My Girlfriend's Fortune: 3,141,592,653,589-Chapter 73: What Did I Do So Wrong!?

TL: Aniea

“...Sunbae-nim, this is absolutely ridiculous!”

Choi Ji-hwan looked at me, practically on the verge of tears. In his hands was the script we were supposed to shoot next.

The only difference this time was that the script’s thickness was barely half of the usual.

“I understand the reason for not taking a break. I don’t want to lose to other dramas either. But....”

“But?”

At my question, Choi Ji-hwan flinched. He didn’t avert his gaze as he used to, but I could see the earthquake shaking his pupils.

I thought he might back down here. But surprisingly, he clenched his teeth and raised his voice once more.

“...No matter what, isn’t it too much to summarize a whole scene with just the direction, ‘Kang Joo-heon and Choi Ji-hwan have a conversation about Park Soo-bin’!?”

“Hmm.”

I wasn’t sure if it was because of something he realized during the previous impromptu acting session, or because he genuinely thought this script was nonsense.

Still, the fact that Choi Ji-hwan could face me straight on and clearly express his opinion was a major improvement.

I needed him to keep showing this kind of attitude when the cameras were rolling. After all, Choi Ji-hwan’s role was to bring me down as the main character.

Internally pleased by his growth, I decided not to hold back my advice for our dear hubae.

“So?”

“Huh?”

“What exactly are you trying to say to me, Choi Ji-hwan-ssi?”

“...For now, could you at least speak more casually to me when the cameras aren’t rolling? My character and I share the same name, so it’s hard for me to separate acting from reality!”

I. Kang Joo-heon.

Speaks formally to nearly everyone.

Of course, he had a personality so arrogant that no one in South Korea could rival him.

At the same time, he was also a character with an education so elite that his level of refinement far surpassed the average.

Just like Choi Ji-hwan felt, Kang Joo-heon’s use of formal language was not meant to convey respect toward the other person in the literal sense.

Rather, it was his own way of maintaining an unwavering distance, signaling that he didn’t want to be even a millimeter closer to anyone he didn’t acknowledge.

“Is there really any need to separate the two?”

Thus, I didn’t speak casually to him.

Of course, there was a clear boundary between the Kang Joo-heon in the script and ‘me’, but when dealing with Choi Ji-hwan, I made an exception.

“...Are you still holding onto what happened before?”

“Hmm. It seems in your eyes, Choi Ji-hwan-ssi, I’m such a petty and idle person that I would still care about such trivial matters.”

“Ah, no, that’s not what I meant....”

“Spare me the feeble excuses.”

The reason I continued speaking to him formally wasn’t because I held a grudge.

Whether he liked it or not, I wanted Choi Ji-hwan to become more accustomed to Kang Joo-heon as a character.

This wasn’t about holding grudges.

Really.

“Sunbae, what are you doing here?”

At that moment, Park Soo-bin cut into the conversation. At some point, she had started dropping the honorific ‘nim’ and addressing me casually.

Even though she wasn’t my school hubae, she suddenly decided to call me ‘oppa’, so I had settled for a middle ground.

“Choi Ji-hwan-ssi says he doesn’t like the script.”

“When did I.... No, wait, you really are holding onto that incident, aren’t you!? Soo-bin and I are the same age! Please, just talk casually to me too!”

“There’s no reason for that.”

“Kkuaaagh-!”

Choi Ji-hwan grabbed his head as if he were about to go insane. I left him alone and continued my conversation with Park Soo-bin.

“What do you think about it?”

“The script?”

“Yeah.”

“...Honestly, it’s a mess. Even when I was doing theater in college, we didn’t rush things like this. This completely relies on the actors’ performances.”

Sigh-

Park Soo-bin let out a deep sigh and shook her head. It seemed the script was quite challenging for her as well.

“No, I mean, everything else is relatively fine. But the scenes where you and I appear together have so many single-line directions. Aren’t the production staff placing too much trust in you?”

Indeed.

She wasn’t wrong.

