Popular Psychopath [Novel] Chapter 25

Chapter 25: It is Done! This is Absolutely It! It is a Blockbuster

“Get home safely, Gyeoul.”

“Thank you, Manager Bong. Have a good night.”

Having endured an exhaustingly eventful day, Gyeoul thanked Bonggu with a drained voice and trudged into her building.

*Beep beep beep beep. Click.*

Punching in her door code, she mindlessly tossed her bag onto the floor and immediately hurled herself onto the bed.

“Ugh, I’m so exhausted…”

Her body ached, but the sheer mental fatigue weighed far heavier.

*Tick, tock, tick, tock.*

In the quiet solitude of her room, broken only by the ticking of the clock, Gyeoul slowly regained her composure and replayed the day’s events.

“Everything was so perfect right up until the market date…”

From browsing the bustling market to shopping for toys, she had spent an incredibly exciting day, wondering if she had ever had this much fun recently. Yet, the sudden appearance of those foreign thugs shattered the perfect illusion.

“But seriously, what kind of person is Kyuha?”

Just when she thought she had a grasp on who Kyuha was, another completely new layer unraveled. For Gyeoul, her feelings were tangled in a complicated knot.

“Now that I think about it, how on earth is he so fluent in foreign languages? And why is he so good at fighting?”

Laying flat on her back and staring blankly at the ceiling, the image of Kyuha—spouting fluent Russian while effortlessly dismantling six massive thugs single-handedly—refused to leave her mind.

“He’s so cool…”

Her face flushed crimson as she hugged her pillow tightly against her chest.

“He is way too cool!!!!”

The memories began flooding back in vivid detail.

The gentle touch of his hand stroking her hair.
His warm, reassuring voice pulling her back from the edge of panic.
And the sheer, overwhelming presence he exuded while subduing six men at once.

“My heart won’t stop pounding… Was I just too scared?”

Gyeoul stared at the ceiling in a daze for a long while before suddenly bolting upright.

“He should be out of the police station by now, right? I should call him.”

She scrambled for her phone and frantically dialed Kyuha’s number.

– Killer Oppa

The phone rang for quite some time before Kyuha’s familiar, steady voice echoed through the speaker.

“Yeah, Gyeoul. Did you get home safe?”

“Kyuha! Are you okay? Where are you? Are you finished?”

She had wondered what to say before calling, but the moment she heard his voice, a torrent of questions burst from her lips like a broken dam.

“Yeah, I am fine. I just finished giving my statement at the Uijeongbu Police Station and left. Just as I suspected, they were dangerous criminals.”

“You weren’t hurt anywhere, right? I am sorry. I should have asked you that first.”

“Did I look like I was hurt? I don’t have a single scratch.”

“Phew, thank god. I was terrified earlier, but I am so relieved everything worked out thanks to you.”

“We will definitely go to that cafe next time. I have never been to a place like that before.”

“Gasp! Really? You promised! I have a great memory, you know? I will hold you to it.”

“Alright. You went through a lot today, so get some proper rest. I will see you at the orphanage later.”

“Okay, understood. You went through a lot today too. Get some rest.”

Ending the call, Gyeoul rolled around on her bed once more.

“Kyaa! Now I have an excuse to see him again.”

After indulging in her habit of talking to herself to her heart’s content, Gyeoul finally headed to the bathroom.

***

[The foreigners responsible for the recent string of ‘unprovoked assaults’ in Uijeongbu have been revealed to be members of a domestic drug syndicate. The Violent Crimes Division of the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office (Chief Prosecutor Jung Taechul) announced the arrest and indictment of six Koryo-saram from former Soviet states, including ‘B’ (Uzbekistan nationality), for selling narcotics and exercising organized violence.

Meanwhile, massive attention is being drawn to the fact that the individual who subdued them was none other than movie actor Song Kyuha…]
– Newsis Reporter Lee Seungho ([email protected])

The moment the article dropped, communities and social media platforms erupted into absolute chaos.

The repercussions were massive. Not only were the foreigners Kyuha apprehended tied to a domestic drug distribution ring, but this also marked the very first instance of applying ‘criminal organization’ charges to drug offenders, and the first time such charges were applied to a group of foreigners.

Neither Kyuha nor his agency had anticipated this level of fallout.

[User1: Song Kyuha again? The same Song Kyuha who saved Jung Seola from that fire?]
[User2: Isn’t he basically a real-life superhero at this point? lol]
[User3: This is fucking insane lol. He beat down six drug gangsters this time.]
[User4: My older brother said Song Kyuha didn’t even have a scratch on him.]
[User5: Stop spouting bullshit. I’m a martial artist with a black belt, and even a pro fighter can’t subdue six guys without taking a hit.]
[User6: Active pro fighter here. I could do it.]
[User7: Regardless, him getting the Brave Citizen Award is legendary. lol]

The media relentlessly spotlighted the incident, propelling Kyuha’s public interest to unprecedented heights.

“I honestly don’t know whether I should be happy about this or not…”

Skimming through the endless flood of news articles, Stella Entertainment’s Team Leader Han Junghee let out a heavy sigh.

“I am sorry for causing you worry. The situation being what it was…”

Glaring softly at Kyuha, Han Junghee sighed once more.

“Ugh… You are absolutely sure you aren’t hurt?”

“Yes, I even stopped by the hospital just in case, but they confirmed I am perfectly fine.”

“That is a massive relief. I want you to realize that if you get hurt, it is no longer just a personal issue. However… looking at the results, you did well. I am incredibly proud that my actor is this kind of person.”

