“Did he like the script after reading it?”
“Yes, he said he liked the role.”
“Good. Then only Shin Eui-chan is left now.”
“Actor Oh Munseong seems difficult to get. Shouldn’t we try contacting other actors? We might lose everyone at this rate.”
Seungjun gnawed at his upper lip as he dropped a chamomile tea bag into his tumbler. The most crucial casting, the protagonist, remained.
For the role of attorney Shin Eui-chan, the protagonist, he desired an actor without a strong, distracting presence. Someone famous enough to be a lead, yet clean-cut enough to allow focus on their words rather than their looks, possessing excellent acting skills and clear pronunciation.
Among the available actors, Oh Munseong was the only one who satisfied all these requirements. Some were too handsome, others had decent acting but poor pronunciation, some still carried a strong image from their previous work, and others didn’t have the right visual chemistry with the rest of the cast.
Even one mismatch made him utterly reluctant. However, he couldn’t drag this out indefinitely, and the time for compromise was approaching. He needed to discuss it with Nam Yiwon and make a decision today.
Speak of the devil. A tall, slender figure appeared behind Heeseung, who was busily disappearing. Today, he was wearing a slightly desaturated blue-gray suit.
Seungjun sighed. Even without knowing much about luxury brands, he recognized the flamboyant patterns plastered across his suit as the Gucci logo. While it had been novel at first to see him dressed like that, it no longer surprised him.
Seungjun met Nam Yiwon’s eyes as he greeted him brightly, then recounted the good news he had just heard.
“Actor Jo Seokhwan called and said he’d do it. Now only Shin Eui-chan’s casting is left.”
“That’s great. Let’s finalize Shin Eui-chan’s casting by today, too.”
“I was just looking at the actors, actually.”
As Seungjun held up his curated list of actors, Nam Yiwon flipped it over and covered it. A floral scent wafted from him as he leaned in.
“I think you need to go out on an errand with me.”
“Where are we going? Did you find an actor?”
“Shall we go?”
Trailing after Nam Yiwon, who walked ahead without further explanation, Seungjun peppered him with questions. From ‘Who is it? Not an idol, right?’ to ‘How old is the actor? No twenties.’
Nam Yiwon allowed Seungjun to ramble on for quite some time, only answering after the elevator doors had closed. “There are no other actors.”
“What? Then where are we going now?”
“To Actor Oh Munseong.”
‘It seems he rather enjoyed being cursed out by Jo Seokhwan to his face, didn’t he?’ Seungjun let out a long sigh.
Though he had cast many actors before, he had never gone out to personally persuade one. To seek out an actor who claimed they couldn’t handle a genre piece because it was too difficult? It would only waste precious time amidst his busy schedule.
A Ferrari was visible in the distance. Its color alone made it unmistakably Nam Yiwon’s car, and Seungjun’s feet instinctively moved toward it. He walked a step ahead of Nam Yiwon, furrowing his brows.
“You want to go see Actor Oh Munseong? He already refused, saying it was difficult. If that’s the reason, he won’t do it even if we persuade him.”
“Considering the remaining lead actors, isn’t Oh Munseong the best option? Do you have any other actors in mind?”
“…If he were to accept, then yes, he would certainly be the best.”
“If it’s the protagonist, not just any role, it absolutely has to be the best. Get in.”
Nam Yiwon opened the passenger door and gestured with his head. ‘He’s not crippled; why does he always do that?’ A small grumble simmered within him, but his attention soon shifted to the navigation system.
Upon confirming the destination was Yeongdeungpo, Seungjun raised an eyebrow. “Oh Munseong’s house is this way?”
“Not his house, a department store.”
“Why a department store?”
The moment he saw Nam Yiwon’s sly smile, he had an immediate premonition that he would regret asking. Nam Yiwon casually pressed the accelerator and spoke.
“Oh Munseong is having a fan signing event there today.”
Seungjun pressed his lips tightly together and walked straight ahead. The burden of all the gazes following his every step made him feel as though he might break out in hives. To be precise, the stares were directed at the tall man beside him, clad head-to-toe in a Gucci-patterned suit, striding confidently.
Yet, simply walking next to him was an ordeal. He thought he’d become immune after Nam Yiwon once showed up at an exhibition in a shocking pink suit, but the department store was bustling with a crowd far larger than anything he’d seen then.
