Focus on the Main Job (2)
“You must be overflowing with singing talent too. PD Park was listening to your song super seriously. To my ears, it was even better than a pro singer.”
“Singing isn't as big a deal as I thought.”
“Just do that in front of me and Su-ryeon. Don't mess up in front of others.”
“You said arrogance was charming before.”
“Let's keep the arrogance to acting. How about a humble concept for singing?”
“I told you, I have no plans to become a singer.”
The scenery unfolding on a singer's stage through his Lens ability was plenty appealing in its own way.
He could perceive people's emotions as vast yet concise lines of light.
It was fun to trigger just the right resonance to make them cry or laugh, stirring their feelings into waves.
If I gain more experience and practice, I could probably manipulate emotions in even more complex ways.
It'd be really useful for acting.
But it was an ability he couldn't use in acting—it only worked on live stages with audiences who had opened their hearts.
Occasional fun was fine, but was it worth investing serious time?
“Is it because acting is more fun than singing?”
“That's a big part of it. I have to juggle acting and academics already—adding singing would waste too much time.”
“Such a shame. How about trying a musical for fun sometime? Not now, but later, when things slow down.”
“A musical?”
A faint tremor mixed into Jeong Seo-hoon's voice.
“What's that?”
“Whoa, you don't know? Even if you've buried yourself in books your whole life and ignored culture, how do you not know what a musical is? So, a musical is...”
“Actors singing and dancing on stage?”
“What? You knew and were just messing with me?”
Ha Tae-soo looked dumbfounded, and Jeong Seo-hoon met his eyes in the rearview mirror with a smirk.
“No way you don't know what a musical is. You've never seen one, but you know what it is, right?”
“You just seem like the type who'd have zero general knowledge outside of studying.”
“Even I know that much. Anyway, musicals...”
Jeong Seo-hoon quietly imagined himself on a musical stage.
The more friendly the audience, the more he could amplify and toy with their emotions.
I'm curious how the Camera ability would manifest in a musical troupe. Like in movie shoots? Like on a singer's stage? Or...
The breeze slipping through the slightly open car window felt incredibly refreshing.
Maybe a mix of the two.
There were far more people than usual at the Paju StudioHaegeuk indoor set.
Even Han Seo-hee, who had left long ago, was there.
But the actor standing in front of the camera now wasn't Jeong Seo-hoon. Nor was it a particularly crucial scene in the script.
Jeong Seo-hoon had wrapped his scenes that morning and was now just watching.
“Cut! Good take! Everyone, great work all this time.”
Jang Seung-won finally called the last cut.
It signaled the end of the drama's long shoot, and bright smiles broke out as applause filled the air.
“Great work, everyone!”
“You all did amazing!”
“Wow, it's over already? Kinda bittersweet.”
There was still time before broadcast ended, but filming was completely done.
Jang Seung-won mentioned possible reshoots, but he hadn't needed any in the last decade.
“Don't you know I have a J in my MBTI? Unless the film burns up, reshoots are rare. Rest easy, everyone.”
“If only other PDs shot this decisively.”
“Oh, right. Dinner's tonight. Hold off on personal stuff and come if you can—we've got buses ready.”
Jang Seung-won wasn't big on dinners.
He preferred people enjoying themselves with like-minded folks and getting some rest.
Especially during filming marathons, he hated drinking except on true off days.
“What's gotten into him? Telling us to tough out personal issues and attend?”
“Suspiciously off. We'll see at the dinner.”
“I was planning to go anyway—now it's even more intriguing.”
The dinner spot Jang Seung-won had arranged with chartered buses for cast and crew was the W Hotel near Seoul City Hall.
He'd booked the largest banquet hall for a buffet setup, plus full courses of Korean, Western, Chinese, and Japanese cuisine.
This alone would cost tens of thousands per head just for food.
Staff gaped in shock; even actors used to glamour let out gasps.
“Food bill must be tens of millions. PD Jang's going all out.”
“Dumping all those saved dinner funds at once.”
“Sorry for secretly calling you cheap. I repent starting today.”
With extras, managers, and staff, headcount hit triple digits.
It must've cost a fortune.
“We skipped the rental fee, though. Good negotiation.”
Jang Seung-won approached coolly with a cold beer.
