Chapter 16

Team Play (2)

‘That man… Where have I seen him before?’

His face did not feel unfamiliar.

Even though I had worked in this industry for quite a long time, I did not know the faces and names of every celebrity and every staff member.

There were simply too many people working in the Korean entertainment industry.

If trainees were included, there would probably be so many that it would be impossible to properly estimate the number.

But he did not look like a trainee.

The relaxed way he spoke, his expression, and even his gestures.

Just by looking at those things, I could tell that this man had already been around the entertainment industry for quite some time.

Besides.

‘If he were a rookie, he probably wouldn’t be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with PD Oh Sooyoung and laugh so naturally.’

He had the appearance of someone with experience.

Who was he?

I quickly went through the future knowledge stored in my head.

‘Ah!’

Only then did I realize who the man was.

The man who had once worked as a rapper in a group called ‘Worafay’—Jin Haguk.

His main job was being a singer, but thanks to his witty way of speaking and excellent acting skills, he would later receive a lot of attention from drama producers.

‘At this point in time, he should probably be a rising star.’

Even so, there was a reason I had not immediately remembered Jin Haguk.

He had been doing very well.

But because of one incident, he would eventually leave the entertainment industry altogether.

A sexual harassment scandal.

As the truth about him sexually harassing female entertainers from his own agency was revealed one after another, Jin Haguk became a dark chapter in the entertainment industry.

I never expected to see Jin Haguk like this.

Rather than feeling happy about seeing him again after such a long time…

‘I don’t understand why he did something like that.’

If he had simply continued doing his job in the entertainment industry, he could have risen to stardom.

The fact that someone like him had secretly been doing such things behind everyone’s backs left me speechless.

‘But that was his own karma.’

He had done it himself.

So he also had to take responsibility for it.

‘Wait. Why did PD Oh Sooyoung come all the way here to meet Jin Haguk?’

There were not many reasons for a drama producer to come to a place completely unrelated to her.

Maybe it was because of a personal appointment.

Or…

‘It must be about casting.’

When a director of a drama or movie really wanted to cast a particular actor, they would sometimes go all the way to where that celebrity lived or worked just to meet and persuade them personally.

I did that too, at least.

The success or failure of a project could depend on which actor was cast.

That was why actors were important.

But Jin Haguk was different.

‘If PD Oh Sooyoung really came here to cast Jin Haguk, just as I think she did…’

The drama directed by PD Oh Sooyoung could suffer a huge blow to its image.

Starting about six months from now, rumors about Jin Haguk’s sexual harassment scandal would slowly begin to surface.

The rumors would spread around the broadcasting station, and once they reached the ears of reporters, it would be safe to say that the game was already over.

I did not know exactly when everything would happen.

But if an article about Jin Haguk came out while the drama The Five Sisters Story was airing, it would definitely have a negative effect on the drama.

I could not let such a flaw be recorded in my daughters’ first supporting-role project.

Besides…

‘Who knows what shameless things that bastard might do to my daughters?’

I had to stop it somehow.

Without hesitation, I closed the laptop I had opened.

Without even thinking about taking the Americano that had just been made, I rushed out of the café.

Maybe the timing was good because Jin Haguk happened to be getting ready to leave first.

“Then, regarding what you told me, I’ll talk it over with my agency and get back to you. Things will probably work out the way PD Oh wants in most cases. Still, we need to make sure about something like this before moving forward.”

“Yes. I understand. There’s still plenty of time, so take your time and think about it.”

“Understood. Then I’ll get going first. I’m busy.”

Jin Haguk walked back the way he had come.

The moment he turned around, he recognized me first and greeted me happily.

“Oh? Aren’t you PD Yoon Seongjun? Hello!”

“Ah… Yes. Hello.”

An awkward reaction slipped out of me before I could stop it.

I tried my best not to show it, but I was only human, so I could not help it.

Fortunately, Jin Haguk did not take my reaction in a bad way.

“I’m sorry. You must have been surprised because I suddenly greeted you, right? We’re meeting for the first time, and I got a little too excited.”

“No, it’s fine. It looked like you were talking with PD Oh Sooyoung. Are you finished?”

“Yes. She said she wanted to give me a minor role. She needs a supporting character who can liven up the atmosphere, but she couldn’t find anyone suitable, so she came all the way to where I was. Haha!”

Well, for a role like that, Jin Haguk really was perfect.

But that was only when looking at things from the perspective of the project.

An actor who was going to cause a social scandal was someone the production did not need.

Jin Haguk checked his wristwatch and suddenly made a worried expression.

“It’s almost time for rehearsal to start. If you have any good work for me later, please contact me, PD-nim. I’ll work hard.”

As if I would give him anything.

I vaguely responded as though I understood and managed to send Jin Haguk away first.

I was not here because I had business with that man.

“PD Oh Sooyoung!”

I only had business with PD Oh, who was in charge of the project my daughters were going to appear in.

PD Oh Sooyoung looked at me with a surprised expression.

“Oh my, PD Yoon Seongjun?”

Even though we were not close, we at least knew who each other was.

