The next day.
Sallamander Studio’s CEO office.
Taeha faced Choi Daepyo with a resolute heart.
Seated side by side with Kim Seoan, Choi Daepyo had a smile on his lips.
Unlike Taeha, he seemed to be in a very good mood.
Taeha didn’t want to ruin Choi Daepyo’s mood, but he opened his mouth.
“I have something to say.”
“Yes. Please, go ahead, Writer.”
“To get straight to the point, I think it will be difficult for me to play the male lead in .”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes. I admit that, contrary to what I initially expected, my recognition has risen high enough that it wouldn’t be strange for me to play the main role. Honestly, I’m surprised at how you foresaw this situation, Choi Daepyo.”
“To be honest, I was also half-and-half. With your acting skills, I thought you would make a strong impression just by taking on a supporting role. I was surprised that you gained this level of recognition so quickly, too.”
“I’m still a bit stunned. Though I did gain some recognition, I’ve judged that it’s too much to write and also take on the male lead. More than anything, I don’t think I fit the role of the main character, Han Seo-yul, in .”
That was it.
The decisive reason Taeha had to ultimately decline the role in .
This was the key reason.
No matter how much he thought about it, his own appearance was just too different from the main character Han Seo-yul of .
Of course, it wasn’t as if there were no ways around it.
Choi Daepyo brought up this point.
“The image is a little different, but can’t that be sufficiently adjusted with script revisions?”
Taeha had also considered this.
But he shook his head.
Because—
“If we change the protagonist’s image, too much of the script would have to be altered. In that case, I thought it’d be better to take a step back.”
It was because he thought too much of the script content would have to be changed.
So Taeha finally decided not to take the main role in .
And hearing this explanation, Choi Daepyo thought for a moment, then nodded.
“I understand what you’re saying, Writer. I’m sorry, in a way. I feel like I ended up burdening you because of my own ambition.”
There was genuine feeling in Choi Daepyo’s expression as he spoke.
Taeha shook his head as he replied.
“Not at all. I know you suggested it out of your desire to make the work as complete as possible.”
“I’m glad you think so. And as it happens, I have some good news that should relieve the burden from both of us.”
“Did someone express interest in the role? Who is it? An Un-je? Or Song Ju-hwan?”
An Un-je and Song Ju-hwan were the third and fourth priority casting candidates for .
Both were decent actors.
There were some worries, but nothing too concerning.
No matter who was cast, considering was the script of a new writer, it was acceptable.
But the name Choi Daepyo spoke next was unexpected.
“It’s neither of them. Both are still asking for time to think. The one who accepted the casting offer this time—it’s Han Yun-seong.”
“What? Really? I heard the first and second priority actors rejected the casting offer outright…”
Taeha had no idea how Han Yun-seong ended up reading the script for and confirming his casting.
So naturally, Taeha couldn’t help but feel curious.
“I was curious too, so I checked with Han Yun-seong’s agency. Apparently, after some deliberation, the script for —which was filtered out in the first round—somehow got passed on to the actor.”
“How did that happen?”
“Han Yun-seong’s manager, who liked your script, recommended he read it.”
“Oh.”
Han Yun-seong’s manager.
Taeha vaguely recalled the face he had met on the set of .
A man notable for his bluish shaving shadow and fluorescent hiking jacket.
“He didn’t look like the type to appreciate scripts, but I guess you can’t judge people by appearances.”
He seemed like someone with quite a bit of experience, so maybe there was more to him than Taeha realized.
Whatever the process, Taeha was relieved.
There was no actor more suited for than Han Yun-seong.
Even better, Han Yun-seong didn’t have any of the worries associated with the third and fourth casting choices.
Taeha could be certain, having directly worked with Han Yun-seong and witnessed his acting skills.
“He didn’t just choose to shake off the ‘younger man’ image.”
A desire to portray a variety of characters.
Taeha could feel this ambition in Han Yun-seong’s acting, and it was clear he hadn’t been lazy in his research for it.
“Most actors attempt to transform themselves out of ambition but end up failing because they neglect research. When you consider that, you realize just how big Han Yun-seong’s potential is. Whatever role he takes, he’ll do well.”
That was Taeha’s evaluation of Han Yun-seong.
And the male lead in was a role that Han Yun-seong could take on without any issue.
A desperate resolve to prevent Humanity’s Destruction.
As long as the image matched, all the role required was to center his performance on this desperation, without interference from other emotions.
“Everyone thinks Han Yun-seong is soft, but that’s not true. He already proved that in .”
Rather, Han Yun-seong was the type whose gravity multiplied when he wasn’t smiling.
And the protagonist of , Han Seo-yul, was a character who had almost no reason to smile due to anxiety about the future.
Considering these two facts, the compatibility between Han Yun-seong and Han Seo-yul was nearly perfect.
“Things are working out better than expected. It’s amazing to have crossed paths with Han Yun-seong again.”
