Chapter 22
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: The Father-Son Duo!
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The characters, events, and places in this story are fictional and may differ from reality.
Scene 22
The Father-Son Duo!
“Patience and ambition. Two things Writer Kim still lacks.”
“If I fix the script…”
“The chances will improve.”
“If I fill the holes the professor pointed out…”
“Then we’ll have to shoot it. Once we have a good script.”
At Yu-hyeon’s words, the light began to return to Seong-hui’s clouded eyes.
“Help me.”
“…?”
“Think of it as taking on a new student! Help me!”
“Hmm. And why should I…”
“You’re supposed to take responsibility for the people you save. In the desert, or wherever it was!”
She threw out some rule of the desert she must have picked up somewhere.
“Can you take responsibility for those words?”
“…”
“I’m asking if you know how that story ends.”
“How the story ends?”
“The one who is saved must offer their life for their savior. And it’s less about being saved and more about acquiring a slave in the desert. The master has an obligation to feed their slave. That’s all there is to it.”
“That’s… what that story was about?”
“If you’re still fine with that, then give it a try.”
“…”
“If you don’t have that much resolve, then pack your bags and go home now. You’ve caused enough trouble already.”
*Wow, seriously. Is he trying to push me to the edge?*
*Why are we talking about life and death and slaves over something like this?*
*Is he trying to provoke me on purpose?*
“Fine. Let’s do it. I’ll fix the characters, add the new elements, and write a story about people, just as you said. But!”
“But?”
“There’s a saying: too many cooks spoil the broth. This story isn’t some human-interest documentary.”
“You’re saying the genre is romance?”
“Yes! You might be a better writer than me, Professor, but a drama is different from a novel. With film, you have to consider so much more than just the text, and working without knowing that…”
“I know.”
“What?”
“I said, I know it well.”
“How?”
“*Urus Club*. I did the adaptation and the screenplay.”
“……?”
“That look on your face, like you heard me but didn’t. Save it for your drama scripts, not for me.”
Yu-hyeon remarked curtly, clearly displeased with her expression. But his words didn’t register with Seong-hui.
“H-whaaat! That… that’s. For real… *Gasp*.”
*That masterpiece of a drama, the one nominated for an Emmy.*
*The original story, the adaptation, and the screenplay were all by the same person?*
Seong-hui, who had tried to gain the upper hand by talking about the differences between dramas and novels, instantly shrank to the size of a pea.
“By the way, did you say your father was investing in the drama?”
“…”
Seong-hui was back to walking on eggshells.
If it got out that he had provided the use of the pension, worth a whopping 1.1 billion won, for free as an investment, it would cause a whole new kind of chaos.
“So, he did invest.”
“Yes…”
“That investment. I’ll make one too.”
“What? You’re investing, Professor?”
“Could you tell me what the production costs for a drama are these days?”
“It depends on the genre, but for a romance, it starts at around 500 to 600 million won per episode.”
“How many episodes?”
“Sixteen.”
“So, roughly 10 billion won.”
“This project isn’t being handled by a production company; it’s an in-house production by the broadcast station. So, at most, it’ll be around 8 billion won.”
“Even if the station is producing it, they still accept investments, right?”
“Well, yes, but.”
“If you agree to one condition, I’ll invest about 3 billion won.”
“Th-three… 3 billion! Where would you get that kind of money, Professor?”
“Do we really need to discuss the state of my finances?”
“No, but still, 3 billion is…”
“Let’s just talk about whether you’ll accept the condition or not.”
“I have to hear the condition first. If it’s something strange…”
“Hmm. Depending on how you look at it, it could be strange. Or it could be nothing at all.”
*What an ambiguous answer. ‘Depending on how you look at it.’*
“What is it? I’ll at least hear you out.”
“Let’s add a role.”
*Add a role? Where have I heard that before?*
“What kind of role…”
“I’d like the father character to be married, not a widower.”
*No way. It's not that, is it? It can't be. He must be saying this for the sake of the drama's quality.*
“And the actress who plays the part should be between her forties and fifties. She must be unmarried, and she must have a reputation in the industry for being a good person.”
*You've got to be kidding me!*
*This time, the son is trying to set up his father?*
“If you do that, I’ll give you 1 billion.”
