Bamboo Forest Manager

Seeing the crowd bustling near the casino entrance made me reluctant to approach.

The people weren’t just gathered for gambling; they were here to watch today’s filming.

“There are so many people.”

“……”

I took a break from work to come see Seo Yerin with Yu Arin, but she’s been silent since earlier.

“Why. Again. What’s wrong.”

“Why? Again? What’s wrong?”

Instead, Yu Arin grumbles, astonished by my question.

She jabs my chest with her finger, interrogating me.

“Why are you so obsessed with butts? From last time to yesterday! You keep spanking me secretly!”

“…It’s fun.”

I tapped Yu Arin’s butt a few times at the drinking party yesterday, and now her reaction is spot on.

“Sexual harassment! You bastard! What kind of boss sexually harasses?!”

“I’m your boss! And you enjoyed it too!”

“Shut up! No, I didn’t!”

I clearly remember the sweet moans every time I spanked her.

“Hmph, forget it then.”

“Seriously, don’t do it. Okay? Got it?”

“Got it.”

Usually, I get beaten up by Yu Arin, so I was exacting revenge in this way.

Now that it’s blocked, I’m a bit worried about how to counterattack next time.

“Because of you, my butt was red yesterday.”

‘…I want to see it.’

As my gaze subtly dropped to Yu Arin’s butt, she hurriedly covered it with both hands, fuming.

“Don’t do it.”

“I said I won’t. Why are you falsely accusing me?”

It’s not false.

The truth is, just a moment ago, I was eyeing Yu Arin’s enticing butt.

“I saw your fingers twitching, you know?”

Damn it, caught.

“Were your fingers twitching to touch my butt?”

Feigning a bold face, I retort immediately, and Yu Arin steps closer, questioning me again.

“Then why were your fingers twitching? The size was just right to grab a butt.”

“Seo Yerin’s chest- Puhak!”

“You crazy bastard!”

A punch landed right away.

I tried to twist my body to avoid it, but instead, I ended up moving my body into the punch.

I curled up in pain, and Yu Arin stormed off while breathing heavily.

I followed through the crowd, where Seo Yerin was chatting with actors and others.

“Famous people.”

Yu Arin, mouth agape, was staring at the people around Seo Yerin.

Certainly, they were people I had seen a few times on TV or at the movies.

Seeing them like that, it naturally felt like Seo Yerin belonged over there.

Among them was Cha Seung-ho, who had been mentioned yesterday.

‘…Did they really compare me to someone like that?’

A handsome man on par with Chan-woo. It felt almost deceitful that Seo Yerin chose me over someone like him.

It was a bit discouraging.

I thought about calling Seo Yerin over to say hello, but as the filming resumed, we kept our mouths shut.

I had heard that sometimes they control the filming set so people can’t watch, but since this was a hotel, there seemed to be no such control.

Thanks to that, we could watch Seo Yerin’s acting.

She was wearing a dress, probably provided by this side, and the aura was unmistakable.

A rich girl from a wealthy family.

Even indoors, her elegant gestures while wearing sunglasses were impressive.

“Isn’t that outfit a bit too revealing?”

“It has to be. The setting is a casino, after all.”

“…….”

“Are you Yerin’s dad?”

I kept my mouth shut at Yu Arin’s incredulous question.

Certainly, given the setting, the somewhat revealing attire suited the image.

“Isn’t she prettier than the female lead?”

“Wasn’t she the female lead?”

“Wow, look at her body.”

The murmurs around us were mostly about Seo Yerin.

Some were searching to find out who she was, while others knew her as the beauty from the Great Korean bakery.

“…….”

A sense of discomfort settled in one corner of my chest, but I pretended not to notice.

In any case, Seo Yerin began her performance.

Playing the role of a rich young lady who points the way to the escaping protagonist without a single line of dialogue.

A serious yet elegant gesture, starkly different from the chaotic performance shown at yesterday’s drinking party.

Even with just that one thing.

‘Ah.’

I was convinced that this child had to become an actor.

“Let’s go.”

I smiled awkwardly and turned my body, still staring blankly at Seo Yerin.

Since I had come during a short break, I couldn’t stay long.

“…What?”

Yu Arin looked at me with a subtle expression as we stepped out of the crowd.

“What’s wrong? Your expression doesn’t look good.”

“I don’t really like crowded places.”

