How a Loan Shark Survives as an Actor Chapter 109

Chapter 109

 

Listening to his sincere apology, I couldn’t help but sigh.

‘You should’ve just done better from the beginning.’

Then we’d probably still be working together.

Of course, if that had happened, I never would’ve met my current manager, Choo Seomok, so I wasn’t particularly regretful.

Sure, the guy acted like a lunatic whenever food was involved… but it would be hard to find another manager with skills as good as Seomok’s.

“Okay. I accept your apology.”

Once you’ve spent enough years dealing with people, you can tell when someone is being sincere.

I knew Hyun Jingae wasn’t just saying random things to get out of trouble, and that was enough.

“I’m sorry again…”

“I said I get it.”

I looked at the dejected Hyun Jingae for a moment.

Everyone already knew how awful Yoon Seulho’s former agency had been because of Director Shin.

Even ordinary people knew, so there was no way someone in this industry wouldn’t.

‘People won’t react kindly if they find out Hyun Jingae used to be Yoon Seulho’s manager.’

Considering that, it was still best to continue pretending we didn’t know each other in public.

“I’ll keep acting like we don’t know each other. That doesn’t mean I’m angry at you, so don’t misunderstand.”

“Yeah. I’m really sorry.”

“It’s fine. You should move on too. Regretting the past won’t change anything.”

More importantly, I wasn’t even the person who should be hearing the apology.

But I couldn’t exactly tell him that the real Yoon Seulho wasn’t here anymore, so I settled for something ordinary.

“Since you’re sorry to me, just treat the celebrities you’ll manage in the future better.”

“Yeah! I definitely will!”

“That doesn’t mean you should become a pushover, either.”

“I won’t!”

“And stop looking at me and Seomok with those wistful eyes. It’s driving me crazy.”

“Yeah, yeah!”

Was this bastard actually listening seriously?

I eyed Hyun Jingae suspiciously as he nodded enthusiastically.

“I’ll take these. Thanks.”

I held up the melatonin bottle he’d given me.

“I’ll head back first, so come out three minutes later.”

“Yeah! Don’t worry, I won’t get caught!”

Leaving behind Hyun Jingae’s cheerful response, I stepped out of the smoking room.

Even I had to admit that line sounded kind of weird, but… whatever. It had all been settled nicely.

Just thinking about how much less awkward things would be made my steps lighter.

Good. Now let’s focus on filming.

 

***

 

“Ah, I’m dying here. Where the hell is she?”

Panting heavily as he climbed the mountain, Daon snapped irritably.

After hiking for nearly three hours since dawn, everyone was exhausted.

Even climbing in silence would’ve been tiring, but they’d also spent the entire time shouting, “Hyewoo! Where are you?!”

No wonder they were worn out.

“Seriously, what a pain in the ass…”

Daon’s irritated muttering reached everyone’s ears.

Everyone else had endured their fatigue in silence, but his complaints shattered the uneasy peace.

“No matter how I think about it, I don’t get it. Why would they sneak all the way out here? They’ve got some weird tastes…”

“You wanna say that again, asshole?”

Jaehyun, Hyewoo’s boyfriend, finally exploded.

He was already confused enough.

He’d woken up to find his girlfriend missing, and guilt had been eating at him.

Hearing Daon’s mocking comments snapped the last thread of his patience.

“Your girlfriend disappeared, and that’s what you want to say right now?”

“What? Did I say something wrong?”

Daon growled back.

Unfortunately, they were the same age, so neither had any intention of backing down.

Daon, who acted almost pathetically deferential to Junho because he was a year older, lashed out at Jaehyun with all his irritation.

“We’re suffering because of you two, aren’t we? Why the hell did you sneak off into the mountains? For some romantic midnight date?”

“I told you, I don’t remember.”

“Hah! And you’re shameless too. You should be apologizing instead.”

Daon’s sneer made the atmosphere grow tense.

It felt like a fistfight could break out at any moment.

“Both of you, stop.”

One voice instantly settled the situation.

“You’re not the only ones who are tired and on edge. Everyone’s holding it together, so stop acting like children.”

Despite being only a year older, Junho’s words always carried weight.

There was a reason people feared him more than the seniors about to graduate.

Sweat dripped from him after the summer hike, but Junho simply wiped it away with his shirt without complaint.

“Kim Daon, I understand what you’re saying. I understand why you’re angry. But think a little bigger. Imagine how scared Hyewoo must be right now.”

“I know. I do…”

“You can yell at her all you want when we find her, and I won’t stop you. But right now, focus on finding her. You have to find her before you can get angry.”

“Yes… Sorry.”

“And Woo Jaehyun.”

