Chapter 24
The air in the conference room thickened the moment Shim-sul took his seat. While the younger actors were busy fluttering around Deul-hwa, Haru remained remarkably still. His soul was screaming. He remembered Shim-sul as a background player back in the day, a man who was always bitter about Sunghoon's rapid rise. Now, Shim-sul was a veteran, a "Sunbae" with the power to make or break a rookie's reputation.
He breathed in, then out, as his fists tightened beneath the table.
He had once thought there would be some form of cosmic justice in the world, but he'd seen firsthand that showbiz didn't care about morality. He had hoped karma might have worked its magic over the decades, but seeing Shim-sul in a position of power proved that hope was utterly useless.
Over his years as Sunghoon, he had crossed paths with this man multiple times. Shim-sul was not a good person. When they worked together on Sunghoon's breakout drama, The Octave, Shim-sul had been the lead. At the time, he was just breaking through and still masked his true nature, but Sunghoon had walked onto the set one day and overheard a private conversation with the director. Shim-sul was insisting on cutting Sunghoon's lines, arguing that a minor character shouldn't distract from the lead.
The director, flustered and eager to please his star, had obligated.
Moments later, Shim-sul had turned to Sunghoon and smiled like a viper.
Sunghoon, being a rookie with no power, had simply smiled back and said nothing.
The reading began. It flowed well at first, the main leads setting a professional pace. When it was Haru's turn, he delivered his lines with a grounded intensity. However, he caught himself,his cadence was a bit dated, a lingering echo of 90s television that didn't quite match the snappy, modern tone of the other cast members. He made a mental note to adjust his rhythm later.
Everything went smoothly until halfway through, when Shim-sul interjected.
"Wait," he said, his voice cutting through the silence like a dull blade. He looked at Haru, a sneer curling his lip. "That delivery... where did you train, kid? It sounds... familiar. And not in a good way. It's dated."
Tension flooded the room. The other actors glanced awkwardly at their scripts. Haru didn't flinch; he simply looked up and met the veteran's gaze.
He leaned forward, giving Shim-sul a polite but firm smile. "I studied a lot of the classics, Sunbae-nim. I thought a bit of gravity would suit the tension of the scene."
"Gravity?" Shim-sul laughed, a dry, petty sound. "You sound like someone I used to know. Someone who thought he was better than the rest of us."
The air became palpable with silent conflict.
"Was he better than you?" Haru asked, a smirk threatening to find its way onto his lips.
He saw Shim-sul's face falter. The man hadn't expected a youngster to talk back, especially not with such a pointed question. He looked embarrassed, a flush of anger creeping up his neck. Shim-sul cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. He knew exactly who he was referring to. Despite Sunghoon's demise, no one could deny how talented and amazing his acting had been.
"Why don't we continue?" the director cut in, sensing the disaster.
The cast quickly hopped back into the script, trying to shift the atmosphere. Even now, Sunghoon could see that the years hadn't changed Shim-sul; he was still the same jealous man, glaring at anyone who showed a spark of potential.
When the read-through finally ended hours later, everyone stood up to stretch. Haru felt a light hand on his shoulder. He turned to find Deul-hwa, the female lead, smiling at him. She reached out her hand.
"I don't think we've met formally," she said, shaking his hand firmly.
"Nice to meet you," Haru replied with a smile.
"For what it's worth, you did amazing earlier," she praised.
"Thanks."
"He's been getting on my nerves, too," she whispered, leaning in slightly. "But don't tell anyone I said that."
Haru made a zipping gesture across his mouth and mimed throwing the key away, which made her let out a genuine laugh.
"Do you want a picture together?" she asked. "To commemorate the first reading?"
"Yes, sure," he said enthusiastically.
"Everyone, come join!" she called out. The main lead and Shim-sul had already vanished, but many of the supporting cast and crew huddled together as Alice offered to take the photo.
After several snaps, Deul-hwa's manager called for her. "Let's meet often," she said with a wave before walking away.
Later, Haru and Alice headed to a small restaurant for some late-afternoon noodles.
"How are you feeling?" she asked.
"Very good," he said confidently.
"I'm happy to hear that. Fitting is this weekend, so I'll pick you up. If there's anything else, I'll let you know." Alice finished her meal, then looked at him with a more serious expression. "And... I didn't know you had such strong connections in the industry."
"What connections?" Haru asked, mid-sip of water.
"Don't be daft. Raiven. You've been going viral on social media. Everyone wants to know who you are."
"They do?"
"Yes, millions of views." She tossed her tablet across the table.
"Oh, that?" he said casually, seeing the familiar picture of them outside the building. Alice looked shocked. It didn't seem to phase him at all that he was being linked to one of the biggest stars in the country.
"Do you know how amazing this is? He is incredibly popular," she informed him.
He knew where she was going with this, and he wanted no part of the media play.
"We are just friends," he stated firmly.
"Friends?"
"Yes. Besides, I didn't know anyone was watching." He huffed.
"Well, this is good. Plus, Deul-hwa will post the picture from the reading on her story soon," she said, scrolling through her tablet again.
"Look," Haru said, his voice turning stern. "My relationship with him is private."
Alice paused, the weight of his words sinking in. She realized she had gotten carried away. She was Mae-rin's best friend; when Mae-rin left TRace, Alice had followed her to start Fei Entertainment. The company was buried in loans, and the sight of a potential "big break" had made her lose sight of Haru's boundaries.