Chapter 11: The Chosen Role

Taeha was surprised, but Im Chan-hyung was even more shocked, his mouth agape, unable to utter a single word.

Director Lee Hae-ik and Kim Jeong-sik watched the two, as if understanding their thoughts.

Taeha calmly collected his thoughts.

“It’s not completely out of the question, is it?”

was a perfectly male lead-centered, one-top Drama.

Lee Jae-hyun was certainly a charming character, but for well-known actors, it could easily seem like a role overshadowed by the Main Character, making it hard to stand out.

The Rival Role that stood in opposition to the Main Character was also taken by the Female Lead, so in essence, the role of Lee Jae-hyun only served to assist the Main Character.

“So maybe that’s why casting was difficult.”

Contrary to expectations, many actors prioritized the weight and prominence of their own roles over the quality of the work itself.

Even when producing a Drama by Baek Seung-chul, which was expected to be a major hit, there were times when they struggled with casting for these supporting roles.

Even for important roles, they wanted to cast high-profile actors, but those actors often avoided supporting roles.

“As an actor, it’s only natural to want the spotlight.”

That made sense.

But sometimes, it was also frustrating.

No matter how significant the role, in the end, to be loved by the public, you had to appear in works chosen by the public.

And there was something more important than the weight of the role—namely, the character’s appeal.

There was a reason people said “Scene Stealer.”

“Well… Even knowing all that, it’s only human nature to want a bigger role.”

The more he thought about it, the more obvious it became that the production team had struggled to cast Lee Jae-hyun.

“Especially in times like these…!”

With more channels and more works being produced, it became possible for popular faces to take the first lead role.

Han Yun-seong, for example—in the old days, he would have done another supporting role or two, but now he’d already made his leap as the solo lead in .

But you couldn’t just shove any random actor into a role that was important for chemistry with the male lead and had a lot of screen time.

“An actor who’s got the profile, the image, and the acting skills. It’s really not easy. Is that why they gave up on finding a top-tier actor?”

Taeha rolled his eyes and glanced at Director Lee Hae-ik and Kim Jeong-sik.

“Still, isn’t this lowering the bar a bit too much?”

Most of Taeha’s guesses were spot-on.

And there was another reason, too.

In truth, up until recently, there was an actor under discussion for Lee Jae-hyun’s role.

It was someone of a similar standing to Han Yun-seong, whom Taeha had thought of, so from the production team’s point of view, there was no better option.

So they’d held on and tried to make it work, with the other side sending positive signals and negotiating terms.

“Let’s see the script through Episode 6,” “Once the Broadcast Company is decided,” “If the appearance fee goes up,” “Once the Director is set…” and so on—Actor A kept adding conditions, testing the waters.

But in the end, A declined at the last moment, just before signing the contract.

In the end, he chose a project where he’d be the Main Character.

With filming approaching, it was as if the production team had been blindsided, but there was nothing they could do.

After that, they scrambled to find another actor, but due to scheduling issues, the available options became even narrower.

And the actors who were still possible, for the reasons Taeha had predicted, all refused, and those who were interested didn’t meet the production team’s expectations.

“Rather than working with someone who’s a poor fit, wouldn’t it be better to go with someone both Kim and I truly like? That’s what we thought after seeing you at the Audition, Taeha.”

Director Lee Hae-ik gave a brief explanation, then asked,

“So, what do you think, Taeha?”

“Me… I’d love it. I’m just grateful you both see so much in me.”

It was an opportunity even rookies from major agencies rarely got.

It almost felt like too good a chance to be true.

As a former writer, Taeha fully understood how they felt.

But Dramas weren’t made solely at the whim of writers and directors.

With so much money involved, there were always a lot of stakeholders.

Knowing that well, Taeha asked,

“But will the Production Company Office or Broadcast Company be on board with this?”

Ultimately, both places, whose goal was profit, would want to use the most recognizable actor they could get.

“If they’re going to use a Rookie, wouldn’t they at least pick one connected to someone important?”

Director Lee Hae-ik looked surprised at Taeha’s question. He hadn’t expected such a realistic question.

But he soon grinned wryly and replied.

“They’ll probably say no, of course.”

But then he added, as if to reassure them.

“But if we persuade them, it’ll work.”

“Ah.”

“Today was just to get your thoughts first, Taeha. Honestly, we wanted to see you again, too. If we’re going to push for you, we need to be certain.”

As Taeha quietly nodded, Kim Jeong-sik picked up from where Lee Hae-ik left off.

“There’s nothing else to worry about. After seeing you play Jinseong on the spot during the Audition, it was clear you can act. And after talking, it seemed your personality fit Jae-hyun’s role perfectly.”

In the story, Lee Jae-hyun had lived a rough life, yet never lost his cheerful disposition—at least on the surface.

But the darkness within him was deeper than the Main Character Jinseong realized, and this would lead to conflict later in the story.

How intense that conflict would be would only become clear when the later scripts came out, but even with just that duality, it was a fascinating character.

“The only concern was that your image was a bit too gentle… but seeing you today, that’s clearly not the case.”

“If I’d seen you with your bangs brushed back sooner, I wouldn’t have even worried about it.”

“So that’s why you two exchanged looks when you saw his new hairstyle.”

During the Audition for the Apprentice Priest role, Taeha had tried to look as gentle as possible.

