Chapter 40

Seeing my younger sister on TV is quite an unusual experience.

On the other side of the screen, Hijeong is sitting next to Kangjun, exchanging meaningless chatter.

No matter how I think about it, there's no reason for Hijeong and Kangjun to appear on the same show.

“Hey, why is Kangjun putting his hand on your shoulder?”

“I’m close with Kangjun, you know?”

“…Kangjun, you jerk.”

Messing with the writer's younger sister?

Is this a premeditated move?

“Why didn’t you tell me about this beforehand?”

“Ugh, look at how well I’m handling the camera.”

I stared at my younger sister, who was casually ignoring me, and spoke.

“…Do you even look in a mirror? You’re just a long-haired Tyson.”

“What?”

My younger sister glared at me, pouting.

“Don’t do that. You look even uglier.”

For the writer's younger sister to appear on a public variety show.

And the nature of this variety show is mainly to promote the drama.

If this comes to light later, it could easily spark a controversy over fabrication.

‘Hmm…’

To be honest, I do have the intention of gradually building up my younger sister from a minor role.

It’s natural to want to take care of family once I have some influence as a star writer.

‘But, not now…!’

Was it a mistake to enroll her in the academy from the beginning?

“Phew… What should I tell Manager Jeong?”

“Huh? He already knows? I told him I’m Jinwoo’s younger sister.”

“…Good job.”

But why didn’t you tell me?

Soon, my younger sister tapped her smartphone and handed it to me.

“Bro, look, the reactions are amazing.”

On the variety show gallery, known as Old Gallery, posts were being generated in real-time.

Unlike the scattered dramas, this was a large site that handled all variety shows.

『Is the variety show openly promoting the drama? ㅡㅡ』

『King Jinwoo is a trusted writer lol』

『Is there anyone who doesn’t know who wrote the Five-star Cider script?』

『The drama title is Regression lol』

『Mireung? Purple Girls, let’s go! lol』

『The main characters are charming, aren’t they? ㅎㅎ』

『Share Kangjun’s female friend’s SNS』

“Yeah. Well, the reactions are pretty positive.”

“Right? Right? They’re curious about my SNS!”

“Do you only see what you want to see?”

“Hehe.”

I ignored my younger sister, who was grinning mindlessly, and put my hands in my pockets.

Swish─

I immediately took out my smartphone and thought about what to text Saerom.

［Manager, my younger sister is a ditz］

“Hmm….”

Tap, tap─

I slowly deliberated while deleting the text.

“What should I send to make it sound good?”

“Why are you so worried? Just let me say it nicely for you.”

Swoosh─

At that moment, Hijeong reached out and snatched my smartphone.

“Hey, what are you doing!”

“Oops, I accidentally sent it… um.”

Hijeong pressed the send button while holding the smartphone.

Instantly, my younger sister’s expression turned serious, and she immediately checked the text.

“Ah, q, quickly cancel it….”

［Manager, ditz］

She read it. Damn.

Tap, tap, tap─

My younger sister confirmed her mistake and quickly fled to her room.

“…Really, should I kill her?”

I need to become an only child from today.

* * *

“What does this mean?”

［Manager, ditz］

Saerom thought deeply to understand Kim Writer’s intention.

“Hmm….”

Is it a challenge?

I’m a 6th-degree black belt in Taekwondo.

Knock, knock─

“Come in.”

Team Leader Byun entered the manager’s office.

“Manager, I have something to say about actor Shin Jo-hoon….”

“Ah, I know. The reactions have been extraordinary, haven’t they?”

“Yes. He’s been praised as the best villain since Crime City.”

This is another instance where Kim Jinwoo’s judgment shines.

Moreover, actor Shin came to Tempest on his recommendation.

If we had missed him despite his recommendation, we would have regretted it for a long time.

At the time, most employees were against it, but Saerom and Team Leader Byun pushed through.

If we had followed the employees’ choice, we might have missed out on a gem right before our eyes.

“Manager, a strange rumor circulated during the recent party.”

“Huh? What kind of….”

“Rumor has it that writer Kim Jinwoo has chosen actor Shin for the next drama’s villain role….”

“Ah….”

In terms of casting, he’s almost a dictator.

What’s amazing is that every single casting he does is perfect.

‘Maybe he writes the script with specific actors in mind from the beginning…’

Team Leader Byun continued, sounding a bit worried.

“However, he might be too focused on villain roles.”

“I think it’s fine? Like actor Ma Dong-sik, who only plays fighting roles but is widely recognized.”

“Ah….! Then I’ll mention it during the next meeting with Director Song.”

“No, I’ll talk to the director separately.”

“Understood, Manager. This is the last item….”

Team Leader Byun hesitated and handed the approval documents to Saerom.

“It’s Netflix. But what are these conditions?”

“Ah, they’ve been building a monopoly, so….”

In reality, there was no other alternative to Netflix to attract overseas viewers.

The popularity of Korean dramas in Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East showed no signs of cooling down.

However,

“Even so, a 90-10 revenue split is too much.”

“That’s because they’ve already sold the rights to a Japanese broadcasting station….”

It was clear exploitation.

This was possible because it was Netflix.

Although it’s a pity to lose a good opportunity, for them, it’s just one of many options.

Since there’s no platform to replace Netflix for global drama expansion.

“But Disney+ is an option.”

“Ah! Indeed, Disney+ has shown a positive response, especially towards writer Kim Jinwoo….”

“Hmm….”

The gap between the top two platforms in the industry is too large.

The difference between Netflix and Disney+ is more than double.

Of course, considering Disney+’s rapid growth in just a few years, it’s still impressive.

“Too much of a gap….”

It would be a huge loss if writer Kim Jinwoo’s first work stumbles in the overseas market.

