Debuting by Riding the Returnee’s Bus – Chapter 155

Author: LyraDhani

Director Choi

“So, what about Lee Unha? Is he in?”

“Well….”

“Yeah.”

“We just got a response from <The World>, Director.”

“And?”

“He says he’ll do it… if we raise the appearance fee.”

“What?”

“I mean… they’re asking us to increase his appearance fee.”

“What… Was the fee we offered really that low? How much did you offer? You little punk… don’t tell me… you based it on the standard rate for rookie actors these days?”

“Pardon? No, I—”

“He’s someone whose face is already well-known to the public, for heaven’s sake… did you think you could treat him like a complete nobody rookie? He’s the hottest thing in the industry right now, so you should at least match his status. Casting Lee Unha alone could draw in his entire fandom… Damn it, you really are a….”

“Pardon? No, sir, I—”

“Director Choi and Writer Oh are breathing down my neck, telling me we absolutely have to have him… Did you offend them? I heard there are more than a few others targeting him right now….”

“No, that’s not it, Director. We already made a very generous offer…”

“Fine, so how much was it?”

“Regardless, they’re asking for more.”

“What? Hah. Unbelievable… He’s already letting fame go to his head? Fine… whatever. Raise it a bit and send another offer. Revise the contract too…”

“No… it’s not that. They sent a specific proposal, Director.”

“Go on.”

“They said this is the amount they’d accept.”

“…….”

It was an amount that made his eyes bulge.

‘What is this? Are these guys… protesting because they don’t want to do it? If that was the case, why bother accepting the script in the first place?’

It was an absurd appearance fee. Even considering that actors’ salaries had already become heavily inflated thanks to the rise of OTT platforms…

It was still an astonishing amount. Sure, it wasn’t on the level of the industry’s top stars, but it was easily comparable to what established lead actors earned, making his jaw drop in disbelief.

‘These guys… they’re joking, right? Do they… actually know anything about this industry? Did they accidentally add an extra zero?’

It was preposterous. So ridiculous that he couldn’t even find the words.

It was only natural. Unlike traditional television networks, which had formal procedures for determining appearance fees, OTT-funded productions had somewhat greater flexibility—but that didn’t mean there were no rules at all.

As money-driven as the industry was, it still had its own standards and conventions. You couldn’t simply name an outrageous fee and expect everyone to nod along.

And yet….

‘Does this make any sense?’

What they were doing felt like they were trying to smash those rules and conventions to pieces. It was so outrageous that he wasn’t even angry anymore.

“These… these crazy bastards… they’ve completely lost it, <The World>….”

“Haha… I thought the same thing, Director.”

“No matter how strong his fandom is, what kind of rookie who’s only just become famous has the nerve to demand a fee like this? Are they sane or not? These punks… aren’t they basically declaring war on the industry? Huh? Am I wrong?”

“I had the same thought, sir.”

“They think this industry is a joke? Just because people around them give a little praise for his acting and other actors call him an ‘acting genius’ to hype him up, do they really think they’re managing a top-tier actor? Wow… these guys are seriously out of their minds.”

“Yes. Yes. You are right, Director.”

“I’m never working with <The World> again… ugh….”

“S-so… what should we do?”

“What do you mean, ‘what should we do’?! Don’t cast him! This punk! These arrogant bastards! I’ll make sure they can’t even set foot in this industry!”

“But Director Choi said he absolutely needs Lee Unha….”

“So what if the director said that! No, I need to call Director Choi myself. How is working with such arrogant pricks going to help?! Forget Lee Unha or whatever, find a decent actor and replace him immediately! Is he the only one who can act? Huh? How good can he be… there are plenty of actors in the world, and plenty who can act. Since when does an idol act like a top star? How arrogant.”

The more he spoke, the more his anger steadily escalated. That anger showed no sign of dissipating easily. He felt that not only his production company but the entire industry had been insulted.

Even he was surprised by the intensity of his own emotions. Until reaching this position from the bottom—specifically, through the process of experiencing various things—he thought his sense of disillusionment or anger was greater than his pride in being a member of the industry….

But faced with the behavior of this clueless rookie agency and idol-actor, his professional identity and pride suddenly flared up. He even found himself burning with an inexplicable conviction that the industry’s rules and traditions had to be protected.

‘These brats who don’t know their place….’

Of course, it probably wasn’t the idol’s fault. Even though he knew it was the company’s decision, he was still fuming.

‘First, I need to make the rounds and call Director Park and CEO Kim. These arrogant fools. I’ll make sure they never set foot in the industry again. I’ll teach them a lesson.’

