Chapter 31
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Thus Spoke the Writer
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The characters, events, and places in this story are works of fiction and may differ from reality.
Scene.31
Thus Spoke the Writer.
“How does eight percent sound?”
“Hmm…”
The man on the other side, who had been adamant about refusing exclusivity, trailed off for a moment.
“I’m not asking for global rights. Just exclusive rights in Asia.”
“One moment. Would you mind waiting? I need a moment to think.”
“Take all the time you need. I’ll be waiting for a positive answer.”
The negotiation over the technology rights came to a temporary standstill.
Leaving the conference room, Anthony went to his office, took out his smartphone, and pressed a speed-dial number.
“Boss, it’s Anthony. An interesting proposal came up, and I’d like your opinion.”
- A proposal?
“Yes. HS Energy from Korea has requested exclusive rights for Asia.”
- You should know to follow the manual.
“It is your home country, Boss, and the eight percent royalty they’re offering is worth considering…”
- Anthony.
“Yes, Boss.”
- Rules. They are for your opponent to break, and for you to uphold. Follow the manual. The moment you’re tempted by a small gain and take one step back, next it’ll be two steps, then three, until you collapse. Don’t even consider it if they offer ten percent, not just eight. The moment you accept, it becomes a weakness in itself.
The icy voice coming through the smartphone made Anthony’s expression tighten slightly.
“My apologies.”
- There’s nothing to apologize for. Since you called, let me ask you something.
“Yes, Boss.”
- What is the status of the task I gave you?
“Well, it seems it’s not easy. It was a very long time ago.”
- That’s not the answer I was hoping for.
“I will press them harder.”
- Whatever it takes. I expect to hear a different answer a month from now.
“Yes, Boss!”
After ending the call, Anthony immediately left his office and headed back to the conference room.
The men, who had been chatting amongst themselves, focused their attention on him as he entered.
“You’re back already. It’s only been a few minutes.”
“Yes. A decision has been made. I’m afraid we cannot accept your proposal. The royalty is four percent. There will be no exclusivity.”
At Anthony’s words, the other man’s eyes filled with disappointment.
“Is there no room for reconsideration?”
“I am simply following company policy.”
“That’s a shame.”
“What will you do?”
At Anthony’s question, the man turned his gaze to a colleague who had been sitting with them.
“Executive Director Hwang, you wrap things up here.”
“Yes, Mr. President.”
The man who had proposed the Asian exclusivity and an eight percent royalty fee rose from his seat with a disgruntled expression.
He had flown all the way to Italy for this negotiation, only to waste his time with nothing to show for it.
As the president stood, the others who had been seated with him all rose in unison and bowed their heads.
Once the president left the conference room, his secretarial staff also promptly vacated their seats, as if there was no longer any reason for them to be there.
Outside the building, the president immediately got into a waiting car. A moment later, the car departed. The secretary in the passenger seat checked a text message and then spoke to the president.
“Sir, a report from the management team.”
“Is it something I need to know?”
“It’s regarding Han Mi-ra.”
“…”
“She has recently confirmed her role in a drama. She’s currently in Malta for an overseas shoot.”
Malta was just next door.
At his secretary’s words, the president, whose expression was already sour, furrowed his brow.
“And?”
“I’ve instructed Manager Park to take action first and report back later.”
The president nodded with a look of displeasure, then muttered to himself as if thinking aloud.
“You’d think she would have learned to bow her head by now. So stubborn.”
*
“Yu-hyeon! What are you doing? Come on down.”
Hearing the call from the first floor, Yu-hyeon quickly covered the receiver of his smartphone with his hand.
When Yu-hyeon didn’t answer, the voice called out a few more times from downstairs.
“What is the status of the task I gave you?”
- Well, it seems it’s not easy. It was a very long time ago.
“That’s not the answer I was hoping for.”
- I will press them harder.
“I expect to hear a different answer a month from now.”
- Yes, Boss!
Just as he finished the call, he heard Kang Man-dong coming up to the second floor.
Yu-hyeon quickly walked to the entrance of the study.
“Yu-hyeon. Why didn’t you answer… Were you sleeping?”
“No, I was just resting.”
“Then you should’ve answered right away. Making your dad come all the way up here.”
“What did you call me for, anyway?”
“What do you mean? We have to go get everyone.”
“I can just call the staff…”
“Tsk! Is that any way for a host to treat his guests? Stop talking nonsense and come with me. I’ll take care of the production team. You go get the actors.”
“So I just bring them to the main house?”
“No, that won’t do. Gather everyone and bring them to the farm entrance.”
“Why the farm entrance?”
“Because we still have some time before dinner is ready. I’m going to give them a little tour.”
“A tour? We have a program like that at our farm…?”
Yu-hyeon looked at Kang Man-dong as if to ask what new scheme this was.
