Chapter 85. Michelangelo

A man in the editing room is on the phone, his face full of dissatisfaction. The voice on the other end of the receiver is cold and unemotional.

- Of course, we can't create something out of nothing, can we? We're not that kind of radical people.

"No, but you did invest quite a bit, didn't you? Instead, by awkwardly casting a mediocre supporting actor, it turned out to be a cameo appearance, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise for them."

The whining voice on the other end of the receiver made the man's voice grow cold.

- ...Hey, Director Kim Seung-gwan. Didn't you have to do a good job directing in the first place? That's what you should tell the investors, isn't it? Do you think we're a joke? Is this how you want to act because you can't even handle the trivial job of filming your drama?

Director Kim Seung-gwan, who had been complaining out of frustration, was suddenly snapped back to reality by the man's words.

Recalling the influence of the people he had teamed up with, whose identities he didn't even fully know, and the terrifying rumors he had heard, Kim Seung-gwan, the chief director of MBS "Baldr," said,

"Ah, no, that's not it, sir. I must have been momentarily insane out of frustration."

- You know, people only regret the past after they lose something. Wouldn't it be better to be careful and not regret it?

"…Yes, I'm sorry."

Kim Seung-gwan, with a twisted expression, silently acknowledged.

- Anyway, this project is tightly held by a man named Kim Joo-sung, so it's difficult to intervene. Give up on it. …You should have made a good drama in the first place.

Click.

"…Ha."

Kim PD, who had been humiliated and unilaterally informed, couldn't take the smartphone away from his ear and stood there, letting out a sigh.

Meanwhile, the man who had been pouring insults on Kim Seung-gwan put down the phone roughly in his office.

"I'm sorry, senior."

In front of his desk, a subordinate was bowing deeply, his neck stretched out as if he were on the chopping block.

The man, who had hung up, picked up a black nameplate that read "Kim Gye-sik Manager" and tapped it on the subordinate's neck as if executing him.

"Don't report this project to the chairman. There's no need to upset him with such a trivial matter. Do you understand what I mean?"

"…Yes, senior."

The subordinate bowed even deeper.

"…We need to find a weakness in Kim Joo-sung somehow."

***

The audience for "Master Plan" continued to grow, maintaining the momentum from its strong start.

By the second week, it had surpassed 6 million viewers, and the break-even point of 4.7 million was already achieved.

Some of these viewers naturally flowed into "Beyond Garam," where Yeonwoo was starring, and Yeonwoo's value skyrocketed.

"Hmm, what should I do?"

In the office, Yeonwoo was spreading out several advertising concepts, pondering.

After returning from a trip with friends to Seoul, Yeonwoo had no immediate schedule and was considering activities outside of acting, as suggested by Kim Joo-sung.

Money is always good to have.

Yeonwoo didn't plan to live a pretentious life by just piling up money like in his previous life. Even if personal wealth wasn't his goal, if he were to face the mysterious "Baek Sol" organization, he would need funds, even with Baek No-ya's support through Han Hae-un.

"Still, doing too many at once isn't wise."

Objectively, his value would likely increase the more projects he took on.

If he signed an advertising contract for one product, even if his value increased during the contract period, he might have to turn down higher offers from competing brands. Therefore, accepting all the ads that came his way would be foolish.

"Let's fix these first."

He set aside the car and carbonated drink advertising concepts.

He had a lot of time until the Netflix audition, so he could take his time to think about the others.

Beep.

At that moment, Yeonwoo's smartphone rang.

"Hmm? Director Park Chan-hong?"

Yeonwoo swiped the screen to answer the call.

"Yes, Director."

- So, Yeonwoo. Are you busy?

"No, I'm just resting. I saw the news about the 6 million viewers today. Congratulations."

Yeonwoo's congratulations were met with a hearty laugh from Director Park on the other end.

- Thanks to you. I should congratulate you too. You're a blue-chip actor who can handle both the big screen and TV.

"Thank you, Director."

Yeonwoo, who was uncharacteristically joking, smiled awkwardly and thanked the director.

Then, Director Park's voice continued from the other end.

- I'm calling today because of what we talked about when we left the premiere.

"Oh, I'll prepare the dinner."

