Finding What Needs to Be Done
I was finally free.
"Our senior sure is overflowing with passion...."
If Manager Park Eunmi hadn't called Shin Yena away while reading my expression, I might have been dragged around all day. She had been waiting for me right outside the bathroom, for crying out loud.
"CEO, do you have a moment?"
"Of course. Come in."
I slipped into the president's office in a hurry, ducking Shin Yena's gaze.
"Whew..."
"Aren't you teasing the new hire a little too hard? Hahaha~"
"Teasing? I'm her senior. Ah, more importantly — I know you're busy, so I'll keep this brief."
"Go ahead."
"I've decided to invest."
"Really?!"
"Yes. But is it enough if just you and I invest, or do we need to bring in other investors as well?"
"Please, have a seat over here first."
President Hong Mincheol laid out the current situation in detail, almost like a production company head himself. And with every word of that explanation, my expression darkened.
"The production budget could exceed fifty billion won?"
"Yes."
"So I'd put up twenty-five billion, you'd put up eight billion... meaning we still need at least seventeen billion more?"
"That's correct."
"Hmm.... Then what if we only produce half of it for now?"
"Only half? What do you mean by that?"
"OTT platforms do a lot of season-based releases, right? We produce half, release it as Season 1, and if the response is good, we make Season 2."
"A seasonal format... I'll arrange a meeting as soon as possible."
An investment firm might carry a lot of weight, but you can't steamroll a production company and run everything your own way. No — a project fundamentally has to be driven by the production company. A work shot while being yanked around in every direction was never going to turn out right. So everything would be decided after the meeting with the production company. My investment. The production of the project itself.
That said... where exactly was I supposed to start learning this job?
I headed for my desk first, and then—
"Eunho."
"Jesus—!"
"Why so jumpy?"
"Ah, it's nothing... Is there something you need?"
I put a little distance between myself and Shin Yena, who had somehow materialized right behind me. Getting dragged around again wasn't going to help me learn a single thing about the work.
"Something I need~? I was just worried about you. You didn't mess up in your meeting with the president, did you?"
"Ah... no. No mistakes."
"You were shaking like a leaf, weren't you?"
"Not really..."
"Still, good thing the president is such a nice guy. Oh! Did you know this, though?"
"Know what?"
Shin Yena glanced left and right, scanning the area, then stepped in close and whispered.
"Apparently there's someone even higher than the president."
"......"
"The company got acquired not long ago, and that person is the actual CEO of this place. The president is just another employee like the rest of us. Crazy, right??"
"Ah. Yeah. Crazy."
If I told her I was that CEO, she'd probably lose it.
Should I just come clean right now?
"Actually, I—"
"But what kind of person do you think the CEO is?"
"A good one, I'd imagine."
"You think so? I kind of hope not."
"Why?"
"Wouldn't that make things more dramatic?"
"Excuse me??"
"A kind president who lost all his power when the company was sold. He never wanted to sell in the first place, you know."
"What on earth are you—"
"Shh. Just listen."
"......"
Before I knew it, Shin Yena had hauled me into the break room. She pressed a finger to my lips and launched into full flight of fancy.
"The kind president wanted to protect the company, but the financial crisis was so bad he sold it with tears in his eyes. And the one pulling the strings behind it all? The new CEO. He did something underhanded just to snatch the company away."
"......"
What is she even talking about?
I couldn't make sense of any of it, but those sparkling eyes of hers demanded a response.
"And then?"
"And then the employees band together to help the president take the company back — and they fight the new CEO!"
"Haha..."
"Don't you want to know what happens next??"
"...And then?"
"And then the president's ridiculously handsome son shows up like a savior. He stands up to the CEO, reclaims the company, and along the way he falls in love with the female employee who helped him..."
"Don't tell me that female employee is supposed to be you, Senior?"
"Oh, I wouldn't know~! Heehee!"
"......"
She was clearly not right in the head. I was going to have to keep my distance from now on.
"Yena? Where did you go again..! Has anyone seen Yena??"
"I think I saw her heading toward the break room earlier..."
"I'll go! We'll finish the story next time! I'm over here~!!"
"......"
If she was going to be like this, why not just go write dramas instead of getting a job here?
I shook my head watching Shin Yena bounce off, and finally made it to my desk. How long had I been coming to work, and this was the first time I'd actually sat in my own seat?
"Hoo.... Why am I this exhausted..?"
"CEO, is this some kind of undercover thing?"
This time a face popped out from the desk next to mine. You really couldn't let your guard down at this company.
"If it were, I wouldn't have introduced myself last time."
"Ah... right..."
Still, there was a silver lining. The fact that an employee could talk this casually to the CEO told me just how well President Hong Mincheol had maintained his relationships with the staff all this time. If I wasn't going to hand everything over to a professional manager and wash my hands of it, I wanted to be a good CEO too. The kind who could talk freely with his people.
"Ah! More importantly — could you teach me the work?"
"Me?? I don't think there's anything I could teach the CEO..."
"Just start from the beginning. Of course, if you're busy, I can ask someone else."
