Hwang Min-hwa, an actress from Nova Entertainment. What I remember from my past life is that she was an actress who appeared in a film that garnered ten million viewers.

She wasn’t a figure who courted controversy, and if there was something unusual about her career, it was just one thing: she frequently changed agencies.

After leaving Nova Entertainment, she joined Horizon Company, which was considered a second-tier agency. After moving through several other agencies, she ultimately ended up at one of the top three management companies, RY Entertainment.

Yes, the same place I had turned down.

'Her career was flawless.'

I thought as I took a sip of my Americano. She was an actress who might have been average in dramas but truly excelled in films.

You could say she had a good eye for roles. Over the next five years, Hwang Min-hwa would appear in two films with over five million viewers each, and one that reached ten million.

There was also another reason why she became a hot topic.

'She starred in Director Jo Bang-woo's final film.'

There was only one movie that Hwang Min-hwa, who had never experienced failure in films, failed in. Unfortunately, that movie was Gold Hunt, directed by Jo Bang-woo.

Despite receiving substantial investment, the film flopped as if by some cruel joke. Even though it received a lot of screenings and the content was deemed decent, the box office results were disappointing. The total audience was only 1.5 million.

Considering the amount of money invested, this was an incredibly low figure. The film ended up being Director Jo Bang-woo’s last, as he tragically took his own life, leaving it as his final work.

Perhaps that’s why Hwang Min-hwa didn’t include this film in her career highlights. Since she wasn’t even the lead, it was understandable...

“Seoyeon, did anything happen at school?”

“No.”

I had come straight to the agency after leaving school a little early. Just as I finished my Americano, Park Eun-ha rushed over, panting.

She was holding two cans of coffee in her hands, but when she saw the empty Americano cup in my hand, she smiled awkwardly.

“Oh, you already bought one. Sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll drink it on the way.”

“Really?”

Park Eun-ha, who had looked a bit down, brightened up as I accepted the can.

'I heard that she used to be Hwang Min-hwa’s manager.'

I wondered if she knew why Hwang Min-hwa was leaving Nova Entertainment. But I hesitated to ask because Park Eun-ha always had a peculiar reaction whenever Hwang Min-hwa was mentioned.

Also, Park Eun-ha was oddly quick to apologize. Just now, she apologized for no reason at all.

“You’ve got your first shoot in a few days, so don’t overdo it...”

Park Eun-ha was in the middle of saying this when we stepped out of the agency.

A woman was just entering the building. She looked to be in her late twenties.

With her glamorous blonde hair, slender figure, and sharp features, she gave off an elegant impression. Even though she wasn’t wearing any luxury items, she had the appearance of someone who would come to mind when you think of luxury.

It was like you could see a golden aura surrounding her. She was the kind of person who made me stop in my tracks without realizing it.

“Oh.”

The woman noticed me too, and as she lowered her large black sunglasses, she smiled.

“Nice to meet you. You must be Seoyeon, right? I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Hwang Min-hwa. A ten-million-viewer actress and the star of Nova Entertainment.

“Hello.”

“Wow, I’d heard, but you’re really pretty. Are you a high school student?”

“Yes.”

She smiled warmly at my response.

“Well, unfortunately, I’m leaving soon, but let’s get along while I’m still here.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

As I bowed politely, Hwang Min-hwa’s eyes sparkled with satisfaction, and she smiled as if she were pleased.

“See you later.”

With that, Hwang Min-hwa walked away, her heels clicking on the floor. And following behind her was her manager...

'...Huh?'

I caught a fleeting glimpse of the manager’s face. There wasn’t anything particularly special about it, but I could tell.

Even someone as sensitive to others' emotions as I was could detect the slight emotion radiating from him.

Fear.

It was an emotion I had become well acquainted with recently while playing that horror game.

Fear is a very complex emotion, one that can’t be easily pinned down. And it wasn’t just the manager...

“...”

Park Eun-ha, who had been chatting cheerfully beside me, was the same. I watched her for a moment, then picked up my phone and contacted someone.

“Oppaaaaaa!!”

“Please, look over here!!”

Park Jung-woo, who had recently been selected as the new model for the luxury brand Violl, was greeting fans at a department store in Gangnam, dressed in luxury clothing.

It had been a while since his last public appearance. Park Jung-woo, dressed in an impeccable suit, waved at the line of women.

Every time he waved, women screamed as if they were losing their minds. He was proving that his fame as the top actor in his twenties was not just hype.

“He’s amazing...”

At that moment, Jung-woo heard a rather weak cheer. It was a voice that sounded like it was being forced out, struggling to be heard amidst the deafening screams.

“...?”

Curious, he turned his head.

He saw a girl with black hair cupping her hands around her mouth, trying her best to shout. She stood out in her school uniform amidst the flashy crowd in front of the department store.

“...”

Jung-woo rubbed his eyes. Why is she there?

For a moment, he thought he was hallucinating. Maybe it was because he was tired.

He pressed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, then looked up again.

“...Wow.”

The weak shout came again. It wasn’t a hallucination.

“Get that girl into the van,” Jung-woo quietly instructed the bodyguard next to him. He discreetly pointed at the girl, making sure no one noticed.

And then, after the event was over, Jung-woo finally made it to his van.

“...Are you out of your mind?”

That was the first thing Jung-woo said as he entered the van. Inside, Seoyeon was casually drinking a can of coffee.

“Why did you suddenly show up without telling me?”

“Well, you came without notice too.”

“...”

Jung-woo couldn’t argue with that.

“And I did call, you just didn’t pick up.”

