“What’s up?”
“…What did you just call me?”
Had this kid lost his mind?
We were in a bustling shooting set filled with staff, and Min Jiheon just called me… hyung.[1] I was struggling not to raise the corners of my mouth, but my face threatened to twitch.
Then, Min Jiheon shamelessly tilted his head.
“Um… can I call you something else? Jeonghun-hyung or maybe Hoyun-hyung? Which do you prefer?”
“…”
“Haha, your expression is funny….”
Such a cheeky brat….
He clearly saw that I was just with the camera director.
“But, by any chance, was what I saw just now a trick…?”
“…What are you talking about, sunbae.”
For now, I laughed and brushed him off casually. Then I walked away from the staff, and Min Jiheon trailed along beside me.
“Is it alright for you to startle me like this, sunbae? I get that you’re immersed in the acting, but we’re outside the camera’s view right now. If this kid, you, Min Jiheon, keeps acting out, I’ll lose it, won’t I?”
“Wow… your gradation of anger is really cool.”
“Why did you come? I told you not to pretend like you know me.”
Min Jiheon smiled brightly.
“Hey, don’t be grumpy. I was just curious about what you’re up to, that’s all.”
There was definitely something going on. I studied him closely, then decided to throw a fastball.
“Do you know Lee Kangseok well…?”
“Huh?”
Min Jiheon tilted his head to the opposite side from before.
“Do I? He even gave me a carrot cake, you know?”
“…That must have been delicious.”
“Ahaha, I wouldn’t know since someone ate it first.”
Looking at him making such trivial jokes, it seemed he didn’t know about the rumors. Well, Lee Kangseok might have controlled his image in front of Min Jiheon so he wouldn’t notice.
I shrugged my shoulders and organized my thoughts.
I was asked to act better than Lee Kangseok… but that’s not objective.
There was a more objective method.
Just prevent him from acting.
Moreover, by bullying his manager, Lee Kangseok perfectly set the stage for me. I’ll send Lee Kangseok to hell, and while their ratings might be low, it will still increase ours. I would be a fool if I couldn’t take advantage of this.
As I thought about how to carry out my plan, I looked up and saw Min Jiheon staring at me with a strange smile.
“What?”
“Just….”
Min Jiheon awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. I always got anxious when he did this.
“Out of curiosity… you said you originally belonged to another world. Will you go back once this is over?”
“Of course.”
The system window was, as always, quiet.
There was the career I’ve built over the past half a year, the fans, and the members.
There was a moment of silence, but as always, my mind was firm.
“I’m doing all this nonsense… to go back.”
“Why? Even after rejuvenating yourself.”
“Is that important?”
“It is.”
Min Jiheon chuckled slightly.
“And I think it would be better if you stay here.”
“…?”
“It’d be fun… and I want to see what happens.”
There was an odd certainty in his tone. I glared at him, and Min Jiheon looked away.
“Well… fighting.”
“Min Jiheon.”
Min Jiheon tried to leave as if he had said everything he wanted to, but I grabbed him urgently.
“Are you saying there are disadvantages if I return to my original world? Or do you think it’s more advantageous to stay here?”
“Um…”
“Why?”
“Uh…”
Min Jiheon scratched his cheek and let out a deep sigh.
“It’s hard to explain… I don’t really know because I’m not the one involved… Sorry.”
Talking to this guy felt like an endless series of unsolvable puzzles.
Min Jiheon, pretending or not, subtly glanced at me.
“The more I see you, the more I feel attached. I feel guilty about enjoying this. But we’ve made a promise… Shall we wait for the viewer ratings?”
“…”
“Our drama is doing well right now.”
As I said with a frown, a staff member called Min Jiheon from afar.
“Min Jiheon, it’s time to shoot!”
“Okay~…I’m going?”
Min Jiheon gave me an awkward smile and then walked toward the set. I opened the calendar on my phone and started calculating. There were three weeks left until the last broadcast. When that day comes, I have to get an answer.
…What am I waiting for?
I didn’t forget to text Kim Jaeyeon.
