Return of the Genius PD

The air in the office grew cold.

“Listen, don’t even think about getting cocky in front of me with your measly four years of experience. Just do what you’re told without overstepping. Got it?”

I had momentarily forgotten.

PD Kim Jong-su was right. Due to memories from my past life, I had briefly lost sight of my current situation. In this life, Ji-won wasn’t a seasoned twenty-four-year veteran but merely a four-year assistant director who hadn’t proven anything yet.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Of course, there was no need to be disheartened by his sharp words. Couldn’t such perceptions change over time? Moreover, I was confident I could change them. For now, I should focus on doing well at the tasks assigned to me, as Senior Kim said.

“Yes, senior. I apologize. I think I was mistaken. What should I do first?”

PD Kim Jong-su pulled out a card from his pocket and held it out to Ji-won.

“You think there’s anything you can do? Go out and buy some coffee.”

Ji-won respectfully accepted the card with both hands.

“Yes, I understand.”

Ji-won began making rounds through the production team at a brisk pace. A flood of diverse menu requests poured in, but it wasn’t a big problem for Ji-won, who had been a twenty-four-year professional office worker in his past life.

How much time had passed?

As Ji-won, who had finished collecting orders, left the office, PD Lee Gun-woo in the next seat spoke to PD Kim Jong-su.

“Senior, aren’t you being too harsh on him? Ji-won’s got some experience under his belt…”

“There’s nothing more unsightly than someone confusing their role on set. A guy who doesn’t know the first thing about dramas trying to give advice.”

From Kim Jong-su’s perspective…

Ji-won was at the perfect four-year mark to overestimate his abilities. It was a mistake he had made himself. That’s how it usually goes when you’re a four-year rookie with more brains than sense.

He was already displeased with Ji-won dropping in like a parachute, and now it felt like this newbie was trying to tell him how to do his job on the project he had worked so hard to get greenlit.

“This rookie, acting all high and mighty—”

However, PD Kim Jong-su wasn’t the type to hold grudges for long.

‘Maybe I went too far?’

Even if he was a parachute hire(1), they’d be working together for the foreseeable future, right? Not only did Ji-won look over the script that hadn’t even been officially approved for production, but it seemed he even wrote up a proposal. In any case, did this mean the kid was passionate about drama production?

“Hmm.”

Only then did PD Kim Jong-su pick up the document placed at the edge of his desk.

‘This must have taken some effort.’

Whatever he wrote in such detail, it was quite thick.

‘Should I give it a read?’

Sitting down, he began turning the pages of the proposal one by one. PD Kim Jong-su’s expression deepened as he read. By the time he skimmed through five or six pages, it happened.

“Senior, could you take a look at this for a moment?”

PD Kim Jong-su answered PD Lee Gun-woo’s question firmly.

“Later.”

After replying with a “Huh? Oh—” Gun-woo was about to return to his seat when—

“Ji-won, you’re back already?”

At Gun-woo’s words, Jong-su snapped his head around like a meerkat to look at the office entrance. Ji-won was entering with both hands full of coffee carriers.

“I’m back.”

Hurriedly, Jong-su flipped the proposal over, hugging it tightly to his chest as he stood up. As he rushed out of the office, he ran into Ji-won.

“PD Kim, here’s the coffee…”

“Shut up, put it on my desk.”

“Yes, PD. Understood.”

Ji-won tilted his head, watching PD Kim’s retreating back.

‘Does he have some urgent business?’

* * *

And so, Kim Jong-su continued reading Ji-won’s proposal.

-Rustle, rustle.

Before he knew it, lunchtime had arrived as he read the proposal in an empty meeting room. He headed straight for the cafeteria. Of course, he kept peering at the proposal throughout his meal.

“Hey, your eyes are going to fall out.”

It was Advertising Team Manager Jo Ju-cheol, approaching with his tray.

“What is it? What are you staring at so intently?”

When PD Kim Jong-su didn’t answer and just kept looking at the proposal, Manager Jo Ju-cheol narrowed his eyes and sat down across from him, setting down his tray.

“What is it? Let me see too.”

At that moment—

“Ju-cheol, I’m done eating. Enjoy your meal.”

“Hey, Kim Jong-su! You, you, you… Are you sick or something?”

“Sick? What sickness? Have you seen me being sick?”

“The guy who joined the company for the cafeteria food is leaving food behind?”

“Even our ancestors left some food for magpies.”

“That’s about our ancestors, but you’re Kim Jong-su!”

Manager Jo Ju-cheol added, “And where are the magpies? It’s all going to end up in the food waste bin!”

“Maybe you’re my magpie? Jo Ju-cheol, Jo-magpie.”

“Don’t tell me that was supposed to be a joke? Never touch the script, ever.”

“I know, that’s why I never touch the script. It’s my principle.”

“Alright, now you’re trying to dump your tray return on me too?”

Meanwhile, PD Kim Jong-su simply left the cafeteria, still engrossed in the proposal.

“Hey, you return it!”

Jo Ju-cheol’s shout echoed loudly.

“Kim Jong-su! I said you return it!”

However, Kim Jong-su disappeared without even looking back.

* * *

Kim Jong-su’s next destination was the 8th-floor terrace lounge.

The sound of female employees chattering could be heard.

At the source of the noise was PD Kim Jong-su.

Kim Jong-su, with his robust physique honed by years of weight training, was perched on the windowsill. Basking in the sunlight streaming through the window, he was thoroughly focused on flipping through the proposal pages.

His posture looked somewhat uncomfortable and precarious.

