How a Loan Shark Survives as an Actor Chapter 51

Chapter 51

 

“Something felt off, even before all this.”

Woo Junseo whined in an irritated tone.

“He’s never done anything like this in three years, but suddenly he stopped answering my calls yesterday. I got pissed because I thought the bastard had gone AWOL, so I asked the company, and they told me they had sent him on vacation. I mean, does it make any sense to send an entertainer’s manager on vacation without even telling the entertainer–”

“Wait. The company told you that?”

Director Jang cut him off as if something seemed strange, and Woo Junseo frowned.

“Yeah. Why?”

“So the company already knew first. They tried to clean it up behind your back somehow and failed in the end. Ah, then this is even worse…”

Having grasped the situation, Director Jang let out a deep sigh.

Meanwhile, Woo Junseo jumped around angrily, seemingly furious over a point no one else could understand.

“Are they insane?! They made me look like a complete idiot! If they’d told me beforehand, I would’ve handled it somehow! Those incompetent bastards, seriously.”

Watching him badmouth his own company now of all times was pathetic.

Even under Director Jang’s gaze that clearly said, “What an idiot…”, Woo Junseo continued throwing a tantrum.

“Seriously, nobody does their job properly. The agency, the manager… they all get paid to support entertainers, don’t they? Then why are they completely useless?!”

“…I’ve been smoke-free for over five years. Thanks to you, I want to chain-smoke.”

Director Jang shook his head, looking utterly exhausted.

Whether he cared or not, Woo Junseo kept complaining as though he were the biggest victim here.

“I’m really frustrated, PD-nim.”

Recently, Woo Junseo had been the one constantly giving Director Jang a hard time, but before that, the two had always exchanged kind words and supported each other.

The very first person Director Jang cast for this drama had been Woo Junseo.

Even when casting the other actors (including me), his influence had been significant.

Perhaps because he suddenly wanted to lean on that old bond he had forgotten over the past few days.

Or maybe because his manager wasn’t around.

Whatever the reason, Woo Junseo had started groveling before Director Jang again.

“PD-nim, this isn’t a big deal. The livestream incident got buried without any problems, right? I’ll go to the company right now and make them release correction articles. I’ll fix everything and come back.”

“Like hell you will. You can’t even understand the situation properly, yet you talk such a big game… The article said there was evidence. Any idea what it might be?”

“I don’t know. They’re calling it abuse of power, but it’s not like I hit him, okay? The worst I did was throw things at him a few times… If he secretly recorded that, then ‘he’s’ the one with a character problem.”

What an absurd thing to say.

Apparently, Director Jang thought the exact same thing, because he shouted with a red face.

“You little bastard! What kind of lead actor creates a scandal like this while filming a drama?! You throw things at people? Hey, that’s a contract violation. You know that?”

“I only threw things a few times! And it wasn’t something I only did during this drama! For three years, the guy never complained and always said ‘yes, sir,’ then suddenly he gives a secret interview behind my back. Isn’t ‘that’ weirder? If he had a problem, he should’ve said something beforehand!!”

Woo Junseo’s hands trembled.

The remarkable thing was that he genuinely looked like he believed he was the victim.

‘People really need thick skin to survive.’

I didn’t know exactly what had happened between Woo Junseo and his manager.

But the fact remained that getting caught up in a scandal like this was entirely his fault.

‘Do you know how much money goes into making a drama?’

A drama doesn’t get completed with just one male lead.

It takes countless people… the executive producer, production company, assistant directors, cinematographers, camera crews, lighting teams, sound teams, art departments, costume teams, editors, stunt doubles, and many more.

‘Even I know that, and this is my first drama. Why doesn’t he?’

With one thoughtless action or remark, all the effort of everyone who had devoted months to the project could become meaningless in an instant.

He should have possessed a sense of responsibility equal to the weight of his position.

Instead, Woo Junseo had lived like a reckless brat in his own little world.

‘Now he’s paying the price for it.’

Though that’s what I thought rationally, I couldn’t entirely watch from the sidelines either, considering I was part of the drama team.

“Thanks for ruining my drama, you little shit. Because of you, from now on I’ll have no choice but to shut up and do whatever the higher-ups tell me.”

“Don’t worry, PD-nim. I’ll tell the company to give him plenty of money. I’ll make him personally post an apology statement.”

“Don’t say things you can’t take responsibility for. Damn… my male lead is an abuser.”

“I told you, I didn’t abuse anyone!”

“God, I need a cigarette…”

Director Jang finally looked like he had reached his limit and stormed off, grabbing a passing staff member.

“Hyunjung, got a cigarette?”

“Huh? I do, but PD-nim, weren’t you quitting–”

“Just give it to me.”

Director Jang snatched the cigarette pack from the staff member and hurriedly stuck one in his mouth.

Then, just as he was about to light it, I darted out and snatched the cigarette away.

“Ah!”

“PD-nim, if you smoke now, you’ll end up smoking for another few years. Endure it.”

