WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Potter
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Why Do My Dramas Keep Becoming Hits!? ◈
Chapter 29: The Writer Who Wrote This Is Your Brother (4)
──────
Warm sunlight poured down over the outdoor terrace at tvM’s Sangam-dong headquarters.
The assistant directors from other teams sipped their coffee, letting out deep sighs of bitter regret.
“Fuck... I should’ve volunteered when they were putting together the <Living with My Ex-Boyfriend Somehow> team. Why did I just sit there like an idiot?”
“You had it easy. PD Woo personally asked me to join Team A. But I turned him down because I said I needed a break after my last project. Damn it, I should rip past me’s mouth apart.”
“You turned down PD Woo’s lifeline? You crazy bastard. Just die.”
They said when your cousin buys land, your stomach hurts.
Watching the people next door succeed was enviable enough to make them sick with jealousy.
“I overheard something in the break room just now. They’ve already picked a destination for their reward vacation. I’m so fucking jealous.”
“You think they’re only getting a vacation? <Living with My Ex-Boyfriend Somehow> is wiping the floor with every terrestrial network all by itself. Just wait until you see the size of their bonus envelopes.”
“Ha... Our team hit a 3% rating, and the director completely blew up. The set’s got the atmosphere of a funeral home. Is this even fair?”
“Seriously! I should’ve said yes back then! Why did I play hard to get? Fuck!”
Their heated complaints and intense envy swept across the terrace.
Then their gazes naturally turned in one direction.
There sat Ahn Ji-young, the youngest assistant director on the <Living with My Ex-Boyfriend Somehow> Team A, blankly rolling the ice around in her iced Americano.
“We’re jealous of you, Ji-young.”
“Exactly. Life must be great for you these days, PD Ahn. Once this project wraps up safely, your performance review will be incredible. You’re on the fast track to promotion.”
“PD Woo clearly likes you too. You’ve got yourself firmly in his good graces.”
“Hey, when you make your debut, don’t pretend you don’t know us.”
“Ahaha...”
Her seniors showered her with envious, teasing remarks.
But Ahn Ji-young could only force up the corners of her mouth. She could not think of a real answer.
Honestly, she was still struggling to process the situation herself.
She had known it would do well, but it was doing too well.
Everything in the drama industry was going smoothly, without a single hitch. It was enough to make her worry about things she had never worried about before.
“So this is where you were slacking off.”
A voice suddenly cut in from behind them.
The startled assistant directors turned around to find Director Woo Young-taek standing there with one leg cocked.
“Gasp! PD Woo!”
“W-When did you get here?”
“Look at you lot. You’re all having the time of your lives, huh? One tentpole hits big, and all your discipline disappears?”
“N-No, sir! We were just taking a quick break...”
“Cool your heads in front of the editing machines. Get inside and finish what you were doing.”
At Woo Young-taek’s mild scolding, the assistant directors flinched and hurried off the terrace.
The boisterous atmosphere fell quiet in an instant, leaving only Ahn Ji-young and Woo Young-taek behind.
Woo naturally sat beside her and held out the fresh coffee he had brought.
“Drink. You’ve been running around since this morning. You’ve worked hard.”
“Ah, I already had...”
Tsk.
“...Thank you, PD.”
Ahn Ji-young bowed and accepted the coffee.
For a short while, they simply sipped their drinks in silence.
Then Woo Young-taek casually tossed out a question.
“Hey, rookie. Is something bothering you lately?”
“Cough! Cough! N-No, sir!”
“What do you mean, no? Even when everyone was making a huge fuss over the ratings passing 15% at the team dinner, you were the only one with a stiff expression. What’s going on?”
As he said, there had been none of the usual liveliness expected from the youngest member of a team whose drama had become a massive hit.
Instead, her face was clouded with worry.
At Woo Young-taek’s sharp observation, Ahn Ji-young hesitated, watching his reaction.
