Hell's Actor-Chapter 81: Wake Up

Min-Ha looked at the face shown on the TV and then at the man sitting beside her.

The eyes were the same.

The hair was the same.

The audacity was the same.

Even with a mask, she could tell who it was.

Before she could say anything, her phone rang.

Yun-Ha was calling her.

’She must have figured it out.’

She trusted Yun-Ha more than herself when it came to Averie.

When the call went unanswered, Yun-Ha sent her a message.

[Turn on the news, sis!]

Min-Ha, afraid of what her sister might end up typing, replied:

[Don’t say anything. Not here.]

She held her face in her hands.

"Why? Was there a need for this?"

She did not know what to say. Was it even her place to say anything? Hyerin should have been the one addressing these problems.

She was the one serving as his manager, and she was the one who had spent most of her life knowing him.

"Was there a need to ruin your career like this? Forget your career; what about your life?"

"Slow down." Averie waved his hands. "I have ruined nothing. Nothing is happening."

"Was there a need to be so brutal?"

"Right? What a terrible criminal that is. Couldn’t be me." He shook his head with an innocent expression. "Nuh-uh, couldn’t be me. I would have stayed by his hospital bed, holding his hands and whispering sweet words of relief in his ears."

Min-Ha glared at him.

"Okay, look. I am not saying I did it." He nervously licked his lips. "But would it be such a terrible thing if I were the one who did it?"

"Yes!"

"Even though I was being accused of all those things I didn’t do?"

She found herself without a retort.

"They have power, Min-Ha. They have political, financial, and social power. But instead of behaving decently, they engage in petty games."

It was a tale as old as time.

"Because an old woman couldn’t sleep with a young actor, they tried to ruin his career. Is that someone that should not be beaten mercilessly?"

Again, she had no words.

"If it were some other twenty-four-year-old in my place, how do you suppose they would have dealt with such a reversal of public perception?"

Min-Ha knew what Averie was talking about.

"You have been in the industry long enough, right? I am sure you have seen how celebrities cope with extreme pressure. You must have also seen those that could not bear it anymore."

Celebrity suicides weren’t common, but they weren’t rare either.

"Drug abuse, plastic surgeries, hypersexuality—you have seen it, right?" Averie’s eyes contained a solemnity never seen before by the girl. "That could have been me if I were someone who cared about people’s perception."

He refilled her mug of coffee.

"These people are monsters. It’s better to put them in a hospital bed than let them misuse their power. That mysterious attacker seems to want to make an example out of them. It would be a powerful message for the industry elitists."

Handing her back the mug, he looked her right in the eye.

"In a world ruled solely by corrupt power," he whispered, "vigilantes must rise up."

’Because there is no greater power than violence.’

"Violence is the oldest creed. Don’t vilify it."

Somehow, Min-Ha found herself attracted to his words. There was a mystical energy in his voice. It made his controversial words sound convincing.

Once she had calmed down, Min-Ha had questions.

"Are you sure it was this Walter Dean who was responsible?"

"Yes."

"How did you know that?"

"I have trustworthy sources."

"I hope you are not calling Peter Kang capable."

Averie laughed. "No, not him."

"Are you sure you didn’t just beat up the first man that showed up through that elevator and blamed it all on him?"

That sounded like something Averie would do.

"The mysterious attacker—who I presume is a very beautiful, smart, and capable person—definitely did not beat up some random man."

"Wow, that’s shameless praise." Min-Ha snickered. "You should have consulted us."

"You would have tried to convince the mysterious man to rethink his plans."

"We could have helped."

"No. It’s better if you are not involved."

"And now, you have to deal with Hyerin. Go ahead, wake her up. Tell her what you did."

Averie laughed nervously.

"I am not doing that. You do it."

"Hell, no! Do it yourself."

The two were sweating buckets.

Averie felt like a parent about to tell their child about mommy and daddy’s divorce. freewebnσvel.cѳm

Instead of approaching it with the sincerity it deserved, he chose a much more innovative way.

"Rin," he called her sweetly.

His voice was soothing and motherly.

He shook her lightly.

"Wake up, sleepyhead."

He poked her cheek, a smile plastered over his face.

"No... Mom, let me... sleep," the girl mumbled, her cheeks swollen like a hamster.

"Wake up, beautiful. We need to talk."

"Just... five more minutes... mom..."

"Wake up, you little shit."

That sounded overly aggressive. That’s not how her mother ever called her.

Realizing something was off, Hyerin opened her eyes.

In front of her, inches away from her nose, was her extremely handsome friend.

At that moment, a question suddenly came to her mind.

’Am I the best friend of one of the hottest men in the country?’

He was so attractive that she knew girls would give anything just to have him sit next to them.

There were fanatics worshipping him every day, and most men copied his style.

And that special friend was gently waking her up.

That was what simpletons called bliss.

"Rin."

’His smile looks so angelic today,’ she thought. ’He must have had a good night.’

"Hmm." Hyerin smiled at him. "Yes?"

"I almost killed an old man."

"...Sorry?"

"He’s hospitalized now." His smile widened. "The police might come looking for me soon."

"Say that again."

"I could face prison time, Rin. The hardened criminals will turn my handsome ass into their little bitch."

His smile was so beautiful, but his words remained terrifying.

"So get up before they arrive. You need to lie for me."

Surprisingly, once he explained everything to her, Hyerin wasn’t as upset as Averie had expected her to be.

"At least they deserved it," she sighed.

"You don’t look angry."

"You told me to toughen up, didn’t you?"

She did not chide him for some reason.

"I don’t really like your method. It isn’t right." She crossed her arms. "But it’s better than doing nothing. I don’t want to see you getting trampled anymore."

She was glad that there was at least one way, however inappropriate, for her friend to fight back.

No one was getting away after messing with him so horribly.

"He tried to ruin your life. He got what he deserved."

She looked relieved and satisfied.

Watching her, Averie felt a little guilty.

’I have really ruined her, haven’t I? She deserves a better friend than me.’

"So, how bad was it?" she asked. "How bad did you rough him up?"

Even though Min-Ha warned against it, Averie showed her the news report and the footage. He even provided some top-tier commentary as if it were a one-sided boxing match.

Hyerin’s complexion suddenly turned deathly pale. The violence was far worse than her expectations.

"Why would you do that?" she mumbled. "You could have shown a little mercy."

"I did, didn’t I?"

He turned his head to the screen. His masked face was glaring at them through the TV.

"I dropped him at the hospital."

’I didn’t kill him.’

This chapter is updat𝙚d by f(r)eew𝒆bn(o)vel.com