MC Bookstore Chapter 37, Section 6.2: Not the finish line, but another starting line.
Chapter 37, Section 6.2: Not the finish line, but another starting line.
Four o'clock in the morning.
My phone vibrated beside my pillow. It wasn't one of those incessant calls; it was Kim Min-jun.
Su Yu answered the phone, her voice hoarse as if she had swallowed a handful of sand: "If you dare tell me you're in a relationship, I'll hang you on the Han River Bridge and let the cold wind blow on you."
There was a two-second silence on the other end, followed by an barely suppressed, silly laugh: "Brother, Choi Eun-jung said she likes me."
Su Yu is dead.
Three seconds later, Kim Min-jun sent a screenshot. In the chat log, Choi Eun-jung said, "Your brother may look like a con artist, but his scripts are really exciting. Also, I like you."
Su Yu stared at the screen and replied with a single word: 【Get lost.】
Kim Min-jun replied instantly: 【Thanks, hyung! I'll treat you to barbecue tomorrow!】
Su Yu put his phone back face down and stared at the ceiling.
Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
The ceiling in the semi-basement was still leaking. This lousy place leaks whether it's raining or not. But he wasn't bothered by it today.
He was thinking about what Cai Xiubin had said yesterday: "Because she likes screenwriters."
This girl has gotten really bold.
……
Seven o'clock in the morning.
When Su Yu arrived at the convenience store, Boss Park was adjusting his tie in front of the mirror. The old man was dressed like he was going to run for mayor of Seoul, and his hair was so combed that even a fly would have to do a split if it landed on it.
"Hey, boss, going on a blind date?" Su Yu tossed his backpack onto the counter.
"Bullshit. My daughter's wedding invitations are printed and ready to be sent out today." Boss Park proudly displayed the bright red invitations in his hand. "Write me a blessing. You're a great writer, don't write those cliché phrases like 'May you have a long and happy marriage'."
Su Yu picked up a pen and wrote a line of words on the back of the invitation in a flamboyant style.
Boss Park leaned over and read aloud: "'May you find the thrill of escaping from the prison of marriage.'...Is that a blessing or a curse, kid?"
"A high-level blessing. I don't tell this to just anyone." Su Yu tied on his apron. "Cash in. 10,000 won per word."
"Get lost! Give me a month's worth of free service!"
"A free meal is absolutely out of the question, it's never going to happen in my life. I'll give you a 2% discount."
Boss Park was so angry that his beard trembled, and he took two cases of soju to the warehouse.
……
Nine o'clock in the morning.
Cai Xiubin did not come.
Su Yu glanced at his phone; it was empty. Something was wrong. This girl had been consistent lately; even if she didn't buy anything, she'd still come in to enjoy the air conditioning and glare at him.
Ten o'clock. Still no movement.
Su Yu couldn't hold back any longer and sent a message: [Where is she? Did aliens capture her to star in a sci-fi movie?]
Five minutes later, she replied: "No. Looking at houses."
Su Yu raised an eyebrow: [What, is Yin Guo Entertainment going to provide you with a luxury mansion?]
Cai Xiubin sent me a photo.
Su Yu clicked on it and laughed.
It was a semi-basement room with windows no bigger than an A4 sheet of paper. The paint on the walls was peeling off like it had a skin disease, and the floor was covered with red and blue checkered linoleum in the style of the 1990s.
Su Yu typed: "This house is nice. Good natural light, warm in winter and cool in summer, perfect for practicing invisibility techniques."
Cai Xiubin: [Su Yu, shut up. This was found for me by my mom.]
Su Yu: [If you move in, mushrooms will grow on your skin in three days.]
Cai Xiubin: [Then what do you suggest we do?]
Su Yu: [Move it here.]
After sending that message, Su Yu was stunned for a moment.
He was serious. His semi-basement apartment leaked, but at least it was spacious, and—he didn't want to see this girl living in that kind of shack.
The other end displayed "typing" for a long time before finally sending three words: "Dream on."
Then another message: "[But I'll be there this afternoon. Save me some oden.]"
Su Yu looked at the screen and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
Okay. I'll save the radish for you.
……
One o'clock in the afternoon.
Cai Xiubin pushed open the door and came in, bringing with her a chill. She was wearing a gray hoodie with the hood pulled up over her head, and carrying an insulated bag.
