Chapter 71….
Pure Enter (2)
“Wait, what? Did that kid who got into that movie also get cut?”
“No, sir.”
CEO Jang looked somewhat relieved, then tilted his head and asked again.
“Really? What was her name again?”
“Yeo Siyeon.”
“Was there such a kid?”
“Miyeon, sir.”
“Ah, Miyeon. Right, she changed her name to Siyeon.”
It had already been almost ten years since she changed her stage name.
But CEO Jang clearly hadn’t remembered that.
“That beggar brat, she had an agency, right?”
“GB Entertainment.”
“Damn it. I should’ve snagged her first.”
He regretted it now.
At the time, they had no contact points, and he didn’t even bother since he thought she wasn’t worth it.
“How’s the on-site situation?”
At that, Manager Gu made an awkward face.
Of course, he couldn’t know exactly how things were going on set.
Seeing his hesitation, CEO Jang frowned and spoke.
“You’re not keeping tabs?”
“I’m sorry.”
Manager Gu bowed slightly in apology. CEO Jang clicked his tongue.
“Book some schedules.”
“Sir?”
“The site. Go check in.”
“Is that really necessary…”
“You don’t want to do business?”
Manager Gu bent lower in apology again.
“I’m sorry.”
“Fine, let’s say this time it’s nothing, but look—if we don’t make a move here, how will Baeksan know to watch their step? What if that old geezer starts spreading crap and it even affects other ad deals?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Manager Gu, live smart, huh? We’re businessmen.”
Manager Gu could only bow repeatedly as Jang’s nagging poured on.
“Wow! Sunbae, what is all this?!”
“Ah, haha.”
It was like another world.
Snack trucks, coffee trucks, and soon even a catering truck from a hotel.
When I glanced over, senior Yeo Siyeon looked flustered at my reaction.
Normally one would be happy about this, but judging by her expression, she wasn’t exactly pleased—more bewildered.
“Oh! Miyeon!”
A cheerful voice rang out from afar.
A short but stocky middle-aged man, clearly someone who worked out, was walking over.
But that wasn’t the problem.
“Why so dark…?”
I instinctively stepped back.
A black aura?
This guy was radiating something seriously unpleasant.
“Ah, CEO!”
Senior Siyeon stiffened immediately, bowing deeply.
“Heh, come on. No need for formality between us.”
Between us, my ass.
It was obvious he had just dumped her here on set.
Anyone looking would think he treasured her.
“Oh, Actor Woo Suhan! Hello! I should’ve introduced myself sooner, asked you to look after our actress properly!”
“Heh, if anything, it’s me who should be looking good in front of you, sir.”
Creepy aura aside, I couldn’t refuse his outstretched hand.
The moment I shook it, an unpleasant rush washed over me.
‘What the hell? Is this some side effect of Bing-shin?’
I made a mental note to ask Mansoo about it, pulling my hand away quickly.
“Ah, I didn’t even introduce myself. I’m Jang Sangsoo, CEO of Pure. Honestly, I should’ve signed you first. I was just a step too late.”
“Heh, that couldn’t be.”
“No, really!”
“Actor Kwon Suhyun doesn’t like me, though.”
“…Hm, must be a misunderstanding.”
Looking closely, this guy was the one who should’ve been an actor.
Instead of flinching, he glided right past the remark naturally.
Even villains seemed to grow seasoned with age.
“Well? That can’t be right.”
“Maybe the misunderstanding’s deeper than I thought. Let’s grab a day soon, clear it all up. I’ll treat you to a feast, eh?”
“Oh, if you’re buying, sir, of course!”
Ah, damn.
Without realizing, I bowed ninety degrees just at the mention of free food.
This beggar instinct… I need to fix it.
But when I peeked at senior Siyeon, her face looked dark.
She was worried about me.
“Misunderstandings should be cleared, don’t you think?”
“If there are any, sure. Heh.”
“Good! Manager Gu!”
A man ran over at his call.
Wow… what kind of reaction is that? Like a soldier reporting to his commander.
Even his build looked solid. Better be careful.
“From now on, Manager Gu will personally oversee this set. Treat Actor Woo like he’s one of ours, got it?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Why are you taking care of our actor?”
Just then, Manager Park Yucheon appeared, cracking a joke.
Perfect timing.
“Well, Manager Park! Long time, right? We’ve met before.”
“Yes. Good to see you, sir.”
“Our company needs capable people like you.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Something sparked between them.
“If you ever think of joining us, say the word. I’ll welcome you anytime.”
“I have no thoughts of moving companies.”
Wow, not even beating around the bush.
“Really? I heard you’d been asking around. Thought you were considering.”
Creepy.
How did he even know that?
“Well, I was just looking out for Actor Woo.”
So Manager Park had some bite too.
