The sun filtered through the glass walls of the training room. As the atmosphere grew quiet, Minjae stood before the mirrored walls. He was practicing some breathing techniques while stretching his face to relax his facial muscles.

It had been 2 days since his training with Yura began. He couldn't deny that it was physically and emotionally exhausting. However, even with that, he still did everything that was asked.

He was determined to reclaim his previous talent in Acting. It was working though, since after a few days, he was able to level up.

Yura had him working on everything from his facial expression, posture, line delivery, and even improvisation. Her teaching was intensive, but it was encouraging.

After each session, Mijae found himself growing more confident.

However, because of exhaustion, he had to make a hard decision.

Minjae had already quit his job at the convenience store two days ago. He knew that he wouldn't be able to balance everything since he trains for 12 hours a day.

The only good thing was he had enough savings to last for a few months. It was also thanks to the agency since they were willing to pay for his rent and give him enough allowance each week for food.

However, it was also the reason why he couldn't buy a new phone. He didn't want to decrease his savings when he had no work.

Until he was stable, every expense needed to be justified.

It should be fine as long as his phone is still working. This content originates from M1VLEMPYR, My Virtual Library Empire.

"Minjae, I'll give you some time to rest first. I'll just do something outside." In the middle of their training session, Yura suddenly excused herself hurriedly.

"Sure, noona." Minjae hastily nodded as he glanced at the side.

In there, he saw Yura looking at her phone which was silently ringing. He got curious but decided to keep it to himself.

As Yura left the training room, Minjae took a seat near the room's edge. He grabbed a water bottle and a towel. With Yura's departure, it gave him a moment to catch his breath and rest.

"This is so tiring…' Minjae was wiping the sweat on his forehead when his phone buzzed loudly on the floor. He was surprised to see that he got a call from Director Yejun.

"Hello, Director?" Minjae answered the call even though his voice was still slightly breathless.

"Minjae! Good news!" Yejun's voice was lively.

"The network finalized the broadcast schedule of the drama. The first episode will air in 3 weeks!" Yejun shared the good news with Minjae.

Minjae's eyes widened.

"Really? That's amazing, Director," his heart was filled with a slight joy at the sudden announcement.

"It gets better," Yejun continued with an even more excited voice.

"Keep this a secret but the writer and the production team have seen your scenes and they're impressed. They were already considering you for their upcoming projects! Hahaha."

A genuine smile spread across Minjae's face. He was happy and delighted. It seemed like a lot had liked his acting even though it was just for a short period of time.

"Thank you, Director."

"No worries, Minjae~ Just Keep training hard. We're all rooting for you. We hope your debut drama will come soon." Yejun stated enthusiastically.

Yejun really liked Minjae. He looked humble and kind. Furthermore, he was also good at acting and had decent looks. What could they ask for more?

Actually, they were talking about casting Minjae for future projects. However, since Minjae had an agency now, the process would be much harder since they had to go through it first.

Though for sure, it would be worth it. He was also excited to see how Minjae would grow as an actor, knowing that he was being professionally trained now.

"Alright, alright. I'll drop the call now Minjae-ssi~ Good luck to your training."

"Thank you. Goodbye, Director."

As the call ended, Minjae sat alone with a smile on his face. Somehow, he felt tireless because of the sudden announcement.

Finally, he'd be able to see himself on the screen once again.

The thought filled him with a mix of excitement and nervousness.

However, before he could dwell on it further, the door to the training room burst wide open, surprising him.

Dongwook rushed in, his face was pale and his breathing was uneven. He looked as if he had run a mile before arriving. He was holding onto his dear phone as his face crumpled each second.

"Dongwook?" Minjae hurriedly stood up. "What's wrong?" he questioned.

Dongwook looked like he was in the middle of a dilemma with the way he looked.

Dongwook looked around anxiously before focusing on Minjae. He ppressed his lips together and sighed loudly.

"There's… there's… We have a big problem, Minjae." Dongwook struggled to convey the message since he was panicking inside.

Minjae froze, the joy from Yejun's call fading instantly.

"What kind of problem??"

Dongwook hesitated. He frustratedly ran a hand through his hair as a loud sigh escape from his lips once again.

They have handled a lot of issues with their artist, but not as early as this one. Minjae hadn't even debuted yet, and his name was already getting known online in a not-so-good reason.

This was bad.

"Something's spreading online. Rumors, pictures… It's messy. You need to see this."

Dongwook hurriedly showed Minjae the articles on his phone.

There were a lot.

"What the…" What Minjae saw made his stomach churn and dumbfounded.

A post from an unknown person was gaining popularity. It was filled with images and accusations tying Minjae to Sooyun in ways he couldn't have anticipated.

Minjae clenched his fists as his mind raced with thoughts.

'This man…"

The post was saying how he, a newbie and unknown actor, was disrespecting Sooyun in a shoot by declining a gift.

'Is this man dumb? Was this his intention from the very start when he approached me?'

Whatever was happening, Minjae knew had to find a way to set things straight and fast.

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A/N:

The third chapter of the day. Another one will be published in 7 hours.

As I said in my previous announcement, by February 13th, the succeeding chapters will be locked.

Hope you're enjoying it!