Chapter 13

Short Story (2)

PD Song Man-woo, who had a beard, sat down and immediately started ordering.

"We should order chicken feet since we're at a chicken feet place, man."

Then, he poured soju into the empty glass of the square-jawed director sitting in front of him.

"Really, humans are creatures of their environment. If you act pitiful, your life will be pitiful."

The square-jawed director scratched his head awkwardly.

"You already know, brother, my life is indeed pitiful. What's the point of pretending otherwise?"

"Damn, you. Hey, Shin Dong-chun. Have you lost all your spirit?"

PD Song Man-woo and Director Shin Dong-chun were very close friends and both came from the SBC Drama Department. While Director Shin Dong-chun wasn't as prominent as the bigwig PD Song Man-woo, he was still a decent PD in his own right. However, Director Shin Dong-chun had always harbored a dream.

To make a movie.

At first glance, dramas and movies might seem similar, but they are distinctly different fields. While it's not uncommon for a drama PD to transition to the film industry or a film director to move to dramas, the success stories are few and far between. The failures far outnumber the successes.

It was by no means an easy path. The transition was fraught with difficulties.

But Director Shin Dong-chun boldly chose the path of filmmaking. Perhaps it was because he was in a stable position as a drama PD that he felt bold. Or maybe it was because he was unmarried. Whatever the reason, despite the advice against it, Director Shin Dong-chun embarked on the scriptwriting process. Naturally, this was after he quit SBC.

The script he completed through this process was "The Detective Agency."

Two years later. For about two years, Director Shin Dong-chun's "The Detective Agency" drifted without any progress. He hit a wall. It was almost a miracle for a short or independent film to be produced in the film industry. A long hiatus. During this time, he faced a series of misfortunes. He was scammed by someone who approached him claiming to be from a film company, and his parents' surety went wrong.

Before he knew it, Director Shin Dong-chun was left with nothing. The misfortunes hit him all at once.

In fact, he should have been praised for his current state of mind. Was this the light at the end of the tunnel? Fortunately, "The Detective Agency" by Director Shin Dong-chun recently managed to get a lifeline.

Of course, there was a bit of a fishy smell to this lifeline, but that was a different issue.

Anyway, as the ordered chicken feet were generously set on the table, Director Shin Dong-chun asked PD Song Man-woo, who was filling his glass.

"By the way, how is Mr. Park, the writer?"

"He's doing well. He's busy writing scripts."

"Isn't he currently casting for 'The Profiler' and writing the script? How many drafts have been completed?"

"Roughly 2 or 3 drafts."

"They'll start reading and filming soon, right?"

"By tomorrow, there will be various news articles confirming the cast."

At this point, PD Song Man-woo picked up a piece of chicken feet and continued casually.

"Hey, how's that short film 'The Detective Agency' coming along?"

"It's still tough."

"If it's that tough, why don't you come back to our drama B team? I can talk to Cielo Studio and get you a position as an external PD. It's definitely possible."

Usually, when someone mentions a drama B team PD, it carries various connotations. It could mean a temporary replacement or a PD who caused problems, among other things. It often has negative connotations. However, being on the B team of the bigwig PD Song Man-woo was different. It was a guaranteed success. The current setup was already impressive.

Despite this, Director Shin Dong-chun shook his head.

"If I do that, the staff will talk behind my back, and you'll end up getting blamed for showing me favoritism."

"Kid, you need to live to fight another day. Look at you. You're a shadow of your former self. What's going on? Tell me about it."

Soon, Director Shin Dong-chun let out a long sigh and briefly summarized his current situation.

"Luckily, an investor came forward."

"Wasn't the production budget for that movie around 300 million? That's great, right? But—"

"It's 400 million. And it's not certain. It could be more. It's a 50-minute short film, but the investor is from an entertainment company. They want to cast one of their actors in the lead role."

"…Isn't that something that happens all the time in the industry? What's the big deal?"

"The actor they want to cast as the male lead is Park Jung-hyuk, a newcomer."

Instantly, PD Song Man-woo furrowed his brow.

"You mean that drunk who ruined his career with a fight? So the investor is GGO Entertainment, then."

"That's right."

After hearing the whole story, PD Song Man-woo gave his answer. As a director, he was at the top of the food chain in the entertainment industry.

"They're trying to rehabilitate him. They want to soften Park Jung-hyuk's image and start him from the bottom. If they invest 400 million to revive Park Jung-hyuk, it's a good deal."

Director Shin Dong-chun took a rough shot of soju and laughed as if he had reached enlightenment.

"But the fact that 'The Detective Agency' is the vehicle for this… It's not like I've been working my ass off for years to launder this guy's image."

"…"

If a controversial actor with a history of violence is cast as the male lead, even though it's a short film, the waters of 'The Detective Agency' will be muddied. While it could still turn out well in some way, the stigma of being a 'laundering' project won't go away.

