Translator: Dreamscribe
There were plenty of ways to devour Leon Entertainment. 'MEG' could grow massive, or they could work things from the inside, and so on. Well, all of that was a matter for later. Just as Kang Jae-ha was thinking, the woman's voice spoke again.
【I will see you at the third month's Pension disbursement.】
【Well then, fighting.】
That damn fighting was back again. Not that Jae-ha cared much anymore; he'd more or less gotten used to it. At first it felt like mockery, but now it almost seemed like genuine encouragement.
More importantly, that wasn't what mattered right now.
-[Deposit/ 700,000,000 won]
The point was that 700 million won had been loaded into Jae-ha's account. Seated at his desk in Team 4, Kang Jae-ha confirmed the 700 million deposited into his account while stroking his chin.
'Wasn't it supposed to be deposited every fifteen days? Today's the thirteenth.'
He checked the dates and saw that the fourteenth and fifteenth fell on a weekend. Jae-ha smirked, roughly putting it together. The Pension deposit date landed on a weekend this time, so they'd sent it today, Friday? Looking at it this way, it was a Pension and yet felt like a salary.
A salary of 700 million and an annual income of roughly 8 billion won.
It really did hit him how smart it had been to bust his ass collecting currency and treasures in the Other World. Anyway, he'd spent a fair bit of money funneling investment into 'Condensation' and 'House of the Daytime Moon', but with 700 million now recharged...
'Alright, so I'm back to almost a billion won now, right?'
His funds had recovered to nearly a billion won. If a money-scented 'Deja Vu' came along now, that'd be perfect. Just as Jae-ha was muttering this to himself and booting up his laptop.
-Swoosh.
A man entered the still-empty Team 4 office.
"Hey, Kang Jae-ha."
A face and voice that reeked of looking for trouble. It was General Manager Seo Jin-su from Team 2, the one Jae-ha had chewed out before. A college junior of Team 2's Team Leader Song Sun-hee and tightly connected to her line, he was the man who used to bully Kang Jae-ha back when Jae-ha was still a pushover.
That same General Manager Seo Jin-su now approached the seated Kang Jae-ha. His very stride was loaded with the intent to sneer.
"Bastard, I hear you've been squirming around in Team 4 lately? Word is you and Yoon Da-yeon are busy with something?"
He must have heard the rumors about Team 4. The changes were small, sure, but Team 4 had borne some modest results nonetheless. General Manager Seo Jin-su seemed to have swung by while the topic was fresh.
Kang Jae-ha didn't give much of a reaction.
"......"
He crossed his legs while still seated and flashed a smile at General Manager Seo Jin-su. Thick with arrogance.
"What is it now? You came all the way here first thing in the morning just to stir shit, General Manager-nim?"
It must have struck a nerve, because General Manager Seo Jin-su's brow furrowed as he shoved both hands into his pockets and snarled.
"You little bastard, didn't I tell you to keep your little tantrum in check?"
"I haven't even started anything yet."
"What?"
"Want me to get serious with you for real? You'll regret it."
"...Bastard's all bluster."
General Manager Seo Jin-su took one more step toward the seated Jae-ha.
"You might fool everyone else, but you can't fool me. Who doesn't know you're just faking tough? What, heart pounding right now? Scared your real self's gonna show?"
"I told you last time, your mouth smells like shit."
"......"
"Back off. Unless you want to die."
In that instant, all expression was erased from Kang Jae-ha's face. No irritation, no anger, nothing like that. Neither black nor white, just grey. Only, in the eyes that looked at General Manager Seo Jin-su...
'This guy's a little annoying.'
...a faint killing intent had settled in. If this were the Other World where he'd spent eighteen years, Seo Jin-su's head would have been rolling on the floor long ago.
Right about then, the Team Leader's office door, which had been shut, opened.
Team Leader Jang Hyung-su poked his head out. His face was hollowed with exhaustion, as if he'd gotten inadequate sleep in his office. He spotted General Manager Seo Jin-su in a standoff with Kang Jae-ha.
'What the hell is this now.'
Annoyance welled up, and he was about to drag General Manager Seo Jin-su out. But someone else called out to General Manager Seo Jin-su first. A man with a long chin who had just swept into Team 4: Director Kim Chul-joong.
"What are you doing here."
Both General Manager Seo Jin-su, who flinched, and Kang Jae-ha turned their gazes toward the door, but the quicker reaction came from General Manager Seo Jin-su, whose eyes widened slightly.
"D-Director Kim?"
"Oh, it's General Manager Seo? What's General Manager Seo doing in Team 4."
"Ah, well, you see."
"I said what are you doing. A Team 2 guy in Team 4."
"......I was just having a conversation."
Director Kim Chul-joong looked back and forth between General Manager Seo Jin-su and Kang Jae-ha. His face twisted.
"A conversation? At this hour? Tsk, everyone else is working their asses off and you're slacking?"
"S-sorry, sir."
"Your name keeps coming up lately."
"!!!"
"Quit making a scene and get going."
"Yes, yes sir!"
