Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: The Real Script
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A lunch hour under thick, pitch-black clouds that looked ready to unleash a downpour at any moment.
I arrived at the appointed spot, dressed neatly as PD Ha Ji-won had texted me the day before.
'JJ Media headquarters.'
I'd been here a few times back when I was working as a child actor.
So I found my way without getting lost, but...
"Did they tear down the old building and rebuild it?"
I stood stock-still in front of the headquarters, gazing up blankly.
The marble exterior evoked the Milky Way itself, crowned by the company's signature golden gear logo.
The company name gleamed in white letters, giving off an air of unmistakable luxury.
'It was a small company back then.'
I felt a pang of nostalgia seeing no trace of the building I remembered.
Come to think of it...
'In my past life, my second project was with them, right? It looks just like this now...'
I closed my eyes gently.
Memories flooded back of coming here with my manager in my past life.
'What was that second project again?'
It was shrouded in fog; Lee Seo-jun's second work wouldn't come to mind.
"Hey? That guy over there. Isn't that him?"
"Who? An idol? A model?"
"That's the one I sent you the link for. The guy who outshines the protagonist..."
I snapped to attention and realized people had gathered around me, whispering while keeping a respectful distance.
'What the hell? When did they show up?'
I flashed an awkward smile, waved to the crowd, and hurried inside.
No one in the office paid me any mind as I entered.
The oppressively solemn atmosphere made my body shrink.
'It wasn't like this before.'
Tap! Tap! Tap-tap-tap!
Keyboards clacked and work phones rang, but not a single personal conversation could be heard.
'No helping it.'
I tiptoed carefully, scanning the nameplates on each desk.
First department. Second department.
Finally, I spotted the desk with Ha Ji-won's name.
A woman sat there, wearing round glasses and sporting long, tangled hair that looked unwashed for days.
I cleared my throat with a cough and tapped her shoulder lightly.
"Hello."
She finally turned, eyeing me with a bored expression.
It was a minor gesture, but it grated on me intensely.
"Oh, right... As I mentioned on the phone, I'm PD Ha Ji-won."
Her indifferent attitude kept rubbing me the wrong way, but I couldn't snap here.
Disrespect like this was commonplace in the industry.
Composing myself, I cut straight to the chase.
"When's the audition...?"
"Oh, sorry. I've got an important call right now... Could you read this and wait?"
"Oh, sure... I'll do that."
She tossed me a bound script and dove into her call, handling work as if I weren't even there.
Her attitude left me dumbfounded.
'I sensed it on the phone, but this is too much, isn't it?'
I let out an involuntary sigh.
No choice.
I'd have to read it right here.
Standing in place, I opened the script she'd thrown me.
"Hmm..."
"Hey. Could you be quiet?"
I'd only let out a small hum, but she reacted sharply.
It was absurd, but...
I didn't want to make a scene, so I nodded silently.
'What a weirdo.'
I turned back to the bound script. Something felt off from the start.
The recruitment notice's summary had screamed hit potential.
But the script in my hands was utterly mundane. Completely different from what I knew.
"Ahaha..."
A hollow laugh escaped me.
Pushing forward with this would be a disaster.
That vibe radiated from it.
Clunky plot progression.
Romance shoehorned in awkwardly.
By mid-script, I couldn't hide my disappointment.
'Screw it, should I just bail?'
I didn't like her either.
I shook my head.
'No. That could stir up needless rumors. I've already committed, can't back out now.'
I'd have to act cocky and tweak the lines a bit.
'This feels childish, so I'll darken the dialogue...'
I was muttering to myself, analyzing the script, when...
"Hmm, enjoying it?"
"Eek!"
A woman suddenly leaned in with a bright smile, startling me.
The script flew from my hands and hit the floor with a thud.
The beautiful woman picked it up and spoke.
"Hehe. I called you several times with no response, so I just watched. What do you think? Fun?"
"Ahaha... Y-yeah, it was fun."
She seemed to see through my white lie, narrowing her eyes.
"Hmm. Doesn't seem like it."
"But... who are you?"
"Oh! I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Kim Eun-ji, the main writer for this project."
Main writer...?
"Oh, I'm Lee Jun-seo. It's an honor to meet you."
After the greeting, Kim Eun-ji eyed me steadily, letting out a soft hum.
Narrowing her eyes again.
Her lips, painted bright red, parted as she scanned me up and down.
"You look even cooler in person."
Her out-of-the-blue compliment caught me off guard, and I smiled sheepishly, unable to control my expression.
"Ahaha... Thank you."
"But why is Actor Jun-seo reading the script I wrote here...?"
She stopped abruptly, her face flushing red.
"W-were you reading this?"
"Yeah, is there a problem?"
She hurriedly hid the dropped script and pulled another from her crossbody bag, handing it over.
