Translator: Dreamscribe
Kang Jae-ha stepped out of the Team 4 office into the hallway and called Lee Chan-hoo's name through his phone.
"Lee Chan-hoo."
Jae-ha issued instructions, dead serious. After a few minutes on the call, he lowered his phone the moment the conversation with Lee Chan-hoo ended.
-Swish.
He checked the time. Today, Kang Jae-ha had no reason to see Yoon Da-yeon. She had no schedule. Right about now, Yoon Da-yeon was probably at home reading the 'Condensation' screenplay, or preparing a free acting piece for the audition as Kang Jae-ha had mentioned.
'Hmm.'
After mulling it over briefly, Jae-ha murmured quietly.
"Might as well let things play out instead of blocking it in advance. I can observe the change, too."
He was talking about Yoon Da-yeon. He retraced the contents of her 'Deja Vu' once more. Along with Director Kim Chul-joong's face. Kang Jae-ha raised his head slightly and looked upward.
'Kim Chul-joong... go ahead and run wild all you want.'
Around lunchtime.
Director Kim Chul-joong could be found at a rather upscale Japanese restaurant near Leon Entertainment. The place had both a main hall and private rooms, and Director Kim was dining in one of the rooms with several men in suits. He had originally planned to meet them in the evening, but a scheduling conflict had moved it to lunch.
As Director Kim picked up a piece of sushi, one of the men asked.
"Haha, but I was really surprised. Yoon Da-yeon, out of nowhere."
Director Kim set the sushi he'd been holding back down on his plate and stroked his long chin.
"So? What do you think of Yoon Da-yeon?"
The men across from him exchanged glances, then grinned.
"What's there to say? Someone like Yoon Da-yeon is long washed-up in the mainstream, but on our side, she's A-list."
Director Kim, chewing his sushi, also smiled.
"Right? She may be past her prime, but class is class. If Yoon Da-yeon crosses over to the erotic film market, she'd soar. She's still got the name recognition."
"Absolutely. Haha, but..."
The man who answered shifted to a slightly worried expression.
"Have you talked to Yoon Da-yeon's side about this?"
"No. But she won't need much convincing. She'll come around easy. Her situation isn't good right now. Her wallet's gotta be squeezed tight."
"Is that so?"
"I'll lay out the general scenario for you, so just follow it and things will go smooth."
Their meal lasted roughly two hours.
After finishing, Director Kim Chul-joong and the men exchanged parting words in the parking lot.
"Thank you, Director-nim."
"Sure, sure. Let's keep in touch."
"Of course. We'll update you by phone."
They had no idea. From one of the cars in the parking lot.
"Look at them grinning away. Assholes."
Lee Chan-hoo was watching.
About one hour later. Yoon Da-yeon's officetel.
Yoon Da-yeon could be seen settled in the living room. Her long straight hair was tied back, a headband on. Sitting in the rather messy living room, she was mumbling something to herself.
She was reciting lines from the free acting piece she had put together.
It was preparation for the short film 'Condensation' audition, and Yoon Da-yeon's concentration at the moment was intensely high.
"Ah, no. I got the lines wrong. Ugh, why can't I memorize them? Is it because it's been so long since my last audition??"
Yoon Da-yeon smacked herself on the head. At that moment, for some reason, Kang Jae-ha's expressionless face floated into her mind. Along with the kind of lines he would say.
'Your skills have really deteriorated. As expected of someone washed-up.'
It wasn't something Kang Jae-ha had actually said, but he was more than capable of it. Yoon Da-yeon clicked her tongue briefly, shuddered, and threw herself back into practice.
That was when it happened.
-♬♪
The phone she'd set beside her rang. It was a call, and the caller ID showed an unknown number. Yoon Da-yeon wasn't one to save contacts diligently, so she cleared her throat and answered.
"Yes, this is Yoon Da-yeon."
The other party was a man with a fairly deep voice.