– I need you to check something.
When I finished filming my scenes, I received a reply from Kim Jaeyeon.
– Don’t worry, I think that situation is under control.
“…Huh.”
It seemed like a green light, a sign that this could be a freebie.
And exactly three days later, the Lee Kangseok issue blew up.
***
[Scandalous revelation about actor B shatters the calm of the entertainment world]
[Lee Kangseok’s “Bullying controversy,” shocking video of him swearing at his manager spreads]
[Title: Have you seen the Lee Kangseok video?
It’s spreading even though his agency is trying to suppress itㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Ah… Wasn’t Lee Kangseok known for his gentle image?
└Yeah, he’s really broken
└Wow… I heard the recording, and I feel like my ears are dirty…
└└He’s done. His acting was just okay, he got popular with his campus oppa image, and he can’t rely on his acting to save himㅋㅋ
└└It’s over
└Wasn’t this leaked by his manager? How much grudge must he have hadㅋㅋㅋ
└└Do you think he’s crazy? It’s still his agency…
└└It’s highly possible. Lee Kangseok must have let his guard down, thinking the manager is going to just lose to him.]
The posts that had spread declared the end of Lee Kangseok.
When he topped the real-time search rankings, and parodies of Lee Kangseok’s bullying started appearing on YouTube, sparking massive negative attention, another rumor started to spread.
[Title: Do you know Lee Kangseok was originally cast as PD Lee Jeonghun??
I have a friend working in broadcastingㅇㅇ Apparently, Lee Kangseok really wanted to play the role of Lee Jeonghun and it was almost confirmed. He just needed to audition, but then a new actor who performed really well in the audition appeared.
So Lee Kangseok was removed, and that newbie was cast. They say Lee Kangseok threw a fit at his manager when his casting was cancelled
└Wow is that true??? Wow… Now that I think about it, he really doesn’t fit the character. Casting was a godsend
└└The insiders must have known about Lee Kangseok’s personality…
└Wait, so the one who came in was Seo Hoyun? I thought it was because he’s from the same agency as Min Jiheon
└└We all thought so tooㅋㅋ. He was playing a character who didn’t match his age after all.]
[Title: Guys, Seo Hoyun went through the 1st, 2nd, 3rd auditions and he got the highest score among the participants. Respect
└Wow so Seo Hoyun really got the role through his acting skillsㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ How embarrassing must it be for the actor who lost the role to a newbie??
└But now I can’t imagine anyone other than Seo Hoyun as Lee Jeonghun.]
No, it wasn’t exactly because of my acting skills, but good luck. However, public sentiment was in my favor.
When a video of Lee Kangseok’s bullying spread, and it was revealed that he had originally hoped for Please Take the Camera, more people started to take an interest in our drama.
That week, the viewer ratings for Please Take the Camera increased by about 2 percent, recording 14 percent.
“Yu Jeonghwa.”
The last scene shooting.
Walking briskly with my ID card, I spotted Yu Jeonghwa talking to Min Seungtae from afar and frowned. Min Seungtae smiled brightly, looking very satisfied with his successful work and happy relationship. Then he saw me and suddenly hardened his expression. He nodded his head slightly and walked away.
I let out a big sigh to relax my face and slowly approached Yu Jeonghwa. And then, pretending to be nonchalant, I called her again.
” Yu Jeonghwa.”
“Oh, PD? What is it?”
“You left your ID card.”
“Oh, thank you!”
Looking at Yu Jia’s smile, I cleared my throat and asked,
“So… Did you sort things out with Min Seungtae?”
“Yep. I felt relieved after hitting him once.”
“Good for you. I’m glad to hear that.”
“Wow~, if you hadn’t helped me back then, I would’ve been cleaning up that mess! I really appreciate you, sunbae.”
Yu Jia as Yu Jeonghwa excitedly chattered away with a smile. She thought fervently about what the writer had said to her: “Even though she thinks it’s a waste on Min Seungtae, she can’t help but feel like a helpless uncle as she sees her junior happy.”
