Chapter 70: Drama Information
“Thank you!”
The sound of Mu-young’s cheerful greeting echoed through the TV station hall. Looking embarrassed, Producer Lee Yujin covered her face slightly with her hand. But Mu-young couldn’t see it. He was ready to jump for joy at any moment!
“Be sure to prepare well. All the top people will be there.”
“Yes, Producer. Thank you so much!”
An official audition meant an opportunity to land a role. Even if it didn’t work out, just going there and getting rejected would leave no regrets. Of course, I’m not even thinking about that happening! There isn’t enough time to just look ahead and run. There’s no need to think about it not working out.
“Oh, and did you know that this year is actually S Corporation’s 30th anniversary?”
“Yes! I just found out!”
“You didn’t know? TV keeps doing specials about it.”
Mu-young smiled and perked up his ears at Lee Yujin’s words. I wonder what she’s trying to say?
“This time, we’re planning to make a documentary about rookie entertainers. Actors, idols, comedians, models… Would you be willing to participate? I heard your story and found it interesting.”
It was a bit vague, though.
Things like his stepfather’s abuse, his troubled family background, and his ability to see ghosts. But even without those things, his life was undeniably quite dynamic.
“A documentary?”
“Nothing too big, just interviews and showing everyday life. That kind of thing.”
Oh, that’s nice?
Mu-young looked at Ko Gyeongmin. A silent gesture asking if it was okay to accept. The manager nodded without hesitation. For him, a rookie, any second of media exposure was important.
“Thank you for the offer. I’ll do my best.”
“There’s no need for that. Just be yourself.”
“Just be myself… But, will I have to film my house too?”
“House? Your own house?”
She thought of the storyboard.
It was still in the planning stages, but there were parts that needed a background. For young rookies chasing their dreams and passions, financial hardship was almost a basic passive trait.
“If Ha Muyoung is okay with it?”
“I’m more than okay with it. I’m currently staying at a friend’s house, and it’s a really nice place. It’s an officetel in Mapo. How many square meters was it?”
“72 square meters, right?”
“Yes! 72 square meters.”
Oh, this is unexpected.
It might be a prejudice, but his financial situation didn’t seem that good, with student loans and all. Lee Yujin checked her constantly ringing phone and muttered.
“Is that so? I’ll just keep it in mind for reference. The more diverse the background, the more interesting the scene will be. Oh dear, I need to go in now.”
“Oh! Yes!”
“Thank you so much today, Producer.”
Mu-young and Ko Gyeongmin stood up and bowed. Lee Yujin fumbled in her pocket and took out a five thousand won bill, placing it on the table with a wink.
“I wouldn’t want to accept anything from an actor going to an audition. I’ll be in touch about the casting schedule and, you know, the documentary.”
She turned to leave quickly, then hesitated.
“Your styling looks good today. Even if you don’t get the lead role, there are many other paths, so don’t be discouraged. And, by the way, I received your proposal well.”
A serenade in a TV station’s public hall.
Isn’t that interesting? She decided she had to tell the writer about this event. It could definitely be used as an interesting plot point.
“Take care!”
“Thank you!”
Another 90-degree bow!
Mu-young and Ko Gyeongmin kept bowing until her figure disappeared around the corner. Then, with a thud, they collapsed onto the chairs, their tension released.
“Hehe…….”
They both burst into low laughter at the same time.
“We did it! Yay!”
“Good job, Mu-young! You did great!”
“This is amazing! Right?”
As they exchanged glances, they both got excited, as if they had planned it.
The café owner, polishing cups, glanced at them with a smile.
“Now it’s time for the company to step in!”
“The company? What for?”
Ko Gyeongmin immediately sent this good news to Na Geumdong. They needed to prepare for the audition, as the schedule had been set. Actors do what actors do, and companies do what companies do!
“Was it Kim Eun-song, the writer?”
What exactly is the drama they’re writing about? Who are the other actors participating in the audition? What roles are available and what image suits them?
“Let’s go. The boss will be really happy.”
The two tried to leave the café with light steps. Then, a woman’s voice called out to Mu-young, stopping him.
“Hello?”
“……Hello?”
Since she was wearing a mask, he couldn’t tell who she was. Mu-young just tilted his head and tried to pass by, but she came closer.
