How a Loan Shark Survives as an Actor – Chapter 139

Author: Cireng

Chapter 139

The next day, I visited the agency building with Choo Seomok.

“I wonder if it’s really okay for us to just show up like this.”

“If it isn’t, then there’s nothing we can do.”

We’d only decided late last night that we’d come.

Since this morning, we’ve tried calling one of the staff members several times, but nobody has answered.

I had no idea how my schedule would look if we tried to arrange another appointment, so we came anyway.

“Excuse us.”

“I’m sorry, but right now we’re… Huh? Yoo Seulho?”

The moment the employee saw my face, she jumped in surprise.

After we explained why we were there, another employee, who looked like the person in charge, hurried over.

“Mr. Seulho, we’re truly sorry about the email.”

The woman, who introduced herself as the team leader, bowed deeply.

“You weren’t even Wooju’s owner, so we shouldn’t have burdened you with something like that. We were just so worried…”

“It’s alright.”

“After filming for the drama ended, he became really down, but we thought he’d recover after a few days.”

“But even after comforting him for months and letting him rest completely, he never went back to normal. We were desperate enough to grasp at straws, so we sent that email.”

“I’m really fine. By the way… can I see Wooju now?”

“Well…”

The team leader bowed once more.

“I’m so sorry. We’re holding a very important audition inside right now. I know you came all the way here, and I really am sorry.”

“No, it’s my fault for showing up without arranging a schedule first.”

Just then, an employee who had been listening beside us whispered to the team leader.

“Team Leader, Border Collies aren’t part of the audition candidates anyway, are they? Couldn’t they just meet quietly in another room?”

“That’s true…”

“We don’t even know when Mr. Seulho will be available again. At the very least, let’s find out whether Wooju really misses him.”

Apparently deciding the employee was right, the team leader nodded vigorously.

“You’re right. Mr. Seulho, I’ll take you inside. Would you mind waiting just a little?”

“Of course. Take your time.”

The room we were shown into was a playroom with thick cushioned mats covering the floor.

From the pile of toys stacked in one corner to the framed pictures hanging on the walls, every part of the room radiated love and care.

“It’s a relief that Wooju is here.”

For Choo-robot to say something that sentimental…

But honestly, I felt the same way.

“Yeah. It really is.”

When I’d first received the agency’s email, I’d been put in a rather awkward position.

Part of me had thought I had no choice but to come because ignoring it might damage Yoo Seulho’s image.

But after talking to the team leader and seeing how much she genuinely cared about the animal actors and wanted the best for them, even that awkwardness disappeared.

‘Of course, they probably need the dog healthy before they can cast him in projects too.’

If someone asked how I could think like that, I wouldn’t have much to say.

Companies don’t make money by digging holes in the ground.

And from my perspective, simply believing an animal actor had to recover before working already made this a good company.

How many black companies were there that piled mountains of work onto employees regardless of whether they were okay or not?

Anyway, even if I didn’t know all the details behind the scenes, I was thinking it seemed like quite a decent place.

Woof!

The instant the door opened, something came charging toward me with the sound of rapid footsteps.

“Wooju! Wai–Are… are you alright?”

“…Yeah. I’m fine.”

I’d expected something like this, so I instinctively broke my fall.

The weight sitting on top of me felt strangely familiar.

“Hey.”

Woof!

The dog grinned broadly while repeatedly licking my face.

Yeah, I’m happy to see you too.

But would you mind getting off first?

‘He has to weigh at least fifteen kilos.’

Comparing him to the dumbbells I’d lifted at the gym gave me a rough estimate.

“Looks like you’ve been eating well these days. You’re pretty heavy.”

“Huh?”

The employee who had been watching us warmly suddenly looked horrified.

“Wooju is incredibly slim for his breed!”

“Really?”

“Of course! He was depressed for months, but he never skipped his exercise.”

“Then maybe it’s just because he’s so… sturdy.”

“Huh??”

This time, the employee looked like she was about to collapse.

“No… no, where are you going to find a dog smaller than our Wooju?”

She muttered in complete disbelief.

“Border Collies aren’t even large dogs. How could you possibly describe him as ‘sturdy’…?”

“…My mistake.”

“He’s smart enough to understand everything. You shouldn’t call such a cute little dog fat.”

I never said he was fat.

Still, after seeing the employee’s heartbroken expression, I ended up apologizing to the dog.

Pant, pant.

Wooju paid no attention whatsoever, remaining completely focused on licking my face.

His large tongue was surprisingly soft.

‘But isn’t this considered pretty big?’

The first time I’d seen him, I’d honestly thought he was big enough to pay taxes.

Of course, the reason I kept getting knocked onto my back whenever I saw him wasn’t that he was huge.

It was because he tackled me with so much force.

‘I really don’t know much about dogs.’

Despite my dry thoughts, the dog remained completely absorbed in showering me with affection.

Even someone like me, who knew nothing about dogs, could tell he was absolutely crazy about me.