He kept fidgeting, probably because the bumpy windowsill was making his bottom sore. Not only that, but he could barely open his eyes due to the sunlight, and his large frame made it look like the window might break at any moment.

“That guy’s been sitting on the windowsill for an hour.” 

“Why is he doing that when there are perfectly good chairs?”

“Can’t he even open his eyes properly because of the sun?” 

“I don’t know, but his huge body makes me nervous.” 

“Right, what if the window breaks and he falls?” 

“Someone should tell security about this.”

How much time had passed like this?

“Um… Are you PD Kim Jong-su?”

In the end, Kim Jong-su succeeded in summoning two security guards.

“We received a complaint. Other employees are uncomfortable. It also looks dangerous with you leaning on the window. How about moving to a different spot…?”

-Thud.

PD Kim Jong-su, who had just closed the thick proposal, spoke softly.

“Today is truly a difficult day. At a moment when inspiration is surging like a tidal wave, just within reach, the whole world won’t leave me be.”

-Tap. 

Kim Jong-su stepped down from the windowsill.

“Then I shall take my leave.” “Yes, yes, we appreciate your cooperation—.” “In search of inspiration. Well then, goodbye.”

With that, PD Kim Jong-su vanished once again, still clutching Ji-won’s now well-worn proposal.

* * *

Lazy countryside clouds drifted slowly by, unhurried by the passage of time.

“Yawn, I’m bored to death.”

Do In-gu sat in a chair in front of the hardware store, idly observing the sky.

“Why are there no customers today? Did they all go on a trip to Seoul with Ji-won or something?”

Even cloud-watching was starting to get old, and he yawned again.

After bustling about with his son for the past few days, the empty space felt even larger. In-gu pulled out his phone from his pocket. A faded family photo was visible on the home screen.

On the right was a younger version of himself, on the left was his beautiful wife, and between them was their crew-cut son, barely reaching their waists.

-Grin.

A deep smile spread across In-gu’s face.

He didn’t know what had happened, but his son, who had shown up without notice, had changed.

Had he matured?

Giving unprecedented hugs… Following him around all day, eager to help with any chore… In-gu was bewildered by his son’s transformation.

-”While your son is down in his hometown, put him to work a bit. It’s only for a few days a year anyway.”

In-gu gently caressed the screen with his hand.

“I guess our son has grown up well, hasn’t he?”

In-gu’s fingertip was pointing toward his long-deceased wife. As he gazed at his phone with a deep smile, suddenly—

“Huh? Hey, ol’ Do(2), I thought you couldn’t handle our house’s makgeolli. Did you suddenly develop a taste for it?”

Startled, he looked toward the voice to see a skinny fellow on a bicycle staring at him like he was crazy.

It was the Kim fellow from the Three-way Junction Tavern.

In-gu’s smile faded as his eyebrows shot up.

“Hey, you stingy ol’ Kim. Good thing I ran into you. Did you tattle to Ji-won that I come to drink your old man’s makgeolli every day to clock in?”

Kim’s sunken cheeks twitched.

“Well, who told you to rack up a tab? Sheesh, how did a decent kid like Ji-won come from under such a drunkard?”

“What did you say!”

Then In-gu grinned broadly.

“Ji-won is pretty decent, isn’t he? Unlike me, he’s got that Seoul city slicker feel to him, right?”

Watching this, Kim shook his head and said, “Enough.”

Then he glanced sideways again.

“Come over to the tavern after you close up shop… We got some plump wild abalone from Wando in today.”

“What? I can come…?”

Kim looked away as he added, “…It’s not for you; it’s for the good boy Ji-won. Worried his old man might get weak if he doesn’t eat well.”

In-gu laughed heartily.

“Hahaha, nothing beats having a drinking buddy! I was feeling low on energy these past few days without Kim’s makgeolli!”

Kim shook his head again and put his foot on the pedal to leave. In-gu watched Kim ride away with a fond smile, then suddenly said, “Ah, right!” as he stood up.

“Let’s see now…”

Over the past few days, something had been bothering him as he observed his son.

For example…

One of the armrests on his son’s room chair was broken and sagging.

Though he must have been tired from helping out at the hardware store all day, the boy stayed up late into the night at his desk, presumably busy with work. Because of this, seeing his son’s elbow floating in the air had been weighing on In-gu’s mind.

“Alright, I should make a chair for my son.”

In his heyday, In-gu had even sold furniture he made by hand. He was confident in his craftsmanship.

His hand moved around his waist area as if measuring height.

“Let’s see… It was about this high, wasn’t it?”

He had roughly eyeballed his son’s elbow height when he had the chance to enter the room. He knew that if he mentioned it, his son would just say, “Don’t go through the trouble of making one; let’s just buy a new one,” and make a fuss.

Of course, he knew a ready-made chair would be more comfortable than a handmade one, but that’s not how a father’s heart works. If there’s one thing that childless people can never understand about being a parent…

It’s that the word “trouble” doesn’t exist when it comes to doing something for your own child.

In-gu wanted to make a chair for his son with his own hands.

“I should get some nice walnut wood from Choi at the lumber yard…”

He decided to hurry.

It probably wouldn’t happen for a while, but you never know when his son might come down to work at the hometown house again.

“Oomph.”

In-gu stretched his body until it made a cracking sound. His lethargic body was filled with vigor once again.

(1) Parachute hire: a term used to describe someone who is brought into a company or organization from outside, typically for a senior position, without going through the normal hiring or promotion process. The term implies that the person has been “dropped in” from above, like a parachutist.

(2) ol’: short for old.