What You Want Doesn't Come Easily
There was a profession called a talent.
It referred to public recruitment actors directly scouted by broadcasting stations, appearing only in TV dramas, but these days, using the term gets you treated like an old fogey. Even MBS hadn't recruited any since 2004.
But of course, broadcasting stations always found a way.
MBS, for one, held periodic meetings with entertainment agencies that were "close in various senses."
"This Kang Min fellow doesn't have an agency yet, right?"
"Yes."
"I'd like to snag him before he gets sold off to places like KDS or Wiztone. Have you talked to our friends about him?"
"...We haven't brought up the agency talk, but we've got him on the hook for now. We connected him by saying we had a program we wanted to do—"
"You did great! We'd approve that request a hundred times over."
The president smiled contentedly.
He'd never directed a drama himself, but he came from variety shows. He had an eye for talent, albeit in a slightly different way from the drama department.
Acting that drew gasps was still acting.
But more than that—
'What guts to straight-up flop down in front of a senior who's light-years ahead! A guy like this is bound to blow up sooner or later, even if not right away.'
In this industry, people with great guts survived better than those with great talent, usually. Naturally, having both made you special A-grade material.
The president was convinced the actor on the screen was someone they had to lock down no matter what.
And the situation was picture-perfect too.
"Approved. You've hung him on a worthy hook."
"Thank you."
"As I said earlier, I'll send down some extra budget. Blow this thing up big. What's there to lose anyway, haha!"
"...Yes."
KBC was pushing with funding muscle, and SBC was betting on their production team—both were busy glaring at each other with guards up.
What if they smashed the back of their heads with something spicy?
No real loss if it flopped, but if it succeeded, the next Broadcasting Culture Promotion Committee meeting would be quite the feast.
With a royal flush in hand, the president couldn't help but grin.
Just one thing to clear up, though.
"You did well. Great job. But... separately from that, Kim hasn't gotten his position yet. You know what I mean?"
"Yes."
"If it's overstepping a request, I have to at least pretend to discipline him."
"......."
"Well, if grabbing a talent like this requires bending rules, I'll cover for him appropriately. But there's a limit."
The president leaned back, face slightly stern.
Then he asked.
"Straight to the point: What exactly is the favor you granted this Kang Min?"
"......."
Kim Kang-hyun, the acting department head designate, fell silent.
He stayed quiet for a while.
Seeing that, the president hardened his expression, wondering if the request wasn't as serious as he'd thought.
As an unexpected tension filled the president's office—
Kim Kang-hyun opened his mouth with the look of a man who'd given up everything.
"An audition for Unbelievable."
The president rubbed his ears.
"...Sorry, my hearing must be off. What was that?"
"He asked me to arrange a reenactment actor audition for Sunday's Unbelievable."
"......."
"You heard right."
"......."
Silence flowed.
It was a silence bordering on bewilderment.
Even the president, seasoned through countless storms, couldn't speak easily.
I mean, that—
"Unbelievable, you mean that one?"
"Yes."
"Where Hitler shows up every episode?"
"Yes."
"The one where they whine in official complaints about not having content and begging to air weird conspiracy theories, burning up the boards..."
"Yes."
"But it pulls ratings for some reason, so they can't cancel..."
"Yes."
Dead quiet.
"...Kim, aren't you staking half your department head dignity on that show?"
"Yes."
"Isn't it an eye-opener that leaves even Yi Hoon or Oh Heon-yeong types recoiling? A total monster of a..."
"Yes."
"Unbelievable...?"
"I tried to talk him out of it, obviously. Even threw in an absurdly generous offer."
"......."
"Told him we'd give him the lead in a drama we're planning right away and push him hard."
"......."
"Three hours of convincing, and he wouldn't budge."
"......."
"Said Unbelievable was worth devoting his life to."
The MBS president had spent 42 years at the station.
He said nothing.
Kim Kang-hyun, 33 years at the station, said nothing either.
After a long silence, instead of a reprimand or discipline, Kim Kang-hyun walked out with a bottle of pear juice rolling around the office as a gift. The two shared impressions of a madman neither had ever encountered.
Of course, rumors flew that Kim Kang-hyun and the president's connection was no joke.
"Kuh, Kim Kang-hyun...! What the hell did you pull! How strong a connection lets you get away with that!!"
As some variety CP exploded in rage, everything wrapped up smoothly.
But hey, every incident has its unfortunate victim.
"Ah, just one thing before we wrap. Who was it that taught you to pause the video like that and flip stomachs?"
"Yu Ho-hyeon PD."
"That guy's done for."
