is working hard. Anyway, if a good opportunity comes up for Muyoung, it’d be great.”
“Me? No, I have to get into Nepflex.”
Even if other roles came up, they were of no interest to Muyoung. Unless they were covered in flower petals, there was no reason to take them.
“Huh? What’s this?”
Bora, looking at her phone, seemed surprised and turned to Muyoung.
“You went to SJ Entertainment today, right?”
“Yeah, I did.”
“And there, Baekgun’s executive rushed in and assaulted the representative?”
“Yeah, I saw it with my own eyes.”
Everyone stopped what they were doing at this shocking news.
What was he saying so casually?
The small ball set in motion by Celebrity A was about to shake South Korea to its core.
[Baekgun Entertainment Chairman’s Son, Joo Jungdan, Causes Disturbance at SJ Headquarters While Under Drug Charges……]
-He must be crazy. Assaulting someone in broad daylight? Is he on drugs too?
-No need for a doping test. That’s a positive right there.
-He’s probably trying to plead insanity or diminished capacity, but no chance. SJ pressed full charges.
-Might as well get tested for drugs while you’re at the police station, lol.
-What a psycho.
[Cha Ye-sol’s Agency, Sealing Actors, Implicated in Half of the Accomplice List. What Kind of Place is This?]
Tap.
[Sealing Actors and Baekgun’s Suspicious Contract. Did it Start Two Years Ago? With the Movie Sky’s Assault?]
Tap.
[Stock Watch: Baekgun Entertainment’s Limit-Down Rally Finally Stops. Is Now the Time to Invest?]
-How much did the reporter get paid to write this crap?
-Why should I suffer stock losses because the chairman’s son is a failure……
-So, what happened to Cha Ye-sol’s movie?
-They just said it’s under discussion.
-How can they screen that? Lol. Sell now if you can. Don’t even pee in that company’s direction for a while.
Tap.
It was absolute chaos.
As the investigation dug deeper, the collusion between Sealing Actors and Baekgun Entertainment came to light, along with allegations of sexual favors.
Whatever the case, it was a critical blow to both.
“Let’s see…”
Muyoung wasn’t reading the articles, he was searching for his own name.
Since he was the one who pulled the trigger, he was curious and worried if even a single article would mention him.
“Clean.”
“Huh? What?”
Bora, staring blankly out the window, asked. Taeseok was fast asleep in the back, his mouth wide open.
“The articles are well-written.”
But nowhere did his name appear.
The BG Line after-party was also under investigation, but Muyoung received no calls. He was just one of the many celebrities who attended.
‘Wow. Representative Yusah is really powerful.’
And that wasn’t all.
Even his presence beside Joo Jungdan during the SJ Entertainment incident had vanished. Muyoung marveled as he floated through the sea of information.
“Oh, by the way, did you hear?”
“What is it?”
“Sealing Actors. Their director, Park Moonchul, is being arrested too. Not for drugs, but for sexual favors.”
Ko Gyeongmin glanced at Muyoung through the rearview mirror.
It was one of his initial choices, wasn’t it?
Whether to go with Sealing or Big Win.
Muyoung smiled and nodded.
“They’re really scary people. I’m glad I chose Big Win, right?”
“Yeah, you are.”
Ko Gyeongmin’s mood lifted at the compliment.
He turned the wheel with a determined expression.
Squeak!
They finally arrived at the set.
A pension in Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do.
A white, neat building facing the mountains.
Its unique feature was the large living room window that framed the sky like a painting. That’s why it was chosen as the shooting location.
“Hello, we’re here.”
“Team Muyoung has arrived!”
“Team Leader! What time did you say the sun would rise?”
“This cord is too short, what should we do?”
Assistant Director Bae, who was reviewing the storyboard with the director, waved at them. Like the previous river scene, the sunrise was crucial, so everyone was busy.
“Everyone, gather here for a moment.”
In his hand was a well-worn piece of paper.
“About the final scene. I think we need to make some changes.”
“Huh? Why?”
Was it because of the budget again?
“The investment—”
That’s right.
Oh, that damn money.
How much would they need this time?
“—has increased, so we can use more CG.”
“Huh? Increased?”
“Yeah. Originally, we couldn’t show something burning, so we split the scene, but now we don’t need to. We can go with a long shot. This was the original ending, and this is what you saw, Mr. Muyoung.”
He quickly read through the two papers.
Listening to the director’s explanation.
“The scene where a vampire, deeply asleep, unaware of the dawn, turns to dust. It ends with his colleagues finding the scattered dust on the floor, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“But we’re adding a scene where the vampire struggles. We gave up on it because of the CG. Since we’re not splitting the cut, the acting remains the same.”
He hadn’t slept well in a long time.
The vampire, experiencing the most comfortable and peaceful sleep he had ever known, burns up in the sunrise without waking. If it could be called a peaceful death.
“Okay. Got it. But why did the investment suddenly increase?”
“Baekgun is in trouble these days. It’s a windfall.”
While Baekgun’s stock hit rock bottom, SJ was soaring.
In a competitive market, an event clearly determined who was number one.
“Get into costume. The teachers are already in the backyard.”
The pension had a lovely garden.
Walking around the wall, they found Kang Seongbae and Jin Rim enjoying tea time in front of a small vegetable patch. They were reading the script as if it were a magazine.
“Oh, Muyoung.”
“Hello, teachers.”
“How’s your condition today? It’s not the final day, but it is the final scene.”
It was the final scene, but there were still some shooting days left.
There were quite a few delays due to weather and external conditions. Muyoung smiled and replied.
“Perfect.”
“Good. Get ready.”
“Yes, teacher.”
Yes, it’s good.
With both Baekgun and Sealing on the brink of collapse.
“Oops.”
While getting into costume in a small room, Muyoung texted Yusah.
[Representative, is your face okay? By the way, our movie’s budget increased. Was that you, by any chance?]
Ding.
[I was thinking of getting a nose job, but luckily, it’s fine. The budget increase was decided by the company. We sank a major competitor, so we should put a motor on our boat, right? Everyone held back when Baekgun announced their big project.]
That ‘big project’ featuring Cha Ye-sol was halted before it even reached theaters.
Rumor has it that it was sold to China or Russia… but who knows if that will work out.
[I see. Anyway, thanks. The director says he can go with his original vision. And thanks for keeping my name out of the articles.]
[That’s only natural.]
If it were known that Ha Muyoung was involved… it could backfire. Was he involved in the drug use? Is he Yusah’s spy? Did he receive something in return? And so on.
Even if it’s not true, it’s better not to give them any ammunition.
[Shoot well. Let’s aim for ten million!]
[Yes, I’ll do my best. Take care~]
As the text conversation ended, so did his costume change.
Heading into the living room, he found his fellow actors already prepared, sitting on the floor. Empty liquor bottles and scattered snacks lay around them.
“Let’s get some rest.”
“Lie down, lie down.”
The actors settled in the middle of the living room. Among them, Muyoung lay down in his shirt.
“Hmm. Mr. Kang Seongbae, could you move your leg a bit this way?”
“Yes, yes. Perfect.”
“Sunrise in 15 minutes!”
“Let’s go over the blocking one last time.”
Muyoung lay still, gazing at the rising sun.
The morning light slowly spilling over the mountains.
Muyoung closed his eyes.
The final days of the vampire.