Chapter 2

A table bathed in a magical, pure white light.

The moment I sat down in front of it, the light slowly began to penetrate my mind.

“Huh.”

I heard a gasp and didn’t have the time to care whether the people around me were staring or not.

A method that stirred 'memories' without using sight or hearing.

I wasn’t sure if it was a spell cast by a ghost or a technology from outer space.

It was as if a short drama was playing out in my head, like a projector was running inside my mind.

‘It’s a live-action drama….!’

The opening scene of a typical chaebol drama, starting with a sports car in Jeju Island.

The man with an unfamiliar face arrived at his destination and got out of the car.

Then, he met the female protagonist in the hotel lobby.

Her face matched Semin from Purple Girls exactly.

The following dialogues meshed perfectly with the actors' performances, creating a synergy.

Clear diction and smooth facial expressions.

A fresh direction that shone even in a cliché situation.

“Ah… It’s interesting.”

The introduction, lasting about 20 minutes, came to a temporary halt.

It didn’t stop automatically; it paused naturally according to my will.

It seemed like a function of the system, as if waiting for me to write the script.

Without a second thought, I took out my laptop.

Tap, tap, tap—

It was more than just inspiration.

It felt like I was taking a test with the answers already known.

The lines I had heard once were vividly remembered, as if I had memorized them.

Not only that, but the surrounding environment, key props, and the atmosphere of the work were all vividly recalled.

All the elements were vividly present, waiting for me to write them down.

“My expression has suddenly improved.”

The right words ‘remembered’ at the appropriate moments, as if I had spread out the answer sheet.

After that, I continued writing the next scenes like a madman.

I couldn’t enjoy the interesting drama and had to keep my hands busy.

“Wow, I burned it out….”

Thanks to the mysterious ability, I easily completed the first part of the drama script in just a few hours.

【Time Limit: 13 minutes 27 seconds】

The first part of the script, completed in just a few hours, without any of the agony of creation.

“Is this an existing work by any chance?”

I think the vividness of my forgotten memories can be scientifically explained.

That would be a bit more natural, at least.

“Purple Girls Semin.”

I know the female protagonist but not the male protagonist.

She’s not in the top-tier girl group, as they’ve never topped a music show.

But she’s in a solid group with a strong fan base.

I searched for Purple Girls Semin’s works.

“Web drama? Is this the only one?”

Her acting experience was limited to a 4-episode web drama, each episode lasting 10 minutes.

Moreover, the views were fewer than the number of Purple Girls fan club members, a complete flop.

Curious about her acting skills, I watched the web drama.

A cliché school drama.

No matter how good the direction, it was impossible to showcase the actors' charm with such a story.

“Is this really Semin? In the drama I just saw….”

A poor but charming, strong female protagonist who swallows her pain without showing it.

A common yet contradictory character, but she brought her own color to it.

Clearly the same person, but in the web drama, I couldn’t find that Semin at all.

Even though it was a boring drama, I forced myself to watch up to the fourth episode.

“!”

In the fourth episode, the male protagonist from my work suddenly appeared.

He appeared as a disposable villain, a ridiculous and forced character.

“Damn. A stalker out of nowhere. Does this make any sense?”

I could tolerate a third-rate villain appearing out of nowhere a hundred times.

But in a lawless, post-apocalyptic world, what was he doing with a toy kitchen knife?

“Even Lee Byung-hun couldn’t save this dialogue.”

Naturally, the comment section was flooded with complaints about the male villain stalking Purple Girls Semin.

In a way, it showed how much people were invested in the work.

99% of the commenters were genuine Purple Girls fans.

“Ugh, I’m going crazy.”

I tried to recall the drama again, but something felt off.

When the time limit was still in effect, the memories were firmly etched in my mind.

Every line, every gesture, every subtle expression and tone were vividly recalled.

Now, only a vague image remained, like the drama I had just watched.

“No, what is this….”

* * *

The strange phenomenon that occurred over about five hours.

I pondered what had happened, watching my work dozens of times.

I asked the café staff about the white light, but they had no idea what I was talking about.

“Superpower?”

Should I call it a common ability from a fantasy movie?

Or a future technology from an SF movie?

The sudden appearance of this ability left me flustered.

“Still… the writing is really interesting.”

「The Heir of the Chaebol is a Pure Macho」

A cliché chaebol romance, but the charm of the female protagonist and the purity of the male protagonist covered the shortcomings.

It was so interesting that anyone who likes dramas or novels would demand the second part immediately.

Especially, just by reading the script, I could easily imagine how the characters would move.

It might not compare to the projector I experienced in the café, but it was still a good script.

I left my room and knocked on Heejeong’s door.

Knock, knock—

“Hey, wake up.”

“Ah, why!”

My younger sister opened the door with a scowl.

“I sent you the script via text, so read it once.”

“Man, when have I ever read your script? It’s just a combination of garbage letters.”

“Yeah. Your acting.”

“….?”

I returned to my room and connected to the internet.

“Should I submit it to a contest?”

The script I wrote, but it feels a bit embarrassing to say I wrote it.

Honestly, even without a guarantee of winning, it’s a competitive work.

It’s objectively interesting.

“Contest….”

Usually, broadcasting company contests require a synopsis and a script for the first four episodes.

Smaller-scale contests require less preparation.

“I’ll try to write the second episode on my own and see how it goes….”

