How a Loan Shark Survives as an Actor Chapter 138

Chapter 138

 

➝ Am I the only one who got emotional during Yoo Seulho’s acceptance speech?

 

Just as Yoo Seulho had expected, his acceptance speech became a huge sensation.

Seeing a celebrity who had never once cried before finally break down in tears struck people right in the heart.

 

➝ Honestly, he deserved a lot of the criticism he got before, so I don’t exactly feel guilty… but somehow I just feel bad for him now.

➝ It really makes you think about how hard things must’ve been for him.

➝ If I were him, I would’ve hated going to filming too… No talent, yet roles kept coming in… and because of his parents, everyone’s expectations were sky-high….

 

➝ Everyone saying “If he hated it that much, he should’ve quit” come out here. Do you really think it’s that easy?

➝ It’s the same as studying for the civil service exam for years. Even if you want to quit, it’s hard because of everyone else’s expectations.

 ↳ Exactly. Both his parents are actors too, so choosing another career probably wasn’t easy.

 ↳ He must’ve suffered so much mentally when he was just a kid… Poor thing.ㅠㅠ

 

➝ His parents’ connections are one thing, but that face is another. That’s talent he was born with. He should be proud of it.

 ↳ LOL, the lone T-type comment is blooming among all the F-type comments.

 ↳ I mean… they’re not wrong kekeke His face alone was born to be a celebrity kekeke

 

The reactions across online communities were overwhelmingly positive.

The prevailing opinion was that people had come to see Yoo Seulho in a completely different light.

There were even comments saying they were looking forward to his next project.

That was largely thanks to Yoo Seulho’s fans, who had been relentlessly uploading viral clips over the past months.

They’d also been consistently spreading the word that the movies Yoo Seulho had filmed during the second half of the year would be released next year, so even casual viewers naturally became aware of them.

Of course, not every reaction was favorable.

 

➝ LOL, what a joke. If it was really that hard, he should’ve retired ages ago. He kept acting even after becoming an adult, and now he’s making excuses??

 ↳ Once you’ve tasted celebrity money, how could you quit?

 ↳ Being a celebrity looks easy as hell. Cry a little and everyone starts worshipping youkekeke

 

Harsh opinions still appeared from time to time.

But they didn’t gain much traction.

After all, it was hard to argue that Yoo Seulho had continued acting purely for money when his parents were who they were.

 

➝ Guys… his dad is Yoo Taeho and his mom is Lee Seulmyeong. Do you seriously think Yoo Seulho is hurting for money??

 ↳ Exactly, he could’ve quit acting and just become an influencer, and he’d still live comfortably.

 ↳ He’d probably make even more money that way. Someone in the industry told me Yoo Seulho actually gets paid way less than people thinkㅜ

  ↳ Seriously?

  ↳ No proof? Then stop making stuff up.

  ↳ How the hell am I supposed to prove it, dumbass? It’s just something people in the industry say. What, you expect me to secretly photograph Yoo Seulho’s contract? If I get sued, are you taking responsibility? Quit talking crap in the comments, you loser.

  ↳ Calm down, OP.

  ↳ Pretty sure OP is Chick-Straw. Nobody gets that angry over nothing.

  ↳ What the hell kind of hybrid nickname is “Chick-Straw”?

  ↳ kekekekekeke

 

More than anything, the fact that Yoo Seulho had continued acting for twenty years despite enduring nonstop criticism earned him a lot of sympathy.

Ironically, that was the funniest part.

Before he cried, people had said,

“He keeps acting even after getting criticized that much. He’s seriously shameless.”

Now the public sentiment had become,

“He kept acting even after getting criticized that much. That’s honestly impressive.”

Of course, that change hadn’t happened simply because he cried.

More importantly, Yoo Seulho had actually proven himself in his latest drama.

Because he hadn’t given up until the very end, he’d finally earned recognition for his acting and proved that those twenty years hadn’t been wasted.

Since it had taken so long for one actor to finally blossom, even more people found themselves cheering for the young man who had endured all that time.

 

➝ Does anyone know Yoo Seulho’s next project?

