Tempest Entertainment.
A company with a solid background, established with massive capital investment from the Cheonseong Group.
It had expanded its business significantly several years ago, growing into a company that also served as a production house.
Among its divisions, the one that oversaw the main entertainment business and production tasks was the Strategic Planning Department.
Manager Jung Saerom was in the process of establishing herself as a key figure in the company run by her uncle.
However, employees who often saw the CEO greet her warmly would whisper that she was a "parachute hire."
But she had earned her position fairly as an expert, having completed her doctorate in the United States.
She had even hidden it from her uncle, so hadn't they met for the first time during her job interview?
That's why her desire to prove herself with her skills was so desperate.
"Why am I so drawn to this?"
Saerom was reading the mere 80-minute script for the fifth time.
The three hours she spent waiting for the drama department PD from JTBS had flown by in an instant.
It was definitely a drama filled with clichés, but something was different.
The mood of the work was lyrical, and the dialogue was superb.
To put it bluntly, it made her want to become a PD right away and take charge of directing the drama.
"The dialogue is alive... and it twists the clichés just slightly to fit popular appeal."
It is often said that theater is the art of the actor, film is the art of the director, and drama is the art of the writer.
This is because the weight of the scenario is greater in drama than in film, and in film than in theater.
"To have this level of immersion in just the first episode..."
The art of making a common subject uncommon.
It was easier said than done, and not many writers could actually pull it off.
"The sub-male lead is on the level of a main character."
The charm of the male and female leads also stood out, but their character range was so narrow that casting seemed difficult.
However, the sub-male lead character was a role that seemed destined to make a star out of whoever was cast.
It was a role that felt like it could capture the public's affection even if a moderately handsome man showed just decent acting skills.
A short while later, Manager Jung Saerom returned to the cafe at the appointed time.
However, the PD she had asked to watch her seat had already vanished without a trace.
"Hmm, did he go to the restroom?"
Flutter—
Saerom then discovered a small note left on the table.
She immediately crumpled it up, thinking it was some kind of joke.
Just then, she heard someone's voice in her ear.
"Hello. You're as beautiful as I've heard. Haha."
"Who are you?"
A strange man greeted her and slowly approached.
He introduced himself as the PD from the JTBS drama team he was scheduled to meet today.
"Excuse me, you are Manager Jung Saerom from Tempest Entertainment's Strategic Planning Department... are you not?"
"..."
From Saerom's perspective, the sudden situation was utterly bewildering.
"Are you sure?"
As she continued to question his identity, the man proved it by showing her his employee ID.
"Then who was that man from before?"
"Excuse me? Who?"
"The one in the checkered shirt and jeans. With droopy eyes and semi-curly hair."
"...?"
The man expressed confusion even at the detailed physical description.
No matter how she looked at it, this could only mean the person sitting here before was lying.
'Damn it, I've been had...!'
The incident was so absurd that she hadn't even thought to be suspicious.
"Beautiful women are usually the suspicious type. Hahaha."
"I find it unpleasant that you keep mentioning my appearance when we're here for business."
"Ah, haha. R-really?"
Saerom gritted her teeth at the fact that she had been tricked by a stranger and continued.
"Show me the scripts first."
"Ah, ah. Yes. Three of these works were completed by experts who finished the course at the JTBS Academy this time..."
"Yes. I'll read them and judge for myself."
She responded with an unusually sharp tone, unlike her usual self.
After exactly 30 minutes, she put down the six works and spoke.
"None of the works today are suitable for Seongho to appear in."
"Ah, really? The works Manager Jung brought are all good, though."
"No. In my eyes, they are very lacking."
After seeing 'that' work, Saerom's standards had already become far too high.
"Let's schedule another meeting for next time. Until then, I will look for a work on my own."
"O-of course, it's still valid that we'll be filming with your side, right?"
"Of course. It's a contract."
"Ah... yes. I understand for now."
It was natural for the process to take a long time when choosing a project with an actor already in mind.
