Chapter 456: Han Woo-Hyuk

At 183 cm, Han Woo-Hyuk was a tall actor who had pure skin and soulful eyes that made him a handsome leading man.

But after three years of battling illness, he now had a noticeably thinner frame. His once-glowing skin looked dry and dull, and his complexion appeared pale. Though his hair had grown back, indicating he had finished chemotherapy, it was evident that his body had not yet fully recovered.

Sitting beside him were PD Lee Seon-Chang of

Queen Jeong-Hee

and Director Gu Ill-Seon from River Entertainment. It was obvious they were in the middle of casting discussions.

'

Am I too late?

'

If Han Woo-Hyuk were cast, his contract with his current agency would likely be extended.

I erased any signs of nervousness and greeted them first. "Hello, Mr. Lee."

Lee Seon-Chang, forty-five years old, was a veteran director specializing in historical dramas for over a decade. He was also known for his exceptional ability to guide actors and transform even rookies into skilled historical drama stars.

Having seen me a few times at KBC, Lee Seon-Chang spoke to me casually. "What brings you here, Team Lead Jung?"

Lee Seon-Chang was directing

Queen Jeong-Hee

, which was in direct competition with our

Hwaranjeon

. I couldn't reveal that I was here for casting purposes.

I said, "I heard Mr. Woo-Hyuk has recovered, so I came to see if we could scout him for our company."

Han Woo-Hyuk widened his eyes in surprise. He seemed unable to believe that any company would want to recruit him.

Han Woo-Hyuk asked, "M-Me? Are you serious?"

I smiled and handed him my business card. "I'm Team Lead Jung Yoon-Ho from Hoop Entertainment. Nice to meet you."

"Oh, yes. I've heard of you."

As I handed over my card, Lee Seon-Chang chuckled. "Well, Woo-Hyuk here is an actor who could hit it big with the right project."

Having worked with him before, Lee Seon-Chang knew better than anyone how talented Han Woo-Hyuk was.

I asked, "But what brings you here, Mr. Lee?"

"I dropped by River Entertainment for some supporting actor casting and I heard Woo-Hyuk's condition had improved. So I came to check on him myself."

As I suspected, Lee Seon-Chang was here for casting.

I maintained a calm poker face, but Lee Seon-Chang began to grow suspicious of my presence. "To be honest, I hadn't finalized the casting since Woo-Hyuk's condition seemed uncertain. But seeing you here makes me think I should secure him right away."

"Pardon me?"

"

Ha ha ha.

Admit it. You're planning to bring Woo-Hyuk into

Hwaranjeon

, aren't you?"

His sharp intuition honed through years in broadcasting was undeniable. With a relaxed laugh, he struck directly at the heart of the matter.

Lee Seon-Chang grinned triumphantly before turning to Han Woo-Hyuk. "Woo-Hyuk, let's work together on this one. It's the role of Kim Jong-Seo's son. And if you read the script, you'll see it's a significant part. You trust me, don't you?"

The role of Kim Jong-Seo's son in

Queen Jeong-Hee

was pivotal to the drama's opening episodes. However, it was a physically demanding role that involved horseback riding and sword-fighting, which would be challenging given Han Woo-Hyuk's current condition.

At that moment, Han Woo-Hyuk hesitated and replied cautiously. "I haven't read the script yet, so I'm not sure what to say..."

Lee Seon-Chang cast a sharp glance at Gu Ill-Seon sitting beside him. It was clear he was silently reprimanding her for not providing the script yet.

Gu Ill-Seon lowered her head. "I'm sorry, Mr. Lee. I must have forgotten to hand it out while distributing the scripts."

Clicking his tongue in frustration, Lee Seon-Chang began persuading Han Woo-Hyuk again. "If my wife finds out you're hesitating about my offer like this, she'll be so disappointed. Didn't you promise during our last project that you'd agree to anything I suggested?"

The writer of

Cheerful Scholar

, Ga Ye-Eun, was also the writer of

Queen Jeong-Hee

. She was the same age as Lee Seon-Chang and happened to be his wife.

Being someone cautious about choosing roles, Han Woo-Hyuk couldn't give an immediate answer. "Well, I..."

At that moment, Gu Ill-Seon spoke up. "Woo-Hyuk, it's time for your contract renewal anyway. I'll extend it for three years and even give you a signing bonus. So take this role. You've finished your chemotherapy and you'll need the money for all your hospital debt, right?"

After his diagnosis, River Entertainment had neglected Han Woo-Hyuk. But now that his treatment was complete and opportunities were coming in, they were opportunistically trying to renew his contract.

