Top Management

"Come on, have a seat."

The director meticulously checked the blinds on the windows before heavily sitting down on the sofa. On the table lay the scripts for episodes 7 and 8 of "Doctor 25 Hours," the covers of which were torn and ragged, showing signs of rough handling.

With a heavy sigh that seemed to drop to the floor, the director began to speak.

"How did you come to know about this, Team Leader Jeong?"

"I make it a point to look into things thoroughly before we start a project."

He glanced at the script while asking the director.

"How about the new script that came out?"

"It's absurd. I had a little interrogation with Writer Kim Kyungsoo and he spilled everything as soon as he felt the pressure."

His face twisted fiercely.

"Up to episode 6, it was almost entirely written by Writer Kong Mihee, you know? What is this, they’ve been making their own drama instead of writing the one I told them to?! Back in the day, this would have been international news!"

A knock interrupted the heated atmosphere.

Yun Dong-seob, the PD, entered with a sour expression, holding two cups of instant coffee.

"Here's your coffee."

"Just leave it and go. And where the hell is Jae-il? Go find him and tell him to hurry to my office."

"Okay..."

As the door closed again, the director abruptly grabbed my hand and held it tight.

"If this went on air as it is... it's pitch black in front of my eyes. I really owe you big this time, Team Leader Jeong."

I didn’t come here just to hear meaningless flattery.

There were precisely two purposes for today's visit.

One was to create a favor to hold over the director’s head for future use.

And the other was to scout the next work of the renowned writer, Kong Mihee.

"I'm intrigued."

"Have you contacted Writer Kong?"

"The writer?"

"Yes. Since Writer Kim was her assistant for a long time, she must know her capabilities better than anyone, and she must have known that 'Doctor 25 Hours' would turn into a mess if she stepped away."

"..."

"Did you part ways on bad terms? To Kim, it might have been okay to say, 'Handle this yourself,' but perhaps she didn’t think you’d be dragged into this mess too."

The director snorted angrily.

"Before Writer Kong went to PBS, didn’t she work on several projects at IBC too? Director, you must feel quite disappointed."

Writer Kong might now be a contract writer for PBS, but she had a history with IBC. There were rumors that the director had tried numerous times to bring her in for a new project.

The director spoke in a raspy voice.

"Honestly, Writer Kong should have considered the ethical side of this. It’s not like we’re strangers."

"It's not an easy matter to discuss. It’s very personal. If rumors start to spread, it wouldn’t be good. She’s known as a great writer, and she has a reputation to uphold."

It seemed he caught the context of my words as he looked at me.

After a leisurely sip of coffee, he nodded.

"Indeed, I was also feeling left out, so I thought about discussing it with Writer Kong. If things go well, her next project might be with us. If your actor joins, it would be a perfect match."

"Let’s talk about that when the script is out. As long as the work is good, we have no issues, but casting is up to the writer. We shouldn’t force it and risk making an enemy of the cast."

The director readily agreed.

"Right. I’ll handle things with Writer Kong. Let’s talk more once things are settled. Again, I really owe you a lot this time. I will definitely repay this debt."

That was enough for now.

There’s no need to push too hard. Just step back and let the director lead. If a worthy script comes along, naturally participate. If not, just gracefully exit.

Ah, and one more thing while I was here.

"I heard PD Kim Jae-il was pushing for Lim Joowon for the main role in 'Doctor 25 Hours.' Apparently, Joowon critiqued it because he doesn’t see things clearly. He’s been quite troubled by it."

"That damn..."

The director growled.

"From now on, you don’t need to worry about it. I’ll handle PD Kim Jae-il. He won’t be directing Writer Kong’s new project anyway."

"Right, then."

I quickly drank the now-cold mix coffee and stood up.

The director followed me to the elevator, ignoring the probing glances hitting my skin as I walked towards it.

"Where the hell is Jae-il hiding? What, did he commit a crime?"

Next to the elevator.

The voice came from the direction of the emergency stairs.

"But even if his actor was criticized

, how could he confront us directly?"

"Actually, it was Lim Joowon who criticized first. He should have managed his actor better."

"Ugh, in the past, whether it was a manager or a company representative, they couldn’t even lift their heads in front of a PD, let alone confront the director... Damn, how can the world be like this?"

