[English title]
Deok-su and Park Min-a continued their scene with steady, professional tones.
“...Secretary Lim, is this the mid-term exam question for Im Sung High?”
“Yes, CEO. These are all the performance evaluation and extracurricular competition materials from the last three years at Im Sung High.”
Deok-su and Park Min-a kept their acting calm and polished together.
‘...Compared to my expectations.’
PD Jo Woo-seok and writer Shin Yu-mi narrowed their eyes as they watched the duo on the monitor.
Park Min-a’s performance was surprisingly stable.
She still looked a little tense, but for a first attempt it was nothing short of impressive.
Because the camera framed both of them perfectly, the director didn’t cut and let the take run long.
Deok-su stood up from his chair and walked toward the window without a word.
Park Min-a watched his flat expression, then bit her lip and spoke carefully.
“CEO.”
“What is it?”
“...It looks like Chae-gyeong has a crush on someone at school. But...”
Thud.
Deok-su slammed his fist on the desk.
“Be specific. Did it happen? Or are you just guessing?”
“From a woman’s perspective... it’s definite.”
“Hah...”
Deok-su clenched and released his fist, sighing deeply.
Park Min-a continued in the same calm tone.
“Chae-gyeong and I are the friends of the character Kang Tae-min we’re managing. His name is Oh Ji-seo. His father runs a small chicken restaurant, and his mother... is currently resting because she’s ill.”
“Of all times...”
Deok-su’s voice grew sharper.
“Get every single detail on Oh Ji-seo—family background, personality, connections, even the smallest things. Don’t miss a single one!”
He picked up his phone and sent a signal to PD Jo.
“Okay. One quick break. Park Min-a, your expression was pretty good—did you rehearse a lot?”
“Thank you, PD-nim.”
“And... um, a bit more passive but still proactive... how do I describe that feeling? You know, like that...”
“Naive and wholesome vibe, right?”
Deok-su jumped in.
PD Jo clapped his hands.
“Exactly. You two really understand each other. Speaking of which, you said you practiced together, right?”
“Yes. Min-a really nailed it.”
“No, it was nothing. Senior Deok-su is the one who—”
The way they complimented each other made PD Jo smile.
“Oh my. You two are adorable. Okay, let’s pick up from there.”
Soon the set changed, and slate clattering filled the air again.
“...Chae-gyeong seems to have a crush at school. But...”
Thud!
Deok-su knocked on the desk again. Park Min-a flinched.
That mistake cost them another take.
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry. I guess I hit too hard. Want me to tap a little softer?”
“It’s fine, but... no, please do.”
Takes continued, but Park Min-a kept messing up.
Her face grew paler with every error, and the atmosphere on set turned cold.
“Min-a, what’s wrong? You were doing great.”
“Sorry... sorry...”
“Ah... Chusung-ah, how many takes is this?”
“Fourteenth.”
The industry had long switched to live filming and editing in the same week.
PD Jo and the staff were stressed.
If they kept going, they’d be up all night editing the dissolve shots.
The tension spread to Park Min-a.
She couldn’t stop her hands from shaking.
‘Don’t let people’s opinions get to you. Just relax.’
Deok-su whispered quietly to her pale face.
“...Ah.”
Park Min-a stared at him, dazed, from across the room.
But he said nothing more.
“Slates, please. One, two.”
The assistant director tapped the slate and stepped back.
“...Chae-gyeong seems to have a crush at school. But...”
Thud.
Deok-su only lightly tapped the desk this time and stood up.
Since he was only doing a quick insert of knocking anyway, it was fine.
“Be specific. Did it happen? Or are you just guessing?”
“From a woman’s perspective... it’s definite.”
With the tension gone, Park Min-a recited the lines smoothly.
Deok-su responded naturally as well.
A couple more NG’s came, but they finally wrapped the scene.
“...Okay, Min-a. Good work. We’ll see Deok-su later.”
“Yes. I’ll head out first then—”
“Ah, right. There’s a lot of important stuff today, so prepare your mind. Next, let’s shoot.”
While PD Jo and the staff scurried around, Deok-su and Park Min-a stood.
The main actresses and Song A-yeong and Ju Ha-na had already arrived and were waving at him.
“Huh? Oppa!”
Especially Song A-yeong ran over with both arms open.
Deok-su high-fived her.
She was already an adult, yet she still looked like a student in her uniform.
