Chapter 85: Round Two (6)
After hearing Baek Seung-heon’s story, Kim Si-woo was dumbfounded.
‘He was the one who started this whole thing… and now that he’s in trouble, he wants me to go easy on him?’
Naturally, Si-woo had no intention of stopping.
Either K-Actors abandoned Choi Do-hyun, Or they all sank together.
Whichever happened, it wasn’t Si-woo’s concern.
‘Well… from the company’s perspective, losing him must hurt.’
After all, with his acting skills and looks, Do-hyun was the kind of actor who could have made the agency a fortune for years to come.
But whether it was due to his personality or something in his past, the way his manager shielded him made it clear there was some reason behind it.
Of course, that was no reason for Si-woo to forgive him.
On his way home, Si-woo felt… not good, but not entirely bad either—He’d gotten a bit of revenge, after all.
After coming home, showering, and lying down to rest, he received a call from Kim Jin-man.
“Hello?”
—Yes, Writer-nim. Do you have a moment to talk?
“I do. Go ahead.”
—It’s about what we discussed after the meeting today.
“The matter with Choi Do-hyun’s manager?”
—Yes.
After Si-woo left, Jin-man had contacted people in his network to verify Baek Seung-heon’s claims.
He now relayed what he learned, hoping to ease any unnecessary burden on Si-woo’s mind.
—I’ve checked. It seems other stations have also started rejecting K-Actors’ talent, beginning with Choi Do-hyun.
“And the reason… is because of me?”
—They say initially, yes. But apparently K-Actors’ actors already had a reputation for having pretty nasty personalities. Writer-nim just happened to light the fuse that was already set.
“So it’s self-inflicted.”
—Which is why you don’t need to worry about what that manager said.
“Thank you for the concern. But I’m not soft-hearted enough to feel bad for someone who attacked me first… haha.”
Jin-man’s words did, however, spark another thought.
What if his own movie hadn’t outperformed Choi Do-hyun’s?
What if he had been a writer with less influence?
Would people still have taken his side?
He knew his scripts held power, that people treated him well because of them, but this was the first time he seriously reflected on it.
The answer was one he already knew— But didn’t want to admit.
And it left his mind tangled.
Meanwhile, Choi Do-hyun and his manager Baek Seung-heon were being pushed further and further into a corner.
The film Do-hyun shot to “face off” against Si-woo was losing more audience each day, completely overshadowed by Idol.
By the time Idol surpassed 10 million viewers, Do-hyun’s film didn’t even break 5 million.
The winner and loser of this showdown were decided.
To make matters worse, TV stations were now editing out or outright refusing to invite actors from K-Actors.
The company’s finances rapidly deteriorated.
“Hey! Baek Seung-heon! What are you going to do? You said he was a golden goose! Is this your golden egg?!”
The CEO of K-Actors berated him day after day.
Do-hyun knew all of this… But he cared only about the fact that he had lost to Kim Si-woo by an enormous margin.
Yet no matter how he looked at it, his own acting had been perfect.
In fact, since becoming an adult, he had never once believed his acting was anything less than perfect.
More outstanding than anyone. More dazzling than anyone. Stealing every gaze in every scene.
He had done his part flawlessly.
So the reason he lost was…
“Right… It’s all because of the director, the writer, and the other actors… I was perfect… but those bastards ruined it…”
Muttering drunkenly, Do-hyun staggered to his feet.
He was on his way to cause a massive incident.
***
Two days before Choi Do-hyun caused his incident.
After her call with Si-woo, Hong Soo-yeon felt uneasy.
“Was I… too cold to him?”
It was true she’d been upset with him—
But she never intended for it to last this long.
After snapping at him, she had tried to act normal again…
But when she actually saw him, embarrassment took over, and she ended up acting prickly without meaning to.
Of course, part of the reason she acted prickly was because she couldn’t handle how flustered Kim Si-woo looked every time she reacted that way.
Still, she thought the situation had been resolved after he brought a coffee truck to her commercial shoot…
But during their recent phone call, his voice had sounded completely drained.
A voice she hadn’t heard even once in the last several months—
So weak it made her chest tighten.
Because of that, Hong Soo-yeon found herself unable to stay fully focused on anything.
“…Should I go see him?”
Recently, she had finished paying off the debt for her grandmother’s surgery that Si-woo had lent her,
And she had nearly saved enough for a lease on an apartment.
Of course, it was basically all thanks to the opportunities Si-woo had set up for her—she only had to accept the help placed before her.
Her only worry now was the darkness in his voice from their last call.
“Yeah… his house is close anyway, and… it’s been a while since I saw Writer-nim’s parents too.”
Kim Si-woo’s parents.
Especially his mother, who had always felt sorry for Soo-yeon’s home situation.
She often visited to bring side dishes or keep Soo-yeon’s grandmother company.
She was the one who helped Soo-yeon adjust to life in this neighborhood.
Filled with worry and gratitude, Soo-yeon went to a department store and bought expensive gifts for the first time in her life.
“Su-ji teacher said… these cosmetics were good, so…”
She bought a premium skincare set for Si-woo’s mother, a luxury pair of shoes for his father, and a designer perfume for Si-woo.
After purchasing everything, Soo-yeon called his mother.
“Mother? It’s Soo-yeon.”
—Oh my, Soo-yeon! What’s the matter?
“It’s nothing special… I was wondering if I could visit today. I’ve been craving your cooking.”
—Goodness, of course you can. We are practically retired now; we’re always home.
His mother welcomed her warmly, and Soo-yeon said she would visit around dinner.
“But… Mother, did something happen to Si-woo? His voice didn’t sound good recently.”
