Chapter 52

A brief moment of rest after a bout of commotion.

Yoo Tae-yang, always amongst the crowd of participants, was sitting alone, far off in the distance.

Then, someone approached him.

"Are you okay, brother?"

Yoo Tae-yang slowly lifted his head.

It was Kang Hyeok.

"...Yeah."

It was the first time Yoo Tae-yang seemed so downcast.

Kang Hyeok deliberately glanced over at Junwoo, who was engaged in a conversation with Fabio at a distance on the stairs.

"What did that guy do to make you like this?"

"...I don't know either."

"He must have done something, right? Crossed a line?"

Kang Hyeok didn't shift his gaze, waiting for an answer.

Though he seemed to be taking sides, it appeared he was eager to hear something specific.

Yoo Tae-yang didn't respond.

"It's okay. I think you did the right thing."

It's okay. You did well. How can he say that with such certainty?

"Look. Everyone is applauding him, but being young, he can't distinguish reality and is acting out. I always thought someone like him would eventually do that."

He knew these words weren't meant to comfort him.

Though pretending to be calm, Kang Hyeok's face was etched with undeniable anxiety.

"Brother, you're not that kind of person."

Kang Hyeok looked at him intently as if offering consolation.

"That kind of person?"

Yoo Tae-yang's face twisted subtly.

He had seen everything from the beginning to the end. Now, having realized everything just moments ago, it seemed clear to him.

Usually, he would have said thank you, told Kang Hyeok he was the only one he could rely on, and patted him on the back.

But now, he couldn't do that.

For the first time since arriving here, he felt repulsed by himself and the Kang Hyeok before him.

"Yeah, I am that kind of person."

Yoo Tae-yang recalled the situation from a few minutes ago.

The moment he got immersed in that kid's performance, a wave of the past hit him.

He had a talent for making people feel good.

Outstanding eloquence, wit, sense. A knack for humor.

A single appearance on a variety show by chance, and the response exploded.

That must have been the beginning.

The expectations and responses of the public. The outpour of compliments.

His own image, beaming brightly at the center of it all.

'It's my charm and my place.'

It was a lie.

'You all make me happy.'

Yes, he knew it. It was all pretense.

He had just pretended not to know. After all, isn't everyone living like that?

He was disgusted by those who cheered for such fabricated personas.

But just as it's not a sin for a starving person to fill their stomach,

Yoo Tae-yang thought he was just finding a way to survive.

It was easier to deceive himself than to deceive each and every person.

But now, he seemed to have forgotten why he had come this far.

A wave of emptiness washed over him.

Han Junwoo.

He knew he was an untouchable genius.

Everyone was aware of it, envied it, and understood that his abilities were beyond imagination.

But he had thought that person had nothing to do with him.

A brief, barely ten-minute-long acting rehearsal.

Just a few lines changed by that kid had turned everything he believed in upside down.

How it was possible, he didn't know. Perhaps he would never understand.

But one thing he did realize.

Yoo Tae-yang felt a strange, simmering emotion bubbling up within him.

"Dude, are you just going to let this go? You're not going to just stand by, right?"

"..."

"It's because of that kid that I said I had no regrets. If I make a fuss over this, then—"

"What if you don't just stand by?"

"What?"

"Why. What can you do? What did that kid do to you?"

"I just—"

"Does saying it like that make you feel any better?"

At that, Kang Hyeok, who had been talking all this while, clamped his mouth shut.

It felt as if a layer that had been enveloping his entire body was peeled away.

With his head hung low, Yoo Tae-yang spoke.

"Hey."

It was a cold voice he had never used before.

"Instead of worrying about that kid, you should practice. You look pathetic right now."

And for a long while after that, he couldn't lift his face.

The last words he spat at Kang Hyeok were now piercing back at himself.

***

"Doing something interesting, aren't you?"

Junwoo looked up.

A man with an anxious expression as if he was being chased.

He was the actor introduced as a judge for this mission.

His sudden appearance and odd first words were unexpected.

Junwoo blinked as if asking what he meant.

"About earlier."

"Practice?"

"Yes. But,"

Fabio glanced around subtly.

"It wasn't just practice, was it?"

"What are you curious about?"

"Why did you help him? From what I heard, this is a competition program to select a single winner."