“Ah, I see. Like I said, it’s a misunderstanding. Actor Woo and I agreed to clear it up in person.”
And suddenly—
“Eh?”
Damn it. His arm.
Why was he slinging it around my shoulders like we were best buddies?
I almost twisted it off but instead flashed a big smile at Manager Park.
“He invited me, sir! Said he’d buy me something delicious!”
“Oh… right…”
Wait, why does he look like he believes me?
This is acting, man!
Then Jang slung his other arm around Siyeon too, making it a double embrace.
“It’d be nice if Miyeon joined too, right? Ah, Siyeon, I mean, haha! Been so long I keep mixing it up.”
“Yes, sir.”
Damn it. Drop that hand. That’s harassment.
Her face had clearly soured, but he just laughed boisterously until he finally pulled away.
“Alright, let’s set a date soon!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Manager Gu, I’ll head out first. Keep an eye on set. Support the director with anything needed.”
“Yes, sir.”
Heh… maybe I should figure out what I can milk out of this.
Inside his car, CEO Jang Sangsoo dropped his smile and frowned.
“That bastard. What’s he pulling now.”
From the earlier exchange, it was clear Woo Suhan and his nephew Kwon Suhyun had some kind of history.
There hadn’t seemed to be any real connection before, so for it to spark like that meant something was up.
He called his nephew’s road manager. His expression soured.
“What? He beat him up? What the hell…”
— “It was back when Woo first appeared as an extra. Someone smeared saliva on a prop medicine ball and made him eat it…”
“What kind of moronic crap is that…”
Jang clicked his tongue.
Whatever the reason, the situation was nasty.
The one who hits sleeps easy, but the one who got hit carries the grudge.
“Tch. Fine. Just cover for Suhyun. Don’t let more gossip spread.”
— “Yes, sir!”
Hanging up, Jang muttered bitterly.
“Damn brat. Spoiled him too much and now he’s shitting everywhere. Haa…”
He let out a long sigh, shaking his head.
“You said you were looking into it discreetly?”
“This industry’s just like that.”
“Like it’s crawling with double agents.”
“Probably heard something while checking around, since the chairman pulled strings. Don’t worry. Stuff like this is common.”
“Well, at least we’ve got an excuse ready.”
Manager Park Yucheon nodded as Suhan listened.
“But you really planning to accept that invite?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t know what tricks he’ll pull. Be careful not to get caught in weird photos.”
“True… that would be the easiest trap.”
“Exactly. So be careful.”
“Yes, sir.”
After cautioning Suhan, Yucheon shook his head.
From what he’d confirmed, Pure Entertainment was filthier than expected.
Rumors even said they still beat people.
Their “classic method” was to trap their actors with dirt: start off nice, send women to the male actors, collect evidence.
That sort of thing always worked, no matter the era.
Yucheon just hoped Suhan wouldn’t get dragged too deep into this mess.
‘If only there weren’t those ghosts…’
He sighed.
Park Mansoo answered Suhan’s call with a worried tone.
“What is it this time?”
— “Bro! I saw something crazy today!”
“Huh? What?”
Thankfully, it wasn’t another call asking for food trucks.
— “A person, but with this black aura around him!”
“…What?”
— “Ugh, it felt disgusting. Do you know what that is?”
“Ah, damn…”
Mansoo groaned.
— “What? Why?”
“Don’t go near that.”
He warned firmly. This wasn’t something to approach.
— “But he said he’d buy me food.”
“Are you still a beggar?!”
— “You think only beggars get free food? That was the CEO of Pure Entertainment.”
“Ah… you ran into trouble then.”
Suhan had already told him about Pure.
When checking on the ghost living with Suhan, their names had come up.
— “Trouble? Like he’s possessed by a ghost?”
“Yeah.”
— “…”
Suhan was at a loss for words. After a pause, he asked cautiously:
— “Is he like that Bing-shin thing?”
“Hey! Watch your mouth!”
— “What, why? That time I swear I heard something like ‘Blessing of Bing-shin’ in my head. I can’t even call a Bing-shin a Bing-shin now? What should I call it then? They shouldn’t have named it that in the first place!”
“…Ugh.”
Annoying as it was, he wasn’t wrong.
Still, angering a god was dangerous. Divine punishment wasn’t just for show.
“It’s not that. More like an evil spirit’s latched onto him. Not possessed exactly, but… let’s say they matched up.”
— “Matched up?”
“Yeah. Evil spirits feed off people’s anxiety, misfortune, stuff like that.”
It was a simple explanation, but Suhan seemed to get it.
— “I see. Basically, since he’s filthy, the evil spirit stuck to him like flies to dung, right?”
“Pretty much. Was it really dark?”
— “Yeah. Pitch black.”
“He’s eaten a lot then.”
The sound of things getting complicated was all too clear.
