Chapter 99: Four People (1)
Kang Rojun sent the movie scenario to PD Jung Soo-ryeong right from where he was sitting. Upon checking the scenario file that arrived on her phone, she chuckled.
"Before I start pushing this scenario around, can I read it over for a bit?"
That laugh is a bit scary. Rojun nodded as if to say it was okay.
"Yes, I don't mind. Please go ahead."
"Mm-hmm. I'm excited to see what kind of world will unfold this time. But did you also write this movie scenario without much deliberation again?? Judging by how little time it took, I guess so."
"I don't think I deliberated much when writing it."
"Seriously, it's fascinating every time I see it."
Then, PD Jung Soo-ryeong crossed her legs and let out a thoughtful hum.
"Hmm- if you get signed to an agency as a writer, the things that were already in progress, like the Netflix Japan side or this movie scenario, the managee will probably handle them as a kind of service."
"Service?" "Yeah. Service. Basically, the managee will handle writer management, errands, and split the money, right? But the stuff you did before the contract is kind of vague to divide. It's not that tough work anyway."
"Ah-"
Kang Rojun absorbed this new information, and PD Jung Soo-ryeong, whose expression had turned somewhat serious, continued.
"If during the managee meeting, they don’t go along with what I said, and instead try to include the works you already did in the money split? Then avoid that place."
"Got it."
"They have no conscience, so there's no point in dealing with them."
Noted. Rojun muttered internally, and PD Jung Soo-ryeong asked,
"And by the way, do you know a writer management company called ‘Culture Drawer’?"
‘Culture Drawer’. It was a name he had heard a few times. The source was PD Woo Han-suk.
"Yes. I heard it’s a pretty famous place. PD Woo Han-suk said I’ll be meeting with them tomorrow too."
"Mm- I also got contacted by ‘Culture Drawer’, and I passed that on to PD Woo. Honestly, I was a bit surprised at first, because I really didn’t expect them to show interest."
"I heard they don’t even glance at rookies."
"That’s true, but to be more precise, you can think of them as a management agency that’s thoroughly skill-based. Have you heard of Writer Han Seo-ryeong? One of the top three star writers in the country. She’s a massive writer, and starting with her, they’ve got a ton of heavyweight writers and directors."
Hearing this, Rojun felt a bit pressured.
He had made up his mind to properly give this writing thing a try, but his main job was still being an idol. Wasn’t the side job side getting a bit too big? As he began scratching his chin, PD Jung Soo-ryeong, perhaps sensing his inner thoughts, chuckled softly.
"The fact that ‘Culture Drawer’ contacted Writer Rojun before even seeing ‘Rental Lover’, I think they probably focused on your one-of-a-kind character."
"One-of-a-kind character."
"First of all, the face. This face is ridiculous, and on top of that, a writer who’s also an actor. And an idol who can even freely do OSTs. That’s suuuuuper rare. And if you’ve got writing skills too? Total cheat character. It’s not hard to find star writers, but you can pretty much say there are no writers with star quality. That’s what you are, Writer Rojun."
He had heard something similar from Netflix Japan. Feeling needlessly embarrassed, Kang Rojun cleared his throat.
"Ahem, thank you."
"You must hear that kind of thing often, so why so shy? Anyway, even in the entire entertainment industry, when an actor does music too, they call them a multi-entertainer, but you’ve got even more than that, right? You’re so unique there’s not even a word to describe you. Keep that in mind."
"Yes, PD-nim."
"So whether it's ‘Culture Drawer’ or somewhere else, join the place you like, and the thing to be careful about during the managee meeting is-"
Kang Rojun listened intently to the words of PD Jung Soo-ryeong, a veteran of the drama industry. Of course, it couldn’t be helped that his head was becoming even more complicated.
‘Ugh- meeting with a agency, I'm a bit nervous.'
Later.
