My Girlfriend's Fortune: 3,141,592,653,589-Chapter 71: Let Me Offer You a Choice
TL: Aniea
“Kang Woo-ju ssi, what are you talking about? An unscripted drama?”
“To be precise, it’s a script without dialogue. Thankfully, the basic framework is already there, so we just need to fill in the rest.”
“...Do you really think that’s possible?”
“Yes.”
I nodded calmly. It was because I believed it was entirely feasible.
‘Taking a break is absolutely out of the question.’
The danger-sensing alarm that had rescued me from countless crises until now was blaring like crazy.
If this drama takes a break for one week,
No, even for a single episode.
Seo Jun-woo would grab me by the ankles.
-You’re the same as me, aren’t you?
The words he threw out when he suddenly barged onto the filming set. From that moment, something deep within me had started to burn fiercely.
At first, I didn’t fully understand what it was. But after thinking about it deeply over the past few weeks, I finally figured it out.
‘Competitiveness.’
There were also emotions like envy, jealousy, caution, and admiration tangled in there. But the strongest of them all was, without a doubt, competitiveness.
‘...Honestly, I didn’t think much of it before.’
During college, I had aspired to be like Seo Jun-woo and chased after his shadow. But after meeting Kim Eun-ha and broadening my perspective, I no longer assigned him such significance, or so I had thought.
It just so happened that our drama schedules overlapped, making it seem like we were in direct competition. But we weren’t competing solely based on acting skills in the same production.
To begin with, this slot was a last-minute filler for me. Plus, [Kang Joo-heon] was a role I had landed through half nepotism.
Even if I had crushed him in terms of viewer ratings, I hadn’t thought of it as competing with Seo Jun-woo.
‘The truth is, I was wrong about that.’
The moment I locked eyes with Seo Jun-woo’s serious gaze, I realized it. I had been subconsciously avoiding confronting him.
To be more precise, deep down, I thought he wouldn’t even consider me as a rival.
It made sense, after all. Seo Jun-woo had once been like an idol to me and had lived a life completely opposite to mine.
-Honestly, I was a bit envious.
-I wanted to confirm it with my own eyes.
-If you’re that desperate to make me talk, why don’t you try again next time?
That’s why I was caught off guard when I actually faced Seo Jun-woo. He was unmistakably treating me as a competitor.
To prove it, he chased after me relentlessly, terrifyingly so. Quite literally, he would use every means possible within the bounds of the law.
[Oh no, it seems I’ve ruined the fun. I’ll take responsibility and pay for everyone’s drinks here!]
[Wooooaaaahhh!!]
As I recalled those moments, Seo Jun-woo’s voice replayed in my head on its own.
The role he played in <Since the Fun is Ruined, I'll Take Responsibility> was a third-generation chaebol like me. However, since his was a romantic comedy, the tone was predominantly humorous.
While my character exposed the dark side of chaebols to an extreme, Seo Jun-woo portrayed only the bright side.
‘...Our roles are polar opposites, so it’s hard to compare.’
Thanks to that, opinions among netizens were divided. They were constantly embroiled in debates over who was the better actor.
[Title: Seo Jun-woo vs Kang Woo-ju]
:These days, there’s a lot of controversy about who acts better between the two. Let’s settle it with a poll.
Seo Jun-woo is better. Upvote.
Kang Woo-ju is better. Downvote.
Upvotes (3,278) | Downvotes (3,159)
──────────
└ Seo Jun-woo has over 20 years of acting experience. How dare a rookie actor compare? Get your comparisons straight.
└ Here we go again with the experience card. Does acting automatically improve with age? Then all lead actor awards should go to old people.
└ Yeah~ So how many hit works does Kang Woo-ju have? Even if you generously exclude all his pre-adulthood works, Seo Jun-woo has more than three major hits. 😂
└ That’s just connections working for him. Honestly, I admit his acting has improved recently, but he definitely rode on the coattails of <Drum High> and <Kill Me If You Can>.
└ So, what about Kang Woo-ju? Did he rise purely on talent? There are widespread rumors about him being a parachute hire, and you’re gonna talk about connections? SMH.
└ Okay, next Jun-woo fangirl.
└ Okay, next astrophysics major.
The forums flared up almost daily. Given the circumstances, industry professionals started chiming in one by one to share their takes.
[Title: Evaluation from a Broadcast Staff Member with n Years of Experience]
:Kang Woo-ju is the type of actor who heightens immersion by creating a 'I am the center' kind of atmosphere.
Seo Jun-woo, on the other hand, is an actor who blends seamlessly into the production by harmonizing with the other actors.
Both have their strengths and weaknesses, but if we base it on their currently airing dramas, I’d say Seo Jun-woo’s acting is marginally better.
A drama is ultimately a collaborative art form where everyone works together to complete a single production. Right now, Kang Woo-ju is carrying the drama solo.
If he were the actual protagonist, that would be one thing. But since his role as the secondary lead villain, [Kang Joo-heon], has effectively swallowed the entire production, all the other main characters have been completely overshadowed.
