Chapter 319: Visiting (4)

Chapter 319: Visiting (4)

“I'm not interested,” said Choi Yeon-Ha.

“H-hold on, Miss Choi!”

Choi Yeon-Ha frowned slightly while listening to the urgent cry of the director. However, even her frowning face was rather charming to behold, thanks to her arresting beauty.

“Director, I've already said I'm not interested.”

“But, Miss Choi! Didn't you say you'll think about it in a positive light not too long ago? Something about it's time to run even faster and all that?”

“Well, I no longer have a reason to keep running.”

"Miss Choi, don't be like this, and... I assure you, this script is really great. The storyline is top-tier. As long as you act as the soul of this production, we'll definitely reach the milestone of selling over ten million tickets! I'm sure of it!"

Choi Yeon-Ha scoffed at that. "If you want to sell ten million tickets, then you should cast a famous male actor instead of me. After all, I've never heard about a movie with a female protagonist reaching that milestone before."

“Eii~! We can always be the first to achieve that feat, right?”

“Director...” Choi Yeon-Ha put on a pair of sunglasses and glanced behind her.

“I'm telling you, Miss Choi! It'll all work out as long as you agree to become a part of this production. And when this movie breaks the box office records, you'll cement your status as people's favorite actor! Besides, you know it, too. There aren't all that many studios willing to cast a female protagonist in a movie with a budget this big. If you miss this opportunity...”

“Excuse me, director?”

“Yes?”

Choi Yeon-Ha sighed deeply. “Do you think this is some kind of challenge?”

“Of course.”

“Isn't that the mindset of a gambler?”

“G-gambler?”

“Yes, a gambler. You're gambling. You're betting on a baseless hope that people will recognize and praise you for making something that doesn't exist yet.”

“N-no, wait... Listen, Miss Choi Yeon-Ha.”

“I'm sorry, but there is a reason why other people haven't tried it before. It'll be a more productive use of your time to go out and find yourself a fresh twenty-something male actor. Who knows, you might hit jackpot that way."

“W-wait, Miss Choi! Hey, Choi Yeon-Ha! Wait!”

Choi Yeon-Ha didn't pay any attention to the director and exited the cafe, then climbed aboard the waiting car before turning on the ignition. As she stepped on the accelerator, though, a deep frown came over her face.

'So annoying. Seriously now!'

Choi Yeon-Ha knew that not causing trouble with a director like him was absolutely necessary if she wanted her career to keep thriving.

Chungmuro was an insidious place where gossip-mongering had become the norm. As such, an actor behaving like an eyesore would soon become the neighborhood punchline. In this field of work, when a male actor tried to behave himself by staying at home most of the time, he'd get labeled as gay. If he's out clubbing and drinking, then his peers would sneer at him for showing off.

Since Choi Yeon-Ha rejected that director today, dumb rumors about her finally revealing her rotten core should do the rounds for a while.

'But, so what?'

Choi Yeon-Ha frowned even more while stomping on the accelerator. That was when a phone suddenly began blaring at her.

“Argh, what is it this time?!” Choi Yeon-Ha exploded in irritation while picking up the phone. She didn't even bother to check the caller ID before tapping on the green 'answer' icon. “What!”

- Noona, where are you?

“I'm on my way home.”

- Noona, didn't you agree to star in the next production? So, how come? Our boss is losing his mind over here right now!

“So what? What do you want me to do about it?”

- N-no, it's not that you have to do something about it, but... Aren't you gonna sign on for that role...?

"Tell them to stop contacting me for the time being, okay?"

A bout of silence ensued from the other side of the line.

Choi Yeon-Ha groaned. “Hey. I'm hanging up.”

- H-hold on, noona!

“What now?”

- Boss told us to quickly sign on for just one more production, you know? Since you got good reviews for your performance in the last TV show, making one more movie or a show this year could...

“I'll decide on that myself.” Choi Yeon-Ha curtly replied before ending the call right there.

'Actually, it's better this way.'

This was what being a star was like. Climbing to the top was fraught with untold hardship and sorrow, but the fall from the top was as instant as losing one's footing by the cliffside.

A top star could lose their popularity if they made too many movies and TV shows in a short period of time. Ironically, their popularity would also fall if they didn't make enough movies and get accused of distancing themselves from the public.