"Hello, Da-yeon-ssi. This is Nam Chul-jin. We met briefly at a film festival once."
Nam Chul-jin? Yoon Da-yeon felt like she might remember him, or maybe not. She answered honestly.
"No, I'm sorry. I'm not great with faces."
"Hahaha, that's fine. We only exchanged a quick greeting anyway."
"What is this about?"
"Well, the thing is, I'd like to propose a screenplay to you, Da-yeon-ssi."
"Excuse me??"
Yoon Da-yeon's eyes went wide.
"A screenplay proposal?"
"Yes."
"What kind of..."
"It's hard to explain over the phone. Let's meet so I can show you the screenplay and go over the details."
A screenplay? Yoon Da-yeon's interest was piqued. The process didn't really matter. It was an industry where actors got work recommendations from each other all the time. Besides, Yoon Da-yeon was in no position to be picky. Of course, it wasn't that she wouldn't do 'Condensation'. It was just that the word screenplay was far too sweet. Yoon Da-yeon swallowed lightly and answered.
"Go on."
"Are you available today?"
Several hours passed after that. Around late afternoon, the place Yoon Da-yeon arrived at was an upscale private bar near Gangnam Station. It was called a room bar, but it was essentially a venue where people with serious money held their conversations.
'This place... I've been here before.'
Yoon Da-yeon seemed to have memories of visiting in the past. Well, it was so long ago that the memory was hazy. In any case, she opened one of the rooms as she'd been told. Inside the room, two men in suits were waiting, and when they saw Yoon Da-yeon, they sprang to their feet and greeted her.
"Hahaha, Yoon Da-yeon-ssi. We've been waiting."
"Hello, I'm Nam Chul-jin, the one you spoke with."
"Yes, hello."
After exchanging greetings, Yoon Da-yeon sat down on the sofa. The room's atmosphere was slightly dim. The bottles on the table were all expensive. The glasses, too, were obviously high-end at a glance. Even the fragrance was pleasant. Yoon Da-yeon, in her loose jeans, crossed her legs and spoke.
"I don't have much time, so I'd appreciate it if you could get to the point."
It was polite enough, but her sharp temperament bled through. The man who had introduced himself as Nam Chul-jin held out a business card.
"Of course, of course."
Yoon Da-yeon looked at the card first. It listed him as the CEO of some film company she'd never heard of. As Yoon Da-yeon lowered the card, Nam Chul-jin straightened up and spoke.
"The screenplay we'd like to propose to you, Yoon Da-yeon-ssi, is... an adult film."
She froze. Yoon Da-yeon's hand, in the middle of lowering the business card, went still. An adult film? Did I hear that wrong? Her eyes wavered as she looked at the two men across from her and asked again.
"...What did you just say? An adult film?"
"Yes. That's correct."
Whether from shock rattling her brain or something else, Yoon Da-yeon spoke in a slightly dazed tone.
"...An adult film? No, what I was told was a regular film screenplay."
Nam Chul-jin shook his head. A moment of silence. In the gap, Yoon Da-yeon remained in a state of stunned disbelief, and Nam Chul-jin delivered his prepared lines. Exactly as Director Kim Chul-joong had told him.
"Da-yeon-ssi, look at reality. We've thought this through carefully before proposing. Things have been tough with no income lately, haven't they? I heard your younger sibling is in poor health."
"......"
"We'll make sure the appearance fee won't disappoint you."
Lines that sounded familiar from somewhere. Of course, for Yoon Da-yeon, this was the first time she was experiencing it. But someone had already seen these lines play out in advance. Kang Jae-ha. This was the same situation as the 'Deja Vu' he had glimpsed from Yoon Da-yeon.
When Yoon Da-yeon gave no answer, the other man who had come with Nam Chul-jin, apparently thinking her deliberation was dragging on, spoke up.
"The erotic film industry showing interest in you? That's only possible while you've still got some clout, Da-yeon-ssi."
