Chapter 28
“It feels like we’re living under a king or something.”
Jeong Woon-young muttered to himself.
“A king?”
Lee Beom-un asked as if to confirm whom the remark was aimed at.
“Who else do you think?”
“Oh, come on! So, you’re talking about Kim Doyun?”
“The longer we talk about it, the more annoying it gets. Let’s just drop it. Anyway, forget about whatever you were supposed to get from Miracle and Park Jung-yoon. We’re not assigning the editing to them.”
“Wait, are you seriously making this decision because of something Kim PD said? He’s just a first-year PD!”
Jeong Woon-young scowled at those words.
“Ugh, damn it… Who doesn’t know that?”
Doyun never bowed his head. He didn’t try to curry favor, yet he excelled at his work.
What did that mean?
“It means he’s someone who brings in money.”
Unless he was an enemy who killed your family, anyone who brought in money was king in Jeong Woon-young’s eyes.
He picked up the receiver.
“Hey, it’s me. If Kim Doyun is still in the office, tell him to come to my room. Bring Section Chief Oh along, and make sure to bring the sponsorship proposal.”
A moment later, both Doyun and Oh Soon-gi entered the room.
“Just by the way they walked in, you could already tell how things are going.”
Oh Soon-gi entered looking as if he’d committed a grave sin, his shoulders hunched and his head low.
In contrast, Doyun walked in confidently, sitting on the sofa with his usual composed demeanor.
“Section Chief Oh, give me the list of confirmed sponsors.”
“Well… uh…”
“You mean there’s none? That can’t be right!”
“W-we have some dining sets, tableware…”
Oh presented the sponsorship list.
All it had were kitchenware items, like bowls and plates, from a single sponsor.
“What about furniture? Cars?”
“…”
“Damn it! Did you even get any bedding?”
“We might secure an electric rice cooker by the end of today…”
“You leech! Are we filming a cooking show?”
Even if they managed to get some kitchen props, the situation was dire.
He berated Oh Soon-gi furiously, but shouting wouldn’t magically summon furniture or cars.
“Ugh, for crying out loud! Hey, Kim Doyun.”
“Yes.”
“Can you handle it? Sponsorships, I mean. Can you get them or not?”
Earlier, Doyun had brought up the topic of sponsorships first. What did that imply?
“It must mean he believes he can secure sponsorships.”
Though Jeong Woon-young initially questioned why a first-year PD would concern himself with such matters, the dire situation now left no room for pride.
“Didn’t you bring up sponsorships first? You must have some confidence if you mentioned it.”
“You told me sponsorships weren’t my responsibility.”
“This damn kid…”
So, that’s how it’s going to be, huh?
Jeong Woon-young’s eyes bulged as he yelled.
“I’m making it your responsibility now!”
Hearing this, Doyun stroked his chin, pretending to deliberate.
‘Wow, look at this guy testing the waters.’
But Jeong Woon-young couldn’t just force work onto him recklessly.
When drafting the project PD contract, they had clearly outlined Doyun’s responsibilities: supporting Han Jiseon with the script and overseeing the outdoor shoot in Jeongdongjin.
Any additional tasks required “consultation,” as explicitly stated in the contract.
‘I’ve shot myself in the foot.’
Yet Jeong Woon-young had no choice but to bring in sponsors. The same went for finding a reliable editing company.
Someone capable of taking full responsibility for the entire drama production, even down to the minutiae, was desperately needed.
“How about we match the salary to a third-year level? Can you take on the planning PD role in place of Hwang Changsoo?”
At these words, Doyun turned to Oh Soon-gi.
“Section Chief Oh, what’s your current rank?”
Everyone knew he wasn’t asking out of ignorance, and the silence in the room became suffocating.
Oh Soon-gi, sweating bullets, finally answered.
“I’m a section chief. Why ask when you already know?”
Only then did Doyun look straight into Jeong Woon-young’s eyes.
“If you’re asking me to handle everything, including sponsorships, then grant me Section Chief Oh’s rank. As for sponsorships…”
With a thud, Doyun placed some documents on the table one by one.
“Here are the contracts for furniture, interior design, costumes, shoes, and five cars.”
***
“Congratulations on becoming the new planning PD!”
The news of Doyun’s promotion caused an uproar at H Productions.
A first-year recruit straight out of the academy landing a planning PD position was unheard of.
But Doyun had been someone who, in a previous life, climbed to the pinnacle of production as the Mflix Head of Division.
A measly section chief or planning PD title wouldn’t satisfy him.
“Do I really need to take this position?”
“Why are you saying such things?”
Do Suyeong, eager to help move his belongings, beamed brightly, her eyes twinkling with gratitude.
She had been grateful ever since Doyun stepped up for her after Hwang Changsoo dumped water on her.
“Isn’t it tradition to eat jjajangmyeon on moving day?”
“Moving day?”
“Moving your desk is basically moving, isn’t it?”
“Is that so?”
When Doyun tilted his head quizzically, Choi Young-ah, who was helping Suyeong, chimed in.
“Oh, come on! You’re so clueless. She’s saying we should have lunch to celebrate. Right, PD Do?”
“It’s not that I’m trying to freeload. I just wanted to celebrate. I’ll buy the jjajangmyeon.”
“No, I’ll treat.”
By the time they finished moving the desk, it was lunchtime.
Aside from Suyeong and Young-ah, no other PD seemed to celebrate Doyun’s promotion.
‘Well, they must be in shock.’
Though promotions in production weren’t strictly tied to seniority, Doyun’s rapid ascent was undeniably extraordinary.
