Chapter 280
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 280
Chapter Title: Spring Has Returned
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Late January.
The MBS Drama Department began to stir with activity.
Kim Jinmyung, the CP who had replaced Producer Park Gyumin, officially began filming the thriller ‘Tomorrow’. The actors and staff seemed puzzled by the change in direction, but with filming proceeding at a rapid pace, they simply shrugged and went about their duties.
The department head and the other CPs, delighted by the extension to six episodes, racked their brains to find the best possible time slot.
“Let’s put Jinmyung’s show on Mondays and Huichan’s on Tuesdays for now.”
“But then the Monday show will end two weeks early... Should we air episodes 5 and 6 in the final week?”
At that, the department head frowned.
“An episode with Lee Seojun in it generates buzz for an entire week. If we do that, we lose a whole week of publicity. It's better to air one episode a week.”
“Then maybe we could air a special or a making-of film on that Monday.”
“Or we could give another rookie producer their debut...”
At that suggestion, the department head and the CPs groaned.
“We’re already giving a rookie producer a slot in April to air Writer Oh Youngchul’s work, and now we’re going to give another one a slot just to air Lee Seojun’s drama? This is like a Möbius strip...”
But they couldn't possibly air a making-of film for two whole weeks, so the department head and the CPs pondered how to fill the two-week gap.
***
Meanwhile, Producer Gong Huichan and Writer Yoo Cheonga sat in a third-floor meeting room at Cocoa Entertainment, their faces tense. Producer Gong Huichan, who was moistening his throat with coffee, glanced at the somewhat haggard-looking Writer Yoo Cheonga and spoke in a dejected voice.
“I’m sorry, Writer Yoo.”
“No, it’s okay.”
Writer Yoo Cheonga, who had been worrying for two days after belatedly hearing the story from Producer Gong Huichan, smiled brightly.
“It’s not your fault, Producer Gong, and Lee Seojun agreed to be in it! Plus, it's six episodes!”
Seeing Producer Gong Huichan's apologetic expression, Writer Yoo Cheonga deliberately spoke in a more cheerful tone. It was easy to seem that way. Because she was genuinely happy.
“Still, I hope you’ll let me know right away if anything major happens in the future. This drama is my work as much as it is yours, Producer Gong. If we face any difficulties, we should solve them together!”
“Yes. I understand.”
Producer Gong Huichan nodded with a serious expression.
Just then, the meeting room door opened.
It was actor Lee Seojun and his manager, An Daho.
At the sight of the actor they were finally meeting, the eyes of Producer Gong Huichan and Writer Yoo Cheonga lit up. Seojun, too, smiled warmly upon finally meeting the writer and director.
“Hello, Writer-nim. Producer-nim.”
As Seojun bowed his head, Producer Gong Huichan and Writer Yoo Cheonga bowed in return. Seojun smiled, sensing at a glance that they were good people.
Seojun and An Daho took seats opposite Producer Gong Huichan and Writer Yoo Cheonga. They were scheduled to have a meeting today and sign the appearance contract.
“Here is the appearance contract.”
Producer Gong Huichan took the contract out of his bag and handed it to An Daho. As An Daho scanned the document with sharp eyes, Producer Gong Huichan couldn't help but swallow nervously.
Given the recent incident, it seemed MBS had done its best to write the contract in Seojun’s favor. Still, it was a contract, and they couldn’t sign it carelessly. After reading through it, An Daho’s expression relaxed, and he nodded.
“I’ll review this and get it back to you by tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir.”
While An Daho and Producer Gong Huichan discussed the contract in a heavy atmosphere, Seojun and Writer Yoo Cheonga were conversing in a much more lighthearted mood.
“Here are the scripts for episodes 1 and 2.”
Writer Yoo Cheonga took two scripts from her bag and placed them in front of Seojun. At the sight of the scripts, Seojun’s eyes sparkled.
“They’re already out.”
“The words just flowed. The rest of the scripts will be out soon, too.”
Sensing that Writer Yoo Cheonga seemed a bit nervous, Seojun gave a small smile. At that sight, Writer Yoo Cheonga clutched her heart internally.
“Please, speak comfortably with me, Writer-nim.”
“Sh-should I...?”
Despite Seojun’s words, Writer Yoo Cheonga’s reply was still stiff, her voice even more nervous.
