WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Potter
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Why Do My Dramas Keep Becoming Hits!? ◈
Chapter 2: Anyone Can Write Dramas? (2)
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In tvM’s entertainment department editing room in Sangam-dong, Yoon Dong-woo stared at a monitor and let out a hollow laugh.
“Damn. This is insanely well written.”
The screen was packed with text.
It was the manuscript file for the rom-com Ji Yeon-woo had sent to Yoon Dong-woo.
Yoon Dong-woo had already read Ji Yeon-woo’s script straight through three times.
Even setting aside the fact that they were close friends, it was undeniably a high-quality script.
Of course, what did Yoon Dong-woo, an entertainment PD, know about evaluating one?
Still, if someone with no knowledge of the field found it entertaining, that simply meant it had a high degree of pure entertainment value.
The dialogue was so snappy it could go straight into actors’ mouths, and even to Dong-woo, an entertainment PD, the way the scenes were paced and divided was incredible.
Every character, lead or supporting, was distinctive and memorable.
There was no such thing as a perfect script, but this one perfectly met Yoon Dong-woo’s standard for perfection.
“Ugh. What a waste. He really should’ve been a writer.”
As Yoon Dong-woo scrolled down, he clicked his tongue.
Ji Yeon-woo had written something this entertaining, yet still dismissed it as nothing more than “an amateur hobby.”
“The so-called ‘my writing sucks’ syndrome, maybe?”
Thinking back, Ji Yeon-woo had always had high standards when it came to dramas.
Apparently, that had made writers dislike him more than once.
He went around freely telling writers with big egos what they should and should not do, so of course they hated him.
Maybe that stubborn tendency was also why Ji Yeon-woo had failed to make his directorial debut despite being in his fifth year.
And he was several times harsher on his own work.
It was the result of excessive perfectionism and his “my writing sucks” syndrome.
“But this is seriously too good to leave sitting on a hard drive.”
Yoon Dong-woo muttered with his chin propped on one hand.
No matter how he thought about it, it was too good to keep buried as a hobby.
Smacking his lips, Yoon Dong-woo clicked his mouse.
[The 4th tvM Drama Department Script Contest]
It was a little funny for Yoon Dong-woo, an entertainment department PD, to submit someone else’s script to Yoon Dong-woo’s own company’s drama department contest.
But Ji Yeon-woo was the kind of person who would never submit it himself, so Dong-woo wanted to prove his talent to him this way.
Yoon Dong-woo had told Ji Yeon-woo about it yesterday, so there was no need to agonize over it.
Tap-tap!
He casually filled out the required forms and attached the scripts for Episodes 1 and 2.
Then he entered Ji Yeon-woo’s contact information.
Once every field had been filled in, Yoon Dong-woo placed the cursor over the [Submit] button.
Click.
[Your submission has been received successfully.]
After confirming the notification, Yoon Dong-woo grinned and leaned back in his chair.
“Phew. I really went and did it.”
Of course, Yoon Dong-woo knew this industry was not easy.
No matter how entertaining the writing was, nobody filled their stomach with the first spoonful.
Yoon Dong-woo did not expect a miracle where Ji Yeon-woo swept the grand prize or won immediately and went straight into production.
“Since it’s his first time, getting through just the second round would be a huge success.”
That alone would be enough to restore Ji Yeon-woo’s crushed confidence.
And if he built on that momentum and seriously developed his talent, there would be nothing more rewarding for Dong-woo as a friend.
‘And I get to read his next script, too.’
Honestly, that was the bigger reason.
#
In the tvM drama department meeting room, the staff were busy reviewing the contest submissions.
It was exhausting enough to make their eyes fall out, but the first round of judging would end today.
“How many times have we seen the exact same premise? Following trends is fine, but this is straight-up copy-pasting.”
“The dialogue is straight out of the old days. ‘You’re a woman I can never understand.’ This is driving me crazy.”
They had already picked out everything worth considering.
