Translated: reireiss, MTLs-nim 

Edited: reireiss, Grammarly ssi 

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Translator Note:

Just wanted to let you know that sometimes I won't translate calls(?) like 'oppa, hyung, eonni, nuna, etc.' and suffixes like '-ssi, -nim, etc.'

So...... Bear with me, please (/▿＼ )

Thank You!

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Chapter 40 – Projects (3)

Breathing heavily, Yoon Jay washed his face with cold water. He was out of breath and his hands were shaking. When he looked in the mirror, he couldn't believe his eyes.

"Ah......"

Yoon Jay had chosen two projects and was taking turns filming them as much as possible by adjusting his schedule. <Projects>, which was currently being broadcast and <Crown>, which was in pre-production.

'From now on, I'd better not take on any other projects.'

He had been putting on a relatively intact past to cover up his rising trauma.

However, the confusion of switching between three masks for the characters in his work caused him to become increasingly unwell.

And there was someone who noticed his change.

 

"Sunbae, are you going to stay in Korea now?"

"Of course."

Yoon Jae-hee...... No, Yoon Jay is starting to act again, isn't it obvious?

During this time, Cho Yoo-kyung was in the U.S. for work, but she watched Yoon Jay's works as soon as they came out. She watched <Fluttering>, <People at a Large Corporation> which Yoon Jay appeared as a special guest star, and now she also watched <Projects>.

Not only did she see his works, but she also saw the variety show, where he appeared together with the twins because she was curious about how he lived.

"When I asked the American employee, Jae-hee...... No, I mean, Jay. They know him."

"Really?"

Of course, she also knew about the internet's noise about his past. This was something she couldn't help, no matter how much she tried.

 

[Ah, that incident. It was famous. Our US branch office had a staff member who went to the memorial service.]

[Really?]

[Yes. The community even protested because it was reported that the government would discipline those who carried out the rescue mission because they were deemed to have violated procedures......]

 

Cho Yoo-kyung even asked them to get the special documentary file from a local broadcasting station and watch it.

When the camera focused on Yoon Jay, he told the cameraman to put the camera away, then he avoided the camera. She heard from Lee Young-chang that Yoon Jay had long suffered from camera phobia.

 

[Put the camera away, please.]

[What?]

[I couldn't show my face like this.]

 

Perhaps his reaction was a combination of trauma and camera phobia. Cho Yoo-kyung sighed heavily.

"If only we had paid attention back then, he wouldn't have gone through all that trouble."

"There is nothing we can do about what has already happened."

Lee Young-chang was also sad when he heard the news. When Lee Young-chang first saw him at his father's funeral, Lee Young-chang guessed he had gone through all the hardships with a sharp edge that he had not yet gathered, but getting to know him in detail is another matter.

 

— What will he do to prove the truth of the video on MyTube? I'm curious.

— Hey, Yoon Jay really lived hard.

— I'm glad to see Yoon Jay as an actor ㅠㅠ

— Until now Yoon Jay still hasn't said anything. Aren't you overreacting to the unclear news about his past?

└ There’s a lot of evidence out there. Haha.

└ No, news about it has already cooled down (right). Now conspiracy theories are circulating that he was part of the special force that often carries out secret operations.

— But that still hasn't been proven, right? He only ever said that he worked as a firefighter for a short time, so we still don't know what he did during that time. He didn't even reveal what special forces unit he was in.

└ Welcome back.

└ You really come back? Hahaha.

— So, what happened to the sponsor rumor?

└ It's so bullshit.

└ Did you read it on OneToday? They always make news that will make people who are on the rise go down.

└ The first people to make the post were 2 of their employees. Haha. They are just small media outlets and internet trolls (right).

 

Lee Young-chang's expression darkened when he found out about it. In his eyes, Yoon Jay was still an innocent child on Children's set. Even if he said he was fine, Lee Young-chang was still worried.

"Now that he's a celebrity again, I'm sure there will be as many rumors as before, but I wonder if he'll be fine......"

"Tha-That's right."

Suddenly Cho Yoo-kyung remembered her mistake, she felt embarrassed and immediately changed the topic.

"By the way, he's good at it. You said he didn't take any lessons, right?"

"He said so."

Lee Young-chang had often heard Lee Seowon brag about his new actor, but what would happen if he found out the identity of that new actor was Yoon Jae-hee, the person who had led Lee Seowon to the film industry?

'Surely he'll ask me why I didn't tell him......'

 

On screen, Yoon Jay as Kim Sanghyun were being harassed by a malicious complainant.

