Superstar From Age 0

Chapter 279

There was one person who knew nothing about the situation that MBS was going through all day long, between heaven and hell. 

The drama writer, Yu Cheong-Ah, was humming and typing on her keyboard.

“Hehe.”

She couldn’t stop smiling.

The writer So Eun-Jin, who had stopped by the studio for a moment, chuckled at the sight of Yu Cheong-Ah, who was giggling.

“Is it that fun?”

“Oh, writer! When did you come?”

“Didn’t I knock?”

Yu Cheong-Ah scratched her cheek. 

She felt like this had happened before… So Eun-Jin seemed to notice that too and advised her.

“It’s good to be focused when you work, but you should also look around sometimes. You never know what might happen.”

“Yes!”

Yu Cheong-Ah answered cheerfully.

“How’s the work going?”

“Good. I got a call from the PD at lunchtime. He asked me if I could extend it. So I’m rewriting the synopsis.”

“That’s nice.”

The broadcasting station usually wanted to extend the broadcast of a work that had a good response from the viewers.

‘Of course, this time it’s thanks to Seo-Jun.’

So Eun-Jin smiled and asked Yu Cheong-Ah.

“How much are you going to extend it?”

“There was a part that I cut out when I changed the one-act play to a four-part series. I think it will be longer if I put that in.”

“The broadcasting station will like that.”

So Eun-Jin and Yu Cheong-Ah smiled brightly, unaware of the chaos that was happening at the broadcasting station. 

Yu Cheong-Ah, who had been smiling brightly, soon became gloomy.

“But I don’t know how actor Lee Seo-Jun will react. I hope he likes it…”

“So you’re not going to write it?”

“No! I’m still going to try. PD Gong said that if it doesn’t work, we’ll just shoot it as a four-part series. I don’t know if this is enough, though.”

“I think that’s a good strategy. It’s better to decide for sure now than to extend it after the drama shooting starts. Besides, Seo-Jun has a passion for his work, so if he likes the extended synopsis better than the four-part series, he’ll gladly shoot it.”

“Really?”

Yu Cheong-Ah’s eyes sparkled and So Eun-Jin said with a smile.

“Why do you think Seo-Jun uses the pen name Na Jin? He wanted to take a step forward in children’s theater even though he used such a name. He also created his own work that he wanted to do like Theater Mirror. It’s rare to find an actor who does so much for his acting.”

So Eun-Jin recalled the actor who had acted with all his might in both Inner Mind and Mirror.

“Seo-Jun, no, actor Lee Seo-Jun is not just a good actor, but a scary actor who has a passion for his work. Since he liked your script, work hard.”

“Yes!”

Yu Cheong-Ah gained confidence as well as pressure and typed on her keyboard incessantly. 

It seemed to flow smoothly somehow. 

So Eun-Jin watched Yu Cheong-Ah for a while and then left the studio with a gentle smile.

Some time passed and Yu Cheong-Ah took her hands off the keyboard.

“Done!”

And she immediately picked up her phone.

<PD Gong!

<I think I can extend it.

<I rewrote the synopsis, should I send it to Cocoa Entertainment?

It was 5:12 p.m.

The mark that had disappeared in less than 10 seconds until yesterday did not disappear even after several minutes. 

Yu Cheong-Ah tilted her head. 

She stretched her stiff body and drank a cup of coffee before PD Gong Hee-Chan’s message arrived.

Gong Hee-Chan: Oh, writer.

Gong Hee-Chan: Sorry for the late reply.

Gong Hee-Chan: Please send it to me first.

<Okay! Got it!

***

“Excuse me.”

PD Gong Hee-Chan, who had sent a message to Yu Cheong-Ah and came back, sat down on his chair with a tense expression. 

The CP who was sitting next to him opened his mouth with a serious expression.

“PD Park Gyu-Min has been dropped from this project.”

“Is it because of us?”

This project meant PD Park Gyu-Min’s debut. He couldn’t make his debut, which was a harsher punishment than expected. 

