WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Potter
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Why Do My Dramas Keep Becoming Hits!? ◈
Chapter 13: Mistaken for Someone Out of the Blue (4)
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At 11 a.m., outside the meeting room at Ace Pictures.
Unlike the plainly dressed man, the woman beside him gave off such a glamorous aura that anyone could tell at a glance that she was a celebrity.
“Ye-rin. They said everyone’s already here. Should we go in now?”
“No. Let’s wait a little longer.”
“...”
Top actress Cha Ye-rin and her personal manager, Manager Choi.
They had arrived early, but because of Cha Ye-rin’s stubbornness, they were pointlessly waiting outside.
“Ye-rin. Even the director and writer are inside waiting for us...”
“Yes. I told them to wait. What’s the problem?”
In this industry, power plays are half of a first impression.
Show up ten minutes late on purpose, make the other side sweat, and quietly impress upon them that you hold the upper hand.
That was the unchanging negotiation formula of the proud top star, Cha Ye-rin.
Only when exactly ten minutes had passed since the scheduled time did Cha Ye-rin casually raise her head.
“Hm. Shall we go in now?”
“Y-yeah. Let’s hurry. We can’t be any later than this. And please, let’s keep things smooth this time, Ye-rin. Okay?”
Manager Choi, who had been anxiously checking his watch, rubbed his face and pleaded with her. Cha Ye-rin only gave him a relaxed smile.
Click.
When Manager Choi carefully opened the door, every gaze in the room turned toward them.
Cha Ye-rin stepped inside with the pleasant smile she had prepared.
“Oh my, I’m a little late, aren’t I? I’m sorry.”
An empty apology delivered with a light smile in her eyes.
Normally, the other side would say something like, “Not at all, we just arrived ourselves,” and bend over backward for her.
“Oh, it’s fine. Please, have a seat.”
“The traffic must have been awful. It must’ve been tiring getting here. Ha ha.”
Just as expected, Ace Pictures’ production chief and casting director promptly rose to welcome her. Woo Young-taek, the PD, did not go out of his way to show any displeasure either.
But then.
“Yes, you’re very late. What were you doing until now? You kept busy people waiting.”
“...?”
The dry, chilly voice froze the meeting room at once.
Cha Ye-rin’s head turned in that direction before she could stop herself.
What the hell is this guy?
An unfamiliar man sat there, staring at her with an indifferent expression.
“And you are...?”
“Ah, th-this is Writer Ji! As I mentioned before, the writer said he wanted to attend today’s meeting as well.”
At her frosty question, Casting Director Lee Jun-sang broke into a cold sweat and hurriedly introduced him.
Regardless, the rookie writer’s expression remained indifferent, and for some reason, Cha Ye-rin found his attitude irritating.
“Ah, hahaha! I’m sorry for keeping you waiting.”
With Cha Ye-rin on the verge of exploding, Manager Choi hurriedly stepped in.
“Um, we’d appreciate your understanding. Ye-rin, sit down. Quickly.”
“...”
Forcing down her rising anger, Cha Ye-rin arrogantly dropped into the chair across from Ji Yeon-woo, crossing her legs.
A few formal greetings and meaningless exchanges followed, but tension like a ticking time bomb hung over the table.
“Ahem. Then shall we get to the main topic? You’ve roughly reviewed our terms.”
As Woo Young-taek carefully opened the casting negotiations, Manager Choi immediately pulled out the documents he had prepared.
“Yes. Our actress is reviewing the script positively as well. Since tvM has put so much effort into planning this project, we definitely want to work together. However... there are a few conditions we’d like to add.”
“Please, go ahead.”
“First, we would like her per-episode fee to be thirty percent higher than it was for the previous MBS production. Also, long waits on set can be hard on the actress. We would appreciate it if you could arrange a separate trailer for her personal use.”
Cha Ye-rin and her agency’s demands did not end there.
Support for five-star hotel stays during location shoots was a given, along with a guaranteed center position on the main poster, first priority in behind-the-scenes footage, a clause preventing filming for more than eight hours a day, and much more.
As he listened in silence, Woo Young-taek’s expression gradually became troubled.
“Hmm... Those are fairly tight terms.”
“Hahaha. These days, this is standard practice for any reasonably prominent lead.”
