Chapter 2

The next morning.

Sui barely managed to shake off Jin-sook, who had been making a scene and insisting that she be discharged and go straight to the agency. After escaping her, Sui went to Yuna’s home.

She needed to learn more about this girl.

Of course, images of Yuna’s past had flashed through her mind like scenes from a film, but they weren’t particularly clear. She could only piece things together from vague images and emotions.

Sui had expected to leave Yuna’s body as soon as she woke up that morning.

But she was still there.

She tried sitting quietly and meditating. She even went wild, violently shaking her head as if headbanging at a rock concert. Yet nothing worked. She simply couldn’t escape Yuna’s body.

Honestly, wandering through the afterlife had been preferable. A terrifying thought even crossed her mind: What if I end up living in this girl’s body for the rest of my life?

Whether it took a month, a year, or even ten years, if she couldn’t leave this body of her own free will, she couldn’t just sit around doing nothing.

She had no idea what the future held, so Sui had no choice but to come up with a plan.

Yuna’s home was a small, modest apartment.

Even so, Yuna had spent ten years in the entertainment industry. Sui had never imagined that she would be living in such a dilapidated apartment.

Had all the money Yuna earned until now gone straight into Jin-sook’s pockets?

What a frustrating, pathetic girl. She couldn’t even stand up for herself. Instead, she had tried to end her own life.

Sui suddenly felt suffocated by the thought and let out a quiet sigh.

Sui had always lived by speaking her mind whenever she wanted to and saying whatever she felt needed to be said.

Of course, that personality had often brought her trouble. During the 1970s and 1980s, gender discrimination had been so severe that people genuinely believed a household would fall apart if a woman dared to raise her voice.

But what era was this now?

Although Sui had died twenty-five years ago, she had vaguely witnessed the changing world through her blurred vision and muffled hearing.

And yet, a submissive woman who seemed to belong in the twentieth century still existed.

Sui looked around the apartment with a hollow sense of disbelief. The kitchen looked as though no one had ever bothered to cook a proper meal there.

She really must have hated living. Good grief.

Still, Yuna seemed to have a neat personality. Her clothes and belongings were well organized, so the apartment itself wasn’t particularly messy.

On the living room table lay a neatly arranged drama synopsis titled Surviving Obsessively.

Behind the synopsis, there were pages filled with small, carefully written notes, almost like diary entries.

One sentence caught Sui’s eye.

“Jenny and I wouldn’t suit each other, would we? I want to become Jenny.”

Jenny?

It was the name of a supporting lead character in the drama.

Jenny was a singer with a decadent, provocative image, completely different from Yuna, who was known for her innocent, delicate beauty.

Was this the role she wanted to play?

Even if Yuna had been forced into her work, perhaps she had still harbored dreams of her own. Perhaps this role was something she had desperately wanted.

Sui nodded to herself.

All right. I’ll keep that in mind.

Perhaps Sui had possessed this body to save the life of a twenty-five-year-old woman who had suffered misfortune after misfortune.

She didn’t know how long she would remain in Yuna’s body, but now that she had possessed a living person, she couldn’t simply sit around and do nothing.

Besides, if Yuna ever returned to her own body, Sui wanted to make sure she could live comfortably and happily.

Why?

If anyone asked, Sui could simply answer that she was a wandering spirit with nothing to do. Spending her endless, boring time helping someone like this wouldn’t cost her much.

Sui picked up a mirror and carefully studied Yuna’s reflection.

Her long, silky black hair flowed down to her waist. Her skin was smooth and delicate, and her large, round eyes were clear and sparkling.

All her features were beautifully balanced, giving her a peculiar charm that made anyone looking at her want to smile.

I have to pretend to be Yuna as much as possible. But can I actually pull that off?

Sui was already worried. If anyone discovered that she had possessed Yuna’s body, things would get troublesome.

She would have to be extremely careful not to reveal herself. Unfortunately, she and Yuna had completely opposite personalities.

Fortunately, Jin-sook didn’t seem particularly suspicious.

Moreover, after checking Yuna’s phone call history, Sui discovered that Yuna didn’t appear to have any close relationships apart from the agency’s CEO and Jin-sook.

