The shoot went smoothly. It was thanks to Miyoon who seemed to have regained her mood by trampling on a youth.

“That’s right. That’s how you’re supposed to do it. If you are too focused on your lines, you will forget about your breathing. If your breathing is a mess, no matter how good your pronunciation is, the audience won’t understand it. It’s fine even if your pronunciation is a little incorrect. The listener takes into account the context and the nuance of the situation rather than precise pronunciation. All of you, listen carefully. If you want to continue being an actor for a long time, you’ll have to keep this in mind. You won’t find a teacher like me anywhere, you know?”

The woman that slashed a person with her sharp and vile tongue had disappeared and she started teaching all the minor actors as though she had a great personality. Listening to her words, the minor actors nodded their heads quickly and accurately as though they were a nodding machine. They were well aware of what would happen to them if she, for some reason, found them annoying.

“Director. Why don’t we rest a little bit?”

“Okay, we can do that. If we finish the reminiscence scene, we won’t need to use this set anymore.”

“How many people are here right now?”

“There should be around 80 people.”

“Sweetie.”

When Miyoon twitched her finger, her manager ran towards her.

“Some snacks will be perfect for a break. I’ll treat everyone.”

“Oh, thank you very much.”

“Can I take a couple of people with me? I think my manager won’t be enough to bring 80 people’s worth.”

“Oh, the thing is, we need to hurry up the cleaning of the set. We can’t go overtime renting this place.”

“I guess I can’t help it then. Uhm, boy. I think you’ll have to help us out here.”

Maru, who was nearby, was appointed for the job. Maru left the set with the manager who received the credit card from her.

“Sorry. I know you aren’t here to do menial chores like this,” the manager spoke at the entrance.

“What can I do about it? I have no choice but to do it if I am told to.”

“Haha, I guess that’s true.”

When they left the studio, the sun greeted them. Maru followed the manager into the convenience store next to the studio.

“Should I pick tube popsicles for everyone?”

“Yeah. Just pick out some of them. Do add some variety. I need to buy some for the higher ups,” the manager muttered as he scanned the items with his eyes.

Maru bought a mix of popsicles and ice cream and put them on the counter. While the staff here was scanning them and putting them in plastic bags, the manager approached the counter.

“Uhm, excuse me, don’t you have milk tea from JC?”

“Probably not.”

“Can you have a look, like in the storage or something?”

“It’s probably not here.”

“I’m sorry but can you have a look anyway?”

The part time worker made an annoyed face but told the manager to wait. After going to the freezer in the storage room to have a look, the part time worker came back out while shaking his head.

“We don’t have any. Those don’t sell that well, so I don’t think the owner sent in any request for it.”

“Haa. alright.”

The manager looked flustered as though he was running out of time. It seemed that the milk tea was for Miyoon. They first bought the ice creams before leaving.

“Can you wait a minute?”

The manager started running towards the other convenience store which was located on the other side of the studio. Just from that, it could be seen just how badly that woman treated her manager. After around five minutes, he came back empty handed. He seemed extremely troubled.

“And here I thought everything would go without a hitch today.”

His eyes looked like that of a cow’s that was just about to be slaughtered. He was hesitating as he walked towards the studio.

“So you’ll have a bad time if you don’t buy that milk tea for her?”

“From her personality, probably. I was slapped the last time I told her that they don’t sell any around here.”

“Then why don’t we do this? You parked your car in the parking lot, right?”

“Yeah, so?”

“Let’s say that the employee at the car park told you that there was an accident and you need to move your car, and you gave me the credit card because of it.”

Maru checked the time on his phone before continuing,

“Come back in around 10 minutes. That’s enough, right?”

“Can you do that? I think that will be enough.”

“I’ll tell that to her, so make an excuse when you come back.”

The manager ran towards the parking lot while thanking him. Maru did not want to see that woman cause a mess again. He went back into the studio with the ice cream in hand. He first approached Miyoon, who was sitting with the rest of the actors.

“Here they are.”

“Oh, okay. Where’s my manager?”

“He went to the parking lot after getting a call. Apparently, there was an accident at the parking lot and he needs to pull his car out.”

“Really?”

