Lightning Strikes a Profile
Even at Surfer Entertainment, instead of a manager or team leader, it was the CEO himself waiting for me.
I'd shared meals with Min Jae-yul and Oh Ha-eun after wrapping At Your Fingertips, but we weren't close.
There was a reason for it, though.
"I wanted to see your expression in person. I trust you in my head, Do Hyun-woo CE, but I was still a bit anxious."
"You trust me?"
I got the anxiety part, but what was there to trust by looking?
"I've seen you work, Do CE. I even looked into your track record. Turns out your stubbornness is always backed by solid reasoning."
"So you think there's solid reasoning this time too?"
"No. SBX has no intention of selling the rights. Ending as a webdrama would be a straight loss for that scale, and Tug of War Season 2 feels shaky... I couldn't see any reasoning at all."
The Surfer Ent CEO added with a laugh.
"That's how I figured it out. No reasoning means it's not just stubbornness. You've got a plan."
"Now my shoulders feel heavy. It better work out the way I'm thinking."
The CEO understood and grinned brightly.
"And above all, Ha-eun wants it so bad. She's a fan of writer Hong Hee-young too, said the script was hilarious."
I turned to see Oh Ha-eun flashing a stiff smile without a word.
She must be nervous...
No, but why be nervous?
Is the CEO a tough type?
"That's great. But is Ha-eun's schedule okay? She must be busy after At Your Fingertips."
"It'll take time to start shooting anyway, right?"
"We're aiming for early January."
"Schedules will lighten up by then, so we can adjust as much as possible. There might be some overlaps, though."
"Sure. We'll work around each other."
Surfer Ent didn't know when the tide would come in either—they had to row hard.
Honestly, handing over Oh Ha-eun as the sub-female lead was already a huge commitment.
Her next project after At Your Fingertips could define her acting career.
I hadn't planned to include her originally, but she fit the immature newbie role too perfectly...
Really lucky.
"Found the sub-male lead?"
"No. Looks like I'll have to scout among unknowns. All the actors I wanted got nixed."
"Normally you'd hate unknowns... but Do CE's the unknown actor whisperer."
"First time hearing that nickname."
"Haha, mind if I send over profiles from our rookies?"
"Of course. Just not too young, and someone who can play a newbie employee."
"Mid-to-late twenties should work."
"Perfect."
After chatting back and forth with the CEO, my eyes met Oh Ha-eun's.
"What is it, Ha-eun-ssi? Something on your mind?"
"Um, c-can I ask one thing?"
"Go ahead. Make yourself comfortable."
"Uh..."
Oh Ha-eun hesitated for a long while.
We'd grilled each other for months on set, but she still got shy?
How'd someone like that go on variety and lie about me pressuring her?
I wanted to ask, but held back.
Didn't want to look like the guy picking on a rookie actress for fibbing on TV.
Then she asked.
"SBX is blocking you right now, right, Do CE-nim?"
"Pretty much."
"You gonna let them off easy?"
"Let them off?"
What was this?
"Like... beat 'em till they cry..."
Beat till tears?
What kind of expression was that?
Oh Ha-eun really was a weird actress.
Seo Jae-yeon was the strangest being I'd met, but this was weird in a different way.
Wait, is this some meme I'm missing?
The thought hit me suddenly, and I nodded with a laugh.
"Of course. It's my hobby. I've made plenty cry already."
Oh Ha-eun suddenly cast her eyes down demurely.
"What's up?"
"I'll work hard...!"
"Ah, yeah. Looking forward to it."
If Surfer Ent had given me a key actress, somewhere else offered something different.
My home base, D.P.
I hadn't approached their actors since none fit this project, but Yoon CEO called me in.
For some pork belly and soju.
I figured I'd get chewed out over casting...
"Hyun-woo. Got a question—answer honestly?"
"Sure. Shoot."
"What if Jang Manager had left you alone back with Youngperal?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"No, Jang latched onto you. That blew up Criminal Community's scale."
"Yeah. What's Jang up to these days?"
"Training rookies—doing well. He's got skills. Might be thinking of going independent, though."
Independent?
Not Jang's style.