Moreover, a recent shortage of writers at JTBS made the selection process inevitably longer.
A moment later,
The PD cleared his throat and left, and soon after, Saerom also left the cafe.
"Hah, after reading only the first part... my pride is hurt."
If she had at least read up to the second part, her pride wouldn't have been so wounded.
If she hadn't seen that work, she might have just chosen something mediocre.
But in this situation, there was no way any other work would catch her eye.
"Who on earth was that person!"
The only trace the man had left behind was a single sticky note.
［Enjoyed the seat. May you be blessed!］
"What is this? No matter how I look at it, he doesn't seem to be the writer himself..."
Impersonation is a crime.
But she couldn't figure out the purpose of his impersonation at all.
Was he trying to scam her? But why did he leave without a word?
To get her attention? If so, he should have asked for her number.
"Argh, just let me catch you. No, please get caught. I'll forgive everything if you just tell me who the writer of that script is."
She hoped against hope that the man was not the writer himself.
That she hadn't fallen for a work written by such a strange person after just one episode.
As soon as I got home, I read through the second part several times.
I hadn't been able to check the script properly since I had left the cafe in a hurry.
"Hmm, aside from the typos, it's perfect."
There were of course typing mistakes since I had scribbled it down in a rush.
But there were no awkward expressions or ungrammatical sentences at all.
Objectively, my skills were definitely not at that level.
"This system is so generous."
These two scripts were a stark contrast to the works I had written with my own skills after six years of hard work.
Feeling the difference in quality between them and my original works, a strange sense of self-deprecation washed over me.
In times like these, a mental victory is necessary.
"I'm so lucky."
Now that I had written up to the second part, it was enough to submit to a small-scale contest.
Honestly, the best-case scenario would be to contact a broadcasting station.
But no matter how I thought about it, that was next to impossible with my connections.
Perhaps it would be better to start with the tasks I need to do right now.
More than anything, isn't the core of a work about which actors are cast?
"Purple Girls' Semi... it'll be hard to even meet her, let alone cast her, right?"
It would have been easier if she were from some unknown girl group or an unknown actress.
What is the best a no-name writer like me can do?
Maybe I should just direct and film it myself and upload it as a web drama to YouTube.
"It would probably fail, right? The quality of web dramas these days is no joke."
The important sub-male lead in this drama is no different.
Honestly, it would be difficult to find a high-caliber actor for a work written by a no-name writer.
The only thing I can do is hope to meet a good director who will cast a decent actor.
"His name was Im Jaejun... should I try to sweet-talk that male lead first?"
The main male protagonist of "The Chaebol Heir is a Pure-hearted Macho."
He was the only person who seemed realistically approachable for me.
The guy who got a ton of hate for being a stalker in the web drama that Purple Girls' Semi appeared in.
Since I was writing the work through a strange route, no other casting options even entered my mind.
It would probably be the same if the sub-male lead or supporting roles were familiar actors or faces I knew.
It was a transcendent power that filmed a non-existent drama and implanted it in my mind.
It was only natural that I wanted to fill out the casting board recommended by the system as is.
"If I show the script to Im Jaejun, he might have some kind of reaction."
There must be a reason why he and Semi appeared in my work.
Maybe he, too, will see a brilliant light in the script.
He might feel a sense of destiny and suggest we swear an oath of brotherhood under a peach tree.
Soon after, I searched for Im Jaejun and looked at his profile.
He had no agency, was a rookie in his first year since debut, and his resume only had a few minor credits.
"If he doesn't have an agency, how do I contact him?"
At that moment, the university degree listed on Im Jaejun's profile caught my eye.
Donggok University, Department of Theater and Film, class of '18—the same school as Kim Heejung.
I immediately sent a text to my sister.
I thought that if they were from the same school, there was a high chance they knew each other through mutual connections.
Sure enough, a reply arrived faster than I expected.
[ Just one degree of separation lololol but what are you going to do for me? ]
"As expected, even family is strictly business. A true descendant of the Kim clan."