(I mean, so you came all the way here to make a fuss for a few bucks!)

(What? You rotten......!)

The complainant gets angry at Kim Sanghyun's insults and throws the sweet potatoes in the basket at him. A cheerful background music plays, slowing down the movement. He ducks under the desk to avoid the sweet potato and opens his eyes wide.

(Why are they behave like that?!)

 

It's not a role that resembles a tyrant villain with a sageuk drama like Grand Prince Muhwi in <Fluttering>, nor is it a character with a strong presence like Baek Jinri in <The Garden of Evil>.

"Then why did he choose to work with a newcomer writer?"

"He said he just felt drawn to the script, which is what good actors often do."

"Well, he shouldn't play a role with so much weight already. As a rookie, he should experience a variety of things......"

The two had already fallen in love with Yoon Jay and liked whatever he did.

<Projects> is a drama with a different vibe from other dramas in its time slot.

In the beginning, it's shows a variety of people in an omnibus format.

The story of a mother living alone in a single room after losing her child and becoming ill. The struggles of an elderly man with dementia who remains alone. A man who lost one leg in an accident.

There is no cider sensibility in the cool development.

T/N: Cider is Korean slang, means something refreshing.

 

— Ah, honestly, I cried when I saw Projects. It's too emotional.

— Poor people aren't that kind. Haha.

— (real) My friend works at a Happiness Center in an underprivileged area. They always complained to me that there were a lot of people there who were like dogs.

— Hey, the chemistry between Yoon Jay and Han Da-yeon is awesome.

— Is this his second work? He's good at acting (right).

— But he wasn't like, make me to the point I'm become crazy for him. Have you seen the drama?

 

Controversies arose as people only looked at one side and commented on it one by one. But a drama that doesn't generate reactions doesn't generate controversy.

<Projects> was framed by the younger generation as a new wave drama, but its new wave sensibility attracted the middle-aged and older generation, and it slowly rose, reaching second place in viewership ratings in its time slot.

 

(How old are you?)

(......I'm twenty-nine.)

(We're the same age? I don't know anyone here, let's get acquainted.)

(Well, whatever.)

At this point, Kim Sanghyun, who fell in love with Choi Ara at first sight, follows her around and keeps poking her. He's flirtatious, a little condescending, but he's so endearing that it's impossible to hate him.

It was the opposite of Yoon Jay's usual personality.

 

"He's good at acting smirky."

"Hm?"

"What's wrong?"

Lee Young-chang, who often met with Yoon Jay, could tell. There was something wrong with Yoon Jay's appearance on the screen.

He's good at what he does, but there's something...... Strange......

'Is that an uncomfortable feeling?'

It was an inexplicable crack.

***

Park Yunseong, the male protagonist of <Projects> is dispatched after receiving a report. The caller reported a strange odor coming from the semi-basement downstairs, then when he went in, he found a decomposed body.

"Detective Park, what are you doing?"

"Ugh......"

Park Yunseong opened the corpse's mouth and pulled out something, despite the others stopping him. It was a paper crane.

"This is the third one."

The paper crane left in the mouth of the latest corpse was like the killer's signature. Same method, same location, all the targets are poor and vulnerable people. This was the third body found, but judging by the level of decomposition, this was probably the first.

"Now we have a serial killer."

He turned away with a complicated expression. The dead man is an elderly man who lives alone and no one is looking for him. As Park Yunseong walked down the hill, he turned around and looked at the neighborhood.

Since it's a redeveloped area, so there's no CCTV, and most people live alone or have limited mobility. Such a better hunting ground for a serial killer.

 

Kim Sanghyun volunteered to work in the welfare department to see Choi Ara.

"Where do you want me to deliver this?"

"Do you know the green gate house next to the supermarket?"

"Oh, that house. I'll be there."

Kim Sanghyun delivered the welfare items with a smile on his face, and Officer Park looked at him in surprise.

"What's wrong with you, what are you doing?"

"I went to see Ara."

"Ara? Ah, the one who's paying for her vegetative father's hospital bill?"

Kang Subin already knew Kim Sanghyun's intentions.

As she watched closely, Kim Sanghyun was being cautious and not crossing the line, like an elementary school student having a fling. She was turning a blind eye with all the murder cases lately.

Choi Ara's father is in the hospital, and a young woman living alone in that neighborhood is dangerous.

"Isn't that what you do to kill time and then come back late?"

"I'm always on time."

"You just slips away like a loach."

