Chapter 7 Part 11: Fear Is Stronger Than Any Weapon

It didn’t take very long to fill out the contract.

 

I had asked Su-il hyung for help in advance.

I checked only the few clauses he told me to pay close attention to.

The ones agencies tend to play games with.

The profit distribution.

And the signing bonus.

 

As expected, there were no issues at all.

 

“The contract term is only four years?”

 

“It’s a nominal contract.

Once you become a star after four years, you’ll actually be glad it’s short.”

 

At Daehwa, the shortest contract was seven years.

I’d only heard it through word of mouth, so it was hard to verify, but I’d even heard that some rookies were bound by s*ave contracts for eleven years.

 

After signing two copies of the same contract and exchanging them, CEO Park Jung-woo smiled broadly and offered a handshake.

 

“Now we’re truly family.

I look forward to working with you.”

 

“I’m the one who should say that.”

 

“Haha, just a moment.”

 

CEO Park pressed the intercom and said,

“Come in.”

 

Less than ten seconds later, there was a knock.

The person must have been waiting somewhere on the same floor.

 

But… what is that?

 

Is that a person, or a bear?

 

He looked over 195 centimeters tall.

A bear-like man with hands as big as pot lids.

He easily looked over 110 kilograms.

So massively muscular that even Donghun hyung from the theater troupe looked like a kid next to him.

 

CEO Park looked at the man and said,

“Say hello.

This is Actor Ma Yejun.”

 

Despite his intimidating body, the man had a surprisingly gentle-looking face.

He bowed deeply.

 

“Nice to meet you, hyung.”

 

Cough.

I almost spat out the tea I was drinking.

 

“H-Hyung?”

 

The man grinned widely.

It was the kind of smile a bear might give before deciding someone looked tasty.

 

“I’m twenty-two.

You’re twenty-seven, so please speak comfortably.”

 

What?

He looks at least thirty-five.

 

But then… who is this guy?

 

I looked at CEO Park, and he said,

“This is Lee Doyun.

He’ll be your dedicated manager.”

 

Wow.

A manager.

 

I finally have a manager of my own.

 

Though since it’s my first time having one, I don’t really know exactly what managers do.

From watching Jihun at Daehwa, it seemed like they carried bags and handled various errands.

 

CEO Park continued,

“For the first two years, the company will cover his costs.

After that, you’ll provide additional incentive pay on top of his salary.

You saw that in the contract, right?”

 

“Yes.”

 

I didn’t.

 

I’d only looked at what Su-il hyung told me to check and signed right away.

 

Still, that kind of contract is standard.

I’d heard everyone does it that way.

 

But wow.

He’s really reliable-looking.

 

If his face were rough too, it might’ve been intimidating.

But since his face looks so gentle, his first impression is even better.

 

Yejun stood up, took Doyun’s pot-lid-sized hand, and said,

“Let’s work well together, Doyun.”

 

“Ah, hyung.

You can speak casually.”

 

“Haha, gradually.

But why do you talk like that?”

 

“I was discharged not too long ago.”

 

“Oh?

Me too.

I got discharged this March.”

 

“Same for me.”

 

“We might even be from the same intake.

I enlisted late.”

 

“I was in the Marines.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Damn.

A Marine.

 

That’s even scarier.

 

At least it doesn’t seem like he was in a special unit like UDT.

 

CEO Park took out a credit card and handed it to Doyun.

 

“Use this for unit expenses.

Make sure to submit the receipts.”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

“Alright then.

I’ll send the documents to the legal team.

Yejun, have Doyun show you around the company.

Grab a meal too.

Our food is good, haha.”

 

As CEO Park called the legal department over the intercom, Yejun stepped outside with Doyun and stood in front of the elevator.

When he glanced toward Wooju’s room, Doyun spoke quietly.

 

“Wooju’s room is off-limits to everyone except the CEO, hyung.

If you go in without permission, you’ll get in serious trouble.”

 

“Oh, really?”

 

“Please speak casually, hyung.

It makes me uncomfortable.”

 

“Haha, got it.

Thanks.”

 

At that moment, Wooju’s door burst open.

Her face looked slightly haggard.

But when she saw Yejun, she smiled brightly, as if she’d never been tired at all.

 

“Yejun oppa!”

 

Doyun’s face stiffened.

 

Oppa?

 

It was the first time he’d seen Wooju call another company artist “oppa.”

As Doyun stepped back in surprise, Wooju ran over, bouncing in place right in front of Yejun and grabbed his hand.

 

“Oppa!

Did you sign the contract?

Huh?

Did you?”

 

“Ah, y-yes…”

“Wow!

I’m so excited!

Oppa, oppa.

When are you going to start practicing?”

 

“Practice?”

 

“Yes!

You know our actor practice rooms are available unlimitedly, right?”

 

“Ah, I heard that during the contract.”

 

“Can I practice together with you when you do?”

“…With me?”

 

“Yes!”

 

Why does she want to practice together?

Well, if the other actor is willing, it’s better, but how would that help Wooju?

 

“It wouldn’t be difficult.”

 

“Okay!”

 

Wooju suddenly ran back into her room, then rushed out holding her phone.

 

“Oppa, you have my number, right?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“You saved it?”

 

“I did… for now.”

 

“Call me once.”

 

“Ah… okay.”

 

The elevator arrived, but she wouldn’t let us get on.

 

When Yejun called her, Wooju smiled as she saved the number that appeared on her screen.

 

“It’s okay if I call you, right?”

 

“Ah… of course.”

 

“If you come to the company to practice, will you contact me first?

I really want to do it together.”

 

“Alright.”

 

“Thank you, oppa!

You’re going on a company tour, right?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Wooju glanced at Doyun.

