Chapter 52: Drama?

• Celebrities’ schedules are definitely tight.

“Aren’t you asleep yet? Or did you wake up early?”

-I wanted to say this before your day ends. Have you heard? That Hyojeong has an allergy.

So, he didn’t sleep. This person is really tough.

He waited for filming that he didn’t know when would end, just to make a call. Muyoung stifled a yawn and replied.

“Yes, I heard that was the case.”

-It’s probably thanks to that. Hyojeong didn’t even think about it at all. That she had an allergy.

“She’s someone who takes good care of herself. If she knew, she definitely wouldn’t have eaten it. Still, it’s fortunate that we found out before something bad happened.”

The city’s forest of buildings could be seen quickly passing by outside the window. The sunrise rose between them. The buildings glowed in silhouette against the red sun.

‘There are so many buildings like that, but I don’t have a place where I can rest comfortably.’

-If it wasn’t for Muyoung, I would’ve honestly struggled. She’s an actress with a high price tag, so it was too much for the company to handle. It’s not all over yet, but her agency agreed to send an apology letter, so it’s settled. Thank you. I really mean it.

It’s not just an apology.

Hyojeong’s model negotiation priority was also secured. If the price was right, they could hire her as Dr. Martel’s exclusive model. Of course, it was literally just a ‘negotiation priority.’

“No. I didn’t do anything in particular.”

Muyoung mumbled tiredly and annoyed. He would gladly accept the thanks, but his body was too tired. Besides, his mind was preoccupied with final exams and his future living arrangements.

‘Why is it that every time I talk to this representative, I’m always in this condition?’

It felt like his mind had slipped out like a drawer. Her words came in through one ear and flowed out through the other.

Mumble, mumble, mumble…….

While he was listening quietly, Dagyeong Han’s question suddenly came in.

-Is there anything you need?

“A house.”

-What?

“What?”

The two of them were surprised at the same time.

She was surprised by the incredible answer that came back without a moment’s hesitation. Muyoung wondered what he had just said. Gyeongmin Ko, who had been eavesdropping a little, also turned his head openly.

“Muyoung?”

Silence. Only the sound of the car engine could be heard regularly. Muyoung, whose thoughts had stopped, smiled awkwardly. Dagyeong Han also responded with a playful remark.

-You’re more expensive than I thought.

Muyoung apologized by tapping his forehead against the cold window. It’s absolutely impossible.

“I’m going crazy. Representative. I’m really sorry. I’m so tired right now that I’m talking nonsense.”

-No, it’s okay. It woke me up and was nice. But aren’t you too young to worry about a house yet?

“What are you talking about? Representative, are you perhaps a chaebol? Owning a home is the dream of all Korean people, regardless of age or gender.”

When asked if she was a chaebol, Dagyeong Han paused for a moment. She thought she was different from them, but there were times when pieces like this suddenly popped out.

Pieces that suggested her way of thinking was somehow different from the norm.

“I have to move out of the dorm soon, so I’m really stressed about it. I misspoke. I’m sorry.”

-Well, um…….

“But I’m a bit tired, so can I hang up now? I’m really glad that things are going well for you, Representative. I wish you continued success. Fighting.”

-Okay. Thank you. Get some rest.

Muyoung ended the call by pouring out his concluding remarks. Gyeongmin Ko, who was watching from the side, was puzzled.

“Did you hang up like that?”

“Yes. Hyung, I’ll sleep for a bit.”

“I asked what you needed. I was going to compensate you.”

If he hadn’t said something silly like a house, he would’ve gotten something decent. Muyoung looked out the window, feeling as dejected as someone who had lost all his money.

“……Ah. I really don’t know. I’m stupid. A stupid dog.”

“……Get some sleep. Sleep is the problem. The problem.”

Muyoung closed his eyes, holding back tears. He made a few whining sounds like a dog and soon fell asleep, breathing heavily.

‘It’s unusual. Really.’

Meanwhile, Dagyeong Han recalled her recent phone call with Muyoung. Usually, when asked if they needed anything, people would say no, and the conversation would flow with an offer to give them some compensation, right?

“A house. A house……?”

“What house? Do you need a house?”

“Ah. You startled me. Oppa! Didn’t you knock?”

“I did, but you didn’t hear me.”

Dagyeong Han turned around in surprise. It was her third brother, Samgyeong Han. The only half-brother she got along with like family. The only person in the world on her side.

“Do you sleep while you work?”

“If I do everything I need to do, who’s going to run the company?”

“You’re tough. Really tough.”

He placed an invitation on Dagyeong’s dressing table. It was white with a gold border, very luxurious.

“Your sister-in-law’s charity party. It’s in a month.”

“I don’t have time.”

“Time is something you make. If you don’t come this time, Mom will have a reason to pick a fight, so handle it appropriately.”

Dagyeong Han put down her lipstick and sighed. Her brother gently patted his sister’s shoulder, offering silent comfort. As he turned to leave,

“Oppa. Does Buyong have any extra houses, by any chance?”

“Houses? What do you mean?”

“Just, you know, unused ones.”

Buyong, a friend of Samgyeong Han. Actually, she didn’t even know if it was his name or nickname, but she had vaguely heard that he was a successful real estate agent in Gangnam. He thoughtfully stroked his chin.