Deciding there was nothing else to salvage, the PDs read through the remaining submissions without much expectation.
“Nothing really stands out. Other than Screenwriter Seong’s work, they all feel the same.”
“But if it’s a new work by Screenwriter Seong Yu-ra, it’ll be fast-tracked into the schedule anyway. Is there even a point in picking another script?”
“Isn’t Screenwriter Seong being a little unfair, though? Of all things, why take food out of rookie writers’ mouths?”
“So what? There are no restrictions on who can enter. Rookie or star writer, anyone can submit if they want.”
They called it a contest for fostering new writers.
In reality, it was little more than a competition to find star writers hiding behind anonymity.
That was how wide the gap between rookies and established writers was.
Especially Screenwriter Seong Yu-ra, whose name came up often among the PDs.
She was a star writer known as the queen of romantic comedies, a veteran said to guarantee success in this field.
With a heavyweight like her having personally submitted a script, the result was practically decided.
They had even looked through every script submitted just before the deadline, but there was no dark horse worth mentioning.
“Come on, just skim through them and let’s go home. They’re all pretty much the same anyway.”
Voices thick with fatigue drifted through the meeting room.
Then the door opened with a Creak.
“Hey, my little slaves. Reading diligently?”
It was Woo Young-taek, the most senior PD in the room.
At his arrival, the zombie-like PDs forced themselves upright to greet him.
“Yeah, yeah. Find anything worth keeping?”
“No. Nothing except Screenwriter Seong’s work.”
“It feels like the quality keeps dropping every year. Nothing really grabs you.”
Hmm. Another year ending with a star writer winning, then.
It was disappointing, but they had secured a major writer like Seong Yu-ra, so this was enough.
He had not expected much anyway, so Woo Young-taek simply accepted it.
“Hm?”
Then Woo Young-taek’s gaze stopped on a seat in the corner.
Ahn Ji-young, a rookie PD who had joined the company only this year, was sitting there.
Normally, the youngest staff member would have reacted first and eagerly greeted him.
But now, she was silently staring at the tablet PC in front of her.
‘What is she looking at so intently?’
After watching her with curiosity, Woo Young-taek quietly approached from behind.
“PD Ahn. PD Ahn.”
She did not answer.
How absorbed was she?
“Hey, PD Ahn Ji-young. Ji-young.”
This time, he called louder and lightly tapped her shoulder.
Only then did Ahn Ji-young seem to return to reality. Her shoulders jumped in surprise.
She turned toward Woo Young-taek and stammered.
“P-PD Woo? When did you get here?”
“Just now. What were you looking at so closely that you forgot to breathe? Screenwriter Seong Yu-ra’s?”
“Ah, no. It’s not Screenwriter Seong’s script, but...”
There was something strange about Ahn Ji-young’s expression.
She looked dazed, as though she had not yet fully emerged from the world of the script.
Still carrying that lingering feeling, she continued.
“It’s more entertaining.”
“What?”
“I don’t know who wrote it, but I’ve never read a script this entertaining.”
More entertaining than Screenwriter Seong Yu-ra’s script?
Woo Young-taek swallowed a laugh.
‘She really does have that rookie side to her sometimes.’
The junior who was usually so eager was making an uncharacteristically dramatic fuss.
Woo Young-taek held out his hand with an indifferent expression.
“What is it? Let me see it, too.”
“Yes. Here.”
Woo Young-taek took the tablet and casually began by reading the synopsis.
The title was [Living with My Ex-Boyfriend Somehow].
From the title alone, it gave off the scent of an utterly predictable romantic comedy.
Nothing special so far.
Out of habit, Woo Young-taek tried to find flaws in the script first.
Was the writing style too light? Was the opening setup forced? How were the dialogue scenes between the characters constructed?
He intended to thoroughly expose the weaknesses in the script that the rookie PD had boldly declared more entertaining than Screenwriter Seong Yu-ra’s work.
But then...
“...?!”
Flip! Flip!