“I told them, if you're charging rental on top of this food spend, that's no conscience. Hotel waived it without a peep.”
“Charging rental on top would be shameless.”
“Buffet plus full courses in every cuisine, booze too... Food alone tops 100 million, right?”
Jang Seung-won chuckled and finally spilled the truth.
“Truth is, Professor Lee Se-jong told me to set it up like this.”
Kim Sang-hee beamed, thumbs up.
“Classic Professor Lee Se-jong. That class doesn't fade.”
“We barely spent on dinners, everyone worked hard, ratings are great, last hurrah—seemed meaningful.”
Jeong Seo-hoon grabbed an apple juice.
“So now we just need to break 40% ratings?”
“Yep. Hoping to hit it before finale...”
“That 40% wall won't budge.”
Kim Sang-hee grumbled.
Haegeuk's ratings hovered stubbornly under 38%.
An unprecedented feat for cable, maybe never to be matched.
CV Cable had partied over Illegal, but now the drama team outshone planning HQ.
“Plenty of editing left, but for us, it's basically done.”
“Time to talk next project?”
Kim Sang-hee winked meaningfully.
“Who's directing? Still attached?”
Jang Seung-won had wanted to helm the tentatively titled “Romantic Tech Institute.”
But he admitted Song Jeong-woo was better at directing.
Plus, early company days meant more CEO and production head duties.
“Handing Team 1 to PD Song.”
“Aw, look how bummed PD Jang is. Don't be too sad.”
“I loved the Romantic Tech Institute script and wanted to direct, but after too many sageuks, better yield this time.”
Jeong Seo-hoon asked.
“Team 1 PD means Team 2 too?”
“Going dual-team. Not me—Kim Hyun-tae AD for Team 2.”
“Minor scenes to AD Kim Hyun-tae, then.”
“Not patchwork—full dual from start. PD Song might balk, but speed demands it. He'll endure.”
“Not hazing him out of spite?”
“No bias. Total producer call.”
Kim Sang-hee teased slyly; Jang Seung-won answered firmly.
“And we've floated this before, but seriously now...”
Jang Seung-won eyed Jeong Seo-hoon carefully, pulling out prepared words.
“Put all your co-star actresses in as a flower garden.”
“Ah, that.”
“Make your villain prof total alpha male—irresistible bad boy driving your girls crazy. Talked to the writer.”
“But main audience is housewives and women—might kill immersion.”
“Nah.”
Kim Sang-hee cut in decisively.
“Women fans pick their fave girl to self-insert. Viewer into Yoo Jeong-ah wins the love game, claims Seo-hoon, fulfills desire.”
“I think it's solid. Men self-insert into you or Do-jin, enjoy romance.”
“That's why your role's key. Show the bad guy they can't resist. Confident?”
“But I lack that experience...”
“Just act normal with the actresses buzzing around you. You nail it.”
“...”
“Real scandal girls fighting over you? Buzz gold.”
That was the real hook.
Fresh enough pairings to crush staleness fears, justifying the cast.
“But fresh-off-scandal actresses all together—might burden Seo-hoon.”
“Han Seo-hee's scandal-free still.”
“She'll have one eventually. Timing's the issue.”
“...”
Kim Sang-hee quipped; Jang Seung-won chuckled despite rudeness.
“Do what you want. Fun script, good ratings—I'm good. Don't check net reactions anyway.”
“We'll skip Lee Min-soo this time—three pics with you already, too samey. And idols too...”
Jang Seung-won listed planned actors and idols.
Like denying Song Jeong-woo casting say entirely.
He'd eyed directing since script days, so heart-picked his cast.
Kim Sang-hee nodding meant she approved too.
“Anyway, that's it for now. More later. Haegeuk wrap party—not great if cast feels sidelined.”
“Yeah. Plus, Seo-hoon.”
“Yes.”
“You seriously debuting as singer?”
Jeong Seo-hoon laughed in disbelief.
“No. Where'd that come from?”
“You know rumors fly here. After OST recording, word's out you're debuting soon.”
“I prefer acting. Sticking to it.”
“Good. Skip singer stuff. Scared you'll hit charts, get hooked on royalties, ditch acting.”
“Doubt it.”
“We'll up your pay—stay away. That physique, acting chops? Actor waste as singer.”