Chapter 215: I helped, why!

Kyler’s palms were sweating.

Yu Myeong’s expression—

After falling into the water, he began showing signs of distress one beat later.

Like a repeated refrain following the previous measure, he checked the movements around him and reacted as though he were following their lead.

It was a subtle delay. Small enough that the Avikanians would not notice, but just noticeable enough for the camera to capture.

A clear message that Ars was still mimicking.

Acting that perfectly matches the timing even in a situation where instinct would make one’s vision go dark...

Ars grabbed his throat as if he could not breathe and thrashed around. Then, the moment Terca’s attention shifted to someone else, he quickly scanned his surroundings.

The strangely rational expression visible through the bubbles rising from his nose and mouth gave the scene an extreme sense of tension.

There is no way that image could ever come out if they simply stitched it together afterward.

Kyler understood why Yu Myeong had insisted.

He had never imagined that such acting could be achieved underwater.

Terca and his subordinate watched the struggling humans with cold indifference and delivered their lines.

[Commander, but are you certain this experiment can distinguish an Avikanian?]

[Avikanians can mimic other forms. If one of them is about to die because they cannot breathe underwater, they would even mimic the respiratory organs of a fish. If they change their appearance right before death, that will be proof they are Avikanian.]

[But what if they insist on maintaining a human appearance?]

[Then... they will die. But do you truly think they will stubbornly hold out until death?]

[Even so, if someone were to endure it by some chance, would we not lose our harvest?]

At those words, Terca fell silent for a moment before changing his order.

[Then to prepare for that possibility, we will not kill them.]

They did not know that Ars, inside the tank, had heard those words.

After enduring long enough according to plan, Ars mimicked the human who had lost consciousness from lack of oxygen and was eventually removed from the tank without being discovered.

[Cut! Are all the actors okay?!]

Hearing Kyler’s urgent voice, Yu Myeong closed his eyes.

Perhaps he had swallowed a great deal of water, because his chest rose and fell with rough breaths.

This is strange. This feeling...

Even underwater, it felt as though his vision remained clear.

It was acting, yet it did not feel like acting. It felt as though he had truly become Ars, calculating what he needed to do.

And at the most desperate moment, the thing that came to Yu Myeong’s mind was not anything else, but—

Hetty...

The expression she wore when she said, “It’s okay because I love you,” appeared before his eyes.

The regret that he still did not understand her completely rose to his throat, filling him like the breath he could no longer hold.

While allowing the medical staff checking his condition beside him to support him, Yu Myeong unconsciously searched for Erhi.

?The rumor that Phoebe Taylor had contracted rabies and started biting people indiscriminately originated from her social media account.

<Among the female members of the House and Senate from the Republican Party, there are only three people with the surname N. Shin Yu Myeong’s first recorded entry into the United States was December 9, 2006. Unless one intends to make the absurd claim that Representative N deliberately traveled to the unfamiliar country of Korea to sponsor Shin Yu Myeong, their meeting must have taken place within one month of Shin Yu Myeong’s arrival in the United States and his entry into Casting Vote. I will begin investigative reporting into whether the movements of the three Representatives N and Shin Yu Myeong overlapped in any way. Stay tuned.>

It was the era when one-person media was beginning to emerge through the explosive popularity of Facebook and Twitter.

As a famous paparazzo known for her sharp and provocative writing style, Phoebe Taylor’s social media accounts had accumulated a considerable following.

When she announced that she would investigate a recently popular gossip topic, the internet quickly became heated over the news.

-You’re obviously jumping on the bandwagon because this topic is trending. It’s embarrassing to watch.

-Screenshot taken. Isn’t this something Shin Yu Myeong’s side or the Republican Party could sue over?

-Huh? I don’t think this looks like a post encouraging gossip. Isn’t she just saying she wants to uncover the truth?

-I feel like she’s criticizing other paparazzi too... Stop spreading rumors without evidence.

-Come on, seriously? How is this any different from trash calling other trash dirty?

The “surely not” turned out to be true.

The investigative reports that followed proved that the schedules of the three Representatives N and Shin Yu Myeong’s movements during that month had no overlap whatsoever, and people began adding their own opinions.

-Representative N might not actually be one of the “N” people.

-The assumption that they met in America might be wrong from the start. They could have met in another country that was neither America nor Korea.

-What is Shin Yu Myeong doing? Why isn’t he explaining himself?

-He’s filming a movie these days. The prize for winning Casting Vote.

