Chapter 2

All-Rounder Entertainment Life 2nd Episode (2/280)

***

When Yun Seok-jin's gaze met mine, I had a thought.

'Since there's no tomorrow anyway, I might as well say what I want to say.'

"Then, what do you think was the reason our All-Rounder employee became a... boring drama?"

"No Entry for Unauthorized Personnel"

It was hyped as a highly anticipated work, but it flopped spectacularly.

By the middle of the series, it was being mocked as "No Entry for Viewers."

Because,

"The script, casting, and direction, nothing was done properly, right?"

"They wrote the title as <No Entry for Unauthorized Personnel> and if they were going to talk about the entertainment industry, they should have had some sensational episodes, but it was all just the same old stuff. The script got worse day by day. The direction was filled with flashback scenes. Not only that, the music played at random times, and you couldn't even hear the actors' voices. It was like a music video."

"Actually, the casting was a bit off too. The character was supposed to be an unlikable top star, but using an actor who really gets bad netizen reactions, does that make sense? And that actor didn't even show up at the finale party. Where in the world do you find a lead actor who skips the finale party because of low ratings?"

Manager Lee Hong-ju and Assistant Yoo Hee-jin were frozen in shock, and Shin Jung-hyun was nervously watching President Yun's reaction.

"How could it have been called 'No Entry for Viewers' in the news? When you scold the PR person for such a headline, what excuse can they give for writing a scathing review because the drama was boring? Journalists don't criticize good dramas. They can't."

I held nothing back.

"I'm being honest because I'm in a really bad situation."

Since there's no tomorrow, this is the last day.

As a 20-year veteran in the entertainment industry, I'm sharing my experiences, so please listen carefully.

"Do you think that marketing and promotion are all after-the-fact issues when making a drama? Then give us a good product. If you give us a bad product and ask us to promote it as top-tier dining, it's really frustrating."

By this point, it was way past the time for him to explode in anger.

In front of President Yun, who was quietly listening, I took a deep drink of alcohol.

"Ah-."

This was the first time I had spoken my mind so freely in this industry.

It felt so refreshing.

"Hey, All-Rounder...! You, damn it...!"

The alcohol just kept flowing.

***

'It's cold...'

The chilly air woke me up.

What I saw with my half-open eyes was a beige ceiling slightly warped by moisture.

It wasn't blindingly bright, nor was it pitch black, as expected.

I'm still alive today.

"Is this for real?"

I shook my head a few times, but nothing changed; only my head throbbed.

The bed creaked with every movement, reminding me of its presence. A light wooden desk, a rustic cherry-colored molding, and a door covered with cut-out magazine clippings.

'...My room.'

Everything I saw was familiar.

It was the smallest room in the apartment in Sinlim-dong where I lived with my family before moving out.

On that Friday night, after parting ways with my seniors who told me to "pull myself together and go home," I wandered the streets for a long time.

'I thought I was somewhere around Samdocheon...'

No matter how far I walked, all I saw were speeding cars, so I hailed a taxi at random.

In the first taxi, I shouted, "It's over now, just take me away. Just take me away," and was called crazy and kicked out...

In the second taxi, I gave the driver my address with a "whatever" attitude, but the place I arrived at wasn't my home.

If it weren't for my mother's call at that moment, I would have really ended up lying on the street.

'After that...'

Zap!

"Didn't you come home earlier?! How old are you, and you can't even find your way home!"

My back still stung from my sister's slap.

Then...

"Mom! Samdo is crying!"

"Are you really crazy? Hae-na! You shouldn't be watching that. It's just all kinds of nonsense."

'No, I should forget this.'

Anyway, it's already been two days.

I thought I was dead, but I'm still alive.

'And...'

As I tried to get up from my heavy body, my gaze caught the mirror hanging next to the door.

A chill ran down my spine again.

A young face. My face. More precisely, my face from 20 years ago.

"Damn, I'm really going crazy."

'How could all those regression characters in novels stay so calm?'

Over the past two days, I've accepted that I've returned to the past.

Or maybe I had a very long dream.

The important thing is that I'm alive.

'Stay calm, All-Rounder. No matter what, this is an opportunity. A stroke of luck.'

I took a deep breath, recalling the thoughts I had over the weekend.

Checking my phone, I saw [Monday morning 6:20].

It was time to really pull myself together.

***

"Leaving so early? But the drama is over..."

I left home after reassuring my mother that I would come home early, even though I skipped breakfast.

"How can you be so busy all the time..."

"I enjoy it. I'll come home early tonight."

I left quickly to avoid getting teary-eyed from seeing my mother.

As I walked out of the apartment complex, I saw a few office workers at the bus stop.

'Which bus was it again...'

I remembered that most buses passing through the stop would stop at Sinlim Station, and I got on the 504 bus that arrived.

