Novelist Running Through Time - Chapter 231



Only Noblemtl

The worst thing about poverty is not that it makes the present miserable, but that it robs us of our future.

‘Jung Hye-in’, who had spent her most beautiful childhood confined to a moldy single room, knew this well.

Therefore, there is no more room to retreat.

“5 billion.”

“what?”

“I’ll keep my mouth shut if you give me 5 billion.”

“Are you really crazy?”

Yeah, it’s crazy.

You can’t survive in this crazy world without going crazy. You can’t survive in this world of money demons who treat humans worse than trash.

“Isn’t 5 billion won cheap to close a 2 trillion won fraudulent accounting scandal? Think of it as hiring one full-time lawyer.”

Feeling my heart pounding as if it was going to burst, I pretended to be calm and not scared, and pushed forward with sharp logic.

But coming back-

-Cold laughter.

“under······.”

Common sense is the logic that applies among people living in the same world.

Therefore, logic does not work for those who live in other worlds.

“Money ain’t the issue, you motherfucker.”

As she watched the mad eyes of Ha Do-kyung stare at her, Jeong Hye-in endured the fear she could never reveal to the outside world.

Ha Do-kyung opened the lid of the liquor on the table in a mocking manner and poured out the liquid, which would be worth several million won if converted to money.

Thin, fine, and contemptuously, like a stream of urine, it slowly poured onto the crown of Jeong Hye-in’s head.

And then he got up from his seat, and looked down arrogantly at Jeong Hye-in, who was frozen like a statue, and her eyes that did not hide their murderous intent even in this situation-

-Laughed.

“How dare a swindler like you threaten me.”

“······”

“That’s the problem.”

EP 14 – The Future

“Cut!”

-As soon as the sound was heard, Hyowon Group’s legal team leader, ‘Jung Hye-in’, returned to Kim Byeol.

Just a moment ago, he was trying to extort 5 billion won from a conglomerate using fraudulent accounting data, so Kim Byeol couldn’t find the strength in her body because of the tension that suddenly released.

“Oh my······”

Of course, if you do this in reality, it is a given that you will get a ticket to Bukmangsan without anyone knowing.

But before we get into that, if you’re at the level of the legal team leader, you’re not in a position to threaten with creative accounting. You’re the one who was involved in the creative accounting.

But before we get into that, in the first place, a 20-something employee cannot become the head of the legal team at a large corporation. It is a position that requires a person with a lot of weight, as he or she has to control dozens of former officials who have resigned from the prosecution and the Supreme Court.

But before we get into that, first of all······

It’s better not to ask the same question in a drama.

Because everyone wants to see pretty and soft faces on TV.

Therefore, it can be said that the virtue of a drama is to appropriately chew over and pass over minor details.

And what makes that possible is the actor’s acting skills!

Wouldn’t sufficient acting skills (and face) be able to compensate for insufficient historical research?

‘It was good just now······’

Kim Byeol thought as she wiped off the liquor (pretending to be barley tea) that she had just spilled with the towel that Ma Gi-hoon had handed her.

In Kim Byeol’s view, it was acting that made the PD say ‘Okay’ instead of ‘Cut’.

“no······”

But PD also has something to say.

He glanced at the actor who played the role of ‘Ha Do-kyung’.

“What if you suddenly start swearing······”

“Yes? Me?”

“You just said that, you little bitch.”

“ah!”

“This isn’t a noir film. It’s a 12+ rated home drama.”

“Oh, my… I’m sorry!”

The video rating system is a serious matter. Kim Byeol’s passionate performance was ruined by hitting a snag called Korean law.

Kim Byeol hit her forehead a step later.

However, as I was trying to repeat the passionate performance from just a moment ago with the same momentum, another obstacle appeared.

The PD stood up from his seat and looked at his wristwatch.

“It’s almost mealtime. Let’s eat!”

Lunch is also a major issue.

Isn’t this all just a matter of eating and living?

The staff members who had been attached to the cameras, lights, and sound equipment that filled the studio all stood up from their seats.

Then, Kim Byeol had no choice but to get up and shake off her sleeves to blend in with the mealtime atmosphere.

“Oh my······”

For some reason, filming was sluggish today.

NGs occurred frequently, and the PD often called “cut.”

It’s an unlucky day.

