Chapter 598
When Heo Haena greeted him like that, the natural sequence should have been obvious.
“Oh. Yes.”
“...Uh....”
Ask her name, ask her age, be surprised by how young she was, smile at her. That was the natural order of things.
But Myeong Jeha merely dipped his head in a light nod of greeting.
Then he immediately looked away and left with his bodyguards.
Leaving Heo Haena standing there alone.
‘...What was that just now?’
Frozen stiff, Heo Haena couldn't even believe what had just happened.
Even though she could hear someone else arriving in the distance, the rapid-fire camera shutters, and reporters calling for poses.
“Excuse me. You can't stay here.”
A theater staff member called out to Heo Haena.
“This isn't a regular screening hall, so entry is—”
“Ah! I'm a celebrity too!”
Her face burning red, Heo Haena hurried back into the screening hall, only to see Myeong Jeha smiling and exchanging greetings with the people around him.
Hong Suryeon.
Eun Baekhap.
It was a world that belonged entirely to them alone—a world that had excluded Heo Haena.
Top celebrities.
As if Heo Haena could never step inside the solid walls surrounding them.
‘...Just you wait.’
Heo Haena swore she would never forget today's humiliation.
Because the place that had always belonged to Heo Haena...
...was the leading role.
* * *
“Kyaaaaaah!”
“You look gorgeous!!!”
“Han Yeoreum!”
“Unni, please look over here just once!”
Ah...
So this...
‘...is the irresistible charm of the indispensable supporting character in a future triple ten-million-viewer movie...?’
Holding the premiere at K-Ex, where my face was printed everywhere, made my heart race even faster.
It felt as though this entire place belonged to me.
‘Three hundred seventy people...’
The moment I remembered the size of today's screening auditorium, the scale of it all struck me again.
Dolby Cinema Hall 1.
It truly matched the scale of a tentpole blockbuster.
‘I knew had increased my public recognition. But... to this extent...?’
The cheers echoed on an entirely different level from anything I had experienced before.
Even foreign tourists who happened to be visiting K-Ex stood there with their mouths hanging open as they looked at me.
“Ji-hwa!”
Along with , the tourists shouted my name.
“I-it's okay. Yeah. Just stand next to me. Got it? D-d-d-don't be too nervous. There are... a lot more people than I expected.”
“Director...”
Director Gong was trembling like a vibrating pager.
The entire K-Ex theater had been brought to a standstill by reporters and crowds.
There wasn't a single passerby.
Everyone had their phones raised or camera lenses fixed on us.
Some filmed while covering their mouths with one hand.
Some waved, asking us to look their way.
Others smiled brightly.
Everyone reacted differently.
I remembered the reporters who had looked at me with cold eyes here not long ago.
It had only been about a month since then.
Several reporters in the front row were the very same ones who had thrown sharp questions at me during the script reading.
Just as I started feeling slightly nervous—
‘Ah...’
Among the crowd in the distance, I spotted a familiar face.
I knew she'd come.
Every time the reporters shifted, she disappeared behind someone's shoulder, then reappeared.
Our eyes met.
I hurriedly waved.
‘Unni!’
Having even one familiar face among countless strangers was far more reassuring than I had expected.
Even the tiny bit of tension I still had completely melted away.
The reporters holding huge cameras in the front row began asking for poses.
I smiled more comfortably than ever.
“How about everyone gives us a fighting pose together?”
Standing on the photo wall, we all raised our right hands.
“Please shout '! Fighting!' for us!”
A magazine reporter filming video footage called out.
Together, we shouted.
“!”
“Fighting!”
Even though no one had asked for it, applause erupted from every direction.
“So pretty!”
“Han Yeoreum! Han Yeoreum!”
Caught completely off guard by the response, I repeatedly bowed my head in greeting.
Even after turning around to head toward the screening hall, the sound of camera shutters never diminished.
* * *
IP 85.152 typed with a stiff expression.
Over the past month, her life had been completely shattered.
She had once believed nothing among the galleries she managed could surpass .
Yet the overwhelming momentum of had made that belief laughable.
‘Why are there so many posts...?’
The minor gallery received countless new posts every single day.
To make matters worse, the Lunar New Year holiday had arrived just as IP 85.152 was already exhausted.
She had to finish every task before the holiday.
