Seo Minra had never meant to be here.
Not like this.
Not wearing a crew assistant’s uniform, pretending she belonged behind the cameras.
Not standing in the shadows, watching actors move through her story.
Not hiding behind a name that wasn’t hers, surrounded by people who had no idea who she really was.
But here she was.
And it was all because of them.
Because the agency had done an incredibly poor job.
Because they had twisted her words, softened her edges, dulled the sharpness of the story she had spent years creating.
Because she didn’t want the villain—her villain—was being turned into nothing more than a cliché.
And Minra wasn’t having it.
So she had found her way onto set.
Not as the writer.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Not as someone important.
But as an observer.
A nameless crew assistant with one mission.
To find the right actor for the villain’s role herself.
.
The day had not started well.
Minra had planned to arrive early, slip into the background before anyone noticed her.
But, as luck would have it, she was late.
And worse—in her rush to make it on time—
She had made a mistake.
The elevator doors slid open.
She stepped inside without thinking, pressing the button for the studio floor.
And then—
A low, unimpressed voice cut through the silence.
“Wrong elevator.”
Minra blinked.
She turned her head—
And for the first time, her eyes landed on him.
Hwa HyunSeong.
Or, as the industry knew him—
Shuun.
.
Shuun leaned against the elevator wall, one hand shoved into his pocket, the other holding a script.
He wasn’t looking at her.
Not directly.
Just glancing.
Uninterested. Detached.
But Minra had done her research.
She knew who he was.
A ridiculously talented actor. Someone who could bring any role to life—but was infamously picky about his choices.
The kind of person who only played leading roles.
Who never accepted villain roles.
Who had no patience for bad scripts.
Which meant—
He was not someone Minra needed to care about.
So she simply exhaled, ignoring his comment. “I pressed the right floor.”
Shuun finally turned his head toward her.
His eyes—sharp, unreadable—studied her.
Then, after a long pause, he muttered—
“You don’t know who I am?”
Minra frowned. “What?”
He tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing. “You’re not acting like it.”
Minra blinked.
Was he… serious?
She crossed her arms. “Am I supposed to?”
Shuun stared at her for another long second.
Then, for some reason—
He smirked.
The elevator dinged.
The doors slid open.
Shuun stepped out first, his movements effortless.
But just as Minra started to follow—
He suddenly paused.
Without looking back, he asked—
“Are you really a crew assistant?”
Minra’s breath hitched.
What?
Shuun didn’t wait for her answer.
He simply walked away.
Leaving Minra standing there—completely thrown off.
Because something told her—
That wasn’t the last time he was going to question her.
And that?
That was going to be a problem.
.
Chapter 2: The Words She Shouldn’t Have Said