Kang Rojun sent the film scenario to PD Jeong Suryeong right from where he sat. After checking the scenario file that arrived on her phone, she chuckled, heh-heh-heh.
“Before I start passing this scenario around, is it okay if I read it for a bit?”
That laugh was a little scary. Rojun nodded as if to say it was fine.
“Yes, of course. Please do.”
“Mm-hmm. I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of world unfolds this time. But did you just write this movie scenario straight through without much agonizing again? Judging by how little time it took, I’m guessing you did.”
“I don’t think I agonized over it much while writing.”
“Honestly, you amaze me every time I see you.”
Jeong Suryeong then crossed her legs and let out a thoughtful hum.
“Hmm—if you get an agency as a writer, for things that were already in progress, like Netflix Japan, or this movie scenario, the management company will probably handle them for you as a service.”
“As a service?”
“Yeah. A service. Basically, a management agency takes care of the writer, handles the miscellaneous work, and splits the money, right? But it’s awkward to split profits from things the writer did before signing the contract. It’s not like it’s all that difficult a job anyway.”
“Ah—”
Kang Rojun had acquired new information, and PD Jeong Suryeong, her expression turning rather serious, continued.
“If, during your meetings with management agencies, there’s one that doesn’t do what I just said and tries to split money even from projects you already had in progress? Cross that place off.”
“Understood.”
“They’re shameless. Not worth dealing with.”
Memo, memo. As Rojun recited that inwardly, Jeong Suryeong asked him.
“And by any chance, among writer management agencies, do you know one called ‘Culture Drawer’?”
“Culture Drawer.” It was a name he had heard a few times. The source had been PD Woo Hanseok.
“Yes. I heard it’s very famous. PD Woo Hanseok said I’d be meeting with them tomorrow too.”
“Mm—I got contacted by ‘Culture Drawer’ too, and I tossed that over to PD Woo. Honestly, I was a little surprised at first. I really didn’t think they’d bite.”
“I heard they don’t even glance at rookies.”
“Well, that’s true, but to be more precise, you could see them as a thoroughly ability-based management agency. You’ve heard of Writer Han Seoryeong, right? A star writer counted among the top three in Korea. She’s an enormous name, and starting with her, they have loads of major writers and directors.”
Hearing that, Rojun felt slightly burdened.
He had made up his mind to properly try being a writer, but his main job was still being an idol. Wasn’t the side job side of things getting a little too big? As he slowly scratched his chin, Jeong Suryeong seemed to see through his thoughts and gave a small laugh.
“The fact that ‘Culture Drawer’ contacted you before even seeing ‘Rental Lover’—they probably took notice of your unrivaled character as a writer.”
“Unrivaled character.”
“First of all, your face. It’s absurd, this face of yours. On top of that, you’re an actor who writes. And even an idol who can handle OSTs however he wants. That is suuuper rare. And if you’ve got writing skills on top of that? You’re a cheat character, a total cheat character. It’s not that hard to find star writers, but it’s safe to say there are no writers with star power. That’s you, Writer Rojun.”
He had heard similar things from Netflix Japan as well. Kang Rojun, feeling unnecessarily embarrassed, cleared his throat.
“Ahem, thank you.”
“Why are you acting like that when you must hear it all the time? Anyway, even if you search the entire entertainment industry, an actor who also sings gets called an all-round entertainer, but you’re several steps beyond that, aren’t you? You’re so one-of-a-kind that there isn’t even a word to describe a writer like you. Make sure you know that.”
“Yes, PD.”
“So whether it’s ‘Culture Drawer’ or somewhere else, go with the place you like. And the things you need to watch out for during management meetings are—”
Kang Rojun listened with great attention to PD Jeong Suryeong, a veteran of the drama industry. Of course, he couldn’t help his mind becoming even more complicated.
‘Ugh—meetings with management agencies. I’m kind of nervous.’
After that.