From Sinlim-dong to Sangam, I had to take the Line 2 to Hapjeong Station and then transfer to a bus.

'It took about an hour and twenty minutes, right?'

I estimated the time and leaned back into the seat.

Weekends are always too short, but the past two days felt even shorter.

Once I accepted that I had returned to the past, a question popped into my head.

'So, how am I going to live this time?'

I didn't need to think long.

The last moments of my previous life were still vivid.

I wished for "one more time" more than anything else.

There was no other path in my choices.

– Thanks to the president, I didn't give up on acting.

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

I thought of Park So-hwa, who might as well have died because of me.

'I'll change everything.'

No, this time, I'll do better.

I've bought time, accumulated experience, and know the future that others don't.

Twenty years is a long time, and I don't remember everything, but I remember the important things.

Actors who will rise to fame, singers who will soon be forgotten, and several stars who are currently unknown but will shine one day.

Famous writers and directors, as well as all kinds of entertainment and social gossip over the past twenty years.

'Only I know this information!'

I stroked my thumping heart and felt a hard plastic in my fingertips.

It was my ID card, which I had worn around my neck since I left home to avoid leaving it behind.

'What was it like at this time?'

It was less than a year after I started working.

I was busy adapting to the PR team, one of the few female-dominated departments at the broadcasting station.

I followed my seniors, Manager Lee Hong-ju and Assistant Yoo Hee-jin, trying to learn as much as I could.

'As a junior, my main tasks were writing press releases and delivering drinks to journalists.'

But it was a time when I enjoyed seeing celebrities.

I was full of baseless hope that I could make a name for myself in this industry after a few years.

'If only I hadn't gotten that lucky break...'

This time, it will be different.

I have the experience of twenty years.

'Even though I messed up badly at the beginning...'

I thought of President Yun Seok-jin's face, which was hard to read, whether he was smiling or frowning.

'Anyway, since things will be different from before, I'll consider it as a shock therapy.'

– The next station is Sangam, Sangam Station. If you are getting off...

As I heard the announcement, I absentmindedly took out my phone to check the time, and a ring! alarm went off.

'What? My phone is always set to vibrate.'

And,

A strange message appeared on the screen.

The alarm icon looked like the memo app I used frequently...

'Was there an ad in the default memo app?'

Under normal circumstances, I would have chosen [NO] without a second thought.

It was the first time I had seen an ad in the memo app.

For a moment, I was a bit flustered and touched the screen.

But,

...?

What is this?

I can't miss out on something given to me to eat.

"I work at a broadcasting station."

...The reactions are usually the same.

"Wow, you must see a lot of celebrities, right?"

"Who's the prettiest?"

"I heard that person has a bad reputation. Is it true they're so rude?"

...Or,

"Hey, my sister is a fan. Can you get her an autograph?"

"<The War of Couples> was really good last night. All-Rounder, have you seen the script? Do they break up? Come on, just give me a hint. I'll keep it a secret."

...Or,

"My son is just starting to appear on TV, right?"

"Why would I be on TV if I'm not a celebrity..."

"Samdo! Samdo on TV?"

"...No, Uncle is not on TV."

"Ah... Ah! Then, Samdo, are you friends with Pengdoli?"

"...No, I'm not. And he's not even from our company."

"Tch. Then when will you become friends?"

...Things like that.

The misconception that working at a broadcasting station means being on TV and seeing celebrities.

But broadcasting station employees are not celebrities.

Of course, they are not successful star producers or writers either.

'I'm just a slave with no weekends.'

Being a first-year in the broadcasting station's PR team.

It means becoming a writing machine.

Program introductions, proposals, scripts for press conferences and various events, PR reports.

And press releases for all kinds of programs.

I wrote all kinds of things from the moment I arrived at work until I left, and sometimes even before and after work.

'Especially press releases, I wrote them so many times I was sick of it.'

People think only journalists write articles, but that's not the case.

Unless they are professional critics,

How thoroughly do general entertainment reporters examine all kinds of programs, and how deeply do they analyze their appeal?

If an article seems a bit more detailed when you read it, and the attached photos look a bit prettier,

Nine out of ten times, it's an article written by the PR staff of the broadcasting station, production company, agency, or related PR firm.

And,

"Oh, Mr. Kim! This is JWN's All-Rounder. Can I have a moment? Ah, actually, we have... "

Bowing deeply, I would present it to the entertainment reporters, begging them to write an article.

This being my main job, I often heard things like this.

"Pick a sexy cover photo."

"The title needs a hook. You're still young, right? Is this the best you can do?"

"Would you click on such a bland title? Make it intriguing! Sensational! Sexy!"

'Thinking about it again, it's so annoying.'