“It doesn’t seem like it’s just that, though?”

She’s quite perceptive.

“Let’s hurry. The managers will get angry.”

“……”

As I hastily changed the subject and quickened my pace, Yu Arin urgently caught up and linked arms with me.

She was holding on tight enough to feel a bit of pain, as if insisting that I couldn’t let go.

It wasn’t just me who was feeling emotional; Yu Arin also seemed to be feeling a strange anxiety.

I slowed my steps, keeping my mouth shut, and matched her pace.

---

“Yerin, you were really good!”

“Right. Wow, I felt a wall of divide. Is this what a genius is?”

“Hehe, thank you.”

Seo Yerin couldn’t help but let her lips curl up at the actors’ compliments.

She was more excited about bragging than about the compliments themselves.

After all, she was being praised by professional actors.

“But today, by any chance…”

“Hey, don’t pressure her.”

The actors were chatting away in front of her, but Seo Yerin couldn’t hear them.

After glancing down at her phone, she looked around.

‘The guys said they were coming.’

Surely, they said they would come to watch during break time.

She even sent a message saying it was starting soon, so they should have come.

“Ah…”

At that moment, a guy and a girl caught Seo Yerin’s eye.

Kim Woojin and Yu Arin were turning their backs and heading back to work.

Yu Arin, comfortably linking arms with Kim Woojin, who matched her pace as they walked.

“……”

A strange emotion welled up.

Just a moment ago, she had been in a good mood.

She was excited about receiving compliments and the thought of bragging about it to Kim Woojin and other friends.

“Yerin, the director liked the scene just now so much that he’s putting it in the trailer.”

Despite the good news from the lead actor, Cha Seung-ho, Seo Yerin couldn’t feel at ease.

‘I thought I could be unaffected by all this.’

Choi Yiseo too, and Yu Arin as well.

Recently, despite various events causing some ambiguity, she was relieved that their relationship hadn’t deteriorated.

Squeeze.

Her hand gripped the phone tighter.

Seo Yerin, who had been blankly watching the two leave, eventually couldn’t hold back and picked up her phone.

• Anonymous69: I want to have seX!

Though she always did, today she posted a remark with slightly more intense emotion.

“Ha.”

A bitter sigh escaped.

Not at all, not even a little.

She felt no relief.

---

“What?! Is that really true?!”

The assistant director, upon receiving the call from Gold One Hotel, unconsciously stood up from his seat.

“Oh, thank you so much! Yes! Yes! Thank you very much!”

He even bowed his head several times while on the phone, which said it all.

Click.

The call ended, and the assistant director swung his fists around with a broad smile.

“Nice! Nice! Nice!”

Gold One, which strictly prohibited filming inside the casino, had given them two whole days to shoot inside.

That was more than enough.

Filming was only possible late at night when the casino was closed, but they even offered to lend lighting and costumes.

He had no idea why the conservative Gold One suddenly became so accommodating.

“How much of the production budget is being saved?”

The realistic setting and the fact that no separate set or CGI was needed reduced production costs.

The news about being able to shoot inside the casino was immediately shared with the filming team and actors, and everyone was delighted.

“This is really great news, Director.”

“Right? Ahem, but about actor Cha…”

While contacting the lead actor, Cha Seung-ho, the assistant director made a subtle suggestion.

“You know, that Yerin girl we shot today?”

“Oh, yes. You even remembered her name?”

Of course, he had to remember.

Isn’t it said that talent shows from an early stage?

Seo Yerin undoubtedly had the qualities to become a great actress.

“How about we use Yerin a bit more? Give her a few more lines and a brief role as an assistant.”

“You know we’ve already marked Yerin as ours, right?”

Worried that Seo Yerin might be taken away, Cha Seung-ho made a remark, and the assistant director laughed helplessly.

“Of course, I know. After all, I’m just the assistant director. It’s just that it feels like a waste for her to appear so briefly. From what I saw today, her acting is a bit raw, but she’s good.”

“……”

“We’re going to include a scene with Seo Yerin in the trailer, but if that’s all, it might be a bit disappointing. Wouldn’t it be better for YS if Seo Yerin appeared more?”

“That’s true.”

It was a chance for the next-generation star to make an impression on the audience beforehand.

“…I’ll talk to Seo Yerin about it.”

“Okay, please do.”

Ending the call, the assistant director immediately called the scriptwriter.