After finishing a fairly in-depth conversation with Jeong Suryeong, Kang Rojun went straight into recording the OST. The process was similar to recording other songs.
-♬♪
Since Rojun had written the lyrics for the OST “Lovers” and had already finished studying it, it wasn’t that difficult. Enough that the sound engineer in charge of recording was impressed.
“You’re good, Writer Rojun. Your tone too—‘Lovers’ really was your song. Honestly, I thought PD Jeong decided it a bit too hastily, but she was right.”
“Right? Maybe because he wrote the lyrics himself, the sync is really high too.”
“He’s also ‘Lover No. 4,’ isn’t he? I can already see the viewers loving—wait. Somehow my fighting spirit is rising?”
“Please mix it well. We need to get this OST into the upper ranks of the music charts too.”
“Haha. The theme songs from ‘Geubaekpeu’ have already eaten up several music platforms, so if our OST climbs up too, that’ll make for an interesting picture.”
“Even if they belong to ‘Geubaekpeu’ or ‘Rental Lover,’ our writer will probably be the first person to line up songs on the music charts before even officially debuting.”
“He really is destroying the ecosystem in every possible way.”
The smooth OST recording ended before afternoon, and after saying goodbye to Jeong Suryeong and the staff, Kang Rojun returned to campus. As soon as he arrived, Rojun separately organized the information he had heard from PD Jeong Suryeong.
‘At meetings, I have to end things with “I’ll think about it” no matter what, and I have to hear as many agencies’ conditions as possible—and memorize the things I need to cut off. If they pressure me to sign just because we met, cut. If they act dismissive, cut.’
As he wrote them down, the list grew long.
‘If they try to use the fact that I’m young and an idol sensitive to public opinion, run for the hills.’
After scanning through the things he needed to be cautious of, Kang Rojun muttered quietly to himself.
“There’s no way a place like that actually exists, right?”
He did not know just how much of a jungle the entertainment industry was.
Monday, the 19th.
Today was going to be a busy day for Kang Rojun. He had back-to-back meetings scheduled with five writer management agencies. Starting at ten in the morning, he had to meet them all at roughly one-hour intervals.
‘And PD Woo Hanseok already narrowed them down for me.’
Any management agency that was too small had been stopped at Woo Hanseok’s level, and the agencies he would be seeing today were mostly mid-sized or larger.
The location was a meeting room on campus.
It was on the side far from the dorms, in a building they didn’t use often, so it wouldn’t be visible to the participants. For reference, PD Woo Hanseok would not be accompanying him to today’s meetings. He was busy with “Geubaekpeu” work as well.
‘I can’t keep relying on him. He’s already done so much for me. Wake up, Kang Rojun.’
He was in a situation where he had to handle today’s meetings entirely alone. The tension was high, but Rojun steeled himself. He had the advice he had heard from Woo Hanseok and Jeong Suryeong, and he judged that if he maintained his own pace, he would be able to finish them well.
And so Kang Rojun encountered the first management agency.
A staff member whom Woo Hanseok had instructed separately handled their guidance, and a man in his fifties with an affable smile and a woman who looked to be around her thirties shook hands with Kang Rojun.
“We really wanted to meet you, Writer. Ah—should we call you Rojun?”
“Hello. Either is fine.”
“Hoho, I see. Wow—but in person, you really make one’s jaw drop.”
After spending several minutes praising Rojun’s inhumanly good looks, the first management team got to the main point.
“First, let us tell you what kind of place ‘Hwaran Pictures’ is.”
To Kang Rojun, the name “Hwaran Pictures” was unfamiliar.
‘Well, it’d be stranger if I knew.’
If he hadn’t received the meeting list from Woo Hanseok and looked them up, he would have been hearing of them for the very first time. In any case, “Hwaran Pictures” was a fairly sizable mid-tier company. Film production was their main stage, but they also handled management for writers and directors.
