Chapter 17
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Wow, I Almost Cursed
-----------------------------------------------------------------
This story and its characters, events, and locations are fictitious and created for the purpose of the novel. Any resemblance to reality is coincidental.
Scene.17
Wow, I almost cursed.
Seong-hui mulled over what to say before offering a safe, conventional response.
“Sir… In a drama, you can’t just add characters like that…”
“I know, I know. I was just saying. I’m just frustrated, so I threw it out there to see if anything would stick. Don’t take it to heart.”
“Don’t be like that. Sir, if Camu were featured on the show, the number of tourists would…”
“Tourists? What tourists? We’re already booked solid! Completely! Full! Not a single room to spare. You want more? Ugh, just thinking about it is exhausting.”
“……”
She had to admit, he was right. Getting a reservation here was like plucking a star from the sky. She had been incredibly lucky to get a room.
“Still, please think about it.”
“Well, I suppose there’s no harm in thinking. Doesn’t cost me anything. Is there anything else you wanted to say?”
“No, that’s all.”
“Ahem. Is that so? Well, good luck with your work. I’ll be going now.”
Kang Man-dong cleared his throat repeatedly as he went back into his house.
*
Back in her cottage, Seong-hui was lost in thought.
Adding a new character?
It wasn’t impossible. But the motive had to serve the story, not be tainted by ulterior motives. That would be nothing short of manipulation.
She was already stressed enough with agencies trying to push their rookies into her projects as part of a package deal whenever she cast a lead. She couldn’t just randomly insert a character with no clear purpose.
As much as she coveted Camu as a location, she wasn’t willing to compromise her drama just to secure it.
Besides, there was no guarantee her script would be greenlit and go into production right away.
No matter how desperate CP Yu was, he wouldn’t waste his energy on a project that wasn’t viable.
She decided to worry about location scouting after the drama was officially picked up.
“Well, at least I’ve dealt with the Ax Man.”
Now that she had permission, it was time to let loose! Full throttle!
*
“Sir. Sir?”
“Who is it?”
“It’s me, Producer Park.”
Yu Han-seong looked at Producer Park with a ‘What? What is it?’ expression.
“The Director is looking for you.”
“……”
When Yu Han-seong didn’t reply, Producer Park spoke again, looking awkward.
“The Director said… Ahem. I’ll just tell you exactly what he said.”
“Exactly?”
“I think it’s the only way you’ll grasp the gravity of the situation, sir.”
“…Go on.”
“He said if you don’t track down Writer Kim within a week, he’s going to tie you and her together and dump you in the Han River. In a drum barrel filled with concrete.”
“So he means he’ll kick us out of the industry.”
“Well, his words were a bit harsh, but I doubt he’d do that to you, sir. You’ve got years of experience under your belt. He’s talking about Writer Kim. After what happened with her last project, and with no word on her next one… The time slot he’s holding for her is empty, with no sign of being filled. The Director must be burning up inside, too.”
“Sigh… I get it.”
Ping!
“I’ll wait a few more days.”
Ping!
“If I still don’t hear anything…”
Ping!
“Damn it! Who keeps messaging me?!”
Yu Han-seong irritably opened his smartphone.
“Huh?”
“What is it?”
“Hmm?”
“Sir? You can finish what you were saying after you check your message…”
“Hey.”
“Yes.”
“Tell the Director to wait.”
“Excuse me?”
“I just heard from Writer Kim. She sent the script, too.”
Yu Han-seong shot up from the sofa, his fingers flying across his phone.
This time, Producer Park’s phone pinged.
“Chan-seong, I sent the file to your account. Print it out for me. Quickly!”
“Sir, what about your laptop…?”
“It broke last week. So use yours. Hurry! Hurry!”
A moment later, the printed script was placed in front of Yu Han-seong.
“Why just one copy? You’ll be in charge of Team 2 once I start working on this. Print another one and read it with me.”
“Uh… I’m on Team 2?”
“What? You don’t want to?”
“No, it’s not that, but…”
“Sit down. And read.”
“Sigh, yes, sir.”
