The Perfect Counter
It was a critical hit. A romantic comedy movie with Seol A-yoon, widely regarded as the most beautiful actress of her generation. He naturally assumed there'd be no hesitation in accepting.
"············Do you have the scenario?"
At Lee Tae-gyu's follow-up words, Team Leader Jang's pupils shook.
"Sce···nario?"
"Yes. The script for the movie you just mentioned."
"It hasn't come out yet."
"I see. Then I don't think I can give you an answer either."
Team Leader Jang looked slightly flustered. He'd clearly thought it was because Tae-gyu was conscious of Seol A-yoon, but it turned out to be purely a hunger for 100% acting.
No, still...
"It's Director Yoon Chang-ho."
Team Leader Jang emphasized the director's name once more. There were few in Korea who wouldn't want to star in one of Yoon Chang-ho's films.
"If you do well, Tae-gyu, you could go to Cannes too."
"Even so, I think I need to see the script first."
"Tae-gyu."
Team Leader Jang opened his mouth, struggling to hide his frustrated expression.
"Director Yoon Chang-ho's scripts—no actor gets to see them before casting."
Yoon Chang-ho was the type of director who wrote the script after casting was done. Much like the old Hong Sang-soo. If it rained in the morning, it rained in the script too; if an actor actually tripped and got hurt, a scene of getting acupuncture at a herbal clinic made it into the film. Hong Sang-soo wrote on-the-spot scripts from the day's set, yet top actors—even without pay—lined up to appear in his movies. That was the closest vibe to Yoon Chang-ho.
Of course, he didn't go as far as writing a entirely new script every single day on set, but even so, actors couldn't see the script until they'd been "chosen" by the director.
The director picked first, no matter how much you pried.
In that sense...
"·········Ah, I see. Then I guess I can't do his film."
"Pardon?"
"I judge after reading the script whether the role suits me or not."
In other words, he'd just implied that Yoon Chang-ho's character shaping might not satisfy him. Watching Tae-gyu's impassive expression, Team Leader Jang let out a hollow laugh inwardly.
·········He's passing on this?
A romantic comedy was the fastest, easiest way for a young actor to win over female fans. Just look at Ji Kyung-ho from Hanji Heaven—he'd bulked up his star power riding that romance genre wave.
And on top of that, with Yoon Chang-ho's touch? It could add a massive film to his filmography, blending mass appeal with artistry.
Only acting. Cutting everything else with cold precision.
The man before him seemed to be saying it outright: I'm an actor. If you want me to act, bring a proper script—not fame or prestige.
Or maybe it was this: Want to re-sign me? Then snag a Yoon Chang-ho script in advance. I want a company with that kind of hustle and planning now.
·········Okay.
Team Leader Jang burned even hotter. Whatever the angle, he'd witnessed Tae-gyu's potential firsthand. At a point where he might one day build a company like Do Yoon-seop or Kim Kwang-woo's, this kind of test was inevitable.
"Fine."
"Pardon?"
"I'll get Director Yoon Chang-ho's script somehow. No matter what, you'll see it and decide before casting."
"Other movies are fine too."
"No, just as you're pushing straight talk, I'll do my utmost too."
Tae-gyu's stance was, of course, different.
No, really, you don't have to...
Yoon Chang-ho or whoever—he needed the script to judge if the character's backstory would let him immerse.
"Team Leader. Just give me other scripts."
"Give me a shot too."
"A shot?"
"Yes. Just as I've seen your capabilities up close, let me show you ours to the end."
"·········"
"I'll grab other scripts if you want, but don't rule out Yoon Chang-ho's. We can talk re-signing after."
Team Leader Jang's eyes blazed. Rising with fiery motivation, he bowed his head and spoke again.
"Oh, and how about setting up SNS and YouTube accounts for you soon?"
"·········Accounts?"
"These days, for overseas breakthroughs, you need one or the other. You're not planning to act only in Korea, right? Just create them—we at DK will handle all the management."
Tae-gyu slowly nodded. Fair enough. For someone like him who'd never been abroad, gathering dokkaebi fire from other countries sounded like a solid experience.
"Then let's wrap here. I texted next week's schedule—check it."
"Yes, thanks for your work."
"Thanks for your work."
Even as he exited the front door, Team Leader Jang mentally reviewed Tae-gyu's schedule before vanishing.
