YDCF 10

Chapter – 10

Do-yeon’s child actor was decided.

After explaining the basic contract terms, writer Choi Gi-jeong headed straight to her studio. The image of Do-yeon that Sae-i had just shown her still lingered before her eyes.

How long had it been since she’d felt like scribbling down lines right away? When inspiration struck, you had to seize the moment and write the next script.

“Why aren’t you going home for once? You always say you feel stifled just watching Do-yeon auditions.”

As soon as she entered the studio, a woman turned around.

Writer Choi Gi-young.

Another star writer also called “Writer Choi,” and Choi Gi-jeong’s older sister. As real sisters, they sometimes co-wrote and even shared a studio.

“Huh? Why do you look so bright?”

Noticing how different her sister’s expression was, Choi Gi-young poked her arm. The unspoken question—did something good happen?—came along with it.

“Hey, don’t keep me in suspense. Tell me. Now.”

“Unni.”

Cutting her sister off, Choi Gi-jeong spoke with a meaningful look.

“I saw Do-yeon today. The real Do-yeon. The Do-yeon I wrote… came alive.”

“You caught a big one? Who’s the child actor? Jae-yeon? Ye-rim?”

“You wouldn’t know her even if you heard the name. She’s a total rookie.”

Choi Gi-jeong chuckled. Just thinking about Sae-i’s acting made her smile.

Choi Gi-young, completely lost, urged her to explain more.

“There was a kid who auditioned on Hye-sim’s recommendation. Joo Sae-i. She’s eighteen.”

“She’s that good? Well, if it’s Hye-sim’s recommendation…”

The Choi sisters nodded at the same time. Seong Hye-sim wasn’t called a box-office cheat code for nothing. She had an eye for people and an eye for scripts.

If someone like her personally pushed an auditionee, it meant the skill was solid.

“I honestly didn’t expect much. Even the famous kids were kind of lukewarm. I figured it’d be fine even if things got awkward with Hye-sim, so I watched, and then…”

Too excited to work, Choi Gi-jeong launched into story after story. Her looks, her voice, her emotional expression—Joo Sae-i lacked nothing.

“It’s such a shame I can only use her as a child actor this time. I’m taking her with me for my next project.”

She nodded decisively, then shrank back under her sister’s blatant stare.

“W-why are you looking at me like that? Unni, don’t tell me…”

“Gi-jeong. We’re family, right?”

“…No. I’m first. I found her.”

“If we’re being precise, Seong Hye-sim found her.”

Reading her sister’s expression, Choi Gi-jeong had a gut feeling.

This unni wants Joo Sae-i.

Sure enough—

“Introduce me to her. I think I can use her perfectly right now. As a lead…”

Facing her sister who’d only cast her as a child actor, Choi Gi-young enunciated “lead” very clearly.

“What is it? If it’s a trash project, don’t bother. Seriously. I hate getting dirt on me, you know that.”

“When have you ever seen me write a flop?”

That was true. Choi Gi-young, who debuted before Gi-jeong, was a master of romantic comedies. Everything she wrote ended up being mentioned as Drama of the Year by year’s end.

“Hand her over to me. You said it’s a waste to use her only as a child actor, right? Better I take her than some stranger snatching her away. That’s what I’m saying.”

“Haa…”

With a deep sigh, Choi Gi-jeong took out her pen and phone. She copied Sae-i’s number—the one she’d gotten after the audition—into her notebook, tore out the page, and handed it to her sister.

“Just don’t sweet-talk her and monopolize her.”

She knew that being introduced to her sister was the best gift a rookie actor could get, but she still didn’t want to let her go.

“If you do… I don’t care if you’re my sister. I’ll charge at you.”

Her insides boiled. She felt like she’d possessed the body of a jealous male lead in a romance drama.

A peaceful afternoon, some days before the script reading.

“Phew…”

I stood in front of Jaedamjae, taking deep breaths.

There was only one reason I’d come here today.

[The Chairman wishes to have dinner with you this evening.]

Chairman Joo had called for me.

Since it was a bit early for just dinner, he probably intended to talk as well.

I should tell him. That I got the child role on my own.

With trembling hands, I opened the door to Jaedamjae. A waiting butler led me to my grandfather.

We arrived at the VIP reception room.

Someone was already inside, talking with him. I was about to step back and wait when the butler knocked.

“Miss Sae-i has just arrived.”

