Chapter 57
[The hit drama A Summer’s Cantabile faces a major setback. During a nighttime shoot in the Hyehwa-dong residential area, a violent altercation broke out between local residents and the production crew. Reports indicate that a man in his 60s sustained a serious head injury.]
As the news headline flashed across the screen and the anchor’s voice filled the room, Doyun’s head burned with frustration.
‘Why did the filming location suddenly change to Hyehwa-dong?!’
Hyehwa-dong was a popular filming location for dramas and movies.
If one climbed the steep stone steps past Marronnier Park, a quiet and picturesque neighborhood unfolded—a stark contrast to the bustling heart of Seoul.
The single-story houses lined the narrow alleys, radiating a charming, old-world atmosphere.
Dandelions and azaleas bloomed between stone walls, and a large poplar tree stood beside an open lot near the steps, its fresh green leaves shimmering in the night air.
Beneath the tree, residents would often gather, chatting as they rested on wooden benches.
However, as word spread about its scenic beauty, more filming crews flocked to the area, causing growing inconvenience to the residents.
They blocked narrow alleyways for shoots, demanded silence from the locals, and even intruded into private properties.
Daytime shoots were somewhat tolerable, but nighttime filming?
The crews blasted floodlights like it was broad daylight, used megaphones, and created unbearable noise.
Some thoughtless staff members even knocked on doors late at night, asking to use bathrooms—waking up sleeping residents in the process.
Understandably, locals became furious whenever they saw filming equipment being set up.
To make matters worse, there had been ongoing protests in Jongno and Hyehwa-dong recently.
With main roads completely blocked, residents couldn’t even leave their neighborhood.
And now, a film crew had barged in, invading their privacy—how could they not be outraged?
‘That’s exactly why I suggested changing the location to Anguk-dong.’
Anguk-dong was the closest match to Hyehwa-dong’s aesthetic.
It had single-story hanok-style homes with tiled roofs, low stone fences, and rows of vegetable pots filled with lettuce and chili plants.
Behind the neighborhood, a scenic mountain spring reflected the city lights, creating the perfect nighttime backdrop.
‘We could’ve captured a breathtaking skyline on camera.’
Doyun had even gone out himself, taking photographs of various Anguk-dong locations to persuade the local community leader.
‘The village leader was thrilled, saying the drama could promote their neighborhood.’
Thanks to their support, they had agreed to cooperate with the production—as long as they were given advance notice of the filming schedule.
Both Jeong Woon-Young and Han Jiseon praised his efforts, calling him the best PD on set.
And yet—
‘Who the hell changed the location?!’
The outdoor shooting in Seoul was assigned to Director Jang Sang-gu from Team B.
Which made this even more baffling.
Jang Sang-gu was a seasoned director, someone who had handled countless productions.
There was no way he’d lose control and get caught up in a violent altercation.
‘Could this be Lee Beom-un’s doing?’
After causing problems in Jeongdongjin, Lee Beom-un was relocated back to Seoul.
Since the studio sets were completed, the production had switched to focusing on key outdoor scenes.
Team B, led by Jang Sang-gu, was handling the remaining shoots in Jeongdongjin.
Doyun checked the news report again, looking for the exact filming date.
‘Two days from now… Just as I thought. This is Lee Beom-un’s fault.’
Clearly, he had changed the location to Hyehwa-dong in a desperate attempt to redeem himself after his failure in Jeongdongjin.
And now, his recklessness had led to a disaster.
Instead of heading to Ilsan, where he was supposed to oversee the editing, Doyun caught a bus to Gangnam instead.
‘I need to go to the company first.’
***
Inside the Production Office.
“Are you serious? You’re asking for another assistant director?!”
Jeong Woon-Young slammed his coffee mug onto the table.
“I knew you’d react like this, so I got approval from the executive producer.”
Lee Beom-un sipped his coffee with a smug grin.
“Maybe your boss is Director Oh, but I’m the one making this drama. How the hell do you make a decision like that without even telling me? Do you think I’m a joke?”
Truthfully, Jeong Woon-Young did see him as a joke.
Not a fountain of fresh ideas, but stagnant water sitting uselessly in a ditch.
‘I thought he had potential after directing two well-polished one-act dramas.’
Of course, it was Ma Gitae, the legendary cinematographer, who had truly elevated the visual quality of those projects.
Still, getting someone as picky as Ma Gitae to work with him not once, but twice?
That was impressive.
So, expectations had been high for Lee Beom-un.
Since he had managed to win over Ma Gitae, it was assumed he could handle Jang Sang-gu and the rest of the crew as well.
But what a disappointment.
On the very first day of filming, he skipped the team’s first meal together to eat bone broth soup alone.
‘I should’ve stripped the meat off his bones right then.’
There was a saying that the beginning is half the battle.
But Lee Beom-un had managed to ruin everything from the start.
It was no wonder the staff respected Kim Doyun more than him.
Even now, his phone remained silent—a clear sign of his irrelevance.
That was unacceptable.
Normally, once a drama started filming, the director’s phone never stopped ringing.
“Director, where are you? Please pick up!”
“Should we use this prop or that one?”
And it wasn’t just the staff—the scriptwriters constantly called the director, ensuring that everything stayed in sync.
