Chapter 283
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 283
Chapter Title: The Seojun Effect
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[Let's learn about the MBS special project drama!]
It started off so quietly that no one paid it any mind, but after the casting information was released, its status changed as if the heavens and earth had been overturned.
(Omitted)
Although it's a debut drama for both the PD and the writer, the consensus is that the cast alone makes it a must-watch.
In particular, everyone is looking forward to seeing actor Lee Seojun on the small screen after such a long time.
(Omitted)
The thriller 'Tomorrow,' which also had its director replaced, is gaining attention as well.>
[MBS 4-part thriller, 'Tomorrow']
[MBS 6-part romance, 'Spring Has Returned']
[Actor Lee Seojun to star in the 6-part romance, 'Spring Has Returned'!]
[Actor Lee Seojun cast as the younger version of the male lead!?]
-???
-Lee Seojun, just like that?
-Wait, the male lead’s name is Ayeok?
=Right? It has to be something like that.
=I don't think so;;; I think he's really the younger version of the male lead;;;
=Oh my god…!
-But a romance? A romance?!
=Is this also because of that practical exam video!
=+1 I thought this might happen, but to think it's actually happening!
-But I've never heard of the PD or the writer?
=The writer was apparently an assistant to writer So Eunjin. No idea about the PD though lol.
=Whoa. Then it should be worth watching, right?
=I know. Even if she's a rookie, she probably has some skills.
-To think Seojun has grown up enough to film a romance.
=I'm happy just imagining it lol.
=But he's the child actor…….
[The cast of the MBS 6-part romance 'Spring Has Returned'!]
[Park Dohun X Yoon Hyein X Kang Taeyoung confirmed for MBS's 'Spring Has Returned'!]
[And who are the child actors? Lee Seojun X Jeong Boram!]
-Whoa. Park Dohun and Kang Taeyoung?!
-I don't think Yoon Hyein is at a level where she'd appear here either? Didn't they say it's a rookie PD and writer?
-More than anything, Lee Seojun is the most shocking part.
=I know, right? Lee Seojun, out of nowhere;;
-…Wow. It hasn't even been an hour since the articles came out, and it's already trending.
=Everywhere else is only talking about Lee Seojun as a child actor too lol.
=I still can't believe it even after seeing the articles.
-Whether it's 6 episodes or 24, Seojun can do what he wants… but Seojun as a child actor.
=+1 I want to see it, but at the same time, I don't.
-Isn't Jeong Boram a pretty good actress too?
=True. The child acting is going to be intense, isn't it?
* * *
The MBS Drama Department was in an uproar.
The clamor of ringing telephones filled the office. The employees' cell phones also began to ring incessantly.
It was utter chaos.
"Yes. Not yet. Yes. It's a school uniform, but…"
Assistant Director Kim Danbi was glued to her phone. Her colleague, Choi Hyunwoo, was in the same boat. Their phones were growing hot from the callers who showed no signs of hanging up.
"Ah, that's not something I can decide…"
"I'm sorry. 'Spring Has Returned' is handled by a different team."
"I'll pass on the message, but… if you could send over the materials first, I'll forward them."
Writer Yoo Cheongah, who had come to the MBS Drama Department at PD Gong Heechan's request, looked around the office with a dazed expression.
Standing behind her, PD Gong Heechan scratched his head at the atmosphere, which hadn't changed at all since the morning.
"What in the world… Did something happen?"
"It's all sponsorship and advertising inquiries for our drama. Mostly PPL, to be specific."
"Um… I don't really know, but is it always like this?"
At the mention of sponsorships, writer Yoo Cheongah, a newcomer to drama production, tilted her head in confusion.
PD Gong Heechan gave a bitter smile and shook his head.
"It's not 'always' like this. It's just because of who the actor is…"
Understanding the implication, Yoo Cheongah looked around the drama department in awe.
Even though everyone in the office was on the phone, the ringing didn't stop.
Anyone watching would have mistaken it for a newsroom being flooded with tips about a major incident.
"I never heard anything like this from Writer So. He's amazing. Seojun."
"It's probably a bit different from Writer So's time. Hmm. Anyway, let's go to the conference room."
