Top Management

"It had come, as expected."

"It was somewhat of a relief."

Calmly searching through the kitchen drawer, I found and took a calming herbal pill. I scooped some honey, a gift from Nam Joyoon's mother, into a mug and brewed myself a cup of honey tea. As the sugar hit, my nerves relaxed. The effects of the medicine were superb.

"Hyung, why is it so quiet? Team leader, you're not monitoring, are you?"

"Just watch. You have to eat shit to know it’s shit."

"What are you talking about! Hyung, never look it up online! You know I'm the expert when it comes to this, right? Mental health is the most important."

"If you know so well, why are you always looking things up and whining?"

"Ah, keep quiet! Can’t you read the room right now?!"

Amidst the loud voices of Im Seoyoung and Eljay coming from the speakerphone, Im Seoyoung soon spoke again.

"Anyway, Hyung, don't worry about things like hate comments!"

"Are there hate comments?"

"About me?"

I logged onto SNS. Searching my name, I saw that new posts were being updated almost in real-time.

"Let's see what they're saying."

"I went to see 'Hong Gil-dong' as the first session. I’m on my way to get a refund from Jung Sunwoo."

"This is bullshit, even Jung Sunwoo who recommended this is a bastard for making me watch this at 7 AM."

└What recommendation? He even clarified that it was a rumor.

└But when they were promoting 'Hong Gil-dong,' it was flaunted as recommended by Jung Sunwoo.

"I think Jung Sunwoo must have been paid to promote this. He’s been continuously associated with World Art Pictures from 'Alive' to 'City Jungle,' isn’t it obvious he was promoting it? He denies it to avoid the backlash while keeping the promotions up. Pure honey for him, isn’t it?"

└Exactly, seems right. Such insight.

└What about the other movies on the list?

└You have to make a tidy list so it doesn’t look obvious.

"This time it's just Jung Sunwoo picking the wrong movie. About time he slipped up."

"Let's stop looking."

Hearing my incredulous sigh, Im Seoyoung advised again.

"Did you see? Ah, I told you not to look! From my experience, on days like this, it's best not to leave the bed."

"What is this, a reason to go into hiding?"

"Hyung."

This time, it was Lee Songha.

"Are you really okay?"

"Don’t worry about me. This chaos won’t last long."

"But people are too much..."

Lee Songha's voice trailed off solemnly.

Despite everything bubbling underneath, the hate comments seemed trivial to her.

"Stop monitoring and get back to work."

"How can you say that with all this chaos?"

"I’ll handle everything. Have I ever messed up or failed?"

"That's true."

"So what’s there to worry about?"

Suppressing the urge to speak my heart out, I ended the call.

I then dropped a herbal tea bag into my still-warm honey tea. The sweet and subtle aroma lingered around my nose.

Someone sent another message, and my ignored phone vibrated intensely.

I ignored it and leisurely sipped my tea.

This was all expected.

From the day Baek Hansung asked about my mental state, I had been preparing for this moment.

It didn’t bother me.

Not really.

*

Compared to the noisy online world, the office was quiet.

Although glances followed, no one overtly asked anything. Instead, the staff tried their best to act as if nothing was amiss, treating me with the usual demeanor.

A bit of humanity seemed to rise within me,

But evaporated as soon as I reached the fifth floor.

The promotional team's office was bustling with prowlers.

Goodness.

It seemed they wanted to witness my downfall in real time, those who typically disliked me were especially gleeful today. Every time we met, their faces soured, but today, they were all smiles.

Among them, the most delighted was,

"Team Leader Jung!"

Acting team leader, Cho Byunghwan.

He briskly approached and patted my shoulder.

"It’s okay. The first time is the hardest, it's nothing once you get past it. We've all been through it."

"How could a person only walk on a path of roses? This is normal."

"I don't understand why everyone is making such a fuss. Everyone goes through this, learning from insults and embarrassments. Don’t worry too much, Team Leader Jung."

It would have been better if they had just mocked me.

