Former Warrior Turns Into A Million-Dollar Actor [EN]: Chapter 60

The Unhungry (3)

* * *

‘Team Leader Gray City’ first broadcast day.

Filming continues even on the first broadcast day. Sometimes they’re so busy they can’t even monitor the live broadcast, but fortunately, today’s filming schedule ends at 8 PM.

“It’s 10 PM tonight, right?”

“No, it’s been moved up to 9:30 PM.”

The staff member who answered looked across at the lead actors who were preparing in the distance.

“So, is everyone working hard today because it’s the first broadcast day?”

“Do you think it’s because of the first broadcast, you idiot?”

A sharp retort came from the side. A staff member with a piercing in his eyebrow boasted and continued.

“I told you, my eyesight is 1.3 on both sides, right? Actor Park’s spirit has changed since that day.”

“What spirit has changed?”

“Oh my, you scared me!”

The staff were startled by the voice that suddenly came from behind.

Byun Hwi-seung smiled once and asked again.

“So, what spirit?”

He usually treats people like air, but today, for some reason, he’s acting friendly.

The pierced staff member hesitated but tried to find an answer that wouldn’t be criticized.

“Actor Park Geon, it just seems like he’s been working harder since a few days ago······.”

“Ah, that.”

The interest that had been on his face turned into indifference in an instant. Byun Hwi-seung waved his hand indifferently and turned around.

“Well, okay. Enjoy watching.”

As soon as his annoying back disappeared, those left behind burst into complaints.

“Isn’t he an actor himself? How can he be so carefree on the first broadcast day?”

“Exactly. He’s always the last to arrive and the first to leave!”

“That civil servant mindset of his, he only does as much as he has to and tries to get paid the same amount······.”

One of the staff members who had been spewing out curses blinked.

“But that’s similar to us, isn’t it?”

“Are staff and actors the same?”

*

Ding-dong—

The doorbell rings. Han Ji-young quickly got up and ran to the front door.

When the door opened, two close friends, wrapped in mufflers, held out pizza boxes.

“Why are you so late!”

“What can we do if the bus is stuck because it’s rush hour! We even bought pizza, and you’re nagging us?”

“You should have taken the subway.”

“Forget it, move quickly. It’s about to start, so I ran as soon as I got off.”

Looking down at her friends sitting in front of the TV, Han Ji-young wore a triumphant smile.

The stigma of being a ‘bad-car detector’ is now gone. [Someone who always picks the wrong mode of transportation and gets delayed.]

How envious were her friends when they saw her [Diligent Geon-i] grade, which was in the top 100 of the fan club in its early days?

Already, all her acquaintances have become fans of Park Geon. Even her friends who didn’t usually like celebrities have fallen for the human victory of ‘Black Priest’.

‘Yes, this is it.’

She was the one who always heard things like, ‘Why are you into someone like that?’ or ‘You shouldn’t even be a fan.’

Seeing her friends rushing to her house to watch her actor’s work makes her feel full even if she doesn’t eat.

“Hey, Kim So-hee! What are you doing eating already!”

“I’m starving too. Let’s fill our stomachs a bit before we see our Geon-i.”

“Listen to her. Who’s ‘our Geon-i’?”

A brief commotion passed through the living room, and then the three friends each held a slice of pizza and sparkled their eyes.

“···The commercials are so long.”

“Dramas with popular actors usually have long pre-commercials. They have to make up for the appearance fee with that.”

Soon, the commercials ended, and a clear sky··· and sunlight shining into a small room began to appear.

Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling—

A long, white hand knocks off a green electronic alarm clock, which is obviously PPL [Product Placement].

The heroine, Han Tae-ri, who had been sleeping, kicks off the blanket and opens her eyes wide.

—What time is it? I’m late!

“Not bad.”

“It’s a typical start.”

Han Ji-young’s friends, sitting on either side of her, evaluate with their arms crossed.

