Just by his appearance, he looked like someone who would walk around ants on the ground to avoid stepping on them. But Hwi-gyeom—no, the body’s owner—knew. What kind of demon lived inside that exterior.
If Hwi-gyeom hadn’t experienced all sorts of turmoil himself, he probably would have been quite mentally devastated after entering this body. It was fortunate that he’d discovered his own masochistic tendencies he never knew he had while having sex with sponsors.
“You look like you’ve lost more weight than last time. Are you stressed about something these days?”
Du-shik looked at Hwi-gyeom with a pitying expression. However, his eyes examining the bruise-like marks remaining on the corners of his mouth and neck were as greedy as a snake’s.
“Ah, no. I just haven’t been sleeping well lately, that’s all.”
Whatever his true feelings were, Hwi-gyeom acted scared of Du-shik. It was easy to act since it was genuinely creepy.
“Oh dear. Should I get you some medicinal tonic? Your pretty face has gotten quite damaged.”
The seat next to him sank down, and soon a chilling touch reached his shoulder and arm. Hwi-gyeom bit his lip and lowered his head.
Du-shik never actually touched the body’s owner all the way. Whether he had some philosophy of his own or not, while he passed him around to other bastards like a male prostitute, he himself only lightly molested him like this.
But the body’s owner wanted to die every time Du-shik did this. It was because of the premonition that someday Du-shik would also violate him. Du-shik, who had been kneading his forearm, naturally caressed Hwi-gyeom’s waist.
“Why does your expression look so dark? I even brought a gift that our Hwi-gyeom would like.”
The breath touching his ear was moist. Hwi-gyeom hunched his shoulders, hoping this time would end quickly. Being with the agency president definitely triggered a severe rejection response. The body’s owner’s memories covered his mind, making him nauseous.
“Yi-hyun said he told you. That he got you into a drama.”
“…Yes.”
Du-shik stretched out just one arm and grabbed the script that had been sitting on the table. His touch was indifferent as he tossed it onto Hwi-gyeom’s thigh. In truth, he didn’t want Hwi-gyeom to appear in dramas. If he gained fame, what he had done to Hwi-gyeom might be exposed to the world.
And he hadn’t established the agency to actually do entertainment business in the first place. He created a plausible company to draw in people like Hwi-gyeom—those with outstanding looks but isolated—and groom them as entertainment providers. It was closer to bringing his original business into the light.
His acting skills were abysmal, but Hwi-gyeom’s appearance was outstanding enough to draw people’s admiration just by standing still and breathing.
As such, if he was exposed on broadcast, he might gain fame to a degree that would be difficult to control. That’s why Du-shik had only been giving Hwi-gyeom false hope all this time. In reality, the movie he had filmed would never be released.
It was a movie filmed with separate money just to put a leash on Hwi-gyeom. The script was a mess, the cast was a mess, Hwi-gyeom’s acting was a mess. Just as Du-shik wanted, if it was released, complete garbage that would only get tons of criticism was created.
Naive and foolish Hwi-gyeom was immersed in dreams of debuting as an actor after filming the movie, but…
‘Cocky bastard.’
Du-shik’s expression turned cold as he recalled the conversation he’d had with Yi-hyun on the phone last night. Yi-hyun had threatened him in an elegant voice. If he didn’t hand over the drama script to Hwi-gyeom, the actors already cast in the production would have problems.
Thanks to that, two of the agency’s actors had gotten into quite decent dramas as supporting roles with substantial screen time. It was Hwi-gyeom who actually gave his body, but it was others who were receiving the benefits.
Yi-hyun knew that fact too. But he had never once brought up that issue with Du-shik.
Yi-hyun had the secret sexual preference of being gay, and his aesthetic sense was impossibly demanding. He didn’t even glance at those selling their bodies at establishments. If possible, he preferred people in the same industry who had a lot to lose.
It was a great opportunity for Du-shik when Hwi-gyeom caught his eye. Du-shik took full advantage of the opportunity. Until now, he had used Hwi-gyeom as he pleased, utilizing him like fertilizer to grow the agency’s actors. Du-shik thoroughly divided those belonging to the company into two categories: kids used for entertainment like Hwi-gyeom, and kids actually raised as actors to make the company look like a proper entertainment agency.
The problem was that Yi-hyun’s interest in Hwi-gyeom had grown even more. Now it seemed he wanted Hwi-gyeom to actually debut and build a career.
From Du-shik’s standpoint, it was definitely not something to welcome, but he couldn’t refuse Yi-hyun’s orders either. If he did, the company would immediately have problems. Du-shik was thoroughly someone who was strong against the weak and weak against the strong.
“The audition is tomorrow evening. It’s not that great a production, so don’t be too nervous and just take it easy. If you wait just a little longer, I’ll get you a proper project instead of this one. Hwi-gyeom, you trust President-nim, right?”
