How a Loan Shark Survives as an Actor – Chapter 1

Author: Cireng

Chapter 1

>Did you all hear?

>That deadweight is joining another new drama.

With a single post uploaded late at night, the community exploded with activity.

> No f’ing way, again?

> He’s still acting after embarrassing himself like that last time??

> Seriously, he has no shame. If it were me, I’d retire from sheer embarrassment.

> Who the hell keeps casting that deadweight anyway?

> God, I seriously hate him.

One mocking comment after another piled up.

> But does anyone actually like Deadweight? Seriously, I don’t know a single person around me who does.

↳ He probably doesn’t even like himself.

↳ LMAOOOO that’s hilarious.

Since it was a community made up of people who loved dramas and movies, the reaction was even more intense.

After all, there was no one ruining the acting industry these days quite like this person.

The protagonist of the post overflowing with ridicule and contempt was…

Yoo Seulho.

An actor whose nickname, “Deadweight”, was more widely known than his real name.

Twenty-six years ago, a superstar actor and actress who had shaken the Korean entertainment industry got married in what was called the wedding of the century.

The public’s intense interest continued all the way to the ultrasound photos posted on social media.

The person who had been the center of attention since he was still an embryo was Yoo Seulho.

Blessed with the genes of two dazzlingly beautiful celebrities, his exceptional looks stood out from childhood, and he naturally entered the entertainment industry.

He became the very symbol of a nepo baby who achieved success easily through his parents’ influence.

Unfortunately, the only star quality he inherited was his appearance.

The reactions of people who watched Yoo Seulho’s first acting performance were as follows:

> Are you kidding me?

> I could do better than that with my feet.

> No, seriously, is this for real? LOL

His talent as an entertainer was abysmal.

At first, people defended him, saying nobody starts good at acting. But after several years, they gradually turned their backs on him.

They say even a dog that attends a village school for three years learns to recite poetry, yet despite appearing in countless productions, Yoo Seulho’s acting remained hopeless.

When people posted that he should become an idol instead since at least he had a good face, a fan miserably replied:

> “Our Seulho is even worse at singing…”

Despite his horrifying lack of skill, Yoo Seulho managed to snatch up every decent role.

Unknown actors lamented losing opportunities without even getting auditions, while audiences who paid money only to watch terrible acting seethed with anger.

***

“Why the hell do they keep casting Yoo Seulho?!”

One staff member finally voiced his frustration.

“I mean, who cares if he’s handsome? The guy can’t even deliver his lines without stammering. Thinking about how our drama’s ratings tanked because of that bastard still makes me too angry to sleep.”

“Hey, that’s enough.”

The one who stopped him was a veteran staff member.

With a tired expression, he poured the man another shot of soju and said:

“Still, his parents pay for the entire production budget. These company dinners we keep having? Their money pays for them too.”

“God damn it, seriously. If it’s money, couldn’t they just find other investors?”

“Are there any famous Korean producers or writers who ‘don’t’ have connections to that couple? They’re both still active top stars. What can anyone do? The benefits you get from using their son even once are enormous.”

The staff sighed at the ugly reality.

The bitter conversation ended with everyone agreeing to just look the other way.

Unfortunately, Yoo Seulho’s acting wasn’t something people could simply ignore.

> Gather here if you’re boycotting any production that casts Yoo Seulho (1/NNNNNNNNN)

The situation worsened until the word boycott began appearing.

Even production companies and investors could no longer pretend not to notice.

But removing Yoo Seulho entirely was difficult because they were wary of offending his parents.

So they came up with another solution.

They created characters who appeared on screen but weren’t actually necessary to the story, and gave those roles to Yoo Seulho.

That was how his nickname, “Deadweight,” was born.

Years passed like that.

And despite repeatedly playing useless characters, he didn’t seem embarrassed in the slightest, smiling brightly whenever he appeared in public.

That thoughtless attitude eventually drove away even the handful of fans he still had.

***

‘Of course, none of that had anything to do with me.’

Whether every man, woman, and child in the country hated Yoo Seulho or not was none of my business.

I was already too busy worrying about my own life to care about some celebrity who was probably doing just fine.

At least, that was true an hour ago.

“…What the hell?”

Holding my throbbing head, I stared into the mirror.

Faced with a situation I couldn’t believe even while seeing it with my own eyes, I let out a sigh.

“Ha.”

Yoo Seulho was standing there.

When I blinked, Yoo Seulho blinked.

When I waved my hand, Yoo Seulho waved back.

“This isn’t a dream?”

No answer came, no matter how many times I muttered in confusion.

An hour had passed since I regained consciousness after a mysterious accident, and only now was I finally accepting reality.

“Motherfu…”

Because I had woken up in the body of that damned Yoo Seulho.

***

‘Well, life’s full of surprises.’

I scratched my head in disbelief.

Every time my fingertips brushed against the soft strands of hair, it felt more and more real.

‘At least I remember getting into an accident.’

It had been a massive one.

