Chapter 8: From Doubt to Contract

Seo Ji-won’s side suddenly contacted me, saying, “Let’s meet at that restaurant we went to before.”

“Two servings of doenjang jjigae, please.”

The bubbling hot doenjang jjigae was brought out and placed on the table where only Seo Ji-won and I sat.

I quietly watched the ingredients—zucchini, onions, tofu, clams—all mixed together.

Clink—

Normally, seeing doenjang jjigae would make me lose my appetite, but this time it was different.

My mouth watered nervously, wondering what Seo Ji-won sitting across from me was going to say.

Since she was the one who suggested meeting first, she must be ready to respond to the bribes I had steadily given her so far.

“Writer, why did you go that far with me?”

Her tightly closed lips parted, and the first words to slip out were unexpectedly about money.

“Well…”

“No… It’s not like the coffee and lunch support on set cost just a little. I’m not that expensive an actress.”

Despite looking cold as ice, her expression asking the question was strangely reminiscent of the big-eyed cat from some anime.

For a moment, I thought, “Oh right, she’s the visual idol,” and smiled wryly.

Then I cleared my throat and continued.

“I didn’t invest in you, Seo Ji-won, because I have money to burn. I told you—I consider it an investment.”

“So why invest in an actress like me…”

What Seo Ji-won was really curious about was not why I spent the money, but why I spent it on her.

Taking this opportunity, I lightly, or rather heavily, threw in a compliment.

“It’s because I firmly believe Seo Ji-won will become one of the top actresses in our country.”

Not missing the moment her resolve wavered, I quickly added,

“If you’ve read the script, you’d know that  was written with Seo Ji-won in mind from the very beginning.”

“Come on… don’t lie.”

“I’m serious. That’s why I spent the contract money on you. It’s not because I have leftover money or there’s no one else to cast.”

“Other actors refused, so that’s why you came to me? I’ve seen plenty of scripts like that. Most are like that.”

Oh dear. How am I supposed to fix the pride that’s dropped this low?

Seo Ji-won confessed almost tearfully.

Honestly, even if it weren’t Seo Ji-won, CEO Hong Joo-hee would have found an actress fit for the role somehow.

Seo Ji-won was simply pointing out that fact.

But I wasn’t completely lying either.

“No, it’s your first time. The only female lead I have in mind is Seo Ji-won.”

That’s the truth.

“If you don’t believe me, you can check if any other actor has received the  script. My agency would know.”

“But still…”

Seo Ji-won ended up shedding a tear.

“No, Seo Ji-won, why are you crying? Is something wrong?”

I quickly grabbed a few tissues from the plastic box and handed them to her.

“You’re the only one who treats me like this, Writer. I’m thankful, but… it also makes me feel kind of pitiful… sniff.”

In the entertainment industry full of beauty and talent, how many can hear, “It has to be you”?

They say only 1% of trainees in the idol market make it to debut.

Of those, less than 1% succeed.

And only a handful of successful idols get recognized as top stars by both the public and industry.

“I wanted to act, so I debuted as an idol,” Seo Ji-won told me when we first worked together.

Maybe that’s why she dreamed of becoming an ‘actress’ when she first stepped into show business.

Her tearful face held a strange charm.

“I really want to do well this time. Is that okay?”

Being recognized by someone is probably what Seo Ji-won has long dreamed of.

“Of course. Seo Ji-won, you more than deserve that.”

Wiping away her tears with the tissue, Seo Ji-won smiled brightly like a child.

“Hehe. Sniff. Thank you so much, Writer.”

Success!

Casting of actress Seo Ji-won has been successful!

The conditions for success of 

[Bronze Quest (#2)] 

[have been met!]

[8 free viewing tickets have been granted.]

Puff—!

Hong Joo-hee popped open a champagne bottle with a refreshing pop.

Pouring the chilled champagne into a tall glass, she walked over to the desk where I was sitting.

“Writer, are you already working on the next one?”

Hong Joo-hee peeked at my laptop screen.

Though I was looking at the Godflix window, she probably couldn’t see that.

Godflix is a platform only visible to me.

“Come on, have a drink. We have to celebrate the day you signed the female lead contract.”

“I’m fine, thanks.”

“Oh? Can’t drink?”

“No, but I’m not drinking until the script is fully done.”

“Typical pro.”

More than that, I just wanted Hong Joo-hee to leave quickly.

If I drank, the meeting would drag on.

[Do you want to claim the success reward for [Bronze Quest (#2)]?]

I wanted to click [Yes] immediately but held back.

I had no confidence explaining to Hong Joo-hee how money just poured out of thin air.

Clink clink

Slurp slurp 

Without champagne glasses in the office, Hong Joo-hee filled a mug and gulped it down like juice.

Unlike me, she showed no signs of finishing soon.

They say to negotiate well, you have to be half crazy and able to drink well.

