I Spent a Night with a Top Star Actress Chapter 32 - A pleasant, disbelieving laugh.

Had she just woken up?

Lee Ha-eun’s voice was languid and sweet, unlike usual.

[“How about next Sunday?”]

By contrast, my own voice, a little hoarse, sounded surprisingly bland.

“Sounds good. I’ll see you then.”

[“By the way, Kwon Chan.”]

“Yes?”

[“You called faster than I expected.”]

“…?”

Lee Ha-eun let out a short laugh.

[“I thought you’d get scared and run. This is a surprise.”]

A provocation, thrown at me out of nowhere.

The corner of my mouth curled up slowly.

“Is there a reason I’d avoid you, Lee Ha-eun-ssi?”

[“Then how about being my manager again?”]

“Ah, I’ll pass on that.”

Lee Ha-eun let out a small laugh.

It sounded like a lark singing.

My head tilted slightly.

‘Lee Ha-eun. Why’s her energy so high?’

Was it because she’d just woken up?

Right now, Lee Ha-eun was in a great mood.

Considering she suffered from brutal insomnia and lived permanently stressed, it was strange.

Just as a chilly sense of wrongness started creeping up on me, Lee Ha-eun stopped laughing and asked.

[“Have you picked a restaurant?”]

“I’m about to start picking one.”

[“You know my taste, right?”]

“I’ll pick something you’ll like.”

A rustling sound came through the phone.

It was the sound of pajamas brushing against bedding.

Seemed like she was getting out of bed now.

I caught myself picturing it and froze my expression.

Just then, Lee Ha-eun whispered in a low voice.

[“I’ll be looking forward to it. See you in a week.”]

The call ended.

I steadied my slightly ragged breathing and wiped away the cold sweat running down my face.

Damn it.

How hot does it have to be for me to sweat like this in just that short a time?

Frowning, I took shelter in the shade.

Once the heat faded, my mind and body settled.

In that calm, I was certain.

“So it wasn’t just my imagination.”

Top star actress Lee Ha-eun.

The way she treated me had changed.

‘Why, all of a sudden?’

The cause came to mind right away.

It had to be because of what happened that night…

But hadn’t Lee Ha-eun herself been the one to say they should just call it an accident?

‘She’s changed her mind, this late?’

If it were anyone else, it’d be impossible to make sense of.

But because it was Lee Ha-eun, it made sense.

She was the craziest woman I knew, after all.

In that moment, curiosity bloomed in my chest.

What Lee Ha-eun was thinking right now, and what she was feeling.

Why her attitude toward me had changed.

Now… I was genuinely starting to want to know.

I brushed back my shaggy bangs and muttered.

“Whichever way it goes, I’ll finally know for sure.”

Next Sunday.

The answer to the problem I’d been avoiding was coming.

---

For the first time in a while, I went to the training center instead of headquarters.

After picking up the Twenty girls, who’d just finished morning choreography practice, along with Lee Ye-ji-ssi, I headed for SBC.

Sitting in the back seat, Nova couldn’t hide her excitement and made a big fuss.

“Ye-ji unnie. Are we really going on a variety show?”

“How many times are you going to ask? Yes, we’re really going!”

“Chieeef! Once today’s meeting’s over, we’re really going on the show, right!?”

“If the meeting goes well, probably?”

“Whaaaat! Oh my god! Can I tell Mom and Dad?”

“I don’t mind, but what if the schedule falls through?”

“Uh… wait, it could fall through?”

Checking the back seat in the rearview mirror, Nova had her mouth hanging open like an idiot.

I thought about teasing her a little more, then answered honestly.

“That’s not going to happen, so relax.”

“Too late, Chief. I’ve already seen a future where I make a huge mistake at the meeting…”

“Even if you mess up like that, I’ll cover for you.”

“…Really?”

“Really.”

Nova’s face brightened again.

“If you’ve got my back, Chief, I can mess up all I want!”

Beside her, Seol Chae-i cut in flatly, her expression indifferent.

“Why are you already thinking about messing up, unnie?”

“What are you talking about. The Chief scared me, so I was just joking around too.”

“You were seriously scared, and now you’re bluffing.”

“… This brat’s starting something again? That’s it! We’re settling this today!”

The now-familiar bickering between Nova and Seol Chae-i kicked off.

Wedged in between them, Rei poked her head out.

“Chiifu.”

