WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Potter

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◈ Why Do My Dramas Keep Becoming Hits!? ◈

Chapter 6: Bring That Writer Here Right Now! (3)

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Woo Young-taek was a veteran PD in tvM's drama department.

Given his years of service and the filmography he had built, he should have long since been sitting in a department head's office, leaning back with his hands behind his back.

So why was he still running around on set, sweating blood and tears?

Because the higher-ups disliked him? Because he lacked ability?

Not a chance. It was entirely because of his "pathological passion" for directing.

He had tirelessly moved from set to set, producing countless hit dramas.

Before he knew it, he had become a master whom even famous screenwriters and top actors could not treat carelessly.

But what the hell was with this writer?

"Ah, please stop calling me. I'm hanging up."

"Excuse me? Writer? Writer?!"

Beep. Beep.

Woo Young-taek's eyes trembled as he stared at the phone call that had been ruthlessly cut off.

"H-he really hung up?"

No matter how many times Woo called or what he said, the response on the other end remained the same.

I'm not interested, so stop calling.

Once the missed calls exceeded five, the writer had even blocked his number.

"..."

Woo Young-taek had been through every hardship imaginable and had sweet-talked countless arrogant star writers.

Especially with rookie writers who had only just debuted, he was always the one who took control of the atmosphere and ran the whole show.

So why was he being treated worse than a dog?

His pride was hurt.

But his ambition was even greater.

The ambition of a director determined to direct this insane script with his own hands.

In the end, Woo Young-taek decided to throw his pathetic pride to the dogs.

After persistently trying to contact him, even pitifully borrowing junior PDs' phones, he finally managed to persuade him.

"Th-thank you! Please contact us whenever you have time! We'll come straight to wherever you are!"

"Sure... Let's do that."

Click.

The call ended with that dry response.

Woo Young-taek blankly looked down at the dark phone screen. His palm was already damp with cold sweat.

"Phew... Did I somehow change his mind?"

He felt relieved that he had at least secured a meeting.

But that relief did not last long. A crushing pressure, like a boulder lodged in his chest, soon weighed him down.

The short call they had just shared kept circling through his head.

"...What kind of person is he?"

Woo had offered terms so extraordinary that not only a rookie, but even an established writer would foam at the mouth and faint.

Yet how had Ji Yeon-woo reacted?

Surprise? Joy? Confusion?

There had not been even one percent of any of it. He had merely listened indifferently.

As if asking, Is that all? Don't you have more?

Of course, the truth was that Ji Yeon-woo had been so shocked that he could not speak.

But Woo Young-taek had no way of knowing that, so he could only come to the exact opposite conclusion.

"He's not someone I can take lightly."

After rubbing his face and letting out a long, deep sigh, Woo returned to the office with heavy steps.

"PD Woo! How did it go? Did things work out with the writer?"

"I set up a meeting."

"What?! Really?!"

Unlike Ahn Ji-young, the youngest PD, who jumped around in celebration, Woo Young-taek dropped heavily into his seat and roughly loosened his tie. His expression remained grave.

He had put out the immediate fire, but he had no idea how to win over that eccentric man whose thoughts he could not read at the meeting.

His gaze fell on the script cover lying on his desk.

[Writer: Ji Yeon-woo]

He stared hard at the three printed syllables and muttered under his breath.

"Ji Yeon-woo... I've never heard that name before. Where the hell did he come from?"

"Ah, PD. I actually looked into him a little."

Ahn Ji-young approached, her eyes shining.

"This writer's style, the way he handles mise-en-scène and builds character relationships, felt strangely familiar. So I looked into it, and there was one person he reminded me of."

"What? Who?"

"Writer Seo Eun-hye."

The name Seo Eun-hye slipped out.

But Woo Young-taek snorted as though she had said something ridiculous.

Who was Seo Eun-hye? The queen of Korean dramas and a living symbol of the industry.

Compared to her, Seong Yu-ra was not even worth mentioning. Seo Eun-hye was the nation's number one star writer.

In fact, Seo Eun-hye had been the first person Woo Young-taek thought of when he read the script.

But the moment her name came to mind, he dismissed the possibility.

Was it because it made no sense for someone of her stature to submit to a cable Script Contest?

That was part of it, but Seo Eun-hye had already announced her retirement.

"Ji-young. Say something that makes sense. How long has it been since Seo Eun-hye put down her pen?"

"I know that, of course."

"Then why are you bringing up Seo Eun-hye?"

"No, no. I don't mean Writer Seo Eun-hye herself. I mean the assistant writer who worked under her."

"...?!"

For a moment, Woo Young-taek's stiff expression froze completely.

Right... Why didn't I think of that?

In 2015, Seo Eun-hye had been struggling through a brutal slump when she suddenly hired an assistant writer.

She had insisted on working alone her entire life, but perhaps it had worked.

The moment the assistant writer joined her, she miraculously overcame her slump.

No, she began pouring out scripts of monstrous quality that even surpassed her prime.

Of course, some people said they should not make such a fuss over an assistant writer. What could one assistant writer possibly do?

But the industry's quiet rumors said otherwise.

That assistant was not an ordinary helper, but practically a co-writer. Rumor had it that even the arrogant Seo Eun-hye had entrusted the overall structure of her scripts to the assistant.

Then why had someone with that much talent remained an assistant for years?

Because they were determined to hide completely.

No one knew why, but they were extremely reluctant to reveal themselves.

That was why they had insisted on remaining an assistant for years.

If they worked as a main writer, public appearances would be unavoidable.

"When Writer Seo Eun-hye retired last year, there were plenty of rumors too. People said she had fallen out with that assistant, and the assistant quit. Then Seo Eun-hye's work went downhill, so she decided to retire. Things like that."

