I Spent a Night with a Top Star Actress Chapter 38 - An outing.

I think about it often these days.

My mouth… no.

My big mouth just won’t stay in check.

“Why do I keep doing this, seriously.”

Ten million, what was I thinking, ten million…

I know exactly what a ten-million-admission film means in this business, so why the hell did I say that?

“If I was going to go big, I should’ve at least worked up to it.”

I’d originally been thinking five million.

But with Lee Ha-eun joining, it looked like it’d clear seven million.

If the momentum kept up, it might even hit ten million!

If only I’d laid that groundwork before blurting it out.

But this unexpected mess had caught CEO Baek Ji-won’s interest.

That strange smile on CEO Baek’s face when I last saw her wasn’t something I’d imagined.

‘My nonsense actually moved CEO Baek.’

Thinking about it that way, the outcome itself wasn’t bad.

And if things went well…

If things went really well, my nonsense might actually become real.

‘What the texts from the future send isn’t fixed.’

The Choi Su-hyeon affair case had been like that.

I’d deliberately moved that incident up, and as a result, its fallout ended up far bigger than I’d expected.

So The Priest in Black would probably be the same.

Depending on how I handled things going forward, its box office could shift just like the Choi Su-hyeon case had.

And if top star actress Lee Ha-eun joined a project like that…

‘No one could say what kind of trouble it might cause.’

Lee Ha-eun was the actress who’d single-handedly carried Queen of Joseon to a 30% rating.

If that same acting came out again this time, it wouldn’t be strange at all if she shocked the whole world.

Right then, impatience started creeping in.

“Why isn’t there any word yet?”

Would Lee Ha-eun really join The Priest in Black without a hitch?

Had things gone well with Green Pine Productions’ CEO?

The one day CEO Baek had mentioned was almost over, so why was it taking this long?

Quitting time was right around the corner, and instead of feeling good about it, I was just anxious.

How much time passed like that?

Team Leader Ma Seok-du, who’d gone to the Division Head’s office, showed up.

Seok-du hyung spotted me and gave me a long look.

That meaningful stare made my heart drop.

“Chief Kwon. It’s decided.”

Cold sweat trickled down my back.

“Actress Lee Ha-eun…”

Seok-du hyung trailed off, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

“She’s in. As the lead of The Priest in Black!”

At Seok-du hyung’s shout, all the worries that had been eating at me until a moment ago vanished with a pop!

---

A low gasp escaped my mouth.

“Really? Team Leader Ma?”

“Yeah. The Division Head just told me directly. Lee Ha-eun’s joining The Priest in Black.”

After double-checking, I let out a gasp.

Lee Ha-eun…

…had finally joined The Priest in Black.

My whole body went limp and melted into the chair.

Still like that, I rubbed the back of my neck.

‘Wow, why was I sweating over something like this?’

Guess I’d been tense the whole time while pretending not to be.

Worried Lee Ha-eun’s joining The Priest in Black might fall through.

But now that tension had turned into joy, pounding at my chest.

Right as the corner of my mouth twitched without my meaning it to, the road managers nearby startled and started whispering.

“What? Really, Team Leader Ma?”

“Lee Ha-eun’s shooting an occult movie?”

“Whoa… what’s going on?”

“Did the Division Head really approve it?”

“But doesn’t Lee Ha-eun usually take a year off after wrapping a project?”

“What is even going on here?”

True to a management office with no secrets, every employee already knew about Lee Ha-eun’s next project.

So it wasn’t just the road managers from Team 5, other road managers nearby were leaning in to listen too.

“Huh… Lee Ha-eun’s next project is decided?”

“So Team 5’s grabbing this quarter’s hot topic too?”

“But… Chief Kwon again?”

“Seriously, Chief Kwon. How’d he even talk Lee Ha-eun into it?”

“Every rumor these days seems to come back to Chief Kwon.”

Through it all, stares full of envy and jealousy stabbed into the back of my head.

In the middle of all that chaos, Seok-du hyung grabbed my wrist and pulled.

“Chief Kwon.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s talk. Come to meeting room three.”

