Chapter 195: Stop at Nothing, By Any ans (1)
TL: emptycube / ED: Isleidir
I felt like cold water had been poured on my head.
Did CEO Baek Hansung know that I received an investnt proposal in China?
“... Team leader, how did you know?”
I for one wasn’t the type to chat about that.
“Lee Lyang.”
The Team 3 Leader added,
“That guy seems to be really interested in you. I guessed when we went for drinks.”
He was a representative of a Chinese agency company. I recalled his neat and urban face. His voice in which he proposed I leave W&U and go independent with Chinese investnts.
I curtly replied,
“That happened a year ago.”
“I know.”
“I refused his proposal then.”
“I heard that too.”
Thinking back, I didn’t regret my decision. I didn’t plan on leaving W&U any ti soon, and the foresight I had seen at the ti made uncomfortable.
Whenever I t Lee Lyang on business trips to China, he would bring the proposal up in the passing, but talks never progressed. He even stopped ntioning it recently. This was sothing I had tossed in the corner of my mind until recently.
The Team 3 Leader rubbed his chin.
“CEO has never brought up any talks about investnts, has he?”
“Never.”
“Then that’s fine. I was going to advise you to save yourself if the CEO happened to know about it. I was worried that sparks would fly to you because the Team 2 Leader created this wreck after accepting Chinese investnts. If the CEO doesn’t know, then that’s that.”
If CEO Baek Hansung doesn’t know...
Can I say for certain that he doesn’t?
“But if you’ve noticed, then the CEO might also...”
“No, Lee Lyang brought it up only because he was with . He won’t say a word in front of the CEO. If the CEO knew that such talks were ongoing beneath the surface, he would imdiately change the agency we work with.”
The Team 3 Leader waved his hand. Kim Hyunjo, who was listening with a serious expression, joined in,
“Wouldn’t it be better to tell the CEO that sothing like this happened and that he refused? It just makes feel uneasy.”
“I don’t know about that. There’s no need to bother the CEO about sothing that’s already in the past. Especially at a ti like this.”
“Ah, it really isn’t a good ti.”
Kim Hyunjo scratched his head as he looked up at the ceiling. My phone on the table began to ring. I flinched when I saw the caller. The Team 3 Leader and Kim Hyunjo flinched in shock at the sa ti.
It was CEO Baek Hansung. What kind of timing was this?
“... Hello?”
-I heard that you’ve arrived.
He spoke slowly. It was difficult to gauge his mood.
“Yes, I arrived not too long ago.”
-Shall we et?
“Right now?”
-Hmm, I do have sothing I want to ask.
What would it be? That he would want to ask?
Was it about the Team 2 Leader? I probably had a lot to do with him suddenly deciding to go independent.
Don’t tell it’s about the Chinese investnt matter?
That bothered too because of what the Team 3 Leader said.
Even as I opened the door to the CEO’s office, my mind was a tangled ss trying to figure out what the CEO’s motives were.
“You’re here?”
CEO Baek Hansung was standing alone in front of a wall. The wall was full of profile pictures of celebrities at W&U. CEO Baek Hansung’s finger lightly brushed past them. Neptune, Lee Songha, Nam Joyoon, Pretty Girls, and even the actors the Team 2 Leader was in charge of managing.
“What are you doing? Sit. You must be exhausted after coming back from your business trip to China.”
My shoulders reflexively stiffened when he ntioned China.
When I sat at an empty seat, CEO Baek Hansung ca over. After experiencing so unexpected misfortune during the weekend and with the Team 2 Leader causing a ruckus, I had expected him to be different from normal.
Although I couldn’t imagine CEO Baek Hansung’s red face spouting curses as he jumped up and down, I at least thought his mood would be fiercer. He was the sa as normal. What was he thinking behind his calm face?
“There was a project titled ‘Telepathy’ amongst the scenarios, right?”
“Pardon?”
“Amongst the projects brought to Lee Songha. The one with Director Cha Jaeho and Heo Kakyung as the lead. Don’t you rember?”
“... I do.”
I did.
I churned my mind, going through my mories to keep up with this sudden topic.
