Chapter 7 Part 10: Fear Is Stronger Than Any Weapon

The next morning, at Paju Action School.

 

Jihoon’s call time today was late evening.

When he appeared at the training hall, the action school actors gathered around him.

 

“Oh, Jihoon, it’s been a while.”

 

“We used to see you all the time before the crank-in.”

 

Jihoon acknowledged their greetings with a brief nod.

With a stiff expression, he asked,

“Where is Director Kang In-ho?”

 

“He’s in the office on the second floor.”

 

Jihoon glanced at the manager who usually followed him around and said,

“Hyung, stay here.

I have something important to discuss with the director.”

 

“You’re going alone?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

There were plenty of rough types among the action school staff.

The manager knew that acting rude like Jihoon sometimes did could earn him a punch to the face.

He looked worried, but Jihoon brushed off the look lightly and climbed the stairs to the second floor.

He knocked on the director’s door.

 

“Director, it’s Lee Jihoon.”

 

“Oh, come in.”

 

Even actors who specialized in romance couldn’t be unfamiliar with an action school’s martial arts director.

In Korea’s drama market, where historical romances made up nearly half the productions, everyone came to action school at least once, even if it was just to learn how to ride a horse.

 

Having worked together on several dramas, Kang In-ho had agreed to speak casually with him.

He stood up from his seat and asked,

“What brings you here?

You must be busy filming.

Isn’t your call time today 8 p.m.?

I need to head out too.”

 

Jihoon replied with a hardened expression,

“Director.

May I ask you one question?”

 

“What is it?

Why are you acting so serious?

Sit down first.”

 

When Jihoon sat on the sofa, Kang In-ho mixed two cups of instant coffee.

He handed one over in a paper cup and said,

“Here.

Drink this.

So, what’s your question?”

 

“It’s about Ma Yejun.”

 

“Yejun?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“What about Yejun?”

 

“To what extent…?”

 

“What are you talking about, you punk?

Ask a proper question.”

“…..”

 

Jihoon couldn’t bring himself to say that just one look from Yejun had frozen his heart.

His pride wouldn’t allow it.

So he changed the subject.

 

“His martial arts skills.”

 

“As for Yejun’s martial arts, he’s got almost none.

I heard the Taekwondo he learned in the military is all he’s got.”

“…..”

 

Seeing Jihoon’s expression, Kang In-ho frowned.

 

“You little shit.

Don’t tell me you’re thinking—”

“That’s not it.”

 

“If you’re even thinking about actually hitting him while matching choreography, don’t.

If you pull something like that, you’re dead by my hands.

Seriously.”

“…..”

 

“Aren’t you from the same company?

Why don’t you just get along?”

 

The Taekwondo he learned in the military was all he had.

 

Of course, Lee Jihoon had postponed his own enlistment.

Dreaming of becoming an action actor, he had trained in many martial arts.

He was more than capable of handling an average person.

 

Jihoon clenched his fist tightly.

 

I got scared of someone like that?

 

Countless staff members had been on set.

Over a hundred people—nearly two hundred pairs of eyes—had witnessed that moment.

No matter how hard he tried to hide it, someone would have noticed.

And rumors would spread in an instant.

 

I need to make up for it.

 

This industry was a jungle.

Once people started looking down on you, you fell endlessly.

That was the terrifying nature of this world.

 

“Director.”

 

“Hm?”

 

“If—just hypothetically—
what would happen if Ma Yejun and I fought?”

 

“You crazy bastard.

Are you serious?”

 

“I won’t let it interfere with filming.”

 

Kang In-ho stared at Jihoon before letting out a hollow laugh.

 

“Are you asking because you think you’d win?”

“……Wouldn’t I?”

 

Kang In-ho clicked his tongue.

He took a sip of coffee and stood by the window.

Watching the action actors train, he asked,

“You know the 23rd class is training here right now, right?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“What do you think would happen if you joined their training?”

“…..”

 

When Jihoon had first come here for action acting lessons, he had seen their training.

Watching them endure drills fit for special forces, he had even felt relieved that he wasn’t an action actor.

 

“Well…
I’m fairly confident in my stamina.”

 

Kang In-ho scoffed.

 

“Idiot.

You wouldn’t last two hours.”

“…..”

 

“They run 7 kilometers every day.

Sounds like nothing, right?

But it’s not flat ground.

It’s a mountain.

They run 7 kilometers of mountain trails.

Every single day.

That’s just the warm-up.

Think you can do it?”

“…..”

 

Kang In-ho set the paper cup down with a thud.

 

“Yejun endured that for a month and a half.”

 

Jihoon’s eyes widened.

 

“He ran 7 kilometers in the mountains every day?”

 

Kang In-ho chuckled and flipped over the whiteboard.

He gestured toward it.

 

“What does it say next to Yejun’s name?”

“…..”

 

Grade A.

 

Having been in and out of this place before, Jihoon immediately understood what that meant.

 

“Don’t tell me he didn’t just do the runs,
but completed all the training with them?”

 

“That’s right.

This grading is relative.

It means he ranked at an A level compared to the other trainees he trained with.”

“…..”

 

Crossing his legs, Kang In-ho continued,

“If you and Yejun fought,
I’d stake my position on this.

You’d get destroyed, one hundred percent.

You wouldn’t even be a match.”

 

“But I—”

“Yeah, I know.

You’ve got experience on the action side.

Still, it wouldn’t work.”

 

Kang In-ho tapped Jihoon on the shoulder.

 

“Don’t stir up unnecessary trouble.

Just focus quietly on filming.”

“…..”

 

Jihoon lowered his head.

His body trembled slightly.

He looked deeply frustrated.

 

“I understand.

I’ll go back and train.”

 

“You’ve got filming today,
so don’t overdo it.”

“…..”

