"Monster City? We're Partying in Rome"

"What, did you come here to shoot some Monster City knockoff? Dragging in that weird rag from who-knows-where."

"Hah, just you wait."

In a hotel in Italy. Over in the corner, champagne bottles and glittering confetti lay scattered haphazardly.

Thud... thud... thud... Already a dozen flashy outfits were splayed across the glossy marble floor.

Two months into the overseas shoot, the male and female leads of Italian Romance were inspecting party dresses in broad daylight.

"How's this one?"

"How much was that scrap of fabric?"

"Dunno."

"It's a gift from Teacher, and you didn't even check the price?"

"No ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠receipt—what am I supposed to do?!"

"Anyway, if you wear that smack in the middle of Rome, Teacher's gonna freeze to death."

"We'll go by car—what's there to worry about?"

"Still."

"Gotta match the dress code."

"Do we have to go to that restaurant? Two stars and they enforce a dress code? Kinda rubs me the wrong way."

"Teacher picked it out herself?"

"Ah...?!"

The curly-haired woman checking her outfit in the full-length mirror burst out laughing and turned around.

"Kyung-ho, you didn't like it? Guess I made a huge mistake."

"N-no, Teacher...!"

She cackled at Ji Kyung-ho, who bowed deeply. She was Go Seon-hyeong, the lead writer for Italian Romance, who had secured the full overseas location shoot.

That's right. This was the lodging the production team had booked for their star writer, Go Seon-hyeong, in Italy.

Ji Kyung-ho and Joo Min-hee, the leads of Italian Romance, were currently picking out an outfit for her to wear to a restaurant right ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠here in Rome, their shooting location.

"Anyway, check this out. Does it go with those boots from earlier?"

"Whoa, when did you buy these?"

"Earlier today. Even in December, it rains here—super annoying. Just a drizzle, though."

"Gonna be a pain packing later."

"You have no idea, bro. Think Teacher travels like us? She's got people lining up with numbers just to handle her luggage."

"True that."

"Hey, you two brought your managers too. And here they are, slyly teasing me?"

"Hehe."

The three bantered good-naturedly. Sure, it might seem odd to some that they were sightseeing all over Italy—shooting not even wrapped, let alone aired—but not to them.

"But seriously, you keep calling me Teacher? I'm only forty—how embarrassing is that?"

"Then stop writing such killer scripts."

"Jeez."

Anyone who knew what it took for a Korean drama writer to earn the title "Teacher" at just forty would drop those skeptical looks fast.

She'd been just another writer before, but at some point, she picked up the big sword of "romantic comedy" and sliced through the competition in her time slot. A monster writer.

It had been two years since she'd started enjoying the perks that came with "Teacher" tacked onto her name.

Using a luxury villa fit for A-listers as a writers' room for her assistants. Summoning mid-sized production companies' planning heads for item meetings...

Definitely. Even trending actors in their twenties and thirties curried favor the night before parties just to be officially in her camp.

That was the power of "Teacher"—and Ji Kyung-ho and Joo Min-hee were guaranteed box-office hits who hadn't lost brand value since Netherworld of Distrust.

The queen of romcoms, who always hit at least 25%, teaming with two top stars. Plus the hefty budget MBS threw in for her comeback.

Monster City? Didn't even register.

For these three, Italian Romance was the rocket to untouchable status for their already peaking careers—

Bang bang bang!

A sudden noise snapped their gazes toward the hotel entrance.

"Teacher! It's me, Ah-ri! Open the door, please!"

Go Seon-hyeong stared in disbelief at the voice beyond the door.

"That girl came here...?!"

Amazed by the stalker's determination all the way from Korea, she sighed.

"Hah."

"Teacher?"

"Leave it. I'll handle it."

She waved off Kyung-ho and made a call.

"You slacking again? I told you to block those types—I'm hanging with my kids today! You gonna let anyone waltz in? Yeah, now! That's why I'm calling!"

Hiring drivers and aides for big-shot "Teachers," home or abroad, was industry tradition.

Less than a minute after she hung up, commotion erupted outside.

"Let go! Just let me go! Teacher! You can't do this to me! You said you'd put my name on it—you can't just eat it up! I planned the whole waakoo this time—"

As the noise faded, Ji Kyung-ho and Joo Min-hee recalled the name on the script they'd gotten at the reading.

They got the gist, but...

"...She really followed you all the way to Italy?"

"Gives me chills."

