TMKG 12

Chapter 12. I Don’t Kill People (3)

Myeongin stood outside the lecture hall building, waiting only for when the ambulance would arrive.

Just then, Chang-su got a call.

—Myeongin! Whew… Ha-ryeong is awake.

“Really? Ah, thank goodness…”

—I thought I was going to faint too. You come up now.

Myeongin ran toward the lecture hall so fast that his hair fluttered.

The lecture hall he arrived at had a completely different atmosphere from before.

The faces of the people who had been full of irritation were now filled with worry instead.

Of course, they were not only worried.

Even while worrying, everyone had this slightly flushed feeling about them.

“You’re here?”

“I’m glad nothing happened…”

“Seriously. We were really shocked. Thankfully, she woke up right away. By the way, you really didn’t do something like possession, right?”

“No. I acted the way I thought I should.”

“Ah… Hey, I seriously almost peed myself. Ugh, anyway, I’m glad.”

Myeongin looked at Ha-ryeong, who was sitting in front of the monitor with a blanket draped over her shoulders.

Maybe because Myeongin had put some distance between himself and Chang-su, Ha-ryeong, who had been trembling without even being able to raise her head, seemed fine now.

Aside from the fact that she looked bewildered by the praise around her, thankfully, she looked all right now.

Clap clap clap!

The director, who had been showing Ha-ryeong the monitor, clapped with a very satisfied expression.

“It was the early part where the child actor transitions into the adult actor, so it was really important, but if it turns out like this, there’s nothing to worry about at all.”

There were countless cases where people said the adult actor could not live up to the child actor, or that the adult actor had ruined everything, at the point where the role transitioned into adulthood.

But Ha-ryeong’s acting right now had absolutely no room for such talk.

“Everyone saw that, right? Writer Yeon and I cast Ha-ryeong because we saw this side of her.”

Perhaps certain that this scene would be talked about by people, the director bragged as if trying to add even the slightest bit of credit to himself.

The staff members who had been annoyed were also busy whispering among themselves and praising Ha-ryeong.

“It’s my first time seeing someone faint while acting. With this scene, the male lead’s character is going to come alive completely too, isn’t it?”

“Seriously. I still have chills. By the way, if they put this out as promotional material, I think it’d get some attention.”

“Apparently, when Ha-ryeong was lying collapsed earlier, the PR team was talking to the director.”

“They’re going to promote it with Ha-ryeong collapsing? If that goes wrong, we’ll get cursed out too! Her fans will make a fuss saying we overworked her!”

“They probably won’t do it like that. They were talking about uploading a still cut from that scene.”

“True… I don’t know about anything else, but I really want people to watch this scene.”

It was the same as when it had happened with Go Minwoo.

All the spotlight was currently on Ha-ryeong.

Chang-su, who was listening to the excited staff members along with him, unconsciously stroked Myeongin’s back.

He had been worried because it was something Myeongin could have felt disappointed about, but this time too, Myeongin’s expression was completely different.

“What are you so happy about?”

“Because it’s a relief.”

“It is a relief that she woke up, but don’t you feel disappointed or anything?”

“I’m just happy she did well. It’s good that Senior Ha-ryeong acted well, it’s good that the staff got a result they’re satisfied with, and it’s good because the people who watch this drama will enjoy it.”

“Huh…”

If someone else had said something like this, he would have thought it was fake.

But Myeongin was sincerely happy.

“Myeongin. I’ve thought about something while going around with you.”

“What is it?”

“That place you originally came from. Was it possibly heaven?”

“What?”

“No, I mean, you’re not even an angel. Maintaining such a consistent attitude is absolutely not easy, you know? Huh?”

“Uh, uuh…”

Chang-su grinned with a relieved expression, then poked Myeongin in the side as he joked around. It was a joke he could make because he knew Myeongin’s personality well.

Just then, he felt people’s gazes on him.

“Hmm?”

Before he knew it, Ha-ryeong, who had been sitting down, had stood up and was bowing her head.

“Thank you so much for coaching my acting.”

“Uh…”

She had completely forgotten about Myeongin, but she seemed to remember Chang-su, who had been with him.

