Chapter 641

The bellflower-root honey tea he had carefully prepared at home was even handmade by Han Yohan himself. And by handmade, I mean this handmade.

“What’s that?”

“Bellflower-root honey tea. Do you like bellflower root?”

“No. I don’t.”

“If your tastes change later, let me know. I’ll give you some.... It tastes good because I grew and harvested it myself. It’s different from what they sell in stores.”

“...What? Wait, you grew it yourself?”

When she heard that he had done everything himself, from cultivating the bellflower root to making the syrup, Jo Eunnara was horrified.

Among all those lunatics who juggled eight women at once, changed girlfriends every week, and enjoyed flirting even when they had wives, Han Yohan was the true madman.

‘What kind of hopelessly devoted man is that?’

That had to be why, even after going to America, seeing all those glamorous things on her glamorous schedule—and seeing Myeong Jeha’s glamorous face—she still said she liked Han Yohan.

‘Maybe this is a good thing.... Better than them breaking up halfway through the project.’

Having somehow gotten trapped in the hospital room with everyone else, Jo Eunnara witnessed yet another form of madness.

“Don’t rest.”

“I won’t.”

The combination of a coldhearted master telling someone who had collapsed to get right back up and work, and the disciple accepting it without batting an eye, left everyone aghast.

Even the famously good-natured Hwang Boseok shouted that absolutely could not happen.

“Puppyyy!!!”

The entire hospital room thundered.

The other three seemed to be saying something too, but their voices were completely drowned out by Kwak Cheolsik.

“You little punk, how can you work yourself like that without taking care of your body? Huh? You damn brat, what is this?”

Kwak Cheolsik had brought an enormous stuffed rabbit. It barely fit on the patient’s bed, but he stubbornly crammed it in beside her anyway.

“You have to sleep plenty and eat lots if you want to get better fast!”

“They can hear you in the next room~.”

“It’s nothing serious, right? Huh? Just overwork?”

“You’re always like this. If you can’t do something, say you can’t. Is that mouth of yours only good for extorting food trucks?”

With Kwak Cheolsik, Yun Hyeonjo, Gong Mujin, and Joo Junseo entering, the hospital room had become hopelessly overcrowded, yet nobody seemed to have any intention of leaving.

Beside Kwak Cheolsik, who was hugging Han Yeoreum and making a huge fuss, Yun Hyeonjo neatly placed the slippers he had bought for her. Gong Mujin arranged everything so it would be easy for her to take: eye drops for dry eyes, medicine for body aches and colds, and all sorts of other medications.

And finally, Joo Junseo, who had brought a roll cake—

‘What the hell are you glaring at?’

—glared at Han Yohan and Jo Eunnara in turn.

Jo Eunnara was the kind of person Joo Junseo could read at a glance. She might fool everyone else in the world, but she couldn’t fool his eyes.

‘She probably tried to become a model, somehow got dumped into a web drama instead, threw every kind of fucking tantrum because she didn’t want to do it, then things worked out and now she’s seriously trying to be an actress. And just like her face, her personality’s probably nasty as hell—the rude-ass type who won’t even answer if a woman she isn’t interested in talks to her. The kind who gets away with acting exactly as shitty as her looks allow....’

Jo Eunnara, her instincts sharpening, stared straight back at Joo Junseo.

‘What the fuck is your problem, glaring at me like I’m competition?’

One look and she could tell.

He was obviously the jealous type who would fret himself sick and constantly feel insecure. He couldn’t even begin to compare with someone secure like Han Yohan.

A schedule in America together with Myeong Jeha.

Any other man would have lost his mind over it, unable to sleep or eat all night.

Just like that rude-ass bastard glaring at her right now.

Han Yohan, meanwhile, had spent that time making bellflower-root syrup like a real man.

There was simply no comparison.

“Oh my. Why is Yeoreum so popular?”

“Huh? Director!”

“Yeoreum, are you okay?”

“Bitgang was already here.”

Then came Director Park Jaeyeong of <Unfair Deal>, Writer Ahn Junmyeong of <The Great Garland>, and No Jeongyeon, one of Korea’s eternal troika of actresses.

And then—

The person Jo Eunnara hated most.

“Oh my... Everyone’s gathered here.... Hehe.”

Eun Baekhap entered wearing her public mask.