His fury burned so fiercely that he doubted he could calm himself down. Naturally, his next destination was already set.

“Hey! Hey! CEO Kim! It’s me! Yeah. Right. Uh-huh. Listen, I just experienced something truly absurd. Do you know a kid named Lee Unha? Huh?”

— Ah. Yes, hyungnim. I know him. Lee Unha is quite the thing these days….

“You know <The World> started receiving scripts for him recently, right?”

— Ahahaha. Yes. Yes, hyungnim. Actually, I was just about to mention that.

“No, listen to me first, CEO Kim. You know our production company is starting an OTT project, right?”

— Ah. Of course, hyungnim.

“The thing is, we reached out to <The World>….”

— Ah… are you trying to cast Lee Unha too?

“Well, yeah. We were going to. I wasn’t that interested, but the director was pestering me so much I had no choice….”

— Wow. The competition is going to be brutal, then.

“…….”

— ……

“…….”

— …….

“What?”

— Actually, I’m having a drink right now while watching that thing. Ten-Million Actor Diner….

“Uh… yeah. Ah… so what?”

— Ah, hyungnim, you don’t know anything. I’m watching it because they said Lee Unha is on today… and it’s absolute chaos. Total chaos.

“What? What do you mean ‘chaos’? Isn’t that just…”

— Ah. You’ll know if you just watch it.

“What?”

He moved to the sofa while still on the phone.

— Man, when they were calling him an acting genius or whatever… I thought <The World> was just doing media play. But it’s completely justified.

“What did you say?”

— It’s not media play; it’s real. Real. A real acting genius….

“I mean, how good can a… a kid like that act….”

— Ah, just watch it first, hyungnim.

What on earth was he talking about? But his voice was so serious that it was impossible to dismiss him outright. Eventually, he plopped down onto the couch and instinctively reached for the remote.

Naturally, familiar faces appeared on the screen. It wasn’t a program he watched every time, but since it featured many actors, it was a show he monitored occasionally. Therefore, he knew how the program worked.

‘But….’

Isn’t the atmosphere a bit different today?

Unlike usual, where they filled the screen time with trivial jokes and mediocre cooking, the atmosphere currently on the screen was incredibly serious. Furthermore….

‘Why… why are they acting? Why….’

His pupils captured actors reading scripts, doing improv, and performing in various forms.

‘What are they doing? Is this really Ten-Million Actor Diner? Was it always this kind of show?’

The atmosphere was intense. After finishing a script reading, they even began giving each other detailed feedback on what had worked and what needed improvement. He couldn’t tell if he was watching a variety show or a theater troupe’s drinking party.

What was even more flabbergasting was that Lee Unha was holding his own even among those veteran actors.

‘What? That… what on earth is that?’

He had never seen anything like it.

He could say that with certainty.

Of course, he worked behind the scenes rather than on set, but even putting that into account, this was a first.

The actors on screen were reacting exactly the way he himself was. Those called the top representative actors of Korea were all gaping at Lee Unha’s acting. Furthermore….

‘Actor Jung… isn’t he getting completely overwhelmed?’

It even looked like he was being devoured. Or rather, it looked like he was desperately struggling not to be devoured.

It was inevitable.

‘What kind of… acting is that?’

It was like being sucked in. It was a cliché expression that anyone could use, but there was truly no other way to describe what he was seeing with his own eyes.

It was chilling. Acting that literally gave him goosebumps all over his body. Even as his mouth went dry, he could only stare blankly, unable to do anything else.

It showed exactly why Byeon Yongseok had praised Lee Unha until his mouth was dry, why every other official—no, the entire market—was paying attention to him. Lee Unha was proving it himself.

‘Is this… right? Is this real?’

There was something magnetic about it.

Even the term ‘acting genius’ wasn’t enough to define Lee Unha.

He wasn’t like ordinary rookie actors who simply repeated what they’d learned in acting school. He acted as if the performance was his life—as if he would die if he didn’t act.

‘Why… why on earth… is he an idol?’

His hands and feet began to tremble.

The phone call he’d been having earlier no longer registered in his ears….

His mind was so chaotic he didn’t even know what he was thinking….

But one thing was certain.

The actor before his eyes was at his cheapest right now.

“Team Leader Yook!!! Team Leader Yook!!!!”

“Pardon? Yes! Director!”

“Go and sign him right now.”

“Pardon?!”

“Give him whatever appearance fee he wants and just get the signature first.”

“What? Really?! Are we… are we allowed to do that? You were just saying—”