You Can't Fix People
First, I asked the director for his understanding.
I couldn't let my power trip mess up the shoot.
At first he bristled, asking what the hell I was on about over something so minor — until he heard from CEO Kim Hyeongjin that I was the head of an investment firm that had poured twenty-five billion won into another project. After that, he went quiet.
"CEO Kim, he's not the one shooting this, is he?"
"No."
"That's a relief."
The director was the same kind of man as Assistant Director Park Seongjun.
He knew perfectly well how that piece of trash treated people, and he'd done nothing about it.
He'd known, and he'd looked the other way.
"I-I'm truly sorry... People get short-tempered on set, and... helping each other out has just become the custom around here..."
"Custom? Helping each other out? I see."
"I'm really sorry... It won't happen again..."
"No. Just keep going."
"...What?"
"You said helping each other is the custom, right? Then do that."
"N-no! Never again...!"
"I said keep going. The way you always have."
"......"
His mouth clamped shut. His fists trembled.
Angry. Humiliated, apparently.
Getting this worked up over a little loss of face? He shouldn't.
"Huff! Huff! Huff! Huff!"
Right on cue.
Manager Choi Jinwoo came tearing onto the set, gasping for air after my call.
"C-CEO...! You said it was urgent, what—"
"Hey."
"Yes??"
"Not you, Manager. Hey. You over there."
"...Me, sir..?"
"Go get some water."
"......"
"You said we help each other, right? So let's help each other. Mutual aid."
"Ahem..!!"
"Y-yes, sir..."
Even with a face that looked ready to explode, Assistant Director Park Seongjun clenched his teeth and turned away at CEO Kim Hyeongjin's pointed cough.
Then he came back and held the water out in front of me.
"Not me. Give it to the manager."
"...Here you are..."
"I-I'm fine, really!"
"You have to open the cap for him. That's why he won't drink it."
"CEO..!!"
"Here... please have some water..."
"Drink it, Manager."
"Why are you doing this...!"
"Must not be cold enough. Go buy some cold water. Enough for everyone here."
"Huuuh...! Even if you are the investor, isn't this a bit much?!"
He finally blew.
Ah. That hit the spot.
"Am I being too much?"
"I wasn't even pulling rank specially! This much is normal—!"
I stood up and snatched the water bottle from him.
Then I jabbed the open bottle — water sloshing out — into his chest and shoulder.
"You lost your mind? You crazy? When someone tells you to do something, you do it, you bastard. Like this?"
"What the hell are you—!!"
"You did this to me. You did the exact same thing to that junior over there. So I get to do it too, don't I? I'm the investor. The CEO. To a lowly assistant director. I can. Do. This. Can't I?"
"......"
I jabbed him with the bottle every time I broke off a word.
Every eye on set locked onto the assistant director as he stumbled back, too weak to resist.
"Why aren't you answering? Let's do things the way we always do."
"...I was wrong... It won't...! It won't happen again...!"
"Didn't you just say I was being too much? Why are you apologizing again?"
"...I'm sorry..."
"Does it look like I'm doing this for an apology?"
"Then what am I supposed to do..!"
"Do it. The way you always have. You not understanding me?"
"......"
"Hey, hold on a second! Just leave that right there."
"...Huh?"
"Leave it."
"We need to move it for the next shot..."
"He'll move it. Right? Assistant Director Park Seongjun. The way you always do. Since we help each other out."
"...I'll go move it.."
The lighting junior, the camera junior, the sound junior, the props junior, the directing junior.
Every junior on set sat in the shade drinking cold water while Assistant Director Park Seongjun hauled every last piece of gear, sweat pouring off him.
"CEO Kim, I'm sorry. For making such an unreasonable request."
"Not at all. Honestly, I'm at fault too. I knew this kind of thing was happening on set and I pretended not to see it. I'm not from the film industry — I just started a production company because I love movies... so tearing out the bad habits that run like unwritten law around here felt... awkward."
"So I took the bullet, then?"
"Something like that. Thank you."
I considered wrapping it up there.
He seemed to have gotten the message well enough.
But there's an old saying.
You can't fix people.
So I was going to break him so thoroughly he could never be fixed.
So he couldn't show his face in this industry again.
"Manager."
"Yes, CEO."
"Have that guy run some errands for you. Make them as difficult as possible."
"...What?"
"Do it. Then you'll never have to see his face again."
"But..."
"If you can't do it even when I've laid the board out for you like this, you really will get called a sucker. And you'll take the same treatment wherever you go next — without a word of complaint."
"......"
Choi Jinwoo's expression shifted. He strode straight toward Assistant Director Park Seongjun, who had just finished hauling gear and was finally heading off to rest.
"Assistant Director Park Seongjun."
"......"
"Go buy me some coffee."
"What..?"
