How a Loan Shark Survives as an Actor Chapter 83

Chapter 83

 

After that, Yoo Seulho’s amazing feats continued.

‘Let’s see just how far he goes.’

Kim Donggyun watched Yoo Seulho intently, as if trying to engrave every single detail into his eyes.

Anyone would have felt pressured being stared at so openly from right in front of them, but Yoo Seulho was focused solely on acting.

‘He really works hard….’

Watching him pour everything into his performance naturally raised Kim Donggyun’s spirits.

At heart, he was someone who genuinely loved his work.

Which meant he could immediately recognize people who treated filmmaking as seriously as he did.

And among all the actors he’d met recently, Yoo Seulho was the one who radiated that energy the most.

‘He’s a decent person.’

To Kim Donggyun, an actor’s skill and mindset were far more important than their actual personality.

While he nodded repeatedly in satisfaction, the script reading came to an uneventful end.

“Good work, everyone! Let’s head to the company dinner!”

Director Baek clapped with a broad smile.

It was hard to believe this was the same man who had spent the last few hours giving sharp criticism and meticulous advice to the actors.

‘This man really is incredible.’

Among everyone he’d met in the industry, Kim Donggyun rated Director Baek the highest.

His directing ability was first-rate, but his greatest talent lay in the way he dealt with people.

In private, he maintained the image of a friendly older brother from the neighborhood, but the moment work came up, he became incredibly demanding.

Most importantly, Director Baek’s greatest strength was that he never humiliated people.

Even when an actor performed worse than expected, he never embarrassed them in front of others.

‘He did the same thing during the reading just now.’

As the reading progressed, Bae Dain’s mistakes became more frequent.

It was obvious she hadn’t practiced the latter half as much as the beginning, but whenever she stumbled over her lines, Director Baek eased the atmosphere with jokes.

‘He knows anger won’t solve anything.’

Bae Dain was an actress who would have no problems as long as she practiced enough.

It seemed she’d worked as hard as she could before the reading, but there simply hadn’t been enough time to master the latter half perfectly.

Just from her earnest attitude, it was obvious she’d practice diligently before filming, so Director Baek chose to help her by easing her tension.

The only actor who needed absolutely no help from Director Baek during today’s reading was Yoo Seulho.

‘He’s really ama–no, not again.’

He was getting sick of constantly falling into “everything leads back to Yoo Seulho,” like he’d been cursed.

Kim Donggyun shook his head vigorously and pushed thoughts of Yoo Seulho away.

Even after moving to the dinner venue, he focused on the meat in front of him, trying not to think about anything else.

But his efforts were shattered when…

“Director.”

Yoo Seulho approached with a bottle of liquor.

“Yes?”

Kim Donggyun blankly looked up, and Yoo Seulho smiled quietly.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t properly greet you before the reading. I should’ve introduced myself earlier.”

“Ah… no, it’s fine. There are so many people here. It’s hard to greet everyone individually.”

“Thank you for understanding. Would it be alright if I poured you a drink?”

“Ah, sure.”

When Kim Donggyun lifted his empty glass, Yoo Seulho leaned forward.

He placed his free hand lightly atop the hand holding the bottle and calmly poured the liquor.

‘…Why does even this look classy?’

No, I don’t want to exaggerate. Honestly, at this point, isn’t Seulho the strange one, not me?

‘How peculiar.’

He’d seen countless actors groveling and flattering people excessively to get on their good side, but this was the first time he’d seen someone approach him first to pour him a drink while simply observing proper manners without saying much.

As Kim Donggyun stared blankly, Yoo Seulho finished pouring and quietly spoke.

“What did you think of my acting today?”

“Hm?”

“I wanted to ask if there were any parts you found lacking. If there’s anything I should fix, please feel free to tell me.”

At those words, Kim Donggyun laughed in disbelief.

‘Things he should fix, huh.’

That wasn’t wording one would expect from a twenty-year veteran actor.

How many actors had Kim Donggyun seen over the years?

Actors with careers like Yoo Seulho’s usually possessed tremendous pride regardless of their actual abilities.

At best, they’d ask if there was anything they could improve on, but he’d never seen anyone so casually say they were willing to fix themselves.

‘Interesting.’

It felt less like talking to an actor and more like talking to an ordinary person.

If he were simply a talented actor, it’d be one thing, but it wasn’t easy to get that feeling from a celebrity as famous as Yoo Seulho.

“No. There wasn’t.”

Kim Donggyun answered decisively.

“Uh… not even one thing?”

For the first time all day, Yoo Seulho looked flustered.

Feeling an inexplicable delight, Kim Donggyun asked,

“You asked Director Baek first, didn’t you? What did he say?”

Yoo Seulho hesitated for a moment before answering.

“He gave me the exact same answer as Director Kim.”

“Haha! I knew it!”

Kim Donggyun burst into laughter, instantly feeling cheerful.

As he raised his glass filled with clear soju, Yoo Seulho quickly raised his own.

“Let’s do our best together, Seulho.”

“I look forward to working with you as well.”

Their glasses clinked together with a clear, refreshing sound.

As he turned his head and watched Yoo Seulho calmly drink his liquor, Kim Donggyun realized that this man was completely different from the person he’d seen in the reading room a few hours ago.

Just looking at the fact that he drank the bitter soju without changing his expression, he was nothing like Dogeon, who had suffered from physical pain.