After finishing a rather deep conversation with PD Jung Soo-ryeong, Kang Rojun jumped straight into OST recording. The method was similar to when recording other songs.
-♬♪
The lyrics for the OST ‘Lovers’ were written by Rojun himself, and he had already learned them, so it wasn’t too difficult. Even the sound engineer in charge of recording was impressed.
“You’re really good, Writer Rojun. Your tone too, ‘Lovers’ is your song? Honestly, I thought PD Jung decided a bit hastily, but it was the right call.”
“Right? Maybe because he wrote the lyrics himself, the sync rate is high.”
“He’s also ‘Lover No. 4', isn’t he? I can already see the viewers loving this. Feels like his combat power is surging.”
“Do a good job mixing it. We need this OST to rank high on the music charts.”
“Haha. The theme songs from ‘Produce That 100!’ already dominated several music platforms, so if our OST makes it too, the picture’s going to be interesting.”
“Even though it’s technically part of ‘Produce That 100!’ and ‘Rental Lover', lining up on the charts before even a formal debut, our writer must be the first to do that.”
“You’re destroying the ecosystem in every way.”
The smooth OST recording was completed before the afternoon, and after saying goodbye to PD Jung Soo-ryeong and the staff, Kang Rojun returned to the campus. As soon as he arrived, he organized the information he had received from PD Jung Soo-ryeong.
‘During the meetings, always end with ‘I’ll think about it’, and try to hear conditions from as many agencies as possible, also memorize the ones I need to cut off. Even if they pressure me to sign on the spot, cut. If they act dismissive, cut.’
As he wrote, the list grew.
‘If they try to take advantage of me being young and or an idol sensitive to public opinion, run.’
While scanning through the list of precautions, Kang Rojun muttered to himself quietly.
"Surely there wouldn't be such places?"
He didn’t know yet just how much of a jungle the entertainment industry was.
Monday, the 19th.
For Kang Rojun, today was going to be a busy day. He had meetings scheduled back-to-back with five writer management agencies. Starting at 10 in the morning, he had to meet with all of them in roughly one-hour intervals.
‘PD Woo Han-suk really trimmed it down for me.’
The very small agencies had been filtered out by PD Woo Han-suk, and the ones he’d meet today were mostly mid-sized or larger.
The location was a meeting room on campus.
It was one that wasn’t used often and was quite far from the dorms, so it wouldn’t be visible to other participants. For reference, PD Woo Han-suk would not be accompanying today’s meetings. He was also busy with work related to ‘Produce That 100!’
‘I can’t keep relying on him, he’s already done so much. Time to wake up, Kang Rojun.’
Today’s meetings had to be handled entirely on his own. The pressure was high, but Rojun composed himself. With the advice he had received from PD Woo Han-suk and PD Jung Soo-ryeong, and as long as he kept his own pace, he believed he could get through it well.
And so, Kang Rojun came face to face with the first managee.
They were guided in by a staff member whom PD Woo Han-suk had pre-assigned, and a man in his 50s with a warm smile, along with a woman who looked to be in her 30s, shook hands with Kang Rojun.
“We really wanted to meet you, Writer-nim. Ahh- should I call you Rojun-nim instead?”
“Hello, either one is fine.”
"Hehe, Alright. Wow- but seeing you in person really makes my jaw drop."
After spending a few minutes complimenting Rojun’s unreal appearance, the first managee team got down to business.
“First, let us tell you about what kind of place we at ‘Hwaran Pictures’ are.”
To Kang Rojun, ‘Hwaran Pictures’ was unfamiliar.
‘Well, it’d be strange if I knew.’
Had he not received the meeting list from PD Woo Han-suk and looked them up, he probably wouldn’t have heard of them at all. Anyway, ‘Hwaran Pictures’ was a fairly large mid-sized company. Their main focus was movie production, but they also managed writers and directors.
“Writer-nim’s potential is limitless! You probably felt it already, but the writer-side managees are all stirred up trying to get you. You’re planning to meet several others besides us, right?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm- if you were to join us, what we could offer is......”
