Unexpected good news spilled from PD Gim Yeong-jin’s mouth. It was something decided only a few hours prior. It happened during the internal preview held right on the eve of the drama *Money Bubble*’s first broadcast. An internal preview was an important occasion to first check the rough edit before actually sending the content out to broadcast. Here, they grasped complex elements like the story’s flow, the necessity of scenes, and the harmony of characters, then reflected them in revisions. It was work that should have been done steadily from much earlier, but the internal schedule had gotten tangled and pushed it back significantly. The surface cause was that the filming order for episodes 1 through 8 had been jumbled up. Since all filming was conducted bundled only by location, a situation occurred where, separate from the filmed footage and rough edits continuously piling up, there were no completed episodes. They had been filling the empty scenes for each episode from the front one by one, but that was a problem in its own right. The episodes that needed checking had piled up all at once. Moreover, PD Gim Yeong-jin was still busy going back and forth to shoots. The timing to delay the first broadcast date had already been missed, and it was impossible to proceed with the preview while leaving out the main producing PD. In the end, the *Money Bubble* team had to gather in the preview room from the crack of dawn.
Given the special circumstances, only a small group attended: the CP, PD Gim Yeong-jin, the main assistant director, the main writer, and the head of the drama department.
“Let’s be human and do the preview during work hours. What is this, dragging us out of our sleep?”
“Let’s be human and set the drama broadcast schedule realistically. What is this, not being able to sleep?”
“Ahem!”
The department head, who had been expressing dissatisfaction with drowsy eyes, could only cough dryly at PD Gim Yeong-jin’s counterattack. He was the very person who had delayed the drama production budget confirmation by half a month under the pretext of outsourced production meetings he didn’t even need to attend personally, so he had nothing to say. Moreover, PD Gim Yeong-jin was a talent that DLB Broadcasting Station had desperately hung onto. He was strictly the “subordinate,” but an existence like the “dominant party.” Therefore, he didn’t bother holding back what he wanted to say. Realizing there was nothing to gain from grumbling further, the department head changed the subject.
“How many episodes are edited?”
“Up to episode 6. We saw up to episode 3 last time, so we only need to watch three.”
“Let’s watch quickly and finish this. Play it.”
At the department head’s order, the assistant director played the rough edit. The silent atmosphere—whether they were watching the video or dozing off—reversed in the latter half of episode 4. Main Writer U Yeon-gyeong, who had seemed to have her eyes half-closed, composed her parched, cracking voice and opened her mouth.
“The loan shark character has completely changed.”
“That kid’s pretty good, right? I didn’t know, but he’s got some sense.”
PD Gim Yeong-jin said it with his own mouth, then flinched in surprise. Because he had been feeling proud without realizing it.
“It wasn’t the PD’s direction?”
“He did it on his own.”
“But doesn’t he stand out too much? Should a minor role give off that much presence? The supporting actors are completely dead in comparison.”
The CP suddenly interjected.
“PD-nim, did you sleep well?”
At the random morning greeting from Writer U Yeon-gyeong, the CP rubbed his mouth awkwardly.
“What do you mean the supporting actors are dead? Right now the supporting actor and the minor role have explosive synergy.”
“Rewind it a bit.”
The assistant director rewound the video as PD Gim Yeong-jin instructed.
[But why haven’t I heard a single thing yet? Are you ignoring me because my grandfather died, right now?]
[Kuh.....!]
On the large preview monitor, the passionate acting of the two actors—Gang Ha-jun and the actor playing the Chairman—shone.
“Even watching again, the impact is no joke.”
Writer U Yeon-gyeong spoke as if possessed by something.
The CP and the department head also nodded.
PD Gim Yeong-jin showed a hint of regret.
“If I’d known he was that talented, I would’ve cast him long ago. Even for a small role.”
“Was he an actor you knew from before?”
“He’s the kid playing the role of Choe Han-ho. Since he followed me around the set every single day, I had him fill in as an extra a few times.”
“Really? Then he must still be coming to the set?”
“After filming that, he comes out alone even when he doesn’t have a shoot.”
Writer U Yeon-gyeong, who had been going back and forth with PD Gim Yeong-jin, lit up.
“I just got a great idea.”
“What idea?”
“What if we set the loan shark as, how should I say... a sociopath-like personality disorder character to add some tension to the drama?”
When she suggested that, the department head raised an objection.
“The loan shark appears again? What’s the point of setting that up or not?”
“I mean let’s increase his screen time.”
“Is that necessary?”
“He’s too charming a character to just appear once and disappear. We need at least one unique role like this so that when compared to other chaebol dramas, we can appeal with a point of differentiation, don’t you think?”
For the first time in a while, Writer U Yeon-gyeong’s creative drive was bubbling. A new scenario was already being drawn in her head.
“I’m in favor. Honestly, someone at that level isn’t a character who can end as a two-scene bit part. A narrative has already emerged. The ‘sociopath’ Writer Woo mentioned. If it’s drawn well, it will become this drama’s selling point. Even if the screen time isn’t necessarily a lot.”
PD Gim Yeong-jin backed her up.
“If PD Gim says so, well.”
The department head nodded in acknowledgment and looked at the CP.
The CP opened his mouth.
“But we can’t focus too much on the loan shark. Because we’ll be in trouble if the overall story line collapses.”
He also generally agreed.
“Don’t worry. We’ll use him appropriately as a seasoning role.”
Writer U Yeon-gyeong was confident.
**
PD Gim Yeong-jin, who had kindly told me the general sequence of events, tapped his cigarette with his index finger to put it out. Go Hyeon-su, who had been listening beside me, offered quiet congratulations. Yi Jin-mok wore a faint smile.
“Thank you, PD-nim.”
“What thanks. This is something you earned with your own ability, Gang Ha-jun ssi.”
