The Crazy Woman Acts Too Well - Chapter 102

Vroooom—

Mystic’s van sped down the road.

Their destination: Director Go Taemin’s studio.

For Sua, it was her first scheduled event since winning the grand prize, but her eyes were still glued to her phone screen.

Reading the backed-up chats was just too entertaining.

[ Sua Chatroom ]

[ Deer : @Sua ]
[ Deer : What are you doing ]
[ Black Bear : (link to Sua’s MyTube) ]
[ Black Bear : This isn’t AI? It’s real? ]
[ Monkey : Who would make an AI of Sua ]
[ Black Bear : Yeah, true. ]
[ Black Bear : Anyway, the unit guys want a video call before they’re assigned posts after basic training. Think it’s possible? ]

Even just in the chatroom, the energy was high, and there were even more posts being uploaded to online communities. Not to mention the countless articles appearing online. Sua felt deeply satisfied.

But…

Sua frowned suddenly.

‘You. Why aren’t you going back to your original voice?’

[ Hmm? ]

‘What do you mean “hmm”?! I told you to switch back to your usual tone!’

[ Acknowledged. ]

‘Then why haven’t you changed back!’

The Special Perk whispered calmly.

[ Master’s heart. ]
[ A desire to grow. ]
[ Because the need is strong right now. ]

‘Huh? What does that have to do with anything?’

[ This tone is most effective. ]
[ Mirror therapy working excellently. ]

‘…’

Sua understood the principle at least.

The Special Perk mimicking her way of speaking was apparently the most effective stimulation and fastest method for growth.

She couldn’t help but feel a little bitter inside.

Was she… the perfect example of what not to do?

‘Whatever. Do what you want.’

[ SpecialPerkNod. ]

‘…?’

Sua widened her eyes in disbelief, her expression tinged with rage.

The driver, catching her reflection in the rearview mirror, flinched awkwardly and cautiously turned the steering wheel.

‘Know your limits. Don’t copy my catchphrases.’

[ SpecialPerkRefuse. ]

Now it was even using transformation techniques. She was dumbfounded.

‘Stop it. SuaWarning.’
[ SpecialPerkIgnore. ]
‘SuaPierce.’
[ SpecialPerkRecover. ]
‘SuaOneShotKill.’
[ SpecialPerkResurrect. ]
‘SuaVictory.’
[ SpecialPerkInvalid. ]

Even the inner mini-Suas couldn’t take it anymore and started commenting.

— A majestic battle that swells the chest.
— Even kids sharing candy don’t bicker this much.
— I’m done watching. I might catch some of this barbarism.

Just then—

Clunk!

The van came to a halt.

“Sua, we’re here.”

Kim Iseo gave Sua a soft smile.

“Shall we go?”

The two nodded, forgetting their quarrel for now.

‘SuaNod.’
[ SpecialPerkNod. ]

.

.

.

.

.

Go Taemin’s studio.

Despite arriving earlier than scheduled, the place was already bustling. But Sua understood—“Starting Tomorrow, Crescendo” was a project receiving a lot of attention.

The venue was the same as before.

A meeting room resembling a gallery space. The very place where a grand piano had once been situated.

Clack—

As the door opened and they stepped inside—

‘…Huh?’

Sua instinctively checked the time.

‘Whoa, I thought I was late.’

They were twenty minutes early, yet everyone was already gathered. The production team of “Starting Tomorrow, Crescendo,” along with the group that had performed the stellar piano recital with Ham A-yoon, were already there.

Go Taemin stood up from his seat.

“Ah, you’ve arrived.”

Still skinny, with deep-set eyes. But his voice remained warm. Kim Iseo and Sua nodded in unison.

Kim Iseo spoke first.

“Maybe we should’ve come even earlier.”

“Not at all. You’re quite early already. Would you like to rest a bit before we start? We still have about twenty minutes.”

“No need to delay. If everyone’s here, let’s start right away.”

“Alright. Sounds good.”

Everyone gathered around the square-shaped table in the meeting room, except for Ham A-yoon, who remained seated at the grand piano. But her eyes were locked on Sua.

Then Director Go slid a stack of papers toward Sua across the table. They were articles about her award win.