“Yes?”

“Want some gum?”

“… Is it zero-calorie gum again this time?”

“Yeah! You don’t like sweet stuff, Chief!”

Hmm… if it’s the same gum as last time, wasn’t it not actually sugar-free zero-calorie gum?

As expected, the gum Rei handed over let out a sweetness strong enough to rot my teeth.

I chewed away at the gum and asked.

“Does the wrapper actually say zero on it?”

“No. It doesn’t say that.”

“Then I don’t think this is zero-calorie gum.”

“It’s zero, for sure! The Coupang ad said so!”

I’m pretty sure she’d just misread that ad.

I was going to have to put Rei through some Korean lessons again.

Trading silly jokes and chatter like that, we arrived at SBC.

I got out of the car and headed straight for the variety department.

The Twenty girls following behind me had gone stiff, tense at coming to this place for the first time.

Not that it mattered if they were nervous, since we were just here to make an appearance…

Still, just in case, I tried some light conversation to loosen the mood.

“Your music show rankings have been trending well. How’s the reaction around you all been?”

Ga-eul, who looked more tense than anyone, blurted out an answer.

“It’s been total chaos.”

“Your family?”

“Yeah. Mom and Dad were crying and making a huge fuss, asking if I’m becoming a star now…”

“Did you tell your family that you made ‘Youth Journey,’ Ga-eul-ssi?”

“Um… I haven’t told them that yet.”

I tilted my head.

“Why not? You should brag about it.”

“Uh… hasn’t the article not come out yet?”

Hm?

The article saying Ga-eul wrote and composed “Youth Journey” still hadn’t come out?

Meanwhile, Ga-eul explained, watching my reaction a little.

“I figured since no article came out, the company wanted it kept secret… Can I tell my parents, Chief?”

My eyes went wide.

‘Well, would you look at that.’

Lightning flashed through my head!

The corner of my mouth curling up, I answered Ga-eul’s question for now.

“I’ll look into it, so how about keeping it a secret a little longer?”

“Okay, Chief.”

Ga-eul nodded without much suspicion, then went back to peeking curiously around the variety department.

Watching her from behind, a plausible picture started forming in my head.

But right now was the time to focus on PD Park of Star Watch!, so I forced myself to stop thinking about it.

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

PD Park showed up in a fluster and said,

“Oh man, sorry I’m late! The editing backed up on me!”

Wiping away cold sweat, PD Park’s gaze turned toward Twenty.

Scanning the Twenty girls quickly, PD Park burst out in admiration.

“Wow… they look way better in person than in photos. Called a visual group for a reason, huh, the visuals are really something.”

The girls looked at the back of my head.

Feeling like a mother bird, I answered.

“Should we move somewhere else to talk, PD Park?”

“Right, right. Let’s head to the meeting room.”

Once we stepped into the meeting room, shielded from outside eyes, the Twenty girls’ expressions relaxed considerably.

Watching them closely, PD Park murmured.

“These kids really feel like rookies, huh, Chief Kwon?”

“They really are rookies, PD Park. Rookies who haven’t even hit a month since debut yet.”

“Ah, right, real rookies. Hmm… maybe that’s why. They feel less like celebrities and more like regular people with pretty faces.”

Interest dripped visibly from PD Park’s eyes.

Maybe that’s why.

The preliminary meeting went smoothly, in an easygoing mood.

“Our Star Watch! concept is, like the name says, an observational show, so there’s no need to be too nervous.”

“It’s basically like peeking in on a manager and a celebrity’s daily life. The show runs that way, so you just need to show your everyday selves naturally, the way you normally act.”

“That said, if it’s just everyday life the whole time, it gets boring, so we’ll need to set up a bit of an event. Something like a rookie girl group fan handshake event? That sounds like it’d work.”

With PD Park’s friendly attitude, the Twenty girls relaxed enough to start asking all kinds of questions.

Watching quietly, I got up from my seat.

“PD Park. I’m going to step out to the restroom for a moment.”

“Sure, sure. Go ahead!”

I stepped out of the meeting room and pulled out my phone on the way to the restroom.

“An article about Ga-eul writing and composing ‘Youth Journey’ really hasn’t come out?”

Muttering to myself, I searched for the article.

A moment later.

A curve traced itself at the corner of my mouth.

“Well, would you look at that. It’s true.”

