"It's only because Seo Yu-jin has done nothing but supporting roles until now. Who on earth doesn't know Seo Yu-jin?"
"That's right. Once Seo Yu-jin came on board this time, we got a time slot right away, after all. If she got us a time slot, she's a time-slot actor."
Just as in the previous world, 'Loner' was given the time slot following 'Love in Bloom'.
In this world, when no scripts came out for the drama that had been scheduled after 'Love in Bloom', because of its writer's health, it was dropped from the schedule after internal discussion.
That work, too, was a drama Redbox Studio had been set to produce, and it was thanks to the production company's quick decision, made out of concern that enormous capital would be wasted as the shooting period dragged on.
In the process, I'm told, CP Jang Nam-yeon in particular, brimming with ambition to become department head, raised his voice loud to insist that the fill-in follow-up had to be 'Loner', no matter what.
At the news that the time slot was confirmed, I bought snacks and dropped by Redbox Studio, where the mood was warm and friendly.
"Our scripts are almost all out, after all. Writer Son, what kind of confidence is this? And we have plenty of time to shoot. The mood couldn't be better!"
No. There isn't plenty, because the shooting of 'Love in Bloom' is going to be halted soon. CP Jang has no idea what he's done and is just beaming away.
At CP Jang's words, Writer Son laughed cheerfully too.
"I'm going to be competing with Writer Ok from the second half on, you know. It's such a funny situation. Is our bond just that hard to cut?"
"Are you all right? You'll be going up against someone who was your teacher."
The production company PD asked, worried for Writer Son.
"Of course I'm all right. That I've turned this tough is all thanks to Writer Ok, you see."
"Just as I thought. Writer Ok may have a reputation for being exacting, but she must have taken good care of her own people?"
Bwaha! As if he already knew what was coming, CP Jang clutched his belly and started laughing ahead of time.
"When I think of all those long years of being pushed around, I grind my teeth. A bitch not even a few years older than me, making me carry her bag and drive her every time she went anywhere. She won't carry a single sheet of paper herself."
Ah— Sighs came from here and there, and the mood turned solemn.
"I'm going to win, no matter what. I ought to stomp on her right from the start. We'd have to go head to head from the very start for that slippery loach of a bitch to have no excuses, that's the thing."
Ding! Sure enough. A quest had arrived on my phone.
[Sub-Quest Triggered: Make Son Yu-rim the No. 1 Writer]
[Quest Details: Make Son Yu-rim's 'Loner' No. 1 in the ratings]
[Reward: Stamina +1]
Thanks to Writer Son saying chilling things so breezily, the corners of every mouth gathered at Redbox Studio popped up. When you don't know what to say, a smile is best.
"Writer Son is right! If we want to shut out Shin Yeong-jae's politicking completely as well, we're better off going for a head-on fight outright!"
"That's how it will go. We're going to win, no matter what."
When I, the only one who knew the right answer, said it firmly, Writer Son shouted.
"That's how it has to be, of course!"
A quest did come up telling me to stop the accident on 'Love in Bloom', but that's a Bonus Quest with no penalty even if I don't carry it out.
I am a little curious about a reward listed as Random, but well, that just means I'll have to grind a bit more from here on.
If I just follow the way things are going now, the broadcast of 'Love in Bloom' will be halted as fated, and 'Loner' will end up going head to head with 'Racing Heart', just as Writer Son and CP Jang wish.
I was very eager to see what meaningful results the casting changes would bring, from Song Eve to Seo Yu-jin and from Noh Jeong-ah to Chae-eun.
***
After leaving Redbox Studio, I headed to the Korean beef restaurant in front of Seo Yu-jin's place.
That was because, when I told her the news that the time slot for 'Loner' was confirmed, Seo Yu-jin had suggested we have one proper meal before shooting began.
I'd had Chae-eun, who'd been reading the script at home, take a taxi over too, so it was a table of four with Seo Yu-jin, Shin Dong-jun and me.
"Are you really all right with meat?"
"For me and for Dong-jun both, eating nothing but meat is the best thing when we're managing our weight. This is the highest-quality protein there is. You eat like this from now on too, Chae-eun."
"Yes, unnie."
"Eat a lot, Chae-eun. Are you managing the script all right on your own?"
"...I'm fine."
As she said she was fine, Chae-eun's expression was somehow a little dark.
She's the type whose words speed up and who bounces around at the slightest excitement, but is she a little awkward today because she's in front of a great senior? Or is the script very hard for her?
"If anything's hard, you can ask Yu-jin noona right away. Got it?"
I was studying Chae-eun's mood, as I hadn't seen her in a while.
"San-woo there gave me the lead so he could use me as your nanny, Chae-eun. The moment I decided on the script, the first thing he brought up was you, I'm telling you? He looked ready to write a condition that I take care of you into the contract as a special clause, I tell you."