‘Seriously….’

He’s no ordinary person.

Remembering Director Baek’s words, Kim Donggyun grinned.

His heart swelled with anticipation.

Would Yoo Seulho really be able to deliver that kind of performance in front of the camera as well?

 

***

 

The day after the script reading.

After sleeping in until nine in the morning, I came out into the living room.

‘I’m tired.’

I smelled food somewhere and headed into the kitchen, only to find Choo Seomok eating plain rice with fried eggs.

“You’ve woken up.”

“Yeah. Feeling alright?”

“If you mean a hangover, I’m fine. I didn’t actually drink that much yesterday.”

What nonsense.

From my perspective, having seen him down several bottles of soju after the reading, I couldn’t help but laugh.

‘I remember thinking he was a monster.’

Of course, I’d gone around drinking with various groups too and had about three bottles myself.

Even knowing that Yoo Seulho’s body could handle that much, I still hesitated to drink more.

‘What if I made a mistake?’

Since there were so many people I’d just met, I figured getting drunk would bring more harm than benefit, so after that I’d secretly pour drinks away or merely pretend to drink.

But Choo Seomok drank every toast like a madman.

“Don’t drink every single glass people offer you. Pace yourself.”

“I know my limits, so it’s fine.”

“I know what you mean, but don’t overestimate yourself. Your tolerance changes depending on your condition. Your liver can go bad in an instant.”

Did he think he’d stay twenty-five forever?

I wanted to lecture him further, but outwardly I was twenty-five-year-old Yoo Seulho as well.

‘Nothing’s funnier than a guy your age lecturing you.’

To suppress the urge, I gulped down water, and before I knew it, Seomok had finished eating.

“Did you… drink your food?”

“Ah, I just eat quickly.”

He said it was a habit, and I clicked my tongue inwardly.

“Should I buy some side dishes or something? Seeing you eating plain rice makes me feel guilty somehow.”

“It’s alright. I prefer simple meals.”

His outright refusal left me dumbfounded.

Anyone listening would think I’d suggested a nine-course meal.

At least pour soy sauce over it and make egg rice.

‘He’s not some newborn baby.’

Watching him chew on fried eggs without even ketchup made me want to say something…

But I held back.

“Fine. Do what you want.”

It was ridiculous to tell a grown man what to do.

“But if you need anything, I’ll stock up. Team Leader Ahn gave me a company card and told me to use it if it was necessary for the actor’s condition.”

“No, I’m fine.”

I opened the cupboard and took out a container of protein powder.

Mixing it with water, I downed the shake in one go.

“Come to think of it, I’ve never seen you eat at home….”

“They feed me at filming sites anyway. At home, shakes are enough.”

Days without schedules like today weren’t common.

Skipping proper meals for a few days wouldn’t kill me.

“You told me not to drink too much, so I’ll tell you not to starve yourself. Your stamina can collapse in an instant.”

“When did I starve? I just ate.”

“In Korea, that doesn’t count as a meal.”

I snorted at his serious expression.

Seriously.

“Mind your own business.”

As I walked into the living room, Choo Seomok quickly followed behind.

And that was when his insane nagging began.

“If an actor won’t take care of his own body, then it’s the manager’s responsibility. As long as the company pays me, it’s my duty.”

“Seomok, my ears are bleeding.”

“I’ll stop if you promise to eat properly.”

After enduring thirty minutes of nonstop nagging, I finally surrendered.

“Alright, alright, stop already, you lunatic.”

“Yes.”

Only then did he shut up.

My ears hurt.

“What would you like to eat? Shall I order something?”

“Ha… forget it. I’ll eat outside. I’m meeting some friends anyway.”

I glanced at the clock on the wall.

If I showered and got dressed now…

Okay. Perfect timing.

I was about to head to the bathroom when I locked eyes with Choo Seomok, who was making a strange expression.

“What?”

“Seulho… you had friends?”

His voice was genuinely puzzled.

I froze.

The moment I understood what he’d meant, I burst out laughing.

“…You’re really getting bold lately. Are we that close now?”

“I didn’t mean to offend you. But I remember every conversation we’ve had, and you’ve never mentioned friends even once–”

“Because I had no reason to tell you! I’ve got plenty of friends, alright?”

I glared fiercely at him in disbelief.

Then I turned around and stomped toward the bathroom.

Even as cold water poured over me, I was still fuming.

‘That crazy bastard.’

I wanted to teach that brat, who didn’t know how scary adults could be, a lesson.

But what irritated me most was that what he said wasn’t entirely wrong.

‘Even before entering Yoo Seulho’s body, I didn’t have any friends.’

I’d never really felt ashamed of that.

But hearing him ask with such pure curiosity suddenly made me feel terribly embarrassed.

After showering, I quickly got dressed.

“Seulho, I’m truly sorry for offending–”

“I’ll be back tonight.”

Ignoring Choo Seomok’s apology entirely, I slammed the front door shut.

Then I drove somewhere.

‘Well… the guys I’m meeting today aren’t exactly friends either.’

Damn it, maybe I should make a friend someday.

As I grumbled to myself, a familiar building came into view.

Unlike last time, the security guard recognized my car and let me inside immediately.

Creeak.

After parking in the underground garage, I heard a familiar voice.

“You’ve arrived.”

It was the youngest member of the organization…

Hwang Taejun.