I Spent a Night with a Top Star Actress – Chapter 31 – A pleasant, disbelieving laugh.

Author: Dawn

Division Head Park Yu-hyeon asked, startled.

“Hollywood made a play for actress Lee Ha-eun?”

“Oh, didn’t I mention that?”

“…”

CEO Baek Ji-won laughed, innocent as a child.

Division Head Park Yu-hyeon shook his head.

“Sometimes… you make my heart drop, CEO.”

“Sorry.”

“So what actually happened?”

CEO Baek Ji-won shrugged.

“Exactly what it sounds like. After Queen of Joseon wrapped, Universal reached out wanting to do Ha-eun’s next project together.”

“And actress Lee Ha-eun turned it down?”

“Yeah.”

Division Head Park Yu-hyeon’s brow furrowed.

“The movie Universal’s making this time… isn’t that a film with a $150 million production budget alone?”

“That’s right. Their big blockbuster for the quarter.”

Division Head Park Yu-hyeon’s expression soured.

“She turned down a movie like that? Don’t tell me she said no because she wasn’t offered the lead.”

“She’s not a child. She wouldn’t turn down a project over something like that.”

“Then why did she turn it down?”

CEO Baek Ji-won let out a short laugh.

“Apparently, bugs got to her.”

“… Bugs?”

“Yeah. It’s summer, so the bugs are swarming, and she says she can’t go to Hollywood right now.”

“…”

A question mark rose on Division Head Park Yu-hyeon’s face.

She turned down Universal’s offer because bugs were swarming in summer?

And that for a movie with a $150 million production budget?

… It was an excuse Division Head Park Yu-hyeon’s common sense couldn’t accept.

Watching him closely, CEO Baek Ji-won turned her head away again.

Hands clasped behind her back, she gazed out the window for a long while, then CEO Baek Ji-won murmured, out of the blue,

“I’m thinking I’ll just leave her be for now. What do you think?”

Division Head Park Yu-hyeon exclaimed, startled.

“CEO? Leave her be? This is a Universal offer.”

“The actress said she doesn’t want to do it.”

“This time we need to push it through, even if we have to force it.”

“If she were the type to listen, she’d have already said yes.”

“…”

Division Head Park Yu-hyeon fell silent.

CEO Baek Ji-won took the silence as agreement and let the corner of her mouth curl up.

“Now I’m curious, all of a sudden.”

The curled corner of CEO Baek Ji-won’s mouth traced a strange curve.

“She never had any attachment to Korea. What’s gotten into her, deciding to stay all of a sudden?”

I parked the car and headed to the nearby smoking area.

Muggy air swept over my skin.

With July closing in, the heat had started to feel less like warmth and more like discomfort.

I put a cigarette to my lips and muttered.

“Guess that’s why my nerves are on edge.”

That had to be it.

My condition was fine, but with the heat, every sense in my body had gone strangely sharp.

‘Tsk. Maybe I should get an IV.’

I scratched my chin and pulled out my phone.

Swipe, swipe.

I skimmed through today’s headlines, then pulled up the music charts.

The corner of my mouth curled up before I even noticed!

-[HOT Chart] Can rookie girl group “Twenty” become the storm at the center of the music scene? Both title tracks now inside the chart top 10, continuing their climb…

-[No. 5: Attention] [Artist: Twenty], [No. 6: Youth Journey] [Artist: Twenty]

Twenty’s chart rankings had climbed again.

“This is great.”

But what was even more encouraging was that it wasn’t just their streaming numbers going up.

Twenty memes had started circulating on social media and online communities, and their songs were playing as background music in coffee shops.

It meant the public’s attention was starting to gather on Twenty.

‘If nothing below them claws its way up, they might just take the number one spot on the charts within the month…’

Of course, I couldn’t be sure.

A heavyweight singer or idol group could suddenly announce a comeback, or some unknown artist’s song could come climbing up from below.

‘Anything can happen in this business.’

But this time…

I felt like I could actually be sure.