The scripts for scenes where [Kang Joo-heon] didn’t appear weren’t much different from before. The pages were still filled tightly with directions and dialogue.

It was the result of focusing the combined efforts of all the remaining assistant writers, so it was only natural.

“I asked for it myself.”

“You did, sunbae?”

“Yes.”

The reason this was possible was because I improvised all the scenes I appeared in.

Since I occupied a significant amount of screen time in the drama, simply removing Kang Joo-heon’s scripted lines had drastically reduced the burden on the assistant writers to less than half.

“What on earth are you going to do?”

“The same as always.”

“...It might be fine for you, sunbae, but it’s too much for us. I did prepare some lines of my own, but even I think they sound awkward.”

“Let me see.”

I took her script and examined it. It seemed she had studied her character and prepared lines, directions, and actions herself.

As she mentioned, there were a few awkward parts, but overall, it was fairly solid.

“You’ve analyzed not just [Park Soo-bin] but also [Kang Joo-heon] quite thoroughly. It’s not much different from the script I’ve prepared.”

“You prepared a script too, sunbae?”

“To some extent.”

“Show me too!”

“Sorry, but that’ll be difficult.”

“What? But we need to work together anyway. Is there a need to hide it between us!?”

“That’s not what I mean.”

Park Soo-bin tilted her head in confusion, as if asking what I meant. I tapped my temple lightly before continuing.

“It’s all in my head.”

“...You’re so full of yourself, really.”

“Did you just realize that now?”

“...Sometimes, you’re just like Kang Joo-heon, but at times like this, you feel subtly different. Which side is your real self?”

“Who knows.”

I wasn’t sure myself.

After wearing the mask of a ‘chaebol third-generation’ for months on end, it felt as if the mask had become fused with my soul.

My speech, behavior, and even thought process had clearly changed from what they were before. Now, I didn’t even have to consciously act the part, it came naturally to me.

‘...The exception would probably be my family and Eun-ha.’

Although, even calling my family an exception was ambiguous. If I divided my life into before and after I started acting, the differences became even starker.

So ultimately, the only person with whom I could reveal my true self without hesitation was Kim Eun-ha.

“You’re thinking about CEO Kim Eun-ha right now, aren’t you?”

“No.”

“Come on, that’s a lie. Do you know this? Whenever someone mentions CEO Kim Eun-ha, or when you think about her, the atmosphere around you subtly changes?”

“...If you have time to spout nonsense, focus on the script.”

“You’re just changing the subject because you’re embarrassed, aren’t you?”

“.......”

When I stared at her silently, Park Soo-bin raised her hands in mock surrender and stepped back.

Her face was filled with a playful smile. It was so familiar that I suddenly realized, it was almost identical to the expression my younger sister used to make.

Honestly, I wanted to smack her lightly on the head, but doing so would mean falling for her antics, so I calmly pointed at the script instead.

“For this part, ‘Listen carefully to what I’m about to say and decide for yourself’ would be more appropriate.”

“It doesn’t seem that different from what I wrote.”

“A single word or two can completely change the nuance. The biggest difference here is between ‘my’ and ‘I’. Kang Joo-heon would never use the humble form ‘my’ unless speaking to someone like the Chairman. He keeps his status intact with every word.”

“...Hmm. Now that you mention it, that makes sense.”

“Of course, I’ll handle this part myself, so you don’t need to worry too much. However, a few things about [Park Soo-bin]’s lines and actions need adjustment.”

“I’m all ears.”

When it came to obsession with acting, Park Soo-bin was also second to none.

Her greatest strength was her ability to humbly accept areas where she was lacking and actively take in others' opinions.

Perhaps because of this, her acting skills grew exponentially as the episodes progressed, absorbing the strengths of those around her, to the point that even I was amazed.

“Whoa, sunbae, now that I’ve made the changes you suggested, all the awkward parts are completely gone! I knew there was a problem but couldn’t pinpoint where....”

“That’s how it usually is.”

“Then I’ll go practice the script and do some image training before we start shooting! Thank you for your help!”

“Sure.”

Cheerful. Sociable.

