LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 103
“Ughhh!”
After finishing the bungee jump as a penalty for the Rushman filming smoothly.
“I had so much fun today! I really want to come out again next time!”
“I-I do too! It must have been frustrating to do it together, but thank you for being so considerate!”
Su-jin and I bowed our heads to thank each other and finished the shoot warmly.
As we left work and enjoyed the sun for the first time in a while,
I poked Su-jin in the side.
“Ah! Kim Donghu! What are you doing?!”
“Why did you jump together, though? You said it was scary, so I tried to save you.”
Su-jin jumped off the bungee.
She said it would be too disappointing not to do it after coming all the way here.
Ignoring her shaking legs, she closed her eyes and took the leap.
Despite saying she was scared, what in the world gave Su-jin the courage to jump?
Right after I jumped, she followed immediately.
“…I was just worried you’d get blamed.”
When I asked her about it, an unexpected answer came out.
“What? Why would I get blamed?”
“You really have no idea, huh? The viewers don’t really like things that are too perfect.”
Su-jin, while saying it was all the senior’s grand intention, reached out to ruffle my hair.
Of course, she struggled to do it and ended up standing on tiptoes.
I purposely lowered myself to make it easier for her to ruffle my hair.
Swish, swish.
“I know it’s ultimately my fault that you lost, but if I just stand there, it looks weird, right?”
“Eh, why do you care about things like that? People will criticize no matter what.”
“I get it, but…”
Su-jin grabbed my cheeks with both hands,
pursed my lips like a fish, and smiled brightly.
“What should I do if I don’t want to just watch you get criticized?”
“….”
What the heck does that mean?
I suddenly became curious about Su-jin.
What was her real reason for jumping,
and what did she mean by that comment.
Just when I was about to shift into drive mode.
“I’m going ahead!”
After saying that, Su-jin jumped right into the van without giving me a chance to respond.
“…Why am I suddenly feeling so hot?”
I stared blankly at Su-jin’s retreating figure,
and, as a habit, opened my phone.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
-[Defeat is unforgivable!]
-[Even if it’s because you intentionally lost!]
-[Even if it’s based on chivalry for women!]
-[I’ll let it slide this once.]
-[But still, I cannot forgive you.]
-[Downloading the ‘Tarzan’ application.]
I immediately read Sims’ scolding.
Checking the time, it really seemed like she sent it right after I lost in the game.
It felt like defeat was absolutely unforgivable,
and she got mad even after losing in sparring.
As expected, she quickly added a talent.
‘If it’s Tarzan, does that mean parkour and sixth sense?’
I don’t know why she hates losing so much.
‘But why do I feel like it’s been a while since I received a text from Sims?’
Maybe nothing worthy of note happened until now.
But now I could feel it was time to return to my primary job.
No, to be precise, I wanted to act.
‘The boxing tournament is in September, right?’
So I can take it easy until then and ask Seok-ho about any roles available.
Just as I concluded that,
Ding! Ding! Ding!
As if waiting for just that determination,
Sims’ texts flooded in.
-[September boxing representative selection, the demon of the heavyweight class, Kim Donghu descends “4 consecutive first-round KOs”]
One was about how I, called the demon in the heavyweight division, swept everyone away.
-[Is this Kim Donghu’s next project?! [Traitor: The Bud of Corruption] expected return to the screen!]
It was news of my appearance in a film.
‘Traitor?’
As soon as I heard the name, I thought of what movie it was.
It was one I had really enjoyed watching before.
‘I’m excited!’
I was curious what role I would play this time.
+++++
“A handsome face should be exposed on screen often, but he doesn’t? That’s deceit.”
At the movie production company [Myunghwa].
Staff nodded in agreement with the words of the CEO, Ju Myung-hwa.
“In that sense, we MUST! We MUST cast Kim Donghu!”
Ju Myung-hwa’s words were filled with a strong will.
Determined to do it, no matter what the cost.
While Ju Myung-hwa was presenting plans for [Traitor: The Bud of Corruption] with a simple PPT,
one staff member raised their hand eagerly.
“Um, excuse me, I have a question?”
“Yes, what is it? Don’t keep us in suspense.”
“Well, it might seem simple but…”
“What is it? Don’t beat around the bush.”
“It’s a story about commoners cutting the bud of corruption, right? It’s kind of like a rebellion.”
“That’s right.”
