Episode 71: Arena Short Film Grand Prize Director Interview
·········Ha!
Gu Jeong-hwan let out a hollow laugh.
Two days after the Arena Short Film Festival had ended. He wasn't satisfied. With O Director's interview, where his confidence had ballooned and his shoulders seemed puffed up with arrogance.
"This bastard's acting all high and mighty."
Gu Director, who had always looked down on O Director. In his eyes, the only reason a third-rate like O Director had snagged the grand prize was one thing.
"He just lucked out using perfect raw ingredients that would've shone even without cooking."
Lee Tae-gyu. A premium actor he'd spotted from the first camera test in front of the directors. Without him, O Director would've been done for long ago, and there'd be no spotlight shining on him in the film world now.
"·········Lucky son of a bitch."
Gu Jeong-hwan grumbled jealously. He was overflowing with a strange mix of envy at this third-rate director he'd ignored getting critical acclaim, plus conviction and anticipation that his own eye for talent hadn't failed him.
Doing an interview when you can't even properly cook the ingredients?
Confident in his directing skills far superior to O Director's, Gu Director was certain now. If O Director had gotten that level of reaction by barely using Tae-gyu right, then he himself—properly wielding the actor—would provoke a world-shaking response.
Me... the ten-million-director Gu Jeong-hwan... I'll show you how a first-rate director handles perfect ingredients. With such thoughts brewing.
"Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh."
A mad cackle leaked from Gu Jeong-hwan's lips, his eyes already crazed from fixating on Lee Tae-gyu long ago━━
***
"Ugh, uhg mneug······"
Seol A-yoon muttered through gritted teeth.
"Neug bbeonmyeongheu geureuz meureug······"
Her eyes, fixed on her phone, brimmed with shock and horror.
Once you hit top-star level, you end up with plenty of reporter friends in the entertainment beat. "A-yoon-ah, is this for real? I can't wrap my head around it."
A close enough friend to tip her off early about Gu Jeong-hwan's scheme: finishing promo posters and articles in secret and flooding the media with them.
The promo poster was the problem from the start.
Crunch.
Lee Tae-gyu's face plastered huge between her own and Cheon Yoo-seong's.
'I told him Yi Bang-gwa in this thing can't be front and center...!'
That madman Gu Jeong-hwan. It wasn't for nothing they said directors who'd hit ten million viewers were prime for possession. She knew he'd gone nuts over Tae-gyu, but not this nuts!
This Summer, a Thrilling Man Like a Wild Tiger Arrives!
No········· This is seriously no········· It's a historical romance·········
Seol A-yoon's trembling fingers reached for Gu Jeong-hwan's number, but.
Gu Jeong-hwan had his phone off. This was infuriating.
Squeeze. Seol A-yoon gripped her phone so hard her knuckles whitened.
'Calm down, calm down, calm down······'
She shook off the dark thoughts with effort. She had to chew out Gu Director eventually, but the timing was off now.
Whew.
This was the model waiting room at a CF shoot. She'd even sent her own team out to avoid awkwardness, no need to show a bad side to someone she acknowledged.
Backup model. The monster actor DK Entertainment had staked everything to shove into this shoot alongside her for the beer CF.
"Ahem!"
She cleared her throat fake-coughing away the negativity just as.
Bang. The waiting room door flew open.
"Oh."
Lee Tae-gyu, back from the bathroom. His usual deadpan expression seemed to catch her weird vibe.
"A-yoon-ssi, you okay? You don't look well."
"·········No, I'm fine."
Seol A-yoon smoothly masked her face and turned to Tae-gyu.
"Anyway, Tae-gyu-ssi."
"Yes."
"Heard you're doing Model Detective 3?"
She deliberately skipped Hoshi-jeol. Mentioning the poster might come off like 'You were supposed to be minor, but look at you front and center.'
Plus, she had plenty of other curiosities about this actor.
"Congrats. No more squeezing in back-to-back shoots like before."
"Ah, actually, I'm looking at other films too."
"········Other films?"
"Yeah. The Model Detective 3 team said they'd adjust the schedule for other shoots. Thinking about what fits."
"Oh, really?"
Seol A-yoon perked up inwardly and asked.
"Ever thought about romance? I'm eyeing something with Director Yoon Chang-ho next."
Hoping maybe she'd get to compete head-on with this acting monster in a real equal role.
"I've been waiting for that."
"For wha···t?"
"The director's script. Well, precisely, I'm reviewing other directors' scripts slowly too—"
"Script? Director Yoon's next one?"
"Yes."
"No way··· He couldn't have finished it already?"
"Ah, he said he'd send a rough version."
First shock. '·········What?'
Yoon Chang-ho only sent early scripts to stars his level. No. Hadn't she herself not even asked for it yet?
"Y-you got it? Checked it out?"
"Not yet······ Told him to send it to the agency."
"Agency?"
"Yeah."
Second shock. Seol A-yoon barely suppressed the urge to scream.
'·········Why?'
