Reporter Lim Sangmoon clicked his mouse frantically at his desk.
Anyone could tell he was pressed for time just from the way his hand moved. The motion was rough, hurried, almost desperate.
Click. Click. Click.
The mouse never stopped.
His complexion had darkened, and both his eyes and expression were filled with irritation and anxiety.
"Damn it. Where the hell did this even come from?"
He kept grumbling under his breath, but his hand didn't slow for even a second.
There was no time.
The original plan had been to break the story in July, but the draft wasn't even finished yet. The evidence photos and documents he had gathered were only roughly sorted, and everything was still in disarray.
"Just stick to the core. The core."
He dug through hundreds of photos.
This was an exclusive. He needed the most provocative images, the kind strong enough to anchor the article.
"This isn't something I should be rushing out…"
It felt like spending all your time designing a perfect interior, only for everything to collapse at the very end.
Frustration gnawed at him.
If this went out now, it would cause a massive uproar. But the more Seo Chaeeun kept inserting herself into new projects, the greater the fallout would become.
'There were rumors she met Director Kwon Gitaek. If that turns out to be true… this becomes the scoop of a lifetime.'
The timing wasn't right.
But only he knew that timing. Now even the chief editor and Choi Sunggeon had caught wind of it, and things were spiraling out of control.
An exclusive was still an exclusive, but if it got old, it lost its impact.
Click. Click.
If another rumor or article about Seo Chaeeun leaked first, everything he had done would turn into wasted effort.
That was when Reporter Lim made his decision.
"Damn it… whatever. Screw it."
He stopped overthinking.
From that moment on, he focused only on speed. Selecting materials. Writing the article.
'Even if I have to skip final edits.'
It would still take more than three hours.
He checked the time.
Past 1:40 p.m.
The deadline was 4 p.m.
"Move faster. Faster! What, are your fingers broken?"
Even the chief editor, who had come up right beside him, started pressing him.
The irritation flared instantly.
"Ah! Can you stay still for a second? I can't focus!"
Fueled by anger, his fingers moved even faster.
People said rushing ruined things, but at that moment, his vision had narrowed too much.
"Start with the headline! What about this one?"
"Yeah, yeah. Good. I like it. Hurry!"
He hammered the keyboard as if trying to break it.
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Yeonnam-dong.
A spacious apartment living room.
The interior leaned heavily into black tones, and the furniture gave off an elegant atmosphere. On the front wall hung a large beauty pictorial of Ha Yura holding cosmetics.
This was her home.
At that moment, a woman in blue pajamas stepped out of the bathroom. Her long, slightly wavy hair was tied back with a headband, and her face was covered with a white facial mask.
Ha Yura.
"Ah, I drank too much yesterday. My skin's a disaster."
She dropped onto the sofa and immediately picked up the script on the table.
Island of the Missing.
Flip.
She crossed her legs and focused.
Time passed quickly.
Ten minutes. Twenty. Thirty.
Then she stopped.
A long sigh escaped her.
"Ah… what a waste. It's so good it's almost painful. This is seriously well written."
The more she read, the more she wanted it.
The story was compelling. The scale was huge. Every character felt alive.
'I can't lose this to Seo Chaeeun.'
She acknowledged Seo Chaeeun's acting, but still believed things might have been different if it had come down purely to performance.
But now it was too late.
Still—
Flip.
She skimmed again, then stopped at a certain role.
"This went to rookie Kang Woojin."
She recalled him.
The rookie who had shaken the industry.
"Even at a glance, this looks like a role that would take months to analyze. How is he going to pull it off?"
She remembered Director Kwon Gitaek's words.
Natural filming.
Detached demeanor.
Overwhelming acting ability.
"No way. No matter how well he analyzes it, if the execution slips, it won't work. He's probably under insane pressure right now."
Bzzzz. Bzzzz.
Her phone vibrated.
She answered without looking away from the script.
"Yes, CEO."
A slightly husky voice came through.
"Yura, enjoying yourself?"
"Not at all. Call it a break if you want."