General Manager Seo Jin-su bolted out. As Kang Jae-ha was absently watching his retreating back, his vision suddenly lurched. A familiar wave of déjà vu. Soon, something different from reality played out before Jae-ha. It was a 'Deja Vu'.
The 'Deja Vu' wasn't particularly long, and its protagonist was General Manager Seo Jin-su.
Jae-ha returned to reality almost immediately.
'I can practically smell the money.'
He watched General Manager Seo Jin-su hurrying out of Team 4 and smirked.
'Thanks for multiplying my money, you bastard.'
What Kang Jae-ha had just seen in the 'Deja Vu' was stocks. The US Stock Market, again. In the 'Deja Vu', General Manager Seo Jin-su had been beating the ground in regret, but for Jae-ha, it was delicious intel that could multiply his funds several times over.
Right as Kang Jae-ha was savoring the thought of the money he'd grow.
"Um."
Director Kim Chul-joong, who'd been clearing his throat a few times, sidled up to Jae-ha and spoke. His voice was as quiet as he could make it.
"Let's talk today."
"Why."
"...Because I have something to say..."
"Wait. Until I call you."
"Come on."
"I said wait. And another thing."
Kang Jae-ha, thinking of General Manager Seo Jin-su, gave Director Kim Chul-joong an order.
"That guy from earlier, get rid of him. He's annoying."
"Get rid of him?"
"Why are you asking me? Do what you're good at."
"......"
Director Kim Chul-joong clenched his molars, exhaled, and steadied himself. Then, as if nothing had happened, he called out to Team Leader Jang Hyung-su.
"Team Leader Jang. Let's have a word."
A smokescreen to emphasize that the reason he'd come to Team 4 was Team Leader Jang Hyung-su, not Kang Jae-ha. Jae-ha had already pulled out his phone and couldn't have cared less.
'This stock surge lasts three days.'
Opening his trading app was several times more important right now.
After that.
Kang Jae-ha opened his trading app and found the stock he'd seen in General Manager Seo Jin-su's 'Deja Vu'. He studied the stock price briefly, then began pouring in his funds without hesitation.
Several dozen minutes later.
-T&K Labs $103.41(-0.24%)
-Investment Principal $808,562 (889,418,200 won)
His funds were once again sunk into the US Stock Market. The stock was a thriving American biotech company. The positive catalyst was a new diet drug. That catalyst would send the stock price surging for roughly three days.
'Today's the thirteenth. The surge starts on the twenty-third.'
Meaning less than ten days remained until Kang Jae-ha's funds would swell.
A few days later, the seventeenth.
Regardless.
"Hello!"
"Good morning!"
People began trickling into the reading room that 'Moonbak Film' had separately prepared. To be precise, they were actors. Yoon Da-yeon, An Ji-hee, and the other actors who had passed the 'Condensation' audition. Naturally, most of them were unknowns, and they found their seats by checking the role chart placed on the square-shaped table.
But for the unknown actors now settling into their seats, an overwhelming wave of emotion was swelling up. Then a few of the actors voiced their curiosity.
"Does anyone know who got the female lead in 'Condensation'?"
"No. Not a clue."
"I'm curious too. I actually auditioned for the female lead but got recommended for a different role, so I switched."
"There probably aren't any well-known actors, right?"
"Probably not? It's almost unheard of for a recognized actor to appear in a short film."
Once one person broke the ice, the roughly six actors, men and women, had their walls down. They chattered nonstop. Then the reading room door opened again. A woman with her short hair tied back peeked her face in.
The actors already seated greeted her awkwardly, each muttering to themselves.
'Wow, she's gorgeous.'
'What is that vibe? Insane.'
'Her look is totally unique. The kind directors would drool over. So jealous......'
The woman who'd entered the reading room gave a quick bow and then greeted everyone loudly.
"Hello! I'm An Ji-hee!"
Startled by her boldness, the other actors jumped to their feet to return the greeting. An Ji-hee then squeaked her way over to check the role chart. She barely managed to find her own name.
-'Ji-su' Role/ An Ji-hee-nim
The moment she saw the role chart, An Ji-hee nearly choked up.
'My name is really written there, somehow I feel like I might cry.'
Keeping an eye on the other actors, she discreetly pulled out her phone. To take a photo of the role chart. An Ji-hee snapped a few pictures before carefully sitting down. The moment she sat in the 'Ji-su' role seat, the eyes of the surrounding actors shifted.
'She's the female lead.'
'So she's the female protagonist. No wonder her aura felt a bit different.'
'The sync rate is good, with the "Ji-su" role.'
But the actors' shock didn't end there.
-Swish.
Because behind An Ji-hee, another actress entered the reading room. It was Yoon Da-yeon. The moment the 'Condensation' actors saw her with her long hair let down, they were visibly taken aback.
"Oh?"
"Ah."
"What? What's wrong?"
Because most of the actors recognized Yoon Da-yeon. Why was Yoon Da-yeon here? Of course, she'd been washed-up for so long that some actors didn't recognize her at all. In any case, the instant Yoon Da-yeon appeared, silence fell over the reading room.
