“…I really don’t think this is right.”
A single statement from Sua.
Afterwards, the surroundings fell silent for a moment.
Sua quickly steeled herself, expecting significant backlash, but something unexpected happened. On the contrary, the two people in front of her seemed to relax.
Before long, each of them responded in turn.
“Right? Not doing this is probably not such a great idea, right?”
“In any case, Sua must have heard of Director Ko Tae-min, right?”
Sua slowly came to understand the situation.
‘They were not even expecting me to turn this down.’
It appeared that Kim I-seo and Seo Yeon-joo, in their minds, didn’t even consider the scenario where the script would be rejected. No matter Sua’s reaction, they were proceeding with the assumption that she would accept.
‘Hmm, well, they did describe this as a great opportunity.’
Sua understood that much. Kim I-seo had emphasized Director Ko Tae-min as “a big catch,” stressing it repeatedly. So, could a newcomer like Sua refuse such an offer? It seemed like this possibility never even crossed their minds.
However, she couldn’t let herself get swept away by the atmosphere—especially for a grade 7 script.
“No. What I mean is…”
Sua glanced subtly at the two of them.
“I simply mean that I really will not be participating.”
“…”
Once again, silence filled the air.
Kim I-seo and Seo Yeon-joo exchanged nods.
“Ah, I see now. So, you’re not doing this role.”
“That’s right. Sua has decided not to take on this role.”
Then it suddenly dawned on them.
“…!”
It was as if an invisible bolt of lightning had struck them. Their eyes widened, and in an instant, they closed the distance to surround Sua on both sides.
“Sua, Sua! What exactly did you just say?”
“Sua, what did you just say?”
Though Sua felt a twinge of regret, she reiterated her decision. She simply wouldn’t do it.
At this, Kim I-seo looked utterly devastated.
“Sua, how could you possibly do this…?”
“Sua, do you not understand how great Director Ko is? Even though people compare him with Director Kim Jun-ki due to their similar box office success, his status in the industry is on an entirely different level!”
Seo Yeon-joo chimed in.
As a matter of fact, Seo Yeon-joo only received instructions from Kim I-seo to loosely support the idea, but the sincerity in her expression was genuine. The reason was simple.
Even in Seo Yeon-joo’s eyes, this was a tremendous opportunity.
“Director Ko and that perverted trash are from different worlds. He has a solid network, and he’s incredibly diligent. There are frequent sightings of him working hard all over the place.”
“Hmm, well, I trust both of you.”
Sua, awkwardly twisting the ends of her hair, replied.
“I fully understand how great he is.”
Internally, Sua was actually someone who wanted to take part in this work.
A grandmaster director’s movie! Of course, she wanted to join in! Very much so!
Currently, after Special Mobile Unit 808, Sua had no plans for what to do next, and to build an impeccable filmography, it was necessary to fill that gap quickly. Wouldn’t it be great if this turned out to be a grandmaster’s movie?
However, the issue was indeed the information provided by the special ability.
Grade 7. It was an excessively extreme number.
‘Let’s assume the script is grade 7. Even assuming that, it doesn’t change much. However, why does the implementation element fall short?’
Implementation element insufficient.
What this implied was serious.
Typically, even the lowest-rated scripts could at least be experienced in some form. This one couldn’t even manage that. Perhaps the script was too vague for any implementation. Was it a half-baked script?
It might need to be classified as an incomplete creation.
‘Was this my last experience with an insufficient implementation when…? It must have been…’
Sua reflected on her memories.
‘When I first acquired the special ability, during my experience of accidentally killing a chef. The script for that was implementation insufficient.’
When she reached this realization, a light bulb seemed to flicker in her mind.
‘Ah, could it be that this is a format where casting is done first and the scenario filled in later? Therefore, even though it starts as grade 7, it may improve and rise as the script is refined?’
This hypothesis made a certain amount of sense.
Why? Because Sua had already gone through an experience where her influence on a project increased the script’s rating.
Of course, it would be ideal if the rating was high from the start, but if the script had a high peak, it could still be acceptable. After all, that would imply a great payoff in the end.
Sua asked her question right away.
“Excuse me, Manager.”
“Yes, Sua.”
“Are movies different from dramas? Do you cast actors before finalizing the screenplay? Once the casting is done, do you refine the script afterward?”
“Let me see.”
Kim I-seo quietly clasped her chin.
“So you’re asking if ‘Crescendo from Tomorrow’ is still in the storyboard phase, or if the script is complete and we’re just looking for actors, right? Did I understand correctly?”
“Yes.”
That was exactly it.
The response, however, was unexpected.
Kim I-seo shook her head.
“The script for ‘Crescendo from Tomorrow’ was completed a long time ago. It has been revised several times and, as it stands, is about as close to perfection as it can get.”
“…Really?”
“Because of that, open auditions have already been held. You might know Park Do-hee. Unfortunately, she didn’t make the cut.”
“…?”
Sua’s confusion deepened.
