Chapter 16: Unchanging Viewership Rating (4)

Kim Myung-Hak’s voice cracked as he talked to Lee Ji-Yeon over the phone.

“W-what do you mean, Ms. Lee? That’s nonsense. You know very well how we are barely scraping together the production budget, don’t you? We can barely even breathe because the cable TV is pressuring us. You know that...

“Hm, is that so? Mr. Park said otherwise. He said there was excess money so he plans to use it on computer graphics. Anyway, I was shocked to hear that. Was giving you a 30% discount on my script fee a mistake? Huh?”

“Oh my goodness, that crazy bastard! Ah, I’m not cursing at you, Ms. Lee. I’m cursing at Doo-Shik, so please don’t get me wrong!”

The desperate Kim Myung-Hak insisted he absolutely had to come to the set and sort out the situation.

“M-Ms. Lee. We shouldn’t be doing this over the phone. Let’s meet face to face. I’m near the set right now, so I’ll be there in ten minutes. Just ten minutes!”

“Ten minutes? Okay, Myung-Hak. I’m going to leave if you don’t come by then.”

“No! You can’t just leave! I swear I’ll be there in ten minutes no matter what!”

With the sound of Kim Myung-Hak footsteps, the call was cut off.

The General CP of MBS Drama Division Kim Myung-Hak was on his way.

***

After ending the phone call with Kim Myung-Hak, Lee Ji-Yeon leisurely settled into a chair at the site and savored the coffee I had handed to her.

Knowing this couldn’t go on, Ma Dong-Pal quickly approached Lee Ji-Yeon. He stood in front of her and bowed his head in greeting.

“Ms. Lee. It’s been a while since we last met.”

Lee Ji-Yeon answered with a frown.

“Hey, Dong-Pal~. I heard you rarely come to the set after your promotion. What brings you here today?”

“Um, Ms. Lee...can we talk privately? I believe any misunderstandings can be resolved through a chat and...”

Lee Ji-Yeon waved her hand and interrupted Ma Dong-Pal.

“Misunderstanding, you say? Do I look like a fool to you? I’m not in the mood to talk with you right now, so it’d be best if you stayed out of my sight.”

Ma Dong-Pal tightly bit his lip at Lee Ji-Yeon’s sharp refusal.

“Then...I’ll visit you at your home tomorrow.”

“I’m busy tomorrow—and the day after. I’ve moved, so don’t come. Frankly, I’d prefer if we never met again.”

Ma Dong-Pal’s face turned from red to pale. Then without another word, he retreated into the opposite end of the set.

After he disappeared, Lee Ji-Yeon started sipping her coffee again.

“Why does this coffee taste so good all the time? It’s not even Astrobucks.”

This time, Park Doo-Shik took a deep breath and approached Lee Ji-Yeon.

“Um, Ms. Lee. There must be a misunderstanding.”

“Hmm? What misunderstanding?”

“There is a valid reason why I intended to shoot using the original script and not the revised one...”

Park Doo-Shik tried to explain, but Lee Ji-Yeon just smirked.

“Oh~? You went back to the original script without consulting me when I stayed up for forty eight hours revising the script? Mr. Park, just because I’m smiling doesn’t mean you can treat me like a dumbass.”

Lee Ji-Yeon glared at Park Doo-Shik with eyes as sharp as a viper’s.

“No, no! That’s not it. Ms. Lee. The thing is...the chemistry between Jung Yoo-Jin and the lead actress wasn’t as good as the first day, so I had no choice but to use the original script! It was a tough decision. And didn’t you say that directing was my domain?”

The staff murmured among themselves at Park Doo-Shik’s desperate lie. Yet no staff dared to openly challenge the PD’s lie.

‘

But what a shame I had already sent all the on-set footage.

’

Thud.

“Shut~ up~!”

“

Hic

.”

Lee Ji-Yeon shouted in an irritated voice, causing Park Doo-Shik to hiccup. She was evidently angry.

“You want to talk about directing authority? Is that how you interpreted respecting each other’s domain? If you wanted to toss my script into the trashcan and do as you please, you should’ve worked with a different writer. Weren’t you the one who desperately wanted to work with me?”

“T-that’s not what I meant...”

“And you’re saying that Yoo-Jin did well on the first day but not today?”

“Y-yes...please trust me...

Hic!

”

“So you’re saying that girl acted better than Yoo-Jin? Are you sure?”

When Lee Ji-Yeon pointed at Park Eun-Bin, Park Doo-Shik quickly nodded. Lee Ji-Yeon made a dumbfounded expression and spoke with determination.