Once An Daho put the contract away, Producer Gong Huichan joined the meeting. The actor, writer, and producer began discussing the scripts for the first two episodes.
“When we changed it from a one-act to a four-parter, we added a new element, which is the flashback part Seojun will be in. Adding the past enriched the present-day story as well.”
Writer Yoo Cheonga said with a smile.
“I had an idea that came to me while adding the flashbacks, but it seemed like too much to fit into four episodes, so I took it out. But now I get to use it.”
“I enjoyed the synopsis. I’m looking forward to the script, too.”
At Seojun’s words, Writer Yoo Cheonga beamed.
The original four-episode plot was this:
A woman in her thirties, weary from work, suddenly remembers her first love.
A sweet, innocent first love. She meets a man who resembles that boy, and his actions bring back old memories, leading to them eventually getting together.
But in extending the series to six episodes, Writer Yoo Cheonga had added another character.
“The theme is, ‘Find the real male lead!’”
Writer Yoo Cheonga said excitedly. Seojun and Producer Gong Huichan smiled.
It was the appearance of another male lead. This character's actions also remind the female protagonist of the boy from her first love, causing her to waver between the two men.
Who is the boy from my real first love?
“You’ll have to act ambiguously here. I know you can do it well, Seojun.”
“You’ll need to blend the vibes of Male Lead A and Male Lead B, half and half... Will that be difficult?”
At the words of Writer Yoo Cheonga and Producer Gong Huichan, Seojun shook his head.
“No. I think it will be fun.”
It was a type of acting he had never tried before. Genuinely pleased to be taking on a new challenge, Seojun smiled brightly.
If it had remained a four-episode series, he would have had to purely embody the male lead's atmosphere, ensuring a smooth transition from the child actor to the adult. But with the extension to six episodes, he had the opportunity to do something more interesting.
“We’d like you to exude Male Lead A’s aura in scenes that emphasize him, and Male Lead B’s aura in scenes that emphasize him, enough to confuse the viewers…”
Producer Gong Huichan trailed off, realizing it was a difficult request even as he said it. In contrast, Seojun nodded without the slightest hesitation.
“Yes. I think I can do it.”
At Seojun’s response, both Producer Gong Huichan and Writer Yoo Cheonga’s eyes shone.
As expected, the talented actor Lee Seojun was dependable.
After a moment of thought, Seojun spoke.
“Then I’ll need to analyze the characters, but I’ll also have to observe the performances of the adult actors.”
“The actors?”
Not the characters?
Writer Yoo Cheonga and Producer Gong Huichan tilted their heads at Seojun’s words. Seojun nodded and replied.
“Because my interpretation of the character might be different from the adult actors who will be playing the roles.”
“Would there be that much of a difference? It's the same character.”
While Writer Yoo Cheonga tilted her head in confusion, Producer Gong Huichan, who had been on various film sets and helped with actor auditions, understood what Seojun meant.
“That’s true. Come to think of it, even during auditions, each actor would emphasize different parts or have slightly different intentions, even with the same assigned lines.”
“Really?”
At Writer Yoo Cheonga’s question, Producer Gong Huichan slowly explained.
“Yes. Even in an audition for a single role, you could say there are as many character analyses as there are actors. They’re rarely completely different, but from subtle nuances to noticeable aspects, each actor’s analysis of a character varies. We usually choose the actor whose interpretation aligns with the director’s and writer’s intent.”
Seeing Writer Yoo Cheonga's surprise, Seojun added with a smile.
“Depending on the character interpretation… for example, if Male Lead A’s actor performs a 1, I might end up performing a 2 instead of a 1. Then there would be a difference of 1 between our performances. If our interpretations are very different, and I perform a 3, 4… or even a 9 instead of a 2, the gap could be as large as 8. In that case, the difference in atmosphere between the child and adult roles in the drama would be even more pronounced.”
A 1 and a 2 were similar, but a difference of 1 still remained.
But if the adult actor’s and the child actor’s character interpretations were identical, there would be no difference at all between their performances.
“I want to eliminate even those minute differences.”
The actor, who wanted to portray his role as perfectly as possible, had a sparkle in his eyes.
Writer Yoo Cheonga and Producer Gong Huichan, who had never met an actor like this before, found themselves staring blankly at Seojun. An Daho, familiar with this side of him, simply looked at his actor with a proud expression.