The furious heavyweight realist's revenge hit Yu Ho-hyeon PD the next day.
"Y-Yes, Assistant Director Kim?"
"Yeah, PD-nim."
"Where'd all the Parkkas here go?"
"They said two bottles now."
"Who?! Which petty bastard pulls something that low over drinks!!"
"The president."
"?"
Three weeks had passed since King and Sovereign entered full shooting.
It was a brutal schedule, but Yu Ho-hyeon PD, burning with enthusiasm, covered it all. Meaning he worked himself to death while grinding the staff, and the actors even harder.
So today's shoot was going smoothly too.
Everyone but me.
"Cut! Perfect in one take again, Actor Kang Min!"
"...Yes, thank you."
Basking in Yu Ho-hyeon PD's praise, I staggered out.
Park Seong-ho, whom I'd gotten somewhat close to lately, cleared his throat with a third-rate haughty line: "Impressive, but still miles from me." The staff gave warm looks, and writer Baek Chae-i smiled at me.
Everyone looked happy.
Except me, again.
I staggered to a corner of the set.
And slumped down, squeezing my eyes shut.
'I can't keep living like this, damn it...!!'
My newly discovered and named "Anyway I Died Later lol" acting method was brilliant. I'd somehow powered through acting ordeals that felt impossible with it.
But if quitting acting back then was an uppercut, this was a jab barrage.
1. I had to collapse and die every time I acted.
2. If I endured that, I died in my dreams instead.
Easy choice with no right answer.
Either way, my condition kept tanking.
'And what was that space king squid just now! What universe has cephalopods that huge?!'
Dinosaurs were cool at least, but getting wrapped and swallowed by a giant squid? Pure horror, nothing else.
Utterly drained, I stared blankly at the ceiling.
And as always, some enemies popped up out of nowhere, farting compliments without knowing my pain...
"As expected of hyung! How do you nail it every time in one go?"
"Right? Oppa, why'd you start acting so late?!"
Yi Hwan-jae from Etherbit and Park Yeon-ju from Citrus Girl.
My relationship with the two idol-turned-leads was originally distant. I was the rolling stone, and they naturally resented an intruder like me.
But Yu Ho-hyeon PD's presence bulldozed such petty feelings.
- Hmm, good. But one more take.
- Th-this is the 50th retake...
- Just one more should do it. Haha!
- .......
Their agencies complained, of course, but when Yu Ho-hyeon PD showed before-and-after footage, they sighed and left.
With no hill to lean on, the two arrived pale and trembling every time.
But soon they found a lifeline.
The fake genius actor who OK'd every cut in one take.
...Me.
They noticed retakes plummeted just by including me, and suddenly got chummy. Yi Hwan-jae, just a year older but five years ahead in industry time, treated me like a full hyung.
To me, they were just horrific villains wrecking my condition...
"Haha, as expected of hyung! That 'Decide—die or advance, Your Highness' gave me chills!"
'Died trampled by rampaging rhinos then.'
"Hehe, right! Our first scene together was insane too!"
'Dreamed of being hanged as a traitor at the border shrine then.'
"And with senior Park Seong-ho...!"
'Buried in horse shit then... let's stop.'
I died every time I acted.
Meaning retakes meant death. Yi Hwan-jae and Park Yeon-ju were prime culprits ruining my condition.
When we had thirteen retakes together, I even felt murderous...
"Great shot! Actors, smile!"
"Smile, hyung."
"Oppa, kimchi pose in the middle!"
"...Sure."
Couldn't spit in smiling faces.
As the photographer snapped happy behind-the-scenes shots amid the idols' chatter, I blankly gazed at the sky.
The location shoot's clear sky gazed back.
Staring up, I steeled myself.
'Hang in there. Just two more months...!'
It was horrific, but not hopeless.
Once this hellish King and Sovereign wrapped, a silk road awaited.
Recently, thanks to MBS's Kim Kang-hyun's favor, I'd been introduced to Unbelievable's PD.
- Oh, you want to be our reenactment actor?
- Yes!
- Well...
- I really want to!!
He seemed puzzled, made a call somewhere, but soon gave a very positive reply.
- Turns out one actor wants to retire. Your skills check out, so come right after King and Sovereign.
- Really?!
- Uh? Y-yeah...
- Thank you! Looking forward to working with you!
- Yes.......
He looked at me like a lunatic as he left, but probably my imagination.
I couldn't help but be thrilled.
And that wasn't all?
Public opinion was even helping me!