"Then, what was the atmosphere in the director’s office like?"

"I was kicked out quickly, didn’t really see much. The director must be soothing things, I guess. After all, we still need to use Jeong Sunwoo’s actors in the future."

The disdain in their voices was palpable.

It seemed to be the same guy who delivered the mix coffee earlier.

I glanced sideways. The director, following me out, had his eyes tightly shut, his face a picture of misery.

"Jeong Sunwoo seems more and more unlucky, don’t you think?"

"Is it just bad luck? He’s unpleasant and disrespectful."

Dramatic timing.

That’s just how it is. Reality is always more dramatic.

"I’ve had a few drinks with Sunwoo, and that guy really needs to fail once to come to his senses."

"These fucking bastards, hey!"

The director charged like a wild boar towards the emergency stairs.

A stream of curses intended for me to hear ensued, and soon, the two men who had pinned the unflattering titles on me came up the stairs looking embarrassed.

"Team Leader Jeong, I'm... I'm too embarrassed to say anything..."

They sounded more embarrassed than the caught gossips.

Standing as if facing a tribunal, they offered their apologies in a creeping voice, while I double-checked the employee badge of the man who had delivered the mix coffee. I had already forgotten his name.

"Yun... Dong-seob, PD. I don’t have a poor memory, but we’ve never had a drink together. Must have been in your dreams."

"Ah, that, well..."

Yun Dong-seob shriveled up, his face turning red.

The mechanical sound of the elevator arriving broke the silence. As the director aged about five years in an instant, he quickly gestured with his hand.

"Team Leader Jeong, I'll handle today's incident."

"Please say hello to Director Kim Jae-il for me. I have another appointment and can’t stay to meet him."

"Sure, you must be busy. Drive safely. I’ll call you."

With the director earnestly seeing me off, I stepped into the elevator.

As the doors closed, I loosened the suffocating tie around my neck. I shoved my hands into my pockets and leaned back against the glass wall.

Even in such moments, I could still feel the stares.

Well, it did spoil the mood a bit.

But the day’s objectives were accomplished. All in all, it was a net gain.

The face of that Yun-something PD who had glanced at me while talking about the Jeong Sunwoo list kept bothering me.

Just.

For some people, whether the list is real or just a rumor isn’t what’s important. Regardless of the truth, it’s just more fun if it’s real.

As Kim Hyunjo would say,

It’s more entertaining to watch a successful person fall.

I left the broadcasting station and headed straight to the parking lot.

As soon as I got into the car, I leaned my head back.

It was quieter outside, which made it easier to breathe. Even though I thought it wasn’t a big deal, it seemed that feelings of resentment had been piling up inside me for days.

You thought you’d never fail, didn’t you?

Continuing to rise, as if you had the Midas touch. All just bubbles.

It was like they were waiting to chatter about it, buzzing around my ears.

Failure...

Of course, I knew that one day I would fail.

From the day I decided not to rely solely on foresight, whether it turned out to be poison or food, I resolved to go the way I wanted, to forge my own path if there wasn’t one.

So there’s no need to be disturbed anew.

Especially since the project I chose hasn’t actually failed yet.

It’s more like a rehearsal. Preparing for when I truly do fail...

So it’s okay.

The small and precious humanity within me continues to be revealed.

Just polish it up again, right?

It’s all fine.

Fine...

But, damn.

Ah.

Calm down. Just calm down.

Mind control,

Damn!

***

"I understand, Count. Don’t worry. I’ll handle everything here, so just focus on writing a good script. Yes, let’s catch up when you return."

The IBC director scowled as he spoke on the phone.

Kim Jae-il, the assistant director, timidly opened the door and entered. Just as he perched on the edge of the sofa, the director, having ended the call, slammed the script down.

"Hey, you crazy fool! What makes you think you did well, sneaking in now and sticking your butt out here? Tell me honestly, did you know about this or not?"

The script for episodes 7 and 8 of 'Doctor 25 Hours' lay scattered on the floor.

Kim Jae-il jumped up and hurriedly responded.

"I didn’t know. If I had, I would’ve called it quits long ago. I’m the most baffled here."

