Episode 60

“Oh, what should I say to Jin Yu-han? Yun Kaedi will handle it. Isn’t that the role of the casting director?”

“What? I’m the captain of this ship, and the director is calling.”

Yun Kaedi flatly refuses when the director wickedly hands a bomb to the casting director, rejecting it like a knife.

“I should do it myself. Ugh. Even if the casting luck overflows, it’s still a challenge.”

Yeon-woo delegated the discussion of casting negotiations to Team Leader Jung and left the broadcasting station with Min-soo.

In the car on the way back to the office, Min-soo spoke up.

“Yeon-woo, I find this very thrilling every time.”

“Auditions?”

Min-soo smoothly applied the brakes as the traffic light turned red, looking back and grinning at Yeon-woo.

“I was actually not watching your acting but looking at the faces of the directors.”

Turning his gaze back to the front, Min-soo continued.

“But at first, I didn’t have much expectation in my eyes.”

“The actor Jin Yu-han who went in first did a good job as well.”

Min-soo nodded in agreement with Yeon-woo’s words.

“That’s right. I could watch your acting, but I had already decided in my heart. But as you acted, your expression gradually changed, and later, it seemed like hearts were coming out of your eyes?”

Yeon-woo’s lips also curled up slightly at Min-soo’s more excited demeanor today.

On the other hand, in Jin Yu-han’s car on the way back after the audition.

Manager Han Young-ho’s smartphone rang.

“Oh, yes. Director.”

Manager Han Young-ho answered the call with a bright face. However, soon his face crumpled.

“Yes? Ah, I see. Hm, well, nothing can be done. It’s not the director’s fault to apologize.”

Listening to the call, Jin Yu-han also lowered his sunglasses and looked at Manager Han Young-ho.

“Yes, I understand. We’ll meet later.”

Manager Han Young-ho’s expression turned fierce after ending the call.

“No, that’s ridiculous. How can you say that their image is more suitable for the role? Do they have eyes? How can they even watch Yu-han’s Seo Hee?”

“They say Ryu Yeon-woo fits the image better?”

Jin Yu-han’s voice was calmer than expected.

“That’s right. I can’t understand it. They only make the same old KBC historical dramas, so they don’t know the trends, right?”

“I thought I was well-prepared, but it seems Ryu Yeon-woo is doing exceptionally well.”

Jin Yu-han’s expression showed more interest than wounded pride.

“Manager, I’m sorry, but could you call the Director Lee again?”

“Why? Yu-han. Don’t do anything strange. There’s nothing good about clashing with the broadcasting station PD.”

Upon Manager Han Young-ho’s words, Jin Yu-han smirked.

“Where did I become such a person? I evaluated fairly through the audition.”

With a somber expression, Manager Han handed the phone to Jin Yu-han, who spoke while the call is connecting.

“When I signed the contract, the only clause I insisted on was obviously valid, right?”

The clause stated that, except for roles in low-budget independent films or those seriously damaging an actor’s image, the actor would choose the project they wanted.

“Yeah, that’s true. But it seemed like you were leaning towards Ryu Yeon-woo, right?”

At that moment, the call connected.

[Yes, Manager Han.]

“Director, it’s me, Jin Yu-han.”

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After ending the call and heading to a meeting with the staff, Manager Han Young-ho’s phone called back. Director Lee Sang-hoon gestured for the team to wait and answered.

“Yes, Manager Han.”

[Director, it’s me, Jin Yu-han.]

“Ah, Mr. Jin Yu-han.”

[I heard that Ryu Yeon-woo has been cast as Seo Hee.]

Director Lee Sang-hoon’s face changed as if he had bitten into something unpleasant.

‘Are you going to complain about the casting? It was a fair audition, but Jin Yu-han seemed to lack a sense of reality from a young age.’

“Yes, but?”

Director Lee Sang-hoon, already sounding irritated, asked with a suspicious voice.

However, what came unexpectedly was Jin Yu-han’s story.

[In that case, I would like to participate as ‘Lee Ji-baek’. Is that possible?]

Director Lee Sang-hoon’s eyes widened momentarily.

“What? The role of Lee Ji-baek is a supporting role. Of course, it has a significant presence, but it’s different from the sub-male lead in a romantic comedy.”

[That’s okay. I really want to participate in this project.]

“The role of Lee Ji-baek includes a scene where he is dispatched as an envoy to Song Dynasty, so there will be overseas location shooting. Is that okay with you?”

Upon hearing this, Jin Yu-han’s response was immediate and unwavering.

[Yes, of course.]

The unexpected proposal caught Director Lee Sang-hoon off guard.

“Oh, then it feels like we’ve hit the jackpot. I’m so happy.”

[Well, please discuss the detailed appearance negotiations with the company. I look forward to working with you during the shoot.]

They exchanged greetings and hung up.

Entering the meeting room where the production team and key staff were gathered,

With a hooked mouth, he shouted.

“In our project, Jin Yu-han is participating as Lee Ji-baek.”

The staff, surprised by the abrupt statement, opened their mouths one by one.

“What? As Lee Ji-baek? Jin Yu-han?”

“Wow, our male lead is Ryu Yeon-woo, and the sub-male lead is Jin Yu-han? That’s amazing.”

“Uh, it’s good, but if Jin Yu-han helps with the guarantee negotiations, it seems the budget for the female lead will be tight, right?”

It’s a historical drama that’s hard to include product placements in, and the cost of shooting on location and doing post-production CG was very high.

“Ah, it’s okay. You can either attract more investment or ask the broadcasting station for additional budget. Let’s not worry about that. Instead, let’s look for an actress who fits the image well.”

The production team, who had suddenly secured two of the hottest young male actors these days, brightened their faces and started the meeting.

