WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Potter

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◈ Why Do My Dramas Keep Becoming Hits!? ◈

Chapter 30: The Writer Who Wrote This Is Your Brother (5)

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Inside a taxi speeding down the road, Department Head Park Ho-seong could feel neither the scenery flashing past the window nor the jolts each time the car went over a speed bump.

'So he was that writer... Should I call this good luck or not?'

Park roughly loosened his tie and caught his breath. After forcing his pounding heart to calm down, he took out his tablet with trembling hands.

The script file Ji Seo-yoon had emailed him, [Untitled Episodes 3-4].

Park swallowed hard and, almost entranced, tapped the screen.

"..."

Only his ragged breathing and the sound of scrolling filled the silence in the backseat.

The working title was still careless, but the weight of the words within was anything but light.

Swish. Swish.

Park Ho-seong's finger moved faster as he scrolled.

The writer had perfectly controlled what could have been a complicated premise of multiple overlapping undercover identities with insane skill and pacing. There were taut psychological battles between the characters, twists that made the back of his head tingle, and devilish ending hooks that made it impossible not to watch the next episode.

"Haa..."

After reading the final scene of Episode 4, Park Ho-seong let out an involuntary groan and sank deep into the leather seat.

He had only read text on a screen, yet it felt as though the thick, foul stench of real blood filled his nostrils.

"Fuck... This really is something."

The instincts he had built over ten years in the production trenches screamed like a blaring siren in his head.

This was something. No, even that word was not enough. It was a treasure.

And who had written this insane script?

The writer of <Living with My Ex-Boyfriend Somehow>, the drama currently making cable TV history on tvM after breaking 15% ratings with its first episode.

A monster who had proven both popular appeal and buzz by scoring a massive hit with a debut project. With several heartwarming stories attached to the writer as well, it would not be an exaggeration to say the writer had already joined the ranks of star screenwriters.

'I have to get him no matter what.'

A flawless script paired with a writer whose stock was soaring.

It was practically a guaranteed hit, one that would let them choose their main investor and breeze through securing a broadcast slot.

But what if this script went to another network or a rival production company?

Just imagining it brought a terrible sense of loss, as though his guts were twisting. He felt like grabbing the CEO by the pant leg and making him stamp the contract immediately.

Bzzzt! Bzzzt!

His smartphone, shoved into his pocket, vibrated noisily at just the right moment.

Seeing the caller ID, Park Ho-seong swiftly answered.

"Yes, sir. Could you spare me a moment? Well, the thing is..."

#

"Haa... I'm exhausted. Completely exhausted."

The moment I got home, I kicked off my shoes by the entrance and collapsed onto the living room sofa.

What a damn day.

Staring blankly at the ceiling, I went over the farce from the café.

"...What the hell am I suffering through because of that crazy bitch?"

I never dreamed the snowball caused by Ji Seo-yoon getting mixed up like an idiot would roll this far.

No, putting that aside.

Wasn't Studio Miracle a fairly well-known production company?

So why were they so desperate to sign a contract with me?

"Besides, [Untitled] is just some trashy makjang script I threw together without thinking things through."

It was a script where I mindlessly dumped in every kind of provocative seasoning.

In terms of quality, it was garbage compared to [Living with My Ex-Boyfriend Somehow].

So why?

"...Do I really have no eye for writing?"

Or was my my-writing-sucks syndrome as severe as Yoon Dong-woo said?

By now, even my own objectivity was seriously wavering.

Just as I was about to indulge in a moment of self-admiration, I quickly shook my head and cast off the pointless delusion.

"No. That script is absolutely not happening."

Whatever else, I could not let such a half-baked failure go out into the world under my name and air on television.

My pathetic pride as a writer would not allow it.

Bzzzt!

Before I could even sort out my thoughts, my phone rang loudly in my pocket.

The caller ID read [I Took All the Genes, Better Luck Next Time], my little sister Ji Seo-yoon.

The moment I answered, her urgent voice poured through the phone.

