Episode 32
Director Ko Dong-guk lowered his body close to the floor. A vein popped on his forehead while he crouched on all fours,
Dog barks echoed through the lobby.
“Woof! Woof woof! Woof!”
For a moment.
A silence, as if time had stopped, fell over the vast lobby.
The heads of employees in the lobby turned like meerkats to one spot.
Then, each of them desperately tried to interpret the situation unfolding before them, but it was in vain.
An incomprehensible realm.
Director Ko Dong-guk, who had stepped into that realm, barked vigorously as he prowled the lobby on all fours.
A bewildered security guard approached with awkward steps and tried to stop Director Ko Dong-guk.
“Director? What are you doing here… Why are you doing this, there must be a reason. Director! Director?”
“Let go! Don’t stop me. Woof! This is a celebratory ceremony for our drama hitting 20%, woof!”
As shock and horror swept through the lobby. The revolving door turned and Ji-won entered.
PD Kim Jong-su glanced at Ji-won with his arms folded.
“You’re here?”
“Yes, I’m a bit late. Gasp, Director?”
“What are you doing? Get ready.”
“Pardon?”
PD Kim Jong-su handed Ji-won a headband.
“The head of the Drama Department is like that, are you just going to watch?”
White, triangular ears. It was a Spitz headband.
PD Kim Jong-su put on his own headband with a solemn expression.
Judging by the ear shape, it was clearly a bulldog.
“…I’ll go first.”
Then PD Kim Jong-su lowered his body and immediately ran on all fours towards Director Ko Dong-guk.
“Arf! Arf arf! Arf!”
At eye level much lower than a person’s. Their eyes met there. Having lost words, they confirmed each other’s feelings with an intense gaze.
‘Jong-su, you bastard! I knew I could count on you! Woof!’
‘Hehe, did you think I’d let you bark alone, Director? Arf!’
PD Kim Jong-su, possessed by a bulldog, turned on all fours and looked at Ji-won.
“Come on, Spitz!”
“……….”
Then, Ji-won closed his eyes tightly once and.
Whoosh-.
He threw his bag into the air without hesitation.
“Yes… Sir!”
The main contributors to JTVN’s long-awaited 20% viewership rating. It was the moment their long-held wish blossomed.
“Woof, woof woof!”
“Arf, arf arf, grrrr… Arf!”
“Bow! Bow wow, bow!”
Faced with the sudden anomaly in the JTVN lobby, everyone seemed to be in a panic, just staring blankly at the scene.
We barked more and more enthusiastically.
It was somewhat similar to Indians dancing in front of a bonfire, falling into a trance and showing unstoppable dance moves.
“Woof! Woof! Woof woof!”
“Grrrrrr!”
“Woof! Woof woof! Woof woof!”
As if they were betting their lives on competing who could bark better.
It was rush hour.
***
『 Blind Bulletin Board 』
[Title: Our company’s director is barking in the lobby right now ㄷㄷ]
Comments:
└ Do you work in an isekai workplace?
└ OP) No. It’s a broadcasting station….
└ Don’t they do mental evaluations when hiring? └
Hurry and record a video. The YouTube views will be sweet.
└ OP) Oh! Thanks for the idea.
└ OP) Update – A bear-like person and a handsome guy started barking next to the director.
└ What a combination. It’s mind-boggling.
└ Having worked at a broadcasting station, I know there’s no sane PD.
└ OP) They’re wearing dog headbands too.
└ They’re living life interestingly. I should grow up to be an adult like that!
└ OP) Found out it’s the Eccentric Doctor Ham In-ju team. It’s a promise they made ㄷㄷ
└ I thought the drama was on drugs, no wonder…
└ The people who made Ham In-ju can’t be like that. Give me back my fantasy….
└ A new paradigm in the world of promises. Lol.
└ OP) Everyone in the lobby is having a mental breakdown now.
└ It must feel like space-time is warping if you’re there.
└ OP, run away.
└ OP) I’m dying of embarrassment. I feel like running away from the company.
└ Apartment resident) Can someone stop that dog barking!
└ Hehehe.
***
Two days later. JTVN Drama Department Director’s office.
Director Ko Dong-guk’s face was full of worry as he looked at his smartphone.
‘Ugh….’
It was because an anonymous tip had come to Director Ko Dong-guk, opening Pandora’s box.
『 Title: The Level of Broadcasting Station Drama Directors These Days 』
At the dizzying title, Director Ko Dong-guk tightly closed his eyes. The Ham In-ju ratings promise video was consistently running as a ‘best post’ on humor sites.
‘Who on earth recorded this!’
Thud-.
Finally, Director Ko Dong-guk’s trembling hand dropped the phone.
It was just a saying, he never really intended to fulfill the promise.
It’s true that he’s widely known among his subordinates as the ‘living embodiment of anti-authoritarian leadership’…
But still, isn’t he the head of the prestigious Drama Department?
He should maintain a dignity befitting his position. Even if they exceeded 20%, he had planned to just let it slide.
The plan.
That was the plan…
“Damn it! If only Jong-su hadn’t riled me up…!”
It was because he lost his mind due to Kim Jong-su’s provocation.