“Fine. Then I can see her acting for myself, right?”

“I’m sorry?”

“Show me her acting! You stopped at scene 272 of the revised script, didn’t you? If everything you said is true, I’ll take back everything I said and say good things about you to Myung-Hak.”

“R-really?

Hic.

”

“Yes, really.”

Lee Ji-Yeon boldly proposed a head-to-head comparison between Yoo-Jin and Park Eun-Bin's acting to pressure Park Doo-Shik. She seemed confident that Yoo-Jin’s acting was better.

“Okay, ma’am. You better keep your words.”

With a desperate look on his face, Park Doo-Shik quickly gave orders to the staff. Soon, the lights were set and every staff member took their positions.

Lee Ji-Yeon spoke to Choi Eun-Yung with a gentle smile.

“Eun-Yung~ I’m sorry about the sudden situation. But you can still act, right?”

“Of course, Ms. Lee.”

Choi Eun-Yung nodded with a confident expression.

“Hey, you there. Can you act?”

When Lee Ji-Yeon called out Park Eun-Bin without using her name, the latter bit her lips and nodded. However, Lee Ji-Yeon didn’t bother scolding her for her bad attitude.

“What are you doing, Mr. Park? Give the cue. I don’t know what I’m going to do if Myung-Hak arrives first.”

Park Doo-Shik nodded and quickly cued for the shoot to resume.

“Alright, Miss Eun-Bin. Relax and just do as before. Scene 272. Ready~ Action!”

The moment Park Eun-Bin started acting, I could immediately tell it was over.

Lee Ji-Yeon looked more troubled and horrified than ever.

***

“Cut~! Great job, Miss Eun-Yung. Well done, Miss Eun-Bin.”

Park Doo-Shik’s expression brightened when the acting ended without any NGs.

The staff around him whispered about Park Eun-Bin’s terrible acting, but Park Doo-Shik let out a sigh of relief as if he didn’t hear them.

Lee Ji-Yeon frowned and opened her mouth.

“Mr. Park. Was that the best?”

“Yes, Ms. Lee. Considering she’s from an idol background, her acting is better than expected and...”

“Cut out the unnecessary words. So that was the best, huh? Understood.”

Lee Ji-Yeon turned to look for Yoo-Jin.

“Yoo-Jin? Where is Yoo-Jin?”

“Oh? Um, yes, Ms. Lee! I’m right here!”

Yoo-Jin, who was standing beside me and reading the script, stepped forward.

“Yoo-Jin. Can you act out scene 275 from the revised script?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“It’s a challenging scene. Are you confident?”

Scene 275 from the revised script was where Lee Seol-Ran sided with the female lead to fight against her boyfriend who visited her home.

“I’ll give it my all without holding back.”

Looking at a determined Yoo-Jin, Lee Ji-Yeon turned to the male lead, Park Eun-Sung.

“Eun-Sung~. Be careful not to hurt the actresses.”

“Of course, Ms. Lee. No one’s better than me when it comes to manners.”

Park Eun-Sung, a top star with a decade of experience, seemed completely relaxed and confident.

‘

Well, Park Eun-Sung isn’t the type to be intimidated in this kind of situation anyway.

’

But the problem was that Yoo-Jin had to hit that top star in scene 275. And not just any hit—it had to be a solid one.

“Eun-Yung. Please lead Yoo-Jin well, okay?”

“Of course, Ms. Lee.”

Upon receiving the signal that the actors were ready, Lee Ji-Yeon said to Park Doo-Shik.

“Mr. Park. Go ahead and give the cue.”

“Yes, ma’am. Revised script scene 275. Ready~ Action!”

With the cue, Park Eun-Sung suddenly struck Choi Eun-Yung’s head.

Smack!

With a sharp sound, Choi Eun-Yung fell to the ground.

Thud.

With disheveled hair, Choi Eun-Yung looked up and glared at her ex-boyfriend, conveying a range of emotions—betrayal, frustration, anger, and sorrow—with exquisite acting.

Park Eun-Sung continued with his lines.

“Pregnant? Haha! You think you can just waltz into my house with that excuse? I don’t believe you. How do I know if the baby is even mine!?”

Park Eun-Sung spitting with a disdainful look was so aggravating that it made me want to slap him. Just as the superb acting from Park Eun-Sung and Choi Eun-Yung continued, the mansion’s door suddenly flung open.

Yoo-Jin started running across the lawn, yelling at the top of her lungs.

“Hey! You son of a bitch!”