My sister officially started her business negotiation.
Just providing the number was 50,000 won; adding a word of recommendation would be 100,000 won.
My sin is great for having raised this total punk of a sister for 24 years.
［Just the number, please, ma'am］
My sister demanding 50,000 won just to introduce a contact was a problem.
But I, who accepted it without haggling, was too nice for my own good.
"Sigh, I'll just think of it as giving her an allowance."
Having invested a precious 50,000 won, what reason was there to hesitate?
Ring, ring, ring—
After a tense ringing tone, a man answered the phone.
-Hello.
"Ah, um. Mr. Im Jaejun?"
-Yes. Who is this?
"I'm calling regarding a drama casting offer."
-Look... I'm very sorry. But I've quit acting.
"Hey, don't say something so serious like it's a joke..."
Click.
"Come on. At least quit after you film my thing!"
I had my own huge problems to deal with, who was I to offer warm comfort to someone else?
Putting everything else aside, I needed the actor Im Jaejun right now.
Ring, ring, ring—
I couldn't just lose a whopping 50,000 won like this.
I was already someone who had practically sold off a script just to pull off a scam while writing the second part.
After storming out of Writer Lee Minjoo's studio, I had nothing left to fear.
-Yes. Hello.
"I absolutely must cast you, Mr. Im Jaejun."
-As I said before...
"This work was written from the beginning with you in mind as the lead."
-The lead...? Is it a web drama, by any chance?
"No. It's scheduled to be a 16-episode series."
Jaejun paused for a moment before continuing his question.
-Are you the director?
"I'm the writer."
-...I'm working part-time, so it'll be difficult for me to take much time off.
"Then send me your address. Let's meet and talk."
-Okay. I understand.
Click.
He was quite soft-spoken, as most rookies tend to be.
I don't know how he'll change after becoming a top star, though.
"What he's like as a top star is none of my business. It's over once we're done with this project anyway."
Tiring—
Just then, Jaejun sent his address via message.
"A part-time job at a meat restaurant?"
I was craving some meat anyway, so this worked out well.
My bank account was starting to dry up, but I was taught not to skimp on food.
"Ah, hello."
In front of the all-you-can-eat samgyeopsal restaurant where we had agreed to meet.
When I arrived at the address and contacted him,
a tall, charming-looking man walked out.
'With those looks, he's working part-time at a meat restaurant? Usually, you'd get paid more at a cafe.'
As if he had read my mind, Im Jaejun spoke.
"This is my father's restaurant."
"Ah... really?"
Im Jaejun, the ugly stalker from the web drama.
In real life, his bare face was actually much more simple and handsome.
"Excuse me, I'm sorry. But I have to get back inside quickly..."
"Mr. Im Jaejun, you're still planning to continue acting, right?"
"...Honestly, I don't know. Reality comes first."
A deep sense of regret could be felt in his hesitation.
"It's not too late to decide after trying just this one project."
"Who on earth are you to go this far for me..."
"I told you. A drama writer."
His reaction was lukewarm, so I added another word.
"The female lead is Purple Girls' Semi..."
Flinch—
Since Jaejun had worked with her before, such a reaction was understandable.
However, my next words completely shattered his expectations.
"...is who I'd like it to be. But honestly, I'm not sure how to cast her."
"Ah, um..."
"So what I want to say is, please just read the two-part script I've written."
I handed him the bundle of papers I took out of my bag.
"You can close it if you get bored while reading. Just read one scene, and if you find it interesting, please read the next one."
Swoosh—
Jaejun raised his hand and took the script I offered.
"The protagonist of this drama, as I see it, is you. I've never even considered anyone else."
"Thank you for saying that. I'll read it."
Jaejun went back into the restaurant, which smelled of grilled meat.
"Our dear actor is going through a lot at a young age."
Still, it's a relief he accepted while I was being nice.
If he hadn't,
"I was about to order unlimited refills of meat until he took the script."