“?”

I tilted my head.

Up close, Seok-du hyung’s expression wasn’t great.

I followed quietly, and Seok-du hyung, who’d gone into the meeting room first, pulled the blinds shut and let out a deep sigh.

“Chan…”

No, hyung.

Why’re you suddenly setting this kind of mood? Making a guy nervous?

“You’re fucked.”

My eyes went wide.

“What? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“I said you’re fucked…”

“Quit saying ‘fucked’ and just tell me what happened.”

A deep shadow fell over Seok-du hyung’s face.

“Baekhak’s… bringing The Priest in Black in-house.”

“!”

“The details aren’t settled yet, but for now… they’re definitely investing in The Priest in Black.”

“…!!”

My mouth fell open a little.

‘Baekhak decided to invest in The Priest in Black?’

CEO Baek Ji-won’s expression the last time I saw her had seemed unusual, but…

Still, they’d made an investment decision this fast?

Meanwhile, Seok-du hyung let out another heavy sigh.

“Ugh… you’re in real trouble now, you idiot.”

“?”

“In this business, a project flopping? That happens plenty. But listen! A project you invested in flopping is a whole different story!”

Seok-du hyung’s warning snapped me back to my senses.

‘A project you invested in flopping is a different story?’

Right.

It was a different story.

But flip that around, what happens when a project you invested in succeeds?

I found myself running the numbers.

‘It’s an occult film, so the production budget wouldn’t be that high.’

On top of that, both leads were Baekhak’s own actors.

If The Priest in Black just cleared the break-even point…

‘Wouldn’t that be a massive win?’

The Priest in Black was a film that would clear five million even without me getting involved.

Which meant break-even wasn’t even a concern.

I let out a hollow laugh without meaning to.

“… Looking at it this way, kind of a shame, actually.”

“What is?”

“No, I mean, feels like I did the company too big a favor.”

“?”

“Should I get a piece of this while I still can… tch.”

Seok-du hyung clicked his tongue like he couldn’t believe me.

“You’re cracking jokes at a time like this? If this goes wrong, you’re completely done for, you idiot!”

I tilted my head.

“So it’s fine as long as it doesn’t flop, right?”

“What?”

“I said it’s fine as long as the project doesn’t flop.”

Seok-du hyung’s eyebrows twitched.

Watching him, I shrugged.

“I told you yesterday too. If a project that looks like it’ll flop actually succeeds…”

Seok-du hyung let out a hollow laugh.

“That’s when it’s a real jackpot, isn’t it?”

“…You’re actually insane, you punk.”

Yeah.

These days, even I could tell I was a little crazy.

But I was a crazy man with a reason, wasn’t I?

I smirked and thought.

‘But if things play out this way…’

The Priest in Black.

Wouldn’t its tier just keep climbing?

That expectation of mine turned out to be exactly right.

-[W Pick] Top star actress “Lee Ha-eun” makes a surprise next-project announcement! The queen of drama transforms into the queen of occult…!

One of Baekhak’s points of pride, the PR team.

The self-styled issue machine started running full-page ads for The Priest in Black.

---

A few days after Lee Ha-eun’s joining was finalized, official articles came pouring out.

-[HOT Issue] Surprise news for the nation’s actress, Lee Ha-eun’s next project! Cast as Seo Rin-bi in Director Park Jun-seo’s The Priest in Black…

-[Rumor Mill] A Baekhak insider, “It’s confirmed Lee Ha-eun’s next project is settled. Though it’s said the finer details are still being worked out…”

-Will she conquer film after television? Queen Lee Ha-eun’s occult challenge…!

Top star actress Lee Ha-eun.

News of her surprise next project shook not just the industry, but Lee Ha-eun’s own fandom too.

-Whoa??

-omg is our queen’s next project actually confirmed for real?

-doesn’t the queen usually rest a year after wrapping a project…?

-damn! Baekhak’s actually earning their keep for once lolol

-what a gift, seriously lol

-if it’s occult does that mean ghosts show up?

L probably religious occult, so more exorcism-type stuff?

