My Girlfriend's Fortune: 3,141,592,653,589-Chapter 69: It’s Not Over Until It’s Over

TL: Aniea

“You’re better than I expected, huh?”

"......."

I remained silent at Seo Jun-woo's remark.

Why on earth is this guy standing right in front of me?

Maybe the lack of sleep from back-to-back shoots was causing me to dream while wide awake.

"Wow, I'm honestly impressed. I'd heard rumors here and there, but I never thought you'd be this devastatingly good."

"......."

"But, Woo-ju, after watching your acting, I couldn’t help but understand. Especially when you looked Kim Young-ho sunbae-nim straight in the eye and said, 'Are you still alive?' Oh man, I got chills all over my body... Oh, right. Since we're classmates, I can drop the formalities, right?"

"I don't think we were that close."

"Aw, come on, we can get closer from now on. Isn't that what being classmates is all about?"

"......."

Was he always this brazen? I tried to search my memory, but nothing specific came to mind.

The image I had of Seo Jun-woo was what people typically call a 'prince-like' atmosphere.

I’d never seen him alone. Whether it was classmates, seniors, or professors, he was always surrounded by a crowd of people.

Amidst it all, his smile never lost its brilliance, and his smooth words charmed everyone around him. He truly seemed like the kind of person destined to shoulder the future of the nation.

‘...But now, something about him feels lighter.’

At least, on the surface.

Unsurprisingly, I was still acting as [Kang Joo-heon]. Even Kang In-ho, who had spent a long time with me, couldn't easily approach me.

And yet, here this guy was, meeting me properly for the first time, stepping into my space without hesitation.

As naturally as meeting an old friend. Is this really his true self?

‘No way.’

That’s acting.

I was absolutely certain.

There’s a saying: 'Softness can overcome hardness'. It means gentleness can subdue strength.

With an ordinary personality, there’s no way he could approach [Kang Joo-heon], the character I was playing.

So, he must’ve crafted this easy-going persona to subtly slip past the iron wall I’d built, like a snake slipping over a fence.

If that’s the case, my position here is quite simple.

"......."

Swwik-

Without a word, I turned my head toward the script book. At that moment, I sensed Seo Jun-woo flinch slightly.

That confirmed it for me, this was the right move. Trying to awkwardly switch up my approach now would only leave me at the mercy of someone whose intentions I didn’t even know.

‘If someone tries to climb over a wall, you just make the wall higher.’

So high that they wouldn’t even dare to look up.

Even softness has its limits, after all.

If I don't give any room for conversation from my side, there's nothing they can do unless they use force, regardless of whether they're the president or whoever.

But even that wasn’t a viable option here. This place is the set of <Peaceful Chaebol Life>, my stage.

‘If I pulled something like this on his turf, I’d be treated like a lunatic...’

But here, this is normal.

Up until now, no matter who it was, whether it was Director Kang In-ho or Kim Young-ho sunbae, once I immersed myself in the script, I never lifted my head.

"...That’s a seriously convenient concept you’ve got there."

Huh-

It didn’t take long for Seo Jun-woo to catch on. He let out a scoffing laugh, muttering in a low voice just loud enough for me to hear, his tone dripping with disbelief.

"Excuse me. Fellow classmate?"

"......."

"Hm. It’s been a while since I’ve been treated like this."

Screeeech-

Suddenly, he pulled his chair next to mine. The cheap plastic legs scraped against the ground, creating an unpleasant noise.

Then, he plopped himself into the chair he’d brought, sitting right next to me. At a glance, anyone might mistake us for close friends based on the distance.

Should I say 'as expected'?

It was clear from his demeanor that he had no intention of leaving empty-handed now that he’d come this far.

"What are you reading so intently?"

“The script is confidential.”

"Of course, I have no intention of stealing a peek, but... I can't help what accidentally catches my eye, right?"

Thud!

I deliberately shut the script book with a sharp motion. Then, I turned my head to the side, only to find Seo Jun-woo’s face uncomfortably close, dangerously so.

“Finally, you’re looking at me?”

"What exactly are you trying to do?"

"Well... Just wanted to chat a bit."

"Make a proper appointment."

“Getting your contact info is like reaching for the stars, though. You know, I’ve never failed to get someone’s number once I set my mind to it, until you. Honestly, I didn’t think it’d be harder than getting a top actress’s number.”

Swiik-

For a moment, Seo Jun-woo’s gaze shifted to a corner of the set. My eyes naturally followed his, and there stood Choi Ji-hwan, looking awkward and out of place.

When our eyes met, he flinched in surprise and turned his head away, his movements stiff and unnatural.

