“I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to hear it....”
Director So felt like she already knew what the music director was about to say. A bad premonition crashed down on her.
“Our schedule....”
“I don’t know. I didn’t hear it... I don’t know anything about schedules or dates....”
“It’s been moved up to just two weeks from now...!”
The consecutive poor ratings of the drama currently on air had resulted in an early termination. They were wrapping it up in a hurry next week, and before the next drama began, they had to fill the gap with .
“T-That can’t be.... You’re joking... right?”
With a trembling voice, Director So tried to deny what she had just heard. The music director, who understood that feeling all too well, had moist eyes.
“Please accept reality, Director....”
At a ti when not even half of the music needed to complete the atmosphere had been made yet—
“Aaagh—!!!”
In an instant, the broadcast date of ca crashing down on them. It was an ergency.
* * *
“Wow, Do Gyeoul....”
From number one to number three in entertainnt news rankings. Do Gyeoul occupied the entire top section where public attention gathered the most.
Hours later, the heated interest still showed no sign of cooling down. Every community had hundreds of comnts attached to the news of Do Gyeoul’s next project.
—Whoa, Do Gyeoul’s first romance lol who’s the male lead
└Personally I hope it’s Myeong Jeha TT_TT their visuals together would be insane
└She’s doing romance to shed the child actress image, and yeah MJH is insanely handso, but I think it’d be better if she does it with soone older
—This is what a real celebrity looks like fr going straight back into acting after college feels so different from certain people who coast on special treatnt, love it
└222 I thought the sa thing, it really feels solid lolol
“She got swept up instantly.”
My article had already been buried way down below. It really hit that the entertainnt industry was always a fierce battleground. If you didn’t show sothing, you sank imdiately.
‘Well, my position right now....’
I’d earned the title of an iconic rookie, but compared to Do Gyeoul filling my monitor screen, the difference in dinsion was painfully obvious.
Even after more than two full years without any projects, the public still wanted Do Gyeoul.
‘As if they’d been waiting for her to co back.’
I realized again what Myeong Jeha’s words had ant.
—No matter how much you hate Do Gyeoul, don’t ignore her influence.
The image of Do Gyeoul sitting in the best seat at the Ruel Style Awards was still vivid. So was the thrill of the mont I first looked down at Do Gyeoul from the podium.
‘Soday, I want to hold an even better award and look down at Do Gyeoul.’
I wanted an award that everyone would recognize just by hearing its na.
“...Right. Which network is Do Gyeoul’s drama on again?”
I unconsciously scrolled back up.
Bzz— bzz— bzz—.
My phone vibrated.
“Yes, Director So.”
—Yeoreum-ssi! Sorry to ask so suddenly, but could you co to the station right now...?
Director So’s voice sounded far more urgent than usual. What was this?
—Our schedule suddenly got moved up.... Because of the early termination. So—
Ding—!
At the sa ti as Director So’s explanation, a status window popped up.
The title is shining.
[So Yesol] has gained inspiration from you!
Skill: A is temporarily amplified, receiving a buff effect.
▶Hidden Reward
[Lucky Point] ←
300p
Current Lucky Points: 400p
Unable to properly reach a conclusion, Director So let out a sigh and steadied her breathing. Then she spoke with resolve.
—Yeoreum-ssi, I need... your voice.
At that mont, only one thing ca to mind.
—I want to add narration....
Maybe I’d et Do Gyeoul at an awards ceremony sooner than I’d expected.
Do Gyeoul’s next drama was on the sa network as mine.
MBS.
* * *
A foley recording studio surrounded on all sides by soundproof walls. So Yesol watched Han Yeoreum carefully put on her headset.
‘Only one week left....’
An article about the early termination had gone up, and news of ’s scheduling had followed. There really wasn’t much ti left now.
‘We barely finished the OST, but....’
The anxiety Director So had felt hit exactly as expected. Several spots in the planned OST lineup had been left empty. The tracks that only had draft concepts showed obvious gaps here and there.
“What do we do, Director So...?”
Dark circles sat heavily under the music director’s eyes after pulling all-nighters for days in a row. Director So, who had stayed up together with him, couldn’t think of a proper alternative either.
Director So briefly closed her dry eyes. It had been too long since she’d had proper rest, and her focus wouldn’t quite settle.
‘Do we... just finish it like this...?’
Then, Jung Yeondu from the scenes she’d edited hundreds—no, thousands—of tis ca vividly to mind. Amid exhaustion that had dulled all her senses, the face she’d seen through the screen, the voice....
‘Oh. Wait....’
Sothing ca to mind that could fill in the empty audio here and there. Lines Jung Yeondu from could reveal as inner thoughts flooded Director So’s head.
‘This wasn’t in the plan, but....’
Director So slowly opened her eyes. There were less than 72 hours left now.
‘Still. It’s worth trying... right?’
So Yesol hamred at the keyboard like a madwoman. The foggy haze in her head cleared. It was all Jung Yeondu.
“Director, please get ready for narration foley recording....”
“Narration?”
“Let’s really... really fill it properly.”
And now, Director So was certain her choice hadn’t been wrong. Han Yeoreum’s voice, reading the script she’d written in front of the microphone, proved it.
“Seoul housing prices. A deposit of eight million, monthly rent of sixty-five. Fifty thousand won in maintenance fees. It’s not a small amount by any ans. At this point, they could at least show that much kindness and friendliness. Why is it always....”
The music director listening beside Director So gave a small nod. D-3 until broadcast.
‘This... will work.’
She’d long since forgotten any anxiety.
Instead, an even greater sense of anticipation began to bloom in Director So’s heart.
* * *
9:30 p.m. An office worker exhausted from overti stood in line to catch the red bus heading to Gyeonggi Province.
‘Ah, I’m dead tired... seriously....’
Three hours round trip just for commuting. Even so, they endured it sohow with the spirit of a Gyeonggi resident. Thanks to the humid, sticky sumr night, their back was already damp with sweat.
‘It’s hot.... This sucks....’
Finally sitting down on a red bus seat, the office worker turned the air conditioner toward themselves and reflexively picked up their phone.
People said you should use your commute for self-improvent, but even that felt like a luxury to a Gyeonggi resident. Just waiting for the bus already felt like it drained all their remaining energy.
‘Sothing watchable....’
An awkward Thursday, with one full day still left until the weekend. To kill the boredom on the way ho, the office worker mindlessly scrolled, looking for a drama.
‘Huh? That’s Pi Chaewon?’
They spotted a familiar face. Pi Chaewon from , who had recently made them kick their blankets in embarrassnt, was now decorating an MBS thumbnail.
‘I’ve never heard of this drama title before. What’s it about?’
Having to endure long, drawn-out travel tis every day, the office worker wasn’t quite a drama addict, but they knew dramas fairly well.
That ant their standards ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) were reasonably high. They didn’t want to watch a drama that would only make the boring commute even more boring.
‘Still, if it’s Pi Chaewon.’
With just one project, Pi Chaewon had already beco a “trust-and-watch” actor for them.
It had just started airing. The office worker decided to spend the hour and a half journey ho with Pi Chaewon.
They clicked on the tired-looking face. What appeared next was the inside of an office.
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