Chapter 27
Chapter 27
I’m the Storyboard Artist
“I think I first need to understand the detailed situation properly before I can discuss things with my friend.”
“Really?”
“Yes. My friend works on the data side, so he doesn’t really understand business negotiations very well. If I’m going to ask around through him, I need to know the exact situation first.”
“Well, here’s what happened….”
The division director explained everything in detail.
After hearing it all, I felt dumbfounded.
‘This isn’t just poor communication. It sounds like someone deliberately tried to sabotage the deal.’
Maybe I was overthinking.
But still….
‘Cha Seoyoon’s manager supposedly met directly with the 30THC channel side to discuss filming schedules, yet they still couldn’t narrow the differences?’
Which manager exactly claimed to meet me?
A ghost?
The only person I’d ever met under the name of the WeTube 30THC channel was that late-blooming unknown screenwriter.
And even then, I never mentioned the channel name—only the company name.
“The Na○ki commercial schedule honestly isn’t even that tight. Na○ki themselves are insisting they absolutely want our Seoyoon for this world campaign.”
“Yes.”
“Scheduling should’ve been something both sides could compromise on. From what I heard, things were progressing positively at first. So suddenly claiming they were overloaded with outsourcing work and couldn’t do it anymore felt strange.”
“Honestly, I think it’s strange too. From what I know, they’re actually pretty relaxed over there.”
“Relaxed?”
The division director’s eyes gleamed instantly.
That bait was intentional.
“Yes. According to my friend, they feel guilty even collecting salaries because there’s barely any work. He keeps wishing more projects would come in.”
“Then it’s not a scheduling issue… maybe it’s a pricing issue?”
“Did Na○ki offer too little?”
“No way. They guaranteed top-tier industry pricing.”
“Would it be alright if I spoke directly with Management Team 1 myself?”
I genuinely wanted to do the Cha Seoyoon commercial too.
I’d fully expected it would happen eventually.
So having the whole thing suddenly collapse felt absurd.
Did I maybe quote too high a price?
But Na○ki was paying anyway, so why would that matter?
“You’d do that?”
The division director’s face brightened immediately.
“If actress Cha Seoyoon collaborates with Studio 30THC and films an incredible Na○ki commercial, then even though we’re different teams, I’d personally feel extremely proud too. I’ll do my best.”
“Seriously, I knew from the very first day you restored the WISH music video footage that you were something special. And now you even secured Hyejin’s adult-CG lead role.”
Team Leader Jo Woonseok chimed in proudly.
“Those two accomplishments alone are enough to justify giving a rookie the title of director, aren’t they?”
“Absolutely enough. You need bold personnel promotions like this so everyone else stays motivated and improves too. And ultimately that benefits the company, doesn’t it?”
Hyejin wasn’t even here anymore, so they really didn’t need to keep gilding my face with praise.
“Director Cha needs to feel comfortable talking with Team 1 people, so Director, why don’t you make a quick phone call for him first?”
“Alright. Director Cha, are you heading there now?”
“Yes. I should move immediately.”
“Good attitude. I’ll call ahead right away. Just mention my name and ask whatever you need.”
To outsiders, it probably looked like the division director recklessly placing blind trust in a rookie.
But from the company’s perspective, I was a valuable connection directly linked to 30THC.
Restoring the music video footage.
Securing Hwang Hyejin’s adult CG role.
From the division director’s viewpoint, going through me was the fastest way to communicate with 30THC, which was why he pushed me so aggressively.
Which, honestly, was the exact position I intended to build from the start.
Every CG project occurring within PineTree Entertainment—
handled through me and carried out by Studio 30THC.
“People are definitely gossiping behind your back already, saying things like ‘What kind of rookie gets promoted multiple ranks instantly?’ Some of them will probably start subtle fights too.”
The moment we exited the division director’s office, Team Leader Jo Woonseok spoke quickly.
“But honestly, if you’re going to handle outside business activities, giving you at least the title of director makes things much easier. And from the company’s perspective, having someone connected to Studio 30THC is a huge advantage too.”
“Yes. If there are future outsourcing projects involving 30THC, I’ll keep stepping up as much as possible. My friend keeps worrying about why they’re not getting more work.”
“That part really is strange. Looking at the CG quality, projects should be flooding in endlessly.”
“Maybe existing CG companies are trying to suppress them.”
Team Leader Jo Woonseok accompanied me personally.
Thanks to that, I could comfortably meet Cha Seoyoon’s dedicated manager, Director Kim Kyungwook.
The division director’s advance phone call worked wonders too.
Right now, I was moving under direct orders from upper management.
“…So we roughly summarized the commercial concept and sent it through email. Then after some time, they rejected it.”
“Rejected?”
“Yeah. They claimed producing CG at the level required for this concept would take at least nine months. Which meant we couldn’t meet the Na○ki schedule, so naturally we had problems with that.”
Director Kim Kyungwook explained calmly and politely.
“They said they already had too many outsourced projects backed up and couldn’t possibly match our requested timeline, so I reported it directly to the division director.”
“30THC rejected it because of scheduling?”
“Yeah.”
This man could genuinely become an actor.
What a waste of talent.
“That’s strange. According to 30THC, they’d already prepared to create storyboard drafts and were just waiting for the concept proposal to arrive.”
