Chapter 87: Round Two (8)
When Choi Do-hyun arrived home, he found Baek Seung-heon looking completely worn out.
“You’re here, hyung?”
“What the hell did you do today?!”
“Me? I called the director, the investment reps, the staff who were harassing actors—told them to stop abusing their power. Told them they’re the reason I lost to Kim Si-woo.”
“What?”
“And I also stopped by Siwoo Film’s office to talk. I was on my way back from there.”
“What?”
What shocked Baek even more was that he’d gone to Siwoo Film directly and talked to someone there.
“Wh–what did you say? More importantly, did Writer Kim even meet you?”
“No. He wasn’t there. So I talked to the people working under him. Their shoot is in two days—I’m going to check out the filming site.”
“What nonsense… why would you go see someone else’s filming?”
“I need to confirm something. Anyway, what did the company president say?”
Baek then explained everything: How he had kneeled in front of broadcast officials for Do-hyun, How he was screamed at by the agency,
And how K-Actors ultimately decided to sue unless Do-hyun paid the penalty fee and terminated his contract.
“Let’s just pay the penalty and cancel the contract. Hyung, you should quit the company too.”
“What? Do you know how much that penalty is?”
“No. They barely paid me a signing bonus anyway.”
“Still… with that money—”
“The movie money should be pretty good. And the ads too.”
“Haa…”
“Pay the penalty. And hyung, take all the money that’s left.”
“…What?”
Even after paying the penalty, Do-hyun would still have plenty left.
But telling Baek to take the rest left him speechless.
“Then what about you?”
“Me? You’ll take care of me.”
“…God. This is all my fault for getting attached to you.”
Baek suddenly stood up and headed for the door.
“Hyung! Where are you going? I’m not done talking!”
“To cancel the damn contract! Why, you idiot?!”
“Oh… okay. Come back safely.”
As Baek left, Do-hyun picked up the cube on his desk and rotated it absent-mindedly, sinking into thought.
***
Two days later
After successfully terminating the contract, Choi Do-hyun arrived at the Siwoo Film shooting site.
The set was bustling with people preparing for the shoot.
“Hah… he really came. And he even brought someone. How can someone be this shameless?”
“Actors are supposed to be shameless. It’s good for the job.”
“Excuse me!”
Realizing she couldn’t deal with him, Lee Yoo-jin went to Baek Seung-heon, who was apologizing profusely to everyone behind Do-hyun.
“Ah! Yes?”
“I’m Director Lee Yoo-jin from Siwoo Film. What exactly is your relationship with Mr. Choi Do-hyun?”
“I’m Baek Seung-heon, his manager.”
“I’m sorry, but… could you please take your actor back? As you can see, this isn’t a place he should be. The staff feels the same way.”
“Huh?”
Baek looked around and immediately realized the atmosphere.
The stares toward Do-hyun were far from friendly.
But… when Do-hyun set his mind on something, even Baek couldn’t stop him.
“I’m sorry. Really, I’m so sorry. But that kid is unbelievably stubborn… I promise he won’t interfere with the shoot. Please. He really is sincere about acting.”
“…Fine. But if he disrupts anything, we will call the police.”
“Yes, thank you. Really—thank you.”
Yoo-jin could not understand how someone ended up as Do-hyun’s manager.
She only felt sorry for him.
Meanwhile, the actual problem—Choi Do-hyun—was wandering around the set, inspecting equipment with curious eyes.
“These cameras are for YouTube shoots? You barely see these even in professional film sets. And those lights? You guys really threw money at this.”
“Then how about stepping away before you break something? We’ll sue you if you damage anything.”
“S-sorry. Do-hyun! Get back here. I barely got permission for you to look around. Stay at the back and be quiet. Please.”
“Tch.”
Thankfully, Do-hyun let Baek drag him to the back, where he quietly watched the shoot.
The filming began.
Under Lee Yoo-jin’s direction, the team moved like a well-oiled machine, syncing perfectly with every call and cue.
“Impressive! That director.”
“What?”
“She’s better than most directors I’ve worked with.”
“Really? I can’t tell.”
“She knows how to read the flow.”
Watching from behind, Choi Do-hyun commented freely, clearly impressed.
He wasn’t only observing Director Lee Yoo-jin—he also watched the synergy between staff members and actors.
To him, they looked no different from professionals.
The actors’ performances were average, but the staff supporting them?
Their skills were undeniably on a professional level.
For people only in their early to mid-twenties, their competence was something you almost never see.
When a scene finished, Do-hyun rushed back to the set and started checking the staff’s hands and equipment, muttering to himself:
‘These people… this isn’t talent. It’s effort. But who taught them?’
Of course, their skills didn’t come from thin air.
Beyond the team’s hard work, it was also thanks to Kim Si-woo’s money and connections.
“How long have you used this lighting setup?”
“About a year now?”
“A year?”
“I used to try acting, but I sucked at it… So I moved into staff work and eventually became part of the lighting team. Turns out it’s fun. Depending on how I light them, the actor’s whole atmosphere changes.”
“…You’re insane.”
“What??”
Do-hyun cursed reflexively.
The Siwoo Film staff were far more skilled than he expected.
And they achieved all this in just one year.
If Kim Si-woo were to seriously assemble a production team?
Within five years—
No, even right now—there might not be a better film crew in the entire country.
“I wasn’t talking about you. Anyway, you’ve got good skills.”
“W-what? Ahem… well, I am pretty good at lighting.”
For the first time in his career, Do-hyun complimented a staff member.
Actually, he had no choice.
Most staff members he’d worked with in films or commercials had dead eyes.
They didn’t care how an actor looked—they just did whatever the director told them.
They never thought about how their lighting shaped the actor’s presence.