"This is the real script. The one you just saw got rejected..."
"Oh..."
"This one's really good."
She handed it over with an awkward, embarrassed smile, and silence fell.
"...Can I read it now?"
"Yes, go ahead."
In that instant.
Her eyes turned serious.
She looked tense, like a student handing over a test paper.
Did she want validation from me?
From a rookie like me?
'Yeah, right.'
I scoffed inwardly and opened the bound script she'd given me.
"Oh..."
A gasp escaped as I read the opening.
A studious transfer student clashes fiercely with a chaebol heir.
They grow close through the rivalry, but the student veers toward a dark path.
The events that unfold.
The conglomerate chairman's interference.
Incidents pile up on both protagonists, leaving no room for boredom.
And.
The childish parts transformed, no need for heavy drama.
By the end, the main writer asked cautiously.
"So, what do you think?"
"It's good. Really fun."
Shivers still ran through me, goosebumps prickling my skin, body itching with excitement.
The sensation I'd felt in my past life.
'Yes. This is it.'
This long-lost feeling felt both alien and affirming—my eye for talent hadn't died.
If I'd joined an agency after my debut instead of going freelance...
Picking projects like this wouldn't have been possible, right?
The thought hit me.
Suppressing the surging emotions, I spoke slowly.
"No fat, clean plot progression. It's great."
"Ahaha! Really?"
Only then did she smile again, shrugging her shoulders.
"Actually, the supporting actor cast for this role suddenly dropped out..."
"Excuse me. Could you keep it down? I'm on an important call."
We clamped our mouths shut at PD Ha Ji-won's irritated words.
Even the main writer got that treatment.
We exchanged glances and gestured toward the door with hand signals.
Fresh air enveloped us the moment we escaped the suffocating office.
"Now I can breathe. Writer Kim Eun-ji? Shall we continue in the break room?"
"Yes, let's."
We sat at an empty spot in the pantry next to the office and let out deep sighs.
My eyes met Kim Eun-ji's, who'd been peeking around nervously with pursed lips.
She gave an awkward smile and spoke.
"PD Ha Ji-won is always like that, so don't take it to heart. Someone like her will get demoted eventually."
"I'm fine. More importantly, what were you saying earlier?"
"The supporting actor suddenly said they couldn't do it, nearly derailing the production."
"Why tell me that?"
"Well, I don't think Actor Jun-seo would flake... but you never know with people. So I'm saying it upfront. If you can't do it..."
She meant it wasn't too late to back out now if I wanted.
'Would I be crazy to quit?'
Quitting would make me an idiot.
"I might've bailed before seeing the perfect script. But I absolutely want to play this supporting role."
Her expression relaxed.
"Oh! Right, one personal favor... Could you sign this, please?"
She pulled a small notebook and pen from her bag, her cheeks tinting pink.
'A signature...'
No one had asked for one since the sitcom shoot.
My popularity had clearly risen.
But everyone who'd recognized me just watched with warm gazes.
"...Is that a no?"
"Ahaha! Of course. It just caught me off guard—signing requests feel new."
I laughed sheepishly, making excuses.
New...?
I'd done fan signings until my arm cramped in hellish events.
I took the notebook and pen, scrawling on the page she'd opened.
Not just my name this time—a perfect signature. Last time was sloppy, but not now.
I'd practiced secretly at home for this.
I admired the flawless result, satisfied.
JJ Media headquarters practice room.
It was pristine enough to pass for an idol rehearsal space.
Kim Eun-ji the main writer and PD Ha Ji-won watched as I went through a formal audition.
Using the prepared script.
For a full hour, no less.
'How long is this gonna take?'
No breaks, fully immersed—I was parched and drained.
"Is this enough?"
Unlike PD Ha Ji-won, who stayed silent, Kim Eun-ji handed me water and showered praise.
"As expected, great acting. You grasped the character perfectly from a script you just got today."
"Thank you. This character's a lot like me, so it was easy to slip into."
I meant it.
The teacher in the [High School 2022] script from Kim Eun-ji mirrored my personality—no need to force emotions.
"But..."
I glanced at the phone on the tripod. It was still recording.
"How long are you filming? What I've shown so far should suffice."
"Oh, that's for the director right now..."
That's when it happened.
A gravelly male voice emanated from the tripod.
-This is Director Han Mun-jin. Good acting. Lee Han-sol said he had a solid one this time...
My body stiffened at his final words: 'So you're the one?'
Not recording—he'd been watching my audition via video call?
"Oh, hello."
I bowed politely toward the voice, but got a curt response.
-Greetings done. See you at the script reading.
With that, Director Han Mun-jin's voice cut off.
'Director Han Mun-jin...'
From what I knew, he was much older than Director Lee Han-sol.
They were close, huh.
I'd learned something new.