“Okay. If it’s a script that my sister thinks is okay, send it to me. Ending the call.”
Just hearing his voice, there was no change from the past. Of course, there was a somewhat alien vibe in his gaze, but the person on the other end of the call couldn’t see his expression.
Director Hong found his attitude more eerie and suspicious.
His routine of waking up, exercising, filming, and practicing scripts continued peacefully without any disturbance.
The days were uncomfortably quiet.
“Are you crazy?”
One day, entering Taeseok’s house after finishing a late-night shoot, Director Hong said. Without any reply, Taeseok went into the dressing room and changed his clothes naturally.
“Are you crazy, Taeseok?”
Coming out after a quick shower, Taeseok took out two cans of beer and looked at Director Hong. Sitting somewhat casually on the sofa, Director Hong met Taeseok’s gaze and blinked.
“You’ve been acting really strange lately.”
“Are you sitting or lying down?”
Taeseok casually pushed Hong’s legs aside with his foot, grabbed the beer can next to him, and sat down. Swallowing it down felt refreshing. Hong also sat up straight, quickly opened the beer.
“What’s strange about me?”
“Enduring your personality until now….”
“There’s no suitable side dish. How about ordering chicken?”
Taeseok casually cut off Director Hong’s words and picked up his phone. ‘Where’s the delivery app?’ In the meantime, Director Hong, noticing the slightly visible background, snatched the phone.
“What’s the background?”
“Give it.”
“It’s Choi Yeoreum.”
In her hospital gown, lying on a hospital bed, Yeoreum’s face was boldly set as the background.
“Hmm.”
Director Hong squinted, examining it closely.
It was a strange angle that would be quite uncomfortable if the owner of the portrait found out. From the start, it was hard to get a good photo while lying down, and the lack of effort to take a good picture was too obvious.
“She’s sleeping. She looked too pretty.”
Taking back his phone, Taeseok said, drinking a beer.
“I thought she might wake up, so I couldn’t take it properly.”
“Did you really take such a bad picture?”
Director Hong exhaled in amazement. The photo was really strange.
“Hey, do you think this is pretty?”
When Taeseok exuded a lively look for a moment, Director Hong raised both hands defensively.
“Ah, I get it. It’s good to you.”
On TV, an interview promoting actor Yoo Kangyeol’s new movie, Taeseok’s friend, was airing. Taeseok, who had been staring at the TV, silently finished a can of beer.
[Yes. Since I did my best for this movie, please look forward to it.]“That guy speaks like a normal person because of the camera.”
Taeseok chuckled, and Director Hong followed suit. He was well aware of Kangyeol’s talkative personality.
“Don’t do that. You’re the number one actor in action movies.”
“He’s perfect for comedy.”
Although he criticized every aspect of Taeseok’s friend Kangyeol, who was unaware of these facts, Kangyeol on TV calmly and neatly continued the interview.
After a while, Director Hong asked.
“You’re not going to do anything? President Ji.”
Taeseok intentionally crumpled an empty beer can and tossed it. The round can lump landed on the table.
“I’ll check if anything is recorded on the camera first.”
“…….”
“Once anything becomes more certain.”
When misunderstandings about Yeoreum surfaced, Director Hong’s heart was also uneasy.
Regret flooded him as if he had abandoned a friend in the most difficult moment. If Taeseok was just following, and it was Director Hong’s position to act first, he might have already taken action.
He wished Taeseok would do something quickly, but it was frustrating why he was hesitating like this, a moment to say it was frustrating.
“Minwoo. I’m about to go crazy.”
Taeseok’s cold voice echoed low.
“To be honest, I haven’t slept properly for a few days.”
With a sigh, Taeseok pushed a sip of beer down his throat.
“Actually, I’d have gone and flipped things over earlier if it weren’t for the fact that it’s because of Yeoreum.”
“Oh.”
“I can’t do it like that. It’s because of Yeoreum.”
Taeseok shook his head, a slightly embarrassed expression on his face.