The film premiere—a chance to first encounter a movie reflecting the spirit of the times. Naturally, she couldn't enter because it was a VIP screening.
Still, she lamented being unable to enjoy the atmosphere created by people who loved cinema—the medium that most keenly captured this era's deficiencies and desires.
Even though premieres served as catalysts, allowing audiences to witness works dealing with contemporary social issues or historical truths before the general public and spread thoughtful cultural reflection throughout society...
...she was instead trapped in the office.
As someone of refined taste who appreciated both culture and the arts, it was utterly frustrating...
[(Photo) Baby Melon Bread's Sweet Smile... “Please Watch ”]
[StarCutCut | Han Yeoreum Captivates Every Eye at K-Ex]
[Kwak Cheolsik, Move Aside... Han Yeoreum Hidden Behind Uncle's Shoulder ( Premiere)]
["Everyone's Going to Collapse" Han Yeoreum at the VIP Premiere]
“Ha...”
After taking a breath, IP 85.152 scrolled down.
Han Yeoreum's buzz was unbelievable.
The articles spread everywhere almost the instant they were uploaded.
[Issue Board / Lead Cast of Faster Than the Law Today.jpg]
(Group photo.jpg)
(Group photo.jpg)
(Han Yeoreum hidden behind Kwak Cheolsik's shoulder.jpg)
— Anonymous 1: F***, Kwak Cheolsik move aside lmaooo
— Anonymous 10: Aww Baby Melon Bread is so cute
— Anonymous 15: It's freaking hilarious how everyone looks at Han Yeoreum first whenever they pose lol. It's not like she's some button that automatically gives you a pose.
— Anonymous 21: Seriously lol. Feels like all the older guys absolutely adore Han Yeoreum.
— Anonymous 28: Han Yeoreum's really blowing up these days T_T I've been following her since . Somehow I never thought she'd disappear.
— Anonymous 45: Why does she look so tiny today? Little baby.
— Anonymous 58: The unnies are all gorgeous too, but Han Yeoreum has something that just melts women's hearts... She makes you smile.
— Anonymous 91: Facts. Absolutely.
Now that K-dramas were spreading across the world...
It was obvious that the cultural and artistic standards of the Korean public had risen as well.
As a cultured person dreaming of Korea becoming a cultural powerhouse, IP 85.152 couldn't help curling the corners of her lips upward.
— Anonymous 105: Holy crap, the entire Holy Grail War is here.
And there was also the Actress Holy Grail War that had ended less than a year ago.
This was the first time all of its main figures had gathered in one place, making the public even more excited.
— Anonymous 116: T_T Han Yeoreum hurry back... The drama scene just isn't as fun without another Holy Grail War.
— Anonymous 124: Seriously, please come back. We can't do this without you.
— Anonymous 143: Recruiting talent to completely flip this boring drama industry upside down.
Even if her screen time in the movie was limited, her current buzz completely overwhelmed that of the lead actors Kwak Cheolsik and Yun Hyeonjo.
At this rate...
It was easy to imagine articles with "Holy Grail War" splashed across the headlines, cross-editing photos of the four actresses together.
Everyone knew it subconsciously.
Han Yeoreum would be the one to open the next chapter in the changing of generations.
The atmosphere that Hong Suryeon and Eun Baekhap had built naturally flowed toward Han Yeoreum.
This was a traditional action film.
Normally, reporters and the public's attention should have naturally gravitated toward the male villain.
Han Yeoreum had stopped that from happening.
Standing shoulder to shoulder with the leads.
‘Are there any more article photos...?’
Returning to the entertainment portal, IP 85.152 suddenly let out a dry laugh.
“Ha!”
[The Flash | A Halfhearted Nod? “It's Triple Ten Million Anyway” Han Yeoreum's Disappointing Attitude]
* * *
“Thank you all for waiting. Please welcome today's stars—the director and cast of .”
The MC holding the microphone introduced us.
Writers.
Directors.
Actors.
Idols.
Comedians.
Their managers.
Agency staff.
Investors.
Distribution executives.
Entertainment reporters.
The packed screening hall didn't have a single empty seat.
The air itself was thick with tension.
‘This is my favorite moment...’
The smell of the leather seats.
The faint scent of popcorn drifting through the closed doors.
The strangely dry air.
The seat indicator lights that never went dark.
And towering before them all...
The enormous screen.