Puzzled, Yoo Cheongah followed PD Gong Heechan as he led the way to the conference room.
The room he guided her to was empty, but a tower of papers on the table stood out.
As Yoo Cheongah glanced at it, wondering what it was, PD Gong Heechan spoke.
"Please have a seat here."
"Ah, yes."
Startled, Yoo Cheongah took a seat while PD Gong Heechan closed the conference room door.
Even with the door shut, the sound of ringing phones could still be heard. PD Gong Heechan shook his head and sat down.
"To continue what I was saying, actor Lee Seojun was famous back then too, but this is his first drama after winning an Academy Award."
"That's true."
As Yoo Cheongah nodded, PD Gong Heechan let out a deep sigh.
"And the fact that this drama is a contemporary piece is making things even crazier."
"A contemporary piece?"
"With *Naeuiwon*, since it was a historical drama, the sponsorship options were limited to things like hanboks or traditional accessories. But a contemporary drama is different. Do you remember how after *Escape* was released, the phone, the Bluetooth speaker, even the archery bow that Go Joowon used sold like crazy?"
Yoo Cheongah searched her memory.
"…I think I saw a news report about that. Oh, come to think of it, I bought that Bluetooth speaker too."
It was as sturdy as it appeared in the movie, and she was still using it well.
PD Gong Heechan nodded at her words.
"Until now, actor Lee Seojun has filmed a historical drama, a superhero movie, and a music film, so we couldn't fully capitalize on the promotional effects. But this time, it's different."
At PD Gong Heechan's serious tone, Yoo Cheongah unknowingly swallowed.
"Think about it, Writer Yoo. How many modern items will actor Lee Seojun use in the drama? Shoes, clothes, bags, stationery, food… I guess he can't use a cell phone since the timeline is in the past. But there's a way around that, too. He can use an older model from a major corporation."
PD Gong Heechan continued.
"With actor Lee Seojun's appearance, the ratings will go up. Viewers won't change the channel because they won't know when the flashback scenes will appear. And then they'll see the present-day parts. The present-day parts are even more flexible. Since it's an adult role, we can include everything from cars to cell phones, clothes, accessories, cosmetics… We can insert them into every single scene that passes by!"
The longer PD Gong Heechan spoke, the more Yoo Cheongah's expression hardened.
How many dramas had been ruined by product placement?
Unnecessary PPL ads that were irrelevant to the plot would drag out the story or completely change the mood.
In a long drama, one or two jarring instances might be acceptable, but this was only six episodes.
Because it was short, she wanted to pour her heart and soul into making it perfect.
'…But it's probably unavoidable for the sake of the production budget.'
With a cast like this, their appearance fees alone could exceed the budget.
A shadow fell over Yoo Cheongah's face. Unaware of her concern, PD Gong Heechan opened his mouth.
"So, do whatever you want, Writer Yoo!"
"Sigh. I guess it can't be… what?"
"Just pick anything… huh?"
The slumping Yoo Cheongah and the wildly excited PD Gong Heechan made eye contact.
"…What do you mean?"
Blinking a few times at Yoo Cheongah's blank expression, PD Gong Heechan shrugged and placed a portion of the paper stack from the table in front of her.
Yoo Cheongah's eyes followed his hand.
"These are the PPL and sponsorship inquiries we've received so far. Please pick out products that are similar to the props you had in mind, Writer Yoo."
PD Gong Heechan spread the papers across the table.
They were filled with front, back, and side photos of various products, along with descriptions. Yoo Cheongah's eyes wavered as she looked down at them.
But PD Gong Heechan wasn't finished.
"Some brands have offered to provide everything from their old products to their current ones for advertising, and some have offered to provide any vehicles we need. They also said that if there's a product not on this list, we should let them know, and they'll discuss it."
"…"
The sheer scale of it all left Yoo Cheongah speechless.
PD Gong Heechan grinned.
"We get the production funds we need, and we can also pick out the items we need like this. This must be a first. Ah, this is for cosmetics. Please check this too. And if you have any designs or brands in mind for bags, clothes, or shoes, please let me know. If it's not here, I'll at least try asking the companies."
…Good heavens.
Experiencing the Lee Seojun effect for the first time, Yoo Cheongah's jaw dropped.