And, from what Choi Yeon-Ha had observed so far, the former top stars usually failed to notice that they were on a downward trajectory. The first people to notice this trend was never the stars themselves but the people around them.

Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head. “Why did you call for me, Miss Choi?”

“To see you, of course.”

“See me? Why?”

“Because you're handsome.”

Kang Jin-Ho clamped his mouth shut at that.

Choi Yeon-Ha continued to speak. “Since I can't see your mug on screen, I might as well come here to look at the real deal, don't you agree? What's the matter? Am I not allowed?”

“Miss Choi, this is a place of business.”

“I know. Not too long ago, didn't you let people take selfies with you as long as they ordered food? So, can I take one with you now?”

“We've stopped doing that.”

"We didn't take a selfie the last time I was here to eat your pizza, so let's do that now. If you don't, I'm gonna tell everyone that you discriminate against different customers."

Kang Jin-Ho frowned to indicate how troubled he felt. However, Park Yu-Min, who had finished cleaning a nearby table and was returning to the kitchen, offered some help.

“She didn't pay back then, Jin-Ho.”

That was when strength and conviction returned to Kang Jin-Ho's eyes. “So he says?”

“...I'm telling you, one of these days, I'm gonna blow this place up!” Choi Yeon-Ha grumbled unhappily.

This place had to be the only one in entire South Korea that dared to treat Choi Yeon-Ha this badly. Not even her parents would be like this!

These men must have lost their ability to appreciate beauty after hanging around Kang Jin-Ho every day! No matter how disinterested one was regarding celebrities or actors, men were genetically disposed to be nicer toward pretty girls, so this...!

"Whatever, I don't care anymore! I don't need the stupid selfie, anyway!"

Kang Jin-Ho could only scratch the back of his head at Choi Yeon-Ha's outburst.

She narrowed her eyes and asked him, “What are you doing tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow's my off day.”

Ju Yeong-Gi heard that and began gritting his teeth. “You stinking owner! You're taking a break again?!”

Park Yu-Min quickly came to his boss's defense. “Hang on, it is his scheduled rest day, you know?”

“What the hell! He rests on scheduled rest days, but also rests on regular days because he's got other matters to deal with?! Since when did Korea become a five-day-work-week nation?!”

“...Yeong-Gi, it has been like that forever.”

“Oh, really?” Ju Yeong-Gi blinked his eyes in surprise.

Meanwhile, Choi Yeon-Ha listening to the gag routine, facepalmed. She had a feeling that holding a conversation with this trio would kill her brain cells. Perhaps the correct call was to minimize how much she needed to talk to them?

“...Anyways. So, you're on a break tomorrow, is that it?” Choi Yeon-Ha asked in a pained voice.

"Yes," Kang Jin-Ho nodded slightly.

“In that case, hang out with me.”

Kang Jin-Ho resolutely shook his head next. “I can't. I have work tomorrow.”

“Work?” Choi Yeon-Ha furrowed her brow. “Mister Jin-Ho, do I look like someone who asks some random man to hang out with her?”

"Mm? I've never thought about that before, actually."

Choi Yeon-Ha's rage bubbled up again, but yelling out right now would only paint her as a loon needing a straightjacket treatment instead!

'No, calm down!'

Some things were bound not to go the way she wanted them to. That didn't mean she should lose her cool at Kang Jin-Ho. He was simply choosing what he wanted to do, after all. His decision meant Choi Yeon-Ha's opportunity went down the drain, true, but she wasn't exactly 'hurt' by it, now was she?

'Still, this is pissing me off!'

The little devil beside her was sneakily elbowing her on the side, telling her to find any pretext she could think of. So, she did.

"Did you make a promise to someone? An appointment?"

"No, it's nothing like that."

“I see. And are you going alone to this 'work'?”

“I am.”

“Hoh-oh?” Choi Yeon-Ha cocked an eyebrow as a sly grin crept up on her face. “I see. In that case, I'll go with you.”

Her glare collided with Kang Jin-Ho's gaze mid-air. Surprisingly enough, though, Kang Jin-Ho agreed without any resistance. “Sure, why not.”

“Sorry?”

“Having more people will be helpful, after all.”

“Sorry...?”

Suddenly, this foreboding about making a terrible mistake sent a chill down Choi Yeon-Ha's spine, and she shivered ever so slightly.