Ding dong—

Then, the notification sound I experienced before echoed in my mind.

【Content: The Heir of the Chaebol is a Pure Macho Part 2】

【Genre: Romance, Chaebol】

【Location: Near Exit 1 of Oamokgyo Station, Starbucks】

【Time Limit: 17 hours】

【※ Bronze Upgrade: 110-110101-1011 (Virtual Account, W Bank)】

【※ Deposit Amount: 0 won / 10,000,000 won】

“Great!”

I’m not sure what the location means, but it’s a different café this time.

I immediately opened the app to check the opening hours of the Starbucks at that location.

“It’s early. The time is tighter than yesterday, but….”

I can finish writing in 6 hours, so if I start writing around 11 a.m., I should have plenty of time.

“I’ll go around 10 a.m. to be safe.”

As long as I don’t waste time like yesterday.

I should be able to finish the second part without much trouble.

“Honestly, I still don’t know how this ability works.”

But I should use it while it’s here, since I don’t know when it might disappear.

Then, I heard a knock on the door.

Knock, knock—

“Bro~”

“Crazy.”

The smooth tone of my younger sister sent shivers up my spine.

I had never heard her use such a sweet voice.

Bang—

“Is this the first time you’ve knocked before entering my room?”

“Hey, what are you talking about? I always do.”

“No, I’m sure. You don’t know what knocking is.”

“This chick. Ah, no. Mr. Kim, it seems you have a misunderstanding.”

“…. Why are you doing this?”

Whoosh—

“?”

She quickly thrust an A4 paper at me, as if she were a gust of wind.

She had printed and read it while I was away.

“Is this script really written by you, bro?”

“Yeah. I wrote it with my own hands.”

“Our writer, I believed in you. I believed without a doubt that such a talent would be born in our family.”

“Crazy girl.”

“Such a damn. No, Mr. Kim. I’ve been counting the days, waiting for you to become the pillar of the Kim family. Finally…!”

My younger sister, Sheeki, always burst into my room without knocking.

Moreover, this was the first time she spoke in such a nasal tone in front of me.

“Just say what you want to say. You have something to say, right?”

“The, the side male lead is really charming.”

“Yeah, not bad.”

Two male leads and one female lead.

A typical melodrama setup.

Among them, the side male lead has room for casting.

Anyone who is reasonably good-looking and can act a little can do a good job.

“Um….”

It seems Heejeong also thought the work was quite good.

She seems to have a desire to act in it.

“Is this work… for me…?”

“No. Go away.”

“But I haven’t said anything yet?”

“Yeah. Get lost.”

“…. Do you want to die?”

My witch-like younger sister finally revealed her true colors.

She took off her thin mask and glared at me with a fierce expression.

“Ah, what do you want me to do?”

“Ha…. Okay. Let’s make a cool deal. What do you want?”

“Heejeong, does this work look like it’s for a theater group?”

“Um, if we try to make it work….”

“Purple Girls Semin.”

“Huh….? Out of the blue?”

Heejeong was puzzled by the sudden mention of a girl group member.

Even though it seemed a bit out of the blue to me too.

“She’s the protagonist.”

“…. Crazy guy.”

I fully understood the frustration in my younger sister’s curse.

Purple Girls Semin doesn’t have a rich acting career or proven acting skills.

But her popularity and recognition are on a different level from me, a nobody.

The girl group market is one of the most competitive in the industry.

Those who have broken through the hellish competition to become part of a popular girl group can’t be ignored.

“Then, maybe you could ask writer Minju?”

“No, I quit there yesterday.”

“What!?”

“Now Minji is in it, and the writer took everything, which made me angry.”

“But you’ve been there for a while….”

“I’ll start over.”

The way I casually talked about a painful experience made Heejeong look strangely uncomfortable.

It reminded me of how my fellow assistant writers used to look at me.

The face they made when they saw someone who had been kicked out without compensation for their time.

“Don’t look at me with pity. I’m not dying.”

“Who said I pity you?”

“I can make a comeback. Just wait and see.”

“Honestly, if you keep writing like the script you sent me….”

“Keep writing?”

Heejeong paused for a moment before continuing.

“You seem like the perfect scriptwriter for our theater group.”

“The group went bankrupt.”

“It went bankrupt? Who said it went bankrupt!!!!!”

Heejeong screamed and disappeared.

Pfft—

Heejeong, who would break out in hives at the slightest praise.

Seeing her reaction for the first time made me even more confident.

At least, this ability is real.

I just hope this mysterious system lasts as long as possible.

* * *

The next morning.

I arrived at Starbucks in the morning, basking in the warm sunlight.

However,

“Damn.”

I didn’t oversleep, and the coffee shop wasn’t closed.

I arrived an hour early and found a spot where the light was shining.

But I didn’t consider a variable that should have been obvious.

The seat where the white light was shining was not empty.

It was one of the most popular window seats.

“If I talk to her, everyone will think I’m hitting on her.”

A woman as beautiful as the blinding sunlight.

Adorned with all kinds of luxury items, she confidently placed the key to a Mercedes-Benz on the table.

From the laptop and the spread-out documents, it didn’t seem like she was leaving anytime soon.

Just her presence alone was radiant.

She was already attracting the attention of the surrounding men.

【Time Limit: 7 hours 6 minutes 16 seconds】

“Surely, she won’t stay there for 7 hours, right?”

The word 'surely' is a word that shouldn’t be used.