Overall, the impression was neutral, but there were parts that left something to be desired.
‘If their main focus is film, won’t they be lacking in other areas??’
Since it was his first meeting, Kang Rojun focused on listening and threw in a fair number of questions.
“What happens if there are works already in progress before signing with ‘Hwaran Pictures’?”
Nice tone on that question, right? Rojun complimented himself silently, and the ‘Hwaran Pictures’ side responded.
“Huh?? Ah- well, in that case, we’d do our best to accommodate the writer's convenience as much as possible.”
Accommodate the writer, huh- kind of vague. Naturally, they also had questions for Rojun.
“But Rojun-nim, do you plan to continue juggling being an idol, a writer, and even an actor?”
On this point, Kang Rojun was firm.
“Yes, writing and acting are side jobs. My main job is being an idol.”
He made it clear that a side job should never exceed the main one. ‘Hwaran Pictures’ looked slightly disappointed. Whatever the case, the meeting lasted over 40 minutes, and after exchanging closing remarks, Kang Rojun met the next managee 10 minutes later.
The opening process was similar to that with ‘Hwaran Pictures.’
Greetings, introductions, explanations, bragging, proposals.
The second and third managees followed the same pattern to the point of being indistinguishable. They were also mid-sized companies, and for Kang Rojun, each left something lacking.
‘Back-to-back meetings aren’t easy. This is tough.’
Eventually, it was time for the fourth managee. Three people greeted Rojun, one man and two women. The man, who appeared to be the oldest, had the loudest voice.
“Haha! Writer Rojun! Your visuals are incredible!!”
A man in his 40s with a wide face and a so-called buzz cut. Boisterous? It might be more accurate to call him noisy. After a firm handshake with Rojun, he introduced himself at high volume.
“I’m Seo Woo-tae, Team Leader from ‘WW Creative’.”
“Yes, hello. I’m Rojun.”
“Aigo- do you know how hard we pushed PD Woo to meet you?? Finally seeing you now! Hahaha. Ever heard of me? I’m kind of famous in this field.”
“...Nice to meet you for the first time.”
“That’s disappointing?”
With a smirk, Seo Woo-tae from ‘WW Creative’ glanced over at the female staff who came with him and replied,
“Looks like I’ve got to hustle a bit harder! Now, let’s move to the meeting room!”
A few minutes later, Kang Rojun and the WW Creative team entered the meeting room. Sitting across from the female employees, Team Leader Seo began the company introduction right away.
“‘WW Creative’ is a subsidiary of WW Entertainment. Unlike WW Entertainment, we focus exclusively on creators like writers and directors.”
“Yes, I see.”
As he continued his introduction, Team Leader Seo suddenly pointed at Kang Rojun.
“From what we see, Rojun-nim, you’re doing too much right now. Just sticking to being an idol and a writer is more than enough. Acting or lyric writing, save that small stuff for when you’ve got time later.”
“......”
“Actually, balancing idol and writer roles equally might cause you to expolde more. Our ‘WW Creative’ is attached to WW Entertainment, so we’d be the perfect managee for you. Idol part, WW Entertainment, writer part, WW Creative. No need to go around in circles.”
Kang Rojun was strangely irritated.
“I didn’t come here to talk about the idol side.”
“Huh? Ahh, right. Hahaha. I’m sure you’ve got matters related to ‘Produce That 100!’. I was just briefly sharing my thoughts.”
Then, for several dozen minutes, Team Leader Seo gave a briefing on conditions and a future vision, and when the timing felt right, Rojun, who had been quietly listening, gave his closing remarks.
“Yes, thank you. I’ll consider it seriously.”
“Huh?? Do you really need to think it over that long? I can assure you our terms are the best in the industry. Since you’re busy with ‘Produce That 100!’, why not sign today while we’re at it?”
