I Spent a Night with a Top Star Actress – Chapter 14 – The weekend.

Author: Dawn

There was CEO Baek Ji-won, in a pure white suit, her hair cut short.

Put that outfit together with Baek’s own lazy expression and it was like looking at a medieval queen.

‘No, she really is a queen.’

A self-made figure who started as a one-woman agency and built the Baekhak empire that holds a third of the entertainment business.

If you split this world into a class society, CEO Baek Ji-won was indeed the queen.

Maybe that’s why.

My throat went a little dry from the tension rising in me.

I’ve been running wild lately because of the messages from the future, but the thought of facing CEO Baek Ji-won one on one couldn’t help sending a chill up my spine.

Right then the queen of the entertainment business.

CEO Baek Ji-won broke the silence and spoke.

“Shall we have a cup of tea and then start talking?”

I turned my head and saw green tea with steam curling up off it.

For someone like me, who wants an iced americano even in winter, it isn’t a welcome drink.

But expensive beats everything.

Drawn in by the sweet smell without meaning to, I brought the cup to my mouth.

Damn it.

This green tea is filthy good.

CEO Baek Ji-won drank her tea too as she asked,

“Chief Kwon. So, what do you want to get?”

“!”

My shoulders jerked.

I lifted my head slowly and CEO Baek Ji-won’s brown eyes were looking straight at me.

“The trend looks good.”

“!”

“9.5% on the first broadcast, and 14.4% on episode 4, past what anyone expected.”

CEO Baek closed her mouth and waited for my answer.

I rolled my tongue a little and picked my words.

What should I say to keep from getting caught out?

How do I get through this without incident?

Then it suddenly hit me.

Is this a meeting I was called into to be reprimanded?

‘No.’

If anything, it’s a meeting because “Queen of Joseon” blew up.

Is there any need to pick my words and be nervous in a meeting like that?

Right then the tension turned into confidence.

I bowed my head briefly and answered.

“Thank you, CEO.”

“How far do you see it going?”

“…. Sorry?”

“I think it’ll hit 20%.”

CEO Baek slowly crossed her legs.

My eyes went to her knife-like heels without meaning to.

“‘Queen of Joseon’, the one you picked, Chief Kwon. How far do you think it’ll go?”

Ah, that’s what she meant.

Once I understood CEO Baek’s question, I thought it over carefully.

Just how far will “Queen of Joseon” go, now that it’s spread its wings.

‘The “Queen of Joseon” script I read over and over.’

Top-class crew and actors.

A current trend punching through the sky.

I put all of it together and answered.

“I think it’ll reach 25%.”

At my answer, CEO Baek looked slightly surprised and asked,

“That’s setting it quite high.”

“I believe the trend supports that much.”

“With an issue riding along, 25%… does sound possible.”

I tackled CEO Baek’s words without meaning to.

“In my view, with an issue riding along, it’ll reach 30%.”

CEO Baek’s eyes widened.

At that change in her face, I thought, oh no.

‘Are you crazy? Why are you tackling what the CEO says!’

Too much confidence is a problem too.

Regret came rolling in, but there’s nothing to be done.

The water’s already spilled.

Managing my face shamelessly, I waited for CEO Baek’s next words.

CEO Baek looked at me blankly and muttered.

“If that happens, isn’t that the highest record in about five years?”

“By SBC drama standards, it’s a record for about ten years.”

A faint smile came to the corner of CEO Baek Ji-won’s mouth.

“So if your guess is right, Chief Kwon, one of our actresses writes a ten-year record?”

This time modesty was needed.

Killing my nature as much as I could, I answered.

“It’s a record that’s possible if things go well, so conservatively I think 20% is the right call, CEO.”

“20% is a high number too. Isn’t it?”

“…. That’s right. It’s a high number.”

CEO Baek Ji-won trailed off and propped up her chin.

“So, what do you want to get?”

“!”

“The drama hasn’t finished airing, so a performance bonus is too early. But I can’t do nothing for the manager who already refreshed the company’s signboard star’s image.”

I refreshed the company’s signboard star’s image?

What does that mean?

Luckily CEO Baek shrugged and explained.

“You know it too, don’t you, Chief Kwon? That our Ha-eun’s reputation is filthy.”

“….”

“So I was honestly quite surprised when I read the article. I never dreamed praise for a manager would come out of Ha-eun’s mouth.”

CEO Baek took an unhurried drink of tea.

“One way to look at it, it’s just lip service…. but maybe because it was lip service out of her mouth, it had some ripple to it. Thanks to that, it’s gotten easier to shut down the rumors about Ha-eun going around the stock-market tip sheets.”