“Let her in.”

…Just like that?

As I hesitated, the butler opened the door wide. I craned my neck like a meerkat to check who the other guest was.

“Chairman… Ryu?”

The man on the sofa was Chairman Ryu, the pillar of Seohae Group. He was also Ryu Do-gyeong’s paternal grandfather.

In the business world, Seohae and Dongwoo Group were rivals. In my previous life, newspapers even bundled them together as “East and West.”

Still, I’d heard the two chairmen were close friends. It seemed to be true.

Back when I’d followed Ryu Do-gyeong around, I’d seen Chairman Ryu a few times—though I’d been very young.

“Heh heh, looks like Sae-i recognizes me.”

“Come in and sit.”

He seemed to remember me vaguely too. After brief introductions, I awkwardly took my seat and listened to their conversation.

“Advertising is the problem. Advertising. Even if the product is good, it’s useless if it doesn’t sell.”

“You don’t get it. These days, tech talk doesn’t work. It has to hit people right in the heart to make them spend.”

From the sound of it, Chairman Ryu was 고민ing over the advertisement for Seohae Electronics’ new smartphone series, Lunatic.

It was rare for a chairman to personally handle advertising, but this time was different.

The series was meant to be pushed as a “national phone” to compete with overseas companies.

Advertising…

Grandfather was right. Ads that only showed off technology were ineffective.

What ad went viral around this time?

I felt like I almost remembered. There was definitely an ad that blew up on Korean In-Tube around then…

“Why not just use Ha Eun-hwa—”

“Just putting a celebrity out front won’t catch those Pineapple bastards.”

Cough.

The brand name made me choke. The company that hit big in Korea with advertising—that was the American Pineapple company.

One year later, Pinephone’s revamped ad becomes a hit. That’s when Seohae Electronics’ Lunatic series starts losing ground in Korea…

Either way, this was an opportunity for me. I knew why Pinephone’s ad had worked in Korea.

Right now, Korean phone ads were all the same—top stars using the product.

A family-centered story. That really worked in Korea.

Even if it wasn’t identical to Pineapple’s ad, an ad that wrapped a phone in tender Korean family sentiment was easy to imagine.

I picked up a pen and quickly sketched my idea on the paper on the table. A little later, I handed it to the still-brooding Chairman Ryu.

“Um, Chairman Ryu. What about something like this…?”

He took the paper skeptically—after all, it was a little girl’s idea—but his expression gradually brightened.

Before long, he put the paper down and looked at me, his eyes sparkling. Anyone could tell—he wanted me.

“Tell me, Sae-i. Do you still like our grandson?”

“Huh?”

“Our Do-gyeong may be blunt, but when it comes to steadfastness, he’s the best in the country…”

That was when my grandfather, who’d been silently listening, spoke up.

“She doesn’t even have that punk Do-gyeong in her eyes anymore. Don’t meddle and try to tie them together.”

“How would you know that, Chairman Joo? If Dongwoo and Seohae became in-laws—”

“Shut it! That brat Do-gyeong ignored our Sae-i’s confessions since they were kids! You think I’d send her to someone like that?!”

My usually dignified grandfather shouted.

Marriage alliances, in-laws—it was all pointless talk to me. I knew Ryu Do-gyeong would refuse anyway.

“Hey, you. Get out now! I’m about to have dinner with my granddaughter!”

“Well, perfect timing!”

With that, Chairman Ryu pulled out his phone, tapped the screen a few times, and raised it to his ear.

“Director Park. Tell my grandson to come to Jaedamjae. Right now.”

…Ryu Do-gyeong is coming?

No way. He’ll refuse on his own.

As if unaware of my suddenly tangled thoughts, Chairman Ryu smiled brightly at me.

Soon after, he received a text from Director Park and smacked his lips excitedly.

“Do-gyeong took off the moment I mentioned Sae-i’s name!”

“Do-gyeong did…?”

Chairman Joo rubbed the bridge of his nose and replied as if reluctantly giving in.

“Ahem. Can’t be helped. Let’s all have a meal together, the four of us.”

Judging by the twitch of his lips—unbefitting a titan of industry—he wanted this too.

“Do-gyeong as Sae-i’s match isn’t bad.”

“Exactly!”

Excuse me… what about my opinion?

Blind to my pitiful look, the two grandfathers were already busy talking about dowries.