My Girlfriend’s Fortune: 3,141,592,653,589

Chapter 12 - Trust and Entrust

Chapter 12: Trust and Entrust

[Real-time Buzz in a Book Café Couple]

[Wow, saw a couple with amazing vibes today.jpg]

[Jung Ha-rin, Kang In-ho’s New Work! Actor Leaked? Or Promotion?]

Social media was ablaze.

It was a common occurrence, but this time, it seemed almost like someone was manipulating it from behind. It was spreading fast and wide like a wildfire.

“Director, do you think this was intentional?”

“How would I know.”

“What do you know, then?”

“The heart of Writer Jung.”

“And what is my heart?”

“Roughly, ‘Wow, this is golden. The actor who left the audition in-between is even doing the promotion for us. Is there no way to utilize that scene just as it is?’ Something like that.”

“…It’s more annoying that you’re right.”

Jung Ha-rin stepped a few steps away from Kang In-ho, as if she got goosebumps. Regardless, Kang In-ho’s gaze was still fixed on the Kang Woo-ju couple on the monitor.

“I think I understand the director’s thoughts.”

“How would you know what I don’t.”

“Half of you wants to cast Kim Eun-ha by any means necessary. The other half is pondering whether to let this situation slide or not.”

“…Now that I hear it, it does seem plausible.”

Kang In-ho scratched his cheek with a bitter expression. Like Jung Ha-rin said, as a director, he couldn’t just be happy about the current situation.

Normally, when something like this happens, the director would be angry. Because of the risk of script leakage, it could even lead to legal disputes.

Especially since casting wasn’t even fully completed yet, and there they were, pulling out the script in such a public place.

‘The problem is that the outcome is excessively good.’

However, it was done, the content was cunningly not exposed from any camera angle.

At the same time, the keyword [Chaebol] and the Kang Woo-ju couple’s elegant vibes meshed together to garner massive attention.

As a result, it brought about a promotional effect far better than throwing a huge sum for a trailer. And it’s still rising, without knowing where it will end.

‘…Was it really intentional?’

Real chaebols do not act recklessly. Even a meaningless joke can lead to the public overinterpreting it and causing stock prices to fluctuate wildly.

Therefore, the actions shown to the public by them are beyond the realm of ordinary calculations. Thus, the actions of the Kang Woo-ju couple were likely intentional.

‘…The problem is, if we just let it slide because the outcome is good, it might set a bad precedent.’

This was why Kang In-ho’s frown was deepening. If only there had been some kind of heads up.

‘No, then I would have never allowed it.’

No matter how powerful the investor or how omnipotent the chaebol, there are lines a director cannot cross.

Had he known about their plan, he would have done everything in his power to stop it.

“Director!”

Just as Kang In-ho’s thoughts were deepening. Someone rushed into the meeting room in a hurry.

It was one of the staff who had agreed to work on the project together. His expression looked unusually urgent, as if something big had happened.

“Tell them I’m not here.”

“I haven’t even said anything yet?”

“What’s the matter?”

“The chief is looking for you!”

“Tell them I’m not here.”

“…Director.”

“Ah, I’m so busy. Really.”

Rustle-

Kang In-ho irritably scratched his head as he got up from his seat. He grabbed his phone, wallet, and a few other items, looking like he knew this was coming.

“I’ll be back shortly. Writer Jung, please continue to monitor the situation, and if possible, try contacting Kang Woo-ju’s side to check what’s happening.”

“Understood. But, Director.”

“What now?”

“You are going to the chief’s office, right?”

“……..”

“……..”

Grab-!

As Kang In-ho was about to turn away without responding, both the staff member who came to deliver the news and Jung Ha-rin simultaneously grabbed his shoulders.

“Are you not letting go!?”

“Leave your phone and wallet here.”

“I will personally escort you to the director’s office.”

“Are you guys even my kids!?”

“Yes, yes, that’s why we’re taking such good care of you, so don’t be too upset. If you don’t go now, the whole schedule might get scrapped.”

“I’d rather it be scrapped.”

Slap-!