“…But aren’t the corrupt noblemen a bit too handsome?”
“Huh?”
Ju Myung-hwa glanced at the screen.
Currently leading the handsome category was actor Jin Yuseong.
And the rising star of handsomeness,
Kim Donghu, with an appearance unrivaled by anyone else.
Putting these two together didn’t feel like villainy at all.
On the contrary, the traitors who should slay the corrupt nobles looked bad.
“But, but good-looking people are better in a group!”
“What do you mean by that?”
“It’s kind of like how two roses are better than one!”
Ju Myung-hwa confidently tossed her long hair.
Though they couldn’t really counter the staff’s words,
the roles of the nobles had to be played by Jin Yuseong and Kim Donghu.
Especially Kim Donghu’s role was crucial to the film.
“We need someone who is NOT a noble who understands the situation! Someone who can’t act out the feelings of the lower class as a perfect noble from the beginning, who else but Kim Donghu can do that?!”
In response to Ju Myung-hwa’s firm character setting, the staff kept quiet.
Once their representative reached such a determination, no one could argue.
“Definitely contact Kim Donghu!”
“Um… CEO?”
“Huh? What is it?”
“I got a reply.”
“What?! It hasn’t even been a day since we sent it!”
“But… it came back!”
“What does it say?”
“He says he’ll do it.”
The detailed contract would have to be discussed in person,
but apparently, he expressed a strong desire to participate in the project through his assistant.
At the news from the subordinate, Ju Myung-hwa was overjoyed,
clapping her hands.
“Let’s aim for ten million!”
Recently, a rumor had been circulating in the entertainment industry.
Honestly, it seemed absurd,
but due to the results shown, it was a powerful superstition that made you want to believe.
‘If you just shoot a movie with Kim Donghu, it will definitely be a hit.’
Please let that rule also apply to their film,
Ju Myung-hwa prayed earnestly.
+++++
[Traitor: The Bud of Corruption, B]
I saw the rating of the freshly received script and guessed its score roughly.
‘At least ten million.’
I didn’t know if the synergy from my participation made it a B rating.
Or if it was a B rating from the beginning,
but what was certain was that it was a film with immense potential.
‘Then should I dive in for the first time in a while?’
I grabbed the script right away.
‘Entry.’
Without hesitation, I jumped straight into the script.
++++
Whoosh!
In an instant, the surrounding scenery changed,
and the first thing I saw was…
“Please… please, just let me live…”
A servant, covered in blood, lay on the floor begging.
“I can’t do that. If I save you, the others will see you and have hope.”
A chilling yet arrogant smile.
I plunged the knife into the back of the prostrate servant without a moment’s hesitation.
Thud!
Since I stabbed from behind, the punctured lungs couldn’t make a sound,
and “Ghhhh…”
A life was wasted so easily.
But it didn’t matter.
How can one call a servant a life?
Life must hold some value,
and in that sense, the things before me were worthless.
Grass passing by, withering leaves,
they were just as insignificant as dog poop lying on the street.
“I can’t stand your eyes these days.”
Did they say even a worm will squirm if you step on it?
Such a silly story.
Even if a worm squirms, it is still just a worm.
How dare they reveal their teeth to a dragon?
How arrogant.
So I took matters into my own hands.
Originally, I could have called butchers to handle this,
but there was a reason I was taking up the sword myself.
Swish!
“If you escape here, where do you think you’re going? Did you have somewhere to go?”
With just two strikes of the sword, the candles of worthless beings go out.
Their fate was to crawl under others’ feet.
Perhaps dying sooner, and going under the earth would have been a blessing instead.
Leaving only five.
As if they had a pact, none answered my question.
Could it be that their lives held so little value?
Even with death before them, they clung to useless beliefs.
“Looking at your eyes, it seems you want to be a traitor, aiming for a rise in status by inciting rebellion?”
“You scum wouldn’t understand the pain of the commoners! Do you know how hard we live?”
“Is that supposed to make sense?”
I laughed loudly, utterly baffled.
Even bound and limped, they still spoke such foolishness.
Besides.
“I don’t even know why I should understand that.”
That notion itself was pathetic.
“How could a phoenix understand the sentiments of a sparrow.”
Damn those wretched subjects.
I wanted to kill them all today to feel satisfied.
Swish!
The dance of the Joseon-style reckless young noblemen,
ruthlessly tramples upon the commoners.