Chapter 63…
Just a Clout Chaser
Woo Suhan’s insanely busy schedule had finally started to ease up.
For Manager Park Yu-cheon, this was only natural.
But Suhan didn’t seem to understand it at all.
“The whole world wants me! Why is this happening!”
He shoved an online news article at Yu-cheon.
It still had stories about him—like the stir caused by Suhan dressing up as a woman in a commercial.
People’s attention hadn’t completely cooled yet.
But that was it.
He was still getting offers for variety shows, dramas, and films.
Yet compared to the initial hype, things had slowed down.
That’s why the agency decided to give him a break before filming his indie movie.
It was the perfect time to avoid overexposing his image—
and to stop him from being permanently typecast as “the beggar.”
So his schedule was deliberately adjusted close to a standstill.
“Normally, at this level, overseas calls should already be pouring in! Huh? That’s how it’s supposed to go!”
“Please, Suhan. Novels are just novels.”
Yu-cheon shook his head at Suhan’s protests.
He’d heard of people saying, “I learned love from books.”
But “I learned how the world works from web novels!” —and then throwing a tantrum about it? That was new.
At first, he thought Suhan was joking…
“Why? The writers must have studied before they wrote, right?”
“Sure.”
“Then why are you saying they’re wrong?”
That’s when Yu-cheon realized—
this guy was dead serious.
“Yeah, they studied. And then they added anywhere from one spoonful to a hundred spoonfuls of imagination, depending on the story.”
“That much difference?”
“Of course. In novels, if someone gets a bit popular, the whole world revolves around them. But think about this: what if we dump a spoonful of MSG or salt straight into a bowl of soup?”
“Ugh…”
Just the thought made Suhan shiver.
Then his eyes widened in despair.
“S-so even one spoonful makes that much difference…?”
“Exactly.”
“Are you saying I’m a beggar again!”
“……”
Yu-cheon patiently explained.
Honestly, Suhan wasn’t even that bad.
Right now he was only complaining about why reality was different from novels.
Flash-in-the-pan stars.
They come in many forms—people who suddenly blow up from memes or viral moments.
And a surprising number of them think their popularity will last forever.
That’s where the divide begins—between those who prepare for the future, and those who don’t.
Usually the company steps in, sets a direction, and helps.
That’s why agencies exist.
But the unprepared ones?
They burn out fast—
reduced to a “one-time meme” or “a short-lived star.”
Years later, they might get remembered with a nostalgic, “Back in my day…”
and feel lucky if anyone even recalls them.
“No! This can’t be! I’m the protagonist of my own life!”
“Then I guess I’m just a supporting character in mine? Suhan, relax.”
But the break had become poison for him.
Suddenly, Suhan spiraled.
“W-what if people stop looking for me and I go back to being a beggar?”
“You think I’d let that happen? We paid your signing bonus, remember.”
Hearing that, Suhan’s eyes teared up. He clung to Yu-cheon.
“Hyung, don’t abandon me!”
“…You need a hospital checkup. You sound bipolar.”
Yu-cheon was starting to genuinely worry about his mental state.
What can I say?
This is what happens when you’ve got too much imagination.
People still recognized him when he went outside.
But the wild, frenzied reactions from before had cooled.
To others, it might not look like a big difference.
But to him? It was everything.
In my opinion, the animal most sensitive to changes in its environment… is a beggar.
Instinct tells you instantly—“I’ll starve to death if this keeps up.” or “I’ll survive.”
I wasn’t starving anymore, sure.
But after a lifetime of surviving off scraps and dirty looks, I could sense the shift.
“So this is why YouTubers can’t escape the grind of uploading.”
I was starting to piece together the rules of the world.
The shared struggle of those who lived off popularity.
And why the saying existed: “Row while the tide is high.”
“Well, that’s what the company is for anyway.”
In hindsight, signing with an agency had been the right move.
“So this is why celebs fall apart when they lose their fame.”
Honestly, if I compared my life now to my life as a beggar…
I’d deserve a slap.
No comparison at all.
Still, humans are fickle.
Now that I’d tasted a bit of attention, the life of a beggar felt like ancient history.
“Here’s a drink.”
“Oh! Thanks.”
See?
I didn’t even take it with two hands anymore.
One hand—cool and casual.
“Can’t you please bend your back when you take things?”
“Huh?”
Sure, the half-bow with one hand looked a little awkward.
But at least it wasn’t two hands like some desperate beggar.
I clicked my tongue at Gamdungi’s disapproval and proudly declared:
“A man should never forget his roots! Always!”
“Not forgetting your roots as a beggar is… questionable.”
“……”
Guess that line didn’t land.
Either way, I was changing. A lot.
…and so on, leading into the part where he talks about acting, practicing piano, the ghost girl’s idol dreams, and even playing 2NE1’s “I Am the Best” on keyboard.
He realizes that every time he helps a lingering soul move on, he inherits some of their skills—like piano from Jeong-hoo.
He jokes about wanting to send off a superhero ghost so he could gain superpowers too, but dismisses it as too risky.
By the end, he’s blending his beggar instincts, his new celebrity worries, and his ghost-granted talents into something like… a survival strategy for fame.