I've been in the entertainment industry for twenty years, but I still don't understand what a sexy title is.

Of course, I know one thing.

'This is really an absurd article.'

What kind of title is this?

This isn't even about being sexy.

'At least my name is in it...'

Who would write such content as an article?

Feeling indignant, I checked the memo app again.

'Hmm...?'

But all I saw were various drafts of press releases I had scribbled.

The article I just saw was nowhere to be found.

'Am I possessed by a ghost or something? Or by the words?'

I probably just misread it, but it felt strange.

Honestly, I'm still in shock, but since I've experienced regression...

Even if something more unusual happens, I can face it calmly now.

Yeah, that's right.

'If I can see articles about myself in advance...'

That would be the jackpot of jackpots.

Just thinking about it makes me feel elated.

I calmed my racing heart and checked my phone several times, but the article was nowhere to be found.

'Did I really misread it...?'

Well, "Your Home" is an unfamiliar title.

I remember the titles of some successful works, but I don't remember anything about "Your Home."

While thinking about various things, I found myself in front of the JWN building.

At this time, JWN is a mediocre cable network with only a few channels, but it will expand to over a dozen channels in a few years.

All the channels, as well as the music and film departments, will be housed in this building.

"People say cable networks are just cable networks, no matter how big they get."

But JWN will grow into a giant in the broadcasting and entertainment industry.

'Of course, my ordinary life as a broadcasting worker won't change much.'

Even if the company grows, it doesn't necessarily mean a better life for regular employees.

I realized this too late in the past.

'Well, I had a hunch, but I thought this industry was special and would be different.'

The reason I stayed at JWN for nine years before regression.

Anyway, I work in the Media Communication Team.

It's commonly known as the PR team, with a small number of people and a particularly stagnant promotion path.

'The higher up, the fewer positions available.'

I was considered lucky to become an assistant manager after four years and a manager after seven, but I eventually quit after two more years.

I acknowledged that to stay in this industry and achieve significant success, I had to become a manager.

'I was just a commoner, so that's how it was.'

Leaving the comfort of a large company was not easy.

Compared to that, the current situation is much better.

'A first-year with no main credits yet.'

If I had returned to before I even started working, it would be different, but in this situation, I need to build my career as quickly as possible and prepare for the next step.

I looked up at the JWN building.

'Two years. I'll get everything I need in two years and leave. This time, I'll establish GOD Entertainment properly.'

***

Before the excitement of my inner pep talk faded, I hit a minor obstacle.

'What floor was it again...?'

I successfully passed through the lobby and swiped my ID card, but...

Standing in front of the elevator, I couldn't remember which floor to go to.

'I should have checked the floor for each department... If I go back now, it will look strange.'

I fidgeted with my phone, pretending to check something, waiting to see someone I knew.

Someone tapped my shoulder,

"Hey, All-Rounder. I heard you did something at the finale party?"

'What is this?'

Turning my head, I saw a faint smirk on the face in front of me.

Thick double eyelids, thin lips twisted upwards.

'Ah, right. This guy was here.'

"Kim Han-sung."

Kim Han-sung.

One of the five new hires in my batch.

My first colleague in the working world and the only male, I tried to get along well with him, but how much I regretted it.

"You said to President Yun Seok-jin at the finale party that the drama flopped because it was boring and uninteresting. I heard the rumor that the junior of Team 1 really went for it. As a PR person, you should be apologetic and bow deeply when the ratings are low. Don't you think so?"

"Mind your own team's business. Aren't you tired of starting trouble in the morning?"

"What? This guy. I'm giving you advice because I consider you a colleague. Show some respect. As a junior, you should at least do your part for your seniors."

Looking back, this guy had been subtly tormenting me since the training institute.

He was so subtle and cunning that I eventually snapped and we both went off.

'They were called the troublemakers of the JWN Media Team.'

Now, as the only junior, he's just trying to please his seniors and take it out on me.

Once a new hire came in, he did all sorts of shady things.

He made the new hires do all the odd jobs, took credit for their work, and pursued new female hires so aggressively that people around him frowned.

'To have to see that again.'

Around the four-year mark, he somehow used his connections to move to a production planning subsidiary set up by JWN, and from then on, he flaunted his title as a production PD.

He criticized the PR, saying it was sloppy, and the journalist management was lacking, and so on.

'I had forgotten about him. Damn, this guy.'

"I'll handle my own business. You do yours."

"…What? Hey, you...!"

Ding-dong.

'Perfect timing!'

I want to tear this guy apart with my sharp tongue as a 20-year veteran in the entertainment industry, but it's my first day back, so I hold back.

I passed by him, who was about to say something more, and got on the elevator.

I wanted to go alone, but...

"What are you doing? Not getting on?"

I pressed the open button and nodded, and he got in with a red face,