“......I’ll think about it.”
“Oh ho- that’s disappointing. ‘WW Creative’ is quite solid in terms of funding and scale, may I ask what’s lacking??”
“No. It’s not about something lacking, it’s just that it’s an important matter, and I don’t want to decide right away.”
“Hmm. Maybe it’s because Rojun-nim is still young, but thinking too much makes decisions even harder.”
Soon after, Rojun stood up.
“Thank you.”
"Huh huh huh?"
Kang Rojun wrapped up the meeting without hesitation, and that, in itself, was a silent rejection. He had tolerated the subtle condescension and arbitrary judgments, but that was as far as he was willing to go.
‘Back when I did manual labor, I saw plenty of uncles like this. Spouting whatever they wanted, no matter how the other person felt.’
Rojun left the meeting room with no regrets. However, leaving the female staff inside, Team Leader Seo Woo-tae caught up with Kang Rojun in the hallway.
“Hey, don’t be like that. Let’s talk a little more, and if it goes well, how about sealing the deal today?”
“......”
This must be Seo Woo-tae’s usual method. He probably thought pushing hard was effective. If he had met some other 20-something participants from ‘Produce That 100!’, they would’ve been overwhelmed and pressured. Lacking experience, they would’ve folded.
But Kang Rojun, who had dealt with all kinds of rough people during years of manual labor, was different.
“Team Leader-nim. Forcing things too persistently can make the other person uncomfortable. I’ll contact you later.”
Say what needs to be said, or you’ll be taken lightly. Seo Woo-tae looked slightly flustered by the firmness in the voice of someone much younger. On top of that.
“Huh-”
He seemed to have hurt pride too. Because he thought Rojun had ignored the pride he possessed.
“You’re a little... cocky, aren’t you? Rojun-nim, popularity doesn’t last forever. One moment you’re acting high and mighty, next thing you know, you snap.”
“Hoo-”
This old man’s finally bringing out his true self. Rojun channeled his past self from his manual labor days. No longer interested in holding back, he ran his fingers through his black hair and responded bluntly.
“Team Leader-nim. Have you ever really seen someone cocky?”
“What?”
"It seems you haven't."
His face was super handsome, but there was a sharp edge in Rojun’s gaze. A terrifying beast, normally kept hidden, had been awakened.
“I’m good at that kind of thing.”
“Hey, watch your mouth.”
“You didn’t watch yours, though.”
“......This isn’t going to end well for you, Rojun-nim.”
“I don’t care. I’m handsome. So, do you really want to see what cocky looks like?”
Seo Woo-tae scrunched his face in open displeasure and snorted.
“In this line of work, even if you just ooze a bit of pus, you end up falling flat on your face. You, just looking at you, I doubt you’ll last long. I’m not going to let this slide.” (TL Note: I hope you got the meaning, but 'pus' here represents a bad personality)
And then.
“Then let me take care of that pus, Team Leader Seo.”
A woman’s voice cut in from behind. Both Rojun and Seo Woo-tae turned their heads, and in time with the sound of heels clicking, a woman in her fifties walked toward them. Seo Woo-tae’s expression was like, ‘Who the hell is this butting in?’, but that didn’t last long.
“Wha??!”
He flinched in shock. A middle-aged woman with short hair and glasses. She looked modest at first glance, but the aura she gave off was far from ordinary. And for good reason.
“W-Wait, Writer Han Seo-ryeong??!!”
She was Han Seo-ryeong, one of the top three star writers in the country. Not only that, she was also the co-ceo of the major writer management company, ‘Culture Drawer'. Approaching without hesitation, Writer Han Seo-ryeong looked at Team Leader Seo Woo-tae.
“In this line of work, even if you just ooze a bit of pus, you end up falling flat on your face- yes, that’s true.”
She gave a calm smile.
“Team Leader-nim, do you want to fall flat on your face?”
It was an elegant threat.
***
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