Chapter 7 - S-Rated Staff

Jinlongcheng, Mokdong.

Dongsu sat at the table, waiting for Im Hyesook to arrive. He glanced at the time.

6:55 PM...

'It’s about time she should be here...'

As if on cue, Im Hyesook entered, wearing a long padded jacket and a fur hat.

She was very sensitive to the cold and had been fully equipped since November.

Dongsu jumped up and ran to her.

"Im Writer! You’re early? Thanks for coming!"

"…What? Why are you overreacting?"

"I’m just happy to see you, Im Writer!"

"……"

Im Hyesook looked at him suspiciously for a moment, but she didn’t entirely dislike his kindness.

Dongsu said brightly, "Im Writer, you like the window seat, right? I reserved it for you! Come over here!"

"Alright, alright."

The two of them went to the table and sat down. Im Hyesook took off her padded jacket and fur hat, placed them on the adjacent seat, and ran her fingers through her hair, which was standing up due to static electricity, then asked, "Why are you like this?"

"Like what?"

"You’re being too nice. It’s making me uncomfortable."

"Nice? Haha!"

Dongsu handed her the menu.

"Come on, order whatever you want!"

"……"

Im Hyesook stared at Dongsu silently for a moment, then said, "I’ll have the jajangmyeon."

"Why? Order some tangsuyuk too… Ah! Im Writer, you like yangjangpi, right? How about that too…?"

"Are you kidding? You don’t even have money. Forget it."

"It’s fine, really."

Im Hyesook raised her hand and shouted, "Two jajangs and a bottle of soju! Bring the soju first!"

The server brought out the danmuji and soju. Im Hyesook picked up the bottle and, using her elbow to tap the bottom, skillfully opened the cap.

"Here you go."

"……"

She filled her own glass and downed it in one shot. Dongsu put his glass down without drinking.

Im Hyesook asked, "Why aren’t you drinking?"

"I have to go to the editing room. The junior is alone there."

"Wow, Mr. Park PD was right. Our Mr. Kang PD is back to his senses?"

"That guy… What strange things is he saying?"

Im Hyesook refilled her glass and drank again.

Dongsu laughed and said to her, "When the jajang comes, you can drink. Don’t worry."

"Why are you like this? This is just a little sip."

Gao said, 'She doesn’t mean it’s just a little sip; she means it feels like a little sip.'

At that moment, Im Hyesook picked up a piece of danmuji and asked, "Is this why you asked me to meet, to scout me?"

"Ah, you noticed?"

"Of course."

"Then, maybe…."

Im Hyesook shook her head while chewing the danmuji.

"No, I can’t. I’m already working on three projects."

"How can you not? Just two episodes…."

"I was hospitalized last month with shingles."

"I know. I even visited you."

"At that time, I thought… I might die young…."

"Im Writer…."

"So I decided. Health comes first! I’ll quit one of my projects!"

She filled her glass again and muttered, "I want to get married and die happily…."

"Ah… Damn… Cheers."

"But you said you wouldn’t drink?"

"Since you’re like this… How can I not drink?"

"But you said you’re waiting for the junior?"

"I sent him a message! He’ll come on his own! Cheers! Raise your glass!"

Im Hyesook looked touched.

"Mr. Kang PD…."

Dongsu raised his glass high and proposed a toast.

"Health over work!"

Im Hyesook clinked her glass with Dongsu’s and responded.

"Health first!"

"For Im Writer’s marriage! Bottoms up!"

"Bottoms up!"

The two of them drank heavily.

= = = = = = =

After sending Im Hyesook off in a taxi, Dongsu sighed deeply.

'I guess I have to give up on Im Writer.'

'She wants to get married.'

'Some people….'

Dongsu smiled and said, "No, not at all."

At that moment, a server from Jinlongcheng ran out.

"Sir, the buns you ordered for takeaway are ready!"

"Thank you!"

Dongsu took the buns and walked to SBC Broadcasting Station.