She fidgeted with her fingers, then finally seemed to make up her mind and carefully spoke.
“It’s because of the writer, PD.”
“The writer?”
“Yes... You know how it’s impossible to tell what the writer is thinking.”
Ji Yeon-woo at the team dinner a few days ago flashed through Ahn Ji-young’s mind.
Everyone had hugged and cheered at the miraculous first-episode ratings, even shedding tears of joy.
Yet Ji Yeon-woo alone had worn the expression of someone chewing shit, as though he were uncomfortable.
As if even this incredible success was not enough to satisfy him.
“This drama is going amazingly well. Viewer reactions are perfect too. But the writer doesn’t seem happy at all.”
“Hmm...”
“Could there be something about our direction or how we run the set that he dislikes? Or maybe the actors’ performances are going in a different direction from what the writer intended...”
At Ahn Ji-young’s sincere concern, Woo Young-taek quietly stroked his chin.
Ji Yeon-woo’s standards really were far beyond anything they had imagined.
Considering the cold rebuke he had delivered at the script reading and his uncompromising perfectionism, he was not the sort of person who would celebrate this level of ratings.
“So, PD.”
Ahn Ji-young lowered her voice slightly and carefully made a suggestion.
“What if we casually bring up a contract for his next project and see how he reacts? We could find out whether he’s dissatisfied with us or if there are other terms he wants.”
“His next project?”
“Yes. You never know. What if, like with Writer Seong last time, another network or production company suddenly snatches him away...”
Even at Ahn Ji-young’s anxiety-filled words, Woo Young-taek let out a relaxed little laugh.
“PD Ahn, there’s no need to rush.”
“Pardon? But...”
“First, we need to clear the meal that’s already in front of us.”
Woo Young-taek set down his coffee and gazed steadily up at the sky.
“Our job right now is to focus on this <Living with My Ex-Boyfriend Somehow> meal and clear every last bit of it perfectly, without a flaw. We’ve only just taken our first spoonful of lunch. If we start demanding dinner too, we could lose the bowl we’re eating from.”
“Ah...”
“So let’s finish this drama perfectly first. It’ll be better to build trust gradually as we go.”
Woo Young-taek was right.
Even if the writer was dissatisfied with the current situation on set, there were still plenty of chances to make up for it.
The ratings could climb even higher, and there was no telling what other good news might come along.
‘Bringing up his next project right now... It probably isn’t something the writer wants to hear either...’
Only then did Ahn Ji-young let her tense shoulders droop a little.
As the mood lightened, Woo Young-taek added with a silly grin.
“Heh heh. And Ji-young, since we’re on the subject, use some common sense.”
“Yes?”
“Our drama has only aired two episodes. The writer has been running around the set, weighing in on casting, revising the script whenever he can. Even ten bodies wouldn’t be enough for him right now, so what next project are you talking about?”
“That’s... true.”
“I mean, it’s not like the writer is some kind of writing machine. How could he already be preparing for another project with a schedule this brutal? He probably hasn’t even come up with an idea yet. Right?”
Woo Young-taek laughed heartily, utterly certain.
Ahn Ji-young, who had listened blankly, gave an embarrassed smile and nodded.
‘Sigh. It’s good that she’s motivated, but sometimes she lets that motivation get ahead of her.’
Watching Ahn Ji-young, Woo Young-taek let out a laugh mixed with a sigh.
What was he supposed to do with their youngest team member, who knew so little about the ways of the world?
#
Park Ho-seong, department head at Studio Miracle’s planning team.
Originally a PD from a fairly well-regarded terrestrial network, he had grown exhausted by grueling work on set and transferred to Miracle.
Once he had taken on a management title, he had handed off most menial tasks to his subordinates.
But this time, he had no choice but to run around himself.
“Pant! Pant! Hah...!”
When was the last time he had run this hard, sweat pouring down his face?
Park Ho-seong jumped urgently out of the taxi, caught his breath, and looked around.
