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Chapter 44 - The Superstar has Arrived-!!
Chapter 44 - The Superstar has Arrived-!!
Chapter 44: The Superstar has Arrived-!!
TL: Aniea
“The Superstar has arrived-!!”
“Everyone, clear the way!”
“……”
As I entered the filming set, Park Soo-bin announced my arrival in a loud voice. In response, the staff and actors stepped aside, making way for me.
It was like something out of medieval Europe when a king made his grand entrance. The crew lined up on either side, wearing serious expressions.
I was completely off guard,
I almost burst out laughing.
‘Looks like I’ve gotten quite comfortable.’
Watching the people joking around with me felt nostalgic. At first, everyone was so scared and tried to avoid me at all costs.
Of course, even now, there are only a handful of people who talk to me personally, but they must have realized from past experiences that I tolerate this level of jokes.
‘… It went as planned.’
In this industry, people with stiff necks tend to have their heads broken quickly. The entertainment world is a place with such complex human relationships that it’s impossible to express it in a few words.
Especially if bad rumors start spreading on the set, one can disappear from the media without a trace.
‘This is not something Eun-ha-ssi can handle alone.’
Unless she’s content with producing independent films with her own money or sticking to personal SNS channel, this drama could be his last official appearance.
Therefore, while playing the role of a strict chaebol third-generation, I subtly added a tsundere-like image.
Using the excuse that I was thirsty and hungry, I ordered luxurious coffee and snacks.
Sometimes, I quietly signed autographs for staff members who came with requests from their relatives or nieces and nephews.
As these incidents accumulated one by one, people still found me difficult, but they no longer feared me like before.
‘But that doesn’t mean I can show any weaknesses.’
Swoosh-
After briefly glancing at the production crew lined up on either side, I walked through the middle as if it was the most natural thing, without showing any reaction.
“Should have expected that?”
“Not even flustered by this.”
“Just what kind of life has he lived…”
I heard whispers behind me, but most were saying things like ‘cool’ or ‘amazing’.
In the past, I would have awkwardly waved my hand, denying such remarks, but I’ve slowly gotten used to this kind of reaction.
‘I understand why chaebols are so confident.’
When you are worshipped from birth, it’s impossible not to develop narcissism.
Moreover, with a well-padded wallet, winning people over is easy. For the wealthy, even hundreds of cups of coffee are just pocket change.
‘Even if it’s not my money, the price makes me shudder…’
By the way, the cost of the coffee and snacks for the production crew was all covered by Kim Eun-ha. Initially, I covered it with my allowance, but I got scolded when she found out.
– You can’t just spend money like that!
– No matter how much money Eun-ha-ssi has, I can’t accept help for personal matters like this. I should handle this myself.
– Your intention is noble, but that’s not what I want to say. If you keep being too generous, it can backfire.
– If kindness continues, it’s taken as a right?
– Exactly! That’s the perfect way to put it!
– It’s a famous movie line.
– ……
Kim Eun-ha, after glaring at me sharply for a moment, added an explanation. In short, she was telling me not to be a pushover.
– From now on, when buying snacks for the staff, only use my card. Knowing your nature, you’ll likely reach out first, so I can adjust the frequency and timing appropriately.
– Please take care of it.
There are hundreds of department store employees under her alone. She was much more competent than I was at handling people, so I nodded without a word of complaint.
Maybe thanks to her, I was able to maintain good relationships with both the actors and the staff. Of course, there’s always that one person who stands out.
“Woo-ju-ssi, did you see the teaser?”
That person was none other than Park Soo-bin.
Unlike others, even the senior Kim Young-ho, she was much more comfortable around me. It was quite the opposite at first.
“Yes, I saw it.”
“It was amazing, right? I don’t know how they managed to whip up such a teaser in just a few days. Especially the last part where I shouted, ‘I swear!’ My whole family stood up and applauded.”
“Is that so.”
“…Sigh. Actually, they were shouting at you, Woo-ju-ssi, saying you looked cool. I don’t know how many times they replayed your smiling scene at the end.”
“……”
Even without my response, she kept chatting beside me.
At first, I wondered if she had some ulterior motive. But as I watched, I realized she was just a naturally bright person. The type who can’t leave someone alone if they see them by themselves.
“Well, anyway, can you sign this for me? My mom threatened to withhold breakfast unless I got it.”
“No.”
“What?”
Park Soo-bin’s eyes widened in shock at my firm refusal. Her expression was just like her character in the drama.
It was no surprise since writer Jung Ha-rin had cast someone similar to her character and then heavily revised the script to make them identical.
She even changed the character’s name to her real name, ‘Park Soo-bin’. It’s getting harder to tell where the character ends and the real person begins, just like me now.
“Why!? You always signed without a word when people asked before. Why are you refusing now?”
“Because my value has gone up.”
“Wow… Wow… I usually don’t say things like this to people’s faces, but that was really annoying, you know that?”
