Chapter 282
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 282
Chapter Title: The Lee Seojun Effect
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Hyung! Let's sign the contract right now!"
"You, shut your mouth. Jiun. Explain it to me. What role is actor Lee Seojun taking, and what's Taeyoung's role?"
-Well, actor Kang will be playing Male Lead B.
"Male Lead... B?"
The manager, Joo Yongjin, furrowed his brow. A male lead is a male lead, but what was a Male Lead B? As if sensing his confusion, the staff member on the other end of the line continued.
-There are two male leads, A and B. The synopsis doesn't specify who the true male lead is yet.
"Alright, let's move on from that. What about actor Lee Seojun? I read the synopsis, and there didn't seem to be a role suitable for him."
At Joo Yongjin's words, Kang Taeyoung's eyes sparkled.
"You read it too, Hyung!"
"...Yes. Jiun. What were you saying?"
Since the actor wanted to do it, how could the manager not read it?
But Joo Yongjin, feeling a bit embarrassed by Kang Taeyoung's delight, changed the subject.
-The child role. The male lead's younger counterpart.
"...Huh..."
"Awe-some!"
Unlike Joo Yongjin, who was pressing his forehead at the unimaginable role, Kang Taeyoung's eyes were shining as he scanned the synopsis for the tentatively titled 'Spring' again.
As the female lead's first love from her memories, the male lead's younger counterpart in 'Spring' was described as so beautiful and precious that the mere thought of him made her happy.
"I was wondering who could pull it off, and it's a perfect fit for Seojun!"
Joo Yongjin sighed at the excited Kang Taeyoung and spoke.
"Alright, I get it. Send over the synopsis."
-Yes!
The call ended. Unlike Kang Taeyoung, who was beside himself with joy, Joo Yongjin was lost in thought with a serious expression.
"What's wrong, Yongjin-hyung? Isn't it a good thing to act with Seojun? We should accept immediately! What if someone else takes it?"
"Let's think before we act, Actor Kang."
"Yes, Manager-nim."
While Kang Taeyoung took a seat, Joo Yongjin printed out the synopsis sent by the agency. He gave one copy to Kang Taeyoung and read the other himself.
[MBS / Spring Has Returned]
[PD: Gong Heechan]
[Writer: Yoo Cheongah]
Turning the cover page of the synopsis, he saw the names of the cast members.
[Male Lead A: Park Dohun]
[Male Lead B: ]
[Young Male Lead: Lee Seojun]
"Male Lead A is actor Park Dohun. I've never met him, so I was curious! Come to think of it, he's part of Lee Seojun's crew! Ugh. I want to join Lee Seojun's crew too!"
"Taeyoung. Let's focus."
At Joo Yongjin's words, Kang Taeyoung rolled his eyes and shut his mouth.
A moment passed. Joo Yongjin put down the synopsis he had been reading and sighed. Kang Taeyoung pouted.
"Why have you been so serious this whole time? Some people would kill for an opportunity like this..."
"Do you have any idea what it means to play the adult version of a character played by Lee Seojun?"
"...What does it mean?"
*What am I going to do with this kid?*
Joo Yongjin let out a heavy sigh before speaking.
"First, let's talk about looks."
"Looks?"
"Actor Lee Seojun is handsome, right?"
At Joo Yongjin's question, Kang Taeyoung's eyes twinkled.
"Seojun's been famous for his flower boy looks since he was a baby! When that tiny baby held a formula can and giggled, I thought my heart was going to stop! That was the first time I was ever shocked by a baby's cuteness!"
"That..."
"And what about *48 Hours*! I've never been so jealous of the Brown Black members! My gosh! A bunny-ear hat! His cheeks were so red and chubby I wanted to poke them, and his hands were so tiny he had to use both to lift a wooden block. And why was his crawling so cute! If he were my little brother, I would have doted on him so much!"
"Tae..."
"And how amazing was his first acting role! To think that was his debut performance... even most genius actors couldn't do that! Truly, talent that comes once in a thousand years! Our Seojun is the best!"
"...My mistake."
Kang Taeyoung burst out laughing at Joo Yongjin's words.
Kang Taeyoung. Profession: Actor. Age: 28.
