WETRIED TRANSLATIONS

[ Translation - Aren ]

I'm a Reporter, Please let me get off the Stage

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Chapter 5

Just before I met up with the manager.

After using the stamina replenishing item and regaining my focus, I decided to look through the shop.

There was one quite peculiar item that caught my eye.

[<Reporter’s Notebook>]

……What was that?

What was with that item that I didn’t even want to take a single glance in?

[Detailed Description : Take a peek into the reporter’s notebook! Could there be some future events written inside? – 1000 points]

Even the fact that it was 50 times more expensive than the stamina item made it seem extremely suspicious.

There was no way that I could just casually buy it to test it out like that stamina item.

I continued to look through the meager item window with unfocused eyes.

[<Notebook Bookmark>]

Now what was that?

[A bookmark especially made by the reporter. Just what is written on that page??]

[First Purchase Special Discount! 50 points >> 20 points]

A discount? Wow~ How generous, look at my tears welling up.

I would never know what this was if I didn’t try it myself, so I should just purchase it right away.

[Loading first bookmark]

“……Huh?”

A flash of light seemed to appear in my head.

* * *

Kim Minyong, 24 years old, a 2-year rookie stylist for the actor Hyun Jiwoo.

She tirelessly hopped around day and night to match the taste of the actor, who loved flashy patterns and bold accessories.

……Have I ever investigated her? Not really.

What was written on the page marked with the bookmark I had purchased for 20 points was a phrase that appeared to be the title of an article.

<[Exclusive] Stylist has become victim of ‘Hyun Jiwoo’s’ abuse of power…… Slapped on set.>

And below it was a low-quality photo with a caption.

<Photo: Actor Hyun Jiwoo bullying his stylist on set of the Thursday drama ‘Love and Fate’ on the morning of the 19th.>

The photo showed a side view of a woman slouched down before a man sitting in a camping chair.

Hyun Jiwoo, stylist, Kim Minyong……

For now, I should focus on Hyun Jiwoo.

Of course, I knew about him.

A male actor who had steadily built up his filmography since his days as a child actor.

He rose to the top ranks of actors at the young age of 23 without any major mishaps, boasting a seemingly diligent and upright image from someone of his age. One entertainment ranking site even created the category ‘Outstanding Male Actor’ just for him.

That guy was actually abusive?

I couldn’t believe it, but if the status window was trying to show me this by even offering me a first purchase discount, then……

That would surely mean that this would somehow help me in this game.

This could be my opportunity to completely eliminate the notoriety keyword ‘Power abuse’ from the list.

If I couldn’t figure this out, I might as well die. Yeah, that’s right.

Come to think of it, while it seemed like I regressed back two years, this world looked to be slightly different to the one I used to live in.

In addition to anticipating and preventing certain events that were supposed to happen, like that vacation announcement, I also had to actively discover and take advantage of new events that were going to happen.

Haah…… I felt exhausted already.

……Anyway, I should take a closer look at that title at least.

The word ‘drama’ in the subtitle of the article probably referred to the Thursday drama that Hyun Jiwoo was currently filming.

I searched up the name of the drama on a film site and clicked on ‘View Detailed Cast Information’.

[Actor Hyun Jiwoo : Network Level 13]

Yeah, that made sense.

[Producer Kim Yongjin : Network Level 8]

Huh?

Who was that guy? What did he do to have a Network level of 8 as a producer?

[Writer Lee Yeonmi : Network Level 6]

……Was she a hidden star writer or something?

I couldn’t help but let out a groan.

Next, I turned to social media and looked up information on Kim Minyong, the stylist.

However, the name ‘Kim Minyong’ was far too common so it was difficult to pinpoint her.

I lay still, pondering.

Then, I started to look closer at the photo included on the bookmarked page, looking for any kind of clue.

From its description I could gather that it was taken on the 19th in the morning.

And the people in the photo were Hyun Jiwoo and his staff.

It seemed like they were somewhere near a reservoir……

“……No way, is it really there?”

No way. No way

However, I could tell from the small ‘No Swimming’ Sign behind Hyun Jiwoo.

A pretty unique sign covered in green moss warning others from swimming inside.

……It was a place where I had a close encounter with the Grim Reaper.

I was chasing after an actor couple with my car, but since it had been my first time on these roads, I ended up taking a wrong turn and almost crashed my car into the reservoir.

“Sigh, well, it’s a small world, huh?”

I mumbled in a daze before jumping up again.

Maybe with that.

I might be able to solve this without having to get involved directly.

“Ah, damn, it’s freezing here, I’m going to freeze to death……”

November 19, 2021, 9 am.

In front of XX Reservoir in Yangyang, Gyeonggi Province.

There was large filming equipment set up on the site.

A few actors, all painted white, were sitting in portable plastic chairs, while a man standing beside them anxiously held his phone. 

