Chapter 40: Busan (3)

Translator: Dreamscribe

A pair of black high heels stepped onto the red carpet. The actress had just stepped out of the van. Black dress. A deep, sunken color that barely reflected any light.

Letting go of the guard's steadying hand, she straightened her back with practiced ease.

It was Yoon Da-yeon.

She lifted her head.

-Pababababak!

A barrage of camera flashes rained down. Korean and foreign reporters shouted her way. Surrounding them, easily well over several hundred onlookers, every one of them with a phone in hand. The long red carpet stretched out before her. Colorful lights of every shade scattered across it.

Yoon Da-yeon lightly gathered her dress at the thigh and...

"......"

It felt like coming home. A home she had longed for so desperately but could never reach. Chills and goosebumps rose across her entire body. The pouring flashes might blind her, but she loved it. The crowd's shouts might rupture her eardrums, but she was fine with that too.

'How long... has it been.'

In that moment, Yoon Da-yeon remembered how detached Kang Jae-ha had looked even while opening the van door for her.

'At first I just thought he was some lunatic.'

She had thought he was just a nutjob, but he wasn't. He was nothing like the image she had heard through rumors, either. He was always sharp-tongued but alert, rough but watchful of everything.

'He told me that if I threw away my ego and walked the path he pointed to, if I hit rock bottom, there was a chance. But I never dreamed in a million years that path would be the Busan International Film Festival.'

She had swallowed her temper and done exactly what Kang Jae-ha told her to do, and before she knew it, this washed-up actress was being cheered on by hundreds of reporters and spectators.

'This is the proof. Kang Jae-ha. He still seems like a lunatic, but there's something incredible about him. Like he's got the whole world in the palm of his hand and is orchestrating it.'

Just then, one of the hundreds of reporters called out to her.

"Yoon Da-yeon-ssi!! Da-yeon-ssi!!! Over here, over here!!"

The reporters clamored for her to wave. Yoon Da-yeon pulled herself out of her reverie and faced reality. This wasn't the final stop. This was where it all started again.

-Swish.

She flashed a smiling-eyed expression she rarely ever wore and waved her hand. At the same time, she glanced to the side. An Ji-hee, in her white dress, had completely broken down.

"Uh uh, huh? Ugh, my knees are giving out."

She was wobbling, on the verge of collapsing. Looking at An Ji-hee, Yoon Da-yeon was reminded of her past self.

-Slide.

She gently gripped An Ji-hee's forearm and whispered.

"Smile, walk, wave, and just follow my back. That's all. You can do that much, can't you?"

"...Yes."

"Pull yourself together. That cold man sent us all the way here, and if we mess it up, imagine how coldly he'll chew us out. Right?"

"Ah, that is scary."

"Get your head in the game and let's go. If you're scared, go back to the car."

Terrified and painfully out of her element, An Ji-hee...

'Just stand up properly, first. I can't disappoint manager-nim.'

Thinking of Kang Jae-ha, she held firm.

"No, sunbae-nim! I'll go!"

The two actresses began to walk slowly. The reporters called out to them.

"Over here, over here!!!"

"To the left, once!!"

"Actress-nim!! Straight ahead!!"

Sure, it might not have been the firepower that top-tier actors or directors commanded, but for two washed-up actresses, it was far more attention than they deserved. An Ji-hee's first-ever red carpet walk in her life, but she somehow managed to wave.

'What do I do! I, I think I'm actually gonna throw up! The first actress to vomit on a red carpet?? Not that, anything but that!!'

She even managed to make eye contact with a few reporters. The reporters taking her picture tossed question marks her way.

"Who's that, the one in white?"

"No idea. New actress, probably. Invited to this year's Busan International Film Festival."

An Ji-hee's face was unfamiliar to them. No, really, there wasn't a soul here who would know her.

"Wow, a newcomer, and her debut brings her straight to the Busan International Film Festival?? Lucky girl."

"That's more than lucky. If the Busan International Film Festival is where you start, that's practically a miracle, man. Dunno what agency or manager is behind her, but whoever it is must be crazy good."

Precisely because she was unfamiliar, An Ji-hee unexpectedly drew a lot of eyes.