Even Manager Choi looked slightly self-conscious as he spoke.
Even considering Cha Ye-rin’s name value, quite a few unreasonable excuses were mixed into those demands.
Still, Manager Choi, who had seen it all, did not blink as he recited the list.
“And lastly, there is the matter of authority to revise the script.”
“Script revisions? Didn’t we make it clear beforehand that those were not possible?”
“Well, that is...”
“You know.”
Cha Ye-rin, who had been watching with her arms crossed, suddenly entered the conversation.
“Isn’t Min A-young’s character too passive? These days, viewers don’t really favor female leads who depend on the male lead.”
“...”
“Hmm. And the balance with the other characters feels a little awkward, too. We’d like you to actively reflect our opinions if possible.”
She called it reflecting opinions, but it was essentially a declaration that she would infringe on the writer’s authority and carve up the script however she pleased.
The casting director and production chief’s eyes widened at the outrageous demand.
But because the bureau chief had ordered them not to spare any expense, and because of Cha Ye-rin’s weight as a top star, they were about to nod despite themselves.
“Yes, then... we will try our best to accommodate that...”
“That will be difficult.”
Before the sentence could even end, Ji Yeon-woo cut in sharply.
“W-Writer Ji?”
“Accommodate what? The reason I came here in the first place was to cut down even the terms you initially proposed, because they were absurdly high.”
“...? What are you talking about?”
Ji Yeon-woo laced his fingers on the table and quietly declared,
“Exactly what I said. A thirty percent raise in her fee? No. We’ll cut twenty percent from the initial offer. In addition, we’ll completely revise the basic terms you provisionally agreed on with the production company. Full support for hair, makeup, styling, and staff expenses? Scrapped. Your management company can cover your personal staff’s wages and meal costs out of pocket.”
“...?!”
“If you want to stay at luxury hotels during location shoots, pay for that yourselves as well. And script revisions are absolutely not allowed. Isn’t an actor supposed to fully embody a character even if they dislike the character setup? Why are you taking issue with that?”
“H-hey, Writer Ji!”
“I’m not finished. What else did you say? A personal trailer? I value the chemistry between actors most on set, so I can’t look favorably on solo play. Pretend I never heard that one, too.”
The merciless cuts came without room to breathe, and silence fell over the meeting room as if someone had thrown cold water over it.
Yet the eyes of everyone seated there moved more busily than ever.
The production chief and casting director were horrified by the writer’s sudden escalation and exchanged signals with their eyes. Manager Choi only glanced nervously at his actress, his face going pale.
Only Woo Young-taek remained carefully silent.
In the thin-ice atmosphere, Ji Yeon-woo deliberately added one final remark, as if driving in the last nail.
“If you don’t like it, don’t do it. There are plenty of actors out there.”
There are plenty of actors.
The moment she heard that final statement, the thread of reason Cha Ye-rin had barely been holding onto snapped.
“Are you finished?”
“Yes.”
“Ha! This is unbelievable.”
Cha Ye-rin let out a hollow laugh and sprang to her feet.
“Writer Ji. Just because you can write a little, you must think you’re all that. I’m Cha Ye-rin. Even if I don’t do this little drama, there are mountains of scripts piled up at our company! Oppa, get up! What more is there to discuss here?”
“Y-Ye-rin! Wait!”
“Let go! I’m not doing it! Tell them it’s off!”
Cha Ye-rin shouted at the top of her lungs, snatched up her handbag, and kicked the door open with a Bang!
Manager Choi, completely flustered, hurriedly left an apology and rushed out after her.
After the storm had passed, those left behind could only stare blankly at Ji Yeon-woo and watch his reaction.
“W-Writer Ji...? What are you planning to do...?”
“I mean, why did you suddenly slash the terms like that...? Isn’t that just saying you have no intention of working with her...?”
“PD, why aren’t you saying anything? We have to hold on to Cha Ye-rin.”
“Hmm.”
Amid the people panicking around him, Ji Yeon-woo leisurely drank his coffee.
He glanced toward where Cha Ye-rin had disappeared and smiled faintly.
Hm. Just as planned.
And at that moment.
As Cha Ye-rin stomped toward the parking lot, Manager Choi roughly grabbed her wrist.