“When will this bastard, Hyun Jiwoo, come here?”

“He’s on his way.”

“Does he have any idea what a pain it is if the lead actor is late……? Well, I’ll cut him some slack though since he’s doing a great job.”

“You’re pretty lenient with him, producer.”

“What did you say?”

“Oh, nothing. Let’s just see if we can find a good spot to sit down.”

The writer, interrupting Producer Kim’s question, continued with her neck stretching exercises as if nothing had happened.

“Ah, damn, it’s freezing…I’m going to freeze to death……”

And right at this place was someone who uttered the exact same phrase as Producer Kim.

It was Kim Heetae, the chief reporter of Atstar News’ Entertainment Department.

Normally, he would be lounging around his office, nagging the newbies.

As someone with a desk job, why did he have to drag himself all the way here to this rural site and set up camp on the cold ground?

To explain this, one had to bring up the mysterious text message that had arrived on his phone two days ago.

<In the morning of the 19th, at XX Reservoir in Yangyang, try poking around about the ‘Power abuse’ of the leading actor Hyun Jiwoo. You won’t regret it.>

……What was with that low level baiting attempt? They didn’t even bother to hide the fishing rod.

Kim Heetae tried to just brush it off lightly.

However even after he had lunch, drank some coffee, and kept doing his mundane desk work, the strange message simply didn’t leave his mind.

How did that person even get his phone number?

He had handed out his business cards everywhere he went, so it wouldn’t be so difficult to get their hands on his number actually……

On top of this, poking around about ‘Hyun Jiwoo’s’ power abuse?

There were just too many puzzling aspects to it.

Naturally, he tried to reply to the text, but no response came back, as if he had been blocked.

In the end, Reporter Kim went on to check all the group messenger rooms he was part of for any issues relating to Hyun Jiwoo on the very same day.

All of them answered with ‘What is he up to these days?’

From his 20 years of experience as a reporter, this person didn’t seem to be lying though.

……Moreover, that reservoir was quite familiar to him.

Wasn’t that the reservoir where an actor couple frequently visited for night drives?

He had followed them a few times there and even saw some ghosts.

The presence of that message became increasingly more prominent in his mind, so Reporter Kim eventually ended up coming here at this nonsensical ‘hunch’ he had..

But what was a reporter?

Facts were like pearls hidden among rocks.

The eyes capable of finding these pearls was all that was needed.

Things one would call ‘sense’, ‘hunches’ and so on.

“Shit, there’s nothing here……”

Although there was absolutely no place here to vent his pent up frustration, he still stubborning let out some muttered curses and adjusted his collar.

Not long after, he could hear the sound of a car approaching from a distance.

It was a black van, blowing some dust into the air as it arrived.

The door opened, and a woman got out of the car with a bunch of clothes on hangers, grunting as she stepped out.

She started to clear away the gravel on the road with her foot, while still holding onto the hangers.

Once the road was somewhat cleared and the woman stepped aside, the actor finally got out of the car.

He kept bowing his head to those around him, repeatedly apologizing with a smile on his lips.

The woman followed behind him who took a seat on one of the portable chairs.

Then, she knelt down before him and started wiping his sneakers.

“……Oh.”

Reporter Kim quickly took out his phone and silently started to film this scene.

“Looks like the young master finally arrived.”

“Even if he smiles like that and apologizes, that won’t make up for the trouble the staff had to go through. He only gets away with it because you just overlooked it, Producer.”

“There aren’t just one or two actors who are like this, so this isn’t anything out of the norm.”

He also recorded every single word the producer and writer uttered using a tape recorder.

It was just as Producer Kim decided to casually overlook this matter and went to prepare for the upcoming shoot.

“Argh!”

A short scream echoed through the area.

All the stage’s attention was immediately drawn to the place where it originated.

Hyun Jiwoo was stiffly sitting on the portable chair, his hands raised exaggeratedly.

The woman who had been kneeling before him, polishing his shoes, was now half slumped on the ground, her hair completely disheveled.

“……I’m sorry.”

“Hey, do you think wiping my shoes with a filthy rag will make them cleaner? Would you use that rag to clean the dining table in your house? Then why don’t you go ahead and use that thing to wipe your face, huh?”

“……Wow, something actually happened.”

Reporter Kim’s eyes began to redden a little with excitement and surprise.

The woman, perhaps still in shock, couldn’t raise her head for a long time, her hands barely touching the floor.

“Hey, time is ticking. Should I deduct this from your salary? Who’s the one paying for your meals and the roof over your head, huh……?”

It was at that moment that Hyun Jiwoo raised his hand in an exaggerated manner, spouting countless curses.

“That’s enough.”

“……What? Who are you?”

“What are you going to do if a reporter sees this and publishes an article about it?”

Reporter Kim’s eyes grew wider in bewilderment this time.

“……Who’s that?” 

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