“Did you finish early?”
“No, just waiting. Did you read the script? We’re shooting together later.”
“Aha! I did, but I already forgot.”
Song A-yeong waved her hand as everyone chimed in with jokes.
The cast quickly turned into a lively chatter.
Park Min-a, the new drop-in actress, stood awkwardly on the edge.
Deok-su introduced her to everyone.
“She’s really tall. Did you model before?”
“No, not really... but, senior, your real-life face is even prettier.”
Song A-yeong and Ju Ha-na greeted Park Min-a warmly, but the other actresses were colder.
To them, talking to Deok-su was more interesting than talking to a newcomer.
“...Deok-su, is today’s scene ending soon?”
“A-yeong said the same. If senior feels the same...”
“That hurts. We have three scenes together today...”
“I know. Just in case you forget Deok-su.”
While chatting with the actresses including Kang Jeong-ran, a flustered voice called out.
“Sorry!”
The actor playing Tae-min, Laun Lee Gang-su, had just returned from a location shoot in the countryside.
Deok-su draped an arm around his shoulder.
“You’ve been busy with schedules. Just got back from Daejeon?”
“Yes, sorry.”
“Sorry? Just pay for coffee and we’re even.”
Lee Gang-su handed his manager a card.
The manager soon delivered coffee to the cast and director.
“...Hmm.”
The coffee that went to the assistant staff and line workers was missing.
Deok-su quietly walked over to Park Hyeon-woo.
“Go buy coffee for everyone.”
“Coffee? Don’t you want the one you’re drinking?”
Park Hyeon-woo looked puzzled.
Deok-su pointed at the staff whose mouths were already tired of the coffee.
“Hyung, buying coffee is good, but the numbers aren’t enough?”
“It’s a bit of a hassle to ask the president to scratch his card. Scratch mine then.”
“Hyung, that doesn’t feel right.”
Park Hyeon-woo protested, but Deok-su insisted and handed him the card.
In a place where everyone worked hard, only the big bosses got coffee.
It bothered him—probably from his long years as a background actor.
“Thank you. I’ll drink it well.”
“Thank you, Deok-su!”
Assistant staff and other crew members thanked Deok-su with warm eyes.
After handing out the coffee, Deok-su headed to the next location.
The next shoot was at Geunjeong High School.
Geunjeong High School was one of the drama’s main settings—a beautiful, spotless building.
Deok-su and Park Hyeon-woo stopped near the school to find a place to eat.
A man stepped out from the entrance, looking familiar.
“...President Gang?”
Deok-su recognized him—casting director Gang Pil-sung.
President Gang greeted Deok-su with a handshake.
“You already secured the location? Why are you here too?”
“Of course, for location scouting. Because the drama’s ratings have been rising, more people are coming to this school.”
After the pleasant exchange, Gang Pil-sung’s face brightened.
Since it was lunch time, Deok-su invited him to a nearby pojangmacha.
“...The drama’s reaction has been really good lately. Honestly, I didn’t think Deok-su could act this well...”
“If you know, you should introduce him to even better projects next time.”
“With Deok-su...”
It could become intense—or not. But before that...”
“He doesn’t cause scandals, right?”
It sounded like a joke, but it was proof that the industry still carried that old image of him.
Deok-su answered smoothly.
“I’m not that reckless anymore.”
“Being reckless was impressive in its own way. I get it a little. That woman manager of yours is really hardworking too...”
“Hui-yeong is amazing in many ways.”
“Haha. Anyway, meeting you like this is fate. Let me tell you one good piece of info.”
President Gang straightened up.
“I’ve heard some interesting rumors lately. You know MTT?”
“Ah, yes. The site where you pay a month’s fee for unlimited video watching?”
MTT was an overseas VOD streaming site.
It was already causing a stir in America and Europe.
Beyond just hosting user-uploaded videos, it invested in and produced its own content.
“There’s a rumor that MTT is coming to Korea soon. I don’t know when, but if it does, everything will change.”
“Change?”
“MTT is a huge company with a lot of money. They’ll pour money into making dramas for their country. Number one, they’ll recruit top writers, and number two... actors, of course. If you’re building your career, you’ll have a chance too, Deok-su.”
Deok-su’s chopsticks stopped mid-air.
MTT wasn’t just a Korean platform.
It could become a gateway to the world if things went well.
President Gang smiled at Deok-su’s sparkling eyes.
