An Irresistible Offer (3)
"Our Jang PD is already drinking at this hour? The sun's gonna rise in the north tomorrow."
Song Jeong-woo appeared with a sly grin, and Kim Sang-hee lightly touched her forehead.
Her gaze turned to Kim Min-seok, the bartender兼 owner, who shook his head innocently as if he knew nothing.
Could it be Ji-eun?
She shot a sharp look at the early-shift employee, but the staffer shook their head too, claiming ignorance.
Then who the hell...?
Jeong Seo-hoon caught her glance, but he seemed busy exchanging multi-chat messages with the actresses for the first time in ages.
Jang PD wouldn't have said it, so maybe the professor?
That would explain the situation.
Song Jeong-woo squeezed in between Kim Sang-hee and Jang Seung-won.
"Aigoo, this seat's tight. Jang PD, mind scooting over a bit?"
"There are plenty of wide-open spots—why cram in here?"
Jang Seung-won grumbled but quietly shifted aside.
Song Jeong-woo peered at Kim Sang-hee with moist, earnest eyes.
"Don't look at me like that. It's embarrassing."
"Kim Writer, I know you're feeling proud and sorry these days with Haegeuk doing so well."
"What're you sorry about?"
"It's already hit mid-30s in ratings. Seeing that broke my heart. I blamed myself a ton—your script was gold, but my direction fell short, stopping Illegal at 29.9%."
Song Jeong-woo turned to Jeong Seo-hoon again.
"I'm sorry to Seo-hoon here too. It shouldn't have stalled at 29.9%. It's all this incompetent PD's fault."
Jeong Seo-hoon jabbed at Song Jeong-woo's chest nonchalantly.
"It was a bit regrettable. We couldn't bridge that tiny 0.1% gap in the end."
"I'm sorry, Seo-hoon. It was all my weak direction."
Song Jeong-woo feigned hurt, but inwardly he was grateful to Jeong Seo-hoon.
The subtle leak of info, the casual punch while playing dumb.
Wasn't he helping make Song Jeong-woo seem just pitiable enough to Kim Sang-hee?
"Seo-hoon? Aren't you being too harsh on PD Song?"
As Kim Sang-hee looked surprised, Jeong Seo-hoon shrugged.
"As a rookie actor, 29.9% was hugely grateful. But as a production company director, that missed 0.1% stings."
"Director? When did you become a director, Seo-hoon?"
"I'm about to. My professor's starting a media production company."
"And our Kim Writer's doing a new project there?"
"Ah, well."
Jeong Seo-hoon deliberately dodged, and that's when Kim Sang-hee and Jang Seung-won pieced it together.
"What? Seo-hoon called PD Song over..."
"I just said the three of us were cozy-drinking here."
"Right, that's it. Hearing Jang PD drinks in broad daylight snapped me alert. Kim Writer, know what it means when a writer with a directing-itch script is a drinker?"
"No idea."
"It means they're dying to direct. Gimme. Booze too."
"Booze?"
"Booze and the script. Quick. You gonna hold out on me?"
Song Jeong-woo extended his hand expectantly, and Kim Sang-hee clicked her tongue lightly before handing over the laptop.
Jang Seung-won quietly poured a drink from the other side.
"Villain Professor A becomes the main lead, with Seo-hoon starring. Read with those revisions."
"Got it."
Unlike Jang Seung-won, Song Jeong-woo didn't take long.
He breezed through the first two episodes in one go, steadied his breath, and stared straight ahead.
Not at Kim Sang-hee, but at Jang Seung-won.
"Jang PD. Let me do this."
"Song PD. Says who?"
"This is my specialty. Jang PD, what do you do besides sageuk? It's been ages since you touched modern stuff."
"What's with you? Don't you remember Moon in the Locked Well? I nailed the fusion sageuk with the time-traveler bouncing between Seoul and Hanyang—both eras felt natural."
"That worked 'cause modern Seoul was under 10%. When's the last pure-modern drama you directed? 17 years ago! 17 years! You've been all sageuk since."
"17? Wasn't it 15?"
"17. I remember clear. You debuted with Street, ratings tanked, you nearly smashed your megaphone. Sageuk emergency fill-in saved you, and you never touched modern again!"
"And you, Song PD? Before Kim Writer, you grabbed a college rom-com, peaked at what, 8%?"
"8.1% peak, Jang PD!"
"Forgot the tally error? You yanked your hair out—it was 7.9%."
"What? Sure?"
"Dead sure."
Jeong Seo-hoon, now subtly beside Kim Sang-hee, whispered low.
"You two know each other really well, huh?"
"They've got each other's careers memorized better than their own."
"I knew they went way back, but this rivalry's more fun than I thought."
"Song PD dreamed of sageuk, while Jang PD envied Song's modern hits."
"Each holding what the other lacks."
"Exactly."
Jeong Seo-hoon stepped in as the two PDs kept bickering.
"PD Song, you know this?"
"What?"
"Jang PD's about to be CEO and head producer."
"Uh..."
Song Jeong-woo stammered blankly before grabbing Kim Sang-hee.
"Kim Writer, gotta be Jang PD? I can snag better slots..."
"Seo-hoon's the director there. To star him, we produce here. It's a package deal."
"Right. Director. My brain's fried."
Song Jeong-woo suffered a light meltdown, while Jang Seung-won smirked victoriously.
"So, Writer, you're giving me this?"
"But Jang PD, I trust your sageuk directing—no doubt. Modern genre? Career gap's too long. What do you think, Director Jeong?"
"Well."
As Jeong Seo-hoon started lightly, both PDs' desperate gazes locked on.
"Haegeuk filming wraps first, then we discuss. Too early for serious new-project talks."