* * *
Seojun's eyes were fixed on the television.
He was watching a drama in which Kang Taeyoung had a supporting role, and it was his third time watching it.
As if determined not to miss a single movement, Seojun's eyes scanned Kang Taeyoung from head to toe.
On screen, Kang Taeyoung's lips moved, reciting a line.
Watching him, Seojun's own lips mouthed the same line.
When Kang Taeyoung's eyebrow twitched, Seojun's twitched as well.
Seojun's expression slowly changed, mirroring Kang Taeyoung's.
Seojun's movements, which had been imitating the on-screen Kang Taeyoung, slowly began to chase after him.
Just as Seojun's movements, which had been a beat behind, were about to synchronize perfectly with Kang Taeyoung's on screen…
*Ding-dong.*
The doorbell rang.
Seojun, who had been about to exhale in the same rhythm as Kang Taeyoung, blinked a few times and shrugged.
"Well, I can do it later."
Pausing the drama with the remote, Seojun got up and walked to the front door.
An Daho was visible on the intercom screen.
Seojun beamed.
"Welcome, Daho hyung."
"What were you up to?"
"I was watching a drama. One of Kang Taeyoung's."
"…Didn't you say you were watching that yesterday too?"
At An Daho's words, Seojun shrugged and said.
"Once wasn't enough."
"That's impressive."
"So what brings you here?"
Seojun brought two cups of warm lemon tea and placed them on the table.
After taking a sip, An Daho spoke.
"I got a message from the assistant director. They need to alter your uniform, so they asked for your measurements. Normally you'd wear off-the-rack, but since it's a drama, clothes that fit well look better."
Seojun nodded in agreement.
"Should I stand up for this?"
"Yeah."
As Seojun stood up, An Daho took out a measuring tape and began taking his measurements.
He jotted down each measurement requested by the costume team.
"Have you watched all of Kang Taeyoung's works?"
"Not all of them, just his recent ones. I figured his acting style might be different in his older works."
"I see."
"As for Dohun hyung, I've acted with him before, so I have a rough idea of his style, and I've kept up with his work, so I'll probably just need to watch a few more times."
Still, he never said he wouldn't watch them at all.
Everyone thought of Seojun as a genius actor with natural talent, but Team 2 at Cocoa Entertainment, An Daho, and his family knew just how hard Seojun worked behind the scenes.
Smiling warmly, An Daho asked.
"Have you seen actress Jeong Boram's dramas?"
"Yes."
Seojun nodded at An Daho's question.
Jeong Boram, who he would be acting alongside, was the same age as him. She hadn't attended Yeoul Arts Middle School but had been accepted into Mirinae Arts High School.
An image of the practical exam videos uploaded to N-tube flashed through Seojun's mind.
'She was quite good.'
Of the 40 students, only 19 were from other middle schools.
Since they would be spending the next three years together, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Seojun had looked up the works his future classmates had appeared in.
'Though I never thought I'd get to act with one of them so soon.'
Jeong Boram had been in three dramas and a few plays. He had seen the dramas, but there were no video recordings of the plays, so he couldn't watch them.
"You couldn't find the plays?"
"Team 2 is looking, but it seems there aren't any."
"That's a shame."
At An Daho's words, Seojun, who was standing straight to have the length from his shoulder to his arm measured, looked disappointed.
An Daho, holding the measuring tape, felt the same way.
"Are you going to watch actress Yoon Hyein's works?"
There were a few scenes where Seojun, as the younger male lead, would meet the female lead, Yoon Hyein, but they were mostly just passing encounters.
Seojun thought for a moment before nodding.
"Yes. I think it would be best to watch them."
Even for the briefest of scenes, if it could help their performance together, Seojun was willing to watch the same work over and over again.
After noting the final measurement on his phone, An Daho spoke.
"Also, the script reading has been scheduled."
"Really? When is it?"
Seeing Seojun's face light up, An Daho replied.
"It's scheduled for two days from now at the MBS station. But they're planning to release promotional articles about it, so they said there will be reporters in front of the station."
"I see… But how much of the script are we reading?"
Seeing that Seojun's mind was already on the script reading, An Daho couldn't help but smile.