She slammed the bag on the counter: "Eat."
Su Yu opened it and saw that it was seaweed rice rolls. They were cut neatly, much better than the last one that looked like it had been chewed by a dog.
"Did the sun rise in the west?" Su Yu picked up a piece and stuffed it into his mouth. "Your skills have improved."
"That's right." Cai Xiubin pulled out a chair and sat down, resting her chin on her arm and staring at him. "I practiced all morning. My hands are all cut."
Su Yu paused, then grabbed her hand.
There was indeed a small cut on my fingertip, and I put a band-aid on it.
"Idiot." Su Yu took out an iodine swab from the drawer. "Don't cut it next time. It's not like I'm starving."
"You're disgusted with me?" Cai Xiubin glared, pulling her hand back. "Eat it or don't, it's up to you."
"Eat. Who said I'm not eating?" Su Yu pulled the whole box of seaweed rice rolls in front of her. "This was made by the national actress herself. Eating this will boost the ratings."
Cai Xiubin was amused by him, and the corners of her mouth twitched up slightly, but she quickly suppressed it.
"Su Yu".
"Um?"
"Episode 2 airs tonight. Are you nervous?"
"I'm not nervous."
"I don't believe you." She stared into his eyes. "You were still revising the script for episode three at three in the morning last night."
Su Yu chewed on a seaweed rice roll and mumbled, "That's for making money. You can never have too much money, and you can never have too good a script."
"Can't you just admit you care too?"
"What's the use of caring? Ratings are like a man's size." Su Yu said seriously, "Looking big doesn't necessarily mean it's good, and looking small doesn't necessarily mean it's unavailable. You have to look at the actual effect."
Cai Xiubin froze for a moment, then her face instantly turned bright red. She grabbed the chopstick holder next to her, intending to smash it at him: "Su Yu, you pervert!"
Su Yu caught the chopstick holder steadily, grinning smugly: "Getting impatient? I was just joking. Ratings are a mystery, but I believe you."
Cai Xiubin's hand froze in mid-air, her face as red as a ripe apple.
"Believe me about what?" she asked softly.
"I believe you can become famous." Su Yu's smile faded, and his eyes turned serious for a second. "Only you can play the role of An Gaoen. Others play hackers, you play... a living person."
Cai Xiubin looked at him, her eyes suddenly turning a little red.
"Su Yu, you can be really irritating sometimes."
"But I can be quite nice when I talk, right?"
"roll."
……
3 PM.
Yoon Shi-yoon has arrived.
He was wearing a black jacket, jeans, and a mask, only his eyes were visible. He circled around the doorway to make sure no fans were there before sneaking inside.
"An iced Americano."
"Sold out." Su Yu said without looking up. "Only instant is left, five hundred yuan."
Yoon Shi-yoon removed his mask, revealing a face so handsome it was almost unbelievable: "Su Yu, you're a famous writer now, can't you have some class?"
"Even great writers need to make a living," Su Yu said, pointing to the shelf. "There are cup noodles over there, want one?"
Helpless, Yoon Shi-yoon took out his money and bought a bottle of water.
He leaned against the counter, watching Su Yu wipe the table: "I watched the second episode tonight."
"Where should we go to see it?"
"Go see Cai Xiubin. She said you have to go too."
Su Yu raised an eyebrow: "She invited me?"
"No. I insisted on going, no matter what." Yoon Shi-yoon unscrewed the bottle cap. "Su Yu, you wrote a great role for Cai Xiubin."
"That's because she acted well."
"Not entirely." Yoon Shi-yoon looked out the window. "There's a certain spirit in that character. He's unwilling to give up, unwilling to accept his fate. He's quite like you."
Su Yu didn't reply.
"Su Yu," Yoon Shi-yoon suddenly asked, "why don't you sign with a company? With your face and talent, you would have become famous long ago if you went into acting or writing scripts."
"I don't like being controlled."
"What about Yin-Yang Entertainment? That's your company."
"That was for filming my movie." Su Yu threw the rag into the sink. "I don't want to be a star, I want to be a star-maker."
Yoon Shi-yoon stared at him for a long time, then laughed: "You have ambitions bigger than the sky."
"How can I support a bunch of you if I'm not big enough?" Su Yu shrugged. "Your pay isn't cheap."