One of her slippers was off, but Yoo-Jin showed no signs of stopping. The moment she reached Park Eun-Sung, she went in with a full swing.

Whack!

The sound echoed on the set, making everyone’s hearts skip a beat. Yoo-Jin’s slap with all her might had turned Eun-Sung’s head sharply.

Park Eun-Sung wobbled and fell to the ground.

‘

Uh-oh. Him falling down doesn’t seem like acting. What if Park Eun-Sung’s agency decides to press chargers?

’

Seeing Park Eun-Sung on the floor, Yoo-Jin continued her intense acting.

“How dare you hit a woman who’s carrying your child? You’re gonna pay for this today!”

“W-who are you? How dare you mess with me? Hey! Why are you just staring? Call the police now!”

“Police? You’re looking at one now. I’m here to ensure people like you face justice! You piece of trash!”

The role assigned to Yoo-Jin was that of a cop in the drama. Because of that, she confronted Park Eun-Sung with the intention of arresting him on the spot.

But Park Eun-Sung was no easy opponent. Spitting out curses, Park Eun-Sung got up and began to brawl with both Yoo-Jin and Choi Eun-Yung.

When Yoo-Jin and Choi Eun-Yung attacked him together and grabbed his hair, Park Eun-Sung cried out loud.

It was clearly acting, but it didn’t seem like it.

I couldn’t take my eyes off of them—and the staff watching nearby must have felt the same way.

“Wow, her acting is amazing.”

“I can’t believe she whacked Park Eun-Sung without hesitation.”

“She’s so bold.”

“She’s a natural talent!”

Impressed by Yoo-Jin’s passionate acting, the staff whispered words of admiration while ensuring they did not interfere with the audio.

***

“Mr. Park. How long are you going to be lost in thought? Aren’t you going to call it a cut?”

When Lee Ji-Yeon shouted, Park Doo-Shik snapped back to reality and picked up the speakerphone.

“C-cut!”

Only then did the three actors stop their wild movements and slumped to the floor, catching their breaths.

“

Huff, huff, huff

. Hey, you two! Are you my anti-fans? Were you trying to kill me? Admit it!”

Seeing Park Eun-Sung pant and complain, Choi Eun-Yung and Yoo-Jin made guilty expressions.

Park Eun-Sung’s face was red from Yoo-Jin’s slap and his hair, pulled by Choi Eun-Yung, was in a mess.

“I-I’m sorry, sunbae-nim.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t intend to give it my all, but I got swept up in Yoo-Jin’s acting...”

Glaring intently at the two, Park Eun-Sung soon let out a smile.

“

Heh

, I’m just joking. It’s all good. Giving it your all even during mere rehearsals is what makes you a true actor. You both did well.”

Park Eun-Sung touched his face and looked at Lee Ji-Yeon.

“Ms. Lee. That was good, right? I can’t do more than this.”

Lee Ji-Yeon smiled.

“Eun-Sung~. Your acting when you got hit was great.”

“It wasn’t acting, it was real. I think I lost a tooth. Please cover my medical expenses for an implant.”

“Okay, Eun-Sung~. I’ll make sure they replace not just one tooth.”

Park Eun-Sung shuddered at Lee Ji-Yeon’s joke.

“Ugh, no thank you. What other scene are you planning to add?”

Then, he got up and extended his hands to the two actresses still sitting on the floor.

“Stand up. Let’s go and thank the staff.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Right.”

The staff on the set were frozen in place, thanks to Yoo-Jin’s charisma and how immersed the other actors were in their performance.

As Park Eun-Sung led Yoo-Jin and Choi Eun-Yung to thank the staff, the staff soon erupted in applause.

“Bravo! That was amazing, Miss Yoo-Jin.”

“Wow, that was incredible. You’re so good!”

“Miss Yoo-Jin, you were the best. Did you learn martial arts or something?”

“Wow, Miss Yoo-Jin. You have no regard for top stars, huh?”

“Do you have something against Mr. Eun-Sung? That slap seemed so real.”

Yoo-Jin continuously bowed as the praises echoed on site. She was covered in dirt and grass from rolling on the ground and her hair was a mess, but everyone complimented her. After all, she was completely different from Park Eun-Bin who always tried to look pretty.

As the staff continued to cheer and compliment Yoo-Jin for her talented acting, Park Eun-Bin grit her teeth and shuddered. Ma Dong-Pal was also dumbfounded as he did not expect Yoo-Jin to show such splendid acting.

‘

You messed with the wrong person, my guy.

’

Seeing Ma Dong-Pal’s distorted face, it felt like the pain in my right hand had suddenly eased.