Return of the Genius PD

The next day.

PD Kim Jong-su’s eyes widened as he checked his inbox.

“Huh?”

There was an email from writer Kyukyu. As Kim Jong-su read it, his expression shifted dramatically. He quickly called out to Ji-won, who was sitting at the next desk.

“Ji-won, that video we shot during yesterday’s audition for the camera test—you sent it to Won Management, right?”

Ji-won leaned out from behind the partition, looking puzzled.

“Yeah. Writer Kyukyu asked for it, so I emailed it last night. Why? Is something wrong?”

PD Kim Jong-su scratched his head vigorously, clearly agitated.

“Ugh… Emergency meeting. Everyone, to the Director’s office, now!”

Bang—

“Director!”

Startled, Director Ko Dong-guk half-rose from his chair, gripping his titanium cup as if it were a grenade.

“Damn it, why are you storming in like that?”

“It’s urgent. Really urgent.”

“What is it? Has war broken out?”

“It’s DEFCON level 3 (1) serious.”

PD Kim Jong-su’s gaze shifted to the titanium cup in Director Ko Dong-guk’s hand.

“By the way… what’s with the cup?”

“I bought myself a titanium cup.”

“For camping?”

“Not exactly, but it’s supposed to be impact-resistant. Could come in handy, right?”

PD Kim Jong-su flinched under the Director’s intense stare.

“And the Bluetooth mouse? Did that survive?”

“It’s always flying through the air. How could it survive?”

“So… you’re going to use the titanium cup to click?”

“Does that make any sense? But maybe I could use it for other things.”

Shaking his head as if to dismiss an unwelcome thought, PD Kim Jong-su snapped back to the matter at hand.

“Ah, never mind that! This is more important!”

He strode over and shoved his phone in front of Director Ko Dong-guk, displaying the email from writer Kyukyu.

“It looks like writer Kyukyu has taken quite a liking to actress Lee Ji-yu.”

Director Ko Dong-guk carefully scanned the email, his expression slowly shifting. By the time he reached the middle, his face showed clear concern. The contents were more unsettling than he’d anticipated.

[… To be honest, I was deeply impressed by the movie starring Lee Ji-yu.]

[Maybe that’s why, when I was shaping the character of Kim Da-yeon, I had Lee Ji-yu in mind.]

“Huh?”

Director Ko Dong-guk’s eyebrows twitched.

[The backstory of Kim Da-yeon’s character creation was something I kept to myself. It’s a secret only I know.]

-Gasp.

He let out a short breath and kept reading.

[What are the odds that the real-life inspiration for that secret would actually show up at the audition? In the video, Lee Ji-yu was exactly the Kim Da-yeon I envisioned.]

Director Ko Dong-guk rubbed his face with his dry hands, trying to process it all.

[Last night, I flushed my saved lottery ticket down the drain.]

Director Ko Dong-guk briefly shook his head, as if he were getting dizzy.

[Even if it had been a winning ticket, I wouldn’t regret it. Because I feel like I’ve already won.]

“Aish, why go that far?” Director Ko Dong-guk scratched his head furiously.

“Huh huh…”

Even though writer Kyukyu had left most production decisions to JTVN, her influence was still significant. After all, she was the one who understood the characters best.

Suddenly shouting, “But still!” Director Ko Dong-guk squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them again. Licking his dry lips, he continued.

“What’s not possible is still not possible, right? Haven’t we already set a date for Han Se-rin’s audition?”

Pulling his wallet from his back pocket, he said, “Jong-su, let’s send writer Kyukyu a polite email asking for her understanding.”

“How about… enclosing a million won’s worth of lottery tickets?” he added, pointing at himself and then at PD Kim Jong-su.

“Me 50, you 50. Deal?”

PD Kim Jong-su dismissed the idea with a sharp tone.

“There’s still more to read. Keep going.”

“I’m scared! I don’t want to read anymore!”

After rubbing his face a few more times, Director Ko Dong-guk reluctantly returned his attention to the phone screen. His gaze stopped at the last sentence of the email.

[P.S. An idea for my next work has come to me. This writing feels different from before. Maybe it’s because I now have a home broadcaster I can rely on?]

When the scroll finally ended, PD Kim Jong-su asked with a worried expression.

“…What do you think?”

However, Director Ko Dong-guk’s reaction to the same sentence was entirely different.

“Home broadcaster has come to me…”
“Home broadcaster has…”
“Home broadcaster!”

A wide grin spread across Director Ko Dong-guk’s face.

