Chapter 7

First Contract (2)

Manager Lee quickly picked up the receiver. He thought it would be best to prevent any more content from leaking out through the speakerphone.

―Oh, yes. From Pine Tree? Ah, how did you know? That actor has just come to sign the contract. Yes, yes. I’ll come to the representative’s office later.

Manager Lee, clearly in a difficult situation, kept scratching his wrinkled forehead with the hand not holding the receiver.

‘It seems to be a call from Director Park Chan-jong...’

The premonition was not a good one. Dojun pretended to check the contract again, lowering his gaze to allow Manager Lee to make the call without feeling uncomfortable.

Of course, his mind was a mess. There was clearly a problem with the contract.

‘Surely, it’s not going to be canceled like last time... No, this time, Chairman Baek Jeong-han doesn’t even know of my existence, so why...’

While Dojun was pondering, Manager Lee, who had hung up the phone, sat back down in front of Dojun with a very troubled expression. The pen he had said he would fetch was not in his hand.

“Is there a problem?”

Dojun asked first, seeing that Manager Lee was hesitant to speak.

“It seems we have to postpone our contract for a few days, Dojun. I’m sorry.”

Indeed, it was just as he had feared.

The silver lining, if there was one, was that they were not simply replacing him with another actor and telling him to go home, but rather postponing it for a few days. Of course, there was no telling what would happen a few days later.

The atmosphere had been warm and friendly until the call came. Dojun was equally flustered by the sudden change.

“Why such a sudden change... Can I ask for the reason?”

Dojun asked as carefully as possible. He was still a powerless aspiring actor. Without a signed contract, he had no grounds to protest if the contract was canceled without reason.

However, Manager Lee also felt sorry for Dojun.

Dojun was the first and only actor that Director Park Chan-jong and the production team unanimously agreed to cast for the role of the professor’s son.

This made the situation even more frustrating. Manager Lee let out a small sigh.

“I’ll just be honest with you.”

It was difficult to find an excuse since he had received the call while Dojun was there, and he wanted to resolve the situation well and keep Dojun in the role.

“There were many agencies trying to cast their own actors because the role is so good and it’s rare to cast a newcomer.”

“Ah...”

It was a role that naturally attracted fierce competition. At the audition alone, many newcomers had participated for the role of the professor’s son.

Among them, quite a few were actors from large agencies who had gone all out to support their candidates.

“But Director Park, who is not a newcomer director... He values this role so much that he said he wouldn’t cast anyone unless it was the actor he wanted... He was very firm about it. That’s why we decided on Dojun after the audition.”

“...Yes.”

“But how did they find out about the delay in the contract? This time, the lead actor, do you know who our lead actor is?”

Dojun slowly nodded.

There were two lead actors in the film: Song Jung-ho as the butcher shop owner and Choi Min-cheol as the professor.

They were top-tier actors in the film industry, whose acting skills were second to none.

The film was already significant because it featured the performances of these two actors. The casting had been announced, and the film industry was buzzing.

“It seems the agency representing Song Jung-ho is putting a lot of pressure on us. They said if we don’t cast one of their actors, they will reconsider Song Jung-ho’s participation.”

“Really?”

It was a strong stance that even Dojun found surprising. Director Park Chan-jong and Manager Lee must have been equally flustered.

“Is that possible? The casting has already been confirmed in several news articles. I even saw a recent article about Song Jung-ho gaining weight for the film...”

The set was scheduled to be completed by the end of August, leaving less than a month.

“Well, actors do their job, and agencies try to maximize their profits.”

Manager Lee muttered, looking troubled.

However, this was not the first time he had encountered such a situation. While films were a form of art, they were also commercial art, and ultimately, it was about money.

From the production and investment stages to casting, things often went awry due to conflicting interests, and it had happened many times.

Resolving these issues was part of Manager Lee’s job.

“Actually, we haven’t signed the contract with Song Jung-ho yet. We’re still in the final stages of negotiating the terms.”

Manager Lee continued, gauging Dojun’s reaction.

“Anyway, both the director and I believe there’s no one more suitable for this role than Dojun. We would appreciate it if you could wait a few days...”

“Ah...”

“Given their strong stance, if we sign the contract immediately, it will only make things worse. For now, we’ll put it on hold. I’ll do my best to resolve it quickly.”

Dojun was clearly in a disadvantaged position. In fact, he was probably at the bottom of the hierarchy.

However, since Manager Lee was trying to explain the situation, he couldn’t say he didn’t believe him. Dojun slowly nodded.