"That girl, the white dress, she's got a nice look, huh?"

"Right? Classic Asian beauty, you could say. Got something distinctive. She's gonna blow up. Don't know who found her, but they've got an eye."

"Yeah, my gut says the same. That unique look, and if her acting's decent on top of it, she'll stick in the public's mind in no time."

Meanwhile, An Ji-hee, clunky as she was, snuck glances at Yoon Da-yeon a couple steps ahead of her.

'Wow, she's so cool.'

Yoon Da-yeon's red carpet walk was polished and smooth. With composure to spare. Striking poses for the reporters, waving to the fans, flashing smiles. The angle of her chin, her posture and attitude, the direction of her gaze, even the timing of the corners of her mouth turning up.

Truly, class was permanent, and Yoon Da-yeon was showing off every bit of her old experience.

The reporters' reactions to her were also quite different from what An Ji-hee got.

"Oh! Da-yeon-ssi!! Wave your hand over this way!!"

"Been a while! Da-yeon-ssi!!"

"You've been quiet, but you came back with a bang, Da-yeon-ssi!"

It was a matter of name recognition. The onlookers filming Yoon Da-yeon on their phones were just as fired up.

"Dude, Yoon Da-yeon's still gorgeous as hell!!"

"Honestly, I thought Yoon Da-yeon had stopped working."

"She was quiet for a while, right? But apparently she's playing a supporting role in a short film this time. Saw it in an article."

"Kinda cool actually. Feels like she's awakened as a real actress!"

One way or another, with a single red carpet appearance at the Busan International Film Festival, the two of them were carving themselves into everyone's memory. But this was just the beginning. The real thing would come once these moments reached the general public.

Around this time, at the entrance of the red carpet, the rest of the team tied to the two actresses had just arrived and was getting ready to walk.

"Are you alright, director-nim?"

"Now that I'm actually here, the nerves have calmed down a bit more than I expected."

"Director-nim, your glasses are upside down."

"Ah, really?"

"Let's go."

Director Kwon Sung-min, CEO Jeong Tae-woo, the actors, and the rest of team 'Condensation'. And of course, Lee Chan-hoo, the investor, was with them too. He wore a fairly relaxed smile, but inside he was a little dazed.

'Why am I even here??'

The man who used to decapitate Demonic Beasts in another world while wearing a tattered suit of armor was now dressed in a tuxedo, getting blasted by reporters' flashes. If this wasn't absurd, nothing was. Soon Lee Chan-hoo recalled his conversation with Kang Jae-ha, the Commander.

'Commander, do I really have to go all the way to the Busan International Film Festival?'

'You have to. You're the main investor. MEG's name is gonna be plastered right at the end of 'Condensation' when it screens.'

'What about you?!'

'Managers support from the rear.'

'Liar. Commander, you're just being lazy.'

Before long, team 'Condensation' started their march too. Lee Chan-hoo forced himself to wave, but it was clearly not his thing, and he was barely going through the motions. Then his eyes widened sharply.

With good reason.

Among the reporters, he spotted a woman he knew. Brown hair rolled up into a bun, big eyes.

It was Ha Yeon-ji. Behind her, among the onlookers, was also a huge man. Go Chun-seok. Of the two Mercenary Corps comrades, Ha Yeon-ji was cackling as she snapped photos of Lee Chan-hoo. She mouthed words at the same time.

"You look awful."

Lee Chan-hoo desperately wanted to flip her off but held it in. Instead, he mouthed back.

'Screw you.'

Lee Chan-hoo quickened his pace. As the tuxedoed Lee Chan-hoo rapidly moved away, Ha Yeon-ji chuckled, and casually flipped through the photos she had just taken.

"Clothes make the man, I guess. Dress him up like that and he's almost passable."

After that.

Yoon Da-yeon, An Ji-hee, Lee Chan-hoo, and the rest of team 'Condensation' reunited at the end of the red carpet. Merged into a single group, they struck one final pose for the reporters.

-Swish.

Guided by the staff, they moved into the massive hall inside the Busan Cinema Center. The moment they passed through the doors, the outside noise dropped by one layer. The echoes of cheers and flashes that had been pouring in from outside grew distant, filtered through the glass doors, and in their place, a low, refined air wrapped around them.

