Episode 13
‘Did he scan my mind or something?’
Sometimes, a producer’s advice on what works and what doesn’t could be helpful.
For instance, when a location fell through and required script adjustments, or when the constraints of a filming environment clashed with the script content.
Producers played a role in mediating between the set and the writer in such situations.
However, Doyun, a rookie producer, shouldn’t have had the time or experience for that.
‘No, I called Kim Doyun here because he has a sharp eye for scripts.’
Not only was he good at analyzing scripts, but he also came up with ideas that struck like lightning.
More importantly, he had an uncanny knack for identifying the key points of a drama—the elements that sustained its appeal until the very end.
And he even thought of episodes to highlight those elements. That’s why Han Jiseon needed Kim Doyun: he contributed to her success.
The feedback Doyun gave on Episodes 1 and 2 pointed out things Jiseon had overlooked.
To be honest, it stung her pride, but so what? If it meant the drama would succeed, she’d accept it with a smile, even if it felt like a slap in the face.
Han Jiseon left the bar and headed straight to her workspace.
To sober up, she drank coffee while rapidly revising the scripts for Episodes 1 and 2.
By morning, her assistants arrived, and she could hear them whispering.
Ham Dajeong entered the writing room, cleared away the coffee cups from her all-nighter, and replaced them with fresh coffee and bread.
But Jiseon wasn’t hungry or thirsty.
Around noon, she finally sent the revised scripts to Kim Doyun via email, then collapsed onto the sofa and fell asleep as if she’d fainted.
When she woke up in the dead of night, the first thing she did was check her phone.
-[Episode 1 feels too heavy-handed.]
Clenching her teeth at Doyun’s brief reply, Han Jiseon muttered, “That bastard.”
She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat at her desk, furiously revising Episode 1. ‘You just wait, you little punk.’
Another day passed.
Her entire body ached, and she could smell the mustiness of sweat on herself.
After sending the revised Episode 1 via email, she washed up and scarfed down bread and coffee.
Ding! A notification popped up—it was from Kim Doyun.
-[Episode 1 is perfect. However, it doesn’t connect well with Episode 2. It seems you missed the male protagonist’s emotional cues.]
“Argh! This lunatic! Just write it yourself! You write it, then!”
Fueled by sheer determination, she resolved to earn his recognition no matter what.
Could it be said that Han Jiseon, who had written these scripts, couldn’t even convince a first-year rookie producer? Impossible.
She’d show him her skill, no matter what it took.
Running back into her writing room, she reviewed the revised Episode 1.
“The fact that he’s right makes it more infuriating!”
Reading it together with Episode 2 made it feel like watching two completely different dramas.
“Just wait!”
Grinding her teeth, Jiseon dove into revising Episode 2 while simultaneously reworking Episode 1.
Before she knew it, the sun was high in the sky, and she had no strength left to press the keys.
“Damn it, if he complains after reading this…”
She sent the email to Doyun and buried herself under her blanket. Strangely, she felt refreshed and relieved.
Thanks to that, she fell into a deep, sweet sleep. Upon waking up, she groggily reached for her phone.
There was no message from Kim Doyun.
‘What? Did he not even read my scripts?’
Still half-asleep, she stepped out of the writing room and froze.
“What?!”
The very person she’d been cursing in her head, Kim Doyun, was reading the printed scripts.
Sitting cross-legged with a sharp, focused look, his long legs stretched out, he glanced up at her as if he sensed her presence.
His handsome face broke into a smile, leaving her momentarily speechless. Then, the words she had been longing to hear came from his lips.
“Brilliant work, Writer. Truly impressive.”
Yes, this was why she wrote. Suppressing her giddiness, Jiseon ran her fingers through her messy hair.
“Well, it was tough, but… you know me. I’m a perfectionist.”
Han Jiseon, unable to let the moment pass without establishing her superiority, continued haughtily.
“Even without your feedback, I was going to fix everything before filming began. I just didn’t have the time because Director Lee kept picking fights with me. Not to mention, you distracted me with company issues.”
“Yes, that’s true.”
“Anyway, it seems you’re happy with the revisions? I told you, PD Kim knows how to read scripts! Haha!”
“But, Writer.”
Doyun neatly stacked the printed scripts and stood up. His suddenly serious expression made Jiseon uneasy.
“No! I’m not revising another word.”
“You might need to.”
“They’re perfect as is. No way I’m changing anything!”
Doyun looked awkwardly at the yelling Jiseon.
“Then should I step in and make the edits?”
“Are you insane? Hey, are you out of your mind? Do you want to die?”
Jiseon lunged to snatch the printed scripts from his hand.
However, with his height advantage, Doyun held the papers high above her reach. No matter how high she jumped, she couldn’t grab them.
Furious, Han Jiseon clenched her fists. Should she punch him?
Yes, punch him! The moment she made up her mind, Doyun smiled faintly and spoke.
“Should I leave the typos as is?”
“W-what? Typos?”
