Chapter 28: Our Suzy Is a Bodhisattva

"With so many action sequences, are you really going to be alright, Suzy? I’m worried you might get hurt!"

Cha Lun-hoo was genuinely concerned about the chase scenes. He had never heard of this girl having any background in martial arts.

"Don't underestimate me! I’m a black belt in Taekwondo. A few measly fight scenes are absolutely no problem. Just sit back and watch me perform."

Although she was quite pleased by his concern, Suzy insisted that she had trained under her father, who used to run a dojo, and she struck a pose that looked quite professional.

Cha Lun-hoo, however, was skeptical. He suspected Suzy’s Taekwondo credentials were more than a little inflated—likely the result of her father cutting corners for her. Moreover, she had clearly abandoned those "flowery fists and embroidered legs" long ago, and now that she had stopped dancing, he doubted her flexibility was what it once was.

Somi, on the other hand, was the one who actually kept up with her Taekwondo training. While her skills were also more flash than substance, she had the height and the weight, and at the age of a high school girl, she was at the prime age for a scrap; her combat effectiveness was likely quite decent.

*What kind of random nonsense am I thinking about?* Still, he had his own odd little hobbies; back when he spent time on the streets, he used to enjoy watching drunken women fight—it was always a spectacular sight.

"Mr. Cha, if there are any flaws in our plot, please do not hesitate to enlighten us. It’s a shame the situation at the Defense Security Command is too sensitive, otherwise, I would have loved to film a project about it! I’m sure there will be an opportunity in the future, though!"

Screenwriter Jang Young-chul approached them wearing a sun hat and carrying two cups of coffee. Suzy quickly bowed; the status of screenwriters in South Korea was incredibly high, especially for a renowned writer like Jang, who had penned heavy-hitting works like *Empress Ki*.

Cha Lun-hoo, naturally, wasn't foolish enough to cash in on his own aura at this moment. Cultivating one's reputation required strategic patience. One had to reach the point where they didn't need to speak to command attention; not wasting even a shred of influence was the true definition of success.

Cha Lun-hoo’s refusal didn't anger Writer Jang. On the contrary, he felt quite favorably toward this low-key young man, even thinking that his heroic image managed to outshine the lead actor, Lee Seung-gi. Coincidentally, the male lead in the drama also shared the surname Cha.

However, from what the director had said, this young man seemed to have no interest in the industry. That made sense; he had heard that at the end of the year, the Sergeant General would not only be awarding him a medal but also presiding over his discharge ceremony. Regardless of what he chose to do, his future was undoubtedly bright.

It was truly intriguing that such a young man already possessed such a legendary life story. As for his entanglement with this actress, it was hard to say if it was a blessing or a curse. Heroes had always struggled to pass the test of beauty, and given his background in military school, he carried the image of a sincere and upright soldier. Even though he had spent time in nightclubs, his reputation online remained surprisingly positive.

"Lun-hoo, have you ever met a real agent? What should a real agent be like? Is my performance convincing? I think I’m doing a pretty good job, don't you?"

Suzy’s inquiry piqued Writer Jang’s interest. He stared intently at Cha Lun-hoo, eager to hear his expert opinion. After all, he wanted to know if the character he had written and Suzy was portraying actually resembled a real-life agent.

"This? Well, art comes from life, but it also transcends it, right? I have never seen an agent as beautiful as Suzy."

Although Cha Lun-hoo had served as a team leader in a tactical support unit, the specialized nature of his work meant he had had some contact with people from the National Intelligence Service. In short, they looked like very ordinary people. While he had never met a female agent, he assumed they would also be the type who could blend into a crowd. As for the KGB "Swallow" type of agents, those were likely a rare existence.

"Are you saying my acting isn't realistic? I’ll take that as a compliment, though."

