I Spent a Night with a Top Star Actress Chapter 21 - Give Me All of Them.

I kept thinking as my hands clattered over the keyboard and mouse.

‘Baekhak doesn’t have the 5 million occult script.’

If a script hadn’t come in to Baekhak, the entertainment industry’s giant, odds were it was a script that never made it to market.

But there’s always an exception.

It could genuinely have missed Baekhak by pure chance, or it might still be in the middle of being written.

‘Worst case, they could have already finished production and just be sitting on it.’

It’s an era where films and dramas made for tens of billions of won can’t even land a release slot and just rot in a warehouse.

Maybe the 5 million occult script was a case like that too.

‘But that’s not likely.’

Occult films were already hard enough to track down as it was.

If it had already finished production, there was no way I wouldn’t know about it.

‘Either way, there’s a chance the script itself exists.’

A little hope showed itself.

Riding the momentum, I looked over the list of domestic occult directors I’d just put together.

“First, cut the rookies.”

Given the nature of the occult genre, a 5 million occult film had probably been written by an established writer or director.

“Cut the ones already in production, too.”

I also cut the names of directors and writers who’d had a release in the past few months.

Cutting names one by one through process of elimination left two people standing out.

“Kim Seong-jun, Park Jun-seo.”

Minor directors sticking with occult in a market where occult barely survives!

But these two were masters of occult who’d actually pulled off commercial success in that very market.

‘Director Kim Seong-jun’s last film pulled 5 million admissions. Director Park Jun-seo’s pulled 4 million.’

Considering it was an occult film, that was an impressive result.

I scratched my chin slowly and muttered.

“Who should I contact first?”

Director Park Jun-seo, the one I actually had a connection to?

‘More precisely, my connection was with Team Leader Choi at Green Pine, the production company Director Park Jun-seo belonged to.’

Even that connection was a thin one, built on a few shared meals.

But in this business, that thin connection mattered.

Those few shared meals gave me an excuse to reach out.

Once I’d finished thinking it through, I called right away.

“Yes, it’s Team Leader Choi.”

A thin connection turns into a dinner date.

“Could we meet sometime when you’re free? I’ll come to you. Yes, yes, let’s grab a meal.”

---

The next day.

I took the Twenty kids and headed for the dorm near the training center.

“Whoa…”

The Twenty kids’ mouths fell open.

Beside them, Lee Ye-ji-ssi blinked in surprise too.

And me too…. I muttered, unable to hide that I was a little startled myself.

‘Wait, why is the dorm this nice??’

The size of the dorm we’d been assigned was beyond anything I’d imagined.

For one thing, the actual floor space came to a full forty-eight pyeong.

Considering the location was Sangam, in Mapo District, that was an enormous size.

I checked the unit number, wondering if we’d come to the wrong address…. No. We hadn’t.

Twenty’s new dorm really was a forty-eight-pyeong premium apartment.

Just then, Ga-eul muttered, looking a little dazed.

“Chief? Is this really our dorm?”

“…I guess so?”

“W-we haven’t even debuted yet. Is it okay for us to use a place this nice as our dorm?”

Good question.

Normally, the answer would be no, right?

The company wasn’t a charity. There was no way it would hand a girl group that hadn’t even debuted a dorm this nice for free.

But if it’s Baekhak, that changes things.

Baekhak was one of the three empires that split the entertainment industry between them.

‘And when I thought about the look on Division Head Park Yu-hyeon’s face at the midway inspection…’

Giving Twenty a dorm this nice wasn’t that strange after all.

Once I’d sorted out my thoughts, I answered slowly.

“Yes, this is your new dorm.”

“…”

“There are three rooms, so you won’t each get your own, but it’s still spacious and clean, isn’t it?”

The Twenty kids’ shoulders trembled.

“…This is more than just spacious and clean.”

“This is way too nice??”

“Oh my god…. I want to live here forever….”

“I’m going to bow toward Baekhak every morning when I wake up.”

“G-guys! There are three bathrooms! There are three whole bathrooms!”

Hyped up, the Twenty kids started making a huge fuss.

“I think two of us can each get our own room, and the master bedroom’s got to be split between two people?”

“Let’s put up a partition in the master room for the two sharing it!”

“We’ve got a fridge at home we’re not using. Should I ask for it?”

“I’m bringing a microwave!”

“I-I’ll go buy snacks first, so we can have a snack party!”

I let out a small laugh and turned my head.

Lee Ye-ji-ssi was jumping around right along with the Twenty kids.

I quietly called Lee Ye-ji-ssi aside so the kids wouldn’t notice.

“Hm? Chief, is there something you need to tell me?”

“Twenty’s got a schedule set, Ye-ji-ssi.”

“!”

“It’s nothing that big. Just a short interview ahead of the showcase.”

Lee Ye-ji-ssi’s eyes wavered for a moment.

“T-then….”

“Right. It’s the first schedule you’ll be handling on your own, Ye-ji-ssi.”

“…Can I actually pull this off, Chief?”