"That's her, right? The one Teacher let crash that drinking party last time—she got all hyped and mouthy with us."

"Hah!"

"She's asking to get her name on Teacher's spot now?"

"Hilarious. Without Teacher as lead, Italian Romance wouldn't even get a slot."

Rookies' contest winners or submissions popping up in "Teacher's" item meetings wasn't rare in broadcasting.

And Go Seon-hyeong's knack for snatching solid premises and early scripts to make them her own was top-tier.

"Remember that drinking party? She latched onto a few offhand comments to claim the whole thing as hers? Teacher just rolled with it and made the waakoo actually work."

"Exactly."

"So shameless."

"Don't let it get to you, Teacher. Everyone's like that these days~"

Joo Min-hee hooked her arm through Go Seon-hyeong's. Truth be told, she and Kyung-ho couldn't care less about industry habits of luring assistants with lead promises then stealing their work.

"But."

That word "my kids" Go Seon-hyeong dropped on the phone? That thrilled them more.

"Didn't know you thought of us as that special, Teacher."

"I'm touched~"

A smirk played on Go Seon-hyeong's lips as she watched them.

The stalker who'd chased her to Italy was impressive, but she'd never squeal elsewhere.

No newbie could afford breaching NDA penalties.

Besides, sharp assistant writers were a dime a dozen.

Why? She was star writer Go Seon-hyeong.

This industry let her rake in moths with perks—as long as you had the savvy.

"Oh!"

That was grunt work. For those at the top, it was nothing to worry about.

What mattered now was stacking deep, face-gilding camaraderie—

"Teacher, that looks amazing on you! Right, oppa?"

"Perfect."

"Really? You think it's okay?"

"Suits you great. Let me snap a pic—check it out."

The moment was captured on camera.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Click!

***

Calm before the storm.

With year-end looming and Italian Romance set for March airdate, promo articles were trickling out.

Not full promo yet. With 2-3 months to air, this was just planting sparks.

And not for the general public.

Fan cafes for big actors, drama forums—light the fans' fire first with casual comments, and by airdate, unleash their full firepower.

That otaku blaze turns to massive traffic, pushing desired articles to portal mains when needed.

In other words: fuse-making time.

Entertainer Park, opening his mouth now, was a fuse expert of sorts.

"This vibe work?"

"Hm."

Park stuck out his tongue at the man grunting at his draft article.

This guy had fed him the scoop first, landing the exclusive.

"How'd you know?"

Park's gut said: without this man's moves, no bust—not even police notice.

"No DUI checkpoint scheduled then, right?"

Meant ties to the dinner spot, route, and precinct.

"Park."

"Yes."

"Know the difference between winners and losers?"

"Talent, I guess."

"Desperation."

Tap tap.

The rimless-glasses man who'd never given straight answers patted his chest.

"Wake earlier, hustle harder."

"And Monster City?"

"Hm?"

"Heard SBC's shifting busted Variety 1 budget to it."

Park flexed his own intel chops.

"Rumor your company's rookie snagged a spot in the shooting Monster City. Any—"

"Let's clarify."

The man gave a loaded look.

"You're saying I tanked SBC's big variety one-two punch with DUIs to pump up a drama slotting our rookie?"

"Well—"

"Too hasty. Could swap MC and PD, run as-is. Or pivot projects. How could I predict?"

But Park knew: SBC's drama slate jammed end of next year.

The content chief—last drama head—had soft spot for dramas.

Of course, this man had way more intel.

"Coincidence. Pure coincidence."

DK Entertainment CEO Do Yoon-seop drawled.

Park felt it again: if he made bombs, this guy made the fuses for the fuses.

"Honestly, though."

Bulldozer who shoved assets ahead, no holds barred.

"My kid getting more eyes? Not mad about it."

***

Days later.

Monster City shoot loomed.

Vroooom—

Driving solo to set, writer Kwak recalled Ji Cheol-geun PD's out-of-nowhere text days back.

Reason didn't matter.

Tae-gyu had juiced his back-half writing speed anyway.

'Good.'

What halted a vet writer's pen? Budget.

Feasible? Post-Netherworld of Distrust slide had amped his self-censorship.

A big grin split his face.

Heh heh heh heh.

Free imagination unfurled—weapons to nail that elusive back half.

So.

Kwak gunned the SUV toward the distant set.

Vroooom—

Lee Tae-gyu's finale for Monster City.

And...

'...We're screwed.'

His monstrous acting to one-shot Italian Romance.