The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune
Chapter 134

Chapter 134

Ever since I confirmed Seol Seung-jun’s memories, I knew about the existence of his “girlfriend.”

Just by looking at Seol Seung-jun’s attitude towards her, it was clear that theirs was not a normal relationship.

Of course, if she were just an ordinary girlfriend, she wouldn’t be obligated to clean up his messes.

Such a relationship deserved a different term.

“Benefactor” or “backer” would be more fitting.

“So, sponsors really do exist.”

I’d seen them in movies and dramas, but it felt strange to encounter one in real life.

Seol Seung-jun’s sponsor was someone with considerable power.

The atrocities Seol Seung-jun committed were numerous and horrifying. Slaps and sexual harassment were mere trifles compared to them.

To bury all those incidents without a trace, her power had to be immense.

That was why, for my first threat, I sent photos of him involved in a “mere” drug deal.

I was reluctant to use the photos of Seol Seung-jun with other women outside of his sponsor.

Judging by what I’d seen in his memories, it didn’t seem like his sponsor would react normally upon discovering the truth.

I didn’t mind ruining Seol Seung-jun to the point where he couldn’t step outside, but it would affect the drama.

If that happened, what would the innocent staff and Sung Lee-jun have done wrong?

However, Director Yoon’s words made me realize something.

“The Master of the Dogs” could be produced even without Seol Seung-jun.

“And I won’t get caught up in scandals either.”

It was a win-win situation for everyone.

Except for Seol Seung-jun, that is.

* * *

Though I said it simply, it wasn’t easy.

I wasn’t some movie protagonist.

I was just an ordinary middle school student, far from being adept at threatening someone.

With Mist’s help, I had gotten my hands on photos that couldn’t be found anywhere else, but actually sending them to someone was another matter entirely.

Sending a letter to Seol Seung-jun’s agency to make it difficult to trace the sender was relatively simple.

Compared to the task of sending the photos to Seol Seung-jun’s sponsor.

“I had to be thorough.”

The opponent was someone who would cause trouble if I made a mistake and got caught.

Online was more suitable than offline, but the problem was, I needed another phone.

A phone not registered under my name, but under someone else’s.

It wasn’t something I could do alone, and I couldn’t ask Jin-bae hyung for help.

Of course, Jin-bae hyung would help if I asked, but…

“What would I say if he asked why I needed it?”

What reason would a normal second-year middle school student have for needing a burner phone?

Even if I made up an excuse, it would look suspicious.

At least, I didn’t want Jin-bae hyung to see me that way.

“…A burner phone?”

So, I eventually asked this person.

Seeing his dumbfounded expression, I answered awkwardly.

“Yes. Is it possible?”

“No, what on earth are you up to?”

“It’s hard to explain in detail, but I need a phone that’s difficult to trace. I plan to dispose of it after one use. I’m sorry to bother you because I don’t have anyone else to ask.”

“That’s fine, but…”

Singer Kang Se-hyun hesitated for a long time before asking quietly.

“Are you some kind of secret agent or something?”

As if. If I were really a secret agent, I wouldn’t be stuck on such trivial matters.

When I looked exasperated at his unexpected question, he shouted in frustration, saying he was more taken aback.

Despite his reluctant expression, Kang Se-hyun eventually agreed.

And within a few hours, he procured a phone.

I thought he might ask something, but surprisingly, he handed it over without a word.

“He must already have his suspicions about me.”

After all, I was the one who gave him an MP3 player that couldn’t exist in this world.

He didn’t ask any questions because of the conditions, but he must have sensed something odd.

Since he already had that impression of me, asking for a burner phone wouldn’t make things much worse.

Using the phone I obtained, I sent a message to the private number of Seol Seung-jun’s sponsor, which I found through his memories.

I attached photos of him meeting with other women, one by one.

Sending messages in the middle of the night felt strange.

“I feel like a villain.”

Of course, I was doing things that a villain would do.

From identity theft to blackmail, my actions were blatantly illegal.

I hesitated momentarily before sending the message.

Was this really the right thing to do? Was it okay to mess with someone’s life like this?

“Someone like me?”

Could I dare to do this?

Even if I became an impolite junior, couldn’t I avoid this by just blocking Seol Seung-jun’s number?

The confusion was dispelled by the dawn’s light.

As the darkness of the hill was gradually illuminated, memories of countless stars from the fan meeting came to mind.

“Right, let’s not forget what’s most important.”

I had no intention of leaving a potential danger unchecked.

This was something I had chosen to do with my own hands.

There was no time for complaints or regrets.

“No matter how burdensome, I must do it.”

As I had told Director Yoon, it was my responsibility to handle everything.

No matter how it might come back to me.

* * *

[Seol Seung-jun expresses desire to halt activities due to worsening panic disorder… Agency says, “Currently verifying.”]

[Actor Seol Seung-jun shares his inner thoughts on SNS, effectively announces retirement.]

[Seol Seung-jun abruptly withdraws from “The Master of the Dogs” three weeks into filming, how does the production company feel?]

The internet buzzed with the sudden retirement announcement of the actor.

Seol Seung-jun, known for his clean image and lack of controversies, became a hot topic.

Reactions were varied. Some sympathized, wondering how tough it must have been for him to write such a rambling post, while others criticized him for not finishing what he started, calling him irresponsible.

However, no one doubted the panic disorder and depression he cited as reasons for retirement.

These were common ailments among celebrities.

But anyone who had seen him even once would scoff at such excuses.