He asked while fiddling with the nape of Hwi-gyeom’s neck, who was trembling and unable to even make proper eye contact. The skin touching his palm was soft.
Even though he was a heterosexual to the bone, his heart wavered when he was with Hwi-gyeom. With Hwi-gyeom’s level of looks, he kept thinking he could just close his eyes and fuck him.
When he rubbed the traces that sponsors must have left with his thumb, thirst surged. It was when Du-shik, as if possessed, brought his lips to Hwi-gyeom’s nape.
“Th-thank you. I should be going now. Since the audition is tomorrow, I think I won’t have enough time if I want to practice the script.”
Hwi-gyeom, clutching the script tightly in both hands, pulled away. He stood up from the sofa and bowed his head to Du-shik.
Du-shik, who had been clenching his empty fist in momentary emptiness, raised his eyebrows in displeasure. Seeing Hwi-gyeom, pale and breaking out in cold sweat, made him hard down below, but he held back.
Even now, he was making an expression like he was cornered, and he thought that if he touched him too, he might cause an accident. Moreover, Hwi-gyeom’s reliable leash—his mother—had kicked the bucket a while ago.
Clicking his tongue lightly, he gestured for Hwi-gyeom to leave. Hwi-gyeom fled from the president’s office.
Manager Kim, who had been waiting in front of the president’s office, raised his right hand and showed a sleazy smile.
“Heey, Hwi-gyeom. Finished talking with President-nim?”
“…Yes.”
At least the president is a middle-aged man with some looks. Hwi-gyeom felt uncomfortable because of Manager Kim, who was blatantly looking him up and down. With looks that would overwhelmingly take first place if he entered a toad-face contest, why did he also like wearing clothes that were so tight?
The gap between the buttons covering his Mount Namsan-sized belly was pitifully wide.
“Going straight home? Should Manager-nim buy you something delicious?”
Manager Kim was President Hong’s right-hand man. In fact, most of the people working at the company didn’t know much about Hwi-gyeom’s situation. The only rumor going around was that the president especially cherished Hwi-gyeom for his outstanding looks, and was keeping him stored away without putting him in just any production.
On the other hand, Manager Kim had been serving as President Hong’s right arm since he ran loan shark and entertainment businesses, so he was the person who knew about Hwi-gyeom’s current situation next to President Hong.
He couldn’t openly touch Hwi-gyeom because of the president’s word, but he harassed him with his gaze every time they met. His head was full of thoughts about knocking Hwi-gyeom down given any opportunity.
The reason Hwi-gyeom didn’t have a separate manager and a manager-level person like him was responsible for his transportation was also because it would be troublesome if others found out what Hwi-gyeom was going through. President Hong knew very well that what he was doing to Hwi-gyeom was a crime.
“…It’s okay. My stomach isn’t feeling well. I’m trying to hurry home. And you don’t have to drive me. If I take the bus from right here, I’ll get there quickly.”
Hwi-gyeom’s body was already under tremendous stress from what he’d suffered from President Hong. He didn’t want to be tormented by Manager Kim too. He was someone with nothing to gain from anyway.
“The world is so dangerous these days. Don’t do that, let’s have a bowl of hangover soup at the hangover soup restaurant right here. After we eat, I’ll take you straight home.”
Manager Kim smiled ominously and approached Hwi-gyeom closely. Having outstanding looks had many good points, but there were bad points too.
Especially because Hwi-gyeom looked fragile, people tended to treat him even more carelessly. Moreover, since he walked around with dark expressions and hunched shoulders, they saw him as easy prey.
Still, when the female employees at the company saw Hwi-gyeom, they tried to give him at least a small chocolate, but Manager Kim, as if not wanting to disappoint his reputation as President Hong’s right-hand man, acted like a perverted thug. Even now, he was subtly rubbing his arm against Hwi-gyeom’s.
Unable to help it, Hwi-gyeom left the building with Manager Kim. He thought he needed to escape from this company as soon as possible. But he couldn’t leave quietly.
Hwi-gyeom was planning to take revenge on the agency president on behalf of the body’s owner. While he was at it, it would be good to send Manager Kim to hell together with him. That would be repayment to the body’s owner who had given him a new life.
However, Du-shik had something that could be the body’s owner’s weakness, so if he moved rashly, there was a risk of his life as an actor ending completely. He had to move carefully.
“Wow, the weather’s amazing. On a day like this, it would be perfect to go to the Han River for a picnic.”
Why would you go bother people having fun at the Han River? Hwi-gyeom clicked his tongue inwardly at Manager Kim’s words as he stretched. From what he’d observed, Manager Kim had quite a bit of pride in his appearance. He insisted his body, which was clearly 90% fat, was muscle.