There really wasn’t an article saying Ga-eul wrote and composed “Youth Journey”?

A slip-up by the PR team? Or just a genuine coincidence?

‘Or does what Division Head Park Yu-hyeon said about handing me full control of Twenty’s scheduling… extend even this far?’

I couldn’t be sure of the exact reason.

But…

One thing was clear.

This situation, right now.

seemed like it could be a good opportunity, not just for the Twenty girls, but for me too.

‘”Youth Journey” is currently ranked sixth.’

Just an unheralded rookie girl group’s song landing at number six on the charts had already generated buzz.

So what would happen if it got out that the very song generating that buzz had been written and composed by member Ga-eul?

“The leader of a huge rookie girl group, who writes and composes her own songs.”

The corner of my mouth curled up.

However I decided to use it, this material, right now,

was going to cause a huge stir!

‘But it’d be a waste to drop it right now, wouldn’t it?’

It’s a world where one issue breeds the next.

Wouldn’t it taste that much sweeter to drop this once interest in Twenty peaked?

“… Right. If I drop it right when Star Watch! airs live, the picture would really come together.”

Gather all the firepower at once, then, bang!

That would give Twenty’s chart ranking a good chance of shooting straight up.

‘Might even hit harder than taking number one on the charts.’

If that happened… wouldn’t CEO Baek’s reward upgrade too?

The curve at the corner of my mouth broke into a full grin.

“Anything connected to Twenty and my luck just turns great, huh.”

They were basically human vitamins, seriously!

Feeling the edge that had been on my nerves lately ease off a little, I opened the meeting room door.

Twenty and PD Park were there, laughing their heads off looking at each other.

“Oh? Back already, Chief Kwon?”

“Yeah. When did you all get this close, though? Looks like a good vibe in here.”

“I mean… these kids are hilarious. Especially this Nova, her mouth is a killer!”

At PD Park’s words, I turned my head.

Nova’s shoulders were bouncing up and down in a little dance.

‘I’d thought Nova had a knack for this before, but if she’s won PD Park over this much, maybe I should push her toward variety a little.’

Just then, PD Park asked, out of nowhere,

“Looking at it like this, the picture’s good. Chief Kwon’s got a distinctive character too, so if you went on together, the chemistry would really pop!”

“?”

“Thinking about Chief Kwon’s image… yeah! You could go with a real-life Beauty and the Beast concept. What do you all think?”

What?

What did I just hear?

I blinked and asked.

“What are you talking about, PD Park?”

“Hm? I was talking about you coming on the show, Chief Kwon.”

“Star Watch!?”

“Yeah.”

“… Why would I go on that?”

PD Park said it like it was obvious.

“So you’re not going to do it? Anyone can tell just by looking, you’d have good chemistry with the Twenty girls.”

My face scrunched up in a sudden scowl!

---

The next day.

Up on the rooftop smoking area, Team Leader Ma Seok-du burst out laughing after hearing what happened with PD Park.

“Beauty and the Beast? No way…! Hey, now that I think about it, that concept kind of fits. So, did you say you’d do it?”

I tapped ash off my cigarette irritably and answered.

“Are you crazy? Why would I go on a variety show?”

“Why not! If PD Park’s pushing you that hard, it means he got a feeling about something!”

“Forget it. I’m already drowning in headaches these days as it is…”

“Quit whining, you punk.”

This, whining?

Not even close.

If I went on a variety show on top of everything else right now, I might actually die.

‘Lee Ha-eun, The Priest in Black. On top of that, I still have to track down this Choi Go-eun who’s winning Best New Actor at the Busan International Film Festival.’

I was grumbling, tapping at the ash on my cigarette, when my shoulder gave an involuntary twitch.

“… Seok-du hyung.”

“What.”

“Do you happen to know an actress named Choi Go-eun?”

Seok-du hyung’s eyes went wide.

That change in expression made my heart skip a little.

‘Road manager Ma Seok-du, ten years grinding it out in this business.’

The industry’s ultimate networker, someone who didn’t know a celebrity he hadn’t heard of!

If it was this Seok-du hyung, wouldn’t he know Choi Go-eun too, the winner of the Busan International Film Festival’s Best New Actor award?

Seok-du hyung scratched his chin slowly and answered.

“Who’s Choi Go-eun? Never heard of her.”

“… Never mind.”

“What’s with that face? Why are you looking at me like I’m some kind of bug?”