And it seemed like the supporting actors waiting for their turn in a corner of the filming set had similar feelings, as they were seen letting out a sigh of regret and getting up from their seats.

The only problem is that they treat Kim Byeol a little strangely···

It was a fact that he was looking at me with a suspicious look.

“······”

However, instead of getting angry and saying, “Someone else made the NG, so why are you glaring at me?”, Kim Byeol quietly headed to the dining area and ignored the stares.

Anyway, it’s an unlucky day.

* * *

Rumors tend to travel much faster than words.

– That guy, there’s a rumor that he uses witchcraft······

– The witch who ate the male protagonist······

– You’re using dirty numbers······!

The news that Kim Byeol’s complaint was that the male lead had been replaced for ‘health reasons’ was an ominous rumor that was enough to throw the filming set into turmoil.

As if things weren’t bad enough, filming for the script is currently ongoing.

You might wonder why there would be a rough draft for a pre-produced drama, but if the drama writer keeps revising the script in the camper van right up until the very end of filming, the script will naturally be filmed as a rough draft.

It doesn’t really matter since it’s not on air and is pre-produced, but the filming schedule is still the same. It means that we have to film tomorrow, but everyone hasn’t received the script yet.

So, it doesn’t affect the schedule, but it does affect the mood.

Such complaints were also naturally directed at Kim Byeol.

At this point, if you are wondering why you are asking Kim Byeol about Im Song-yi’s karma, it means you have not yet learned much about social life and people.

Well, you can’t talk back to Im Song-i, right?

On the other hand, Kim Byeol is a bit easygoing, and in the midst of all this, she even gave me the trouble of changing the male lead.

It’s the perfect environment for a witch to emerge. This month’s witch is none other than Kim Byeol.

“after······”

As is often the case with these types of witch hunts, the burden of proof was on the accused to prove their innocence.

So, in order to prove that she was not a witch who ruined the drama, Kim Byeol had to show that she had no evil powers, or that she was heavier than a duck, or that she had acting skills.

However, Kim Byeol used evil magic to send the male protagonist to the crossroads, and there was no scale large enough to fit both herself and Ori, so her acting skills were the only lifeline.

Breaking through controversy with your skills is also the most powerful method.

If you can astonish the staff with your overwhelming acting skills and give them confidence that this drama will be a success, then everyone who was badmouthing Kim Byul will come running and testify to their faith, saying, “We believed in you.”

But Kim Byeol is not a genius.

He was an ‘ordinary’ actor who had to read the script until it was tattered to memorize his lines, and had to fill the script with detailed notes to interpret his role.

For Kim Byeol, it was difficult just to live up to the expectations that came with the fame of winning the Cannes Best Actress Award.

Recently, she had a huge fight with her mother, who she had relied on for her entire life, and became independent, but her mother still couldn’t let go of her obsession and kept stalking her. In the midst of all this, there was also the ‘minor’ problem of her company neglecting her to the point where they wouldn’t even give her a manager, let alone help her.

“Ah······I want to hit the actor······”

Kim Byeol spoke her motto for the first time in a long while.

* * *

After all the filming is done-

So, the filming set is still bustling, but after filming all of Kim Byeol’s parts that needed to be filmed today-

A sweet ‘after work’ has come to Kim Byeol as well.

However, people who just finish all their work and leave are unlikely to hear good things about themselves at work or on set.

The question, “Why can’t I leave work when my work quota is over?” is a question that is sorely lacking in Korean sensibility.

So, Kim Byeol, who had nothing to do, was flipping through the script and reviewing the filming footage with a serious expression in the middle of the PD and staff.

After roughly mixing it up for about 20 minutes-

Suddenly, he checked the time with a surprised expression –

“Ah! What should I do? My next schedule is······”

“Hey, Byul-i, you should go now.”

“I’m sorry, but there might be additional filming······”

“No, no, I’ve already filmed all of Byul-i’s parts, so hurry up and go. We’ll be late if we keep doing this.”

“Thank you, PD!”

-Kim Byeol succeeded in leaving work early.

Actually, if you have a manager, you don’t have to do this.

It’s easier to have a conversation if there’s someone next to you who’ll say, “You’re late! You’re late! Hurry up! Hurry up!” and hold you back.

However, Manager Kim Seong-geun, who was supposed to be his shoulder, was gone, and Ma Ki-hoon was still too low of a level to demonstrate such advanced techniques.