Yu Ho-hyeon PD made a huge blunder. Whatever he was thinking, he'd put me—not leads Yi Hwan-jae or Park Yeon-ju—in the first teaser.
Fan cafes for Etherbit and Citrus Girl naturally went berserk, mobilizing firepower to vent.
Not much direct hate since they didn't know me, but enough to not ignore. And I judged I could exploit it perfectly.
Today, as always, I posted on news articles pretending ignorance.
Some dismissed my "objective" comments as nonsense, but the two major fan cafes' agreement drowned them out.
Today, my comment got pinpointed, racked up massive agrees, and hit best in seconds.
'Over 1500 today.'
Plan working—
Seeing public opinion slowly form that Actor Kang Min fit Unbelievable best, I smiled contentedly.
Painful now, but past this shoot, I'd live my acting life happily ever after.
I psyched myself up again.
'Hang in there. Almost over!'
Everything was going perfectly.
...Up to then.
"Those damn bastards! How dare they post comments like that!!"
At the same time Kang Min smiled contentedly, Jiho Acting Academy's director's office was the opposite—seething with rage.
The usually stoic vice principal was openly fuming.
"Calm down, Vice Principal. It's not our first rodeo with internet trolls."
"Director, look at these comments! Profanity would be better—this is straight-up insidious!!"
"...Hmm."
Hong Ji-ho frowned slightly.
Insidious might be a stretch.
But even to him, the hate on Kang Min scratched weirdly.
"Every time this Unbelievable villain posts, it racks up endless recommends! If you're a fan, stick to idol stanning—how can someone be this vile!!"
Kang Min had been at Jiho Acting Academy since its founding.
Meaning the vice principal knew how dead serious he was about acting, how much he'd swallowed tears and coughed blood in effort. When Kang Min miraculously passed his audition, he'd been happier than anyone, jumping around.
But the world was ice-cold to an actor overcoming talent gaps with effort alone...
"Rumors are total bullshit too! Lying flat in front of the PD and writer, charging at Park Seong-ho when he tried to discipline him, ignoring everything in a one-on-one with the department head! How do people spread such malicious crap!!"
Even industry whispers were utterly insane.
The vice principal was convinced it was one-sided bullying of a powerless, green actor.
No matter how dirty showbiz got, how could they lack this much humanity! Tears welled in the vice principal's eyes from rage.
"Hmm..."
Even the relatively cool-headed Hong Ji-ho had no retort for the vice principal.
Unlike him, Hong had reliable sources, but they were even more unhinged.
Who'd believe Kang Min straight-up asked the MBS department head to hook him up with Unbelievable producers...
"See! The industry's rotten! Those damn fuckers...!"
"Calm down first, Vice Principal. He showed his face in the teaser. Yu Ho-hyeon PD or higher-ups might think differently."
"Rumors say it's KBC and SBC aggro to stir shit in their fight! Using Min as a scapegoat! After all his effort, this treatment...!"
As the vice principal ranted as usual and the director tsked, shaking his head—
A call came from reception.
Hearing the news, Hong Ji-ho tilted his head.
"Entertainment reporter?"
- Yes, asking if we can do an interview. What should I say?
"What about?"
- Uh, about the hot topic Kang Min...
"Hm, come this far, huh."
As the vice principal flushed red yelling "What scheme now!", Hong tapped his desk.
'No real reason to entertain.'
Kang Min was red-hot right now. Anything Hong said would drag him into controversy.
As a veteran actor, he knew how hard images were to build, easy to lose.
'But.'
Hong pondered briefly.
Thought of Kang Min maddened by acting for seven years, vomiting blood.
Of the golden opportunity he'd seized.
Of the industry and public mocking that sweat-and-tears fruit with baseless rumors and "Unbelievable fits him" sneers.
And if it was worth staking his reputation on all that.
The answer?
Came easier than expected.
Letting in the reporter, Hong unleashed without hesitation.
"...Pardon?"
"Didn't I tell you? Min's our academy's top talent. He could handle a top lead no sweat."
"Th-that..."
"Recent online slander? Utterly baseless, irresponsible nonsense. Supporting actor? If anyone's using him that way, I'll be first to laugh at MBS—are they blind?"
"H-ho! So Director Hong thinks MBS execs need to wake up about these rumors...?"
"Of course. Especially that recent Unbelievable bullshit—mind-blowing!"
"Heh!"
The dazed reporter soon realized he'd hit a career jackpot, eyes gleaming.
The vice principal teared up, watching his loyal director rant for his long-time disciple.
...Whether that loyalty was a boon to Kang Min was debatable.
What You Want Doesn't Come Easily (6)