And yet, when it came to matters like this, she never backed down. It made her almost impossible to dislike.

She was, quite literally, the perfect personality match for the heroine of <Peaceful Chaebol Life>.

Even when Jung Ha-rin wrote the script, she had directly infused Park Soo-bin’s natural personality into the character. So even with a script like this, it probably wasn’t too difficult for her to act.

“Um.... Sunbae-nim, could you take a look at mine, too?”

The problem was this guy, of course.

Sure, Choi Ji-hwan’s character also seemed to have been directly based on his real personality.

But because of the incident between us, whenever he stood in front of me, he turned into a whimpering puppy.

“Choi Ji-hwan-ssi, there’s no need for that.”

“What on earth do I have to do to earn your forgiveness...!?”

“It’s not about forgiveness or anything else. I mean it literally, there’s no need. In fact, it’s better for you to have no script.”

“What do you mean....”

I didn’t bother to answer Choi Ji-hwan’s question. As always, it would be much faster for him to learn with his body rather than hear it a hundred times with his ears.

*

“Se, sunbae-nim! Spare me, please!”

“Why would I be your sunbae?”

“I’ll do whatever you say, just spare my life....”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’ve tested this a few times, and I know people’s life force is surprisingly tenacious. Someone like you, Choi Ji-hwan-ssi, can handle this just fine.”

“N-no! Don’t come any closer- aaagh!!”

Choi Ji-hwan clutched his head and let out a desperate scream. At the same time, Director Kang In-ho’s satisfied voice rang out.

“Cut-! Okay!”

“...That was even better than when we had a script.”

“I just got chills all over. Woo-ju-ssi was always good, but has Ji-hwan-ssi ever acted that well? And wasn’t that all done in one take?”

“Yeah. Thanks to that, the filming pace is record-breaking.”

The moment the “okay” signal was given, staff members began murmuring in admiration. The subject of their praise was none other than Choi Ji-hwan.

Watching him deliver such a dramatic performance, rolling on the ground and all, everyone nodded in acknowledgment.

‘...But I’m not acting!’

Of course, Choi Ji-hwan himself was utterly miserable.

The scene they were filming involved [Choi Ji-hwan] being manipulated by Kang Joo-heon and forced into the ring.

It was a scene where, after getting beaten up all day by Kang Joo-heon, who had trained in mixed martial arts, he would completely lose his senses.

The purpose of this event was to build up to the realization for [Park Soo-bin] and [Choi Ji-hwan] that they couldn’t defeat Kang Joo-heon through conventional methods, thus pushing them to a moment of growth.

‘...I don’t care about that!’

It hurt so much that it brought tears to his eyes.

Normally, this would have been a scene where they coordinated the movements to pretend to hit each other. But right up until the cameras started rolling, no one had discussed anything. Instead, all he had heard was:

- Choi Ji-hwan-ssi, just follow your instincts. I’ll adjust everything else. Do you understand?

- ...Uh, okay.

Not understanding what those words really meant, Choi Ji-hwan had nodded, but within just ten seconds of the cameras rolling, he had “understood” Kang Woo-ju’s words with his entire body.

Squeak! Thunk! Guh-uhk!

Kang Woo-ju’s fists didn’t stop midway. They went beyond acting, actually pounding Choi Ji-hwan’s body.

Startled, Choi Ji-hwan tried to stop the scene, but every time he attempted to, Kang Woo-ju’s attacks perfectly cut him off, preventing him from doing so.

- Cut! Okay! Ji-hwan-ssi, your acting today is phenomenal!

- D-Director-nim, this is....

- Just keep doing it like this! Just like this!

- .......

The staff continued to shower him with admiration, almost as if they were deliberately pretending not to know what was really happening.

What was even more astonishing was that despite being beaten so thoroughly, there were no marks left on Choi Ji-hwan’s body. In fact, the spots where he had been hit actually felt refreshed.

- Sunbae-nim, what on earth is this....

- It’s a massage. A massage. It’s a secret technique that I was personally taught by my master not long ago. It’s an art no ordinary person can comprehend, so consider it an honor.

