NOVEL NEXT Episode 37
“Why do you think we were called?”
“How would I know? Shouldn’t you know, Director?”
“Well, I can’t quite get a read on it either.”
Outside JTVN President’s office, Director Ko Dong-guk and PD Kim Jong-su were waiting. They had been summoned by President Jeon Nam-hoe.
PD Kim Jong-su answered indifferently. “Well, it’s not like they’re going to ask us to bring our parents.”
Director Ko Dong-guk narrowed his eyes. “If it was just one of us, I wouldn’t worry, but being called together with you gives me a bad feeling.”
“What’s wrong with being called with me? I’m now a star PD who hit 20% ratings?”
“Seems you’ve completely erased the memory of crying and whining about hitting 2% back then?”
The two glared at each other for a moment. Then Kim Jong-su casually asked Secretary Song, “Secretary Song, have you heard anything?”
Director Ko Dong-guk also turned to look at Secretary Song.
“No, I also…”
Under the pressure of their stares, Secretary Song retreated behind his monitor. After some time passed, still hiding behind the monitor, he spoke up. “The President asks you to come in.”
As they entered through the door, President Jeon Nam-hoe welcomed them. “Come in.”
Dong-guk and Jong-su greeted him and sat on the sofa. President Jeon Nam-hoe first addressed PD Kim Jong-su.
“
PD Kim Jong-su pointed to his side, deflecting the credit. “It’s all thanks to Director Ko Dong-guk here.”
This time, Director Ko pointed to Kim Jong-su. “He’s a PD who always had potential. He did well on his own.”
President Jeon Nam-hoe smiled at their back-and-forth. “I see your relationship is special as rumored, it’s nice to see. I called you here because I wanted to get your opinions.”
As the two focused on what would come next, he continued. “I’m thinking of giving Do Ji-won the ‘main director’ position. You two have observed him most closely. What do you think?”
Main director of a program. In other words, it means his debut as a full director.
Shock flashed across Dong-guk and Jong-su’s faces. Director Ko, composing his expression, asked, “Are you referring to a one-act drama?”
“No. A mini-series.”
Shock appeared on their faces once again.
5 years of experience.
It’s too early to give him the main director position. Especially for a primetime drama responsible for the channel’s performance and ratings. Moreover, Do Ji-won hasn’t even directed a 60-minute one-act drama yet.
Director Ko spoke first. “It’s true that PD Do Ji-won has shown outstanding ability. However…”
He wore a concerned expression. “I think it’s still premature.”
“Why?”
Director Ko continued. “A director is a position that must control over 50 staff members. While directing sense is important, experience and seasoning from working in the field is equally necessary.”
Director Ko added with affection, “PD Do Ji-won has plenty of potential. I think helping him climb the ladder step by step over time is the path that will let him fully mature later.”
President Jeon Nam-hoe nodded. “Hmm, is that so?”
However,
“I think giving him a chance wouldn’t be bad.”
PD Kim Jong-su had a slightly different opinion.
Of course, Jong-su completely agreed with Dong-guk’s concerns.
The ability to embrace and lead the field.
It’s clearly not something that can be developed in a short time. It’s an area that can only be tempered through experience, by facing and breaking through all kinds of problems that arise during production.
There’s no shortcut to this process. It needs the quiet nurturing of time, like water and sunlight.
However,
That’s only if he needs to be “developed.”
PD Kim Jong-su recalled Do Ji-won he had seen in the field.
-An extraordinary mind that calculates and processes complex production procedures like a computer.
-A broad vision that can survey the entire set at a glance because of it.
-And the communication ability to give precise orders at the right time and place.
He was effortlessly performing in areas that typically take at least 10 years of experience to barely master.
Perhaps that’s why? A strange phenomenon had occurred after
When problems arose…
Staff would seek out Do Ji-won first. Most issues were cleanly resolved at his level.
From a different angle:
There’s Director Ko Dong-guk, who manages from behind a desk.