-It’s confirmed there was no possibility their routes overlapped. Rumor disproven, case closed.

-But the schedule table and the organized information she obtained are incredibly precise. This is basically a textbook example of how paparazzi should dig.

-I don’t know. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. I still don’t understand how an unknown Asian contestant suddenly appeared and swept the competition.

-You idiot. Does everything you can’t understand automatically become fake?

The gossip magazines that had been eagerly attacking Yu Myeong backed off temporarily, but soon returned by bringing up the question, “Then what about that video?” and aggressively pushed the “Casting Vote manipulation theory” again.

Phoebe responded with this:

<My SNS messenger has recently been flooded with suggestions for my next investigative report. Many people have asked me to verify the authenticity of the “Shin Yu Myeong’s terrible acting video” and his “three-month disappearance.” Regarding this matter, I will reveal the truth as soon as I obtain definite evidence.>

People waited eagerly for her article.

However, it took a very long time before she uploaded the results of that investigation.

?The CRD Triumvirate Meeting.

It referred to the meeting of the three people leading CRD, one of America’s premier drama production companies.

Nicholas, the chief producer known as the Hand of God; Giovanni, the master negotiator famous for securing the best possible conditions through his connections and salesmanship; and Caliph, who oversaw overall operations.

The three leaders sat together once again, discussing CRD’s major matters.

[We need to pay attention to Agency W.]

[The agency of the Casting Vote winner you’ve been investing so much effort into lately? I’ve heard their CEO has a good eye for talent, but is there something special about them?]

[I hinted that he should let me know if there was anything I could help with, and he asked me to introduce him to Valonto.]

[Valonto? Isn’t that place practically on the verge of collapse?]

Valonto was an agency specializing in training and managing supporting actors and extras.

There had been a time when it was known as Hollywood’s largest supplier of extras, but now it was a setting sun.

Nicholas recalled the ambitious look in Yu Seok’s eyes when he mentioned the company.

[Why Valonto?]

[I intend to acquire it.]

[Its finances are a mess, and it is hardly a company with much potential.]

At those words, Moon Yu Seok smiled faintly.

[Potential always lies in people.]

[...]

[Besides, isn’t it the company that possesses the largest number of profiles of unknown actors in Hollywood?]

[That is true, but most of those actors are dead weight—]

[I am rather good at distinguishing between dead weight and genuine talent.]

“Insight.”

When he mentioned the insight that had allowed him to identify Shin Yu Myeong, Kai Noonen, and Do Hyo Joon ahead of everyone else, interest appeared on Nicholas’s face.

[The third-generation owner of Valonto, Lund Valonto, is someone with plenty of ideals but little ability. He will not hand Valonto over to a newly established company with no results.]

[I will handle that.]

[And even if its condition is poor, a company the size of Valonto would require considerable funds.]

[That will be fine. There are quite a few people in Korea who will invest in my judgment without asking questions.]

As Nicholas explained, interest began spreading across the faces of the other two.

[Certain financial backing... That is certainly an undeniable factor.]

[In this industry, what ultimately matters is “sense” and “luck.” If money supports those two things, it is not uncommon for an unknown company to rise rapidly overnight. Nicholas, in your opinion, does that CEO possess sense and luck?]

Nicholas stared into empty space for a moment, as though measuring Moon Yu Seok.

The image that came to mind was not merely someone hiding claws beneath a polished exterior.

It was someone who had also loaded a tranquilizer gun and a bomb arsenal beneath that calm appearance.

And the diamonds he possessed.

[Ah... He reminds me of myself in my prime.]

[That... much?]

[His instincts are sharp as a blade, and he has already obtained extraordinary luck. And he has the ability to remove anything that stands in his way. The current public relations battle surrounding Shin Yu Myeong was probably his work as well.]

The other two men had now risen from the sofa and leaned forward.

[Then what is he planning to do after acquiring Valonto?]

[He is probably trying to build the first floor of a pyramid.]

...A pyramid?

[He will obtain Valonto’s countless profiles, divide talents according to their level, and bring up actors who have ability but remain stuck at the bottom.]

[Hmm... What about actors without much talent? Most supporting actors are fairly ordinary, after all.]

[He mentioned that Korea’s “agency system” is highly developed. A system cannot discover extraordinary actors by itself, but it can create actors who meet a certain standard.]

[Then...]

[There is always a shortage of good supporting actors and extras... He will manage quality, raise Valonto’s reputation, then recruit talented actors among them into Agency W.]