Anh Da Ho frowned. He wanted PD Park Gyu-Min to be punished, but it had to be reasonable. Excessive punishment could have a negative impact on Seo-Jun.

‘PD Park Gyu-Min might use the media.’

The CP quickly raised his hand at Anh Da Ho’s serious expression.

“No! It’s a punishment that was decided after considering other issues. I can’t tell you the details, but… it’s definitely not because of actor Lee Seo-Jun. You don’t have to worry about anything. PD Park Gyu-Min won’t be able to do anything stupid.”

He had the decisive evidence of the recording, so PD Park Gyu-Min couldn’t do anything. PD Gong Hee-Chan also nodded his head repeatedly and agreed with the CP’s words.

Anh Da Ho, who had been scrutinizing the expressions of the CP and PD Gong Hee-Chan with a sharp gaze, nodded his head. 

It seemed like they wouldn’t tell him anything more since it was an internal matter of the broadcasting station.

“I see. I understand.”

“I’m really sorry for this incident.”

“I’m sorry!”

“It’s not something that the CP and PD Gong should apologize for. You two didn’t know anything.”

The CP and PD Gong Hee-Chan sighed in relief at Anh Da Ho’s words.

“Then who will direct the other four-part series? I heard it’s a thriller…”

He felt like Seo-Jun would be curious rather than himself. The CP smiled awkwardly and answered Anh Da Ho’s question.

“I will do it.”

He hadn’t directed anything since he became a CP, but he had no choice but to do it in this situation. 

It was too much for a debut PD to handle the chaotic atmosphere of the shooting site, and it was impossible to entrust it to PD Gong Hee-Chan, who was the owner of the work ‘Spring’.

“If it’s CP Kim Jin-Myung, it will be a good work.”

“Thank you.”

The CP and PD Gong Hee-Chan, who had been looking at each other alternately, opened their mouths.

“We were too hasty in deciding to refuse the appearance. It was only a day after we decided to appear in the drama, and another PD came to our company and asked us to replace him. It was the first time we experienced something like this, so we were a bit excited.”

The CP and PD Gong Hee-Chan shuddered at every word of Anh Da Ho. His voice was soft and his face was smiling, but why did his heart hurt so much?

“…I’m sorry.”

“But this time, PD Gong is definitely in charge, so we’ll think about the drama appearance again with the actor and let you know.”

The CP and PD Gong Hee-Chan, who had been crouching down to the floor, looked up in surprise. Was it a delusion to see hope in those words?

“Then…!”

“Of course, it’s not confirmed.”

“I understand. Thank you!”

PD Gong Hee-Chan smiled brightly. The CP also curled up his lips and shouted inwardly, when Anh Da Ho said with a smile on his face.

“But what’s this 24-part series story? Was it PD Park Gyu-Min’s unilateral opinion, or… MBS’s opinion?”

“…!”

The CP and PD Gong Hee-Chan crouched down again, sweating coldly, wondering if this was what it felt like to go back and forth between heaven and hell.

***

“So writer Yu Cheong-Ah is writing something new.”

“Right now?”

“Yeah. She said she finished the synopsis. Should we ask her to send it?”

Seo-Jun, who had been practicing his acting in the practice room after signing the remaining photo cards for tomorrow, tilted his head at Anh Da Ho’s words, who had met with the CP and PD Gong Hee-Chan.

“How much did she extend it?”

“Six episodes. She added two more.”

“Hmm. That doesn’t seem like a big change in the content… Can I read it?”

“Of course.”

Anh Da Ho tapped his phone and headed to the printer installed in the practice room. 

His phone vibrated and he touched it a few times, and the printer started working.

“When do we have to answer?”

“They said they want it within four days at least. The sooner, the better. MBS seems to be busy with this and that.”

“I see.”

Anh Da Ho collected the papers that came out of the printer and asked.

“Do you want to read the synopsis here and go? Or do you want to read it at home?”

“I have dinner plans with my brothers today. We made a bet.”

“A bet?”

“Yeah. The winner gets to choose the menu, and I won. We’re going to eat Korean food.”

Seo-Jun smiled and said.