Well, it had been like that before too.

When they went to a filming set, people remembered that Chang-su had come, but not a single person talked about Myeongin.

Ha-ryeong said to the director,

“This person coached me.”

Then the director raised his thumb with a very proud expression, as if he had finally realized it.

“So it was President Park!”

Ha-ryeong, who had only known that he was affiliated with Line Entertainment, was a little surprised by Chang-su’s position.

“You didn’t know? Well, it’s your first time on set, so you might not know. This is President Park Chang-su, and all the good actors are connected to President Park somehow.”

“Ah! I didn’t know you were a director. Thank you so much.”

Chang-su, who had ended up sharing the credit, could only feel bewildered.

Then, as if the director had suddenly noticed Myeongin beside Chang-su, he blinked.

“This friend is…? A staff member? Is he one of our staff?”

It seemed he had misunderstood after seeing the staff pass hanging around his neck.

“He’s the friend I said wanted to look around the set earlier.”

“Ah! Ah! I remember now. So this is him. His looks are good, and he has a good feel. Since President Park is taking him around, he must be decent, right?”

If Chang-su could say what he wanted, he wanted to ask him to give Myeongin a spot, then.

But with Myeongin’s current condition, it would not be helpful.

The moment he left the set, it was obvious that the character Myeongin played would become a character with no presence.

Still, he wanted to hear Myeongin’s opinion too, so he looked at him, and Myeongin was also shaking his head as if he thought the same.

“He’s in the middle of preparing right now.”

“Ah. I see.”

The director looked at Myeongin with an expression full of goodwill.

“I’ll look forward to you in the future. If you’re going around with President Park, I’ll probably be seeing you soon.”

Then, as the director was about to return to his seat, he suddenly stopped walking and continued speaking.

“Then, is Line perhaps planning to train rookies too now?”

“Pardon?”

“As far as I know, I haven’t seen Line take around and raise a complete rookie like this.”

“Ah…”

“It’s nothing else, but if you’re training rookies too, I was going to introduce some to you. There are a few kids who don’t have an agency but show promise.”

“I’m sorry, but I’ve actually left Line now…”

Chang-su stopped speaking mid-sentence and flinched as he looked at Myeongin.

But Myeongin was not surprised at all and was only smiling as if he had already known.

The director continued speaking.

“Oh! You left the company! Well, if it’s someone like you, President Park, you must have a lot of kids who follow you, so it’d be fine even if you left. Then please give me your business card. I’ll tell the kids I saw to send in their profiles.”

“I haven’t set up a company yet.”

“Aha! Okay. Please give it to me next time! So you can raise some kids well and help draw out good scenes like now. Hahaha!”

Perhaps Ha-ryeong’s acting had pleased him that much, because the director laughed loudly and went back to the monitor.

Chang-su, who was left behind, looked at Myeongin with a bewildered expression.

“Myeongin, did you know I quit the company?”

“Yes.”

“How did you know?”

“You’ve always been with me since daytime lately. And when you got calls, you went outside to answer them.”

“Well, I could go outside to take calls, right?”

“But when you talked about projects, you used to do it even if I was there.”

“I see…”

“And when I looked at the drama you suggested doing, there wasn’t a single actor from Line in it.”

“Ah.”

“So I thought something must have happened, and the only reason something like that would happen to you seemed to be me.”

It had been Chang-su’s own choice.

He had merely planned to tell Myeongin slowly because Myeongin might feel burdened or sorry. But this clever child had already noticed.

“How did you figure that out? Whew, but it’s not because of you. You know that, right?”

“Hee.”

“What are you laughing for? But why didn’t you tell me you knew?”

When he thought about it, he felt wronged that he had struggled to hide it.

Then, words he had never heard from Myeongin before came out of his mouth.

“Just because.”

He had never once said something like just because.

This kid always expressed himself properly, so to think he would give such a vague answer.

“What’s this? There are times when you say just because too?”

“It really was just because.”

“What is it? Tell me.”

“Do I really have to say it?”

“Yeah! Tell me quickly.”

Myeongin, who always had a sincerely bright expression, was now wearing an awkward smile.

