Chapter 8
“Wait, so you’re saying… me?”
Tears welled up in Eun Jihoon’s eyes as he asked.
“Yeah. I’m casting you.”
“Wow! I thought this would never happen and I’d have to wait till I die!”
“Cut it out with the talk about dying. Don’t ever say that again, got it?”
“Yes.”
Eun Jihoon nodded firmly as if swearing never to speak of such things again.
“Do you live with your grandmother?”
“Yes. My maternal grandmother.”
Those punks had called her an old lady collecting scrap paper. They had said he was a basic welfare recipient.
It seemed they were barely scraping by in a rundown house in the hills.
“I can’t let him go back to that place.”
A flurry of thoughts swirled in Doyun’s head.
If he were still the head of Mflix, making Eun Jihoon a star wouldn’t have been hard at all.
But now he was just a first-year rookie producer.
Still, Doyun knew not only how the drama industry would evolve but also the formula for success.
“I can do this!”
At the very moment he resolved to make Eun Jihoon a star, a chime sounded, and a translucent window appeared before him.
[Would you like to activate the Eun Jihoon Route?]
What’s this?
Up until now, the future news had been trivial at best.
And it had only appeared once a day, with the last one showing up earlier this morning.
[The Eun Jihoon Route is now open.]
A new message appeared on the translucent window, followed by scrolling text and an announcer-like voice.
**[You can now watch an additional piece of news once daily until the completion of the Eun Jihoon Route. Channel: One unconditional change per day. Additional channel changes are available once Eun Jihoon’s Success Satisfaction reaches 70 or higher. When Success Satisfaction exceeds 80, you can view news for a specified date.
Channels: Entertainment News / Economic News / Weather Reports / Social News / Cultural News / Political News
If Eun Jihoon falters, fails, or gives up, the Eun Jihoon Route will close permanently.]*
“What is this?”
So I can watch one more piece of future news every day?
And if I increase Eun Jihoon’s Success Satisfaction, I’ll even be able to choose the date of the news I want to see?
Then the future news about ‘A Summer’s Cantabile’ that I’d been seeing daily…!
“That was my own Success Route.”
At that moment, another message appeared on the translucent window.
[Continuing from yesterday, today will also bring a strong Arctic cold snap. Please take extra precautions to avoid pipe bursts and other accidents. This Arctic blast originates from the Siberian air mass and…]
“Weather?”
It’s early spring now. But the weather forecast was for 10 months later.
It must have been because the Success Satisfaction was still low.
Once it increased, I’d be able to choose specific dates to view news.
“Do people realize how crucial weather is for drama shoots?”
If the forecast is wrong, everyone on set could end up suffering immensely.
I remembered incidents where staff members had been electrocuted during a surprise rainstorm or a stuntman had been swept away by a sudden gust of wind, plummeting from a mountaintop.
This ability could prevent such accidents.
“So, the goal is to make Eun Jihoon successful, so I can succeed too?”
I had already been brimming with confidence about succeeding and had resolved to help Eun Jihoon achieve success.
But if abilities like this came as a bonus, it would definitely make things easier.
Perfect. Just perfect.
Since I could even switch channels, it was like being handed the remote to future news.
“Jihoon.”
“Yes?”
Startled, Eun Jihoon blinked and looked at Doyun.
“Did you eat?”
“What?”
“You haven’t eaten yet, right? Let’s go eat and figure out what to do next together.”
“…Okay.”
Eun Jihoon obediently followed behind Doyun. Noticing this, Doyun stopped walking and motioned with his hand.
“Walk beside me.”
“Yes.”
Eun Jihoon, with his long legs, hopped a few steps forward and walked next to Doyun. He looked like a frightened puppy, afraid of being abandoned.
“Jihoon, from now on, don’t just follow people who offer to buy you food. You don’t know what they might do.”
Eun Jihoon quickly stepped back a few paces, startled. Seeing this, Doyun laughed.
“Ah, you’re so naive. Would I have warned you if I were a con artist? There’s so much I need to teach you.”
As Doyun strolled ahead, Eun Jihoon trailed him closely.
***
Focus, specialization, and efficiency.
Doyun had once sprinted forward with these principles etched into his core.
But this time around, he decided to stake everything not on work, but on people.
The most efficient way to nurture Eun Jihoon was to debut him immediately.
‘I’ll build my success by investing in people along the way.’
Doyun arrived at the Yeouido Life Officetel and pressed the doorbell to Han Jiseon’s workspace.
Ding-dong. The cheerful sound of the bell rang out, and the door immediately flung open.
“PD Mr. Kim.”
Han Jiseon appeared with her disheveled hair flying around her face. Despite having two assistant writers, she opened the door herself, a clear sign she had been eagerly waiting for him.
“Hello, Writer Han. I must have startled you by asking to meet out of the blue.”
“You ignored my calls this entire time, and now you’re worried about startling me? Seriously, even if the company pressures you, how could you quit without even a word to me?”