Ah, that’s what she meant?

Nodding without meaning to, I thought,

‘This makes sense now.’

However good the trend is, I’d been wondering why CEO Baek called me in over a drama that hasn’t even finished airing.

But if Lee Ha-eun’s image is caught up in this business, it made sense.

Flawed personality or not, Lee Ha-eun is Baekhak’s signboard star.

If I refreshed that signboard star’s image, calling me in makes sense.

Meanwhile CEO Baek made her offer in a light voice.

“So tell me what you want to get.”

Something I want to get, huh….

What should I say?

“The manager in charge has changed, but as Team 5’s chief you’ll have to keep an eye on Ha-eun’s side. Consider it a gift, in the sense of asking you to take good care of things, including this drama.”

The dopamine was starting to flow.

Enjoying the situation without meaning to, I thought,

‘An opportunity’s come, hasn’t it?’

And a proper one at that.

As long as I don’t slip….

This game, right now.

I could steer it however I liked.

‘So all I have to do is not get nervous.’

I took one short breath and opened my mouth.

“I’d like to change Twenty’s album lineup a little.”

CEO Baek tilted her head.

“Were you handling Twenty, Chief Kwon?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Hmm… explain.”

“After discussing it with Director Choi Jeong-eun, I’d like to push this Twenty album with a double title track.”

“!”

CEO Baek’s eyes widened.

“Push a double title on an album for a girl group two months from debut?”

“Time is tight, but the song I want to push is already a B-side, so I believe we can make the deadline.”

“Did Director Choi Jeong-eun agree?”

“Yes, she agreed.”

Interest settled into CEO Baek’s eyes.

Five minutes passed like that.

Not a word went back and forth in the CEO’s office.

Inside that suffocating silence I waited endlessly for CEO Baek to speak.

From the slight lift at the corner of her mouth, she isn’t taking the proposal itself badly….

So why isn’t she saying anything?

I was starting to get a little anxious when CEO Baek’s mouth opened.

“Chief Kwon, you’re a really interesting person.”

“!”

“Last time we met…. how do I put it. You looked like someone with no interest in the company’s business.”

Was I like that?

I don’t really remember.

I had no presence of mind back then, because of the slip I made.

“But right now you’re overflowing with drive?”

“….”

“I’m not scolding you. I’m saying it’s good to see, all that drive.”

CEO Baek Ji-won leaned forward.

“All right. Push the double title track.”

“!”

“If the Director agreed, that’s the right way to go. Even so, you’ll have to take the Division Head’s midway inspection.”

I clenched my fist tight without meaning to!

‘Got it!’

An opportunity made by an accidental situation, seized without a slip.

It was as the tension eased a little at that thought.

CEO Baek Ji-won breathed new tension into me.

“I hear you made a bet with Division Head Park Yu-hyeon about Twenty’s debut numbers?”

My eyes went as wide as dinner plates.

CEO Baek Ji-won snorted out a laugh.

“Ah, was that a secret bet?”

“…. No, it wasn’t.”

“No? Then….”

CEO Baek made her offer casually, just like that.

“That bet. How about making it with me instead of the Division Head?’

“!”

“As for the terms…. right. Keeping them the same would be best, wouldn’t it?”

CEO Baek looked at me with provocation in her eyes.

“Get Twenty into the chart top five and you get a performance bonus. Well? Can you do it?”

At that look, my heart pounded hard.

If I answer “understood” here, the situation ends without trouble.

But why was it.

Seeing a look that seemed to be testing me, I got stubborn for no good reason.

‘You’re asking if I can get them into the chart top five?’

Of course I can.

No, I’m going to make Twenty number one on the charts.

This isn’t confidence.

It’s a confirmed future.

Right then a thought struck me.

‘This game right now. If I play it well, I could make it bigger.’

What do I do.

I thought about it and decided to follow my instincts.

“If I make them number one.”

My gut was telling me.

Make this game bigger.

“If I make Twenty’s debut release number one, what can I get, CEO?”

CEO Baek’s eyes widened.

“…. Number one?”

“Yes.”

CEO Baek was silent for a moment, then let out a startled laugh.

“You really are an interesting person, Chief Kwon?”

At the bait I’d thrown, flames flickered in CEO Baek’s brown eyes.

The talk with CEO Baek was over.

[“Go make the result and bring it to me.”]

[“If you do…. right. I’ll give you a gift worth it.”]

[“But if you can’t bring the result, you’ll have to take responsibility too.”]

The upshot was that a bigger game had been laid out.

As a side effect….

