"Have you seen this drama too, by any chance?"
"First Skin? To be honest, I haven't read it properly. I'm not yet in a position where I get to review projects."
"You came to this meeting without even reading the project?"
"Didn't I come to get Writer Woo Yeon-hee's autograph?"
"Pfft. Liar."
"I'm serious. When you work as a road manager, killing time between schedules is practically part of the job. I used to watch dramas or movies whenever that happened, and I saved WYSL so I could binge it on a day off."
"Goodness, why would you watch a gloomy drama on your day off? You should go on a date or something."
"You should set me up with someone before you start nagging me......."
"Don't you have a girlfriend?"
"Looking the way I do, I still don't have one."
"What's wrong with the way you look, Geon-ho? Don't you think you're handsome?"
"You're also the most beautiful writer I've ever met."
"What are you saying~?"
For a moment, Production Director So I-hyeon doubted her own ears.
Writer Woo Yeon-hee's voice had taken on the faintest nasal lilt.
So I-hyeon knew her as a former advertising copywriter who hated laughter and chatter during meetings, yet she had lowered her guard in a matter of moments.
'Who is this man?'
Production Director So I-hyeon's gaze shifted to Park Geon-ho.
But Park Geon-ho's eyes were fixed entirely on Writer Woo Yeon-hee.
"Why don't you make a cameo appearance yourself, Writer Woo?"
"Goodness, no. Me, in a cameo?"
"Why not? Other writers make surprise appearances now and then, don't they?"
"I'm not that shameless."
"But you are beautiful."
"Stop teasing me and tell me about So-hee."
"You're wondering why she wants to do First Skin, right?"
"Do you know something?"
Writer Woo Yeon-hee asked with a smile.
Talking with Park Geon-ho, who claimed to be her fan, was enjoyable, but more than that, she wanted to know why Jo So-hee was so fixated on <First Skin>.
Park Geon-ho smiled with her and answered.
"You should really hear this directly from the person herself......."
"Come on, tell me. I need to know something before I can think it over."
"This is only my opinion, but isn't regretting the loss of a good project once enough?"
"......!"
"So please don't hate So-hee too much either, Writer Woo. She's a good actress, isn't she? I'd be upset if the writer I like missed out on a good actress."
There was one rule he had followed while remaining at Jo So-hee's side.
Never act as if he knew everything about his artist.
Every manager who became trapped in that kind of thinking eventually caused an incident.
So Park Geon-ho offered advice as a fan of Writer Woo Yeon-hee, not as someone speaking for Jo So-hee.
Rather than getting drunk about ten years later and lamenting that they had not resolved their grudge and worked together sooner.
It would be wiser to untangle their feelings now and work with Jo So-hee.
"Do you think So-hee is a good actress, Geon-ho?"
"Yes. She's still young and stubborn, but I think she has excellent qualities as an actress."
"Then do you think my drama absolutely needs So-hee?"
"Is that really a question I can presume to answer?"
"Just speak freely."
"About WYSL. I've wondered what it would have been like if Actor Han Do-hoon had played the male lead instead of Actor Oh Jin-seok."
"Actor Han Do-hoon?"
"I'm Actor Han Do-hoon's manager."
"Oh. Really?"
"Actor Oh Jin-seok is good, but Actor Han Do-hoon is genuinely kind as a person, you know? He takes good care of his manager too. I've imagined that the love triangle might have been a little more gripping if Actor Han Do-hoon had played Yoon Tae-oh."
"Han Do-hoon....... I think I understand what you mean."
Writer Woo Yeon-hee chuckled.
The male lead, Yoon Tae-oh, had been created for Oh Jin-seok from the beginning, so she had never even considered another actor playing him.
But once she inserted Han Do-hoon, who had the image of a kind older guy from the neighborhood, Yoon Tae-oh no longer felt like someone else's child.
"This conversation is getting a little dangerous. You're not trying to bundle-sell one of your actors, are you?"
Production Director So I-hyeon playfully interjected from beside them.