“You might regret it. That’s why.”

“What would I regret?”

“The moment you tell me that you quit the company, it becomes hard to take back. Then even if you want to go back to the company again, you won’t be able to. Even if you could go back, I thought you’d at least hesitate because of it.”

“Ah… So you were pretending not to know?”

He had never thought he would be shown consideration by a kid who was not even an adult yet.

And since that consideration was something that thought so deeply of him, Chang-su was moved.

“Myeongin. You don’t have to think about things like that. That was something I chose.”

“Still.”

“What do you mean, still? You saw it earlier, right? I have some recognition. Someone like me saw potential in you and is investing in you. Got it?”

“But you’re too good to me!”

“What do you mean, good to you! And of course I am. You’re my actor!”

In truth, Chang-su had still had a bit of hesitation until now.

Not hesitation about Myeongin, but about his own future.

It was hesitation over the problems that came with having to make a company for Myeongin.

He had been worrying and agonizing over whether he could keep doing well, but now that he had talked with Myeongin, his determination burned brighter than his worries.

“Just trust me! You heard what the director said just now, right? Once I set up a company, actors will come in too, and… huh?”

Chang-su suddenly looked at Myeongin with a startled expression.

“You, by any chance… No, right?”

“What do you mean, no?”

“Uh… You didn’t inherit it from Teacher… right?”

“Do you mean her inheritance?”

“No! I mean spiritual power!”

“What? No.”

Chang-su tilted his head as if he found it strange, then continued speaking.

“You said it earlier. That it would be a good thing for me too.”

“Ah! That!”

“Isn’t that what you meant by the director introducing actors? How did you know to say something like that if you don’t have spiritual power?”

“That isn’t the good thing I meant.”

“Then what is it?”

“It might not be true!”

“…Seeing things like this, I guess it really is true that you didn’t inherit spiritual power.”

Myeongin grinned and looked to one side.

* * *

After filming ended, Ha-ryeong immediately got into the car driven by her road manager.

Normally, her manager, Ahn Yeon-hui, would move separately with the other staff, but today, at Ha-ryeong’s request, they were moving in the same car.

Just then, Ahn Yeon-hui received a message.

“Hm?”

Ahn Yeon-hui checked the message and looked at Ha-ryeong, and Ha-ryeong glanced once at the road manager who was driving before putting her index finger to her lips.

Shh!

—Talk by text.

—Why? What is it?

—You said it before, remember? That if I left the company, I should go with you. Do you still feel the same?

“Hey! You.”

“Shh!”

—Are you going to another company?

—We only have 3 months left on our contract now.

—Did someone contact you?

—I did get contacted, but if I go there, it’ll count as tampering. The place I want to go is somewhere else.

—You’re not going together with all the girls?

—They don’t know. Only me.

Ha-ryeong unconsciously wet her lips.

Then Ahn Yeon-hui let out a hollow laugh and continued speaking.

—The girls are all thinking about something else too, aren’t they? Hey, if the company finds out about this, there’ll be a huge mess.

—I said I don’t know.

—Look at your expression. As if you don’t know. What were you thinking, telling me this? What if I tell the company?

Ha-ryeong clasped both hands together and slowly blinked her eyes.

—Don’t try flirting with me. Ah… what am I going to do with you?

—They’re preparing other girls besides us anyway. Right now, they’re paying less attention to us too.

—I really don’t know anymore. So where are you going?

Ha-ryeong showed her white teeth and sent a message.

—I want to go to the company of that President Park we saw earlier!

—Ah… He said he left Line. Then it’d be a startup, so why go there?

—I want to become good at acting.

—Hey, then you’d be better off going to Line.

—No. There are already a lot of actors there. If I go to President Park’s company instead, won’t he teach me a lot?

—Are you going to completely switch to being an actor?

Ha-ryeong quickly nodded with her mouth tightly shut.

Then she sent another message.

—Come with me too, unni!

—I don’t know. I’ll think about it.

Ha-ryeong held out her hand to Ahn Yeon-hui, who was sitting a little distance away, as if she were courting her.

As if telling her to take this hand and go with her.