How a Loan Shark Survives as an Actor – Chapter 57

Author: Cireng

Chapter 057

Director Shin forcibly ignored the strange feeling he couldn’t identify and struck a pose again.

“Seulho.”

“Yes?”

“Do you know why golf is difficult?”

Holding a golf club, Director Shin slowly swung.

Whoosh.

The sharp sound of the club head cutting through the air echoed through the office.

Savoring the atmosphere that had instantly fallen silent, Director Shin spoke in a low voice.

“You have to send the ball straight. Even the slightest mistake ruins everything. It doesn’t matter how far you hit it. The place the ball has to go is clearly determined.”

That’s why it’s very difficult.

But at the same time…

“That’s also why it’s easy. In the end, all you have to do is find the path and hit it straight. Do you remember what I told you when we met last year?”

That he would guide him properly down the right path.

So don’t entertain any other thoughts.

‘How did Yoo Seulho react back then?’

Director Shin smirked as he recalled the memory.

He remembered Seulho obediently nodding when told that all he had to do from now on was listen to him.

Feeling the natural sense of exhilaration that accompanied the memory, Director Shin adjusted his stance.

“Nothing has changed from then until now. You just need to listen to me. Don’t get curious, don’t ask questions. Just follow what I say.”

Because only then would he get good results.

Without a shred of shame, Director Shin proudly claimed that the hit drama ‘Our Space’ had succeeded because he had pushed for it so hard.

“Even with a precedent like that, if you still don’t listen to me? Then…”

He slowly raised the club into a backswing.

“It just looks like you want to fail.”

Then came a powerful swing.

Whoosh.

Along with the ominous sound of wind cutting through the air, Director Shin’s low voice settled heavily into the room.

“So… do you want to fail? Or do you want to listen to me?”

Waiting for an answer, Director Shin slowly closed his eyes.

‘Damn, I nailed that just now.’

Admiring his own charisma, he struggled to suppress the corners of his mouth from curling upward.

‘How scared must he be?’

The Yoo Seulho he had dealt with for the past year had been a coward and a complete pushover.

‘If I’d been born with that face, that body, and that background, I’d have used it ten times better.’

Of all people, a clueless kid like him had been born with all the luck in the world.

Sometimes it was frustrating how intimidated he always seemed despite being born into a wealthy family.

But at the same time, that was exactly why he found him satisfying.

Just like Hyun Jingae, Yoo Seulho was a coward who obediently responded to whatever he said.

‘But why isn’t he answering?’

Was he that frightened?

No matter how long he waited, no answer came.

Director Shin opened his eyes.

Turning his head, he saw Hyun Jingae sweating profusely and Yoo Seulho sitting with his eyes closed, lost in thought.

“…?”

For a moment, Director Shin couldn’t process what he was seeing and blinked several times.

Then Hyun Jingae, nervously watching Director Shin’s reaction, urgently jabbed Seulho in the side.

Poke, poke.

“Mm? Huh?”

Startled, Yoo Seulho opened his eyes and quickly wiped the corner of his mouth with his hand.

Only then did Director Shin realize that Yoo Seulho hadn’t listened to a single word he had said.

“You… what exactly are you trying to pull right now?”

It was more than enough to blow the lid off someone with a nasty temper like Director Shin.

Having survived in the entertainment industry for many years, he’d suffered all kinds of humiliations.

But never… not once… had he been blatantly ignored by one of his own artists like this.

“You think I’m a joke? How dare you…”

Director Shin’s voice dropped sharply.

It was several times scarier than shouting.

Hyun Jingae went pale as though he knew exactly what was about to happen.

He was trembling so badly that it was obvious he could barely breathe.

But unlike him, Yoo Seulho…

“Huh? No way. I’ve just been having trouble sleeping lately.”

He smiled playfully, his eyes curving into crescents.

“Sorry. Don’t be upset. But what were you saying?”

The way he smiled brightly without reading the room carried an intentional air of obliviousness.

Director Shin wasn’t stupid enough to miss that.

“Hah!”

His body trembled with anger.

“I must have spoiled you too much. Look at how disrespectful you’ve become. One project blows up, and now you think your whole life has taken off?”

“Well, it has taken off a little.”

“…Yoo Seulho.”

“No, but you’re the one who asked.”

Pouting his lips as if he were being treated unfairly, Seulho protested.

Then he looked toward Hyun Jingae as though asking him to take his side.

But Hyun Jingae stared stubbornly straight ahead, looking like he wanted absolutely nothing to do with this.

“Wow. Not a single person on my side.”

As Seulho looked disappointed, Director Shin sneered.

“Wake up, Yoo Seulho. There’s a limit to how much I can tolerate your insolence. Right now it feels like the whole world belongs to you, doesn’t it? But if your agency stops supporting you, it’s over. That’s all the position you’re really in.”

“That’s exactly what I just said. Not a single person is on my side.”

Seulho sighed with an indifferent expression.

“My only manager keeps leaving for shoots and goes off to pick up your golf balls. My only agency threatens to stop supporting me if I don’t obey. Life is really bleak.”

“Enough. Take the next project I picked for you. I’ll arrange meetings with the production team, so go buy yourself a suit.”

Director Shin turned his back as though he didn’t even want to continue the conversation.