“I will be more careful in the future.”

“Alright! What is done is done! We need to capitalize on this as much as possible. The PR team will be thrilled to have actual work to do. For now, continue resting, Kyuha. I will contact you when discussions for your next project surface.”

“Understood. Thank you always, Team Leader.”

After Kyuha left, Team Leader Han Junghee summoned PR Team Leader Chae Sora to initiate discussions on how to leverage the incident in the most positive light possible.

***

Time flowed, and just as the foreign drug syndicate incident began to cool down…

The episode of ‘Yoo Heejun’s Music Camp’ featuring Kyuha and Gyeoul finally aired on Friday the 26th.

Public interest had already exploded after the official ‘Yoo Heejun’s Music Camp’ social media accounts pre-released a short teaser of Gyeoul and Kyuha’s performance.

This was a calculated move by PD Park Yeonsoo.

Recognizing Kyuha had surged to the center of national attention following the drug syndicate takedown, he dropped the teaser video at the absolute perfect moment to maximize the hype.

And the highly anticipated broadcast day arrived.

Aired on Friday the 26th, the ‘Rising OST Powerhouses’ special featured spectacular stages from renowned artists like Jung Junsoo, Seo Inha, Ki-Star, and Maepshi Boy.

The finale belonged to Han Gyeoul, showcasing the very song that essentially forged her current career: the ‘Song of Yearning’.

Gyeoul’s crystal-clear voice washed over the audience. As the interlude approached, Kyuha, dressed in a sleek suit, stepped onto the stage.

Kyuha’s grass leaf flute performance filled the interlude. The uniquely sorrowful and soul-stirring melody drew gasps of admiration from the captivated audience.

Gyeoul naturally seamlessly picked up the postlude, their breathtaking harmony saturating the stage.

During the subsequent interview with Yoo Heejun, the revelation that Kyuha was the original composer of the ‘Song of Yearning’ was dropped. This was immediately followed by Kyuha’s solo performance on the Hurdy Gurdy. The camera continuously zoomed in on the audience’s stunned, awe-struck faces.

PD Park Yeonsoo pumped his fist in triumph.

“It is done! This is absolutely it! It is a blockbuster.”

He knew instinctively that the shockwaves from this broadcast would be massive.

The following day, a tsunami of entertainment articles flooded the internet.

– Song Kyuha’s Musical Genius: ‘Hurdy Gurdy’ Performance Decorates the Ending of Yoo Heejun’s Music Camp
– The Original Composer of Han Gyeoul’s ‘Song of Yearning’ is Song Kyuha? Revealed on Yoo Heejun’s Music Camp
– Song Kyuha Showcases Top-Tier Grass Leaf Flute Skills on Yoo Heejun’s Music Camp. Skills Acknowledged Even by Intangible Cultural Heritage Masters

[User1: lol Song Kyuha composes too? Does that even make sense?]
[User2: Hurdy Gurdy? I’ve lived for 28 years and this is the first time I’ve ever seen that thing. Where do you even learn to play that?]
[User3: At this point, isn’t he the greatest all-around artist since Hong Sobeom?]
[User4: Even Master Oh Sechun, the Intangible Cultural Heritage for the Grass Leaf Flute, acknowledged Song Kyuha’s skills lol]
[User5: The world is so unfair…]

With the drug syndicate takedown and the Yoo Heejun’s Music Camp articles dropping back-to-back, Kyuha firmly cemented himself as the man of the hour. His recognition skyrocketed to the point where virtually no one in the younger demographic was ignorant of his name.

Consequently, Stella Entertainment became swamped.

“Yes, this is Team Leader Han Junghee of Stella Entertainment. Cine25? Regarding Actor Song Kyuha? I apologize, but he is currently on hiatus, so scheduling an interview will be difficult. Thank you for the wonderful opportunity, and I am truly sorry.”

Glancing around, Han Junghee realized she wasn’t the only one; every other employee was drowning in a relentless barrage of casting calls and inquiries regarding Song Kyuha.

This was an unprecedented phenomenon since the founding of Stella Entertainment.

As a traditional actors’ management agency, they had never housed an actor capable of generating this magnitude of explosive buzz.

“Are there really actors who generate more hype *after* their project concludes?”

Han Junghee was left utterly dumbfounded.

She had dragged Kyuha into the acting world purely based on his raw acting talent. She never could have fathomed he would command such overwhelming attention through such a diverse array of hidden talents.

“I definitely struck gold, but… can I really handle him?”

As time passed, Kyuha shone brighter and brighter. Han Junghee was beginning to doubt whether she possessed the capacity to manage an actor of his caliber.

That was just how explosive Kyuha’s career trajectory and surge in recognition currently were.

“Han Junghee! What are you thinking! He is the actor you personally scouted! No matter what happens, you have to take responsibility and stay with him until the very end.”

Shaking off her lingering doubts, Han Junghee lightly slapped her cheeks and sat back in her chair.

Right then, Assistant Manager Kang Junghwa from the PR team approached her desk.

“Team Leader! A call just came in asking for you.”

“Is that so? Could you transfer it to my line?”

“Yes, understood.”

“Yes, I have taken the call. This is Han Junghee, Team Leader of Actors Team 4.”

Picking up a pen, Han Junghee tapped it rhythmically against her desk with her head bowed as she took the call.

“Ah, regarding Actor Song Kyuha? Yes, I am his representative. May I ask who is calling?”

In the next moment, Han Junghee’s head snapped up, her eyes wide with shock as if the caller was from an entirely unimaginable place.

“Excuse me? The Korean Sculptors Association?”