Soon, the grand and magnificent hall welcomed team 'Condensation'.

An Ji-hee, Director Kwon Sung-min, and the others who were at the Busan Cinema Center for the first time let out unconscious gasps.

"Wow..."

"Whoa......"

To say the ceiling was simply high would be an understatement. A height that could only barely be reached by the gaze even when the head was tilted all the way back. Glass and metal structures interlaced across the ceiling like a lattice, and light poured down between them, washing over the floor.

On top of that, thousands of seats, an enormous stage, and the oversized screens and monitors that lit up said stage.

A large logo was mounted on the stage.

-Busan International Film Festival

There were plenty of cameras too. Broadcasting crews, probably. Half of the thousands of seats were already filled, and among those seated was a crowd of famous faces. Top-tier actors, directors, and so on. Han Tae-sung, CEO of Leon Entertainment, was there as well. Currently deep in conversation with other CEOs.

Soon An Ji-hee spotted one foreigner and her eyes went wide.

'Th-that, that foreigner, isn't that the, the Hollywood actor?! He's super famous but his name just slipped my mind!'

As she said, there were quite a few Hollywood actors in this hall too. And that wasn't all. Being Asia's largest and most prestigious film festival, Chinese and Japanese figures were mixed into the crowd as well.

Then team 'Condensation' settled into their designated seats.

At the same time, a few people came over to them.

"Da-yeon, it's been a while, huh?"

"Oh, oppa."

They were domestic actors who had come to see Yoon Da-yeon.

A few days later. Waiting room at the Busan International Film Festival.

More than half of the Busan International Film Festival had already passed. Before they knew it, only about three days remained until the closing ceremony, and team 'Condensation' was in the middle of participating in the events. Around this time, Kang Jae-ha was in the waiting room, monitoring the situation at the Busan International Film Festival.

Of course, Jae-ha wasn't alone in the waiting room. The entire staff, including General Manager Kim Dae-yong, was gathered.

Kang Jae-ha then glanced at the monitor showing Yoon Da-yeon, An Ji-hee, Lee Chan-hoo, and the rest of team 'Condensation', and let out a small smirk. They were in the middle of an interview.

'All of them are basically frozen stiff. Except Yoon Da-yeon.'

The road ahead was still long, but they had made it this far.

'Once the Busan International Film Festival ends, the situations for Director Kwon Sung-min, Yoon Da-yeon, and An Ji-hee are going to change a lot.'

Around this point, General Manager Kim Dae-yong briefed Jae-ha and the rest of the staff on the Busan International Film Festival schedule.

"Three days left until the closing ceremony where the awards will be held. There are a few more events for team 'Condensation' in between, so we need to stay sharp on those. Also......"

Already, over two hundred invited works were being screened. The screenings took place at the theaters around the Busan Cinema Center.

Of course, 'Condensation' was among those works.

Meanwhile, Director Kwon Sung-min, Yoon Da-yeon, An Ji-hee, and the rest of team 'Condensation' had to participate in events and interviews. So Kang Jae-ha and team 'Condensation' were staying at a nearby lodging until the closing ceremony.

'It's been a while since I've seen the ocean properly. Nice.'

When General Manager Kim Dae-yong's briefing ended, a few of the gathered staff, stylists included, whispered among themselves.

"Isn't it seriously wild, though? That we're here."

"Totally, totally. I heard Manager Kang Jae-ha over there is the one who slotted the actors into 'Condensation' and the whole picture came together from that."

"I heard that too. They say Manager Kang Jae-ha has awakened or something, and I'm starting to think it's true."

"Right? Apparently he used to be really quiet and timid... Can you believe it?"

"Hidden Gem. Total Hidden Gem."

General Manager Kim Dae-yong pretended not to hear this whispering, but was absorbing every word. Glancing over at Jae-ha, who was yawning, he found his own shoulders rising for no reason.

'He was so confident from the very beginning, I wondered if it was just bluffing...... No, if he had that kind of ability, why was he hiding it all this time?'

Just then, road manager Ryu Jin-woo shouted, staring at his phone. His voice was quite excited.

