Chapter 197: Stop at Nothing, By Any Means (3)

TL: emptycube / ED: Isleidir

‘King’s Warrior.’

The large characters in front of me didn’t change even after blinking.

I opened my dry lips and asked,

“And the genre is…”

“A historical drama.”

“That’s right. Since there are a king and his warrior.”

I flipped through a few more pages before closing it. In no way was this similar to the noir genre or the ‘City Jungle’ title. The only similarity was that both films had four characters in their name.

I asked in a gentle tone,

“If you have short film scenarios or synopses, could I take a look?”

He might have restricted a short film to be a feature film, but he struck down my hope. I examined every short film scenario and synopsis that came out of Director Joo Jaechan’s backpack, but I couldn’t find a hint of what I was looking for.

“You have been preparing for this feature film for a long time?”

“Yes, I’ve worked on it for more than two years.”

Two years.

Then where did the scenario he worked five years on suddenly appear from?

This really was strange.

“Is this historical drama your first feature-length work?”

“… Yes, it is my first.”

Director Joo Jaechan said dispiritedly.

“It seems you are unhappy with all of them.”

“No, that’s not it.”

“Your expression has gradually been growing worse. This is all I have.”

Did that scenario have a different writer?

That didn’t seem to be the case. They definitely said he won best screenplay, and he himself said it was a project he had been working on for five years. The investment/distribution agency general manager had praised Director Joo Jaechan from start to end.

What was going on?

Was Director Joo Jaechan lying to me right now? If so, why? It might have been easier to understand the situation if I knew the production company in charge of City Jungle. Where did he make the movie?

I suddenly looked next to me. The drunk production company employee was looking at me.

I casually exchanged a few more drinks before looking at them and asking,

“Are you planning on doing another project together?”

“Huh? No, no, nothing’s decided. If he does have a good project.”

He avoided the subject. Then he patted Director Joo Jaechan’s shoulder,

“Don’t promote that historical drama, okay? How can we let a rookie director direct a historical drama? It needs a large budget and it’s difficult to get investments for. If the cast is good, we might be able to trust the actors enough to follow through, but you know that rookie directors have a hard time casting actors, right?”

He glanced at me while saying that. He looked like he would be interested in a talented actor was interested even if it was a historical drama. I simply laughed it off. After examining my reaction a bit longer, he seemed to think it was a fruitless endeavor and got up after emptying his glass.

“Write something besides historical dramas. A comedy seems good.”

Leaving those words, he went over to a table where other directors were sitting at.

I drank while looking at Director Joo Jaechan. Maybe it was because he was a little depressed, but he didn’t give off much of an impression either. Director Joo gave off a showy impression in the future. Did he change after his debut work became a hit?

Or was he simply acting well-behaved right now?

The afterparty reached its peak as more people were making a racket. I met a few people before going back to Director Joo Jaechan’s table multiple times. Also, I confirmed a few more things once he was completely drunk.

Whether he really didn’t have another work.

Whether he was interested in the noir genre. I even mentioned City Jungle. However, even as he was nodding off while drunk, he simply shook his head.

What to do now?

Thinking about it, I organized my thoughts.

Let’s wait for now. Acting hastily now could change the future. Since, in the future, they said that Director Joo Jaechan brought the scenario to me first, it would be best not to change anything if I wanted that future to happen.

I handed Director Joo Jaechan my business card.

Along with a message, asking him to contact me whenever he had a good project.

*

Although I decided to wait and see, my surroundings move quickly.

-Have you seen the article?

“Yes, I’m reading it right now.”

{Lee Songha, Her next work is ‘Supernatural’ with Heo Kakyung.}^{1}

{Movie ‘Supernatural’ casts Heo Kakyung and Lee Songha among others}

-It seems the ones from Supernatural leaked this. You want to release a correction, right?

“Yes, as quickly as possible.”

-We’re writing a press release. Are you still considering the scenario or is it final?

“It’s final. We formally refused in our meeting yesterday.”

At least, that was what I thought.

-It seems that they didn’t get that memo. Or they are thinking about using this to promote their movie since negotiations have failed. And they clearly know this puts us in a difficult spot.

After hanging up my call with Team Leader Park, I asked Reporter Park Woojeong as well. Then I refreshed the page as I waited for the correction to be made.

It was a common tactic to release an article while things were still undecided, but I didn’t have the time to just laugh it off this time. It would complicate things if Director Joo Jaechan went elsewhere after seeing this article.

I kept refreshing the page when I received a call. It was from the ‘Supernatural’ people.

“General manager.”

-Ah, I saw that an article confirming Ms. Lee Songha was released?

“Yes, it did.”

-We’re not the ones who released it. Just in case there’s a misunderstanding.

What do you mean you didn’t release it? Such a blatant lie.

I clicked my tongue as I refreshed the page. As soon as I saw the top headline, my tensed lips relaxed.

{Lee Songha’s Side denies being cast in ‘Supernatural’. Formal Refusal (Official Stance)}

-This is very awkward.

“It’s okay. We released a correction.”

-Pardon?

The other side because busy. I also refreshed the page. The correction seemed to be spreading well as a few more articles with similar headlines were published. Not long after, I heard a sigh.

-It’s your official stance.

“I felt that it would be best clearly settle the matter since an article was released. If Lee Songha keeps getting mentioned in Supernatural articles, it would make it difficult for you to cast other actresses. We really are thankful for your proposal, but next…”

-Team Leader Jung Sunwoo.