“Jong-su, did you see that? She said ‘home broadcaster.’ Writer Kyukyu sure knows how to charm with words. Maybe it’s because she has such a kind heart. Hehe.”

“That kind-hearted writer Kyukyu is about to turn as tough as a scouring pad, you know?”

At those words, Director Ko Dong-guk’s smile instantly faded.

“That’s true.”

He rubbed his temples, letting out a groan.

The relevant parties had already vetted writer Kyukyu. Of course, they’d have to see how things played out on air, but she was already showing signs of becoming a star writer.
And now, this precious writer Kyukyu was appealing to them, even calling JTVN her “home broadcaster.”

No…
Was “appealing” the right word?

-Gulp.

Director Ko Dong-guk swallowed hard.

What if…
What if they ended up estranged from writer Kyukyu during the production of Eccentric Doctor Ham In-ju? What if she switched to another network?
The image of Kim Seung-yeon, eyes blazing with fury, briefly flashed through his mind.

“Nngh….”

He turned to Ji-won, who had been quietly observing the conversation.

“Ji-won, what’s your take?”

Ji-won, who had been silent until now, slowly spoke up.

“I think…”

After a brief pause, he continued.

“Somehow, I feel like after Eccentric Doctor Ham In-ju ends, two outstanding talents will emerge.”

Ji-won raised two fingers, forming a V-sign, and spoke confidently.

“Writer Kyukyu and actress Lee Ji-yu.”

At those words, Director Ko Dong-guk groaned.

“Why are you doing this too, seriously!”

Normally, he would have brushed off an assistant director’s opinion without much thought.

But…

Hadn’t he seen it for himself?
Ji-won’s nearly flawless production proposal.
He was someone Director Ko Dong-guk could trust when it came to interpreting and analyzing a project.
And then there was writer Kyukyu, subtly pushing with what felt like an implicit threat.

These two, the people who understood the work the best, were speaking in unison—both pointing to Lee Ji-yu.

They were saying she was worth the risk.

Director Ko Dong-guk stared silently at Ji-won for a moment, then turned to PD Kim Jong-su.

“You, what exactly did you teach him to make him as stubborn as you?”

PD Kim Jong-su didn’t miss a beat.

“Who else would he have learned from but you, Director?”

He added with a grin,

“You’re the one who always said, ‘Never back down if you think something’s right, even if it kills you.’”

“…Yeah, that’s true.”

Rendered speechless by Kim Jong-su’s response, Director Ko Dong-guk muttered in an exaggerated tone,

“You’ve learned well, very well. You two are becoming more alike—what a pair. Sheesh.”

PD Kim Jong-su glanced at Ji-won and frowned slightly.

“…I think I’m starting to understand what you’ve been dealing with, Director.”

Director Ko Dong-guk brightened.

“Ha! Serves you right, you rascal. Now you get it! They call this ‘mirror therapy’ these days!”

PD Kim Jong-su squinted and called out to Ji-won harshly.

“Hey, Do Ji-won. Are you really sure? You really think Lee Ji-yu is the best choice for Kim Da-yeon?”

“Yes. Not just the best—she’s perfect for the role.”

PD Kim Jong-su narrowed his eyes.

“Hmm… Let’s think about it a bit more.”

Ji-won, who had been watching PD Kim Jong-su closely, pointed a finger and smirked.

“Oh! PD Kim, you’re starting to sound a lot like the Director.”

PD Kim Jong-su’s brow furrowed deeply.

“Take that back. Unless you want to be folded in half.”

Director Ko Dong-guk cackled.

“Hey, Kim Jong-su, want me to remind you of those days when you used to get folded?”

Just as the three were exchanging words…

-Ding!

A text message arrived on Ji-won’s phone. After checking it, Ji-won gasped and called out to the others, voice trembling.

“…PD Kim, Director.”

The two men fell silent, noticing Ji-won’s unusual expression. After a long pause, Ji-won finally spoke.

“…He says he’ll do it. Actor Han Se-gyu!”

The moment the words left his mouth, PD Kim Jong-su and Director Ko Dong-guk rushed toward Ji-won, throwing their arms up like they’d just won a championship.

“You rascal! I knew I could count on you!”

“This is Do Ji-won of JTVN Drama Department, ladies and gentlemen!”

“Do Ji-woooon! Forget Han Se-gyu—swear brotherhood with me instead!”

“Sure thing, brother Dong-guk.”

“What are you talking about? I’m the younger one. Brother Ji-won, please speak formally to me!”

Ji-won smirked. “Then, little brother Dong-guk, what about Lee Ji-yu?”