Because according to the future-text article, Twenty’s “Youth Journey” would hit number one on the charts sooner or later, no matter what!

Just as the curl at the corner of my mouth deepened into a full grin, a schedule I’d forgotten about suddenly came to mind.

“Oh, right. The Star Watch! meeting was this week, wasn’t it?”

After the call with PD Park, Twenty’s first variety show had settled on Star Watch!.

Given Star Watch!’s concept, the Twenty girls wouldn’t be panelists, they’d be the actual cast.

Which meant they’d be able to show off a wider range of charm than they would on other variety shows.

‘If it turns out the way I’m picturing, this could be the decisive shot.’

If that happened, their ranking would climb sharply again.

If it went well… they might take the number one spot on the charts faster than I’d expected.

Naturally, the bet with CEO Baek Ji-won came to mind.

“Last time I got a car, so what will it be this time?”

Probably not a house… Performance pay? Or maybe a bonus?

I had no idea, but one thing was certain.

Since CEO Baek Ji-won, a legend in the industry, had made such a bold promise, she’d give me something beyond what I could imagine.

I let out a low sigh and muttered.

“… Why does everything involving Twenty go so well for me?”

Were these Twenty kids some kind of luck fairies?

Because otherwise, none of this made sense.

I let out a silly, giddy laugh and stubbed out my cigarette.

I headed to the Chinese restaurant where I was set to meet actor Seo Tae-jun.

‘Twenty’s more or less settled, so what’s left is The Priest in Black…’

The picture was mostly finished on this front too.

Seeing the finished quality of The Priest in Black had convinced me.

‘Director Park Jun-seo’s The Priest in Black really is a five-million-admission occult script.’

The problem was that Director Park Jun-seo’s side wasn’t happy with Seo Tae-jun, who I’d been thinking of for the lead.

‘Well, that part I could understand well enough.’

In the occult genre, atmosphere mattered more than anything.

But no matter how you looked at it, actor Seo Tae-jun’s image wasn’t a heavy one.

“This is the fork in the road, huh?”

Whether to push Seo Tae-jun into The Priest in Black or not.

Of course, part of me still wanted to see Seo Tae-jun act in The Priest in Black.

But if you asked me whether The Priest in Black was really a Seo Tae-jun project, the answer was no.

‘He could be replaced with any other actor, easily enough.’

How I handled The Priest in Black would depend on the attitude Seo Tae-jun showed today.

Having finished that thought, I opened the door to the upscale Chinese restaurant Seo Tae-jun had booked.

A handsome man with sharp, striking features flashed a bright, white-toothed smile.

“Long time no see, Chief Kwon.”

“Have you been well, Tae-jun-ssi?”

“No. I haven’t been well at all.”

“?”

Seo Tae-jun pulled his back off the chair he’d been leaning against and said,

“Isn’t this really too much? I told you myself to contact me once you found a project, but I never asked to be ghosted like this.”

Ah… that’s what he meant?

I let out a short laugh without meaning to.

“You’re plenty old enough. Why are you acting like a kid?”

“Someone like me withers and dies without attention.”

Having smoothly lightened the mood, Seo Tae-jun held out a glass of cold water.

“Should we eat first?”

“Why don’t we just order and get straight to business?”

Seo Tae-jun’s eyes turned challenging.

My eyes twitched at the corners, on reflex.

“Sounds good. I was curious anyway, about the eye for projects that got our Chief Kwon to pick Queen of Joseon.”

Look at this guy.

I’d come out today to test this man named Seo Tae-jun.

And it turned out he’d come out to test a man named Kwon Chan too.

Feeling the mood spike, I pulled out the script for The Priest in Black.

“Hm? This is the only script?”

“Yes.”

“Usually when you’re recommending scripts to an actor, don’t you bring two or three?”

Instead of answering, I just smiled without a word.

At that, the corner of Seo Tae-jun’s mouth curved up nicely.

“Guess you’re confident. Fine, let’s talk after I’ve read the script.”

