Chapter 16: I Will Keep It Unnoticeable

Sua was frozen.

Though she appeared endlessly calm, in reality, she was simply broken.

Anyone would be like this when faced with such a good offer.

“So, this is… I mean…”

“It’s 300 per episode. What do you think?”

What do I think? Suddenly, she heard Seungji’s voice.

· Why would such a newcomer get paid?

Don’t expect any compensation. That was the advice from an active entertainment journalist. So, Sua had long abandoned any greed.

‘How much did I get paid after working as a kitchen assistant for a month? Wait, that’s not comparable. I made way less than this.’

The amount that had already been written down was 300. Adding another 1 million means 400 per episode. This was an unprecedentedly generous offer in Sua’s life.

Sua quietly rested her chin on one hand, covering her mouth at the same time. It was to hide the rising corners of her mouth.

On the other hand, PD Choi Heewon and the production team exchanged glances quietly and communicated through text messages. Sua’s face, looking somewhat serious, was the cause.

Looks like she’s not entirely sold on it.

The black message. PD Choi Heewon spoke first.

But if we give more, it might strain the production…

Let’s keep the amount fixed and try to persuade her with additional conditions.

That sounds good. What’s the note?

As you can see, she’s tough. Don’t provoke her.

The production team member chuckled softly.

Don’t provoke her? Has she ever tried gauging a rookie’s mood? But what was truly surprising was that she felt this made sense. Somewhere along the way, she found herself accepting it.

‘She’s different from the usual rookies. Her face and attitude.’

The production team member hesitated before speaking.

“First, Sua, do you know how other rookies are treated?”

“I’m not really sure.”

The shark doesn’t know the world of minnows. And there’s no need to know, either. The production team member thought to herself. This negotiation won’t be easy.

“Of course, Sua, you’re different from other rookies. But we’ve come up with this offer considering that. Would it be okay if I explain it to you?”

“Yes. Please do.”

Sua’s eyes lit up.

They’re going to explain why they’re offering 400 per episode. Who wouldn’t be excited about that? She adopted a listening posture.

Of course, Sua’s words sounded more like, “Go ahead and try it,” to the production team member, but the look in her eyes was also threatening…

The production team member cleared his throat a couple of times.

“It might just look like a 400 per episode offer, but in reality, it’s different. You need to understand the potential of the role of Kim Yuhan.”

“Potential?”

“The role of Kim Yuhan doesn’t have a fixed amount of screen time or number of shoots, does it? This writer is starting from scratch with the script.”

He fiddled with his mustache as he continued.

“If your portrayal of Kim Yuhan is excellent, then the lines, screen time, and number of appearances will naturally increase. Of course, the money you’ll make will increase too.”

Sua nodded.

‘So, it’s a structure where I earn based on my performance.’

If this had been in the past, this kind of structure would have been terrifying, but to Sua now, it was quite welcome.

Considering the perks and the effort combined, it wasn’t bad at all.

Then, suddenly.

“…But, is the money enough?”

Sua asked.

She meant to ask if it was okay for a rookie like her to be paid this much. This was a result of Sua’s own research. She had heard that if too much money is spent on casting, the quality of other parts might decrease…

Immediately, a reaction came.

“Ha!”

“Ha!”

PD Choi Heewon and the production team member laughed while looking at each other.

“Did you hear that, manager? Sua is asking if it’s really okay to take everything she can get.”

“Right. She really delivered a solid blow to the rookie.”

Sua was utterly baffled.

“What nonsense…”

“It’s okay, Sua.”

The production team member nodded.

“If you do well, the drama’s profits will be huge. So, this works out well for us too. Let’s do our best to create a win-win situation.”

“…Okay.”

“Oh, and the contract details must remain confidential. There’s an industry standard. Many people don’t welcome exceptional cases, and your existence is still a secret.”

Sua simply nodded like a baby bird. They were offering her 400 per episode, so what could possibly be difficult about that?

Afterward, everything moved smoothly toward signing. In fact, Sua’s signature was a scribble of a rabbit face, but just in case, she wrote her three-letter name.

The contract was finalized, and the production team member smiled.

“Thank you. How do you feel?”

Sua paused for a moment, thinking carefully before giving an honest impression.

“…Honestly, I’m a bit stunned. It’s kind of unbelievable.”

PD Choi Heewon and the production team member’s faces stiffened.

Later, Sua was dragged to a barbecue restaurant.

The excuse was a company dinner. The drama production, which had been stalled, was resuming, so it was inevitable that they would celebrate, and Sua thought to herself. It would be shameless to just take the meat and leave, wouldn’t it?