Producer Park, who had only come to deliver the Director’s warning, was roped into reviewing the script with Yu Han-seong.
About an hour passed.
Yu Han-seong slapped the printed script down on the table and looked at Producer Park, who looked back at him.
“Chan-seong.”
“Sir.”
“It’s good, right?”
“Yes. It’s good.”
“Just good?”
“No, it’s legit good. Especially this Ax Man character. I bet actors will be fighting over this role. He’s this flawless guy who puts up walls, but he’s also a total tsundere and just so… magnetic. She really nailed this character.”
“Right? It’s amazing, isn’t it? If we do this right, we could have a real hit on our hands for the first time in a while. We’ll sweep the year-end awards, and I’ll get promoted to Director next year. Ah!”
As Yu Han-seong got carried away, counting his chickens before they hatched, Chan-seong spoke with a hint of concern.
“But are you sure Writer Kim wrote this?”
At Producer Park’s question, Yu Han-seong’s expression turned thoughtful.
It wasn’t his first time seeing her scripts; they had worked on two projects together. But the tone of this one was completely different from her previous work.
It was as if someone else had written it.
“Writer Kim said she was under a lot of stress, but still… it couldn’t be, right?”
The broadcasting industry had been rocked several times by scandals involving ghostwriters or producers grinding through assistants. The true authorship of a script was a very sensitive issue in this business.
As Yu Han-seong fiddled with the treatment and the scripts for the first two episodes, another message arrived.
“A zip file?”
“What is it?”
“How should I know? I sent it to you, so print this out, too.”
“Yes, sir!”
Producer Park opened the zip file and let out a small “Oh?”
“What is it?”
“They’re photos.”
“Photos?”
“It’ll take a while to print them. Let’s just look at them on the monitor.”
“Right. Let’s do that.”
The two men fell silent for a long time as they went through the photos Kim Seong-hui had sent.
With each new image, they could only let out sounds of awe.
“Where… is this?”
“I’ve never seen a place like this. I think Writer Kim unblocked you, so you should just ask her directly.”
“Right. That’ll be faster.”
*
—Writer Kim! I swear!
“I’m sorry.”
—No, no. I believed in you, Writer Kim! These things happen when you work. It’s the results that matter. As long as you came back, that’s all that counts.
“Did you read the script?”
—Of course. Wow! It’s true what they say, blessed are those who believe! I thought that was just something in the Bible, but you, Writer Kim, have filled me with the holy spirit. How did you come up with a story like this?
“Phew, that’s a relief. I was worried you’d find the change in style uncomfortable.”
*
—…uncomfortable.
Hearing Seong-hui’s relieved response, Park Chan-seong nudged Yu Han-seong’s shoulder, urging him to ask his question.
“Did you hire a decent assistant? The amount of research for a script like this must have been immense.”
—An assistant? You know I don’t use assistants.
“I know, I know, but this isn’t just a story. The setting, the character development… for you to do it all alone…”
—CP Yu!
“Huh? Oh. Yeah.”
—Are you doubting me right now?
“What! Who? Me? You bastard! Was that you, Producer Park?”
“What? Why are you suddenly blaming me…?”
Producer Park jumped, his expression screaming, ‘Sir! Why are you dragging me into this?!’
“Writer Kim, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Doubting you?”
—You saw the change in writing style and suspected I used a ghostwriter or an assistant, didn’t you!
“Good heavens, what a thing to say. Everyone knows our Writer Kim works alone, through thick and thin. Who would say such a thing? Who was it? Just give me a name, and I’ll crush them!”
—If you say one more strange thing…
“Hey, I told you it wasn’t me.”
—So? What did you call me for? What were you curious about?
As the sharp edge in Seong-hui’s voice softened slightly, Yu Han-seong looked at Chan-seong, signaling him to do something.
He had called with suspicion on his mind and hadn’t thought of another reason for the call.
“Um, well. You see.”
—Producer Park?
“Yes. Writer-nim, this is Park Chan-seong. Haha.”