“Your potential is boundless! I’m sure you’ve roughly sensed it, but writer-side management agencies are all stirring to get Rojun. You’re planning to meet many others besides us too, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm—if you come to us, what we can provide for you is…”
Overall, it felt safe, but there were parts that left something to be desired.
‘If their main focus is film—wouldn’t they be a bit lacking in other areas?’
Since it was his first meeting, Kang Rojun focused on listening and asked quite a few questions of his own.
“If there are projects that were already in progress before I signed with ‘Hwaran Pictures,’ what would happen with those?”
That question tone was good just now, right? As Rojun praised himself internally, the people from “Hwaran Pictures” answered.
“Pardon? Ah—in that case, we would do our utmost to accommodate the writer’s convenience.”
Accommodate my convenience, huh—ambiguous. Naturally, the other side had many questions for Rojun as well.
“But Rojun, are you planning to continue doing idol work, writing, and even acting at the same time?”
On this point, Kang Rojun made it clear.
“Yes. Writing, acting, and so on are side jobs. Being an idol is my main profession.”
It was an assertion that there could never be a side job that surpassed his main job. “Hwaran Pictures” looked somewhat disappointed. Whatever the case, the meeting continued for more than forty minutes, and after exchanging closing greetings, Kang Rojun met the next management agency ten minutes later.
The starting process was similar to “Hwaran Pictures.”
Greeting, introduction, explanation, boasting, proposal.
The meetings with the second and third management agencies could be seen as practically the same. Likewise, they were all mid-sized, but for Kang Rojun, each left something lacking.
‘Back-to-back meetings aren’t easy. This is seriously intense.’
Soon, it was time for the meeting with the fourth management agency. Three people greeted Rojun, one man and two women, and the man who seemed the oldest had the loudest voice.
“Haha! Writer Rojun! Your visuals are incredible!!”
He was a man in his forties with a somewhat broad face and a so-called crew cut. Hearty? No, perhaps noisy would be the better way to put it. After shaking Kang Rojun’s hand vigorously, the man introduced himself at a high decibel.
“I’m Team Leader Seo Utae, from ‘WW Creative.’”
“Yes, hello. I’m Rojun.”
“Goodness—do you know how hard we pestered PD Woo to get to meet you, Rojun? Finally seeing you now! Hahaha. Have you heard my name before? I’m fairly famous in this field.”
“…It’s nice to meet you for the first time.”
“That’s a shame.”
Seo Utae of “WW Creative,” the corners of his mouth raised, glanced over the female employees who had come with him and replied.
“Looks like I’ll have to run around even harder until my feet sweat! Now, now, let’s move to the meeting room!”
A few minutes later, Kang Rojun and Team Seo Utae entered the meeting room. Seated with the female employees opposite him, Team Leader Seo Utae immediately began reciting the company introduction.
“Our ‘WW Creative’ is a subsidiary of WW Entertainment. Unlike WW Entertainment, we specialize only in creators like writers and directors.”
“Yes, yes.”
Team Leader Seo Utae, who had continued laying out the introduction, abruptly pointed at Kang Rojun.
“In our view, Rojun, you’re doing too many things right now. Idol as the main thing and writing on top of that is more than enough. Acting, lyric writing, and all those minor things can be done later if you have time.”
“……”
“No, rather, if you make the weight of idol work and writing almost equal, it’ll explode even more. Since our ‘WW Creative’ is attached to WW Entertainment, it’ll be the perfect management agency for you, Writer. Idol through WW Entertainment, writer through ‘WW Creative.’ There’s no need to go around in complicated circles.”
Kang Rojun felt subtly offended.
“I didn’t come here to talk about my idol work.”
“Hm? Ahhh, right. Hahaha. You must have circumstances with ‘Geubaekpeu.’ I was simply sharing my brief thoughts.”
Seo Utae then spent several dozen minutes briefing him on conditions and future blueprints, and Kang Rojun, who had been listening quietly, watched for the right timing and delivered his closing line.