Clank.
Seeing him off and returning to his room, Tae-gyu let out a sigh.
Whew. Exhausting.
Life with Detective Seo Woong-tae before the Model Detective 3 audition had felt surprisingly long.
Tae-gyu fiddled with his phone. During those masked-and-hatted covert outings to avoid detection, unread messages had piled up.
Messages mostly from Kwak In-ho and Cheon Yoo-seong piled up. One recent one caught his eye.
Monster City episode 10 airs tonight. The very first button that made all this possible.
***
Italian Romance episode 10 ended. Under Rome's radiant sun, amid cheering crowds—
━━Bang!
—the two young lovers smashed their built-up misunderstandings into a tennis ball with their rackets. Fade to black.
"·········Come on!"
Ji Kyung-ho, sprawled on the sofa, chucked his phone.
"Ah, oppa!"
Joo Min-hee smacked his shoulder.
"Getting mad causes wrinkles. Our CF shoot's soon."
"So?"
"Who got you riled?"
"You don't know? Bugs everyone at finale time?"
"No way."
She pulled a ridiculous face, then chuckled dryly.
"·········Go Seon-hyeong?"
"Yeah."
"Trying to get you drunk again?"
"She's nuts, seriously. Her drama tanks, why vent on me?"
"Hey, it didn't tank."
Truth was, Italian Romance hadn't flopped. Episodes 7, 8, 9 all hovered around 16%.
Even competing with OTT platforms on terrestrial TV, this was beyond holding steady—solidly "good."
But...
"·········Bad matchup, that's all."
"Exactly!"
The same-slot rival was Monster City.
Irksome from premiere, Monster City overtook Italian Romance last week and now eyed 20% solo. Dramas were the writer's art, after all. Go Seon-hyeong must be stressing hardest.
"Sick of her whining and complaining."
"Don't show it. She's not washed up yet."
"Ha, losing to this?"
"But that writer's hilarious. No contact since her show aired··· Wait, does she like you?"
"Don't say creepy shit."
Ji Kyung-ho wasn't at ease either.
"Not relaxing 'cause no competition?"
Unlike Joo Min-hee, who could eye year-end Best Actress in TV Drama, no one bet on him beating Han Joo-hyuk from Monster City.
Most flashy visual in the Hanji Heaven trio—that was Ji Kyung-ho. This Italian Romance should've played to his strengths perfectly.
Now fury boiled at Go Seon-hyeong's failure to beat Monster City despite stealing her promising sub-writer's idea.
"Hey, why so sulky? If you're uncomfortable, how can I be?"
Joo Min-hee draped herself over his shoulder, rubbing her cheek against him coquettishly.
"I'm upset too. Acting-wise, our Ji Kyung-ho eats them alive, but that Han Joo-hyuk blew up on virality."
"Dirty tricks···"
"Looks like they hired comment bots online. As ugly as they look, total sleaze."
"Their visuals are baseline trash."
"Right. Acting's visuals. Like us."
"Back in the day, they wouldn't debut."
"Exactly."
"And that gambler punk? What is he? Easiest role—snarling psycho—why hype him? Press on payroll?"
"Totally, that's why 'trash reporters.'"
"Sigh."
Joo Min-hee stroked Ji Kyung-ho's hair, indulging his gripes.
Yes. They were lovers. Flashy visuals earned them hordes of opposite-sex fans; they kept it strictly secret.
"·········Oppa."
His complaints winding down, she murmured softly while petting his head.
"Stop messing with those low-tier losers. Time to level up. Fans or whatever—sick of grinning at creepy weirdos."
"What?"
"Ditch drama, go full movies."
"·········Movies?"
She beamed and nodded.
"Ji Kyung-ho, Joo Min-hee level—we're due for art films, not rom-com cash grabs, right?"
She pecked his forehead as he turned curiously, then continued.
"Arena Short Film Festival—it's soon, yeah?"
"·········Yeah?"
"I'm meeting Yoon Chang-ho there."
"Yoon Chang-ho?!"
"Yep. Rumor he's prepping next. You know? His romances—male leads cast only on female lead recs."
Ji Kyung-ho's eyes widened. Yoon Chang-ho. The director who sent actors to Cannes like clockwork—no way he didn't know.
