The wrap party for began at a luxury traditional Korean restaurant located in Sangam-dong.
The atmosphere of the wrap party couldn’t help but be great.
It was a natural result, as the Drama had achieved record-breaking Success for tvM.
Furthermore, wasn’t just a Drama with high viewer ratings. Just as it had started, it was a Drama that carried buzz until the very end.
Perhaps because of that, there was significant interest in the copyrights for from overseas OTT platforms as well.
In fact, overseas OTT copyrights were being sold at substantial prices.
This was the reason why tvM spent generously on the first round at the luxury traditional Korean restaurant and Salamander Studio spent on the second round at a famous tuna sashimi restaurant.
Throughout both the first and second rounds, Tae-ha met various people and received congratulations and words of gratitude.
Among them were people whose faces he knew and some he didn’t.
Since was a work he participated in as a Scriptwriter rather than an Actor, it was inevitable that there were many people among the staff working on-site whom he didn’t know.
After sharing drinks with over 100 people like that, Tae-ha was finally able to take a brief rest.
However, the wrap party was only just beginning in earnest.
Once the boisterous celebration of the Drama’s Success died down, deep conversations always began to flow.
True to expectations, the first person to take a seat at Tae-ha’s table was Yoo Yeon-ha, who had played the role of the female Main Character, No Ji-hee.
“Ah! I really wanted to greet you separately, and finally, the opportunity has come! I was truly grateful that you cast me as the female Main Character, Writer.”
“I am the one who is grateful, Senior. If you hadn’t taken on the role of No Ji-hee, a Drama of this quality would never have been made.”
Tae-ha spoke formally and politely, using the title ‘Senior’ for the vast majority of Actors, with a few exceptions.
Being both a Writer and an Actor, this part of him was bound to be different from the norm.
At first, this way of addressing people was quite awkward, but now both Tae-ha and the others seemed to have grown used to it.
Yoo Yeon-ha also didn’t make any particular mention of it, but after glancing around for a moment, she brought up the main topic.
“If possible, I would like to work with you again in your next work, Writer. Could I perhaps hear what kind of project you are preparing?”
As expected, a deep conversation had emerged.
And it seemed Yoo Yeon-ha was interested in appearing in the next work Tae-ha was preparing.
To think such a request for casting would come when the end of had barely passed.
Someone might find this situation uncomfortable, but it wasn’t something to be seen only in a negative light.
In times like these, when programming slots weren’t easily secured, it was natural for an Actor to work hard to secure a job in any way possible.
More than anything, as proven through , the Success potential of Tae-ha’s next work could be considered quite high.
From an Actor’s perspective, it was a situation where they naturally wanted to join.
And the fact that an Actor who worked with him was interested in his next work was a very positive thing.
In Dramas with poor viewer ratings, such conversations wouldn’t even come up.
Because of that, Tae-ha opened his mouth with a pleasant smile.
“I have several ideas, but for now, I’m planning not to do a thriller. If possible, I want to challenge myself with diverse stories.”
“Ah. I fell deeply for Kang Tae-ha’s style of thriller while doing , so that’s a shame. But I understand the desire to challenge a different story. I’m the same way. So, if not a thriller, what is it? What story are you most drawn to right now, Writer?”
“You might be a bit disappointed…”
“It’s okay. Please tell me.”
“The story I’m most drawn to lately is a campus youth drama. Something that deals with the fresh love and wounds of college students.”
“Oh.”
As soon as Tae-ha finished speaking, Yoo Yeon-ha’s expression darkened.
It was inevitable.
For Yoo Yeon-ha, whose style didn’t originally fit the Roko side, a youth drama was a wall too difficult to climb.
In other words, it meant there was a high possibility there wouldn’t be a role suitable for Yoo Yeon-ha in the next work Tae-ha was preparing.
Yoo Yeon-ha must have realized this as well, as she took a step back.
“Of all things…”
“I’m sorry, Senior.”
When Tae-ha bowed his head in apology, Yoo Yeon-ha hurriedly waved her hands.
“No. Not at all. In the first place, it was rude of me to ask about your plans for the next work with the greed of wanting to appear in it. And it doesn’t make sense for a Writer to give up on a story they want to write because of one Actor.”
“Thank you for understanding. However, I might ask for your help again for the work after the next one, so please look kindly upon your pitiful junior then and consider the casting proposal positively.”
When Tae-ha skillfully left open the possibility for the work after next, Yoo Yeon-ha’s mood seemed to brighten, and she gave a clear smile.
“Call me anytime. If it’s a request from you, Writer, I’ll come running immediately. Thank you once again, Writer. It was an honor to be able to work with you. Shall we have a drink?”
“Yes. That sounds good. To our Senior’s future path! Cheers!”
Thanks to Tae-ha finishing the toast on good terms, Yoo Yeon-ha was able to move to another table without any hurt feelings.
After Yoo Yeon-ha left, the next person to sit in front of Tae-ha was Director Yoon Tae-sung.
“Thank you, Tae-ha. I’m hitting the jackpot thanks to you. Now I won’t have to be called around as a substitute anymore.”
As mentioned once before, Yoon Tae-sung was a Director whose skills had been undervalued.
This was because he had never once directed a hit Drama.
However, while directing , Yoon Tae-sung’s skills were re-evaluated.
