Chapter 89…
If You’re Too Nice, It’s Strange (2):
“I told you not to worry since I was with my old man.”
“Yeah.”
“Then why did you do that?”
“Sorry……”
He suddenly bowed his head like he wanted to dig into the ground.
“I’m not scolding you, I’m just asking.”
“It’s just… there’s not much filming left……”
“…Because the contract doesn’t have much time left either?”
He only nodded instead of answering.
That was normal, but the company itself wasn’t normal.
Of course, not every actor was treated this way. Only the ones they dug up and raised from the start—those they could grind down, brainwash, and keep under their thumb.
“Were you scared you’d be alone once filming ended?”
“More than that… I just wanted to be free now.”
The senior actress lifted her head, tears streaming down her face.
Ah… that’s unfair.
Makes me weak-hearted.
“Were you worried I wouldn’t care once filming’s over?”
“…I just felt sorry. Even though I knew the company was using me to hold on to you, you still helped me. I felt like I shouldn’t be greedy anymore.”
“……”
Hearing that, it made sense.
But telling someone this unstable, ‘Don’t worry, we’ll blow up that company and then wait for me’—that wasn’t possible either.
Usually, when people say stuff like this too early, they get kidnapped, cry their eyes out, then end up leaking it all and apologizing. Everything goes to hell. …Maybe I’m going too far.
Anyway, I shook my head and said the only thing I could in this situation.
“Looks to me like they’re scheming something. Let’s be careful. The way they’re treating us nice now—it feels like they’re waiting for us to let our guard down.”
“Right?”
“Yes. They’re not the kind of people who wouldn’t.”
“Yeah.”
Looks like she’s starting to see reality now.
Her tears had mostly stopped too.
“Good. If you don’t know this, it’s a crisis. But if you do know, then it’s information. Got it?”
“Yeah……”
“And don’t go visiting the law office anymore. Just do everything like normal, like always.”
“Okay.”
She seemed calmer now.
But if I left her alone like this, she’d surely struggle again.
“Listen carefully. Once the movie’s over, I’ll use my old man’s connections if I have to—I’ll help you. I won’t just ignore you because filming’s done. We’re a thing, aren’t we? A thing!”
“…Sorry.”
Ah… I thought I calmed her down, but she started crying again.
Me, huh.
I must be a sinful man.
In the end, I had to clown around again to console her and lead her outside. Damn tiring.
“Ahhhh!”
Then suddenly—what was that scream?
“Unni! Why’s your eye all swollen like a balloon? You just finished makeup!”
Eh… swollen balloon? It’s just a bit puffy.
I shook my head, thinking they were making a fuss, and turned to leave—
but then I saw her hand slowly lift.
Her index finger stretched out, pointing at something…
Behind me?
Nothing.
Ah… me?
“Actor Woo! It’s fine to rehearse the script, but how could you actually make someone cry!”
“Uh……”
I had no words.
I couldn’t even deny it, because Pure Entertainment’s goons trailing us were all glaring holes into me.
“Hiiiing. It was just too, too realistic. Hic!”
“……”
This is what they mean by getting stabbed in the foot by the axe you trusted.
Why unleash your acting talent at a time like this?!
Maybe this is why women’s tears are terrifying.
That day, while getting my makeup done, I had to endure scolding upon scolding until I was stuffed full of it.
“Geez, why’d you make her cry? Did you fight?”
“I told you—it was while practicing the script!”
But the director bastard didn’t believe me.
I wanted to tell the truth, but there were too many ears around.
Earlier, I’d even overheard someone asking if we broke up.
These people were just mocking us before, saying we couldn’t even manage a fling properly…
At times like this, the safest answer is like how politicians respond under audit: ‘I don’t know. No, that’s not it.’
“Tone it down a little, Actor Woo.”
“Yes, Director Cho.”
Huh? His eyes suddenly had force in them. When he’s like that, it’s best to avoid him.
“Why’d they give me such a confusing name anyway.”
“Actor Woo, are you ignoring my name right now?”
“Can’t hear you.”
“Hyung!”
“Ahhhhh! Must be something wrong with my ears.”
…Damn. Today’s a bad luck day.
Still, filming was finally heading to its climax.
Today was the day dream and reality would collide.
Focus.
Today’s a day full of my lines.
A moment later.
As always, the shout rang out to signal the start of shooting.
“Action!”
“Uh?”
A white space.
Woo Suhan looked confused, as if he didn’t understand why he was here.
“I definitely fell asleep normally.”
“That’s why I called you.”
Opposite his white clothes, like a dot on blank paper, stood another Suhan—dressed in black.
“Ah!”
He actually felt kind of glad.
Since that day, Manager Oh’s harassment had stopped.
Suhan became a hero, then signed a massive contract, got promoted to section chief.
Thanks to that, Manager Oh had an even harder time dealing with him.
Reality’s dopamine made it unnecessary to seek out dreams.
“Long time no see.”
“Yeah. Been a long time, friend.”
But something was off.
The other Suhan, usually welcoming, greeted him with a gloomy face.
“Why that look?”
“Because my friend stopped making fun worlds lately.”
“Sorry. I’ve been focusing on reality now. But thanks to you, I did get a new life.”
Suhan expressed genuine gratitude.
But the black Suhan looked disappointed.
“All just for that?”
“What do you mean just?”
“So you forgot this place?”
He waved his hand—suddenly the background turned into a flashy club.
Women swarmed him, dancing and cheering.
Pow pow! Pa pa pa! Pow pow!
“Kyaaaa!”
But Suhan only gave a bitter smile.
“Then what about this?”
The scene changed again.
A white sandy beach.
Just looking at it was healing.
“You used to love this.”
In black Suhan’s hand, two cocktails appeared.
He held one out earnestly.
“Didn’t you, friend?”
“Yeah. I used to. But in the end, I realized it’s just a dream.”
“……”
Black Suhan clenched his hand.
Crash!
The cocktail shattered into light, and the world collapsed again.
And then came the brutal fight between the two Suhans.
Black Suhan tried to drag him into false dreams—glamour, beaches, women, illusions.
But Suhan rejected it, fought back, slammed him into the ground, tore through illusions, and crushed the false images—even when they turned into familiar faces like Deputy Ye Siyeon or Manager Oh Juhwan.
Every time, Suhan destroyed them mercilessly.
Until finally—
In a wedding dress, Ye Siyeon appeared, giggling behind her hand.
“Oh my… murderer.”
“Stop it……”
Grinding his teeth, Suhan slowly turned to face her.