“Ms. Sua, you won the grand prize. It’s something to celebrate.”

“Agreed…”

Sua almost said, “I agree,” but stopped herself.

No. I can’t.

She had resolved to change. To stop the mirror therapy from continuing, she had to grow…

So.

“…I’m happy to hear that. But as I said in my acceptance speech, this is only the beginning. I still have a long way to go.”

She’d only said a single sentence, yet her body already felt stiff and awkward.

Like she’d suddenly done a full split with a rigid body. It was exhausting. And hard to adjust to. Was this what it took to grow stronger?

[ SpecialPerkPraise ]
[ SuaAdmirable ]

Sua ignored the Special Perk’s praise.

Director Go continued.

“Honestly, while I’m happy for you, I’m also really concerned.”

“What do you mean by concern?”

“Well, we haven’t signed an official contract with you yet, Ms. Sua. I’ve been genuinely worried. I know we need to offer better terms than before, but I’m not sure what those should be.”

“Ah…”

Sua nodded.

It was true. They hadn’t signed any formal contract yet—just a verbal agreement, really.

Only now did she understand why they’d all gathered so early.

They must’ve been calculating the new worth of Sua’s skyrocketed value.

At that moment, thoughts crossed between Kim Iseo and Go Taemin.

‘Now that I think about it, we haven’t signed a contract, and Sua’s value has gone up. Should we try to negotiate more for our benefit? Or would it be wiser to build trust and goodwill?’

‘Even after the meeting, it’s hard to pin down an exact number. I guess I’ll have to feel out her intentions a little.’

But this wasn’t because they wanted to lowball her.

It was a sincere concern, with the intent to meet her expectations as best as they could. After a moment of thought, Go Taemin opened his mouth.

“Ms. Sua, do you remember something you mentioned before?”

“Which part are you referring to?”

“You said you hoped A-yoon would play the role of Park Minseo.”

“Yes. I still feel the same.”

[ From Tomorrow, Crescendo ]
▶ Implementation factors sufficient.
▶ Grade 1.5

001 — Kim Sohee (Grade A)
002 — Park Minseo (Ham A-yoon)
003 — Lee Seungmyung (Grade F)

Even glancing at the Perk window made it clear.

Her best role was Kim Sohee, with a perfect grade A match. Park Minseo had to be played by Ham A-yoon. That was the only correct answer.

“You’ll be glad to know—Ham A-yoon has conditionally accepted the role of Park Minseo.”

“May I ask what the condition is?”

Sua was losing it inside.

She wanted to respond with, Huh? What? Seriously? Please.

“The moment you sign the contract, she’ll jump in too. A-yoon hasn’t signed anything official yet either.”

“Great. Let’s sign it.”

There was no reason to hesitate.

The starting grade was already 1.5, and with enough effort, it could go even higher. She had found all the right puzzle pieces for the roles, and they were all falling into place.

And perhaps…

Sua suddenly thought of Kim Sun-il.

Yeoncheon-gyeong (演天境).

The realm where the meaning of acting touches the heavens.

A secret technique that draws out your deepest wishes through acting, and a manifestation of one’s personal philosophy.

Kim Sun-il had reached it. And proved it.

Could she witness someone else’s Yeoncheon-gyeong this time? Or maybe—she could awaken it herself.

But just then—

“Also, Ms. Sua.”

Her thoughts were cut short.

Because what Director Go said next was completely unexpected.

“It should’ve arrived by now.”

“What has?”

“You mentioned you really wanted one, remember? I said I’d try my best to get it for you. Don’t tell me you’ve completely forgotten?”

Director Go smiled brightly.

“You wanted an Arctic fox, didn’t you?”

An actual Arctic fox had arrived!

◈◈◈◈◈

tvS Broadcasting Station, designated press conference location.

Outside the door, a temporary sign stood.

[ Special Forces Unit 808 Production Briefing ]

Flash!
Pop—! Pop—!

With camera flashes constantly bursting, reporters sat in neat rows behind desks, each clutching a laptop.

They wouldn’t miss a single breath from those sitting before them.

Kim Sun-il, Seo Yeon-ju, PD Choi Heewon, writer Lee Geum-sook.