Yoon Shi-yoon choked for a moment, then finished drinking the water and precisely tossed the empty bottle into the trash can.
"I'm leaving. See you tonight."
See you tonight.
……
7:30 p.m.
Su Yu locked the convenience store door and headed to the company carrying two bags of snacks and drinks.
Just as I reached the alley entrance, my phone rang.
Shirley.
"Su Yu, you're coming back to the stage tonight, aren't you coming?"
"Can't go. Tonight's episode 2 of 'Model Taxi'."
There was silence on the other end of the phone.
"It's Cai Xiubin again?" Shirley's voice turned cold.
"It was a gathering of the film crew."
"Su Yu, do you think I'm easy to fool?"
"Shirley," Su Yu stopped in his tracks, "you're a big star, you're going to blow up the M Countdown tonight. I have no reason to lie to you."
"Then why didn't you come?"
"Because I want to watch my actors perform," Su Yu said calmly. "Just like you have to practice dancing before you go on stage, this is my job."
Shirley didn't speak. After a few seconds, she snorted.
"Okay. Just you wait and see. My fancam will break one million views tonight."
"Absolutely. Who is our Sulli? She's the pride of South Korea's female solo career."
"Stop being so cheeky. Bye."
Su Yu hung up the phone and sighed.
These days, it's really not easy to be a master of balancing things.
……
It's exactly eight o'clock.
Second floor of Yin-Yang Entertainment.
The OCN logo flashed briefly on the screen of that secondhand laptop.
Cai Xiubin sat cross-legged on the carpet, hugging a cushion, her eyes glued to the screen. Yin Shiyun sat on the sofa, crunching loudly with potato chips Su Yu had brought him.
Su Yu sat in the chair in front of the computer desk, twirling the black rubber band that Cai Xiubin had dropped in her hand.
"Shh—it's starting." Cai Xiubin turned around and glared at Yoon Shi-yoon.
Yoon Shi-yoon innocently raised his hands: "I'll shut up."
The second episode begins.
The pace is faster and more intense than the first episode.
Jin Daoqi carries out a mission in the rainy night, his punches landing with brutal force. The comments section begins to scroll wildly.
Holy crap, that fight scene was so cool!
Is this a fairy tale for adults?
When will Angoun appear? I'm so impatient!
Cai Xiubin gripped the pillow tightly, her knuckles turning white.
Ten minutes later.
Internet cafe scene.
The pale blue light from the screen reflected on An Gaoen's face. She was wearing headphones, her fingers tapping on the keyboard, her eyes focused and sharp.
【Here it comes!】
[Is this the hacker girl? I'm in love!]
That profile is killer!
Cai Xiubin held her breath.
Su Yu looked at the screen, then at Cai Xiubin.
The image of her on the screen and the image of her off the screen overlapped at this moment.
That stubbornness, that drive to prove their existence, is exactly the same.
Thirty minutes.
Kim Do-ki and Ahn Go-eun were in the car.
The wind blew in through the car window, ruffling Ahn Go-eun's hair. The script said "she didn't care," but during filming, Chae Soo-bin subconsciously reached out to smooth it.
Su Yu called "cut" at that moment.
"Don't move," he said. "Just leave it messy."
Why?
"Because you're on the run, you don't have time to care about beauty."
Looking at the finished product now, Ahn Go-eun, with his messy hair and his eyes fixed on the front, is more powerful than any elaborate styling.
The live chat exploded.
[Ahhh, this couple has amazing chemistry!]
[Jin Daoqi, look at her! Your eyes have changed!]
This drama isn't just a satisfying watch; it also has a romantic storyline! I'm totally shipping them!
Cai Xiubin turned her head, her eyes sparkling: "Su Yu, did you deliberately change this part?"
"No," Su Yu said calmly. "It was the director who changed it."
"You're lying. The director wouldn't care about such details."
"That's Yoon Shi-yoon, he's handsome."
Yoon Shi-yoon rolled his eyes on the sofa: "Don't bring me up. I'm just a heartless killer."
9:20.
The end credits song began to play.
Cai Xiubin let out a long breath and collapsed onto the carpet.
"The broadcast is over."
"Um."
"How is it?" she asked Yoon Shi-yoon.
"Pretty good." Yoon Shi-yoon gave a thumbs up. "More solid than the first episode."