"Oppa! Did it go well? What happened?"

"It didn't go well or badly. That guy said he brought the wrong contract and left in the middle of it."

"Huh? Really? Then what are you going to do about the contract? Have you decided?"

"Why are you already going on about a contract? I said I'd think about it. I never said I'd sign one right away."

"Ah, right. You did."

Ji Seo-yoon backed off at my firm reply.

But only for a moment.

She cautiously began getting to the point.

"But, Oppa, I'm serious... Would you really consider working with us..."

"Yeah, sure. Love you too, sis. Make sure you eat properly. Bye."

Click.

I ended the call without mercy before she could finish.

Who did she think she was, laying the groundwork like that?

"I'm already tired enough."

I tossed my phone onto one side of the sofa and was about to let out a long sigh.

Bzzzt!

The phone I had just thrown down started vibrating again before even a minute had passed.

Certain that Ji Seo-yoon was calling again, I snatched it up irritably.

But the name on the screen was not my sister's.

[Director Woo Young-taek]

"...?"

Why was Director Woo calling at this hour? He should be busy preparing for filming.

I quickly cleared my throat and answered.

"Yes, Director."

"Ah, Writer! Have you eaten? Sorry to call while you're resting. Haha!"

Director Woo's voice over the phone sounded unusually high and excited.

"No, it's fine. Is something wrong?"

"It's nothing much! Writer, you know your cameo scene is in today's broadcast, right?"

"...Ah."

It felt as though someone had hit me over the head with a hammer.

That dreaded cameo scene I had been practically dragged into under the excuse of having brotherly chemistry with Do Jae-hyun.

So it was airing today.

The memory I had wanted to erase completely came rushing back with cruel clarity.

"Hahaha! It airs in an hour! Make sure you gather the whole family and watch it together! It's a historic day. You appeared in a cameo in your own debut project!"

"Ah... Yes..."

"You can brag about it to your friends and acquaintances too! Haha! I edited it brilliantly, so you can look forward to it!"

Unaware of my feelings, Director Woo kept laughing heartily.

"...Thank you for putting so much thought into it."

"Of course! Then I'll contact you again after the live broadcast ends. Get some rest!"

The call ended.

On the silent living room sofa, I froze in place, phone in hand, like a stone statue.

Watch it together with my family? And brag to my friends?

Was Director Woo trying to make fun of me? Or was he saying nonsense like that because he had no friends?

"I'm so screwed."

I didn't need to see it to know how those bastards would react when they saw my terrible acting on TV.

I could vividly picture Yoon Dong-woo rolling onto his back and howling with laughter.

"...I should cut off contact with them for a while."

Overwhelmed by shame, I buried my face in my hands.

#

At a restaurant specializing in spicy stir-fried pork, the smoky aroma tickled the nose.

At a table in one corner of the crowded restaurant, filled with office workers on their way home, Studio Miracle PD Nam Tae-jin sat across from junior PD Ji Seo-yoon.

"Come on, have some water and shake it off."

Nam Tae-jin handed her a cup of water with a warm smile.

"Has Department Head Park been an asshole for only a day or two? You're not the only one in this company who's been chewed out by him."

"...I'm sorry."

"Hey, I said it's fine. When you work in planning, files get mixed up and things go wrong with writers all the time. Keep your shoulders straight. Don't blame yourself too much. Just shake it off, okay?"

Moved by her senior's sincere comfort, Ji Seo-yoon gave an awkward smile.

"Haha... Thank you, Sunbae."

"Sure, sure. Our youngest is working hard enough. Don't even think about quitting. It's hard to find another slave like you."

"...Pardon?"

"...? What?"

Nam Tae-jin cleared his throat to reset the mood and continued.

"And, uh... Department Head Park looked pretty happy earlier. Did things work out?"

"Ah, yes. I'm not sure yet, but... the situation did improve."

"Well, that's a relief."

They continued talking back and forth.

"Hey! It's starting, it's starting!"

