“Then did you melt yourself into the project this time too, Senior?”

“Of course I did! I heard you've never even received partial scripts before. How many actors do you think can show up on set with nothing but a Post-it note containing a few story bullet points and make up their dialogue on the spot?”

It was shocking to hear that the latter half of <One Criminal> had been like that.

The story might have fallen apart, but Yoo Jiuk and Hong Suryeon's characters had remained impressively complete until the very end.

“Have you ever developed feelings for a co-star after finishing a romance project?”

“That's true toooo. I'm an actress who immerses herself.”

“Seriously? Really? Then why weren't there any scandals? No, wait. There were a few rumors. The ones that died because there were never any sightings. Were those real?”

“Of course nottt.”

Hong Suryeon turned the flashlight brightness all the way up.

Ah.

My eyes.

Senior Suryeon was talented at stage lighting too.

“Right after a project ends, I'm still in love and confused. But then I keep looking in the mirror. I keep staring at my face. Then I look at the other person and think, ah, this isn't it. A goddess of beauty like me shines brightest aloneee. In the end, I can only love beautiful me foreverrr.”

“Even after <Seaside Melody>?”

“That one was pretty bad. That's why I made a major decision.”

“What decision?”

“I went on overseas fan meetings. While meeting all those fans, I realized the tremendous responsibility I carry. Would it really be right to deprive humanity of Hong Suryeon, the goddess of beauty who shines brightest aloneee...? That's what I thought. Causing a loss on a global scale wouldn't be righttt.”

My mind went blank.

“Then why do you only do romance dramas? Wouldn't immersion be harder to end?”

“You really don't understand the greatness of loveee. Think about it. There are situations that make no sense. Loyal retainers betraying their lords. People risking their lives after seeing someone just once. Devoting an entire lifetime to someone who's no longer beside them. What else besides love could explain things like that?”

Brushing back her hair with one hand, Hong Suryeon continued.

“Love... and the actress who can explain it best to the public is meee. My very existence is convincing enough.”

“I see.”

“And other genres are too much work. Rolling around on dirty ground, running through mountains, falling down, getting hurt. Too many lines toooo.”

In short, she preferred doing what she excelled at rather than suffering unnecessarily.

“Do you hate me?”

For the first time, Hong Suryeon didn't answer immediately.

She simply stared at me.

Then her brow furrowed fiercely.

“I DON'T KNOW!”

She rolled across the bed and occupied the center.

The face that had been leaning toward me all night disappeared.

“So you don't.”

“I said I don't knowww! You really are impossible, deciding what a senior thinks whenever you want!”

Kicking the bed repeatedly in frustration, she muttered,

“It's just... they said they finally understood what they wanted to do. I had no idea what that meant before, but now I think I understand what Writer Hwang wanted to write. That's all.”

Apparently she had watched all of <Dongdaemun Romance>.

Maybe it irritated her that the drama had forced her to acknowledge me.

“A brat like you... someone who's barely been a lead... a dummy... nowhere near as beautiful as meee...”

“You know, if I can hear it, it's just openly posting hate comments.”

“But you did pretty well.”

Her voice became quiet.

“Still, if Writer Hwang had given me proper direction, I would've done wayyyy better.”

“That's just making excuses now, Senior.”

“How funny. Next time I'll definitely show yew. I'm the kind of actress who can carry a dying script all by herself! If I meet the right project, a little baby like yew won't stand a chanceee!”

“Then I'll just join Writer Hwang's next project.”

“Hey! Who said yew can?! Hey! Hey!”

Rolling back toward me, Hong Suryeon stretched out an arm and tried to hit me beneath the bed.

I dodged effortlessly.

“Aaaah. I can't believe I lost to someone. This really makes no senseee.”

After flailing her arms around, she sounded slightly relieved.

“But hardships like this only make my beauty even greaterrr, right? Adding mature sorrow to the mix makes it even betterrr.”

“Seriously... unbelievable.”

“Writer Hwang told me we'd meet again once I became a true actorrr. Just wait. I'll show them it isn't difficult at all! I'll prove that Hong Suryeon can deliver incredible acting with romance alone! To Writer Hwang and to a little brat like yewww!”

“A minute ago I was a baby. Your titles are getting less respectful by the second.”

