Chapter 11
“Ha, are you crazy or what?”
Bae Shin-ho let out a dry laugh, his tone exasperated, while Kim Doyun glanced at his wristwatch.
“It seems you have no intention of apologizing, so I’ll take my leave. Work hours have already started.”
When Doyun tried to return to his seat, Bae Shin-ho reached out to grab his shoulder but only managed to clutch at empty air, looking foolish.
“You little bastard…”
But Shin-ho couldn’t finish his sentence.
Doyun had grabbed Shin-ho’s wrist, pulling it downward while glaring coldly.
‘Does this guy do nothing but work out?’
No matter how hard he tried, Shin-ho couldn’t free his wrist from Doyun’s grip. Realizing that physical strength wasn’t going to cut it, Shin-ho felt his frustration grow.
“Let go of me.”
“Do you think this is school, Mr. Bae? Playing the bully? How childish.”
This kind of physical confrontation was unheard of in a regular office setting.
However, in the fast-paced world of producers, discipline often involved physical force to avoid accidents caused by minor mistakes.
Senior producers would smack juniors on the back of the head or hit them outright.
Jeong Woon-young, in particular, was infamous for using violence against staff during weekend drama shoots.
Perhaps because of this, H Production had an environment where senior producers’ violence wasn’t considered a problem.
Emboldened by this, Bae Shin-ho often laid hands on his juniors.
‘I’ll teach you that this is unacceptable.’
Doyun tightened his grip on Shin-ho’s wrist.
“If I let go, will you behave yourself?”
“You crazy… Ugh! If you’re incompetent, you should at least act meek. Can’t even handle basic tasks…”
“Basic tasks? You mean following Director Lee Beom-un to his drinking parties and driving him home?”
“That’s a rookie’s job!”
“You dump planning proposals and budget estimates on rookies, so what exactly do you do, Mr. Bae?”
Shin-ho’s face contorted as if he hadn’t expected Doyun to openly state his wrongdoings.
“Why should I explain… Ugh!”
“So you do understand it’s something that needs an excuse.”
After releasing Shin-ho’s wrist, Doyun dusted off his hands.
“Reimburse the money you cashed out using the company card. It’s not my money, but I won’t let it slide for everyone’s sake.”
“You’re really… this bastard…”
Shin-ho glanced around.
Sighs and disdainful looks came his way, as if to say, “Man, can’t you at least be a decent human being?”
‘Damn it! Picking a fight with that guy just ruined my reputation.’
It seemed he’d have to get rid of that guy. Honestly, getting a rookie producer fired wasn’t hard.
If everyone ostracized him, how could he possibly stay?
It wouldn’t be difficult to exclude Doyun from outdoor shoots or meetings with directors.
While everyone else collaborated in meetings, Doyun would be left clueless, unable to say a word.
‘He’ll look pathetic and stupid.’
Naturally, Jeong Woon-young would regret ever taking him under his wing.
After being called out and berated by Jeong Woon-young a few times, the shame alone would make him quit.
“Damn it, I’ll show that bastard what happens when you cross me.”
As Kim Doyun walked back to his seat, Bae Shin-ho muttered under his breath.
“Oh, by the way.”
Doyun suddenly stopped and turned to face Shin-ho.
“About actor Lee Jugeon.”
“Get lost, bastard! I have no intention of talking to you anymore.”
“Still haven’t heard the news?”
Doyun muttered to himself as he returned to his desk, leaving Shin-ho tilting his head in confusion.
But it wasn’t like he could ask what the news was now.
‘What about Lee Jugeon?’
Had Lee Jugeon, who was cast in A Summer’s Cantabile, contacted that guy and not him?
After tidying his desk, Shin-ho called Lee Jugeon’s manager.
That’s when he found out that Lee Jugeon was having a birthday party near Gangnam Station today.
“Wow! A birthday party? I’m invited too?”
Loving the chance to drink with actors, Shin-ho was thrilled about attending Lee Jugeon’s party.
Little did he know it would lead to his downfall.
***
That night, Kim Doyun got off the last train at Yangjae Station and walked toward Bangbae Intersection.
Even at this late hour, many people were drinking soju with budae jjigae or seolleongtang at the restaurants.
Neon signs for bars and lounges lit up the alleys around the restaurant district.
At Bangbae Intersection, Doyun glanced at his wristwatch and looked around.
‘They should be here by now…’
Moments later, Lee Jugeon, heavily drunk, drove toward Yangjae Station from Gangnam Station and crashed into the traffic light at Bangbae Intersection.
Bae Shin-ho, who had been drinking with him, hadn’t stopped his drunk driving. Once the news got out, Shin-ho would have to resign.
Even in the broadcasting world of this era, where drinking on the job was overlooked as part of “business development,” there was one unbreakable rule.
The rule was simple: no matter how much you drink, you must never cause trouble or get involved in an incident.
The problem was that sending Bae Shin-ho to Lee Jugeon’s birthday party could turn out to be the flap of a butterfly’s wings.
In the previous timeline, no one had gotten hurt, but the outcome could change, which is why Kim Doyun had come to the scene.
Some might think, why not just stop Lee Jugeon from drunk driving? But that wasn’t an option.
Though Lee Jugeon was a famous actor, his personality was garbage.
Not only did he make life hard for the staff, but he was also completely unfit for the role of the protagonist in A Summer’s Cantabile.
