Chapter 93: Ghost of the Synopsis Scandal

“Yoo Byunghyun, Hong Changho, Jin Taesang. Those three were all under one director.”

“All three of them?”

“Yeah.”

Was he some famous director? 

Besides Yoo Byunghyun from ‘Glory Day’, I had never heard of the others, but Junhae seemed to recognize the names.

“Wow~ What kind of connection did that director have to keep all three of them under him?”

Judging by their reactions, the other directors were pretty famous too.

“They were with him, and he helped each one become independent one by one. Finally, he was about to help Yoo Byunghyun go independent too…”

“And then the incident happened.”

“An incident…?”

“The synopsis plagiarism scandal.”

Just hearing “synopsis plagiarism” painted the whole story in my head.

“Yoo Byunghyun claimed his mentor stole his idea, the other directors backed him, and it turned into a huge mess.”

“Really? If it was plagiarism, that’s a big deal. How come I never heard about it?”

“Plagiarism scandals honestly don’t last long. How many people actually pay attention to the writer or director’s name? As long as it’s fun, everyone watches.”

That was true. 

Just a few days ago, a writer famous for plagiarism released a new work and it did decently well.

“So did that person really steal his junior’s idea?”

Was Yoo Byunghyun actually the wronged victim? I asked out of curiosity, but Seungkwon shook his head.

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“Yeah. It went to trial and he was found not guilty. But you know how hard it is to prove plagiarism.”

“So we don’t know if he really stole the idea or if he was unfairly accused?”

“Exactly.”

“Is he still active?”

I suddenly became curious about the man.

“No, after that incident he completely disappeared.”

“Really?”

“The director vanished, while the other three kept working hard, so now it’s pretty much accepted as fact that he stole from his juniors.”

“But then doesn’t that mean there’s no problem?”

If that were the case, Yoo Byunghyun would just be the victim. 

There’d be no reason to feel uneasy.

“That’s true, but when I was a complete rookie I did one of that director’s projects. A minor role.”

“And?”

“It was the first time a director ever gave acting directions to someone in a minor role.”

He gave acting directions to a minor role?

“I still remember it clearly. A director who was that serious about his work committing plagiarism? I don’t buy it.”

Seungkwon’s eyes were full of conviction.

“Do you think the same, hyung?”

“Me? I don’t really have an opinion. Anyway, I’ll never work with him. Heh heh.”

He laughed it off in his usual way. 

From filming with these two, I had figured out their personalities. 

Seungkwon couldn’t hide his feelings and had strong opinions; Haejin might laugh it off on the outside and step back, but his inner convictions were rock-solid.

“He only works with hot celebrities, so he has nothing to do with me.”

“But weren’t we just badmouthing him in front of someone who actually worked with him?”

“Oh shoot, sorry. I didn’t think of that.”

The two realized they had been rude in front of Junhae and apologized. But Junhae took it coolly.

“It’s fine. I don’t think I’ll work with that director again anyway.”

“Why? He’s a ten-million-ticket director right now—actors must be lining up to work with him.”

“Just… he didn’t really suit me.”

He said it mildly, but everyone in the room understood.

Ah, something must have happened during filming.

“So what’s the name of that director who disappeared?”

“Ah~ that director?”

“Yes.”

I was curious. What kind of person raised three directors and then vanished?

“His name is…”

Right at the crucial moment, the door opened and Youngjae walked in.

“Hyunjae, aren’t you going home? Planning to sleep here?”

“Ah! What time is it? Wow, it’s already this late? I was so absorbed in the story I didn’t notice.”

I had been so focused on listening that I lost track of time.

“Stay the night.”

“Yeah~ We’ll lay out a blanket for you.”

Seungkwon and Haejin tried to make me stay, but I refused.

“No, I have to sleep at home. Then I’ll get going now.”

“You can stay.”

“I’m okay. See you next time.”

***

“Take care~”

It had gotten much later than planned, so I hurried out of the filming site, worried Kyung-ho might be waiting.

I’ll search for that director’s name later.

These days nothing stays hidden from searches, so it wouldn’t be a problem.

Little did I know he would appear right in front of me soon after.

“Noona, I’ll hold it here a little.”

“Go ahead.”

I was in the middle of filming, matching movements with Haewon.

“Okay. You checked the blocking? Let’s go right away.”

At the director’s words, the camera and lighting teams busily set the lines and moved.

“Ready~ Action!”

The sound of filming starting rang out, followed soon by the sound of Haewon running.

“Haa haa—”

This scene was twenty-eight-year-old Jaehee returning to when she was eighteen, getting revenge on the kids who bullied her and then running away.

“We’re outnumbered, nothing we can do.”

I was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, and soon Haewon appeared. 

I timed it perfectly and grabbed the wrist of the running Haewon.

“Huh?”

Caught while fleeing, Haewon looked at me with a startled face.

We stared at each other for about five seconds until finally the director yelled.

“Cut! That was great~”

“Hahaha, Director, weren’t you a bit late with the cut? I almost burst out laughing.”

Haewon laughed as she spoke.

“It came out well.”

“Was it okay?”

At the “it came out well,” Haewon headed to the monitor, and I followed to check the scene we had just shot.