“Inside the world of the story, I want to become the character itself. So, if the actor playing Male Lead A performs a 1, I plan to perform a 1 as well.”
At Seojun's words, Writer Yoo Cheonga and Producer Gong Huichan's jaws dropped. They had thought an actor like Lee Seojun could naturally create a similar atmosphere, but they never imagined he would strive for this level of perfection.
Producer Gong Huichan clasped his trembling hands together as if to calm them. Writer Yoo Cheonga's gaze wavered, shifting between the script she had written, now lying in front of the actor, and Seojun himself.
Just what kind of performance was this actor planning to deliver?
Would my directing, my script, be enough for his performance?
The writer and director couldn't help but feel that the actor sitting before them was truly remarkable. A sudden wave of pressure washed over them. The writer and producer, both working on their first major project, swallowed nervously.
Sensing the pressure from their stiff expressions, Seojun continued in a gentle voice.
“If it’s not too much to ask, I’d appreciate it if you could film the present-day scenes first. That way, I can watch the adult actors' performances and match their atmosphere.”
Finally snapping back to reality, Producer Gong Huichan nodded. But he couldn’t hide the tremor in his voice.
“Ah, that was the plan anyway, since the present-day scenes make up the bulk of the show. You can come to the set to watch and get familiar with it.”
“Yes, thank you. But…”
Seojun scratched his cheek.
“Please, speak comfortably with me, Producer-nim.”
Only then did Producer Gong Huichan realize he had been speaking formally, and he grew flustered.
“Ah, I didn’t even realize…”
Writer Yoo Cheonga understood how he felt.
‘…How can I speak comfortably with someone so incredible!’
He was younger than them, yet he seemed more like a true actor than anyone else. He was a phenomenal actor, to the point where calling him a child actor felt strange. He then addressed Writer Yoo Cheonga.
“Writer-nim.”
“Yes… Huh?”
Writer Yoo Cheonga answered awkwardly at Seojun’s call. *She’ll get used to it slowly,* Seojun thought, his eyes twinkling as he asked.
“Has the title been decided yet?”
At Seojun’s question, the gazes of An Daho and Producer Gong Huichan also turned to Writer Yoo Cheonga. They had been using the working title ‘Spring’, but it was about time to settle on an official one.
Writer Yoo Cheonga flinched under everyone’s stare and carefully opened her mouth.
“Um. I have decided on one…”
“What is it?”
“What is it?”
Seojun and Producer Gong Huichan’s eyes gleamed.
“…It’s ‘Spring Has Returned’.”
***
Unlike the thriller ‘Tomorrow’, which had begun filming with everything perfectly prepared, the romance ‘Spring Has Returned’ had nothing ready yet. But no one in the MBS Drama Department was worried.
After informing the CP of the official title, Producer Gong Huichan picked up his phone and called someone. While Kim Danbi was handling casting and Choi Hyunwoo was in charge of sets and locations, he had to pitch in as well.
“So that’s what happened… Lighting Director-nim. Would you be able to help us?”
Leaving out the part about Park Gyumin, Producer Gong Huichan explained that actor Lee Seojun would be appearing in a six-episode drama. He had to pull the phone away from his ear for a moment due to the loud voice that came through.
—…Crazy! You’re filming with Lee Seojun? Wait, how did things turn out like this?!
He was the one who had connected Writer Yoo Cheonga and Producer Gong Huichan not long ago, but he never imagined things would get this big.
—Shouldn’t I be the one buying you a fancy beef dinner for this?
“Haha. I should be the one treating you. I’ll get you the A++ grade.”
—I’m on a break right now, so of course I’m in! Should I come over right now?!
He called the lighting director who had introduced him to Writer Yoo Cheonga.
“I get to film Lee Seojun? Can I really do it?!”
A cinematographer who had steadfastly walked the path of romance dramas heard the news and came running.
“I’ll do it! The art team!”
An experienced art director shot his hand up.
Beyond that, finding staff was so easy—no, it was more like skilled staff were flocking to them. It reached a point where assistant directors Kim Danbi and Choi Hyunwoo, the first to join Gong Huichan's team, clung to him and pretended to weep.
“Don’t kick us out, senior!”
“We’ll do a good job!”
“…Just go handle the casting.”
“Yes, sir!”
After the whirlwind had passed, peace settled over the MBS Drama Department.
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