Neat directing and slightly excessive color correction, the first scene composition that makes you think, ‘This is definitely a rom-com [Romantic Comedy].’

Even hardcore fans who are experts in dramas will find it cute and fun to watch, so ordinary viewers will probably be more than 80% satisfied.

—I’m Hong Joon-young, a deputy in the overseas sales department. I’ll be giving you the company orientation today.

—Yes, thank you!

—Ah. And there’s one thing I want to tell you······.

Never cry.

Before the ominous explanation is finished, the atmosphere changes completely, and footsteps are heard.

The camera, following with a follow shot, goes up the actor’s upper body, and at that moment, three fans simultaneously reacted differently.

“Wow.”

“······Ugh.”

“Ha, this is crazy.”

Angular framed silver glasses, hair permed and slicked back with pomade, a tie fixed without a single wrinkle, and glossy Oxford shoes.

If ‘Dog of Seoul’ was a lonely wolf and ‘Black Priest’ was a decadent clergyman, this drama exudes the scent of a professional man.

“Park Geon in pomade, pomade!”

“He did it at the awards ceremony too, why are you making such a fuss?”

“It’s the first time in a drama! And what’s with the glasses, why is he so harmful?”

Park Geon’s role in the drama, Team Leader Lee Jin-ha, is not only harmful to fans.

A ‘new employee training’ that is tearfully brutal but somehow enviable continues from scene to scene.

—You don’t speak Finnish? Any other Nordic languages?

—Listen, Ms. Han Tae-ri. All the brands we need to get are in the Northern Hemisphere, so why are you telling me you’re good at Chinese?

—Change the PPT font. Overhaul the composition too.

—If you take that to the buyers, it’s not just a disgrace to the company, it’s a disgrace to the country. You’d have been better off digging up the files of your predecessor and pasting them in.

It’s a collaboration of scolding that combines a military senior and a workplace boss.

The coldness that drips from every word and the patheticness felt in his expression also make you feel exhausted. You can even see the pure actress’s eyes reddening in real time as the scenes go on.

So, what about the fans? Han Ji-young licked her lips, which were stained with pizza sauce, without even realizing it.

“If my boss taught me like that with that face······.”

Her two friends nodded as if they had promised.

“Absolutely, absolutely I wouldn’t quit.”

When I checked the communities that I had turned on in advance, sure enough, posts were coming up in droves.

-Wow, is she really crying?

-It’s not acting ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ [laughing sounds]

-Yoo Jin-ah… what’s the world outside the web drama like…?

-What’s it like ㅅㅂ [an expression of frustration] Being treated like that by Park Geon is paradise

While the debate was going on, time diligently passed and the scene changed.

The heroine, who returned late at night, sobs at the red table of her best friend and regular cart bar [street food stall].

—Tae-ri, are you okay?

—I ran into a crazy bastard······.

As one more of the five team members resigns, episode 1 runs towards the end.

I don’t know why there is a shortage of manpower in the department of a large company that used to compete for 1st and 2nd place in the same industry, but anyway, the plausibility in a rom-com comes from the visuals of the main characters.

—···That’s strange.

—Team Leader, we’ve received a call from Lomer! Should we go back right away?

—No. Put that down and follow me.

Alternately capturing Han Tae-ri, who is refreshed after being broken so much in one day, and Lee Jin-ha, who is contemplating something, the ending of episode 1 went up.

“···This was good.”

“Not bad. If it goes at this pace, a rom-com legend will come out, right?”

“Ah, wait a minute. Ratings!”

Han Ji-young, who had been lost in the afterglow, hurriedly searched for her smartphone. Watching and enjoying is the share of ordinary viewers, but if you’re a real fan, something else is important.

Behind her, her friends craned their necks and looked as she searched for the ratings.

“So, today’s highest rating is······.”

*

Episode 1 of ‘Team Leader Gray City’ has ended.

Team Leader Gong Gi-hyung, who had borrowed one of Roman’s studios and was monitoring together, subtly looked around.

