WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Potter
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◈ Why Do My Dramas Keep Becoming Hits!? ◈
Chapter 12: Mistaken for Someone Out of the Blue (3)
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Life does not always go the way you think it will.
Staring at the sheet of paper in front of me, I was painfully experiencing that truth firsthand.
“...”
“Writer Ji? Is there a problem?”
I looked back and forth between the man sitting across from me, stroking his bushy beard, and Article 1, Clause 1 of the contract.
[Director: Woo Young-taek (tvM)]
The man in front of me was definitely the same clueless guy who had been sweating buckets and watching my every move at the barbecue restaurant last time.
But this man was Woo Young-taek? The star PD at tvM, the one said to be the most successful at tvM? And the quiet man sitting beside him was supposedly the head of production at Ace Pictures, one of the industry's top production companies.
But the real shock came on the next page.
'What the hell... How many zeroes are there?'
The signing bonus and per-episode writing fee were absurd.
And the total production budget was 50 billion won? For a moment, I thought I was seeing things, so I stared at the numbers as if I were trying to see a Magic Eye image.
Of course, the numbers did not change.
'Wait, so what he said at the barbecue place wasn't bullshit?'
Speechless, I kept staring at the contract.
Drawing on my experience as a PD, I carefully examined the penalty clauses, copyright ownership, and even any hidden poisonous terms.
But there was nothing to criticize.
No, the more I read, the more every condition seemed outrageously favorable to me.
'Seriously... Did these people all take drugs together or something?'
Or was there some backstory I did not know about?
Maybe the production company president, a second-generation chaebol, had been so moved by my script that they had started throwing money around. Or maybe they had completely mistaken me for some famous writer hiding behind a false name instead of a total rookie.
If not that...
Anyway, there had to be another reason.
Trying to test the waters, I asked PD Woo Young-taek.
“This... isn't a joke, right?”
“Y-yes?!”
Seeing Woo Young-taek's face turn so pale it practically became transparent, I was the one who felt flustered.
Why was he turning that white? Feeling awkward, I quickly backtracked.
“...No, it was a joke.”
“Could it be that you're unhappy with the casting?”
“No... Um...”
This man really was working hard to say nonsense.
Clicking my tongue inwardly, I turned to the casting lineup on the back page of the proposal.
[Male Lead, Han Seong-woo: First choice, Choi Tae-kyung / Reviewing the offer positively, discussing detailed conditions]
[Female Lead, Min A-young: First choice, Cha Ye-rin / Schedule on hold, arranging meeting date]
[Lead cast lineup nearing confirmation. Final coordination meeting planned with both agencies.]
Right. If there was a problem, it was that the actors attached to this project were far too big.
Choi Tae-kyung, Chungmuro's[1] blue-chip star, and Cha Ye-rin, the guaranteed ratings draw.
If the drama still flopped after putting together a cast this glamorous, would the public say, “The actors' performances were disappointing,” or, “The writer must've written the script with his feet”?
One hundred out of one hundred, they would say the latter.
'Yoon Dong-woo, you bastard. This is the complete opposite of what you told me...'
As I blankly scanned the actors' names, overcome by growing anxiety, PD Woo Young-taek cautiously added,
“Um, Writer Ji. You don't need to worry about the casting. As you can see, all of the lead actors are considering it positively.”
“Is that so...?”
“Yes! We even have in-person meetings scheduled this week. Unless something major goes wrong, this lineup will be confirmed as it is.”
Woo Young-taek probably meant to reassure me, but from my perspective, it was practically a death sentence.
'That's the biggest problem, you idiot!'
What was I supposed to do?
My bank account was far too thin for me to turn down this astronomical amount of money.
But I was terrified of the disaster that would arrive soon if I signed the contract without thinking.
'Fuck. Should I laugh or cry?'
Just as I was desperately wracking my brain...
“!”
A brilliant idea flashed through my mind.
'Wait. There are meetings with the actors?'
Yes. That was it.
Top stars with huge egos usually had mountains of demands before they stamped their seals on a contract.
Cha Ye-rin in particular was notorious in the industry for rewriting scripts as she pleased and controlling entire sets.
