Chapter 149 – The Young Lady (1)
[Chapter 8 – Section 1] Believe in Me!
There’s a saying that a position makes the person.
One’s job, rank in a company, social status, age, appearance…
The types of positions are diverse, but I can confidently declare that no one in this world has experienced a wider variety of positions than I have.
And right now?
“Hmm…”
A pathetic twenty-something young man blankly admiring the long, slender legs of his girlfriend who is currently in the middle of a photoshoot.
For Song Sun-young, who had waited patiently for so long, I thought nobly to myself: ‘Just for today, I’ll wait until her work is completely finished.’
“Hey!”
“Sun-young-ah~!”
“You idiot! If you’re coming, you should’ve called ahead and told me!”
And I got scolded.
“Uh… I wanted to surprise you…”
“Wanna get surprised with a beating?”
“…”
I shut my mouth, sensing that one more word would genuinely get me hit.
“Stay right there and don’t move.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“…No, wait. Don’t sneak peeks at other women’s legs—go wait inside the waiting room.”
“Hey! What are you saying? I only have eyes for you.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Sun-young-ah. Look into my eyes. Feel my sincerity—”
“Get inside before I stop being nice.”
“…Yes.”
I sat obediently in the studio’s staff waiting room and waited for Song Sun-young to finish.
I thought it would end soon, but…
“She’s not coming out.”
It had already been an hour and a half. If I keep waiting for my girlfriend to remove her makeup, I’m going to turn into a fossil!
“Oh my? Kang Moon-soo-ssi.”
“Hm? Ah! Hello, Jeon Ji-eun-ssi.”
She was wearing dark sunglasses, so I didn’t recognize her immediately—but it was Jeon Ji-eun, the older sister (by one year) who had helped me out for quite a while.
“Seeing you here, it looks like your treatment is finally over.”
“It just finished not too long ago. And you, Jeon Ji-eun-ssi…?”
“I basically commute here as my daily routine. I belong to this agency that doesn’t care about profit and just pours money in whenever needed.”
“I see.”
Jeon Ji-eun’s aptitude was acting.
Her family had only seen her glamorous appearance and wasted her as the face of the family business, but now she had landed the lead role in a massive blockbuster film.
‘Fate, huh…’
You can never predict where or how connections will be made.
I, who had zero experience with women from birth until right before high school graduation, ended up on my knees begging forgiveness from my girlfriend over ‘women’ issues.
“If Song Sun-young-ssi sees us, she’ll probably say something again, so I’ll get going now.”
“Ah… I’m really sorry.”
I’m truly sorry for being a boyfriend who can’t earn his girlfriend’s trust!
“If you’re sorry, then just give me your frozen sperm as a gift.”
“Cough! Th-that’s a bit…”
“Just kidding. See you later.”
With a graceful swish~
Even though she was only one year older, Jeon Ji-eun exuded the mature aura of a full-fledged adult in many ways compared to Song Sun-young.
She left the waiting room displaying the elegant poise of the famous actresses who appear on television at premieres.
Ring ring~♪
A cheerful melody came from my smartphone.
“…That’s weird.”
I don’t remember ever saving a ringtone like this?
But it wasn’t hard to guess who was responsible.
[Incoming call: Cute Yoon So-ra ♥]
“Phew… good thing I noticed it before it was too late.”
If Song Sun-young had seen that, she would’ve started by crushing my feet with her high heels before beginning a very serious conversation.
[Incoming call: Yoon So-ra]
After deleting the unnecessary sentence, I saved it again and answered the call.
“Hello.”
(Kang Moon-soo-ssi! I’m so glad you woke up safely! If it weren’t for the vice director’s errand, I would’ve visited you at the hospital…!)
“It’s fine. There will be plenty of time and opportunities to meet in the future.”
(I’ll try to make some time.)
“Hmm. For the time being, I’m planning to meet no one and focus solely on resting. I need time to adjust back to reality.”
This isn’t an exaggeration.
Because I lived such an overpowered life in the hunter novel <I Alone Am an SSS-Class Hunter>, the sense of deprivation I feel now is quite severe.
Even though I expected it, it still hit this hard.
If I had truly believed that world was reality, wouldn’t it have been unbearable to return? That’s how perfect my life there had been.