—Well? He hasn’t been coming out of his room much… so maybe something’s going on? He doesn’t talk about himself, you know.
“I see… understood. I’ll see you later then.”
—Alright, come safely.
After the call ended, Soo-yeon was filled with mixed emotions.
Half excitement at the thought of seeing Si-woo,
Half anxiety about his condition.
Even she knew her feelings were contradictory.
After feeding her grandmother and little sister dinner, Soo-yeon headed for Si-woo’s place—and ran into an unexpected person.
“S-Sunbaenim?”
“Soo-yeon?”
The person standing in front of Si-woo’s house was none other than Shim Ji-young.
“Sunbaenim, why are you here…?”
“You’re the one who should explain why you’re here…”
Both stood awkwardly, confused, when suddenly the front door opened.
“You’re here? Come in, quickly.”
At his mother’s voice, the two stepped inside despite their mutual surprise.
“What? Did you two not know you were both coming?”
“N-no… Mother, we didn’t.”
“Oh goodness… you two kept contacting me so I assumed you coordinated with each other…”
“A-ahaha…”
Ji-young and Soo-yeon exchanged awkward laughs as they entered.
Inside, the dining table was set with multiple homemade dishes prepared by his mother.
But the one person both women came to see—Kim Si-woo—was nowhere to be seen.
“Son! Come eat!”
There was no reply.
Eventually, his mother opened his bedroom door and shook him awake.
“Son! Get up. You have guests.”
“Guests?”
“Yes. Soo-yeon and Ji-young are here. Didn’t you know?”
“How would I know…?”
“Sigh… Look at you. At least shave, would you?”
The sight of him shocked them both.
His condition was worse than they imagined.
His hair was a mess, an untrimmed beard covered his jaw, and dark circles hollowed his eyes.
Even at a glance, it was obvious something was seriously wrong.
“…I’ll eat after I wash up.”
Unwilling to appear like a total wreck in front of them, Si-woo showered and shaved before returning—
Looking cleaner, but still exhausted.
“So… what brings you two here? I told you I’d be taking a break from work for a while.”
His hair was neat now, his face shaved—
But the dark shadows under his eyes remained.
And because his tone was noticeably sharper than usual, both Shim Ji-young and Hong Soo-yeon couldn’t respond easily.
“Hey, you! Just eat your food first. And why else would they come? They’re worried about you, obviously.”
“…”
Thankfully, Kim Si-woo’s mother stepped in, and the icy atmosphere melted away.
Dinner resumed, and Soo-yeon, who had placed her gift behind her earlier, took it out and handed it to his mother first.
“Ah, and this… it’s nothing special, I just thought of you on the way here.”
“Oh my, why bring something like this?”
Receiving the gift, his mother smiled warmly— And then sighed wistfully.
“Ho, Si-woo’s father went out for a company dinner tonight… That man, all he ever does is drink.”
After handing over the two gifts for the parents, Soo-yeon held out the gift meant for Si-woo.
But his reaction was completely different from what she expected.
“Oh. Thanks.”
Just a short thank-you.
His voice carried no warmth, no emotion.
“…Okay.”
Soo-yeon’s shoulders drooped, and seeing her expression, his mother scratched her head awkwardly.
Even when Shim Ji-young handed over her gift, his response was the same—short and empty.
After dinner, his mother served tea and snacks, then excused herself, leaving them alone.
She sensed they needed to talk privately and gave them space.
“What happened to you?”
Once the mother left, Ji-young took a sip of coffee and asked first.
“What do you mean? Nothing in particular.”
“But why are you like this? You look worse than usual.”
“Guess I’m just tired.”
“….”
Hearing “just tired” made Ji-young fall silent.
Soo-yeon, meanwhile, couldn’t say a word.
She feared that maybe her earlier sulking and attitude had hurt him more than she realized, and that it was her fault he was acting this way.
Time passed, and Si-woo’s mother returned.
The two women ended up chatting with her for a long while, not with Si-woo.
“Son, walk Soo-yeon home.”
“Yes.”
Eventually, it was time to leave. His mother asked him to walk Soo-yeon home first, not Ji-young.
Si-woo quietly agreed and got ready to go.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes… Mother, thank you for the delicious meal. Can I come again next time?”
“Of course. Anytime. Take care on your way back.”
“Yes.”
As they walked, a small trembling sound came from beside him.
“Hic… sniff…”
Soo-yeon was crying.
Even in his exhausted state, Si-woo couldn’t hide his shock.
What? Why is she suddenly crying?
Just as he opened his mouth to ask, Soo-yeon apologized first through her tears.
“I… I’m sorry…”
“…Huh?”
“You only said those things because you wanted what was best for me… But I got mad, acted childish… I’m sorry for making you feel bad…”
Even while crying, Soo-yeon was stunningly beautiful.
Was it true what people said—that a woman’s tears were a weapon?
If so, then a beautiful woman crying was a weapon of mass destruction.
And Si-woo… was still a man.
He hurriedly comforted her, while random men passing by stopped to stare.
“Sigh… It’s not because of you. So don’t cry. People are staring.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. It’s not because of you, so stop crying. If I was upset with you, would I have sent a coffee truck?”
Hearing that it wasn’t her fault, Soo-yeon wiped her tears.
“It’s just… you didn’t look happy when you got the gift. I thought it was because of me…”
“No, it’s just… I’ve had a lot on my mind lately.”
“What kind of thoughts!”
When he didn’t explain right away, Soo-yeon lifted her big round eyes even wider, staring up at him.
I’m not moving until you tell me—her expression practically said that.
And because she had been crying just moments ago, her eyes sparkled even more.
“Haa… It’s nothing big.”