—Why are you…
“Well, it looks like I’ll be working with you and my senior on this project.”
—Oh, really? I’d be glad to have you, Producer Park. I know how skilled you are. Anyway, so why did you call?
“It’s about the photos you sent. Where on earth is that? I’ve never heard of a place in Korea with scenery like that.”
—Didn’t you see the title?
“Excuse me? The title?”
Park Chan-seong’s eyes widened as he quickly flipped open the treatment.
“*Lovers in Malta*. It’s still a working title.”
—There you go.
“I’m sorry? What do you mean?”
—Malta. It’s Malta. I wrote it in huge letters. Can’t you read?
Kim Seong-hui repeated “Malta” in frustration, but it was a name neither Yu Han-seong nor Park Chan-seong had ever heard before.
“Um, Writer Kim. Malta… what province is that in?”
—It’s not a province, it’s a country. And if you’re so curious, instead of asking me on the phone, why don’t you try searching a map?
As Seong-hui’s voice grew prickly again, Yu Han-seong and Park Chan-seong sighed silently.
*Honestly, these writers. They could just tell you, but no! They have to get all twisted up. Would it kill them to just say it nicely?*
Park Chan-seong quickly opened a map search and looked up Malta.
‘Southern Mediterranean. It’s a small island nation.’
‘An island nation?’
The two men whispered so only they could hear before speaking to Seong-hui again.
“Writer Kim.”
—Yes, CP-nim.
“You know we don’t have much time, right?”
—I know.
“Good. Let’s proceed with the rest without delay. I’ll talk to the Director and get the script you sent fixed right away.”
—Thank you.
“Don’t thank me. Anyway, we need to see you. There’s a lot to do before we go into production.”
—Um…
“….?”
—I’m in Malta right now.
Yu Han-seong stared blankly for a moment, then checked the map again.
“Oh… you are?”
—Yes. So it’s a bit difficult for me to come back right away.
“Hmm. Isn’t that going to be a problem? How are we supposed to prepare without the writer? We’ll have issues right from casting.”
—Let’s start circulating the script first. I’ll come back once I have at least the first four episodes ready.
“You could write them when you get back…”
—There’s that, but there’s something else I need to take care of before then.
“Take care of? What?”
—I’ll call you back.
“Writer Kim. Writer Kim? Hey. Seong-hui. Dammit! This woman has a habit of hanging up whenever she feels like it.”
Yu Han-seong tried calling back, but she had already turned off her phone.
“Always doing whatever she wants. This woman is going to be the death of me!”
“What should we do?”
“What do you mean, what should we do? We go see the Director, cut a deal, and start circulating the script like Writer Kim said. Let’s move!”
“Yes, sir!”
*
After the call, Seong-hui took a moment to catch her breath.
She had been quite worried about how her new writing style would be received, but thankfully, they seemed to like it.
“I’ll just keep writing the script like this. Now, the remaining problem is…”
Seong-hui looked out the cottage window toward the main house in the distance.
“Is it time to get my hands on Camu?”
Seong-hui grabbed her laptop and left the cottage.
“Sir, I’m on my way. You just wait.”
She was once known as the negotiator of the writing world.
A mere pension owner!
I’ll make him melt like a toasted marshmallow!
*
“What?”
“I said no.”
“But you don’t have to be so…”
“No.”
“At least listen to what I have to…”
“No.”
“As a minor role…”
“My hearing must be going bad in my old age.”
“You said you’re only fifty-two! You’re not old at all!”
“Huh? What was that?”
“……”
“……”
“Then, how about… adding one supporting role.”
“Ah, so you want to check out?”
“……”
Damn it!
I’d have better luck talking to a brick wall!
“Two supporting roles! Both rising stars, beautiful actresses of Korea!”
“Writer Kim.”
“Yes!”
“Is this…”
“….?”
“…..your best?”
“……”
*No way,* Seong-hui thought. *It couldn’t be.* But just in case, she threw out a line.
“You’re not… Hyun-min, are you?”
“And you’re not Seol-laim.”
Damn!
Just then, I really, really almost cursed.