The subtext was clear: we already know your situation, so drop the act and take the offer. The shock on Yoon Da-yeon's face deepened further. To the men, it looked like she was agonizing over the decision.
'Looks like it's working.'
Just as Director Kim Chul-joong had told them. That Yoon Da-yeon, her situation not just barren but hellish, would ultimately accept the proposal. And she would have. Pushed to the absolute edge, there was a strong chance Yoon Da-yeon would have taken the offer. The expression on Yoon Da-yeon's face in the 'Deja Vu' Jae-ha had seen confirmed as much.
However, the current Yoon Da-yeon was in a state where her fighting spirit had been stoked to a blaze, thanks to Kang Jae-ha. Meaning a major change had occurred.
-Swish.
She stood up and grabbed the ice bucket, full of ice. Then.
-Thwack!
She roughly dumped the ice on the men across from her. The two men flinched in shock.
"Wh-what the hell!!"
"What are you doing, Yoon Da-yeon-ssi!!"
With a couldn't-care-less attitude, Yoon Da-yeon flung the empty ice bucket toward the two men.
"An adult film? What kind of bullshit is that! You assholes."
"...Excuse me?"
"You two go strip and act like fools yourselves. God, this pisses me off!"
Yoon Da-yeon glared at the two men with a ferocious look. She was still washed-up, but her resolve, her mindset, was different from before. She walked out of the room without hesitation. Nam Chul-jin and the remaining man were brushing off the ice, faces blank with disbelief. The outcome had completely defied their expectations.
A few minutes later, still cleaning up the ice, the two men sputtered in bewilderment.
"That crazy..."
"......This is nothing like what Director Kim Chul-joong told us?"
"Th-the phone."
At that moment, the room door suddenly swung open. Did Yoon Da-yeon come back? The two men whipped their heads toward the door. But it wasn't Yoon Da-yeon who appeared. It was a man with a mask and a cap pulled low over his face.
"Hey, hey... stay right where you are."
It was Lee Chan-hoo. His face wasn't visible, but. In that sharp, edgy way of speaking unique to him, he addressed the two men again.
"There's someone you need to see."
"Wh-who are you?"
"I said wait."
Having issued a subtle warning, Lee Chan-hoo glanced to the side. Footsteps could be heard from outside the door. Soon, Lee Chan-hoo stepped back, and another man brushed past him and glided into the room.
"......"
He regarded Nam Chul-jin and the other man in silence. No expression on his face.
It was Kang Jae-ha.
Yoon Da-yeon probably had no idea in her wildest dreams that Kang Jae-ha had come here. Jae-ha then sat down on the sofa where Yoon Da-yeon had been sitting moments ago. Kang Jae-ha, his face calm and unbothered, spoke low to the two men across from him.
"I already know everything. It's Kim Chul-joong, right?"
Across from him, both Nam Chul-jin and the other man were awash in bewilderment and tension. It was Nam Chul-jin who answered.
"What?"
Kang Jae-ha tilted his head slightly. His reply was short.
"I said I already know everything."
"......"
The truth was, Kang Jae-ha had been thinking about something ever since he saw Yoon Da-yeon's Deja Vu. Fine, I get the content, but who exactly pushed Yoon Da-yeon into this situation? Team Leader Jang Hyung-su? Or maybe General Manager Kim Dae-yong was also a suspect. In fact, General Manager Kim Dae-yong had been the most likely candidate.
But after spending some time there, he concluded it wasn't him.
The suspect added around that point was none other than Director Kim Chul-joong. No matter how washed-up Yoon Da-yeon was, proposing an erotic film to an actress under contract required someone at least at the team leader level or above. Pulling off a scheme of this scale without backing wasn't easy.
Whatever the case, Kang Jae-ha's hunch had been right on the mark.
Of course, Jae-ha already had quite a bit of evidence on Director Kim Chul-joong. From taking bribes to having a mistress, and so on. But evidence, like money, was a case of the more the merrier.