“I know. I’m a great person.”
“……”
Park Soo-bin, speechless, stood with her mouth agape. I walked past her without giving her a second glance.
Thud, thud, thud-
Then I heard the sound of quick footsteps behind me. Park Soo-bin caught up and walked beside me.
“…How much?”
“It’s beyond your means, Park Soo-bin-ssi.”
“Are you going to keep playing hard to get?”
“I’m just getting what I deserve.”
I ignored her sulky expression and continued walking towards the director. Suddenly, a junior staff member came running from somewhere.
“Ka-Kang Woo-ju actor-nim!”
Huff- Huff!
She must have run a long way, as she was out of breath. When I looked at her silently, she finally caught her breath and bowed deeply, holding out a paper and pen.
“C-can I have your autograph? My sister saw the teaser yesterday and fell in love with Kang Woo-ju actor-nim! So, um…”
Swipe-
I snatched the paper and pen from the stammering junior staff’s hands. Having gotten used to this through several book cafe events, it wasn’t difficult.
“What’s the name?”
“Whar? Oh, um… Kim Ji-hye!”
“Not you, your sister.”
“Oh! Kim Seul-gi!”
Scribble-
Confirming the sister’s name, I swiftly wrote on the paper. Using the signature I had carefully crafted over a long time.
Kang Woo-ju.
The three Korean characters were inscribed on the paper in a bold script. Below it, I wrote today’s date and ‘To Kim Seul-gi.’
‘…I’ve had my share of troubles with autographs too.’
I had considered using the signature I created as a class assignment during my college days, but it was too flashy and didn’t match my current image.
Using Chinese characters seemed awkward too. After much deliberation, the current signature came to mind.
‘Even now, it’s still a really honest signature.’
Kang Woo-ju.
A truly arrogant signature that explains everything in just three letters. I put in a lot of effort to make the script look as neat as if drawn with a ruler to avoid it seeming insincere.
Initially, I was a bit worried, but the fans who received my signature reacted much better than I expected. It even became a hot topic on the internet under the title ‘Unique Signature’.
“Here you go.”
“Thank you so much!”
Bow-!
As I handed back the signed paper, the junior staff member bowed deeply again and ran off with a bright smile.
I glanced back to see her quickly taking a photo to send as proof to her sister.
“Hey. Kang Woo-ju-ssi.”
Then, the person I had momentarily forgotten spoke up beside me. Her tone was low enough for anyone to recognize she was upset.
“Why are you discriminating against people?”
“Discrimination?”
“You refused to sign for me but did it right away for Ji-hye-ssi! If that’s not discrimination, what is it?”
“It’s not discrimination; it’s a difference.”
“Huh?”
Swoosh-
I finally turned my head to look directly at Park Soo-bin. She flinched noticeably but tried not to avert her gaze.
“Park Soo-bin-ssi.”
“…W-why?”
“She paid enough to receive the signature. She prepared paper and pen in advance and ran over from a distance to bow as soon as she saw me. How could I not sign after seeing that effort?”
“…Are you saying I should do the same?”
“No. Actually, there’s a different reason I didn’t sign for you, Soo-bin-ssi.”
“……?”
Park Soo-bin tilted her head in confusion. I then blatantly looked her up and down before continuing.
“Have you gained weight recently? Around 1.7 kg.”
“H-how did you know…!?”
…It was a joke.
But seeing her reaction, I couldn’t brush it off as a joke anymore. After a brief moment of thought, I continued speaking.
“On camera, it’s more noticeable than you’d think. Irregular rhythms due to filming might be an issue, but it’s likely because of breakfast. It’s usually hard to control your diet at home.”
“Oh, so…”
Although my response was flimsy, Park Soo-bin nodded as if she understood perfectly. I realized she seemed to have grown up very pure.
“Then, will you give me your autograph if I return to my original weight!?”
Nod-
Seeing her face so close with a strange gleam of determination in her eyes, I nodded unconsciously.
With a look of firm resolution, Park Soo-bin nodded to herself and then disappeared somewhere. Watching her retreating figure, I quietly shook my head.
*
“CEO-nim.”
“…….”
“Kim Eun-ha CEO-nim!”
“Huh!? What is it, why are you suddenly shouting?”
“Do you know how many times I’ve called you? If you want Kang Woo-ju’s autograph, just ask for one.”
“…It’s not like that!”
“Please close your internet window before you speak.”
On Kim Eun-ha’s phone screen was a photo of Kang Woo-ju’s autograph uploaded by a fan. Hastily hiding it, she composed her expression.
“Secretary Yoon.”
“This is beyond my capability.”
“I haven’t even said anything yet?”
“You’re going to ask me to get Woo-ju-ssi’s autograph.”
“…….”
“I’ll resign as of today.”
“Hey-!!”
After a bit of scuffle, Kim Eun-ha eventually succeeded in obtaining Kang Woo-ju’s autograph.
*****
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