“Don't talk back to your seniorrr! I'll call yew whatever I want!”

Only then did I finally understand why Hong Suryeon had come to see me.

She had come because she refused to let the first defeat of her life pass by unnoticed.

She came to face it head-on.

For the sake of her next performance.

“KRRRRRRRRR....”

Listening to Hong Suryeon's snoring, I thought about what she'd said.

A massive wave.

Something too overwhelming to handle.

A moment so powerful that even afterward you couldn't properly pull yourself back together.

‘Will something like that happen to me too?’

If it did, when would it be?

In what project?

Acting opposite whom?

Just imagining it made me excited.

The fact that there was always another step ahead, no matter how much I acted, thrilled me beyond words.

* * *

A few days later, I received a suspicious package.

Han Taeyang and I opened it together and stared blankly.

“What is this...?”

“What the hell...?”

A call also came from an unfamiliar number.

“...Who is this?”

— I'm Suryeon's manager! Since our Suryeon caused you some trouble the other day...

— Troubleee? I gave her an unforgettable memoryyy!

— Right, right. Suryeon, there's a mirror over here.

— Beautifulll... Ah, are yew listeninggg? Little babyyy, from now on yew may call me Unnieee! Isn't that touchinggg?

— Ms. Yeoreum! Anyway, please enjoy the fruit I sent... and see you next time! Hey, Suryeon. Don't steal my phone!

The gifts consisted of an expensive fruit basket and—

“You're not actually hanging that up... right? Please tell me you're not.”

A gigantic framed selfie of Hong Suryeon.

Complete with a personal autograph.

‘Still, I can't waste an opportunity like this.’

I immediately took a picture.

The fruit basket was clearly visible.

The giant Hong Suryeon selfie frame appeared only at the edge of the photo.

[Caption: A gift Senior Suryeon sent to my house. I've been fortunate enough to meet so many wonderful people this year, and it makes me very happy...]

I uploaded the post to my fan café, which had become more active than ever due to the fan meeting announcement.

‘Perfect. This is ideal for news articles.’

Han Yeoreum's shameless opportunist calculator was still working perfectly.

I had to keep polishing it so I wouldn't lose to Shin Seojin's female-heart calculator.

[Han Yeoreum and Hong Suryeon Show “Unexpected Chemistry”... Showing Off Gifts Sent to Her Home]

[The Hwang Boseok Circle? “Unexpected Friendship Between Hong Suryeon and Han Yeoreum” — Netizens Smile at Their Warm Chemistry]

[Lovely Baby Melon Bread Han Yeoreum Remains “Friendly and Affectionate” Even After the Holy Grail War]

[Female Actress Holy Grail War? “We're Friends~” Hong Suryeon and Han Yeoreum Silence Rumors of Rivalry]

The moment I threw out a piece of bait that gave the Holy Grail War a heartwarming ending, everyone bit immediately.

* * *

Having successfully finished <Tamhok>, Eun Baekhap sat with a cup of black tea and another script.

“Unnieee... it's amazing, isn't it? You're definitely getting more offers in genres you actually like nowww....”

Eun Baekhap smiled elegantly.

Quite a few movie scripts had arrived among them.

Breaking into Chungmuro was an even higher wall than most people imagined.

“Hmph. If it weren't for that damn bitch, I would've gotten twice this many.”

Just thinking about Do Gyeoul stealing <Dear Judge> still made her grind her teeth.

“Fuck, I'm getting pissed off all over again. If I'd done it, it wouldn't have turned into that kind of disaster.”

Still.

What she had now was enough.

Eun Baekhap had poured everything into <Tamhok>.

Knowing she'd added a high-quality work to her filmography allowed her to smile.

“You toooo, Unnie... and Ms. Yeoreum toooo... everyone gained so much from this Holy Grail War....”

“Why are you bringing up that bitch? Who cares what happens to her?”

More than anyone else, the biggest winner of the Holy Grail War had been Han Yeoreum.

That was an undeniable fact.

“By the way, when did she become friends with Suryeon Unnieee...? Suryeon Unnie has such a nice personality, so I guess it makes sense they got close....”

“The fuck? Who?”

Eun Baekhap slammed her teacup onto the table.