Soon, he spotted the café where they had agreed to meet and immediately took off running.
Ding!
He entered with the cheerful ringing of the bell and scanned the interior with hawk-like eyes.
Then he spotted a young man sitting alone at a corner table by the window.
‘Is that... him?’
It was a face he had never seen before.
He had spent well over a decade in the broadcasting industry and met countless writers and PDs, but this was undoubtedly an unfamiliar face.
Just as Ji Seo-yoon had told him, the man really did seem to be a new writer.
‘Hah. Even better.’
It was nearly certain that the author of the [Untitled] script was a new writer.
Calculations immediately began racing through Department Head Park’s mind.
If the other party had been an established writer with name recognition, he would have needed to humble himself and cater to his every whim.
But if it was a clueless, green new writer, that changed things.
Using his status as a newcomer as an excuse, he could suitably cut down the signing bonus and writing fee. More importantly, the planning team could seize complete control of the production process.
From Studio Miracle’s perspective, the writer was practically a golden goose that would bring in an overwhelming profit margin.
‘Hah. Stay calm.’
That was why Department Head Park struggled to suppress his pounding heart and his impatience to get the contract signed immediately.
Like the industry veteran he was, someone who had been through it all, he put on his most relaxed and kindly smile and approached the table across from the young man.
It was the expression of the party with the upper hand.
“Oh, I’m sorry for keeping you waiting. I’m Park Ho-seong, department head of Studio Miracle’s planning team. You must be the writer?”
“Ah, yes. Hello.”
The young man rose from his seat and gave a light bow.
Once they sat across from each other, Department Head Park smoothly began laying the groundwork.
“I really enjoyed your script. It was the most interesting script I’ve read recently.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. It just charged ahead so relentlessly that I lost track of time while reading it. Haha.”
First, he loosened the atmosphere with some casual praise.
But only briefly.
He soon reined in his pleasant smile and put on the sharp, exacting look of a veteran planner.
It was the beginning of his attempt to tame the young man and seize complete control of the conversation.
“Still, we should discuss the practical side of things too, shouldn’t we?”
“Pardon?”
“The shooting scene aboard the smuggling ship involving the Chinese Triads.”
Department Head Park put on a deliberately serious expression and tapped the table with his fingers.
“When you read it on the page, the scale makes it exciting. But once you put a camera on it, that’s when production costs start soaring into the stratosphere.”
“...?”
“And filming on an actual ship at night with dozens of background extras performing action scenes together? Those scenes are exactly where you run up against the practical limits of directing. If you get it even slightly wrong and the filming looks sloppy, it will only shatter the viewers’ immersion.”
Department Head Park continued listing supposed flaws with a serious expression.
It was a typical method. Throw the practical limits of directing and production budget issues at newcomers who only knew how to write, then crush their confidence.
And he did not stop there.
“In the end, a script like this lives or dies by how it is directed and adapted. Honestly, you should consider Studio Miracle the only production company capable of fully realizing a project at this scale. Our veteran directing team would need to thoroughly refine the framework before it could barely make it to air. Haha.”
We will make up for everything you lack.
If he acted as though his side was doing the young man a favor, most new writers would be thoroughly intimidated by now and readily lower their tails.
Not missing that moment, Department Head Park pulled a crisp stack of papers from his briefcase.
“So, on the condition that you entrust everything to our planning team’s lead, I would like to move forward with a contract. Here, please take your time looking over this preliminary agreement.”
The preliminary contract was placed on the table.
Naturally, it was cleverly written to include lowball terms for new writers, set slightly below the market rate to maximize profit.
“It is extremely unusual for a major production company like Studio Miracle to contract directly with a new writer. That is how highly we value your potential. Haha.”
He even drove in the final nail, taking credit until the very end.
But then...
“...”
The young man’s reaction was strange.
There was no delighted expression or sign of gratitude. Instead, he was slightly furrowing his brow, moving his lips as though he were troubled.
