When Heavenly Yuah requested the script revision.
We had anticipated that the script would be revised in a way that would allow her to join the drama.
In order to resolve the current situation, we needed a change that would captivate the investors and the broadcasting station, and the most efficient method available to us was indeed her joining the drama.
But you know…
I didn’t expect it to unfold like this.
“Isn’t this about changing the character?”
“Yes, Wolhee isn’t a role that I can convincingly play, is it? Changing Wolhee’s setting might actually ruin the overall picture, don’t you think?”
Wolhee, the one and only leading female character in the drama.
Due to a few settings, it was a role that Heavenly Yuah couldn’t take on.
However, since the decision had already been made to revise the script, changing the character setting wasn’t impossible.
Actually, this option might be better.
What Heavenly Yuah and Yang Yuli are currently attempting is far more complicated and challenging than this.
Ignoring the relatively simple plan of changing Wolhee’s settings, the chosen Plan B was to introduce a new character.
In other words, they’re attempting to add a new main character-level role for Heavenly Yuah to play.
“If this happens, isn’t the story itself going to change significantly? This is practically a remake.”
“Perhaps. Quite a few parts will change.”
Adding a main character-level role meant a colossal change that could drastically alter the drama’s storyline.
Especially when the new role wasn’t for an ordinary actor but for Heavenly Yuah.
It wasn’t about an existing role being filled by Heavenly Yuah; rather, it was about creating a new character specifically for her, implying a significant share of the spotlight for her.
Naturally, this would lead to an unavoidable overhaul of the overall storyline.
At this stage, could Yang Yuli, who doesn’t have ample writing experience, really pull this off?
If the character is added but the story becomes messy, it could lead to undesirable results.
“Hmm~ You don’t need to worry about that.”
“… You’re confident?”
“Not confidence or anything, the story was originally meant to have this role.”
“Originally?”
“Come on~ since I wrote the drama script, there was no way not to create a role for Sister Yoo-a, right?”
… Oh, right.
That kid is someone who has always been a huge fan of Heavenly Yuah from the start when they joined the company.
So, it’s natural for such a person’s work to include a role for Heavenly Yuah.
And why not? If you’re not a writer, you might not know, but if you are, and planning your own work, it’s only too natural to think of your favorite actor first.
Still, if there was no such role…
“Was this script itself a revised version to begin with?”
“Hehe, that’s right. Although, honestly, I didn’t foresee it becoming this. Initially, I had only written for Actor Baek, but it turned out to be Sister Yoo-a’s company. After revising the script and just before sending it out, I found out Actor Baek’s agency was Flame.”
“… Could be. Yes.”
Heavenly Yuah joined Flame, and the news exploded just as she stepped in.
But in my case, there wasn’t such a thing.
Of course, if you look at my profile, Flame’s name is listed under my agency, but it’s a fact that won’t come to light unless you actively search for it. Thus, only industry insiders know this.
For a writer, it’s not something worth paying particular attention to.
“And even if I had known beforehand, it wouldn’t have made much difference anyway. How could someone of my standing even dream of working with Sister Yoo-a?”
Yeah, that’s true.
I could never have predicted things would escalate this far, so neither could Yang Yuli.
It was unrealistic for a rookie writer to expect to collaborate with Heavenly Yuah.
Yet, on the other hand, having another actor play a role crafted with Heavenly Yuah in mind would never have been agreeable, so the entire story had to be revamped.
“To me, Actor Baek was the best choice for value.”
“Of course, there’s nothing lacking with the actor. It’s like buying at a discount? If we buy together and it gets popular, who knows what might happen in the future? We might even be working together in a piece with Sister Yoo-a.”
It’s a little convoluted but all the more convincing.
As a rookie writer, Yang Yuli could only dream of landing big-name actors.
In such circumstances, the best option was none other than me, Baek Siwoo, with outstanding value for money.
On top of that, the Jammini punishment event provided some stellar material, fully capturing Yang Yuli’s attention.
So, for Yang Yuli, Heavenly Yuah was a dream and ideal, while I, Baek Siwoo, was her reality and the best possible option.
“Then does that mean Sister Yoo-a was aware?”
“That the script of this work was not originally like this? Yes, Yu-li mentioned this when we were revising the script.”
“But didn’t you say that Sister Yoo-a also thought this work was decent? Why didn’t she suggest changing the script?”
There’s one remaining question here.
Just like me, Heavenly Yuah was also looking for a work, and she seemed to think quite highly of this one, ‘Yun Mountain Gold Mine’ (working title).
She even considered taking on the role of Wolhee.
After all, actors are known for their keen interest in projects.
Given that Yang Yuli had already signed the contract, a script revision at that stage was certainly possible.
Yang Yuli would have undoubtedly been thrilled to accept such a request.
But Heavenly Yuah didn’t make that choice.
Instead, as the work faced the risk of falling through, she pulled out the Plan B.
Why did she do that?
“In that case…”
“Yes.”
“I felt like all the spotlight would be focused on me.”
“Ah…”
“This is essentially Siwoo’s debut work, right? But if it becomes Heavenly Yuah’s comeback work, wouldn’t it be problematic?”
Wow, I see.
Yeah, that’s how it would turn out.
That’s what Heavenly Yuah’s star power entails.