"Coffee. Cold brew. Ethiopian Yirgacheffe beans, three ristretto shots, only one-and-a-half pumps of vanilla syrup, low-fat milk with cold foam instead of steamed milk, cinnamon powder dusted in a heart shape. Oh, and a non-plastic straw, temperature at fifty-five degrees."
"What the hell do you think you're doing...!!"
"You memorized that, right? Don't tell me you didn't? You can't even memorize this? Wow... so this is the kind of idiot working as an assistant director."
"Hey!!!!!"
"What!!!!!"
Whoa. He went in hot.
So he had it in him when it counted.
"You....! What the hell are you doing right now?!!"
"Buy the coffee with your own money. I'll pay you back later. You've made me buy plenty."
"......"
"If you don't want to, just get lost."
"You...!!!"
Park Seongjun's face twisted into something demonic. He stomped over to where I was sitting.
He glared daggers at me — legs crossed, completely at ease — then shouted at CEO Kim Hyeongjin beside me.
"Aren't you being too much, just sitting there watching this?!"
"Then quit."
"You think I won't quit if you tell me to?!!"
"So you're quitting? Good work. I hope you'll at least try to have some basic decency wherever you go next."
"CEO!!!!!"
"You won't get far."
"Ha.... Fuck...! Fine! I'm quitting because this is filthy! Because it's filthy!!!"
Park Seongjun ripped off the gloves he was wearing, flung them at Kim Hyeongjin's feet, and stormed off the set.
"Whoa, holy shit..."
"Did that bastard actually quit??"
"Serves him right!"
"Ahh, that feels good! That crazy bastard..!"
"Congratulations!"
"Th-thank you..."
Staff from every department celebrated — and the directing team's junior in particular got a full round of congratulations.
And from now on, no one would be seeing him on this set — or any other.
An assistant director who'd been sent on a coffee run by a first-year rookie manager.
He wouldn't be able to hold his head up anywhere.
On top of that, quitting like this meant his directorial debut scheduled for next year was dead.
Even if he landed at another production company, he'd be stuck doing assistant director work for several more years.
Could he actually last that long?
Peers from his year becoming directors, people whispering behind his back about the AD who got ordered around by a manager.
He absolutely couldn't last.
Not with a rotten personality like that.
I stood up.
Then I raised my voice toward the murmuring crowd.
Even if the guy was a complete bastard, the looks aimed at me for disrupting work like this wouldn't be friendly either.
I didn't care what happened to my own reputation — but Art Company's and U-INVESTMENT's reputations had to be protected.
"I'm truly sorry for the disruption today. As an apology, I'll be giving every person here a cash bonus, and dinner tonight is Korean beef on me."
"Cash bonus..."
"Korean beef.."
"All of us..?"
"Holy..."
"Woooo!!!!"
As always, a financial treatment beats a hundred words of apology.
But how much should I give each person?
Even at five hundred thousand won a head, that was looking like around thirty million won...
Fine. Don't be cheap about it.
For the company's image, if nothing else.
To keep even one more mouth off the tab, I just handed over my card for the Korean beef dinner and left.
Manager Choi Jinwoo would cut it off at a reasonable point... right?
"So why isn't there a text..! Don't tell me they're still eating?? Huuuh... just eat a normal amount..."
I heaved a long sigh, watched the taxi pull away, and headed over to grab the bicycle I'd left at the company.
Of course, that was exactly when I ran into Shin Yena coming out of the building.
"Oh? Eunho!"
"Haha... why are you leaving so late? Quitting time was ages ago."
"I stayed overtime polishing what I showed you earlier, hehe~"
"Ah... so you're done?"
"Nope..."
"I see. Then I'll see you tomorr—! row..!! My bike...!!"
Shin Yena grabbed the bicycle I was trying to wheel away with both hands, dropped into a tug-of-war stance, and held on.
"Where are you going?!"
"Home, obviously..!"
"You said you'd drink with me!"
"When did I?!"
"In the break room! I said I'd buy!"
"Next time..! I'm kind of tired today...!!"
"Whoa!!!"
She suddenly let go, and I nearly toppled forward with the bike.
"I almost fell—"
"......"
"...Unnie?"
Why was she making that face?
The kind of face that looked one touch away from crying.
"Just go... I'll drink... by myself...."
"Did something happen..?"
"Hic..! No... Then I'll see you tomorrow..."
"......"
Shin Yena's shoulders sagged. She walked past me with no strength in her steps — and by the time I came to my senses, I was sitting across from her at a bar.
"Kyaaah~!! Beer is the best!"
"......"
"You're not drinking, Eunho??"
"Is the beer really the issue right now?"
"Of course?? We came to drink — what other issue is there??"
"You were about to cry earlier. What happened?"
"Ahh~~ that? I was sad because you said you wouldn't drink with me."
"...What?"