- .......

Choi Ji-hwan wanted to scream that no such massage could possibly exist and that no human could pull off something like this.

But he couldn’t bring himself to open his mouth. Kang Woo-ju’s gaze was trembling ever so slightly.

Even though he didn’t know what emotion was behind that look, he had a gut feeling that if he said the wrong thing now, something far worse might happen.

“Alright, let’s move on to the next scene! Choi Ji-hwan-ssi, are you ready?”

“Not yet....”

“Ready-!”

In the chaos of the relentless filming schedule, there wasn’t even room for his voice to squeeze in. Choi Ji-hwan gritted his teeth internally.

‘What did I do so wrong!?’

Of course, he had done something wrong.

He had dared to try and threaten Kang Woo-ju.

Still, even though rumors had spread all over campus, branding him as a traitor, he had repeatedly reflected and apologized. What more was he supposed to do?

Choi Ji-hwan clenched his gloved fists tightly. With eyes filled with resentment and anger, he glared at Kang Woo-ju, who stood opposite him.

‘Just one hit.’

Acting no longer mattered.

If he could just land one solid punch on that infuriating face, he would finally be able to sleep soundly tonight.

“Action!”

At the sound of the director’s voice, Choi Ji-hwan pushed off the ground and charged forward. It seemed Kang Woo-ju hadn’t expected him to make the first move, as he didn’t react at all.

‘This is it! I’ve got him!’

At the very moment he was convinced of his success, Choi Ji-hwan saw it.

The smile curled up at the corner of Kang Woo-ju’s lips.

“Well done, Ji-hwan.”

“......!?”

Thwack!

Before he could even process what he had just heard, his vision flashed, and his mind went blank. His legs gave out, and he crumpled to the ground.

Even as his body collapsed, Choi Ji-hwan desperately raised his head, trying to look at Kang Woo-ju.

Ah-

When he finally saw the soft smile lingering on Kang Woo-ju’s face, a sudden realization washed over him.

At the same time, he felt all the anger and resentment that had built up inside him melt away.

‘He did it on purpose.’

Because I kept acting so weak, he did this so I could fight back out of sheer grit and determination. So I could “awaken”, just like [Choi Ji-hwan] in the drama.

Then, in a voice just loud enough for only him to hear, Kang Woo-ju whispered,

“Take a short rest.”

“Th-thank you....”

Thud!

Choi Ji-hwan, who had been knocked out by a perfect counter punch, fell to the floor, grinning foolishly.

*

“Okay, cut!”

“It’s finally over!”

“I can’t believe we actually pulled this off!”

A scriptless drama.

Everyone, whether actors or staff, who had accomplished something that was close to impossible, shared joyful smiles as they linked arms in celebration.

“It’s all thanks to Woo-ju-ssi. You did great!”

No one was more emotionally overwhelmed than Director Kang In-ho. Gripping Kang Woo-ju’s hand, he shook it up and down vigorously, clearly moved to the core.

“I’ll leave the rest in your hands, Director-nim.”

“Alright, leave the rest to me. I’ll go show those terrestrial broadcasters who the true pioneers of live text voting are.”

Director Kang In-ho’s sharp, determined eyes lit up fiercely. The intensity of his gaze was enough to make even Kang Woo-ju flinch slightly.

“Don’t overwork yourself to the point of collapse.”

“Don’t worry. Thanks to the ginseng set CEO Kim Eun-ha sent me earlier, I feel even more energetic than I did before we started shooting this drama.”

“...You received something like that too?”

“...I’ll be going now!”

Hurriedly changing the subject, Kang In-ho grabbed his coat and left the set. His destination was none other than the Broadcasting Director's office.

Outside the door, Kang In-ho took a deep breath to calm himself, then knocked very carefully.

BANG BANG BANG-!!

“Director! I know you’re in there! Open this door while I’m still being polite!”

“It’s already open, you crazy bastard!”

Hearing the voice from inside, Kang In-ho made a resolute expression and stepped into the Broadcasting Director’s office.

*****

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