A Day Out

I’d been thinking about it more and more lately.

My mouth... no.

My damn mouth had lost all control.

"Seriously, why am I like this?"

What the hell was a ten-million hit, anyway...

How in the world had I, of all people, who knew exactly what a ten-million film meant in this business, blurted that out?

"If you’re going to go for it, at least go for it in stages."

My original estimate had been five million.

But if Actress Lee Ha-eun joined, it felt like seven million was within reach.

And if the momentum carried, maybe it could hit ten million!

Wouldn’t it have been better if I’d laid that groundwork before making the claim?

Still, this unexpected accident had drawn the attention of CEO Baek Ji-won.

The strange smile I’d seen on Baek President’s face at the end was definitely not my imagination.

My offhand nonsense moved Baek President.

When I thought about it that way, the result itself didn’t seem bad.

And if things went well...

If they went very well, maybe my nonsense could become reality.

What the future messages send me isn’t fixed.

The affair scandal with Choi Su-hyeon had proven that.

I’d deliberately brought that incident forward, and as a result, the fallout had become far bigger than I’d expected.

Then Black Bride should be the same.

Depending on what happened from here on out, Black Bride’s box office could change just like Choi Su-hyeon’s scandal had.

And if top actress Lee Ha-eun joined that film...

No one would know what kind of trouble it might stir up.

Lee Ha-eun was the actress who had driven Queen of Joseon to a 30 percent rating on her own.

If she delivered that same level of acting again, there was no telling how much the world would be shocked.

That was when I started getting restless.

"Why is it taking so long?"

Would Lee Ha-eun join Black Bride safely?

Had things gone well with the Blue Pine Production representative?

With the day Baek President had mentioned nearly over, why was the result taking so long?

I was less excited than anxious now, even though quitting time was right around the corner.

How much time passed like that?

Team Leader Ma Seok-du, who had gone to the director’s office, finally appeared.

Seok-du-hyung spotted me and looked at me for a long moment.

My heart lurched under that loaded stare.

"Kwon Sil-jjang. Got the result."

Cold sweat streamed down my back.

"Actress Lee Ha-eun..."

Seok-du-hyung trailed off, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

"She’s joining. As the lead in Black Bride!"

At his shout, all the worries that had been tormenting me just moments ago vanished with a pop.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

A low sigh ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠escaped my lips.

"Really? Team Leader Ma?"

"Yeah. The director just told me. Actress Lee Ha-eun is joining Black Bride."

After confirming it one more time, I let out another breath.

Lee Ha-eun...

So she really had joined Black Bride.

My whole body went soft and melted into the chair.

I rubbed the back of my neck where it had gone stiff.

Wow. Did I really sweat over this?

I must have been more nervous than I let on.

I’d been worried Ha-eun’s participation in Black Bride would fall through.

But that tension was turning into relief now, thudding against my chest.

Before I even realized it, the corners of my mouth were twitching upward, and the road managers nearby gasped and started whispering.

"Huh? Really, Team Leader Ma?"

"Actress Lee Ha-eun is filming an occult movie?"

"Whoa... what is going on?"

"Did the director really approve it?"

"No way, doesn’t Lee Ha-eun usually take a full year off after finishing a project?"

"What on earth is happening?"

As expected of a management office with no secrets, the news of Ha-eun’s next project had already spread to everyone.

Thanks to that, not only the road managers from Team 5 but also the other managers nearby leaned in to listen.

"Wait... Lee Ha-eun’s next project is confirmed?"

"Does that mean Team 5 is taking this quarter’s buzz project again?"

"But... Kwon Sil-jjang again?"

"Seriously, Kwon Sil-jjang. How did you even persuade Actress Lee Ha-eun?"

"Every time I hear a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠rumor lately, it’s Kwon Sil-jjang."

All the while, envious, resentful stares stabbed into the back of my head.

In the middle of the chaos, Seok-du-hyung grabbed my wrist and tugged.

"Kwon Sil-jjang."

"Yes?"

"Come with me. Meet me in Conference Room 3."

"?"

I tilted my head.

Seok-du-hyung’s expression up close looked grim.

Quietly following him, I watched as he entered the meeting room first, drew the blinds, and let out a deep sigh.

"Chan..."

No, seriously.

Why was he suddenly acting all heavy? He was making me uneasy.

"You’re screwed."

My eyes widened.

"What? What does that even mean, all of a sudden?"

"I said you’re screwed..."

"Quit repeating that and tell me what’s going on."

A deep shadow fell over Seok-du-hyung’s face.

"At Baekhak... they’re going to take Black Bride."

"!"

"The details haven’t been decided yet, but for now... they’ve definitely decided to invest in Black Bride."

"...!!"

My mouth hung open slightly.

Baekhak decided to invest in Black Bride?