"Help?"

"The theme of this mission was to bring out hidden potential. And that's exactly what you did for that young man."

Junwoo's gaze shifted to Yoo Tae-yang, who was sitting far away.

To anyone's eyes, he didn't look like someone who had just received help. Moreover, having seen everything.

"Why did I do that?"

"..."

Junwoo met Fabio's eyes again. Fabio's chin tilted up slightly.

A strange tension flowed between them.

"There must have been something that piqued your interest. Everyone has a button like that, something that triggers their curiosity."

It seemed like Fabio was looking for a specific answer.

"Button, huh. There are people who show a fanatical obsession with their work."

"Right. Like a director who lays out collected butterflies or insect corpses in his movies."

"Director David. His focus eventually shifted to people."

Fabio's eyebrows twitched.

"There's also an actor who was fanatically obsessed with nude readings. I learned about it on a set five years ago."

"Wesley Tinner. A British actor who retired last year."

"!"

The heart starts to beat faster.

"There was also an actor who captured his own natural death in a real scene."

"Right. He waited 12 years to complete the film. Conversely, there are directors who fear perfection and deliberately insert errors."

"You're talking about the last cut of the movie 'Rhapsody'."

"...Yes."

Junwoo's words were gently, yet deeply, prodding at some part of Fabio.

Fabio couldn't hide his rising excitement.

These were not things one could say without knowing anything.

He spoke without hesitation about directors and actors he had never met, revealing their unexpressed intentions and intrinsic desires, even what fascinated them.

It was a realm even he couldn't fathom.

That meant he could discern all this just by watching the films.

Such insight was unbelievable.

"Indeed, my hunch was right."

A deep interest now painted his face, different from before.

Fabio couldn't realize that this interest was of a different grain than his own thoughts.

Unable to contain himself any longer, he began to unearth stories he had never shared before.

"Being able to see such things means you're of the same kind as me."

"Is that so?"

"In my pursuit to become and to see a real character, I've made countless attempts and challenges. Have you ever seen the face of someone the moment their fingertips slip off the edge of a cliff? That moment is truly..."

His eyes, fixed on the void, trembled with exhilaration.

As if reliving that emotion once more would fulfill his deepest desire.

"I once drove a rookie actor to desperation during their first shoot. They begged me to stop filming."

He spoke, oblivious to the implications of his own words.

"Completing a film comes from the last drop squeezed out in extreme moments. It's a realm of magic unknown to the public."

Fabio's speech picked up pace.

And Junwoo occasionally interjected.

"At first, I loathed this part of me. But..."

He seemed utterly absorbed in unraveling his story.

From the first time he felt that emotion, through the times he tried to rid himself of it, to now, where he has fully accepted and relished it.

Desires he had never dared to express were now shimmering on his face.

"I've been chasing that feeling all this time. Participating in this program and acting with your talent, you must have needed the materials, like me."

His conviction was solidifying.

"That's why being an actor is so captivating. I never thought I'd be saying this to a kid like you for the first time."

To Fabio, this was everything in life.

He became an actor and performed to chase that feeling.

He filmed under countless harsh conditions, finding his purpose in life by capturing each of them with his eyes.

And now, he had come before this child. But then,

"I see."

The child replied briefly.

Fabio waited for a follow-up, but there was none.

"You're the same, aren't you? I've devoted my life to drawing out those elements. Having heard me, you'll soon be the same. People like us can't help it."

He asked with a slight tension.

"Right?"

"I'm not sure."

"You don't have to hide it. After all, I'll be gone after today."

Fabio's face became increasingly wrapped in unease.

Not a trace of disturbance showed. His inner thoughts were completely inscrutable.

"Is it really that hard? To the point of devoting your life to it."

Junwoo spoke.

His gaze still fixed on Fabio.

As if saying, 'You are proving it right now.'

"....Ah."

Only then did he realize the expression he had been wearing until that moment.

Fabio gaped foolishly.

"Look at yourself now. Do you always enjoy meddling in others' affairs?"

Junwoo smoothly rose from the bench. At that moment, Fabio instinctively stepped back. It might have seemed comical to onlookers – a tall, imposing figure retreating from a young kid. But for him, it was a primal reaction. He was being hit by an unexpected wave of fear and shame.