"Really?!"
At Seo Yu-jin's words, Chae-eun's tone suddenly shot up. With her emotions so out of control today of all days, something did seem to be bothering her.
The work of studying a script and making it her own must be hard, too. It seemed like it would be good to have some time to practice the script with Chae-eun before sending her to Yu-jin noona.
"Go on, eat up. And tell me if there's anything more you want."
When I soothed Chae-eun, setting meat on her plate, the smile came back to her face.
"San-woo's really sweet. I'm glad San-woo is taking you on, noona. Now I'll be able to work out with my mind at ease too."
"You're not even quitting right away, so why do you keep saying you're leaving? You'll hurt the feelings of the person listening."
"I have to get ready ahead of time, noona."
Preparing to part, Seo Yu-jin and Shin Dong-jun soothed their regret with jokes. Cheering on each other's futures and letting each other go cleanly, the two of them had a relationship as nice to see as a real brother and sister's.
"Oppa. Then Yu-jin unnie too, ...are you in charge of her?"
Chae-eun, who'd been reading the room in between our talk, asked carefully.
"It's not that I've been assigned to her. It's just that Yu-jin noona has ended up doing 'Loner' with us this time, so for the sake of work efficiency."
"Ah....... I see."
Just then, Seo Yu-jin's phone, which she'd left on the table, rang.
"Yes, oppa."
Seo Yu-jin held the phone for quite a long time, chewing and swallowing her meat with no change of expression.
"Who is it?"
When Shin Dong-jun, who'd been watching her mood, mouthed the question, Seo Yu-jin, chewing her meat with a stiff expression, set the phone on the table and pressed speaker mode.
[So what I'm saying is, fuck! Did I tell you to do 'Racing Heart' only for my own sake? I get you slotted in and you don't even know to be grateful, you stab me in the back, you ungrateful bitch.]
"......."
The one pouring unspeakable, vile curses on Seo Yu-jin was Jeon Hae-jun.
I quickly reached over and tapped the record button on Seo Yu-jin's phone screen.
[I hear Lee San-woo's the one who brought you that. Who does that bastard think he is, shoving a lead at you the minute he walks in?]
While I was marveling at the level Jeon Hae-jun was on, Chae-eun, startled, stared at me too.
[You think that's going to work? You've got no eye for things and not a fucking thing else, so where did you get the hot air in your head to go apeshit like this? Yu-jin. Aren't you going to pull yourself together?]
He's even worse than I thought.
I took out my phone and sent Jeon Hae-jun's name in the message window. Jeon Hae-jun's bleak future, which the Article Roundup skill soon sent back, was laid out at a glance.
What Now for 'Racing Heart'...? Jeon Hae-jun 'Humiliated' by Out-of-Context Product Placement
Female Staffer's MeToo Exposé of Jeon Hae-jun "We Were at a Staff Dinner When Suddenly...."
Jeon Hae-jun: "MeToo Exposé? I Will Sue for False Accusation"
'MeToo' Jeon Hae-jun: "Do They Want Me Dead? False MeToo Claims Must Go"
Yong Ent: "Deep Apologies for Jeon Hae-jun MeToo... He Will Reflect on His Conduct"
Jeon Hae-jun is a man who'll vanish from show business when a MeToo scandal breaks after the failure of 'Racing Heart'. It wasn't only his conduct that was a filthy rag. His mouth was a filthy rag too. Sure enough, no one ever stops at just one thing.
[Be meek and obedient like you always are. Are you showing off that you've gotten old now? Planning to retire or something? Hide behind me while I'm letting you hide. Because if you flop with your own name on it, women like you, with plenty of replacements around, get thrown straight out.]
Seo Yu-jin did nothing but listen in silence to Jeon Hae-jun's abuse.
So it was you, the one who made Seo Yu-jin hide.
And with that, the call ended. Seo Yu-jin, who'd been silently chewing and swallowing her meat, made a hacking sound and began thumping her chest.
Shin Dong-jun poured the cola that was in front of me and held it out to Seo Yu-jin. Even Seo Yu-jin, who'd said she was managing her weight, didn't refuse. She gulped the cola down and set the empty glass on the table with a bang.
Whether from the sting of the fizz or not, the rims of Seo Yu-jin's eyes were stained red.
"...Fucking bastard. Wherever you go, there are so many fucking bastards."
That's exactly what I'm saying.
It was Jeon Hae-jun who connected Kang Cha-hyeon with Chae-eun. There's a reason for the saying that the crayfish sides with the crab.
Ding!
When I looked at my phone, the quest I'd been waiting for had arrived.
