The Crazy Woman Acts Too Well - Chapter 192
At that moment,
“We will pause the script reading for now.”
Director Ko Tae-min announced after making the decision.
“It seems there’s an issue starting the reading when we’re all practically strangers. Let’s eat first. We need to get to know each other a little before proceeding. And….”
He glanced alternately between Sua and Gang Hak-man.
“Mr. Hak-man, let’s have a separate talk.”
◈◈◈◈◈
An hour later, an unexpected dinner meetup was arranged.
What was supposed to be a script reading session had turned into something closer to a post-work gathering.
Of course, no one moved to a high-class restaurant. Everyone was busy top-tier actors, so the decision was made to go with delivered food and communal eating.
Sua recalled her recent conversation with Director Ko.
‘It seems he’s worried I might disrupt or quit the filming, but that’s not the case. I have no intention of leaving this project.’
Starting tomorrow, *Crescendo* would begin at a higher level.
Moreover, if anyone was to quit, it should be Gang Hak-man, right? Why should Sua leave when she hasn’t done anything wrong? Sua is annoyed!
Later,
Director Ko Tae-min informed Sua that Gang Hak-man had shown great remorse, that he had issued a stern warning, and that Gang Hak-man’s usual behavior was impeccable.
He added an apology as a director for his inattentiveness.
Sua was surprised by the situation.
Gang Hak-man wasn’t dismissed outright.
‘This is because Gang Hak-man’s usual behavior has been too exemplary.’
True, from Sua’s perspective, he seemed pleasant on the outside. Which made it all the more unsettling. What was up with Gang Hak-man? If he’s such a well-behaved person, why had he acted that way with her?
In any case, Director Ko Tae-min was confused by the situation, caught between Sua’s and Gang Hak-man’s differing opinions. It made the atmosphere tense.
Another solution needed to be devised.
“Has everyone received their food?”
Director Ko Tae-min spoke up.
“Since we’ve gathered successful people, there may be collisions of egos and misunderstandings, but I didn’t account for that. It seems that we need a process to think of each other as family and become closer for the sake of completing this project.”
He continued with a faint smile.
“In particular, the leading actors, I ask much of you. And, Ms. Sua, since this is mostly new for you…”
This drew several looks toward Sua.
“Lately, you see her all over the internet—she’s a monster rookie. I guarantee her acting ability. I hope everyone gets along well with Ms. Sua. Ms. Sua, please say a few words.”
Sua briefly opened her mouth, feeling unsettled.
“I’m Sua Lee.”
“…Well well, I wanted to say something about Ms. Sua that would help you understand her better, but it seems that’s still difficult. She’s the type who’s only focused on work, so I hope you all understand her.”
The truth was different.
Rather, thanks to that short introduction, those around her got a good sense of who Sua was, albeit slightly different from the reality.
‘Intimidating. Better not mess with her lightly.’
‘Extremely sensitive person? Probably.’
‘…Her presence is overwhelming. Not someone prone to lying, is she? Did Gang Hak-man really do something strange?’
As Director Ko Tae-min’s explanations continued,
“*From Tomorrow, Crescendo* has only revealed its main casting so far. We’ve intentionally held back some of the other information. The postponed date for the script reading will—”
20 minutes later, after the explanation ended and Director Ko left.
“…”
Sua nibbled on seasoned chicken foot.
It should’ve tasted good, but she couldn’t feel it.
‘Gang Hak-man, you garbage. How do I wreck you?’
She was grinding her teeth.
Frankly, at first, she had doubts, but seeing Gang Hak-man so shamelessly lie made her realize: he doesn’t even regret anything. He’s true garbage.
—The issue is that Gang Hak-man is different from the bastards she’s dealt with before. A disgusting person.
—True. Until now, Sua’s enemies have only been people exerting power or doubting her acting abilities. She could handle them by working hard.
Kim Yu-han calmly continued.
—But this guy is different. Seemingly, he’s managed his reputation very carefully. He’s been very cautious.
—If we want him gone, we need to devise a different approach.
Just as Sua’s organization was grinding its teeth,
“Ms. Sua.”
Unexpectedly, Gang Hak-man extended his hand first.
“I imagine Ms. Sua must have been very uncomfortable. But I’m married, and I have a daughter. I’m not really that kind of person… Please believe me.”
‘Whoa, you’re going for a direct approach?’
At a loss for words, Sua was interrupted by Lee Joo-hyun, the actress cast as the step-sister.
“Ms. Sua, why not accept it? This seems like a mistaken situation, and Hak-man is continuing to apologize.”
What? Sua thought this was absurd.
‘Would you say this even if he gropped your thigh?’
Thinking this, Sua responded. Was it the influence of Gangster Sua? Sua had begun entertaining bold thoughts.
“Seems you’d just overlook being sexually harassed, Ms. Joo-hyun.”
“…What?”
“I can’t do that.”
Joo-hyun scoffed.
“Ms. Sua, are you trying to gain the upper hand here? You don’t even care about the mood or feelings of others?”
“I intend to fully commit to filming, and if anyone interferes with it, I will never tolerate it—like the act of inappropriately touching someone.”
After her retort, Sua unconsciously furrowed her brows.
Joo-hyun. Why was this woman stepping in so much?
Eventually, Gang Hak-man stepped in, repeatedly bowing his head.