'Good. It’s been a while since I’ve pulled an all-nighter in the editing room!'

As he approached the editing room, he noticed the lights were on and tilted his head.

'Did I come to the wrong editing room?'

'Did the junior leave the lights on?'

When he opened the door, Park Ji-hye was editing a trailer.

She was very focused and had a faint smile on her face, as if the footage she was editing was very entertaining.

Dongsu watched her quietly for a moment, then chuckled and called out loudly.

"Delivery’s here!"

"Ah!? Oh, Mr. Kang PD…."

Dongsu handed the buns to her, who had wide eyes, and asked, "Do you like buns?"

"Ah, yes…."

"Good. Eat. You look like you haven’t had dinner yet."

"…Thank you."

Dongsu sat down and said, "Eat. I’ll check out what you’ve edited."

"Ah, um…."

"……?"

"I’m a bit embarrassed…."

"…… Stop talking nonsense and eat your buns."

"…Yes."

As Park Ji-hye started eating the buns from the table behind her, Dongsu checked the rough-cut trailer.

'Hmm… You did a good job, clean and tidy.'

She had a good sense of including scenes that build anticipation.

Dongsu glanced at Park Ji-hye, who was eating the buns, and thought, 'Is this really your first time editing?'

When he was three months into his job, he learned editing by getting hit on the back of the head by his senior every day.

'He only taught me the basics, but she can do this…?'

Then he suddenly wondered, 'Junior… What’s her ensemble score?'

'Huh?'

'Compared to her initiative….'

Dongsu chuckled and looked at the ensemble system window that appeared in front of him.

'I’m adding Park Ji-hye to the assistant director list.'

『Park Ji-hye (26 years old / December 13 / A-type / Female), is that correct?』

『Yes / No』

Dongsu thought, 'It should be….' and chose 'Yes.'

『Park Ji-hye has been added to the assistant director list.』

『The hacking rate is 0%. Only basic information is registered.』

『The ensemble score error rate is 0%.』

『To reduce the error, more information is needed.』

『Ensemble Score: 100 points (S-Rated)』

'……?'

『Ensemble Score: 100 points (S-Rated)』

'One hundred points…?'

Dongsu’s mouth dropped open, and he asked, 'Hey, is this real?'

'S-Rated….'

The error rate is 0%….

'How can this be possible?'

'Wow….'

Dongsu looked at Park Ji-hye.

'What a find….'

At that moment, Park Ji-hye, who was eating the buns, noticed Dongsu staring at her with a strange look and asked, "…Did I make a mistake…?"

Her worried expression…

Dongsu realized and laughed, "No, you did well."

"Really?"

"Yes. You can add the subtitles and it’s ready to go."

"Hehe, that’s a relief."

Dongsu looked at her shy smile and thought, 'Whether she’s S-rated or has 100 points… What’s important now is not this. I need to focus!'

Then he turned his attention back to the screen and thought, 'The trailer is somehow resolved… Now the important thing is the writer.'

Dongsu sat quietly and pondered, then suddenly stood up.

Park Ji-hye tilted her head and asked, "Mr. Kang PD, what are you doing?"

"I’m going to get some coffee. Do you want some?"

"No, I’m fine!"

Dongsu left the editing room alone and headed to the vending machine in the hallway.

While walking, he checked his emails on his smartphone.

'No resumes from writers.'

Actually, he didn’t expect much from the job posting.

'Since ‘Living with Puppies’ is a failed program.'

When a program has high ratings, celebrities line up to appear, but when the ratings are low, writers and PDs have to go out and recruit personally.

'They probably don’t want to be part of a troublesome program.'

Dongsu smiled wryly and thought, 'Brother Daechul said he’d try to find someone as soon as possible… I wonder when he’ll get back to me….'

At that moment, a message arrived.

└Brother Daechul: Here are the writers’ profiles. Check them out!

└Brother Daechul: (Writers’ Profiles Document)

Dongsu smiled and replied to Park Daechul.

