Chapter 138: Protagonist (3)
Chapter 138: Protagonist (3)
"Did the meeting go well?"
In the Drama Bureau Director's office, Director Ha Tae-oh asked the question as he took his seat, looking at PD Lee Min-hwa.
Her face was a picture of dissatisfaction. He could roughly guess what had happened during the meeting.
"I heard PD Baek Tae-soo was quite aggressive in promoting his own drama."
"……Yes."
Was 'promoting' even the right word? He had practically forced his way through, insisting that his drama be assigned to a prime-time slot no matter what. Since the other PDs were also walking on eggshells around him, Lee Min-hwa was fit to burst with frustration.
Of course, it was true that Sky Garden was a challenging project for a public broadcast network. However, hadn't they prepared thoroughly and established clear measures to overcome its weaknesses?
"Fortunately, nothing was finalized on the spot, but it looks like the slots will be split."
Monday-Tuesday dramas, Wednesday-Thursday dramas. It was highly likely they would be divided that way, and even then, PD Baek Tae-soo had been persistent in trying to relegate Sky Garden to an ambiguous time slot. PD Lee Min-hwa had naturally protested, so it hadn't gone that far, but still…
"Lately, PD Baek Tae-soo has been particularly forceful about these things," Lee Min-hwa said with a sigh.
Ha Tae-oh stared at her silently. Recently, PD Baek Tae-soo had shown a stronger tendency to assert his opinions than before. In the past, even when he exerted influence, he tended to move cautiously behind the scenes. The incident with Writer Im Jin-ha was a prime example—he was the type to move chess pieces from the rear rather than standing at the front.
But recently, his attitude had changed. He was stepping forward more, acting like a leader heading a faction. Considering that a Drama Bureau Director strictly existed, his behavior was arrogant enough to be called out.
That was why Lee Min-hwa found yesterday’s events so baffling. Usually, PD Baek Tae-soo would have at least superficially supported Sky Garden, given that Director Ha Tae-oh had chosen it.
"The Vice President called for me yesterday," Ha Tae-oh said calmly after listening to her.
"Pardon?"
She had heard he was away for personal reasons, but had he actually been summoned by the Vice President?
"He said there will be a reorganization at KMB soon."
A reorganization? It was startling, but not impossible. Although Dream Future had been doing quite well recently, KMB dramas had been struggling for a long time before that.
"Several things are changing, but… the biggest change is in the Drama Bureau."
"Ours, you mean?"
"I’m not sure if we can still call it 'ours' in the same way."
Ha Tae-oh recalled the conversation from yesterday. The Vice President had looked incredibly grave. It seemed there had been significant pushback, but the President had pushed the matter through firmly. Ha Tae-oh could guess the reason. It was likely to gain the upper hand in a power struggle with the Vice President.
"They say the Drama Bureau will be split into Bureau 1 and Bureau 2."
"What?!" Lee Min-hwa cried out in shock before quickly covering her mouth.
Splitting the Drama Bureau in two? Why on earth?
"The President claims it’s to 'strengthen competitiveness.'"
The idea was to divide the Drama Bureau into two units and have them compete against each other. Furthermore, they planned to expand and empower the bureaus to prepare for the upcoming surge in OTT dramas. That was the gist of it.
"Could it be that the reason PD Baek Tae-soo has been stepping up lately is…"
"Because he’s the strongest candidate for the Director of Bureau 2."
Originally, PD Baek Tae-soo was a top contender for the next Drama Bureau Director. His seniority was similar to Ha Tae-oh’s, and his track record was decent. However, after effectively losing to Ha Tae-oh, he had been forced to take a step back.
"Surely, it can't be because of that, right?"
"I don't know for sure… but I can't say it has no influence."
The current President of KMB and Baek Tae-soo were closely linked. Seoul Baekcheon University of the Arts. School ties. They were part of a tightly-knit line. PD Baek Tae-soo belonged to President Hwang Jeong-hwan’s line, while Director Ha Tae-oh was effectively in the same line as the Vice President. Though Ha Tae-oh wasn't particularly interested in office politics, things had just turned out that way.