+ Added this for those asking for proof
[Old Company Employee ID.jpg]
──────────
└ That n-year experience is no joke;
└ Wow! That’s what I’m talking about! Incredible analysis.
└ But during the scenes with Kim Young-ho, that’s not always the case, though. Isn’t this more an issue of the supporting actors being rookies?
└ If Seo Jun-woo had been in that role, it probably would’ve been different. Kang Joo-heon’s character might have been less impactful, but the overall quality of the drama would likely have improved.
└ But then the viewership ratings would’ve plummeted. Quality doesn’t always equal popularity. Isn’t Kang Woo-ju practically doing the work of ten people on his own?
└ You’re not wrong. That’s why I said Seo Jun-woo has a slight edge. The truth is, their acting styles are just different, and both are ridiculously skilled for their age. Personally, I’d love to see them act together in the same production.
└ Agreed. 100% agreed.
└ Now that would be interesting.
└ Hurry up and make it happen, broadcast industry!
Sometimes, I would discover things I hadn’t realized while reading posts like these. Afterward, I began digging through every piece of acting footage Seo Jun-woo had ever appeared in.
‘It’s true, his acting changes depending on the actors around him.’
Seo Jun-woo excelled not only in roles where he stood out but also in skillfully adjusting his acting depending on his co-stars’ abilities.
Even if he was working with someone who was terrible at acting, he could minimize the awkwardness of the scenes and elevate the overall quality of the production.
‘...That’s impressive.’
Honestly, I was in awe.
New n𝙤vel chapters are published on novelbuddy.cσ๓.
I thought to myself that I needed to learn that particular skill as well. I replayed Seo Jun-woo’s videos over and over, trying to mimic his methods.
Maybe that’s why,
As I gradually came to understand Seo Jun-woo’s mindset and patterns, I also started to grasp the meaning of the word [same kind] that he had once said to me.
‘It’s impossible for me to act like Seo Jun-woo right now.’
Acting in a way that adapts to those around you isn’t something you can achieve overnight. Still, that didn’t mean I could just crumble helplessly either.
Seo Jun-woo had acknowledged me as his rival and was throwing everything he had into this competition. In that case, it was only proper for me to give it my all as well.
“Fortunately, the overall framework has already been laid out by writer Jung Ha-rin. The rest is up to us to fill in, piece by piece.”
“That’s easier said than done... Even if Dong-gyu and I manage to take care of the directing side somehow, we can’t do anything about the actors’ lines or acting right away.”
“Then let me show you.”
“Hmm?”
It’s faster to demonstrate something once than to explain it a hundred times with words.
Having made up my mind, I called over Choi Ji-hwan, who had been eavesdropping on our conversation.
“Choi Ji-hwan ssi.”
“Y-Yes!?”
Choi Ji-hwan visibly flinched as if he hadn’t expected his name to be called. I looked at him and continued with my 'lines'.
“I despise disruptions caused by trivial variables. Especially when those disruptions come from within.”
“S-Sunbae-nim!?”
Choi Ji-hwan’s entire body trembled as he looked at me. Considering the experience he’d had with Kim Eun-ha in the past, I couldn’t help but wonder how I appeared to him at this moment.
Although I couldn’t peer into Choi Ji-hwan’s innermost thoughts, his recent behavior toward me painted a rough picture.
“Jung Ha-rin is a talented writer. I hold her abilities in quite high regard. But I didn’t expect such a heartbreaking incident to occur.”
“.......”
“I knew she had been overworking herself for some time now, but she collapsed much faster than I anticipated. What do you think is the reason for that, Choi Ji-hwan ssi?”
“T-That’s, uh....”
Shhhhhh-
Choi Ji-hwan stammered, unable to string together a proper answer under the chill of my voice, which had grown even colder than before.
I stepped forward, closing the distance between us as if to corner him. Instantly, the eyes scattered throughout the set locked onto me.
“...What’s going on? Is this part of the acting?”
“...No way, it can’t be real, right?”
“...That scene wasn’t in the script.”
The staff began murmuring among themselves. By this point, the atmosphere on set took on an odd tone.
People feel fear in the face of the unknown. Instinctively, they try to fill the blanks with whatever information they can find.
However, the knowledge they hastily gathered consisted entirely of the “false” information that Kim Eun-ha and I had been carefully planting.
A man who casually foots the bill for hundreds of thousands of won worth of Hanwoo beef, who rents out an entire bus or a movie theater without batting an eye, someone with that much money.
And, at the same time, a rookie actor who, shockingly, plays the role of a psychopathic third-generation chaebol so convincingly that it feels more real than real life... That’s what they wanted to believe.
But at this moment, a question mark had surely popped into their heads.
‘...Could it be?’
As if responding to that silent query, I straightened my back. My posture was perfect, my neck held so upright it might as well have been ironed flat.
I narrowed my brow just slightly, sharpening my gaze. Then, with my signature look of arrogance, I gazed down at Choi Ji-hwan.