Park Geon-ho immediately returned the serve.
"Then shall we draw up a contract? For reference, Actor Han Do-hoon has no current projects."
"Wow, what did you do before becoming a manager, Geon-ho? Were you in sales or something?"
"I apologize if I got too carried away."
Today's meeting had been arranged for Jo So-hee.
But that did not mean he had to use it solely for Jo So-hee's benefit.
'Might as well kill two birds with one stone.'
He did not know whether <First Skin> had a place for Han Do-hoon.
But he had promoted Han Do-hoon to the production director of Blue Media, considered the best of Korea's mid-sized production companies, so he seemed to have made up somewhat for skipping the shoot.
Just then, his phone went BZZZT and vibrated.
< Five minutes away.
Deputy Team Leader Ahn Hye-ju thoughtfully kept him informed of their route.
"They're scheduled to arrive in five minutes."
"They're here sooner than I expected?"
"Then I'll take my leave. Writer Woo, Production Director, thank you both very much for understanding the circumstances and waiting."
"Are you leaving, Geon-ho?"
"I should. Actor Han Do-hoon is filming an advertisement right now. Deputy Team Leader Ahn Hye-ju will take care of Jo So-hee."
"Won't things get awkward if you leave, Geon-ho?"
Writer Woo Yeon-hee sounded genuinely disappointed.
But this was as far as the role of a manager who had only recently become a full-time employee went.
"Before I go, may I ask one thing?"
"Of course. Ask me anything."
"Does Kim Hye-rin suit the female lead better than So-hee?"
"Wow, you're asking that outright?"
"Isn't that a little hurtful? You asked me everything you wanted earlier too, Writer Woo."
Of course, he had not given her the answer she wanted.
But it was true that he had advised her as best he could.
So Writer Woo Yeon-hee answered honestly as well.
"I...... don't think So-hee and I are a very good fit."
"That's unfortunate."
"That's it?"
"If you think Kim Hye-rin is better, Writer Woo, then you must be right. But as a manager at Wooju Entertainment, I would ask you to give So-hee one chance."
"All right. I will."
"Personally, I hope So-hee appears in your drama no matter what. Even if she isn't the female lead."
"......What?"
"I'm really looking forward to this drama."
After emphasizing to the very end that he was a fan, Park Geon-ho rose from his seat.
As he crossed the corridor and headed outside, he ran into CP Yang Do-hyeon.
"What? You're done already?"
"No. So-hee will arrive soon. I'm the only one leaving early."
"Does Wooju Entertainment always work like this? You just leave without even saying goodbye?"
"Am I not saying goodbye to you right now?"
"Huh......."
"I apologize for making you wait, CP Yang Do-hyeon. I hope we can meet again under better circumstances."
Leaving the dumbfounded CP Yang Do-hyeon behind, Park Geon-ho walked out of Damwol.
He had planned to get away before Jo So-hee arrived if possible, but before he had gone more than a few steps, a horn BLAAARPED behind him.
When he turned, a van of the sort celebrities rode in slowly approached and stopped.
CLACK.
The door opened.
Team Leader Ahn Hye-ju, dressed casually, stepped out first.
"You're Manager Park Geon-ho, right?"
"Ah, yes. I'm Park Geon-ho, a manager with Team 5."
"Anyway, thank you. You saved us, Geon-ho."
"Not at all. All I did was stall for time."
"Will you tell me what you said and how you handled it?"
"I brought up WYSL and told her not to let a good actress slip away."
"WYSL?"
"Where Your Season Lingers......."
"Ah. The drama So-hee rejected?"
"Kim Hye-rin was the female lead in WYSL too."
"Really?"
In his days at SH Entertainment, Director Ahn Hye-ju had been a dependable colleague he could trust with the company's operations.
But fifteen years earlier, Team Leader Ahn Hye-ju still had much to learn.
She probably had not even grasped the background behind the sudden article about Kim Hye-rin because she had been busy taking care of Jo So-hee.
Still, she was quick on the uptake and immediately understood the key point.
