Actor Baek tore into a chicken while chatting with Writer Ok.
Most of the conversation revolved around complaints about this work.
Just as I expected, Writer Ok seemed to feel quite burdened by the current situation.
“Hey, out of nowhere, why is Heavenly Yuah even mentioned? Why would she be involved in a production with a budget of less than 10 billion won?”
“That’s what I thought too.”
“Hmm, now that I think about it, isn’t Actor Baek from the same company as Heavenly Yuah? Haven’t you heard anything?”
“Honestly, does that senior even have a public presence? It seems like she just really liked the script. To be honest, I’m quite surprised too.”
“Hmm…”
Sure enough, the first topic that came up was about Heavenly Yuah.
People were questioning why Heavenly Yuah would be in an ordinary detective drama.
Writer Ok asked if I had heard anything, but I couldn’t honestly confess, “She planned for her next project! We made a bet.” After all, I couldn’t make Heavenly Yuah look like a crazy person, no matter what the stakes were.
I felt slightly poked, but I just smiled and went along with it.
“Hmm, Yang Yuli. They say a lot about her being a genius, but I don’t know what kind of project she’s bringing. Just judging from the framework, it seems like a predictable tearjerker.”
“Indeed.”
“Hmm, but isn’t Yang Yuli also from your company? Now that I think about it, Luna is too…”
“Uh, yes…”
As Writer Ok went through the names, he realized that Heavenly Yuah, Yang Yuli, and Moon Suyeon were all from our company, and his expression changed.
He seemed to feel that something was off about this situation.
Of course, anyone would think it’s strange.
Since I also felt pricked by this realization, I preempted Writer Ok’s thoughts.
“Ah, younger people are often called geniuses, aren’t they? Writing isn’t something children play at; you shouldn’t worry too much about it. Writing comes from experience, after all.”
“Hmm, you’re right.”
“Speaking of which, the real quality of a script comes from experience. I think your scripts are better than ‘Gold Rush, Joseon,’ don’t you? They have depth.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, especially ‘Wanderer of the City’ and ‘Love Is Green.’ Compared to those, ‘Gold Rush, Joseon’…”
“Hmph, really?”
The conversation went over smoothly. I’m glad I came prepared, knowing from my father which of Writer Ok’s works were good and which were not. The two works I mentioned were particularly notable since they weren’t the hit pieces, which made them more effective.
Both of those works were deeply cherished by the writer. My father told me that Writer Ok gave an interview where he regretted those works greatly.
My father, even though he criticized everything and called it dog poop, remembered the interview because it was so exceptional.
Anyway, with that, the conversation became much more comfortable.
“Seems like Actor Baek has a good eye for scripts.”
“Pfft, I’m still a rookie, how could I possibly know?”
“No, knowing ‘Wanderer of the City’ and ‘Love Is Green’ is quite an insight. You’re really something.”
“Haha, thank you. I do get that comment sometimes. I seem to have a certain eye.”
“Ah, well. Indeed?”
Building rapport worked; the response was coming.
Now that we had some common ground, it was time to move on to the next stage.
In this work, Siwoo has a lot to do.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah, so, Kang Min…”
Of course, the conversation would naturally turn to this project.
Good. It’s all going as planned.
We just needed to discuss the script, and mentioning the direction I wanted would be enough.
Given Writer Ok’s receptiveness, he would accept my suggestions.
While listening to Writer Ok, something unexpected came out, making me a little flustered.
“So, I’d like Kang Min to use Chinese chef techniques.”
“Chinese chef techniques? Wasn’t he supposed to be a French chef?”
“No, is there a law saying French chefs can’t use Chinese knife techniques?”
“Not really, but…”
It turns out that the fancy Chinese knife moves from our meeting were supposed to be in the drama.
So, despite being trained in French cuisine in France, he uses two Chinese chef knives. What kind of hybrid is this?
Writer Ok’s mental state must be crumbling under the stress.
“Alright, that’s interesting.”
“Hmm, right?”
Under normal circumstances, this would make me want to throw up, but in this situation, it might be good.
I came to Writer Ok to create something eye-catching too.
The writer, skilled as he is, clearly knows his way around absurdity.
A Franco-Chinese knife performance? Even if it’s derided, it might help with ratings.
Especially with me handling those knives like a pro, it would surely help.
“Actually, I have a few proposals too.”
“Oh, really? What is it? I’m not one of those closed-minded writers. If it’s constructive feedback beneficial to the work, I’m all ears.”
“Yes, since you’re already known as a professional writer, of course.”
“Indeed, so tell me.”
Once again, I flattered the writer before presenting my own requests.
“I’m considering some exposure scenes.”
“Exposure?”
“Yes, just the upper body might create a lot of buzz.”
“If you’re considering exposure… Siwoo, have you maintained yourself?”
“Of course. Here’s a photo…”
“Uh? Whoa, really? I didn’t know it was to this extent. Oh yeah, in ‘Gold Rush,’ your character was like a warrior. And now you’re still in this shape?”
“Of course. This photo was taken this morning actually.”
