The personification of capitalism.
A market that lists human beings by grade and evaluates them by numbers.
At least for today, I felt like I was standing at the very top of this world.
Even though the fact that I was still a rookie writer hadn't changed.
A 5% viewership rating on a cable station holds considerable meaning.
A moment later,
I entered the drama department, receiving everyone's attention.
I don't know if the phrase "a triumphant return" is appropriate for a time like this.
But anyway, the image of a stubborn rookie writer from before had vanished as if washed away.
The PDs who passed me each threw a word of congratulations.
"Congratulations, Writer-nim! Let's have a drink sometime."
"Is the rumor that you're writing your next project true..."
"Excuse me, if it's okay, could I get your number..."
PDs and assistant directors whose faces I knew but names I didn't offered their greetings.
I received their greetings with a smile, but there wasn't a single person I knew.
'Well, famous people don't go this far.'
Thinking back to my assistant writer days, it feels somewhat bitter.
Once, I had visited the station because an assistant director wasn't answering my calls.
But now, everyone is hoping to build a connection by handing me their business cards.
In particular, one of the PDs was persistently sticking to me.
Director Lee Chanyoung, who wasn't as famous as Director Sung, but had debuted around the same time.
"Writer-nim, the actors cast this time were really well-chosen."
"Ah, is that so?"
"Yes, yes. Would you mind just checking their profiles?"
"Hmm... my show has only aired two episodes."
"Hey, the rumor that you're writing a new work is already all over the place."
My goodness, this town has no secrets.
Step, step—
Director Sung was on his way here anyway.
A brief moment shouldn't matter, I was thinking.
"Oh... this person."
"What? Ah... Bareum Entertainment. I told them not to just hand these out indiscriminately."
Thank you for handing them out indiscriminately.
'Found him!'
The protagonist of my next work...! A single photo, the size of a palm, among the carelessly scattered files. Soon, I stopped the PD, who was reaching out to clear away the file, and spoke.
"PD-nim, who is this man?"
"What? Ahaha. It's just a failed company."
"...Bareum Entertainment?"
"Yes. Bareum is so old news."
The countless actor profile portfolios laid out on the table.
It was subtly different, but he was definitely the male protagonist of my next work.
"If you don't need this profile file, could you give it to me?"
"What? Ah, well, of course."
"I'll be sure to repay you next time."
"What? No, don't do that. The actor I'm in contact with right now..."
Swish—
I ignored the director and slowly looked over the actor's resume in the profile.
'Kang Jun.'
His face had changed a lot in 5 years, so I only just now remembered.
A former child actor who was once rumored to be an acting genius.
So he's still acting? An actor who debuted as a high school student 5 years ago, but was forced into a hiatus after appearing in about three or four works. Even the fans that had remained would have all left by now, and no one would be left.
'Did this person visit that loan shark office?'
The news that the once-successful Bareum Entertainment had gone bankrupt in an instant was a fairly famous anecdote in this industry.
Still, to go so far as to make an actor borrow money.
It seems they hadn't just hit a rough patch, but had hit rock bottom.
I entered the information about Bareum Entertainment and actor Kang Jun into my head.
"Writer-nim, this actor, you see..."
While I was wondering how to shake off the director chattering next to me.
Director Sung Kihoon, who had approached at some point, solved the problem with a single word.
"PD Lee, the department head said he has something to talk to the writer about right now."
"Ah, r-really?"
I gave a bitter smile as I watched Director Lee smack his lips in disappointment.
"Writer-nim, the department head is calling for you. Let's go together."
"Ah, let's do that."
Who benefits the most from a drama's success?
The writer, who gains both wealth and fame?
The actors, who rise to the ranks of stars?
The investors and production companies, who play with money to make money?
Tempest Entertainment had grasped all three of those elements in this drama.
They had signed writer Kim Jinwoo, were the agency for both male leads, and also served as the production company.
"To think it would succeed to this extent."