Supporting actors and extras whose quality was guaranteed were always in demand in Hollywood.

Giovanni swallowed dryly.

[There must be a reason he told you this.]

[I asked whether he wanted investment, but he said he did not need money. He said accepting help without giving proper consideration to the person offering it would be discourteous, and that he wanted CRD and Agency W to maintain a good relationship going forward.]

[That man is no ordinary fox... How is the Shin Yu Myeong casting situation going?]

[The media has been noisy lately, so the production companies that had been aggressively approaching him about their next projects seem to have slowed down. They probably decided it would be better to wait until they see the film’s box office results.]

[And us?]

[Fortunately, we are ignoring that nonsense entirely. We offered him an even higher guarantee while making it clear that rumors do not matter to us. We hoped he might waver this time, but he did not budge.]

[Hmm...]

Their meeting continued late into the night.

?Even if his inspiration is unusually good, this is too much.

When Hye Ho saw the final cut of , he became deeply wary.

Ars and Hetty.

Himself and Yu Myeong.

No matter how much Kyler Unshaw was a director who saw through the essence of actors, the script was too detailed and too similar to dismiss as coincidence.

A spy from the Heavenly Realm?

Kyler’s energy was unusually pure, but there seemed to be no trace of the Heavenly Realm’s involvement.

Still, Hye Ho could not relax.

He visited Kyler’s residence and questioned the spirits living on this land.

Naturally, the amount of time he spent following Yu Myeong decreased, and Hye Ho made an excuse to Yu Myeong that he was “absorbing acting energy from another filming location.”

One day, after becoming increasingly anxious because he could find no clues, a suspicion occurred to him.

Could it be... Mother?

Hye Ho immediately flew to Hwa Ho’s residence.

{Is it you, Mother?}

{Hmm? I don’t know what you mean.}

She smiled seductively and pretended not to understand.

It was suspicious.

He continued questioning her, asking whether she had anything to do with the Heavenly Realm or whether she had intervened somehow, but she only smiled brightly without giving him a clear answer.

{Then I will return.}

{Ah, what a cold-hearted son. How long has it been since I saw you, and you are leaving so quickly... Without even sharing a single meal with your mother.}

{...You do not eat meals anyway.}

{Just a little longer. Just a little longer, and I feel like I might remember something. Was the Heavenly Realm involved~?}

{What did you say?! Was it truly the Heavenly Realm?!}

{Or was it not~? Stay just a little longer. I almost remember.}

Hwa Ho held onto him with one excuse after another.

Time flowed differently between the Heavenly Realm and the mortal world.

While she stalled, filming would continue.

Seeing Hye Ho grow increasingly restless at the thought that weeks or even months might already have passed, Hwa Ho spoke.

{Why are you in such a hurry?}

{I still do not know what kind of person the director is, and Shin Yu Myeong must be waiting as well. There may be something I can help with—}

{A child grows so much during the brief moment you take your eyes off them.}

She looked at her son and smiled wistfully.

As if saying that he had been the same.

{He will be doing well. He may have grown in ways that will surprise you.}

{As expected... You were involved, weren’t you?}

Ignoring her son’s feelings and only demanding the answers he wanted, Hwa Ho finally snapped.

{Yes, I helped him. Why?!}

{...You helped him?}

{All I did was clear the fog from the director’s eyes so that the feeling of that child and the feeling of you, Hye Ho, would become more clearly distinguishable from the presence he gives off. The story itself was created by him.}

{Why... would you do that...}

She avoided Hye Ho’s gaze and muttered quietly.

{I wanted him to know as well.}

{Know what?}

{What kind of feelings you have, and what kind of heart you have while helping that child. He is an excellent actor. If he acts your role well enough, perhaps he will understand your heart too.}

{...You have done something unnecessary. Do not interfere again.}

Hye Ho suppressed his rising temper and spoke in a low voice before disappearing from her presence.

Watching his back, Hwa Ho sighed.

Yes. As a being of the Heavenly Realm, I should not interfere like this... But could you possibly understand what a mother’s heart is?

?When Hye Ho returned, Yu Myeong was filming.

Scene 67. Ars’s monologue after returning from the spacecraft where he had been abducted.

[All right, everyone, stand by.]

In mortal time, it had been nearly a month since he had last seen him.

Miho, delighted to see him again, was about to run over and greet Yu Myeong.

Then she saw the expression on the man standing at the center of the set and stopped.

A chilling feeling ran through her.

How...!

Yu Myeong was wearing an expression she knew very well.