“So I’ll read it here until my brothers come.”

“Okay. Call me if you need anything.”

“Okay.”

The printer stopped and Anh Da Ho handed the synopsis to Seo-Jun. 

Seo-Jun sat on a chair with sparkling eyes and read the synopsis while Anh Da Ho left the practice room and headed to Team 2’s office.

Team 2’s office was like a battlefield since lunchtime when PD Park Gyu-Min came. They tried their best to find out information about PD Park Gyu-Min using their connections. Anh Da Ho smiled at the sight of the exhausted Team 2 staff.

“You all worked hard today.”

“Did you come, Team Leader An? It feels harder than when Seo-Jun’s work was announced.”

“That was when we were receiving, and there was mostly good news. This time we were asking, and it wasn’t a good thing either.”

The staff nodded at one staff’s words.

“But I’m glad it ended well.”

“But why did they suddenly change the PD? What’s going on?”

At the staff’s question, Anh Da Ho opened his mouth with a stiff face.

“We have to find out from tomorrow. It doesn’t seem like a good thing, so we should gather some data before it gets involved with Seo-Jun. MBS said it was okay, but we can’t just trust them and sit still.”

“That’s true.”

The staff, who knew well about the situation in the entertainment industry where things that didn’t exist could happen, nodded their heads with serious faces at Anh Da Ho’s words.

“But let’s call it a day and go home today.”

The staff smiled brightly at Anh Da Ho’s words.

***

Two days later.

PD Park Gyu-Min was in a coma and MBS Drama Department was on thin ice. 

It wasn’t because of PD Park Gyu-Min, but because of the department head who was roaming around the office like a lion looking for prey.

“Did you get a call?”

“No, not yet.”

The department head, who had heard about the conversation at Cocoa Entertainment from the CP and PD Gong Hee-Chan, went back and forth between heaven and hell every day, wandering around PD Gong Hee-Chan’s vicinity instead of his office. 

The stress of the staff who stayed in the office increased in such a situation. 

There were also some staff who deliberately avoided showing up in the office.

“Did you get a call?”

“…No, not yet…”

“Department head. Please go to your office. If you ask every 10 minutes, PD Gong can’t work.”

At the CP’s words, the department head nodded his head as if he had no choice and turned around to go to his office. If only PD Gong Hee-Chan’s phone hadn’t rung.

They had called PD Gong Hee-Chan’s phone several times in two days to make sure it wasn’t broken, so they were familiar with the ringtone. 

The department head who was about to go back to his office, the CP who was leading him, and even the staff in the office all looked at PD Gong Hee-Chan in surprise.

PD Gong Hee-Chan swallowed his saliva and looked at his phone screen. Everyone guessed by looking at his ecstatic face.

It’s Cocoa Entertainment!

The department head gestured quickly. Answer it, answer it quickly!

PD Gong Hee-Chan answered the phone.

“Yes.”

“Yes yes.”

Everyone held their breath as PD Gong Hee-Chan only answered. 

Kim Dan-Bi, who was about to say something, was stopped by Choi Hyun-Woo.

‘Don’t say anything, whether it’s good or bad.’

‘Sorry.’

Kim Dan-Bi nodded her head at Choi Hyun-Woo’s blinking eyes.

“Yes. I understand.”

As soon as the call ended, the department head approached and asked.

“What did Cocoa Entertainment say?”

“…Actor Lee Seo-Jun agreed to appear. In six episodes!”

PD Gong Hee-Chan’s words made MBS Drama Department explode.

“Don’t touch this project. Don’t even touch it!”

The department head’s roar made the drama department office, which was about to cheer, quiet as a mouse. 

Choi Hyun-Woo and Kim Dan-Bi quickly put their arms back in, which they had stretched out to cheer.

“Whether it’s PPL or investment or networking or squeezing in! If you get involved in this, be prepared to have a hard time at work.”

The department head, who had been hurt once, roared like a lion protecting his cub.

PD Gong Hee-Chan, who had finally been able to make his debut work after going around and around, smiled brightly.