And.
There was one more thing that felt unfair.
The three of them barked together, so why was only he mentioned in the title? Moreover, he even had to explain to his superiors why he barked.
-”It’s a way of expressing loyalty to the company. This Ko Dong-guk! I don’t just stop at working like a dog for the broadcasting station! When I’m excited, I can even bark like a dog!”
Although he avoided writing a formal apology, he’s now in his fifties. The emotion bordering on contempt felt a bit burdensome.
In any case, the brunt of the aftermath had become solely his responsibility.
‘Why pick on me alone!’
Today, Director Ko Dong-guk felt particularly upset about his position as director.
Knock knock-.
Just then, with a knock, the director’s office door opened. Director Ko Dong-guk changed his expression in an instant, like a master of face-changing.
To his hospitality smile, that is.
Because the person who entered was worthy of such treatment. At this point, he was one of the precious figures to Director Ko Dong-guk.
The only communication channel with the big rookie ‘Writer Kyukyu’-.
It was Won Management’s Choi Won-jae.
“Oh my! CEO Choi, please come in.”
“It’s been a while, Director.”
Choi Won-jae exchanged greetings with Director Ko Dong-guk with a light smile.
“Have a seat first. Coffee? Green tea?”
“Water is fine.”
The two, seated, lightly inquired about each other’s well-being.
“Nothing unusual happened, right?”
Director Ko Dong-guk said happily.
“A lot happened because of Ham In-ju, all good things. Haha.”
“I saw the video. The internet was buzzing about it.”
For a moment, Director Ko Dong-guk’s face-changing skill wavered slightly. Choi Won-jae bowed his head and added.
“Your passion of not sparing your body for the drama’s publicity, as expected of JTVN’s Drama Director.”
“Haha… Thank you for seeing it that way.”
CEO Choi Won-jae smiled and bowed his head.
“20% for the final episode. Congratulations.”
“Is it just my congratulations? It’s for all of us to celebrate.”
“That’s actually why I came.”
Director Ko Dong-guk glanced at Choi Won-jae. He probably guessed the purpose of today’s visit.
“You’re talking about the running guarantee?”
Choi Won-jae nodded.
“That’s right. We should quickly settle what needs to be settled.”
“Now that you mention it…”
Director Ko Dong-guk’s eyes sparkled.
“Did you perhaps have confidence it would exceed 20%?”
Choi Won-jae waved his hand.
“You think too highly of me. How could that be? It was just a clause added just in case.”
-”Won-jae, how about putting a conditional ratings clause in the contract?”
It was what Ji-won had said when drafting the contract.
‘I thought it was impossible, but…’
According to the contract, the per-episode fee for
However, There was a proviso clause at the end of the contract.
『 If any episode of ‘Eccentric Doctor Ham In-ju’ records a viewership rating of 20% or more, ‘Party A’ and ‘Party B’ shall additionally agree on a ‘running guarantee’. 』
Based on nationwide ratings provided by Nielsen Korea
At the time, Won-jae and Ji-won had one concern.
-”What rating should we set as the condition?”
There was no reason for the broadcasting station to accept it if they proposed an achievable rating.
So they had to meet two conditions:
A ridiculously high rating that seemed so improbable that it would be acceptable to agree to, or…
A high rating that wouldn’t be too painful to pay extra for if achieved.
20% was the rating calculated based on these considerations.
Thanks to that.
Director Ko Dong-guk opened his mouth first with a benevolent smile.
“Right. How much are you thinking? You must have an amount in mind.”
The next hurdle was negotiating the range of the guarantee. Director Ko Dong-guk raised his hand, his eyes twinkling.
“No, shall we reveal our cards at the same time?”
“Let’s do that.”
“Alright, I’ll count to three and we’ll speak on four.”
As Won-jae nodded, Director Ko Dong-guk counted.
“One… Two… Three…!”
Director Ko Dong-guk and Won-jae’s gazes clashed in mid-air.
“Please give us the additional guarantee for Southeast Asian overseas rights.”
“An additional payment of two thousand per episode… Huh?”
A moment of silence fell. Director Ko Dong-guk was surprised in his own way. Choi Won-jae was equally surprised in his own situation.
From Choi Won-jae’s perspective…
The two thousand per episode that Director Ko Dong-guk proposed was not a small amount.
‘…He’s quite generous.’
If you multiply the additional guarantee of 2,000 by 16 episodes, it comes to 320 million won. Considering that the original script fee was 40 million…
It’s almost ten times the amount.
Although it achieved great success, it’s still just the debut work of a rookie writer. This could be considered the best treatment in the industry.
However,
Won-jae and Ji-won decided to look further than the immediate profit.
Choi Won-jae opened his mouth.
“Please entrust part of the overseas rights to ‘Won Management’.”
“…What?”
“We’ll limit the scope to Southeast Asia. Additionally, we won’t contact any companies that JTVN has previously dealt with.”
Choi Won-jae continued without hesitation.
“It means we’ll sell ‘Eccentric Doctor Ham In-ju’ only through new overseas routes. From our Won Management.”
Then he got to the main point.
