MHD - 66

Chapter 66: Worse Than I Imagined

The outdoor filming location, which should have been quiet, buzzed with the murmurs of a few restless individuals.

If this had been an indoor studio shoot, it would have been easier to control. But today was an outdoor shoot, and Kang Jae-min’s meticulous efforts to keep the production under wraps were rendered futile.

Whenever the camera lights came on, there was a brief moment of silence, but as soon as they turned off, the surroundings erupted in commotion again. Reporters chasing after rumors of Choi Han-young and Hee-soo’s romance were to blame.

While most of the entertainment news section was dominated by Kwon Chae-won’s scandal, reporters still occasionally trickled over to their set.

Even though managers and staff tried to block them, the reporters only retreated momentarily before returning.

Throughout the morning shoot, whenever there was a brief break, the cast scrambled to avoid the persistent reporters.

“Cut!”

Kang Jae-min’s sharp voice rang out, signaling the abrupt halt of filming.

Jae-min furrowed his brow as he reviewed the footage they had just shot. Hee-soo and Han-young, who had been approaching him, also gathered near the camera, sensing his dissatisfaction.

“That’s it for today.”

Jae-min’s tone was noticeably irritable as he pushed back his disheveled hair.

“The focus isn’t there. I’ll need to rework the shooting schedule, so everyone standby for now. Let’s postpone the outdoor shoot and move to the set first.”

Pulling a cigarette from his pocket, Jae-min bit down on the tip, chewing it slightly as he turned away. Muttering under his breath, he glanced briefly at the reporters lingering in the distance before quickly walking toward the shade of a tree beyond the set.

“Director.”

Hee-soo called out as she hurried after him.

Though unintentional, she felt guilty for causing trouble on set due to her lack of vigilance. The past few days had weighed heavily on her conscience.

If Kang Jae-min hadn’t reached out to her during that precarious time between Baek Dong-hwan and Cha Joo-won, she might have quit acting altogether.

The thought that her presence was disrupting the set made her feel even more remorseful.

As she chased after Jae-min, Hee-soo repeatedly berated herself. I should have been more careful.

“What is it?”

Jae-min finally turned to look at Hee-soo as he sighed beneath the tree.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.”

Seeing Hee-soo bow her head deeply in apology, Jae-min shook his head dismissively and waved his hand.

Muttering something about how this wasn’t his first rodeo in the industry, he lit his cigarette. With a soft exhale, the smoke quickly spiraled upward into the clear sky.

“I should have been more careful… My agency is actively denying the rumors, and I’ve been contacting the media every day…”

“Seo Hee-soo.”

“Yes, Director.”

After calling her name, Jae-min simply stared at her face in silence. Hee-soo felt both a sting and awkwardness as his gaze scrutinized her features.

To Hee-soo, Kang Jae-min was like a mentor. Without The Fall of Paradise, Seo Hee-soo as she was now might not even exist.

After successfully debuting with her first project, she had hoped to rise quickly to stardom. But strangely, no follow-up offers came in, and she barely managed to secure even one CF contract.

It was through The Fall of Paradise that Seo Hee-soo truly became a “star,” gaining recognition overseas by winning awards at international film festivals. She was one of those “reverse-hit actors” who gained popularity abroad before being acknowledged domestically.

Without Director Kang’s work, where would she be now?

Swallowing hard, Hee-soo moistened her dry throat. She wanted to do better, but instead, she felt like she had only made things worse, burdening her heart.

Kang Jae-min silently observed her for a while before finally speaking.

“Do you like Choi Han-young?”

“What?”

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Hee-soo could only stare blankly at Jae-min.

“I mean, do you think he’s a good fit as your co-star?”

“He’s an actor you chose, Director. It’s not my place to say whether he’s good or not. I just need to do my part well.”

“Is that so?”

Jae-min seemed about to say more but instead dropped his cigarette on the ground, stubbing it out with his foot. After picking up the extinguished butt and tossing it into a trash can, he gave Hee-soo a slight nod.

“Then do your best. As long as it’s not bad, it’ll work.”

With his hands stuffed into his pockets, Jae-min walked past Hee-soo, glancing somewhere in the distance. Turning her head to follow his gaze, Hee-soo spotted Han-young approaching from afar.

Before she could say anything more to Jae-min, who was walking away, Han-young stepped in front of her.

Hee-soo instinctively took a step back, wary of him. She kept her distance to avoid drawing attention from the reporters.

“Isn’t it better if we’re not seen together?”

At Hee-soo’s words, Han-young looked hurt.

“Don’t worry about the reporters. Our story isn’t making much of a splash anyway.”

“Still, it’s interfering with the shoot.”

Though her words were indirect, Hee-soo could no longer treat Choi Han-young the same way she used to. After hearing from Jae-hyuk about Han-young’s connections with Oh Tae-joo and Kwon Chae-won, everything about him seemed deliberate.

Moreover, unlike Jin Yoon-ah, who played an antagonistic role, Han-young was cast as her love interest. To fully immerse herself in the role, unnecessary emotional entanglements had to be avoided.