-I’m not the only one already hyped, right, fellow fans…?

-I’m scared of ghosts but guess I have to watch it for the queen anyway…

-obviously you’re watching it! it’s been forever since the queen did a movie!

-if it comes out next summer that’ll be huge lol?

-the queen’s gonna play a saint shivers

The Queen of Joseon craze hadn’t even faded yet.

In the middle of that, the announcement of Lee Ha-eun’s next project was more than enough to become the issue of the week.

Baekhak’s PR team didn’t let the chance slip, fanning the flames hard with follow-up articles, and interest in The Priest in Black heated right up.

My phone caught fire because of it too.

From Team Leader Choi and Director Park to the whole Priest in Black production team, Seo Tae-jun included.

Starting with everyone I already knew and going all the way to reporters I had some connection with, messages came flying in by the minute.

Watching all of it, I muttered, out of nowhere.

‘Feels like this got way bigger than it should have.’

The expectations pouring in from all around were outpacing even my own.

Enough to make even my own certainty about the box office start to waver.

‘Still… in the end, the tier got even bigger.’

An occult film nobody had cared about…

…now had everyone around me making a fuss like it was the most anticipated release of the quarter.

Right as my own expectations started shooting through the roof because of it, one phone call came in.

-… Chief.

“?”

-I, I’ve got Star Watch! filming tomorrow, and I’ve got a c, cold!

“??”

-… What do I do? Should I call the PD and tell them we need to push the shoot back? Please tell me what to do, Chief!

Right as the world was buzzing over Lee Ha-eun’s next project.

I headed out on a variety show outing.

---

I’d never once had makeup done on me in my whole life.

Sure, I worked in the entertainment industry, but I wasn’t a celebrity, so why would I ever need makeup?

I’d barely even worn sunscreen more than a few times, and now…

…an eyeshadow brush was fluttering around my eyes.

“Ho ho! Our Chief Kwon! You take to makeup surprisingly well, you know?”

“…”

“Oh my, oh my! Just covering up the corners of your eyes a little softens that sharp look right up, look at the difference! Take a look in the mirror! Go on!”

At the makeup artist’s urging, I let out heavy sigh after heavy sigh and looked in the mirror.

A gruff-looking man was staring back at me with a gruff expression.

“See? Not bad, right?”

What had even changed…

I honestly couldn’t tell.

The makeup artist made a big fuss and started dabbing on more powder.

“Let’s just even out the skin tone and call it done. Okay, close your eyes.”

The hour-long makeup session finally ended, and I was a free man again.

The feeling of some clear film layered over my face was seriously uncomfortable.

I shook my head and started walking.

Twenty, who’d already finished their makeup and were goofing off in the van, spotted me, and their eyes went round.

“Whoa!”

Nova clapped a hand over her mouth and muttered.

“What… is that really Chief Kwon?”

“Yes. It’s really Chief Kwon.”

Seol Chae-i, sitting next to her, suddenly poked her head out.

“Chief. It’s weird.”

Ugh.

The maknae’s brutal honesty hurt.

But I felt the same way, so I didn’t have much to say back.

Meanwhile, Rei looked at me and blinked.

“Chiifu…?”

This one couldn’t even finish her sentence.

Last, I looked at Ga-eul, and both her cheeks were flushed red.

Huh?

Why’s her face so red?

“Chief…”

“Yes?”

“I really like it.”

“…”

… Hm.

Was Ga-eul feeling okay?

She liked how I looked right now?

I tilted my head and sat down among the Twenty members.

“Lee Ye-ji-ssi, is it really a summer cold?”

“Yes.”

“How’d you catch it?”

“She caught it after going to a summer festival event in Gangwon-do.”

“… Don’t tell me she jumped in the ocean after the event.”

“Huh? How’d you know, Chief?’

At Seol Chae-i’s explanation, I let out a groan.

“They say not even a fool catches a summer cold, so she must be a real fool.”

“Whoa, Chief, that’s harsh!”

“Chief, your MBTI’s a T, right?”

“Let’s all go visit Ye-ji-unnie together!”

Maybe it was because it’d been a while since we’d all met.