* * *

The hospital room had become far too crowded, so eventually everyone left, leaving only four people behind.

Park Jaeyeong, Ahn Junmyeong, No Jeongyeon, and Eun Baekhap.

“You can probably tell what this lineup means without me explaining, right? I agonized over this so much, oh man... I’m still worried about it.”

“I was hoping you’d come aboard, Director. Wow.”

They were the director and actors of <Those Who Deserve to Die>.

Park Jaeyeong, who had been buried under written explanations and complaints because of the <Newar> incident, had made a major decision.

When you got down to it, this was a gamble for every single one of them.

Eun Baekhap, Han Yeoreum, Ahn Junmyeong, and No Jeongyeon.

Every one of them was charging headfirst into this project knowing they might be pelted with stones and cursed out.

For no reason other than that they wanted to do it.

“I went over there and begged him like crazy. Grabbed him by the shoulders, just like this. ‘Jaeyeong, sweetheart. If not you, who are we supposed to hand the megaphone to? I don’t have that many years left to live, so don’t be so heartless,’ I told him.”

“Professor, you did well. If you hadn’t, I was planning to go and beg him on my knees myself.”

“See? Yeoreum and I are a better match than Bitgang and I are. Right? Hm?”

Amid the cheerful atmosphere, Eun Baekhap looked at X-Man.

Park Jaeyeong noticed the look passing between the two and patted Ahn Junmyeong on the shoulder.

“Oh man. You two probably have some things to discuss about the script, right? We’ll clear out first.”

“Talk comfortably. Take your time.”

“Yeoreum, hurry up and get your strength back.”

Once the three of them left, only X-Man and Eun Baekhap remained in the hospital room.

Eun Baekhap continued staring silently at X-Man.

“You....”

Eun Baekhap said exactly what she wanted to say.

“If you ever set things up so I secretly overhear another conversation between a writer and director again, you’re fucking dead. Understand?”

“Writer Ahn told you? No, but that was, well....”

After soaking up enough American influence for her ego to grow considerably, X-Man gave her an irritating grin.

“I got the script before you did, senior, so there wasn’t much I could do. I wanted to recommend you, but you refused to budge. Think of it as a sort of on-site preview of the diction.”

Eun Baekhap clenched her fist for a moment, then remembered that the other person was a patient and forced herself to relax it.

The expectant look X-Man was giving her even now was incredibly irritating.

“I’m not going to thank you. So get rid of that fucking expectation that you’re going to get some kind of gratitude from me.”

“....”

“Anyone with eyes, a brain, and the ability to think would’ve known Jeong Huiseon belonged to me. Even without you, that project would’ve been mine. Got it?”

Eun Baekhap rose from her seat.

“And keep in mind, I’m not going easy on you.”

For some reason, I found myself smiling.

“Clench your teeth and keep up, X-Man.”

X-Man smiled back at Eun Baekhap.

“I think you’re the one who’ll have to clench your teeth and keep up, senior.”

“What fucking bullshit. You’re only running your mouth like that because you’ve never seen my acting right in front of you.”

“I’m serious. I’ve been meeting with Writer Ahn several times since the early stages of <Those Who Deserve to Die>.”

“...What?”

“I’m saying you’re about two years behind me in character analysis.”

The smile vanished completely from Eun Baekhap’s face.

“You little fucker.”

“Go practice lots and lots, and send me some food trucks in your spare time. Ah, where are you going! And during interviews, if you could say I’m your most cherished junior...!”

“Shut up! Who decided that?!”

Eun Baekhap violently yanked open the hospital-room door.

“Aaah!”

“Oof.”

“Oh my, my....”

And the three people who had been leaning against the door toppled forward.

“....”

Eun Baekhap sighed.

* * *

In less than a day since I was hospitalized, an excessive number of gifts had piled up.

“Unni. Am I living here now?”

“Comfortable, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. It really feels like my own home.”

“Then since you’re comfortable, how about resting for just three more days?”

“No... One day is enough for the little taste of the collapse cliché I wanted.”

“I don’t even have the slightest idea what that means.”

Back during <Dongdaemun Romance>, I hadn’t collapsed right in front of everyone, so it hadn’t been on this scale.

