Chapter 171: Negotiation
“Muyoung! Eunseong!”
The two, whispering and plotting together, looked up simultaneously when the assistant director called out to them.
Sweat-soaked, Muyoung laughed awkwardly.
“Can you come and check the blocking?”
“Ah! Yes, sure!”
“Is it okay if I bring my coffee?”
“Whatever’s comfortable. It’s really hot today, haha.”
The pair followed the assistant director’s instructions to check the camera movements.
It was a scene where they were moving to observe a military training exercise.
The director wanted a large pine tree in the background, so they went left, then right……
“Go left one more time here.”
“Is this how we’re supposed to walk?”
“Ahaha. It’s kind of funny.”
“Don’t worry about it—we’ll edit it later. Okay, that’s good. Just do it like this when we start shooting.”
Vroom! Bang!
“Move this over here!”
“Where is everyone from the crew?”
As Muyoung nodded, a truck loaded with heavy armor approached. The crew moved efficiently to unload the gear, and he naturally lent a hand.
“Wow, this armor looks amazing. Is it all new?”
“It’s not from the prop room—it was all newly made. Want to try it on?”
At the crew member’s playful suggestion, Muyoung put the armor on over his robe. Goodness, it was so heavy!
With the weather getting hotter, running around in this would be really tough.
It reminded him of carrying Yuna while running during the filming of The Plague.
“Will this be okay?”
“We have no choice—we’ll have to shoot it quickly. So be careful not to mess up, haha.”
“You’re all amazing.”
Of course, Muyoung hardly ever messed up.
The crew member’s words were directed at Cha Eun-seong, who was far away.
“The extras will be here soon!”
“Okay. We’ll move inside!”
It was a scene where warriors were competing.
While Muyoung and Eunseong could watch from the sidelines, the other supporting actors and extras had to endure the scorching sun and heat.
“Assistant director! Do you know where prop number 12 from last time is?”
“Ah. I gave it to Team Leader Gyeong-ae.”
“She said she doesn’t have it either.”
“What? What do you mean?”
While the broadcasting station and the Love Shot team were in chaos, the Blade’s Path team had work to do. The crew was working harder than usual to ensure the shoot went smoothly.
“Can someone check the lighting cables? There’s no power here.”
“Just pull them out, right? Lighting director~”
“Yeah, that’s right. You can do that. But with the nice weather today, we might not even need them.”
Hmm. To be precise, it’s more accurate to say they were pushing through the noise inside and out to stay focused.
“Ahhhhh.”
Unlike them, Cha Eunseong was goofing around with a handheld fan. With Wang Guanggu cut from the show and additional episodes planned, his pay was set to rise. He looked completely carefree.
Muyoung was in a similar situation……
But today, the crew seemed especially noticeable to him.
After organizing his thoughts, he called out to Cha Eunseong.
“Hey, hyung.”
“Yeah?”
“The pay negotiation—it’ll happen after today’s schedule, right?”
“Probably. They seem eager to get the article out as soon as possible, so I’ll likely head to the agency after work.”
“I’m not sure if I should ask this, but how much of a raise do you think you’ll get?”
He blinked innocently.
Pay was a sensitive topic, not something to ask about lightly. But it was already a given, and Cha Eunseong had brought it up first. After a moment’s hesitation, Muyoung laughed.
“I’m not sure. Why? If the negotiation goes through, I’ll let you know. Our agency has probably already agreed on the terms. In cases like this, we’re in control, so they’ll likely go along with it. Once I’ve negotiated, you can ask for something similar.”
With senior actor Cha Eunseong paving the way, Muyoung could follow without issue.
He could just say, ‘Same conditions as Cha Eunseong’s side.’
It would be that simple……
“What’s wrong?”
Cha Eunseong noticed Muyoung’s expression was a bit awkward. In response to his question, Muyoung smiled even brighter.
“No, it’s fine. I’m grateful. But by then, it’ll be midsummer, right?”
“Probably. I’m not sure how much longer it’ll take.”
“If it’s hot, the crew will really struggle.”
Ahhhh.
Muyoung took Cha Eunseong’s handheld fan and made the same sound.
Cha Eunseong stared at him, confused. After a moment’s thought, he exclaimed,
“Wait, you—surely not?”
“Hyung, negotiate however you want. I’m just letting you know what I’ll do ahead of time. It would be weird if you heard about it later.”
Saying that, he dashed inside, his robe fluttering behind him. Cha Eunseong watched his retreating figure, arms crossed in disbelief.
‘Raise the crew’s wages.’
That cute guy was declaring he’d make it a condition for the additional episodes. And he was telling Cha Eunseong to negotiate as he pleased?
‘What the—’
Was that even possible?
While the senior actor was securing all the money he could, rookie Ha Muyoung was looking out for the crew?
That would look really strange.
It was so odd that Cha Eunseong risked being seen as money-hungry. It could affect the atmosphere on set and even make the news.
He jumped up in shock and chased after Muyoung.
“Hey! Wait a second!”
As if he’d expected it, Muyoung turned around with a smile.
“You, why are you acting like this as a rookie?”
“I’m already over two years in, though.”
“No, at this stage, raising your price is the most important thing.”
“I know. That’s why I told you, hyung.”
“What, what did you tell me?”
His eyes sparkled as he asked.
“Do you know what negotiations and gambling have in common?”
“……I’m not sure.”
“If you succeed, you hit the jackpot. And there’s always a wingman.”
Muyoung patted Cha Eunseong’s shoulder lightly.