He'd been a budding fanboy ever since he saw the Elephant Formula commercial and threw a tantrum on the living room floor, begging his parents for a little brother just like that.
"If you're done gushing, let's get to the point."
"I still have more... Yes, sir!"
He had just talked about *Shadowman 1*, and there was still so much to say about Seojun's other works, but Kang Taeyoung obediently shut his mouth under Joo Yongjin's sharp glare.
"Right. So, that very same actor Lee Seojun grows up to become you."
"What! That can't happen!"
"..."
"Seojun has to grow up to be way cooler than me!"
*You... seriously...*
Joo Yongjin pressed his forehead.
There was so much he wanted to say, but he didn't know where to begin. After opening and closing his mouth a few times, Joo Yongjin decided to just ignore it.
"First off, there's the difference in looks. But since it's a drama, and you're handsome too, the viewers will probably let it slide."
*'Though some people probably won't.'*
Joo Yongjin swallowed a sigh.
"The production team must have considered that to some extent when they cast you and Park Dohun."
Kang Taeyoung nodded meekly at his manager's words.
"Next is acting. You know how there are some dramas where the child actors do great, but then people complain that the adult actors can't act and it breaks their immersion? Well, in this case, you have Lee Seojun. Imagine the comparisons."
Joo Yongjin tried to persuade Kang Taeyoung.
"Besides, don't you want to be Lee Seojun's co-star? In this drama, the past and present scenes are separate, so you won't even be acting together."
Seeing the actor's unfazed expression, Joo Yongjin sighed.
"...Do you really have to do this? It'll be hard to get a good reaction unless you do an exceptionally good job."
At Joo Yongjin's worried words, Kang Taeyoung laughed cheerfully.
"You know my motto. 'If you worry too much about what others think, you'll end up doing something weird.' So if you like something, say you like it, and if you don't..."
"You keep your mouth shut. You're a celebrity."
Kang Taeyoung shrugged at Joo Yongjin's remark.
"I'm doing this project because I want to. I also have to repay PD Gong. And I get to be in the same project as Lee Seojun. When will an opportunity like this come again?"
"You have a point, but..."
Finding himself persuaded by Kang Taeyoung instead, Joo Yongjin scratched his head and nodded.
"Fine. You're the one who'll get hate for it, so do as you please."
"Ah, Hyung!"
"What, what is it."
Despite his gruff tone, Kang Taeyoung knew they would ultimately face it together. He grinned foolishly, and Joo Yongjin shook his head before calling the agency.
"Yeah. Taeyoung said he'll do it."
-Yes! I'll contact them right away!
Meanwhile, Kang Taeyoung reread the synopsis.
"The title is *Spring Has Returned*? Let's call it 'Spring'? Spring... makes me think of spring greens. Hyung, let's get some fresh spring greens kimchi with boiled pork!"
"Oh, my head."
Joo Yongjin clutched his head at Kang Taeyoung's words.
***
The next morning, after all the actors had been cast.
"The articles are going up in thirty minutes!"
shouted Chief Producer Kim Jinmyung, who had left the filming set to another PD and was staying at the broadcast station. He was busy juggling the filming of the thriller 'Tomorrow' and overseeing the four-part special project.
"We might get calls from reporters we know, so everyone, keep a lid on it."
The staff members nodded at CP Kim Jinmyung's words.
It was best not to reveal that the casting had almost fallen through because of someone's actions.
"Well then, shall we enjoy the Lee Seojun effect?"
The declining ratings of their Monday-Tuesday and Wednesday-Thursday dramas no longer mattered. From this moment until the day 'Spring Has Returned' ended, only a flower path lay ahead for the MBS drama department.
"Spring has returned for us, too!"
"Did we ever have a spring to return to?"
The painful truth brought a tear to everyone's eye.
Soon, the press release from MBS landed in the inboxes of entertainment reporters. One reporter, who was habitually scrolling through his emails, spotted Lee Seojun's name and shot up from his seat.
"Lee Seojun's here!!"
Reporters, who had been busy with their own tasks, stopped what they were doing and immediately checked their email. They read the press release, prepared to write their articles, and picked up their phones. Then, they dialed the numbers of MBS contacts they rarely called when ratings were low.
"Aigo, PD-nim! It's been a while!"