Baek Ji-won’s expression the last time I saw her hadn’t exactly been normal, but...

Had they decided on the investment this quickly?

Seok-du-hyung let out another heavy sigh.

"Haah... you’re really in trouble, kid."

"?"

"When you work in this business, having one project bomb? That happens plenty. But damn it, if an investment project bombs, that’s a different story!"

At his warning, my mind cleared.

An investment project bombing is a different story?

Right.

It was a different story.

But thinking about it the other way around, what if an investment project succeeded?

Without meaning to, I started doing the math.

It’s an occult film, so the production budget shouldn’t be that high.

And both leads were Baekhak actors.

If Black Bride only passed the break-even point...

Wouldn’t that be a massive win?

Black Bride was already a film that would cross five million viewers even without my interference.

That meant there was no need to worry about break-even.

Before I knew it, I let out a dry laugh.

"...Now that I look at it this way, it’s kind of a shame."

"A shame about what?"

"No, I just feel like I did the company too much of a favor."

"?"

"Should I jump in and put my spoon in the pot now... tsk."

Seok-du-hyung clicked his tongue like he couldn’t believe it.

"You’re joking at a time like this? If this goes wrong, you’re done, completely done, kid!"

I tilted my head.

"Isn’t it fine as long as it doesn’t bomb?"

"What?"

"I’m saying, doesn’t the work just have to not fail?"

Seok-du-hyung’s eyebrows twitched.

Watching him, I shrugged.

"I told you yesterday too. If a project that looks like it’s going to flop ends up succeeding..."

Seok-du-hyung gave a hollow laugh.

"Then that’s a real monster hit, isn’t it?"

"...You really are insane."

Yeah.

Lately, even I could tell I was a little crazy.

But I was crazy for a reason, wasn’t I?

I smirked as I thought it.

But if things turn out like this...

Hasn’t Black Bride just gone up a level?

My prediction was exactly right.

[wPick] Top actress Lee Ha-eun makes a surprise announcement about her next project! The queen of drama transforms into the queen of occult cinema...!

One of Baekhak’s pride and joys, the publicity team.

Their so-called issue-makers had begun pushing Black Bride with full force.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

A few days after Lee Ha-eun’s participation in Black Bride was confirmed, the official articles started pouring in.

The Queen of Joseon craze still hadn’t fully cooled.

In the middle of that, the announcement of Lee Ha-eun’s next project was more than enough to become this week’s biggest topic.

Baekhak’s publicity team didn’t miss the chance, either, and kept feeding the fire with more and more articles, driving public interest in Black Bride into a frenzy.

Thanks to that, my phone was practically on fire too.

Messages came in by the minute from everyone, from Team Leader Choi and Director Park to the Black Bride production team, including Actor Seo Tae-jun, along with journalists I knew through one connection or another.

Watching it all, I muttered under my breath, "I think the stage just got way too big."

The expectations pouring in from all around were outpacing what I’d predicted.

It was enough to make me uneasy, even though I was certain it would do well.

Still... in the end, the scale has gotten bigger.

An occult film that no one had cared about...

was now being treated like one of the quarter’s most anticipated releases.

And just as my own anticipation was shooting up to the sky, a call came in.

"?"

At the very moment the world was buzzing over Lee Ha-eun’s next project, I headed out for a variety show outing.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

I’d never once had makeup done in my life.

I worked in entertainment, sure, but I wasn’t a celebrity. Why would I ever need makeup?

I’d barely even put on sunscreen a handful of times, and yet...

Now an eyeshadow brush was fluttering around the skin under my eyes.

"Ho-ho! Our Kwon Sil-jjang really does suit makeup!"

"..."

"Oh my, oh my! Just covering the outer corners a bit kills off that sharp look and really brings out your vibe! Take a look in the mirror! Hurry!"

At the makeup artist’s words, I let out a long sigh and looked in the mirror.

A blunt-looking man with a blunt expression was staring back at me.

"How is it? Looks good, right?"

What exactly had changed...?

I honestly couldn’t tell.

The makeup artist fussed dramatically and started powdering my face again.

"Let’s just adjust the skin tone and call it done. Now, close your eyes."

After an hour of makeup, I was finally set free.

Having something like a transparent film laid over my face felt deeply uncomfortable.

I shook my head and started walking.

To Any, who had finished makeup ahead of me and were goofing around inside the vehicle, spotted me and widened their eyes.

"Whoa!"

Nova covered her mouth and muttered, "What... Kwon Sil-jjang... is that really you?"

"Yes. It’s really Kwon Sil-jjang."

Seol Chae-i, sitting nearby, suddenly leaned her head out.

"Manager-nim. It’s awkward."

Ugh.

The maknae’s brutal honesty stung.

But she ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wasn’t wrong, so I didn’t have much to say.