"Ma'am! Please turn the volume up!"

Customers at the surrounding tables suddenly started shouting.

The commercials had ended, and the title for Episode 3 of <Living with My Ex-Boyfriend Somehow> filled the large TV mounted on the wall, accompanied by its familiar opening music.

"Oh? Come to think of it, it is today."

Nam Tae-jin naturally turned toward the TV as well.

Excitement had already appeared in his eyes.

"Man, I thought my neck would snap from waiting."

"Sunbae, the food is here. Aren't you going to eat?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'll eat slowly. You go ahead."

Nam Tae-jin answered absentmindedly, fully focused on the TV screen.

At this rate, he might get sucked right into it.

"Heh, the cast really does look great. Was that actor's name Do Jae-hyun? Where was a gem like him hiding until now? Didn't they say he was originally cast as an extra too?"

"Munch. Yes. I heard the writer pushed him in as a last-minute replacement."

"Wow, that writer really has an eye for talent."

"Right. But, Sunbae, are you really not eating?"

"Yeah, I am. Eat up. Don't worry about me. Have some wraps too."

On screen, Cha Ye-rin and Do Jae-hyun continued their crisp, playful back-and-forth.

Nam Tae-jin kept letting out little laughs as he became deeply absorbed in the drama.

Then, just as Nam Tae-jin was immersed in it, the scene changed, and a close-up appeared of an unfamiliar man standing beside a park bench.

'Huh? Who's that?'

It was a face Nam Tae-jin had never seen before.

He scratched his chin and narrowed his eyes.

'A rookie actor? He doesn't really have the face for acting...'

Just as Nam Tae-jin tried to figure out the character's identity, the actress on screen grabbed the man's collar with fierce force and swung her palm like lightning, accompanied by a sharp whoosh.

Smack!

A crisp sound of impact rang out, loud enough to tear through the speakers.

The man's head snapped to the side, and the camera mercilessly zoomed in on his expression, a mix of involuntary tears and aggrieved indignation.

'Pfft, crazy.'

The reaction was so realistic that it made the viewers' own cheeks sting.

That guy really got slapped good.

Nam Tae-jin let out a small laugh and was finally about to take a spoonful of food.

Clatter!

With a loud sound, a metal spoon fell to the floor across from him and rolled away.

"...?"

Startled, Nam Tae-jin turned his head without thinking.

Ji Seo-yoon was staring at the TV in a daze, her spoon dropped from her hand.

"Uh, uh...? W-Why is that there...?!"

"...?"

Her eyes had widened as though they might pop out, and her parted lips trembled like leaves.

What was wrong with her all of a sudden?

Nam Tae-jin tilted his head, looking confused.

"What is it, Seo-yoon? What's wrong?"

"Why is that...?"

But Ji Seo-yoon did not seem to hear Nam Tae-jin's question at all.

After swallowing a scream of shock, she sprang to her feet like a coiled spring.

"I, I have something urgent to do, so I'll go first!!"

"What? Hey, I was just about to take my first bite. Where are you going?"

Nam Tae-jin shouted in confusion, but Ji Seo-yoon snatched up her bag and sprinted toward the restaurant door like crazy.

"Hey! Hey, Ji Seo-yoon! Where are you going?!"

"Thank you for the meal, Sunbae! See you later!"

Nam Tae-jin shouted until his voice nearly broke, but Ji Seo-yoon disappeared in a flash without looking back even once.

Click.

The restaurant door closed, leaving behind two steaming servings of spicy stir-fried pork and Nam Tae-jin alone at the table.

Left all alone, Nam Tae-jin blankly stared at Ji Seo-yoon's empty seat and the stir-fried pork on the table.

"..."

During the day, that department head suddenly flipped the table and ran off. In the evening, the youngest watched TV, freaked out, and ran away.

Why?

Left alone, Nam Tae-jin held his chopsticks and muttered blankly with a hollow expression.

"Does everyone hate eating with me...?"

"Am I the outcast...?"

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