“Why even ask? Of course, it’s Lee Ji-yu!”

Laughter and shouts of “Do Ji-won! Do Ji-won!” echoed throughout the director’s office.

* * *

Three weeks later.

With the casting and production team finalized, Eccentric Doctor Ham In-ju officially began production. Time flew by, and soon, the day of the first script reading arrived.

Ji-won, just stepping inside the building, glanced at PD Kim Jong-su, dumbfounded.

“Did you see outside? Reporters are everywhere.”

“That’s the Han Se-gyu effect. Five years out of the public eye will do that.”

The day after Han Se-gyu’s casting was confirmed, every entertainment section of major news portals lit up with the story of his return.

[Han Se-gyu confirmed to star in Eccentric Doctor Ham In-ju. First TV role in 5 years.]

[Han Se-gyu: “I decided as soon as I saw the script.”]

[The comeback of Han Se-gyu—what is Eccentric Doctor Ham In-ju, the project that ended his seclusion?]

[A hidden sworn brother behind Han Se-gyu’s return?]

…Some of the articles were a bit strange, but overall, the buzz was undeniable.

Interest in Eccentric Doctor Ham In-ju, the drama that lured Han Se-gyu out of his seclusion, was growing rapidly. Thanks to him, the show was already reaping the benefits of pre-release publicity.

The chaos of reporters trying to snap even one photo of Han Se-gyu—despite this being a closed script reading—was proof of his impact. It made sense. After all, he hadn’t appeared in front of an official camera in five years.

Suddenly, the noise outside grew louder. Then, actor Han Se-gyu burst through the door into the script reading room, camera flashes exploding behind the closing door.

‘Hmm… A big star really is different,’ Ji-won thought to himself.

As if on cue, Han Se-gyu smiled warmly and spoke.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you all. It’s nice to be back like this.”

Veteran actor Kim Heung-pa, cast as the director of Daon Hospital, responded cheerfully.

“Se-gyu, looks like you’ve found some answers while you were away, huh?”

“I’ve found a small clue, sir. And seeing you still going strong makes me feel even better.”

Actor Choi Jin-hyun, already seated, shot a meaningful look.

“Se-gyu, so you’re alive after all. You haven’t let your acting skills die, have you?”

Han Se-gyu lit up at the sight of his old colleague.

“Wow! Jin-hyun. It’s been ages since we’ve worked on the same project! It’s great to see you again.”

“You’d better be sharp if you’re planning to go up against me this time.”

Grinning, Han Se-gyu turned toward PD Kim Jong-su.

“Director, have you been well? You’ve gotten so thin. Looks like you’ve been through a lot.”

“These days, I barely have time to go to the bathroom. I’m counting on you, actor Han.”

After greeting everyone in the room, Han Se-gyu’s gaze wandered as if searching for someone. Then he winked at Ji-won, who was busy filming behind-the-scenes footage. Ji-won caught the gesture through the viewfinder and gave an awkward smile in return.

As everyone settled into their seats, PD Kim Jong-su, positioned at the center of the long table, stood up.

“I’m Kim Jong-su, the director. Thank you all for making time despite your busy schedules.”

Then, out of nowhere, he held up two fingers.

“Our goal for this project is 20% viewership. If we don’t hit it, I’ll bark like a dog in the station lobby, so please give it your all.”

Actor Kim Heung-pa replied playfully, “Oh dear, Director Kim, looks like it’s your turn to go ‘pong’ this time, isn’t it?”

“Sir, please help me break that jinx!”

“Hahaha, I’m not sure how much this old man can do, but I’ll give it my best.”

“But!” PD Kim Jong-su suddenly grinned, drawing everyone’s attention. “If we surpass 20%, you’ll get to see the director barking in the lobby. I really want to see that, hahaha.”

His witty remark earned a round of laughter, easing the tension in the room. Ji-won, sitting nearby, smiled as he looked around.

‘So, it begins.’

Seeing all the actors gathered together, it finally felt real.

Twenty years. It took twenty years to get back to this place.

And the script I brought with me from my past life—the one no one had ever read. The script that sprouted in a small room had grown enough to bring these incredible actors together.

This single tree will someday become a forest.

Soon, my unofficial first drama would begin. The overwhelming emotions stirred within him.

Quietly, Ji-won approached PD Kim Jong-su and whispered, “I just got a call from CEO Choi Won-jae…”

As PD Kim Jong-su leaned in to listen, Ji-won added, “Writer Kyukyu has something to say.”

(1) DEFCON Level 3