Honestly, it was because Yu Jia was actually thinking that way that the acting came easy to her.
“… Should I have hit him one more time?”
“Would you help me?”
“Should I?”
When I chuckled, Yu Jeonghwa blinked in surprise before giving me a thumbs-up.
“PD has a super bad personality… if you really look.”
“…”
“There must be other virtues….”
“…”
“Somewhere, if you look hard enough.”
“Do you want to work tomorrow, Yu Jeonghwa?”
As I asked with my arms crossed, Yu Jeonghwa raised her eyebrows. She had the expression of “What the hell are you talking about when we’re working our bones off tomorrow anyway.”
I calmly said to her,
“I was planning to work alone tomorrow and give you a day off…”
“…!”
“But it seems like you want to work hard with me tomorrow. Well, I’m glad to have an extra hand.”
And then, with a swish, Yu Jeonghwa followed me around, pleading, but I just rubbed my eyes with my hand and ignored her.
“Su-su-sunbae! You know that I respect you the most, right??”
“Umm…”
“Face genius! Smart! Graduated early, top of the class! The PD who hits the jackpot in everything he does!”
“I already heard all of that….”
When I lightly cleaned my ears, Yu Jeonghwa gritted her teeth. I looked at her and smirked.
“Personality?”
“…Yes?”
“Am I a piece of shit?”
Yu Jeonghwa stuttered, took a few deep breaths, barely lifted the corners of her trembling lips, and finally sold out her conscience for a vacation.
“…You’re an angel.”
“Hmm?”
“There’s a rumor in the broadcasting station… that PD is the kindest. Where do you keep your wings?”
“I removed them before coming here.”
I laughed softly and put my employee ID card into my pocket. Then I unwrapped the candy in my pocket and chewed it happily.
“Go on vacation.”
“Yes…”
“For about two days. I can cover that much.”
“…!!”
Yu Jeonghwa, sneakily sticking out her middle finger at me out of sight, opened her eyes wide and nodded like crazy.
“I’ll bring your wings back, sunbae!! I saw them in the smoking room! They’re a bit dirty but still usable!”
“Sure~. Our hoobae now picks her nose well~.”
“Who did I learn it from?”
Yu Jeonghwa laughed out loud, waved her hand, and disappeared. The camera now focused only on me. I looked at Yu Jeonghwa’s retreating figure until it was out of sight. I clenched my fist tightly and then laughed out loud.
“What a waste, really.”
After saying the lines, I turned around and entered the broadcasting station.
Behind me, PD Yu shouted, “Cut!” and the sound of applause was heard.
“Cut! This will do!”
“Thank you for your efforts!”
“Perfect, perfect!”
“Wow, Seo Hoyun, good job on your last filming!”
After finishing the last filming like that, I was told to immediately monitor episode 14. I sat down in the outdoor seats and started talking with the people around me.
“This episode is really the real deal. The emotional lines are clean but not cliché.”
“Even though Lee Jeonghun doesn’t have a lot of parts in this episode, he plays a huge role in adding the right tension. He is Yu Jeonghwa’s accomplice and a funny rival to Min Seungtae….”
“Well, he’s a character with a shitty personality and a big mouth!!”
“…”
“Seo Hoyun, you were perfect!”
“Yes, I’m very pleased.”
As I was listening to the conversation, the surroundings suddenly became hectic. Then, out of nowhere, a large bouquet was thrust in front of me.
[Thank you so much for your hard work, PD Lee Jeonghun!
– Please Take the Camera Staff]
“Huh…?”
“Congratulations! You really worked hard on your first drama.”
“The bouquet suits you well.”
“Thank you for preparing all of this.”
Being with the staff for what felt simultaneously long and short probably made their thoughtfulness even more touching.
When I briefly made eye contact with my manager, he nodded and passed a small card to the staff.
“Take this! Hoyun prepared it all night.”
“What is this?”
The staff looked perplexed as they accepted it. I warmly smiled and held onto the bouquet.
“It’s nothing. Just a token of my appreciation.”