“How did you manage to win over the juniors? It’s like they’ve all been rehearsing the same line: ‘I can’t tell you, not even if I die.’ How strict did you have to be for that to happen? A few of them even quit acting altogether and dropped out of school.”

“They... dropped out?”

"What? You really look like you don't know?"

“.......”

For a moment, my act faltered, wondering if I’d really been that harsh.

It was just a fleeting moment, but even that brief lapse didn’t escape Seo Jun-woo’s sharp eye. The corners of his lips curled upward in a noticeable smirk.

“As I thought... Should I say, I knew it? From the start, I didn’t believe you were the kind of guy to act like that. You must’ve gotten yourself mixed up in something huge, huh?”

“.......”

My mind became momentarily tangled.

No matter how I looked at it, the juniors didn’t seem like the type to drop out just because they had a few meals on a full stomach. Clearly, someone had applied additional pressure behind the scenes.

Thinking about it that way, Choi Ji-hwan's recent oversensitive reactions toward me made more sense.

The real problem was figuring out who was behind it. But the answer to that didn’t take long to surface.

'Baek Do-young. Or....'

Kim Eun-ha.

Between the two, the likelier candidate was the latter.

She knew everything about my every move. It wouldn’t have been difficult for her to figure out who I was meeting or what I was doing.

And I could guess her reasoning, at least to some degree. She’s a perfectionist. Anything that could potentially become a variable, even slightly, would have been eliminated in advance.

‘...I really need to tread carefully.’

It became another occasion to reconfirm what kind of person Kim Eun-ha was. She's a woman who could bite my neck anytime if she wanted to.

At the same time, I felt a tinge of gratitude toward her. She knew all about my past and yet chose to pretend otherwise.

Should I be scared of this?

Or should I be thankful? I'm not sure.

“Still, you don’t have to worry so much. You know as well as I do that people who talk too much in this business never last long, right?”

“You’re no exception, I suppose.”

“Exactly. That’s why I usually prefer listening to talking.”

“For someone who prefers listening, you sure talk a lot.”

“Well, whether it’s my legs or my mouth, it’s always the one in need that moves first.”

“And what could you possibly be in need of?”

I was genuinely curious about this.

After all, the person in front of me was none other than Seo Jun-woo.

Unlike me, who was still a rookie, he was already a well-established actor.

He was the undisputed top role model for aspiring actors in their teens and twenties, regardless of gender. Counting from his days as a child actor, he boasted a 20-year career, a true veteran.

No matter how much buzz I was getting lately, the reality was that I was still lacking in many ways compared to him.

What could Seo Jun-woo possibly need that would bring him to me?

“Hmm... let me think.”

Whether the weight of my question had reached him or not, his expression turned uncharacteristically serious as he considered his answer.

It was over ten seconds later that he finally gave me an answer. Slowly curling up the corners of his lips, Seo Jun-woo locked eyes with me and spoke.

“Honestly, I’m a bit jealous.”

“...What?”

I couldn’t help but reflexively question him. His response was so completely unexpected that it caught me off guard.

What could someone who already had everything possibly be jealous of? He had looks, wealth, and even fame. What could he be lacking?

‘...Kim Eun-ha?’

She was the only thing that came to mind at the moment. Could this guy be another hyena aiming for Kim Eun-ha? My gaze instinctively sharpened at the thought.

“The passion you have for acting… No, maybe I should call it an obsession? Even just from watching the edited footage, I could tell. Kang Woo-ju, just how much effort you’ve poured into this.”

“.......”

“That’s why I wanted to see it with my own eyes. What kind of person you are off-screen. Now that I’ve seen you in person, I’m glad I came.”

Updat𝓮d fr𝙤m ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com.

Smirk-

He glanced briefly at the worn-out script book in my hand, then slowly curled up his lips again.

At the end of that smile was a strange glint, a pure and childlike madness, as if he were a kid who had just found a new toy.

“Kang Woo-ju. You’re just like me, aren’t you?”

“...What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Not going to tell you.”

“What?”

Snicker-

With a light chuckle, Seo Jun-woo slipped back into his usual playful demeanor. He shrugged his shoulders again before getting up from his seat.

“I told you, didn’t I? I’m more of a listener than a talker.”

“.......”

I silently glared at Seo Jun-woo. In response, he let out a dramatic 'oops' sound and stepped back exaggeratedly, still smiling.

“If you’re that desperate to make me talk, why don’t you try again next time?”

“......!?”

Ssshh-

Suddenly, his expression turned ice-cold. The shift was so sharp that it was hard to believe this was the same person who had been all smiles just moments ago.