Seo Tae-jun took a pair of glasses out of his clutch bag and put them on.

Then, carefully, he read his way through the script for The Priest in Black.

Not wanting to break his concentration, I stayed quiet and sipped my water in silence.

I don’t know how much time passed like that.

Seo Tae-jun set down the script he’d been holding and muttered.

“I don’t get it.”

“!”

My shoulder jolted, hard!

‘He doesn’t get The Priest in Black’s script?’

I was a little flustered.

Meanwhile, Seo Tae-jun muttered, his expression serious.

“This is the first time I’ve seen a script this boring.”

… Um… huh?

This… this is genuinely a problem, isn’t it?

That was when my brow furrowed, sensing the situation starting to twist into a complicated mess.

Then a completely unexpected line came out of Seo Tae-jun’s mouth.

“So I think this project’s going to do well.”

“?”

“That’s usually how it goes. The scripts I find fun flop, and the ones I find boring… weirdly, they do well.”

My eyes went wide.

‘What kind of nonsense was that?’

But thinking it over carefully, it wasn’t nonsense.

‘Come to think of it, hadn’t he said something like this at our first meeting too?’

Seo Tae-jun had said it himself.

That he had no eye for scripts.

That was why he wanted to work with me, the one who’d picked Queen of Joseon.

And right now, Seo Tae-jun was finding The Priest in Black boring.

If Seo Tae-jun, who had no eye for scripts, was finding The Priest in Black boring…

‘That means it’s actually good??’

Meanwhile, Seo Tae-jun’s eyes were sparkling.

“The script’s really boring, but I like the character Kang Ji-hu.”

I burst out laughing without meaning to.

Seriously…

This actor, Seo Tae-jun.

He was too much fun.

“What part?”

“I like how contradictory he is.”

A faint excitement showed in Seo Tae-jun’s voice.

“A priest who doesn’t believe in God but still follows him. Someone who’s terrified of demons but throws himself into exorcising them more than anyone. He’s twisted, seriously twisted, and that’s what makes him fun. Sounds like he’d be a blast to play.”

Seo Tae-jun snapped the script shut and said,

“What about you, Chief Kwon?”

“What about?”

“Do you think this movie’s going to do well?”

Did I think it would do well?

Without question!

At least five million admissions.

If the release was handled right, it could go even higher than that.

I said exactly what I thought, without holding back.

“Yeah. I think it’ll do well.”

“Then it’s settled.”

Seo Tae-jun shrugged.

“I’ll make The Priest in Black my next project. Give it to me.”

It was a decision as clean and quick as his personality.

So much so that I nearly blurted out, without thinking, that I’d hand it right over.

I swallowed a laugh and said,

“That’s a bit of a problem, actually.”

Seo Tae-jun’s eyebrow twitched.

“A problem?”

“Yeah. I’m glad you like the script, Seo Tae-jun-ssi, but the director of The Priest in Black…”

I trailed off and gave an infuriatingly casual shrug.

“Says you don’t quite measure up, Seo Tae-jun-ssi. So it’s not really mine to just hand over.”

Seo Tae-jun’s expression hardened.

Arrogant and flippant as he could be, Seo Tae-jun hadn’t once scowled since I’d met him.

And now that expression of his…

twisted like a killer who’d just finished a murder!

A small gasp of admiration escaped my mouth.

‘Now that’s a real picture.’

The gap between this and his usual vibe was killer.

It was enough to send chills down my spine.

In that moment, I couldn’t help but think,

Maybe a thriller-occult film starring the crown prince of romance…

might suit an actor like Seo Tae-jun even better than I’d expected.

Just then, Seo Tae-jun let out a hollow laugh.

“This is a little embarrassing, actually.”

I smiled brightly and said,

“What part?”

“Aren’t you basically telling me to audition right now?”

Audition?

Honestly, yeah.

I wanted Seo Tae-jun to study the character Kang Ji-hu, practice, and win Director Park over with the acting he brought.

But for the crown prince of romance, that had to sting his pride, didn’t it?