“Suryeon Unnieee. If she's sending gifts to her house, they must be really close....”

“Who said that? Isn't that just a rumor?”

“It's in the articles....”

Her coordinator showed her a phone.

The moment Eun Baekhap saw the screen, her gaze sharpened.

“What kind of bullshit is this...? Does that bitch just go around clinging to anyone she sees?”

“You seem upset, Unnieee.... You made such a fuss telling me not to watch Han Yeoreum's movies, but now... is this one of those situations where you don't want her yourself but you don't want anyone else having her either?”

“It's neither, okay? Stop talking nonsense. That girl was practically begging to come over to my house just recently. Seriously. Unbelievable. Hong Suryeon of all people... Then again, maybe bitches recognize each other.”

“You're awfully irritated for someone who says that's not the caseee.... Even considering that you're not exactly known for having a great personality....”

Eun Baekhap glared at her.

The coordinator tilted her head before quietly returning to her phone.

‘That bitch really goes wherever she wants. Sticking herself here and there. So fucking shallow. And Hong Suryeon isn't even half the actress I am...’

She was trying to think of ways she was better than Hong Suryeon when—

“Gasp.”

The coordinator's mouth fell open.

“Stop being distracting.”

“Unnieee... look at this....”

Eun Baekhap looked at the screen being shoved in front of her once again.

And her mouth fell open too.

As the end of the year approached, Shin Seojin had many things to do.

December was approaching—the season when public interest in the entertainment industry reached its peak.

Award ceremonies.

Public appearances.

An endless schedule.

“Hoo....”

There were still roughly fifty-eight days left until awards season.

But Shin Seojin, gentleman among gentlemen, was a man who managed himself constantly.

To be precise, he managed himself every day of his life.

Women preferred a man who exercised naturally as part of his lifestyle over a man who spent all day lifting weights at the gym.

After finishing one of his routine runs, Shin Seojin returned home.

He only paid for workouts when preparing for projects or intentionally bulking up.

Otherwise, maintaining a frugal image helped create favorable eyewitness stories.

He showered with a cotton-scented body wash marketed as “boyfriend scent,” lightly dried his hair, and made sure to consume protein afterward.

“Nice. Today's turned out well.”

Incidentally, tearing open frozen chicken breast packs and eating them plain was something unpopular men did.

To maintain both his position as a man who could cook and his Sansung Electronics endorsement deal, Shin Seojin never neglected his efforts.

Sous-vide chicken breast.

Orange sauce.

Asparagus.

All plated beautifully.

“Maybe I should get a baking certificate next.”

If he baked simple roll cakes himself and distributed them to female staff before filming...

Lost in such thoughts, Shin Seojin checked his messages and smiled.

[CEO: I'm dying]

“Yeoreum's doing well.”

It was a picture of Han Yeoreum hiking.

Earlier that morning, he'd checked Oha Asa.

The fortunes of Management Yeonggwang's CEO, Han Yohan, and Han Yeoreum had aligned perfectly.

All their luck pointed in the same direction.

Lucky Location: Mountain

Visit somewhere with good airflow and a great view and ★★★LUCKY ENERGY★★★ will surge! :D

As always, Shin Seojin had immediately screenshotted it and sent Han Yeoreum a morning message.

Before their next projects began, the three of them climbed a mountain together to clear their minds.

Kwak Cheolsik had joined simply because it sounded fun.

The photo showed Han Yeoreum, who had tossed aside her mask despite the cold because she secretly hoped someone would recognize her face.

Management Yeonggwang's CEO, stubbornly wearing a full yellow hiking suit from head to toe.

Kwak Cheolsik squeezed into bright pink hiking gear.

And Han Yohan, dressed like an ordinary middle-aged man hiking through the neighborhood, looking completely unrelated to the group.

“Beopsun is adorable.”

And there was Beopsun too, smiling brightly.

Everything about the next project felt promising.

“I can't afford to lose either.”

Smiling to himself, Shin Seojin steeled his resolve.

He wasn't about to lose to Han Yeoreum, who was openly targeting department-store endorsement deals.

...

He definitely thought that.

...

At least until he saw the newly published article.

Clang.

The fork slipped from Shin Seojin's hand.

And clumsy men weren't supposed to be popular with women.