Life in Third Person
What would it feel like to watch your own first-person life from a third-person view?
It would probably feel pretty strange.
Most people go through life without even truly recognizing their own faces.
In that sense, Gongbeomche came to me as an unfamiliar sensation.
My life, lived through superpowers in first person, had shifted to third.
And with the narrator changed, some of the atmospheres from moments I'd experienced felt different in places.
But...
That didn't mean it was bad.
On the contrary, it was good.
Some scenes cut sharper than what I'd gone through, and certain sequences gained greater impact through omission.
The acting in specific scenes felt more real than the actual people, and some lines—everyday language—stabbed straight to the vitals with razor precision.
Finally, conviction settled in.
This was the best possible product.
The finest work we could create at this moment in time.
Thanks to that, confidence bloomed for the internal screening, and I even entertained some slightly childish thoughts.
You know the kind.
The looks of shock, envy, and jealousy on the faces of those who'd hoped I'd fail.
Or, if not that, the people who'd believed in me flipping somersaults and sounding brass gongs?
I knew it was childish, but isn't that the kind of motivation that drives people?
Still...
"Coffee? I have some black tea imported straight from England."
"Coffee it is."
I hadn't expected to get dragged straight to the CEO's office right after the internal screening.
I sipped my coffee cautiously, and Han Sung-hoon, the CEO, opened his mouth with a kind, good-natured smile.
"Great work, Do Hyun-woo CE. It was far better made than I'd anticipated."
"Thank you."
"You'll have the company's full support. No complaints about marketing budget shortages from you, Do CE."
"Thank you again."
Han Sung-hoon chuckled lightly, fiddling with his coffee cup before speaking.
"Out of curiosity—how did you select those unknown actors?"
"Pardon?"
"I get rejecting Kim Ra-un. Tough call, but if you've got a good eye, you can predict outcomes."
This was unexpected.
People were still buzzing about my rejection of Kim Ra-un.
"But picking eight unknowns—I'll be damned if I can figure out your criteria."
"Was the casting disappointing, by any chance?"
"No, the opposite. It was perfect. That's why it's baffling."
I didn't need to ask what was baffling.
"Directors fixating on unknowns isn't rare. That's how Cinderellas are born."
"Yes."
"So let me ask: why do directors fixate on unknowns?"
Was there some reason?
They just liked them, right?
I offered that cautiously, and Han Sung-hoon nodded.
"Exactly. They like them. They fit their acting philosophy. An actor's looks might not even matter—it's whether they align with your values."
"Well said."
"So when I saw Eum Sung-hyun and Park Sung-won, I thought you were a method acting devotee, Do CE. They performed so well."
Han Sung-hoon tapped his desk with an index finger as he continued.
"But then So Jeong-hoon and Moon Jae-won? Not quite. They're closer to Meisner technique."
"Not just that. Lee Sun-jae is action-oriented, and Jeong Min-woo leans result-focused."
"Yoo Won-sang is Chekhov-style, Park Jun-ho Brechtian... They must've been heavily influenced by their starting theater troupes."
I didn't put much stock in acting theories, but I could agree with classifying actors that way.
Styles emerge naturally over a career.
"That's why I wondered. What criteria did you use for such a diverse bunch, Do CE? And how were you so sure?"
I gave Han Sung-hoon an embarrassed look, his good-natured smile unwavering.
The answer to that long question was too short.
"Sorry, but I just picked them."
"Just...?"
"Yeah. All I can say is I got lucky and found the right ones."
"Luck, huh..."
Praise for the casting embarrassed me, honestly.
I had a solid hand in the script revisions.
The time loop material wasn't spoon-fed by superpowers.
I also figured my role helped the shoot run smoothly and stabilized the actors' performances.
But casting? No clue.
I'd tried judging objectively.
Even if superpowers recommended someone, I wouldn't cast if they didn't fit my standards.
But was my judgment truly objective?
After seeing the ideal outcome?
"If it's pure luck, it won't happen next time, right?"
"You mean with rookies?"
"I mean apt casting."
"On that... I'm confident."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. Pretty good at visualization."
"Visualization?"