Instead of answering, I put out my cigarette and headed down to the management office.

Today was the day for the regular meeting, so I headed to the conference room.

I bowed my head to the chief-level road managers who’d arrived and were already waiting.

“Chief Kwon. Twenty’s debut numbers have been good, huh?”

“Why are you doing so well these days? You’re standing out so much on your own it’s making me a little jealous.”

“Once the Queen of Joseon bonus comes in, you’re treating us big, right? Looking forward to it.”

I smiled awkwardly and brushed off the chief-level road managers’ jabs, tinged as they were with rivalry.

Meanwhile, Seok-du hyung walked into the conference room and clapped his hands.

“All right, all right, Team 5! Let’s start the meeting. We’ve got an important agenda item today, so let’s focus up a little.”

I tilted my head.

An important agenda item, all of a sudden?

Then Seok-du hyung, watching my reaction, opened the meeting.

“So… you all know about the Kim Seong-hun incident, right?”

“!”

“Because of that incident, a team leader-level meeting was held on Friday, and the Division Head ordered a mindset re-education policy for all employees. So, is there anyone on Team 5 who’s a piece of trash badmouthing or gossiping about the celebrities they manage?”

The mood in the conference room turned frightening in an instant.

I could feel the road managers in attendance reading each other’s reactions.

I alone stayed clear of the mood and listened to Seok-du hyung’s words at ease.

“If anyone here fits that, watch your mouth. The Division Head’s keeping an eye on this whole situation. And…”

Trailing off, Seok-du hyung handed out thick document files to the staff.

My eyebrow twitched.

‘Cheon Woo-yeong, Im Hyeon-seong, Choi Ji-hyeon?’

They were profile files ranging from a mid-tier actor who made up Baekhak’s backbone, to an A-grade comedian-MC.

But these celebrities…

weren’t they all Team 1’s celebrities?

Just then, Seok-du hyung slammed the whiteboard, bang!, and said,

“All right. This is another agenda item, so listen closely from here. This is about your livelihoods.”

“!”

“On the Division Head’s orders, the celebrities Team 1 had been hogging way too much of are getting spread out evenly across every team.”

“….!!”

“With Team 1’s leader gone, a problem everyone had been ignoring finally blew up. How many celebrities was each Team 1 road manager handling anyway? It was already an issue people were talking about, and the Division Head decided to settle it now.”

The corner of Seok-du hyung’s mouth twitched.

“The files I just handed out are the list of celebrities Team 1 is letting go, so look them over carefully and pick some. As long as it doesn’t overlap with another team, you can bring them over no questions asked.”

The heavy mood in the conference room flared up in an instant.

“What? They’re just handing out celebrities all of a sudden?”

“Then does that mean Team 1’s Park Jin-woo is up for grabs too?”

“Nah, an S-grade like him won’t get let go!”

“Wow… this is basically Team 1 getting blown up, isn’t it?”

The chief-level road managers’ eyes had changed.

A touch of excitement.

And tension.

Since a manager’s crucial bonus and performance pay, on their meager salary, hinged on how well the celebrities they managed performed, the change was only natural.

Meanwhile, Seok-du hyung, looking like an actual team leader for once, kept running the meeting.

“At a glance there looked to be plenty of decent options, so pick carefully.”

The chief-level road managers started flipping through the profile files quickly.

Feeling my own interest starting to spark, I flipped through the profile files too.

‘Pretty sizable names showed up. Park Jun-hee’s been doing pretty well on NutTube lately.’

An MC on the rise, a former public-recruit comedian.

A mid-tier actor whose momentum had faltered, but whose acting chops were rock solid.

A solo singer, ex-boy-group, gunning for one big hit after going solo.

I was carefully looking over the document files, wondering if there was anyone worth bringing over.

As I flipped to the last profile file, my hand jolted, shaking.

“… What?”

My eyes shot wide open.

There on the last profile file was a three-syllable name that felt both familiar and strange.

[Name: Kim Go-eun]

[Stage name: Choi Go-eun]

[Age: 18]

Goosebumps crawled up my forearms, and my Adam’s apple bobbed hard.

“…No way. The Choi Go-eun I’ve been looking for…”

It seemed I really had found the rising star of the Busan International Film Festival.

“She was a child actress under Team 1?”

A rising star, quite literally, not yet fully ripened.