‘If the script is complete, how is it grade 7?’
Sua wondered how this could be possible.
‘Isn’t a grandmaster supposed to be someone extraordinary? Extraordinary, hence a grandmaster, right? But why do all the grandmasters coming my way end up…?’
In fact, Sua was extremely grateful that she had been offered this opportunity. After all, despite all his accolades, Director Ko Tae-min had even adjusted his schedule and given her the script.
But…
Grade 7…?
‘Even Director Kim Jun-ki, a criminal, was at grade 6…’
It was even worse than that!
‘Moreover, at least his script allowed for an experience?’
Meanwhile, Director Ko Tae-min’s work couldn’t even provide that. Sua soon made her judgment.
I understand Director Ko Tae-min might be very great, but life isn’t just about goodwill; I can’t accept a grade 7 script.
So, the Arctic Fox stays cold. Sua stays firm…
At that moment, Kim I-seo firmly grasped Sua’s hand.
“Sua, please reconsider just once. Is that really the right decision?”
“…”
Sua glanced at the script nearby.
It was enough. With her improved ability, she could now see the approximate information of an object as a holographic window, without needing to enter the internal space.
It appeared like a speech bubble next to the script.
[ ‘Crescendo from Tomorrow’ ]
▶ Implementation elements insufficient.
▶ Grade 7.
Crescendo.
A musical term meaning “gradually getting louder.”
“Could it possibly mean it gets worse and worse?”
Sua wondered suddenly.
In any case, regardless of rechecking, it was clear the content was related to music, which made the refusal even more regretful. If this could have been the catalyst to graduate her “Musician” ability, it would have been great.
Wait, now that I think about it, what role was she offered?
So far, Sua hadn’t double-checked her assigned role.
Meanwhile, Kim I-seo was fervently explaining the benefits of being part of a Director Ko Tae-min project. Seriously, was she a ginseng seller or something?
“Sua, you’ve been searching for music-related scripts, right? This is a wonderful opportunity that has come your way! No, there could be no better opportunity than this. I guarantee it. Ko Tae-min is a definite grandmaster.”
“I understand that. But, what is my role?”
“Role?”
Kim I-seo suddenly tapped her forehead.
“My mind slipped. I didn’t directly hear it, but it can be inferred from the context. It must be the role Park Do-hee auditioned for. It’s a pretty significant part. The name of the role was…”
Surprisingly, the answer came from Seo Yeon-joo.
“Kim So-hee, right? Kim So-hee. The one who plays the piano well.”
Kim So-hee. Confirmed.
With that, Sua immediately dove into the special ability space. In an instant, she jumped into the phone booth and found “Kim So-hee.”
And received some clues.
“Hm?”
001 – Kim So-hee (Experience Unavailable/Insufficient)
002 – Park Min-seo
003 – Lee Seung-myeong
‘That Kim So-hee has an unavailable experience?’
Judging by the 001 number, it seemed to be one of the main roles, and yet, this one was insufficient. Nonetheless, the reason was now clear.
The instability of this script stems from this role.
After understanding the reason, Sua immediately exited the special ability space.
Back to reality in a flash. Seo Yeon-joo and Kim I-seo were still looking at Sua with twinkling eyes.
“Sua.”
Kim I-seo blinked.
“Why? What are you thinking about?”
Sua took a deep breath.
“Under absolutely no circumstances will I do it. Absolutely not.”
…
…
…
…
…
Hours later.
Kim I-seo picked up her phone with a heavy heart.
After a few rings, the person answered promptly.
“Hello? Manager Kim?”
“Director Ko, I apologize for calling so late.”
The person on the other end was none other than Director Ko Tae-min.
“Yes. What is the matter?”
It was unlike Kim I-seo to hesitate, but in this instance, she had no choice. It felt like the words caught in her throat before they could come out.
Of course, from Kim I-seo’s perspective, this was understandable.
How does one say that the great “Crescendo from Tomorrow” was refused? It felt like kicking a lump of gold with your foot.
“Hmm…”
At that exact moment,
“Did Sua reject it?”
Director Ko Tae-min, anticipating her intentions, went straight to the point. Kim I-seo sighed deeply and admitted it.
“…Yes. Director, I truly apologize.”
“No, it’s fine. Let’s meet in two days.”
“Excuse me?”
“We have a meeting scheduled in two days, right? Let’s discuss then. I’d also like to hear some of her thoughts.”
“Ah? But Sua already stated that she would reject it.”
“Eh? That just means she declined the work, not the meeting itself. And I’d definitely like to have a conversation about various things. So, I’ll see you in two days as planned.”
At that moment, Kim I-seo felt a great sense of dissonance.
He was different from Director Kim Jun-ki.
That is, it was not the type of situation where someone would say, “You dared to refuse my work? Repeat that to my face!”
If anything, it was close to being the complete opposite.
Director Ko Tae-min, indeed, seemed to have become even more anticipatory, judging by the recent phone call with Kim I-seo.
