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A few days after the meeting with the Manager at the Headquarters.

Well, I was already determined, so I thought I’d seize the opportunity and visit the Broadcasting Station again.

I took a taxi and went straight to the Broadcasting Station, went through security, and entered, where I was greeted by Moon Chang-sik, who was already there for some work.

“I didn’t expect to see you here again so soon.”

“Is it bad to be fast?”

Once inside, I took off my sunglasses and hat, placing them in my bag as I replied.

“Well, it’s good for us. Let’s head upstairs.”

With that, I followed Moon Chang-sik to the Meeting Room we had visited last time.

Given how often I was coming here, it seemed like this was the official meeting area for the drama.

“Come in.”

Following Moon Chang-sik, I entered the Meeting Room, which, unlike last time, had a few more people seated.

There were middle-aged men and women giving off a vintage vibe, a young woman who looked to be around Moon Chang-sik’s age, and a senior man as well.

If there was one common trait, it was that they all had impressive appearances.

“Ah, hello.”

“Welcome! It’s nice to meet you.”

“Yeah, I’m Kim Soo-hyun.”

Just a glance and I could tell they all seemed like actors, so I politely greeted them and stepped inside.

Are all of them cast actors? Feeling a bit awkward, I walked further into the Meeting Room and sat next to Moon Chang-sik.

“…What about the Writer and Director?”

Not expecting there to be others, I whispered to Moon Chang-sik in surprise, but he looked at his watch and said.

“It’ll take them a bit to arrive. They probably want to give us some time to chat among the confirmed cast members. There’s nothing wrong with getting to know each other.”

Ah… so that’s it.

But more importantly…

“Then why am I here?”

Of course, I made the decision and even texted the Writer beforehand, but I hadn’t even signed the contract yet.

“You’re going to, right? It’s not bad to check things out beforehand, so I brought you along.”

“I see.”

Pinch.

I lightly pinched Moon Chang-sik’s side.

“Would it hurt to give me a heads-up?”

If you’re bringing me to where the actors are, hmm? Isn’t that something you could have warned me about? I was a bit flustered for no reason.

“Haha…”

Perhaps out of respect for the others being present, Moon Chang-sik simply gritted his teeth in silence at my side pinch.

“Um…”

At that moment, the young woman who looked to be around Moon Chang-sik’s age spoke up.

“Soo-hyun? Nice to meet you.”

It seemed like she was curious since a fellow young woman had arrived.

Well, considering the ages of the other attendees, she probably felt a bit out of place by herself.

“Ah, nice to meet you too.”

“I’m Han Ye-eun.”

As she smiled faintly, she exuded an incredibly pure aura—truly the mark of a leading actress.

And judging from the familiarity of her face and name, it seemed like she might be a well-known actress?

“She’s the main female lead.”

At that point, Moon Chang-sik subtly whispered to me.

Ah, the main female lead…

“Ah, I look forward to working with you.”

“Yes, I look forward to working with you too.”

She responded with a gentle smile, seeming like a genuinely kind person.

So, do I have to hit her?

Of course, I’d just be acting, but still, my hand itches.

“Are the young ones already bonding?”

“Ah, no, it’s not like that, senior.”

“Hahaha, can we join in too?”

After that, other middle-aged and senior actors sitting around joined the conversation, led by Han Ye-eun, helping me get familiar with their names and faces.

Just as the atmosphere started to ease up with the actors chatting amongst themselves—

Click.

The door swung open, and the Director and Writer walked into the Meeting Room.

“How’s everyone doing?”

“Ah~ Writer! Why are you so late? I almost waited until my neck grew long!”

The middle-aged actress teased the Writer, who responded with a good-natured smile while gesturing to the Director beside her.

“Haha, I apologize. The Director overslept.”

“…I’ve been here at the Broadcasting Station since last night.”

“Let’s just go with that for now, shall we?”

“Yeah, let’s do that.”

With the top authorities of the drama—the Director and Writer—engaging in playful banter as they entered, the mood in the Meeting Room remained pleasant.

Some dramas portray tense rivalries in settings like this, but maybe this is just fiction for a reason?

Or perhaps this is just an especially lucky instance.

“Shall we begin the meeting?”

The Director took the prime seat that had been intentionally left empty, with the Writer sitting next to him.

“Director, please go ahead.”

The Writer quickly relinquished the dominant atmosphere to the Director as soon as he stepped in.

“Alright, everyone…”

The Director began his briefing about the drama smoothly.

Yeah, the atmosphere’s great, and the natural start is nice.

But…

As for the filming outline, schedule, and duration, etc.

They’re giving us some kind of information about future plans and notes, but it’s difficult to comprehend.