-I am Baek Do-young, Executive Secretary of Mirae Group.
At the same time, I conjured up the image of Baek Do-young, a character I’d observed in the past. His eyes gleaming like a snake’s, hiding venom within.
Without a doubt, he was the kind of person who, given the right conditions and motives, wouldn’t hesitate to kill.
I layered that same greedy, predatory gleam over my own gaze.
“After all, you’re an actor too, aren’t you? You must have at least tried some ego-searching. You must know how the public has been evaluating you recently.”
“.......”
It seemed I’d struck a nerve. Choi Ji-hwan bit his lip. The public’s opinion of him had been far from kind, to put it lightly.
While Park Soo-bin, sticking to the character Jung Ha-rin had originally written, never lost her composure in front of me and boldly expressed her own style,
Choi Ji-hwan, whether the camera was rolling or not, shrank away the moment our eyes met.
It was a far cry from the confident prosecutor who was supposed to stand tall as [Kang Joo-heon]’s rival.
“Every time you appear, Jung Ha-rin has had to make significant rewrites to the script. For every instance where you failed to pull your weight, someone else had to bear that burden.”
“W-Well, I can’t say you’re wrong, but....”
“I had been quietly hoping things would improve. But given how they’ve turned out, someone must take responsibility. Don’t you agree?”
“...Sunbae-nim!!”
Choi Ji-hwan raised his voice, as if protesting in frustration. I simply furrowed my brow in silence.
-For a fake, you sure have a lot to say.
Just as Park Ji-hoon had once done to me, I looked at him as though I were staring at a cockroach, filling my gaze with all the disgust and contempt in the world.
No matter how much someone decorates themselves with expensive clothes and accessories, their innate sense of entitlement and superiority seeps through.
Every aspect of his expression, stance, aura, even the slightest flick of his hand, betrayed his true feelings.
I mirrored those actions of Park Ji-hoon’s. No, I exaggerated them further.
The epitome of arrogant elitism and overwhelming conceit.
Because that’s exactly the kind of character [Kang Joo-heon] is.
“I’ll give you a choice.”
“A choice...?”
Gulp-
Choi Ji-hwan swallowed dryly. No, it wasn’t just him. Everyone on set who was watching us stood frozen, their hair standing on end.
Smirk-
I lifted the corners of my lips as if savoring the moment, recalling her mischievous smile, innocent and playful, like that of a child.
-Isn't this better than having a bullet shoved into your skull?
This wasn’t a joke, nor was it a lie. It was just reality, incomparable to something as trivial as a drama.
Though I lack the power or connections to make such a threat, it’s a different story when it comes to [Kang Joo-heon].
I gathered all the egos I’d observed with my own eyes and felt in my own skin, piecing them together like a puzzle to establish a new persona.
There was no need for a predetermined script.
Because [Kang Joo-heon] would undoubtedly say this:
“Social death or physical death. Which one do you prefer?”
Thud-!
Choi Ji-hwan collapsed onto the floor as his legs gave out. Kang Joo-heon offered him the most benevolent smile in the world.
***
"That's roughly the feeling I'm going for."
“...No matter what, don’t you think you went a bit overboard just now?”
Kang In-ho glanced toward Choi Ji-hwan, who was still trembling in the distance. But Kang Woo-ju firmly shook his head and replied.
“No. It was necessary.”
As someone once said, a drama is, in the end, a collaborative art form. No matter how skilled one person may be, there are limits.
No matter the process, the fact remains that, in the story, [Choi Ji-hwan] must ultimately defeat [Kang Joo-heon].
“...So, you’re really saying we should proceed without a script?”
“The basic framework will be set by the assistant writers. We’ll just add flesh to the bones. Once we immerse ourselves in our roles, it won’t be that difficult.”
That’s just you. Only you.
Kang In-ho suppressed the retort that rose to his throat, recalling Kang Woo-ju’s impromptu performance from earlier.
“Alright, fine. Let’s say this could work. But there’s still one major issue left.”
“What would that be?”
“Do you think the writer will actually agree to this?”
“.......”
Kang Woo-ju closed his eyes, falling silent as he mulled over Kang In-ho’s words. He wasn’t wrong, depending on how it was approached, this could be seen as outright disrespecting the lead writer.
In the worst-case scenario, she could walk away from the project entirely, dragging the whole production down with her. It was a critical matter.
After a brief pause, Kang Woo-ju opened his eyes, having reached a conclusion.
“We just have to make her agree.”
“I’ll warn you now, her stubbornness isn’t something even I can break.”
“She’ll come around.”
“What?”
Kang Woo-ju suddenly shifted his gaze somewhere, prompting Kang In-ho to instinctively follow suit. His eyes locked onto something unexpected.
The ever-recording on-set camera, which was always kept running to capture behind-the-scenes footage and preemptively prevent any unforeseen issues, was now focused intently on the two of them.
*****
For more chapters check out my patreon: https://www.patreon.com/anieatl
If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it at Novelupdates. Thanks! 😊