Junho’s calm gaze shifted to Jaehyun.

“Daon’s not entirely wrong. The whole group’s suffering because of the selfish decisions you and Hyewoo made.”

“……”

“I’m not asking you to apologize on Hyewoo’s behalf. But at least take responsibility for your own actions.”

Jaehyun bit his lip hard.

His pride hated admitting it, but Junho wasn’t wrong.

“Yes… I’m sorry.”

Jaehyun nodded slowly.

Junho didn’t press him any further and turned to everyone.

“You’re all exhausted, right? Makes sense. We’ve been moving nonstop for three hours.”

Even though they’d deliberately circled the villa to avoid getting too deep into the mountains, they’d found no trace of Hyewoo.

Junho hesitated, but finally said what needed to be said.

“Let’s go back to the villa. We’ll leave the rest to the police.”

“……”

Everyone silently agreed.

Except one person.

“You want us to just wait at the villa until the police arrive?”

It was Ajin.

With a frown, she criticized the idea.

“That’s irresponsible. It’ll take hours for the police to get here, and we can’t just sit there. Hyewoo might collapse from the heat–”

“Ajin.”

Junho let out a deep sigh.

“I understand how you feel. Believe it or not, I want to find Hyewoo just as badly as you do.”

“……”

“But look at everyone. We drank all day yesterday, and we’ve been wandering around since morning without eating anything.”

All six of them were sports majors, which was the only reason they were still standing.

Anyone could collapse at any moment.

And if someone did, the rest would have to carry them back.

“You know what happens when you’re exhausted. You lose your sense of direction. We’ve been leaving markers so we don’t get lost, but if we get too tired, we might miss those too.”

Then finding Hyewoo would be the least of their problems.

They themselves could disappear.

Ajin finally nodded.

“I understand. I’m sorry.”

Though she normally disliked Junho, she knew he was speaking for everyone’s sake.

“I wasn’t asking you to apologize.”

Junho waved dismissively.

“Everyone’s exhausted, but let’s push a little further and get back to the villa. Seorae, call the police and–”

Then it happened.

KREEEEEEEEEEEAAAAGH—!!

The horrifying sound enveloped the area.

It sounded like the cry of a beast.

Or perhaps the scream of a woman.

The vibrations were so heavy that it felt less like they entered through their ears and more as they reverberated inside their stomachs.

It wasn’t something they heard from outside.

It felt like something was screaming inside their bodies.

There wasn’t even time to think about running.

Overwhelmed by a terror that paralyzed reason, everyone collapsed to the ground.

“W-what the fuck is…?”

The bizarre scream only grew louder.

Listening to that earth-shaking roar over and over made it feel like their minds were breaking.

KRRRRAAAACK!!

KREEEEEEAAAGH—!!

“W-Waaah…”

Soon, someone began sobbing.

But no one answered.

Like people who’d encountered a bear in the mountains, they could only tremble helplessly and pray for the sound to end.

‘Urgh.’

Even Junho couldn’t think rationally.

He may have acted as the leader, but he was still only a twenty-one-year-old student.

Ten minutes passed.

Or perhaps an hour.

Just when it felt like the sound would continue forever…

It stopped.

“Hah… haaah…”

Junho was the first to recover.

He’d fallen hard from the shockwave, and his shirt had ridden halfway up.

Pulling it down awkwardly, he looked beside him.

Seungmin was drooling heavily.

“Everyone… everyone okay?”

Clutching his ringing ears, Junho forced himself upright.

Seorae was crying like a child.

Ajin trembled beside her.

Jaehyun crouched behind a rock with his head buried between his knees.

‘…Wait.’

Looking around, Junho asked blankly,

“Where’s Kim Daon?”

“Huh?”

Jaehyun slowly raised his head.

Only Seungmin, Jaehyun, and Junho were there.

“Kim Daon!!!”

Junho frantically looked around, shouting.

“J-Junho! Keep your voice down!”

Seungmin, pale as a ghost, grabbed him.

“What if… what if whatever that thing was comes back?”

“But what was that just now? A wild animal?”

“Woo Jaehyun, think before you speak. What kind of animal makes sounds like that? At least say something that makes sense.”

Ajin burst out angrily at Seungmin’s question.

Everyone was still confused, but one thing was certain.

What they had just heard was impossible.

“Daon! Kim Daon!!”

Ignoring the others, Junho kept shouting.

“Kim Daon, you bastard! Where are you?!”

He called desperately.

But no one answered.

As if they were alone in the endless mountains, only silence returned.

“……Fuck.”

Junho’s anxious mutter fell to the ground beneath him.

Another person… had disappeared.