Meanwhile, Seong Sihyeon, who had arrived on set, calmly gauged the atmosphere.
'What is this?'
Something felt off.
The staff were huddled together, whispering amongst themselves.
They pretended otherwise, but their gazes were clearly directed at him.
"Hyung."
"Yeah."
"Isn't this strange?"
At Seong Sihyeon's question, the manager looked at him with surprised eyes.
'What, could it be he doesn't know?'
He had received word from the company that the lead role in *U Sesang* might be switched to Seong Sihyeon.
It seemed the president of Hattibi had given the agency a heads-up in advance.
Likely because the appearance contract might need to be rewritten.
Judging by how it had become a non-issue in just one day, it seemed he had ultimately counted his chickens before they hatched.
Because of that, the manager had somewhat steeled himself for the bitter glares he would receive from the staff.
But to think that Seong Sihyeon himself—the person in question—hadn't known about it.
'What a carefree parachute. He must have a reason he shouldn't know, so of course he doesn't know.'
Thinking that, the manager kept his mouth firmly shut.
But it was a law that no secret stayed secret forever.
It happened during lunchtime.
Seong Sihyeon was so preoccupied watching the staff's reactions that he barely touched his food.
In the end, he finished his meal without even emptying half his bowl.
"You already finished? I'll give you the car keys, so do you want to wait there first?"
"No, I'll stay right out front. I want to get some fresh air."
After a brief exchange with his manager, he sat on a plastic chair near the restaurant entrance.
Then, gruff voices drifted from a narrow alley branching off the side of the building.
Three lighting team staff members stood in a circle like they were plotting something, cigarettes in hand.
"Look at how shameless he is. Did you see him not even bat an eye?"
"But I heard actor Jeong Hwansik was the one who did it. Isn't it possible that actor Seong Sihyeon doesn't know?"
"I thought so too. Otherwise, he couldn't put on such an innocent expression. Not if he had a conscience."
"Say something that makes sense. No matter what, how could he not know what his uncle did? He just has thick skin. Anyway, I don't know what these rich kids are thinking."
Seong Sihyeon's face hardened.
'What is that supposed to mean? What did Senior Jeong Hwansik do with Uncle?'
He pricked his ears toward the alley.
Squeak—
The restaurant's automatic door opened with a labored groan.
The manager walked out calmly, a toothpick between his teeth.
"Why did you eat so little today? You're not feeling sick, are you?"
"Hyung, talk with me for a minute."
Seong Sihyeon glanced toward the alley, then grabbed the manager's wrist and pulled him aside.
"Why? What's going on?"
"Isn't there something you haven't told me?"
He climbed into the car and pressed the manager the moment the door closed.
The manager flinched, avoided his gaze, and answered in a shrinking voice.
"What wouldn't I have told you?"
"Don't even think about playing dumb. I heard everything the staff said. What did Uncle do with Senior Jeong Hwansik?"
"..."
For a moment, the manager's mind went blank.
"Hyung!"
Startled back to his senses by Seong Sihyeon's shout, he had no choice but to confess.
"Your uncle coordinated with actor Jeong Hwansik to take Gang Hajun's lead role and give it to you."
"What? Why on earth?"
"I only heard it from the team leader, so I don't know the full details. The last thing I heard was that there was a huge commotion at Britz Studio yesterday."
Seong Sihyeon's face flushed red and turned pale in real time.
He hadn't expected that after they had already begun filming, his uncle would try to parachute him in again.
"Ah, seriously, why does he keep doing whatever he wants!"
The cold gazes of the staff directed at him came to mind, and shame washed over him.
At the same time, rage boiled up inside him.
He had given up the role because he didn't want to be a parachute, yet his uncle kept trying to make him one.
He absolutely couldn't let this slide.
If things continued like this, it was obvious his uncle would keep secretly interfering in his career.
"Hyung."
"Y-yeah?"
"Let's go to Hattibi right now."
"Hold on, Sihyeon. We have filming soon, and you shouldn't act on emotion like this. Calm down..."
"If you won't take me, I'll go on my own."
Seong Sihyeon tried to get out of the car.
"Argh! Fine, fine. Calm down and get in."
The manager urgently grabbed him.
If they were going to be late to the schedule anyway, it was better he took him there personally.
Rather than having him anxious and wandering around, not knowing where to go.
**
The moment Seong Sihyeon entered the underground parking lot of the Hattibi headquarters, he practically leaped out of the car.
"You've arri—"
He got off the elevator and ignored the secretary's greeting, heading straight for the president's office.
The president had been just about to enter a meeting.
Meeting his nephew, who should have been on set, he put on a pleased expression first.
"Sihyeon! What brings you here at this hour—"
"Uncle!"
But he flinched at Seong Sihyeon's shout and faltered.
"Why on earth did you do that again?"
"W-what do you mean?"
"I heard you tried to switch the lead role behind my back. Please, have some decency! Why do you keep overstepping your authority to bring shame to my face!"
The president was flustered.
He had definitely told the TPJ Entertainment side to keep it strictly confidential.
"How did you..."
"Did you think I'd never find out? There are eyes everywhere and ears listening! I told you clearly last time. I'll earn my own roles, so stay out of it. Is my skill really that questionable?"
"Questionable? Didn't you win the role of Lee Jinhwan with your own strength?"