“…Ugh.”

However, as soon as she arrived, she had to bite her tongue.

She had come prepared to devour the meat like a vacuum cleaner, but as soon as she stepped inside, she forgot about her hunger. The scenery in front of her was just too impressive.

‘Wait, is this a barbecue restaurant? Or is this a historical drama set?’

The long fence was already impressive, but it couldn’t compare to the interior. A neatly maintained garden and a traditional Korean house. The entire place was the dinner venue for today’s ‘Special Task Force 808’ production team.

At that moment, Sua sensed someone approaching her.

“Are you Sua? Wow, you look even more impressive in person.”

“…Who are you?”

“Oh, I’m the casting director.”

A thin man with glasses perched on his nose.

“Hehe, I’m really looking forward to seeing how you will handle the role of Kim Yuhan.”

Although there were endless compliments, Sua kept noticing their faces flinching.

She knew exactly what kind of faces they were. Expressions that showed they had a lot to say but were carefully gauging the situation.

“I feel like you have something to say to me.”

At that, the manager’s face became one of being caught off guard, and then with a sigh, he admitted.

“…Your eyes are sharp, Sua. Honestly, when I looked at the expressions, the negotiation process didn’t seem to be going smoothly.”

“No?”

I was quite satisfied with how it went, though.

“You can’t deny it. PD Choi Heewon and the production team member looked pretty stiff as well. So, I decided to have a conversation with you, even if just a little.”

“Hmm.”

“I don’t know exactly what amount you were hoping for, but please understand. I may not know much, but I do know that it’s the first time the production team has paid this much attention to a rookie.”

At this point, Sua realized there had been some serious misunderstanding.

The manager thought she was upset and had come to comfort her.

“Don’t worry. I’m satisfied with this.”

“Huh? Wasn’t the negotiation not going well? Both you and PD Choi and the production team member looked…”

“…I don’t know about them. I just look like this.”

Sua was more scared by the manager’s words.

Why were their faces so dark? Did I make a mistake? Oh, did I get paid too much? I’ll have to work harder at acting…

While lost in these thoughts.

“I had a lot of unnecessary things to say out of anxiety. The production was hard to get started, and I just wanted it to go on happily. For now, enjoy the dinner as much as you can.”

The manager broke the silence with a smile. Despite his thin and sharp appearance, he seemed quite warm.

After that, the real dinner began.

“Is this really my place to be…?”

Indeed, the world of the wealthy was completely different. Not only did they rent out an entire extravagant barbecue restaurant, but there was also a microphone set up. It was a completely different world for Sua.

How amazing. This barbecue restaurant, the situation, and the atmosphere.

“Hello!”

“Nice to meet you!”

“Special Task Force 808, fighting!”

With loud voices, the staff entered, along with Kim Sun-il and Seo Yeon-ju, who stood out with their distinct personalities… The restaurant, which had seemed so spacious, was quickly filled.

‘Am I sitting here too obviously, just staring around?’

Sua worried. Was she looking around like a meerkat on the prairie, turning her head foolishly?

‘…That’s not right. I’m going to be a great actress.’

Eventually, she found the answer.

She just kept her eyes focused on the grill, silently.

After some time, someone came over to speak to her. It was the production team member from earlier.

“It might be a bit much for you, Sua, but the production is moving tight. As soon as the script is completed, we’ll send it to you.”

“Okay.”

The goal is broadcasting, but the schedule is tight, so we’ll be moving forward like a truck with the brakes off.

The only good thing is that we’ve already gathered all the staff for this year.

Sua’s ears hurt. She nodded.

“I completely understand.”

In reality, she didn’t understand a single word. If you speak like this, I don’t know. Just tell me what I need to do…

“There’s no manager or coordinator yet, so it might be a bit tough for you, but this is something that will be resolved when your agency is established. With your talent, offers will soon flood in. And—”

“Wait, wait.”

Sua stopped him.

“…Just tell me what I need to do.”

“Hahaha, just act well!”

After hearing the conclusion, Sua felt even more empty. Why didn’t they say it like this from the beginning? This simple content…

Wait, is it my fault for being so foolish?

It was then.

—Okay, everyone, attention please.

The amplified sound echoed throughout the restaurant. The voice was that of writer Lee Geum-sook. She was holding the microphone.

—This is writer Lee Geum-sook. Honestly, I never expected we’d go into production with this script, but the opportunity has finally arrived. I’ll work really hard on it. Please take care of me.

Claps slowly spread through the room.

Next was PD Choi Heewon.

—I’ll put a lot of effort into the direction. To those who will be in front of the camera, I promise to capture moments that will remain as a proud memory in the future. Please take care of me.

