Chapter 30
Night fell at 11 p.m. The printing shop owner, having turned off all the lights inside, approached the outdoor waste paper collection area and called out to the three burly men.
"Hey, what are you guys doing here all day? Rummaging through the trash like this. You planning to clean all this up yourselves?"
He held bundles of paper tied with string in both hands. The three men, who had been crouched in front of the trash piles smoking cigarettes, all looked up at him in unison.
"......We lost our cat."
"Pardon?"
"The cat ran away from home. So we're looking for it."
"......A cat? What does it look like?"
"Just like a stray. I picked it up when it was a kitten. But that little guy...... sob, hic!"
As Taesik buried his face in his arm and sobbed, his underlings patted his back consolingly.
"We'll find it, boss!"
"It disappeared around here, so if we leave out that tuna it loves, it'll come back, boss!"
Daechul pointed at the small can in front of them.
"Yeah, right? Hic......"
"That's right, boss! Chin up!"
"Tsk tsk. Poor thing. Tell me what it looks like. If I spot it, I'll let you know."
"It's black with white patches. White spot on its face too, big one, and white paws like socks—how cute was it? Kitty...... Daddy misses you......"
"Boss! Butterfly! Butterfly!"
Hyeongshik whispered softly from the side. Taesik let out an even louder wail.
"Butterflyyy!"
"Tsk tsk...... Hope you find it."
The printing shop owner clicked his tongue, tossed the paper bundles into the trash area with a flick, patted Taesik's shoulder, and got into his car. Moments later, the car vanished completely down the alley.
"......He gone?"
Taesik murmured softly, face still buried in his arm.
"Yes! He's gone, boss."
"Find it!"
Taesik lifted his flushed, blood-rushed face. Hyeongshik dashed straight into the trash pile, while Daechul glanced up at Taesik.
"Boss, looks like you've got a little tear in the corner of your eye."
"Got too into it...... Hah. No matter how I think about it, I could've been at Cannes if I'd gone into acting."
And with that, they dove into the trash piles too.
"New episode of that drama's coming up soon, huh."
Kang Minjae checked his watch. The Distance Between You and Me, supposedly ending at episode 24, was now approaching its 15th airing. He couldn't help but wonder what new torment awaited the client this time.
My hunch that they were reacting to the client's online posts seemed all but confirmed. They were starting to tweak even the blatantly copied lines, changing a word here and there.
"Hey, about this."
As they sat side by side on the sofa watching the drama, Kang Minjae spoke up, pointing at the screen. It showed the stark contrast between the heroine's rundown slum neighborhood and the hero's ritzy rich area.
"Saw online that this is Samchang-dong in Iyang-gu."
"Really?"
"They say it's exactly like that place, no filters or effects—just straight-up. Fences and all. Even those tall buildings symbolizing the rich neighborhood."
A real location. There were countless similarities between the two scripts, but as with any clichéd drama, most were generic overlaps. The key was to pinpoint elements unique enough to prove Na Eun-seong's originality and push hard there. I figured the contrasting neighborhoods were it.
But if every detail matched perfectly, Blue Island Media could claim they just drew inspiration from the same spot without issue.
"First, ask Na Eun-seong if that's where she got the idea, then go check it out ourselves."
"Got it. So when do we start the media play? Better to drop it before filing the suit, you know? Most cases like this kick off that way. Gives you the edge in public opinion."
"She has to do it solo. If word gets out we're backing her, Blue Island Media starts prepping. Keep it buried under the radar—some internet outlets pick it up, netizens buzz on forums, that's it. Then hit 'em when they're off guard."
I continued, eyes on the TV screen as the end credits rolled.
"Jeong Hyejin's already fidgeting, tweaking lines bit by bit. Any real online noise, and she'll overhaul the content entirely. Lose out on more similarities we could nail down."
"......So wait till the drama airs to the end? Na Eun-seong's gonna suffer though."
"Not the very end. Up to episode 20 sounds good. That's when the protagonists' pasts come out, so the last four are just wrap-up. Her script has no big events there anyway—mostly them getting together and living happily ever after."
