Following the instructions given by Heavenly Yuah, the young Miju demonstrated a few acts for us.
After pondering for a moment, Heavenly Yuah nodded, acknowledging the child’s potential.
“The fundamentals are lacking, that’s obvious. But you seem capable enough for a child actor role.”
“Wow, really?”
“Yeah, but becoming an actor is a bit of a different matter. I’ll have to discuss that with the director.”
“Uh… but that’s not possible.”
“If the director refuses, it’s not happening anyway.”
Exactly, this is the situation.
I momentarily forgot because of how impressive her spirit was, but this child can’t do anything without the director’s permission.
Clearly an amiable person, there’s no way the director is going to approve a seven-year-old entering the professional world of work.
“Alright, the audition is over. First, we’ll try to persuade the director and then contact Yuli. I’ll take care of it.”
“…Yes.”
Having effectively tempered the youngster’s ambitious aspirations, Heavenly Yuah gave a wry smile and turned to me.
She too seemed to find the situation quite absurd.
“Everything you just saw, the cuteness, it was all acting, right? And this is her true nature?”
“Yes, seems that way.”
“Wow, she’s a natural actress. She could likely debut right now, and normal child actors wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“Then why not recruit her? If you, Yuah, can convince the director, he might agree.”
“She’s too young.”
“That’s all?”
“Most importantly, she wants to become an actor for the money. Our facility won’t need to earn extra money anymore. Being a child actor is not an easy path, and if it’s just for the money, it might be better to not pursue it at all.”
“Is that so?”
It’s true.
Working in broadcasting from a young age isn’t an easy task.
If it’s only for money, it’s something that truly shouldn’t be done.
Yet, I can’t help but be impressed by Heavenly Yuah’s outrageous flex.
From the mood here, it appears that Heavenly Yuah considers this place akin to a branch of Flame.
It seems she intends to continue providing support.
Well, even if it were me, if there was a fund designated for charitable donations, I’d probably choose this well-managed children’s home too.
Moreover, since there is also a connection through Yang Yuli, there isn’t a better choice available.
But still…
‘This children’s home no longer needs money,’ huh?
This line… Am I the only one getting thrilled?
If someone told me, ‘You should quietly manage your household,’ I don’t think I’d be able to handle it.
And if that someone were a celestial beauty like Heavenly Yuah…
Of course, it’s a dreamlike story.
“What did you say?”
“Ah, nothing.”
I need to gather my thoughts first.
Looks like I might fall under the spell of the tyrant-like aura of Heavenly Demon.
I mustn’t forget that this grape is a new grape.
How influential am I among the younger generation?
Alright, good thoughts. Good thoughts.
“Hey, but anyway. Yuah.”
“Yes, Mr. Siwoo.”
“Does our company have a casting department?”
“Of course.”
“Can I also recommend actors?”
“Sure. Recommendations are open.”
While contemplating what to ask, as I watched Miju’s audition, a question came to mind.
Our company might be a little unusual, but the core is still an actor management agency.
However, we only have two actors signed, myself and Heavenly Yuah.
Given the size of our building, there seems to be no reason to limit ourselves to only two actors. I am curious whether an existing actor can recommend others.
So, I asked, and it seems it’s possible.
“Although recommendations are free, there’s no guarantee of the outcome.”
“Right, the company has to make decisions.”
“Hmm…”
“Why?”
“Isn’t there some sort of free pass you could give me?”
“Free pass?”
“Yes, even just one would suffice. If I present it, it guarantees full effort to recruit an actor without any questions.”
A company has its own position, and expecting them to accept all my recommendations would be unreasonable.
Not that I have anyone specific to recommend right now.
But having the right to freely recruit one person would be convenient.
There’s no immediate actor coming to mind now, but as time passes, a genuinely good actor might come to mind.
If I boldly recommend someone with a humble nature and proven skills, only to be rejected, it could leave a bitter feeling.
Surely with Flame’s keen eye, they should be able to make sound judgements. Yet, as human affairs go, you can’t be too certain.
Casting decisions, in particular, are uncertain territory.
For someone like me, a regressed individual retaining vague memories over five years, this kind of privilege is a necessity to feel secure.
“Free Pass…?”
“An actor’s perspective and a company’s perspective can differ, but ultimately actors recommended by their peers tend to succeed.”
“That is true. Though it may take some time, they will reach their destination.”
After considering briefly, Heavenly Yuah agreed and approved one free pass.
“I’ll present the case to the representative. An extra actor won’t cause any significant problems. However, it’s only one.”
“Understood. I won’t be greedy.”
Her words suggest proposing to the representative, but there’s no way Representative Joo would reject Heavenly Yuah’s suggestion, so it’s essentially decided.
In that case, I might be able to acquire a robust employee, replacing myself in sustaining the company.
I’m convinced that this casting right will benefit both me and the company.