His solid determination and confidence were as strong as his muscles. Sua could feel that in his words. He was solid.

Then Seo Yeon-ju.

“This is Seo Yeon-ju. I’ll do my best.”

Next was Kim Sun-il, but he didn’t take the microphone. Apparently, he didn’t want to hold a microphone that had been touched by others. He was quite particular.

The unexpected happened in the next moment.

“…?”

Sua muttered without realizing it. The microphone had been passed to her. It seemed that she was the only one who hadn’t expected this.

Everyone seemed to think it was the most natural thing.

Then, murmurs started from all around.

“Isn’t that the person playing Kim Yuhan…?”

“Is she really a rookie? The presence is something else…”

“The mask is no joke.”

Sua could barely steady her trembling body. She felt extremely uncomfortable. She was just relieved that she hadn’t eaten yet.

At that moment, Seo Yeon-ju approached and whispered to her.

“Sua, just speak casually. Filming a drama means becoming like a family. Think of it as talking to family and say whatever comes to mind.”

She even smiled brightly.

Sua, still rolling her sore tongue from earlier, thought about what to say. What should she say?

Well, being a rookie, she’s supposed to say something like, “I’ll work hard even in places where I’m not visible.” Something like that.

Finally, Sua’s lips parted.

“I’ll make sure I stay unnoticed.”

There was a brief silence.

“That… surely…”

Then the reaction from PD Choi Heewon started.

“You’ll make sure no one else is noticed but yourself?”

“How amazing do you plan to show us?”

“Against Seo Yeon-ju and Kim Sun-il? That’s some guts, isn’t it?”

“…This is interesting.”

Reactions exploded from all around. However, the one response that Sua had hoped for didn’t come.

Clap, clap, clap, clap!

Soon, thunderous applause poured out.

“The audacity of a rookie! I like it!”

“Let’s all fight together!”

“Hahaha! This is gonna be fun from the start!”

Sua felt a bit unjust.

Clap, clap, clap…

“Haha… hahaha…”

Eventually, she began to laugh and clap as well. She had realized that no matter what she thought or said, she couldn’t go against this huge momentum.

…I don’t know anymore. Let’s just enjoy it. Enjoy.

After that, time passed quickly.

The news that production for ‘Special Task Force 808’ had resumed spread rapidly, causing quite a stir.

“Wait? I was preparing for the Kim Yuhan audition!”

“Hey, what’s this! Who took it?”

Naturally, it was a huge topic among the male actors. The opportunity to work with this writer and PD Choi Heewon had slipped away right before their eyes.

Of course, journalists were no exception.

“Damn it! Can’t you guys get even one scoop? We’re late again! Ugh, this is so frustrating!”

Since the news of production resuming was already surprising, it was only natural that the identity of the actor playing Kim Yuhan became a hot topic.

“Can’t we find out who the actor playing Kim Yuhan is? Can’t we get any info?”

“Nothing at all. Looks like they’re trying to keep it a secret.”

“Isn’t it your job to dig up these secrets? The actor for Kim Yuhan must be top-tier! Start investigating from the top!”

However, there was no leak of information.

The drama production executives kept the identity of the actor playing Kim Yuhan a closely guarded secret, and the staff who didn’t attend the dinner only heard rumors that Kim Yuhan had been cast. They had no details to share, even if they wanted to.

As a result, public curiosity doubled.

[Special Task Force 808… At least a top-tier actor in the lead role]
[Writer Lee Geum-sook’s statement: ‘I’m confident’]
[The production team’s confidence: Kim Yuhan will be perfect.]

Also, unanswered questions inevitably led to speculation.

[Kim Yuhan… Which male actor could it be?]
[Top 10 male actors we haven’t seen lately]
[A collection of actors who seem to fit Kim Yuhan]

Most male actors ended up embroiled in rumors. It was inevitable. The Kim Yuhan role was male, after all.

Rookie reporter Han Seon-ah frowned.

“Ugh, my head… Kim Yuhan is a role that even seasoned actors have been turned down for. Who the heck took it?”

Han Seon-ah was hungry for a scoop. As an entertainment reporter, the more scoops you land, the higher your status and recognition in the industry.

…But can I even figure it out? No matter how much I think about it, I can’t even make a guess.

She sighed deeply and tapped on her phone. Being an entertainment reporter was a tough job, especially as a rookie.

[Saengji: Hey guys, I think I’ll be busy for a while]
[Saengji: I’ll work hard and come back…]

However, Seon-ah was genuinely curious.

“Who could be playing Kim Yuhan? Who on earth is it…?”