Clack-clack-clack-clack—
Endorphins rushed through me at the thought that this was the real final episode.
The main villain meets his end in the courtroom around the end of Part 15.
Part 16 was a happy, healing conclusion for everyone.
Thanks to that, the final episode had a variety of things.
"An energy drink after a workout? For your health, a red ginseng drink is the way to go." "Hmm, driving such a short distance? Let's take an electric kick-scooter instead." "It's the national rule to receive reports from your secretary while in a massage chair."
Looking at it now, there's no end to the places I can put PPL if I look for them.
If I force it, I feel like I could cram everything into a single part.
"It's done!"
I've burned myself out completely.
The script, having left the writer's hands, is now in the hands of the director and actors.
There was almost nothing left for me to do.
At most, choosing locations that were as similar as possible to the drama I had seen?
At that moment, I turned my head at the sound of a voice from my side.
"The ending is exactly to my liking."
"Ah, you were still here?"
"Yes. Though not the whole time."
The scent of Manager Jung Saerom's perfume tickled my nose from 30cm away.
I thought I had become immune to women's beauty thanks to Semi.
"You really kept your promise. To finish the entire script in three weeks."
"Well, promises are made to be kept."
"Ah, really?"
"...Though that's not something I, who am late for every appointment, should say."
Manager Jung's lips curved up slightly, so I added an unnecessary remark.
My days and nights were flipped from writing; shouldn't that be understandable?
Soon, Saerom's lovely lips quivered as her gaze remained fixed on the laptop.
"By the way, it's a sad ending for Seongho."
"Hmm, it is, but..."
"I love it."
"Pardon?"
"I think both the viewers and the actor will be satisfied."
Well, the base is a happy ending, after all.
"But... some of the scenes are a bit strange."
"Where?"
Saerom mentioned the specific scenes where I had inserted PPL.
"The protagonist receives a report in a massage chair?"
"We have to make money. To put the protagonist in a helicopter."
"..."
Perhaps because it was the first time in a long while that I had said something correct, Saerom was at a loss for words.
Why is she like this when I'm bringing in money?All the PPL was inserted with calculation.
"Th-that girl group member chugging a coke? Can you handle the fallout from this?"
"Ah, is that so?"
"Yes. So..."
"As expected, I should change that part to Zero Coke. Thank you."
"..."
At first, I had an obsession that I shouldn't deviate even slightly from the system.
'But after reaching the Bronze tier, I feel more at ease.'
The system is thoroughly a part of my ability.
And a fact that it is a means to succeed.
It's a gain to salvage production costs, even if it means cramming PPL into the final episode.
If anything, putting it at the end won't harm the artistic quality, and there will be no viewer drop-off.
"How can they drop out when they've watched it all?"
"???"
Now that the script is all written, I should try using the actor change ticket once, right?
"Manager-nim, where is Jaejun?"
"Ah, you mean actor Im Jaejun? He just stopped by the office after location scouting..."
"...Don't clock out just yet. I'll stop by here one more time."
Because I need to come back and check the drama's content.
It was a surprising experience.
The phenomenon of a memory being overwritten by a new memory.
It was a transcendent power that could not be explained by modern medicine.
"The protagonist has changed."
The compatibility of Im Jaejun, as informed by the system, was a 97% match with the protagonist, Cheon Jiho.
Because of that, the character's face, actions, speech, and lines in the drama had subtly changed.
From one of the common mass-produced plastic surgery handsome men.
"So you can change the lead actor too."
I didn't find any clues about leveling up, but I felt like I had achieved a result greater than that.
Beep, beep, beeep—
At that moment, Heejung came in through the front door.
"You're here?"
"Yeah."
My younger sister, looking slightly tired.
I stopped her as she was about to go into her room and asked.
"Heejung-ah, how's life at the theater company?"
"Suddenly?"
"Yeah. Just asking."
"Hmm..."
Last time, with that senior from the audition, I tried not to let on that I knew.
"It's good these days. Suddenly the seniors have stopped their useless meddling..."
"...Really?"
"Ah, not that it was bad before. I mean they've gotten a little nicer."
"That's good."
Thud—
Heejung, embarrassed, blushed and went into her room.
If I just succeed with two or three more works, I'll have to get proper revenge on the bastards on my death note.
My Kim clan ancestors will be furious if I forget my enemies over something like this.
"The script is all printed, and the family is at peace..."
Now, only one thing remains.
Filming the drama, and success.
In the end, the only way for the system to prove its own value is through viewership ratings.
It took 6 years to get here.
A time of endurance, bearing Writer Lee Minjoo's persecution.
Only one step remains to taste the sweet fruit.
Soon, I went into my room and repeatedly revised the script, reading it in its entirety.
Time passed, and the day of the first filming arrived.
Location scouting, title sequence filming, and even the ritual to pray for a big hit.
It was a time spent handling a rather busy schedule for the first time in a while.
"We finally made it here."
The number of times I had revised the script could be counted on one hand.
I had wanted to add a few more PPLs, but Manager Jung Saerom vehemently opposed it.
"Usually, production companies welcome as much as they can get..."
She had clearly said they were making a drama to earn money, but now our positions were reversed.
JTBS Broadcasting Station, "Pure-hearted Macho" set.
The directing team staff were moving busily for the first shoot.
"Everyone is working hard."
Soon, I stopped by the convenience store and picked out various snacks for the staff.
Even though I was a rookie writer, my salary was on a completely different level compared to the staff's.
I had written just one work, but I had earned 80 million won in less than half a year.
It's while waiting for a debut moment like this that people endure their time as assistant writers.