"Fine. How was the meeting with Director Kwon Gitaek?"
"I met him. I got the script too."
"Think you can land it?"
"Unlikely. Casting is almost done."
A brief pause.
"But what about Kang Woojin?"
"The rookie? Yeah. He's with BW Entertainment."
"He's blazing hot right now. Not just hot—explosive. Writers, Director Kwon Gitaek, Yoon Byungseon PD… they're all obsessed with him."
"He came out of nowhere."
"Exactly. That's what's strange."
Ha Yura lowered her gaze slightly.
"Director Kwon said he uses a method similar to mine."
"Really?"
"He said he trained in the wild."
A short silence followed.
"…What does that even mean?"
"No idea."
She shifted the topic.
"I'm thinking of visiting the set."
"Island of the Missing? That's good."
"I want to see him myself."
She murmured quietly.
"Whatever this 'wild' is… it's making my competitive side itch."
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Cheongdam-dong.
A high-end salon.
Even past 3:30 p.m., the place was packed.
The first floor held regular clients, while the upper floors were filled with celebrities.
Hong Hyeyeon sat at the center of the third floor.
"Hmm…"
She looked down at her phone, legs crossed. Her hair was being treated with a heated device, and her makeup was already done.
She was touching up before her next schedule.
"Looks like the fan signing event went well."
She was reading an article about Kang Woojin.
Then—
"What is this."
A sharp voice came from the side.
"Hong Hyeyeon, you come here too?"
Hong Hyeyeon looked up.
Her expression hardened instantly.
Seo Chaeeun.
Wearing a cap.
Hong Hyeyeon let out a long sigh.
"Ah. My mood just dropped."
"I should be saying that. Why are you here?"
"I've been coming here for years."
"Tch. I just switched here. Guess I'll switch again."
"Please do."
They clearly weren't close.
Seo Chaeeun glanced at her face.
'Why does her skin look better every time I see her?'
Jealousy flickered.
"So what are you doing next?"
"You sound concerned."
"Don't be ridiculous."
A smirk.
"Or did someone push you out? Was it Kang Woojin?"
Hong Hyeyeon's hand paused.
"…You're working with Director Kwon Gitaek?"
"Yes."
Seo Chaeeun smiled.
"Oops. I wasn't supposed to say that."
Her smile deepened.
Hong Hyeyeon remained calm.
"I'll keep it secret. Hanryang hit 25 percent."
Seo Chaeeun flinched.
"Mine was 5.9 percent."
"Same thing."
Seo Chaeeun scoffed.
"I'll teach Kang Woojin some manners myself."
Hong Hyeyeon laughed coldly.
"Try a hundred times. It won't work."
"Watch me."
"Focus on your acting first."
"That's enough!"
"Careful. One mistake is all it takes to fall."
"I'm not falling."
Then—
"Hey!! Seo Chaeeun!!"
A shout echoed.
Her manager rushed in, face pale.
He grabbed her arm and shoved his phone at her.
"Look at this! What is this?!"
Seo Chaeeun looked.
And froze.
『[Exclusive] Chronic Propofol Abuse Scandal — Top Actress Seo Chaeeun's Hidden Life』
Her mind went blank.
"…What?"
Her hands trembled.
"Is this real? Answer me!"
"…No… that's not me…"
She looked completely broken.
Hong Hyeyeon stepped closer, read the screen, then let out a dry laugh.
She leaned in and whispered,
"Looks like today's the day you fall."
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BW Entertainment.
CEO office.
Choi Sunggeon sat by the window, monitoring everything.
"So it was Power Patch."
The conclusion was clear.
"Persistent… or just insane."
If this exploded, Seo Chaeeun would be finished.
"At this rate, a prosecution investigation is unavoidable."
♬♪
His phone rang.
Director Kwon Gitaek.
"Yes, Director."
A calm voice answered.
"I saw the article. This was your doing."
Choi Sunggeon lowered his head slightly.
"No."
A brief pause.
"This was Woojin's work."
Silence.
Then—
"…Woojin's work?"