Today, Twenty seemed to be welcoming me with unusual intensity.

Then again, with The Priest in Black eating up my attention lately, I really hadn’t had much time for Twenty.

But honestly, there hadn’t been much to worry about.

Rookie girl group Twenty’s run had been going far too smoothly.

-[4th: Attention] [Artist: Twenty]

-[5th: Youth Journey] [Artist: Twenty]

Both of Twenty’s title tracks, Youth Journey and Attention, had made it into the chart’s top five.

Considering how little recognition Twenty had before their debut, this was basically a miracle.

Literally just a good song and solid vocals.

Along with charming choreography, that alone had made both tracks hits.

Thanks to that, the nickname the idol scene had for Twenty these days was “skill idols.”

-[Spotlight!] Baekhak’s last puzzle piece turns out to be the “skill idols,” Twenty? The talent-driven idol group bringing new tension to the idol scene…!

“Skill idols,” because they could really sing.

Considering how much the idol scene was suffering through vocal-ability scandals lately, that nickname was basically high praise.

Maybe that’s why.

Every metric was trending straight up.

‘Buzz, reactions, and the music charts, all climbing.’

In the middle of all that, if this Star Watch! episode came out looking good too…

I might actually collect on the bet I’d made with CEO Baek Ji-won before the month was out.

‘Huh?’

Looking at it that way… this variety show shoot.

Shouldn’t I be putting real effort into it?

‘No, I definitely need to put in the effort.’

The fate of the bet with CEO Baek was riding on this very variety show shoot, wasn’t it?

Right then, the energy I’d had crawling along the floor shot straight up.

‘This wasn’t the time to be sitting around.’

I hurried to my feet and said.

“I’ll go say a quick hello to the PD.”

I walked over to PD Park, who was hard at work on shoot preparations.

“PD.”

“… Hm? Oh? Chief Kwon?”

“Yes, good to see you like this.”

PD Park’s eyes went round.

“Whoa, put a little powder on and you actually look decent.”

“Thanks, even if it’s just words.”

“Heh heh… we were going to end up meeting like this anyway, so why’d you keep dodging me?”

“Like I knew it would turn out this way.”

“That road manager with the cold, she doing okay?”

“Luckily it’s not the flu.”

PD Park suddenly ducked down and muttered.

“Hm… right. That’s the taste of it.”

“?”

“Chief Kwon’s side is definitely better footage. Lee Ye-ji-ssi? She was way too flat!”

I shook my head.

“Quit teasing me and just tell me the schedule.”

“Should I? Sit down here.”

PD Park pulled out the cue sheet.

“First, filming starts at the dorm. We want to bring out that rookie girl group feel, so keep it as natural as possible…”

Star Watch! was an observational show, sure, but it still had a concept and a plan laid out to some degree.

Fair enough, it was still a variety show in name, so they couldn’t just air a real star’s completely ordinary day.

Twenty, appearing on Star Watch!, had a concept and shooting plan built to match.

‘First shoot starts at the dorm.’

Next, show off dance and vocal practice, promoting the songs naturally along the way.

Finally, a mini fan meeting held in Hongdae.

I stroked my chin and muttered.

‘Not bad, huh?’

Sneaky underneath it all, PD Park definitely had the experience to show for it.

If they stuck to the cue sheet as it was, they could keep that rookie feel while promoting Twenty’s album naturally at the same time.

The corner of my mouth quietly rose.

“This is good, PD Park.”

“Yeah? You like it?”

PD Park smirked.

“Heh heh… Baekhak’s going to churn out plenty of interview articles for us, right?”

“Of course. You can count on it.”

They say there’s no such thing as friends or enemies in this business, but there are still moments you trust someone enough to turn your back on them.

‘When both sides’ interests line up.’

And right now.

My interests and PD Park’s interests lined up.

We were scratching each other’s itch exactly where it needed it!

Having confirmed that PD Park was on my side, at least for today, I let out a light breath.

“Alright, shall we get to it.”

Five years into this industry.

Manager Kwon Chan’s first-ever variety show shoot begins.