Chapter 50

The next morning, as soon as I got out of bed, I checked the remaining time.

【Time Limit: 14 hours 21 minutes 59 seconds】

"There's still plenty of time, and I've already recruited Actor Ki Hyun-soo."

I had already perfectly set up the room reservation.

All I had to do was go to the club tonight and take care of it.

"Two million won for one night."

The cost of reserving the Hexagon House, the Dom Pérignon room, for one night.

It wasn't a huge expense compared to the script fee I would receive for this drama, but still.

"I'm not even someone who enjoys clubs…."

The only fortunate thing was that I had someone to help me.

When I left Lotem Entertainment yesterday, Manager Jeong Saerom's disdainful gaze was etched in my mind.

- "Mr. Kim, you're thirty and you've never been to a club?"

- "Have you been to one, Manager?"

- "Of course! I graduated from college in the U.S.? The party culture there…."

- "Then take me once."

- "Why should I…?"

- "I need it for writing. Research."

- "Hmm…."

Manager Jeong hesitated for a long time before reluctantly agreeing.

Like a popular friend reluctantly taking a friend who can't party.

Immediately after, I picked up my smartphone and called Actor Ki Hyun-soo.

The instigator and cause of this first club expedition.

Ring, ring─

- "Mr. Kim Jin-woo? Hello."

"Actor Ki, don't forget our appointment today, and come on time!"

- "What? Oh, the drama meeting, right?"

"Calling it a meeting makes it sound too serious. It's a casual meet-up."

- "Yes! Mr. Kim."

"…. We'll see you at the club."

- "What? What did you just say…."

"See you later tonight."

- "Wait, hold on. You said the club…."

"See you soon!"

Click.

Finding a role that perfectly fits the system is like picking stars from the sky.

Perhaps nurturing an actor to fit the role is also the true path of a writer.

"If the role doesn't fit, the actor must be adjusted."

I'm putting in this much effort to make this drama a success.

If Manager Jeong Saerom could understand my self-sacrificing spirit, it would be great.

Time passed quickly, and finally, that evening arrived.

Inside the reserved room at Hexagon House.

Fortunately, I encountered the target, the white light.

"A, why isn't he here."

Manager, did you run away?

I rented a room that costs two million won for one night.

What are we doing here, just the two of us?

"Mr. Kim….?"

"Why?"

"I've never been to a place like this…."

Whirr─

I turned my head to look at Actor Ki Hyun-soo.

"Actor Ki, do you want to be an actor?"

"…. Yes."

"Then go out and have some fun. Be passionate about it."

"???"

"Go out and play for an hour."

"But, as a celebrity, I feel a bit uncomfortable…."

"The lighting is dim, so it's fine."

"Ugh…."

How can someone who has never played in a club before act as a clubber?

Thud, thud─

I got up, leaving behind Actor Ki Hyun-soo, who looked like he had lost all his energy.

I moved my steps and entrusted myself to the wide range of lights.

"I'm here to write a script, anyway."

I pulled a chair and plopped down.

Tap, tap─

"Kim Na-yeon, Overseas Sales Team 3, Episode 3"

In this episode, a very specific corporate life was depicted.

Various uncomfortable situations at a new employee workshop.

It shows the reactions of the main character and supporting characters in those situations.

However…. When I saw the last scene of Episode 3, a strange sense of unease crept over me.

"Why is he going to Vietnam?"

I was complacent because there was no sign of foreign content in the previous 1st and 2nd episodes.

The setting of a large company having a business entity in a local area.

One of the main characters visited the business entity directly.

"Hmm…."

I don't know. I'll just write it.

Tap, tap─

Forgetting everything else, I immersed myself in scriptwriting for a while.

* * *

Meanwhile, Jeong Saerom was racking her brain over the promise she made last night.

"Why did I make such a promise?"

Should I cancel it now?

Club? I've never even been near one.

I avoid even home parties, let alone clubs.

"But I can't just send Mr. Kim alone…. Why isn't he here?"

I could just send him alone.

No, he must have arrived by now.

After all, it's better to cancel it now.