‘You’re not the one paying my salary, are you?’
Suppressing a smirk, Doyun stepped into the officetel.
The two assistant writers greeted him with polite bows. His gaze lingered slightly longer on one of them—specifically, Lee Seulgi.
Three years from now, Lee Seulgi would debut as a writer with her first script. Unfortunately, it would flop with ratings as low as the national anthem’s.
It wasn’t because of flaws in Seulgi’s writing. The production company had cut too many corners, and luck simply wasn’t on her side.
The limited budget led to a last-minute substitute director who fumbled the execution. Paired with a miscast actor delivering wooden performances, the project was doomed from the start.
However, Doyun highly valued the message Seulgi had tried to convey in her drama.
Her writing carried a warm perspective on humanity and a remarkable ability to capture the spectrum of emotions in her unique tone.
‘Simply put, she’s undervalued stock.’
Seulgi’s debut drama, which ended up as her swan song.
To be honest, Doyun coveted it. With a polished script, better actors, and a skilled director, it had the potential to leave an indelible mark on drama history.
For now, though, ‘A Summer’s Cantabile’ took priority.
Doyun handed the takeout coffee he had brought to Seulgi.
“I brought coffee for you all.”
“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”
“No problem.”
Doyun followed Han Jiseon into the inner room.
Since the company had leased the two-room Life Officetel, Han Jiseon used the inner room as her writing studio.
The sofa bed was still unfolded, so assistant writer Ham Dajeong brought in a chair.
No sooner had Han Jiseon sat down than she started talking.
“What’s going on? So, are you back or not?”
“To be honest, as the youngest PD at the company, I’ve often felt that I wasn’t able to help you as much as I’d like. It left me feeling conflicted.”
That was his opening.
Most people only think from their own perspective.
Han Jiseon, in particular, was deeply attached to her dramas and fervently desired success.
If he said that H Productions hadn’t appreciated his value and that’s why he quit?
‘So you didn’t care if my drama failed? Were you always such an irresponsible person, Kim Doyun?’
That would have been her immediate reaction.
Even if he told her he had been fed up with Bae Shin-ho’s verbal abuse and office politics, or had felt humiliated by Lee Beom-un’s power plays, her response would have been the same:
‘So what? I can’t relate to that.’
‘She interprets everything from her perspective.’
The solution was to speak in terms that aligned with her interests. Only then would she respond with, “Ah, I see. I understand now.”
Doyun took a sip of his coffee and looked directly into her eyes.
“I believe the most important role of a drama PD is to ensure that writers can work under the best conditions. I felt I was falling short in that regard, and it weighed heavily on me.”
It wasn’t entirely untrue.
Unlike films, where the director’s skills were paramount, the outcome of a drama was heavily influenced by the writer’s vision.
“I see.”
Han Jiseon nodded.
“Do you remember me mentioning that my hometown is by the East Coast?”
“Of course I do.”
“I recently spent some time back home, and it gave me a lot to think about, especially regarding ‘A Summer’s Cantabile.’ I even came up with a few ideas.”
Hearing that, Han Jiseon swallowed nervously.
“I’m dying to know. What kind of ideas?”
Seeing her eagerness, Doyun crossed his legs leisurely, thinking to himself:
‘Stay tuned for the next episode.’
Every drama ended on a cliffhanger to keep viewers hooked until the next week.
Doyun deliberately held back, leaving her curious and wanting more.
“I wouldn’t want to disrupt your writing with premature suggestions, but as I cleared my mind, various ideas came to me. And I realized something important about a PD’s role.”
At that moment, Ham Dajeong entered with a tray of bread and snacks, interrupting Doyun’s critical point.
“Mr. PD, do you know who the worst kind of person is? Someone who starts a story and doesn’t finish it.”
“My position is a bit precarious, you see.”
Not entirely untrue, so Han Jiseon downed her coffee in frustration, visibly pondering his words.
‘This is the perfect balance. I’ve made my stance clear.’
After glancing at his wristwatch, Doyun stood up leisurely.
“Writer Han, I have another appointment, so I’ll have to take my leave. I’m sorry.”
Reluctantly, Han Jiseon followed him to the door, saying:
“I’ll talk to Representative Jeong about how to ensure you won’t be distracted by other tasks.”
The words Doyun had been waiting for finally came out of her mouth.
***
At that time, Eun Jihoon was packing the essentials he’d need to live day-to-day. Kim Doyun had arranged for him to have a place to stay.
They even signed a contract.
The terms stipulated that any contracts with other entertainment managements required Doyun’s prior approval.
[Listen carefully to what I’m about to say. First, I’ll arrange a place for you to live. It’s a studio in Sillim-dong. I used to live there, but I recently moved in with a friend. I was planning to give it up, but you can use it instead.]
Kim Doyun, the man who appeared like a savior.
Though he only said what was absolutely necessary, Eun Jihoon sensed something indescribable in his tone.
‘He was worried about me.’
—
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