“Hey, Cha Ye-rin! Are you going to keep doing this?!”
“Let go! After being insulted like that, you expect me to sit in there?”
“Listen to me! You really can’t let this one go!”
“Ah, damn it! Are you going on about that shaman again?! It’s all superstition! How long are you going to believe that fraud?”
Cha Ye-rin shouted furiously, but Manager Choi did not back down. He firmly gripped both her shoulders.
“Fine. Say it’s superstition. But what happened to all the projects you ignored that fortune-teller’s advice on and turned down as you pleased?”
“What?”
“Did you forget? Every project you threw away because you didn’t want to do it, Song Ji-a gladly picked up and turned into a ratings hit. You regretted it so much while watching Song Ji-a receive awards at the year-end ceremony.”
Song Ji-a.
An actress her own age, an eyesore whom every article framed as Cha Ye-rin’s rival.
At the mention of that name, Cha Ye-rin’s eyes wavered slightly.
“Think carefully. What if Song Ji-a jumps onto this script and this insane cast lineup, then even wins the Grand Prize for acting? Can you handle that?!”
“...”
For a moment, she imagined Song Ji-a standing on an awards stage with that detestable smile on her face.
Her heart dropped, and her blood ran cold.
This project is going to that bitch, Song Ji-a?
Cha Ye-rin had an excellent eye for scripts, too.
A script guaranteed to be entertaining. Its characters were vividly alive, and it was the kind of work that would leave a deep mark on the public’s mind.
But Song Ji-a would be in it?
“...”
She could tolerate anything else, but she would rather die than watch Song Ji-a step over her on the way up.
Cha Ye-rin’s tense shoulders slowly slumped.
Her clenched fists trembled, but after a moment, she regained her composure and took a deep breath.
“Fine, I get it! I’ll do it, okay? I’ll do it!”
It felt as though her pride had been ripped to shreds, but this was the time to yield a step.
A little later.
The meeting room door opened again, and Cha Ye-rin walked in.
Her face, which had been flushed with rage, was nowhere to be seen. As if nothing had happened, she wore a calm, cool expression.
“...! You came back.”
“Whew, I’m sorry. I got emotional for a moment.”
“Ah, hahaha! Not at all! We understand completely!”
Pretending nothing was wrong, Cha Ye-rin calmly sat down.
Manager Choi followed behind her and finally let out a sigh of relief as he took his seat.
“Ahem. Have you had time to collect your thoughts?”
“Yes. Now that I think about it, Writer Ji has a point. For the sake of a good project, the actor should adapt. Fine, I understand. We’ll proceed with the contract under the terms you named.”
Inside, she felt as if she were coughing up blood, but outwardly she spoke elegantly, as though generously displaying the magnanimity of a great person.
I’ve conceded this much despite my status. Now it’s your turn to give a little.
Cha Ye-rin stared steadily at Ji Yeon-woo.
But his next words completely defied her expectations.
“A contract? No.”
“Excuse me?”
Ji Yeon-woo lightly tapped the table with his fingers as he spoke.
“There has been a slight mistake on our side. The terms I just named don’t seem workable within our budget. We’ll cut another ten percent from the fee.”
“...!!?”
“And remove the clause guaranteeing the center position on the main poster. Once filming begins, if the supporting actors are in better form, we’ll shift both screen time and the spotlight to them whenever necessary. If you can’t accept even that, then there will be no contract.”
In the brief time she had spent arguing with Manager Choi, it seemed the writer had undergone a tremendous change of heart.
#
Actors’ abilities are absolutely essential to a drama’s success.
Both within the work itself and beyond it.
Their acting raises a drama’s quality, while their star power plays an irreplaceable role in marketing.
There was a reason lead actors’ fees soared to astronomical amounts.
But what was this supposed to be?
“What’s this? Why is Cha Ye-rin’s fee like this?”
The casting confirmation meeting for <Living with My Ex-Boyfriend Somehow> was in full swing.
Ha Do-woon, the CP, stared at the monitor and asked in disbelief.
He held the performance contracts for the main cast.
“They asked for ₩300 million per episode at the first meeting. So why is it fixed at ₩250 million instead of going up? Did you enter the figures wrong?”
“...”
Was it an error in entering the numbers?
