Episode 106
Episode 106
I showed my screenplay to several people over the past few days.
Ji Jung-hyun, Park Jun, Cindy, Lee Joo-yeon, Goo Kyung-mo, Yang I-deum, Kang Han-sung, Yoo Sung-hyo, Kim Pil-sung, Kim Hee-soo, Jung Soo-jin, Jung Su-min.
It’s no exaggeration to say that I showed the screenplay to almost everyone I knew.
Fortunately, the reviews from people around me weren’t bad.
Similar to Seo Myung-hee, they said that although the screenplay wasn’t commercial, it touched on points worth discussing.
Along with this, there were people who occasionally pointed out the lacking parts of the screenplay, but I was rather happy about it.
This became a very important clue to create a better screenplay.
So I continued to have the screenplay validated and finally succeeded in bringing it up to a satisfactory level.
At the same time, I was able to decide on the title of the work.
The title of the work was “I Am Not a Villain.”
‘This should be enough…’
I thought it was time to talk to Festa Entertainment.
So I immediately called Yeo Kyung-chan.
-Yes! Actor!
“Manager, are you available for a phone call now?”
-Of course! Please go ahead!
“I have a work I’m considering for my next project, and I’d like to discuss this with the company.”
-Oh? Have you already decided on your next project?
“Yes. I want to organize next year’s schedule before this year ends.”
-As always, our actor is so diligent! May I ask what work you’ve decided on?
“It’s not difficult to tell you the title, but you probably won’t know it. It’s a work by a new writer.”
Yeo Kyung-chan seemed to sense something suspicious from my words.
It couldn’t be helped.
It was a bit strange for someone in my position to take on a work by a new writer.
To begin with, there were no new writers among those who had made casting offers to me.
-A work by a new writer…
“Yes, that’s right. I think the conversation with the company will be long, should I send the work first?”
-Yes. If you send the work, I’ll make sure to pass the script on to others as well.
Even for Festa Entertainment, which prioritizes the opinions of its artists, this was an issue that would cause concern.
They would be worried about an actor who had just grown to be a star of the agency entering a new writer’s work as their next project.
As explained earlier, a work doesn’t succeed just because one actor does well.
The possibility of success increases when various elements such as script, direction, music, art, and props harmonize well.
And in most works, the most important thing could be said to be the script.
In the case of movies, the importance varied slightly depending on the director, but still, the script was the key element that could predict the possibility of a work’s success.
For this reason, from the agency’s perspective, it was bound to feel risky for an actor to enter a new writer’s work.
Especially in a situation like now where many good scripts have come in, they might think there’s no need to take unnecessary risks.
This was certainly a rational thought.
‘They’ll probably oppose it almost unconditionally.’
I thought this and showed a bitter smile.
However, I couldn’t reveal the fact that I was the writer of “I Am Not a Villain.”
Even if I revealed it, it was hard to think that the agency would look favorably on my circumstances, and I didn’t want that either.
Rather, I wanted them to look at my work from a professional’s perspective.
That way, I could identify the lacking parts of the work a bit more objectively.
‘In the end, I need to get permission to enter a new writer’s work and then reveal that I wrote this work…’
I certainly didn’t have a clear idea of how to persuade Festa Entertainment.
It seemed like it would be quite a difficult battle.
* * *
A week after sending the screenplay for “I Am Not a Villain,” I received a call from Yeo Kyung-chan.
He said that CEO Jung Yoon-seok wanted to meet me regarding the screenplay issue.
I immediately headed to Festa Entertainment’s building with Yeo Kyung-chan.
To gauge the atmosphere in advance, I drove and asked Yeo Kyung-chan a question.
“…How’s the atmosphere at the company?”
“The company?”
“Yes. Was there any particular reaction after I sent the screenplay?”
I was certain I would face strong opposition today.
If not, there was no way CEO Jung Yoon-seok, who was usually hard to see, would want to meet me like this.
Then, after pondering for a while, Yeo Kyung-chan opened his mouth.
“Um… There wasn’t really any reaction at all?”
Yeo Kyung-chan answered with his usual smile.
I thought he was doing this on purpose to reassure me.
Certainly, from Yeo Kyung-chan’s position, it was difficult to take my side now, and it was also difficult to take the company’s side.
After all, a manager’s first duty was to take care of their celebrity’s mental state.
As expected, I could see cold sweat running down Yeo Kyung-chan’s cheeks.
He looked visibly tense.
‘How bad must the company atmosphere be for him to sweat like this…’
His hands seemed to be shaking a bit too.
With a heart full of worry, I once again recalled how to persuade CEO Jung Yoon-seok.
Thanks to that, I was able to regain some peace of mind.
But I still couldn’t shake off a bit of anxiety.
Then, a little while later.
Upon arriving at Festa Entertainment’s building, I bowed my head to the employees as usual.
But for some reason, the behavior of the employees receiving my greeting seemed stiffer than usual.
In some cases, even their expressions were completely rigid, which made me feel a bit hurt.
‘Even if I decided to appear in a new writer’s work… Isn’t this a bit too much?’