S-grade actors got scripts direct from big directors. Yet he'd asked Yoon Chang-ho to send it to DK Entertainment?
"You met at the festival, right? No contact swap or anything?"
"Ah··· yeah."
Tae-gyu nodded blankly.
'What the hell is with this guy.'
Seol A-yoon eyed him like some alien, but.
"Why?"
"Ah··· it was a bit of a hassle."
"H-hassle?"
"Yeah."
"Exchanging numbers was?"
"Uh··· yeah."
Unlike her swirling thoughts, Tae-gyu just recalled the festival closing ceremony bathroom scene plainly.
'Definitely a hassle.'
The vibe was like that. Swap with one, and everyone there would swarm. Plus, reject any scripts after? His phone would burn up all day.
'Their eyes were no joke······'
Master directors were supposed to be obsessive weirdos addicted to film, but he hadn't expected that level of manic stares.
'Good thing the agency's a buffer.'
So Tae-gyu used his breakwater.
[DK Entertainment]
From experience, DK handled things reliably. He trusted they'd filter scripts he could review, and if he wanted a director's contact later, they'd make it happen somehow.
In short, he trusted DK Entertainment now.
'Of course, if push comes to shove, I'll use CEO Do's fire······'
But he didn't want to. A sense of loyalty, sort of. He knew they'd hustled hard, focusing everything on his dokkaebi fire use.
- Alright, everyone prepare! Thank you!
Even now at this CF shoot. Backup role or not, getting top same-age star Seol A-yoon for a beer ad with him wasn't easy—Tae-gyu knew that.
"Shall we go?"
"·········"
"A-yoon-ssi?"
"······Ah, yeah."
One month till June. If no big hassles ahead, re-signing with DK seemed fine.
Thud, thud.
Tae-gyu walked with Seol A-yoon toward the CF set.
***
DK Entertainment's large conference room. Core executives filled seats around the huge round table that could seat twenty comfortably. Impressive lineup.
Star actor and board member Kim Kwang-woo, board member So Chang-seop who only showed for major issues, entertainment networking legend and manager industry vet Go Hyun board member, overseas investor Brian board member from early days······ Each could launch a solid agency tomorrow.
At the head seat, CEO Do Yoon-seop sat.
Gulp.
Team Leader Jang at the foot swallowed dryly. No scolding vibe, but pressure hit him for one reason.
"Sorry."
Lee Tae-gyu. This board meeting including all directors was called over his re-signing, which Jang had stepped up for.
"I should've moved faster······"
Scripts piled high on the table. Including Yoon Chang-ho's that Jang had boasted about but hadn't secured.
Post-Arena Short Film Festival, directors zeroing in on Tae-gyu had flooded them.
Rough versions first, for reference━━ Like a race, concepts barely set and scripts poured in.
Not just veteran directors' scripts, but rookies late to the party seeing his acting too.
"I'll take responsibility for this—"
"No time to chew out Team Leader Jang now."
CEO Do cut him off. He'd concluded: Actor Lee Tae-gyu no longer needed agency sales; scripts came flying anyway.
And simultaneously.
That actor was sending DK a silent message.
"What do you all think this means?"
CEO Do nodded at the script mountain.
"'I can snag scripts like this solo,' right?"
Networking king Go board member said, others nodding.
"More bluntly, 'I'm this level now······ what are you guys doing?'"
"But not entirely negative."
"Agreed."
Vet Go laid out his take.
"One month to contract end. He could've hoarded direct scripts and leveraged for higher pay at renewal. But flaunting dissatisfaction openly? Means there's still a 'relationship' worth improving."
"Spot on."
CEO Do nodded, scanning everyone firmly.
"DK's sales aren't dissatisfying him. Drama promo, film bookings, this Seol A-yoon CF—they worked."
"In this situation—"
"Yeah, something's lacking. He's showing it. Fix it."
CEO Do recalled.
'·········Wild tiger advance.'
Should've at least pretended to secure when asked. Now he saw: testing how far his passion-receiving resolve went. A test.
And he'd proven worthy of issuing such a test.
'No more slip-ups.'
Not just CEO Do. Some at the table regretted actions that might've soured Tae-gyu.
"Sorry. Should've mobilized P.I. contacts for Yoon's script—"
"Team Leader Jang, quiet. My fault. That squat bastard's bullshit."
"Hm, knew it'd blow up like this, we should've stepped in. Too hands-off—"
"Enough."
CEO Do raised a hand, silencing the chaos. Regret was fine. No need to chew it over aloud.
"·········Past is past. Focus from now—it's what matters."
He was right. Early May already. June contract end next month.
"Next month from now. All DK manpower prioritizes Tae-gyu's renewal. Objections?"
None. They all saw him not as promising rookie, but asset worth a new HQ building.
All board members nodded.
"Good."
The script piles. Tae-gyu's blatant message: Want renewal? Top this.
CEO Do eyed them with ambition-laden voice.
"············Then, we'll sell Hollywood."