They say the drama market is unpredictable.
But a so-called 'hit project' could only happen if the heavens willed it.
A drama that hit 5% ratings just as it was starting.
It had already grown too big to fear MBS's anticipated work.
Now, they would be the ones to fear the presence of "Pure-hearted Macho."
If they took numerous top stars for their blockbuster and it completely failed.
"Imagining myself in their shoes, my vision goes dark."
In truth, the match hadn't even properly begun yet.
But it was clear that our side, which had captured the viewers first, had the advantage.
At that moment, someone knocked on the manager's office door.
Knock, knock—
"Come in."
"Manager-nim, I've come for your approval."
"Ah, Team Leader Byun."
Soon, Saerom's fine brow furrowed as she looked at her subordinate's document.
"This... how many schedules do Jaejun and Seongho have?"
"In two days, five variety shows and seven radio offers have come in. Commercials are also starting to come in already."
"..."
Team Leader Byun Hyukjoo sorted through the CFs with an excited heart.
"For now, among the commercials, if we just exclude the ones that would damage their image, there are about three or four..."
"Cancel all the schedules."
"Pardoon!? Wh-what are you talking about right now..."
Saerom said in a firm tone.
"There will be no additional schedules until filming is over."
"Manager-nim, you have to row when the tide comes in! If the ratings drop in the meantime...!"
"Can you take responsibility if an acting controversy arises in the middle of the drama?"
"Ah, no. That's..."
She was usually warm to her employees, but once their opinions diverged, she was colder than anyone.
No, in the first place, there had been few cases where her opinion differed greatly from her highly competent employees.
"This project comes first, no matter what. At least until filming is over."
"Ah... yes. I understand."
The time remaining until the final shoot of this project was about a month.
Both Im Jaejun and Ji Seongho were just budding sprouts.
They had only aired two episodes of a drama, and if they took all the incoming commercials and caught 'star disease.'
They weren't the type of actors to do that, but it was the agency's role to prepare for any potential risks.
"Um, about the matter with actress Yeo Minseo..."
"Ah, Writer Kim's next project?"
"Yes!"
Saerom paused for a moment and then parted her lips.
"I'm scheduled to see the writer today, so I'll try talking to him."
"Yes. I understand."
If there was someone who most wanted Kim Jinwoo's debut work to fail.
The first would be Writer Lee Minjoo, and the second would be...
"Is this even a country?"
A certain actress let out a quiet complaint.
The result had completely uprooted the common sense she had known until now.
How can a drama starting with two rookie leads get 5%?
"How can this be?"
Yeo Minseo checked the ratings chart she had seen numerous times once again.
Writer Kim Jinwoo, with whom she clashed on every little thing whenever they met.
She didn't like him, but she had no choice but to acknowledge his script.
In particular, putting aside the already-past "Pure-hearted Macho."
"The Regressor Who Erases Memories..."
Yeo Minseo had become hooked on that work and had been reading the script continuously these days.
She was obviously not the female protagonist who gets into a car accident in the last scene.
"The asset manager role."
A role that already starts with a deep connection to the male protagonist.
The sub-female protagonist who manages the assets of the male protagonist, whose existence is erased when he regresses.
She, too, doesn't know the man's face or name, but for that very reason, she doesn't forget him.
Because you can't forget someone you don't know.
A tragic woman who admires an anonymous genius investor but cannot get close.
She had only ever played chaebol or celebrity roles until now, so it seemed about time for a new acting transformation.
However, there was just one thing that bothered her.
"Why on earth is this role the sub-female protagonist? It hurts my pride."
If the writer hadn't specifically designated the one-scene role involving a car accident as the main female lead.
Then she would have been able to accept the asset manager role with a much more comfortable heart.
"Well, whatever. As long as someone on the level of Jeon Jihyun or Song Hyeyoon plays the main female lead, it's fine."
With a setup like that, there would be no reason for her pride to be hurt.