For now, Dojun could only wait for the situation to be resolved as Manager Lee had said.

‘Will Song Jung-ho’s agency really give up?’

‘Pine Tree Actors’ was one of the major talent agencies. The fact that they were pushing so hard for the role of the professor’s son indicated how much they valued it.

‘It must be one of the best roles a newcomer can get.’

If it came down to a choice between Song Jung-ho and Dojun, both Director Park and Manager Lee would naturally choose Song Jung-ho.

Dojun tried to steady his sinking heart.

He was no longer the old Dojun. Even if this contract didn’t go through, he had a good chance of passing other auditions.

As Manager Lee had said, a newcomer with both good looks and acting skills was rare, and most would welcome him.

‘But is there another work that can offer such a strong debut? Even if I build my career step by step...’

The opportunity to act in a film by Director Park Chan-jong was rare, even over an entire acting career. As Dojun left the office, he glanced around the room.

Posters of numerous films that Director Park Chan-jong had worked on over the past decade were framed on the walls. Every single one was a masterpiece.

“Manager.”

Dojun called out, and Manager Lee turned to look at him.

“They are demanding that we cast one of their actors, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I’m not pushing for a specific person.”

Manager Lee nodded, looking puzzled at what Dojun was trying to say.

“I understand.”

Dojun replied and bowed deeply to Manager Lee. Manager Lee patted Dojun’s shoulder, promising to contact him as soon as possible.

A female employee at the front desk greeted Dojun as he left. Dojun gave her a faint smile.

‘I can’t just sit and wait for it to be taken away.’

Dojun, who had faced death, couldn’t let such a thing happen again. As he left the production company, he was more determined than ever.

***

The next day.

Dojun stood in front of a building in Nonhyeon-dong. It was the office of the actor management agency ‘Pine Tree Actors’.

After leaving the production company yesterday, Dojun immediately went to a photo studio.

The profile photo Dojun had was from his university graduation. It showed how little he had cared about acting.

‘Even so, it’s better than the profile photos I used to take every year...’

Dojun smiled wryly. He was indeed good-looking. However, it was ‘Pine Tree Actors’.

It was a prestigious agency, known for its high standards and the caliber of actors it represented, including established actors like Song Jung-ho and rising stars in their late 30s.

It was one of the most influential agencies for actors, making it a dream for newcomers.

However, it seemed to be struggling to find promising young actors in recent years.

‘Probably because many young actors are now coming from idol agencies...’

That’s why they might have resorted to such extreme measures to cast one of their actors in the role of the professor’s son.

‘They need an actor to carry on their legacy.’

And Dojun was there to become that actor.

“Which way is the new talent development team? I’m here for an audition...”

“An audition?”

“Yes.”

The young female employee, who looked like an intern or a college student, was clearly flustered. There were no auditions scheduled for today, so her reaction was understandable.

However, despite her confusion, she was leading Dojun to the new talent development team, recognizing that he had a face that could pass the initial screening.

Dojun followed the employee, checking his reflection in the mirror on the wall.

In fact, the first step in the ‘Pine Tree Actors’ audition process was the initial screening.

Applicants would submit their resumes, profile photos, and acting videos via email. The new talent development team would review them and notify the results, followed by an on-site interview.

‘But going through all those steps would take too long. Who knows when they’ll review the applications and contact me.’

The filming was imminent. The casting and contracts would be finalized by next week at the latest.

Therefore, Dojun intended to go straight to the on-site interview. It might seem like a reckless move, but Dojun was confident.

When they arrived at the new talent development team, the employee introduced Dojun to someone who seemed to be a team member.

“Sir, this is someone who came for an audition today...”

The team leader, who was busy organizing documents, stood up, frowning.

“There’s no audition today. What are you talking about?”

“Huh?”

The intern looked bewildered and glanced at Dojun. Dojun gave a slightly apologetic smile. He had said he was there for an audition, but he hadn’t lied about having an appointment today.

“I know I should have sent an email first, but I’m in a hurry, so I came in person.”

Dojun explained politely. The team leader’s gaze finally turned to Dojun.

“Oh...”

Dojun smiled gently.

In the past, such a smile might have been met with skepticism, but now... indeed. The team leader’s mouth opened slightly at the sight of Dojun’s smile.

“It’s difficult to do it so quickly... Wait a moment.”

The team leader quickly typed a message on his phone. Dojun smiled calmly. The charming smile was just one of the weapons Dojun had prepared.

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