Chapter 59: Torrent (4)
Translator: Dreamscribe
Entertainment industry bigwig, PD Yoon Byung-seon, had not only great planning skills but also an exceptional ability to read people and recognize star quality. He had a knack for catching things that others would overlook or ignore.
Thanks to that, many stars passed through his hands.
With over a decade of experience in the entertainment industry and a unique sense, PD Yoon Byung-seon operated multiple teams despite having only one body. He simultaneously ran a YouTube channel ‘Sports Day’ with over 3 million subscribers and a cable TV channel HTBS.
He had produced over a hundred variety shows, ranging from small to large scale.
Currently, he is running three variety show series on the ‘Sports Day’ channel, and is also planning a new variety show for the cable TV station.
“You want to include actor Kang Woojin?”
“Yeah, I feel like that guy’s potential is about to explode.”
He suddenly became interested in Kang Woojin.
“Do you feel like there’s a lot to see beyond the face and that crazy acting skill?”
The writers were a little puzzled.
“…What exactly are you seeing in him?”
“Exactly, apart from his visual and acting skills, is there anything else to see?”
It’s basic to research a celebrity appearing on a variety show, but there wasn’t much information about Kang Woojin. Usually, people are hesitant when there is not much information because there is a lack of verified information.
However, PD Yoon Byung-seon was the type to prioritize his gut feelings.
“Look at his eyes, those eyes. Aren’t you curious about his subtle gaze while acting or his expression and tone of voice in daily life?”
“Is that so?”
“Obviously, he’s not a psychopath in real life, but if he shows a contrasting vibe to his character, it will be a good picture. For example, if he is full of energy and lively when he is not acting.”
“That would be kind of cute.”
PD Yoon Byung-seon, who had almost made up his mind, grinned.
“Whatever it is, if we keep pushing, some charm will flow out.”
It was a devilish smile, characteristic of a variety show PD.
Around lunchtime on the same day, at Kang Woojin’s studio apartment.
The whole country was in uproar over ‘Profiler Hanryang’, but Kang Woojin was surprisingly at his studio apartment.
In a slightly worn-out T-shirt and jogger pants that he would wear at home, he was intently looking at his laptop with his chin propped up. At a glance, he looked exactly like a jobless person a few months ago.
“Hmm-”
Choi Sung-gun had informed him that he would pick him up early in the afternoon. However, Kang Woojin was not in a hurry to get ready. Since the first broadcast of ‘Profiler Hanryang’, bw entertainment had been flooded with inquiries about Kang Woojin.
The response was incomparable to ‘Exorcism’.
However, the reason Kang Woojin was not moving right away was simple. It was Choi Sung-gun’s judgement.
‘The media and broadcasting companies are swarming with requests for appearances and interviews, but the first appearance is important. It’s better to make a strong impact than appearing vaguely here and there. For now, take a breather and choose your work carefully.’
Basically, it means that they will cut all small-sized variety shows or interviews. They intend to milk all the hype they can get from drama, and let the media and public opinion handle the rest. It was a good decision.
It’s only been a day since the nuclear bomb exploded.
Therefore, since this morning, Kang Woojin had been reaching out to his family and close friends. The reaction of Kang Woojin’s parents was enthusiastic. Praises on top of praises. On the other hand, his younger sister, Kang Hyun-ah, was still in denial.
‘Brother!! When were you cast in the drama??! How many episodes will you be in?? Have all the shootings been done??! And more importantly, how? Why? Why are you so good at acting??’
His close friends were somewhat better. Even now, they were buzzing in the group chat. In addition, Woojin ignored all the messages from other vague contacts.
“Well, that’s how it is. This is addictive, really addictive.”
Kang Woojin was very tired at the moment. He had only slept for about 3 hours because he stayed up all night reading the reactions, comments, etc. Receiving attention from a large number of people was very interesting.
Especially,
@wooji_n
Posts 7
Followers 47k
Following 0
His SNS already had nearly 50,000 fans flocking to it. It was a fascinating and rare experience.