‘I did always want to experience one of those scenes in dramas or movies where the female lead collapses and everyone around her regrets things, worries about her, and showers her with love.’

Even people who were normally indifferent would come running, and she’d casually go, Ahh... I’m fine... You idiot...! Hahaha, hohoho, hahaha, hohoho, some cliché like that.

‘My life really has changed.’

Wearing jewelry worth seven billion won was so far removed from reality that it still didn’t quite register, but collapsing and ending up in such a nice hospital room with so many people coming to visit me felt strangely incredible all over again.

Han Yeoreum really had made it.

‘Before, even when I was sick, I had to take medicine, go work my part-time job, endure it, and still show up for auditions.’

Now I had a humidifier, throat lozenges, all kinds of medicine, and the down comforter Professor Geum Bitgang had given me. There was a stuffed rabbit taking up practically the entire bed, new slippers even though I barely needed to walk anywhere, just to make the trip to the bathroom easier, and plenty of fruit that had already been peeled and cut up for me.

There was even a melon roll cake someone had deliberately gone far out of their way to buy because they knew I’d take a picture and post it later, and wanted Yeoreumnal to feel good when they saw it.

I’d received several envelopes of spending money to use after I was discharged, and then...

‘I have a next project too.’

I loved the fact that I no longer had to experience that desperate feeling of running after a project where there was no place for me, struggling and begging it not to leave me behind.

So this was what it felt like to have a project waiting for me.

Knock, knock.

What was that? Was there still someone else coming to visit?

“Yes, come in.”

At Manager Choi’s words, the door opened. I turned my head and saw a black coat.

I followed it upward, craning my neck so far it almost hurt, and found someone I hadn’t expected to come.

“Hello, senior.”

“Stay comfortable.”

It was Ji Haebeom.

And behind Ji Haebeom as he entered the hospital room, I spotted another welcome face.

“Director!”

“Melon Bread.”

Ja Sokhwan had come with him.

Ji Haebeom smiled and sat down in a chair. Ja Sokhwan yawned widely as he wandered around the hospital room.

“I’m drinking this, okay?”

“Yes, yes. There’s some roll cake around there too. Want some?”

“Oh. Roll cake.”

Without needing anyone to serve him, Ja Sokhwan helped himself to the melon roll cake.

I’d already taken all the Melon Bread proof shots I needed, so I should upload them to my Story the day after tomorrow.

“You must’ve had a lot of fun, huh? You liked America?”

“Yes. I absolutely loved it.”

“I’m not too late coming while you’re resting, am I?”

“I’m grateful you came at all. You can come at any hour, senior.”

Ji Haebeom was Tier 1 on Han Yeoreum’s materialistic calculator.

Why would I care what time he came?

‘If he showed up at three in the morning and told me to wake up, I’d wake up.’

I smiled at Ji Haebeom with all the meaning of, I am a diligent, hardworking junior who respects you very much.

‘Put me in a movie.’

I should casually bring it up in a little while.

Since he had come with Director Ja, it would be even better if the director gave me a little push.

“I was wondering when I should come... but I thought if I came alone, we might end up with dating rumors. So I waited until I could come with Director Ja, which is why I’m late.”

“D-Dating rumors???”

It felt like the tiny pebble Ji Haebeom casually tossed had created a massive tidal wave.

My voice even cracked.

Dating rumors? With Ji Haebeom, of all people?

What kind of ridiculous nonsense was that?

I was so genuinely shocked that I was practically speechless.

I blinked rapidly. Ji Haebeom gazed steadily at me.

“That reaction is awfully intense.... Are you actually dating someone?”

“No, no, no. Dating? What are you talking about? No. I’m not.”

“What? You’re still not dating?”

At Director Ja’s words, Ji Haebeom chuckled quietly.

I choked and started coughing.

“Right. You’re not going to date, are you?”

For now, I nodded and gulped down the juice Ji Haebeom handed me. I was so flustered I couldn’t even taste it.

“Then that settles it. That’s what I came to ask today, so I’ll be going now.”

“Gasp, really?”

“No. Not really.”

Is he messing with me...?

For a split second, I gave Ji Haebeom an icy glare.

I almost grabbed onto him because I thought he was leaving without talking about a movie.

Hold it in.

He’s at the top.

I switched to a brilliant smile in 0.1 seconds.