"Come with. I'll wrap him up; we ride to Cannes."
"Oh."
"Whoa, your eyes changed instantly."
Made sense. Cannes winners got a whole new gaze from industry and public alike. From commercial actor to elevated "artiste."
And so...
"What, suddenly intense?"
"Hey, Joo Min-hee."
"Wha—"
"Fuck, I love you so damn much."
"Ugh, what."
Exchanging greedy glances over the Arena Short Film Festival, Joo Min-hee and Ji Kyung-ho pressed hot breaths close, bodies melding.
***
One week later.
Finally, Monster City's wrap party arrived.
Drama wrap parties: watch the finale together, then celebrate. Everyone involved—actors, staff, reporters, broadcasters, industry folks—shows up.
Unlike script readings fueled by hype, turnout hinged on the drama's success.
Thus, with the finale (episode 12) poised to crack 20%, Monster City's party swarmed like clouds of people.
"Oppa!"
A large rib joint in Gyeonggi. Fans and reporters clustered near the stone-wall-ringed outdoor patio.
Dozens at least, waiting for actors.
"Joo-hyuk oppa, when?!"
"20% tonight?"
"Has to!"
"When you coming, bros?"
"Show that gambler mug."
"Whoa!"
"Here, here!"
"Namgoong Yong-su!!"
One Monster City cast member appeared—reporters' flashes exploded.
"·········Mr. Namgoong Yong-su! Over here!"
━━━━Boom!Pop pop boom!
"Tough playing gang boss in Monster City?"
"Set vibe?"
"Gangster scowl, please!"
Even late evening, flashes lit the outdoors bright.
That's how it went. Hot drama wraps rivaled film fest photo zones for shots snapped.
Post-pics, reporters thrust mics: quick interviews, thoughts, aspirations—witty, snappy.
Actors varied: constant bows··· stoic strides··· general waves··· high-fives with fans···
In this chaos...
"Mr. Namgoong! Wait! Next project—"
Namgoong Yong-su, impactful in Monster City, was dazed.
·········Why me?
Known in noir circles as part of the so-called Noir Quartet, but he'd never drawn this heat personally.
"Mr. Namgoong!"
Tap tap tap.
He bolted inside like fleeing.
Vast outdoor garden. Greeted staff, spotted corner table—relief.
Familiar faces.
"Hey, Yong-su!"
"Dae-ho!"
"Ki-beom early?"
"Hyung Seok-tae!"
Oh Dae-ho, Jang Seok-tae, Ma Ki-beom, Namgoong Yong-su.
"We earliest actors?"
"Among actors?"
"Man, total madness out there."
"Duh."
The Noir Quartet stuck out tongues, recalling the throng pierced to enter.
Standard. Hit drama wraps were networking fests for new deals, not ends.
With OTT execs and SBC reps eyeing meetings with newly buzzed actors...
"Everyone outside knew me?"
"Our fame spiked for real."
"Yo, we trended."
"I search my name daily."
Crowds and press wouldn't let stars pass easy.
"Still, this is tame. Han Joo-hyuk soon? Outside paralyzes."
"Ugh."
"Good we beat him."
"Yeah, no catching his popularity, famous or not."
Noir Quartet shook heads, nauseated.
"But not us—someone else exploded similarly?"
"·········True."
They knew. Who else, at this point, couldn't slip in as smoothly as Han Joo-hyuk?
Who else left as indelible an imprint on Monster City viewers as him?
Lee Tae-gyu.
Three appearances total—yet the scene-stealer etched forever when Monster City came up.
He'd sweat shaking reporters to reach here.
"Better preview. He's about to mega-star."
"Right."
"···Learned tons from him this time."
"Miss that punk."
Recalling the hottest set ever, thanks to his acting fire, the Noir Quartet grinned warmly.
Sniff sniff.
Suddenly, Namgoong Yong-su bolted up.
"Who grilled already? Smells insane."
"LA ribs tasty, huh."
"Yeah, who—············Ack!"
Glancing back, he yelped like seeing a ghost, plopping down.
"·········Wh-what!"
"·········Holy!"
"·········Huh?!"
The rest of the Noir Quartet freaked, yelling.
"Heh heh."
"T-Tae-gyu? You here?!"
"Delish···"
A suspiciously stealthy actor smirked faintly, chomping LA ribs···