“If we just get our stories straight, it shouldn’t be too hard.”
“What? Are you crazy?”
“I don’t know.”
Cha Eunseong replied nonchalantly, picking at his ear.
The agency’s team leader, manager, and even the head manager were all gathered.
They were discussing the additional episodes.
“Come on, I’ve already got my next project lined up. Suddenly adding eight more episodes? Is the writer even capable of that?”
“She said she’s up for it. She’s got a lot of material she couldn’t use anyway. Don’t you know the broadcaster’s situation? The director called me directly—three times!”
“I know, but it’s not my problem.”
“You crazy bastard!”
“Team leader, calm down……”
Unlike the team leader, whose blood pressure was rising, Cha Eunseong remained relaxed. Even the head manager, who was trying to calm the team leader, scolded Cha Eunseong.
“Eunseong, come on. That’s a bit much. Thirty percent? Don’t you know how much you get paid per episode?”
A whopping 200 million won.
And he wanted a 30% raise for eight more episodes?
That was ridiculous. The agency had been thinking of a maximum 10% raise.
After all, it meant delaying or canceling his next project.
“There’s no guarantee the next project will do as well.”
“What are you talking about? I’m Cha Eunseong. Everything I do succeeds.”
“No, that’s not the point! We should be thanking them, and you’re holding out like this?”
“Whatever, he’s probably overheated from the outdoor shoot.”
“Let’s settle for under 10%, okay?”
Cha Eunseong just snorted and slumped back on the sofa. The head manager, rubbing his neck, searched for his phone. There was a text from Big Win.
Ha Muyoung must have hit a snag too.
Zzzzzt- zzzzzt-
Just then, a call came in from the broadcaster.
They’d been waiting for a response and finally called.
The head manager closed his eyes and answered the call.
“Yes, hello. Director.”
-How’s it going?
“We’re talking with Eunseong now. I think he was really looking forward to his next project, so it might be tough……”
-No, absolutely not. Manager, put him on the phone.
“You, you want to talk to him directly?”
Talking directly to that wild man?
He wasn’t very confident, but the head manager reluctantly handed over the phone.
“Hello, this is Cha Eunseong.”
-Eunseong! What’s the problem? We’ll accommodate whatever you need. Let’s meet each other halfway, okay? Ha Muyoung says he needs your confirmation before he can agree. This is going nowhere.
If, by any chance, Cha Eunseong’s contract extension fell through, they’d planned to focus on King Jungjong’s story after Jo Gwangjo’s death. But with Ha Muyoung taking that stance, it was frustrating.
“Muyoung said that?”
-Let’s be honest with each other, okay?
“Honestly, it’s not about the money. I’m just disappointed about my next project.”
-I know, I know.
“So I asked the agency for a 30% raise.”
-……
There was silence on the other end of the line.
Cha Eunseong tapped the speaker and asked,
“Did we get cut off?”
-No, I’m listening. Go on. But Eunseong, 30% is a bit……
“Yeah, but since the director called me directly, I’m feeling swayed. J Broadcasting is like my alma mater. My first drama was with them.”
Was he always this good at talking?
The agency staff, anxiously watching, exchanged puzzled looks. It was as if someone had handed him a script.
“Then let’s adjust it to 5% and, um, add a condition?”
-What condition?
“Raise the crew’s wages by 5% too.”
“……?!”
“What’s wrong with Cha Eunseong? Did the heat get to him?”
“Maybe he’s sick? Should we take him to the hospital?”
The three men whispered in shock.
They’d never heard anything like that before.
He wasn’t exactly known for being friendly with the crew.
But Cha Eunseong’s eyebrows were slightly furrowed too.
‘If I don’t do it this way, Ha Muyoung said he’d freeze his own pay and push for the crew’s wages first. Do you think I want to do this?’
“That’s reasonable, right? It’s not like I’m making this drama alone. It’s all thanks to the crew’s hard work. It would bother me to just raise my own pay.”
“……Get the car ready. Let’s take him to the hospital.”
“Yes, Manager.”
The director hesitated.
They’d been thinking of up to 10%, but 5%?
The saved 5% would be enough to raise the crew’s wages. And 30% was just absurd!
“Director?”
-We’ll review it internally and get back to you right away.
“Okay, thanks!”
Cha Eunseong tossed the disconnected phone to the manager and stretched. At that moment, a message popped up from Muyoung.
Ding!
[Hyung, you did great! I’ll follow your lead and agree too! You handled it perfectly:P]
Publicly, it would appear that Cha Eunseong had taken the lead in raising the crew’s wages. Of course, such a heartwarming story would also benefit the broadcaster.
With Blade’s Path, image management was key, so positive buzz was always welcome.
“What are you looking at?”
Cha Eunseong glared at the three men with a sullen expression.
Teaming up with Ha Muyoung had gotten him what he wanted.
A pay raise, higher crew wages, and a better image. But somehow, he felt like he’d been played.
“Are you okay? Does it hurt a lot?”
“You’re all useless. Go tell the reporters. Say ‘National Actor Cha Eunseong took a pay cut to support the crew.’”
“……”
Technically, he didn’t give up any pay……
At that moment, the agency staff all had the same thought.
He must be dying, or—
‘Was it Ha Muyoung’s idea? No wonder.’
‘He must have planned it with Ha Muyoung. I should’ve seen it when he asked for 30%.’
‘It was Ha Muyoung. Wow. That guy’s something else.’
There had to be someone behind it.
And not just the agency staff thought so.
When the crew heard the news, they immediately thought of Muyoung.