Can You Take Responsibility?
"Can you take responsibility for that?"
With every promotional step Studio NMIX had prepared in advance now complete, it was time for the reporters' Q&A.
Most of the journalists already wore expressions of genuine interest and open approval as they prepared to ask their questions. When a room reacts like that, the questions tend to center on the work itself, and their edge softens considerably.
But a handful of reporters whose reactions remained less than favorable would take a different approach entirely.
They harbored a particular grievance.
Wouldn't explanations about the work and answers to their questions carry more weight coming from the story writer's own mouth, rather than from the production director sitting up there? The fact that someone as important as the story writer hadn't even attended the press conference made them feel he lacked any real affection for the project — and that the reporters who had taken the trouble to show up were being slighted.
And so the questions came pouring down on Na Yeongjin.
Who was this story writer who had appeared out of nowhere like a comet? Why, for his very first work, had he failed to show his face at the press conference? Wasn't that irresponsible? Where was he right now, and what was he doing?
But Na Yeongjin fielded the reporters' sharp questions with the ease of someone who had anticipated every one of them from the start.
Once they realized that digging into the story writer would yield nothing of substance, they shifted their line of attack.
To casting.
Namgung Hwan taking the male lead made sense. He had a reputation for being a decent person on set, and his acting chops had been thoroughly proven through several leading roles. And he was handsome, so… well.
But as far as they were concerned, there was no reason whatsoever to cast Seol Soyoung as the female lead of such an excellent production. She was young, had no notable credits to her name, and sat in a position ripe for gossip as the daughter of Cheil Electronics CEO Seol Hanyong. A single short trailer gave them no way of knowing what kind of performance she had delivered on set.
So they redirected their target from the story writer to Seol Soyoung, who was sitting right there in the room.
"I'll ask a question. Why did you specifically cast Seol Soyoung for the female lead?"
One reporter put it that way. And it was not Seol Soyoung who answered, but Na Yeongjin, who hurriedly switched on his microphone.
"We cast her because we felt Soyoung's presence matched the female lead, Gyeoul, perfectly. Once the drama officially airs, I believe you'll understand exactly what I mean."
The reporter who had asked the question looked even more flustered after hearing Na Yeongjin's reply. The words he had just spoken contained not only an answer to why Seol Soyoung had been cast, but also, implicitly, a response to any doubts about her acting ability.
Once Welcome to Cafe Violet officially airs, you'll understand why we chose her. So if you want to criticize us, do it then — not now. Of course, whether you'll still be able to criticize us by then is another matter entirely.
…This was the most confident answer a production company could possibly give. Among the reporters present, there was likely not a single person who failed to grasp what Na Yeongjin meant. Even the reporter who had asked why they cast Seol Soyoung had no choice but to quietly take his seat again.
However.
"Isn't it true that Cheil Electronics slipped Studio NMIX some under-the-table money to get Seol Soyoung cast?"
Wherever you go, there is always one person without a shred of tact. One reporter raised his hand with a brazen expression and made that declaration as if he had every right to.
This time, for some reason, Na Yeongjin's response was slow. Partly because he had never expected a question like that to come up in a setting like this — and partly because he was simply speechless. Was it even remotely reasonable, by any common sense, to ask a question that crossed the line like that when the person in question was sitting right there?
Na Yeongjin was hardly the only one thinking this.
"Is that reporter out of his mind?"
Namgung Hwan, seated beside Seol Soyoung, frowned for the first time. Even for a press conference, the questions had been a bit aggressive from the start. And the fact that the target was primarily the young Seol Soyoung had been steadily grating on his nerves.
He, too, had initially been among those who held no particular expectations for Seol Soyoung. His first impression had simply been that she had a pretty face and good manners. But after acting opposite her — after they had finished shooting the climax scene — his opinion had completely changed.
When they first started filming, he had honestly been a little impressed. She had immersed herself in her role so thoroughly that it was hard to believe this was her debut. When your scene partner fully commits to their performance, nothing is more comfortable from an actor's perspective. Well… it was a bit ironic that he, the veteran, was being led by a newcomer — but he didn't particularly mind.
Namgung Hwan was a man of remarkably open mind. Especially when it came to acting, that tendency stood out even more. And so, with a compelling story that made him want to act, and a scene partner who was suspiciously good for a complete newcomer — thanks to these two refreshing elements, Namgung Hwan had found himself enjoying the shoot before he knew it.