"……Won't splitting the Drama Bureau be detrimental?"
"At the very least, I don't think it'll generate good press. Regardless, it would be wise to be prepared for various scenarios from now on."
Ha Tae-oh gave a thin smile as he spoke. Honestly, he knew this situation wasn't good either. It wasn't just because of PD Baek Tae-soo. The loss of manpower caused by splitting the bureau was the real problem.
"Don't worry about Sky Garden. We can't afford to lose the very first battle."
Lee Min-hwa nodded at Ha Tae-oh’s words.
So that’s why.
That was why PD Baek Tae-soo had been putting so much effort into his own dramas, even though Sky Garden required every bit of resources they had. It wasn't just Baek Tae-soo; the dramas scheduled for production by his faction were also receiving significant support. It seemed they were trying to bolster the strength of the newly formed Drama Bureau 2.
And that’s why he tried to steal the prime-time slot.
Lee Min-hwa ground her teeth. Now that she knew how the situation was unfolding, she had absolutely no intention of losing. More than anything, she was incredibly confident in Sky Garden. Seeing the script reading had reaffirmed that confidence.
Ju Seo-yeon.
Many said she had no rivals among her peers when it came to acting ability. Usually, evaluations of young actors' skills in the media are quite harsh. Even famous veteran actors were often criticized in their youth for 'wooden acting' or 'insulting the craft' with their lack of skill.
But Seo-yeon was different.
Come to think of it, there are many talented young actors lately.
Jo Seo-hee and Park Jung-woo were prime examples. And at least three other names of rising stars came to mind. However, the most prominent among them was undoubtedly Ju Seo-yeon. Even the middle-aged veteran actors hadn't held back their praise during the script reading.
However.
"It seems she hasn't quite grasped the character yet."
"Once she gets that down, she'll definitely be even better."
She had overheard such conversations. It was a problem Lee Min-hwa hadn't particularly noticed, but the actors seemed to have felt it.
In any drama, the protagonist is the most important.
But Lee Min-hwa wasn't worried. If it was Seo-yeon, she would surely overcome that hurdle in an instant.
PD Baek Tae-soo.
She had no intention of losing to such a loathsome man.
And.
As for what Ju Seo-yeon, the core of Sky Garden, was doing right now…
"Seo-yeon. By any chance, are you… ah, you're not listening to the lesson, are you?"
"……."
She was currently getting a verbal thrashing from the class president, Gil Da-hyeon.
*
There was one thing a high school student could never escape. Even for an actress like Seo-yeon, there was no way around it.
Exams!!
To be honest, Seo-yeon didn't usually care much about exams. Since entering high school, she had mostly winged them. Her mother, Sua, was the type to say, "Just grow up healthy," so she had never really been scolded for her grades. To Seo-yeon the actress, exams were merely a side note.
Or so she thought.
"Ahem! Cough, cough."
"……Why are you laughing?"
"What? You didn't give this to me to make me laugh?"
She confiscated both the report card and the graphics card from Young-bin, who was laughing after seeing her grades. Anyway, at this point, it had become a matter of pride.
"In this exam, I'll be 10th in the school… no, that's too high. I'll be in the top 30."
Seo-yeon declared to Ji-yeon. How did Ji-yeon react?
"Ah, yeah. Sure. Ju Seo-yeon. You can do it."
She was nodding her head with a look that said she was humoring her. It was the classic 'there she goes talking nonsense again' vibe.
How mean.
Actually, the reason Seo-yeon was so focused on this exam wasn't just because of Young-bin’s ridicule. It was to immerse herself in her role as 'Lee Yu-ju' for Sky Garden, and also for her own image management.
"That’s true," Lee Ji-yeon said with a serious face.
"Once the drama airs, it’ll become a topic of conversation whether you like it or not. Especially since your character is the smartest, top-of-the-class student, right?"
Lee Yu-ju wasn't just someone who held her brother's portfolio; she was a genius in her own right. In the story, she was a monster who never once lost the top spot. If Seo-yeon played such a role, people would naturally take an interest in her actual academic performance.