The president tried to placate Seong Sihyeon, but that wasn't nearly enough.
His words were already contradictory.
If it hadn't been questionable, he wouldn't have tried to switch the lead role behind his nephew's back.
"But then why do you keep scheming behind my back?"
"No, I wasn't going to do it, but that bastard Jeong Hwansick kept egging me on."
"Stop making excuses. The truth is, you weren't happy that I only got a supporting role, were you?"
The president, at a loss for words, let out a groan.
"I have no intention of cutting in line. I can rise up enough on my own effort."
"Still, if possible, I just wanted you to suffer a little less..."
"The more you do this, the smaller my standing becomes—why don't you understand that? If this keeps up, I'll be too ashamed to do anything, acting or whatever. If you want to block your nephew's future, just keep doing what you're doing. Do you understand?"
"Sihyeon..."
Seong Sihyeon slammed the door and stormed out of the president's office.
"Ah, that temper of his."
The president muttered with a stricken expression.
An uncle who had lost his nephew's trust could do nothing but fret and stamp his feet anxiously.
**
Inside the car, heading back to the filming set.
"Ah, yes. I'm stepping on it now. Yes! We'll be there in 20 minutes? ..."
The manager had his hands full—checking signals while hitting the accelerator and taking a call from the casting director.
Meanwhile, Seong Sihyeon had buried his face in both hands, lost in worry.
'What should I do?'
There was one problem that couldn't be solved just by venting his anger at his uncle.
'I have to apologize to Gang Hajun.'
He let out a deep sigh.
—Be thankful your uncle tried to throw his weight around at Britz using programming rights. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have given up the role of Baek Seongchan. I won't let it slide next time.
It had only been about a month since he had warned him so boldly.
And yet to show such an ugly side already—it was nothing short of pathetic.
He couldn't bear to just let it go because his pride would be hurt.
Yet the thought of apologizing was so embarrassing he felt like dying.
"Hey, Sihyeon. Get out quickly! It's about to start!"
The manager, who had driven like mad to arrive on time, urged him on.
Seong Sihyeon dragged his body, heavy as a lead weight, back onto set.
A few hours later.
While waiting for the next shoot, he was receiving a simple makeup touch-up from the makeup team.
Beyond the mirror, Seong Sihyeon could be seen hovering around.
He had been following me since earlier.
A staff member muttered,
"What's he doing over there? Like a puppy that needs to poop."
The staff were showing subtle hostility toward Seong Sihyeon and Jeong Hwansik.
They didn't openly badmouth them in front of me, the victim, but they often gave off a tone that sought my agreement.
"Who knows."
I answered simply.
There was no need for me to step in and ruin the atmosphere on set.
The makeup team didn't add anything further.
"All done."
"Thank you."
I got up from the chair and left the waiting room.
Until then, Seong Sihyeon had been watching my movements, unable to leave his spot.
He flinched and stepped back.
"Why have you been following me around since earlier? Are you a stalker?"
"What stalker!"
Seong Sihyeon shouted at my words.
"Then what on earth do you want?"
"Well, it's just..."
After hesitating, he finally opened his mouth.
"I heard about what happened with my uncle yesterday. ...Sorry."
I doubted my ears.
"What?"
"I'm saying sorry!"
Seong Sihyeon said again.
"Please don't misunderstand. It was absolutely not my intention. If I had known beforehand, I never would've just stood by and watched."
He hung his head low.
"This won't happen again."
"How can you be sure of that?"
"I told my uncle clearly. I want to compete fair and square."
I looked straight into Seong Sihyeon's eyes.
He was conveying his sincerity with all his might.
"Alright, I got it."
When I answered, Seong Sihyeon flinched in surprise.
It seemed he hadn't expected me to accept it so easily.
"The fact that you apologized is enough. Anyway, it was resolved well in the end."
"So you're accepting my apology?"
"Yeah."
"Thank you. Then I'll... go prepare for the next scene."
Seong Sihyeon, who had seemed to hesitate for a moment, continued.
"What I said to my uncle wasn't empty words. I'll definitely show you. That I can beat you even without my uncle's help."
Having poured out what he wanted to say, he fled the spot as if running away.
"So green."
A chuckle escaped me unwittingly.
I hadn't known Seong Sihyeon had that side to him.
I had thought he gave up the role simply because he was a prideful young master.
"What? Was that really Seong Sihyeon you were just talking to?"
The moment Seong Sihyeon disappeared around the corner, a makeup team staff member came out of the waiting room.
It seemed she had heard the entire conversation from inside.
"Don't tell me he just came here to apologize?"
"Yes."
"How could you accept it so easily? The drama appearance almost fell through."
The excited staff member finally vented her suppressed dissatisfaction.
"It's not even Seong Sihyeon's fault, though."
At my answer, her eyes went wide.
"You believe that? Actor Gang, why are you such a pushover? Goodness!"
"Don't be like that. He's a better kid than you'd think."
The staff member shook her head in disgust.
I stared for a moment at the corner Seong Sihyeon had turned and left through.
Seong Sihyeon knew exactly what kind of pride an actor should maintain.
Moreover, he was an actor who knew how to stand his ground, even if it meant overcoming embarrassment.
I thought that someday, he might become quite a decent rival.