“Hyung [older brother/male friend], it’s okay. 7% for the first broadcast is really high!”

“Dog of Seoul exceeded 20%.”

Park Seon was speechless and barely found something to say.

“···Uh, um, it’s not really high, but··· that also went up with the highest rating, right? 7% in the first episode can only go up······.”

“It’s okay. Ratings aren’t everything.”

Whether his younger brother’s tearful efforts had an effect, Park Geon smiled nonchalantly.

And Team Leader Gong felt goosebumps.

‘That’s··· well, it’s the expression someone with a good personality makes when they’re uncomfortable.’

In college, there was an unusually poker-faced senior in the department’s soccer club.

Even though their club, which was the weakest of the weak, had 13 consecutive losses and 14 consecutive losses, that senior never scolded them and only smiled eerily.

He said it was okay to enjoy it, and it was good not to get hurt.

‘It’s just like that time. He made the juniors who hated practice do their own training.’

Considering terrestrial broadcasting, the characteristics of the work, and the combination of actors, 7% is not low. But is Park Geon the kind of person who cares about conditions?

He’s a human who has succeeded in making works successful even in failing situations.

Seeing his face, which was fine even when he was carrying a small production company, change like that······.

“I’m going to go to the public relations office for a while. You’ve both worked really hard, you know how I feel, right?”

“Of course, Team Leader!”

“Yes. Thank you.”

The voice answering is subtly stiff. Closing the door quietly, Team Leader Gong thought.

‘There seems to be a different problem.’

*

What is the standard of ‘hard work’?

For some, it may be as much as they can die, and for others, it may be as much as they can do.

Of course, there are also people whose average value is somewhat lower.

“Oh, oppa [older brother/male friend] is filming right now? Yeah. You came with all the kids? I probably··· I don’t know, it’ll be over before dawn, so hang out nearby or something.”

Byun Hwi-seung, who was talking without hesitation, sat cross-legged and answered the next phone call.

“Hey, Oh Ji-eun. What time is it, why are you sleeping?”

It seems to be another woman. Watching the third colleague, Geon was lost in a different kind of worry.

‘···It’s not sabotage, but.’

First viewership rating of 7%.

High if it’s high, disappointing if it’s disappointing.

Since a few years ago, the fall of terrestrial broadcasting has continued endlessly. Rather, cable dramas such as general programming channels often have much better viewership ratings.

However, even in the midst of that, well-known dramas still attract high viewership ratings.

Maintaining a viewership rating of only 7% until the end of the drama means that you will never win an award even if you die.

‘It’s not that resources are lacking.’

Geon turned his head.

His terrifying eyesight is fixed on another lead actor who is stretched out on the other side of the set.

Among the actors here, Byun Hwi-seung is the most outstanding in terms of acting ability. Looking at the scenes that are being filmed together these days, he is the only one who is satisfied.

Enough to look forward to the appearance scenes in the drama that is about to air.

‘Seo-hee··· No, he’s better than Yong Joon-sang in terms of skill itself. He followed even when I increased the output.’

The problem is the combined total score of the cast. Since the genre is the genre, and the roles are not as dramatic as ‘Black Priest’, there is a limit to what one can do alone.

“Oh my, Actor Park. You came early again today?”

“Yes, hello.”

“Have you eaten?”

“I ate simply in the car with my younger sibling.”

“Okay, every time I see you, your sibling affection is very strong. It reminds me of when my younger sibling and I were young. Heot heot heot!”

The middle-aged actor who spoke, Go Gwang-pyo, laughed heartily and waddled towards the production staff.

Including Go Gwang-pyo, who plays the president of ‘The Chic’, Ahn Ji-hwan, who plays Hong’s deputy, and most of the supporting actors have ambiguous skills and only so-so motivation.

I can’t expect Kim Ryul’s magic, but if the broadcasting station PD and editing technology cover it······.

Geon shook his head.