Moreover, seeing his own reaction, the child seemed to lose interest, turning away with an indifferent expression.

'Did I really just lump myself with a kid like that?'

When had it started? Where did it go wrong...

By the time he managed to calm his turbulent thoughts and regain his senses, the child was already gone.

***

On his way back to the lodging, an unknown foreigner approached Junwoo.

He had no choice but to stop.

The man handed him a phone, speaking a familiar name.

"They said you would know if I mention Joo Mansik."

The sudden mention of Mansik's name enveloped Junwoo in a sense of foreboding.

It wasn't a name he expected to hear in this far-off place.

The unease he had been feeling now made sense.

Knowing it wouldn't be good news, his expression instinctively darkened.

Mansik was someone who greatly disliked being disturbed.

He wasn't the kind of person to contact someone through such a roundabout way for trivial matters.

Moving away from the production crew's eyes, Junwoo placed the phone to his ear.

-So you're him. I've heard a lot about you.

However, the voice coming from the other end was that of a man Junwoo had never heard before.

Junwoo's eyebrows slightly furrowed.

The man quickly introduced himself as Mansik's long-time acquaintance and the Chief of the Government General Affairs Office.

The Chief of the General Affairs Office? Why would someone like that...

"What's going on?"

-I've heard you're a sharp kid. That's why I contacted you.

There was a firmness in the man's voice.

He skipped any unnecessary introductions. If he was contacting him like this, the situation must be quite urgent.

Soon, Junwoo learned about everything that had happened to Mansik in the past few days.

Allegations of manipulated past scandals, unbelievable stories linked to the main theater. News had broken out yesterday, and now Mansik was in a situation where he couldn't make contact.

Junwoo had thought Mansik might have been inadvertently involved in some trouble, but it wasn't just that.

-It seems everything's connected to the program. The TV station guys, they wouldn't want to get involved with politics, so it looks like they're keeping quiet.

"...I see."

Now, he was starting to understand.

According to the information he knew from his past life, there was no such thing as overseas filming.

Due to his presence, many things had already changed. He had accepted all these changes as natural. But this time, there was something uncomfortably off about it. He had no idea they had deliberately set him up like this.

It was all because of him.

Junwoo felt a surge of anger at the realization that he had been oblivious to everything until now.

It had been a momentary relief, believing the production team was fumbling around him without a doubt. The real issue started after that.

But right now, Junwoo wanted to catch and deal with those before him first.

They knew everything yet kept it hidden, making him focus on practice.

"How far has it progressed?"

Sensing Junwoo's urgency, Hwang Dojin tried to continue calmly.

-The reason I contacted you isn't to ask for your help with this matter. In fact, it's the opposite.

"It's all because of me."

-No, it's not.

"I have no intention of just standing by."

-I wasn't entirely against that idea. That's why I contacted you. I thought you might take action upon hearing the news. Just stay where you are.

"What do you mean?"

Junwoo was on the verge of erupting in anger, but he found himself understanding Hwang Dojin's reasoning as he continued.

-If you intervene, it will only make the situation worse for Assemblyman Joo. It seemed to me that you desperately wanted to be where you are now. I don't know the reason, but.

"..."

He was right. If Junwoo stepped away from the program, it would spell disaster for Mansik.

-You don't need to worry too much. I have some influence myself. Of course, it's not something a young person like you should handle. There are already signs that the issue is resolving itself, so you can be at ease.

Hwang Dojin started to share his planned strategies, aiming to instill confidence.

Fortunately, it didn't seem like a lie.

It wasn't a facade of composure created to hide anxiety.

The issue had been going on for a while, and it seemed like they were beginning to find some leads.

"You said you're the Chief of the General Affairs Office, right?"

Junwoo pondered for a moment. Was it okay to proceed like this?

But what could be more important than the current situation?

Hwang Dojin seemed like a reliable person to trust.

Junwoo liked how Hwang Dojin went straight to the point after only a few words and candidly laid everything out.

Ordinarily, someone wouldn't reveal so much to a young person, supposedly for their concern.

He was quick to judge and nimble-minded.

Giving him just a few hints seemed enough; he appeared to be someone who could handle things on his own.