Meanwhile, Rei blinked at me and couldn’t quite get the words out.

"Sil-jjang-nim...?"

She couldn’t even finish the sentence.

Finally, when I looked at Ga-eul, both her cheeks were flushed red.

Hm?

Why was her face so red?

"Manager-nim..."

"Yes?"

"You look amazing."

"..."

...Huh.

Was Ga-eul sick or something?

She thought I looked amazing right now?

I tilted my head and sat down among the To Any members.

"Lee Ye-ji, it really is a summer cold?"

"Yes."

"How did you catch it?"

"She got it after going to a summer festival event in Gangwon Province."

"...You didn’t jump into the ocean after the event, did you?"

"Huh? How did you know, Manager-nim?"

At Chae-i’s explanation, I let out a groan.

"They say even an idiot doesn’t catch a summer cold. So you must really be an idiot if you caught one."

"What, Manager-nim, that’s harsh!"

"Manager-nim, your MBTI is T, right?"

"Let’s all go visit Ye-ji unnie togetherrr!"

Maybe because it had been a while since we’d all seen each other.

Today, the To Any girls seemed a little more excited than usual to see me.

Come to think of it, I really hadn’t been able to pay much attention to To Any lately because of Black Bride.

But the truth was, there hadn’t been much need to.

New girl group To Any had been moving along too smoothly.

[4th: Attention] [Artist: To Any]

[5th: Youth Travel] [Artist: To Any]

To Any’s title tracks, Youth Travel and Attention, had both entered the top five on the charts.

Considering To Any’s level of recognition before debut, that was basically a miracle.

It was the kind of success that came from nothing but good songs and solid vocals.

And catchy choreography, too.

That was why, these days, people in the idol world were calling To Any a "skill-dol."

Hot Topic! Baekhak’s final puzzle was a skill-dol, To Any? Talented idols To Any are bringing a new tension to the idol scene...

A skill-dol, because they sang too well.

Considering how the idol scene was currently suffering through a whole wave of vocal controversies, that name was practically praise of the highest order.

Maybe that was why.

Every indicator was trending upward.

Buzz, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠reactions, and the digital charts are all climbing.

And if Star Observation! turned out well too...

I might actually receive the reward from my bet with Baek Ji-won within this month.

Huh?

Looking at it like this... this variety show shoot.

Wasn’t I supposed to work hard on it?

No, I need to work hard.

The outcome of that bet with Baek President was riding on this variety show shoot, after all.

The moment I realized that, my dragging tension shot upward.

I shouldn’t be standing around like this.

I quickly got to my feet and said, "I’m going to go greet the PD for a second."

I crossed over to Park PD, who was busy with filming prep.

"PD-nim."

"...Hm? Oh? Kwon Sil-jjang?"

"Yes. Nice to meet you like this."

Park PD’s eyes widened.

"What is this? Once you put some powder on, you’ve got a bit of presence."

"I appreciate the compliment."

"Heh... since we were going to meet like this anyway, why’d you dodge me before?"

"Did I know it would end up like this?"

"And is the road manager with the cold okay?"

"Fortunately, it isn’t the flu."

Park PD dipped his head and muttered, "Hmm... yeah. That’s the taste of it."

"?"

"The Kwon Sil-jjang side definitely gives us a better picture. Lee Ye-ji? She was too bland!"

I shook my head.

"Stop teasing me and just tell me the schedule."

"Will do. Sit here."

Park PD pulled out the cue sheet.

"First shoot starts at the dorm. We’re trying to capture that rookie girl-group feel, so keep it as native as possible..."

Star Observation! was a reality show built around observation, but even so, it still had a certain concept and plan.

To put it bluntly, it was a variety program. They couldn’t exactly air a star’s genuinely ordinary day.

To Any’s appearance on Star Observation! had a matching concept and shooting plan too.

The first shoot starts at the dorm.

After that, they’d show dance practice and vocal practice, then promote the songs naturally.

And finally, a small fan meeting in Hongdae.

Rubbing my chin, I muttered, "Not bad."

He was slippery enough to keep a snake in his chest, but Park PD definitely had experience.

If they followed this cue sheet, they could keep the rookie image while naturally promoting To Any’s album at the same time.

The corner of my mouth lifted slightly.

"This is good, Park PD-nim."

"Oh? You like it?"

Park PD grinned.

"Heh... Baekhak’ll flood the media with interview articles for us, right?"

"Of course. You can look forward to it."

They say there are no friends or enemies in this business, but sometimes you can trust each other’s backs.

When both sides’ interests line up.

And right now, mine and Park PD’s interests were aligned.

We were each scratching exactly what the other needed.

After confirming that Park PD was on my side for today, I let out a light breath.

"All right, then. Let’s get going."

Five years after entering the entertainment industry.

Manager Kwon Chan’s first variety show shoot began.