The voluminous, long hair.
The slightly sharp, narrow eyes.
The exquisite appearance.
Finally, the neat school uniform.
âNow that I think about it, didnât I shoot a photoshoot recently?â
From every visible part of her, an aura was emanating that was distinctly different from the ordinary.
The clear presence she exuded was naturally felt.
This was the reason Yoo Sung-jae had highly praised Ha-eun as an actress. The weight of her presence was still as strong in this moment.
And that only made Ha-eun more curious.
âA static antagonist. I think itâd suit her really wellâ¦â
What would happen if the charisma that quietly suppressed the surrounding atmosphere were to be wielded in a negative direction?
What would it feel like if Ha-eunâs calmness were to turn into an indifference toward immoral actions?
Perhaps it would be inevitable.
Perhaps no one would be able to deny Ha-eun as the villain.
âIntense, surely.â
In Yoo Sung-jaeâs eyes, Ha-eunâs appearance and acting were perfect for a villain.
The ability to completely steal a scene was one of the key traits for any antagonist.
It was because of this that Yoo Sung-jae recommended Ha-eun for the villain role in Veterans.
He had pushed for Ha-eun and director Kim Hong-seong to meet, reasoning that seeing it was better than hearing about it.
A short while later, Kim Hong-seong, who had been watching Ha-eun, spoke again.
âVeterans is a crime film. The story revolves around the righteous detectives trying to capture a villain named âLee Ye-seo.ââ
There are comic elements sprinkled in, but Kim Hong-seong went on to explain the characteristics of Veterans' villain, Lee Ye-seo.
âLee Ye-seo is a person without limits. Sheâs a third-generation chaebol, and thereâs no one who can stop her from doing anything.â
In other words, she would engage in actions that should normally be stopped by others.
After briefly raising his gaze to look at Ha-eun, director Kim Hong-seong continued.
âThroughout the film, Lee Ye-seo commits various illegal acts but doesnât have any self-awareness of her crimes.â
âSo, she wonât be excited or disturbed by her crimes, right? Itâs just part of her daily life.â
âYes. Lee Ye-seo believes sheâs living a normal life, like anyone else. So, from the outside, thereâs nothing particularly odd about her.â
Though her actions were horrific, everything appeared normal on the outside.
For Ha-eun, there was no need to understand these words in depth.
â...Itâs a strange feeling.â
She had already been forced to act normal while hiding her true self for so long.
The only difference between Ha-eun and Lee Ye-seo was whether or not that deceptive acting was voluntary.
The fact that Lee Ye-seo was a third-generation chaebol.
The fact that she appeared to be living a normal life.
The fact that she never showed her emotionsâthese were all things Ha-eun could relate to.
Most importantly, the reason why someone abnormal could appear normal to others was because of their home environment, just like Ha-eun's.
âLee Ye-seo received a third-generation chaebolâs education from a young age. Aside from a few close associates, no one could even guess her real nature because she was so meticulous about managing her image.â
She hid herself because there was a need to do so.
Legally.
Or, regardless of what was morally right or wrong.
âHowever, itâs not that she hides her true self because she considers herself a villain. She hides it because if others find out, things will get messy.â
She simply hides it for her personal reasons.
There was no concept of good and evil in her actions.
âFor Lee Ye-seo, thereâs no such thing as âthings you shouldnât do.â Thereâs only âthings that will get noisy if you do them.ââ
Even though she committed several illegal acts, it was because she wanted to.
She tormented people because she wanted to, she played with people because she wanted to, and she killed people because she wanted to.
As long as she wasnât caught, it didnât matter what she did.
It was simple, really, and Lee Ye-seoâs reasoning was simple and straightforward.
Therefore, even when she committed morally undesirable acts, she wasnât excited or disturbed.
As long as she wasnât caught, it was no problem.
There was no reason for her to be emotional about it in the first place.
âLee Ye-seo is someone who doesnât hesitate or waver when doing anything. Even after completing a task, she doesnât feel relief or thrill.â
For Lee Ye-seo, every moment was just part of her ordinary life.
From the moment she woke up in the morning to the moment she closed her eyes at night, there was nothing special.
Kim Hong-seong said that in Veterans, there wouldnât be any scenes showing Lee Ye-seo feeling guilty.
The morality and ethics that people should naturally have shouldnât be Lee Ye-seoâs criteria for judgment.
âThere have been many villains who are intoxicated by their evil deeds. But villains whose evil actions are just part of their everyday life are rare.â
The mask of ânormalcyâ was naturally worn as Lee Ye-seo maintained her lifestyle.
However, Lee Ye-seo behaves as if her evil actions fall under the category of ânormal.â
The most important thing about playing Lee Ye-seo would be to make her crimes seem like a part of her daily life.
Her attitude toward businessmen and toward her âtoysâ shouldnât differ.
âSheâll speak formally to anyone older than her, and sheâll have normal casual conversations. Sheâs quite calm, you could say.â
It was the calmness with which she toyed with people that was the issue.
