Chapter 19
The competition format of <Cast the Future> was as follows.
First, each of the three producers would cast up to five trainees and form a team. They did not necessarily need to fill all five slots. They could run a team with fewer members.
Once the teams were confirmed, the three teams would present three stages, then hold a final competition stage. After that, only one team could debut under Imperial through viewer voting.
In truth, up to this point, there was nothing particularly unusual. The problem lay in those three stages.
After each stage ended, the trainees from the three teams could transfer to another team. The trainees could propose a casting to another producer first, or the producers could propose a casting themselves.
In other words, after one stage ended, the producers would not know how many members would remain on their team.
If not a single trainee remained, that producer would be eliminated and removed from the broadcast.
That meant the producers could not let their guard down either.
Bringing in good songs for the stage and arranging good choreography were all part of a producer’s ability, so this was not only a war between trainees, but also a war between producers.
So this broadcast is practically a stage made entirely for me.
In other words, this was an opportunity for Yeon Se-rang, whose only name value until now had been being a somewhat pretty third-generation chaebol, to rise as a completely new successor candidate.
Se-rang nodded to herself.
The problem was….
Casting even one person is hard.
After Seol Yuhyun, the trainees Se-rang had already marked did not appear anymore. Occasionally, trainees who seemed talented came out, but they were not the trainees Se-rang had in mind.
The trainees she liked had already been taken by Seungha or Eden, so there were no trainees left that Se-rang wanted to cast.
“Now, with this, all trainee castings are complete. Producer Seungha has completed casting five trainees: Jo Ideum, Alex, Yoo Minho, Kim Hyunseo, and Han Sangyu. Producer Eden has completed casting five trainees: Kim Philip, Makoto, Ha Jiho, Oh Sunwoo, and Jung Siyoon. And….” The MC’s eyes turned toward this side. He seemed slightly awkward. “Producer Yeon Se-rang has completed casting three trainees: Seo Dowon, Jung Taeha, and Seol Yuhyun.”
Se-rang was the only one with a notably small number.
However, Se-rang did not particularly care. If necessary, she could steal trainees from other teams.
Se-rang firmly believed that the reason the trainees had not chosen her yet was because she had not proven herself. So once she revealed her ability with these three, she believed they would naturally come to her on their own.
…Or I’ll fail.
Even so, she had no intention of casting and raising trainees she did not want.
Se-rang was not almighty, so she could not raise trainees who showed no possibility at all into stars.
“Producer Yeon Se-rang, will you be all right? Three is quite a small number. If even one of them transfers to another team, won’t your stage feel rather empty?”
“I’m confident I can make sure they don’t leave. If anything, others might come from other teams.”
At those words, the other two producers snorted. They looked confident that their trainees would never be stolen.
Well. We’ll see about that.
“You are aware of the rule that if all three trainees leave, Producer Yeon Se-rang will automatically be removed from the show, correct?”
“Of course. I memorized the rules before coming here.”
“And yet, is there a reason you chose such an unstable path? It would be better to safely choose five members and proceed.”
At the MC’s subtle question, Se-rang merely shrugged. “I’m not someone who only takes the safe path.”
At those words, Se-rang could feel the three trainees sitting behind her looking at her with very anxious eyes, but Se-rang lightly ignored it.
Trust me, kids. I’m trusting you too, aren’t I?
“Yes, very good. Then with this, the first casting is complete. <Cast the Future> has now raised its curtain, seeking to cast the new future of Imperial. We are very excited to see who will become the next generation’s future of Imperial. In the next episode too, please cast us!”
And so, they crossed the smallest mountain.
The remaining mountains are far more important. Se-rang turned back toward the three chicks staring only at her and grinned.
From now on, the real hell begins.
“Director Yeon!” Just as she was about to catch her breath after recording ended, Executive Director Kim quickly approached her from behind. “Please have a brief meeting with the PD and me.”
“Ah, sure.”
She had been about to request that from her side anyway, so it was good if they reached out first.
This is nice at times like this because it’s produced by our company. Se-rang leisurely followed Executive Director Kim into the meeting room.
“Hello.”
“Hello.”
The two had exchanged greetings a few times before. Yeon Se-rang also knew Kim Jeongo PD, also known as PD Kim, well.
Looking at his career, he had not yet produced a hit program, but he was a PD with some years of experience. Since one or two of his peers were probably starting to have hit programs by now, this was about the time he would be growing impatient too.
That could be good news for Se-rang, or bad news.
It was good news that he had enthusiasm, but enthusiastic PDs causing trouble was common in the broadcasting world.
She would have to wait and see in what direction the desire in his eyes manifested.
“Today’s recording was good, Director.”
“Not at all. It was thanks to you leading it well, PD. The set itself gathered attention well, so I liked it.”
“Our art team is quite good at their job.”
The two exchanged formal pleasantries. However, Se-rang had no time to waste right now, so she decided to get straight to the point. “The fact that you called me here means there’s something you want, right?”
“Haha. It’s embarrassing to be found out so quickly.”
“I know very well how uncomfortable I must be for you. You must be thinking, where did this parachute come rolling in from, muddying the waters? I would have hated it too. I completely understand. You probably already disliked it enough, but I didn’t even follow the script today, so I must have been even more unbearable to watch.”
“Ha… haha….”
PD Kim was so flustered by Se-rang’s shocking words that he did not know where to look. He was so flustered that he sent Executive Director Kim, who was beside Se-rang, a look asking for help, but Executive Director Kim merely winked as if telling him it was fine.
“But if you trust me a little longer, I’m confident I can become not just a parachute, but an airborne unit.”
“!”
“I did things my way today, so it’s only right that I repay the debt. So please tell me comfortably about everything you want and everything you need. I’ll help with everything I can.”
At those words, PD Kim froze with a very surprised look, but soon, color slowly began returning to his face.
He had read sincerity from Se-rang’s serious expression.
“If you truly mean that….”
“Use me as much as you want. As long as you can properly draw out the ratings, I’m fine with anything.”
After saying that, Se-rang took off her eighteen-million-won tweed jacket and rolled up the sleeves of her shirt. Allies gained momentum when one showed the will to fight.
“…In truth, there is exactly one thing I would like to ask.”
“You want to use my screen time to pull some aggro, right?”
“!”
She hit the mark.
Se-rang grinned. “I deliberately pulled out lines so you could stir up some aggro. Not only me, either. The other producers were also good at drawing it out.”
“They’re all veterans who understand the production intent well.”
“Of course. They know broadcasts far better than someone like me, whose broadcast experience is shallow. Even so, there must be a reason you specifically called me out.”
“…….”
“I know too. I’m the perfect character to set the internet on fire. A third-generation chaebol born with a golden spoon in her mouth and a parachute image. On top of that, an annoying image of someone who seems to think throwing on expensive clothes makes anyone a fashion influencer. A lone female producer with no music career, who suddenly appeared and acts like a comet-like producer, when in reality she just got shoved into the position through family connections. A troublemaker who seems to act like she knows music because she went to clubs a few times and tried some DJing. That’s how the public sees me, isn’t it?”
At Se-rang’s ruthless self-deprecation, the two men could only gape, at a complete loss.
Executive Director Kim, in particular, was so flustered that his face gradually turned red. He had not known Yeon Se-rang had such an accurate grasp of her own position.
“Why are you so surprised? Those were the comments that lined up the moment <Cast the Future>’s producer casting list went up on the communities. Did you think I came here without doing at least that much searching?”
And sorry, but Yeon Se-rang is truly someone else to me, so I can look at Yeon Se-rang more objectively than anyone.