Chapter 233

I calmly reconsidered the situation.

We were screwed.

“What’s wrong all of a sudden? What is it? What happened?”

Director Lee Bongjoon approached with a worried expression.

The words “we’re screwed” nearly escaped our lips, but we pushed them back down and took a deep breath instead.

Calm down.

What’s done is done.

Right. There’s no law that says people have to die. Even if you’re dragged into a tiger’s den, if you keep your wits about you… Isn’t it more painful when you’re being eaten?

This is driving me crazy.

First, we assessed the situation.

“What did you and Director Lee discuss? What was exchanged during your call? Tell me in as much detail as possible.”

Seo Jijoon and Director Lee Bongjoon looked at me as if I were insane. It’s familiar.

“Hurry, it’s urgent.”

“He really enjoyed the script, said thank you, mentioned he really wants to do it. He also said that Chief Jung liked the script and that he would meet with the production company to greet them personally again.”

“Oh.”

“Jijoon read a few lines from the script during the call, and the director loved them. Said it was exactly what he had in mind.”

“Ah…”

This was as good as a verbal contract.

What to do now?

What should I do?

I couldn’t even think straight, so I pulled up a chair and sat down. Seo Jijoon and Director Lee Bongjoon looked extremely alarmed, but I had to sort out my thoughts first.

The operation is doomed.

The breakeven point is four million, but if less than a million tickets are sold, it’s a disaster. It’s too disastrous to even consider taste preferences. It’s not a low-budget film; we’ve shoved nearly 20 billion won into this commercial movie.

This is a disaster for the production companies, investors, and actors alike.

An action movie where the action isn’t fun?

Seeking realistic action?

I was warned during the internal preview, and Director Lee has never really absorbed it, saying it’s his own creation. Whether the movie fails or not, he’s satisfied with his own result.

Ah… There’s no answer when a director starts messing up.

No matter how much I think about it, this movie is doomed. The right move is to make a quick exit.

How can I reject this?

After saying I really wanted to do it to Director Lee, it would be awkward to turn it down without a good reason. They’d say I’ve become arrogant or it’s hard to please me now, and all sorts of things would circulate.

Has there ever been a case where an actor naturally withdrew from a cast production?

Should I make up a schedule conflict with another project?

No, that’s flimsy. I don’t have another project scheduled.

An actor involved in a social controversy… That won’t work. It would cause a stir.

Or maybe an actor so injured that they absolutely cannot shoot action scenes.

I gazed intently at Seo Jijoon’s elongated left arm. Even if it isn’t broken, maybe just a minor crack would do, and I could gracefully back out while pretending to be regretful.

“Chief, what’s really going on? Did something big happen to me?”

“No, just thinking.”

Crazy thoughts for a moment.

I gasped for air and suddenly stood up.

“Just a moment.”

I needed something.

Like a madman, I left the meeting room. At the lounge vending machine, I pulled out three large caffeine drinks and returned to the meeting room. I handed them out one by one and tore into mine, gulping it down.

Director Lee Bongjoon’s face was growing pale as he clutched his can.

“You’re scaring me now. What exactly is going on? It’s scarier than when I went to the local hospital for a stomachache, and the doctor told me to get tested at a big hospital.”

“Hang on, when did that happen? Are you hurting somewhere?”

“It’s nothing. Just a herniated disc, but that’s not the issue right now.”

Director Lee Bongjoon looked back at me with eyes pleading for an explanation.

I gathered the words I had to say. No matter how I put it, it would be hard to convince completely.

“I have a separate channel for obtaining information, just for risk assessment.”

“I know. You were the first to know that Park Dojin was dealing drugs when we were casting for ‘Royal Family.’ You even knew about the affair between the director and the writer of ‘Time Slip’ before it blew up. People might not ask directly, but many are curious about your sources.”

“I just received some information about espionage.”

I wove a lie as I pulled the espionage script closer to me on the table.

“And it seems like it’s going to be a problem.”

“A big problem

? Did the director do something…?”

I thought about wrapping it up somehow, but if it got out, it would be a huge issue, so I vaguely summed it up.

“If we talk recklessly, it could lead to a defamation lawsuit.”

“That serious?”

“Yes.”

Seo Jijoon and Director Lee Bongjoon frowned. They were probably thinking of scenarios like abuse of power, adultery, sexual harassment, or hit-and-run drunk driving.

I waited until they had mentally filmed an entire trashy drama, then spoke again.

“So, I think we better not do this.”

“Really?”

“What?”

Both seemed as if they had heard nonsense.

“What did you say?”

“We better not do this.”

Seo Jijoon’s face lost its usual composure.

“Chief, are you serious?”

“Yes.”

A silence fell. Soon, Director Lee Bongjoon kicked his chair away and stood up.

“What the, what is this, just a moment ago you said the script was good, let’s do this! If there’s a problem, shouldn’t we discuss it together and think of a solution? Just saying we shouldn’t do it? Just throwing it away like this?”

