Episode 29
When Kim Doyun stepped into Han Jiseon’s workspace, the assistant writers, already informed of his arrival, were waiting with a cake.
Han Jiseon, who had been engrossed in her work, finally emerged from the office, looking exhausted from revising episodes one and two and drafting episodes three and four.
“Ahh, what is this? How could you get promoted without my permission? Now that you’ll be busier, are you even going to visit me anymore?”
“Once the initial setup is complete, I’ll be at the Jeongdongjin outdoor shoot for just a week. After that, I only need to handle receipt processing.”
A capable producer must prepare a budget plan and ensure all expenditures stay within that scope. This means unnecessary expenses must be cut, and receipts serve as the basis for those decisions.
Understanding the difficulty of such tasks, Han Jiseon sighed deeply.
“Easy for you to say. Won’t you be flooded with 20 or 30 receipts daily?”
“True. Parking fees, meals, transportation for the filming crew, extra props, venue fees, and daily wages for extras…”
“Ugh. I’d rather write scripts than deal with that.”
Math-averse Han Jiseon clutched her head in frustration. Checking receipts to confirm what could be processed and what should be rejected was tedious, but it also offered a clear overview of the production’s progress.
‘A drama where the director splurges on meals has never turned out well.’
In contrast, spending slightly more on quality meals for the staff was always appreciated. After all, well-fed staff were less likely to feel exhausted.
‘Good food keeps morale high.’
Doyun felt he had earned a good meal today after a hectic day. Taking out his corporate card, he twirled it on his finger for the assistant writers to see.
“This is the corporate card I got to celebrate my promotion. I plan to swipe it generously, so get ready.”
At his words, the two assistant writers couldn’t hide their excitement.
“Oh, wait. What is it now?”
Han Jiseon answered a call from Lee Beom-un with a curt tone.
“What about scene 12 in episode 2? What’s strange? What’s wrong with it?”
Grumbling about what didn’t make sense, she retreated to her office and shut the door. Taking advantage of the moment, Lee Seulgi and Ham Dajeong leaned in and whispered softly to Doyun.
“Um, Mr. PD. If the Senior Writer suggests ordering tteokbokki, please don’t agree.”
“Tteokbokki? But I said I’d use the corporate card. Surely she wouldn’t want tteokbokki, right?”
“You shouldn’t be so sure.”
According to the assistant writers, since returning from Jeongdongjin, Han Jiseon had been ordering tteokbokki for every meal.
She criticized every dish, saying this one didn’t taste right and that one was off. Apparently, she was determined to find a place that replicated the flavor of the tteokbokki made by Kim Doyun’s mother, Shin Sun-ok.
As a result, the assistant writers claimed they had already eaten a lifetime’s worth of tteokbokki and begged Doyun.
“Please, Mr. PD. Can we have something without gochujang today? Maybe soybean paste stew or something.”
“Yes, please.”
Hearing their plight, Doyun sympathized. No matter how much one liked tteokbokki, replacing every meal with it couldn’t be healthy.
“All right.”
Before he could finish speaking, Han Jiseon emerged from her office after ending her call.
“Did you order tteokbokki?”
At her words, Lee Seulgi and Ham Dajeong turned pale.
“Well, actually… Mr. PD suggested dining out…”
“Ugh, why bother going out? PD Kim, let’s just order in and use the saved time for script discussions.”
Doyun glanced at the two distressed assistant writers and then addressed Han Jiseon.
“Why don’t we eat the tteokbokki by the Han River? Sunlight would be good for your health, and the assistants can have fried chicken.”
“Yay!”
“Half fried, half seasoned, of course. That’s just the snack, though. For the main meal, let’s have charcoal-grilled Korean beef.”
Doyun sealed the deal by suggesting a menu, leaving no room for negotiation. Han Jiseon frowned.
“That’ll take too long.”
“The script discussions will also take longer.”
“Well, if that’s the case…”
About to change into her outdoor clothes, Han Jiseon suddenly stopped at the door.
“Wait, PD Kim. There’s something more to this, isn’t there? Who’s auditioning today?”
Having been deceived a few times before, Han Jiseon was suspicious. Doyun laughed.
“Not an audition, but acting practice.”
“Ugh, you’re so calculating. Who am I supposed to coach this time?”
“Eun Jihoon. It’s his final hurdle.”
At the beginning of episode one, Hyein falls into the sea, and Yeonwoo saves her. There were also a few more scenes where Yeonwoo swims in the ocean. That was why Doyun had Seo Dongjin and Eun Jihoon practice swimming all this time.
‘But swimming in a pool is different from swimming in the sea.’
Having grown up near the ocean and mastered open-water swimming, Doyun knew the dangers of waves better than anyone. Even the strongest swimmers could be dragged into open waters by the tide.
With little time left, he couldn’t take Eun Jihoon to the sea. A swim in the Han River would suffice, coupled with acting lessons from Han Jiseon to ease his on-set nerves.
***
“Oh, Jihoon…”
At the grassy area near the dock, Eun Jihoon had already spread out a mat and was waiting.
“Jihoon, you’ve lost some weight.”
Finally dragged out, Han Jiseon greeted Eun Jihoon before sprawling on the mat. Even the short walk from the parking lot to the Han Riverbank had left her utterly exhausted.