Kang Woojin felt both elated and worried.
But for now, it was good.
“I don’t know, just enjoy for now.”
He closed his laptop and turned his gaze to the right. There were stacks of scripts and scenarios. They were delivered from his agency. Even at a glance, there were more than a dozen. Since he finally had some time, he had to check them all.
He had to choose what to do.
However, it was a rather simple process for Kang Woojin. Other actors had to sit and read these scripts for days, but Woojin just had to.
-Poke!
All he had to do was tap the black square attached next to the script or scenario with his finger. Enter and exit the void space repeatedly. He could read the work after checking the grade. That’s how it was for Kang Woojin.
“Ugh, E grade? Pass.”
He quickly checked the stacked works.
“D grade? Hmm, I’ll pass this for now too.”
It was a scene that other actors would envy and stamp their feet if they saw it. Who cares? Kang Woojin casually moved between the void space and reality. There was a criterion.
“Cut anything below C grade.”
As a result, almost all the works were filtered out. Whether it was a movie or a drama, thriller, action, rom-com, or melodrama, hardly anything survived. Woojin realized again.
“A grade or S grade are really, really rare.”
That ‘Exorcism’ and ‘Profiler Hanryang’ were phenomenal works. After such a process, there was only one work left.
-[4/Scenario (Title: Drug Dealer), B+ grade]
“B+ huh, was it a cameo? Is that the part I’m supposed to play?”
The work was a movie titled ‘Drug Dealer’. According to Choi Sung-gun’s explanation, the director had seen Woojin at the ‘Mise-en-scene Film Festival’. His role was a cameo, similar to a special appearance, but usually, cameos are impactful in the movie.
“Even if it’s B+ now, the grade might go up, right?”
Then, Kang Woojin opened the ‘Drug Dealer’ scenario. From the first page, the scent of a crime thriller was pouring out. Well, the title is ‘Drug Dealer’, so it was expected, right? Before he knew it, Woojin began to read the scenario with concentration.
After about ten pages.
“Oh- this is interesting.”
It was good. Not only did it flow smoothly, but the stimulus and refreshing taste unique to crime thrillers also permeated well. Of course, as a reader, Kang Woojin’s appreciation was simply ‘interesting’.
At that moment.
-Brrrr, Brrrrrr
The cell phone placed nearby spat out a long vibration. It was a call, and the caller was Choi Sung-gun. Is he coming soon? Woojin thought as he cleared his throat, as being careless is always forbidden.
“Yes, CEO.”
Behind Woojin’s solemnity, Choi Sung-gun’s slightly raised voice could be heard over the phone.
“Woojin. I’ll pick you up around 3 o’clock. Let’s start from the salon shop first.”
“3 o’clock. Got it.”
“But have you been looking at the scripts? It’s a bit much, isn’t it? Check them quickly, but thoroughly.”
“I’ve almost finished checking.”
“Already? You have already read all those works?”
“No, I didn’t read them all. I looked through them briefly. They’re all mediocre, only one is good. It’s ‘Drug Dealer’.”
“Ahh, the cameo?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm, got it. If it’s your intuition, I trust it.”
Ha ha, Choi Sung-gun laughed on the other side of the phone. Woojin thought that he was solidifying the misunderstandings but decided to just ignore it.
“Is that so?”
“Yeah, anyway. The director of ‘Drug Dealer’, seemed a little rushed, we schedule a meeting as soon as possible if it’s okay with you?”
“Yes, please arrange it.”
Then, Choi Sung-gun quickly changed the topic.
“And also, I got a call from PD Song. You know PD Yoon Byung-seon, right? Of course you do. He’s a big deal in variety shows.”
Of course, Kang Woojin knew too. PD Yoon Byung-seon, was more like a celebrity than a PD. A very familiar PD to the general public. Woojin also enjoyed watching a few of his variety shows. But why is he suddenly asking about him?
“Yes, I know PD Yoon Byung-seon.”