"Director says later. Wants to watch you two stew a bit longer."
Song Jeong-woo now slyly called Jang Seung-won "President" and buttered up.
Old friends and subtle rivals or not, before directing rights, guts and all went out the window—a proper attitude.
As the two hit the restroom, Kim Sang-hee murmured slyly.
"Time comes, meet Cha Do-jin and float it casually. Seo-hoon suggesting it'll land better than anyone."
"You mean the rival professor to the villain lead?"
"Yeah. Perfect fit, right? Nailed the lawyer in Illegal."
"You could tell him yourself."
"But lead兼 director proposing carries more weight."
"Got it. Any other actors in mind?"
"Casting all Seo-hoon's girls would be fun. Yoo Jeong-ah, Chae Ji-hyun, Han Seo-hee, Lee Seo-hyeon. Thoughts?"
"If images fit, no objections. They're all proven in visuals and acting."
Expecting mild distress, Kim Sang-hee deflated and muttered.
"Whatever. Viewer boards flipping out already visible. Guess that's the fun to live for."
"Hold on. I'll text Cha Do-jin first."
The phone buzzed soon after sending.
Jeong Seo-hoon checked the alert and stood.
"Gotta head out."
"Suddenly? Where?"
"Casting the male lead's partner. Cha Do-jin says meet now."
"Now? Fast mover."
"Future director. Gotta hustle."
Kim Sang-hee shook her head amusedly.
"Korea U top-grad genius rookie actor hits three hits in a row, doubles as production director with solid capital. Dramas with protagonists like that get flak for being unrealistic."
Kim Sang-hee had grounded Villain Professor A's specs 'realistically.'
Brainy schemer with genius intellect, endless grudge, and patience—but 50s, averagely plain looks.
Slot in Jeong Seo-hoon, and clueless viewers might riot over the 'unrealistic' setup.
If they knew the actor's real specs, they'd shut up fast.
Cha Do-jin's spot was a gym.
Resident-only in his luxury apartment complex, with tight security.
Building entry was easy with the password; gym desk nearly waved him through.
"Friend of Cha Do-jin, called here. Desk'll let me in."
"Aren't you the Daegun actor from Haegeuk?"
"That's me."
"Whoa, loving the drama. Jeong Seo-hoon—definite Cha Do-jin resident friend. Go on in. Shoes here, training gear inside."
The young male manager fawned, personally escorting Jeong Seo-hoon.
He figured Cha Do-jin would greet him, but his face was ID enough.
Changed to training wear in the locker room, entering drew stares.
Especially 40+ housewives' gazes—blatant heat.
Luckily, high-end resident pride kept them from approaching.
"Oh, you made it?"
Sweat-drenched Cha Do-jin appeared, greeting warmly.
Tight personal training gear highlighted lean, solid muscles.
"Coulda come slow. Why rush to my workout?"
"Wanted to see workout Cha Do-jin up close."
"Changed already? Wanna join since you're here? You work out?"
"Never specially."
"Right, all study. But this body?"
Cha Do-jin inspected Jeong Seo-hoon, whistling lightly.
"Whoa, no workout body? Taut fine muscles everywhere? For real?"
"Never specially."
"Sit here."
Cha Do-jin gleamed, seating him at pec deck machine—for chest.
Contraction mode, 20kg weights.
"Light reps first."
Jeong Seo-hoon flew through quick rounds, asking.
"Usually this feathery?"
"No-workout caution start. Upping it."
Weights bottomed out eventually; Jeong Seo-hoon breezed 30 reps nonstop.
No sweat drop.
Towel-necked Cha Do-jin gaped, finally blurting.
"Human?"
Ambitious Cha Do-jin taught machines, tested weights on Jeong Seo-hoon.
For Jeong Seo-hoon, faking strain was harder. Toughest acting—camera or daily.
"How's a sleek body packing this power? Impossible."
Jeong Seo-hoon was model-fit, far from bodybuilder.
Yet defied Cha Do-jin's norms with insane strength.
Even reining it in deliberately.
"Arm-wrestle me."
Instant match: Jeong Seo-hoon pinned with one pinky.
Cha Do-jin slumped defeated, legs limp, sighing.
"All my workouts wasted. Wasted... Family got some superhuman genes?"
"Army cannon runs built dry muscle naturally."
"Really like Lee Jin-wook, dodging death on foreign battlefields? Damn."
Admiring, sighing, envying nonstop, Cha Do-jin chugged ionic drink.
"Senior Cha Do-jin, any projects lined up?"
"Few scripts, none gripping. Why, Seo-hoon?"
"Wanna do one with me?"
"You're mid-Haegeuk? Jumping straight after?"
"Script first."
Jeong Seo-hoon showed Kim Sang-hee's emailed script.
Post-4 episodes, Cha Do-jin eyed curiously.
"Why's the lead actor sales-pitching casting, not the PD?"
"Direction undecided. I hold top decision rights."
"Not the writer—you?"
"Yeah. My advisor's investing big in dramas."
Brief explanation, Cha Do-jin clapped amused.
"Jealous. Wish I had an advisor burning 30 billion on me. Total drama-lead vibes."
"Really want you as my colleague professor."
"Quit 'senior.' So I'm what, pick number...?"
"Huh?"
"Pre-cast actresses, now me? What number?"
"First, obviously. You're who I sought first."
"I'm Cha Do-jin's first pick in Jeong Seo-hoon's production?"
Jeong Seo-hoon swallowed 'I'm just director.'
Strange感动 rippled in Cha Do-jin's eyes.
"Long break irks agency... Screw it, I'll clear my slate."
"Thanks."
"But no love triangle with just Yoo Jeong-ah and us. Rom-com with her? Emotions won't click. Same for her."