Rather than engaging in a drawn-out confrontation that would only strain their relationship further, it was better to distance herself as quickly as possible. Hee-soo decided to leave the matter of the dating rumors to her agency and focus entirely on the film for this reason.

“I’ll go before anyone sees us. See you at the next shoot.”

Hee-soo waved toward Yoon-seok, who was waiting for her in the distance, and hurried toward the van.

“Hey.”

As expected, Han-young’s voice called out from behind her as she walked briskly toward the car.

“Hey, Hee-soo.”

Hee-soo acted as though she hadn’t heard anything and quickened her pace. Just as she was about to climb into the van, Han-young suddenly grabbed her wrist.

“I’m curious why you’re acting like this. Sure, the dating rumors might make things awkward for now, but who knows? By the time the movie premieres, it could be great publicity.”

“I don’t want to promote the movie that way. Besides, it’s not true.”

Shaking off his grip, Hee-soo glanced around nervously. Fortunately, the van and nearby trees shielded them from prying eyes.

Yoon-seok, seated in the driver’s seat, looked back at her, hesitating whether to intervene. As Hee-soo signaled him for help, Han-young spun her around by the shoulder and asked again.

“Is it the fact that it’s not true that bothers you?”

Han-young flashed his signature grin, which only made him look more suspicious to Hee-soo.

“Why are you doing this? It makes me uncomfortable.”

Hee-soo turned her head toward Yoon-seok, signaling with her eyes. Understanding her cue, Yoon-seok stepped out of the car and began walking toward them. In the meantime, Han-young quickly pressed another question.

“If it’s not true, how about we make it true?”

“What?”

“I want to know more about you. The more I learn, the more curious I get about Seo Hee-soo.”

“…”

Oh, please.

Taking a deep breath as Yoon-seok approached, Hee-soo finally decided it was best to draw a clear line herself.

“Choi Han-young, do you really want to create a scandal with me that badly?”

Interpreting her words as a positive signal, Han-young’s face lit up even more.

“Yes, I’ve had feelings for you from the start,” he confessed without hiding his intentions. Hee-soo clicked her tongue and responded coldly.

“Han-young, aren’t you close friends with Oh Tae-joo? Aren’t you scared of going through the same trouble he’s facing because of scandals?”

“Ah, friends are friends, and I’m me. What does that have to do with anything?”

Though Han-young smirked confidently, Hee-soo didn’t back down.

“Someone told me something. That you’re deliberately getting close to me to cover up something of yours. Of course, since I’m not particularly famous, it got buried.”

At her words, Han-young’s face instantly paled.

Seeing him momentarily stutter, Hee-soo became certain that Jae-hyuk’s suspicions were correct.

“Wh, what are you talking about? I would never…”

“I already know. You and Oh Tae-joo are friends…”

Just as Hee-soo prepared to confront him based on Jae-hyuk’s information, she abruptly closed the distance between them.

“Choi Han-young has a drug issue. Keep your distance.”

Could it be true?

As Hee-soo stepped closer, Han-young instinctively took a small step back. Undeterred, Hee-soo advanced another step, pressing him further.

“…Han-young, you’re not involved with those people any deeper, are you?”

“What do you mean by ‘involved’? I don’t understand.”

“I hope it’s not as bad as I’m imagining.”

Swiftly reaching out, Hee-soo grabbed his wrist and flipped it over. She rolled up his sleeve.

Though it was early summer, the weather was warm enough that wearing long sleeves had already caught her attention.

Sure enough, there were several red marks on Han-young’s wrist that resembled needle punctures.

“Hmph. How disappointing.”

Clicking her tongue, Hee-soo watched as Han-young hastily pulled his hand back and tugged his sleeve down.

“It’s all a misunderstanding. I didn’t expect you to twist things like this, Hee-soo.”

Han-young’s face flushed red. Watching him, Hee-soo felt a sudden wave of dizziness.

If she hadn’t misread the situation, the already chaotic shoot could completely collapse into an unprecedented disaster.

“A misunderstanding? I sincerely hope so.”

Sensing Hee-soo’s wariness, Han-young’s demeanor shifted.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Don’t let baseless suspicions affect the shoot. If you dislike me that much, fine. Let’s just focus on filming well from now on.”

Not wanting to engage further, Hee-soo glanced at Yoon-seok, who was standing behind Han-young. Catching her gaze, Yoon-seok stepped forward.

“We’re sorry, but we need to leave for our next schedule…”

“Oh, I was about to go anyway. You sure know how to make someone look like a fool after accepting help, Seo Hee-soo.”

Han-young sneered as he backed away, but Hee-soo made no effort to correct his words. Climbing into the van, she pressed her hands against her chest to calm her racing heart.

“What should I do?”

The engine roared to life, and the van began to move slowly. Hee-soo met Yoon-seok’s gaze several times in the rearview mirror but couldn’t decide what to say.

Should she inform Kang Jae-min before things escalated further? Or should she pretend nothing happened?

She couldn’t decide.

One problem after another—it was endless.