“The main cast of ‘Profiler Hanryang’ will start their promotional schedule from this week, Hye-yeon too, of course. And there is a YouTube channel called ‘Sports Day’ and it’s schedule is on Thursday. That’s run by PD Yoon Byung-seon.”
“I’ve seen it.”
“It’s a mix of variety and talk show, do you want to do it? You won’t be alone, there will be other actors too. The recording is short. The format is simple, talking and playing games.”
Variety show? Kang Woojin was surprised inside and hesitated for a moment. Suddenly a variety show? Is it okay?
‘Isn’t it risky to do a variety show? What if there’s a crisis with my concept?’
He wasn’t sure if it would cause a problem with his concept.
But on second thought, it didn’t seem too bad. If you’re an actor, you’ll eventually do a variety show at some point, right? So, isn’t it better to get used to it from the beginning? Besides, it was an opportunity to appear on PD Yoon Byung-seon’s variety show. A place he had only seen on YouTube or TV every day.
Sometimes the things he imagined happened in reality and Kang Woojin thought,
‘I don’t know, shit. If I do well, it will be fine.’
He chose to go straight forward without hesitation.
“I think it will be fine, I’ll do it.”
A few hours later, at the KBC Broadcasting Station.
Several people are sitting in a medium-sized meeting room at KBC’s drama department. There are three men on the window side of the ㅁ-shaped table, and a middle-aged woman on the other side. The three men are CP-level executives (Chief Producer) of the drama department. They were flattering the woman on the opposite side.
“Hahaha, writer! Really! It’s been a long time since we met.”
“You seem to have gotten younger? You look like you’re in your 30s.”
On the other hand, the tall, overweight middle-aged woman responded coldly.
“Stop the flattery. Where do I look like I’m in my 30s? Anyone can see I’m in my 50s.”
“Ah, Writer, it’s not flattery, it’s sincere, really sincere!”
The executives were excessively flattering. The reason was simple. The middle-aged woman was Writer Lee Wol-seon. She, too, was a star writer like Writer Park Eun-mi. Therefore, the CP-level executives had no choice but to flatter her excessively.
Anyway.
“Thank you, Writer, for being with us this time. Let’s surpass Writer Park Eun-mi by making a proper drama!”
One of the CP exclaimed with energy, and Lee Wol-seon crossed her arms as if to say, ‘Can we?’
“Writer Park did perfectly match the audience’s taste though. But can we exceed a 20% viewer rating form the first episode? It’s tough, isn’t it? Ah, we should take it easy.”
“Why not? It’s entirely possible! I read the script for the first episode, and although it’s a romcom, it has a bit of thriller mixed in, and it was really fun!”
“Well, I’m glad to hear it.”
“Alright, then shall we talk about the pre-production first? It’s about assembling the staff, our writer is already on board, so there’s no issue there. Uh- by any chance, do you have any actors in mind before the script is written? It’s easier if we contact them before pre-production.”
In response to the question, Writer Lee Wol-seon, who had crossed her arms, picked up the tablet on the table, prepared by the drama department. She accessed YouTube and searched for a video.
-[Special] A real scene-stealer! Compilation of crazy scenes by Park Dae-ri! Profiler Hanryang
It was a compilation video of Park Dae-ri’s scenes. Soon, Writer Lee Wol-seon pointed to an actor in the video.
“This one.”
The CPs immediately agreed.
“Ah, Kang Woojin? He’s been making noise recently.”
“Right? From what I’ve heard, he’s being dubbed as both a blue-chip of Chungmuro and a rising rookie.”
“The public response is also good, isn’t it?”
Writer Lee Wol-seon cut in.
“I need this guy. Of course, there aren’t many writers like me, but I’m very interested. I heard from a staff member who knows Hanryang side, they said that Kang Woojin is very polite and reserved. He doesn’t show any signs of being tired throughout the shooting. What interests me the most is that he studied abroad.”
“…Studied abroad? What does that mean?”