Even after his lie got exposed, Director Kim Kyungwook’s expression didn’t change even slightly.
Or maybe—
did he genuinely know nothing?
“The studio said that?”
“Yes. Since no contracts had even been signed yet, they felt awkward pressuring your side for updates and simply waited quietly while considering even the possibility that the contract might completely fall apart.”
“How does Team 3 even know all this?”
“How else?”
Team Leader Jo Woonseok jumped in while barely suppressing his laughter.
“Our Director Cha here happens to be best friends with one of 30THC’s founding members, so naturally he knows everything.”
How can he bluff so confidently?
Though technically, it’s actually understating things since he still doesn’t realize I’m literally the owner of 30THC.
“Team Leader Jo, just a moment.”
“Mm? Director Kim, relax. Go ahead.”
Director Kim Kyungwook calmly called someone.
“Seoyoon, it’s me. We’ve been completely exposed. Yeah, apparently they already heard everything directly from 30THC. No, I didn’t panic and mess up my lines or anything. Honestly, I think my acting performance was perfect.”
Wait.
That entire thing was acting from beginning to end?
No seriously, this guy should become an actor.
“Sorry. Next time I’ll practice harder so there aren’t any weak points. Yeah, alright. Mmhm.”
After hanging up, Director Kim Kyungwook sighed deeply while looking at me.
His poker face shattered instantly, revealing the exhausted face of an overworked office employee.
So it really had all been acting.
Suddenly I wanted to see him playing a scene-stealing supporting character somewhere.
“Team Leader Jo, Seoyoon says we should come to her house.”
“I’ll drive.”
If the company’s top star calls for you, obviously you go.
That’s how we ended up in Hannam-dong.
Just the entrance alone felt terrifying enough to match rumors that even young chaebol chairmen lived here.
Can this really still be called a villa complex?
There was practically an entire private hill serving as a park for only a handful of residences.
After passing through absurdly strict security, we finally arrived at Cha Seoyoon’s home.
Exaggerating slightly—
even the entrance area for taking off shoes felt larger than my one-room apartment.
The marble reception room looked enormous enough to play soccer in, surpassing even luxury interiors from movies.
Reality really can exceed cinema.
“You’re the person I saw in the elevator earlier, right?”
“Yes.”
“Didn’t expect we’d meet again this quickly.”
“Same here.”
“If I’d known you were coming over because of the Na○ki commercial, I wouldn’t have held the elevator door open.”
Even the loose home dress couldn’t hide the long, elegant legs radiating from her tall frame.
Her face was already small and pale to begin with, yet she was tall with a delicate bone structure and perfect proportions.
At this point, I genuinely started wondering whether she was even human.
Could this woman actually be CG herself?
“Sorry for asking so suddenly, but is there perhaps something making the commercial uncomfortable for you?”
“I thought you were close with the CG studio. Then you should already know.”
Cha Seoyoon crossed her legs gracefully.
The scene looked so much like a movie frame designed to seduce male audiences that I automatically started imagining commercial visuals again.
“I’m not sure what you mean….”
“Guess you’re not actually that close with the CG company after all. Oppa, did you seriously get baited that easily?”
Cha Seoyoon turned toward Director Kim Kyungwook while asking that, and I grew increasingly confused.
“The only thing I know is that the actress wouldn’t need to get even a single drop of water on her, yet after that the company suddenly stopped responding without even requesting a concept proposal. Is there something else I’m missing?”
Director Kim Kyungwook visibly flinched.
So this guy really can’t hide emotions at all during everyday life mode?
Meanwhile, Cha Seoyoon remained impossible to read.
She simply stared directly at me with eyes that felt capable of swallowing people whole.
“So you really did come here already knowing everything. I thought my manager oppa got tricked by a bluff.”
“So that earlier conversation was a test?”
“Yes. This industry is full of people making assumptions and fishing for reactions anyway. Sometimes they get lucky.”
Cha Seoyoon uncrossed her arms and brushed her hair back.
Her voice sounded far softer now.
“Sorry for dragging everyone through all this trouble.”
“….”
“I thought this was the cleanest way to quietly pass on the commercial without creating unnecessary noise. I already clearly refused, but upper management kept pressuring us endlessly.”
According to her explanation, Cha Seoyoon had firmly rejected the project because of private reasons she couldn’t reveal.
But the company management refused to give up because it was a Na○ki campaign.
Apparently the pressure escalated heavily behind the scenes.
So Director Kim Kyungwook tried smoothing things over quietly with vague excuses toward upper management—
and I unknowingly dug everything back up again.
“Thank you for explaining honestly.”
“I’m sorry. I made it clear from the start that I wouldn’t do it, but the company just wouldn’t let it go. Because of our conflict, innocent employees ended up suffering instead.”
“That’s really unfortunate. I was hoping to create another amazing mad-movie style video if the commercial happened.”
“You know about those parody videos?”
“Of course.”
“Well, they spread everywhere and became incredibly famous.”
“I’m actually the one who created the concepts for those mad movies.”
“…What?”
Unwanted persuasion becomes pressure.
And I had absolutely no intention of pressuring her.
“Ah, by the way, I happened to bring the storyboard drafts I showed 30THC back then. Would you like to see them?”
Just one small cast of the fishing line.
Nothing more.
“You drew all of these yourself?”