(Ah! I’m so sorry! I was too hasty! Understood!)
“I’ll contact you once my complicated feelings settle down. We might meet at the hospital too.”
(Yes! I’ll wait!)
Click.
The call ended.
“…Phew, that’s a relief.”
Her voice sounded far more lively than it had right before he entered Park Hyo-man’s dream. Almost too lively—to the point where it was slightly overwhelming!
Creak—
The waiting room door opened, and a genuinely handsome man stepped inside.
Broad, perfectly squared shoulders, a sharp yet thick jawline, thick but long eyebrows, calm yet intelligent eyes…
A mid-twenties appearance where it was harder to find any flaws. Even I, someone with zero interest in men’s faces, felt like I’d seen him on television before.
But…
‘This doesn’t feel like a coincidence the way it did with Jeon Ji-eun-ssi.’
Because the man who entered the waiting room walked straight toward me.
“You’re Kang Moon-soo-ssi, right?”
A soft, low-midrange voice. If this guy sang, there would probably be a lot of women melting into puddles.
“Yes. Do you know me?”
“Haha! How could I not? The protagonist of the three-gold-medal sweep that set the summer Olympics on fire. Thanks to you, I lost quite a bit of money.”
“I see.”
If I had any sin, it was only that I couldn’t bet on sports toto.
“I didn’t come here just to talk about that… but surely you don’t mean to say you don’t know who I am?”
“I’ve seen you on TV a few times. I don’t know your name, though.”
“I see. I’m the actor Tao Rang. I’ve been cast as the lead in Director Mao Zhai’s film <Is This Heavenly Demon for Real? – Live-Action Version>.”
“Ah! I see.”
Live-action version!
It meant turning the entire experience of the protagonist (Mao Zhai) from the martial arts novel <Is This Heavenly Demon for Real?> into a full movie.
Regardless of box office success, it was painfully obvious how much suffering this man—who had taken on the role of the protagonist (Mao Zhai)—was going to endure.
“It’s a tremendous honor. There are actors out there like stars in the night sky who want to appear in a film produced by Patriarch Mao Zhai, and yet I got the lead role!”
“Is it really that big of a deal?”
“The box office is guaranteed. Because Patriarch Mao Zhai is the one making it.”
“…This might be a rude question, but Patriarch Mao Zhai has no experience producing films. How can you be so sure it’ll be a hit?”
“Because Patriarch Mao Zhai ordered it. He commanded us to make the greatest film possible. What more is needed?”
“Ah-ha!”
That really is the perfect reason!
Even in reality, there existed a world beyond my comprehension.
“Did you come here to meet Song Sun-young-ssi?”
“Yes. I’m waiting for her.”
“Someone like you could easily find young girls who are far more aggressive at night and much more affectionate than Song Sun-young-ssi…”
“I didn’t realize actors were so interested in other people’s love lives.”
Should I just kill him?
For a split second, the absolute being ‘Amolang’ who had ruled unchallenged in the hunter novel <I Alone Am an SSS-Class Hunter> almost burst forth.
No—
If an eye-stalk tentacle had been wrapped around my right arm right now, the handsome guy in front of me would already have been sliced in half.
“Haha! Please don’t misunderstand. I just felt it was a shame for someone as successful as Kang Moon-soo-ssi—who stands shoulder-to-shoulder with me—to be tied down like this. Normally I wouldn’t even bother talking to you.”
“Hmm. It seems Tao Rang-ssi is the one who’s misunderstanding.”
“Me?”
“Yes. Being an Olympic national representative isn’t my main job. I did gain some attention by setting world records in various events and winning a few gold medals, but it was just a hobby.”
“A… hobby…?”
“The version of me you think stands shoulder-to-shoulder with you is merely the tip of the iceberg—nothing more. The real me… Ah! I’m at the level where I could have you removed from Mao Zhai-ssi’s movie.”
“You’re quite the braggart.”
“If you don’t believe me, go ask Mao Zhai-ssi yourself. Though the moment you ask, your role will disappear.”
“…My apologies.”
Swish~
Tao Rang, his handsome face now beet red, turned around and hurriedly left the waiting room.
“Hmm.”
That was hard to endure.
I was once again reminded of just how freely and selfishly I had lived in the world of the hunter novel <I Alone Am an SSS-Class Hunter>.