“You’re Bora’s friend, right?”
“Who are you?”
Unlike him, who couldn’t figure it out, Ko Gyeongmin recognized her with his sharp eyes.
“It’s Daryeong. Daryeong.”
He whispered very softly, just loud enough for Mu-young to hear. The name ‘Daryeong’ sounded familiar, like he had heard it somewhere before, but also like he hadn’t…….
“Oh! The one who hit Bora in the nose!”
Suddenly, a vivid memory flashed, and Mu-young blurted out without thinking. Had he spoken too loudly? Even passersby turned their heads.
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“……No, it was an ‘accident,’ after all.”
Since she hadn’t had her makeup done yet, it was a good thing she was wearing a mask. Her expression wasn’t under control.
“But do you know me?”
“I saw you when you came for the minor role audition last time. You came with a friend, right? I heard there was a problem on set. Later, I heard about it, and I really don’t know what to say to comfort you.”
From what she said, she sounded like an angel.
As the female lead and the driving force of the story, she was apologizing to a minor character. Mu-young smiled and shook his head.
“No, it’s okay.”
Thanks to that, I even got a chance to audition for a drama. If it wasn’t for that news photo, how would Producer Lee Yujin have known about Mu-young?
“So, I’d like to treat you to a meal. How about it?”
“A meal?”
“Yes. Let’s eat something delicious and lift our spirits.”
The conversation took an unexpected turn. Ko Gyeongmin, as well as her manager, were both startled. What kind of situation was this? They watched carefully.
“And that friend of yours from back then, too.”
“Friend? Oh! Junho?”
As soon as he said ‘Junho,’ something strange happened.
Flower petals, like snow, piled up on Daryeong’s shoulders.
“Yes, definitely.”
Two thoughts collided and tried to push each other away.
Daryeong is the one who bullied Bora!
I’d rather refuse even a glass of water, but… I don’t know what those flower petals mean. Of course, it’s good luck. But… in what way?
“Do you dislike it?”
She had big, gentle eyes like a cow’s, devoid of the malice her actions suggested. Mu-young hesitated for a moment, then laughed it off.
“No, it’s fine.”
“Oh, then here’s my number.”
She quickly took out her phone, seizing the moment. Numbers were exchanged swiftly. Daryeong smiled only with her eyes and greeted him.
“I’ll contact you then.”
She came like the wind and disappeared like the wind.
Mu-young stood there holding his phone, looking bewildered as he watched her leave. Ko Gyeongmin poked him in the waist.
“What? Are you really going to eat with her?”
He’s not an idol, so his private life isn’t something to meddle in. But he should know. He’s the manager, after all!
“I’ll think about it some more. Because of the sparkles.”
“What sparkles? She was bare-faced.”
“Anyway, let’s go. You’ll be busy practicing guitar.”
Mu-young casually pushed Ko Gyeongmin’s back and left the TV station. Only after getting in the car did he send a relaxed greeting.
[Romin! I got an audition opportunity. It’s all thanks to you. Thank you.]
Ding.
[Brother, congratulations! I hope you pass the audition!]
[How did it go? What about Romin?]
Ugh, this awkward boundary between informal and formal speech!
If we meet one more time, I think we’ll definitely become closer!
[I got rejected. Well, haha. Still, it was very helpful. The producer praised me for improving my acting.]
Oh dear, Romin got rejected. I taught him all the short-term skills I could think of, but it didn’t seem to work out. This is also a physical job, after all…….
[I need to practice more and try again. Soon my activities will end, and I’ll have another break, so I’ll train hard then. Thank you. I wish you success! Fighting!]
Mu-young pressed his forehead against the cold window, trying to ease his disappointment. They had prepared together, even though their paths were different. It would have been nice if they had both passed.
“-Yes, boss. That, Kim Eun-song, the writer.”
Meanwhile, Ko Gyeongmin was busy relaying the situation to Na Geumdong. Instructions were exchanged through the earphones. The company had started moving to secure opportunities for its actors.
Small steps, but big strides.
“Hehe. The title is <You are a Star, I am a Star>.”
A few days later.
Na Geumdong stood in front of a board wearing sunglasses, his arms crossed. Sitting in front of him were Mu-young and Ko Gyeongmin, who were calmly chewing on squid legs.