 ↳ Nothing’s officially confirmed yet, damn itㅜ

 ↳ One is a romance directed by Baek Jinhee. The other one’s with some total nobody, and they haven’t even revealed the genre.

 ↳ Okay, at least the one with Baek Jinhee should be worth watching. She’s seriously obsessed with details.

 

➝ Think he’ll play another trashy villain this time?

 ↳ Probably.

 ↳ His last role suited him way too perfectly. Hard to avoid it….

 ↳ Honestly, he should just specialize in villains now!!! I’d actually like thatkeke

 ↳ That’s too badㅠㅠ I wanted to see a romance with that faceㅠㅠㅜ

 

➝ I’m not even a Yoo Seulho fan, but I’m seriously looking forward to his next project.

 ↳ Same keke. If he cried that hard and then another acting controversy breaks out next time, it’ll be hilarious.

 ↳ kekekeke The person above is a demon.

 

Everyone was talking about Yoo Seulho’s next work.

And so, another year quietly came to an end.

 

***

 

“Who was that person just now?”

On the drive home after the awards ceremony, Choo Seomok asked.

“Oh. A friend from the gym.”

“A friend? He looked incredibly flustered.”

“…Well, everyone was staring at him. Anyone would’ve been embarrassed. He’s kind of an introvert.”

Apparently satisfied with my explanation, Choo Seomok didn’t pursue the matter.

My guilty conscience, however, was another story.

‘Sigh.’

Why had I acknowledged him in the first place?

Ever since ending up in Yoo Seulho’s body, I hadn’t spoken much with anyone unrelated to work.

More than anything, his unusually distinctive name had stuck in my memory.

By the time I came to my senses, I’d already greeted him, and once the conversation started, all the people staring at us made it impossible to keep talking.

I’d basically gone over there just to attract attention.

‘Sorry about that.’

It must’ve been unbelievably bewildering from his perspective.

I told Choo Seomok he was my friend, but the truth was we were practically strangers.

‘Oh well.’

Still, I brushed it off.

Things like this happened every now and then.

If I ran into him again at the gym, I’d apologize then.

“Tomorrow’s the last day of the year.”

Time really had flown by.

I’d spent the entire second half of the year filming two movies.

The one titled The One I Loved would premiere around February or March next year, while the horror film The Sixth Night would come out during the summer.

‘Now all that’s left is the survival variety show, huh?’

Though my casting still hadn’t been finalized.

The production staff kept playing hard to get.

Even after two long meetings, they still hadn’t given me an official answer.

They only repeated that they had to consider the overall lineup of contestants before making any decisions.

‘Even I don’t think Yoo Seulho has any reason to be their top choice.’

Yoo Seulho wasn’t exactly the first name that came to mind when people thought of psychological strategy games.

He didn’t have the image of being stupid, but he certainly wasn’t known for being especially capable either.

After all, you had to excel at your main profession before people started expecting that sort of thing.

‘Hmm.’

Could I really go there and at least hold my own?

According to Choo Seomok, the contestants were all graduates of prestigious universities with reputations as geniuses.

‘I dropped out of middle school. Yoo Seulho only has a high school equivalency diploma.’

Neither of us exactly had an impressive academic background.

There was a good chance I’d be eliminated in the first round.

Even if I somehow survived, the show’s infamous evil editing could easily turn me into the nation’s most hated villain.

‘After all the work I put into repairing my image…’

Thinking about how easily I could end up branded as complete human trash, the potential losses outweighed the benefits.

Still…

‘You’ll never know unless you try.’

Call it reckless if you want.

But was there any successful businessman who wasn’t?

If you only ever chose the safe path, you’d never make real money.

‘If I can become the villain… then I can also become the hero.’

There was no point in preparing further until my casting became official.

‘So what should I do in the meantime?’

I couldn’t just leave my schedule completely empty while waiting for a show that might not even begin filming anytime soon.

As I tapped lightly on the window with my finger, I asked,

“Can I go to the company tomorrow? Or is everyone off because it’s year-end?”

“It’s still a weekday, so everyone will be working in the morning. Why?”

“To read some scripts.”

Might as well look over potential projects while I have free time.

Choo Seomok fell silent for a moment before asking an unexpected question.