"I wonder if the ratings for 'Pure-hearted Macho' will continue to rise."
The higher a writer's status, the harder it is for an actor to have a voice.
If things continued this way, it seemed she would have to bow every time she wanted to voice an opinion on the next project.
But at least from next week, they would be up against MBS's 'Shoot the Sun.'
"Hmm... just fail moderately."
Just to the extent that the next project can be produced without a hitch.
She was waiting for Manager Jung Saerom to call her with those thoughts.
A moment later,
Kim Jinwoo spoke as soon as he saw Yeo Minseo's face.
"I don't want to."
I came to see actress Kim Hyunji, why is that person here? Tempest Entertainment, Manager Jung Saerom's office. An actress I was familiar with was already sitting there before I arrived.
"Ms. Yeo Minseo."
"Writer-nim, shouldn't you add a title?"
"..."
What more should I add?It's not that I don't want to add a title, I just don't want to say her name.By the way, the fact that Yeo Minseo is sitting in a meeting about the next project means.
"You must be thinking of the main character of this work. I'm sorry, but..."
"No."
"What? Then...?"
Surprisingly, she was thinking of the sub-female lead, not the main protagonist.
It was an unexpected answer, but my thoughts remained unchanged.
"Hmm, you want the sub-protagonist role."
"...Yes."
"That's not possible either."
"..."
Yeo Minseo had an expression that said she wanted to quit and walk out right this moment.
The fact that she was still sitting there must mean she liked the role a lot.
'Honestly, if Yeo Minseo said she would do the sub-lead role...'
Of course, I should be the one to welcome her with open arms.
If only Kim Hyunji wasn't the protagonist of this drama.
Would she think the same if her far-removed junior from the same agency was the main protagonist?
It's more comfortable to use a rookie actress who is nice and compliant.
Well, it's true that I'm being greedy.
Perhaps it's even arrogance.
A conviction in the system that had hit the jackpot with rookie actors.
There was a perception that the ratings for the first episode were usually determined by an actor's name recognition.
But "The Chaebol Heir is a Pure-hearted Macho" had handsomely shattered that old formula.
Even the reporters who had given skeptical reviews were now all full of praise.
"Phew..."
At that moment, Manager Jung Saerom sighed and opened her mouth.
"You two, you're not fighting in front of me, are you?"
"Ah, I don't do things like fighting. I don't know about the actress, though."
"This is..."
Saerom stared intently at me and asked.
"Writer-nim, do you dislike Minseo due to personal feelings?"
"What? No way. Why would I dislike the actress?"
"Then I understand even less. Minseo would not be lacking even as a lead."
"Well..."
If it weren't for Manager Jung, "Pure-hearted Macho" probably wouldn't have been produced.
Let alone on a JTBS broadcast, it would have been lucky to be produced as a web drama on YouTube.
Perhaps it would have been rejected in an unpopular contest for not being to the judge's taste.
'If only Yeo Minseo wasn't here, I could have spoken comfortably...'
Manager Jung Saerom continued with an expression that showed no hint of change.
"Why don't you just tell me honestly. Then I'll make sure to never put you two in the same project."
If I answered her emotionless voice with a 'yes,' I felt like I would regret it.
Simply... simply because I didn't want to disappoint Manager Jung.
Soon, as she had suggested, I answered honestly.
"The main female lead for this project has already been decided."
In truth, there was no reason I couldn't confide in Manager Jung.
Wasn't she the one who had already believed in me and acknowledged a rookie actor as the lead?
"...Like Semi-ssi or Jaejun?"
"Yes."
"Who is it?"
Jung Saerom and Yeo Minseo remained silent and looked at my lips.
Receiving the gazes of two women at once, I don't know what to do with myself.
"Kim Hyunji."
"Crazy."
Finally, a curse word escaped Yeo Minseo's lips.
'My goodness, how much kimchi soup is she drinking?'
The person who is supposed to give the rice cake isn't even thinking about it.