If this continued, recommending Han Woo-Hyuk for the role of BiHyungRang in

Hwaranjeon

would be impossible and recruiting him into Hoop Entertainment would become equally difficult.

Just then, Han Woo-Hyuk looked at me with a gaze that seemed to plead for help.

'

What should I do?

'

Intervening could mean clashing with a PD from KBC and starting a conflict with River Entertainment. But after a brief moment of thought, the answer was clear.

'

I need to recruit him!

'

There was no way I would hand Han Woo-Hyuk back to the agency that had neglected him for so long, even if it meant risking tensions with the broadcasting network.

I took a deep breath before addressing Lee Seon-Chang first. "Mr. Lee, isn't it a bit much to give a role requiring horseback riding and sword fighting to someone who just finished chemotherapy?"

Lee Seon-Chang's face showed visible displeasure. "What do you know about this? Have you even read the script?"

Although Lee Seon-Chang didn't send the script of Queen Jeong-Hee to Hoop Entertainment, I had already read it several times before my regression.

"Yes, I have. Kim Jong-Seo's son has to handle a lot of action and horseback riding especially in the opening scenes, right? If Mr. Woo-Hyuk collapses during filming, will you be able to take responsibility?"

Lee Seon-Chang frowned. "Even if there's action, we can use a stunt double!"

"But there are still scenes where stunt doubles can't be used. I doubt Mr. Woo-Hyuk can handle the physical demands given his current condition."

Having experienced stomach cancer myself before my regression, I knew the pain and the lingering effects of chemotherapy better than anyone. Even if the treatment was complete, the aftermath couldn't be ignored.

Han Woo-Hyuk nodded in agreement as if to say his body wasn't yet ready for intense physical activity.

Frustrated by the situation not going his way, Lee Seon-Chang snapped at me. "Team Lead Jung! Are you challenging me right now?"

"Not at all, Mr. Lee."

"Don't lie! You're trying to pull him from my project and cast him in

Hwaranjeon

, aren't you?"

Honestly, he wasn't wrong. But my real concern was that Han Woo-Hyuk's current condition wasn't suitable for the role.

"If that's the case, how about assigning him the role of Prince Anpyeong or a scholar at Jiphyeonjeon instead?"

"Those roles are already taken!"

"In that case, only minor roles are left and they wouldn't be suitable for Mr. Woo-Hyuk."

Lee Seon-Chang's face reddened with anger. Being in a position of absolute authority, he wasn't used to such blatant resistance.

At that moment, Gu Ill-Seon stepped in. At thirty-eight years old, she had debuted as a child actor at seven and worked as a supporting actor before she eventually became a director at an entertainment company.

Wearing a pink two-piece suit and bold lipstick, she spoke to me in a warning tone. "Mr. Jung, please be serious. Woo-Hyuk will never join your company, so stop provoking Mr. Lee and just leave."

I slowly turned my head and began confronting Gu Ill-Seon, who had neglected Han Woo-Hyuk for years. "Ms. Gu, don't you feel ashamed pretending to care about Mr. Han Woo-Hyuk now after abandoning him for years during his illness?"

"What did you say? Who says I abandoned him?"

"Should we check Mr. Han Woo-Hyuk's phone for any contact history from you?"

I recalled the things Han Woo-Hyuk had mentioned in interviews before my regression. He had said that the indifference of his agency and those around him had been harder to endure than chemotherapy.

And I knew exactly what he meant. Even during just one month I spent bedridden before my death, the despair I felt was so overwhelming that it still gave me chills to think about it. For Han Woo-Hyuk, it must have been an agonizing three years. Such memories were not easily forgotten.

Gu Ill-Seon snapped. "You've crossed the line now!"

At that moment, Han Woo-Hyuk spoke as if he had made up his mind. "Mr. Lee."

Lee Seon-Chang, who had been glaring at me, turned his attention to Han Woo-Hyuk. "What is it, Woo-Hyuk?"

"If it's a role with many action scenes, I think it will be difficult for me this time. As you can see, I don't have enough strength in my arms to even lift a wooden sword."

Lee Seon-Chang scowled deeply. "So you're really going to say no?"

"I'm sorry. Once my body recovers, please call me for another project. I promise I'll come running then, even if you don't pay me a cent."

Han Woo-Hyuk then turned to Gu Ill-Seon.

"Ms. Gu, let's end things here."

"Hey! Woo-Hyuk!"

"Thank you for everything so far."

Han Woo-Hyuk bowed politely, but the gesture did little to calm the situation.

The clearly angry Lee Seon-Chang shot up from his seat. "What a waste of time!"

His words were laced with venom as he glared at me with hostility.

"I apologize, Mr. Lee."