Creak—
At that moment, the dressing room door—which had been firmly shut for nearly two hours—finally opened.
“How do I look?”
It was the same Song Sun-young, but I immediately understood why she was asking.
“Even prettier.”
After removing the heavy, dramatic makeup that had emphasized her features for the photoshoot, her hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, accentuating her slender, graceful neckline and collarbones like a delicate fawn.
Her outfit was comfortable enough for the street: a crisp white blouse and hot pants. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her smooth, snow-white thighs that were fully on display.
“You haven’t changed at all.”
“If I changed, that would mean something seriously wrong with my body.”
Biologically speaking, it would be a signal that I’ve lost my male function and it’s time to die.
“Hmm~ Did you get a little more sly?”
Song Sun-young narrowed her eyes at me as if observing someone who had just emerged from a dream. She looked like a thieving cat eyeing a fish.
“Let’s go.”
“Where to?”
“Wherever you want to go. I don’t even know today’s date, let alone what’s trending.”
“You’re such a high-maintenance boyfriend. Just decide this one thing: crowded place or quiet place?”
“Quiet.”
“Got it. Just follow me.”
She headed for the elevator and, for some reason, pressed B2.
***
I realized that Song Sun-young had been extremely conscious of Jeon Ji-eun all along. No—actually, I’d known it for a while, but I’d been far too complacent about it.
Vrooooom—
A bright yellow sports car, looking like a poisonous frog with its aggressive front end, roared down the highway with a thunderous exhaust note.
“…..”
“How is it?”
“…You drive really well!”
In my head, I was already running the 2,436th simulation: the moment I sensed an accident coming, I would grab Song Sun-young, escape this yellow coffin, and at the very least become her shield.
I thought I had nothing left to fear, but apparently the Rudolph—which had been more than ten times faster—had felt far less terrifying.
And this was nighttime driving, too!
For a complete beginner whose driver’s license ink hadn’t even dried yet, this was the absolute worst time to be behind the wheel.
‘I should learn how to drive myself!’
If I keep letting someone who treats suicide like a daily meal handle the wheel like this, she’s going to cause a serious accident someday.
Vroooom~!
She broke 90 km/h.
“This is so fun!”
“Y-yeah?”
My heart feels like it’s shriveling up!
90 km/h isn’t particularly fast on the highway, but to me it felt like 900 km/h.
‘Calm down! Kang Moon-soo! Calm down! It’s fine! No problem! Calm…!’
Wobble wobble~
My girlfriend, true to her beginner status, kept making frequent steering corrections.
Her attempt to keep the car perfectly centered in the lane was admirable, but my hypersensitive senses found even those tiny movements anxiety-inducing.
Still—
“Moo-soo-ya. Were you surprised?”
Song Sun-young looked incredibly pleased to show me her driving.
I really wished she would just look straight ahead at the road instead of turning to look at my face, but there was no way I could say anything that would ruin her mood.
“Yeah. You’re doing great.”
“Hehe! I bought this with the money I won from sports toto! They said this model is easy for women to drive.”
“I-I see!”
“Don’t worry. I still have a lot of accident forgiveness left.”
I wasn’t worried about the wallet. I just wanted to strangle whoever recommended a sports car to her!
A sports car for a beginner? A sports car that’s supposedly good for women to drive?
Whoever said that definitely harbored ill will toward Song Sun-young.
“I’m curious who recommended it. Introduce me later.”
“Sure.”
Our final destination was the sea.
But because it was dark, the scenery wasn’t very visible anyway—my eyes were completely glued to my girlfriend’s pale white thighs in the driver’s seat.
“…Something’s off.”
“My legs?”
“No. There are cars that have been following us for over an hour.”
“Maybe they’re going to the same place.”
“That could be, but matching speed this perfectly is hard.”
Unless they’re just sightseeing because they find a sports car cruising at an average of 80 km/h at night on an open highway fascinating…
They’re tailing us.
“Sun-young-ah. Trust me and step on it.”
“You want to die? I’m the one driving—how does trusting you change anything?”
“…Then should I drive?”
“That’s even worse.”
Vrooooooom—!
The yellow sports car, which had been cruising calmly until now, began to accelerate hard.
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The novel is fully completed (231 chapters)
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