Then there’s PD Kim Jong-su, who’s in the trenches.
Their different positions naturally lead to different perspectives.
Specifically, their views on “debut” differ.
From PD Kim Jong-su’s perspective, debut isn’t something you can do just because you’ve put in the years.
‘Skill’ and ‘timing’.
Only when both elements are satisfied can you barely take that first step as a debut.
And as is typical with company matters, no one can guarantee when, where, or how things will flow.
If things get twisted, you might spend your entire PD career cleaning up after others’ works. Didn’t even the one-act dramas of Ji-won’s peers get canceled?
At least for a PD in the field.
Opportunities must be seized when they come.
Whether it’s a poisoned chalice or whatever, Jong-su’s principle is that if it seems like an opportunity, you should swallow it first and then look for the antidote.
No one can guarantee when the next opportunity will come. Not Director Ko, not even President Jeon Nam-hoe. In this field, you can’t succeed by believing in guarantees.
“I know this might not make logical sense but…”
PD Kim Jong-su crossed his arms and carefully chose his words. “I think perhaps Do Ji-won might not need to be developed. It’s like he was born to be a director.”
President Jeon Nam-hoe’s eyes sparked with interest. “Are you saying he’s already ‘complete’?”
PD Kim Jong-su nodded. “Perhaps what he needs now isn’t time to learn, but rather the authority to fully exercise his abilities.”
President Jeon Nam-hoe wore an intrigued expression. “Hmm…”
Then he looked at Director Ko and said, “So Director Ko wants to keep him in the kangaroo pouch and raise him step by step.”
Then he turned to PD Kim Jong-su. “And PD Kim Jong-su thinks we should throw him off a cliff like a lion cub, believing he’ll climb back up somehow?”
A small curve appeared on his lips. “It’s interesting that the two people who observed Do Ji-won most closely have different opinions. Thank you for sharing.”
Director Ko fell into thought again. He could roughly see the picture Jong-su was painting.
Do Ji-won, who had consistently shown abilities beyond common sense.
Perhaps PD Kim Jong-su, having watched Jiwon up close, had better grasped his true nature.
And
If President Jeon Nam-hoe had already envisioned Do Ji-won’s role…
“President.”
Director Ko called out to President Jeon Nam-hoe. “If you’re going to give him something…”
He said with passionate eyes. “Give him
While President Jeon Nam-hoe’s mouth twitched, Director Ko added. “Writer Kyukyu requested to have PD Do Ji-won join their next work. It means they’ve found a connection.”
“Is that so?”
“Then I think pairing them with Writer Kyukyu would create the biggest synergy compared to any other script.”
After those words, President Jeon Nam-hoe fell into thought. Then he spoke again.
“Thank you for your honest opinions. Thank you, both of you.”
After leaving the president’s office.
Director Ko looked at PD Kim Jong-su. “What was all that about?”
PD Kim Jong-su chuckled and said, “Felt like we were Do Ji-won’s parents in front of the president.”
Then he added, “Of course, I’m the dad. You’re the mom.”
“What did you say?”
PD Kim Jong-su exaggeratedly mimicked Director Ko. “It’s true! You were like ‘Please handle our Ji-won carefully. He’s still such a delicate child!'”
“You really come to work just to make fun of your director, don’t you?”
“Mama Dong-guk, I’m hungry, what’s for lunch today?”
PD Kim Jong-su quickly ran away with a playful expression. Director Ko watched him and smirked.
While the decision lies with President Jeon Nam-hoe, if things go as discussed in the president’s office…
Do Ji-won would become the fastest-debuting PD in JTVN history. And with a highly anticipated work responsible for a channel’s season, no less.
Perhaps it’s an unprecedented bold move in broadcasting history. It will receive both public concern and attention as soon as it’s announced.
Whether the result will be ‘shock’ or ‘awe’.
That depends entirely on Do Ji-won.
