Chapter 10
“It gets boring to just stay still.”
Eun Jihoon said sheepishly as he shook out the rag.
‘What’s that?’
It looked like he had taken an old towel, which had previously been a floor mat, then dumped in the trash bag by the front door, and decided to repurpose it as a cleaning cloth.
First time living alone. His first independent space.
Cleaning this room probably filled Eun Jihoon with determination—vowing to do well and live better.
What a commendable kid.
After scanning the now-spotless room again, Kim Doyun turned to Eun Jihoon.
“Let’s eat. When you move into a new place, you’re supposed to have black bean noodles, right?”
“Huh? Move?”
Eun Jihoon’s already large eyes grew even wider as he asked.
“I’m talking about you. You moved today.”
“Oh, does that mean I can stay here for good?”
“Yeah.”
“Th-Thank you!”
They stepped out of the studio apartment and headed to a Chinese restaurant Doyun frequented. After sitting down, Doyun broached the topic weighing on his mind.
Previously, he had asked Eun Jihoon to choose between transferring schools or dropping out. Now it was time to hear his answer.
“What are you planning to do about school?”
“I’m thinking of dropping out. Those guys go to the same school.”
“What about transferring?”
“No matter where I go, it’ll be the same. I’ve never really gotten along with others since elementary school. Staying unnoticed is the best strategy, but I…”
Despite his striking appearance, the combination of financial hardship and his timid personality had made him an easy target everywhere.
“Alright. Let’s go with dropping out. Take the high school equivalency exam, build your résumé as an actor, and then enroll in a theater and film program.”
For actors, talent and acting ability were far more important than educational background.
And Eun Jihoon had both in spades. It would just be a matter of building experience through various roles.
‘He could even start college early and make friends he can trust.’
One thing Eun Jihoon had lacked in his past life was friends.
This time, Doyun wanted him to enjoy college life, make meaningful connections, and have some fun along the way.
“College? Me? Go to college?”
“If you don’t want to, you don’t have to. But college life could broaden your acting range.”
“…Okay.”
Eun Jihoon replied hesitantly, almost inaudibly.
Doyun understood why he was so reluctant.
“Let me make one thing clear. Don’t waste energy worrying about disappointing me if you don’t succeed.”
The fear of being abandoned clearly weighed heavily on Eun Jihoon.
“It’s your life, whether you succeed or fail. So think about it from your perspective.”
“…”
“And you will succeed. Let’s believe that, okay?”
“Yes.”
The owner of the Chinese restaurant recognized Doyun and greeted him warmly.
“Long time no see! Black bean noodles or spicy seafood soup today?”
In the past, Doyun had always prioritized efficiency.
He’d ask which dish would be served faster and just pick that to save time.
But this time!
“Do you have any specials today?”
“I just got some great octopus and mussels from the fish market. The spicy seafood soup is excellent.”
“Then I’ll have the seafood soup. What about you?”
Without hesitation, Eun Jihoon answered, “I’ll have the same.”
“Two bowls of seafood soup and a large sweet and sour pork, please. Take your time and fry it nice and crispy.”
“Got it.”
Now all they had to do was wait for their delicious meal—and for Jeong Woon-Young to call back with a green light on the project contract.
[‘Summer Cantabile’ lead actor Lee Jugeon has withdrawn following a DUI incident. Candidates being considered to replace him include Seo Dongjin and Cho Sangwoo…]
Every morning, the translucent window displaying the “Summer Cantabile” updates was part of Doyun’s success route.
By lunchtime, another translucent window would pop up.
[Heavy rains yesterday caused flooding across the country, displacing numerous residents. Particularly in the central inland regions, the Geum River overflowed…]
The news related to Eun Jihoon’s success route was primarily focused on weather reports.
‘Hmm. I think I’m starting to get it.’
There was a clear distinction between the news from Doyun’s success route and Eun Jihoon’s.
Doyun’s updates covered events happening in the near future, while Eun Jihoon’s seemed erratic and unpredictable.
It made sense. Doyun’s chosen path was already aligned with a successful trajectory.
‘Even though I’m looking out for my people at the same time.’
In contrast, Eun Jihoon’s success route was just beginning, with no notable achievements yet. Hence, the news it provided was mostly trivial or random.
‘So my success is progressing faster?’
For now, it seemed that way, especially since he was riding the momentum of the guaranteed success of “Summer Cantabile.”
“Please process this transfer.”
At the bank, Doyun handed over his passbook, seal, and transfer request form.
It was a time when online banking wasn’t widely used, so he came to the bank in person.
“Are you confirming that you wish to transfer 20 million won to Shin Sun-ok?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
In the end, Jeong Woon-young reached out first to propose the project contract.
The contract arrived by registered mail. After Kim Doyun signed it and sent it back, the funds were deposited into his account.
‘He must’ve avoided calling me to the office out of fear I might change my mind.’
A junior PD going AWOL and then returning to the company? On top of that, as a project PD?
Superiors would inevitably find a reason to pick a fight, claiming it was special treatment.