But what if I attended that meeting and ignored every single one of their demands?
What if I went even further, haggled down their fees, and acted arrogantly by saying I would revise their screen time however I wanted?
'They'll definitely get offended and walk away on their own.'
There was no way top stars who lived on their pride would put up with the lunacy of a complete rookie writer.
I would make those expensive actors leave of their own accord, then fill their places with unknown actors who had less name recognition and better value for money.
Then, even if the drama flopped spectacularly later, I would have the perfect excuse of “the limits of the casting.”
'Right. If the lead actors aren't well known, the drama won't get any buzz in the first place.'
Once I reached that point, it felt like the blockage in my chest had finally cleared.
Suppressing the vile smile trying to creep onto my face, I put on a serious expression as though I were lost in artistic contemplation and called to PD Woo Young-taek.
“PD Woo.”
“Y-yes, Writer Ji!”
As Woo Young-taek and Manager Kim swallowed hard, I clasped my hands on the table and quietly declared,
“Those meetings with the actors this week.”
“Ah, yes! We're currently coordinating the schedule.”
“I'll attend them as well.”
“...?”
“Yes...?”
PD Woo Young-taek and Manager Kim blinked stupidly at my words.
#
The office of the head of tvM Drama Department Production Division One.
PD Woo Young-taek slid the completed staff roster and casting status report across to Chief Producer Ha Do-woon.
CP Ha adjusted their glasses and looked over the documents.
Under the name [Director: Woo Young-taek], the key personnel from Ace Pictures, the major outside production company, were listed in dense rows.
“So all production is going through Ace?”
“Yes. Ace's dedicated teams are handling filming and lighting, and I personally contacted other companies for art and CG. We're considering outsourcing contracts for those.”
“The setup is solid. The lead and supporting actors have decent faces too.”
Ace Pictures had produced one major hit after another for terrestrial broadcasters.
And from first choice to fifth choice, the casting list was filled with stars anyone would recognize just from hearing their names.
They were far too big for a directorial debut script, but in a capitalist society, nothing was impossible with money.
“Looks like all that money paid off.”
The budget had shot up from 30 billion won to 50 billion won.
And since the script was one where the appeal of the characters made up eighty percent of the work, an order had come down directly from the bureau chief.
'Don't skimp on the actors.'
Thanks to that, the production team had enough funds to assemble the most luxurious lineup possible.
Surely even that demanding writer would be satisfied with this.
A pleased smile spread across Chief Producer Ha Do-woon's face as they looked down the casting board.
“Hmm?”
But the moment they spotted one name, Chief Producer Ha's brow slowly furrowed.
“PD Woo. Everything looks good, but can you keep the set under control?”
“Pardon?”
“The actors. You gathered nothing but people with oversized egos.”
Actors with enough name recognition to throw their weight around wanted the set to revolve around them.
Negotiating money during casting was nothing.
They routinely made unreasonable demands of the staff and directly interfered with the script, whining and demanding that their screen time be forcibly increased.
And then there were the power struggles between actors.
Before worrying about their acting ability, the real concern was whether the set would even function properly.
“This one is especially a problem.”
Tap. Tap.
CP Ha poked the first-choice entry for the female lead with the tip of their pen.
There was the name Cha Ye-rin, a rising star whose value was soaring.
“You know there was a lot of talk when she joined that MBS miniseries last year, right? She's notorious for butchering rookie writers' scripts to suit her own tastes and turning the set into a complete mess.”
“Ah, yes. She's an actress with strong personal convictions.”
“You little punk. What convictions? She just does whatever the hell she wants.”
Chief Producer Ha's voice was filled with concern.
“This script is a rookie writer's debut too. Do you think that strong-willed girl will sit quietly? She'll obviously sweet-talk the writer before filming even starts, then try to control everything however she wants.”
People could go on about how Ji Yeon-woo was Writer Seo Eun-hye's prized disciple, but to actors who knew nothing, he was just an easy rookie.
Besides, Writer Ji Yeon-woo was a bookish greenhorn who had never even shown his face on a drama set.
There was a considerable risk that the script would go off the rails after being pushed around by the lead actress's territorial behavior.