This was the official production briefing for Special Forces Unit 808.

These days, with every network confidently holding production briefings, this one was a given too—especially since Unit 808 was already generating massive community buzz.

The host handled the event smoothly.

“Everyone’s wondering—will there be a love line between Seo Yeon-ju and Kim Sun-il? The anticipation is huge! Can we expect anything romantic between your characters?”

Seo Yeon-ju responded with a gentle smile, raising her hand and placing it on Kim Sun-il’s shoulder.

“We’re going to showcase some very powerful emotions. You can count on it.”

It wasn’t a lie.

Because Kim Yuhan and Lee Kang-chul were going to portray an extremely complex and delicate emotional arc. But more importantly, Seo Yeon-ju was the kind of wise actress who knew how to fully utilize such opportunities.

‘I’ll have to throw out this suit.’
‘Ugh, my nail hit it. Gotta get them redone.’

Of course, both Seo Yeon-ju and Kim Sun-il were internally trembling…

But everything continued to flow smoothly.

The actors shared their thoughts and determination, playful questions were asked, Choi Heewon spoke about his directorial vision, and Lee Geum-sook laid out her ultimate goal.

“…Well, that’s the mindset I had when writing it. I think everyone can look forward to it. Now then, shall we take some questions?”

The moment writer Lee Geum-sook finished speaking—

Hands shot up from every direction.

All of them belonged to reporters, each one staring wide-eyed as if begging to be chosen. Lee Geum-sook hesitated briefly before pointing to one.

“Yes, please go ahead.”

“Thank you.”

The reporter smiled brightly.

Her business card hung from a lanyard, showing she was a team lead from StarCatch—but her face looked young.

It was none other than Saengji—Kim Seon-ah.

“There’s been a lot of speculation about casting a rookie in the lead role. Could you perhaps clarify the reasoning behind that decision?”

“Hmm, I’d love to tell you everything, but that’s a secret…”

Lee Geum-sook purposely dragged out the pause.

The reporters swallowed dryly, growing tense, while the writer pretended to exchange glances with those around her, then slowly nodded with great difficulty. It was, of course, all an act.

Every bit of it was carefully calculated.

“…Alright. Since so many of you came today, I should show a little sincerity. I’ll make just one thing clear.”

“…!”

The reporters immediately placed both hands on their laptops, ready to type like court stenographers no matter what she said.

“We had always planned to cast a rookie as Kim Yuhan. Among all the options, Mr. Su-an stood out as the most exceptional. I’d even say it’s a sure thing he’ll win this year’s Rookie of the Year award.”

The reporters took the bait instantly.

“There’s some serious competition this year. Just look at idol-turned-actress Yang Ha-rin or Daesang-winner Lee Sua. You’re saying Mr. Su-an will surpass all of them?”

“Exactly. I’d say he doesn’t even have a real rival.”

A masterful redirection of the discussion.

From Why did they cast Lee Su-an as Kim Yuhan?
To Can Lee Su-an win Rookie of the Year?

And notably, they never clearly stated whether Lee Sua and Lee Su-an were different people. That way, no one would feel deceived later.

The key was to avoid lying.

There was a brief pause in the questions after that.

Because everyone was too busy whispering among themselves.

“Does that make sense? Isn’t this just empty bragging?”

“With the casting fees for Kim Sun-il and Seo Yeon-ju, plus all those production costs… They probably just cast a rookie because they ran out of money.”

“MBQ and SBT did the same in their briefings. Bragging is standard now. I guess it’s just used as a gimmick these days.”

“I don’t know. Just write it like it is. If they’re going to provoke people that blatantly, we have no choice but to go with it.”

Soon, everyone’s minds were consumed with a single topic.

A perfect spark for flame wars and speculation.

And exactly what the 808 production team had intended.

‘Already a three-way battle? Who’s the true Rookie of the Year?’

There was no better headline.

And the effect? Absolutely overwhelming.

‘Yang Ha-rin probably has the advantage.’
‘It’s gotta be Lee Sua. Just look at the community response.’
‘Lee Su-an has a shot too. The project is high-profile.’

Even the reporters were already split in opinion.

The war had begun.

And in this time of chaos, what was needed…
Was a hero to unify it all.