His words spilled out in a frenzy, his chest heaving heavily. Suddenly unable to speak, his hoarse voice finally asked.

“Are you crazy?”

Yes, I am going crazy.

I wish there was another way.

But there isn’t. No matter how hard I think, there isn’t.

If the lead actor had caused an accident or there was pressure from the investors, it might be manageable. If only the director was sane.

But that’s not it, the director isn’t sane.

The movie was released, and it’s not fun. The director wrote the screenplay and directed it himself, ruining it with his own hands. And yet, he is satisfied.

How do you solve that?

Convince the director not to shoot the movie this way? Talk him out of it?

Neither investors nor distributors, not even Park Heeseung could stop him.

My reputation in the film industry had already been somewhat tarnished because Director Cha Jaeho had been blabbing around. If I started instructing a celebrated director like Lee Geumhyeong about directing issues, both Seo Jijoon and I would be utterly ruined.

This is just a minefield. It must be avoided at all costs.

Unknowingly, my grip had tightened. The empty aluminum can crumpled in my hand.

Ah…

How great would it be if I could control all risks myself?

Whether it’s the director, investors, or producers. If the person in charge makes a foolish mistake, those below have no choice but to watch the ship head towards the mountains and pray that it’s not Bukmangsan.

If I hate that, I have to become the person in charge somewhere.

When will I be able to do that?

How can I…

I stopped the detouring thoughts and raked my hand through my hair.

“I wouldn’t be talking this seriously unless it was really necessary.”

I checked again to make sure the door to the conference room was properly closed before speaking.

“I think this movie is going to be a disaster. It’s going to fail big time.”

“A disaster?”

Director Lee Bongjoon gasped for air.

Seo Jijoon, arms crossed, leaned against the wall of the conference room and asked.

“I’m not yet used to your style of management, but is this how you normally handle things? When a problem arises, you just say ‘stop’? Is that the end of it?”

“No.”

I looked him straight in the eye as I responded.

“I’m not a dictator, and if an actor really wants to do a project, I can’t just force them not to. I wouldn’t want to either. The final decision is up to Mr. Ji-joon. This is just my opinion.”

He rubbed his face roughly with both hands.

After a stifling silence, he said, “Manager. Do you have any urgent schedules coming up?”

“No.”

“Shall we go for a drink then? It’s a bit early, but.”

Yes.

It seemed like a good time for a drink.

Seo Ji-joon moved the location to his apartment where he lived alone.

Apart from being excessively spacious, it had a rather cozy and homely atmosphere. As soon as we entered the front door, a cat that ran up to us started meowing pitifully, blocking Seo Ji-joon’s path as it rubbed against him.

A plump-faced cat, black on the back and white on the belly.

It looked vaguely familiar.

“Why is this one here?”

It was the cat from ‘Cat Guardian Ghost.’ It had played a stray cat.

“Tuna? It was originally raised by the lighting director, but due to unavoidable circumstances, I ended up taking it.”

Seo Ji-joon casually picked up the heavy-looking cat. Its black and white fur clung messily to his clothes. Even in such a situation, I thought posting a picture of this on Seo Ji-joon’s SNS might get a good response.

We casually set out some snacks on the living room table and opened a bottle of soju.

The soju glasses rotated at an unbelievable pace. Director Bong-joon’s sighs and the cat’s disgruntled meows intermittently joined in as background noise.

Seo Ji-joon mumbled as he chewed on some jerky.

“Ah… Working with Manager Sun-woo feels like this.”

“Back when he was in team 3. Director Hyun-jo and team leader 3 always said that Sun-woo was crazy, and I wondered what they meant since he only did his job well. Now I understand why they called him crazy. This is why.”

Director Bong-joon was gradually moving from shock and denial to resignation.

“Has something like this happened before?”

Something like this.

“It has.”

He dredged up an old memory.

“Once, Miss Chae-young…”

“Miss Chae-young?”

“She asked whether a project involving a time-traveling mermaid could possibly go well. Exactly, Director Byung-hwan asked her. Both were problematic, so I tried to dissuade her, but she wouldn’t listen, so I gave up.”

And both projects spectacularly bombed.

Looking back, it was a hair-raising incident. If Miss Chae-young had listened to me and chosen ‘Cat Guardian Ghost,’ several lives might have been messed up.

Director Bong-joon squinted his eyes.

“Yeah, there was such a time. ‘The Mermaid Ashore’ didn’t seem promising, did it? ‘Cat Guardian Ghost’ felt right though.”

Was that so?

Seo Ji-joon emptied his glass and asked again.

“Does it look like this espionage movie is going to fail?”

“Yes. Not just ordinarily fail, but fail spectacularly.”

Spurred by the alcohol, he spilled his guts.

Director Bong-joon grumbled.

“They liked the script though. They were acting like they’d set up a meeting right away.”

“A movie’s success or failure is influenced by many factors. This time we only had time to review the script briefly; if we had just one more day to investigate, we wouldn’t have even brought up a meeting.”