No, wait, I came here to sign a contract, and instead I’m listening to all this unexpectedly.

Oh, of course, I’m supposed to hear this in advance since I’ll be signing later…

Do actors usually listen to this stuff?

Looking around, everyone else is attentively listening.

The only one seemingly zoning out is Moon Chang-sik beside me.

“…Aren’t you listening?”

Seeing him spacing out, I asked quietly, and he replied softly, barely audible.

“…I’ve heard a lot already.”

“I see.”

Now that I think about it, Moon Chang-sik must have been one of the earliest cast members.

Since this is information meant for newcomers, it probably has little to do with him.

“…But, do actors really listen to this?”

“…Well, main actors tend to know a bit in advance. Plus, our Director is unique. He really emphasizes creating together.”

I see…

Well, every Director has their own style.

But looking at it from another perspective, it’s a sign of respect for the actors, which is nice.

While I was quietly chatting with Moon Chang-sik, the briefing came to an end.

It wasn’t a long chat; the briefing itself was brief.

It felt like they only shared the essential points.

After that, it was Question Time, and thus, the meeting for the day wrapped up.

“Alright, I’ve got another schedule, so I’ll be off.”

“See you next time.”

“Director, you’re still the same. Today was insightful.”

As the atmosphere naturally turned to dismissal, the other actors flooded out, and since I still had matters to attend to, I remained seated with Moon Chang-sik.

“Alright, shall we get up as well?”

After the Writer and Director finished organizing their papers, they stood up, and the Writer looked over at me, saying.

“Oh, Soo-hyun, you need to sign the contract, so come with me, and your guardian can join too.”

Upon hearing the request to follow, I stood up, and Moon Chang-sik stood as well.

But more importantly…

“When did you become my guardian?”

I looked over at Moon Chang-sik as he stood beside me.

Is this guy really my guardian?

Sure, he’s older than me, but calling someone in their twenties a guardian feels so strange.

“You don’t have an agency, do you? You might need help with the contract, right?”

Oh… well… maybe so?

“Thank you! Dad.”

“Just call me Teacher as usual…”

Anyway, with that, I followed Moon Chang-sik out of the Meeting Room, trailing after the Writer.

“Alright, we’ll sign here.”

The Writer led us to a room that resembled a consultation room, with opaque windows.

So this is where we’ll be signing the contract?

“Wait a moment. I left the contract behind.”

The Writer had us sit down and started glancing around, realizing they’d left the contract outside and briefly stepped out, leaving just Moon Chang-sik and me.

“I don’t think we signed here before, did we?”

Once the Writer left, I said to Moon Chang-sik.

Didn’t we just fill this out on-site at the filming location previously?

Coming here to formally sign the contract is making me a bit anxious.

“The roles are different. The contracts for supporting roles and minor roles differ.”

“Is that so?”

“You really don’t know anything, do you?”

“Right…?”

Just as before, I truly know nothing.

I don’t have an agency, so it’s indeed like Moon Chang-sik is my guardian as the Writer jokingly mentioned earlier.

Moon Chang-sik hesitated for a moment regarding my cluelessness and then spoke up.

“…Honestly, this isn’t something I should be asking after bringing you here, but are you really okay with this?”

Is it appropriate to ask that just before signing the contract? Maybe he was just a bit concerned.

Seriously, if you were going to ask this, why did you bring me along?

“Is it too late at this point? Of course, I’m fine. I’m not playing a main role, right?”

And although I’ve heard that Lady Soo-yeon will have considerably more screen time, I think I’m just a supporting character. The Writer did mention that there might be weeks when I’d show up for the entire week, but I doubt it’ll be like that every week.

That was my reasoning, but…

“Excuse me?”

Moon Chang-sik looked a bit surprised at my response.

“Why do you look so surprised?”

Curious, I turned my head, and we locked eyes.

“…You’re playing a high-impact villain role.”

“A lead villain role?”

I knew there would be some significance, but I never considered it would be to that extent.

Of course, that was because I’m a newbie without any experience.

“It’s not like the main villain will just show up for one episode, right?”

“Well, that’s true.”

“Though the complete script isn’t entirely finished yet, I’d say you’ll likely be appearing at least as much as Moon Chang-won.”

Moon Chang-won’s role, even if he’s just a mid-game villain, is impactful enough—are they really saying that I will take on that role?

Hmm… Hmm…

“But…”

“Yes?”

“May I ask to reconsider?”

At my words, Moon Chang-sik thought for a moment before responding.

“Well, even if you reconsider, it seems like you’ll be back here in a few days anyway…”

“…”

When did this guy become so annoying?

Even I feel like he has a point, so I fell silent at that.

 

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