"I can see the headlines now: 'Miss Ju, the Model Student in Sky Garden, Actually Ranks Near the Bottom in Real Life…'"
"……Really?"
"I can't say it won't happen."
The persistence of reporters was beyond imagination. Especially when it came to anything slanderous.
"And there are rival agencies, too. They might leak rumors."
Lee Ji-yeon had been in the entertainment industry much longer than Seo-yeon. Having seen all sorts of nonsense, she couldn't simply dismiss the possibility with a "no way."
"So, it wouldn't hurt to pay a little attention to it. For the sake of your image."
Right now, it wasn't just reporters; people at school would start taking an interest. Even within this school, Seo-yeon strangely had the image of someone who would be good at studying. After all, she looked very intelligent.
"There’s a rumor going around your class."
"A rumor?"
"That the person who ranked second to last in the class is a mystery."
"……."
"People are wondering who it could be."
Like an urban legend. Seo-yeon flinched at Ji-yeon’s words. Class rankings weren't officially made public. Because of that, people usually found out by asking around. And there was one missing spot right before the very bottom.
"No one thinks it's you, though."
"It’s not me."
"Right, of course not."
Ji-yeon didn't believe her. But Seo-yeon felt wronged. Truly, Seo-yeon’s grades weren't that bad.
Why is it that this memory of mine only remembers things related to the entertainment industry so clearly?
Anyway, in her past life, Seo-yeon hadn't been bad at studying. She had decent grades, just barely missing the cut for a top university in Seoul. So, if she just had those memories, she should have been able to get pretty good grades without studying at all. Especially since Yeonhwa High School was an arts high school, not an academic one.
Middle school was fine, but I really don't remember anything from high school.
And honestly, she had been a bit lazy during the exams. Re-really. Anyway, given the situation, Seo-yeon intended to restore her honor.
"Me? I'm busy."
"Huh?"
"My audition is really coming up soon."
"Ah."
Furthermore, Lee Ji-yeon was a model student. She had never once fallen out of the top 5 in the school rankings.
Maybe Lee Ji-yeon should have been the one in Sky Garden.
She was the rare type of celebrity who was actually good at studying. Thinking it couldn't be helped, Seo-yeon considered contacting Jo Seo-hee… but her pride was strangely wounded at the thought of asking her. Besides, Seo-yeon was still sulking. Because of the VTuber issue, she planned to stay sulky for a little while longer.
So, the person she chose was…
"Uh, study?"
Gil Da-hyeon blinked blankly at Seo-yeon. The people around her also held their breath and watched.
Ju Seo-yeon! She was the first person mentioned whenever anyone talked about the most popular person in class. The problem was that she was mostly popular as 'eye candy.' Anyway, since she usually sat upright in her seat and immersed herself in something as soon as she arrived at school, she wasn't easy to talk to.
She was so beautiful that she looked like a painting just sitting there, making it hard for people to approach her. She had a very strong 'celebrity aura.' But that person had suddenly spoken to Gil Da-hyeon.
"What is it?" Gil Da-hyeon asked with a puzzled look.
It was very rare for Seo-yeon to speak to her. Actually, Gil Da-hyeon had wanted to talk to her in various ways since the 'School Festival,' but Seo-yeon was so busy that the opportunity rarely arose. Variety shows, dramas, movies—she was active in all three, which meant her school attendance had dropped significantly.
The Chairman seems to like it, though.
The student the Chairman adored most lately was none other than Seo-yeon. No matter where she appeared, she was wearing the school uniform. For some reason, she loved the uniform so much that whenever she was spotted, she was always in her Yeonhwa High School attire. Naturally, this served as great promotion for the school.
It was only natural that rumors spread about the Yeonhwa High School uniform being beautiful. Because of that, the number of students applying to Yeonhwa High School had reportedly increased significantly this year.
"Um."
Seo-yeon hesitated for a moment but soon nodded. If she had to pick someone whose image overlapped most with the characters in Sky Garden, she would choose Gil Da-hyeon. She was the textbook definition of a model student.
"Would you like to study together?"
"Huh?"
At that sudden proposal, Gil Da-hyeon couldn't help but freeze.