'Rather than stopping Yoon Da-yeon from showing up here, it's better to use this situation as a catalyst for her.'
Sometimes, a person needs to be thrown into a pit before they truly awaken. Resolve that's already been steeled only hardens further. That was why Kang Jae-ha hadn't blocked Yoon Da-yeon in advance.
Soon.
"Wh-who the hell are you people!"
Nam Chul-jin was agitated. Kang Jae-ha sent him a frigid look.
"Proposing an adult film to an actress under Leon's management? And going behind the company's back?"
"N-no, that's not... Are you from Leon?"
Jae-ha dropped the name of Leon Entertainment's head. It carried serious weight in this industry.
"If this reaches CEO Han Tae-sung's ears, you two are finished."
"!!!"
"So, what did Director Kim Chul-joong say?"
Jae-ha leaned forward. Inside the pocket of the padded jacket he wore, a phone sat with the recorder running.
"He... Director Kim Chul-joong contacted us first!"
"That's right! We just did what Director Kim Chul-joong told us to!"
The two men started spilling everything. Having collected all the evidence, Kang Jae-ha rose from the sofa. Then he delivered a warning to the two men, laced with a hint of killing intent.
"Disappear. And act like you know nothing. From now on."
At the same time, Leon Entertainment.
The location was Director Kim Chul-joong's office. Quitting time had long since passed, but he was still in his office, and for the past few minutes, he'd been trying to make a call. To Nam Chul-jin. But for some reason, the call kept going unanswered.
Director Kim clicked his tongue.
"What the hell are these bastards doing. Did they meet Yoon Da-yeon or not."
Curiosity and frustration were mounting when a call came in. Finally. But the number on his phone wasn't Nam Chul-jin's. An unsaved number. What now. Still, he dropped his voice low and answered.
"This is Kim Chul-joong."
The man on the other end of the phone spoke.
"Director-nim?"
Wondering if it might be an unsaved source of money, Director Kim maintained his manners.
"Who is this?"
The man's reply came back utterly indifferent.
"You must be feeling full, what with all the bribes you've been stuffing your face with."
"...What?"
"Mind if we have a quick chat?"
"Who the hell are you."
"You'll find out when you see me."
"......"
"If you don't want to meet, then don't. I don't care either way. What'll it be?"
Director Kim's eyes darted rapidly. Something told him he shouldn't ignore this. Especially the word "bribes". Clenching his molars, Director Kim answered as calmly as he could.
"Time and place."
Late that same night.
Close to midnight, Director Kim Chul-joong parked his car. A quiet park with a view of the Han River. Barely a soul around. Hands shoved into the pockets of his coat, Director Kim Chul-joong.
"...Fuck, who is this bastard."
He'd just muttered to himself when he sensed someone behind him. He whipped around. A man in a black padded jacket was walking toward him. Only when the man drew close did his face become visible. Black hair, no expression. Director Kim Chul-joong immediately narrowed his brow.
'I feel like I've seen him somewhere.'
The face was familiar. But hazy. He couldn't quite place where. On the other hand, the approaching man... no, Kang Jae-ha looked at Director Kim Chul-joong and smiled. A smile with a distinctly bitter edge. Director Kim Chul-joong scrunched his face and spoke in a surly voice.
"You... who are you. I feel like I've seen you somewhere."
Jae-ha pointed at Director Kim Chul-joong's neck.
"Who am I? The guy who's going to put a leash on you."
"What kind of bullshit is that."
Jae-ha dropped something at Director Kim Chul-joong's feet. Director Kim Chul-joong looked down. The color drained from his face almost instantly. And for good reason. What Jae-ha had dropped were photos, and the subject in every single one of them was Director Kim Chul-joong. Scenes of bribes exchanging hands.
"You... you son of a bitch. What is this!"
Kang Jae-ha slowly raised the corners of his mouth and answered casually.
"Why get worked up already? I just showed you episode one."
After all, episodes two and three were still to come.