Some might say a one-year hiatus isn’t a big deal, but Heavenly Yuah has always been earnest about her acting and maintained a fairly consistent acting career.
And it’s well-known that she’s had a string of major hits.
If word got out that Heavenly Yuah was joining this project, naturally, all the attention would be on her.
As for me?
Who’s this guy? Oh, yeah, that’s Elder Yoon…
My character, for what it’s worth, has enough stature that the viral Sword Master video might draw some attention, but in today’s fast-paced media landscape, that’s unlikely to last long either.
Therefore, Heavenly Yuah’s decision to take a step back in this work was an act of consideration.
“And honestly, I thought it wouldn’t be ideal to partner with me right out of the gate. I have a bit of a reputation in this field.”
“Oh, that.”
Heavenly Yuah’s status as a superstar is undeniable.
She excels not only in appearance but also in acting, making her a high-impact and highly talked-about star.
Most importantly, she has a certain aura that makes her notorious for overshadowing her co-stars.
What this means is that when leading actors go head-to-head with her, Heavenly Yuah’s presence is so strong that the other person’s presence is hard to notice.
So what do they call it? Solitary Green Pines? Top Actor Detector?
Solitary Green Pines has come to mean standing alone in its verdancy, whereas Top Actor Detector determines if someone can maintain their presence in front of Heavenly Yuah.
Looking at it this way, it’s a bit overwhelming.
Recently, Heavenly Yuah has mainly starred in solo lead projects.
Unless an actor has considerable confidence in their abilities, roles that directly oppose hers are generally avoided.
Thinking about it, the reason she considered Wolhee was likely because it was a supporting role assisting Lee Myung, ensuring her own presence wouldn’t be lost.
She wouldn’t want her work to overshadow my first lead role.
But as events have unfolded, Yang Yuli will now cast someone in the character they imagined with Heavenly Yuah in mind, and there’s a high possibility that character will pair with Lee Myung as leading co-stars.
In the end, this means I’ll share the storyline with Heavenly Yuah, and for any actor, shining brighter than her is virtually impossible.
However, if I could shine alongside her, it would almost guarantee a massive hit, though it’s not a choice to be taken lightly.
What Heavenly Yuah worried about all along was likely this aspect.
Had this work not been at risk of falling apart, she might not have made this suggestion.
“The beginning is obviously going to be plastered with Sister Yoo-a’s story, but it would be a mistake to think it’ll stay that way until the end.”
“Hehe, are you confident?”
“Nothing I lack. The character I’m playing is Lee Myung.”
But speaking of acting, I don’t consider myself inferior to Heavenly Yuah.
If the character’s depth lacks in comparison to hers, then I might reconsider, but Lee Myung is a character that can’t help but attract attention if portrayed well.
Even when I was learning from Heavenly Yuah, I initially struggled with camera acting, but towards the end, I demonstrated a level of acting that even she couldn’t deny.
Frankly, my skills in acting surpassed even the legendary Martial Forest master Tianma.
Though I may not match Heavenly Yuah in fame or popularity, I don’t think my acting or presence falls short.
This is a domain tied to my own pride, and I have no intention of conceding superiority to Heavenly Yuah.
“In that sense, let’s take advantage of Sister Yoo-a’s involvement in this work.”
“You’re quite confident. Practice and the real thing are different. I’m serious when I need to be.”
Heavenly Yuah, who had been cautiously approaching, seemed pleased when I fully engaged.
In essence, I was declaring that I would take on the biggest issue with Plan B.
But upon reflection, aside from the possibility of being overshadowed by Heavenly Yuah, her involvement was nothing short of a godsend.
We would benefit considerably during both production and scheduling processes.
While having roles that conflict directly with hers can be challenging, many actors look forward to appearing in the same work as her.
She’s renowned for having a great eye for good projects.
“By the way, if…”
“What is it?”
“It’s not much, really. If Sister Yoo-a and I are cast as the two leading roles, what does that mean for this production?”
“What do you mean? We’ll resubmit the script to the station and investors.”
“Indeed, that’s how it will be?”
Yeah, that’s the standard approach.
But is it really necessary?
With both our script and our two lead actors, wouldn’t it make more sense to just have our production company take care of the investment and production?
Of course, a regular actor agency might not be able to bear the costs of a project this size, but ours isn’t like that, right?
Flame has more money than it knows what to do with, so wouldn’t everything work out fine if we handle it ourselves?
Especially since Heavenly Yuah’s side seems prepared to handle the investment, so there’s no risk of operational overload.
So what I mean is, wouldn’t it be better if we just took the profits ourselves rather than unnecessarily sharing them?
“Instead of that, why don’t we just let Flame handle the investment in this work?”
“…Investment?”
“Yes, the production costs might be substantial, but…”
“Investment, you say…”
After a brief contemplation, Heavenly Yuah nodded and looked towards President Ju.
Even though President Ju looked somewhat uneasy, they sighed and nodded in response to Heavenly Yuah’s reaction.
From the company’s perspective, failure is a risk that must be considered, but with Heavenly Yuah, who is essentially the company owner, insisting on this, it seems like the decision will go that way.
“Let’s consider it. Then, that concludes today’s meeting.”
Though President Ju ended the meeting like that, I already knew.
No matter what, this project would be funded by Flame.
Because, her eyes had been twinkling quite a bit.
It was clearly the All-In mentality characteristic of Tianma.
