Assistant Manager Jang Ho Yeong, age thirty-three.

After dragging his exhausted body home from work and finishing a shower, he collapsed onto the sofa feeling considerably more refreshed.

"Let's see..."

Living alone, he switched on the large television in his living room. As he dried his hair, he also opened the laptop on the side table.

The plan was simple: watch the hit drama New Deal while browsing his automobile enthusiast forum.

For the past two months, he had been agonizing over buying a car.

The cool cars cost a fortune to buy and maintain... but the sensible ones don't excite me at all...

A common dilemma for men in their twenties and thirties.

After all, a car was a man's pride.

Some people emptied their savings and even took out loans to buy a supercar.

But—

Don't overdo it. Overdoing it makes your life over.

He considered himself a rational, practical person.

Surely he wasn't foolish enough to spend years buried under loan payments for a moment of vanity—

[Bought the new 2006 E Class from Company B. This facelift version is nuclear-level cool.]

Almost hypnotized, he clicked the forum's most popular post.

Beautiful.

If he owned a car like that, wouldn't the woman he'd recently been introduced to finally fall for him?

His friends would probably start a riot begging for rides.

Maybe I should just buy it... If I cancel my housing savings account too...

At that moment, he casually glanced up.

Then froze.

Beyond the laptop screen, something familiar caught his eye.

An office.

Even though it was clearly an advertisement, it looked uncannily realistic, almost documentary-like.

The layout even resembled his own workplace.

He hated thinking about work after clocking out. He had deliberately arranged his bedroom so that his bed didn't even face the direction of the office.

And yet here it was.

An office.

Annoyed, he still couldn't look away.

The man on screen was an assistant manager too.

Huh. Looks kind of like Assistant Manager Han from the team next door.

"No, that's not possible. You already know that. Yes, call me once it's resolved."

"I'll divide the workload appropriately according to manpower and bring it to you."

He knew that smile.

Friendly.

Professional.

Carefully maintaining an appropriate distance.

The smile he wore every day himself.

What kind of commercial is this?

His interest sharpened.

Then, as the clock struck exactly six—

Beep.

The car appeared.

No way... a car commercial?

Assistant Manager Jang's eyes instantly focused.

Inside the monochrome office landscape sat a brilliant red sedan.

The contrast was playful.

Heart-racing.

The seemingly ordinary actor casually adjusted his appearance and removed his glasses.

The atmosphere changed as though by magic.

Like he had become a completely different person.

Then he got into the car.

Don't tell me...

CRASH—

A satisfying explosion echoed as the office wall burst apart.

At that exact moment, Jang Ho Yeong felt some of the stress he'd accumulated at work throughout the day evaporate.

Ooooooh—

The actor slammed down on the accelerator.

The car surged forward.

Simultaneously, a split-screen showed an arrow striking dead center in a target.

The sedan carved through a corner without slowing.

Drums thundered.

Lights flashed brilliantly.

His groove came alive with the rhythm.

The vehicle arrived at a racing circuit.

Sandstorms.

The tearing scream of air.

Removing his helmet, he flashed a fierce grin, proudly alive like a predator that had just captured its prey.

—Crude you, with Crude.

Gulp.

Assistant Manager Jang's—

No.

Jang Ho Yeong's throat bobbed noticeably.

No, seriously. Who gets off work at six?

Who goes archery shooting and racing after work?

The club part... okay, maybe someone could go clubbing...

He grumbled internally.

It was impossible.

Pure fantasy.

And yet—

The commercial made him feel that if he bought that car, he could live that life.

His subconscious completed the leap.

A great advertisement always possessed the power to make impossible leaps feel natural.

[Hyunseong Motors New Sedan Crude Specifications and Options]

Before he even realized it— 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

He was already searching for it.

 December 23rd, evening.

Fantasium Theater, Daehakro.

A man with his cap pulled low sat quietly in one of the theater seats.

The house was full.

Only a year ago, Phantom shocked me.

How much more extraordinary have you become since then?

 December 24th, afternoon.

The same theater.

The same seat.

Another man concealed beneath a cap and mask settled into the darkness.

Again, every seat was occupied.

I see you every day, yet I'm still curious.