I wondered if the quality of “I Am Not a Villain” was much lower than I thought.
Certainly, if that wasn’t the case, it would be difficult to explain the current situation.
‘If they come out saying the work is too bad, it’ll be difficult to persuade CEO Jung Yoon-seok… What should I do…’
If it’s really that bad, it would be difficult to proceed with the work.
With a complicated mind, I followed Yeo Kyung-chan’s steps.
Finally, we could reach the main conference room where I was supposed to meet CEO Jung Yoon-seok today.
At that moment.
Yeo Kyung-chan, who would normally have opened the conference room door and entered first, stopped his steps.
Then, uncharacteristically, he spoke up.
“Actor, please go in first.”
I wondered why Yeo Kyung-chan was acting like this.
Normally, I wouldn’t have paid much attention, but I was sensitive as I was about to face an evaluation of the work I had written.
‘What on earth does CEO Jung Yoon-seok think of my choice to make him act like this.’
I swallowed dry saliva and opened the door to the conference room.
At that moment…
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sound of fireworks exploding could be heard, and I saw employees standing with cakes in their hands.
“Congratulations on the success of ‘Escape’!”
“Congratulations on the Best New Actor award!”
“Ten million viewer actor! Lee Si-joon!”
“Face genius! Lee Si-joon!”
The employees’ congratulations and cheers continued boisterously.
I couldn’t help but feel dazed at the sight.
It had been quite a while since “Escape” left theaters and the Blue Dragon Film Awards ended.
So I couldn’t help but ask:
“Why are you celebrating now…”
Then the lights came on, and CEO Jung Yoon-seok, standing in the middle of the conference room, explained.
“Yes, it’s quite late for a celebration. But do you know how long you haven’t been to the company?”
Come to think of it, I realized that I hadn’t visited Festa Entertainment’s building for quite a long time.
In fact, from my perspective, there was no particular reason to go to the company.
Almost everything was handled by Yeo Kyung-chan.
“We were so nervous preparing this surprise party today, wondering what we’d do if you didn’t come to the company!”
Yeo Kyung-chan, who had looked visibly tense until just now, said this with a bright expression.
At the same time, I could understand why Yeo Kyung-chan had been sweating cold.
Yeo Kyung-chan wasn’t sweating from lying to hide the dark atmosphere of the company.
He was trying to hide the surprise party.
Anyway, after learning the reason for the surprise party, I thanked the employees of Festa Entertainment.
“Thank you for celebrating.”
Come to think of it, it was because of Festa Entertainment’s employees that I could work with such peace of mind.
* * *
The employees cut their cakes and returned to their seats.
The only people sitting in the conference room without returning to their seats were CEO Jung Yoon-seok, Kim Bo-mi, Yeo Kyung-chan, and Song Jin-ah.
The problem was that none of these people brought up the screenplay for “I Am Not a Villain.”
They were all just talking about “Escape” and the Blue Dragon Film Awards.
“Ah, really, when Kim Sung-yeon cried in ‘Escape’, I cried a lot too.”
“You too, CEO? You’re so sentimental.”
“How is that sentimental? It just means I have rich sensitivity towards the work.”
“CEO, you cried last time when Lee Si-joon received an award at the Baeksang Arts Awards too.”
“That’s because Lee Si-joon’s acceptance speech was so touching.”
“Don’t tell me you cried this time too when he received the Best New Actor award at the Blue Dragon Film Awards?”
At first, I thought they would talk like this for a few minutes before the meeting officially started.
But even after an hour, the conversation didn’t move to the screenplay of “I Am Not a Villain.”
Finally, I couldn’t hold back and opened my mouth towards CEO Jung Yoon-seok.
“By the way, CEO.”
“Ah, yes. Please speak, Actor Lee Si-joon.”
“Have you read the screenplay for ‘I Am Not a Villain’?”
“Of course I read it, since it’s the work Actor Lee Si-joon has decided to appear in as his next project.”
With that, everyone’s attention focused on me, and I swallowed hard before asking the next question.
“How was it?”
“Well, it was interesting.”
“Is that all?”
“Yes, that’s all.”
I couldn’t come to my senses, wondering what was going on.
Then CEO Jung Yoon-seok belatedly grasped the situation and spoke.
“Ah, did you think I would oppose your next project?”
“Yes. Isn’t that why you called me?”
“No, today we just called you for a surprise party.”
“Ah…”
CEO Jung Yoon-seok sat with an expression that said it really was just that, and so did the others.
“Why did you think we would oppose? We won’t oppose.”
A feeling of emptiness washed over me.
Everyone was taking my appearance in “I Am Not a Villain” as a given.
I was flustered, not knowing what to say, and then opened my mouth.
“Actually, I wrote the screenplay for ‘I Am Not a Villain’.”
A moment of silence followed.
“Wow!”
“Really?”
“Amazing!”
“The screenplay was really interesting!”
Exclamations of admiration burst out in turn from CEO Jung Yoon-seok, Kim Bo-mi, Yeo Kyung-chan, and Song Jin-ah.