So, Kim Byeol tried out the technique herself for the first time in a while.

I felt better than I thought. I also remembered those days when I was young and used to beat up PDs and writers just because of their cute faces.

However, the process of ‘leaving work’ is not over yet.

Kim Byeol greeted her fellow actors one by one who still had some filming left and had to work a little harder in the studio.

And among the fellow actors that Kim Byeol greeted, there were also those who looked at Kim Byeol with disapproving eyes.

Nevertheless, Kim Byeol said hello.

Nevertheless, they accepted me warmly.

Otherwise, each and every one of these emotions will be revealed to the world and become people’s toys.

So actors, no, celebrities, cannot express their emotions.

That’s why Kim Byeol smiles while wearing a mask, and that’s why Kim Byeol, who takes off her mask for a moment and replaces the other actor, receives unpleasant looks.

“······”

Kim Byeol, wearing a mask, showed signs of fatigue only after she had been away from the set for a long time.

“ha······”

‘That’s why I was trying to solve it quietly······’

Belated regret came, but it was already too late.

I’m starting to feel a bit tired, but there’s nothing I can do about it.

This is society.

No one will listen even if you whine.

In the end, what people want is actress Kim Byul, who is pretty, young, good at acting, and makes a lot of money.

No one cared what ‘human’ Kim Byeol wanted. It was always like that. In this shitty entertainment industry where people are not seen as people but only as money······

“Are you here, Senior Kim?”

“ah.”

Kim Byeol, who had been slowly sinking into a swamp of depression, regained consciousness.

When he came to, he saw a boy waiting for him outside the filming set.

Even though it was early summer, the guy wrapped in a blanket was the guy that Kim Byeol knew.

Kim Byeol suddenly had this thought.

‘Why is he here?’

I got this answer right away.

‘Oh, that’s right, I called.’

And then I felt a strange sense of shame.

‘I’m really losing my mind······’

Only then did Kim Byeol gradually melt into Hyowon Group’s legal team leader, ‘Jeong Hye-in’.

And I always felt like the kind and polite persona ‘Kim Byeol’ was slowly slipping away.

Now, finally, Kim Byeol has returned to herself.

“Oh my······”

“You sound like a grandma when you whine.”

“Do you really want to die?!”

It’s not just brilliant method actors who feel consumed by a role.

Anyone who plays someone else gets consumed by the role, even if he or she is not an actor.

Kim Byeol, who had been living other people’s lives, finally felt like she owned her own life.

The reason is a bit childish.

Because I could comfortably whine to someone.

“You’re a real veteran actor, you know? There’s nothing you can’t say to your seniors. You arrogant brat······”

“That’s exactly what a cheeky brat would say.”

“Ah- what should I do, seriously- you were cute when you were in elementary school······”

Kim Byeol simply ignored the fact that she had never been in a higher position since her first meeting with the man of letters.

Then, looking up at the sky toward the evening sunset, I stretched.

The sky, which had suddenly turned into a sunset color, and the cool early summer evening air that blew in, finally gave Kim Byeol a sense of stability that the day had ended safely.

Kim Byeol regained the peace in the midst of hardship that a farmer would feel after finishing hard farm work.

Suddenly, Kim Byeol said to herself something she had heard somewhere.

‘You worked hard today too······’

* * *

Ma Ki-hoon, who had been quietly chatting with his girlfriend behind the writer’s back, ended the conversation and asked Kim Byeol a question.

“Do you have any upcoming schedules?”

“No, there isn’t. You can go straight home. And feel free to talk. The writer is your older brother…”

“I’ll take my time. Let’s go home first.”

So the three of them walked slowly to the parking lot.

Kim Byeol, who was relaxed, kept pulling silly pranks on the writer as she walked.

“Ah… Today was so hard, really.”

“Yes. Yes.”

“I’ve been so busy. It’s really hard.”

“Senior Kim, do you think I look like an emotional trash can to you?”

“Huh? The tool is talking?”

“······”

Kim Byeol, who was chasing after the writer who was pretending to be angry and running away at a slow pace,

I found someone standing alone in the parking lot and froze.

She saw Kim Byeol.

The mother said to her daughter.

“Star······”

“······”

Kim Byeol felt as if some kind of dried shell was wrapping her body ominously.

Again, the smoke began.