What kind of King Yeonsan did you become, Senior?

 Yu Myeong had watched Artist Jang Nok Su in his previous life.

Cheon Seong Yeon.

One of the industry's finest actresses, even among top stars.

Back then, the film had drawn around three million viewers.

Not a terrible result.

But considering the immense production costs of a historical epic, it could hardly be called a major success.

It had probably only slightly exceeded its break-even point.

However, there was one variable.

A variable named Ryu Shin.

In his previous life, Ryu Shin had remained a theater actor.

Despite countless offers from the film industry, he had rejected them all and stayed on stage.

Which meant that the King Yeonsan in that version of the movie had not been played by Ryu Shin.

How much difference could one person make?

"It has been peaceful for too long. Why would any trouble arise? But should trouble come, none of you will remain unharmed..."

A young and beautiful king.

A man known to history as a monstrous tyrant.

Yet the audience found it difficult to look away from his descent into madness.

From those worn, exhausted eyes.

From the desperately biased affection he reserved for a single person.

A King Yeonsan who made people want to overlook every one of his sins and simply pat his back once.

A fragile King Yeonsan.

As expected...

Yu Myeong could easily imagine it.

How ruthlessly Ryu Shin must have driven himself.

How much suffering and effort had been poured into creating such a heartbreaking King Yeonsan.

It felt as though all of that anguish and dedication were playing before his eyes.

Ryu Shin stared fixedly at the sixteen-year-old Yi Bang Won.

Goosebumps repeatedly spread across Yu Myeong's skin.

A year ago, Phantom's deathly tranquility had astonished him.

Now that actor radiated an overwhelming presence that seemed ready to burst apart.

"Why won't you meet my eyes?"

A prince destined for kingship.

A man whose ambition seemed capable of piercing the heavens.

Simply looking at him felt overwhelming.

Schemes.

Plots.

Political struggles.

At the center of them all stood a beast of a man whose brilliance surpassed everyone around him.

Yet a beast trained to wear the most elegant of disguises reserved his desire for only one person.

How on earth...

Watching a Taejong who embodied every popular perception of the historical figure two hundred percent, Ryu Shin found himself unable to imagine it.

What kind of training had Yu Myeong undergone?

What realization had he reached?

How had he created a Taejong this powerful?

His body trembled before such overwhelming talent.

Yes.

That's Yu Myeong.

He did not want Yu Myeong to disappoint him.

He wanted him to astonish him even more.

So that when the day finally came for him to surpass him, there would be no regrets.

A lighthouse worthy of chasing without ever looking left or right.

Only forward.

Yes.

That's Ryu Shin.

Yu Myeong felt grateful for his good fortune.

A companion with whom he could devote himself completely to acting.

How great a blessing was it to perform alongside a rival who would answer his best efforts with something even greater?

Even on Christmas Eve, they met as usual in the rehearsal room.

After watching each other's films, they exchanged a brief glance.

Neither commented.

The fire burning in their eyes said everything.

"Oppa, that's incredible! Senior, it was incredible!"

Only Seol Su Yeon, cheeks flushed red, continued expressing her amazement.

 The New Year arrived.

Whenever someone turned on a television, Late Goryeo, Early Joseon seemed to appear sooner or later.

On the news.

On variety shows.

On comedy programs.

"The historical film Late Goryeo, Early Joseon, released at year's end, continues its remarkable sold-out streak."

"I'll do an Yi Bang Won impression! Can you not see it? I... can see it! Hahaha!"

"That's not even close! That's my favorite scene—stop ruining it!"

"After surpassing two million viewers in its first week, Late Goryeo, Early Joseon remains number one at the box office throughout the New Year's holiday..."

Yu Myeong's parents said congratulatory calls were pouring in from everywhere.

One particular call on New Year's Day attracted everyone's attention.

"My goodness, sister-in-law! How have you been? I personally bought tickets for Late Goryeo, Early Joseon, and Yu Myeong was absolutely amazing. I never knew he had that kind of talent. Then again, his father always had a bit of flair when he was young. Maybe he inherited it? By the way, does his management team need anyone trustworthy? Yu Myeong is so gentle that I worry about him. Wouldn't it be nice if his older cousin helped handle things?"