She immediately picked up her smartphone and was about to press the call button.

But, recalling Mr. Kim's gaze from last night, she put the phone down again.

- "Manager, you've never been to a club, right?"

Although she didn't actually say it, the nuance of her words made him flustered.

"Hmm, thinking about it, my sister's profile picture…."

There was a photo taken at a club.

If Mr. Kim Jin-woo went with his sister, it might be more fun.

From what I heard, they seemed to get along very well.

Soon, Saerom contacted someone on her smartphone.

Ring, ring─

- "Hey, hello! Pretty sister?"

"…. It's Jeong Saerom."

- "Oh, yes! What's up?"

"Ji-hyeong, are you busy right now?"

- "???"

* * *

Recently, thanks to Kang Jun, the prestige of the academy has dramatically increased.

A certain academy in Gangnam where the protagonist of a 16-episode drama series attends.

As a Tempest-affiliated academy, affiliated trainees could attend at a lower cost.

Now, the academy has received its fair share of value.

Murmur, murmur─

Students buzzed at the sight of Kang Jun, who hadn't been seen for a long time.

He had been too busy with recent drama filming to visit the academy.

"Today…. He didn't come?"

I even made time to come late in the evening.

Soon, a female classmate approached and asked subtly.

"Kang Jun! Who didn't come?"

"Huh? Oh, Ji-hyeong. She didn't come today."

"Oh…. She said she was going somewhere today."

"Where?"

"I don't know."

The female student gave Kang Jun a strange look, but he didn't even glance at her.

Ring, ring─

He immediately called Ji-hyeong.

- "Kang Jun, what's up?"

"Ji-hyeong, I came to the academy today…."

- "Oh, you mean the one with the pretty clothes."

"…. Are you busy?"

- "Sorry, sorry! Kang Jun, what is it?"

"Today, I finally have a break from filming…."

- "No, Ji-hyeong! If you wear that to the club, you'll be stopped at the entrance! Oh, Ji-hyeong, really."

"…. Club?"

- "Ah, Kang Jun! I'll call you next time. Bye!"

Click.

Kang Jun mulled over the call with Ji-hyeong for a while.

"Um…. Club….?"

It doesn't matter if Ji-hyeong goes to a club or a nightclub.

It's just that I feel a bit disappointed for making a special effort today and coming for nothing.

I thought it would be nice to have a drink with friends after a long time.

I even brought a light gift.

"…. I should tell Mr. Kim Jin-woo."

At the same time, Mr. Kim Jin-woo was writing a script at the club.

* * *

It was already late at night, past evening.

The club had been in peak time for a long time.

"What."

Still not here.

I told Actor Ki Hyun-soo to play for an hour and come back, but he hasn't returned for hours.

The loud music from outside is making my head throb.

Thud, thud─

I moved my steps to check the situation outside the room.

The view from the second floor, where rooms are lined up, looking down at the first floor.

"What is that person doing."

A woman was on the stage, shaking her body wildly.

Her overwhelming presence was evident even on the stage where a wild party was taking place.

Her movements, gestures, and steps were not ordinary, suggesting she had been there for more than a day or two.

The surrounding people couldn't even approach her due to her amazing dance moves.

"Phew, whose child is that…."

…. It's my sister!?

I rubbed my eyes and stared at the woman again.

She looked so different in clothes she usually doesn't wear, far from the Ji-hyeong I knew.

"Is she high?"

I was about to twist my concept-losing sister's neck and drag her home.

At that moment, I noticed Manager Jeong Saerom standing awkwardly next to Ji-hyeong.

"Jeong Saerom…. Manager?"

I had only seen her in suits until now, and her first appearance in a glamorous outfit felt different.

I instinctively blocked a man who was about to put his hand on her shoulder, pushing through the crowd.

Although I hadn't been in a physical fight since middle school, I had no intention of backing down here.

I glared at the large man for three seconds without backing down.

Then, Manager noticed me and waved to greet me.

Amid the loud music, Saerom whispered in my ear.

"Mr. Kim?"

"Yes, Manager."