The kind where I genuinely thought, ‘This is where I die.’

When I first woke up, my immediate reaction had been:

“Wow, I actually survived that.”

I expected to be lying in a hospital room.

Instead, I found myself in some hotel suite.

Then I looked in the mirror and got an even bigger shock.

“Hmm.”

I scratched my head while studying my reflection.

Since I couldn’t get used to someone else’s face no matter how much I stared at it, I decided to ignore that and examine the body first.

I wondered if it might share some similarities with my original one.

Instead, seeing a body without a single scar only made the sense of disconnect worse.

‘…Ah.’

Not every part of it was spotless.

‘Did this happen recently?’

A dark bruise circled Yoo Seulho’s neck.

The mark looked fresh.

Seeing the rope lying on the floor nearby, I could more or less guess what had happened.

“Tsk.”

Clicking my tongue, I picked up the rope.

The thick, heavy rope that had probably been around Yoo Seulho’s neck moments ago fit perfectly in my hand.

Even a grown man would have trouble gripping something this thick with one hand.

Looking at it made me feel strangely sympathetic.

‘Poor guy.’

Medicine’s pretty advanced these days.

He could’ve chosen a less painful way to die.

Why go through the trouble of hanging yourself?

Honestly, dramas were to blame.

Nobody had any creativity anymore.

[I can’t endure it anymore. I’m sorry. Thank you for everything.]

After reading the note on the table, the situation became even clearer.

Anyone could tell it was a suicide note written by Yoo Seulho before hanging himself.

Several questions came to mind, but one stood above all the others.

‘Then is Yoo Seulho dead?’

It didn’t seem that way.

There weren’t any obvious injuries.

I touched his neck, which was still perfectly straight and unbroken.

How had I ended up waking up in Yoo Seulho’s body?

Was my original body dead?

‘No idea.’

After thinking about it for a moment, I gave up.

It’s not like anyone was going to answer me.

I briefly wondered whether there might be a way to return to my original body.

Then another thought crossed my mind.

‘Do I even want to?’

Using someone else’s body felt uncomfortable.

But the original owner had already thrown it away.

What was so wrong about borrowing it?

Instead of wasting time trying to reclaim the disaster that had been my old life, adapting to life as Yoo Seulho seemed far more beneficial.

‘Yeah.’

If things were going to be this way, I might as well make a fortune as a celebrity.

I’d done all kinds of dirty things trying to earn money before.

Meanwhile, someone with Yoo Seulho’s face could earn hundreds of thousands, even millions, just by appearing on camera a few times.

‘This time, I’m going to make enough money to get sick of it.’

The moment I settled on that thought, my vision seemed to clear.

Then…

Bzzzz.

The phone resting neatly beside the note vibrated.

The screen displayed:

Current Manager

Without much thought, I answered.

“Hello.”

Even to my own ears, my voice sounded remarkably relaxed.

After a few seconds of silence, the person on the other end exploded.

—Yoo Seulho, what the hell are you doing right now?!

“Huh?”

—You idiot! Have you completely lost your mind?! Do you know what day it is today? You’re supposed to meet Director Jang! Are you trying to screw me over?!

The man continued screaming.

I silently listened to his tantrum for quite a while.

—Why aren’t you saying anything?! You little bastard, don’t tell me you hung up–

“I didn’t.”

—…What? Are you sick or something?

Only then did his tone soften slightly.

“My throat hurts.”

—Even if you’re sick, there are things you can’t forget! Where are you right now? The appointment time’s almost here, and you weren’t answering your pho–

“Text me the address. I’ll leave right away.”

Ignoring the rest of his shouting, I hung up.

Opening the built-in wardrobe, I found rows of expensive clothes.

I picked out the most ordinary shirt I could find… one that buttoned all the way up to the neck.

Only after confirming that the bruises were hidden did I head to the location in the text message.

‘Wallet in the pocket. No password on the phone. Perfect.’

The taxi driver kept staring at me through the mirror, but I paid him no attention.

The location the manager sent was an elegant teahouse on the outskirts of Seoul.

The scenery matched the place perfectly.

Rain poured steadily outside.

“I’ve arrived. Should I go in?”

The manager had told me to call once I got there.

—You know you need to watch what you say, right? Things ended badly with Director Jang last time, but you’re not exactly innocent either. Stroke his ego. If he looks even slightly upset, apologize immediately!

“What exactly did I do wrong?”

—I told you not to talk back! Anyway, I’m busy right now. Call me when you’re done.

The call ended abruptly.

I stared at the phone for a moment before entering the teahouse.

Ding.

“Seulho! Over here!”

I had wondered whether I’d be able to identify Director Jang.

Thankfully, someone called out to me the moment I entered.

I walked over to the middle-aged man and greeted him appropriately.

“Hello. Sorry for being late.”

“You’re not late. We just got here early. Ah, you’ve never met him before, right? Actor Woo Junseo. Say hello.”

The young man seated beside Director Jang immediately stood up.