Veterans who had spent more than ten years in the broadcasting industry had made an amateur mistake like that?
CP Ha shot the question at them in an irritated tone.
“And where did all the options attached after that go? The dedicated hair, makeup, and styling staff costs, location accommodations, a private vehicle... Why were all of those wiped out?”
“CP, it’s hard to believe, but that is correct. This is the contract finalized with the actress’s side.”
“What? Are you messing with me right now?”
CP Ha let out a disbelieving laugh.
By industry custom, if Cha Ye-rin’s side initially floated a figure of ₩300 million, they would usually find one excuse after another to raise it further in the final contract.
The production side had even been prepared internally to set the upper limit somewhere between ₩300 million and ₩500 million, but it had suddenly become ₩250 million. It was almost half of what they had been prepared to pay.
“This makes no sense. No sense at all.”
At CP Ha’s remark, the staff in the meeting room hurriedly began flipping through the printouts in front of them.
“Oh, it’s true. This is completely different from our budget proposal.”
“Forget Cha Ye-rin, what happened to Baek Kang-min’s pay? His agency practically lay down in protest, saying they would never accept this amount.”
“Wow... Choi Tae-kyung signed under these terms too? Isn’t this an error?”
Cha Ye-rin was not the only issue.
The fees for every lead and supporting actor, including Choi Tae-kyung, had been cut by at least twenty percent compared to projections. Even the small supplementary conditions that were usually attached as a matter of course had been neatly removed.
What on earth had happened?
Agencies usually fought with bulging neck veins to raise their talent’s value by even ₩1 million. Unless they had all been hypnotized together, this was impossible.
“Hey, Lee Jun-sang. What happened here? Explain it.”
“Well... we were not the only ones at the final negotiations.”
Casting Director Lee Jun-sang swallowed dryly and carefully spoke.
“Writer Ji Yeon-woo attended as well.”
“What? Why would the writer involve himself in someone else’s pay negotiations?”
“At first, we thought he had just come to check out the actors’ images. But then Writer Ji suddenly started cutting their fees and said this.”
Casting Director Lee’s expression became strangely dazed, like that of someone who had been bewitched.
“If they don’t want to do it, they don’t have to. We can find other actors.”
“W-what? What kind of insane thing is that to say?!”
CP Ha sprang to his feet in horror.
“To the lead actors, of all people? What if the casting falls through? Does he want his debut work to fail?!”
“Yes... Even the agency representatives showed up and caused a commotion, but Writer Ji did not blink once. Instead, he shot back that he didn’t care if it failed and would immediately take the script back. And in the end...”
He moistened his dry mouth before continuing.
“Cha Ye-rin’s side backed down first. As you can see, the other actors did the same.”
Heavy silence descended on the meeting room.
Usually, writers pressured the production company to raise fees however they could in order to cast actors they liked, even if it meant cutting into the art or filming budget.
So what was this bizarre reversal?
Moreover, in all their years in broadcasting, they had never once heard of a rookie writer so completely crushing the spirit of a proud top star.
“...What kind of nerve does that writer have? If he gets all the lead actors upset before filming even begins, how is he going to deal with the trouble they cause on set?”
“Department Head.”
Then Woo Young-taek, who had been quietly reviewing the situation, spoke with a serious expression.
“Maybe that is why he established discipline in advance.”
“What? Discipline?”
“Yes. So he wouldn’t have to watch them nitpick the script and throw their weight around over the writer’s head on set. Perhaps he tightened the leash before filming even began.”
“...You think he did this with all of that in mind? A rookie writer with no on-set experience?”
He was clearly impressing upon them that he held control over this drama’s set.
So that the actors would not dare take either him or the directing staff lightly.
Once they reached that conclusion, a sigh mixed with hollow laughter escaped the people involved, including CP Ha.
“Good grief... What kind of lunatic is he?”
“I suppose you can’t ignore the experience he gained working under Writer Seo Eun-hye. How many moves ahead is he looking?”
“I told you. He’s not an ordinary rookie. Even his guts are on another level.”
All the network had expected from a writer was a high-quality script delivered on time.
But Writer Ji Yeon-woo was a monster who had far exceeded those expectations.
The corner of Woo Young-taek’s mouth curled upward.
The script reading is going to be very interesting.
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