Dual personality.
It wasn’t a material that had never been used in dramas, but it wasn’t a common one either.
“Because I read a script with the same material.”
“Dual personality? There was another script with dual personality as the material besides this one?”
“Yes.”
I hadn’t read the script Hyungkyu was talking about, but the basic setup was way too similar.
Not just the dual personality, but even the fact that the female lead and male lead had been entangled since the past.
“Dual personality is such a standout setup that it’s not common.”
“Exactly. Can I read that one first anyway?”
“Sure. I brought it for you to read.”
I received the script from Hyungkyu.
I Send You to Me.
It was a title that pierced through the theme of dual personality.
“The writer originally wrote novels and is debuting in dramas this time, so she’s a rookie in this field, but the director is a veteran.”
“Really?”
Having seen cases like Hyerim recently, whether rookie or veteran didn’t matter much to me.
But the director being a veteran is nice.
“It’s a shame it’s not the lead, but the sub male lead role is still decent.”
“But if the male lead has a dual personality, the sub male lead’s screen time wouldn’t be much, right?”
Usually in these cases, the male lead eats up everything alone.
“You clever bastard.”
“But why give this to me?”
I’d just barely climbed to male lead, and now do a sub male lead with little screen time? This was clearly self-sabotage.
“I know. If it were just any work, I’d somehow get you to lead, but am I crazy to make you do sub male lead again?”
Of course, Hyungkyu knew that too.
“But?”
“But…… if Han Jeongwoo is the male lead, the story changes.”
“What? Han Jeongwoo?”
Why is Han Jeongwoo coming up here again?
Han Jeongwoo was mentioned in Hwang Eunah’s work back then too.
Of course, being on the shortlist could happen for multiple works, but Hyungkyu’s expression didn’t look like it was just a simple shortlist. And Jiwon’s info couldn’t be wrong either.
“Yeah, Han Jeongwoo’s doing the male lead here, it’s his drama comeback after discharge.”
Being on the shortlist for two scripts with the same dual personality setup…… which one is the truth?
“But what was the script you saw? Who wrote another one with dual personality material.”
“Hwang Eunah.”
“Ah~ Hwang Eun…… Hwang Eunah?”
At the mention of Hwang Eunah, Hyungkyu was startled and asked back.
“No way, the Hwang Eunah I know?”
“There’s only one writer Hwang Eunah in our country, right?”
“No, how did you see her script? A work even I couldn’t get?”
He spoke as if it was amazing that I’d seen Hwang Eunah’s work.
“Just……”
“Don’t try to change the subject. A star writer like Hwang Eunah is so sensitive about scripts circulating, does it make sense that you saw it by chance?”
With eyes determined to find out, I had no choice but to bring up Jiwon’s story.
“Hold onto that friend tight! He’s a friend who’ll be a huge help to us.”
“Ah…… well……”
“A Hwang Eunah work…… I only heard she was writing, but I didn’t hear how far along it is or who’s in it, how is it? Fun?”
From Hyungkyu’s reaction, I felt that Hwang Eunah was an even greater writer than I thought.
“Honestly?”
“Yeah, honestly.”
As Jiwon said, it wasn’t a boring work at the level of ‘who’d watch this?’
The perfect back-and-forth dialogue of the characters in the drama and the laugh points in between were the handiwork of someone who knew the public’s taste too well.
“Honestly…… it’s not my style.”
But that was it. Her work’s signature white knight male lead and candy female lead.
She twisted the cliché by switching the two characters’ personalities, but it didn’t mesh at all with the dual personality setup.
“Hey, it’s a Hwang Eunah work. That Hwang Eunah who’s never dropped below 10% ratings.”
“I know. Me too.”
I knew the work she did with the owner achieved 28% ratings and gained syndrome-level popularity. But this work definitely had shortcomings.
“Maybe you saw too early a draft? No way Hwang Eunah would do that.”
Hyungkyu also had absolute faith in Hwang Eunah.
“If the CEO sees it, you probably won’t say that?”
Even that guy Jiwon could tell, Hyungkyu would notice right away upon seeing it.
“By any chance, that Hwang Eunah script… can I see it too?”
He said with sparkling eyes.
“I have the script.”
“Bring it.”
“I have to ask my friend, but he’ll probably say yes.”
“To see an unreleased Hwang Eunah work……”
“But is this Han Jeongwoo shortlist for real?”
I confirmed once more.
“I heard they’ve even progressed to pay talks? With Han Jeongwoo in, the competition is…… the sub male lead here requires an audition too.”
“Audition?”
“Yeah, it’s his post-discharge comeback. It’ll naturally be a topic, and Netflix likes Han Jeongwoo, so it’s perfect for stamping eyes overseas.”
I newly realized how high Han Jeongwoo’s level had risen.
“If this work and Hwang Eunah’s work come in together for the CEO, what would you do?”
“Why ask the obvious. Definitely do Hwang Eunah’s work.”
It’s so obvious, but Han Jeongwoo doing this work instead of Hwang Eunah’s?
That doesn’t make sense. If it were with other actors for Hwang Eunah’s work, the story would change, but……
But would he do a work with the same dual personality material?
Shooting with the same material would definitely lead to comparisons, so whether he’d do this work was unknown.
“Why, is Han Jeongwoo going into Hwang Eunah’s work or something?”