“Instead, if we secure a contract, please give us 30% of the content sale amount as a running guarantee.”
Choi Won-jae’s eyes sparkled behind his glasses. He judged that pioneering global routes would be a better long-term move than a few hundred million won right in front of him. Using ‘Ham In-ju’ as good bait to lay the foundation for the future.
And.
If everything goes according to plan-.
‘With just 30% of the guarantee, we could aim for over 300 million in revenue.’
While Choi Won-jae was rechecking the plan in his head.
“Hmm.”
From another perspective, this condition has more gains than losses for JTVN as well.
‘It’s a win-win situation?’
What if Choi Won-jae really secures distribution routes in Southeast Asia?
Wouldn’t that mean gaining a business partner who has pioneered additional rights routes?
The remaining 70% of the profits would be JTVN’s share, so it’s a profitable business.
Isn’t it a case of Choi Won-jae doing the hard work and them making the money?
Even if the route development fails, they save the 320 million won they initially proposed.
There were plenty of practical reasons.
However,
If there were any concerns…
The unfamiliar method.
The scale of hundreds of millions of won.
These two factors make it uncertain whether approval from superiors can be guaranteed. It’s due to the characteristics of large corporations that lack flexibility because of their highly segmented systems and procedures.
And
All risks after the contract will be Director Ko Dong-guk’s responsibility. It’s the sorrow of office workers that achievements are distant while blame is close.
However,
“Why not.”
Despite being someone of Director Ko Dong-guk’s caliber who couldn’t help but make such an estimate. He answered lightly.
“Let’s do it. CEO Choi.”
Won-jae bowed his head solemnly.
“Thank you for making the decision.”
Director Ko Dong-guk said with a smile.
“Because it’s worth it.”
Then he looked at Choi Won-jae slyly.
“CEO Choi, I thought you were a calm person, but you’re actually fiery hot? I see you in a new light.”
Choi Won-jae once again admired Director Ko Dong-guk.
He was a person who gave decisively when he decided to give. It’s not for nothing that he’s held that position for such a long time.
“But.”
Director Ko Dong-guk raised a finger.
“The promise to give us first rights to the next work. You must keep that, CEO Choi.”
Choi Won-jae smiled and fiddled with his phone, then spoke to Director Ko Dong-guk again.
“I just kept it now. Please check your email.”
Director Ko Dong-guk tilted his head, then his eyes suddenly lit up.
“No way!”
Then he hurriedly picked up his phone and checked his email. Choi Won-jae pushed up his glasses and said.
“I told you, didn’t I? Writer Kyukyu already has many scripts. This is only the second one.”
Director Ko Dong-guk, who had checked his email, lifted his head abruptly.
“CEO Choi! Are you done talking? I’m busy, so I’ll go first!” “But this is your office, Director?” “Stay longer if you want to!”
Director Ko Dong-guk hurriedly stood up. Choi Won-jae asked.
“Huh? Where are you going?”
Director Ko Dong-guk answered without looking back.
“To the printing room! To receive Writer Kyukyu’s hot new work!”
It was Ko Dong-guk leaving the director’s office without even looking back.
* * *
Late at night, in the dark office, only the director’s room was brightly lit.
Director Ko Dong-guk was reading the script alone in the office.
How much time had passed?
Finally, Director Ko Dong-guk closed the front cover.
Then, slowly, laughter began to leak from his lips.
“Kukukuku… Hehehe.”
He read and read again. Four times, in fact.
Despite being just the first episode, the fun he felt each time he read it was different. Writer Kyukyu’s intention for the work was clear.
-Can we fall in love the same way even as time passes and situations change?
If there were keywords that would never lose their value since the birth of humanity, they would probably be:
Those three elements were mixed with Writer Kyukyu’s unique imagination and wit.
The protagonist, who became a vampire, lives as a depression patient during the day and as a manic patient in the evening.
Because it’s a rollercoaster ride on the level of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the play is consistently delightful.
On top of that, the ex-girlfriend/current top star female lead jumps in, causing outrageous situations.
Director Ko Dong-guk refined his thoughts as he finished his now bland coffee.
From a serious medical drama to a light-hearted romantic comedy…
Some might think that a light romantic comedy isn’t hard to make, but that’s far from the truth.
It takes meticulous and precise crafting skills to make something read smoothly and comfortably without any burden.
Director Ko Dong-guk, who has rolled around in this field for over 20 years, knows the eternal truth of creation: the more uncomfortable the creator is, the more comfortable the viewer becomes.
It wasn’t for nothing that Kim Seung-yeon had been a master of romantic comedies for 10 years.
However…
There was a feeling that after this work, even that title might become meaningless.
‘Tsk, sorry about this, Writer Kim.’
Moreover, it was a completely different genre from the previous work.
A wide spectrum of genres? No, this is more like…
‘Not being bound by genre… that’s closer. Hehe.’
With this, the skill verification of rookie writer Kyukyu was over.
It was the birth of a star writer that hadn’t been seen in a long time.
From now on, Director Ko Dong-guk’s worries started again.
Because he had to somehow keep Writer Kyukyu tied to JTVN for as long as possible.
The lights in the director’s office went out much later.