"So what you're saying is... that legendary assistant is Ji Yeon-woo, the person who submitted this script?"

Ahn Ji-young slowly nodded.

"I can't be certain, but I think there's a fifty percent chance. Leaving aside how much his writing resembles Seo Eun-hye's, the timing is too perfect. And a rookie wrote a script of this quality? Isn't it much more reasonable to think he's an established writer who has been hiding his name?"

"..."

Woo Young-taek could not answer carelessly. He leaned back in his chair.

The puzzle pieces spinning around in his mind began to fit together with chilling precision.

A flawless script reminiscent of Seo Eun-hye at her peak.

The strange behavior of someone who had tried so hard to conceal his identity.

Above all, that indifferent, arrogant attitude. Even when a veteran network PD promised industry-leading treatment, he had not even batted an eye.

If it's true... then even his attitude earlier makes sense.

He must have grown tired of seeing people grovel and cling to Seo Eun-hye. Of course his standards would be sky-high.

Woo Young-taek's gaze returned to the script on his desk.

Could it really be...?

#

Two days later.

The day of my meeting with the tvM PDs arrived.

The place was an upscale beef restaurant in Yeouido.

I suggested meeting at a decent nearby cafe, but they practically begged me to let them at least buy me a meal, so I reluctantly agreed.

"The interior is needlessly fancy. What kind of rich people come to places like this?"

They weren't going to split the bill, were they? They said they were treating me...

As I mentally did the math, my phone rang just as I entered the restaurant.

"Hello? Writer, have you arrived?"

"Ah, yes. I just came in through the entrance. Where should I go?"

"Please come to Room 12."

I followed an employee's directions and opened the door to Room 12.

Inside, a man and a woman were sitting side by side, visibly tense.

As I stared at them blankly, I made eye contact with the bearded man.

"Ah! Are you the writer?"

"..."

The male PD sprang up like a coil spring, and I flinched without meaning to.

The title "writer" felt unfamiliar enough to make my ears itch, but I gave a light nod without showing it.

"You must have had a long trip. Come on, please sit here."

"Sure."

I sat across from them, but the atmosphere was strange.

The two of them were fidgeting as though there were thorns beneath their cushions, and it made me feel like I was the one sitting on thorns.

Why are they so stiff?

It's not like they're here for an interview.

I tried to look calm as I cleared my throat and picked up the tongs.

Then, as if struck by lightning, the bearded PD swiftly snatched the tongs from my hand.

"I'll grill it, Writer."

Buying me expensive Korean beef was not enough. He was even going to grill it himself.

This man had to be an angel.

"Um, Writer. Let me say it again, but I truly found the script incredible. I read it all in one sitting without noticing time pass."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. That's why it was even more disappointing. I wanted to read the next episode right away, but there wasn't one. Ah! Of course, I'm absolutely not trying to rush you! Scripts aren't something you can churn out in a day like factory products. And more than anyone, I know a script as polished as [Living with an Ex-Boyfriend] requires bone-deep suffering."

It really had been churned out in a day, though.

That script in particular had been made one part every three hours, so its quality had fallen straight into hell. What was with this absurd praise...?

Mm... I should just stay quiet.

The bearded PD was staring at me with sparkling eyes, utterly excited.

If I hit him with the facts here, he might feel embarrassed after being so passionate, so I simply nodded along.

Sizzle!

Even as the finest Korean beef cooked on the grill, the PD's praise showed no signs of stopping.

"The dialogue was so lively. Every single line felt like it was breathing. And the banter between the characters was so good that, for a moment, I wondered whether Writer Seo Eun-hye had written it."

Writer Seo Eun-hye?

Of course it would be similar.

How much had I worked myself to the bone on Writer Seo Eun-hye's sets when I was an assistant director?

Every time, I watched over her shoulder as she built her scripts. Later, I even sought her out separately, offering coffee tributes in exchange for writing advice.

Since a name I was fond of had come up, I readily nodded.

"Ah, yes. I was influenced a lot by Writer Seo Eun-hye. I learned quite a bit watching from beside her."

The bearded PD's tongs, which had been about to flip the meat, stopped dead in midair.

The female PD beside him sucked in a sharp breath.

"E-excuse me? Writer, what did you just say...?"

"...? Is there a problem?"

"N-no! Not at all!!"

What was that about?

Why were they acting like this again?

"PD, the meat is burning."

"Ah! S-sorry!!"

"..."

This was driving me crazy.

They looked utterly horrified, as though I had made some sort of bombshell declaration.

Had I said something wrong?

"Um, Writer..."

"Yes?"

"Could you tell us exactly what your relationship with Writer Seo Eun-hye is...?"

"Writer Seo?"

What relationship?

It wasn't anything worth dressing up in grand terms.

"Well, I worked with her on a few projects before."

"...!!!"

"Crazy...! R-really?!"

"???"

The two people, who had looked like their eyes would pop out from shock all this time, finally had their jaws drop to the floor.

The words "worked with her" seemed to have completely blown their minds.

The two pairs of eyes staring at me even looked twice as large as before.

Is that really such a shocking thing...?

Writer Seo Eun-hye was a famous star writer, sure, but their reaction was excessive.

Plenty of staff had worked alongside her while getting run ragged on her sets.

That bearded PD looks like he has quite a few years under his belt, but maybe he has less broadcasting experience than he looks.

Seeing how they practically had a fit at the three syllables Seo Eun-hye, both of them had to be inexperienced rookie PDs with little field experience.

They'd probably faint if I showed them Seo Eun-hye's autograph sitting at home.

"PD... It was true!"

"Huh..."

What had they been talking about this whole time?

Not understanding a thing, I simply kept eating the mound of premium chuck flap piled on my plate.

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