Chapter 1

All-Weather Entertainment Life 1 (1/280)

Suddenly, the mood of pork belly?

(Deceased) 'Little Flower' Park So-hwa, left only scars and disappeared. Waves of mourning continue...

...

6:40 PM on Sunday evening.

The Yoido building village, bustling only on weekdays, was crowded with a group of people.

About thirty people were huddled together next to the entrance of a four-story building, each holding cameras with various media names.

They were photographers from the entertainment departments of various media outlets.

"By the way, did Na Gi-ja start it again?"

A man whispered among the huddled photographers.

The man in a black padded jacket, who was adjusting his lens, stopped and spat out, "What kind of reporter? Can you even call Na Jin-sang a reporter? It's a waste to call that kid a reporter."

"That's true. Sometimes when I read the articles he writes, I get scared. He just writes out of pure malice."

"Because of bastards like him, all reporters are lumped together and called scumbags. How can he be named Na Jin-sang?"

"Shh! There are many ears around... Na Gi-ja is here too. He might hear."

The man in the black padded jacket glanced at the cautious voice and chuckled, waving his hand.

"Would he come here if he were crazy? The new actors from God Entertainment will be here today. I saw Manager Shin, and he looked really fierce."

"Why wouldn't he? Even Na Jin-sang will have to be more careful for a while, right? Someone died because of him."

"Exactly. If he were that kind of person, he would have written a few articles and then backed off. From what I see, people like him don't have a sense of guilt. He probably already wiped his mouth clean and is pretending he doesn't know anything."

"...Indeed. It's only the deceased who is pitiful."

The group, which had been chatting, suddenly fell silent.

In a world where reality is more chaotic than dramas or movies.

Even in the entertainment industry, where all sorts of things happen.

The death of someone is never something you get used to, no matter how many times you experience it.

"By the way, will All-Weather be here today?"

The silence was broken by a woman who had been sitting on the asphalt, staring at her phone.

"Of course. He's never missed a wrap party for his agency's actors. And even if it's not for Park So-hwa, who is he? A supporting actor. He's probably from God Entertainment too."

"But it's only been a few days since Park So-hwa died."

"Do you not know what kind of person All-Weather is? He may seem friendly, but he's a real tough guy. Even though he's not from a management background, the fact that he's built his agency to this level in this industry shows he's not just anyone. He won't say, 'I'm dead' just because an actor died."

"Is that so?"

"Come on, you know. Everyone is doing their own thing, even if they talk about mourning on TV. Look around. Even if it was just a cameo, it's still their actor who died, and it's a wrap party. Manager Shin is here, so he must have brought the actors. So, All-Weather will be here too. He might come to spread some shit, who knows..."

"...That's enough. It's not a good thing."

The one who made the gossiping group fall silent was Kim Ho-young, the head of the photo and video department at 'Real Fact'.

The chilling words of the senior reporter, who has been on the scene for over twenty-five years, made everyone shut up.

"And is All-Weather an entertainer? If he comes, don't just grab him for photos. If you don't want to be scumbags, at least show some respect."

And at a parking lot about half a block away.

All-Weather, who had been staring at the backs of the gossiping reporters, slowly turned around.

Despite his unsteady gait, as if he might fall at any moment, the veins on his clenched fists were visibly bulging.

***

– Sir, I... What should I do?

– I didn't do anything wrong. I'm so scared... I feel so wronged.

The voice, choked with sobs, buzzed in my ears.

‘What did I say back then?’

"So-hwa, why are you being so weak? You know this is nothing.”

Yes, that’s what I said.

I told her to ignore it, that it would all pass.

That was my way.

Starting as a public relations team member at a cable network, moving through the entertainment management team, and building my agency with the connections I made, I survived in this industry.

A PR team background made me a “communicative agency representative.”

By being cautious and accepting some losses, I maintained God Entertainment as a “mid-level company.”

‘I shouldn’t have...’

I knew that being a company that doesn’t cause big trouble meant being a “pushover.”

But I consoled myself that our company and my actors all did their part.

Park So-hwa, at thirty-six.

An age considered quite late to become a well-known actress.

She was praised for her acting, having moved through the theater scene for a long time, and was just about to shed the label of “unknown.”

As usual, rumors spread when a new actor gained attention, and I didn’t take it seriously.

I thought it was something that happened once in a while.

‘I was wrong.’

“People love stars, but they also enjoy their downfall.”

The words of a cultural critic, which I had dismissed, hit me hard when I experienced it firsthand.

‘Maybe I’ll feel better if I drink.’

I sat alone in a small food stand, often visited on days when there were Yoido set shoots, and drank soju after soju.

As the alcohol hit my empty stomach and I became tipsy, someone walked up and sat across from me.

"Mr. President. No, Cheon-ho. Man, are you okay?"

"...Who? Oh, Manager Shin. Why are you here?"

"Phew, I knew you’d be like this. How many bottles have you had by yourself!"

"...If you’re here, pour me some more. I’m tired of this."

"...Alright, let’s drink. How can your heart be at ease? Drink. Let’s drink. Sir! Another glass, please!"

After a while, Shin Jung-hyun, who had been silently passing the drinks, frowned.

"Na Jin-sang said that once he targets someone, he’ll keep writing until they die. He’s a scumbag."

"...If it were another company, it would have been fine, right?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean So-hwa. If I had cut off the rumors at the first sign and smoothed things over with the reporters, and if I had been in a company the size of a decent-sized agency, even a reporter like Na Gi-ja wouldn’t have been a problem..."

"...Hey, man. Where did you hear that? Where can you find a company representative as conscientious and actor-focused as you? Cheon-ho, forget it. Forget it quickly. The living must live."