“Not 3 billion?”
“1 billion if you add one unmarried actress with a good personality, regardless of the role.”
“To get the 3 billion…”
“You’ll need to cast about three of them.”
*For crying out loud!*
*This father and son are a real pair!*
*What is this nonsense! Huh?*
*What are they playing at!*
"Wait, is this about… your father…"
"That's right. I'd like my father to start dating again. To meet someone kind and beautiful. A verbal agreement is fine. If you promise, I'll invest 3 billion won right here, right now."
*Wow, look at the scale of this.*
*The father burns 1.1 billion to set his son up,*
*and the son burns 3 billion to set his father up?*
*What kind of family is this?*
*It's not just a few pennies. Throwing away billions on blind dates.*
*And they're not even proper blind dates, just a condition to have them in the same space.*
Seong-hui was flabbergasted by the father and son's behavior, but the 3 billion won investment was music to her ears.
*'Who cares? 3 billion won isn't chump change. If I can get it, I should take it! No matter how much you have, the production budget is always tight.'*
Besides, they weren't main characters. They were more like background dressing. I can add characters like that easily.
“Okay. I’ll do it. Please invest!”
Yu-hyeon nodded with a bright smile and took out his smartphone.
“Why are you…”
“Even if it’s verbal, we should at least record it. It can be used as sufficient evidence if any legal issues arise.”
“…Well. It’s not like I’m a scammer.”
“It’s always better for a deal to be clear-cut. And you’ll feel more secure having proof of the 3 billion won investment, Writer Kim.”
*He has a point.*
Seong-hui took out her smartphone as well.
“The more evidence, the better, right?”
Just as they finished stating the details about the roles and the investment into their phones and were about to stop recording, Yu-hyeon said he had more to add.
“Distribution rights.”
“What?”
“Surely you didn’t think you could just swallow 3 billion won for three roles, did you?”
“But… you were the one who suggested…”
“I want the broadcasting rights for Malta, Italy, and France.”
*You didn't say anything about that! How can you just add a condition like that?*
“Promise me that, and the investment will be paid without any issues. I’ll also advise you on the script. And there will be no problem providing Camu as a location.”
When Yu-hyeon mentioned the filming location, Seong-hui’s heart began to race again.
To use Camu for filming, she had to secure this investment one way or another.
“Just a moment. I need to make a call.”
“Of course. Take your time.”
Seong-hui immediately called Yu Han-seong.
“—Oh, Writer Kim. I’m talking with the Director right now. Later…”
“It’s about an additional 3 billion won investment. Should I just let it go?”
“—What? How much?”
“3 billion!”
“—Writer Kim, did you secretly start a production company behind my back? What’s going on? Including the location investment, it’s over 4 billion. I’m starting to get scared.”
“I know. I know all too well.”
“—Writer Kim. This is Director Yang.”
“Yes, Director.”
“—What was that just now? An additional 3 billion investment?”
“I’m just that good at what I do. I know the budget is tight, so I had to lend a hand.”
“—Aigoo. There’s no one like our Writer Kim. You’re the best.”
“But there’s a condition.”
“—A condition? Okay, tell me. I’ll agree to almost anything.”
“He wants the broadcasting rights for Malta, France, and Italy.”
“—Let’s do it. We’re saving half the production cost. That’s the least we can do.”
“Then I’ll proceed with that.”
“—Okay. Thanks for all your hard work, Writer Kim.”
After the call, Seong-hui turned the recording app back on and finished the recording, adding that the broadcasting rights belonged to Yu-hyeon.
“Are we good now?”
“Yes. I’ll take care of my end right away.”
“Right now?”
“I believe in not procrastinating. Please wait a moment.”
*Wow, he's sending 3 billion right now?*
*Just how much money does he have? Wait a minute. If he can wire 3 billion after just a few words, isn't he basically tycoon-level rich?*
*When Kang Man-dong suggested that get-to-know-you style of blind date, I scoffed internally. But this guy... he's rich, no, better than rich.*
*He's handsome, has a great body, a solid profession, and thinks of 3 billion won like it's pocket change.*
*'If our ages were right, I'd want that blind date for myself.'*
*I always thought I was still in my prime, but today, being thirty-four feels incredibly old.*
Just then, the word "Mayor" caught Seong-hui's ear.