But here… everyone was different.
A 15–20 minute web drama.
Yet they were pouring their hearts into figuring out how to make it a great piece.
Everyone collaborated, everyone cared.
It reminded Do-hyun of the small theater troupe he once worked with long ago.
After a few more takes, Lee Yoo-jin hesitated, feeling guilty for not reporting this sooner, and finally called Kim Si-woo.
Si-woo, in the middle of preparing for a trip, listened to the story without much reaction.
“Choi Do-hyun is at the filming site?”
—Yes, Writer-nim.
Hearing that Do-hyun refused to leave even when asked, Si-woo gave a single, simple instruction:
“Call the police.”
—Huh? Y-yes… Understood.
“Next time, don’t deal with lunatics. Just call the police right away.”
—Yes, Writer-nim. Also… when will you visit the office? The team misses you…
“Not sure. I don’t plan on going for a while. I’m taking a trip to clear my head.”
—Really? I see… then travel safely.
After the call, Si-woo still couldn’t understand what Do-hyun was hoping to gain by going there.
“What could he possibly get from watching their shoot? It didn’t look like he went to cause trouble…”
Back on set, following Si-woo’s orders, Yoo-jin approached Do-hyun again.
“If you don’t leave immediately, we’ll report you to the police.”
“Yeah, yeah, we’re going. Do-hyun, let’s go. Please.”
“Fine. I already confirmed what I needed.”
Seeing him leave so obediently left Baek Seung-heon dumbfounded.
“Then… we’ll go now.”
After the two left, Yoo-jin scratched her head, confused by Do-hyun’s unpredictable behavior.
On their way home, Do-hyun suddenly spoke:
“Hyung.”
“What.”
“Should I go work under Kim Si-woo?”
“WHAT KIND OF BULLSHIT IS THAT?!”
Baek Seung-heon finally snapped.
“Why? An actor like me is hard to find anywhere. This face, this acting skill.”
“Your personality is trash. And you were the one who insulted Writer Kim Si-woo first.”
“…”
“When I met him last time… He didn’t just dislike you. It was full-on disgust.”
“Hm… If I apologize, maybe he’ll accept it?”
“Are you insane? No—wait, you are insane.”
“Well, I’ll try anyway.”
***
A few days later, Kim Si-woo headed to the airport for his trip to Japan.
Only a handful of people knew he was traveling—Shim Ji-young, Lee Yoo-jin, Hong Soo-yeon, and his parents.
Not many people were aware, but Si-woo didn’t really care.
Three hours before his flight, Si-woo saw a bizarre headline.
[Choi Do-hyun: “I apologize to Kim Si-woo.”]
“What kind of bullshit is this?”
He clicked the article.
It stated that he sincerely apologized for everything he had said and done up until now.
“Is he crazy? Now? At this point?”
From Si-woo’s point of view, it was obvious—
Choi Do-hyun was losing work and trying to stay relevant by stirring up attention.
But shocking enough, more articles followed one after another.
For journalists, there was no one in the film industry more provocative than Choi Do-hyun.
His interviews were pure gold for clicks.
The impact of these articles wasn’t small either.
Rumors spread that Kim Si-woo was “pressuring” K-Actors.
Then news broke that Choi Do-hyun had terminated his contract with his agency, and his fandom exploded.
His fans claimed he apologized to Kim Si-woo and quit the company because of Si-woo, increasing his anti-fans in droves.
But unexpectedly, Choi Do-hyun began scolding those fans.
Seeing this, Kim Si-woo shook his head.
“The more I see, the crazier he looks.”
Si-woo already knew he wasn’t the smartest guy in the world, but Choi Do-hyun was on another level entirely.
“I should avoid getting entangled…”
Just then, as his boarding time approached, his phone rang.
“Huh? Jun-ho?”
It was actor Park Jun-ho.
“Yes, Jun-ho.”
—Writer-nim, sorry to bother you, but do you have a moment?
“Yes, if it’s quick.”
—Uh… Choi Do-hyun came to see me… kneeling and apologizing. What should I do?
“…What?”
—He doesn’t look like he’s faking it… This is really awkward…
So after that media circus, Choi Do-hyun had now gone to Park Jun-ho’s home, kneeling and apologizing.
Si-woo’s brain couldn’t process it immediately.
“Well… If you want to forgive him, that’s up to you.”
—And… he also said he really wants to talk to you. Could you maybe speak with him just once? He’s come to my house for days…
“Haa…”
If Si-woo refused now, Jun-ho would only be bothered more.
“…Fine. Put him on.”
—I’m so sorry, Writer-nim.
A moment later, Si-woo heard the voice he’d only heard through videos.
—Ah… Writer Kim Si-woo?
“Just say what you came to say. What do you want?”
—You don’t mince words. Good. …I want to work under you. Please take me in.
“Get lost.”
Click.
Si-woo hung up without hesitation.
“Huh? Hello? What—did he hang up?”
“Haa… I hope he doesn’t drag me into this too. Just go home now.”
“Damn… I’ll just wait for the next chance then. By the way… do you know what Writer Kim likes?”
“I doubt I’d tell you even if I knew. Please leave. You’ve apologized and I let you talk, so that’s enough.”
“Understood. Then I’ll be going. And… I’m truly sorry about last time. I really thought you collapsed from overwork because you were being used. Actors get injured by directors and investors all the time… I acted rashly. And—I really admired your acting. You were incredible. I’ve never met anyone my age who performs as well as me. I mean it.”
Choi Do-hyun bowed deeply to Park Jun-ho and left.
While Choi Do-hyun was running around trying to gather information about Kim Si-woo, Si-woo himself was stepping foot onto Japanese soil.
“Japan… finally here.”
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