The truth that had unwittingly slipped out was quickly retracted with a smack on the back from Writer Jung Ha-rin. Thus, Kang In-ho, rubbing his sore back, was dragged all the way to the director’s office.

“Hey, Kang In-ho! You’ve finally gone mad, haven’t you?”

As soon as he opened the door to the director’s office, a loud shout greeted him. Having anticipated this to some extent, Kang In-ho closed his eyes and bowed his head.

In times like these, even if it wasn’t his fault, bowing down was the survival tactic in South Korea.

“I’m sorry···.”

“Haha! How do you always manage to do such cute things? I believed from the day you first joined that this would happen!”

“······?”

Caught off guard by the completely unexpected response, he was momentarily stunned. The chief then stood up from his seat and began patting his shoulders.

“When did you scout such excellent actors? The photos are impressive, but the video footage is absolutely fantastic.”

“That’s···.”

“Enough, enough! You don’t need to explain. Honestly, I was worried sick this project was poking a beehive for no reason. But the response has been very good.”

“What response are you referring to?”

“I just had a visit from Mirae Group.”

“Mirae Group!?”

Kang In-ho’s eyes widened. Looking at the chief with an incredulous gaze as if asking if that was true, the chief burst into laughter, confirming it.

“I was also shocked when I first got the call from the desk. Those guys who usually hang up on me willy-nilly, this time they came to us on their own feet.”

The relationship between broadcast stations and chaebol groups is quite complex. It changes from time to time depending on the gifts exchanged under the table.

Of course, both parties cautiously maintain a balance, but cable broadcasting often finds itself at a disadvantage in these power struggles compared to terrestrial broadcasters.

So, unless it’s a big issue, it’s virtually unheard of for them to make a personal visit to the headquarters. If they were caught by journalists, it would cause a commotion.

“Who exactly···?”

“Heh, Director Baek, that guy, came personally. When that bespectacled guy started talking in a soft voice, I thought he ate something wrong. But guess what? He actually made a request to me.”

“What kind of request?”

“Don’t worry. It wasn’t anything difficult. He asked about the list of actors, the script, and the rough schedule of the programming.”

“How much did you sell it for?”

Kang In-ho asked, already assuming the information had been passed on. Even if he were the chief, this was not a flow he could have stopped.

‘This guy is not simple either.’

The reason he has stayed here despite daily scout offers from other broadcasters wasn’t anything special.

The industry is so narrow that a single misstep could lead to downfall, but above all, the chief’s competence was exceptional.

His talent and judgment, proving that his position wasn’t just luck, were genuine. Of course, his character was another matter.

“We got a big advertisement deal out of it.”

“That’s not too bad then.”

“Not too bad? It’s a win-win.”

Indeed, it was.

It wasn’t national security secrets being dealt, nor was it a request to scrap the programming entirely. Just a very partial sharing of information.

The offer seemed too good for the hyena-like characters to propose, making it suspicious, but the deal itself was almost like a donation.

‘It seems he also brought some gifts.’

Kang In-ho nodded as he glanced at the chief’s wristwatch, seeing a brand he had never seen before in the nearly ten years they had worked together.

It wasn’t extravagantly expensive, but it was too lavish for a mere courtesy.

‘…What exactly is Kang Woo-ju’s identity?’

While it’s public knowledge that Kim Eun-ha is the granddaughter of Mirae Group’s chairman, information on Kang Woo-ju was suspiciously scarce.

And it wasn’t as if Kim Eun-ha was acting in the drama herself, yet the level of interest shown was noteworthy.

‘Could he really be the chairman’s hidden child?’

Given his extraordinary demeanor and actions, it seemed quite plausible. However, curiosity and speculation about Kang Woo-ju only intensified over time.

‘…Better not to meddle unnecessarily.’

Unnecessary curiosity can shorten one’s lifespan, especially in South Korea, where politics, religion, and chaebols are almost taboo.

Any clumsy attempt at investigation on his part would surely be discovered, so all he could do now was pray that the storm would pass without incident.

“Are you listening to me?”

“Sorry? Ah… Sorry.”

“Tsk. Pay attention. How can we start shooting like this?”

“Shooting, you say?”

“Yeah, let’s move up the schedule.”