Yes, everyone told me to forget it.

They said it was something that could happen in this industry, and it was just bad luck.

But I was just despairing.

It all felt like my fault.

‘Where should I start again? Or can I even start again?’

After thinking for a long time, I left the office, and Shin Jung-hyun, who offered to take me home, followed me as I walked down Yoido Street.

The eight-lane road was pitch black.

‘I need to catch a taxi to go home...’

Bang!

A loud horn blared, and I turned to see a blinding light fill my eyes.

A massive impact enveloped my entire body.

‘...Is this how I die?’

The entertainment reporters will have a field day.

What sensational headlines will they come up with?

Several headlines popped into my mind.

‘Just because he’s from a PR team...’

I laughed at the thought.

Faint memories flickered in my blurred vision.

The days when I dreamt of entering the entertainment industry while watching TV.

The taste of ribs I ate with my family after passing the JWN interview.

The moments I ran around the broadcasting stations.

The sound of my voice yelling at my sister, who was struggling to make ends meet as an actress in Daehangno, “Why do you live like that?”

The day I tore up my business card as a JWN Media Communication Team Manager and decided to switch to management.

The canned coffee I drank with Shin Jung-hyun when we hung the GOD Entertainment sign on a small office.

The despicable voice of Na Jin-sang, “You can’t protect actors like this.”

And,

Park So-hwa’s smile, “Thank you for giving me the chance to act.”

I felt wronged.

This can’t be the end.

‘Just one more time... Just one more chance...’

This was the futile end of a 20-year veteran in the entertainment industry, who once dreamed of making the best stars with his own hands...

***

...It should have been.

‘What is this...?’

"Auntie! The meat is running out! Also, give us two bowls of cold noodles."

"This kid, really. Eat slowly. I’ve told you a hundred times to cook the pork well. You’ll get sick if you just eat it raw."

"Here. Give me more garlic sprouts and perilla leaves."

"Oh, our art team~ Why are you so late? Come, come, sit down."

The noisy sounds and the savory smell of grilled meat continuously stimulated my ears and nose.

"Samgyeopsal...?"

Yes, it was samgyeopsal.

I was sure I had died.

When I came to, I was surprisingly grilling samgyeopsal.

***

‘Eunma Hall...?’

Eunma Hall, a samgyeopsal restaurant located between the National Assembly Station and Yoido Station, is a familiar place for those in the drama industry.

‘It’s obvious that this is a good place for a large gathering in Yoido.’

I’ve held countless wrap parties for dramas here.

The main menu, of course, is samgyeopsal.

Strictly speaking, it’s not a place that only serves samgyeopsal, but I’ve rarely tried other dishes.

There’s no particular reason.

It’s just that samgyeopsal was the only dish that could feed over a hundred drama staff members at a reasonable price.

‘But, didn’t I die? Why am I here...?’

"Rookie, what are you doing? The meat is going to burn."

"...What? Ah, hot!"

Clang-

Startled by the sudden voice and the splattering of hot oil, I dropped the tongs.

Surprisingly, my hearing and sense of touch were intact.

Not only that, I could smell the faint char from the samgyeopsal, which was not just well-cooked but starting to burn.

My vision and sense of smell were perfect.

‘Is dying supposed to be like this? This is strange...’

Most of all, samgyeopsal?

It’s a national soul food, rivaling ramen, but it’s not something you’d grill after dying, right?

‘And to die and end up at Eunma Hall’s samgyeopsal...’

To think that I would be grilling samgyeopsal at a wrap party, even on my last day, made me laugh.

‘Especially at a wrap party for a drama that flopped so badly...’

I didn’t realize it then.

The taste of slightly charred samgyeopsal felt too real to be a flashback before death.

A suspicious alarm rang.

At the <No Entry for Non-Staff> production team table.

"...Everyone, thank you for your hard work! Let’s raise a glass together!"

Shin Jung-hyun, who had mindlessly raised his half-empty beer glass, quietly put it down.

‘I’ll get indigestion before I even finish chewing the meat.’

The production team table was filled with a quiet silence, as if in a different world from the noisy surroundings.

No one was speaking.

‘That’s why it’s best to avoid wrap parties for flopped dramas.’

The wrap party for a drama with abysmal ratings.

While the on-site staff might console each other with drinks, the responsible leaders’ moods would never be good.

Moreover...

‘Oh... A usually cheerful person being quiet is even scarier.’

Shin Jung-hyun glanced at Yoon Seok-jin, who was quietly drinking beer next to him.

Yoon Seok-jin, the CEO of Studio Y, a drama production company.

He is the third son of the large conglomerate YS, a so-called third-generation tycoon.

Despite his impressive background, he is a gentle person, but he has one terrible habit that makes his subordinates cringe.

The so-called “wrap party bomb.”

While wrap parties are meant for eating, drinking, and getting drunk,

Yoon Seok-jin has the habit of walking around and asking questions.

Questions like, “What did you feel during this production?” and “What needs to be improved?”—questions that are difficult, if not very difficult, to answer.

‘Sigh, it’s better to face criticism quickly, but I’m about to go crazy from fear.’

As Shin Jung-hyun’s beer glass, which he had been sipping, was almost empty, Yoon Seok-jin finally got up from his seat.

All eyes at the production team table were on Yoon Seok-jin, as if they had been waiting for this moment.

“I’ll go around for a bit. Please continue.”

A sigh of relief from the table, and a sigh of tension from Shin Jung-hyun, who had to assist Yoon Seok-jin.

‘Who will be the sacrificial lamb today...?’

While Shin Jung-hyun was silently wishing for someone’s well-being,

Yoon Seok-jin’s steps stopped at a certain spot.

Where the public relations team members were sitting.

It was