His pride seemed wounded just from having a discussion like this with some brat whose blood hadn’t even dried yet.

“Take him out of here, Jingae.”

“Yes, sir.”

Hyun Jingae, who had been standing there like a piece of furniture the entire time, jumped to his feet.

Seeing him act like Director Shin’s obedient dog, Yoo Seulho let out a small chuckle.

‘…Ha.’

At that unmistakable sound of ridicule, Director Shin finally snapped.

“You insolent little bastard!! Who the hell do you think you’re laughing at?!”

BANG!!!!

Having barely restrained his anger until now, Director Shin hurled the golf club.

It missed Seulho and crashed into the table instead, producing an enormous crash.

“Gah! Director! P-please calm down!!”

Seeing how agitated he was, Hyun Jingae hurriedly tried to stop him.

“You little piece of shit! If you’re going to look down on people, at least choose carefully who you look down on!!!”

“Aah, scary.”

Seulho clung to his manager with a face that looked not the least bit frightened.

That only enraged Director Shin further.

He began grabbing everything within reach and throwing it around the room.

Poor Hyun Jingae, trapped in the middle, tearfully begged both of them to stop.

Neither did.

Thud!!

“Aagh! My thigh!”

Unable to dodge an ashtray flying at him, Seulho took the hit and cried out.

“I’m injured. It hurts. I can’t act anymore. I’m dying.”

“Then just die, you bastard!!!”

Director Shin roared at the sniffling Seulho.

“You think I can’t kill you?! I could kill you right now! Huh?!”

“Please calm down, Director!!”

His eyes bloodshot from rage, Director Shin struggled furiously as Hyun Jingae desperately held him back.

As Director Shin repeatedly shouted that he’d kill him, Seulho… still covering his face and pretending to cry, suddenly asked:

“But if you kill me, what are you going to do about the next project?”

“What?”

“No, seriously. Isn’t it funny?”

Seulho lowered the hand covering his face.

The expression revealed underneath was completely devoid of amusement.

It was a bored expression.

“What would you do if I refused to do the next project? You can arrange meetings, buy me suits, do whatever you want. If I ultimately say no, that’s the end of it, isn’t it? You should be trying to persuade me, not threaten me and throw things around… It’s honestly ridiculous. Just how much of a pushover did you think I was?”

Dusting off his wrinkled suit with a few pats, he spoke calmly.

There was a sense of weariness in him, as though he were saying enough games.

“Our contract doesn’t say I have to do a certain number of projects. Frankly, even if I do absolutely nothing until the contract expires, I wouldn’t be legally in the wrong. From anyone’s perspective, you’re the one who’s screwed. Why can’t you look at the situation objectively?”

“Hah! You think I’ll be screwed just because some nobody like you stops working?”

“At the very least, you’ll have trouble facing the people who’ve already started work under my name. You’ve already told the production staff and investors of that next project, haven’t you? That you’d hand over Yoo Seulho at a bargain price.”

At those calm words, even in his enraged state, Director Shin hesitated.

It was embarrassing to feel as though his true intentions had been exposed.

To hide that fact, he only raised his voice even more.

“So what is it that you want? You think I’m going to beg you? Huh? Are you waiting for me to say, ‘Please do the project, Mr. Seulho’? You? Seriously?”

“No. I’m waiting for something else.”

Seulho spoke with an expression that suggested he was bored to death.

No matter how many times Director Shin shouted and asked what it was, no answer came.

It was the calm, dismissive attitude of someone who believed conversations were only meant for civilized people.

‘Ha.’

The coldness in that expression was completely different from the playful cluelessness he’d shown moments earlier.

The change was so abrupt it felt alien.

Even from Director Shin’s perspective… a man who had seen countless actors… it was a startling presence.

‘What… what do I even say…’

As Director Shin searched for words, a vibration suddenly rang through the silent office.

Bzzzt.

Taking his phone out of his pocket, Yoo Seulho raised an eyebrow the moment he checked the screen.

Then, without asking anyone’s permission, he answered.

“Hello.”

Quietly listening to the other side, Seulho slowly curved his lips upward.

“Yes. Well… that’s certainly news I’ve been waiting for.”

The bright smile on his face made Director Shin flinch.

It was because Seulho was looking directly at him while smiling.

And just as that made him hesitate…

“I’ll head over right now.”

With those words, Seulho ended the call.

“You, what–”

“Director, thank you for everything.”

“What?”

The sudden farewell left both Director Shin and Hyun Jingae dumbfounded.

“I stayed in this filthy place far too long. I feel sorry for myself for enduring it all this time. I don’t particularly feel sorry toward either of you. Well then, goodbye.”

“Hey! Where are you going?! Stop right there!”

“Seulho, wait. Just wait a second. Let’s talk.”

Seulho immediately ignored Director Shin.

But he did stop walking at Hyun Jingae’s words.

“What’s going on? Who was that just now?”

Seulho stared for a moment at his manager’s anxious, trembling eyes, then sighed.

“Sorry, hyung. I’d like to explain, but from now on I can’t say anything without a lawyer present.”

“What?”

“Take care.”

With that, Yoo Seulho strode out of the office.

The two stunned men only began to understand what had happened several minutes later, when they were summoned to the CEO’s office.

“You crazy bastards!!!”