“Even if I decide right now what to do with Ji Hyunjeong, it doesn’t seem like Yeoreum will come back.”
A lonely smile appeared for a moment.
“That kid. You know how much she’s keeping up the walls against me.”
“Yeah, it seems that way.”
“I’ll go crazy. I want to see her so badly, but if I see her, my heart will ache again.”
Taeseok, buried deep in the sofa with his head tilted back, looked somehow fragile. Director Hong, who couldn’t fully fathom that feeling, silently nodded.
“Does she really forget about me? How did I love her that she could forget it all so easily? As if it never happened.”
“……. ”
“Sometimes when I grab and shake it, it feels like it might shake, but it’s just for a moment.”
“……. ”
“Anyway, I won’t let it go this time. That’s why I can’t act recklessly. I need to find out why Ji Hyunjeong did such a thing, if there’s anything worse than that, and when she started planning it.”
“……. ”
“I have to find out. From her.”
“Hearing you say that, it makes sense.”
Yoo Kangyeol’s interview had ended long ago. Taeseok, who had been staring meaninglessly at the screen where news of a certain idol group’s concert was flowing, spoke again.
“I can’t miss important things for the sake of revenge.”
“Yeah. Let’s trust K and wait.”
Director Hong responded casually.
As he continued to watch the news about the idol group, which he didn’t care much about, he unintentionally found himself listening to their new song. The song turned out to be better than expected, and he subtly tapped his fingers to the rhythm. Thanks to that, his mood slightly improved.
Taeseok became curious about what Yeoreum was doing at this time. However, there was no excuse to contact her, so he buried his longing. It was a challenging time.
“And I’ll make sure Yeoreum succeeds in the drama.”
“You said you’d ruin it someday?”
Director Hong grumbled, but there was an unmistakable sense of relief in his thoughts.
Taeseok spoke again.
The Male lead Always Seduces Her with His Beauty (Matriarchy)
Xin Jiao Zhou is the leader of the world’s premier sect. She has just experienced betrayal from all sides, was poisoned in an assassination attempt, and faced death squad attacks while the poison was taking effect. After finally clearing out the scum from her sect, she was drugged again while trying to detoxify.
After waking up from a night of unconsciousness, she gained a “beautiful and kind-hearted” husband.
Xin Jiao Zhou: “???”
He fell ill.
She came to see him, bringing breakfast.
As she put down the breakfast and was about to leave, his hand slipped while holding the spoon. “Clank!”
She turned around upon hearing the noise.
He looked up at her, his eyebrows drooping: “My hand… has no strength.”
“Shall I… feed you?” she asked tentatively.
He opened his mouth cheerfully: “Ah—”
Thinking she was drowning, he jumped in without hesitation to save her, but nearly drowned himself. In the end, it was she who swam over to rescue him, giving him air underwater.
After emerging from the water, his ear tips turned red. He lightly brushed his cheek, tucking his sideburns behind his ear, revealing delicate, pink-tinged ear tips. He lowered his gaze, too embarrassed to look at her.
Xin Jiao Zhou: He’s truly beautiful, kind-hearted, and adorable.
A certain someone when disciplining subordinates behind the scenes: “If they don’t obey, just kill them.”
What’s that? She might already have someone she cares about in her heart? A certain someone: Find out who it is, kill them, and then there won’t be anyone.
What? She met a man by the riverside? What? That man even hurt her? A certain someone: Whichever hand hurt her, chop off his entire arm.
Love at first sight without realizing it, gradually falling in love, slowly getting closer…
Family and national grudges, schemes and desires, good and evil, crime and punishment, she and he face the future together, seeking justice with passion!
A naturally dark female lead who could accidentally destroy the world but is actually an honest person VS a weak, pitiful, and helpless but skilled fighter, beautiful white-cut black male lead
My heart is not of stone, how steadfast is your love? — Tao Yuanming “Imitating the Ancients (No. 3)”
— Reading Guide —
Cold female lead & dramatic black lotus with hidden yandere traits male lead