An unhappy voice suddenly cut in.

“Director Cha Jaeho?”

-Yeah, it’s me. I have never sent love calls or made script adjustments for young actresses.

Ah, adjustments.

The one-page adjustment proposal that would obviously be ignored once we signed the contract. I was curious when the director, who was too proud to allow even adlibbed lines, meant by adjustments, but it was as expected.

Before I could reply, Director Cha Jaeho sarcastically said,

-It seems that Midas’s Hand really didn’t like my project. Please let me know when you decide on Ms. Lee Songha’s next project. I’m curious what amazing project you’ll join after rejecting mine.

“Jung Sunwoo!”

The director sat on my desk. His brows, which were the only sharp features on his round face, twitched. The director stopped calling me Lucky Charm after that day with the Team 2 Leader. Instead, he looked at me like I was a headache.

“Did Director Cha Jaeho swear at you?”

“He didn’t….”

But he did make a ton of sarcastic remarks.

“He said that I would regret it later. That he will be waiting to see what I pick after rejecting him.”

“Tell him to get in line. Even the CEO is waiting.”

“The CEO is?”

“He said that he was very interested in what kind of project you will bring in the future once he saw the article.”

“Ah.”

“I’m curious too. Just what is inside your head.”

City Jungle was in my head.

I was curious where that scenario was hiding, and I was curious what Director Joo Jaechan was doing, if he had eaten, if he was thinking of me, and when he would come to see me.

While thinking these stalkerish thoughts, I suddenly saw the director’s face.

How would he react if I mentioned Director Joo Jaechan and City Jungle to him?

The only experience he had was being an assistant director and winning an award at a short film festival. He was still a director who had yet to make his debut. And right now, it was uncertain who would produce and invest in it. If I was frank with him, I wonder if he would hit me?

However, I was confident in persuading him about it.

Because I knew that it would be a success. Like Cat Guardian Ghost.

I was confident in persuading him, but the problem was that the whereabouts of the scenario was unknown.

“Anyways, you need to guard your position. Make sure you’re not emptying your office as soon as you move into it.”

The director got down from my desk. Then he looked at me up and down before clicking his tongue.

“It’s not just Lee Songha, you’ll now have multiple actors asking for projects. The CEO says to let you be since he trusts your incredible eye. However, remember that the failure of a team leader is on another level from a chief failing.”

The mumbling director looked back at me with a strange expression.

“You know that the actors will falter too if you do, right?”

*

A few scenarios and proposals were evenly spread on top of the meeting room table.

Chief Lee Bongjoon and Chief Sung Uimin put their heads together,

“I think that this script is good, but Jijoon is showing no interest.”

“Who else have they sent the script to besides Jijoon? I want to show Joowon.”

“I think they sent one to Yoon Taekyung?”

I stared at the thick stacks of paper. They were projects we had examined and picked. They were projects I had read while thinking about Lee Songha’s next project. Objectively good choices with good synopsis, directors, and writers.

‘He thought long and hard before coming to a decision, yet the project he chose completely flopped.’

The remark I heard in the future rang in my mind. If I had heard which project I had chosen, I would have avoided that one. Now, they all looked like flops. I felt like I was going crazy.

Good projects. Good projects.

I would do anything to get actors good projects.

My thoughts naturally turned to City Jungle.

If Director Joo Jaechan hadn’t decided on actors, what if I proposed other actors besides Lee Songha for other roles? I wouldn’t be able to tell until I saw the scenario. That damn scenario. I needed to check it…

The next moment, my vision went black. My vision was filled with static.

Again? A future vision again?

My vision was so dark that I couldn’t see in front of me. Ah, my eyes were closed. I could feel my eyes moving underneath my eyelids. I heard noises from the distance, and the stuffy scent of cigarettes flowed into my nose.

“Do you regret it?”

Someone beside me asked. Only then did my future self open his eyes.

I was sitting on a cement floor. I saw a pair of legs leaning against the wall. When I lifted my gaze, I saw Director Joo Jaechan exhaling cigarette smoke.

Rather than the depressed, shy Director Joo Jaechan, this was the aloof Director Joo Jaechan from the future, who wore fancy suits.

Was this still the afterparty?

I saw two visions one after another last time. This really was strange.

“When you rejected my project because I hadn’t made my debut as a director yet. I was wondering if you regretted it now.”

Director Joo Jaechan asked again, urging me to respond. He seemed drunk as he was slurring his words.

First, I pushed aside my questions and perked my ears.

“I didn’t reject you because it was your debuting work. It conflicted with another project.”

“Ah, that. The flop.”

Director Joo Jaechan threw his cigarette butt into the outdoor ashtray as he chuckled.

My future self said in a low voice,

“Anyways, I do regret it. I had fun watching it. The plot was good, and so were the characters. It would have been great if Lee Songha had been the female lead. I made the wrong choice at that time.”

The plot was good, and so were the roles? What a relief. I was a bit worried that the female lead would have little presence like Supernatural.

“It’s refreshing that you regret it.”

Director Joo Jaechan chuckled again.

“If you were going to regret it, it would have been good for both of us if you had just done it when I begged.”

“That’s true.”

“I told you that the scenario was good.”

Scenario.

I perked my ears in hopes of gaining a hint.

Director Joo Jaechan mumbled,

“I had a hard time getting that scenario in my hands.”

Getting it in your hands?

^{1} So the author previously wrote ‘Telepathy’. Here, he goes with ‘Supernatural Human’, which I shorted to ‘Supernatural’.