“If we’re going to bind it, I think the typos should be corrected…”
“What kind of joke is that? PD Kim, you’re such a menace!”
Jiseon unclenched her raised fists and grabbed Doyun’s jacket, shaking him in mock frustration.
As Doyun laughed cheerfully, Jiseon’s face grew inexplicably warm.
What is this? Why is my heart pounding so hard?
Startled, she stepped away from him and nervously brushed her hair back.
“Writer, since you’ve worked so hard, let me treat you to some delicious seaweed soup.”
“Huh? Seaweed soup? All of a sudden?”
“After enduring such labor pains to create such a perfect and beautiful script, you should have some seaweed soup to recover. I’ll take you to a great place I know.”
“Now that you mention it, that makes sense. Let’s go eat seaweed soup.”
As she entered the writing room to change her clothes, Jiseon felt a shiver run through her body.
Days of sleepless nights and inadequate meals had left her aching and sore, as if she were coming down with a cold.
‘I’d rather skip the meal and go to a sauna.’
But discussing Episodes 3 and 4 with Doyun took precedence. She couldn’t bear to revise another script alone, only to be told to rewrite it again.
However!
“Wait, were you planning to get seaweed soup here?”
The place Doyun took her to was the largest sauna in Yeouido.
“Yes, that’s right. You worked hard, so I thought you should relax and rest here.”
“What? How did you know I wanted to go to a sauna?”
He’s ridiculously perfect, isn’t he?
Though she rolled her eyes, Jiseon felt certain that working with someone like him was the best luck she’d ever had.
‘When this project is over, I’ll take him to a different production company.’
Her contract with H Production was only for a 16-episode mini-series.
Once A Summer’s Cantabile ended, Jiseon planned to raise her writing fees and move to another production company.
If she took Doyun with her, there wouldn’t even be a need to adapt to a new workplace.
He could handle everything business-related, leaving her to focus solely on writing scripts.
‘But what about the actor casting?’
Focused on script revisions, she hadn’t given much thought to finding a replacement male lead for Lee Jugeon.
Jeong Woon-Young and Director Lee Beom-un were undoubtedly working hard, but trusting their judgment was another matter entirely.
Starting tomorrow, she’d have to step up and oversee the casting for not just the male lead but all the supporting roles as well.
“This seaweed soup is amazing. I’m completely sold.”
After a couple of rounds in the sauna, eating the seaweed soup felt incredible.
The chills she’d been feeling were gone, and she felt utterly refreshed.
As she blew on the hot soup and sipped it, Doyun suddenly called out to someone across the room.
“Oh, Jihoon! Over here.”
“Who’s that?”
“My younger brother. Well, not by blood.”
Curious about the affectionate look in Doyun’s eyes, Jiseon turned to see who he was calling.
‘Huh? What’s this?’
A tall boy with tanned skin, a gentle impression, and large, clear eyes was walking toward them.
Jiseon’s eyes widened as she realized he perfectly matched the image of Yeonwoo, the male protagonist in ‘A Summer’s Cantabile,’ she’d envisioned while writing the script.
Of course, he was much younger, but…
‘He’d be perfect for playing Yeonwoo’s high school years!’
It dawned on her that Doyun hadn’t brought her to the sauna just to relax.
“What? If you were going to introduce me to an actor, you should’ve told me beforehand!”
As Jiseon put down her spoon and frowned, Doyun smiled sheepishly.
So that’s what this was about. This meeting had been arranged to cast the male protagonist’s younger counterpart.
How could someone be so meticulous? But that was a strength.
Without wasting a single hour, he’d not only minimized casting delays but also ensured Jiseon had the final say in casting.
Doyun looked even more capable in her eyes.
“Well, he’s not bad.”
That was Jiseon’s first assessment of Eun Jihoon.
***
Eun Jihoon was enjoying a surprisingly peaceful life. Not that he was slacking off.
[Start with your body. The role you’ll play requires you to take off your shirt and swim in the sea.]
Each morning began with exercise, followed by watching two movies from the stack of DVDs Doyun had provided and writing reviews.
[Just like plants wither without water and sunlight, actors dry up if they don’t watch and learn from other actors’ performances. Without input, there’s no output.]
After lunch, Jihoon read scripts and screenplays currently in production.
Doyun had emphasized that they were hard to come by and must not be leaked to anyone.
[Actors must read scripts and understand what the writer was thinking when they created the character. What do you think that requires?]
After much thought, Jihoon had replied.
[You probably need to read a lot of scripts.]
To succeed as a fruit seller, you’d need to buy, taste, and study fruit at the market, visit orchards, and even grow your own.
Acting was no different. By reading a lot of scripts, you could develop a sense of what suited you.
When he’d said this, Doyun had given him one of his rare smiles.
[Exactly. Knowing how to read a script is key. A good actor can bring to life parts the writer never imagined and create characters who feel real.]
Jihoon, who had vaguely dreamed of becoming an actor, felt his heart pounding at Doyun’s words.
‘So this is what it means to become an actor!’
—
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