Hell's Actor-Chapter 73: Dead Horse’s Mockery

Online, Averie was being accused of vile stuff. Stans of other celebrities were angry at him—either out of jealousy over his rapid rise or because of his dismissal comments in the past.

People didn’t need much to get offended by.

Some of NeRen’s unhinged fans were enraged enough to call for his head. They left vitriolic comments under his previous posts.

Their reason behind it was simple. The NeRen girls supported Averie in all this, condemning the articles for their lack of clarity.

"See, Averie!" Hyerin pushed her phone in his face. "NeRen is different, just like I always say. They are defending you. See!"

"Get out of my face, Rin."

Anyone on the internet who wanted to vent had their target. Averie had become that one kid in school who got bullied even by the nerds.

Anyone who could put two words together dunked on him for fun.

It was like a festival of profanities.

Monitoring the situation, Hyerin made a suggestion.

"We should prepare a response."

But Averie had other plans. He told her to wait.

"Let this situation fester more."

Bewildered, Hyerin demanded an explanation.

"Let the opponent play all their cards." He was looking up information related to Loret Entertainment. "I don’t want to get into a battle of accusations and counteraccusations. Nobody will care for the truth if we exhaust them before providing it."

’Beat the dead horse, people. Beat it thoroughly.’

"Everyone is expecting us to put out a statement. But we won’t do that. If you find yourself at a disadvantage, never act as the enemy wants you to. Subvert their expectations."

In that moment, Averie gave off the illusion of an old general who had lived through countless conflicts.

"We will move just as the public starts to lose interest, when the tempers aren’t running high and people are more likely to listen."

’Beat the dead horse, people. Then, watch as it returns to make a mockery of life.’

"Let them show their true colors as they realize we won’t fight back."

As hours passed, the situation only worsened.

Death threats towards Averie had become commonplace. It had become a new form of greeting, on the same level as ’good morning’ and ’good evening.’

How quickly he had become the target of widespread hate was a wonder. It was making Hyerin and Min-Ha depressed.

Thoughts like ’we should have signed him with a large company’ and ’he would have been better off not becoming an actor’ were starting to plague Hyerin’s mind.

But Averie was different. He had long understood the two-faced nature of the masses. One day, they revered him. The next day, they wanted him executed.

That was the downfall of popularity. It was extremely volatile.

But none of it bothered Averie.

He never wanted to be the public’s sweetheart. He never wanted to be a celebrity. He only wanted to be an actor. It was a shame that the modern era had made those things inseparable.

In just half a day, things turned awfully dangerous when someone leaked Averie’s address.

Hyerin’s worst fears were realized. She was horrified.

"Is this also Loret’s doing?"

All the effort she had put into safeguarding Averie’s privacy had gone into the gutter.

Within minutes, a large crowd gathered in front of the apartment building.

"What is going on?" Min-Ha was in disbelief. "This is going a little too far."

They were chanting some stuff about corruption, indecent behavior, and danger to children.

Hyerin quickly locked and chained the door. Min-Ha unplugged the refrigerator and used it to bar the entrance. They dragged the desk across the room to reinforce the barricade as a small group of people began banging on the door.

Breathing roughly and looking distraught, Hyerin called the police.

Unlike the two, Averie was calmly studying the crowd.

Most of them wore long-sleeved t-shirts and masks to hide their identities.

’They are amateur actors.’

He could clearly see the awkwardness in their body language, the overcompensation in their voices, and the exaggerated hand movements.

"They were hired for this."

The more he stared, the more wary they grew. His gaze was like that of a hawk. There was no emotion, only intent.

The commotion escalated as the crowd naturally grew.

Some began throwing rocks at the window, prompting Hyerin to draw the curtains.

Soon, the police arrived, scattering the crowd.

"Let’s go, quick!"

Hyerin pulled Averie by the arm.

She rushed him out of the apartment and into one of the police cars.

Min-Ha was just a step behind, carrying a bag full of Averie’s clothes and valuables.

"Go, bring the car!" Averie instructed Hyerin, who was about to take a seat beside him.

She was shocked. "What?"

"If they return, I don’t want them ruining that beauty. You need to bring it along!"

It was unsettling for Hyerin to see her relaxed friend worrying about the car instead of his safety in such a situation.

She bit her lip.

"If the number plate leaks, we will be found again!"

"We will hide it with a waterproof cover! Just go get it!"

Reluctantly, Hyerin left.

Escorted by the police and sirens blaring, they escaped the area.

"Can we charge them?" Min-Ha asked the officers sitting in the front seats. "That was a violent act, wasn’t it?"

"It will be difficult," one of them answered. "They wore masks, and there aren’t many security cameras around the area. Even if we catch them, they will be fined at best."

It was depressing news all around.

After confirming with Hyerin, they decided to stay at her place.

Once the officers had left, it was already evening.

Out of energy, Hyerin perched herself on the edge of the bed, looking like a deflated balloon.

"It’s the worst day of my life."

"Would you like me to stay the night with you guys?" Min-Ha asked.

She looked solemn as she arranged Averie’s clothes in a part of Hyerin’s cabinet.

She knew it was going to be a long stay. There was no way Averie could continue living at his old apartment, and finding a new place would take time.

She would be worried about them living together if they weren’t such good friends.

"It would be safer with me here if something were to happen."

Hyerin readily agreed. She did not take chances when it came to Averie’s safety.

After answering a call from Ari—Averie’s cousin—Hyerin brewed some tea.

"What did she have to say?" Averie asked, sipping tea like a distinguished gentleman.

"She was asking if you were alright."

"There is no way that is all she had to say."

"Well," — Hyerin fidgeted with her hands — "she asked if the articles were correct."

On the internet, news about the attack on Averie’s apartment was spreading like the plague. Not only the entertainment media but even the news channels were reporting on it.

A war between edgy manchildren and Averie’s fanatics was underway. It was a bloodbath, with threats flying like bullets.

"Should we ask Sartre Entertainment’s PR team for help?" Min-Ha wondered.

"Why would they help us? At best, they will give a few suggestions."

While Hyerin and Min-Ha were discussing their next course of action as well as what to make for dinner, Averie was already done planning.

"Say, Rin, are you still in contact with that journalist friend of yours who wanted an interview with me?"

"I am." Hyerin pulled up her number. "You want to make a statement?"

"Even better. I want to give her an exclusive interview—if she is willing, of course."

The revival of the dead horse was drawing close.

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