No, no. The real problem is the situation here, which has become obsessed with those ratings.

“Oppa, when did you say today’s schedule ends?”

“Well··· I think it’ll be over before twelve.”

“Ah, it’s too slow. I’m already tired these days because the filming site is getting late, can’t you ask them to move my scene up earlier?”

To the sub-female lead who is only thinking about leaving work,

“Yoo-jin, please put in a little more effort. Every time you’re with Park Geon, I can see that you’re shrinking when I look through the lens.”

“Ah, yes! I will do my best!”

With the main female lead who has passion but lacks the potential to explode and the current acting skills,

“Jong-pil. Shall we go to the Giorgium show this weekend?”

“I’m filming all day Saturday and Sunday.”

“I heard that celebrities come there often these days. Heo Yu-ram and Son Je-ni, and the Liger Music rappers also come together.”

“···No, hyung [older brother/male friend], I’m telling you that filming is full-time.”

Even the sub-male lead is preoccupied with thinking about playing even at the filming site.

Thinking about going to the battlefield with those guys already makes me feel weak.

‘If it weren’t for that hallucination······.’

However, now that I’ve decided to do it, I have to make the most of the given resources.

The eyes of the warrior, who had chosen and searched for countless powerful talents and inhuman beings, scan the filming site.

‘One decent main character and three··· no, four ordinary people. Two who don’t want to do it.’

If individual martial power was the combat power of the warrior party in the Iron Kingdom, the combat power in this field is the acting-directing synergy of the actors and production staff.

That synergy is determined by skill and motivation.

—I can’t go a step further than this!

—Dirty demons, this will be your hell!

Even if it wasn’t a fight for the survival of humanity, the previous two works were quite motivated.

‘Dog of Seoul’ was a highly anticipated work, and ‘Black Priest’ was only in poor conditions, but the motivation was clear.

But there is no desperation here.

Rather, if there was a lack of production costs, if there were no good actors, if the program was in danger of being abolished, everyone would have worked together.

But look at them, aren’t they showing that they are satisfied even though they know the results of the broadcast?

‘Seon-ah, can I attend multiple awards ceremonies?’

‘Uh··· if the dates don’t overlap? Anyway, the three broadcasting stations, cable, and film festivals usually do it on different days. To get even one more person to attend.’

‘So, does that mean I can receive several awards?’

When I talked to my younger sibling last night, Park Seon nodded emphatically as if it were natural.

‘Yeah, if you make achievements, you can sweep them all.’

Greed for material things? There was none of that in the first place. Competitiveness, this too has long been dulled.

However, now that I have heard the angel’s hallucination, I have a reason to make dramas and movies the best.

‘The goal is to win the lead or supporting actor award for each broadcasting station, and up to three film festivals. I’ll take as much as I can and test if my memories come back.’

A bright blue light flickered in the sunken pupils.

First, I’ll watch a little more, and if the results of the next episodes don’t come out as expected······.

“I’ll have to find a way.”

“Yeah, who are you saving?”

Park Seon, who came with a coffee tray in both hands, tilted her head and asked.

“I’m talking about the game. The one we installed yesterday, escaping the villainous young lady.”

“Oh! I broke it a bit following hyung [older brother/male friend] too. But from stage 52, there are too many demon kings, so I can’t get out of the tower······.”

“Bring it. I’ll tell you how to break it.”

“You’re going to break it all with your physical strength and say it’s easier than you thought, right? I’m not going to be fooled anymore.”

While appeasing his sulking younger sibling, Geon stared intently at Kwon Yoo-jin getting out of the minivan.

“Why? Did you leave something behind?”

“Uh, uh? No.”

Did she feel the fate that would soon come? Kwon Yoo-jin looks around with an uneasy expression.

Her senses are good, but it’s already too late. Well, isn’t it all about making everyone happy in the end?

“That’s one of the warrior’s tasks.”

“···Wow, hyung [older brother/male friend] just smiled really scary.”

* * *