“Holy cow, gift certificates…!!”
“You prepared all this?! Wait, did you prepare this with your own money?”
“Haha, it’s not a big deal.”
As the staff opened their eyes wide, another staff member exclaimed in amazement.
“Handwritten letters too??! You wrote each and every one of them?”
“Yes.”
“Wow… even the content is different…”
It didn’t take much time as it was just a few lines. I nodded at the staff looking at me with moved expressions while arranging the bouquet that kept falling apart. I noticed some of them taking pictures and uploading them on SNS.
I was calmly taking in the sight of the last filming when PD Yu next to me took off his glasses and dabbed at his tears.
“Seo Hoyun… You really… have become a person… I don’t know what to do when you are gone…”
“You have to play well with Min Jiheon-sunbae…”
If possible, make him work hard.
Anyhow, I looked at the large bouquet with a smile. Although my heart was beating a little, my mind was already racing.
I thought about the old-fashioned conditions made by Min Jiheon.
The first was to beat Lee Kangseok, while the second was to achieve the ratings.
The first condition was achieved by Lee Kangseok’s downfall.
“I hope the ratings are good~.”
Then, all that was left was the second condition.
“Indeed.”
Since the drama’s last episode wasn’t far off, it seemed that the highest ratings could change depending on this episode’s ratings. Near the end of the 14th episode’s airing, a call came from the control room.
“Yes, yes. Ah…yes?!”
PD Yu suddenly stood up. Everyone looked surprised as he covered his mouth with one hand and hung up the phone.
“Why?! PD, why?!”
“Hey, we, we….”
PD Yu still couldn’t complete his sentence. He scanned the staff and cast with wide eyes, then raised both hands and shouted.
“The viewership rating is 18 percent!”
At that moment, a smile spread across my face.
“Eight, eight, eighteen percent?!”
Everyone burst into cheers.
Everyone seemed to have an adrenaline rush, probably because they had been drinking caffeine almost to the point of an IV drip and had been shooting for several days.
“Unbelievable. Isn’t it the highest rating among the dramas currently airing?”
“We hit the jackpot….”
“Congratulations!!”
Thinking it was the right moment, my manager quickly turned on the camera and filmed my reaction. With a bright smile on my face, I nodded in greeting.
For the record, it was a genuine smile, not a business one. It was out of joy for fulfilling the mission thrown by Min Jiheon.
“Today’s company dinner!”
“No, we can’t! We have a lot left to shoot for tomorrow. Go to bed early.”
PD Yu cut it off neatly, but he seemed to feel the most disappointed.
I was showered with congratulations until I left the set with the large bouquet in my hand.
“Please go in. Thank you so much.”
“Seo Hoyun! It’s not over yet. Let’s meet at the wrap-up party~.”
“Haha, yes. I’ll have to congratulate you again then.”
“Seo Hoyun, you’ve worked hard.”
I finished saying goodbye to the staff, including Yu Jia, who waved at me with a smile. When I got in the car, my manager was still happily chattering away, apparently still lost in the atmosphere.
“Wow, it’s really a jackpot. The company keeps calling.”
“You’ve worked hard too, Manager.”
“Oh, you’re the one who worked hard, Hoyun! I’m so touched by the bouquet. When I think about how hard you’ve worked, I still want to cry…”
“Really? Then let’s film your tears.”
“…Hoyun, you’re really bad.”
Thanks to Lee Kangseok for screwing up on his own, I got the first one for free. I thought I had to wait until the wrap-up party to exceed 18 percent, but it happened sooner than I thought.
As I sank deep into the seat and continued to converse with my manager, I was also fiddling with my phone.
Come on.
Min Jiheon was weird, but he wasn’t the type to break a promise. Even though he was moody, he seemed to have his standards (which I didn’t understand). He would keep his promise if I fulfilled the conditions he proposed.
Just as I was sorting out my thoughts,
Ring.
My phone vibrated.
[1] Technically, he didn’t. Either the author made a mistake or something because Jiheon never actually called Hoyun a hyung in the original text.