She often appeared at events organized by the broadcasting station or gatherings of people involved in video production.

I remembered greeting PD Oh Sooyoung in passing two or three times at such events.

“What brings you here? …Actually, asking that would be strange.”

PD Oh Sooyoung smiled awkwardly.

She probably knew that I worked here.

“Are you very busy right now?”

I was going to directly ask PD Oh Sooyoung to spare me some time.

But my plan went wrong from the very beginning.

“Yes. I’m sorry. We have to start filming soon.”

Of course.

Today was the first filming day of the drama.

There was not much time, and I had a lot to say.

So I had no choice but to compress my message as much as possible.

“I think it would be better if you cast another actor instead of Jin Haguk, if possible.”

“What?”

Maybe I had spoken too abruptly because PD Oh Sooyoung continued to look confused.

“Why are you suddenly saying something like that…?”

“It would be difficult for me to explain in detail. Anyway, I’m secretly giving you this information for your sake, so I’d appreciate it if you could keep it between us.”

PD Oh Sooyoung’s voice suddenly became much quieter.

“…It seems you know something about Jin Haguk.”

I nodded, indirectly telling her that she was right.

Soon, rumors about Jin Haguk would begin to circulate quietly throughout the broadcasting industry.

Whether PD Oh Sooyoung would trust me in this situation and accept my suggestion or not…

That was entirely up to her.

There were also other people’s opinions to consider.

And as I had said before, there was not much time.

So PD Oh Sooyoung left for the parking lot after saying that she would think about it.

Well.

The die had been cast.

I would have to wait a little longer to see whether the number I wanted would come up.

It was the day of the second filming for the drama The Five Sisters Story.

Today, only Yoon Doye, who played the fourth daughter, Kang Seoyoon, had a filming schedule.

As soon as school ended, Yoon Doye said goodbye to her friends and headed straight to the outdoor filming location.

“Hello!”

Thanks to her outgoing personality and the fact that she was not shy around strangers, she had already become friendly with many of the staff members.

The staff greeted Yoon Doye brightly when she arrived.

“Doye, you’re here?”

“Oh my! Why are you wearing your school uniform today? You look pretty!”

“I came straight here after class. I’ll change my clothes quickly.”

She planned to go to the wardrobe room and quickly change into the clothes she was supposed to wear that day.

There was an outdoor changing room set up in one corner.

Yoon Doye went inside with her costume.

She was just about to take off her school uniform skirt when she heard two people talking in low voices outside.

She stopped moving.

“Are you saying we should think again about casting Jin Haguk?”

“Yeah.”

“Why, Senior? Did Haguk say he doesn’t want to appear?”

“No. He said he would do it… It’s just that there’s something bothering me.”

Without realizing it, Yoon Doye held her breath and listened carefully to the conversation between PD Oh Sooyoung and the assistant director.

“What is bothering you?”

“On my way back after meeting Haguk yesterday, PD Yoon suddenly stopped me.”

“PD Yoon?”

“I mean PD Yoon Seongjun.”

Yoon Seongjun.

The moment she heard her father’s name, Yoon Doye accidentally let out a small gasp.

Worried that the two people might hear her, Yoon Doye quickly covered her mouth with both hands.

‘Why is Dad coming up in their conversation?’

Her question was quickly answered by PD Oh Sooyoung’s explanation.

“It seemed like he had heard something bad about Jin Haguk. He subtly suggested that I should think again about the casting… But somehow, I can’t stop thinking about it.”

“What does he mean by ‘something bad’? Do you know what it was about?”

“No, I don’t know the details at all. There wasn’t much time, and there were a lot of people around, so I couldn’t hear everything. That’s why I’m planning to investigate Jin Haguk myself and then make a decision. It would be a problem if our drama got dragged into some strange scandal for no reason. Don’t you think?”

“That is true, but…”

The assistant director did not seem able to easily accept Oh Sooyoung’s sudden words.

She honestly shared what she was thinking.

“What if PD Yoon is simply mistaken? Then we’d be the ones who lose out. Besides, filming for that role has to begin in just two weeks. Wouldn’t it be too difficult to find and cast a new actor within that time?”

“……”

The assistant director’s opinion was not wrong either.

Yoon Seongjun and Oh Sooyoung were not normally close.

In fact, Oh Sooyoung did not even know Yoon Seongjun very well.

Perhaps that was why she could not understand why Yoon Seongjun had gone this far to give her such a risky warning when they were nothing more than acquaintances.

Was there some other meaning hidden behind it?

“Is there anyone among our staff who has worked with PD Yoon Seongjun for a long time?”

“I’m not sure. As far as I know…”

“Hmm, really?”

The two of them fell into thought.

Meanwhile, Yoon Doye, who had been secretly listening to their conversation, had sparkling eyes.

She waited until PD Oh Sooyoung and the assistant director moved somewhere else.

Then, while quickly changing her clothes, Yoon Doye thought to herself.

‘Could this be a chance for me to help Dad?’

Until now, she had only received help from her father.

For the first time in a long while, a strong desire to do something for her father began to rise inside her.