“You don’t have to do it well. In this job, getting used to it matters more than doing it well.”

Ye-ji let out a deep breath.

“…I’ll do my best not to make any mistakes!”

“I’ll trust you on that. And here’s what you need to get done before the showcase….”

After going over what Lee Ye-ji-ssi needed to know, I checked the time.

The hour hand was pointing to five in the afternoon.

I’d have to leave now if I wanted to make my dinner with Team Leader Choi at Green Pine on time.

‘Should I say bye to the kids before I go?’

I turned my head, slowly.

The Twenty kids were still lost in the new dorm, too caught up to notice anything else.

I didn’t want to ruin the mood for no reason, so I decided to slip out quietly.

Just as I turned to go, I ran into Rei walking in through the door.

“Oh? Chiifu. Where are you going?”

Chiifu?

I let out a laugh before I even realized it.

‘Guess her Korean’s still a little rough…. every so often her pronunciation slips.’

I pointed at the bags of snacks in both of Rei’s hands.

“What’s all this?”

“Hehe…. to celebrate the new dorm, we’re having a snack party.”

“Your trainer’s going to yell at you for this later.”

“T-these are zero-calorie snacks!”

Not zero-calorie cola, zero-calorie snacks exist?

But wait, isn’t this just a regular bag of potato chips?

Just then, Rei rummaged through a bag and pulled out a pack of gum.

“Chiifu! Have some gum!”

I waved a hand and turned it down.

“I don’t chew gum. It’s always too sweet.”

“This gum is zero-calorie too.”

“…”

“I-it’s not sweet and it tastes good! Try chewing it!”

Real zero-calorie gum actually exists?

Curious for a moment, I took the gum Rei held out.

“I’ll enjoy it.”

“Want two pieces, Chiifu?”

“No, one’s enough.”

Rei glanced at me and spoke.

“Are you leaving?”

“Yeah. I’ve got something to take care of.”

“…I even bought snacks for you, Chiifu.”

“Eat my share for me, Rei-ssi.”

Maybe because her face was so small, Rei’s brown eyes looked much bigger than anyone else’s, and my face showed in them.

“Next time, let’s eat together for sure, Chiifu.”

Her face was dripping with disappointment.

I felt a little bad, but I couldn’t afford to be late for the appointment.

With Rei seeing me off, I opened the dorm door without a sound and stepped out.

But Chiifu, huh….

It’s not slang for the toughest kid in school, but it still sounds like she’s calling me the boss…

Cute, and kind of childish….

Why does it stick in my mouth so easily?

“If Rei ever goes on a variety show, is this going to turn into a catchphrase?”

With that pointless thought in my head, I headed to the smoking area out of habit.

Just as I put a cigarette to my lips and reached for my lighter, a sweet taste spread through my mouth.

It was the gum Rei had given me.

“…Is this really zero-calorie gum?”

No matter how I looked at it, it was just regular gum.

Scratching my chin slowly, I put the lighter back in my pocket and muttered.

“Well, I’ll smoke later.”

The gum in my mouth was too sweet to smoke a cigarette right now.

I left the smoking area behind and started walking.

---

I headed for the private room at the sashimi restaurant in Konkuk I’d booked ahead of time.

“Oh, Chief Kwon!”

Team Leader Choi of Green Pine Productions greeted me, feigning delight.

I answered back with my own business smile hung on my lips.

“Have you been well, Team Leader Choi?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve been good. You’ve been doing well too lately, Chief Kwon?”

The corner of Team Leader Choi’s mouth curled up slyly.

“‘Queen of Joseon’ totally blew up! I heard it’s on pace to break 30% ratings before the finale?”

I’d heard this so many times by now that it barely moved me anymore.

I kept a smile on my face and answered.

“Lee Ha-eun-ssi did it all, really.”

“Wow…. her acting really is something else. No matter when I watch, Actress Lee Ha-eun sure can act.”

“Should we sit down and talk first?”

“Sure, sure, let’s sit down quick.”

The door opened and the food came in.

We each poured a glass of somaek, soju and beer mixed at a three-to-seven ratio, and drank.

I was planning to call a designated driver anyway, so I didn’t hold back and kept drinking it down.

“Baekhak’s actors have been on a scary streak lately. That movie with Actor Park Se-jun did huge business too, right?”

“That’s right. The final tally came to seven million admissions.”

“Being a period drama, it seemed like it’d do well in Southeast Asia too…. Argh! We should’ve been the ones making a movie like that!”

We traded small talk back and forth, waiting for the mood to ripen.

The drink was starting to catch up with him, it seemed. Team Leader Choi’s neck had gone red.

I caught my moment and threw a straight pitch.

“By the way, is it true Director Park Jun-seo has a new project going?”

Team Leader Choi answered in a flat voice.

“Not going, exactly.”

“Ah, so he’s writing it, then?”

“Right. It’s been a while now, him writing the new script.”

The corner of my mouth lifted before I could stop it.

“How is it? Any good?”