But conversely, the moment your debut work fails, you'll suffer a blow from which you can never recover.
"Director Sung is..."
He's busy. He was just sitting on a metal chair, but people were coming and going one by one. The lighting director, the director of photography, the props team, the costume team, and even the main and supporting actors' managers.
I entered the set with my hands full.
On a large whiteboard on one side, various numbers were written.
At first, I thought it was related to the filming schedule.
"A bet on the first episode's ratings? They do this everywhere."
A figure that makes broadcasting stations and sponsors laugh and cry.
The advertising effect would be drastically different depending on the ratings.
"Betting Pool Deposit Account Number: 483402-..."
『Choi Manho 3% 1,000,000 won』 『Assistant Director Woo Hyungmin──』 『Makeup Team Ye Mijin──』 『Semi 5% 100,000 won』 『Im Jaejun 2% 50,000 won』 『Ji Seongho 0.53% 200,000 won』
"...That punk Ji Seongho."
He bet on 0.5% to make a little money? Most other people bet on 2%. The standard for a successful viewership rating on cable TV is about 3%. The media had been clamoring that even getting over 1% for the first episode would be a good defense. In reality, it was difficult to expect high ratings for the first episode, especially because of the rookie actors. And after the first broadcast, from the following week, it was scheduled to go up against a strong competitor from MBS.
"Hah, this is bleak."
The people bustling around glanced at me.
Among them, I made eye contact with the assistant director who recognized my face.
"Oh? Wr-writer-nim! Hello."
Only then did the people around me see me and offer their greetings.
Outside, I'm at best a rookie writer.
But within this project, I'm practically one of the two tops along with the director.
"Writer-nim, what brings you here..."
Director Sung's junior, the assistant director, spoke cautiously.
"Here, I bought some snacks."
"You shouldn't have..."
One of the directing team members next to him quickly came over and took the black bag from my hand.
"I must have disturbed you by coming."
"Hey, what are you talking about..."
Even though he said that, he looked like he had to go somewhere urgently.
"You should get going."
"Ah, yes! Writer-nim."
The staff members, running around passionately for the project.
The actors, waiting for hours for a single scene.
To me, they were all people I was grateful for.
A moment later,
a few actors were on standby to film the first scene.
It was actor Choi Manho's turn to act.
Since the actors also go into filming in order of seniority.
The next scene was also the turn of the supporting actors who are addressed as "teacher."
It was probably also because the lead actors were all rookies.
'I wonder if Semi is getting her makeup done.'
She was probably waiting in the dressing room until she was called.
Although there were many rookie actors who didn't have such conditions.
Step, step—
"Oh...? Wr-writer-nim. Hello."
I approached an actor who was squatting in a corner, reading his script.
A rookie actor, probably waiting to film a single scene in about Part 6.
"Actor Shin Johoon, how much longer do you have to wait today?"
"Ah, yes! About five hours..."
The only actor I had registered in the system, aside from the lead actors.
His villainous acting in the drama I saw in the system was very impressive.
He didn't have the face to be a lead, but he had a high probability of growing into a 명품 supporting actor.
"Mr. Shin, do you, by any chance, have an agency?"
"Ah, not yet."
"May I ask how long your acting career is?"
"I debuted in an independent film, and it's been about 2 and a half years..."
It seems the system's range is up to about 3 years of experience.
It might have widened a bit after I got to Bronze.
"How about Tempest, by any chance?"
"Pardoon?"
"It's not that I can get you in, but you should try auditioning."
"It's not the public audition period right now..."
"Don't worry about that. I'll put in a word in advance."
"J-just for me?"
"Of course. Because you have talent."
"Th-thank you, Writer-nim!"
He doesn't have much impact in the early parts, but his acting really comes into its own in Part 14.
By then, they'll probably judge that my eye for talent was correct again.
I felt a newfound gratitude for the person who had recommended me as a casting director.
The one who gave me a hard time in front of the Tempest cafe employee...
"Actress Yeo Minseo."
I wonder how actress Kim Hyunji, who was at the cafe then, is doing.I heard the news that she was cast through Manager Jung.
At that time, Kim Hyunji was returning to the company after finishing an interview.
"Hyunji-ya."
"Yes, unni."
An employee of Tempest with considerable experience for a rookie actress's manager.
It was proof that the company was paying a lot of attention to Kim Hyunji.
"The JTBS station is nearby, do you want to go and say hello to your seniors?"
"Come to think of it, today is the first day of filming for 'Pure-hearted Macho'."
"I heard from actor Ji Seongho's manager. He said writer Kim Jinwoo is there too."
"Ah..."
"Is it uncomfortable?"
"Ah, no! Not at all."
There was a rumor spread by actress Yeo Minseo.
The news that writer Kim Jinwoo had asked Kim Hyunji for her number and got rejected.
But now, there were only people praising Writer Kim's eye for talent.
That's how highly the trainers valued actress Kim Hyunji's star potential.
"We should go. Two people from our agency are appearing in it."
"Right. Then."
But the closer she got to the broadcasting station, the more Hyunji's heart pounded.
Writer Kim Jinwoo, who had brought her such great fortune.
Thanks to him, she was now living through dream-like days.
Her face flushed at the rude behavior she had shown him on the day they first met.
'I have to apologize politely.'
A moment later,
Kim Hyunji arrived at the JTBS "Pure-hearted Macho" set.
There was someone watching her from afar.
Thump—
The strange phenomenon Kim Jinwoo had felt when he first met Semi.
The moment he saw her on the set, a new work came to him.
"The Regressor Who Erases Memories..."
It was the name of his second work.