PD Gim Yeong-jin flicked his cigarette butt into a nearby trash can and patted my shoulder.
“Anyway, I’m looking forward to it. I have to go shoot the next scene, so I’ll get going. Finish the practice you were doing.”
“Yes. I’ll see you later.”
From afar, Manager Jeong was seen approaching with quick steps. He exchanged brief greetings with PD Gim Yeong-jin, who was moving busily. Then he stood in front of me, breathing heavily.
“Ha-jun ssi, you were here the whole time? I looked for you for nothing. The good news I was telling you about earlier...”
“It’s about the loan shark role’s screen time increasing, right?”
“You heard it from the PD?”
“Yes. Just now.”
“Is that so?”
Manager Jeong asked meaninglessly, then pulled a business card from his inner pocket and held it out. He got straight to the point without delay.
“Your shoot will probably start sometime next week at the latest. You come to the set often, but I still have to give you the call on time, right? If you had an agency, I’d just need the manager’s number, but that’s not the case for you, Ha-jun ssi.”
Simply put, he wanted me to give him my number. Put another way:
“Ha-jun, shall I be your temporary manager?”
Yi Jin-mok, who was beside me, asked.
Temporary manager.
There was nothing bad about it, but nothing particularly good either.
Truthfully, I had noticed. That Yi Jin-mok had been keeping an eye on me since right after the minor role shoot three days ago. That was probably why he kept doing things he didn’t usually do. From small kindnesses like making sure to take me home late at night, to blatantly obvious things like making me do script readings to check my acting skills. It seemed that after watching me a bit more, if he liked what he saw, he intended to recruit me into his company, Kkumdongsan Entertainment.
“No, it’s okay.”
I had no intention of accepting readily.
I planned to look for an agency slowly. Right now, I could act perfectly fine without a manager. Preparing in advance for when things got busy wasn’t bad, but now was not the time. After all, I was nothing but a fledgling who had just escaped being an extra. So I needed to wait a little longer. Until an agency that had the will to properly take care of me appeared.
A complacent thought like “Should I just take a stab at it?” was out of the question. This was quite an important issue. No matter how overflowing an actor’s individual talent was, if the company had no intention of pushing them, it was all for nothing. Rather, they could end up with worse results than if they worked alone because their hands were tied. I had seen quite a few such cases in my previous life.
It wasn’t that Kkumdongsan Entertainment was bad. It was just that a newbie with nothing had a hard time being treated well anywhere.
At my refusal, Yi Jin-mok didn’t add any more words.
I called the number on Manager Jeong’s business card and hung up immediately.
“That’s my number.”
“Thanks. When the schedule comes out, I’ll contact you with the call time.”
Manager Jeong, his business done, left.
Yi Jin-mok muttered under his breath.
“Giving your number directly to a casting director won’t do you any good. It’ll become a hassle later, you.”
“So what?”
It would be great if it became a hassle. That meant work was coming in.
I saved Manager Jeong’s number from my call log.
**
Five days later.
Today’s filming ended in the early evening. Thanks to the production staff’s consideration in telling us to watch the first broadcast. As they had asked permission for in advance, Go Hyeon-su and Yi Jin-mok sat with our family on the living room sofa. Today was the first time Yi Jin-mok had come to our house. Since Go Hyeon-su had been working as his manager ever since being discharged from military service, it meant they had closed the emotional distance after three years. The awkwardness of a first meeting was slowly neutralized thanks to the fresh strawberries Father had bought on his way home from work.
“Is that the back of our Ha-jun’s head?”
“Your eyes are sharp.”
Father chuckled.
The netizens’ reactions to the drama were fairly decent.
—The Choe Han-seo sisters’ girl crush is insane... I’ll keep watching the live broadcast from now on.
—Unnie, I’m 8 years old.
—The immersion is a bit lower than expected, but the actors’ acting seems watchable.
—Ratings are gonna skyrocket for sure.
—I don’t think it’s that good.
It was a shame there were almost no comments about Go Hyeon-su. He sat crouched with his knees hugged, looking only at the “Viewer Comments” board. He seemed unable to focus on the drama for the whole hour. Because he kept biting his nails and making clicking sounds beside me, I had to keep stopping him.
—The actor Go Hyeon-su whom I love so much~~ I fell for him when I watched *Persimmon Tree Fruit* before, and I binge-watched all the works he appeared in as a child actor. Seriously, a face made for acting, and acting made for acting... I have zero idea why he isn’t famous, so I’m just frustratedㅠㅠㅠ Please do well this time!!
*Persimmon Tree Fruit* was the drama in which Go Hyeon-su took his first step as an adult actor. Though the results were disastrous. A single positive comment that fell like rain during a drought. Go Hyeon-su smiled faintly and captured that comment.
After the drama ended, a text message came to Yi Jin-mok.
“Ratings are in.”
Everyone’s attention focused on him.
“Average 3.8%, peak 4.2%. We held our ground. Not bad for a first episode.”
Yi Jin-mok and Go Hyeon-su looked somewhat satisfied.
“Let’s keep this momentum going. Ha-jun, you’re going to shoot tomorrow too, right?”
“Yes. It’s in the afternoon, but can I catch a ride in the morning?”
“Of course, why even ask. Be there by 6.”
“Thank you.”
It had been several days since the revised script came out. But since my part was small, my filming turn hadn’t come around and it had been driving me crazy. The script I had received through Manager Jeong had been read so much it had already lost its gloss.
After Go Hyeon-su and Yi Jin-mok left, I went straight to my room and lay on the bed. Condition management is also an actor’s virtue. My heart fluttered so much I could hardly fall asleep, but I forced my eyes shut for tomorrow’s sake. And when I went to the set the next day.
I came face to face with a welcome face there.