My prediction landed dead on.

“I’m suddenly feeling really hurt in my pride. I’m not exactly the level of actor who has to audition, am I?”

“If you don’t want to, you don’t have to.”

“If you were going to give up that easily, why show me this script in the first place? You’re pressuring me into auditioning right now, aren’t you? Isn’t that right?”

Seo Tae-jun, angry enough that his voice had gone rough.

Even this much I’d expected.

‘Right. He’s probably feeling like garbage.’

Because the crown prince of romance, who’d never once known failure or hardship, was being tested right now.

‘Given Seo Tae-jun’s personality, it wouldn’t be strange at all if he stormed out of here right now.’

But I had no intention of holding him back.

Frankly, there were plenty of actors out there with passion for acting besides Seo Tae-jun.

‘If he’s an actor who can’t handle even this much and just does whatever his temper tells him…’

there was no reason to hold on to him.

An actor’s supposed to run wild only when he’s acting; it’s a problem if he acts like a delinquent in real life too.

One uncontrollable wild horse is more than enough with Lee Ha-eun alone.

Meanwhile, Seo Tae-jun raked a hand through his bangs irritably and muttered.

“Chief Kwon.”

“Yes.”

“Let me ask you one thing.”

I nodded.

Seo Tae-jun glared at me with a sharp look and said,

“If I walk out of here, that’s it between us, isn’t it?”

Sharp guy.

I answered honestly.

“You’re with Team 5, Seo Tae-jun-ssi. It’s not like things end between us. Except.”

“Except?”

“I just wouldn’t be recommending you any more projects.”

Seo Tae-jun let out a scornful laugh.

“Chief Kwon, you’re a scary person.”

Me, scary?

Maybe it’s just that my nerves have been on edge the past few days, and that’s why it feels that way to him.

Seo Tae-jun downed his cold water irritably and said,

“… Honestly, I want to flip this whole table over.”

“You can, if you want.”

“But once I’ve flipped it, what’s left?”

“Your pride, Tae-jun-ssi?”

“That pride doesn’t put food on the table.”

Seo Tae-jun’s body leaned forward.

“Fine. I’ll audition.”

“!”

“But I want you to know one thing. Right now, this whole situation is pretty… irritating, you know?”

Sparks flew in Seo Tae-jun’s eyes.

A thrilling shiver rose up from the tips of my toes.

“The director who says I have to audition, and our Chief here, quietly grating on my nerves while quietly pushing this script on me, both of you are irritating.”

I felt it again.

This actor, Seo Tae-jun.

He was too much fun.

“So now I want to prove it even more. That I’m not the kind of actor who deserves to be treated like this.”

Who’d have thought agreeing here would set off his stubborn streak.

That other side of Seo Tae-jun’s charm shook me hard.

How could anyone not find it charming, an A-list actor with his pride properly scraped raw, baring everything he had while swearing revenge?

Meanwhile, Seo Tae-jun declared.

“Just give me a week.”

The crown prince of romance, Seo Tae-jun’s eyes gleamed dangerously.

“I’ll build the character Kang Ji-hu for The Priest in Black within a week, so just wait for it.”

After that, the rest of the meal was surprisingly uneventful.

Seo Tae-jun, back to his usual self, cracked jokes with no substance to them, and I played along with half-hearted reactions, the two of us staging a passable dinner scene.

“See you next week, then, Chief Kwon.”

Seo Tae-jun put on his sunglasses and drove off in his sports car.

Watching him go, I muttered.

“He’s properly pissed off.”

He was pretending otherwise, but I could feel it all the same.

Seo Tae-jun’s real feelings, grinding his teeth and swearing revenge.

So I found myself a little troubled.

“He’ll probably go and prepare for the audition like planned… but I really pushed his pride too far, didn’t I?”

I was a little worried…

At the same time, anticipation was bursting inside me.

Just what kind of performance would a properly furious Seo Tae-jun show?

The corner of my mouth curling up, I put a cigarette to my lips.