Most importantly, the efforts and patience of Director Shin Dong-chun, who had worked so hard for years, would be negated.

At this point,

"Hmm—"

PD Song Man-woo, who had been looking at Director Shin Dong-chun with his arms crossed, suddenly spoke.

"Want me to introduce you to an actor?"

"Excuse me? But aren't the actors around you all top-tier?"

"Even top-tier actors don't ignore independent or short film scripts. I heard Hong Star still takes independent scripts."

"True, given Hong Hye-yeon's passion for acting, that makes sense."

"But the actor I want to introduce isn't one of those top-tier actors. I'm not sure if he'll do it, though."

"…Who is it?"

In response, PD Song Man-woo thought of a unique actor he had negotiated with a few days ago.

"He's cast in our drama. It was tough to get him. His name is Kang Woo-jin. He's a recent newcomer, so you probably don't know him."

"Kang Woo-jin? That's right, I've never heard of him. He must be a good newcomer. But it's fine. If he's in your drama, he's probably in high demand. A newcomer wouldn't do a short film with nothing to gain. He wouldn't, right? He's probably busy with auditions."

"…He's guaranteed to become a star once our drama airs. If you secure him now, you might attract new investors. Why don't you give it a try?"

At this, Director Shin Dong-chun let out a long sigh.

"Two years. Or almost three. As you know, a lot has happened to me during this time. I can't stand my 'The Detective Agency' being dismissed anymore."

He took a rough sip of soju.

"I'm tired, brother."

The next day.

As soon as Tuesday morning arrived, the entertainment news was buzzing. The news was about a project that had been confirmed over the past few days.

['Hot Pick] Hitmaker, Writer Park Eun-mi, has finalized the framework of her new work'

'Will Writer Park Eun-mi and PD Song Man-woo make another hit? The cast of the new drama is impressive'

It was about 'The Profiler.' Kang Woo-jin had been cast as Park Daeri about five days ago, and since then, PD Song Man-woo had accelerated the process.

['Top-tier Writer Park Eun-mi's new work excites viewers / Photo']

With Hong Hye-yeon, who was confirmed from the start, and a solid lineup of other actors, most of the negotiations were about contracts. Cielo Studio was using the confirmed cast for promotion.

In other words, the promotion for 'The Profiler' had officially begun.

['Exclusive] Writer Park Eun-mi's new lineup revealed... 'Ryu Jung-min, Hong Hye-yeon' lead the cast

'Ryu Jung-min, Hong Hye-yeon, Jang Tae-san, and Lee Do-jeong join Writer Park Eun-mi's new work! Top actors line up!'

Furthermore,

['Entertainment News] Writer Park Eun-mi's new work may premiere as early as May, production team: "The early script is already out"'

While vague, the news about the premiere date stimulated the public's curiosity. There were also articles that piqued interest.

'Writer Park Eun-mi, in an interview, made a significant statement: "This work will have a proper scene-stealer actor"'

Anyway, from Tuesday morning, the entertainment news was dominated by 'The Profiler,' and the public's curiosity and anticipation exploded.

While the influence of the bigwig PD Song Man-woo was significant, the public was more excited about the ultra-top-tier writer Park Eun-mi.

In fact, in any hit drama, the writer tends to stand out more than the director. This is a natural trend, and the media emphasized that Park Eun-mi was a writer with numerous hits.

Around lunchtime on the same day, the official title of the drama was also announced.

'Ryu Jung-min, Hong Hye-yeon, Jang Tae-san, and Lee Do-jeong join Writer Park Eun-mi's new work... The title is 'The Profiler''

The news quickly spread across various platforms, including SNS and YouTube. The YouTube videos even made it to the real-time rankings. These were videos by so-called 'news YouTubers' covering the issue.

The comments on these videos gave a sense of the public's anticipation.

- I've been waiting for this drama since the rumors started. Finally!!!

- Lead roles are Ryu Jung-min and Hong Hye-yeon... But the writer is Park Eun-mi? It's already grand... When is the premiere?

- Writer Park Eun-mi mentioned a scene-stealer actor in an interview. I wonder what kind of surprise she'll give us...

- Writer Park Eun-mi's new work...? It can't be an ordinary drama. I can't wait to see it.

- What? The writer is Park Eun-mi and the director is Song Man-woo? And the leads are Ryu Jung-min and Hong Hye-yeon? This is already a great setup.

- Why is Hong Hye-yeon getting more beautiful with each appearance?

- The supporting cast is insane, not just the leads!

- Hahaha, I love this writer! I always support her.

...

Indeed, with the big names involved, the project attracted massive attention in a short time. And,

['The Profiler' starts promotion, drawing attention... Will it be the best drama of the year?']