“Writer, you need to start taking red ginseng.”
At Kim Doyun’s suggestion, Eun Jihoon rummaged through his bag and pulled out a packet of red ginseng extract. The kind-hearted boy was now sharing what had originally been gifted to him.
“What’s a kid like you doing with this? At your age, you could chew rocks and still digest them.”
Though grumbling, Han Jiseon emptied the packet of red ginseng without leaving a single drop.
The food Doyun ordered was delivered, and the assistant writers lit the candles on the cake they had brought. Holding back his embarrassment, Doyun blew out the candles and completed the cake-cutting ceremony.
Next, they were to watch Eun Jihoon swim, after which Han Jiseon would provide acting guidance. Following that, Doyun planned to scout a location for the script reading.
He also intended to invite a few reporters and arrange for a videographer. As these thoughts occupied his mind, a semi-transparent window appeared in his vision.
[Eun Jihoon’s Success Satisfaction: 40%]
‘Why did it drop by 30%?’
Doyun quickly turned his gaze toward Eun Jihoon. The boy, eating chicken with the assistant writers, pulled his phone from his bag.
Suddenly, the color drained from Eun Jihoon’s face.
‘Who’s calling him now?’
***
“Oh, my mom…”
On the way back after dropping Han Jiseon and the two assistant writers at the Life Office-tel, Doyun cut to the chase. He told Eun Jihoon to spill everything without holding back.
“My mom called.”
“The mom who abandoned you? Why?”
“…On my last day working at the café, some drunk guys came in and said they’d help raise me. I refused!”
Worried that Doyun might misunderstand, Eun Jihoon emphasized the word “refused.”
“And then?”
“I think they asked the café owner for my resume.”
“Your resume?”
“I told the lady owner that I was living at an acquaintance’s place in Sillim-dong, but… on the resume, I listed my home address as Mia-ri.”
He hadn’t told anyone his exact address, likely out of fear that something like this might happen.
Eun Jihoon mumbled, unable to lift his head.
“I think those people saw the address and went to Mia-ri.”
“So, that’s how your mom got in touch?”
“Yes. And then, they gave her an advance…”
Doyun let out a disbelieving laugh.
“Your mom sold you?”
“…It seems that way.”
Was this how Eun Jihoon had ended up in that shady agency in his past life? Is this why he had to give up his dream of becoming an actor and debuted as an idol instead?
Even if Eun Jihoon had talent as a singer, starting like this would only lead to exploitation.
“Give me the phone. I’ll deal with this person claiming to be your mother.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“What do you have to apologize for?”
Like Seo Dongjin, Eun Jihoon also couldn’t raise his head, as if everything were his fault.
The one who abandoned him was in the wrong—not the abandoned child. The one exploiting him was in the wrong—not the person trying to fight back with all their might.
Doyun held out his hand.
“I’ll get you a new phone. Is that okay?”
“Yes.”
He immediately got a new phone for Eun Jihoon and sent him back to his studio apartment.
Having confirmed that Jihoon could swim well even without a swim cap or goggles, all that remained was for him to memorize the script and build his stamina.
Since even Han Jiseon had praised Jihoon’s acting, things should be fine if they stayed on course.
While scouting a location for the script reading, Doyun waited for a call from Eun Jihoon’s so-called mother. If he made the first move, she would undoubtedly act more brazenly.
“It’s not bad at all. How much is the daily rental?”
For dramas produced by TV networks, script readings usually took place in the broadcasting station. But for an outsourced production, using the station’s building wasn’t an option.
“500,000 won.”
“Let’s make it 200,000 won.”
“Ah, that’s impossible… Wait, where are you going in the middle of negotiations?”
“The building next door is a bit dim, but it’s spacious. If I replace the fluorescent lights, it should be fine. They quoted me 180,000 won.”
“Fine, 200,000 won.”
In Yeouido, there were many temporary offices designed for asset managers who came and went quickly. The thought was, “Better to earn 200,000 won than leave it empty.”
“Parking is free, right?”
“Are you really a producer? You sound more like a merchant.”
“That’s what a producer is. You have to know how to do everything.”
As he was finalizing the contract, Eun Jihoon’s phone rang. Reading the saved contact name, Doyun felt as though he had been punched in the gut.
– ‘Is This Mom?’
Doyun saved his own mother’s number as “Madam Shin Sun-ok.” There was no need to call her “Mom” or “Mother” because Madam Shin Sun-ok had been the one who raised him.
But for Jihoon to save his birth mother’s number with such uncertainty as “Is This Mom?”—what must he have been feeling when he did that?
“Ha… So she’s not really a mom.”
Steeling himself, Doyun pressed the call button.
“Jihoon, why haven’t you been answering your phone?”
The voice on the other end was familiar. It was the same voice that had once called and hurled abusive words at Doyun in his past life.
[You monster! How could you use Jihoon and leave him in the lurch? You’re the one who killed Jihoon, you evil bastard!]
Maintaining his composure, Doyun spoke into the phone.
“Who is this?”
– Who am I? Who are you? You’re the one who kidnapped Jihoon, aren’t you? Hey, you bastard! Where’s my Jihoon?
—
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