Of course, even for him, there had been a difficult stretch during the filming period. That was the infamous Episode 15 — the climax scene. Seol Soyoung herself had struggled the most, but as her scene partner, Namgung Hwan had found it nearly as grueling. The endless NGs had begun to shake even his own performance, and the set atmosphere that had always been so enjoyable gradually grew stifling.
Even so, Namgung Hwan gave it his all. He kept encouraging Seol Soyoung, telling himself that of course a newcomer would struggle, and resolved that this time he, the experienced one, would lead her through it. But the results weren't great. At that point, Namgung Hwan — just like the production team — found himself privately hoping for a Plan B. He had a gut feeling that if things continued this way, nothing would change going forward.
However.
I almost made a mistake.
Every time they went back for another take and he watched Seol Soyoung refuse to give up, Namgung Hwan was able to set that thought aside immediately. As a fellow actor, he knew just how crushing the situation she was facing must be. But a girl far younger than him, who had only just set foot on the path of an actor, was giving everything she had to somehow overcome it. Watching that unbreakable resolve right in front of him, he couldn't help but feel genuine respect.
And so Namgung Hwan resolved to keep cheering her on and matching her energy until she overcame it — until a result she herself could be satisfied with emerged.
And then Seol Soyoung pulled it off. She delivered a performance of staggering power that far exceeded anything Namgung Hwan had imagined. From that moment on, he had naturally become her fan. The reason he was angry at the reporter's rude question just now stemmed from exactly this.
Namgung Hwan reached for the standing microphone in front of him to switch it on. But he would never get the chance to shout into it.
"Soyoung…?"
Namgung Hwan stared at Seol Soyoung with eyes widened in surprise. She had grabbed his wrist as he reached for the microphone.
For the record, the reason Namgung Hwan was startled was not because of Seol Soyoung's sudden action. More precisely, it was because of the expression on her face. Even during the NG crisis her face had been dark, but… he had never seen her look this coldly, this severely composed. Wasn't this exactly the kind of moment people meant when they said someone was overwhelming the atmosphere? With that face and that expression, he felt his own breath catch in his throat.
And Namgung Hwan could glimpse another emotion on her face.
…Is she angry?
Yes. Just as Namgung Hwan thought, she was furious. And not because of the line-crossing question aimed at herself — but because someone else had been attacked.
Seol Soyoung had been watching that reporter's face carefully since midway through the conference. The reason was simple. Earlier, that same reporter had said that Writer 927 lacked any sense of responsibility toward his own work.
…That person had no sense of responsibility for his own work?
The moment Seol Soyoung heard those words, she had nearly let a curse fly out loud. The Writer 927 she knew may not show his face in public, but he was someone who held more responsibility and affection for his work than anyone else. You could tell just from talking to him about the project. Casual conversation got short, halfhearted answers and the talk died quickly — but the moment you asked something about the work, the conversation stretched not in minutes but in hours. Like a little kid who'd wandered into the toy aisle at a supermarket? That was how visibly excited he got every time the subject of his own work came up.
Well… there had been times she'd deliberately asked about the work just to exploit that…
Anyway. If he had truly lacked any sense of responsibility, he never would have come to the set during the NG crisis, and he never would have called her.
So for a reporter who knew nothing and ran his mouth freely—
—a little punishment was in order.
"Hey, hey. Seo Eunwoo. I heard that reporter got fired in the end?"
"Isn't that obvious? Openly messing with Cheil Electronics in Korea and expecting to survive? Doesn't make any sense."
"Then why did that reporter go after Seol Soyoung?"
"Because she's still young, so she looked like an easy target to him. Rich kids' daughters tend to have their heads full of flowers, after all."
But this time, he'd picked the wrong opponent. You don't put the great Seol Soyoung on the same level as ordinary rich daughters.
And it was a little chilling. If I had said something that got on her nerves right in front of Seol Soyoung…
Oh man…
Just imagining it makes something start trembling.
"But wait a second. How do you know what happened at the press conference?"
A sudden question occurred to me. As far as I knew, news of the Welcome to Cafe Violet press conference wouldn't be released for another two days. So how on earth did this damn friend of mine, sitting turned around toward me, know about it?
"Hmm? Because my dad works at Muhan Newspaper."
"Oh, really? What's your dad's position?"
"Vice president."
"……?"
"Huh? Did I never mention that? Haha."
Looking at my friend's innocent smiling face, I couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh.
Shit… so this silver-spoon bastard's reason for not studying was right here all along.