Even Officer Park, who said that, was changing his evaluation of Kim Sanghyun because of his unpleasant appearance.

"Anyway, did you hear the news?"

"Ah, the murder case? Officer Kang's childhoodfriend is a detective, did you hear anything?"

"They found a paper crane in the corpse's mouth. The media will probably call it the 'Paper Crane Serial Murder Case'......"

A fourth body was discovered, and the case that would cause an uproar in Uisun City finally came to a head.

***

Choi Ara thought about Kim Sanghyun, whom she had been seeing a lot lately.

'He's handsome, but he's too skinny.'

Choi Ara felt annoyed with him because she's a girl who grew up in a family with a very strict way of speaking, but she can't hate him because he always checks her mood and acts cute.

Besides, how did he get Choi Ara's number and send her a message asking her to eat with him...... Choi Ara turned on her cell phone, and hear a chat message ringing.

(Kim -ssi) Hey, I'm going to deliver kimchi again ㅠㅠ

(Kim -ssi) Do you want to have chicken and beer today? I'll treat you.

Choi Ara didn't have any friends on her age because she always earning money, but now, her dull life had become a little livelier. A small smile appeared on her lips. Then, someone called her.

"Hey......"

"Ah, I'm sorry. Would you like to rent for a half day today?"

"Yes."

"Then, it's 130,000 won."

Choi Ara took the man's money with both hands. The man was a regular customer of her shantytown experience. He paid well, didn't do any harm, and didn't dirty the room.

"But, may I ask why you come here so often?"

"I'm writing a thesis related to the poor. Is that offensive to you?"

"No, well......"

It doesn't matter, as long as she get paid. She'll use the money to pay the rent and pay her father's hospital bills with her part-time job. She clutched the money close to her heart and started her part-time job.

However, her happiness didn't last long. The boss suddenly informed her that she was fired, and when she came home late at night, she received a letter from the public institution.

 

"Hey! Choi Ara! What are you doing?"

Outraged, Choi Ara grabbed Kim Sanghyun by the scruff of the neck.

"It's you?! It's you, right?!"

"Wha-What are you talking about?"

"You reported it!"

"Ah, what the hell are you talking about? Speak so I can understand!"

"This!"

It turned out that she was caught operating an illegal lodging business and would be fined.

Kim Sanghyun was furious. He was trying to look good for Choi Ara, but he wouldn't do such a cowardly thing as stabbing her in the back.

"Why did I report it? I'm busy carrying rice."

"It's really not you, you sure?"

"No......! Hey! Where are you going!"

Feeling embarrassed and annoyed by the fact that she had suspected him, Choi Ara ran upstairs, and Kim Sanghyun followed her. They arrived at a vacant lot at the very top of Projects.

"Hey!"

"What!"

"Ara -ssi, you have climbed to such a high place."

"Why are you following me here?"

"Don't you watch the news? There was a murder in this neighborhood. You don't know that you could be in danger."

Actually, she was scared. She gulped down the beer he uncorked and handed to her, feeling guilty and grateful that he had followed her.

"......Do you know what the name of this neighborhood means? It was named so because it was located high up so the moon was clearly visible."

"......"

"But now you can't even see it because of the redevelopment over there."

When Kim Sanghyun looked along Choi Ara's index finger, he saw that the moon was obscured by the high-rise apartments in the next neighborhood.

"Isn't redevelopment possible here too?"

"But that's not my house."

"What?"

"It's a rental house."

Kim Sanghyun's expression, which had smiled brightly, saying that Choi Ara's life would become better once the redevelopment was confirmed, stopped smiling. In fact, he thought that such a small, crumbling house would be worth a few pennies and that the house would be in her name.

"My house, and that one, and that one, and that orange-roofed house. And the super building out front, ......The owner of all 12 building is the same."

"Re-Really?"

"I said before that you had no self-respect and why you put on such an exhibition of poverty?"

"That......"

"My landlord threatens to vacate the room just because the monthly rent of 300,000 won is delayed by a few hours even though it is not necessary right away. Do you know what happened yesterday? My landlord said they would raise the rent. My dad's hospital bills are overdue, and I was fired from my part-time job because the CEO's son lost money on sports betting."

Choi Ara tried to speak calmly, but her words became increasingly watery. Kim Sanghyun didn't know what to do, so he kept his mouth shut.

"All I have is poverty, so don't you think I should sell it?"

"......"

"But now, I don't even have poverty to sell!"

Choi Ara, overcome with tears, cried out loud.


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