“I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. I truly apologize to Ms. Sua, and please, Ms. Joo-hyun, stop. I will handle this separately. Everyone, please continue eating. I apologize.”
The meal continued, but of course, the atmosphere was chilly. After some time, Sua rose.
“Ms. Sua, are you leaving first?”
“Yes, I have another schedule.”
After Sua left,
Someone abruptly slammed their chopsticks down with a loud noise.
“Isn’t that going too far?”
It was Joo-hyun.
“She’s trying to seize the upper hand with a mere pretext on set. She’s surrounded by much senior actors, yet she’s acting this way… what is she even trying to do?”
“That’s quite a leap.”
This was Ham Ah-yoon, who had been silent up to that point. After neatly arranging her blonde hair, she spoke.
“Anyway, he did touch Ms. Sua, didn’t he? I would’ve found it unpleasant myself. She handled it well and left.”
“But he said it was a mistake.”
“First of all…”
Ah-yoon gave Joo-hyun a side glance.
“Why are you stepping in so much, Ms. Joo-hyun?”
“Well, that’s because…”
For a moment, Joo-hyun’s eyebrow twitched.
“It’s because I’ve worked with Mr. Hak-man on previous projects. He’s absolutely not the kind of person to do that.”
“So are you saying Ms. Sua is the type to lie? Absolutely not. She’s someone who bluntly tells the truth.”
Ah-yoon’s response made a few actors nod.
“That’s right. Ms. Sua is also not the type to lie…”
“Even if it was a mistake, it’s natural that a female actor would feel uncomfortable, right? I don’t think Ms. Sua is at fault.”
Thanks to the trust Sua had accumulated over the years, if Gang Hak-man had been an ordinary male actor, he would’ve been kicked out of this place with a single word from Sua.
“…”
Joo-hyun narrowed her eyes and glared at Ah-yoon.
As opinions divided based on the opposing views of Sua and Gang Hak-man, the meal continued in silence.
Sua was about to unconsciously board the van when,
“Ah…”
Though embarrassing, her stomach signaled her needs.
But isn’t it better to go to the bathroom than to endure the discomfort? Ultimately, she excused herself and turned her steps. She’d just make a quick trip.
When she returned to the building’s restroom,
“Hmm?”
Sua unexpectedly spotted two individuals.
At the same time, they were two very unwelcome people: the ones who had previously unsettled Sua—Gang Hak-man and Joo-hyun. They seemed to be talking.
At first, Sua pondered how she should approach them. But before she could think further, Gang Hak-man greeted her with an almost panicked expression.
“Ah! Ms. Sua?”
He gave her his usual smile.
“You came back? Oh, is it for the restroom?”
But Sua found Joo-hyun’s face more noticeable than Gang Hak-man’s: it was extremely red, not from shyness but more like someone who’d just been yelling.
“…I’ll go ahead.”
Joo-hyun turned her back.
“Yeah, sure. I need to go do some recycling. Ms. Joo-hyun! Let’s talk about the role later!”
“Okay.”
Sua tilted her head at the entrance of the restroom.
The actions of both just moments before seemed awkward even to her.
◈◈◈◈◈
Two days later. Netflix Korea Headquarters.
A man with perfect proportions, dressed entirely in black, appeared holding a young girl’s hand.
It was Kim Sun-il visiting with his younger sister.
Yujin was evidently thrilled.
“It’s been so long since I went around with my brother!”
“Yeah. How many years has it been?”
Kim Sun-il sounded particularly nostalgic.
“In the future, let’s wander around together more.”
“Yeah, Brother, but this building is huge.”
“So big, because it’s an incredible place. Are you hungry?”
“Not at all. It’s fun going around with my brother.”
Sun-il opened the VIP lounge. He intended to let his younger sister rest here while he attended a meeting regarding the joining of *Project Nameless*.
However,
Surprisingly, someone was already inside the VIP lounge.
“Kim Sun-il?”
“…Is that Lee Seo-jung?”
Both simultaneously showed expressions of distaste.
Their expressions weren’t the casual dislike that occurs between siblings, or like the meeting between Seo Yeon-joo and Kim Sun-il. Both truly disliked each other. They were completely incompatible, one might say.
‘Why is Kim Sun-il here?’
While this thought crossed Lee Seo-jung’s mind,
Yujin tugged on Sun-il’s collar and asked.
“Brother, are you going to the meeting now?”
“Yes.”
“What role do you have?”
“That, I’ll find out there.”
“Brother, I hope you get a role close to your girlfriend.”
“…Yujin. Keep it down here.”
However, Lee Seo-jung had already overheard Yujin’s statement.
Girlfriend? Does Kim Sun-il have a girlfriend? Is that right? Can someone with such obsessive-compulsive tendencies even have a girlfriend? How does one even kiss with OCD? Does that even make sense?
‘Poor girlfriend.’
While she thought this, Lee Seo-jung fiddled with her phone, her ears still tuned to Yujin’s words.
“Brother, I hope you get a happy role this time.”
“I understand.”
“And get closer to Sua sister!”
“I understand. I understand already…”
“And get closer until you get married!”
Right after, Lee Seo-jung’s eyes doubled in size.
“What?”
Without realizing it, Lee Seo-jung interrupted.
“Kim Sun-il, what do you think you’re doing dating this Sua Lee?”
“Yes.”
Sun-il’s younger sister answered for him.