“What about Yeo Min-seo?”

“She said it’s difficult due to other schedules.”

 

As Director Lee Sang-hoon searched for an actress while flipping through the files, the suggestion of the assistant writer sitting at the end caught everyone’s attention.

“How about Seo Ji-eun?”

Seo Ji-eun? Wasn’t she is an actress who rose to fame a few years ago with a high school youth drama, but then her career went downhill after the major actor in her first leading role in a miniseries was forced to leave due to a drug scandal.

“Yes, if Han Jun-kyung didn’t have drug issues, it would have worked out well. I always thought she would suit well with Ryu Yeon-woo while watching him.”

In reality, Assistant Writer Jeong Yena is a member of the Wooz Club. She was thrilled when she heard that Ryu Yeon-woo might be cast.

When she joined the team under Kim Jin-joo’s lead, Jeong Yena had imagined countless virtual castings, and the best combination was Ryu Yeon-woo and Seo Ji-eun.

Although she couldn’t have predicted Jin Yu-han joining, she thought the three would be perfect together.

“Hmm, it might work. Let’s look into it.”

As the director flipped through the files again, he continued.

“Oh, since we’re talking about casting, let’s check the actors for drug issues just in case. Strange drug issues in the entertainment industry keep popping up these days.”

“Yes.”

At that moment, in Ryu Yeon-woo’s car on the way back to the office, he was also checking his smartphone in real-time.

[Breaking news, Actor Ahn Jun-ho under investigation for drug suspicion.]

[Shocking, Another entertainment industry drug case, Ahn Jun-ho too.]

‘Ahn Jun-ho, drugs?’

Real-time breaking news was coming in.

Ahn Jun-ho was an actor who had collaborated with Ryu Yeon-woo in a summer-themed project.

“He didn’t seem like someone who would do drugs.”

Min-soo, who was driving and heard Yeon-woo’s words, asked, “Who is it? Drugs, you mean narcotics?”

“Yes. There’s news that Jun-ho hyung is being investigated for drugs.”

“If it’s Jun-ho hyung, are you talking about Actor Ahn Jun-ho?”

“Yes. We filmed together in the Summer Promise.”

Unexpectedly, even Min-soo was surprised by these words.

“He didn’t seem like that kind of person…?”

At that moment, Yeon-woo’s smartphone rang, and it was Son Jin-yuk.

“Yes. Jin-yuk hyung.”

[Yeon-woo, have you heard the news?]

“Is it about Jun-ho hyung?”

[Yeah. What’s going on? It’s shocking that Jun-ho suddenly got involved in drugs. I haven’t met him privately since he moved to a new agency, but it’s a shock.]

Upon hearing Jin-yuk’s sigh through the phone, Yeon-woo responded.

“He and Jin-yuk hyung were always kind of close.”

[Yeah, he made his debut as a supporting actor in ‘Your Name’.]

“Did he recently change agencies?”

In response to Yeon-woo’s question, Jin-yuk sighed and answered.

[Originally, we were in the same agency, but when we signed a contract with LN Entertainment, he also moved because it was the re-signing period. I think it was Plus Ten.]

‘Plus Ten, CEO Byun Hak-gyu?’

As soon as Yeon-woo heard the agency name from Jin-yuk, the CEO’s name came to mind.

[Well, I don’t know the CEO’s name for sure.]

It was certain. The CEO who induced sponsorship to Jeong Soo-yeon.

“Jin-yuk hyung, I have a place to call briefly, so I think I need to hang up.”

[Ah, sure. Let’s talk again.]

As soon as the call ended, Yeon-woo called Jeong Soo-yeon. She quickly answered the call.

[Hmm. Yeon-woo, I was about to call you.]

“Yeah? You were about to call?”

In response to Yeon-woo’s question, Soo-yeon spoke with a cheerful voice.

[Yeah. They suddenly notified me that they want to terminate the contract at the agency! Originally, they threatened to prevent me from working during the remaining period.]

“Oh, I see. Congratulations, Soo-yeon. Did you relieve some stress?”

[Really. It feels like the shackles that were binding me have been released.]

‘Thanks to Soo-yeon speaking about what he was going to ask, they only had a small chat before ending the call.

‘This feels definitely fishy.’

In the meantime, Min-soo’s car arrived at the office, but Yeon-woo, still lost in thought, was called by Min-soo.

“Yeon-woo, we’ve arrived.”

“Oh, right. Thank you, Min-soo hyung.”

“Hey, Yeon-woo. Don’t be too disheartened.”

Yeon-woo’s contemplative appearance seemed significant to Min-soo.

Yeon-woo smiled and acknowledged.

After greeting Min-soo, Yeon-woo went up to the office and started searching for information about the drug case on his computer.

Apart from Ahn Jun-ho’s recent case, it felt like drug incidents were happening frequently in the entertainment industry these days.

Even in the debut drama ‘Summer Promise’ where he originally had the role, if there hadn’t been a drug incident, the role of the main character Cha Woo-joo would have been designated for an idol-turned-actor named Jung Min-hwan, as he heard during a gathering.

Entertainment industry, drugs, sponsorship.

Yeon-woo’s senses kept picking up a bad feeling.

When he felt like this during his agent days, things tended to go in a bad direction.

It felt like he was about to catch something, but there was a missing puzzle piece in the middle.

– Tri-iing. –

At that moment, Yeon-woo’s smartphone rang.

Checking the caller ID, he noticed it was a deliberately unsaved number for security, but it was a number he knew.

It was Han Hae-woon’s smartphone number. They had decided to communicate using a secure application, so receiving a call meant something urgent or not good.

Yeon-woo answered the call.

“This is Ryu Yeon-woo.”

“Team Leader, I currently need some help…”