“You really missed him, didn’t you, Wooju?”

The employee watched us with affectionate eyes.

While Choo Seomok was talking with the employee, I waited until no one was paying attention before quietly whispering to the dog.

“Wooju… I…”

I hesitated for a moment before continuing.

“Is it really okay… even if I’m not the real Yoo Seulho?”

Pant, pant.

Maybe it was just my imagination, but the dog seemed to smile even brighter.

As if answering my question, he gently pressed his nose against mine.

“…Honestly.”

The faint breath brushing against my nose made me chuckle.

I laughed softly and stroked him.

Woof!

“Hey, quiet down. They’re holding auditions outside.”

…

“Did you understand me? You’re really smart.”

At my praise, Wooju happily burrowed further into me.

Sturdy…

No, maybe he wasn’t that big… but he definitely wasn’t small either.

With him clinging to me like this, it was complete chaos.

“Hey! You’re heavy.”

Pant, pant.

Perhaps I’d become so focused on playing with him… that I failed to notice someone standing in the doorway, staring directly at me.

“Oh my, Writer. When did you get here?”

At the employee’s startled voice, I turned my head.

Because I was lying on the floor with Wooju sprawled on top of me, the person standing in the doorway somehow looked unusually imposing.

The woman looked back and forth between Wooju and me with an incredibly sharp gaze.

“…?”

I froze for a moment because I didn’t recognize her face at all.

Then she walked toward us without the slightest hesitation.

She didn’t even seem to hear the employee beside her saying,

“I’m sorry, Writer. Actually…”

I was just about to lift Wooju off me and stand up when she plopped down right in front of us.

Then, the first thing she said was…

“Want to film a drama?”

“Huh?”

“The picture is perfect. You could go straight onto the set like this. Why don’t you and this dog do a drama together?”

…What?

Before I could recover from my confusion, she continued speaking without pause.

“I’ll talk to the PD myself. The casting decisions are mine anyway, so it’s fine. It’s a Netflix exclusive, fully pre-produced. The investment budget is huge.”

She rattled off information I hadn’t even asked for.

The employee standing behind her looked completely flustered, but couldn’t stop her.

When I still didn’t respond, she apparently assumed she hadn’t convinced me and began explaining in even greater detail.

“The protagonist is a dentist. He goes to work every day with his dog. Have you ever heard of a ‘therapy dog’?”

I shook my head, and she continued.

According to her, therapy dogs help reduce patients’ anxiety and stress during dental treatment.

They’re especially effective with children who suffer from dental phobias, and simply being around a dog actually lowers stress hormones.

“A suspicious patient appears in the peaceful daily life of a dentist who goes to work with his dog. After that, he becomes entangled with a criminal organization, and his entire life is turned upside down.”

Her confidence was obvious as she described the crime drama, which blended thriller and action elements.

“Oh, you’ll have to handle some action scenes. Since you’re playing a dentist, they won’t be too intense. You work out, don’t you? You look like you’re in good shape.”

“……”

Were drama writers normally like this?

Based on everything I’d heard so far, there was a high probability she was a drama writer.

The team leader had mentioned they were holding a “very important audition.”

More than anything, the woman’s confidence alone made it obvious she was a famous writer.

‘Hmm.’

As I was wondering how to answer… a man suddenly came rushing toward the door.

“Huff… Huff… Writer! Where have you been? I’ve been looking everywhere–!”

“Oh, PD Kim. Come here. I found our lead.”

The writer didn’t even bother listening to his complaints.

Instead, she beckoned him over impatiently.

Just from that alone, I could tell she was the one with all the power.

‘Interesting.’

Actually, Team Leader Ahn had told me something similar before.

Unlike films, where the director sits at the top of the hierarchy, television dramas have something called a star writer… someone who outranks even the PD.

The drama Our Space, which I’d filmed, had been an unusual case.

PD Jang personally wrote the script himself instead of relying entirely on a writer.

That was extremely rare in the drama industry.

Of course, there had been assistant writers helping him, but the original ideas all came from PD Jang.

Which was why, until Woo Junseo came down with rabies, there hadn’t been anyone on set powerful enough to bully PD Jang.

‘Anyway…’

Even if she were a famous star writer… I didn’t particularly appreciate the way she was looking me over as though she were dismantling me piece by piece.

‘I’d rather not be treated like a slab of meat hanging in a butcher shop.’

It would’ve been different if I’d walked into the butcher shop myself.

But this was a little uncomfortable.

After weighing everything in my head, I carefully opened my mouth.

“May I ask you one question?”

“Of course.”

“But… who are you?”

“……”

My calm question instantly filled the room with silence.

The employee and the man standing behind her both gasped, covering their mouths.

The writer sitting in front of me blinked blankly for a second… before breaking into laughter.

“You’re right. That was rude of me. My apologies. I’m writer Gu Nahui. You’re Yoo Seulho, correct?”