At that point, Yu Myeong's father snatched the phone away.

"No need, Noona."

Then he hung up.

Ji Yeon burst into laughter.

His mother worried that hanging up like that might cause trouble.

His father only laughed harder, saying nobody would dare get angry while Yu Myeong was doing so well.

Might as well say everything he'd always wanted to say.

Then—

Ding dong.

"Oh my, hello..."

"Hello, Father. Hello, Mother. Would it be alright if I joined you for a bowl of rice cake soup?"

"Of course, Team Leader! Thank you for taking such good care of our Yu Myeong."

"I'd like to take care of him, but he's so good on his own that it's no fun at all. Ha ha."

Yu Seok had come to visit.

Managers visiting actors' homes during holidays wasn't uncommon.

But nobody had expected Yu Seok himself—the Team Leader and effectively the company's president—to show up.

Yu Myeong sprang to his feet in surprise.

"Mother, please take these. These are from our company. These are from Hyunseong Motors. These are from the fan club..."

"Oh my, that's so much. It's not even Lunar New Year yet."

"Actor Shin is hot these days. There'll be even more when Lunar New Year arrives."

"Oh my, why are there so many health supplements?"

"That's what I was wondering. Hyunseong sent them. Health supplements as a New Year's gift is pretty unusual."

Hearing Yu Seok mutter in confusion, Yu Myeong chuckled quietly.

He had a good idea who had intervened.

 After the meal, Yu Seok and Yu Myeong spoke privately in his room.

"See? I was right. Feels like I've already won."

"We should wait a little longer. Nine million nine hundred ninety-nine thousand still isn't ten million."

Yu Myeong shot back immediately.

"By the way, the company's practically paralyzed. Variety shows, dramas, films—everyone's in a panic trying to cast Yu Myeong."

"Seriously?"

"Crude currently has a six-month waiting list for deliveries. The advertisers are panicking too. They're all demanding that we bring in Yu Myeong."

Yu Seok smiled mischievously.

Top directors promising leading roles without auditions or meetings.

Variety producers begging him to appear once and promising to promote other Good Enter celebrities in return.

Countless corporations.

After watching Late Goryeo, Early Joseon and the Crude commercial, marketing executives had practically lost their minds, promising any amount of money.

Once might have been luck.

Twice could still be fortune.

Three times became inevitability.

Ballerina High.

Entertainment Studies.

Late Goryeo, Early Joseon.

After three consecutive projects established him beyond dispute as the rookie actor with the finest acting ability, the industry's hyenas caught the scent of success.

Their greedy eyes glittered.

They approached.

"I wonder what they'd say if they found out you're doing theater."

Yu Seok smiled broadly.

The entire world was celebrating one thing:

Acting.

And everyone wanted to lure its newest star with increasingly extravagant rewards.

Yet the object of all that attention cared little for the rewards themselves.

His gaze remained fixed on acting alone.

What a satisfying sight.

What a beautiful sight.

For the first time in his life, Yu Seok understood why people willingly became fans.

 God Named.

Yu Myeong's fan community.

Recently, the number of users online at any given moment had become absurd.

The flood of new material released through Late Goryeo, Early Joseon and Crude.

The endless daily posts of Find Shin Willy.

And the constant stream of new members.

Joining.

Joining.

Joining.

Today, Jeong So Jin was once again grinding through promotion requests, checking whether applicants met the requirements for full membership.

Then a newly posted thread suddenly began accumulating comments at incredible speed.

Within minutes, it climbed to the top of the community rankings.

Curious, she paused her work and clicked.

Click.

Post #75872 — Uh? Wait... Could This Be...?

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I've become completely addicted to Find Shin Willy, so I've watched the movie five times.

His back.

His profile.

His posture.

I've been searching for every tiny piece of him.

Then I came home...

And suddenly I saw him in a poster hanging on my wall.

Are my eyes playing tricks on me?

No matter how I look at it...

Doesn't this look exactly like Yu Myeong's back...?

<Attachment> 2003_Rococo_Photoshoot.jpg

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Jeong So Jin's eyes widened.

Huh...?