Maru gave her the plastic bag. Miyoon had a look inside. Annoyance could clearly be seen on her face, but she picked a vanilla-flavored ice cream as though she had no choice. It was there instead of the milk tea.

“Come and take one everyone. You’re all having a hard time so you should quench your thirst at least.”

People came and took an item each. Miyoon made a satisfied smile after seeing people thanking her. It seemed that her annoyance from the lack of milk tea was gone.

“Sorry I’m late. There was an accident at the parking lot,” the manager returned and spoke in a stiff manner.

His back was drenched with sweat. It looked like it was because of the heat, but it was probably because of nervousness.

“I heard. Geez, look at all that sweat. Take one.”

“Yes.”

Maru nodded as he looked at the manager. The manager approached him and spoke in a small voice.

“Thanks. I’m able to have a breather thanks to you.”

“Well, we should help each other out.”

“Then I’ll help you once if something happens. I have a lot of writers I know.”

“I’ll be thankful if you do.”

This was how relationships were supposed to be built. A manager for a superstar wouldn’t be just anyone. Moreover, if it was the manager of a woman with a bad personality like Miyoon, it meant that the manager had to be very capable. There was no way Miyoon would be okay with an incompetent manager. It would be for the best if Maru could get close to someone who had been a manager for a long time since he would be able to get his hands on a lot of information.

Maru scanned the people as he put the popsicle in his mouth. Just then, Suyeon approached him.

“You endured that well. I was actually looking forward to you talking back to her.”

“Unless I’m crazy, I am not going to fight her. I won’t get anything from it, so there’s no reason to.”

“Then try posting what you saw on the internet. I want to see that woman upset.”

“The entertainment industry is a place where such posts are created by the truckloads every single day, isn’t it? No one takes them seriously either. Even if it does become an issue, I would have to stand in front of her in order to prove it, and from there, it’s obvious where things will lead to. It’s not like she’s the first rude celebrity out there. I’ll become an issue for a brief time before being covered up by something else. However, I would be stamped as the ‘rude high school kid’ and will forever be unable to step into the industry again. I don’t want to end my entertainment industry life when I just started.”

Proving included taking risks. Take risks against that woman? That wasn’t even funny. If it was just an ordinary person, they would be able to post such a thing, but it was impossible for a person in the industry.

He couldn’t just consider that woman right now. He had to think about what kinds of things she experienced in order to reach such a spot. She lived out her career for over 3 decades. More than 30 years in a society where 10 was enough to think about retirement. It was clear just from this. Old giant trees weren’t meant to be chopped down. It was likely that the axe would be ruined before the tree fell.

“Then I’ll give you a deep kiss so can you go slap her for me? She’s too cocky.”

“While I agree she’s cocky, it’s too hard for me to slap her. If you want to slap her so much, why don’t you do it yourself?” He spoke as he squeezed the bottom of the popsicle tube. He felt very refreshed when the soda-flavored popsicle entered his mouth.

“I would if there weren’t any eyes around, but there are too many here.”

“Why don’t you just slap her and cause an issue that way? That sounds good. Why did the girl slap her senior? I think journalist Dongwook would write you a good one.”

“I might if I win the lottery.”

“I saw you massaging her shoulders before. Since you decided to put on a thick face, you should get closer to her. Who knows? She might get you a good role.”

“I can get my own good roles. Why don’t you try spending some time with that woman? You’ll have the urge to kill her after just an hour, you know?”

“I’m surprised you haven’t killed her yet.”

“In my mind, I have killed her several times over.”

Suyeon bit on her ice cream with her molars. Then, she smiled as she had met eyes with Miyoon.

“You have it hard, managing your image and sucking up to people like her.”

“I feel like I’m melting.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to just retire and grab a wealthy man and live an easy life?”

“No. It’s Mr. Geunsoo all the way for me.”

“But the other party doesn’t look at you at all though.”

“If things don’t work out, then I’ll just get him drunk and give it to him. Though, he’s quite strong with alcohol. Even though I’m not that weak either.”

“What a splendid plan.”

“I’m surprised you’re replying to me so calmly. You don’t think anything about that?”

“What does your life have to do with me? As long as you don’t bring me harm, I’m not interested whether you sleep with a hundred men or something.”