“Since when were you so interested in the farm’s affairs? Enough with the backtalk. Just go and do as you’re told! There’s a reason for everything I do.”
*
One by one, people began to gather in front of the single-story pension building.
While waiting for the actors and agency staff, Yu-hyeon spoke to Seong-hui.
“Why are you here, Writer Kim?”
“The owner asked me to come with you, Yu-hyeon.”
At Seong-hui’s reply, Yu-hyeon wore an apologetic expression.
“I’m sorry.”
“Huh? Why?”
Seong-hui tilted her head, confused by Yu-hyeon’s apology.
“When does a drama writer ever have to go around gathering actors?”
Seong-hui, who had agreed to Kang Man-dong’s request without much thought, suddenly had a look that said, ‘Ah! That’s right. I’m a writer!’
Having fled Korea in a rush, she had been so mentally exhausted and cornered that she had unknowingly forgotten her position in the drama’s hierarchy.
“My father probably doesn’t know much about this industry. I’ll apologize on his behalf.”
“Well… okay.”
Having belatedly grasped her situation, Seong-hui decided to reclaim her identity before things got any stranger.
She had been so anxious and desperate for the drama to succeed that she had, without realizing it, become a woman who bowed her head to this father and son duo.
‘Get a grip. Honestly, I’ve done more than my fair share.’
She now felt she was at least part of a community, not just a subordinate.
If Kang Man-dong had used the pension as leverage to set conditions, she now had the actors as her own leverage, giving her the minimum requirements to push back.
‘No more of this. Big or small, if I keep giving in to their demands, they’ll start taking it for granted.’
Seong-hui steeled her resolve.
“You’re right. Making a writer go around to pick up all the actors.”
Yu-hyeon nodded as if he completely understood.
“My father must have felt comfortable with you. I’ll have a word with him about it.”
Normally, Seong-hui would have said something like, “Oh, you don’t have to go that far,” but having changed her mind, she made her stance clear.
“That would be great. And while we’re on the subject…”
“Ah, just a moment.”
“Yes?”
As Yeon Jeong-suk and Han Mi-ra appeared, Yu-hyeon cut Seong-hui off and approached the two women. Seong-hui was left with a slightly dumbfounded expression.
‘Oh, come on! What was that about the writer’s position in a drama?’
He was just apologizing and all that, but the moment his targets appeared, he completely ignored her.
Kang Man-dong might not have known any better, but Yu-hyeon, as he himself had admitted, was well aware of a writer’s status. Yet, to cut her off mid-sentence in front of the actors and agency staff of all people, and just walk away like that!
‘That little punk…!’
The owner might have done it out of ignorance. But what’s your excuse?
‘You’re even worse!’
Regardless of Seong-hui muttering behind him, Yu-hyeon greeted them with a friendly face.
“You’re here.”
“Yes.”
“Hello, Yu-hyeon.”
The two women smiled at the welcoming Yu-hyeon.
“It looks like most people are here. Shall we get moving?”
As Yu-hyeon announced their departure, one of the managers quickly spoke up.
“Lee Ha-na and Seong Ye-rim aren’t here yet.”
“Oh, really? I’ll go check.”
As Yu-hyeon started walking toward the pension, Manager Park and Director Choi appeared as if they had been waiting.
“She’ll be out soon.”
After Manager Park spoke, Choi Pil-yeon also chimed in.
“She’s coming out now.”
Yu-hyeon nodded at their words and turned to leave, but someone was heard grumbling.
‘Here we go again. I wonder who’s going to be later this time.’
Yu-hyeon immediately understood the situation.
‘It was the same at the airport, and in the limousine… These people are really something else.’
Everyone else seemed relaxed, as if this was a daily occurrence, but Yu-hyeon had no intention of being swayed by the strange pride battle between these two individuals and their two companies.
Yu-hyeon checked his wristwatch for everyone to see.
“We will be leaving in exactly three minutes. Anyone who is late can make their own way there.”
At Yu-hyeon’s words, Park Sang-do and Choi Pil-yeon once again spoke up, taking turns.
“It’s not like we have a shoot. Is it really necessary to be so strict with the time? Let’s just wait a little and all go together.”
“Actresses naturally need a bit more time to get ready. I hope you can understand.”
“Lee Ha-na and Seong Ye-rim. I understand they are the lead actresses in this drama.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Writer Kim Seong-hui.”
“Yes?”
Startled by Yu-hyeon suddenly calling her name, Seong-hui shot him a look that said, ‘Now what!’
She knew that Yu-hyeon, much like his father, had a formidable personality, so there was no telling what he might say.
“You said it yourself, didn’t you?”
“I did?”
What is he talking about all of a sudden? What did I do?
“That the writer is like the creator of the drama. And the director is the Archangel Michael, who ensures that the creator’s will is fully realized.”
At Yu-hyeon’s words, some people nodded, while others exchanged a few words, remarking on the interesting analogy.