“That’s not possible.”

Kang In-ho instinctively shook his head. Any discussion related to Kang Woo-ju had vanished from his mind, bringing him back to clarity.

“You know we haven’t finished casting yet.”

“The leads have been confirmed a long time ago.”

“But we have to consider their schedules too.”

“What schedules? You’ve picked nothing but new actors this time. If you call them, they’ll come running like the pets they keep at home.”

“……”

He had no retort.

The reason he and Jung Ha-rin preferred a lineup of newcomers was precisely for the flexible schedule management.

“Dude, have I worked with you only once or twice?”

“Still, it’s not possible.”

“If it’s not possible, make it possible.”

“I’m a public interest worker.”

“This guy, really…”

The chief openly frowned, but Kang In-ho didn’t blink an eye, knowing well from their history of working together more than once or twice.

Quickly picking up on this, the chief changed his approach, speaking in a gentle tone as if to coax Kang In-ho.

“In-ho, you have to row when the water comes in. Do you think this buzz will last? Once it cools down, the expectations rise and it won’t heat up well.”

“Who doesn’t know that. But, what about those whose scheduling gets pushed back because of us? How do you plan to handle that?”

“Director Park’s lead actor got caught with drugs.”

“That son of a…”

He was cornered.

With drug issues being such a serious societal concern nowadays, the drama hadn’t even started before being branded, leading to an indefinite shooting delay.

When someone messes up and vacates their spot, someone else has to fill it – such is social life.

The previous conversation was just a prelude; the main argument starts now. The schedule moving up was a foregone conclusion, so now it was time for a tug-of-war.

“We still haven’t found all the FDs (field directors), and we don’t even have an assistant director, so Writer Jung and I are running around as it is.”

“I’ll assign Dong-gyu as the assistant director for you. That should solve most of the issues with the assistant directors, including the FD.”

“You want us to take over Director Park’s team? No way. Who wants to deal with his temper? He’ll whine every time we go drinking.”

“From Director Park’s perspective, he should be thankful! If you think about it, you’re basically cleaning up his mess. I’ll make sure there are no hard feelings on his part.”

“Haah…”

Kang In-ho let out a deep sigh intentionally.

With this, the immediate fire has been put out, but the schedule being moved up was a natural progression of events. The real issue is what comes next.

“Please transfer the advertisement fees from Mirae Group to us. With that, combined with the contracts we’ve already signed, we’ll have enough to cover the shooting.”

“Hey, you! That’s not happening!”

“Chief, I see you’ve changed your watch?”

“…Damn you.”

Kang In-ho carefully observed the chief’s expression, and realizing his sincerity, reluctantly nodded.

“So, you owe me one now, Chief?”

“Just get out, you thief.”

“Yes, I’ll be leaving then.”

Bow-

Kang In-ho bowed 90 degrees to the chief and promptly left the room. Outside, Jung Ha-rin, who had been waiting, rushed over.

“What happened?”

“We’re moving up the schedule.”

“…Don’t look for me for a while.”

“Come on, Writer Jung. Don’t be like that. Huh? I’ll push hard for you! I’ll support everything from bonuses for the assistant writers to late-night snack expenses!”

“Is that all?”

Jung Ha-rin’s eyebrows twitched. Kang In-ho barely swallowed the sigh that threatened to escape and continued.

“I’ll reconsider the actors we had to cut due to exceeding the appearance fees.”

“Deal. You owe me one now, Director.”

“…Put it on the chief’s tab.”

Sigh-

Exhausted from the continuous tug-of-war, Kang In-ho finally let out a sigh. Jung Ha-rin grinned, either unaware or indifferent to his feelings.

“But make sure to contact the lead actors yourself. Dong-gyu will be coming in as the assistant director, but I don’t want to overburden him right away.”

“Of course, that’s a given… Ah.”

“Now what.”

“What about Kang Woo-ju?”

“……”

For a moment, the memory of Kang Woo-ju’s audition flashed through both of their minds. His merciless back as he left, having waited past the promised time.

“…I trust and leave it up to you.”

“Director-!!”

That day, screams from the two echoed throughout the broadcasting station.

******