Actors, in the end, are essentially self-employed.
Even if they’re under the same agency, there’s no rule that says they can’t star in competing projects.
In that sense, actors are quite different from idols.
Here, within the company, they coordinate comebacks so that activity periods don’t overlap.
Though such practices usually only exist in large agencies that manage many actors; in our case, with only four actors under our agency, there’s really no need to purposefully insert another actor into competing projects.
There’s nothing stopping it, but really… that vibe, you know?
It seems like Heavenly Yuah is up to something.
Moreover, this is just the beginning.
– MBS Year-End Monday-Tuesday Drama, “Mother’s Song,” Luna and Moon Suyeon Confirmed to Join.
– Cinderella of “Gold Rush, Joseon,” Writer Yang Yuli Takes on Terrestrial Mini-Series.
MBS had a scheduling hole in their Monday-Tuesday mini-series lineup, and Writer Yang Yuli’s work, “Mother’s Song,” was set to fill it with Moon Suyeon playing the lead.
What does this mean?
“Is this a declaration of war?”
These audacious women brought amazing projects for me to consider, but now it seems they’re going to throw a tantrum just because I refused.
Whose idea was this?
“…Well, obviously it would be Senior Yoo-a’s idea. Isn’t that obvious?”
There’s an adage, isn’t there?
If you can’t beat them, join them.
It seems like these women truly want me to appear in the same works as them. It looks like their plan is to crush my spirit this way and then ask me to join them.
But then again…
What if another drama comes out as competition? If my acting is solid, that’s all that matters, right?
If it happens just once, it’s nothing I can’t laugh off.
They’re not going to follow my projects forever, are they? These two won’t either.
“…Wait. Are they really?”
What if they wait until I enter a project, then jump on the competing piece?
Too absurd to be true, I think, but given the unorthodox situation we’re in, I can’t outright dismiss it.
Heavenly Yuah is the type to not care about the means as long as she gets the end she wants, and she’s undoubtedly skilled enough to pull it off.
And Moon Suyeon…
“She’s completely crazy, like a crab apple. Perhaps we should have a chat.”
This situation may be more serious than I initially thought.
*
When I went up to the break room, Moon Suyeon, Heavenly Yuah, and Writer Yang Yuli were deep in conversation.
Our company’s other mascot, Yang Miju (7 years old), sat quietly on Moon Suyeon’s lap.
Despite the bold declaration of rivalry, they all seemed exceptionally calm.
“Uh, what are these people doing here?”
“Ah, Siwoo. Is something the matter?”
“What is the matter…? I think Senior Yoo-a probably knows the answer to that.”
“Oh, is that it? Well, what can be done? There’s nothing else immediately available other than this work.”
“I also didn’t have much of a choice. I agreed with Writer Yang on a project, and MBS was the only open slot. What a curious coincidence, don’t you think?”
“…Ah, coincidence.”
These women are scheming.
When they act this way, it becomes difficult to say anything in response.
However, it’s not entirely bad for me either; by emphasizing it’s a coincidence, the chances of them chasing me to my next project diminish.
Coincidences only happen once; if it happens twice, it’s bound to feel planned.
So, maybe I should just bear with this once.
“Ah, in the end, our works will air at the same time…”
“Perhaps we should make a bet?”
“…A bet?”
“Yes, a bet.”
“For example, the person who achieves the number one viewership rate gets one favor from the other.”
But that was underestimating them.
They began suggesting a contest since we were airing at the same time, trying to provoke unnecessary drama.
Favors…
I doubt they’d ask for anything ridiculous based on this simple bet, like marriage or dating. They’re not that simple-minded.
So, ultimately, it’s probably concerning the next project.
It appears to be that way.
If one of them wins the bet, it’s very likely they’ll target the next work.
Hollywood, crab apple, that sort of thing.
Though Hollywood is risky, the worst would probably be crab apple.
If Moon Suyeon wins, maybe I’ll propose through Heavenly Yuah to assassinate Director Sun Juhong.
“No, it’s not like that.”
Is there a reason to mull over this? I just have to decline the bet.
The naturalness with which they brought up the bet momentarily entangled me, but refusing this kind of wager means nothing.
Why would I agree to an uninteresting bet when there’s nothing to gain?
With a calm mindset, I resolved to refuse, but then the women launched their ultimate attack.
“Siwoo, surely… you’re not scared, are you?”
“Come on, Siwoo. Surely you’re not scared?”
“…What does that even mean? Who’s scared…”
“Ah~ So you’re in?”
“So you’re in?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“So, you’re scared then.”
“You’re scared.”
Come on. Being called scared?
My rational mind is signaling to absolutely not do it, yet my fiery male heart strongly insists I must not back down.
Show these haughty women what real fire feels like.
Apparently, the word ‘scared’ is the ultimate weapon to provoke a man’s primal instincts.