Though I offered a polite apology, Lee Seon-Chang turned his back without a word and stormed out, leaving behind a cold atmosphere.

I hadn't intended for things to escalate this way, but I had effectively severed ties with Lee Seon-Chang. It seemed inevitable that we would now face a fierce rivalry with

Queen Jeong-Hee

. Already a competitor, the situation with Han Woo-Hyuk made it feel like I had snatched something from under their noses.

Next, Gu Ill-Seon stood up and spoke with her tone sharp. "Let's see how well you two manage!"

Then she hurriedly followed after Lee Seon-Chang. Once the two had disappeared, Han Woo-Hyuk let out a deep sigh and leaned back on the sofa.

He looked at me with an awkward smile and asked, "Mr. Jung. Did you really come here to recruit me?"

I grinned and replied, "Of course."

From that point, I started discussing the contract terms: a signing bonus of fifty million won. A total of two hundred million won in hospital bills would be covered by the company in advance to be repaid later in installments. Additionally, the company would bear 20% of his future medical expenses.

Hearing all this, Han Woo-Hyuk looked at me in shock and asked, "I'm grateful, but... why are you offering me so much?"

As a cancer survivor, he seemed skeptical of my generous terms. For someone who lived with the constant fear of a relapse, it must have been baffling to meet someone willing to build a future with him.

I set down my tablet and met Han Woo-Hyuk's gaze. Despite completing chemotherapy, his pale complexion and frail body still bore signs of his struggle.

I took a deep breath and answered firmly, "Because I believe in you."

Han Woo-Hyuk began to tremble slightly. "You believe in... me?"

"Yes. You endured that grueling chemotherapy and are working hard to make a comeback. I believe you'll become an even better actor than before."

My biggest reason for recruiting him was that his cancer hadn't relapsed before my regression. But just as important was the depth his acting had gained. After facing death and surviving, Han Woo-Hyuk's performances had a depth that no actor his age could replicate.

Still trembling, Han Woo-Hyuk cautiously asked, "What if my cancer comes back?"

I looked at Han Woo-Hyuk steadily and replied, "Don't worry. That won't happen. And even if it does, Hoop Entertainment will never abandon you."

The future of a cancer patient was uncertain, even to themselves or their doctors. But having regressed, I could say with absolute certainty that Han Woo-Hyuk would be fine.

Hearing my words, Han Woo-Hyuk's trembling grew slightly.

Watching him, I set my tablet aside. Then I entered "five years" as the contract period on the provisional contract displayed on the screen. A five-year long-term contract was a clear indication of our commitment to take care of him.

"I'd like to extend it to ten years if it were up to me, but I thought you might dislike that. So we can discuss a renewal after five years..."

At that moment, Han Woo-Hyuk stared at the number and held out his hand as he asked for the stylus. "Please give me the pen."

"Here you go."

When I handed the stylus to Han Woo-Hyuk, he erased the number five with the eraser function. Then he wrote the number ten with his own hand.

"I heard Mr. Tae-Poong's acceptance speech at the Hwangryong Film Association. Just as you saved him, please save me too."

I looked at Han Woo-Hyuk and replied, "Of course, Mr. Woo-Hyuk. I'll do everything I can to help you make your comeback."

At last, Han Woo-Hyuk smiled brightly. "Then I won't put my trust in Hoop Entertainment but in you, Mr. Jung."

"Thank you for trusting me."

'

Mission complete.

'

I had successfully scouted Han Woo-Hyuk.

***

After finalizing the provisional contract with Han Woo-Hyuk, I proposed right away that he appear in

Hwaranjeon

.

Han Woo-Hyuk's expression turned to surprise. "What? But didn't you just advise against appearing in

Queen Jeong-Hee earlier?

"

𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Horseback riding and sword fighting were almost essential in historical dramas. But the character BiHyungRang in

Hwaranjeon

was a goblin, so neither of those activities was required.

I explained, "BiHyungRang's character is a goblin who has transformed into a human, so he rarely rides horses. And instead of sword fighting, he uses special abilities. Those scenes will mostly rely on computer graphics."

Han Woo-Hyuk carefully reviewed the script on the tablet and tilted his head. "That all sounds great, but this character appears from episode four onward, right?"

"Yes. Since BiHyungRang doesn't age, he will also appear during Yoo-Jin's childhood scenes."

"Then we'll need to start filming right away. Do you think I'll be able to handle that in my current condition?"

Still not fully recovered, Han Woo-Hyuk seemed worried about whether he could manage the shooting schedule for

Hwaranjeon.

But I already had a solution.

"Don't worry, Mr. Woo-Hyuk."

With a bright smile, I began explaining the plan to him.