It was sad that Yuna had apparently lived such a lonely life without friends, but for Sui, it was a stroke of luck. It meant there were fewer people who might notice the difference.

Just then, Yuna’s phone began to ring.

It was probably Jin-sook, who was waiting downstairs in front of the apartment building.

But Sui was no longer the innocent, submissive Im Yuna.

The thought of turning Yuna’s life upside down and doing all the things she had never dared to do filled Sui with excitement.

The place was so old and musty that even the slightest movement seemed capable of sending dust into the air.

There was nothing but an old desk and a worn-out sofa. Posters of Im Yuna were plastered all over the walls, covering them like wallpaper.

This shabby place was Yuna’s agency office.

On the sofa sat the agency’s CEO and Im Jin-sook. Sui sat opposite them.

Sui carefully studied the man who ran the agency.

It seemed that whenever she came face-to-face with someone who had been part of Yuna’s life, related memories would surface vaguely in her mind.

Lee Hwan-soo.

He was Im Yuna’s manager as well as the CEO of The Olim Entertainment.

He was greedy and obsessed with money. If anything, he seemed even worse than Jin-sook.

“Your girl is one of the faces of an idol group, and she’s going to appear in an adult film. And this is all they’re offering her as an advance?”

The two of them carried on their conversation as though Sui, who was sitting right in front of them, didn’t exist.

“Didn’t I tell you already? Yuna’s image has been badly damaged. Have you ever seen her on a variety show? Have you heard how little she says? Even her exclusive shampoo commercial contract has been terminated. The production company for this film has no intention of increasing the advance, either. You asked for far too much, Madam.”

“And you’re not taking a cut for yourself in the middle, are you, CEO Lee?”

“Madam, we’ve worked together for ten years. It hurts to hear you say that.”

“Then show me the paperwork from their side. I’ll check it myself.”

“You wouldn’t understand what any of it means even if you looked at it. So why don’t we just…”

“CEO Lee, if you keep doing business like this, you won’t be able to renew our contract with Yuna. You know that, don’t you? There’s only one week left on the contract. Do you really think I’ll sign another one?”

At Jin-sook’s words, Lee Hwan-soo gave a strange smile.

“Madam, I’ve been looking after our Yuna for ten years. How many suicide scares has she caused? And what about all the scandals and rumors? I was the one who kept all of those things under control and turned her into the star she is today. Word has already spread throughout the industry that she has a history of mental health problems. Her image has been used up and damaged beyond repair. She needs to break away from that image now.”

Sui silently clicked her tongue as she listened to the conversation between Jin-sook and CEO Lee.

So this is how they’re planning to change her image? By making her film an adult movie?

With only a week remaining on the contract, CEO Lee was already bringing up Yuna’s weaknesses. It seemed he had anticipated this situation and had begun laying the groundwork well in advance.

There was a hundred percent chance that he might even threaten to leak only the dirtiest rumors about Yuna to the press.

No matter what era it was, people like him always existed.

Come to think of it, Jin-sook seemed obsessed with money but utterly incapable of assessing a situation like this.

Honestly, Yuna was surrounded by people who seemed determined to exploit her from every possible angle.

“Let me see the contract.”

Sui crossed her legs and spoke in a relaxed, casual manner.

Judging by the snake-like look in Lee Hwan-soo’s eyes, it was obvious that the existing contract was probably a mess, too. She needed to examine it for herself.

Lee Hwan-soo stared at her as though he couldn’t believe what he had heard.

“Yuna? What did you say?”

“The contract. I want to see it.”

“I’ll discuss that part with your mother. Why don’t you step outside for a while?”

His tone was that of an adult talking to a little child.

Sui’s gaze grew ice-cold.

Apparently, Yuna hadn’t even been treated like a human being here.

And if Lee Hwan-soo spoke to her like that, Yuna would undoubtedly have left without saying a word.

Still, I should try to act as much like Yuna as possible. Be Yuna. Be Yuna.

Worried that she might look too much like an easy target, Sui deliberately spoke in an unusually meek and compliant tone.

“I’m the one who signed the contract, so I don’t understand why you’re discussing it with my mother.”

“Im Yuna! What’s gotten into you all of a sudden? What do you need to see the contract for?”

Jin-sook snapped at Sui.