"Ge-general Manager-nim! The articles on Yoon Da-yeon and An Ji-hee's red carpet are blowing up way more than we expected?! They're spreading on social media too!"

The next morning.

The location was a hotel near the Busan Cinema Center. Having pushed through all the way to the wrap party the night before, Lee Chan-hoo was dead asleep in his bed, practically as still as a corpse.

Just then, his phone let out a ringtone.

Lee Chan-hoo groggily sat up and, with his eyes barely open, picked up the phone. The caller was Kang Jae-ha. Lee Chan-hoo answered with a hoarse voice.

"Yes... your loyal and faithful..."

On the other end, Kang Jae-ha's voice was perfectly fine.

"Come out."

"Where to."

"Let's work out."

"...Commander. I'm gonna die."

"You won't die."

"Commander, I'm not supposed to be seen with you."

"It's fine, your place and my place are far apart. Even if we get spotted, we can just say we ran into each other while working out."

"Haah..."

Left with no choice, Lee Chan-hoo threw on some workout clothes and dragged himself out of the room. Jae-ha was waiting in front of the hotel. He was also dressed in comfortable workout gear. Kang Jae-ha looked at Lee Chan-hoo and asked.

"Increasing your training load, investor-nim?"

"I am, I am, the Commander is just making it too brutal."

"Let's run."

"Ha Yeon-ji! What about Go Chun-seok!"

"Being with those two would be a bit sketchy. You, though, you're publicly tied to me through 'Condensation', so it's fine."

"This is tyranny."

"Then you be Commander."

For reference, Kang Jae-ha was continuing to ramp up his training. Even if it wasn't quite as much as in the other world, he still had a long way to go to reach a comparable level. Either way, Kang Jae-ha and Lee Chan-hoo did their morning run along the beach in front of the hotel.

Lee Chan-hoo was panting with pretty ragged breaths, but Jae-ha looked perfectly fine.

"One more round."

"Commander... I'm gonna go for a walk around the area. You might be the manager and just there on backup, but I've actually got an interview on my schedule this afternoon, y'know?"

"Hmm."

"Have mercy."

"Alright. I grant you freedom."

"Your royal grace is boundless as hell, sir."

Kang Jae-ha smirked and took off in no time. Lee Chan-hoo let out a sigh of relief at having survived.

'That monster.'

He slowly walked in the opposite direction from Kang Jae-ha.

'Ah, Busan. Can't even remember the last time I was here.'

Despite it being morning, there were plenty of people around. Busan was a tourist destination to begin with, and with the Busan International Film Festival underway, the crowds were easily double the usual. Lee Chan-hoo watched the people pass by, sipping at the coffee he had just bought.

After about an hour of walking like that, Lee Chan-hoo, about to head back, paused.

"Hm?"

Standing at a crosswalk, Lee Chan-hoo tilted his head slightly as he spotted someone on the other side. He was looking at a man who had just come out of the subway station moments before. Seen from the side, the man carried an air of something like lethargy.

"......"

Suddenly serious, Lee Chan-hoo, for whatever reason, began tailing the lethargic man. The man headed toward an alley at a leisurely pace, and Lee Chan-hoo followed about twenty steps behind.

Ten minutes later, Lee Chan-hoo stopped. He was standing in front of a closed elevator.

The lethargic man had taken the elevator in a run-down building, and Lee Chan-hoo checked what floor it stopped at.

"Third floor."

Stepping back out of the building, Lee Chan-hoo looked up to check the sign on the third floor. The sign was in poor condition. A few letters were either missing color or had fallen off entirely.

Still, it was readable.

-Tax Accountant Cha Chung-hyeon

At the same time.

Kang Jae-ha, having finished his workout, was back in his hotel room, shaking out his wet black hair, apparently fresh out of the shower.

Just then.

-♬♪

The phone he had placed on the table let out a ringtone. Checking the caller, it was Lee Chan-hoo. Kang Jae-ha picked up without much thought.

"Yeah, what."

Lee Chan-hoo's voice on the other end was...

"Commander, do you remember that guy from the Mercenary Corps."

"What's this about, all of a sudden. Who."

...quite calm.

"The guy who was always so... laid-back and lazy, the one who handled supplies. I think I just found him."

*****

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