Three years ago, Korea had been in an uproar over a celebrity drug scandal. Drug scandals were always happening, and they weren’t especially interesting. But people’s attention focused when it was revealed that popular actor Oh Giju had not only hosted a decadent party, but had also taken charge of supplying and selling drugs.

I too was unintentionally dragged into that incident and had to go through hell for it.

Day after day, news about popular celebrities’ dating rumors and scandals was being reported in a chain reaction. Every morning when people woke up, new incidents and accidents were on everyone’s lips. Then, just as public interest was fading, Oh Giju claimed it had all been a false confession made under threat and coercion.

He was found guilty in the first trial, but in the second trial his claims were accepted and he was released with no charges. Even though there were no charges, it was such a huge case that people thought he would never make a comeback… Apparently Oh Giju’s sponsor had excellent backing.

I had been beaten nearly to death by Jung Inhyuk simply because I happened to be at the scene. And I had to pay nearly 3 billion won in damages to the company where I was working as an advertisement model. Even now, just thinking about it made the back of my knees go weak.

That day was the day Jung Inhyuk’s eyes had gone completely wild. I had come face to face with the fear of death. As he beat me indiscriminately, I thought I really was going to die. Holding my collar, he kicked my shin so I fell to the floor and then pressed down on my abdomen.

– P-please, spare me. I won’t do it again, I won’t ever do it again.

I, who had always wanted to die, I, who had felt disillusioned with this hateful life, begged pitifully to be spared. But Jung Inhyuk still broke my left ankle in the end. Remembering that period when I had to use crutches and go through rehabilitation made my brow crease on its own.

Seo Jimin, seated opposite me, was also looking at Oh Giju with a displeased frown.

The role Oh Giju had been cast as was my older brother. He was arrogant, stupid, and crude in his speech, exactly like Oh Giju himself. I let out something like a sigh and flipped through the script quickly. Even if I didn’t want to run into him, there were some scenes where brothers had to clash.

Once all the introductions were finished, the actual script reading began. I steadied my breathing and read my lines carefully, one by one. Even though it was only a script reading, I acted with the same passion as if I were in front of a camera. When I finished the final line, I even felt a little tired. The director gave us a thumbs-up, saying our movie looked like it would be a hit.

“Good work.”

“Good work.”

“We’ll announce the filming schedule as soon as it’s set.”

I exchanged separate greetings with Director Yoon Pansu and then went outside with Changseok. Only after finishing the short interview for the making-of video in the hallway did I pat my stiff shoulders from the tension.

“You worked hard, hyung. Now if I take you home,”

“Lee Shinjae.”

Oh Giju came toward me as if he had been waiting. Changseok couldn’t finish his sentence and stepped back.

“…Hello.”

“Want to talk for a minute?”

“No.”

I had nothing to say, and nothing I wanted to hear. I clearly remembered how much trouble I had gone through because I got tangled up with Oh Giju. Oh Giju gave a small laugh and leaned closer to me.

“Listen to me before I expose the fact that your sponsor is Jung Inhyuk right here.”

The instant Jung Inhyuk’s name left his mouth, my eyes changed. Perhaps because I had just finished acting as Kim Jaei, there was still a subtle sense of confidence and courage in my body. I lifted my chin and looked at Oh Giju. He was shorter than me, and I could feel him flinch.

“There’s one thing I need to make perfectly clear. Manager Jung Inhyuk and I are like older and younger brothers. My mother worked for the main Moosung Group household, and Manager Jung has doted on me since I was a baby.”

“And you expect me to believe that?”

“Whether you believe it is up to you, senior, but you’ll have to deal with the consequences yourself.”

I spoke with deliberate force. Even though I was in the position of spreading my legs for Jung Inhyuk, on the outside we could still be packaged as older and younger brother.

There were many photos of me and Jung Inhyuk together in my childhood albums, so I could absolutely present them as proof. On top of that, Jung Inhyuk was the heir of Moosung Group. No matter how powerful a sponsor Oh Giju had, he wouldn’t be able to recklessly go after Jung Inhyuk.

The staff who had been bustling around cleaning up the conference room after the script reading had finished were now watching us. I didn’t like the situation of them whispering to each other and gossiping, but there was nothing I could do. Perhaps because Oh Giju noticed those gazes too, he awkwardly smiled and patted my shoulder.

“You’ve gotten sharp since the last time I saw you. See you again, junior.”

Oh Giju called his manager, who was standing some distance away, the way you’d call over a waiter, and the two of them faded farther and farther from my sight. Only after he had completely disappeared did I weakly tap my trembling legs. Changseok quickly came over and supported me.