“Kang Ha’s eyes are so good.”

“Was it okay?”

They say the key to a successful rom-com is the chemistry between the two leads. 

That’s why I tried hard to cherish and like Jaehee, the female lead.

“I’m getting butterflies myself.”

“What’s the director going to do if he’s the one getting butterflies?”

“If I get butterflies, the viewers will too.”

“This guy really has an ON/OFF switch.”

Haewon alternated looking between me on screen and me in real life as she spoke.

“Do that eye thing.”

I laughed at the sudden request.

“No way~ Noona isn’t Jaehee.”

Jaehee and Haewon were completely different people. 

Just like Kang Ha and I were different.

“You’ll never date someone you meet on a drama set.”

“Huh? Why would I date someone from a drama set?”

We’re so busy and exhausted—how does anyone even think about romance?

“You were born to be an actor.”

“Yes?”

Haewon gave a faint smile at my confused face, then focused on the monitor again.

“We can go with this, right?”

“Yeah, let’s do one more close-up.”

“We’ll do a close-up and go again!”

We shot the same scene a few more times, then moved locations to film the scene where Kang Ha hides Jaehee under the piano in the auditorium.

***

“Where did she go?”

“She couldn’t have gone far.”

The kids bullying Jaehee came all the way to where Kang Ha was, looking for her.

“This is my time right now.”

Kang Ha blocked their path.

“Ah… Kang Ha, sorry.”

“Did anyone else come here by chance?”

The girls who had been huffing and ready to grab someone turned into meek lambs in front of Kang Ha.

“Who? Is something… going on? Should I call a teacher?”

Seeing them soaked as if they had been doused with water, he asked. 

They glanced around the auditorium, exchanged looks, and said,

“No, it’s nothing.”

“Let’s go, let’s go.”

“Sorry.”

They rushed out of the auditorium just as fast as they had come in. 

Kang Ha confirmed they were completely gone, then approached where Jaehee was hiding.

“…Han Jaehee.”

He called Jaehee’s name in a low voice.

“Are they gone?”

Jaehee peeked out just her head to check the surroundings.

“Phew~ I thought I was going to die.”

Kang Ha crouched down, looked at Jaehee who was muttering in relief, then leaned forward and stared straight into her dark eyes.

“W-Why?”

Suddenly getting close and staring, Jaehee flustered and pulled her face back.

“What is it?”

“W-What do you mean?”

“You’re definitely different.”

At the word “different,” Jaehee flinched inside.

“I did change my hairstyle a bit… Is that it?”

She tried to dodge with an excuse, but it didn’t work on Kang Ha.

“What changed?”

But no matter how much he stared, he wouldn’t figure out the secret.

Rather than suspicion, his tone seemed worried, and Jaehee felt this was the moment.

“Um… Actually, I have something to say…!”

“Something to say?”

Once a moment passes, it never comes back. Jaehee threw caution to the wind and blurted it out.

“I like you!”

She never imagined she would confess at this timing, but she had decided never to regret again.

Taken aback by the sudden confession, Kang Ha just blinked, and in that time Jaehee crawled out from under the piano and stood face-to-face with him.

“I like you.”

It was the confession she had wanted to make on behalf of her eighteen-year-old self who could only watch from afar ten years ago. 

It took a long time, but it was something she wanted to say to the one ray of light in her dark school days.

“I liked you, Kang Ha.”

Jaehee confessed once more with a smile, and Kang Ha’s pupils shook slightly as he fidgeted with his earlobe.

“Pfft!”

Seeing an eighteen-year-old boy at a loss after a sudden confession, laughter burst out involuntarily.

“You don’t have to accept it. I just really wanted to say it. I’m going.”

Jaehee left the auditorium just like that, and Kang Ha, worried she might have seen his flushed face, checked the heat on his face with his hand.

***

“Hey, who are you?”

A staff member of ‘Love Some’ spotted a middle-aged man loitering while cleaning up the set.

“Ah, well…”

“We’re filming right now, you can’t be here. Please leave~”

The man hesitated for a moment, then moved away, avoiding the staff’s eyes.

“He came all the way to the school auditorium to sightsee? A Jung Haewon fan?”

Since he was middle-aged, they figured he was just curious because a celebrity car was parked and filming was happening.

“Hello~”

“Hello!”

The staff bowed in greeting to Hayoon who greeted them.

“Where are you going?”

“Just going to move the car.”

“Hyunjae-ssi, are you done filming?”

“Yes, take care.”

After a light chat, Hayoon went to get the car, and the staff continued keeping an eye on the surroundings.

…Why does that guy keep lurking?

Then they spotted the same middle-aged man from earlier still hanging around instead of leaving.

“Hey! I said leave!”

Having already warned him once, they couldn’t let it slide and shouted firmly this time.

“Sir, if you keep staying here…”

“Wait a second!”

“Huh?”

Just as they approached to say something, Hyunjae’s car pulled out of the set, and the man suddenly ran toward Hyunjae’s car.

“What the—?”

It was strange for a middle-aged man to chase after a male actor’s car instead of the female lead’s.

“Who on earth is that guy?”