‘There’ll be plenty more surprises in store.’
After organizing his new desk, Doyun looked at Suyeong and Young-ah in turn.
“Shall we go for lunch then?”
“PD Do, what should we do next?”
Choi Young-ah spoke with an apologetic expression.
“I just got a call from my younger sister saying she’s nearby. I’m sorry. PD Do, good luck!”
Cheering enthusiastically for Do Suyeong, Choi Young-ah pumped her fist in the air before dashing out of the office.
“What’s with the ‘good luck’?”
When Doyun asked, Do Suyeong blushed and mumbled.
“Who knows? Young-ah does unpredictable things sometimes.”
“Seems like it.”
Without much thought, Doyun left the office.
The weather was unbearably hot for late spring. It felt like the sudden heatwave called for cold noodles instead of jjajangmyeon.
“So, about the cosmetics sponsorship.”
“Oh, yes.”
“…Would a sponsorship from a small cosmetics company be okay?”
“We’re currently in talks with Amorea, endorsed by Jeon Sera. But they’re requesting five scenes showing skin lotion application, three scenes using lipstick, and three scenes featuring a compact mirror, either for checking makeup or reapplying it.”
At the time, indirect advertising was strictly prohibited.
Violating this rule could result in fines or formal apologies mandated by the Broadcast Ethics Commission.
But did this mean production companies avoided indirect advertising altogether?
Absolutely not. Without sponsorships, producing dramas was nearly impossible, so companies discreetly navigated the rules.
“If Amorea’s terms are too demanding, I can introduce another option. It’s a small cosmetics company, but they focus on naturalism and are quite reputable.”
Naturalism?
The word piqued Doyun’s interest.
A Summer’s Cantabile, set against the cool seaside backdrop of Jeongdongjin, featured Jeon Sera, a leading actress with fairy-like, otherworldly beauty.
Additionally, the story’s female lead, Hyein, was a character recovering her health in Jeongdongjin.
“Naturalism sounds great. It fits the drama concept perfectly.”
“Right? I thought so too. The best part about this company is that they don’t demand script changes. All they ask is for the products to be displayed on a vanity. They’re even willing to match Amorea’s offered rates.”
Do Suyeong went on, rambling about discussions she’d had with the cosmetics company’s marketing director.
“They have just one request: a scene where Hyein shops for cosmetics with her college friends. We could adjust the location to exclude street scenes. What do you think?”
“What’s the company called? The naturalist cosmetics one.”
“Would you like to meet them? I have the CEO’s business card.”
Do Suyeong handed over the card.
-Do Jeongsoo, CEO of Cosmetan
Do Suyeong, Do Jeongsoo…
‘PD Suyeong’s father?’
Doyun glanced at Suyeong’s remarkably clear and spotless complexion before tucking the card into his wallet.
Cosmetan.
At this point, it was a little-known small cosmetics company that operated as an OEM supplier for larger corporations.
Eventually, they began producing their own line of cosmetics. Lacking distribution channels, they opened direct retail stores.
With only a handful of stores in Seoul and one in Busan, these outlets functioned more as promotional showrooms than actual stores.
The displays were sparse, focusing solely on basic skincare products, with no decorative cosmetics available.
‘That later became a massive hit.’
At the time, cosmetics stores were cluttered with products from various brands, often overwhelming customers.
Rather than letting consumers make choices, shopkeepers would simply recommend products.
‘The prices were also ridiculously high.’
Cosmetan introduced a revolutionary sales model: direct production, direct sales, and allowing customers to test products before purchase.
Furthermore, they aggressively pursued drama sponsorships.
‘I remember having several meetings with their representatives in the past.’
The promotional impact of drama sponsorships was incredible, catapulting this small company to the forefront of the K-beauty industry.
So, could Do Suyeong end up as the heir to a cosmetics empire in the future?
“I’ll contact them by tomorrow.”
“Oh, yes, sure.”
Do Suyeong bit her lip and averted her gaze slightly.
Being a supplier for major cosmetics companies likely meant significant cash flow. If this fact became widely known, it could lead to biased assumptions. That might explain why she had kept it a secret.
Revealing it now to Doyun probably left her feeling embarrassed.
‘Why would she be embarrassed after being so open about it?’
As they resumed walking, Doyun casually remarked.
“Summer is almost here.”
“Pardon? Oh, yes.”
“This year’s going to be really hot. Speaking of which…”
He trailed off, prompting Suyeong to blink her hopeful eyes at him.
“…You probably can’t take a vacation, can you?”
“Vacation? I’m here to work.”
“Oh, I see. What I meant was…”
As Suyeong eagerly leaned in, Doyun added.
“Wouldn’t it be better to have cold noodles instead of jjajangmyeon since it’s so hot?”
“…Cold noodles?”
Suyeong’s expression looked utterly disappointed, causing Doyun to abandon his craving for cold noodles.
“If you don’t like cold noodles, never mind.”
“No, let’s have cold noodles. Look, there’s a cold noodle place over there!”
Pouting slightly, Suyeong strode ahead toward the restaurant.
‘Why is she upset?’
It wasn’t like he’d refused to meet the Cosmetan CEO. Doyun couldn’t quite figure out why she seemed displeased.
After all, he hadn’t made any missteps—professionally or personally.
—
Read More at – GENZNOVEL.COM!!
PLEASE JOIN OUR DISCORD AND SUBSCRIBE THE ROLE TO RECEIVE LATEST NOTIFICATIONS!!
Click here -> https://discord.gg/S8c2kGVr2g
Comment