“I don’t know, I just heard he came from overseas. Anyway, maybe that’s why he seems different from ordinary actors? Like, a different aura. I also like the tone of his acting. He is a newcomer but doesn’t seem nervous at all. Overall, I am very interested, is it possible to cast him?”
In response to her question, the CPs laughed reassuringly.
“Of course! If Writer Lee Wol-seon picked him, why would it be difficult?”
“What choice does a rookie have but to accept, hahaha! If the Writer wants it, we must get him!”
Writer Lee Wolseon also smiled weakly.
“Make sure to tell Kang Woojin that I really want him.”
Meanwhile, at Writer Park Eun-mi’s workspace.
Park Eun-mi, wearing a hairband, was frantically typing on her laptop. She didn’t have time to celebrate the crazy result of surpassing 20% viewer ratings for the first episode.
“······Hmm, no. This is a bit bland.”
She was currently writing the last episode of ‘Profiler Hanryang’. But she couldn’t concentrate. Whenever she had a chance, she would check the internet or YouTube to see the reactions of the viewers. Even though she was an ultra-top-tier star writer, she was still human.
Then.
“······Yay!”
“I won······!”
There was a somewhat noisy cheer from outside the room. The only people present were the assistant writers. Therefore, Writer Park Eun-mi sighed softly, got up, and opened the door. When she looked at the living room, about six assistant writers were causing a ruckus.
Seeing them, Writer Park Eun-mi sighed again.
“Ha- guys, my head is ringing with all this noise. Why are you all running around?”
A slim assistant writer with glasses raised her hand timidly.
“…Writer, I… I did it.”
“Huh? Nana, you are a writer too, why are you cutting your words like that?”
“Sorry, sorry. I got selected in the Netflix contest.”
Suddenly, Writer Park Eun-mi’s eyes widened.
“Oh my! Really? The contest you all participated in?”
“Yes, yes. it’s a short series drama contest.”
Writer Park Eun-mi, who immediately took off her hairband and threw it, grabbed the hand of the assistant writer with glasses.
“Well done! Really, really well done, Nana. But only Nana got in? What about the others? You all submitted together, right?”
“······”
“······”
“Hmm, you guys are supposed to be part of Park Eun-mi’s team. But at least Nana saved my face.”
“Thank…thank you. But it still doesn’t feel real to me.”
“Get a hold of yourself! So what did you get? grand prize?”
“No. Not first place, but excellence award.”
“It doesn’t matter, right? Whether it’s the grand prize or the excellence award. I heard in passing that Netflix is going to make all the works that won the contest into drama series, right?”
“Yes. I heard it’s a short series drama project.”
Writer Park Eun-mi hugged the assistant writer again.
“It’s a big deal for a debut work. Do your best.”
“Thank you…Writer.”
Park Eun-mi, noticing the assistant writer’s teary eyes, suddenly asked,
“If it’s Netflix, they’ll probably let you choose the actors you want. Do you have any actors in mind?”
The assistant writer hesitated before mumbling,
“Kang…Woojin. I fell in love with his acting.”
“······”
Park Eun-mi was silent for a while before scratching her head, sighing a little.
“Ha- Woojin? Hmm. He’s too intense. Of course, Woojin is a newcomer… but he’s quite different from a typical newcomer. No, Actually he’s very, very different. In terms of acting experience, including self-taught, he’s more like a seasoned actor. That’s a high hurdle, huh?”
“Is it that much?? Will it be difficult to cast him as the male lead?”
“I think, I had a hard time getting Woojin to join too.”
“You did?”
“Yep. It would be more difficult as Woojin has likely received a lot of scripts and scenarios right now. There’s no particular reason for him to do a short series drama.”
“That…might be true?”
Park Eun-mi, patting the suddenly disheartened assistant writer’s shoulder, said,
“I’d like to ask Woojin myself if I could, but that’s not right, right? Still, I’ll talk to Netflix and send the script. It doesn’t cost anything, right? You never know, Woo-jin is quite eccentric.”
Her expression froze in an instant.
“But don’t get your hopes up too high.”
*****