“Even so… isn’t it a bit of a waste to spend the last day of the year working?”

“All of a sudden?”

“Isn’t there anything you’d like to do?”

Well…

‘Do I have to have something?’

Even looking back on my previous life, I’d never spent New Year’s Eve in any particularly meaningful way.

Even during company dinners, I’d usually hand my credit card to Gyeongbeom halfway through and leave early.

“Why? Is there something you want to do?”

I’d asked, expecting him to say no.

Instead, he answered without hesitation.

“I’d like to go for a drive outside the city.”

Now that was completely out of nowhere.

I was surprised, but it wasn’t exactly strange, so I simply told him to enjoy himself.

Then Choo Seomok asked if I’d like to come along.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Why would two guys go on a drive together? Are you insane?”

It wasn’t even worth considering.

But Choo Seomok persisted.

“They say the weather will be nice tomorrow. It might help clear your head. Come with me.”

“I said no.”

“What time would you like to leave?”

“I said I’m not going!”

At first, I figured the weirdo was simply being weird again.

But the way he stubbornly kept insisting made me suspicious.

“Hey. What are you planning? Just tell me.”

When I frowned, Choo Seomok let out a quiet sigh.

“It wouldn’t mean anything if I went alone.”

“Why?”

“We’re going to see Wooju.”

Wooju?

The familiar name made me tilt my head for a second before remembering the dog from the drama shoot.

I wondered why he’d suddenly brought up the dog, but Choo Seomok calmly explained.

“The animal actor agency contacted us. They said Wooju has been very depressed lately. The staff thinks he misses you, Mr. Yoo Seulho.”

“Dogs get depressed too?”

“Of course.”

Choo Seomok glanced at me through the rearview mirror.

The look in his eyes made it seem as though he were staring at a psychopath.

Feeling slightly awkward, I asked,

“I’ve never raised animals before. You seem to know a lot about dogs. Do you like them?”

“I wouldn’t say I’m especially fond of them, but I don’t have any reason to dislike them either. Since you don’t have any scheduled work, I thought it’d be nice if we visited.”

“Then why didn’t you just mention Wooju from the start? Why try to lure me with a drive?”

“I thought you wouldn’t be interested.”

By then, we’d arrived home.

As he got out of the car, Choo Seomok continued,

“From what I’ve observed, Mr. Seulho, you may care about people, but you don’t seem particularly interested in animals.”

He said he’d initially wondered whether I was simply pretending to be indifferent.

But after meeting the cat named Maru during filming, he’d realized I genuinely wasn’t interested.

“Even if it were just a company employee you weren’t close with, if you heard they were hospitalized, you’d send flowers or drinks or something.”

“But when Maru had leg surgery, you didn’t even remember it.”

‘Wait….’

The way he spoke as though he completely understood me made me snort.

“You know me that well? Why would I take care of some company employee I’m not even close to?”

“When you heard I was sleeping in the security room, you immediately invited me to live with you. We weren’t even close back then.”

“Well, would you look at that. Then are we close now?”

“Aren’t we?”

“…I’ve got a feeling. One day, you’re going to get beaten half to death by me.”

Choo Seomok remained completely unfazed by my threat.

“You don’t have any work tomorrow anyway. Why not go? If it were something difficult, I wouldn’t have suggested it.”

His persistence made me sigh.

‘It’s because it isn’t difficult.’

The problem was that I couldn’t confidently keep doing something so easy.

I didn’t even know whether Wooju was truly depressed because he missed the real Yoo Seulho.

But if I couldn’t keep visiting, wouldn’t it be better not to go at all?

Otherwise, I’d only end up giving him false hope.

And honestly…

‘I’m not Yoo Seulho.’

More than anything, the dog wasn’t missing me.

“Fine. Let’s go.”

Even so, as someone currently wearing Yoo Seulho’s skin, I decided I should visit at least once.

‘The agency even sent us an email asking for it. Ignoring them might hurt my image.’

So, on the last day of the year, an unexpected schedule appeared.

Thinking it would amount to nothing more than going to see a dog, I went to sleep.

Never imagining that the visit would end up deciding my next project.