“Just so you know, I’m a pro. And not just any pro, a fairly expensive one. If I don’t deliver results worth the pay I’ve received, that puts me in an awkward position.”

He was still smiling, but there was no warmth in it whatsoever.

The moment I faced this, something deep inside my heart began to burn.

The hair on my body stood on end, and a shiver of unknown excitement coursed through my skin. Without realizing it, the corners of my lips began to rise.

What is this feeling?

Before I could make sense of it, Seo Jun-woo turned around and walked away. He left the set without even a trace of hesitation.

***

"Hey, Seo Jun-woo! What were you thinking!? What kind of crazy person visits a rival broadcasting station's set in this situation!? Are you in your right mind...."

“Director Jang.”

“......!?”

Director Jang, who had been fuming upon hearing that Seo Jun-woo had unilaterally visited the <Peaceful Chaebol Life> set, abruptly stopped mid-sentence as if his mouth had been sewn shut.

To be precise, he had no choice.

Seo Jun-woo’s gaze was sharper and more feral than it had ever been.

'...What's with this guy suddenly?'

This was Seo Jun-woo, who usually laughed off whatever anyone said to him.

While he wasn't someone you could treat carelessly, it was absolutely the first time he'd ever openly put such an edge in his voice.

“You got chewed out by the network head because our show’s ratings are falling behind, right? Even though they gave us a prime-time slot and poured in a ton of budget.”

“How is that relevant right now….”

“Then what happens if we manage to pull off a reversal in this situation?”

“Huh?”

For a moment, Director Jang tilted his head in confusion, unable to grasp Seo Jun-woo’s words. But slowly, his eyes widened in realization.

“You’re not saying… No, that’s impossible. Didn’t you see the ratings and feedback for their first two episodes? It’s obvious they’re going to keep climbing steadily.”

“Our show’s response hasn’t been bad either.”

"Well, that's true, but...."

“This is a network drama with a big-name cast, a writer and director who are recognized everywhere, and the best production staff in the industry. There’s no reason for us to lose in terms of quality.”

At Seo Jun-woo’s words, Director Jang clasped his chin and fell into thought. After a moment of calculation, he gave a heavy nod and spoke.

“Well, you’re not wrong. But the gap in the initial ratings is significant. Word of mouth only spreads as far as the resources behind it.”

“You’re absolutely right. That is, if <Peaceful Chaebol Life> can consistently maintain its current level of quality.”

“...Unfortunately, Director Kang isn’t the type to falter so easily. There’s a reason that bastard’s still survived in this industry, despite being such a pain in the ass.”

“Of course, Director Kang In-ho is incredible, I know that better than anyone, having worked with him before. But doesn’t that only hold true when he’s got some breathing room?”

“......!!”

Director Jang’s eyes widened as if he had just come to a realization. Being a veteran who had seen and experienced everything in this field, he was quick to connect the dots.

“Ah, I see! Their project was slotted in to fill a last-minute scheduling gap, wasn’t it!? Now that I think about it, the script reading videos and preview clips all looked rushed. And their filming set was a complete mess too, wasn’t it?”

“It wasn’t as bad as I initially expected, but considering it’s a train that’s just left the station, it’s in an extremely unstable state.”

“Hm. With constant all-nighters, the production staff must be completely drained. Especially the director or writer, they’ve got to be at their breaking point. It wouldn’t be surprising if one of them collapsed.”

“Well, I wouldn’t wish for that, of course. But in my experience, teams that fail to maintain their pace from the start always end up running into major accidents.”

Smirk-

Hearing that, Director Jang smiled for the first time. As if lifting a curtain of darkness, he could finally see a glimmer of hope before him.

“Maybe we’ll get our chance after all.”

“Of course, we’ll need to be ready to seize it when the opportunity arises. As the saying goes, ‘It’s not over until...’”

“It’s over.”

“Yes, exactly.”

Swiik-

Seo Jun-woo’s gaze shifted to the phone in his hand.

[CEO-nim, no matter how you look at it, this is too much!]

[Secretary Kim, do you even understand who the person in front of you is?]

[Th-that is....]

[I am Kang Joo-heon.]

Eyes filled with certainty, as if no further explanation was necessary. His gaze radiated unshakable confidence, a firm belief that he would undoubtedly emerge victorious.

Is that really acting?

Or is it 'real'?

“...This is why I can never quit acting.”

Staring at the screen, Seo Jun-woo met the gaze of Kang Woo-ju from beyond it, his lips curling into a distinct smile.

*****

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