The huge guy shrank back, stiff as a turtle pulling into its shell.

Wooju looked back at Yejun and smiled brightly again.

 

“Then enjoy the tour, and please take good care of me from now on!”

 

She’s always so bright.

It’s nice.

She’s different from her TV image too.

On broadcasts, she seemed a bit calmer.

 

After Wooju went back into her room and they got on the elevator, Doyun swallowed hard.

 

“Do you two know each other already?”

 

“Huh?

No.

Didn’t you see her give me her number just now?”

 

“Then why…”

“What?”

 

“I’ve never seen Wooju act like that toward anyone.”

 

“What’s she usually like?

Rude or something?”

 

“No, of course not.

She’s polite.

But she usually doesn’t talk much unless it’s necessary.”

 

“She wasn’t like that with me.”

“…What the hell?”

 

Since the other floors were working areas, they skipped most of them and focused the tour on the lobby, the underground cafeteria, and the practice spaces for actors and singers.

After that, they came back to the cafeteria to eat.

 

Bear-like Doyun eats like an actual bear.

 

“Chomp chomp.

Hyung, the best thing about our company is unlimited food.

You can pile it on as much as you want.”

 

No wonder he loves this place.

It really is delicious.

The cafeteria ladies are amazing cooks.

 

“Actors shouldn’t eat too much anyway.

You eat plenty.”

 

“You’re not eating?”

 

“I’ll finish this.”

 

“Then I’ll go for another plate.”

 

He already had a mountain of rice earlier.

And he’s getting more?

 

Maybe he spends all the money he earns on food.

 

***

 

The next day, on set.

 

It was another outdoor shoot.

Arriving early, Yejun looked at sturdy Doyun.

 

Having a manager really is convenient.

 

When he left home in the morning, Doyun was waiting in front of his building with an incredibly luxurious black van.

As soon as he got in, Doyun handed him kimbap and coffee and told him to eat breakfast.

They came all the way here comfortably.

 

I didn’t realize how nice it was to have someone drive you everywhere.

No wonder corporate chairmen all have drivers.

 

The best thing was having a place to rest.

 

It was cool autumn weather, so it was fine now.

But when I was an extra, winter and summer had been brutal.

Thanks to Wooju, I got such a good vehicle the moment I signed the contract.

It’s incredibly nice.

 

Wow, a leg rest comes out from under the seat.

 

If you recline the seat, a footrest extends, letting you lie back comfortably.

 

The car is so big that even when I stretch my legs fully, my feet don’t reach the front seat.

Just how many outfits does Wooju carry around for a car this big to feel small to her?

 

When I glanced back, I saw three seats behind me.

The trunk is absurdly large, so it looks like seats probably come out from under there too.

 

This car is way too much just for the two of us.

 

The doors are automatic too.

I didn’t know at first and nearly broke it by pulling the handle.

You have to ride a car like this to know.

 

As I rested for a bit, Doyun opened the automatic door and stuck his head in, holding a pile of box trash.

 

“Hyung, actor call is in thirty minutes, so please rest until then.”

 

“Okay, thanks.

But what’s all that?”

 

Doyun lifted the boxes and grinned.

 

“They’re vitamin drinks.

Since today’s my first day, I went around greeting people and introducing myself.”

 

Wow.

I finally have someone going around saying he’s my manager.

 

It feels great.

 

As I lay back in the comfortable car reading the script, Doyun got back in after throwing out the trash and asked,

“What scene are you shooting today?”

 

“Ah, the first confrontation with Detective Cha Seunghyun.

We fight, then hear sirens in the middle, and I run away.”

 

“You don’t get caught yet, right?”

 

“Yeah.

It’s episode three.

The factory we’re shooting at today is my hideout.

Seunghyun tracks me down alone, so we clash.

Right before I kill him, sirens go off, and I escape.

That’s episode three.

I get caught in the last one, episode four, so it’s still a long way off.”

 

“This will be my first time seeing you act, hyung.

But the company’s already buzzing.”

 

Huh?

Buzzing about what?

 

“What about?”

 

“They’re saying an acting monster came in.

Other managers came to ask me what kind of person you are.

When they heard Wooju personally cast you and brought you in, everyone got interested.”

 

Huh?

So it wasn’t CEO Park, but Wooju?

 

Why would she do that?

 

Doyun glanced at Yejun through the rearview mirror and said,

“And hyung.

I heard from the CEO in advance.”

 

“Huh?

About what?”

 

“About your state after you focus.

Don’t worry and leave it to me.

I’ll take good care of things.”

 

“Oh.

He told you.”

 

“Yes.

Is there anything I should know beforehand?”

 

Yejun thought for a moment, then said,

“Tell me ten minutes before call and step out of the car.

For about five minutes.”

 

“Yes.

And?”

 

“Once I fully focus, I can get sensitive and my tone might get rough.

I’d appreciate your understanding.”

 

“Of course, hyung!

I’m the manager of an actor who carves his bones and flesh for good acting!

Of course I understand!”

 

Yeah.

Carving bones and flesh.

 

I once thought that during action school training.

 

The Piero doll training is harder.

 

Action school training ends after five hours a day.

But once you enter the doll room, you train for five straight days without sleep.

 

Doyun waited quietly so as not to disturb Yejun while he reviewed the script.

After checking the time, he spoke.

 

“Ten minutes before call, hyung.

I’ll get out.”

 

“Okay, thanks.

Come get me in five minutes.”

 

“Yes, hyung.”

 

After Doyun stepped out, Yejun glanced around and quietly took the Piero mask out of his bag.

 

It was time to become Jang Wei again.

 

Today was finally the scene where he faced Detective Cha Seunghyun.

 

Please, let it end without any accidents.

 

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