He calculated everything, hated risks in uncertainty.
But whatever—I probably wouldn't cross paths with him anymore.
Still didn't get why he'd sent drinks on the last day of At Your Fingertips.
"Answer the question? What would you have done if Jang hadn't bitten?"
"You're asking my plan if Jang hadn't targeted me?"
"Yeah. If he'd stayed quiet, I couldn't guess Criminal Community's performance. It wouldn't have flopped, but not exploded like now."
I'd wondered the same.
Unless I got parallel-world powers, it was unknowable.
But I had an answer for Yoon CEO.
"Wasn't in the plan to begin with."
"Huh? What?"
"The scenario where Jang doesn't attack me didn't exist. Biting me alone promotes Youngperal—low cost, high return. Why pass that up?"
Yoon CEO pondered, then burst out laughing.
"Ah, webdramas work like that too? SBX with the rights..."
I shoved lettuce into his mouth.
Lots of production companies and agencies around here.
No guarantee who was listening.
"If you're wrapping ssam, include the meat. Wouldn't want a ring in there—might make you consider divorce number three."
"Aigoo, cut it out."
"Man, you're too fun. How do you think like that? Your brain spins wicked fast on the bad side."
"Bad side? I'm the good guy."
"Thought so, but as CE, you're sneakily sly. Didn't even submit scripts to us. We got rookies too."
After ribbing me awhile, he got to the point.
"Heard from Seong-tae? Setting up production for real?"
"Yeah. He joins D.P after handover."
"That webdrama—how about we produce it?"
"D.P directly?"
"Yeah. New studios start small to sync up. We were pondering webdramas anyway."
Not wrong.
No guarantee a new production rolls smooth even with vets.
"Honestly, a bit uneasy? Feels beyond a newbie production's scale."
"You dissing Seong-tae?"
"That's why I said uneasy—with him, I wouldn't even consider it."
"Then how's this? We'll do it free."
"Free? For real?"
"Yeah. Salary's the same with or without one project— just shooting bonuses... I can cover that."
My brain whirred.
12 bottles of water for 20 minutes meant about 20 episodes of shooting...
OTT quality? Roughly 6-8 billion won.
"Conditions? No way it's just practice for dozens of episodes."
"We'll invest up to 100 million. 10% stake?"
Pure numbers: D.P loses.
Values the webdrama at least 7 billion minimum.
But for D.P, it's a megaphone: "We're producing now."
If it hits, intangible gains make it no loss.
"200 million investment?"
"Look at you! Saving 700 million on shooting, still greedy?"
"C'mon. 700 mil's for A-grade productions. Newbie D.P? 400-500 mil tops."
"Hey! D.P lacks portfolio, but staffed with A-graders!"
"Exactly—giving you a killer portfolio chance. And your calculator only needs shooting bonuses? Salary's fixed anyway."
"Didn't plan to set up this fast."
"Aigoo, don't want it? Our drama's gonna smash."
"Really?"
"With Ra-un and Min-sik sunbaenim, D.P's raking it in—us commoners can't imagine. Probably panic counting zeros in the bank."
"If this flops, you'll cry."
"Haven't acted much—tears don't come easy. Know how bad actors cry?"
"How?"
"Cover face, crank voice. Restaurant shakes."
Yoon CEO laughed in disbelief.
"Sigh. Fine. Can't lose to you—who else? 200 mil. Deal."
"Keep original quality? Quality clause in contract?"
"Got it!"
Calculator vanished; a warm capitalist smile spread.
"Love you, CEO."
"Eww, that grin's creepy now."
"Divorce three canceled?"
"Gotta think on it."
After touring agencies, I dove into the profiles.
About 30% were "Can't give your picks, but rookies?"
The rest 70% flew straight to SSK for me.
Post-At Your Fingertips hit, unknowns mailed profiles nonstop.
Obvious desperation—I'd peek when free, now time to check all.
But damn, time sink.
Actors now shared YouTube acting clips with profiles.
Proper check meant watching each.
Then...
"Whoa, what the hell."
Lightning struck one actor.
No superpower nudge, but felt like one.
That kind of hit.