Her drinking style gave off a serious heavy drinker vibe.

“Writer, I’m sorry.”

“Why would you apologize?”

“For casting Seo Ji-won. It’s my job, but you went through all the trouble.”

Come to think of it, this was a chance to settle past bad blood.

Because of Godflix quests, it was something only I could do.

But I didn’t need to say that out loud.

“No, it’s good. I was glad to cast the lead myself.”

Positive thinking?

“What’s that?”

“Don’t you know? Positive thinking is trending these days, especially from Kwon Young, the hottest idol in Yoo Eve. I have to explain it like this? Writer, you really just write too much.”

“Ha ha. I don’t know idols well.”

“Ah, my bias is Seo Ji-won from ?”

Her teasing was almost messi-level.

With her dazzling dribbling skills, if I wasn’t careful, I’d be lost.

Lucky we’re on the same team.

“But still, Writer, I was going to tell you after everything’s finalized, but I just can’t wait.”

“What is it?”

“You know Director Kim Seung-pyo, right?”

“The one who directed the movie ?”

“Yes. He really liked our script.”

“Really?”

“He’d wanted to direct a drama for a while but hadn’t found a good script. When he saw ours, he contacted us within two days. Said he was curious about you, Writer.”

Director Kim Seung-pyo is a young filmmaker known for his high-class visuals and refined storytelling, who made a name with the movie .

I remembered hearing he once drew the highest audience numbers in Korean romance film history.

I hadn’t seen the film myself during my dark, broken times, but with someone that skilled involved, expectations were high.

Even if I modestly said it was just because he liked the script, having a director personally interested proved Hong Joo-hee’s ability.

“Nowadays, many film directors are filming dramas. We told him we won’t heavily revise the script, so no worries even if he’s a film director.”

Hong Joo-hee babbled while watching my reaction.

It’s often said film is the director’s art, drama is the writer’s art.

In film, the director leads the script, shooting, everything, but in drama, the writer carries the long story arc.

Of course, the director has many other things to focus on besides the script.

“I’m not worried. As long as it’s the CEO’s pick, I like it whoever it is.”

“In that case… I was going to tell you this last, but…”

Hong Joo-hee lowered her voice.

I noticed her cheeks flushing slightly—she was about to ask something bigger than the director.

“How about Park Tae-won for the male lead?”

“Park Tae-won? The Park Tae-won I know?”

“Yes! He’s always been top 3 among the best actors in their twenties in Korea.”

“Park Tae-won is doing ? But isn’t Park Tae-won…”

Two years ago, Park Tae-won was caught for drunk driving and was reported on the 9 o’clock news.

Since then, he’d been on a hiatus without any notable work.

There was definitely controversy, but as far as acting skill and star power go, he was undisputedly top tier.

“As you know, although Park Tae-won had that accident two years ago, he’s done his community service properly and now the public wants his comeback.”

“But even if Park Tae-won makes a comeback, why would he want to work with us?”

“Because we hold what Park Tae-won wants.”

Hong Joo-hee had learned Park Tae-won’s one condition:

The role must allow him to fully showcase his acting skills.

After his hiatus, he wanted to prove his irreplaceable star status with a role like this.

The  script was appealing even to Park Tae-won’s side.

Especially because the male lead plays twins—one actor playing two roles—which is a challenging but desirable part.

Hong Joo-hee explained that though their production company is small, among script, director, and actors, Park Tae-won has the most influence.

If the project succeeds, it would be thanks to his acting skills, earning him praise.

They got a positive answer.

Looking back, it was fortunate to be on the same side as Hong Joo-hee.

“Writer, aren’t you happy?”

“Huh? Yes, I’m very happy. Park Tae-won is handsome, but he’s also a great actor.”

“Writer, aren’t you the type who gets anxious and can’t enjoy success when things go well?”

“No, I hope everything goes well. What did you say earlier? Positive thinking?”

Positive thinking

“Oh yeah, that’s it. Positive thinking, let’s do that.”

“Writer, aren’t you a little behind your generation even though you’re younger than me?”

“Is CEO Hong older than me?”

“There was your ID number on the contract, right? You’re a year younger.”

Ah, I was too busy stamping the contract to check Hong Joo-hee’s age then.

“This writer has no interest in others. If it’s not Seo Ji-won, then no one else is even curious?”

“Hahaha…”

Ding—

The phone in Hong Joo-hee’s hand vibrated with an incoming call.

Showing me the caller ID, she said it was from Park Tae-won’s side and promptly answered.

“Yes, this is Hong Joo-hee from A-CH Studio. Yes, manager, did you get home well that day? Ha ha ha…”

Hong Joo-hee spoke excitedly for a while.

The moment she hung up, she exclaimed to me,

“What should we do? No matter how you look at it, our script is the best. They want to sign the contract right away!”