I seem to have bought CEO Baek’s interest, but what can you do.

It’s already happened.

Feeling the strength go out of my legs with a snap, I muttered,

“…. I’m dying, seriously.”

The fatigue I’d been ignoring came rushing in.

I wanted to collapse right there, but there were far too many eyes around….

Dragging my worn-out body up to the roof, I dropped onto a bench.

As time passed like that, it started to sink in.

“Wow, what did I just do?”

I provoked that CEO Baek Ji-won and made the game bigger?

Past being dazed, I got a little scared.

Am I allowed to run this wild?

However much I’m riding a rollercoaster with no brakes, isn’t this too much?

Just then my smartphone rang.

-Ding!

The alert being on meant it was probably something urgent, but I didn’t have the presence of mind to check.

I swept my shaggy bangs back and wiped away the cold sweat.

“Hey, Kwon Chan!”

I turned my head at the familiar voice and there was Seok-du hyung.

Seok-du hyung came rushing over to me and asked, catching his breath,

“A, are you alive? Chan?”

I didn’t have the energy to answer, so I waved a hand.

Seok-du hyung squeezed both eyes shut.

“From that face, you got thrashed.”

“…Thrashed, my foot.”

“You didn’t get thrashed?”

“No. If anything, I got praised.”

“!”

Seok-du hyung’s eyes widened.

“You got praised by CEO Baek? What is that supposed to mean?”

To explain or not…. I thought about it for a second and decided to explain.

Letting Seok-du hyung know roughly how things are going should be fine.

I compressed the conversation with CEO Baek Ji-won into a short account.

Ah, minus the bet with CEO Baek, of course.

Seok-du hyung, who’d been listening carefully, opened his mouth wide.

“Wow… ha… hey, you.”

“…”

“Chan…..Kwon Chan! You did it, you rascal!”

Seok-du hyung threw his arms around me.

My breath went out with a squeak and I tapped out.

“I’m dying…I’m dying, Team Leader Ma.”

“Kuh! Our Chan, why are you so lovely these days!”

“Go date somebody. Finding a man lovely isn’t normal.”

Seok-du hyung tried to headbutt my cheek with his lips.

“Haa…you’re driving me crazy. Did you eat something bad! Why do you keep picking the loveliest things to do lately!”

Horrified, I shoved Seok-du hyung’s face away.

Luckily he hadn’t really meant to go through with it, because he backed off obediently and shouted,

“This is great! I’d prepared a present for you anyway, and now I’ve got a reason to give it!”

“What present, out of nowhere?”

“Would you look at this, you don’t even read the articles?”

It’s been a while since I read them.

Because Lee Ha-eun’s face is plastered all over the entertainment news….

And seeing my own name in there now and then gives me chills.

“Baekhak signed actor Seo Tae-jun and actor Choi Su-hyeon as free agents this time.”

My eyes widened a little.

Choi Su-hyeon and Seo Tae-jun are both actors this business knows well.

‘The crown prince of romance came to Baekhak?’

Seo Tae-jun’s filmography isn’t wide, but within romance dramas alone he delivers tremendous acting and popularity.

He’s an A-grade actor rated as able to move up to top tier if he only widens his range.

Choi Su-hyeon has less name recognition than Seo Tae-jun, but he’s a newcomer Chungmuro has its eye on.

He got quite a lot of attention with his fine acting in the film [Back Alley Men] he shot a while ago.

Seok-du hyung squared his shoulders and boasted,

“If actor Seo Tae-jun comes over, I’ll take responsibility and hand him to you! Heh heh….”

I got a jab in without meaning to.

“Is actor Seo Tae-jun even coming to our Team 5?”

“That we won’t know until we open it, but the way things are going, the odds are good he comes to our team. Our Team 5 hasn’t been given a slot in quite a while! This time I’ll push hard for it.”

Seok-du hyung patted my shoulder.

“So keep it up like this from now on, hmm? Your hyung takes care of you properly, doesn’t he!”

“Oh please, look after your own business first.”

“If nothing’s on your schedule today, go home early.”

“Thank you, Team Leader Ma.”

“Only at times like this do you answer nicely. Hyung’s got an outside job today, so I’m off first. Let’s pick a day sometime and have soju.”

Seok-du hyung ruffled my hair and disappeared in a hurry.

Watching him go, I became one with the bench and muttered,

“…. It’s really over now, right?”

Once the conversation with Seok-du hyung was done too, my battery hit rock bottom.

If someone would just let me close my eyes, I was confident I could sleep a whole day without moving.

‘At least tomorrow’s the weekend, thank god.’