*'Mayor? Why is he talking to a mayor?'*
“Mr. Mayor. This is Camu. I hope you’ve been well.”
*'What? Who is he calling?'*
“It’s about the cultural tourism industry support initiative. No, not a movie, a Korean drama. You’re well-informed, Mr. Mayor. That’s right. The Korean Wave is very strong these days.”
*'Ugh, this is frustrating. I really need to study a new language or something.'*
*Trying to guess the context from just a few words is not easy.*
“How much did you say you could support us with? Ah, one million euros. Mr. Mayor, let’s be a bit more generous.”
*'Support funds? One million euros? What. Don't tell me...'*
"You mentioned it yourself back then, didn't you, Mr. Mayor? How a small village in Switzerland became a tourist hotspot because of a Korean drama. You even drew up plans saying we need to seize an opportunity like that."
*'Swiss tourist spot... a drama? Ah! Crash Landing on You!'*
"Yes, exactly. These days, ten advertisements can't compare to the impact of one drama. And what does Malta have to lose to Switzerland? Of course! Malta is the best. So we have to give people in far-off countries a chance to know that, don't we?"
*'He's promoting Malta through the drama!'*
“This isn’t an opportunity that comes around every day. We should push for it while we have the chance. People all over the world will be watching nothing but Malta for two whole months. 2.5 million euros! I think we can definitely secure it with that amount.”
*'How much is 2.5 million euros? How much is it?'*
Seong-hui quickly pulled up the currency converter on her smartphone.
“Excellent! You’re decisive, I like that. I’ll contact the Korean production company to have them send the official documents. Hahaha. Yes. It has been too long. I’ll stop by to see you soon. Yes. Goodbye for now.”
Seong-hui stared at Yu-hyeon, dumbfounded.
She hadn’t understood everything, but she’d caught enough to realize her drama was going to receive production support funds from Malta.
“That was…”
“2.5 million euros. That should be about 3.3 billion in Korean won. Looks like the investment is 300 million more than promised.”
“…”
“Why the long face?”
*You're asking because you don't know?*
"I never said the money would be coming out of my own pocket."
"But, this is!"
*You took all the credit using someone else's money, and on top of the roles, you snagged the distribution rights for Malta, France, and Italy!*
*Tycoon, my ass! You're more like a con artist.*
"All that matters is that the investment comes through as promised, isn't it? If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have even known about this support fund. And even if you did, you wouldn't have been able to secure this much. If you're not satisfied, I can cancel it right now…"
"No! Who said anything!"
"And what we discussed today is a secret from my father. I trust you won't make the same mistake twice."
"Does that mean… this time the President might be the one to cancel?"
"It never hurts to be careful."
*Ugh… This is exhausting. So exhausting!*
* * *
A few days later, a small rumor began to circulate near Camu.
“—Don Karman is on the move!—”
“He’s getting into the tourism business with a drama?”
“Oh, Don Karman. His scale is on another level. I heard he landed one of those hot Korean dramas.”
“Find every possible filming location nearby. You all know what happens if we lose out to another region, right?”
“Everyone, get moving! You heard the rumors, didn’t you? About that village in the Swiss valleys that hit the jackpot with a single Korean drama.”
“And don’t even think about price gouging. This is Don Karman’s project.”
“I know, I know. You worry about yourself. Let’s get a move on!”
“Does anyone know what Don Karman said at the last gathering?”
“Kill two birds with one stone. And then some.”
“Oh, yeah. That. I heard it’s a Korean proverb. Do you know what it means?”
“Tsk, tsk. This guy. Are you from another country? If you’re going to work with Don Karman, you should have at least learned some Korean.”
“Yeah, yeah, so what does it mean?”
“It means something like, ‘Turn one euro into ten, and with that ten, eat good food and find romance.’”
“Ooh, that’s a good thing.”
“Exactly. So stop talking and start moving. Are you just gonna sit back and suck your thumb while the guys from the other towns take everything?”
*Nope! Never! We can’t let that happen.*
*This time, our town is going to take it all!*