"Predicting how an actor will digest the script."
"That's how you nixed Kim Ra-un and found the rookies?"
"Yes."
A bit embarrassing, but I kept a straight face.
I had an agenda.
And sure enough, Han Sung-hoon, meeting my eyes, let out a small laugh.
"Unless my ears deceive me, you're saying you want full casting control on the next project too?"
"Honestly, yes."
Gongbeomche was hot potato, so I got F.E.M.
But next project? No.
Under Joo Young-hoon senior, negotiating from casting stage...
Honestly? Way too unappealing.
Setting aside emotional clashes, it'd kill the fun.
Wouldn't change switching companies.
No CL team anywhere makes me senior CE.
Only the man before me could enable it.
"You're on a one-year contract, right, Do CE?"
Bringing that up here?
"Misunderstanding. Your conversion to permanent is already set. You turned a dud into this—we should be begging you."
Han Sung-hoon smiled warmly.
"So this is like a mid-career hiring interview."
"Mid-career..."
"A chance to show your showbiz track record?"
Han Sung-hoon pulled a file from his drawer and handed it over.
"A major media outlet's prepping a feature."
Out of left field.
A feature article?
Key Points of the Planned Article:
1. Relationship between Do Hyun-woo and Kim Ra-un: Former actor colleagues; Kim Ra-un starred in the project Do Hyun-woo left, rising to stardom.
2. Do Hyun-woo badmouthed Kim Ra-un out of jealousy in Gongbeomche.
3. Replacement for Kim Ra-un is unknown idol "Unpack."
"Didn't call you for this. Wanted your thoughts, but mainly to thank you for nailing Gongbeomche."
"Understood."
"Killed the article. The publisher owes me. What do you make of that?"
I pondered Han Sung-hoon's question briefly before answering.
If it weren't Jang Gi-un, I'd have mulled longer—but he was familiar.
"Testing the waters."
"Waters?"
"Jang Gi-un, Kim Ra-un's manager, drawing a line Tvic and SSK won't cross."
Jang had deliberately approached media connected to Han Sung-hoon.
Probably hit Tvic-friendly outlets with the same pitch.
Gauge reaction temps, set his course.
"Poking Tvic's mood helps no one, not even Kim Ra-un."
"...Do CE, you're sharper at this than I thought."
"Just things I've heard."
"Got a solution?"
"Prepared one."
"'Prepared'?"
"Company might find it hard to swallow."
"Intriguing. Why?"
Hesitated, then went for it.
"Figured Tvic would hate it. As OTT latecomers, they avoid excessive mind games with the incumbents."
"And SSK must mind Tvic?"
"That's my take."
A provocation.
I've got a killer idea—got the guts to ignore Tvic?
Bold for a mere employee to the CEO, but...
Not swinging blind.
Yoon CEO had spilled.
"Han Sung-hoon?"
"Good guy. Doesn't mix personal grudges with work, no biases, no stubbornness."
"But could a pushover climb that high? Not by sidelining one or two."
"Bet the one he wants to sideline most right now is Tvic."
I was confident dismantling Jang's scheme.
But it required an extreme method.
Ultra high-risk, ultra high-return—no normal corp would touch it.
So I bet on Han CEO's ambition.
If he truly wanted Tvic independence, he'd crave big wins, risks be damned.
Luckily, no displeasure from Han CEO.
"Do CE. Why go this far? Toss to marketing, dodge responsibility."
"I'm lead CE now."
Director, writer, actors, staff...
All their hopes and dreams packed in.
"Didn't want to ignore what I could do just 'cause it's risky."
"What you could do... Let's hear it. What's this Tvic-hating plan?"
I met Han Sung-hoon's eyes and spoke slowly.
"In my view..."
When the long tale ended, his reaction was simple.
"That's the kind of idea only a madman would have."
A bit flustering.
Looked like he'd never cursed in his life.
Had I bombed?
But no.
"Let's do it. If we need to sort the incumbents, I'll step up."
"Thank you for trusting me."
"Tough jobs need rewards, right?"
Reward?
"If the plan works, next project's lead is Do Hyun-woo CE too."
What?