“Director, we’re adding an action scene in Episode 5, so you should contact the stunt school and hire a stunt double.”
“Or—Director! We’re reducing the supporting roles and increasing the protagonist’s screen time to boost ratings. You should start buttering up the lead actor now.”
Even when the writers and staff worked together like a three-legged race to keep the production running, problems still arose.
Yet here was Lee Beom-un, acting like he was above it all, insisting on bringing in his junior from the broadcasting station as an assistant director.
“Beom-un. Do you think Director Oh gave you an assistant director for your debut project because he liked you? It’s not like he did it for me out of affection, either.”
“He did it because he wants me to succeed. What’s wrong with that?”
Jeong Woon-Young felt the urge to smack his forehead as he watched Lee Beom-un wallow in his delusions.
“Did it ever cross your mind that maybe he doesn’t trust you?”
“What kind of nonsense is that? I was the one who asked for it first!”
In other words, he had gone to Oh Youngguk over the weekend and begged for it.
That only made Jeong Woon-Young despise him even more.
From the perspective of an outsourcing production company, extra staff from the broadcasting station weren’t always a welcome addition.
‘Because that’s a debt that has to be repaid later.’
And all debts must be settled eventually.
If, in the future, they were forced to shoot a mini-series with a slashed budget, Jeong Woon-Young might have no choice but to accept it with tears in his eyes.
Feeling utterly frustrated, he let out a deep sigh and asked:
“Why exactly do you need another assistant director? You already have one, and Jang Sang-gu has one too. That makes two!”
“I don’t want to waste my energy on trivial matters.”
“Kim Doyun is already handling all the trivial matters!”
At that, Lee Beom-un scratched the back of his head and avoided eye contact.
That reaction confirmed Jeong Woon-Young’s suspicions.
“Don’t tell me… you’re planning to make your junior the actual PD?”
“That would make my life easier, wouldn’t it?”
“You son of a—!”
So, he wanted to turn Kim Doyun into a puppet and install his own lackey instead?
With an icy stare, Jeong Woon-Young lowered his voice and spoke:
“Are you really going to pull this kind of stunt on your first mini-series? Pushing out the assistant director provided by the production company and replacing him with your junior? That’s deceitful and an abuse of power.”
“……”
“If word of this gets out, no production company will want to work with you. There’s a reason they say first impressions are everything.”
“How do you expect me to work when he keeps getting in my way? Think about it, Senior. How can an outsourced PD act like he’s above me, the director?”
Outsourced PD Kim Doyun.
Sure, technically, that was true.
But—
When Lee Jugeon got into a drunk driving accident, A Summer’s Cantabile was on the verge of collapsing.
Then, Lee Beom-un and Han Jiseon had a major fallout, making it seem like the drama would either lose its director or be indefinitely delayed.
And yet, Kim Doyun had pulled everything back together.
‘And now, after all that, you want to throw him under the bus?’
Maybe that was exactly why Lee Beom-un was acting out so desperately.
The industry was small, and sometimes, the only way to survive was to steal someone else’s meal ticket.
If he could push Kim Doyun out and prove his own superiority, it would solidify his position.
Because in the end, the one who endured was the one who survived.
Still—
‘This is a betrayal.’
But Jeong Woon-Young couldn’t say that out loud.
‘I have to protect my own livelihood first.’
His mouth felt dry, so he picked up his coffee mug from the table.
“As your senior in the industry, I’ll give you just one piece of advice. Don’t live your life like this, you bastard. One wrong move, and you’ll go down in flames.”
“We’re just talking about getting rid of one PD. What’s the big deal?”
Watching Lee Beom-un sneer, Jeong Woon-Young couldn’t help but think:
‘This guy really is a piece of work.’
But at the same time, another thought crept into his mind.
‘Wait a minute. If Kim Doyun isn’t the planning PD anymore, that means I save 2.5 million won per month. That’s a win for me, right?’
When it came to money, Jeong Woon-Young had no pity, no tears, and no ancestors.
And just like that, his mood instantly improved.
***
Outside the Director’s Office.
‘I’m the director. Who’s going to stop me?’
With Jeong Woon-Young’s approval secured, Lee Beom-un left the office.
Now, he could officially bring in his broadcasting station junior, Hyun Woo-sik, as an assistant director.
And more importantly, he would have full control over the production from now on.
‘First, I need to scrap Kim Doyun’s schedule.’
Changing an actor’s schedule was a massive headache, but he didn’t have to worry about it.
That was Hyun Woo-sik’s job now.
‘Next, I need to start location scouting from scratch.’
Jeongdongjin had been a filming location chosen by Kim Doyun.
That meant he had controlled the production from the start, and the crew had followed his lead.
‘But the Seoul shoot will be different.’
Yeonwoo’s rental house in Anguk-dong.
Hyein’s family home in Pyeongchang-dong.
Her university campus and Yeonwoo’s bodyguard agency—he would personally oversee the selection of every single location before filming began.
“Perfect. This is going to be great.”
Humming a tune of satisfaction, he headed down the staircase.
Then—
He froze.
“Kim PD?”
Standing at the bottom of the stairs, Kim Doyun’s sharp eyes glinted in the dim hallway.
—
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