Not only did he succeed in directing a hit Drama, but he also showed the directing power that contributed to the Success of .
Certainly, Yoon Tae-sung’s unique directing method, which extracted the essence of the drama cleanly, received much attention.
Thanks to that, love calls were pouring in from many places.
As Yoon Tae-sung said, they weren’t requests to be a substitute for some work.
“I’ve been contacted to take the Director’s chair for a Drama adaptation of a famous webtoon, and I accepted. They asked me to participate from the planning stage, saying my help was absolutely necessary.”
“Wow. Planning. That’s wonderful, Director!”
“It’s all thanks to you, Tae-ha. If it weren’t for you, I’d still be living the life of an outsider. That’s why I’m saying this, but if you ever need my help, please let me know anytime. If you say let’s work together, Tae-ha, I’ll throw aside whatever I’m doing and fly over. You know what I mean, right?”
Yoon Tae-sung spoke with a voice full of sincerity.
Because of that, Tae-ha couldn’t help but be moved.
Tae-ha also felt that if it weren’t for Yoon Tae-sung, he wouldn’t have been able to make this work a Success.
Yoon Tae-sung was a Director whose existence was more precious in this industry than one might think.
It wasn’t just that his clean directing style was unique.
Yoon Tae-sung’s personality itself was very different from the average Director.
He was a Director who tried to understand the Writer’s work rather than trying to fix it.
In fact, he was a Director a Rookie Writer could absolutely never meet.
Usually, a Director would look down on and ignore a Rookie Writer as a matter of course.
The Director he met during was the same.
At first, he looked down on Tae-ha and tried to cut and change the work here and there.
Because of that, they clashed a lot, and parts of the script actually changed.
“Of course, I later became close with that Director and worked enjoyably.”
But in Yoon Tae-sung’s case, there wasn’t even this kind of trial and error.
Because of that, Tae-ha couldn’t help but be extremely grateful to Yoon Tae-sung.
To think it wasn’t just Tae-ha who felt grateful.
Tae-ha felt a great joy in having connected with Yoon Tae-sung and filled the empty glass with alcohol.
“I will definitely ask for your help later, Director, so you mustn’t forget me like you said, okay? At that time, I’ll repay you with an even greater Success than now.”
“Hahaha. A work where the always-humble Tae-ha guarantees Success. It’s reassuring just hearing it. Good. Call me anytime. Really, whenever.”
“Cheers!”
Like that, Tae-ha sat there and shared a long conversation with Yoon Tae-sung.
As they shared their reflections on the work, they didn’t realize how time was passing.
After a while, Yoon Tae-sung came to his senses and stood up from his seat.
“I’ve been rude even though I clearly knew others were eyeing this spot. Well then, let’s meet again later. Don’t get too drunk.”
“Yes. Let’s both drink until we drop today. I’ll see you in a bit.”
Finally, Yoon Tae-sung left, and the next person to fill the seat in front of Tae-ha was the long-awaited Han Yoon-sung.
“What were you talking about with the Director for so long?”
“It’s something like the burning friendship between a Scriptwriter and a Director that an Actor like you, Younger Brother, wouldn’t know.”
“Oh boy. Looking at you, one would think our Writer isn’t an Actor.”
“Didn’t you know? I’m here as a Writer today, not an Actor.”
“I know. I’m here because I know that. So, you’re thinking of a campus youth drama for your next work?”
He had only just mentioned it to Yoo Yeon-ha for the first time, but it seemed the rumor had already spread. Well, it wasn’t anything strange. There weren’t just one or two people watching this table. And he didn’t have any intention of hiding the story anyway.
“That’s right. For my next work, I’m strongly considering a campus youth drama. After writing a work full of Zombies, I felt like writing something refreshing.”
“Zombies? Wasn’t a Zombie drama concept without Zombies?”
“Ah. In the end, I couldn’t keep the concept. They appeared a bit at the beginning and the end. And I kept making them appear as inserts.”
“If it’s that much, it’s a story where the Zombie virus is the subject, but Zombies basically didn’t appear at all. Anyway, you know too, right? That I, your Younger Brother, am a specialist in campus youth dramas? So, what’s the plan? Are you going to cast me as the Main Character next time too?”
At Han Yoon-sung’s question, Tae-ha’s expression couldn’t help but show hesitation. Then, as if expecting Tae-ha’s answer, Han Yoon-sung also looked disappointed.
“What… you have no intention of using me as the Main Character? Was working with me worse than you thought?”
At Han Yoon-sung’s question, Tae-ha hurriedly shook his head.
“No. It was great working with you, Younger Brother. When would I ever get to set a famous Actor like you as the Main Character? In fact, I really want to use you for my next work. There’s no Actor in the Nation who can pull off this role as well as you, Younger Brother. But it’s not a role you would like…”
Hearing Tae-ha’s words, Han Yoon-sung instantly caught on to what kind of character the campus youth drama Main Character was. It was inevitable.
There were only a few roles that Han Yoon-sung, who had no hesitation in acting various parts, wouldn’t like.
True to expectations,
“It’s a role I’ve already acted before. Furthermore, it’s a character I think I shouldn’t do again. Am I right?”
When Han Yoon-sung guessed the answer, Tae-ha nodded his head.
“Yes. That’s right. The Main Character of the campus youth drama I’m preparing is a Yeonhanam.”