└Kang Dongsu: Thanks!

Then he opened the 'Writers’ Profiles Document.'

At that moment, Gao said, 'What?'

A window appeared in front of Dongsu.

『Writers’ Ensemble Score Table』

【Kim Hyeong-sik (41 years old / February 10 / AB-type / Male) : 42 points (D-Rated)】

【Han Se-hee (26 years old / May 3 / B-type / Female) : 74 points (C-Rated)】

【Baek Seo-ri (30 years old / August 21 / A-type / Female) : 33 points (F-Rated)】

【Park Jun-man (28 years old / May 7 / O-type / Male) : 76 points (B-Rated)】

【Yoon Ha-yeon (31 years old / December 2 / AB-type / Female) : 81 points (B-Rated)】

...

After checking the neatly organized ensemble scores, Dongsu said, "Oh, neat. Thanks."

He scanned through the profiles and thought, 'Park Jun-man (76 points, B-Rated), Yoon Ha-yeon (81 points, B-Rated), Han Se-hee (74 points, C-Rated)… I’ll meet these three!'

Then a notification window appeared.

『Park Jun-man’s Ensemble Information』

【Hacking Rate: 0%】

【Ensemble Score: 76 points (B-Rated)】

【Error Rate: -10%】

【Detailed Abilities: (Possible with 10% hacking rate)】

『Yoon Ha-yeon’s Ensemble Information』

【Hacking Rate: 0%】

【Ensemble Score: 81 points (B-Rated)】

【Error Rate: ±5%】

【Detailed Abilities: (Possible with 10% hacking rate)】

『Han Se-hee’s Ensemble Information』

【Hacking Rate: 0%】

【Ensemble Score: 74 points (C-Rated)】

【Error Rate: ±4%】

【Detailed Abilities: (Possible with 10% hacking rate)】

Park Jun-man’s error rate was -10%, but even at worst, he would be C-rated.

According to Gao, a D-rated score is average for a writer, and C-rated and above is above average.

'I don’t know how these scores are calculated….'

'Is it the power of the database when you ask about something?'

'It seems he’s saying it’s too much trouble to explain….'

'Yeah, it’s funny that a robot can feel bothered.'

'Whatever, it’s fine.'

Dongsu sent messages to the three of them to set up meetings.

Thanks to Park Daechul’s explanation of Dongsu’s situation, the meetings were quickly arranged.

With that settled, he drank his coffee and returned to the editing room.

"Cool…."

Park Ji-hye was sitting in the editing room chair, fast asleep.

After receiving praise for her editing and eating the buns, she must have been very sleepy.

Dongsu took a blanket from the corner of the editing room and covered her with it.

Then he sat down and thought, 'Alright, let’s start editing.'

In the old days, when videos were recorded on tapes, they had to convert the tape footage to video files, cut them by scene, and it was a lot of work. Now, the camera stores the footage by scene, making it much easier.

Dongsu checked the cue sheet and started categorizing the OK and NG scenes.

'You did a good job with the cue sheet.'

He glanced at the sleeping Park Ji-hye.

'She must have done this….'

'She’s the S-rated assistant director of ‘Living with Puppies’….'

She was impressive in many ways.

'I should wake her up later, feed her something, and send her home.'

'I wonder… What does she want to eat?'

'Pork blood soup? Why that suddenly?'

- Ding

Suddenly, a notification window appeared in front of Dongsu.

It showed a video of a kind and gentle elderly gentleman sipping soup with a spoon.

Dongsu’s eyes widened.

'This is… Mr. Han Chang-hoon….'

An actor who has been active in dramas and films despite being over seventy.

The elderly man, after tasting the soup, said,

【Slurp… Hmm, this taste… Is it made with organic vegetables?】

Dongsu, looking bewildered, asked, "What is this…?"

"That’s not the question… Why…."

"……"

"Did you pay for this…? How…."

"……!"

This guy!?