Soon, I saw the man who had given up and moved away, giving a victorious smile.

"Your sister will be taken care of by Actor Ki Hyun-soo."

"Really?"

"I asked him to."

Whirr─

I immediately turned my gaze to look for someone.

I realized Actor Ki was standing in a corner of the stage, staring at Ji-hyeong.

"Manager, let's…. go back to the room."

"Really? Oh, yes!"

I led Manager to the room.

It took a while to get to the second floor because the first floor was so crowded.

Creak, thud─

The door closed, and a tense standoff ensued.

As if it were a game where the first to speak loses.

"…. Manager."

"Yes."

"You're having a good time, right?"

"Well, that…."

"From what I saw earlier, it looked like your first time at a club."

"…. The atmosphere in Korea is a bit different? Ha ha."

"???"

"More free and easy than in the U.S."

Who would think she's from the U.S.?

"Then, Mr. Kim, why are you just staying in the room?"

"Ah, I came here to write a script."

"Really….?"

"I'll go out again after writing a bit more."

I need to rewrite and edit.

Pressing each character firmly.

After a while, Actor Ki Hyun-soo rejoined us in the room.

The three of us waited endlessly until Ji-hyeong got tired.

* * *

In the early morning, I served a large spoonful of boiling potato stew to Manager.

"The potato stew is delicious."

"Indeed."

"Maybe because I had so much fun today."

"Maybe."

"Shall we have a bottle of soju?"

"I have to go to work."

"Oh, I didn't think of that."

"I'll have just one glass."

"Aunt! One bottle of soju here!!!"

Ji-hyeong looked at us as if we were insignificant creatures.

"If you're going to do this, why did you come to the club?"

"What?"

My sister looked at me with a blank expression and continued.

"Either you come to listen to music, dance, or try to hook someone. If you come to a club, you should do at least one of these."

"…. I listened to enough music."

It was so loud.

"Let's just eat."

"The potato stew is so delicious."

Thinking about it, I felt a bit wronged.

It was my first time at a club, so I came with an open mind.

"Manager, have you really been to a club before?"

"What? …. I usually have a lot of fun, but today my condition is a bit…."

"…."

Her deep sigh suggested she was a bit regretful about today.

Actor Ki Hyun-soo also looked quite drained.

"Um…."

I won't go again.

It's not for me. The club.

* * *

On the same day, Manager came to work as if nothing had happened.

"Phew…."

It doesn't seem like nothing happened.

The feeling of being dazed by the loud music.

How long has it been since I had such a chaotic day?

Meanwhile, Mr. Kim's sister was darting around like a fish in water.

"At least I learned one lesson."

I won't go again.

It's not for me. The club.

Knock, knock─

At that moment, a knock and a voice were heard.

"Manager, it's Byun Hyuk-soo."

"Ah, ahem. Come in."

Saerom straightened her throat and greeted Team Leader Byun.

Jeong Saerom, who had spent the night at the club with Kim Jin-woo, was back to being Manager.

"I've compiled a list of broadcasting stations."

"Really?"

Most of them were cable channels like TVM, MDN, and JTBS.

"The conditions are generally good. Your work has already been verified."

"That's true."

With two consecutive successes, the conditions couldn't be bad.

If possible, we could aim for a terrestrial channel.

"Terrestrial channels won't be easy."

"Right. After all…."

KBC is already in production, and SBC is still on the fence.

The only possibility left is MBS.

Ding─

At that moment, Saerom's gaze shifted to a message from Kim Jin-woo.

[Manager, I'm with Director Ko Hyun-rae from MBS right now.]

[I sent him the first episode yesterday, and he's hooked. Haha.]

Why is the writer doing the producer's job?

"Really…."

Mr. Kim Jin-woo often goes beyond common sense.

For better or for worse.

Team Leader Byun asked Saerom with a puzzled look.

"Manager."

"Yes?"

"Is something good happening? Why are you smiling?"

"…. Me?"

"No, I must have been mistaken."

Saerom gave her usual expressionless instructions.

"Let's estimate the production costs based on MBS's requirements."

"Ah, yes! Manager."