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Chapter 25
I don’t know why she suddenly started acting like this again after behaving for a while.
“Oh. They told me to say the next line. You should’ve told me properly.”
Seyeon brushed it off with a completely unapologetic expression.
The assistant director, listening to the two from the side, let out a barely audible sigh.
With her sharp words and attitude continuing nonstop, there was no way filming could go smoothly.
As blocking kept going wrong and NGs piled up, Director Kwak finally stood up, his face straining to hold back irritation.
“Haah, let’s take a break.”
The shoot had already gone on for more than five hours, so even Sara was exhausted.
She already had a mountain of things to worry about, so she didn’t want to clash with Seyeon any further.
Sara slipped away to the bathroom to avoid her.
Just as she was about to leave after finishing up, she heard a voice at the sink.
“See? I told you. Skill? What skill. She got here by lobbying behind the scenes. What? Attre? You can buy off the judges with money too.”
Sara instantly knew it was Seyeon.
When she heard that sneering mockery, she was so furious she wanted to storm out and grab her by the hair—but one sentence made her freeze.
“Didn’t I tell you? She met investors in Samseong-dong yesterday. What, you think I’m lying?”
Seyeon shouted into the phone.
No one—not even Mirae—knew Sara had been in Samseong-dong yesterday.
So how on earth did Kim Seyeon know?
The rage boiling up inside her instantly cooled.
Her head, frighteningly calm now, grew cold.
“Yeah! Acting all noble with your head held high when you’re dirty behind the scenes.”
Then Seyeon cackled so loudly it echoed through the restroom.
Sara, who had been silently listening, suddenly flung the door open.
The noise startled Seyeon, who whipped around.
Sara met her gaze directly.
“Who are you talking about, Ms. Seyeon? Let me in on it too.”
“Ugh, what the hell. Why are you eavesdropping on someone’s call? That’s rude.”
Seyeon lowered her phone, frowning deeply.
Sara approached with an easy smile.
“Why? Saying something I shouldn’t hear?”
“Whatever, just go your way.”
“No, let’s share. You seem to know lots of fun stories. Who bribed Attre’s judges to win an award? Who was it?”
When Sara stepped in too close, Seyeon instinctively backed up several steps.
“Why are you being so annoying?”
“Why are you backing off? Scared?”
Provoked, Seyeon snapped back like a cornered rat.
“Scared? You should be scared. Honestly, you act all pure to my face, but behind my back you’ve been lobbying everywhere, huh?”
“Ms. Seyeon, that’s a bit harsh.”
“Harsh? That’s you. Running around doing all sorts of tricks just to get film investments.”
“You must not know because you’re inexperienced, but it’s common for actors to meet with film investors.”
“Oh really? By sleazy lobbying? Didn’t know that.”
Seyeon laughed mockingly, scanning Sara up and down.
Sara didn’t flinch at the blatant gaze.
If anything, it just seemed pitiful.
“I don’t know what you think you’re saying. Got proof? You’re free to fantasize, but you should think before spitting it out.”
“Fantasize? Wow, shameless. I heard it clearly—don’t try to deny it.”
“Well, then I’d have to know who you heard it from before I can respond.”
At first, Sara thought Seyeon had picked up some cheap gossip from a tabloid reporter and was just spreading it now.
So her plan was to coax her into revealing the reporter’s name and then take care of it.
But Seyeon’s answer was completely unexpected.
“I heard it from Director Choi.”
“What?”
For the first time, a crack appeared in Sara’s composed expression.
Noticing it, Seyeon perked up and chattered excitedly.
“Don’t you know Director Choi? I heard you two were close. He said he saw you in Samseong-dong yesterday, lobbying under his name.”
“…Don’t lie. Whose name would I use?”
“Why would I lie? I’m just repeating what I heard. Director Choi was so uncomfortable. Honestly, I’d feel the same. If you’re running around lobbying with your script, what does that make him look like?”
For a moment, Sara’s mind went blank, then filled with racing thoughts.
‘Eunyoung unnie told Kim Seyeon that I was lobbying? She did?’
For the first time, Sara was at a loss for words.
She was too shocked to say anything.
Her fingertips turned cold, her heart pounded so hard it made her ribs ache.
“Still, carrying a script around begging is really pathetic. People like you make all actors look bad. God, it’s embarrassing.”
Seeing Sara’s stunned face, Seyeon looked fully convinced of her victory.
She crossed her arms and kept jeering.
“Imagine how awkward it was at Dorea too. Did you even consider their position? Do you always go around begging like that?”
“Dorea?”
It felt like she’d been sinking deeper and deeper, only to suddenly shoot upward.
‘How does she know I met someone from Dorea Pictures yesterday? Even Eunyoung didn’t know that.’
Her brain was spinning faster than ever.
And the more she replayed Seyeon’s words, the more they didn’t add up.
Eunyoung herself had tossed away the script—so why would she tell Seyeon Sara was lobbying?
Then how could Seyeon know yesterday’s events in such detail?
There were only two possibilities:
She was there in person, or she heard it directly from someone at Dorea Pictures.
“Hey.”
The question that had been swirling in Sara’s head suddenly burst out like an unclogged drain.
“It’s you, isn’t it?”
An indescribable intuition flashed through her mind.
Sparks lit in Sara’s eyes.
She gripped Seyeon’s shoulder tightly.
Her hold was so strong that Seyeon struggled and twisted but couldn’t break free.
“Argh, are you crazy? Let go!”
“You heard Director Choi was there from Dorea, didn’t you?”
“What? I told you, I heard it from Director Choi!”
“He didn’t even know I met with Dorea yesterday. But you know it very well, don’t you, Kim Seyeon? Hey. You’re the one feeding gossip to reporters, aren’t you?”
“Ha! What nonsense are you spewing—ah, damn, it hurts, let go!”
Seyeon shoved her hard enough to make a loud thud.
Sara staggered, tripped over something on the floor, and fell.
Her knee scraped, turning red.
“Ow.”
She barely felt the pain.
Her groan came out flat, drained.
Maybe that’s what happens when anger boils over into icy calm.
Seyeon massaged her shoulder and shouted furiously.
“What kind of psycho are you? Hey, Seo Sara. You think winning one award makes you somebody? You’re washed up. Done.”
“Ms. Seo Sara! Are you in—oh.”
An assistant director burst through the restroom door without thinking, then quickly lowered his voice when he saw the scene.
He was experienced enough to immediately grasp what was happening.
“Uh, the director’s calling for you… the next scene’s about to shoot.”
He deliberately looked away, his words trailing off.
Sara grabbed the sink and got to her feet.
“I’ll be right there.”
She smoothed her disheveled clothes and even smiled warmly at him as though nothing had happened.
“Oh, Ms. Seyeon.”
As she pulled the door open to leave, Sara looked back.
“Look forward to it.”
Then she walked out.
Back near the set, Juyoung greeted her cheerfully.
“Noona, the director just said scene forty-tw—oh my god! Your knee’s bleeding!”
He panicked, saying he’d run to buy bandages and medicine, but Sara stopped him.
“It’s fine. It’s nothing. More importantly, Juyoung.”
“Yes? What is it?”
“Do we have a golf club in our car? Didn’t CEO Park leave a spare one in there?”