“You do have ambition, Deok-su. I think you’re ready, but right now it’s better to aim for a lead role first.”
“...”
“Of course, the lead of a good work.”
The short meal left Deok-su with many things to think about.
After President Gang left, Deok-su told CEO Lee Hui-yeong about the conversation.
“...It might take a while for MTT to enter. I heard the broadcasting company’s parent company has lobbied to keep them out.”
“No need to worry yet.”
“President Gang said the same. First, we need to get the lead. I agree to that too. But slowly and surely would be best.”
Deok-su nodded slowly and pulled out the script.
The fire in his chest was tucked away safely.
“CEO, is packaging like this okay?”
“Yes. The pickup time is almost here, so hurry. Ah, that side—”
With the flood of work, President Oh Ju-young was overwhelmed.
The company had grown, staff had increased, and work had grown with it.
Menclothing used Deok-su’s everyday casual wear image to market on SNS.
“CEO! Deok-su’s SNS just went up!”
“Already?! Work harder! What about the other influencers?”
Influencers who compared themselves in the same clothes as L’Vyu were blowing up on YouTube and personal streams.
People laughed at the BJs who suffered humiliating losses in those comparisons, sometimes gasping at cool screenshots.
President Oh Ju-young also threw herself into supporting the influencers.
Sales from L’Vyu collabs and quality clothes kept climbing daily.
But everything wasn’t smooth.
“In this drama, Deok-su’s clothes still seem difficult for him.”
-Manclothing, but in the drama... Deok-su’s character is supposed to be a high-class job. It needs luxury branding. Deok-su keeps saying the same thing, but it’s hard to create gaps.
If the stubborn stylist Mun A-rim was the problem, it was her.
She was professional in style but awkward about the sponsorship.
“It’s a shame... I’ve been reminded of reality again. My stomach hurts.”
She appealed emotionally, but it didn’t work with Mun A-rim.
After the pleasant call, she told her staff.
“Do we have money for ads?”
“Photo or Instagram?”
“No. Magazine. Let’s use L’Vyu as the model.”
President Oh Ju-young’s eyes burned with fire.
.
.
The drama was rolling smoothly.
Ads sold out, PPL flooded in.
They no longer had to worry about the network refusing production costs, but problems hadn’t vanished.
“Writer-nim, do we really have to do the consultation at a hamburger place?”
Deok-su’s grumbling drew an apologetic look from writer Shin Yu-mi.
“Sorry, Deok-su. PPL... I tried hard, but this is the only one I could get—”
“That’s the thing, I feel like all the PPL is landing on me.”
Writer Shin Yu-mi looked uneasy and pointed upward.
“They... zeroed in on Deok-su. Deok-su or nothing.”
Deok-su didn’t know whether to be sad or happy.
The consultation scene, the eating scene, the working scene... all at a hamburger shop.
In two episodes, PPL hamburgers took up seven scenes.
Five of them required Deok-su to film.
“...When we sign next contract, we really need to separate the PPL earnings.”
CEO Lee Hui-yeong decided firmly.
Leads and supporting actors usually took PPL separately.
Since PPL usually went to the lead, Deok-su getting so much was unusual.
“...Only Deok-su-hyung is being asked by advertisers.”
“Not just advertisers. People love him too. Senior, senior with senior.”
Park Hyeon-woo and Mun A-rim looked at Deok-su with proud eyes.
The shoot began.
Deok-su bit into his burger greedily and sipped.
“So, Chae-gyeong, are you satisfied now?”
“That is...”
“First place, yeah. You should be satisfied. But second place is only one point behind. You got one 2-point question wrong, she got one 3-point question wrong. But she’s a dirt-poor student with no support, while you have—”
“Sensei!”
Song A-yeong shot up from her seat as Chae-gyeong.
But Deok-su stared at her with the same deadpan eyes, burger still in hand.
“Let me be clear—this isn’t enough to even step over Seoul National University’s gate.”
“Waaaa!”
Frustration spilled from Song A-yeong’s eyes.
Deok-su only crumpled his burger wrapper.
PD Jo grabbed the megaphone.
“Cut! That scene was well acted... hmm... Writer Shin, just a moment.”
Writer Shin Yu-mi bowed.
PD Jo pointed at the monitor with worry.
“Writer Shin. This scene... I think the advertiser might not like it. Is it okay?”