"No, sir! I'll teach you! But... I'm a manager, and most of my work is on-set... Is that all right..?"
"Of course. Let's go."
"Yes, sir. We'll leave in ten minutes, then."
I'd start by learning a manager's job. Knowing the fundamentals would help when it came to running the company.
Choi Jinwoo.
The senior who was going to show me the ropes — a first-year manager himself. And the actor we were picking up was a rookie too.
Though apparently not every actor was a looker. Handsome enough, sure, but not the kind of face that radiated presence. More on the plain side, if anything.
"The CEO..? Gasp!! Ah — hello, sir! My apologies for the late greeting! I'm Lee Junyeong, a rookie actor!! I look forward to working with you!!!"
"Yoo Eunho. Likewise. No stylist coming along?"
"No, sir. Our company doesn't keep stylists on staff — we either go to a shop or call one out when we need them."
"Ah... I see. Shall we go, then?"
"Yes."
"Yes, sir!"
"Haha.. Lee Junyeong."
"Yes! Please go ahead!"
"You don't have to be that tense. Relax. You're making me uncomfortable."
"Ah... yes.. Understood.."
Choi Jinwoo drove, I took the passenger seat, and Lee Junyeong sat in the back. In that awkward atmosphere, we headed for the filming location while I asked about this and that. And the answers I got were worse than I'd expected.
This one included.
"Honestly, there's no set quitting time. If we finish early, we finish early. If we finish late, we finish late."
"And you're getting proper overtime pay?"
"Haha..."
That awkward laugh was answer enough.
Chaotic hours, no overtime, no fixed schedule — all for a salary of around two million won a month. That was a manager's reality. I'd roughly known, but it was genuinely awful.
Except I'd been wrong about something. The truly awful part wasn't any of that.
"Hello, sir~!!"
"Jesus Christ...! Keep it down. Just say hi quietly."
"Sorry... Our actor is ready."
"Ah..."
A man with a thoroughly rotten attitude glanced our way. Lee Junyeong bowed at the waist in greeting. The bastard didn't so much as tip his head before turning back to Choi Jinwoo.
"What time was your shoot?"
"Four-thirty."
"Wait a little longer. We're delayed."
"Yes. About how long should we—"
"Hey."
For a second, the look the man gave Choi Jinwoo carried real murder in it. What was his problem all of a sudden?
"Yes??"
"I said wait."
"Ah... Sorry..."
"Fuck..! I'm already pissed off enough without you annoying the shit out of me..!"
"That son of a—!!"
"CEO!!"
The moment I flared up and started to go after him, Lee Junyeong grabbed my arm.
"What is it?!"
"It's just... I could tell you were about to go yell at him...."
"Of course I'm going to yell! How do you not get angry when someone talks like that?!"
"H-here... this is just normal, CEO..."
"What??"
I scowled and was about to press him when that same irritation-soaked voice cut in again.
"Hey."
"Yes!"
The man called Choi Jinwoo over as he was heading our way, then kicked at a stack of water bottle boxes with his foot.
"Move these over there."
"Yes, sir. Got it."
"That crazy bastard..!"
"CEO...!!"
Manager Park's power trips? That was nothing. The company I'd worked at before was heaven by comparison.
This place was hell.
"Choi Jinwoo, put that down."
"C-CEO!"
"What kind of asshole is this?! Who's in charge here?!"
"You can't! If you get on his bad side, it'll be a real disaster..!"
"Then let it be a disaster. I'll handle it."
"CEO...!! He's an assistant director who's about to make his directorial debut..!"
A guy like that was going to become a director?
Wow... this industry was a mess too. Skill over character when it came to the work, sure — but this was pure garbage.
"Hey! What are you doing?! You moving the water or not?!!"
"Yes! Moving it now!!"
"How many goddamn times do I have to say it before it sinks into that thick skull of yours..!!"
"He said it twice, you son of a— mmph!! Mmmph!!!"
"Please hold back..!!"
"Please..!!"
They'd clap a hand over the company CEO's mouth but couldn't shut that bastard up? Was this normal? And was it normal for a production staffer to order a manager to haul water for the crew?
"Just let us do it! It's no big deal!"
"Yes! So please just stay calm!"
"......"
Not only Choi Jinwoo the manager, but Lee Junyeong the actor as well came over and lifted a box of water bottles. Other staff members glanced over, but not a single person said a word about the situation. They looked on like it was the most natural thing in the world and walked right past. And the two of them moved the boxes like they'd done it a hundred times before.
"I'm going to lose my mind..!"
In the end, I rolled up my sleeves and stepped in.
"Leave it! We'll handle it!"
"CEO...!"
"No. If we're doing this, we do it together. And tell me that guy's name."
"Assistant Director Park Seongjun?"
"Assistant Director Park Seongjun... That son of a— no. Which production company is that guy with?"
"Ah... Odyssey Pictures. They're a well-known production house in this industry.."
"Odyssey Pictures' Park Seongjun..."
I think I'd finally found what I needed to do.
Not learn the work — fix the problems.
I was their CEO now. And they were my people.