Seoyeon showed him her phone screen. Sure enough, her outgoing calls were listed correctly. When Jung-woo checked his own phone, he realized that Seoyeon’s calls were indeed in his recent call history.

He must have been too busy to notice over the past few days.

“Well, fine. Anyway...”

Crossing his arms and tilting his head slightly, he ran a hand roughly through his hair.

“You should be more careful. What if someone sees you?”

“There aren’t that many people who recognize my face yet.”

That was true since she hadn’t appeared in any dramas or films yet. Still, she was at the level where everyone knew her name. Should he say she was bold? Should he call her a fearless actress?

“Sigh.”

It wasn’t like she would listen to him anyway.

“So?”

Jung-woo asked as he took off the uncomfortable suit jacket.

“...?”

Seoyeon stared at him as he removed his jacket.

“What?”

Curious about her gaze, he asked.

“What’s your three-lift total?”

“Three-lift total?”

“For weightlifting.”

Why was she asking that? Jung-woo looked down at his own body. He had been working out more lately, and his body had become quite solid. Feeling a bit proud, Jung-woo grinned.

“I’m nearing 400. I passed 300 a while ago.”

“Oh, I see.”

“...?”

Her response was somewhat underwhelming. What’s more, Seoyeon was wearing a rare, smug smile.

As if to say, "I win."

“...What’s yours?”

“Oh, I stopped counting after I passed 600.”

“?”

Six hundred? Was that the 600 he was thinking of?

Jung-woo looked at her body. At a glance, she had the slender figure of a high school girl. Jung-woo chuckled to himself. If you’re going to boast, at least make it believable.

'...What kind of conversation am I even having with her?'

It felt like he was in a friendly competition with a same-gender friend, asking about their three-lift totals. Anyway...

“So, why are you here?”

“Do you know the actress Hwang Min-hwa?”

“Of course.”

Of course, he knew her. He had recently co-starred with Hwang Min-hwa in the 6-million-viewer film Butterfly Effect.

Seoyeon knew this too, which was why she had come to Jung-woo.

“What kind of person is she?”

“Why are you asking... Oh, right. Your agency is Nova Entertainment.”

Hwang Min-hwa. Jung-woo rubbed his chin with his thumb, deep in thought.

Even so, she was pretty normal on set. She had a good reputation among her fellow actors...

“...Is there something wrong?”

“It’s just that something doesn’t sit right with me.”

“Doesn’t sit right?”

Seoyeon nodded.

“My manager used to be Hwang Min-hwa’s manager.”

“Oh, got it. That explains a lot.”

Jung-woo raised his hand, stopping her from saying more.

“Just so you know, it’s better not to talk about this with other actors. Especially since we’re in the same industry.”

You always have to be careful about what you say, especially if it’s about someone in the same industry. Seeing Jung-woo’s reaction, Seoyeon frowned slightly.

“I don’t just talk to anyone about these things, you know?”

“...”

Jung-woo hesitated. Then why tell me? Does that mean I’m not just anyone? What does that mean?

“...Anyway, this isn’t about any specific actor. It’s just a rumor.”

Jung-woo calmed his swirling thoughts and continued.

“There’s a rumor about an actor who is well-liked among their peers but allegedly verbally abuses their juniors and managers.”

“Verbal abuse?”

“Again, it’s just a rumor. There are no witnesses, and maybe it was just verbal abuse.”

Jung-woo didn’t bother to use the term “power trip,” though it was surprisingly common among newly rising stars.

'I was at risk too.'

Jung-woo, who had been a star since childhood, knew how easy it was to become arrogant when success came too early. And arrogant people tend to look down on others.

He only avoided that fate thanks to his father and a traumatic experience in his childhood.

“And as far as I know, she’s incredibly ambitious.”

“Ambitious?”

“That’s not necessarily a bad thing. But if your ambition is too strong, it can lead to dangerous situations.”

Seoyeon listened carefully to Jung-woo’s words. It gave her some insight into why Hwang Min-hwa frequently changed agencies.

Nova Entertainment’s CEO, Kang Chan-yul, wasn’t the type to mistreat his company’s celebrities. He likely treated Hwang Min-hwa as a star representative of the company.

But Hwang Min-hwa was not content with just being Nova Entertainment’s star.

“Remember, this is all just rumor. Don’t go spreading it around.”

“Okay.”

The way Seoyeon obediently nodded didn’t inspire much confidence. She seemed to be the type who did what she wanted, considering she had even appeared on that cable variety show.

'This is concerning.'

Watching Seoyeon’s unreadable expression, Jung-woo cautiously asked.

“...Just to be sure, she didn’t say anything to you, did she?”

“No.”

“Does she only pick on people she considers beneath her...?”

“You just told me to be careful with my words.”

Jung-woo laughed at Seoyeon’s retort. He then signaled to the waiting driver that it was time to leave.

“I’ll give you a ride, so get in. And next time, call ahead.”

“I told you, I did call.”

Seoyeon replied grumpily to Jung-woo’s words. Anyway...

'A power trip, huh.'

Of course, as Jung-woo suggested, Seoyeon wasn’t planning to confront Hwang Min-hwa about this. But...

‘I’m sure Hwang Min-hwa’s next film is...’

The movie Seoyeon was about to start filming, The Chaser, was set to be released on the same day. In her previous life, Hwang Min-hwa’s film Utopia crushed The Chaser at the box office, drawing 8 million viewers and achieving great success.

Utopia was the last film Hwang Min-hwa shot under Nova Entertainment.

‘I can’t lose.’

Seoyeon resolved. She had always been highly competitive, but this time, she was even more determined not to lose.

And so, three days later...

The first day of filming for The Chaser arrived.