Godsent Top Star [EN]: Chapter 197

197. Spartan Education (1)

May 16, 2022

That’s strange.

I feel like I just heard something incredibly absurd and bizarre.

“……?”

An answer based on ‘gut feeling’ for no apparent reason.

Even Yeonwoo, the person involved, felt it was flimsy after saying it.

“I was just… worried for nothing.”

Rather, PD [Production Director] Gil sighs in relief and laughs heartily, as if relieved.

His face was clearly relieved, a stark contrast to before.

It felt like he had accepted it 100 percent.

“I feel a bit awkward asking after saying it myself, but… are you okay with this?”

“Of course! Haha! I suddenly feel relieved?!”

“……?”

“Huh? No, why are you reacting like that, Yeonwoo? Ah. Did you not know?”

“Know what?”

“It’s nothing much. There’s a rumor going around among the PDs. Ah! Don’t misunderstand, it’s nothing weird. It’s just something people say. That… if Yeonwoo appears in a project, it won’t fail. At least a mid-hit. At most a mega-hit. And Yeonwoo has a great gut feeling, so if Yeonwoo wants to do something, support him as much as possible! Something like that. It’s nothing, right?”

No.

It’s definitely not nothing.

‘Where on earth did such a strange rumor come from……?’

Soon, one or two possible sources started to come to mind.

‘…I can’t say it’s not true, considering how much I’ve done.’

Starting with the Grim Reaper role, through movies, various variety shows and commercials, and finally reality shows.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Yeonwoo’s influence was everywhere in that entire process.

This is entirely because he sowed the seeds.

“I believe in Yeonwoo-nim [term of respect].”

To make matters worse, PD Gil said that with a serious face.

“Cough! Hack! Cough!”

This time, a coughing sound erupted from the side.

It was Lee Kyuhan, who had been quietly listening to their conversation.

“…PD-nim. Please speak comfortably.”

Yeonwoo said, handing Lee Kyuhan a tissue.

“Ahem. Ahem. Let’s pretend you didn’t hear that just now. My words slipped out.”

“Yes.”

Right.

Surely no one in their right mind would use the honorific ‘nim’.

On one hand, I couldn’t help but suspect that he might not be in his right mind.

“But Yeonwoo… ssi [another term of respect]. Are you really going to audition?”

I’m sure it wasn’t my imagination that he paused behind my name just now.

Yeonwoo tried to pretend he didn’t notice and answered.

It would be a little sad to think that the PD of a work that I liked and that looked promising was out of his mind.

“Yes. I’m going to audition.”

“Hmm… If Yeonwoo-ssi wants, we could just skip the audition stage.”

“That would be difficult. There must be people who have already applied for the audition, right?”

The lead role was already decided for Yeonwoo, but the other roles were different.

It had already been announced for a long time that other roles would be selected through a fair audition.

As Yeonwoo said, quite a few actors had already applied for each role.

“That’s true, but… still, if we ask for their understanding….”

It’s not like such cases don’t exist at all.

For example, the trash who played the Grim Reaper in the first drama I filmed, whose name I can’t even remember, was such a case.

It was not uncommon in this industry to bring someone along as a ‘one plus one’ or to get a role through the power of a large agency or sponsor.

‘And that’s not what I want.’

Yeonwoo didn’t want that kind of seat-snatching.

It’s not like I don’t have the ability to get a role that way.

“No. I don’t want to do that. Since I applied, I want a fair screening as much as possible.”

“That… um….”

Gil Sangjun, who seemed to be worried by Yeonwoo’s words, asked cautiously.

“If you happen to fail……?”

He was very careful, as if he was very concerned about hurting Yeonwoo’s pride.

Yeonwoo simply shrugged his shoulders as if it was nothing.

“Then it’s even better.”

“Yes?”

“Does it make sense for someone who would fail even a supporting role audition to take on the lead role?”

It’s a calm voice as if he’s talking about someone else.

“If that’s all the skill I have, it’s better to fail the audition.”

“No, but….”

“PD-nim. You told me that you were betting your life on it, right?”

“Did I……?”

“But imagine that there’s someone who’s not a proper actor in that work you’re betting your life on. And as the lead role. Isn’t it terrible just thinking about it?”

“That’s… true.”

Gil Sangjun replied.

As Yeonwoo said, it was a terrible thing to even think about.

The first drama he and his brother invested in.

Just thinking about the fact that the drama would be controversial and the ratings would be ruined and the public opinion would be bad because of the bad acting of the lead actor, he felt a cold sweat running down his back.

‘They’ll definitely curse me for not having an eye for talent! And I won’t be able to recover my investment properly. If my first work fails miserably, no one will outsource to us anymore… then I won’t be able to pay my employees’ salaries… and the rent…! Then I’ll have to take out another loan…! But I’m already maxed out, so it’ll be hard to get any more, so I might have to resort to private financing…! If I resort to private financing, the interest will be…! I’ll only be able to pay the interest and won’t be able to touch the principal, and then the bonds will be transferred…! If the bonds are transferred, there will be red stickers on our house…! People with knife scars on their faces will come to our house! Aaaah! In the end, not only the drama will fail, but our family will also fail!’