“Ahaha! Senior. Please. Don’t make. Jokes like that. You really. Startled. Me.”

Good. Natural.

Ji Haebeom lightly shrugged his broad shoulders.

‘Come to think of it, this guy was close with Yun Hyeonjo.’

That familiar scent coming from an unfamiliar senior....

I reminded myself once again that the person currently toying with Han Yeoreum was Ji Haebeom, a man who occupied the very top tier of my materialistic pyramid.

“I told you before that we should do a project together.”

“Yes!”

“I think now is probably the right time.”

“Yes!!”

It’s finally here.

It’s finally happening.

Finally!

Finally, with Ji Haebeom...!

“There is one problem, though.”

“Yes!!!”

“Are you okay with that?”

“Yes!!!!”

It was Ji Haebeom and Director Eom Gyun. What could possibly make me say no?

Whatever trials or unfair bullshit came my way, I just had to overcome all of it and keep going.

I had been waiting for this day.

I nodded vigorously.

“Thanks for saying that. Then we’ll have you audition.”

“...What?”

“That reaction really is honest. Unfortunately, that’s how it turned out.”

Ji Haebeom handed me the screenplay he had brought.

<Good Times>

‘Uh....’

I knew this movie.

Which was exactly why I could only turn the pages with trembling hands, half convinced and half doubtful.

‘The role in this that I could actually play... Could it possibly be...?’

And my guess was right.

Kim Bomi

Has a crush on her older brother’s friend, Juhwan....

A role that had originally belonged to a male actor had been erased, and a new character had appeared in its place.

Originally, this movie had no female lead.

The moment I realized that all over again, a shiver ran through my entire body.

Was this a work I had changed?

Had this place been prepared for Han Yeoreum?

It was arrogant, but I desperately wanted to indulge in that illusion.

“Are you okay with it? Want to audition?”

“...Yes. I absolutely have to...”

The words do this caught in my throat.

Because I knew what this project meant to Director Eom Gyun.

I became careful with my choice of words.

“I want to audition.”

“Good. I like hearing you answer so confidently.”

“But is it an open audition?”

“No. We’re only comparing two people.”

Could the other person be Do Gyeoul?

I instantly tensed.

If my opponent was Do Gyeoul, then this time, even if I got pushed down the stairs, I’d drag my broken bones to the audition.

“With Baekyeong.”

“...You don’t mean the one I know?”

“Yeah. Dong Baekyeong.”

So the day had finally come when Han Yeoreum would fight a top actress for the same role.

What would happen if I beat Dong Baekyeong and took the role of Kim Bomi?

The mere thought made my entire body burn hot.

The top stars I once hadn’t even dared to look at were close to me now.

Close enough to touch if I reached out my hand.

As though just a little more would be enough for me to reach where they stood.

“Now, don’t get teary-eyed over one audition. Take this, Melon Bread. This one’s even better.”

And then, right in front of me—

Another script was abruptly held out.

“What the hell. I’ll take you to America again.”

I looked at the title once, thought it over, then searched my memory again.

But this time, it was a project I didn’t remember.

I turned a page and read the character profiles and synopsis.

And suddenly, I realized something.

<Code Name: Time Seven>, and Ja Sokhwan’s next project.

Galdaeguk and Ma Eungyo were Ja Sokhwan’s disciples.

That meant the two projects were closely connected.

Almost as though they had been planned with one particular person in mind.

“...How long have you been planning this?”

I asked carefully.

The answer came immediately.

“Since the first time I saw you.”

This was a project solely for me.

For Han Yeoreum.

* * *

Ja Sokhwan and Ji Haebeom walked side by side down the hospital corridor.

“You’ve chosen the male lead, right?”

Ja Sokhwan nodded at Ji Haebeom’s question.

“...Could it be...?”

And Ji Haebeom’s guess was correct.

“Yeah. You’ll be doing it with Yi.”

One of the Three Legends of Korea.

Jin Yi had been cast as the male lead in Ja Sokhwan’s next project.

At that very moment, Jin Yi was holding the exact same screenplay Han Yeoreum had received.

“....”

He read the screenplay to the end with a somewhat disinterested gaze, then casually closed it.

<The Martyrs>

Ja Sokhwan’s next project sat alone on the table where Jin Yi had placed it.