Organizing his thoughts, Taeha spoke.
“You’re right, CEO. Hearing that Yun-seong hyung is taking the role melts away any burden I felt about declining your offer.”
He said it to reassure Choi Daepyo.
But Choi Daepyo seemed more interested in another point.
With a face full of curiosity, Choi Daepyo asked Taeha,
“‘Yun-seong hyung?’ Ah, did you get close to Han Yun-seong during the filming of ?”
Taeha realized a bit late why Choi Daepyo was asking this.
It was rare for a lead actor and a bit-part actor to become close after just one project.
“Ah, it just happened by chance. Yun-seong hyung thought well of me.”
“Haha. That’s even better. If I’d known this, I should’ve had you contact Han Yun-seong directly. Then we could’ve confirmed the casting without needing to write eight episodes of the script.”
“True.”
Taeha nodded and smiled at Choi Daepyo’s words, but his true feelings were different.
He didn’t think Han Yun-seong would have seriously considered appearing in just because he reached out.
“Wouldn’t it have been off-putting for someone I barely knew to ask for casting help?”
Of course, Taeha didn’t say this out loud.
There was no need to ruin the good mood.
Then suddenly, a thought crossed Taeha’s mind.
He asked Choi Daepyo,
“Ah, did you already inform Yun-seong hyung of his casting confirmation?”
“No. I wanted to confirm with you before telling him.”
At Choi Daepyo’s reply, Taeha smiled mischievously and responded.
“That’s great. Then, may I be the one to deliver the news of his casting?”
***
Han Yun-seong stared anxiously at his phone.
Nervously biting his nails as he waited for a call.
He was waiting for a call from his agency to tell him whether or not he had been confirmed for the role.
“Casting confirmation… I’ll get it, right?”
He hadn’t felt this way when he first told his agency he wanted to accept the role.
He was certain ’s casting hadn’t been finalized yet.
But after hearing that his agency had contacted Sallamander Studio, his thoughts changed.
Instead of welcoming him with open arms as expected, Sallamander Studio said they needed to check with the Writer first.
It wasn’t a good sign.
He didn’t think their response was really about checking with the Writer.
After all, the Writer of was a rookie.
A rookie Writer wouldn’t usually have enough influence to reject a first-choice casting.
Which meant—it was likely another, higher-priority actor had nearly been confirmed for .
Otherwise, there would be no reason to delay the reply like this.
And if another actor with priority decided to take the role, Han Yun-seong would have nothing to say.
After all, his agency had already communicated his intent to decline ’s casting earlier.
“Ah, please…”
So Han Yun-seong could only hope that the higher-priority actors wouldn’t end up accepting the offer for .
That way, the way would clear for him to appear in .
Just when Han Yun-seong’s anxiety was reaching its peak—
Bzz. Bzz.
A call finally came in on Han Yun-seong’s phone.
He answered immediately, without checking who was calling.
“Hey, hyung. How did it go?”
But a different voice came from the other end.
—What? Hyung? I’m the hyung here.
Only then did Han Yun-seong realize something was off, pulled his phone away from his ear, and checked the caller ID.
On the screen was not his manager’s name, but Taeha’s.
“Oh. Taeha. Sorry, I’ve been waiting for a call, so I didn’t even check who it was and just started asking questions.”
—What kind of call were you waiting for to sound so urgent?
“It’s about casting for my next project, but things are getting a bit complicated. Anyway, how are you? You’re really getting hot reactions these days. How’s it feel? Are you starting to feel the popularity?”
—I’m writing. I’m pretty much holed up at home working on other stuff, so I barely go out.
What could you be doing that keeps you stuck at home? You should get some exercise, too.
—I do get some exercise. Anyway, you said you were waiting for a call about your next project’s casting?
“Huh? Yeah, that’s right. I got lucky and read a really good script, but now I don’t know if I’ll be able to get the part.”
—Come on. You’re Han Yun-seong. If you want it, you get it. It’s up to you.
“No, really, things have gotten complicated.”
—If you want it, you’ll get it. And right now, the Writer is calling you directly to tell you, right? That your casting’s been confirmed.
“But that’s not it….”
As Han Yun-seong was replying, he suddenly sensed something off about the conversation and stopped talking.
Then he asked Taeha,
“Wait, what are you talking about? ‘Directly,’ what do you mean?”
—I’m the Writer calling to tell you that your casting for the drama is confirmed.
“Huh?”
—I’m the Writer of , the one you read the script for and expressed interest in.
What is this kid talking about?
Did he also read the script for ?
No, didn’t he just say he was the Writer?
Why is he the Writer? He’s an actor. Is he drunk?
As Han Yun-seong was reeling and struggling to collect his thoughts,
Taeha seemed to read his mind and let out a cheerful laugh, then drove the point home.
—Actually, I’m Kang Tae-ha, the Writer of . And also the actor Kang Tae-ha.
Hearing this, Han Yun-seong’s eyes grew round with shock.