There was a huge leap in logic, but no one noticed it.

Not even Yeonwoo could have predicted that PD Gil would dig himself into a hole so quickly.

Who would have guessed?

That a casting mistake would lead to the utter destruction of a family.

“PD-nim?”

“Yes, yes?!”

Yeonwoo, seeing his face turning blue in real time, called him.

“You don’t have to worry too much. I’m telling you this in advance so that such a thing doesn’t happen.”

“……!”

That’s right.

That’s what happened.

Gil Sangjun, who had almost imagined being cursed for a terrible miscasting, not to mention the company going bankrupt and his family ruined, suddenly came to his senses.

“You’re really… humble…! And you’re so considerate and thoughtful……!”

Gil Sangjun treated Yeonwoo as if he were his savior.

Lee Kyuhan, who was watching from the side, coughed and spat out the tea he was drinking once again, but no one paid attention.

“To think you’d think so much about our drama… you’re so considerate!”

“Thank you for seeing me in a good light, PD-nim.”

The situation is turning strange.

Until just now, he was acting like the world was ending when Yeonwoo refused the lead role.

Now, he’s acting like it’s a huge favor that he refused, as if he’s been completely charmed.

‘I’m glad I came to the entertainment industry…….’

Lee Kyuhan thought, looking at Yeonwoo and Gil Sangjun.

What if Yeonwoo had that crazy persuasiveness that made the impossible possible and had gone in a different direction……?

Brrr!

I don’t even want to imagine it.

Instead of an outstanding rookie actor, a large-scale scam or a scary ending like a new religion seems to be in sight?

“Anyway, if the role is decided fairly as a result of the audition, at least there won’t be any noise about it. Especially articles like ‘Actor Mo, who showed incompetent acting skills, was found to have been selected for the lead role without verification……’.”

“I see. Wow… this. I owe Yeonwoo-ssi a lot.”

Yeonwoo nonchalantly belittled himself.

He didn’t feel hurt or bad.

It was natural.

Because Yeonwoo was doing his own acting in his own way.

‘This is nothing to achieve the desired goal.’

He just chose acting as a method of persuasion.

And the effect was very excellent.

Although his position is a little unstable because he started a new production company, drama PDs basically have some power.

Gil Sangjun also fell into this category.

In fact, the situation where an actor suddenly comes forward and says he won’t play a role is not a pleasant situation for the PD.

However, the fact that Yeonwoo’s calm voice and eloquence, which strangely made sense the more he listened, had already been pushed back for a long time.

If he’s even thanking Yeonwoo, isn’t it all over?

“When is the audition scheduled for?”

“Ah… it’s roughly on X month X day. It’s not confirmed yet. But a lot of people have gathered, so we’re planning to divide the dates by role.”

“Can I know when the role I’m going to play is?”

The fact that Yeonwoo would audition for a supporting role instead of the lead role had already become a foregone conclusion.

Not only Yeonwoo, who was speaking, but also Gil Sangjun, who was listening, didn’t feel anything strange.

“Ah. Then I’ll give you the schedule.”

“Yes. It would be better if you did. Come to think of it, I’m curious about how the audition will proceed…….”

“We’ll send you the script for the scene in which the character appears. Of course, it’s still in the rough draft stage, so there are quite a few parts that need to be fixed…….”

Gil Sangjun and Yeonwoo’s conversation continued after that.

The questions and answers mainly revolved around how the audition would be conducted.

“There are quite a few people participating.”

“Haha! The rumor that we sharpened our swords this time has spread so widely that I’m grateful that so many people have applied.”

There was also a rumor that this work would be exported to China even before it was produced.

So quite a few people gathered, hoping to get a foot in the door here and there.

“I’ll have to work hard too. I don’t want to be a nuisance to a work that you’re preparing so diligently.”

“No. We’re grateful that you’re auditioning.”

“Then you’ll send me the exact date and script first?”

“Yes. That way, the actors can prepare.”

“I see.”

The meeting atmosphere was very embarrassing at first.

But now that the meal is over and even the tea time is over.

The embarrassment is gone, and only a pitiful sacrifice who felt great emotion for Yeonwoo was left in this place.

Of course, the writer’s urging to get the contract signed and the production company’s encouragement were not left in Gil Sangjun’s mind.

It was the end of a person who was completely wrapped up in Yeonwoo.

*

“Come to think of it, it’s the first time.”

The production company sent the script to the agency a few days ago.

Interestingly, in addition to the script for the serial killer role that Yeonwoo wanted, a script for the main character role also came.

-This person. I think he finally came to his senses. Or he was thoroughly shaken up…….

He was so enthusiastically wrapped up in Yeonwoo that he became a mindless yes-man.

It seemed that he had finally come to his senses after returning to the company.

But what can I do?

I’ve already made a promise, and I can’t go back on it.

-It’s not going to work anyway… I wonder why they sent the script for the main character role. Tsk…….

Lee Kyuhan clicked his tongue as if he was sorry and handed over two scripts.

Of course, Yeonwoo only took one of them.

“What are you talking about?”

“Yeonwoo-ssi is auditioning.”