"You said someone at SBX was interfering earlier, right?"
"Yes. That was the impression I got."
"Could it be because she rejected an SBX production?"
"I think that's highly likely."
"What did Writer Woo Yeon-hee say?"
"She wants to give the female lead to Kim Hye-rin. She seems to have decided Kim Hye-rin suits the role better than So-hee."
"Hmm. Then there was no point in us hurrying over here......."
"Unless you plan to avoid Writer Woo Yeon-hee's dramas forever, why not use this opportunity to clear the air? We were late, after all."
"Apologize and settle their differences while we're at it?"
"That's only my personal opinion."
"I'll have to think about that."
Deputy Team Leader Ahn Hye-ju unwrapped a candy from her pocket and put it in her mouth.
Park Geon-ho's gaze instantly fixed on the candy.
Obmint.
It was a premium Belgian candy and her cherished item, one that helped suppress the urge to smoke and relieve stress.
"Ah, would you like one?"
"Thank you."
It was a candy he had eaten constantly for the thirteen years after taking charge of Jo So-hee, so he accepted eagerly and popped it into his mouth.
A subtle mint flavor spread through his mouth, clearing his head and finally making him feel alive again.
"Is it all right?"
"Yes. It suits my taste perfectly."
"Really? Isn't it hard to find anyone who likes these?"
"Could you tell me where you buy them?"
"I'll give you a box next time. They're only sold in Belgium."
Deputy Team Leader Ahn Hye-ju spoke with a smile.
She thought a box of candy would be a good way to repay the debt she owed him today.
But Park Geon-ho needed the candy immediately.
"I'm sorry, but could you spare me a few more?"
"The candy?"
"Yes. It suits my taste perfectly."
"Then take these for now."
Deputy Team Leader Ahn Hye-ju emptied her pocket and handed him the candy.
When he accepted it carefully, Deputy Team Leader Ahn Hye-ju burst out laughing.
"Do you like sweets, Geon-ho?"
"Ah, yes. I'm quitting smoking."
"Ah. Quitting smoking? Then these really are perfect. I quit because of someone too, and I'm getting by on these."
There was no need for her to explain who that someone was.
"Anyway, thank you. I'll buy you a meal sometime."
"There's no need. Then I'll be going first."
He bowed his head and was about to turn away when a youthful voice stopped him.
"Wait a moment."
It was surely a phrase meant to ask for his attention politely, like "Excuse me."
Was it only his imagination that it sounded like an order to stop right where he was?
It was absurd that he had regressed while running away from Jo So-hee, only to face her again as soon as he returned to the past.
But Park Geon-ho turned around with the smile expected of a rookie manager.
Jo So-hee approached, her long, straight hair swaying as she wore a pair of sunglasses.
"You're just leaving?"
"Actor Han Do-hoon is in the middle of an advertisement shoot."
"What about food? Have you eaten?"
"I'll eat on the way."
"You can't do that. You went through all this trouble because of me."
Jo So-hee looked at Deputy Team Leader Ahn Hye-ju.
Deputy Team Leader Ahn Hye-ju took out her wallet and pulled out two 50,000-won bills.
"At least buy yourself a meal on the way with this......."
"Unnie. What are you doing?"
"......?"
"Don't give him cash. Give him the card."
"The card? You can't mean this one?"
"Unnie."
"Sigh. Fine."
Deputy Team Leader Ahn Hye-ju took out a bright red card and handed it over.
Park Geon-ho accepted it and examined the front. VVIP was stamped beside the name The Red.
"Use this to enjoy a proper meal and return it later."
"I'm truly fine."
"Just take it. Otherwise, So-hee will scold me."
He had accepted it because he had no choice, but still.
Her habit of spending money according to her whims had not changed.
When he showed a trace of discomfort, Jo So-hee added one more thing.
"Buy yourself something expensive."
"Ah, yes."
"I'll check later."
It would have been nice if she had told him exactly how much he was free to spend.
But Jo So-hee left him with only those words and went inside.