“It was a project we rejected because female lead’s role didn’t suit Lee Songha.”
I rember that I had discussed it with CEO Baek Hansung and the director before making a final decision to reject it.
CEO Baek Hansung was smiling when I gave him a puzzled look.
“Is there a project you are thinking about for Lee Songha’s next project?”
“There are a few decent ones, but we are looking through them with an open mind.”
“Hmm, I actually owe Director Cha Jaeho a favor from a long ti ago.”
The conversation was taking an unexpected direction.
“I t Director Cha because he said he wanted to have a al, but it seems like he’s really interested in Lee Songha. He even said that they were willing to adjust a significant portion of the female lead’s character if she agrees to do it.”
My mind jolted awake. The matters regarding the Team 2 Leader and Chinese investnts were completely swept from my mind.
Was he saying he wanted us to go with that project for Lee Songha?
I quickly recalled the scenario and female lead. The scenario was fine. It was a well-structured action thriller. I had considered this project for a good while because Heo Kakyung, famous for his box-office appeal, had already signed on it. However, this wasn’t a project where the female lead shined.
The female lead was simply soone with a pretty face and body who was the male lead’s love interest. Even if it was a box-office success, all the attention would be focused on Heo Kakyung. How much would that character change through adjustnts? It left a bitter taste in my mouth.
“If you don’t have any projects you are seriously considering, why not listen to them once more?”
“And if the talks do not go well...”
“Then don’t do it.”
I imdiately raised my head. CEO Baek Hansung calmly said,
“A favor is a favor, but if there’s a better project, then, of course, we should do that.”
*
“It feels like we’re at the wrong party.”
Im Seoyoung looked around with an awkward expression.
“It is the wrong party. Since it’s the closing ceremony at a short film festival.”
“I feel like a lot of people are looking at us. Like, ‘why are they here?’”
“Guess they are fascinated.”
Since this was a film event, most attendees were directors and production-related professions as well as actors. It was obvious that a girl group would stand out.
They were also dressed up since it has been a while since they last posed in front of a photo wall. The short film festival’s photo wall was plain compared to the red carpets of international film festivals. Throwing Neptune into the mix, they stood out like flamingos in a dance of cranes.
“There are caras everywhere.”
LJ suddenly wedged herself between Lee Songha and . Being pushed aside, Lee Songha frowned. LJ lightly shrugged.
“You had a scandal, so we need to be careful of any two-shots of you two.”
“Yeah, keep apart from each other. In the wrong hands, a two-shot could beco a love shot!”
Im Seoyoung joined in to support LJ. Lee Songha was pushed back two more steps. Her clear face was now starting to cloud over. Lee Taehee, who was swaggering behind us like she was taking a walk, comforted Lee Songha by patting her shoulders.
“Oh! Park Hweseung! Right, right? Oppa, right?”
Im Seoyoung stomped her feet when she saw the actor in front of the photo wall. I unwittingly laughed because it had been a while since I saw her act like this.
“Yeah, it is.”
“Oh, our eyes t! He’s coming over. What do I do?”
She fussed all on her own before becoming serious as she looked at her fellow mbers.
“We can’t make a fuss just because we’re in front of a movie actor. Let’s pass by while greeting him in a natural way. So that it’s not embarrassing!”
“Hey, you’re the only one causing a fuss. Is this your first ti seeing a movie actor?”
Im Seoyoung shook her head at LJ’s rebuke. Park Hweseung was like the celebrity of celebrities. He was an actor who barely made any appearances on TV and entertainnt shows and was wholly focused on his acting career. It was difficult to see him outside of a film festival like this.
To be honest, my desire to ask for an autograph surged up my throat.
Park Hweseung walked up to us. His unkempt beard and unrefined appearance gave us the aura of a talented actor.
“Hello!”
We didn’t have ti to cause a fuss because we were next in front of the photo wall. We had a simple handshake before going our separate ways when I heard Park Hweseung talk with his manager from behind.
“Wow, I got to shake hands with a girl group. Aren’t you jealous?”
“I’m soo jealous. Sell your palm.”