Cai Xiubin looked at Su Yu.
Su Yu is looking at the real-time search rankings.
"Model Taxi" has climbed to third place.
"Su Yu, what do you think the ratings will be tonight?"
Su Yu turned his phone screen to show her.
"No matter how much," Su Yu stood up and stretched, "when you wake up tomorrow morning, you'll be the top female star of OCN."
Cai Xiubin paused for a moment, then smiled.
That kind of smile wasn't a polite, fake smile; it was a genuine, heartfelt joy.
"Su Yu".
"what?"
"Thank you."
"What are you thanking me for? Thanking me for letting you live in a semi-basement?"
Cai Xiubin grabbed a cushion and threw it at Su Yu, yelling, "Shut up!"
……
ten o'clock.
Su Yu escorted Cai Xiubin downstairs.
The alley was quiet, and the streetlights cast long shadows of the two people.
"What time do we start work tomorrow morning?" Cai Xiubin asked.
"Seven o'clock."
"So early?"
"Because we need to strike while the iron is hot." Su Yu stopped in his tracks. "Ratings are like a roller coaster. Once you get on top, you have to find a way to stay stable, otherwise you'll fall and die."
"I understand." Cai Xiubin stood at the alley entrance, the wind blowing her bangs. "Su Yu, that hair tie..."
"What rubber band?" Su Yu feigned ignorance.
"The one under your pillow."
Su Yu touched his nose: "Oh, that? I used it to tie up scallions."
Cai Xiubin's eyes widened: "Su Yu!"
"Just kidding." Su Yu took the rubber band out of his pocket and waved it in front of her. "It's right here."
Cai Xiubin reached out to grab it, but Su Yu raised her hand high.
"You want it?"
"Give me."
"Call me 'brother'."
"You're only a few months older than me!"
"Even one day's worth of time is still a lot."
Cai Xiubin gritted his teeth, held back for a long time, and muttered softly, "Brother."
Su Yu handed her the rubber band with satisfaction.
Cai Xiubin took the rubber band, wrapped it around her finger, and suddenly looked up at him.
"Su Yu, 6.2 is not the end."
"I know."
"What is that?"
Su Yu looked at her, his eyes as deep as a well.
"It's a different starting line," he said. "Angoo's story has only just begun. Kim Dodge's revenge is not over yet. And us..."
He paused.
"And we've only just entered the game."
Cai Xiubin looked at him and suddenly smiled.
"Su Yu, the way you were acting just now made you look exactly like a villain."
"That's true." Su Yu turned and walked back. "Go back quickly. Don't be late tomorrow."
Cai Xiubin stood there, watching his back.
"Su Yu!"
"What now?"
"I want to eat seaweed rice rolls tomorrow morning. You made them."
Su Yu waved without turning his head.
"Keep dreaming."
……
Back in the semi-basement.
Su Yu pushed open the door and went in.
Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
The ceiling is still leaking.
He took off his shoes, lay down on the bed, and placed his phone next to his pillow.
The screen lit up.
Shirley sent me a photo.
It's a screenshot of her direct shot on stage, with sharp eyes and domineering movements.
Caption: [It's surpassed one million views.]
Su Yu replied with a thumbs-up: [Awesome.]
Sulli: [What about you? What were the ratings?]
Su Yu: [It hasn't been released yet. But I know it'll definitely be high.]
Shirley: [Su Yu, you're really confident.]
Su Yu: [How can you succeed without self-confidence?]
Shirley: Are you free tomorrow? I'd like to invite you to dinner.
Su Yu looked at the line of text and thought for a moment.
[Tomorrow won't work. I have to film.]
Shirley: [Then the day after tomorrow?]
[We'll be filming the day after tomorrow too.]
Shirley: [Su Yu, are you avoiding me?]
Su Yu did not reply.
He turned off his phone and closed his eyes.
My mind is a mess.
Chae Soo-bin's smile, Yoon Shi-yoon's trust, Sulli's fancam, and that damn ticking sound.
He suddenly realized that the basement wasn't so cold after all.
Because this place is filled with ambition and a group of people who refuse to accept their fate.
Su Yu turned over and fell asleep.
In his dream, he saw the viewership rating break 10%.
The whole of South Korea is watching "Model Taxi".