Their true feelings were obvious, but outwardly, they all acted like wise seniors, showering me with comforting and

 encouraging words which made it even more unbearable.

"This too shall pass. I’m a bit busy right now."

"Oh, alright…"

I waved them off like shooing flies and left.

In the office, Kim Hyunjo was waiting for me.

He held a box of doughnuts that smelled strongly of sugar.

"You’ve had a tough time. This is a gift."

"Thank you."

He followed me into the team leader's office and cleared his throat before speaking.

"Don’t mind those clueless people outside. You know how it is. When someone unlucky slips, everyone jumps at the chance to bite."

"Am I that unlucky guy?"

"Well, my point is, those who thought so are now jumping out at this opportunity. It's said that the nail that sticks out gets hammered down, and you weren’t just sticking out; you were like a meteorite that fell from the sky…"

His words were disorganized, but I understood what he meant.

Seeing him try to offer clumsy comfort with his tired, dark-circled face made me feel a pang of emotion.

Ah. Am I being sentimental?

I almost hugged him.

Just then, there was a knocking sound, and the third team leader entered the room, holding a jar of homemade liquor and a single paper flower.

He looked particularly nonsensical today with a snapback, part of Blackout merchandise, worn askew.

He placed the crumpled paper flower on my desk and inexplicably wished someone's soul peace.

"Who died?"

"Yeah, there was someone. Called Midas's Touch. It was short and intense, lasted about three years."

This guy, really.

Before I could react, Kim Hyunjo, looking genuinely flustered, suddenly kicked the third team leader's sturdy shin.

"Are you a sociopath? Huh?!"

"Ah, ouch, ouch, it hurts! It was just a joke, man! Normally, you should take these things lightly. I was trying to lighten the mood because I was worried you’d be brooding over getting trashed."

"A joke? You call that a joke!"

"My pride is intact, and I’m not brooding. Please leave, go on."

I sent the disruptive duo out and then brewed some coffee.

Just as I poured a cup, there was an ominous knock.

"Team Leader…"

This time, it was Director Lee Taeshin from Prettygirl.

He entered cautiously and pulled something from a plastic bag he was clutching. It was a box of medicine that looked like a fatigue recovery supplement.

"This is like a recovery supplement. When Prettygirl was going through a rough patch, I started taking this because of stress-induced gastritis and headaches, and it really helped. Thought it might help you too…"

The listed benefits were extensive.

Anxiety, nervous exhaustion, sleep disorders, asthenia, tonic, loss of appetite...

A cure-all?

"Thank you."

I took it anyway.

Once the office door closed, I was left alone again.

I slumped back in my chair.

I felt drained just ten minutes after arriving at work.

Wondering whether to take the cure-all, I ultimately just shoved it in the drawer and instead pulled out a doughnut.

With the first bite, the sweet sugary coating crumbled and melted in my mouth. The oil-fried dough was chewy yet moist. Each bite felt like fireworks exploding in my head.

I quickly ate two and, on a whim, poured myself a shot of the homemade liquor.

Indeed, sugar, carbohydrates, and alcohol are the ultimate peacekeepers of the mind.

Sipping the liquor, I pondered how far this situation would go.

After all, this was just the beginning.

It seemed it would be noisy for a while.

***

Million.

On the opening day of "Hong Gil-dong," the number of spectators exceeded a million.

It was a tremendous achievement that took the third spot in the domestic box office opening scores.

It implies that many had booked their tickets in advance and waited just for the premiere of "Hong Gil-dong," and just as many were devastatingly disappointed.

No, a million...

Somehow a million people on the first day...

The aftermath was massive.

I did end up watching it, but I urge you all never to watch it—a sacrificial review.

I can’t be the only one to suffer; "Hong Gil-dong" is a masterpiece of my life, so you all must watch it too—a ghostly persuasion.

Both sides clashed fiercely. It was simply a mess.

And on the second and third days of the release.

The number of spectators truly plummeted.

Naturally, whether on social networks or communities, it was chaos.