"Pfft!! I was acting~ And it worked, hehe~"
"Ha..."
I looked at Shin Yena's bright, sunny smile and lifted my beer.
I'd been completely played.
"Khh...!"
"So why do you keep checking your phone? Is it your girlfriend??"
"No. I don't have a girlfriend."
"Really??"
"Yeah. What about you, unnie? Got a boyfriend?"
"Why are you asking? Don't tell me you're interested in me??"
Yes. Manager Choi Jinwoo is interested, apparently.
"I was just asking out of politeness since you asked first."
"What... Anyway, I don't have a boyfriend. So feel free to make a move~ Hehe"
"Ha. Ha. Ha. I'll politely pass."
"Tch.. Not biting. Then at least cheers~"
"Hold on."
I raised a palm, pushed her offered beer glass away, and checked my phone.
"Six million seven hundred twenty thousand won..?"
"Don't tell me it's a voice phishing scam??"
"I wish it were..."
Just how much did they put away— no, how much did they eat?!
"Huuuh...."
"Huh?? We have to cheers!!"
I downed the beer in one go without even clinking glasses.
Then I asked.
This kind of thing needed to be locked down.
"You're buying, right?"
"Yes. I'm buyi—"
"Two bottles of soju and two more five-hundred-mil beers, please! And fried shrimp and yukjeon—"
"Order after you eat! After!!"
"Tch..."
I failed to land the yukjeon order, but I wolfed down the hot fried shrimp and put in another round.
"You really would squeeze the last drop out of a flea...!!"
"Heh. That's why you don't go around saying you'll buy so casually."
"You're so mean!!"
Was it because over thirty-six million won had just flown out the door?
My stomach felt hollow, and the drinks and snacks were going down easy.
I could handle my liquor fine — but was it okay for her to be slamming soju-beer mixes like that?
"Unnie, drink at a normal pace."
"Shut up! It's my money, so I'm drinking all of it!!"
"......"
What? When did she get this drunk?
"Lift your head! Your hair's going to fall in the broth!"
"I'm sorry, octopus... but you're just too delicious.... Hiiing..."
"......"
Shin Yena dunked her hair in the yeonpotang while apologizing to the octopus, finished the entire spicy stir-fried octopus by herself, and then planted her face on the table with her lips swollen puffy.
Had she passed out drunk?
Nah. No way.
Surely...
"Three months, please... Hiiing...."
"I'll just pay."
"No! I'm paying!! Three months.. Hiiing...."
"Miss..! You have to let go of the card so we can run it..!!"
Hanging off my back, Shin Yena refused to release the card she'd thrust at the server — until it was finally pried free and the bill was settled.
Now what was I supposed to do with this.
"Second round! Second round! I'll buy the second round too! Just... only thirty thousand won... I've only got thirty-six thousand left in my account, hihi...."
"......"
She really had squeezed the last drop out of a flea.
"Forget the second round. Just give me your account number."
"Why do you want my home address..? No! I'm not going home! Second round.. second round..."
"Not your home address — your account number!!"
"It's a voice phishing scam..."
"......"
"Kyaah~!! Voice phishing scaaaaam~~~~"
"Hold still for a second!!!"
I finally managed to set down Shin Yena — who was thrashing her legs on my back and yanking my hair — in a halfway decent spot and hurriedly called a taxi.
"I don't wanna go hooome...."
"You have to go even if you don't want to. Unless you want to sleep on the street."
"Hiiiing..."
"Ah, hold on a second. Phone. Hey, Seula."
"Oppa, where are you..? You're not coming home..?"
"It's... I'm at a work dinner with a colleague right now..."
"Don't do that, come to a second round with me~ Second round~ Hihihi..."
"Be quiet! I'm on the phone!"
"You're... with a girl..?"
"Huh?? What did you say?"
"Waaah~~ I'm not going home~~"
"Seula! I'll call you later! Unnie!!"
"......"
A nightmare customer. There was no nightmare customer worse than this.
I finally got her into a taxi and sent her home, then dragged my completely drained body and the bicycle all the way back to the house.
And when I opened the door.
"......"
"Wh-what is it..?"
Seuli stood there like Zhang Fei from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, then strode over and shoved her face right up against my collar.
"Seuli..?"
"Women's perfume."
"Ah... Shin Yena from work. We had a dinner tonight..."
Grab!!
In an instant Seuli seized me by the front of my shirt.
Not quite the collar — she had a fistful of the chest fabric.
"Seuli..?"
"Lipstick."
"Ah... she got so drunk I had to carry her, and it rubbed off..."
"Take it off."
"...Huh?"
"I said take it off. If you don't wash it right away, it won't come out."
"Uh...."
Seuli took my shirt, turned on her heel radiating pure cold air, and I — suddenly very conscious of her mood — scurried into my room.
"What... is she mad..?"