“Please give us a few words before the screening begins.”
Director Gong took the microphone with visibly trembling hands.
Even his voice shook.
“I'm... Gong Mujin, director of . Thank you all for coming today... even though it's so cold outside. And... I'm very happy to be greeting everyone for the third time. Everyone here worked incredibly hard and did an amazing job... so I hope you enjoy it. Have fun! Ah... I'm so nervous I can barely speak.”
Everyone familiar with Director Gong burst into laughter.
Gong Mujin bowed deeply.
“I'm Kwak Cheolsik, the man absolutely couldn't do without! Happy Lunar New Year in advance! And while you're exchanging New Year's blessings, please sneak our movie into the conversation too. That's exactly why we invited you today.”
“I'm Yun Hyeonjo, playing Detective Yoon in . I hope you'll continue supporting this series.”
“I'm Jun Cedric Valentian, playing the villain Chen Wei in . This is my first time greeting everyone through a film... I hope you'll support me as well.”
Finally...
It was my turn.
The microphone was placed in my hand.
The handle was still warm from everyone who had held it before me.
My eyes met Galdaeguk's.
He was casually waving both hands as if telling me to relax.
“I'm Han Yeoreum, Influencer No. 1 in .”
I introduced myself as casually as possible.
“This time, I finally get to have a name. So I hope you'll stay until the very end.”
Because this time...
I'm no longer just another passerby.
I'm not simply "Influencer No. 1."
Applause echoed through the theater once more.
Finally, the lights went out.
The moment had come for to be unveiled to the world.
* * *
A dimly lit room.
The interior slowly came into view.
Workbooks lined a bookshelf.
A schoolbag sat beside the desk.
A school uniform hung on the wall.
Someone lay in bed with the blanket pulled over their head.
It was obvious this room belonged to a young student.
The clock pointed to 10:30.
“Why? Is he sick?”
“I don't know... I think he's just not feeling well.”
“Wait a second.”
“Oh, come on! He fell asleep early, so don't wake him~.”
Beyond the bedroom door came the voices of a father and mother who had just returned home late from work.
They chatted quietly together.
They ate a simple late dinner of soybean paste stew and kimchi.
Click.
Finally, the living room lights went out.
“...”
The inside of the blanket slowly grew bright.
The phone had been turned on.
The camera revealed the boy hiding beneath the blanket.
A colorful gambling game filled the phone's screen.
[★Ladder Game★]
The amount displayed on the right side was 100,000 won.
The boy swallowed hard before selecting a number.
[★Miss★]
But all his hesitation had been pointless.
He lost.
70,000 won vanished.
Only 30,000 remained.
“Ah, fuck....”
Unable to contain his frustration, the boy repeatedly kicked the mattress.
Then he selected the remaining 30,000 won.
[Recharge] [Withdraw]
He wanted to salvage at least what he had left.
But the moment he tapped "Withdraw"—
[★Withdrawals are only available from 1,000,000 won★]
“...”
An unsettling soundtrack slowly began to play.
The boy climbed out from under the blanket with his phone in hand.
Turning on the flashlight, he looked like a police officer on a night patrol...
...or a thief sneaking out to steal something.
He quietly opened the bedroom door without making a sound and crossed the living room.
His footsteps seemed unusually hurried.
A family portrait hanging on the wall came into view.
Creak—
He opened the master bedroom door.
The boy's face appeared through the narrow gap.
His eyes were already completely consumed by a single objective.
The unmistakable expression of a gambler.
“Grrrk....”
The boy successfully picked up the phone lying beside his father's pillow while the man slept soundly.
Then he hurried back to his own room.
[★Would you like to recharge?★]
The gaudy light spilling from the phone illuminated the boy's restless eyes.
The app displayed, in real time, the usernames and winnings of the people who had just taken his money.
[Sword Saint: 72,875,880 won]
[OneBigWinNow: 69,216,720 won]
[StopWhiningYouBeggars: 62,698,990 won]
[GodHyeontae: 59,821,390 won]
[HanRiverViewGuy: 57,219,580 won]
“...”
The more you bet...
...the more you win.
[1,000,000 won]
The boy recharged one million won.
In the darkened room...
He climbed the ladder.
Again.
And again.
And again.
The camera slowly pulled farther and farther away from the boy's back.
Bang!
The title appeared.