A few minutes passed.
His indifferent expression began to change.
The fingers turning each page gradually moved faster.
Gulp.
Woo Young-taek was no longer looking for flaws.
No, he could not find any.
Now, he was simply reading the script with no purpose other than pure enjoyment.
“...”
This script focused not on the tender love between a couple, but on their conflicts.
Those conflicts were portrayed with such realism that they made his chest ache, yet their unexpected reunion after the breakup was hilariously funny.
__________________________________
“Why are you mad? You need to tell me why so I can understand and make it up to you.”
“I told you I’m not mad. Why do you keep making me sound like I’m oversensitive?”
Arguments born from the smallest things.
After repeated fights, their relationship finally reaches its destination: a breakup.
“Seriously! I’m tired of even talking about this. Let’s just break up.”
“Fine! Let’s end it! It’s not like I didn’t want to!”
Time passes, and the two gradually fade from each other’s memories.
Then an incident occurs.
One day, someone breaks into the female lead Min A-young’s home.
Beep, beep, beep!
“W-What? Who suddenly knows the password to my home...?”
A delivery person? Family? A friend?
No way.
She was the only one who knew the door lock password.
Then was it a thief?
Whatever it was, the intruder was clearly dangerous.
The moment the thought occurred to her, Min A-young ran into the kitchen and hid beneath the dining table.
Creeeak.
The front door opened, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps.
Holding her breath, Min A-young watched the stranger’s back.
She prayed that the unknown intruder would leave soon.
But the hooded stranger continued wandering around the apartment.
As if they had no intention of leaving.
“What do I do...!”
At this rate, they would find her.
They might do something horrible to her.
Finally making up her mind, she grabbed the frying pan on the table and decided to fight back.
“D-Die, you perverted bastard!”
“...!?”
When the intruder let their guard down, Min A-young struck them on the head with the frying pan.
Clang!
The intruder collapsed without even resisting.
But it was a man she never could have expected.
“Aaah! H-Help! There’s a thief in my home...!”
“Who are you calling a thief? And this is my home...! Han Seong-woo?!”
“...! W-What? Min A-young? Why are you in my home?”
“What? What the hell are you talking about? This isn’t your home, it’s our... No! It’s my home!”
It was Han Seong-woo, the ex-boyfriend she had broken up with a few months earlier.
He had fallen victim to a jeonse scam[1] and ended up here.
After learning the full story, the two reluctantly begin living together.
But...
“Hey, Han Seong-woo! Do you seriously want to die?! I told you to put the toilet seat down when you pee!”
“Min A-young, you’re insane! I told you to wash the dishes as soon as you’re done eating!”
“Damn it! Get out! Get out of my home right now!”
“What are you talking about? This is my home. If anyone should leave, it’s you!”
They could not spend even one normal day living together.
There was no way they could get along.
__________________________________
“...Ah.”
Woo Young-taek’s finger stopped just as he was about to turn the next page.
At the same time, a regretful sigh escaped his lips.
“...”
A truly entertaining work was one that made the lack of a next chapter painful.
That was exactly how PD Woo Young-taek felt now.
For a while, he sat there blankly with his mouth open.
Before long, he finally spoke.
“J-Ji-young. Who wrote this...?”
“I’m not sure, either. The pen name says Ji Yeon-woo, but I’ve never heard that name before. I don’t even know whether it’s a real name or a pseudonym.”
It could not possibly be a rookie writer.
This was no exaggeration. He had honestly found it more entertaining than star writer Seong Yu-ra’s script.
‘Who the hell is this...?’
He had no idea.
But one thing was certain.
If it maintained the same pace as Episodes 1 and 2, a masterpiece would be born.
Woo Young-taek was convinced of it.
Footnotes:
[1] Jeonse: a Korean lease system based on a large lump-sum deposit, normally returned when the lease ends.
Jeonse is a Korean rental system based on a large lump-sum deposit that is normally returned when the lease ends.
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