Kim Hong-seong succinctly explained Lee Ye-seoâs psychopathic traits and concluded:
âRight now, you and I, Yoo Sung-jae, need to act as if we could be killed by Ha-eun. Or rather, by Lee Ye-seo. Itâs not an easy role.â
For the audience of Veterans, Lee Ye-seo had to be seen as someone who would kill anyone if she felt like it.
At no point should there be any moral consideration in her actions.
âBut I think you could perform this role well, Ha-eun. Iâve never seen a poker face like yours.â@@novelbin@@
Kim Hong-seong still couldnât read Ha-eunâs emotions.
Though her presence was striking, he couldnât tell what she was thinking or feeling.
Ironically, Ha-eunâs unreadable nature was what made Kim Hong-seong think she was a perfect fit for Lee Ye-seo.
As expected, Ha-eunâs answer came without any sign of emotional fluctuation.
All that was heard was her calm voice.
âIâll do it.â
Thud.
Ha-eun placed the Veterans script lightly on the table.
âIâll need to discuss it with the company, but personally, I think itâs a role Iâd really like.â
She seemed confident in her ability to act.
Her quiet mutterings contained multiple meanings.
âPerhaps... maybe...â
If Ha-eun, in her past life, had been a bit more proactive, would she have walked a path similar to Lee Ye-seoâs?
Even though she never intended to enjoy committing murder.
Wasnât deceiving others for her own needs, without moral consideration, something similar to Lee Ye-seoâs actions?
Either way, there was no denying that Ha-eun in her past life didnât have a normal perspective.
She probably didnât even know what was morally right or wrong.
Maybe it was because she didnât know right from wrong that she kept enduring the abuse from her parents.
â...Back then, I thought everything was my fault.â
The misfortunes she had to endure in her past life were all believed to come from her own failings.
She thought that if she had done better, or if she had been perfect, she wouldnât have had to go through it.
She never really thought it was wrong.
Because of that, she had to die with a twisted sense of values until the very end.
But now, it was different.
She had to be different.
âThank you for the great offer. Iâll make sure to give a good answer after consulting with the company.â
She had decided to participate in a movie that would later break the ten million viewer mark.
The character of Lee Ye-seo, who appeared normal but wasnât, was a reflection of Ha-eunâs past self.
For Ha-eun, she didnât want to be held back by painful memories.
Ultimately, she wanted to completely shed her past life.
âGood thing I took your call, Sung-jae. Thanks.â
âJust saying?â
ââ¦Should I buy you a coffee?â
âOh, half of that was a joke.â
***
"Ha-eun, are you going to the bell-ringing ceremony with your parents?"
It was just after the filming of The Sunshine had finished. As usual, Ha-eun had gotten into her van, and Ju Jung-yoon asked her about the night ahead.
The response that came back was a negative one.
"I have something else to do. My parents are the only ones going to the bell-ringing ceremony."
"At midnight? What kind of work could you possibly have?"
"I have something important to take care of."
Of course, the real reason wasnât revealed to Ju Jung-yoon.
And so, with some lingering uncertainty, Ju Jung-yoon dropped Ha-eun off at her house.
"Then, weâll talk about your appearance in Veterans tomorrow at the company?"
"Yes."
"Hmm, even though you're working on January 1st..."
"I could just take a taxi by myself."
"No, you can't. If you take a taxi, Iâll get in trouble."
After saying theyâd meet in the morning, Ju Jung-yoon and her van disappeared into the distance.
Ha-eun's "important task" began about two hours later.
Click.
Di-ah
How did you know I was feeling lonely?
Of course, you should be with your boyfriend on December 31st.
Everyone else is taking a break, but of course, itâs only Diah!
The chat was absolutely buzzing with excitement over the surprise stream, which hadnât been listed on the broadcast schedule.
In exchange for winning Noeulis' favor, Ha-eun had to make Seong-yoon feel a little left out.
âThey said raising a daughter is pointless, tsk tsk.â
âShe said it was work. Work! Why is he being so narrow-minded?â
âWhat kind of company makes you work until midnight?â
Of course, Ha-eun didnât reveal anything more about her other job.
No matter when it was, Ha-eun had no intention of revealing it with her own mouth.
Anyway, Na-yeon and Seong-yoon had left a few minutes ago to attend the bell-ringing ceremony.
Now, the ones Ha-eun was with were the Noeulis.
"Thanks for all your hard work this year~."
Sg sg~
Why is it already over?
Where did my time go???
Before long, the usual small talk continued in the broadcast mic while they waited for the New Year countdown to start.
The countdown soon began.
888
7
6
666
974 (message deleted)
555
Le
55
Ha-eun watched the chat flood in, silently lost in thought for a moment. Then, the clear ringing sound of the bell-ringing ceremony broadcast played, and she spoke up.
Ding~~~~.
"Everyone, Happy New Year."
Almost immediately, click.
She turned off the bell-ringing broadcast and clicked on the familiar icon.
A majestic background music began to play.
The broadcast title had changed as well.
"Ten minutes later, at Shabon-di Station. Of course, any Noeulis I run into on the way will be immediately disqualified~."
Baekgwiâs back at it again.
Damn, not Battle Island again.
This time itâs Asia's representative, huh? We're doomed, hahaha.
Starting the New Year by piling on more bad karma, huh, Diah?