Tomorrow was episode 16 anyway, episode 20 in two weeks. The client might be burning up inside by then, but The Distance Between You and Me would rake in even bigger bucks. Bigger payout on a win. Our job was to soothe her impatience.
"Looks like three similar scenes today too. Minus the generic ones, one solid match."
"One per episode gets us 24. Not bad."
"Yeah. Oh, hold on—call from Na Eun-seong."
It rang the second the drama ended. She had to be furious.
"Speakerphone."
"Right. Hello? Na Eun-seong?"
"Ah, Lawyer Kang. Hi. Sorry for the late call. I watched the drama today and I'm so pissed."
"We just finished watching and noting scenes too. I get you're upset, but calm down a bit—"
"I can't take it this time. This is 100%. Totally!"
"Na Eun-seong, just calm—"
"Hold on."
I stopped Kang Minjae.
"Na Eun-seong. This is Lawyer Cha Juhan."
"Yes."
"What part got you so worked up? Share it with us too."
Na Eun-seong had always been calm. Or maybe not calm—more like drained from all the frustration. Either way, if she, who always spoke softly and quietly, was this agitated, it was big.
"The Puryeo thing."
I recalled the scene from tonight's episode. The chaebol hero warning an executive who rejected him.
"Director Kim. Ever heard of a beast called Puryeo?"
"Haha, not really into that stuff."
"It's an African predator. Pretty vicious. A real rival to the king of beasts, the lion."
"I see. First time hearing it."
"Simple reason. Puryeo steals the lion's kills. Lion works hard hunting, lets its guard down, then some punk shows up, beats it, and takes the prey. Pisses you off, right?"
"Sneaky bastard."
"Sneaky, but smart. Easy meal."
"True."
"I like Puryeo. So maybe I'll live like that."
"Yeah, Puryeo. From the scene where he clashes with Director Kim tonight. It was in your script too, though the setup differed a bit."
"Puryeo. It's not a real animal. I made it up!"
A heavy silence blanketed the office in an instant. A scene proving original expression and creativity of the original work.
"I can't take it anymore, Lawyer Cha. Please, move things along."
"Na Eun-seong. Here's the plan."
I shared the discussion I'd had with Kang Minjae earlier. Post another exposure on similarities, targeting spots ripe for buzz. Add a comment like, "I know suing would fail anyway, so I'm just letting people know that's my work."
Internet news would sniff it out first, some articles pop up, maybe even grill Jeong Hyejin directly. The production side calls it "baseless." These controversies usually fizzle fast.
"......Okay."
"They film next week's episodes the week before."
"Yeah."
"Probably shooting 17 and 18 now."
"Probably."
"Next week, 19 and 20."
"Yes."
"We'll draft the post for next week and put it up. We'll help—make it airtight, post on your blog and sites. No room for nitpicks."
"Should I release the full script? For everyone to see."
"Not yet. Might need to leverage that only Blue Island Media's seen it."
"Ah...... Got it. Okay."
"After posting, gauge reactions. If it's weak, I'll push for articles."
Yun Se-yeon could hook us up with some small online outlet. She'd ripped off both my and Kang Minjae's interviews last time—her turn to help.
......Though it felt like our deal would loop forever.
"Got it."
"Send us the post with new similarities up to the latest episodes. We'll revise together."
"Will do. I'll contact you once it's drafted."
"Good."
Na Eun-seong had invented a nonexistent creature. Built realism with detailed traits. Jeong Hyejin lifted it wholesale. Least she didn't even search if it was real.
Jeong Hyejin slaps together scripts carelessly, pockets hundreds of millions. Maybe not her first time. This sloppiness screamed someone who'd done it before and gotten away with it.
"Kang."
"Yeah?"
"Check Jeong Hyejin's past dramas. Any plagiarism buzz like this?"
"On it."
Kang Minjae grinned. His strength: grasping my intent without long explanations. He bolted to the computer and hammered the keys. I did the same.
Worth checking broadcast rumors too.
"Kang. That assistant director from the Kim Yeonjun case. Send me his number."
"Yes, sir!"
It felt like groping through thick fog, but the path was emerging bit by bit.