“Anyway, there’ll be another chance next time if not this.”
“Exactly. It’d be best for both sides if we settle this time.”
“…Will there even be a next time? Given that this so-called ‘coincidence’ leading to overlapping air times is highly unlikely.”
“Coincidences can repeat too. They’re almost like ‘destiny.'”
“…”
My biggest fear was realized.
These women have no intention of stopping after just this one time.
Even though it’s not true that having these two join a competing project will ruin my drama, the fact remains that TV ratings are winner-takes-all. Regardless of how good a drama may be, if the ratings don’t soar, it’ll still be labeled a failure.
Do I really need to end up in the same competing situation with powerhouse talents like Heavenly Yuah and Moon Suyeon?
Even for me, this isn’t a situation worth celebrating.
Ultimately, the reason these women can act this way is because they have a safety net.
For Heavenly Yuah, even if a show fails, it doesn’t significantly affect her. Although one of her shows may fail, her already substantial accomplishments make any potential damage negligible.
If there was an impact, she could always fund her own dramas with her own money.
Re-launching a few successful pieces could secure her position as the goddess of Cannes once more.
On the other hand, for Moon Suyeon, who has no particular attachment to acting, going back to the music industry is enough for her. Music is her real domain, and acting is merely a side job.
In contrast, I’m still a newcomer. If my works keep failing, it would definitely result in a less than ideal situation for me.
Having shows that “fail but shine” in terms of acting might be possible but only for a time. Reality is that when the show succeeds, your acting gets recognized as well.
Being branded as the symbol of bad luck would be a disaster.
All in all, this isn’t a particularly good situation.
“Fine. Let’s do it.”
In the end, I made the decision.
No dragging it out. Resolve it decisively.
After I win this bet, I’ll secure an agreement from them to never touch my next project.
If I lose, I might end up being sold to a shrimp fishing boat (Hollywood) or be forced to make a New Type Porno (crab apple), but if I win, it’ll be a huge win.
Yeah, it’s about winning.
“Hey, what fun discussion are the three of you having?”
Just as I was steeling myself, some random person nearby approached us after overhearing our conversation.
He wore a smile like a child who had discovered something amusing.
“I also have a desire. Am I allowed to join your bet?”
“Nam Hyun-ho?”
“Yes, I’m entering a film as well. I’d like to join in.”
“What are you looking to gain by joining this?”
“Oh, nothing special. I just want Junior here to join my next project.”
And this random older brother (?) immediately launched an attack against the two women.
This guy just declared that he would take over the next project that the two women desire.
Right when I had secured an agreement, an unwelcome guest popped up.
Both women bristled, now wary of this newcomer who intended to snatch away their desired prize.
“Next project?”
“Yes, isn’t that what Senior Yuah wants? It seems that’s the mood.”
“Yeah… something like that.”
“If you want it, you should give me an opportunity too.”
“But, how suddenly…”
“Hey, Suyeon. We’re all family under the same company, so let’s be fair.”
It seems like this random guy could potentially be useful.
Since it’s this guy winning that could disrupt their plans and it’d be beneficial if he won.
If he joins my next project, it’d definitely be better than Hollywood or crab apple…
“Wait, isn’t that wrong?”
This idiot. The movie he’s bringing with him this time happens to be a bromance.
Though I managed to escape this crisis somehow, this guy’s eye for projects is too amateurish.
If he grabs something ridiculous again…
It dawned on me that this guy could be harmful.
While I was trying to tackle him, the three somehow managed to come to an agreement without my consent.
They seem to have judged that someone like Nam Hyun-ho doesn’t even qualify as a variable.
From their perspective, they want to quickly confirm the deal, and dragging it out unnecessarily could complicate things. Including Nam Hyun-ho is just part of their strategy.
“Still, Nam Hyun-ho’s work is a movie, how does it compete with TV ratings?”
“Can’t we convert box office numbers into ratings?”
“Hmph, I’ll consider ten million admissions as 25% if you like.”
“Ah, that’s a bit too much, isn’t it? Ten million is not just a baby’s name.”
“And is 25% a baby’s name?”
They roughly agreed that for every forty thousand admissions to Nam’s film, it would equate to 1% in TV ratings.
Ultimately, the rules were up to us, and Nam Hyun-ho, full of unnecessary audacity, accepted Heavenly Yuah’s proposal.
“Maybe if I get around twelve million, I’ll definitely win.”
With such unrealistic imaginings.
Twelve million? Pfft. Even six million would be a blessing.
This guy’s done for.
Even I can tell his side is going to fail miserably.
It might even be inconvenient if this solo movie-making weirdo ends up being a variable, but let’s think positively.
If he wins and drags some strange queer (LGBT) film, the result might end up worse than the crab apple.
“Victory. Only victory matters.”
In the end, to protect my next project, I must win by my own strength.
No matter what happens.