"You idiot, are you even fit to be a director or a producer? After roaming around and sharing meals with writer Kim Kyung-soo, you boast about not knowing who wrote the script?"

Kim Jae-il shrugged his shoulders as the shouting intensified.

"I did think that working with writer Kong Mihee felt similar to an assistant’s job, probably because I was influenced over the long term."

"Do you think it’s right that the actor’s agency found out about this issue first? Huh? There's a limit to the embarrassment I can endure at my age, I was really embarrassed seeing Jung Sunwoo just now!"

The director's face reddened with veins bulging as he clenched his fist.

"I’ve never felt as ashamed in my life as I do today, you bastard!"

"But how did Jung Sunwoo find out about this?"

"Is that what you’re curious about right now?!"

A crumpled paper cup flew through the air.

The director, red as a boiled lobster, barely managed to catch his breath.

"Enough. Flip everything. Make sure the writers and the production company keep their mouths shut. Writer Kong Mihee has been pleading to keep her private life out of the public eye."

"The Countess?"

"Yes. If it gets out that she wrote someone else’s script out of sympathy, imagine the disgrace. How could she even show her face around the industry then?"

"That makes sense."

"So make sure no noise comes out. Besides, writer Kong Mihee has agreed to work with us on her next project."

"Really?"

"Yes, I’ve already discussed it with Jung Sunwoo. We’ll get past this quietly, and as soon as the Countess has a new script, we’ll take it straight to Jung Sunwoo. It’s a win-win."

Kim Jae-il suddenly spoke up.

"But if Jung Sunwoo knew about the problems with 'Doctor 25 Hours' a long time ago, the rumors about his blacklist are completely baseless, aren’t they?"

"Are you saying that? Of course, it’s baseless."

"A lot of people believe in that. Wow, Jung Sunwoo must be feeling frustrated."

"He rolled his eyes.

"So, how did that list come about? 'Hong Gil-dong' is currently blowing up, and 'Doctor 25 Hours' is completely overturned. Half of the list is already destroyed. Isn’t this a blacklist? A blacklist?"

"A blacklist?"

The director blinked and muttered.

"...A blacklist?"

***

In a darkened bedroom, seemingly cut off from the outside world.

Son Chaeyoung leaned against the bedhead, unblinking as she stared at the TV. Her gaze was sharp as a knife.

The screen was playing the final episode of the drama 'Royal Family.' Soon after the drama ended, the set photos and staff credits rolled by, and the screen went black.

Son Chaeyoung rewound the drama to an earlier episode.

The hotel swimming pool scene.

Lead actress Lee Songha, cameo Son Chaeyoung, and special appearance manager Jung Sunwoo were all captured in one frame. As the scene replayed for who knows how many times.

Vibrating on the bed, her phone had a call from Cho Byunghwan. After hitting the reject button, Son Chaeyoung was about to throw the phone aside when messages started flooding in.

Screenshots of SNS posts claiming Jung Sunwoo’s reputation was all hype and that it was only a matter of time before it burst, meticulously underlined.

- Chaeyoung, didn’t you say you wanted to hire Jung Sunwoo because he was competent?

- It was just a three-year thing. You don’t care about him anymore, do you?

- But you called Jung Sunwoo the other time…

Son Chaeyoung turned off the message window and brought up the screenshot again.

Then she gazed at it pensively.

"Three years is enough time for someone to change in this industry."

Her finger, which had been slowly rubbing below her lip, pressed the call log on her phone. The list was a mix of managers, directors

, and writers. She scrolled through it until she stopped at a particular entry.

'A face that falls short'

It was an unsent call record.

Her finger hovered in the air briefly before pressing the call button.

The monotone ringtone echoed around the bedroom, vibrating with tension until it abruptly stopped. Like before, it switched to a missed call recording.

"If you’re not going to answer, why carry a phone?"

Son Chaeyoung threw the phone down.

"Annoying, really…"

She irritably tossed the sheets aside and got up from the bed.

With disheveled long hair, she walked a few steps towards the door when the phone rang again.

"..."

Son Chaeyoung picked up the phone she had tossed aside.

Upon seeing the name on the screen, one corner of her lip lifted long.

Thud, the call connected.

"It’s me."

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