Department Head Park’s eyes shook ever so slightly.
Had he lowballed him too much? Was there another clause he disliked?
Thrown off by the unexpectedly lukewarm response, Department Head Park cautiously probed for his thoughts.
“Ahem, is there perhaps a part of the contract terms you find unsatisfactory? As for the writing fee, we have set it at the highest rate for a new writer...”
“Ah, money isn’t the problem.”
The young man carefully set the contract down on the table and let out a deep sigh.
“To be honest, I have no plans to start another project right away.”
“Pardon? Another project?”
“Yes. I really appreciate you thinking highly of the script, but I’m a little busy these days. I don’t have the room to focus on a new project right now.”
For a moment, Department Head Park doubted his own ears.
Another project? A new project? What did that mean?
‘Don’t tell me he isn’t a new writer...?’
He tried to shake off the question marks on his face and carefully asked.
“A new project... Do you perhaps already have a project contracted with another production company? Or are you currently working on a web drama or a single-episode drama...?”
He tried to remain calm, but deep anxiety had already seeped into his voice.
The young man replied in an indifferent tone, as though it were nothing important.
“Ah, the drama currently airing on tvM.”
“Pardon? A tvM drama currently on air? Right now?”
“Yes. It’s called <Living with My Ex-Boyfriend Somehow>. Until it finishes airing, I want to focus only on that drama.”
“...!!!”
In that instant, Department Head Park’s ears went numb, as if every sound in the café had been muted.
So...
This man had written that insane drama, the one rewriting cable television history after breaking 15% ratings with its first episode?
This complete stranger?
‘Fuck... Fuck!’
It was as shocking as someone beating a massive bell right beside him.
Park Ho-seong’s pupils shook violently, as though an earthquake had struck.
Every production company and network in the industry should have been lining up with blank checks, yet he had come here waving around a worthless contract designed to lowball a new writer, proudly acting as though he was doing the man a favor.
“...”
Department Head Park came to his senses after a brief moment.
His gaze settled on the preliminary contract sitting alone on the table.
[Per-episode writing fee: In accordance with internal guidelines for new writers]
[Copyright and rights to secondary works: Vested in Studio Miracle]
Realizing what kind of insanity he had just committed, Department Head Park’s face turned beyond pale, becoming ashen.
He had handed a contract this trashy to that writer!
It was no different from coming here to make a deal and spitting in his face.
‘Fuck! I’ve lost my mind!’
His actions moved before his thoughts.
The moment he realized his mistake, he immediately reached out and began crumpling the contract like a madman.
Crinkle!
“...?!”
Ji Yeon-woo jerked backward in surprise, but Department Head Park carefully, no, desperately shoved the crumpled bundle of paper into his arms.
“Uh... Why are you suddenly doing that...?”
“Ah, ahaha! I thought something seemed strange. It looks like one of our employees brought the wrong documents! Good grief, haha! I’m sorry. I should have reviewed them beforehand.”
Department Head Park shot to his feet, bent at the waist in a ninety-degree bow, and spoke in a solemn voice.
“A-Ahem! Writer, please forget every condition you just saw. I will return to the company immediately, discuss it directly with our CEO, and bring back a proper contract.”
“No, wait. I have no intention of signing a contract right now...”
“You absolutely must not go anywhere else! Even if you have meetings scheduled with other companies, please meet with us first!”
“I’m telling you, I...”
“I’ll contact you very soon!”
Without giving Ji Yeon-woo a chance to say anything, Department Head Park threw open the café door as though he might break it, then hurriedly fled with his tail tucked between his legs.
Like a lone herbivore struggling to survive before a massive predator.
“...”
The spot was silent, as though a typhoon had swept through it.
Watching Department Head Park’s back as he ran off beyond the café door, Ji Yeon-woo muttered blankly.
“I said I don’t plan to sign a contract yet...”
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