I don’t know how my name is being tossed around in there.

I haven’t seen it.

And I won’t in the future either.

***

<Group Chat/Entertainment Friends/Let's Survive Together>

- What are we going to do about "Hong Gil-dong"? It’s been a while since a movie has failed this spectacularly.

- Why? It’s good for us, right? Now there’s a lot to write about with "Hong Gil-dong" and a few more failed tentpole movies we can add to a feature article.

- They at least hit a million at the opening, so World Art Pictures must be relieved, right? Jang Seo-jeong really is impressive.

- Jang Seo-jeong won't give an interview, will he?

- Would he? Even now, he outright dismisses lists and rumors.

- Real or not, Jang Seo-jeong and W&U have to keep pushing that it's just rumors now that "Hong Gil-dong" flopped, haha.

- "Doctor 25 Hours" is on complete production halt now, anyone know why?

- ???????

- Really? Is that confirmed? Why?

- Isn’t the casting for the lead role still unresolved? Han Gyeong-min instead of Lim Joowon?

- The production company is staying completely silent, but I know it’s turned upside down. Everything is on hold, whether it's casting or whatever. Seems like a big issue exploded.

- I also heard the writer for "Doctor 25 Hours," Kim Kyungsoo, got dragged to the director of IBC and got a tongue-lashing, is that true?

- What? Is "Doctor 25 Hours" going to be scrapped?

- This is hilarious! At this point, shouldn’t Jang Seo-jeong’s list be called the flop list, not the hit list? Haha.

- Flop list, haha!

- Hahaha!

***

I strode into the IBC Broadcasting station lobby.

While receiving my visitor's badge and riding the elevator up to the drama department on the fifth floor, curious gazes stuck to me like glue.

I shrugged off my shoulders and entered the drama department.

It was no different here. The sparsely filled office buzzed as if they had found some juicy gossip to discuss, the content of which was all too obvious even without hearing it.

Someone, reeking of sweat, approached me.

“Hey, are you here to see PD Kim Jae-il? He just stepped out for a moment.”

I looked at the man's face, which shimmered with lowly curiosity, as he mentioned the name of the PD responsible for "Doctor 25 Hours," trying to gauge my reaction.

“No, I'm here to see the director.”

“Our director? Is he here? Did you have an appointment?”

“Would I have barged in otherwise?”

I said with a smile, looking at the man’s ID hanging around his neck.

Drama Department PD Yun Dong-seob. A stranger to me.

Had he ever sent me a casting offer that I turned down?

As I made my way to the director's office, he followed persistently, trying to make conversation.

“Manager Jang Seo-jeong, have you seen 'Hong Gil-dong'?”

“I haven’t.”

“Really? Wasn’t that the very project Manager Jang marked as a sure success? Why haven’t you seen it? It’s all the rage right now.”

“That’s a rumor.”

“Come on, once you start something, you’ve got to see it through, whether it turns out good or bad. It looks bad if you start backtracking now, calling it a rumor when the movie’s tanking.”

I stopped in my tracks.

Someone trying to live rightly shouldn’t be scratched at like this.

“Excuse me, PD Yun Dong-seob.”

“Eh?”

“I wish you would listen when people speak. Stop the nonsense.”

“What?”

He looked at me, his face hardening as if he couldn’t believe his ears.

“I said it’s a rumor. Why won’t you believe what people say? Would you prefer it wasn’t a rumor, PD Yun Dong-seob?”

“No, it’s not that...”

I’m not sure what my expression looked like.

But judging by his reaction, it wasn’t exactly a friendly one.

As I watched him hesitantly back away, the director’s office door swung open.

“Manager Jang, you’re here? Come in, come in. Yun PD, what are you doing standing there? Go and make some coffee.”

“Me?”

“Hurry up, won’t you?”

Under a stern gaze, the PD turned away with a flustered look.

As I entered the director’s office, the lingering gazes continued to cling.

What business I had with the director.

What exactly the two of us would discuss.

They seemed desperately curious.

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