Even his previous supporting role as the Observer 2 was styled for a soft, indecisive look.

So Taeha’s image had gotten fixed as being on the gentle side.

“Huh. To think just dressing up for the mood would help me out. Can luck really be this good?”

Taeha chuckled inwardly.

He still wasn’t sure if living a second life through possession was a blessing or a curse, but seeing how well things were working out, maybe it was a blessing.

“Yeah. I should try living a life where everything goes smoothly for once.”

While he was thinking this, Im Chan-hyung, sitting next to him, spoke up.

“May I ask how you plan to persuade them?”

It was such a great opportunity that Im Chan-hyung was ready to do everything he could to help.

Their Company wasn’t that powerful, but even so, it was something worth tackling as a Company.

“For now, Kim and I will push for it. They’ll just have to agree.”

Director Lee Hae-ik answered.

“You’re basically saying you’re going to bulldoze your way through, right?”

Maybe reading the unease on Taeha and Im Chan-hyung’s faces, Lee Hae-ik added sheepishly,

“Min-gi also said he’d speak up for you, so that should help.”

By “Min-gi,” he meant Seon Min-gi, the actor playing the Main Character Jinseong.

For Seon Min-gi, having a Rookie in the role of Lee Jae-hyun didn’t hurt him.

It meant all the focus would be on him, further cementing the image of a true one-top Drama.

“It’s not that persuading them is impossible, so these two are pushing for it.”

Still, Taeha couldn’t help but think of the possibility that the Broadcast Company or Production Company Office would put up a strong resistance.

If Taeha’s name came up, they’d need something that would make it impossible to replace him with any other actor they could think of.

“What kind of competitive edge could appeal to the Broadcast Company and Production Company Office…?”

“How about this?”

Suddenly, Taeha spoke up, drawing the attention of the remaining three.

Taeha glanced briefly at Im Chan-hyung.

But he was soon certain that Im Chan-hyung and his own agency would be on board.

Taeha explained his plan.

And this time, it was Lee Hae-ik’s turn to be surprised.

“Are you serious, Taeha?”

“Of course. If you’re offering me such a great chance, I should do at least this much to seize it.”

Even Im Chan-hyung, who had flinched for a moment, soon nodded in agreement.

“If you bring that up, they’ll definitely be swayed. At this rate… it’s practically a done deal.”

“Exactly.”

Lee Hae-ik and Kim Jeong-sik exchanged glances, unable to hide their satisfaction.

Their chosen actor was clever, too—how could they not be pleased?

His passion for the project was unquestionable.

With that conversation, it was clear both Lee Hae-ik and Kim Jeong-sik had made up their minds to consider no one but Taeha for the role.

The meeting ended with a promise to reach a conclusion as soon as possible.

***

On the way back in the car.

Im Chan-hyung asked,

“How did you even come up with that idea?”

“You mean slashing the appearance fee?”

“Yeah.”

Taking only half the standard appearance fee.

That was Taeha’s plan for persuading the Broadcast Company and Production Company Office.

If it was just a Rookie playing the Apprentice Priest, there’d be no appearance fee to speak of.

He would have just gotten the basic minimum.

But as the role got bigger and the number of appearances increased, even a Rookie would receive a fee appropriate for the role.

But Taeha had offered to take only half of that.

“No matter how much the director and writer want me, the higher-ups don’t care about art. They just want to make money from Dramas. In the end, the only thing that catches their interest is money—cutting production costs.”

Honestly, for Taeha and Im Chan-hyung, cutting the appearance fee by half was no loss at all.

It was still more than he’d make for the Apprentice Priest role, and the benefits that would come after didn’t even need mentioning.

If getting this opportunity meant Taeha had to lower his fee, any Rookie would line up for the chance.

Of course, they weren’t the Rookies the director and writer wanted, so it was a moot point from the start.

What surprised Im Chan-hyung was how quickly Taeha—who’d only ever briefly been an idol—was reading the situation and responding faster than he was.

“You could do business, you know.”

“Business? Nah, I just know how this field works.”

Taeha muttered, half to himself, in response to Im Chan-hyung’s words.

He’d seen everything, working under Baek Seung-chul and preparing to debut—he couldn’t help but understand how things worked in this field.

Taeha checked the rearview mirror, the corners of his lips rising in a slow grin.

“But seriously, Lee Jae-hyun’s role… No matter how I think about it, it’s like winning the lottery. I love the character, too. At this rate, I’ll get my name out there and get rich in no time.”

It was the same for writers, but for actors too—once you started to make it, your value skyrocketed quickly.

With a sly grin, Taeha habitually checked his phone.

“Hm?”

His phone, which only ever buzzed with messages from Im Chan-hyung due to his previously tiny social circle, now had over a hundred unread group chat messages.

[Why aren’t you answering, Taeha You didn’t forget about tomorrow, right?]

[Don’t you dare forget (emoji) It’s been so long since we’re all getting together (emoji)]

[Yeah, this is the first time since Taeha’s discharge]

[Everyone better not be late tomorrow ㅋㅋ Anyone late pays a tardy fee ㅋㅋ]

As Taeha scrolled through the group chat messages, he was momentarily dazed.

“I totally forgot… Completely slipped my mind.”

It was only natural.

After all, he hadn’t been the one to set the appointment.

And just like that, an unexpected new worry appeared for Taeha.