Ignoring her mother, Sui stared straight into CEO Lee’s eyes and spoke clearly.

“What’s going to change just because I take a look at it? Is it so strange for me to want to read my own contract? What would I even understand by looking at it?”

Lee Hwan-soo stared at Sui with his snake-like eyes, as though trying to read her true intentions.

But perhaps he thought that even if the delicate, kind, obedient, and fragile Im Yuna wanted to do something, there wasn’t much she could accomplish.

After a moment, Lee Hwan-soo turned away and smiled.

“Fine. Yuna has never paid much attention to her contract, after all. Wait a moment. I’ll find it and show it to you.”

Lee Hwan-soo went into the office study, retrieved a yellow envelope, and handed it to her.

The contract, complete with official seals, was quite thick.

Looking at the stack of paperwork, Sui felt a wave of despair.

Oh, great. I don’t understand this sort of thing very well, either.

Sui’s life had ended at twenty-five, and she had never drawn up a contract like this herself. Reading a document filled with complicated legal terminology was practically torture.

Even so, it didn’t take much effort to realize that this contract was practically a slave contract.

Yuna must have been working day and night, doing every kind of job they threw at her.

Sui was even afraid to think that she might have been forced to attend private entertainment gatherings for influential people as well.

“First, please give me a photocopy.”

“Can I ask why you’re suddenly interested in having a copy of this, Yuna?”

“Am I not allowed to have one if I need it? There should be two original copies when a contract is signed, shouldn’t there? But I never had one.”

“Haha. That’s because you never paid any attention to it until now.”

“Maybe I’ve finally grown up.”

“That’s a good thing. Growing up is important. Now you’ll be able to work hard when you film the movie.”

Lee Hwan-soo looked at Sui with a lecherous gaze, speaking mockingly as though he were taunting her.

But she couldn’t afford to take the bait.

Sui knew perfectly well that if she allowed herself to be provoked by every little thing, Yuna would be the one who suffered the consequences.

Just then, something on the table caught Sui’s eye.

It was the synopsis for the drama Surviving Obsessively.

She had seen it at Yuna’s home, too.

It was a role that didn’t suit Yuna at all, yet the girl seemed to have secretly wanted it.

Sui idly fiddled with the synopsis and asked, “It looks like this drama has a pretty big investment behind it, doesn’t it?”

“Yuna, this isn’t something you can do. Put it down.”

She was only looking at it. Why was he telling her to put it down?

Was she a dog that needed to be given commands?

Lee Hwan-soo’s abrupt dismissal irritated Sui.

“Why? Why can’t I do it?”

“You’ve been curious about this drama for a while now. Are you saying you want to appear in it?”

“What’s stopping me?”

“There aren’t any roles that suit your image. And besides, you…”

“Besides what? What about me?”

“Let’s not go any further. Kang Tae-hyung and Oh Ji-hye are currently being considered for the leading roles. They’re top stars, you know. They’re in a completely different league from our Yuna.”

“…”

“Hwaja Entertainment will be taking all the roles. I’m telling you that there’s no role you can play.”

“Hwaja Entertainment?”

Hwaja… I have a friend named Choi Hwaja. I wonder what she’s been doing all these years.

Sui suddenly found herself missing Hwaja.

“That’s right. You know CEO Choi Hwaja, don’t you? She’s one of the country’s leading musical geniuses.”

Choi Hwaja? Is it really Choi Hwaja?

“Hey, Im Yuna! What’s wrong with you? If you’re going to talk nonsense, get out!”

Jin-sook interrupted them, snapping irritably as she once again tried to grab Sui by the collar.

But that wasn’t what mattered to Sui.

“Is that Choi Hwaja about fifty years old now?”

“I don’t know her exact age, but she’s probably around that age. Why do you ask?”

At Lee Hwan-soo’s answer, Sui began searching through her memories.

Choi Hwaja.

She had once been one of the women who ruled Itaewon alongside Sui.

Back then, among people in the music scene, there had hardly been anyone who didn’t know the names Jeong Sui and Choi Hwaja.

It had to be the same Choi Hwaja she knew.

After all, that crazy woman was undoubtedly still out there, making and singing her absolutely insane songs just as she always had.