Having spoken the truth while also flattering Suzy, Cha Lun-hoo found his words understood by Writer Jang as well. Agents were, by nature, better off being as low-profile as possible. The reason the old Agency for National Security Planning had been so pervasive and terrifying to the conglomerates was precisely because of the hundreds of thousands of employees they had scattered across every field at their peak.

The production crew had hired a local guide who kept explaining the local customs and traditions. Cha Lun-hoo would share some of the local delicacies and sights with Se-jeong, which made her quite envious; she remarked how wonderful it would be if she were the one traveling with him.

...

"I’m so envious of you! Being able to film in the Sahara Desert—with such a massive budget, it’s hard for this drama not to be a success! But to bring him everywhere you go... you must be quite addicted to be so inseparable! The handsome young man certainly has his ways, having our 'Nation’s First Love' completely head over heels."

IU had starred in a very successful drama, *My Mister*, in the first half of the year. As the top female soloist, she had firmly established her footing in the film and television industry. Relying on her immense popularity, she was thriving as a double-threat. Hearing that Suzy had gone to distant Morocco and brought along her "bodyguard," she felt a mischievous urge to tease her best friend.

"I’m afraid I won’t be able to make it to your tenth-anniversary fan meeting, Unnie. It will take another month or so to finish filming here, so I can only support you online. Also, stop spreading or believing rumors. How can you be like those bored people on the internet, just guessing blindly?"

Suzy wasn't annoyed; she offered a clear-conscienced defense to her friend. IU, however, scoffed. *Security? Do you really think the domestic anti-fans are going to chase you all the way to Morocco?*

"Fine, fine. Let’s just say you two have nothing going on. Our Suzy is just a 'female bodhisattva' who can't bear to see a fallen hero suffer. A female bodhisattva, alright!"

Her recent tenth-anniversary concert had been exhausting. Once that was over and the new year arrived, she would be taking on a new drama—an ambitious project penned by the famous Hong Sisters and directed by Oh Choong-hwan. The busy schedule was suffocating, but then again, who else but someone as popular as her could handle it?

She knew her friend very well; Suzy was definitely not the type of woman to be easily manipulated by a nightclub guy, even if that man possessed a heroic aura. Suzy was just as pragmatic as she was.

As for those messy rumors online, she didn't believe a word of them. *Rasputin reincarnated?* She had searched for photos of the man; if Cha Lun-hoo really had that kind of power, he would have turned Suzy into a dead rabbit by now.

Unless he possessed the magical and effective sorcery of Rasputin, but IU had no religious faith and didn't believe in such supernatural nonsense. She preferred to think of it as an exaggerated legend.

*Could it be that she sees potential in this young man and wants to invest in him?* But regardless of whether this man returned to the military or worked elsewhere, even if he became incredibly successful, it wouldn't help a female celebrity’s career. What was this guy actually after?

The more she thought about it, the more elusive it became. The singer decided to stop thinking about it. Perhaps it was just a case of "a blind turtle meeting a lucky log"—a simple attraction between a beautiful girl and a handsome guy who happened to have performed a heroic deed.

Whatever was going through IU’s mind, the *Vagabond* production team hit a small crisis at that moment, leaving many feeling helpless.

"You mean the director went out drinking with some of his cronies last night, ended up with food poisoning, and was sent to the hospital? The production might have to halt for two days?"

Facing Suzy’s firm confirmation, Cha Lun-hoo felt a headache coming on. In his heart, he wanted to go home as soon as possible. With a halt like this, everything would be delayed again. He knew that even without a director, they could film some minor scenes, but with all the assistant directors also wiped out, it was a real mess.

"They asked me to go last night, too, but I didn't know them well, so I declined. I didn't expect to have dodged a bullet!"

While Cha Lun-hoo was still feeling a lingering sense of relief, the "Bae Rabbit" in front of him was scrolling through her phone, occasionally revealing a hint of excitement, which left him utterly bewildered.

"We get to go out and play! I’m going to visit Chefchaouen! Lun-hoo, you’re coming with me!"