 

After Jihoon left, Kang In-ho stared after him silently.

He recalled Yejun’s face and muttered,

“If you fought him normally, you might last five minutes.

But once filming starts and that kid really becomes Jang Wei,
you wouldn’t last ten seconds.

Don’t poke him for no reason and end up crippled somewhere.

Just stay quiet.”

 

***

 

In front of SU E&M in Nonhyeon-dong.

 

A tall building rivaling Daehwa in height stood with a massive signboard.

The first floor seemed to be a dedicated parking area for actors, packed with luxury vans.

 

Seeing the road leading down to the underground parking lot, it seemed regular employees used the basement.

There were quite a few stationed bodyguards as well.

Muscular men wearing vests with a security company’s name scanned the surroundings with walkie-talkies.

 

A massive LCD screen nearly the size of the building’s exterior wall was installed.

It was playing Wooju’s music video.

Foreign tourists who liked Wooju gathered to take photos and watch excitedly.

 

Yejun took a deep breath and looked up at the building.

 

I really became part of this company.

 

SU E&M was a bit different from Daehwa.

They handled both music and visual content, so some of the company’s artists were singers.

That probably made it feel even larger than Daehwa.

 

Well, considering Wooju alone probably earned more than all of Daehwa’s actors combined, it made sense.

 

Yejun glanced at the guard post and absentmindedly touched his face.

 

By the way, this sunscreen is really good.

 

My face isn’t heating up at all.

 

Autumn sunlight was hotter than summer sunlight.

Today was blazing bright.

Normally, after walking about 80 meters from the subway to the office, his face should feel hot and slightly stinging.

But today was different.

 

I came home too late last night and didn’t buy sunscreen.

 

He had planned to just sleep and buy some on his way to work tomorrow.

 

Before going to bed, he had gone into Piero’s room as usual.

After asking for eye drops and water, he was about to train in the doll room when he asked, just in case,

Do you happen to give out sunscreen too?

 

He hadn’t expected anything, but they actually gave him some.

Of course, he couldn’t take it out with him.

 

Since he hadn’t applied any after showering, he squeezed some out and applied it right away.

The feeling was amazing.

No stickiness.

It absorbed straight into the skin.

It felt like lotion, not sunscreen.

 

And when I woke up in the morning,
there was no swelling,
and my skin felt really moisturized.

 

Since he couldn’t take it out, he’d have to apply it there.

Maybe he should ask for it every time he went to the doll room.

Just like the eye drops and water, it had to be doing something beneficial.

 

As he approached the guard post, a guard raised his hand to stop him.

 

“How can I help you?”

 

“I’m here for a contract today.”

 

“May I have your name?”

 

“Ma Yejun.”

 

“Please wait a moment.”

 

The guard went inside the booth and operated a PC.

He soon returned.

 

“It’s confirmed.

May I see your ID, please?”

 

After taking the ID, the guard handed him a temporary access pass.

 

“You can retrieve your ID when you leave.

This is a temporary pass for today.

Once you sign the contract, you’ll be issued a permanent pass from next time.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“I’ll notify the first-floor lobby, Actor Ma Yejun.”

 

After hanging the temporary pass around his neck, Yejun pressed the intercom at the first-floor entrance.

A receptionist’s voice came through.

—Hello, this is the information desk.

Are you Actor Ma Yejun?

 

“Yes, that’s me.”

 

The automatic doors opened silently.

Yejun swallowed hard and stepped inside.

 

It was truly Wooju Space.

Wooju’s face covered every wall.

As SU E&M’s top celebrity, it was only natural.

 

A staff member rushed out from the desk.

She bowed politely and said with a kind smile,

“This way, please.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

This was his first time receiving treatment like this.

 

At Daehwa, the guards always looked at him like, You’re here again?

He would lower his head and enter like a sinner.

The underground practice room had a separate entrance, so he never even passed through the lobby.

This place gave a really good first impression.

 

As they stood in front of the elevator after passing through the spacious, pleasant lobby, the staff member gestured toward the guide panel beside the buttons.

 

“The underground parking lot is from B3 to B6.

B1 is the company cafeteria.

There are no fixed meal times.

You can eat anytime between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.”

 

Wow.

The legendary company cafeteria.

 

A benefit Daehwa didn’t have.

 

He had always envied other companies when he heard they had one.

Of course, his old self would have avoided using it out of caution.

 

“The first floor is the lobby.

The second floor is the Management Support Division.

The third floor is Business Planning.

The fourth floor is Performance Business.

The fifth floor is Management.

The sixth floor is Content.

The seventh floor is Production.

Practice rooms for actors and artists are on B2.

The CEO’s office is on the top floor, the eighth floor.”

 

When the elevator arrived, the staff member used her card key and pressed the button for the eighth floor.

She bowed politely.

 

“I wish you a successful contract.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Wow.

It feels like a hotel.

I’ve never been to one, but maybe a five-star hotel treats you like this?

 

The elevator stopped on the eighth floor.

When the doors opened, Yejun cautiously peeked out.

Did the CEO really use this entire space alone?

 

Looking around, he saw the wide floor divided in two.

One side appeared to be the CEO’s office.

The other looked like Wooju’s private space.

As expected, someone like Wooju received treatment almost equal to the CEO.

 

As he stood in front of the door labeled CEO Office, about to knock, the door opened.

Perhaps he had already been notified.

CEO Park Jung-woo stood there, smiling broadly.

 

“Actor Ma Yejun!

Welcome to SU E&M!”

 

Wow.

Being welcomed like this makes it hard to adjust.

It feels like I’m someone important.

 

“Thank you, sir.”

 

“The contract is ready.

Shall we review it together?”

 

So this is it.

The contract.

 

The second contract of my life.

I hope that here, there will be more good memories than bad ones.

 

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