“Yes, thank you. I’ll think about it carefully.”
“Huh? Is there any need to think about it for long? I’m confident the conditions I told you are the best in the industry. Rojun, you must be busy with ‘Geubaekpeu,’ so how about signing today while we’re already meeting?”
“……I’ll think about it.”
“Now, now—that’s disappointing. Our ‘WW Creative’ has considerable capital and scale, so may I ask what you find lacking?”
“No. It’s not that anything is lacking. It’s just an important matter, so it feels wrong to decide on the spot.”
“Hmm. Maybe it’s because you’re still young, Rojun, but if you think too much, decisions only become harder.”
Soon, Rojun stood up.
“Thank you.”
“Huh? Wait?”
The way Kang Rojun ended the meeting without hesitation was a silent refusal. He had held back as much as possible while they subtly looked down on him and arbitrarily judged him, so this was as far as it went.
‘I saw plenty of men like this back when I worked construction. People who just run their mouths however they want, regardless of how the other person feels.’
Rojun left the meeting room without regret, but Team Leader Seo Utae, leaving the female employees inside, caught Kang Rojun in the hallway.
“Come on, don’t be like that. How about we talk a little more, and if possible, stamp the contract today?”
“……”
This was probably Seo Utae’s method. He must have thought that pushing hard worked well. If other “Geubaekpeu” participants around twenty years old met Team Leader Seo Utae, they would be swept along in one way or another. They had no experience and would be overwhelmed by his momentum.
But Kang Rojun, who had met many rough people over years of construction work, was different.
“Team Leader. When you push so aggressively, the other person can feel uncomfortable. I’ll contact you later.”
You had to say what needed to be said, or the other party would look down on you. Seo Utae also seemed a little flustered by young Rojun’s firmness. On top of that.
“Hah—”
He seemed to have had his pride hurt too. Because he thought Rojun had ignored the pride he possessed.
“You’re a little… arrogant, aren’t you? Rojun, popularity doesn’t last forever. If you act stiff just because you’re getting a bit of attention, you can snap in an instant, you know?”
“Hoo—”
This old guy was making his temper come out after a long time. Kang Rojun from the construction sites of a few years ago possessed him. Rojun, no longer intending to endure it, swept back his black hair and answered openly.
“Team Leader. Have you ever seen real arrogance?”
“What?”
“Looks like you haven’t.”
His face was devastatingly handsome, but a hint of killing intent swirled in Rojun’s eyes. What else could be done, when the hideous monster he had kept hidden had been awakened?
“I’m good at that kind of thing.”
“H-hey. Watch your words.”
“You didn’t watch yours first, did you?”
“……This won’t be good for you, Rojun.”
“I don’t care. I’m handsome. So should I show you what real arrogance looks like?”
Team Leader Seo Utae, openly grimacing, snorted.
“This is the kind of industry where you fall flat even if you shed just a few sores. Looking at you, you won’t last long. I can’t just let it slide after being treated like this.”
It was then.
“Then leave Team Leader Seo’s sores to me.”
A woman’s voice cut in from behind. Thanks to that, both Rojun and Seo Utae turned their heads, and in time with the click-clack of heels, a middle-aged woman around her fifties walked over. Seo Utae had an expression that said, What is this? Who’s butting in? But not long after.
“Huh?!”
He was startled out of his wits. A middle-aged woman with a bob cut and glasses. She looked plain at a glance, but the aura she emitted was far from ordinary. Naturally so.
“W-Writer Han Seoryeong?!”
Because she was Han Seoryeong, a super-giant writer counted among the top three in Korea. In addition, she was also a co-representative of the major management agency “Culture Drawer.” Writer Han Seoryeong, who had approached without hesitation, looked at Team Leader Seo Utae.
“This is the kind of industry where you fall flat even if you shed just a few sores—is that so? Well, that’s true.”
She showed a calm smile.
“Team Leader, would you like to fall flat?”