- No, I have a favor to ask, so I'll prepare it. Any time is fine for me. Can we talk when it's convenient for you?

'What kind of favor?'

Yeonwoo tilted his head at Director Park's unusually humble attitude.

"I'm free today too."

- Is that so? Then I'll send you the place and time. I'm sorry for the sudden request.

"No, it's fine. I'll meet you when you contact me."

After hanging up, Yeonwoo fell into deep thought.

'What could Director Park ask me to do besides acting? This is something I would welcome with open arms, so it's not something he needs to be so humble about.'

Not long after, a message with the place and time arrived on Yeonwoo's smartphone.

Click.

Following the employee's guidance, Yeonwoo opened the sliding door and entered. Director Park Chan-hong stood up to greet him.

"Welcome, Yeonwoo."

"Director, hello."

Yeonwoo bowed and extended his hand politely, which Director Park shook while patting his shoulder.

"Sit down. I've prepared a course meal. Is there anything you don't eat?"

"I eat everything."

The two sat down and faced each other.

"I heard you finished the drama shooting well."

"Yes, thanks to the director's guidance during 'Master Plan,' I was able to grow and finish well."

"Haha, you're making an old man feel good."

After looking at Yeonwoo with a satisfied smile, Director Park continued.

"People often say that if I were to choose a persona in my film career, it would be actor Jeong Hae-gyun."

"Yes, I know."

A persona refers to an actor who has consistently appeared in a director's films, almost like the director's alter ego.

Looking at Jeong Hae-gyun's career, who played the villain and target in "Master Plan," it's clear he has worked with Director Park Chan-hong on many projects.

"I wrote this script recently, but actually, I've had it for a long time since I entered the film industry."

Director Park took out a yellow envelope from under his coat and placed it on the table.

"Until now, I've been obsessed with the success of commercial films, always thinking about how to attract more viewers and make the scale grander. The same was true for 'Master Plan.'"

He took a sip of water and looked at Yeonwoo, asking,

"Do you know how the media evaluates me?"

"…As a master of commercial films."

"That's right."

Director Park nodded and continued with a bitter smile.

"While some praise me, others call me a director who only seeks money, making mindless entertainment films."

Yeonwoo listened to Director Park's self-deprecating words in silence.

"But, while filming this movie and watching you act, I felt like this script, which I wrote long ago, was calling out to me strongly."

He pushed the yellow envelope across the table to Yeonwoo and continued.

"Michelangelo is said to have found an angel trapped in marble and sculpted until the angel was free. This might sound grand, but watching you act, I felt like I discovered this script, like Michelangelo. Directors call this a persona."

Unlike what the media says, a persona to a director is not just an actor who frequently appears in their films.

It's about whether the script was written with a specific actor in mind or if the actor inspired the script.

This is a significant difference, and Director Park had never met such a persona, so he had never attempted an artistic film.

Yeonwoo looked at the yellow envelope Director Park had handed him.

Today's Director Park felt different from the one he had known before.

He wasn't usually talkative or expressive about his desires.

Yeonwoo had seen many people in various countries and met many successful people in different fields.

Seeing Director Park now, Yeonwoo made a decision.

After a few seconds of silence, Yeonwoo finally spoke.

"I'll do this movie."

Director Park's eyes widened at Yeonwoo's immediate acceptance without even reviewing the script.

"No, let me explain. I plan to make this as an independent film with my own money, and I can't offer a high fee. It's a humanistic drama, and the goal is to submit it to film festivals, but there's no guarantee of winning…"

"Director."

Yeonwoo interrupted Director Park's explanations.

"During 'Master Plan,' I felt myself grow. I want to film another movie with you. In exchange, I won't take a fee, and I want to invest in this movie too."

"…I didn't plan to accept any investments, but if that's your wish, I welcome it. We'll make this movie together."

Director Park, who was hastily explaining various details, had eyes full of confidence in success.

Unsuccessful people talk about the sweetness of success but have eyes full of fear. Conversely, successful people talk about the worst-case scenarios but have eyes full of confidence.

Regardless of the script's content, it would be a success, and if Director Park saw himself in the script, it would be a role that fit Yeonwoo like a custom-made suit.

There was no reason to refuse.