“This is Kim Eun-song’s fourth work and S Corporation’s planned production for the second half of this year. It’s scheduled to air around December, but it’s a bit tricky because it’s the final flagship of the year celebrating the company’s 30th anniversary.”
“What’s tricky about it?”
“Works that air at the end of the year or the beginning of the year are often overlooked.”
At awards ceremonies, that is.
No matter how successful a work is, if it airs at the beginning of the year, you have to wait a whole year for the awards ceremony… Will anyone even remember it? It would feel like a drama from a distant memory.
And at the end of the year. No matter how good the response is, they don’t give awards at that time because it’s too early. Just like at the beginning of the year, you have to wait a year.
“So TV stations usually don’t put new projects in this time slot, but it seems like things got a bit mixed up this time because of some new programs planned for the 30th anniversary.”
“Is December a sure thing?”
“From what I’ve heard.”
“Kim Eun-song isn’t that big of a writer yet, is she? This is already her second work with S Corporation.”
“Producer Lee Yujin must have made some kind of deal with her. I don’t know the details yet.”
Maybe she secured a bigger budget or raised the fees. Such conditions are confidential under contract, so there’s no way to know.
“Anyway! So there’s one piece of good news and one slightly ambiguous piece of news.”
“Oh! Give me the good news first!”
“Actors don’t really want to do it.”
They don’t like the end of the year or the beginning of the year. Plus, it’s about ‘young’ musicians, so there are age and appearance requirements… And most importantly, they’re busy at the end of the year and the beginning of the year.
“There’ll be less competition, I guess?”
When Mu-young brightened up, Na Geumdong immediately countered.
“And now, here’s the slightly ambiguous news!”
“Oh no. You don’t say.”
“So, I heard that they’re mainly looking at idols for casting. It makes sense. Right age, can sing, has talent, has a fan base.”
As for acting, it just needs to be decent, to a certain extent. He attached five A4 sheets of paper to the board. It was information he had painstakingly gathered through the production company.
“There are five main characters in total. Two of them are women, so we can exclude them, and our Mu-young is obviously going for the lead role, right?”
“……I didn’t say that? Any role would be good, and I’m grateful.”
“Ah! You should always aim high!”
It seemed that it was Na Geumdong, not Mu-young, who was aiming for the lead role. He dramatically dropped two of the five sheets of paper.
“So, that leaves three spots! The male lead, the sub-lead, and the real sub-lead!”
“What’s a real sub-lead? Does that mean the first one was a fake sub-lead?”
The female lead, her friend.
And two men who like the female lead (the male lead and the sub-lead), and a man who likes the female lead’s friend. The stories of these five people will become intricately intertwined. Mu-young read the simple concept sheets for the three men.
“A guitarist, a charming man who believes he’s the best in the world. A quirky, four-dimensional, brainy sexy guy. A perfectionist who pursues his goals… the next sexy man? Is this really the character description?”
This is how writers plan when they write…
“That was the initial setup. No one knows what it is now. If anyone knew, it would be a script leak.”
This information was obtained after drinking with the production manager twice. Very expensive drinks, too! It shouldn’t be completely unreliable information.
“The sub-lead is better. He’s a puppy-like, kind man, like the foam on a cappuccino. He plays the piano, they say?”
“What about the third one? The one who likes the female lead’s friend.”
“He… Oh? This one’s kind of fresh. He’s a singer-wannabe who lost his voice in an accident, a modern-day mermaid prince. Sometimes the sub-lead line works well. This one’s good.”
“If he can’t speak, he won’t have any lines, will he?”
“I guess not?”
Mu-young carefully flipped through the papers, checking the details. Na Geumdong put his hands on his waist, tapping his fingers, waiting for his reaction.
“You’re going for the lead role, right?”
“Yes. For now, anyway. I’ll prepare for that role when I go to the audition.”
“Yes! Great! Let’s go!”
Na Geumdong clenched his fist tightly, giving Mu-young a boost of energy.
“What can those idol guys do anyway? Mu-young, you’ll go there and beat them all up!”
“We’re going there to act, not to fight.”
“Beat them up with your acting!”
Mu-young just smiled and looked for his phone.
For Romin, who was struggling without the company’s help. The lead role should be his, but the mermaid prince role would be perfect for Romin.