“I think a hundred is stretching it a little,” Suyeon giggled.

Maru saw the minor actors all look his way, especially number four and the earphone girl.

“If you don’t have anything to say to me, you can go.”

“Hell no. If I go now, I’ll have to face that woman again.”

“Then I’m going.”

“Why? Just stay with me. I don’t like anyone else here, so I’m bored.”

“Why don’t you try seducing the producer or something?”

“Hey, there are levels to prey, you know? Even if you give him to me, I won’t have him. Also, I’m trying to refrain these days. It will be dangerous for me if things get out of hand, you know?”

“Oh, I’ve been wanting to ask. Wouldn’t people usually be afraid of sex if they receive a trauma because of something like that?”

“And how does that help? I’m sick and tired of running away. For an experience like being thrown away after being eaten, just twice is enough.”

“Sure, if you say so. But can you talk about such a topic with a high school kid like me? You’d get detained for sexual harassment, you know?”

“What sexual harassment. It’s you who’s unlike a high school kid. How could you say the word sex directly to a girl’s face?”

“Sex is called sex, how else would you call it? Does the scientific term make it any better? Sexual intercourse? Copulation?”

He drank the popsicle since it melted. Suyeon was holding the wooden stick with her mouth as well.

“I wonder if your girlfriend knows that Han Maru is such an indecent kid.”

“This is nothing. Rather than that, are you really not going? I think she’s about to become bored.”

Miyoon, who was talking to the other actors, crossed her arms and looked at the ceiling in boredom. It seemed that her good mood was starting to climb down. Suyeon sighed as she stood up. Just then, she turned around and looked at him.

“Should I tell you something interesting?”

“What is it?”

“A rumor about that woman.”

“A rumor?”

“It’s quite famous around here. That she’s a madam.”

“A madam?”

“There’s a rumor that she likes young kids. The ones that look pretty. They say that she has touched on idols.”

“She’s not married?”

“She’s single. I think she’s had two divorces or something. Rumor has it that she divorced in order to sleep with young kids.”

“Why are rumors in this industry so disgusting?”

“That’s what makes a rumor. Who likes good deeds as rumors?”

She winked before walking towards Miyoon and sucked up to her.

“Do you know Suyeon unni?”

“What did you talk about with her?”

As soon as Suyeon left, the minor actors and background actors approached him. Maru saw that number four, who was at the center of attention in the waiting room, was looking at him with an awkward smile.

“Over there! Get ready!”

It was the producer who saved him from the bombardment of questions. The people around him quickly went to their positions. The main actors all went to their respective starting positions as well.

“Let’s do this in one go, yeah? This is the last one here so don’t get nervous.”

Then, the cue sign fell.

* * *

“Thank you for your work everyone.”

The shoot at the set finished. The staff members started moving around busily. The competition area started being split up into pieces before being loaded onto forklifts. At the same time, a different set was being created on the other side.

“Hey, Maru.”

The one that talked to him was the camera director, Kim Jangsoo.

“Yes, director.”

“Are you going to Choongho’s action school tomorrow?”

“Yes. I need to attend practice.”

“Then let’s cancel our appointment today and eat with Choongho tomorrow. Do you drink?”

“I drink moderately.”

“That’s good. You need to start drinking in high school so that you won’t have any trouble in university. Anyway, see you tomorrow. We’ll have some pork belly and soju.”

Jangsoo walked to the camera after sending him off. This week was busy. After the action school practice, there was acting club practice on the day after that. If they ranked within the top two in the regionals, they would then go to Seoul Arts Hall.

He packed his bag as he organized the events in his mind when,

“Uhm, hey.”

Number four, who came to the waiting room, stopped him.

“Do you have anything after this?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Then do you want to have dinner together? The people we met today are all going together, so if you don’t have anything urgent, I think you should participate. I mean, it’s good to become close with each other, you know?”

There were four minor actors standing behind number four, the earphone girl included. It seemed that they were all aspiring actors. He had nothing special, and it was nearing dinner time, so he nodded for now. Nothing bad would come out of becoming close with people working for the same objective.

“Good! Let’s get our fill first,” number four spoke as though he was the captain.