That mont, Im Seoyoung’s eyes popped with stars. She urgently shook my clothes.
“Oppa, oppa, did you hear that?”
“Yeah.”
“I guess we’re popular with movie actors?”
“Probably popular amongst middle-aged n.”
I chuckled as I sent the girls off in front of the caras. The photo wall was instantly overwheld with cara flashes. Their reactions were not much different from Park Hweseung. People gathered around to see the girls as they were changing their poses according to the reporters’ requests.
“Aren’t you Team Leader Jung Sunwoo?”
A middle-aged man ca over in a friendly manner. His face looked familiar, but who was he? I looked through my mories and barely managed to rember. He was a production employee I had t at so ceremony. He glanced at the photo wall before asking,
“All of Neptune ca?”
“Since Songha is here as a presenter, they asked Neptune to perform.”
“Ah, I ca over to find any good rookie directors...”
The employee glanced behind him. The people who had been following him like ducklings had been staring at for a while. Having gathered their gazes once more, the production employee grabbed my shoulder.
“Now, say hello. You all know him, right? He’s Team Leader Jung Sunwoo of W&U.”
Their eyes glistened. The employee introduced them.
“They are the director and actors who submitted their project to a competition.”
No wonder. Their appearances were excessively neat for them to be production company employees. I shook their hands with a smiling face. I took special care in observing the director. While he was a rookie director who hasn’t debuted yet, he could be next year’s rising star.
Once the girls got out of the photo wall, we were introduced to and introduced ourselves endlessly. There were directors and actors, who were the main show tonight, as well as production and distribution company employees. There were even famous directors here to judge.
“Everyone’s so good-looking. Particularly Ms. Im Seoyoung, you have a face ant for acting.”
There were even directors selling snake oil.
“? My face?”
“Maybe it’s because you’re a singer, but your vocalization and expressions are good. You should act!”
“? There’s no way.”
Soon, having watched the scene that branded Im Seoyoung as an iconic figure for terrible acting, the director asked,
“Ms. Lee Taehee, are you not interested in acting?”
While Neptune was laughing and chatting, I mixed in with the directors and production companies.
“I heard Director Jang Joonmo and Mr. Hweseung will be attending the afterparty. How about you, Team Leader Jung?”
“Ah, of course, we will.”
Since all important discussions would happen there.
“I heard Ms. Son Chaeyoung will be doing a drama? She should do a movie. I have a decent project.”
“Mr. Seo Jijoon seems quiet these days.”
“I heard rumors that you were gathered a ton of scenarios and proposals. Did you find any decent projects?”
I always felt this, but rumors traveled quickly in this industry. It seed like those who asked about Seo Jijoon and Son Chaeyoung already knew about the incident with the Team 2 Leader. Their eyes stuck to even more than before.
“What is the rumor about Ms. Lee Songha joining Telepath?”
“Telepathy? Director Chae’s project? She’s joining that?”
“Really?”
I forced my frowning brows straight. Rumors traveled fast, but gossip was even faster.
“It hasn’t been decided. We are still examining it.”
“Really? The investnt distribution company was thinking that it was already decided.”
“I guess there was so miscommunication.”
Or they purposely leaked that information. I guess I should set the eting earlier. I’ll listen to them, but if it isn’t good, I needed to properly refuse this ti. CEO Baek Hansung also said to find sothing better.
A better project.
I had now looked through most projects. I was now in the process of re-reading projects in case I missed sothing. It was now ti to decide on a project, but I still couldn’t make a decision.
Was I expecting sothing too special? Did I have no choice but to pick one from my final choices?
The ceremony began while I was still lost in my thoughts. Having finished their performance in front of the movie screen, the girls sat next to . Winning projects were introduced, and unfamiliar directors and actors were ntioned.
I was still lost in my thoughts as I clapped chanically.
Lee Songha and Nam Joyoon were a given, but Seo Jijoon and Im Joowon needed new projects now. I wanted to get them sothing good. Since they readily sided with , I wanted to get them good projects no matter what.
Just as I thought this.
Static filled my vision.
And my heart began to beat noisily.
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