I’m considering whether to bow to Netflix and accept the loss.

Chin─

Saerom closed the contract file and said to Team Leader Byun.

“Prepare a meeting with Disney+.”

“Is it okay?”

“It’s just a meeting, so don’t overreact.”

“Ah…. Understood.”

“I’ll contact writer Kim Jinwoo right away.”

“Understood.”

Team Leader Byun bowed and left the manager’s office.

“Is Netflix not interested…?”

The drama had already found its footing in Korea and Japan.

If it expands overseas, the potential is limitless.

Setting these conditions means one of two things.

They’re trying to gain the upper hand to secure favorable terms.

“Or they had no intention of signing from the beginning.”

If we openly meet with a competitor, we might accurately gauge Netflix’s intentions.

“I need to leak some information.”

Saerom started looking for a suitable informant’s number on her smartphone.

* * *

On the way to Tempest Entertainment, after receiving a call from Manager Jeong Saerom.

“Hmm, maybe I should have just said it was a mistake.”

Once the timing was missed, it’s now awkward to explain.

It might be better to come up with a plausible excuse.

For example,

“My cat sent it by mistake.”

“Huh….?”

“The text I sent earlier… ‘ditz’.”

“….”

Judging by her expression, she’s even more upset.

Maybe I should have blamed a cousin’s newborn baby.

“Anyway, read this contract.”

“Hmm.”

She’s surprisingly cool about it.

“What kind of contract is this…?”

“It’s from Netflix.”

“Wow.”

I never thought my work would be on such a huge platform.

Even writer Im Min-ju only got in with her sixth work.

‘Of course, before that, Netflix wasn’t as big.’

Swish─

Skimming through it, the first thing that caught my eye was,

“A 90-10 split is a bit much. Considering the current popularity of Pure Macho.”

“I agree.”

The other terms seemed standard.

While it’s a tough negotiation, the production company can’t win against a large platform.

“Can’t the terms be negotiated to be more favorable?”

“Maybe. I’m considering meetings with other platforms.”

“Huh?”

“Disney+ has offered better terms.”

“Hmm….”

I don’t know much, so I’ll follow Manager Jeong Saerom’s lead.

“Join me for the meeting.”

“Me too?”

“Yes. Disney+ requested it. They want us to meet together.”

“Really?”

Swish─

Saerom showed me the content of the email from Disney+.

As she showed me her smartphone, her hair brushed against my nose.

‘What shampoo does she use?’

Roughly, it said they want to meet and have a deep discussion about the work.

“Oh, they really like me?”

“At least in Korea, you’ve hit home runs consecutively.”

“???”

“Jaejae Jun’s ad.”

“Ah….”

The perspective of industry insiders is subtly different from the public.

When viewers choose a drama based on the writer, they prioritize the writer’s track record.

But for production companies and sponsors, the priority is whether the writer can bring in money.

“In that sense, writer Kim Jinwoo is the best box office card among new writers.”

That’s good to hear.

“They predict the O-Cider ad will boost sales by 15 times.”

“I’m doing well, huh?”

“…Don’t joke around.”

Saerom continued with a serious expression.

“Joining Disney+ should be approached cautiously.”

“Isn’t it growing rapidly these days?”

“It’s not a decision to be made lightly. If it fails, it could be career-ending.”

“Hmm….”

Even though it’s not an exclusive contract, she’s worried about my career.

“You’re right.”

I’m just a new writer working on my second project.

‘But if it succeeds…’

I might be able to quickly advance to the next level.

“Phew… Let’s meet and decide.”

“Who?”

“The head of Disney+ Asia.”

Someone I never thought I’d meet when I was under writer Im Min-ju.

* * *

Time passed, and KBC Broadcasting confirmed the scheduling date.

“Four months later….”

There’s plenty of time, no rush.

The main cast has already been finalized.

“Still, it’s better to be perfect.”

This time, I’ll actively participate in the casting of supporting roles.

It’s better to do it myself rather than leaving it all to Tempest Entertainment.

That way, I can find actors who better fit the roles.

The script is almost complete, so finding the right actors is crucial.

I lifted my smartphone to search for related articles.

Some reporters used sensational titles to grab attention.

《Im Min-ju vs. Kim Jinwoo! A friendly competition between teacher and student!》

“What friendly competition?”

Is it ‘his’ friendly competition to jump in when I start a drama?

Especially since SBC’s director Cha Chung-hyun is in charge of the production.

“Director Joo’s words were true.”

I wondered if they were this childish.

Both Cha Chung-hyun and Im Min-ju are the same.

“How would the actors feel if they knew this?”

Joining a project started with such petty intentions must be unpleasant.

I’m not an actor, but if I were in their position, it wouldn’t just be annoying.

I checked the group chat for the production team of “The Regressionist Who Erases Memories.”

［There’s a meeting with the lead actors this weekend. The location is inside KBC Broadcasting…］

An official event where the writer, director, and lead actors all gather before the script reading.

Finally, I’m starting my second drama with the actors I’ve chosen.

Ding Dong─

At that moment, the system notification sounded, revealing the location of the next work.

【Content: The Regressionist Who Erases Memories, Chapter 13】

【Genre: Time Loop, Romance, Crime Thriller】

【Location: KBC Broadcasting Main Hall Lobby】

【Time Limit: 19 hours】

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

【※ Deposit Amount: 0 won / 500 million won】

“KBC Broadcasting.”

Come to think of it, Purple Girls are appearing on a music show tomorrow.

I should greet Mireung and Semy while I’m there.

“Music show….”

It’s not often I get to hear live performances by singers.

Unless I go to a concert or am involved in the broadcasting industry.

I couldn’t predict what impact this would have on the system.