“Are you sure this is the right place, sir?” Bong, the assistant director of ‘Broken Chains of Justice’, asked as he parked their car in front of a large stairway.
“That’s what the person on Sigmoid told me.”
Bong pursed his lips. “Sir, we cannot just trust anyone these days! Especially on the internet. You don’t even know that guy’s name.”
Man-shik shrugged. “That guy sounded really confident. Zeno Han. 24 years old. According to the source, he isn’t a beggar. He was just having some issues.”
Bong gulped. “And we’re supposed to trust someone like him?”
“Let’s go,” Man-shik said without any hesitation.
It was true that ‘Broken Chains of Justice’ had become a hit in the first episode. The hype centered around the fact that it had achieved the highest first-episode ratings for the year.
However, a lot of people were saying it didn’t live up to expectations.
Man-shik read through the responses, and many critics had already guessed what would happen in the end. It left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Fortunately, Ari sent him a roughly revised script yesterday, and although they were short of time, Man-shik believed they needed to implement the changes.
And with that, he needed to find the actor for the drunkard that captured the hearts of many.
They climbed up the stairs, feeling like they were being punished. Bong huffed and puffed as they arrived at the very top.
“This place…,” he muttered, looking around.
Man-shik PD pursed his lips and looked away. ‘So, this is his living situation? So pitiful.’
Meanwhile, Zeno had just finished getting ready to look for a job yet again. He went to Minji’s place to have some breakfast but was met with a blasphemous sight.
“Oh, there he is!” Doha exclaimed.
Zeno looked at the two men before turning back around. He didn’t have any time to waste. He still needed to look for a job.
However, before he could open the door, Eli and Minji held onto his arms and forced him to sit on the dining table.
“We’ll leave you to talk, Director,” Minji smiled.
“Oh, but before we leave,” Eli said. “The landlady wants us to pay the rent by next week. Hand in your share of 350,000 KRW before we get kicked out.”
Zeno clicked his tongue. Rent had gone up so high, yet salaries had remained stagnant. No wonder the economy was fucked.
With that, they left Zeno all alone with Man-shik PD and Bong.
Bong observed Zeno and clicked his tongue. Even in the morning light, he still looked… ordinary. It was true he acted well as a drunkard. However, it was because he had some real experience being an addict beforehand! Bong definitely wasn’t in favor of this.
“What are you doing here?” Zeno asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “I am looking for a job, so I do not have any time to waste.”
Man-shik PD’s face brightened up. “A job, you say?” he muttered.
“Well, I’m going to cut to the chase. There have been changes in the script for ‘Broken Chains of Justice,’ and your role has been given another scene.”
“And what does that have to do with me?” Zeno asked.
Bong clicked his tongue. “Didn’t you hear what he said? It’s your role.”
“For some reason, Ari actually gave such importance to an extra’s character,” he added softly.
Man-shik glared at him, causing Bong to purse his lips. He had never seen Man-shik PD act this desperate! Why was this nobody generating such a response from him?
Zeno sighed and stood from his seat. “I am not taking any projects,” he said. “I need a stable, boring job that would pay the bills on time.”
Man-shik PD’s expression softened. ‘Oh, he must be from a poor family.’
“Besides,” Zeno added. “It is an extra’s scene. The character doesn’t even have a name. You can just ask anyone to play it.”
“We gave him a name,” Man-shik quickly said. “Jinro.”
Zeno pursed his lips. “Ah, really. That’s a soju brand.”
“Anyway,” he continued. “Thank you for the offer, but I shall decline.”
“Is it because of money?” Man-shik asked. “I can give you more—”
“It’s not about that,” Zeno quickly cut him off.
Being an extra wasn’t considered stable, and he didn’t want to risk a deduction to his meter.
“Stability is what I aspire to have,” Zeno responded. “Frankly, I only accepted your offer back then because I had an… emergency.”
Well, the emergency was him not knowing his identity.
However, Man-shik PD once again misunderstood him. ‘Did someone get sick in his family, so he needed even the smallest amount? What a kind, young man.’
“So, I don’t want to rely on gigs like this. I don’t need much money. I just need enough to live every day.”
Live every day until he was finally out of this place!
Man-shik PD felt like he had truly found a hidden gem. It was rare to find people who weren’t greedy in this industry. With that, his heart was set in stone. He needed Zeno to play this role!
“This is a stable, boring job!” Man-shik quickly said. “If you want, we can give you the minimum wage for the entire month without any bonuses until the episode airs.”
Zeno stopped at his statement.
Man-shik caught on to Zeno’s interest.
“Please,” Man-shik continued, making Bong turn to him with wide eyes. The reputable director was even begging?
“‘Broken Chains of Justice’ has twelve episodes, with four episodes airing each week. However, we are yet to finish filming the last two episodes due to delays in the script. Your role is important to the story, and I cannot accept anyone else to play it.”
Zeno hesitated for a while.
“I’m not an actor,” he finally said, clearing his throat. “I don’t have any experience in that field, so even if I do agree, I cannot assure you that I would do a good job.”
Bong nodded. That’s right! They needed to hire a real actor.
Meanwhile, Man-shik PD felt touched once again. Zeno was so humble!
“That’s alright,” Man-shik PD said, appearing hopeful. “My friend will have an acting workshop for tomorrow! It’s for beginners like you. I think this would be a good time to develop your talent in acting.”
Zeno stopped once again. “Talent?”
“Yes, talent! Even if it’s one session, I assure you, the improvement would be noticeable.”
There was silence as Zeno observed the two—Man-shik PD with a hopeful expression and Bong with a sour one.
A job and stable income for a month.
A talent he could develop.
With this offer, he could actually finish his mission in no time!