“Well… I don’t know about good, but it pisses me off.”

“?”

“I mean, that guy! Occult again, occult! He knows exactly what the market’s like these days, and he wrote another occult script!”

Team Leader Choi suddenly burst out with his frustration.

I, on the other hand, let anticipation build.

‘Director Park Jun-seo’s new occult film?’

I could feel it…. I could really feel it.

But I didn’t let that anticipation show on my face.

I poured soju into Team Leader Choi’s glass in a steady stream.

“The occult market’s tough these days, I’ll admit.”

“Ugh! Tough doesn’t even cover it. Even overseas, occult films are dying out more and more. And in the middle of all that, Director Park went and wrote another occult script!”

I quietly laid the groundwork.

“Director Park’s not really the type to chase marketability, is he?”

“Oh, come on. Does art put food on the table?”

“Better than having no integrity.”

“If that’s how he wants to be, tell him to go shoot indie films. I hear occult still sells over there.”

Team Leader Choi let out a heavy sigh.

“I don’t get why he won’t listen…. Wouldn’t it be so much better if he wrote a period drama like that hit movie Baekhak’s Actor Park Se-jun did? You go after the overseas market and there’s still decent demand at home too.”

He had a point.

But the movie Actor Park Se-jun starred in hadn’t blown up because it was a period drama.

‘It was a blockbuster with so much money poured into it that it couldn’t not blow up.’

It had hit 7 million admissions, but factoring in the break-even point, it probably hadn’t left much profit behind.

‘But Director Park Jun-seo’s occult film?’

Just from the way things were going….

it didn’t look like the production budget was going to be set that high.

That meant there was a lot of room left to profit.

‘If Director Park Jun-seo’s new occult film really does pull 5 million admissions….’

grabbing it was a sure profit, no question.

Having reached that conclusion, I threw a straight pitch.

“Director Park Jun-seo’s new script. Could I take a look at it?”

My heart started pounding, thump, thump, thump.

Team Leader Choi tilted his head and answered.

“…Same as last time we talked on the phone. Why are you so interested in Director Park Jun-seo’s new project, Chief Kwon?”

“I’m an occult fanatic, you know.”

“…Ah, but showing you a script that isn’t even finished being written yet is kind of…”

“I should’ve taken you somewhere pricier, Team Leader Choi, shouldn’t I?”

Team Leader Choi’s eyes narrowed.

“You’re buying the second round too?”

“I brought the company card.”

“…I’ll try calling Director Park, but it might not work out, okay?”

“Of course. Even if it doesn’t work out, I’ll still cover the second round.”

Team Leader Choi stumbled out of the room.

Watching him go, I felt the alcohol hit me all at once and muttered.

“Man, I’m dying here….”

Guess I drank too hard for the first time in a while.

The drunkenness was coming on way too fast.

I wasn’t sure I could read a script in this state.

Still, it felt like I’d gotten half of what I wanted….

‘What’s left is the quality of Director Park Jun-seo’s script, isn’t it?’

What would an occult script written by one of Korea’s occult masters actually feel like?

Was Director Park Jun-seo’s script really the 5-million-admission occult script I’d seen in that future text?

Nothing about it was confirmed yet, but for some reason, anticipation kept building anyway.

Just then, Team Leader Choi, who’d stepped out of the room, came back.

“Okay.”

“?”

“Director Park gave the okay! He said to go ahead and look, keeping in mind it’s a first draft.”

My eyes flew open.

“That was an easier yes than I expected?”

“Ah, that’s because I dropped Actress Lee Ha-eun’s name.”

“?”

“I told him you handle Actress Lee Ha-eun, Chief Kwon. Turns out the female lead in Director Park’s new project is modeled on Actress Lee Ha-eun.”

…. Director Park Jun-seo’s new lead role is modeled on Actress Lee Ha-eun?

For a second, my expression turned strange.

Luckily, Team Leader Choi didn’t catch my face doing that.

Team Leader Choi rummaged through his bag and pulled out a tablet PC.

“Though, would Actress Lee Ha-eun actually appear in a movie like this? I just said it as an empty line, so look it over without any pressure.”

I pulled myself together and straightened up.

I carefully took the tablet PC Team Leader Choi handed over.

“Like I said before, you’ll have to keep in mind it’s a first draft. Still, well….”

My eyes went to the title, scrawled out as if with a brush pen.

[The Priest in Black]

Just from the title, it looked like religious occult.

Out of all the occult subgenres, it was at least the more mainstream material.

“Director Park’s got real skill with writing, so the quality should be solid.”

Thump, thump.

Feeling my heartbeat start pounding out loud, I turned to the first page.

[“In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”]

My eyes got pulled straight into the print.

---

By the time I finished reading the script, I was completely sober.

I cleared my throat, which had gone hoarse, once, and then opened my mouth.

“Team Leader Choi. Give me this.”

“?”

“Give me both leads for ‘The Priest in Black.’ Ah, actually, no. Want to go into co-production with Baekhak from the start?”

“………….??”