"I just received the press release..."
Both the MBS staff answering the calls and the reporters making them moved frantically. They held their phones to their shoulders as they typed away on their keyboards.
And then, the articles were uploaded.
***
"Come to think of it, we got a casting offer a few days ago."
A peaceful day.
An employee, working as usual, suddenly remembered something. Their hands and eyes kept working, but their ears focused on the employee's voice.
"From where?"
"MBS."
"MBS? The one by writer Oh Youngchul?"
"No, the four-part special. I reported it to the team leader, and you know what he said? 'Our Taein isn't at a level to be doing something like that.'"
The employee's imitation of the team leader made the other staff members burst out laughing.
"But MBS was being a bit much. Even if it's a lead role, our actor is too big for a four-part series."
"I know, right."
While the employees were chatting, one person was quietly checking the entertainment news. It was a new employee in charge of monitoring.
*'A four-part series...'*
Not daring to join the conversation, the rookie just listened while searching for the MBS four-part special. Judging by the others' reactions, it didn't seem like anything to get excited about, so the rookie didn't expect much, but surprisingly, there were a lot of articles...? ...!
"Excuse me... that project we got an offer for... was it a thriller? Or a romance?"
"Huh? Hmm. Not a thriller, a roman..."
*CRASH!*
The leader of Actor Team 1 burst through the office door. He was breathing heavily, his face flushed red. He was drenched in sweat, as if he had run from somewhere far away.
Without even wiping away his sweat, the team leader's gaze swept over the employees before landing on the one who had received the casting call. The employee, who had been about to answer the rookie, tensed up at the team leader's unusual demeanor.
Striding up to the employee, the team leader spoke.
"The offer from MBS, was it a thriller or a romance?!"
At the team leader's words, everyone in the office looked at the rookie. Hearing the employee's faint answer, the rookie's face turned pale.
Seeing the drastic change in the rookie's expression, the employee realized something had happened.
"It wasn't a romance, right?"
If it was a thriller and not a romance, it would be a shame, but they could move on. But if it was a romance? The company might find out they had missed a golden opportunity.
"Wait. No. Should it be a romance?"
If it was a romance, and the casting wasn't finalized, there might still be a chance.
The team leader's mind was in turmoil.
The employee spoke cautiously.
"It was a romance..."
"What?! Call them! Call them now!"
"Wh-who should I call?"
"MBS! Call the assistant director who called you!!"
While the team leader and the employee were making the call, the other staff members crowded around the rookie.
"What's going on?"
"You know what this is about, right?"
"Well..."
The rookie swallowed hard, suddenly the center of attention.
"Actor Lee Seojun is starring in the MBS special project. The romance one. And they said it's been extended from four episodes to six."
"...Oh my god!"
An actor of that caliber?
The employees' gazes turned to the team leader. The anxious leader yelled.
"Why aren't they picking up the phone!"
***
"They're already starting to come in!"
"As expected, the firepower is on another level."
"Even the views on old articles are skyrocketing."
Just as the phones of the staff in the MBS drama department were ringing, so too were the phones of assistant directors Kim Danbi and Choi Hyunwoo. The flood of emails and texts was particularly intense since the two of them had made the casting calls personally.
Seeing the names on their phone screens, the corners of Kim Danbi's and Choi Hyunwoo's mouths curled into a smirk.
"Who'd you get?"
"Kim Taein's agency. You?"
"Im Yeyoon's agency."
Both were actors they had offered roles to. Of course, they had been rejected because it was just a four-part drama on MBS. Kim Danbi and Choi Hyunwoo's eyes met, and they shrugged before answering their phones.
"Yes, hello."
"Yes. How can I help you?"
They didn't even want to answer, but they weren't just going to make one drama and be done with it; there was no benefit in getting on the bad side of an actor's agency, which was an indispensable part of the industry.
"Ah, yes. He's really in it. Ah, we couldn't tell you at the time because nothing was confirmed yet."
"What should we do? You said he wouldn't be appearing, so we've already signed with another actor..."
While on the phone, Kim Danbi and Choi Hyunwoo sat down at their desks and checked the online reactions. As soon as they opened the site, they saw the top article.
[Actor Lee Seojun to Star in MBS Special Project Drama!]
#