* * *
Ji-won was carefully examining a text message on his phone.
『 Won Management-Gloomy Sunshine Script Fee
Electronic Banking Deposit
864,243,000
Balance 927,056,510 』
“One, ten, hundred thousand… ten million, hundred million, billion…”
The figures were impressive no matter how many times he counted.
9 hundred million won.
The prize money and script fee from his first work,
The script fee for 20 episodes of his second work,
He recalled what Won-jae had said when signing the contract for Ham In-ju.
-“It’s fine. The next work will pay ten times more anyway.”
And he and Won-jae had made those words reality.
Although Ji-won had earned annual salaries in the hundreds of millions in his previous life, the sensation of having 860 million deposited at once was quite different.
‘Hmm, so this is how star writers were all making money?’
Since what you know in your head and what you feel on your skin are clearly different realms… Just as his creative urges were starting to boil over, his phone rang again.
Ding!
It was Choi Won-jae.
[Ever paid taxes in the hundreds of millions before?]
…Well yes, but this is the first time from pure labor income.
Ding!
[I’ll arrange a tax accountant in advance. Writer, you just focus on writing.]
After a small chuckle escaped, he put down his phone. Even with nearly a billion won in his account, he had no immediate use for it anyway.
Then nothing has changed.
Focusing on today’s work takes priority.
And
If that work might bring in even more money than this, all the more reason. Ji-won, or rather Writer Kyukyu, pushed forward with writing additional scripts for
The rough framework was laid out until the final episode, so he just needed to organize it step by step. From now on, it was a matter of time investment.
8 hours later.
“Done.”
A smile spread across Ji-won’s face as he finished revising.
“Good.”
After emailing the completed script to Won-jae, he stretched. His whole body was stiff from sitting like a statue all night. Opening the window, he felt the bluish dawn air.
“…I’ll sleep when I get to work.”
* * *
Company meeting room.
“P-PD-nim. I’m not hearing this wrong, am I?”
It was a question asked while staring blankly at PD Kim Jong-su. Though he tried not to show emotion, his facial muscles trembled uncontrollably.
“You heard right.”
It was due to the sudden good news PD Kim Jong-su had dropped.
“You’ll be assigned to Production Team 4 during next week’s reorganization.”
“I did well in the production team for the past 5 years, right? Why suddenly…”
PD Kim Jong-su tilted his head as if looking at a strange person.
“Huh? What are you doing? You don’t want to go? Wasn’t this what you wanted?”
At those words, Ji-won snapped out of his delusion and shook his head vigorously.
“Ah, no. Just had some bad memories for a moment…”
It was because of the personnel assignment notice PD Kim Jong-su had just shown.
[Do Ji-won – Production Team 4]
The rumored new Production Team 4 had been announced. And there was his name, proudly embedded among the roster.
“…”
Ji-won traced those three characters of his name with his hand. PD Kim Jong-su watched him warmly.
“Stop reading it already. You’ll wear out your name. Wear it out.”
“Haha, I haven’t had many times when I was happy to see a personnel assignment notice.”
PD Kim Jong-su stood up and gently patted Ji-won’s shoulder.
“Congratulations, Do Ji-won.”
Ji-won smiled back at Jong-su PD.
“Yes! Congratulations to you too!”
Ji-won, who had flashed a bright smile, turned back to the personnel notice.
‘That said.’
Ji-won already knew the roster of Production Team 4 from his previous life.
And
He had really run around frantically to get those three characters ‘Do Ji-won’ embedded in that roster.
Ji-won’s eyes narrowed as he examined the roster carefully. Because it was different from his memory.
‘…Butterfly effect?’
Perhaps due to Ji-won’s actions that differed from the past? Do Ji-won wasn’t the only name that had changed in Production Team 4.
‘…This is different from the roster I knew!’
He then examined the names of the newly configured team members.
‘But, is this combination possible?’
The new team members listed on the roster were remarkable.