“Are you okay, hyung?”

“…Yes, I’m fine.”

– Want to grab a drink?

I had gotten acquainted with Oh Giju while filming the drama, and on an impulsive invitation to come out for a drink, I headed to the meeting place. That day was the day Jung Inhyuk installed CCTV cameras in the house. The sight of the red light made my anger boil. So even though he had forbidden me from going out at night, I went anyway, prepared to get beaten a few times.

The moment I opened the club door, something felt wrong. The club stage lights were off, and half-naked people were tangled together all over the tables.

– Hey, Lee Shinjae, come have a drink.

Before I had even sat down, Oh Giju was already urging me to drink. I took the glass he held out to me by reflex, but the atmosphere in the club was so threatening that I didn’t feel like drinking at all. Still, I couldn’t put down the drink I’d accepted, so while Oh Giju was talking to someone else, I secretly poured it onto the floor and set the empty glass back on the table.

Then, suddenly, some woman rushed at Oh Giju and kissed him fiercely. Her eyes were dazed and unfocused. For some reason, an eerie feeling crawled over me. I didn’t want to get swept up in this strange mood, so I stood up quietly. I regretted coming here at all.

– I’m going to head off first.

– …Lee Shinjae, why are you leaving already?

– I think I’m catching a cold. Later,

– Ah, don’t be like that. That’s so disappointing.

Oh Giju grabbed my wrist and pulled me back to sit closer, offering me more alcohol. When I refused, he tried to force me to drink. A struggle broke out. Oh Giju’s one-sided beating continued, and in the end, when I fell to the floor, he came toward me again holding a bottle of liquor. At that moment, the police burst into the club.

People drunk on liquor and drugs were hauled away to the police station. Celebrities, children of chaebols, even politicians’ children, it was quite a glittering lineup. I was no exception and got dragged in too.

Since I hadn’t drunk any alcohol, I gave a brief statement and a drug test, then was released. A little later, the results came back negative. The police made an official statement that I had not taken drugs, but because I had been in that club, public criticism poured over me. In the end, I lost my endorsement modeling contract and had to pay the penalty.

I thought my acting career was over, but Jung Inhyuk kept exposing me to the media through volunteer work and donations. Thanks to that, I was able to make a smooth comeback as an actor.

I found out later that the person who made the report that day was a mole Jung Inhyuk had placed around me. He said he had reported it under Jung Inhyuk’s orders. And somehow Oh Giju found out and sent me threatening messages several times. He had guessed that Jung Inhyuk and I were in a sponsor relationship.

Jung Inhyuk had said we would never have any more reason to see each other, but Oh Giju had returned. And in the same movie as me, no less. I thought I should tell Jung Inhyuk about this. I suddenly felt restless.

“Changseok, take me to Moosung Electronics headquarters,”

I stopped myself mid-sentence. I worried what if Jung Inhyuk took issue with this and made my role in the movie collapse. I couldn’t let an opportunity I had worked so hard to get slip away so meaninglessly. At first my goal had been to get out from under Jung Inhyuk’s shadow, but after reading the script deeply, I had come to like the character Kim Jaei.

Kim Jaei was a person who didn’t resemble me even a little. That only made me want him more. Unlike the real me, Kim Jaei was confident in everything, sly, and even vicious. I wanted to live as him.

“Hyung, should I take you to Moosung Electronics headquarters?”

I couldn’t answer right away and hesitated. Maybe I could tell him after filming had progressed a bit. Maybe it would be fine if I just tried my best not to clash.

I hurriedly flipped the script open. Apart from a few scenes at the beginning, there were no confrontations with Oh Giju. If I just got through the beginning, filming should go smoothly enough. And on a set like today’s, with so many eyes watching, they wouldn’t be able to force anything on me. After wrestling with it for a while, I made up my mind.

“…No. Just take me home.”

✿ • ✿ • ✿

After spending hours repeatedly changing clothes while fitting the outfits for the film shoot, I was completely drained. Since Kim Jaei was a character who had accumulated wealth through all kinds of corruption, most of his costumes were expensive suits.

To my eyes, they all looked the same, but the stylist kept matching outfits and asking for fittings.

I leaned back on the sofa for a moment with a tired look, and a staff member from the film’s costume team offered me the seat so I could rest briefly. Looking around the now quiet waiting room, I stretched out on the sofa. Even changing clothes was work, and it was exhausting. I pulled my phone out, using the coat draped over the single sofa as a pillow.

I skimmed spam messages promoting loans and gambling sites, then scrolled lower and saw the name Kim Dongjin.