[Sub-Quest Triggered: Strip Off Jeon Hae-jun's Wrapping]
[Quest Details: Expose Jeon Hae-jun's true nature to the whole world]
[Reward: Decisiveness +1]
It was wrapping paper that would come off by itself. Just as I was thinking this might be too much of a free ride, something came to mind.
CEO Park Nam-yong. He'd held Jeon Hae-jun especially dear and trusted him to the end, and because of that he'd made even Yong Ent stagger.
For this quest, it seemed I should focus on smashing the solid bond between CEO Park and Jeon Hae-jun.
"Chae-eun. You be careful. Because in this game, rookie girls like you are the easiest prey."
Seo Yu-jin, who'd been raging, had at some point pulled herself together and was giving Chae-eun advice.
Seo Yu-jin is dependable, just as I thought. Even in a situation like this, practically an act of terror, she was showing me why I'd wanted her at Chae-eun's side.
After all, I've already sent Kang Cha-hyeon flying, but the more Chae-eun makes a name for herself, the more dangerous people there will be who want to get close to her.
I hope Chae-eun has taken Seo Yu-jin's words in properly.
"You don't need to look nice. Make it big, no matter what. Build up power. I'm a bitch who caught nice-girl disease and wrecked her own life."
"Yes, unnie."
"Senior Jeon Hae-jun must be scared of losing to a junior. They do say timid dogs bark the loudest."
At my words, Seo Yu-jin looked at me, her eyes holding a moist shine.
"From now on, just trust me. Because I'll see to it that no one dares bark in front of you, noona."
"Thank you, San-woo."
"......."
Feeling thirsty myself, I filled a glass to the brim with cola and gulped it down too.
Shin Dong-jun spoke as he set a nicely grilled piece of meat on Seo Yu-jin's plate.
"You're going to win this time no matter what, noona. 'Love in Bloom' will hold off 'Racing Heart' well in its second half too, you see. My little brother said the later scripts came out fun as well."
Little brother? How would Shin Dong-jun's little brother know the 'Love in Bloom' scripts?
I asked Shin Dong-jun.
"There's a younger guy you know on that team?"
"Yeah. Hae-chan. Shin Hae-chan. He's my real little brother. We don't look alike, I know."
Hae-chan. The top star in his 20s who has the accident. And that's supposed to be Shin Dong-jun's little brother.
As I watched Dong-jun laugh, heh heh—, the fizz of the cola hit my head late.
My head rang, ding—.
"Hae-chan? Hae-chan, the lead?"
Chae-eun's eyes went round too.
"His little brother's doing incredibly well, you know. That's why he has no attachment to me."
"Aw, noona. I told you it's not like that."
Seo Yu-jin, her mood improved, proudly showed off Shin Dong-jun's little brother as well.
"Hae-chan likes working out just like Dong-jun, but that one makes good money too, you know. He apparently said he'd set Dong-jun up with a gym once Dong-jun gets some results in his sport. Hasn't he got a great little brother?"
"Yes...."
What happens to Hae-chan after he's hurt, again?
I answered Seo Yu-jin's question on autopilot and quickly sent Hae-chan's name in my phone's message window.
A collection of articles on Hae-chan arrived at once.
[Exclusive] Scuba Diving Accident on 'Love in Bloom' Set, All Filming Halted
Hae-chan and Gong Seol-rin in Boat Collision on 'Love in Bloom', '8 Weeks to Recover'
Hae-chan Suffers Serious Aftereffects of Collision "Receiving Trauma Treatment"
'Collision Accident' Hae-chan's 'Military Exemption Ruling' Stirs Heated Debate
After the accident, the show business career of Hae-chan, a top star in his 20s who'd been riding high, starts to go wrong.
The accident Hae-chan suffers on 'Love in Bloom' leaves him with an injury serious enough to be grounds for exemption from military service. It could be the end of the workouts he loves, too.
"If Hae-chan lets me run a gym business with the money he's made, I'll work as the head trainer and give every bit of the money I make to Hae-chan."
"Oh my, how I envy you. I've never seen brothers who get along like this, I swear."
Even at Seo Yu-jin's teasing, Shin Dong-jun only smiled. Just thinking of his little brother must make him that happy.
"If Dong-jun and Hae-chan open a gym in Gangnam, the place will be seriously bursting at the seams. Even so, sign me up without a waiting list."
"As long as you actually work out, noona, no matter what. I'll even do your PT for free."
"Hey, charge properly. Charge me double."
If I stop the accident on the 'Love in Bloom' set and make the quest a success, the broadcast won't be halted, and the head-to-head between 'Loner' and 'Racing Heart' disappears.
'That absolutely can't happen.'
There was a way to stop the accident on the 'Love in Bloom' set and still have the broadcast halted on schedule.
That way lay in the palm of my hand.