This was just the beginning of the promotion.

In the early afternoon of the same day, at Blue Vision Films.

It was around 3 PM. Director Shin Dong-chun, with his square jaw, was sitting alone in the shabby Blue Vision Films, seemingly waiting for someone.

He muttered,

"Amazing, just amazing."

He was checking the news about 'The Profiler,' which was currently a hot topic. He was happy for his close friend but also a bit envious.

Then,

"But if they said they'd come at 3, why aren't they here yet?"

Director Shin Dong-chun grumbled. According to the representative of Blue Vision Films, the GGO Entertainment manager, Mr. Park, was supposed to arrive around 3 PM with some newcomers. But it was already past 3:05, and there was no sign of them.

With a slightly irritated sigh, Director Shin Dong-chun thought,

"They think they're the big shots, huh?"

Ten minutes later, it was 3:20, and the people who were supposed to come still hadn't arrived. Just as Director Shin Dong-chun was about to get up, taking out a cigarette and clicking his tongue,

-Knock knock.

Finally, there was a knock on the metal door. Someone was knocking. With a short sigh, he opened the door, and a man with a neutral expression stood there. Director Shin Dong-chun scanned him from head to toe.

'Tall. Not bad... No, the mask is good.'

The man was over 180 cm tall, with a clean jawline and short hair. However, his expression was somewhat cynical. Nonetheless, Director Shin Dong-chun immediately recognized him as one of the newcomers GGO Entertainment was supposed to bring. No one else would come at this time.

"You were supposed to come at 3. You're a bit late."

Director Shin Dong-chun forced a smile. In contrast, the newcomer tilted his head slightly.

"Me?"

"No, no. But where's Mr. Park? Did he go to get coffee? Come in, please."

Muttering to himself, Director Shin Dong-chun led the newcomer into the shabby film company. The newcomer slowly followed him.

Soon, they were

-Swoosh.

Sitting across from each other at a central four-person desk. Director Shin Dong-chun met the newcomer's gaze and said,

"Mr. Park will show you the profiles."

He checked the time again. Mr. Park was supposed to bring a few newcomers. If more newcomers came, it would save time.

Moreover, the newcomer in front of him seemed decent, but

'Even if they're factory-trained, the acting of newcomers is usually the same. The kid seems a bit cold, which might be good, but that's different from acting.'

His expectations for the acting were low. GGO Entertainment was known for having many unremarkable newcomers. Therefore, the square-jawed Director Shin Dong-chun casually asked the newcomer,

"While we wait for Mr. Park, can I see some acting? Did you prepare? You didn't just come to show your face, right?"

The poker-faced newcomer remained silent for a few seconds before nodding.

"I have something to show you."

"Okay. Show me. It doesn't have to be long."

Watching factory-trained acting for too long would be boring. That was Director Shin Dong-chun's mindset at the time.

However,

-Swoosh.

The twist came suddenly. As soon as the newcomer started acting, Director Shin Dong-chun

"..."

Gradually,

"??"

His eyes slowly widened.

"????"

By the time the newcomer finished his calm performance, it had turned into a massive shock. Director Shin Dong-chun's eyes, which had grown wide, didn't even blink.

He just stared at the man in front of him.

In contrast,

"I'll stop here."

The newcomer ended with a very solemn voice. But Director Shin Dong-chun's shock didn't fade.

'What did I just... see?'

He had extensive experience as a drama PD and had seen countless actors. But this was the first time he was left speechless by someone's acting.

'It was as if I saw a character I wrote come to life... No, maybe even more.'

The newcomer's acting was more vivid than the script. It was a new style of acting he had never seen before.

Did GGO Entertainment really train someone like this? Is that even possible??

Soon,

"..., Excuse me."

With wide eyes, Director Shin Dong-chun finally managed to speak.

"How long have you been with GGO Entertainment?"

At the same time,

-Clank!

The metal door of the film company was opened quite forcefully. The person who opened it was a chubby man, with two younger-looking men and women following him.

"Ha-ha-ha, Director Shin! I'm a bit late!"

The chubby man, who seemed to be Mr. Park, laughed heartily. The people he brought were newcomers. Mr. Park looked at Director Shin Dong-chun and the man sitting in front of him and shouted again.

"Oh! Are you in a meeting? Who is the person in front of you? An actor?"

Director Shin Dong-chun, whose brows furrowed, turned his gaze to the neutral-faced man across from him.

"Mr. Park... You don't know him?"

The man's expression remained unchanged.

"I don't know him either."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

The man continued in a very calm tone.

"I think there's been a misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding? Me?"

"Yes. I don't know this person."

"..., What? What do you mean? Then who are you?"

The man then spoke in a very low and heavy voice, with a commanding presence.

"My name is Kang Woo-jin."

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