“……I think he does. It’s an officetel in Yonggang-dong, but the tenant committed suicide. Because of that, it’s not selling, and even when they rent it out, people move out quickly. They say the place has bad energy. It’s a real burden, he said. But why do you ask?”

“For a concept shoot or something like that. I was thinking of renting a residence for a month or two.”

“I see. The location would be good. Should I ask Buyong? Since it’s vacant anyway, he’ll probably just let you use it.”

Dagyeong Han simply nodded her head without saying a word. Her brother left, and she, now alone, looked at herself in the mirror.

“……When you think about it, this is beneficial for both of us, right?”

She had been thinking of offering a reward of about one to two hundred, so this seemed like a good deal.

The giver can show off without any loss, and the receiver gets what they want, so they’ll be satisfied.

“Gosh. Me, really.”

I’ve lived my life, and now I’m doing this kind of deal.

After perfectly applying her lipstick, Dagyeong Han stood up from the stool. The invitation her brother gave her went straight into the drawer. She headed to her own company for work. She was the only one in this mansion not involved with Cielo.

“Wow! Crazy! The professor is going too far.”

“Right? I didn’t know that when he said it would be on the printout, he meant we had to memorize all of it.”

“The amount was a lot, but the difficulty itself wasn’t that bad. It wasn’t too bad. Number 5 was a bit confusing.”

The lecture hall after the exam.

The department head and his group were talking and sharing the test questions. Lying among them was a man.

“Muyoung, are you okay?”

“I’m ruined…….”

“Are you crying? Hey, are you crying? He’s crying!”

“Was it really easy? I didn’t know any of it.”

Muyoung raised his head in despair. It’s over. Yes, he had to admit it. His attendance was a mess, and the exam was definitely a disaster.

“I’ve lost everything, scholarship and all.”

“Oh dear. Get up and let’s go eat. You’ll feel better once your stomach’s full.”

His friends pulled his bag and lifted Muyoung up. He walked sluggishly, as if his soul had left his body. The department head walked ahead and asked,

“How’s the movie filming going?”

“Yeah. I’m finally starting to have some free time, but school’s on break. Haha.”

Part-time work. That’s the only way to survive.

Muyoung decided to visit the tutoring site again after a long time. Then, his friends added a few words.

“Then you can do something else too, right?”

“Right. As long as the release dates don’t overlap, you can shoot another movie. You get hundreds of millions in advance for that, right?”

“Not hundreds, but tens of millions.”

“Just do one more and secure the key money for the monthly rent. That would be better. You’ll gain experience and earn money.”

“No, this time, instead of a movie, shoot a drama!”

“Drama?”

Muyoung chose pork bulgogi at the school cafeteria’s POS machine. His friends were talking excitedly, as if it were their own business. What could be more interesting than showbiz gossip?

“I heard that you get paid per episode for that. And they pay you again every time it airs on TV. It’s like how singers get royalties.”

“Right. And who was it? Lee Joong-ki, I think. I saw his interview, and he said the shooting was so tough that he couldn’t go home for a month. You said you’ll be floating around during the break, right? Live at the filming site.”

Smack!

One friend made a ridiculous remark, and the department head punished him with a smack to the back of the head.

“You’re shortening his lifespan.”

“Why are you hitting me! If there’s no other way, that’s what you do.”

“You do that yourself.”

Muyoung sat at the table, deep in thought. It’s tempting. If you go to a local shoot or something, they provide accommodation there, right?

“It’s not bad, is it?”

“See? Even Muyoung says it’s good.”

“But next week is the last week of school.”

From casting to the start of filming, it would take at least a couple of months. It’s too late now. Now that he roughly knew how a semester worked, he could prepare properly from next time. Next time. Sob…….

Zzzzz. Zzzzz.

Maybe because he seasoned it with tears.

The pork bulgogi was too salty. Muyoung ate his meal with a sad expression and picked up his phone. It was a call from Bora.

“Hi, hi.”

-Why haven’t you contacted me?

“I finished shooting early in the morning. Now I just took the exam. I was planning to call you later in the evening. Is it urgent?”

-Exam? Oh, right. It’s finals season.

Bora muttered, as if she had forgotten.

She started drama filming right after entering school, so she couldn’t attend classes properly. Muyoung chewed the meat in his mouth and asked,

“But why? What’s going on?”

-Do you want to do part-time work? I’m shooting something right now, and they said they need an image extra. I told the PD that I had a friend, and he seemed interested. It’s a total of 4 episodes, 3 million per episode, so you can calculate that, right?

“Wow!”

Muyoung jumped up, spoon still in hand. The students eating around him focused their attention.

“I’ll do it! I was just talking about that.”

-What were you talking about? What?

“I thought it would be nice to try acting in a drama. The movie shoot is almost done, so I have about two weeks of free time.”

-Then, come see the PD today. I’ll tell him. It’s better to grab it quickly before someone else takes it.

“I’ll come! I will come!”

I’ll come running without asking any questions! Muyoung held the phone politely with both hands and kept answering.

-I’ll text you then.

“Ah. Wait a minute.”

Come to think of it, he forgot to ask something important.

“What kind of role is the image extra?”

There might or might not be lines, but to impress the PD, he had to prepare first. He would do his best to fit in there.

As Muyoung was full of enthusiasm, Bora’s answer came with a laugh.

-A gangster.

“Huh?”

-A bully. A bully. The PD said you looked really good in a school uniform at Late Night Pocha. Prepare well and come.”