“By the way, you’re not planning to use that free pass on Miju, right?”
“Of course not. The kid needs to grow up properly.”
Heavenly Yuah, wary that I might bring the child into the company due to the circumstances.
But come on—
Why would I recommend a child actor who can’t even handle proper work?
Moreover, this kid is excessively smart and is bound to make something of themselves, even without being an actor.
Who knows, maybe she’ll convince the director through some unexpected method and join our company.
In the meantime, I should use this casting right wisely when it’s truly necessary.
I should look for a truly talented friend.
Having another talented friend will be good for me, the company, and everyone will have a brighter future.
A few days after what was quite a pleasant act of charitable flex,
I’m currently focused on building my body.
Since ‘Lee Myung’ involves quite a bit of action scenes and occasional exposure, it needs a bit of special management.
There’s nothing else to prepare now anyway.
It’s surprising how fast the days pass with just casual workouts at the gym and the swimming pool with our bodyguards.
“Mr. Siwoo. There’s a meeting.”
“A meeting? Did the results come in already?”
“Yes.”
“I can guess from your expression.”
“More or less. So, let’s plan our next steps.”
The results from our inquiries to the broadcasting station and an established investment agency on the revised screenplay came back faster than expected.
Looking at Heavenly Yuah’s expression, the project clearly didn’t progress well.
Given how quickly the results were out, it seems like most responses were immediate refusals.
To these parties, this was a project not even worth considering.
“Guess it wasn’t easy, huh? It wasn’t supposed to fail due to the script, anyway.”
What should be my next move here?
It seems best to hear the opinions of those in the company before deliberating further.
The conference room included Heavenly Yuah, Representative Joo, and Team Leader Seo.
Lastly, Yang Yuli, the owner of this script, was also waiting.
With my arrival, we could consider the key participants assembled.
“So, let’s start the meeting.”
The first person to speak was the representative.
A man in his early fifties, his dignified manner left an impression of gravitas.
This is the first time I’m directly meeting the representative, who was occupied with other matters during our contract period.
He does seem to be the person who effectively supported Heavenly Yuah for years.
He directly managed the previous Tian Entertainment, which was Heavenly Yuah’s personal agency.
Most employees at Flame now have come from Tian Entertainment.
Approximately a dozen employees in total for what was ostensibly a support team for a single person seems unusually large.
The reputation for taking down all internet trolls suggests they might have specialized in that area.
In any case, the company, led by Representative Joo alongside Tian Entertainment veterans, manages Flame now.
“The results first: we couldn’t find investors, and the broadcasting channel says it’s difficult to allocate programming slots.”
“So? Cable rejections as well?”
“Yes.”
“How about OTT platforms?”
“They mentioned no spare funds at the moment.”
“That’s an excuse.”
“Likely so. It feels like more of a polite rejection.”
Even with an investor, production wouldn’t be a major issue.
With enough money, production companies will generally manage to create a drama.
However, without a programming slot, producing the drama becomes tough.
Expectations weren’t high for broadcasting channels, but with cable and OTT networks rejecting even genre-specific content, this situation is a dead-end.
“Then why was this script so heavily criticized… Oh, I see.”
The script by Yang Yuli, revised following Heavenly Yuah’s advice, was much tidier than the Joseon Gold Rush I knew.
If it was rejected, then the scale and production costs must have been the reasons.
And there’s one more factor—
“This must also have something to do with me being the lead actor. The script specified my role, after all.”
It’s me.
“Regrettably, that reason can’t be overlooked either.”
“Of course…”
Following Heavenly Yuah’s advice, if an A-list actor had been attached, even with slightly excessive production costs, a station might have gambled on its success.
After all, dramas operate on a binary success or failure model, and any successful big-budget drama would always be profitable.
However, with enormous production costs and an unknown lead actor, who wouldn’t question that decision?
Of course, when the drama was produced, with all unknown and new actors, the budget was significantly cut, but situations differ now.
If we were to cut the estimated production costs, some groups might approach out of curiosity.
“The production company, Finesse, did request cost cuts. They mentioned it was too risky. They assured a full budget for any future season 2 if the first one succeeds.”
“Reasonable but not appealing to me. How can we expect a quality product with a reduced budget?”
“Also, we’re not even considering a second season, right?”
“True, but I do have some thoughts about season 2. Though I don’t have the confidence to make season 1 succeed with a cut budget.”
In any case, there are no immediate solutions in the current scenario.
“Unable to do anything. Yuli.”
“Yes, sister.”
“We’ll need to revise the script.”
“What? The script?”
“Yes, we have to go with Plan B.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Wohoo~!”
Whatever past discussions they had must have been intense to cause such an enthusiastic reaction.
But as the conversation continued, I too was left speechless.
It seems the direction of the events unfolded in a way entirely different from what I imagined.