Especially Bae Shin-ho, who was probably lying in wait, seething, and eager to stir up trouble.
Fully aware of the situation, Jeong Woon-young rushed to finalize the contract, likely thinking it was better to secure Doyun first and deal with the fallout later.
In return, Jeong Woon-young imposed one condition: if Doyun breached the contract, he would have to pay double the agreed penalty.
‘Not that I’m going to break the contract, so it doesn’t matter.’
Either way, Doyun had received a lump sum of 30 million won, of which he decided to send 20 million won to his mother.
As the bank clerk processed the transfer, Doyun called his mother.
-Oh, Doyun. What’s happening with your plans to change jobs? Are you looking into it properly?
“I’m going back to my old company. They offered me a higher salary.”
-“Really? That’s great.”
Relief was evident in his mother’s voice, prompting Doyun to quickly add more.
“Mother, my company is planning to shoot a drama set in Jeongdongjin. Once the drama wraps up this fall, Jeongdongjin will become famous, and business will do well.”
-“I hope so. I haven’t sold the land since you told me not to.”
That was a relief.
Keeping the land was important, but ensuring his mother wasn’t evicted from the building where she ran her business was even more critical.
The back of the shop doubled as a living space, and that modest single-story building was the family’s home base.
“I just sent you 20 million won.”
-What? 20 million won? Where did you get that kind of money?
“The company gave it to me. I told you I’m capable.”
His mother hesitated for a moment before speaking in a trembling voice.
-You probably have your own expenses to worry about. Why send money to me? You just said business will pick up after the drama shoot.
“If that happens, the rent will go up.”
-If business goes well, then what’s a bit of extra rent?
“At first, they’ll ask for 500,000 won more. Then, when even more tourists come, they’ll ask for 5 million. They might even kick you out altogether.”
Her voice faltered, betraying the fear creeping in.
After raising three children alone following her husband’s death, she had learned the hard way not to trust people easily.
“With the 20 million won I sent, you can’t buy the shop outright. But you can use the land as collateral to borrow money. Use the money I sent to cover the interest. By next year, I’ll pay off the debt.”
-Doyun, you don’t have to do all this for me. I’ve saved some money too.
“That’s for sending Dohee to college. So, please use this money to buy the shop. Okay?”
-…Alright.
After ending the call with his mother, Doyun headed to Seo Dongjin’s agency.
“This is Kim Doyun from H Production. May I meet with Actor Seo Dongjin?”
Next week, it would become public knowledge that Lee Jugeon, the male lead of ‘Summer Cantabile,’ was stepping down due to a DUI incident.
‘But the DUI happens tomorrow.’
Following Lee Jugeon’s exit, the actors being considered to replace him were Seo Dongjin and Cho Sangwoo.
Seo Dongjin, with his refined image, was an actor on the rise.
Originally a model, his sophisticated aura made anything he wore look high-class.
Though some had voiced concerns that his seaside origins made him unsuited for rougher roles, Seo Dongjin overcame those doubts with his acting skills.
In fact, he would go on to be the key player in driving ‘Summer Cantabile’ to a 30% viewership rating.
The reason Doyun sought him out early was simple.
“Hello, Actor Seo Dongjin. I’m PD Kim Doyun from H Production. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
He needed to leave an impression. And prepare him before filming began.
“H Production? What brings you to me?”
Having just started to gain recognition, Seo Dongjin greeted him warmly, albeit slightly bewildered. But after seeing the business card Doyun handed over, his demeanor became more respectful.
“You’re a project PD?”
Kim Doyun was no longer just a junior PD. He was the project PD for ‘Summer Cantabile.’
‘This is what they call killing two birds with one stone.’
Securing a 30 million won contract and a project PD position at once.
***
“Just let him show up.”
Bae Shin-ho was grinding his teeth after hearing that Doyun was returning.
When Doyun went AWOL, Bae had been summoned by Jeong Woon-young and harshly reprimanded.
‘Quit because of me, did he?’
Let him show his face. This time, Bae was determined to teach him a lesson.
Arriving at the office earlier than usual, Bae waited for Doyun to arrive.
“What’s this? It’s past the start time, and he’s still not here?”
Just as Bae reveled in the idea of using tardiness as an excuse to torment Doyun all day, the door opened promptly at 9:00 AM, and in walked Doyun.
“Well, look at this guy.”
Without offering any apologies for his absence, Doyun headed straight to his desk to begin work.
“Hey, you. Come here for a second.”
“Me?”
“Who else?”
Leaning back in his chair, Bae grinned wickedly.
He had intended to tease Doyun half-playfully, half-threateningly, but seeing Doyun approach calmly and confidently, Bae changed his mind.
‘What’s with the arrogance?’
Deciding that riling him up with sly remarks wouldn’t work, Bae straightened his posture and put on a serious face.
“Do you not know the difference between school and work? Wait, no! Were you the type to get bullied even in school? You holding a grudge against your senior and tattling to the director? Is it my fault you quit?”
“So, when will you apologize?”
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