“Come on, Seulho actor, you’re doing this too?!”

Director Jang lunged at my hand as though overcome with resentment, but I stood firm.

At the same time, Choi Ran handed him several candies she had somehow obtained from somewhere.

“Eat these.”

“Ha… seriously, all of you…”

Forced to continue his smoking cessation, Director Jang squeezed his eyes shut.

Choi Ran and I quietly surrounded him and waited until his urge to smoke settled down.

A few minutes later, having regained his composure, Director Jang let out a long sigh.

“Thanks, both of you. If you hadn’t stopped me… my wife would’ve beaten me half to death when I got home. No, actually, I won’t even be going home today. I have to head to the station for meetings.”

“Cheer up, PD-nim.”

“Ugh… my life…”

For someone who had been screaming at Woo Junseo moments earlier, Director Jang now looked like a tire that had completely lost its air.

Watching his unsteady figure disappear into the distance, I scratched the back of my neck.

“Ran, this might be an insensitive question, but can I ask?”

“What is it?”

“Why is PD-nim this devastated? Is it because he’s attached to the project? I mean, the final episode aired successfully, didn’t it?”

If the scandal had broken halfway through the broadcast, then sure… it would’ve been a complete disaster.

Depending on how serious things got, they might have had to cancel the remaining episodes altogether.

Even if they continued airing, viewers could have organized a boycott.

But the article had come out right before the final episode aired.

At least the broadcast itself had gone smoothly from beginning to end, hadn’t it?

“A drama doesn’t end when the final broadcast ends.”

“Why?”

“You know this too, Oppa. Korean dramas sell well overseas. They still have to sell broadcasting rights to local TV stations across Asia and license the rights to OTT platforms. This incident is going to interfere with all that.”

“Ah… right. I completely forgot.”

Choi Ran looked at me as if wondering how anyone could possibly forget that.

Cut me some slack. This is my first drama.

“Especially since Woo Junseo has a fanbase in Japan. They were probably planning to sell the rights there for a high price. But that’s all ruined now, so, understandably, PD-nim is upset.”

“True.”

So even after the broadcast ended, it wasn’t really over.

‘I thought all the outside filming would be over too now that there was no drama left to promote.’

What a misunderstanding.

Even though I had plenty of entertainer clients back when I was a loan shark and had heard endless industry stories from them, experiencing and learning it as an actual participant felt completely different.

‘Then Woo Junseo really did screw things up big time.’

After hearing Choi Ran’s explanation, his sins felt several times heavier.

“But when you think about it, isn’t it kind of amazing?”

“What is?”

Choi Ran let out a disbelieving laugh.

“A celebrity abusing their manager. Isn’t that such an outdated phrase? These days, don’t celebrities usually tiptoe around their managers instead?”

“Hmm… the abyss is deeper than you think.”

Even if Choi Ran had more experience in the entertainment industry than I did, I knew far more about the ugly underbelly of the business.

“Do you know why Woo Junseo feels so wronged? Because there are countless celebrities who treat their managers even worse than he does. He knows that, so he thinks what he did was nothing.”

“Really? Everyone around me treats their managers well.”

“People naturally flock together with similar people. Guys like him only surround themselves with other guys like him.”

Choi Ran nodded, though she didn’t seem to fully understand what I meant.

Part of me thought there was no need to tell a kid about this sort of thing.

But another part thought she should know how dirty the world could be so she’d be more cautious.

So I kept talking.

“I once heard this directly from the person involved. There was a celebrity who told his manager to hang out with his girlfriend in his place because she was bored.”

“There’s actually a lunatic like that?!”

Choi Ran’s eyes widened.

“That wasn’t even the end of it. Later, he paid for a hotel room and told the manager to go have a good time with his girlfriend.”

“That’s insane. Seriously, that’s impossible. Why would anyone do that?”

“The guy himself was trashy. He was excited because he wanted to ask the manager the next day what his girlfriend had been like.”

“What did the girlfriend ever do wrong…? Wait, wasn’t he upset about wasting money?”

“People who live like that don’t consider things like that a waste of money.”

Choi Ran shook her head in disgust.

After that, I returned to the hotel.

Whatever else happened, today was still the day the first drama I had ever appeared in aired its final episode.

‘It’s strange… and kind of amazing.’

I fell asleep feeling oddly emotional.

And the next morning, the very first articles on the front page read:

 

< [Exclusive] Former manager who exposed Woo Junseo revealed to have been receiving treatment for depression for years… “A mistake caused by impaired judgment.” >

< “It was all my misunderstanding” — The person behind the accusations against Woo Junseo posts an apology on social media, becoming a hot topic. >

< Woo Junseo’s side: “We reached an amicable settlement with the individual… We feel sorry for the former manager’s mental health issues.” >

 

The moment I saw the articles, I nodded.

‘As expected.’

You have to be the kind of person who doesn’t consider money a waste to live like that.