Hyungkyu brought it up half-jokingly, half-seriously.
“Yes.”
“Yes? Yes?”
He’d said it as a joke, but when a positive answer came back, Hyungkyu’s eyes widened and he asked again.
“It’s not confirmed, but I heard he’s on the shortlist.”
“Shortlist?”
“There were other actors’ names too.”
“Okay. I get the situation. For now, give me that script, and I’ll look into the situation in more detail.”
Without me explaining more, smart Hyungkyu immediately grasped what the situation was.
“Got it. But what if Han Jeongwoo doesn’t do this work?”
The reason Hyungkyu recommended this to me was because it was sub to Han Jeongwoo. But if Han Jeongwoo doesn’t do it, no need for me, who’s risen to lead, to take a sub role.
“Read it. The content is pretty good…… ha, but overlapping material with Hwang Eunah’s work is a bit concerning.”
“Still, the stories are different, and if not broadcast together, even if compared a bit, it wouldn’t be bad, right?”
On the contrary, promotion pulling aggro using Hwang Eunah seemed possible.
“Ah~ I thought it was perfect if Han Jeongwoo is lead and you sub.”
At Hyungkyu’s words, I said nothing and just smiled.
That wouldn’t have happened.
If it wasn’t a role that could devour Han Jeongwoo, I wouldn’t have done it even if I died. Am I crazy to play a role that shines the male lead?
“No other scripts? I’m fine with auditions.”
I’m shooting Collision now, but this was a work hard to expect box office from, and with Han Jeongwoo starting his comeback, I got anxious.
“I’m looking hard, so wait. Now you have a level too, can’t just take anything.”
“I don’t look at other things. As long as it’s fun.”
“That’s obvious, don’t worry and just shoot well. Not much left now.”
“Got it.”
Thus ending the talk with Hyungkyu, I left the CEO’s office with one script in hand.
***
“Damn…….”
Juho tousled his hair wildly, expressing his anxiety.
-What.
As soon as he informed Cheolmin of the drop failure, a call came right away.
“Sorry. That…… the moment I was about to drop, a cop passed by just then.”
-Hey you stupid bastard! Can’t even do that one thing right?
A failed deal loses the client’s trust, so Cheolmin poured all kinds of curses at Juho over the receiver.
“Sorry. Sorry.”
It wasn’t just words of apology.
He was ashamed of himself for not doing well when Cheolmin rescued him from that runaway group, believed in his ability, and entrusted him with such a big job.
-Haa~ Juho, if you work like this, hyung is in big trouble.
“Sorry…….”
-Kid, hyung trusted and gave it to you, but if you keep disappointing like this, it’s hard to keep you around anymore.
“No! Hyung, I’ll do well. Just give me one more chance.”
Even though Cheolmin wasn’t in front, Juho bowed his head, clutched the phone, and begged desperately.
-For now, come to Bongwon-dong. Come and talk. I’ll have other kids do that job.
“Yes, got it.”
Ending the call with Cheolmin, Juho hurriedly headed to their hideout, the officetel.
“Broken…….”
He pressed the elevator button to go up to the officetel, but whether broken, the elevator didn’t budge, so inevitably Juho moved to the stairs.
It was to avoid irritating Cheolmin by arriving late.
“Kuhaha! Crazy!”
Around reaching the destination floor, someone’s voice came from above.
“Uh, that job…… probably someone will do it. There’s a dumbass like that.”
He knew the voice’s owner.
Someone under Cheolmin who treated him like an idiot, used him like an errand boy, and they didn’t get along usually.
Dumbass.
Juho realized it was about him, instinctively stopped his steps, and eavesdropped on his talk.
“Whether caught or not, does it matter much? Anyway, Cheolmin hyung seemed indifferent, that’s why he told me.”
“If we’ve used him this much, it’s long enough. If he lived as is, we gave him money he’d never earn in a lifetime, that’s enough, what more does he want.”
At that, Juho recalled the 5 million won Cheolmin gave as pocket money recently.
“Getting moved by that pittance, kukuk- stupid bastard. Hey, see you soon. I’ll treat big time.”
He ended the call, and Juho, needing to know the situation, hurriedly ran up the stairs and opened the officetel door.
“Hyung……?”
The lodging fine until morning was messed up like burglars came.
“Ha, fuck bastard.”
And in the middle was the person who just talked on the stairs.
“Th-this is…….”
“Brain not working? That bastard Kim Cheolmin ditched alone.”
“Hey! Everyone stay still!”
As soon as those words ended, police raided the place, and Juho was dragged away without any resistance.
***
“Cut! Okay~”
“Came out well?”
“The eyes here were good.”
Incheol pointed at me in the monitor and praised the eyes.
“This is the turning point, right?”
Exactly this part was the point Juho changes, and the inflection point heading to the movie’s climax.
So I acted hoping viewers could notice Juho’s change at once.
“Not many cuts left now.”
“Just the last ending scene to shoot?”
“Yeah.”
Since we didn’t shoot the movie in story order, today’s scene was mid-late, but the remaining shooting scene was only the ending.
“But are we really going with that ending?”
“Yeah, that’s the lesson of our movie. I’m already prepared to get cursed.”
Incheol chose an ending that doesn’t follow the typical protagonist cliché.
“Haa, I’m getting nervous for no reason too.”
And the ending of Collision is…….