There were countless incidents of him drinking and causing accidents, with his agency paying off reporters to bury the stories.
Despite that, the production company had cast him as part of a shallow attempt to ride on his fame.
‘The real reason was that his agency offered a lower fee.’
If Lee Jugeon had become the protagonist without the drunk driving incident, A Summer’s Cantabile would not have been remembered as a masterpiece even 20 years later.
His image was too stale to portray the bittersweetness of first love.
“There he comes.”
A luxurious foreign car descended the hill like it was performing acrobatics.
Thump-thump-thump! The car stereo was blasting music so loudly that it was audible from a distance.
Vroooom! The car, showing no signs of slowing down, crossed the center line.
Crash! In an instant, it swerved to the opposite lane and slammed directly into a traffic light.
The sound was so loud that people drinking in nearby restaurants rushed out, thinking a war had broken out.
“What the hell? Damn!”
“Isn’t that guy drunk?”
“This is insane! Call the cops!”
White smoke billowed from the car’s hood. Soon, the driver’s side door opened, and Lee Jugeon staggered out of the car.
‘That bastard really is trash. Was he trying to kill someone?’
Doyun had known Jugeon was drunk when he got behind the wheel, but he hadn’t expected him to be this intoxicated.
“Ugh!”
The impact of the crash made Lee Jugeon vomit, causing the onlookers to grimace in disgust.
“Wait a minute. Isn’t that Lee Jugeon, the actor?”
“It is. Damn, what a lunatic. Is he on drugs?”
“Look at his unfocused eyes. Wait—he’s getting back in the car. Stop him!”
As Jugeon tried to resume his drunk driving, people rushed to stop him.
From the passenger seat, partially blocked by a flowerbed, a man squeezed out through a barely open door.
“Bae Shin-ho?”
Doyun had expected Shin-ho to let Jugeon drive drunk, but he hadn’t thought he’d be in the car.
Who would want such an irresponsible man as a producer?
At this rate, it wouldn’t just end with him writing a resignation letter—he’d be blacklisted from the industry.
More and more onlookers gathered, and the sound of police sirens drew closer.
Bae Shin-ho, clutching his hair with both hands in frustration, spotted Doyun standing across the street.
Doyun, meeting the mix of shock, panic, and fear in Shin-ho’s eyes, shrugged his shoulders and turned away.
‘Goodbye, Bae Shin-ho.’
If he insisted on dragging himself to rock bottom, all Doyun could do was wave him off.
***
The next morning, the broadcasting station reported Lee Jugeon’s drunk driving incident as the headline on the morning news.
“Doyun, didn’t you say that guy was going to be in your company’s drama?”
Go Dongsoo, busy cooking soybean paste stew since early morning, asked as he pointed to the TV while Doyun, freshly out of the shower, walked over.
“He’s not the only actor, so what?”
“Whoa! So cool, Kim Doyun!”
Recently, Dongsoo had finally cast the lead actor for the movie he was producing.
Shooting would begin in two months, and by next year, the movie would hit theaters.
With “movie producer” added to his resume, Dongsoo was brimming with energy.
“Wow! No matter how excited you are, this is a feast.”
Walking to the table, Doyun stared at Dongsoo in disbelief.
“Why did you make so much? Soybean paste stew would’ve been enough, but you made bulgogi and steamed eggs too. Hey, Go Dongsoo. If you keep this up, I’ll…”
“Hm?”
“…end up eating a lot.”
“Eat. Eat plenty.”
“But seriously, do you always cook like this in the morning? Don’t tell me you’re doing this just to feed me.”
As he placed the bubbling soybean paste stew in the center of the table, Dongsoo replied.
“Didn’t I tell you? My family runs a restaurant. When other kids were playing games, I was peeling onions and washing radishes. I’ve always liked cooking. If I hadn’t met you, I’d probably be back home helping my parents with their work.”
“Wait, is your family’s restaurant a bulgogi specialty?”
Since bulgogi kept appearing at every meal, and it tasted familiar, Doyun suspected it was from a well-known restaurant.
“Yeah, it is. My parents run a bulgogi place.”
“By any chance, is it Eonyang-style?”
The taste was unmistakably Eonyang bulgogi.
“Exactly! You know Eonyang bulgogi?”
“This guy’s the son of a modest millionaire. Let’s stay close, Dongsoo.”
“Pfft. What are you talking about?”
Freshly cooked rice, soybean paste stew, bulgogi, and steamed eggs—it was a luxurious breakfast for someone living alone.
Dongsoo said he cooked because he disliked the taste of store-bought food.
That was true; Dongsoo’s cooking was genuinely delicious.
“Mm, even though I made it, it’s really good. But Doyun, what about that kid? I mean Eun Jihoon.”
“He’s debuting soon. He’ll play the young version of the protagonist in A Summer’s Cantabile. It’s a small role, but it’s still a proper debut.”
[Eun Jihoon’s Success Satisfaction +10]
Seeing the message suddenly appear, Doyun smiled.
‘Looks like he’s doing well following my guidance.’
***
Seo Dongjin was reading through the script that Kim Doyun had given him, not stopping for breath.
“Wow!”
It was a role he had always wanted to play.
It came at the perfect time, as he had been looking for a project that could break the stereotype of him as a former model.
Using a striking appearance as a weapon to keep repeating the same generic acting might earn money for now.
But once his image became fixed, surviving as an actor would be impossible.
‘Could Kim Doyun PD become my savior?’
—
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