Managing the Korean entertainment industry: I have superpowers, but I won't say.

Chapter 82 Kim Go-eun's Growth

Kim Go-eun's ghost scenes are few, but every single one is a highlight.

In the sixth episode, the ghost stands on the bridge, watching the monster approach from afar. She has waited for him for a long time—not just a long time in the show, but hundreds of years in the character's backstory.

Kim Go-eun didn't need to say any lines; she only needed to stand there and express the emotion of "I've finally waited for you, but you don't recognize me anymore" through her eyes. The director let her improvise, so she walked onto the bridge, stood still, and looked ahead.

Su Yu happened to be on set that day. He stood behind the monitor and saw Kim Go-eun's eyes go from calm to turbulent, from turbulent to restrained, and from restrained to relieved. The whole process took less than ten seconds. She didn't blink or frown, but everyone could feel that emotion.

On the monitor, there was a light in her eyes, not the light of tears, but a very faint light, like a candle flame that had burned for hundreds of years and was finally about to be blown out by the wind.

The director didn't call "cut," making her stand there. Kim Go-eun stood there, the wind blowing her hair, completely still. After about twenty seconds, the director finally yelled "CUT."

The set fell silent for a moment, then someone applauded. Kim Go-eun snapped out of her reverie, bowed, and ran over to watch the playback. She leaned close to the monitor, watched it twice, then turned to the director. "Director, is this take usable?"

"Yes," the director nodded, "but I'd like to shoot one more take, with the emotions a bit more restrained."

Kim Go-eun nodded and turned back onto the bridge.

Su Yu stood to the side and said something to the director. After listening, the director went over and said a few words to Kim Go-eun. Kim Go-eun listened and stood up straight again. During the second take, her emotions were more restrained than the first time.

It wasn't that it was less, it was that it was hidden—that feeling of "I've waited so long, so long that I don't feel the pain anymore," was all in her eyes. Su Yu stood behind the monitor, her fingers lightly tapping the table. Cai Xiubin wasn't there, but Jin Dongxu was beside her and saw it.

"This one is good," Kim Dong-wook said softly.

Su Yu ignored him.

After Kim Go-eun finished filming that scene, she walked up to Su Yu.

"Representative, what did you just say to the director?"

"I told him not to talk to you about the play, and to do it himself."

Kim Go-eun paused, taken aback. "Why?"

"Because you already understand. Any further explanation from others would be superfluous."

Kim Go-eun stared at him for a few seconds, then lowered her head. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. It's yours, and no one can take it away."

Kim Go-eun turned and walked away, then turned back after a few steps. Su Yu had already gone to check other surveillance cameras.

After finishing work that evening, Cai Xiubin and Su Yu went home together. She scrolled through her phone in the car and came across a news article, which she read aloud: "'Kim Go-eun, from independent films to 'Goblin,' the breakthrough path of a rising actress.' Someone online praised her, saying her acting is good and her eyes are expressive."

Su Yu didn't speak.

"You knew all along." Cai Xiubin looked at him.

"Know what?"

"I knew she would act well."

Su Yu thought for a moment. "She's not good because she acted in 'Goblin.' She's always been good; she just needs to be seen."

Cai Xiubin put down her phone and leaned back in her chair. "Did you really think every single person you signed was inherently good?"

"Um."

"And what about me?"

Su Yu glanced at her. "You're different."

"What's different?"

"You are my girlfriend."

Cai Xiubin blushed and turned to look out the window. "You should drive properly when you're driving."

Su Yu's lips curved slightly.

The next day, Kim Go-eun was rehearsing her lines in the company's practice room. Chae Soo-bin, who wasn't filming, practiced with her. The two of them practiced their positions in front of the mirror, over and over again.

"Unnie, you pushed the emotions too fast in that scene just now," Cai Xiubin said, pointing to a line in the script.

Kim Go-eun looked at it and nodded. "You're right, I'll do it again."

She went through it again, this time much slower. Not intentionally, but because her emotions had reached that rhythm.

Cai Xiubin, who was standing to the side watching, suddenly said, "Unnie, you know what? Su Yu said you'll amount to something great in the future."