“Chief Producer.”
However, Woo Young-taek's reaction to those serious concerns was entirely different from what CP Ha had expected.
Rather than looking troubled, the corner of his mouth curled up into a crooked smile.
“You don't need to worry about that at all. What you're concerned about will never happen.”
“Oh, really? You think you can control Cha Ye-rin? You'll get your head cracked too.”
“No. Why would I get involved? The writer will establish the pecking order personally.”
“What?”
Woo Young-taek recalled Ji Yeon-woo's chilly gaze and his bombshell declaration from several days ago.
'Those meetings with the actors this week. I'll attend them as well.'
What else could that mean?
It was a predator's declaration that he would firmly discipline the actors from the start.
Of course, the actors would not be easy to handle either, but Woo Young-taek could not imagine that writer backing down before some actors' petty territorial behavior.
“What the hell are you talking about? You're saying he has something to rely on?”
“Yes, he does. Chief Producer, you'd understand too if you met that writer yourself.”
Seeing Woo Young-taek's utterly certain expression, CP Ha looked at him as though he had gone insane.
#
Inside a black van gliding along Gangbyeonbuk-ro.
Manager Choi, sitting in the passenger seat, checked the schedule on a tablet and spoke.
“Ye-rin, you haven't forgotten about the in-person meeting with tvM tomorrow at 3 p.m., right?”
Cha Ye-rin, who had been sitting in the back seat with her eyes closed as if tired, answered lazily.
“I know. That older guy, Woo Jeong-taek or whatever, his project. But it's not even a script reading. Why are they making such a fuss over the first meeting? It's exhausting.”
“Hey, hey. I told you to fix that habit of yours.”
“What did I do?”
“Ugh, forget it. Anyway, be careful tomorrow. I heard the writer will be attending too.”
“Huh? Really?”
Cha Ye-rin's closed eyes snapped open.
At the same time, an intrigued smile spread across her red lips.
“Heh heh. What is this? That writer making their debut sure is full of spirit.”
“...What are you thinking about now?”
“Oh, nothing much. I'm just thinking about how I should cook this cute little writer.”
A complete rookie writer with no experience on set.
From an actor's perspective, there was no easier or tastier prey.
Moreover, the power imbalance between them was clear. To a rookie writer, Cha Ye-rin was practically a predator.
“Hmm hmm. How should I sweet-talk them this time?”
How could I inflate my screen time? How could I bring all the character's appeal over to my side?
Cha Ye-rin was humming to herself and indulging in pleasant fantasies when Manager Choi saw her expression in the rearview mirror and urgently stopped her.
“Ye-rin, I told you that you absolutely have to hold back this time.”
“What are you talking about? Don't overreact. I said I'll handle it.”
“No, this project is really important.”
Manager Choi's voice became desperate.
“That gifted fortune-teller said you absolutely have to get this project. That's why the division head repeatedly told us that you can't let this tvM drama go, even if the sky splits in two.”
“Ugh, you're making my ears hurt. I said I understand, didn't I? How many times are you going to repeat the same thing? It's so annoying.”
“...Fine. If you understand, please let tomorrow's meeting end quietly. I'm begging you. There are rumors that this writer is not ordinary. There's definitely something to them.”
Manager Choi rubbed his hands together and pleaded, but Cha Ye-rin only snorted.
“So what if there is? They're just some pipsqueak writer.”
“No... Still, there's no harm in being careful.”
“Ugh, you're so frustrating. Just stay quiet. I'll handle it.”
If she saw prey that looked easy to handle, she bit, tore it apart, and refused to let go.
She was his actress, but she was a terrifying woman.
Manager Choi finally let out a deep sigh and shook his head.
“Hmm. Since I'm doing this anyway, should I get a little greedier? When else will I get the chance to fill my belly? Don't you think so?”
“Ugh... Forget it. I feel sorry for that writer already.”
Manager Choi sincerely prayed inwardly.
For the soul of that writer, who would soon become a victim.
Footnotes:
[1] Chungmuro: A Seoul neighborhood whose name is used as a byword for the Korean film industry.
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