“You also said that the main characters of the drama are Adam and Eve entering the Garden of Eden.”
The quick-witted Han Mi-ra instantly understood why Yu-hyeon was bringing this up. She decided to play along and chimed in appropriately.
“Writer Kim really is a writer. That’s a killer metaphor. What else did she say?”
“That the manager who looks after the actor is like the serpent before the tree of knowledge.”
Upon hearing Yu-hyeon’s story, the gazes of Park Sang-do, Choi Pil-yeon, and a few other managers immediately turned to Kim Seong-hui.
Who didn’t know what the serpent did in the Garden of Eden, and what became of Adam and Eve because of it?
Seong-hui was quite flustered by everyone’s stares, but she couldn’t exactly say, “When did I ever say that!” at this point.
Han Mi-ra lifted the mood again.
“Then what about the forbidden fruit?”
“I asked the same thing, just like you, ma’am. ‘Writer-nim, then what is the forbidden fruit?’”
“And she said?”
“It’s like the writer’s pen, which can make a character die, suddenly go abroad to study, or simply erase their existence.”
“Oh!”
“That’s an amazing analogy.”
“It’s not wrong. We live and die at the tip of the writer’s pen.”
If they still didn’t understand what he was getting at after all this, they couldn’t be called managers. However, to back down meekly was a matter of pride.
“Well, look at that. We were talking and three minutes have flown by. Let’s all get going.”
As if to say that those who hadn’t shown up were on their own, Yu-hyeon immediately started moving, just as he had said he would.
The actors hesitated, wondering if it was okay to leave, but when Kim Seong-hui started walking, they all began to follow.
The person they needed to be mindful of was the creator, Kim Seong-hui, not Adam and Eve, who could be cast out at any moment.
After giving a slight nod to Yeon Jeong-suk and Han Mi-ra, Yu-hyeon quickened his pace to match Kim Seong-hui’s.
“How was that? I think I’ve restored some of the writer’s dignity.”
“When did I ever say such things? Don’t do that again. I thought I was going to die of embarrassment.”
Seong-hui was still grumbling, but the corners of her lips were curled into a pleasant smile, suggesting she wasn’t entirely displeased.
Left behind, Park Sang-do and Choi Pil-yeon stared at the departing group of actors with bewildered eyes.
“He called us… serpents? That Writer Kim. What on earth does she take us for?”
Park Sang-do spoke, his voice laced with disbelief. Choi Pil-yeon was just as flabbergasted, but instead of grumbling and getting angry like Park Sang-do, he immediately thought of Seong Ye-rim.
He had suddenly recalled Kang Man-dong’s words.
- I can’t stand people with twisted personalities and bad characters.
‘Like father, like son. That young man, Camu, is no pushover.’
The behavior of ordinary people, especially men, was more or less the same regardless of age or status.
When they saw a young, beautiful actress, they would subconsciously watch their behavior, try to do something extra for her, and linger nearby, looking for a chance to strike up a conversation. That was the norm.
But this young man had shattered that norm in an instant. He was unabashed, as if he couldn’t care less about such things.
On top of that, there was what Kang Man-dong had mentioned. Room upgrades, downgrades. And expulsion.
‘He might have already gotten the word from his father.’
Furthermore, writers were a breed known for their shamelessness, second to none. But for a fleeting moment, Choi Pil-yeon had clearly seen a look of panic on Kim Seong-hui’s face.
She had quickly regained her composure, but it meant that this was not something that had been discussed or excused beforehand.
Camu, who was for all intents and purposes a pension employee, using the writer of all people as a mouthpiece to make his own point?
It was clear that not only CP Yu but also Kim Seong-hui was somehow involved.
Finding out the hidden story behind why CP Yu was bowing his head to the owner of this place was important, but…
‘When you don’t know what’s going on, the best path is the straight and narrow.’
Choi Pil-yeon thought of Camu’s face and let out a faint smile.
‘The hardware is already perfect. I was curious about the software. A product of this caliber is a must-have.’
Choi Pil-yeon had been smitten with Camu the moment he appeared at the airport.
He had instructed Ye-rim to build a rapport with Camu, but now he felt a more proactive approach was needed.
“Ye-rim.”
“Is Lee Ha-na out yet?”
“No. And let’s stop doing this here. From now on, our motto is to lead by example.”
“What?”
“I’ll explain on the way. Let’s move, quickly.”
“Oh? Oh. Okay.”
“Ah, your clothes.”
“Yes?”
“Take that off. Let’s change into something comfortable.”
“But why?”
“In times like these, listen to your uncle… No, listen to the director of your agency! Would I ever make you do something that would be a disadvantage to you?”
Seong Ye-rim’s eyes widened, and she immediately nodded.
Uncle or not, Choi Pil-yeon was a manager at TNT, and a manager would never do anything that would harm their talent.
“What kind of comfortable clothes should I wear?”