“That crazy bastard is putting on a show.”

“Did he suddenly get sick?”

“Didn’t they say his sponsor is the youngest daughter of Seonghee Group? She must have dumped him.”

“Serves him right. He acted like a big shot because of his connections.”

Perhaps because it was a newsroom, the conversations floating in the air were blunt.

“Ah, I wanted to gather people who got slapped by Seol Seung-jun and write a special article. All down the drain now.”

“Who knows? He might come back in a few months. Wanna bet?”

“Oh. I bet six months.”

“I’ll say eight months!”

Since it was long past office hours, people eagerly joined in at the mention of a bet.

The woman who calmed the increasingly noisy newsroom was one with a low, authoritative voice.

“Can I join the bet too?”

At her weighted words, the journalists jumped to their feet as if struck by lightning.

“Hello, Director!”

“Sorry, we were just―.”

“No, I just wanted to join the bet.”

“Uh… Director, what’s your guess?”

At the daring question from a new reporter, the PTN director responded with a smile.

“I bet he won’t come back until he’s dead.”

“What? Did you hear something?”

The journalists’ eyes brightened instantly.

“I’ve tracked down Seol Seung-jun’s location. He’s already left Korea. The last sighting was near Rome.”

“Rome?”

“Yeah. Do you know why I came down here? Form your own teams and investigate.”

After saying that, the director disappeared.

New reporters stood dumbfounded, but the more experienced ones hurriedly put on their coats.

As PTN reporter Kim Yeon-doo, who had just shed her rookie status, followed her senior, she asked.

“Senior, why the sudden rush? What did the director mean by that?”

“You know that Seol Seung-jun’s sponsor is the youngest daughter of Seonghee Group, right?”

“Yes.”

“That youngest daughter has a villa near Rome that she visits every summer.”

“…! So, Seol Seung-jun is with her?”

“Who knows? Try connecting your contacts and find out.”

“Got it! But even if we find out, we can’t publish it, right? Since he already announced his retirement….”

When Kim Yeon-doo trailed off, her senior snapped in frustration.

“Information is always valuable. You never know when it might come in handy. And with Seonghee Group, we can extort a lot even without publishing an article. We need to find out before other media does. Got it?”

“Yes!”

“Then you go to Seol Seung-jun’s agency and get an interview. I’ll meet some contacts at Seonghee Group.”

The journalists hurriedly left the office.

While they roamed the streets with determination to catch a big fish, the person who knew Seol Seung-jun’s exact whereabouts better than anyone was asleep.

* * *

“Yeon-jae!”

“Hello.”

I embraced Mist, who came running with a bright smile, and then lay down on the bed.

Without any instructions, Mist projected Seol Seung-jun’s day onto the ceiling.

“Thanks.”

“Hehe! But it makes

me mad how comfortably this guy lives! Look at his expression! Doesn’t he look too happy?”

“Well, you can’t tell just by looking.”

Currently, Seol Seung-jun was staying at his sponsor’s private villa.

To be precise, he was “confined” there. By that very sponsor.

As Mist said, Seol Seung-jun’s expression seemed relatively peaceful.

But who knew what was going on inside? After all, his 26-year career had evaporated in an instant.

Even without his consent.

“Well… It would be scary to live a lifetime with someone like her.”

Mist shuddered.

I habitually patted his back and thought about Park Ye-hee, the youngest daughter of Seonghee Group and Seol Seung-jun’s sponsor, whom Mist mentioned.

“She’s certainly not normal.”

Even from a glimpse of Seol Seung-jun’s memories, her possessiveness towards him was excessive to call it love.

I wasn’t interested in the emotional exchanges between them, but I knew Park Ye-hee had long wanted Seol Seung-jun to retire.

After all, the photos I sent to Seol Seung-jun’s agency were the ones she had already collected.

Upon learning about Seol Seung-jun’s infidelity from the text I sent, Park Ye-hee immediately dragged him away.

Her enraged face clearly conveyed, “How dare my possession meet another woman?”

It was inevitable that Seol Seung-jun, dragged to Rome, would be forced to retire on the spot.

Threatening to release the photos I sent if he didn’t announce his retirement, Park Ye-hee’s eyes were those of a madwoman.

Instead of being labeled a drug addict and drunk driver, Seol Seung-jun chose to retire with the prestigious title of a top actor.

I watched Seol Seung-jun’s daily life for a few days just in case, but he seemed to be adapting well to his jobless life.

“Is it because of Park Ye-hee? He doesn’t seem to be paying attention to me at all.”

Maybe he thought it was Park Ye-hee who sent the threatening photos to his agency.

Well, it wasn’t an unreasonable guess.

“He totally fell for it.”

There was no way he had the guts to confront Park Ye-hee.

In that case, I could probably stop worrying about Seol Seung-jun.

Most importantly, I had another move to make.

[Director Yoon Kang-yeon: Come to my studio when you’re free. I have something to tell you.]

The next morning, as soon as I received the text, I went to Director Yoon’s studio.

Director Yoon, looking more serious than I had ever seen, quietly asked.

“Seol Seung-jun… Was that your doing?”

“…”

I didn’t answer and looked around.

As I glanced around, Director Yoon spoke in exasperation.

“No one’s eavesdropping.”

“And no recording?”

“Damn it, I’m not recording! I swear on all my works and awards! So tell me. Was it you?”

I quietly answered, seeing him shout in frustration.

“Yes. I did it.”