I don’t know if my job is to be a manager or a con artist.

Director Bong-joon fiddled obsessively with the script.

“Come on, why would this fail? The script is good, the director is good, the actors are good, and the budget is generous. This kind of project shouldn’t fail.”

“Hollywood movies directed by Academy Award-winning directors with budgets running into the hundreds of millions often fail too. Do you think they want to fail?”

Seo Ji-joon, hugging the groaning cat, continued to pet it for a long time.

“Manager. I’m not that carefree.”

“Huh?”

“Is it because of my image? People think I’m this relaxed, easygoing guy. But I’m not.”

He gave a bitter laugh.

“In this day and age, an actor is forgotten quickly. I’d really like to shoot a great film before my hiatus, so that my face remains on TV and on the streets, even while

 I’m gone.”

Seo Ji-joon was undoubtedly a successful actor.

His time as an unknown was so brief it was almost unnoticeable, and he had smoothly transitioned from supporting roles to lead roles, from a promising newcomer to a firmly established top star. At least, that’s how it appeared on the outside.

Today’s trends perfectly matched his handsome appearance and physique, and he was even a talented actor.

He had been typecast in similar roles for a while, which was becoming tiresome according to critics, but his role in ‘Cat Guardian Ghost’ had broadened his acting spectrum tremendously. He had been on a solid path in his acting career.

Yet.

Or perhaps because of that, his feelings were complicated.

In a world where even a celebrity who had caused a syndrome could be dismissed as washed-up after a few years without a successful comeback, only a minority of fans remain loyal and supportive.

The public quickly forgets and moves on to the next thing.

What if his last project before the hiatus was this espionage film?

If it was going to fail, better to do so quietly. Marketing a blockbuster with billions in costs makes a loud crash when it fails, and taking a hiatus right after such a failure would brand him with the image of that failure.

Faces of Ido-kyung and Jang Yohan, who had once shone as brightly as Seo Ji-joon, or even more so, flashed through his mind.

After emptying his glass, Seo Ji-joon said half-jokingly.

“If the movie tanks and I go to the military, who will remember me?”

Then he stared intently at Director Bong-joon.

Director Bong-joon replied indifferently.

“Me? I’ll probably be managing another actor by then.”

“What?”

“What do you mean ‘what’? If you’re in the military, am I supposed to just play around?”

Seo Ji-joon, now sober, thrust the cat forward.

“Why play? Gotta feed it tuna. Provide it with food and water,”

“Why should I feed your cat?”

“You named it, Hyung.”

“You dumped that task on me because you couldn’t name it, didn’t you?”

“So, you’re saying you have no responsibility for its life?”

After a heated argument that smelt of alcohol, Director Bong-joon shook his head, admitting defeat since arguing was pointless. Lifting the cat high, Seo Ji-joon celebrated his victory and then turned to me.

“Manager. Don’t give Hyung any rookies while I’m gone.”

“What, are you drunk?”

“If Hyung takes a newbie, and then teaches and nurtures him from scratch through auditions, could you just leave him after I return? I couldn’t. That would just make me a sad story. Let’s be together forever.”

“That’s not how it works.”

Soon, Seo Ji-joon’s slumped posture seemed ready to topple over as he continued.

“If later on Hyung wants to be called CEO and make more money, let’s go out and start a small company then. I’ll talk to CEO Baek about it. Work hard, make a lot of money for the company, and then leave.”

“Start what? I’m not CEO material for life.”

“Then, when Manager Jung leaves, follow him and ask for a position. Yes. That would be better.”

“This kid must be really drunk.”

Seo Ji-joon chuckled and filled my glass to the brim.

A little while later, he said in a weary voice.

“I won’t do this movie.”

“!”

“I joined this team believing in Manager’s capability. I should trust that.”

“Hey, what if!”

Director Bong-joon’s unspoken words hung in his throat like a man choked up. He must have wanted to say, “What if the espionage movie does well?”

I downed my glass in one gulp and said.

“I won’t regret it.”

“You should hope not. But, I’ve already told the director we’re doing it. What now?”

“I’ll handle it.”

“Do you have a plan?”

No.

I’ll have to think about it now. Where to throw this bomb.

After a moment’s thought, I said.

“First, Mr. Ji-joon and Director Lee, take a flight tomorrow.”

“Huh? A flight?”

Director Bong-joon sat up, looking bewildered.

“Let’s pretend there was an overseas schedule. We’ll buy some time by having the meeting with the espionage film producers after returning, and I’ll handle the rest.”

Somehow.

Seo Ji-joon nodded. Director Bong-joon groaned on the rug.

Now that I had convinced this side, it was time to talk to the division head and CEO Baek Han-sung that we weren’t doing the film. Next were the supposed verbal agreements with Director Lee Geum-hyung and the espionage film

 producers.

That side…

Seo Ji-joon gave me a hopeful look, awaiting my solution to this tangled mess.

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