Kim Go-eun stopped what she was doing and looked at Chae Soo-bin. "When did he say that?"

"A long time ago. When you first came here."

Kim Go-eun paused for a moment. "Soo-bin, has he ever told you why he's so good at judging people?"

Cai Xiubin thought for a moment. "No. He said he was guessing."

Kim Go-eun laughed. "A guess? Do you believe that?"

Cai Xiubin laughed too. "I didn't believe it. But since he said so, I won't ask anymore."

Kim Go-eun looked at her, her eyes filled with complex emotions. "You're so good to him."

"He treats me even better," Cai Xiubin said. "He just doesn't say it."

Kim Go-eun nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

In the afternoon, Sulli returned from Japan. She came straight to the company without telling anyone beforehand. Just as the elevator doors opened, she bumped into Kim Go-eun coming out of the practice room. The two nearly collided.

"Oh, sorry." Sherry took a step back.

"It's okay." Kim Go-eun smiled when she saw it was her. "Sulli, you're back?"

"Hmm. Go Eun unnie, just finished filming?"

"No filming today. We're rehearsing our lines in the practice room."

Shirley glanced at the script in her hand. "The Goblin?"

"Um."

"May I take a look?"

Kim Go-eun handed her the script. Sulli flipped through it, turned to the scenes with ghosts, read a few pages, closed it, and returned it to Kim Go-eun.

"These scenes are difficult to act. The emotions can't be too intense, nor too indifferent," Shirley said.

"Have you read the script?" Kim Go-eun asked.

"Su Yu showed it to me. He told me to study it more."

Kim Go-eun nodded. "He's right. Your acting is good too; let's work together sometime in the future."

Shirley laughed. "Okay. Don't complain about my acting later, unnie."

The two chatted for a few minutes, then Shirley went to find Su Yu. Kim Go-eun stood in the corridor, watching Shirley's retreating figure, and remained silent for a while. She recalled what Cai Xiubin had said—"He treats me even better, he just doesn't say it." She also remembered Shirley's expression when she mentioned Su Yu—that restrained yet undeniable expression. Kim Go-eun understood, but she said nothing.

Shirley pushed open the door to Su Yu's office. Su Yu was looking at documents and didn't even look up.

"You're back?"

"Hmm." Shirley sat down on the sofa. "Things in Japan are almost done. The single will be released next week."

"Did it go smoothly?"

"smoothly."

Su Yu looked up at her. "Then why do you look unhappy?"

Shirley paused for a moment. "I'm not upset."

"Whenever you're unhappy, the first thing you say when you walk in is 'I'm home,' and your tone will be half a tone lower than usual."

Shirley stared at him for a few seconds, then laughed. "You even remember that?"

"Um."

Shirley lowered her head, tracing circles on her knee with her fingers. "Su Yu, I have a question for you."

"explain."

"Have you noticed that you've become increasingly polite to me since I signed with Yinguo Entertainment?"

Su Yu put down the documents and looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"You used to talk to me less... businesslike." Shirley looked up. "Now every sentence you say is 'You're an artist in the company,' 'You're a very important person,' as if you're reminding me, and also as if you're reminding yourself."

Su Yu remained silent for a few seconds.

"Shirley."

"Um."

You're overthinking it.

Shirley stared at him for a few seconds, then smiled. "Maybe. Maybe I'm overthinking it."

She stood up and walked to the door.

"Su Yu".

"Um."

"Can you come to Japan on the day the single is released?"

Su Yu thought for a moment. "When?"

"Next Friday."

"Let me check the schedule."

Shirley nodded and left. The office door closed. Su Yu sat behind his desk, motionless. He gazed at the Han River outside the window for a long time.

My phone vibrated. It was a message from Cai Xiubin: "Sulli unnie is back?"

"Um."

"Is she alright?"

"fine."

"What do you want to eat tonight? I'll go buy the ingredients."

Su Yu typed: "Whatever. Anything you make is fine."

Cai Xiubin sent a smiley face.

Su Yu put down his phone and picked up the documents on the table to continue reading.