“Wow, our Actor Baek has truly evolved into a pro.”
The body that underwent a transformation is easy to maintain with moderate care, but it’s been pushed lately.
Nam Hyun-ho is playing a boxer in this movie, so he’s living at the gym and dragged me along too.
And since I was plotting for the next project, Moon Suyeon and Heavenly Yuah were away, so I didn’t have much else to do.
The guards were all helping Nam Hyun-ho, and I joined in too.
Nam Hyun-ho started filming, so I’ve gained more spare time, but because of the intensity, my upper body is in prime condition.
With no exposure scenes in ‘Gold Rush,’ this would certainly spark some conversation.
“Also, there’s this scene…”
“Yes, another one?”
“Yes, the one here. The scene where the heroine flinches and it transitions to a flashback.”
“Right, yes. The heroine hesitates and the flashback starts.”
“Yes, I’d like to make this part more intense. The chef suddenly shedding his shirt is funny, right? If we add a shirt removal scene leading into a kiss—”
“Oh.”
“I’d like to push it hard. A powerful slam against the wall. Rip off the shirt, then a deep kiss.”
“A body like that slamming against the wall…”
“Yes, something like that.”
“Perfect. This will definitely resonate.”
And then the kiss scene.
This drama wasn’t a romance, and we didn’t even have a proper kiss scene.
Even though faking a kiss and cutting it short wasn’t really considered a kiss scene.
There were no real issues, but with the situation like this, some provocative scenes might be needed.
With the shirt removal, wall slam, and deep kiss scene, it would definitely cause a stir and positively impact ratings.
“If you ever have any good ideas later, come find me.”
“Yes, Writer. I’ll look forward to your usual fantastic script.”
Today, we wrapped things up by adding one more scene.
But this is just the beginning.
With the first hurdle cleared, the next step will be smoother.
Since the beginning is relatively sparse, there’s not much to add at this point, but I intend to bring more suggestions when the script develops further with an eye on the ratings.
Given the absurdity of a French chef using Chinese techniques, we can set high expectations without hesitation.
“Hmm, really. I don’t even know what this is.”
Though absurd, for now, I’ll focus solely on the ratings.
*
I spent a few days managing my physique more meticulously.
Writer Ok seemed off the rails based on the vibe.
At this point, having consistent exposure scenes wouldn’t seem out of place.
Of course, I have no intention of rejecting them.
“Father would probably be pleased.”
Father would surely be happy to see his son’s improved physique.
He doesn’t worry much about male exposure but perhaps might be slightly concerned about the other side (my sister) instead.
This sort of thing naturally worries fathers more about daughters than sons.
“Speaking of which, it was really bold of him to allow an idol career. Such a tender-hearted man.”
While focused on body management, I spent a few days leading up to today’s script reading.
The teams with Heavenly Yuah and Moon Suyeon had already finished their script readings, and we were lagging behind.
According to the staff, both teams completed their readings without issue.
The KTD side started with Heavenly Yuah and Yoon Ju-won making a strong impression from the very beginning.
The veteran supporting actors were also influenced by them, raising the energy level.
Heavenly Yuah has started her high-stakes game despite belonging to the same company as us.
“Because of this, she seems like a Heavenly Demon after all.”
Yes, if it’s Heavenly Yuah, she should have aspects like this.
She might seem overly soft, but appearances aside, most of her features reflect that she’s Heavenly Demon-like, except the core essence.
She needs the resolve to obliterate if she can’t acquire.
Seeing Heavenly Yuah’s efforts to undercut my ratings stirred an old memory, making it strangely nostalgic.
“If sister is this committed, I can make the nudity worth it.”
When we first bet, it irritated me, but hearing about Heavenly Yuah’s intense preparation fills me with a strange mix of irritation and excitement.
“Arrival of the actor.”
“Yes, will the manager also join?”
“Yes, I have to greet the staff.”
“Manager now, huh?”
“Yeah, indeed.”
Receiving updates about Heavenly Yuah, I soon arrived at the broadcasting station.
After reaching SBC, Gang Cheol-nam, who acted as both security and manager, and I moved toward the third conference room where the script reading would begin.
Though a leading actor, I moved earlier because I was a rookie.
Given that the lead had two seasoned actresses, and the male supporting actor was a popular idol, the scene was expected to be chaotic.
If the atmosphere at the scene turned messy, it would fall to me to set it right as another leading actor, so I walked into the meeting room with a lot of determination.
“Seems we arrived too early.”
“Yes, quite early.”
“Well, might as well greet our seniors while waiting.”
The earlier a lead actor joins, the better it is to show respect to veteran actors.
Previously, Heavenly Yuah anchored the middle ground, but now I had to shoulder the responsibility independently.
While I’ve observed Heavenly Yuah and might replicate her style somewhat, I lack her knowledge of the personalities and characteristics of all the seasoned actors, so I might appear clumsy.
Still, my thirty-year practice of reading Heavenly Demon’s mood helps.
So, I greeted the veterans who arrived early in a friendly manner, signaling the start of the script reading.