Feeling self-conscious for no reason, Yoon Da-yeon gave the actors a small bow.
"Hello."
The unknown actors of 'Condensation' rose awkwardly to return the greeting, but they couldn't take their eyes off Yoon Da-yeon as she moved.
It was just that surprising.
They were all actors, but the gap in name recognition was night and day. Even so, Yoon Da-yeon was bottom-tier in the bigger leagues, but this place was the abyss, even lower than the bottom. Soon Yoon Da-yeon found her seat and sat down as well.
-'Jeong-hee' Role/ Yoon Da-yeon-nim
Who'd have thought that Yoon Da-yeon would be this Yoon Da-yeon. While the actors were sneaking glances at Yoon Da-yeon trying not to be obvious, Director Kwon Sung-min and the key staff filed into the reading room all at once. Among them was Kang Jae-ha, his face indifferent. And Lee Chan-hoo, of course. Jae-ha, one of the last to enter the reading room, let a thought slip internally.
He confirmed that Yoon Da-yeon and An Ji-hee were in their seats. Da-yeon would be fine, but An Ji-hee, for whom this was her first reading, might have sat in the wrong seat. Fortunately, both appeared to be seated correctly.
"Good day. I'm Director Kwon Sung-min."
Standing before the actors, Director Kwon Sung-min introduced himself with considerable confidence. Of course, on the inside, he was sweating bullets.
'Ugh, I'm so nervous!'
He was fighting down his surging anxiety with sheer bravado.
"Throughout the production of 'Condensation', I will do my very best to capture the performances of every actor here."
After a brief pause to collect himself, Director Kwon Sung-min pushed his glasses up and addressed the actors again.
The NDA was essentially a "no spoilers" contract. A clause stipulating that participating actors, internal production details, and so forth must not be disclosed to outsiders.
A standard contract included in virtually any production.
"This is the first time I'm mentioning this, but the final destination for our 'Condensation' is the 'Busan International Film Festival'."
The 'Busan International Film Festival'?! The moment they heard it, every single actor's jaw dropped.
"!!!"
Utter shock.
That included An Ji-hee.
'Th-the Busan International Film Festival??!'
The veteran Yoon Da-yeon was no different.
'What?!!'
No, being a veteran, Yoon Da-yeon was several times more rattled. She knew all too well the impact of the world-renowned 'Busan International Film Festival'. Soon Yoon Da-yeon glared at Kang Jae-ha, who was sitting there casually yawning as if it were nothing.
'Are you insane?! The 'Busan International Film Festival'?? You never said anything about that!!'
That same night, the 'MEG' office.
Tender, bouncy jokbal. [TL Note: Jokbal is a Korean dish of braised pig's trotters.]
"Ahh, that smell is amazing. Nothing beats jokbal for a late-night snack. Right, Commander?"
"Who's got time to talk? Mix up that buckwheat noodles over there."
"Yes sir, yes sir. But doesn't eating jokbal remind you of the food we used to eat in that other world? What was it called again? Anyway, the stuff we made from those trash mobs."
"Cut it out. How dare you compare sacred jokbal to that."
Lee Chan-hoo apologized, then enthusiastically mixed the fiery red buckwheat noodles. Kang Jae-ha, perhaps wanting some background noise, switched on a TV mounted on the wall that looked recently purchased. The news was in full swing on the screen.
-["Next is a case that has been occurring in a series of incidents recently. A woman in her fifties who was attacked by an assailant several days ago has fortunately regained consciousness."]
Kang Jae-ha, his eyes fixed on the TV, set down the remote. Meanwhile, the anchor on screen continued.
-["However, due to multiple stab wounds, she must focus on her recovery. Police have stated that the weapon used in the recent cases appears to be the same, indicating a connection, and announced they will investigate with a focus on the theory that it is the same perpetrator. The weapon is a sharp blade or......"]
Lee Chan-hoo, listening to the anchor while gnawing the bone off a piece of jokbal, clicked his tongue.
"What kind of sick moron does that."
At that moment, Kang Jae-ha's vision lurched as he watched the TV. A wave of déjà vu followed. Soon, a 'Deja Vu' unfolded before Jae-ha. The unusual thing was that the subject of the 'Deja Vu' wasn't present in front of him. He'd simply been watching TV.
A 'Deja Vu' of a different kind.
But without question, what Kang Jae-ha was seeing right now was a 'Deja Vu', and it was longer than usual.
"......"
After the 'Deja Vu' ended and Kang Jae-ha returned to reality, his expression had turned deeply grave. Lee Chan-hoo, noticing something was off, asked.
"Commander? What's wrong? Stomach ache?"
Kang Jae-ha set down the chopsticks he'd been holding, abruptly stood, and walked toward the front of the TV. The screen was still reporting on the same incident. Jae-ha pointed at the TV with his index finger. To be precise, he was pointing at the suspect.
"I think this perp bastard might be your next recruit."
He meant a subordinate from the Mercenary Corps.