Life-sized cutouts of Oh Munseong and images of the premium tea brand he endorsed filled his vision around the fan signing area, which was about to begin. He heard the murmurs of people who had come to see Oh Munseong, now whispering about Nam Yiwon.
‘Who is that guy? Is he a model? The fan signing MC? Is there an event? Is he filming something with Oh Munseong here? He might be a new actor.’ It seemed no one could imagine that a director would wear such an outfit as casual wear. Even though he must have heard all the whispers, Nam Yiwon brazenly surveyed his surroundings.
‘I wish I didn’t know him.’ The embarrassment made his shoulders hunch.
‘Why on earth would we come at the start when we should have arrived when it was ending?’ The murmuring of the crowd grew louder with the security guard’s announcement that the signing event would begin soon. To cut through the surrounding commotion, Seungjun leaned his head toward Nam Yiwon’s ear.
“We’re not going to wait until it’s over, are we? Why don’t you contact his manager and arrange to meet later?”
“If we were going to wait until it’s over, we wouldn’t have come all this way. Shall we get in line?”
“Get… in line?”
Before Seungjun could even ask what he meant, Nam Yiwon held out his phone. It was a purchase confirmation and fan signing event winning message.
“I’m number one, and you’re number two, Senior. I’ve forwarded the winning message to you, so go to the front and show it.”
“What are you talking about? Are you saying we’re getting Oh Munseong’s autograph right now?”
“We don’t have time, so let’s just go.”
Nam Yiwon abruptly cut him off and strode purposefully toward the fan signing line. He boldly bypassed the long line of waiting people and headed straight to the front. As he pushed through what seemed like a hundred female fans, Seungjun’s face grew progressively redder.
He showered Nam Yiwon’s back with questions. “No, why do we have to come all the way here for an autograph when you could just call him and ask to meet? Did you even apply for this fan signing event just for this? Or did you, you bastard… get these spots through connections?”
Feeling like they were unfairly cutting in line amidst all this, he couldn’t help but ask. At his words, Nam Yiwon laughed and turned around.
“It was a first-come, first-served system for purchases over 200,000 won from this brand today, so it was easy to get.”
“You came here to buy it yourself today?”
“Of course not?”
Finally reaching the very front, Nam Yiwon’s eyes crinkled in a smile. Just then, a cheer erupted, easily loud enough to drown out Seungjun’s attempts to press further. He looked up to see Oh Munseong, who had just appeared, waving to the fans.
‘This is insane. He wants me to go up there and get an autograph?’ Already swamped with work, he couldn’t fathom how he had ended up here. As Oh Munseong struck various poses for photos, Seungjun seized the opportunity to yank Nam Yiwon’s arm, pulling him close.
“What do you plan to do up there?”
“Don’t worry, I won’t do anything strange.”
“Us going up there to get an autograph is already strange, isn’t it?”
‘I’m mortified enough, but how mortified must Oh Munseong be?’ Thinking from his perspective, the sheer embarrassment prevented him from lifting his head.
‘After he rejected the project offer, Director Nam Yiwon and PD Baek Seungjun showed up at his fan signing event and caused a scene right in front of all his fans.’ Even just stating the facts sounded preposterous; how would it be exaggerated and spread as an utterly absurd stunt once rumors started flying?
‘The more I think about it, the more ridiculous it seems.’ ‘If we needed separate tickets, why didn’t he just get one for himself instead of applying for mine too? What kind of twisted mind tells me only after we’ve arrived? Even if he enjoys messing with people, isn’t this going too far?’
Still reeling from confusion, the fan signing event began. At a signal from the security guard, Nam Yiwon was the first to step forward.
As if this were a runway, judging by his attire, he stood before Oh Munseong, extending his long legs with each stride. Seungjun couldn’t hear what he was saying, but Oh Munseong’s expression alone was enough to infer the general atmosphere. As he intently watched Oh Munseong’s mouth gape open in shock, he heard the hushed conversations of fans behind him.
“Who is that guy? Why is he wearing that flashy Gucci suit to a fan signing event?”
“His face looks familiar. Is he a model?”
“Yeah, where have I seen him…?”
“But how is he number one? We were the first ones to rush in and buy as soon as the department store opened. If he were a male fan like that, there’s no way we wouldn’t have seen him.”
“Hey, quiet down. There’s another one right in front.”
‘Damn it.’
Seungjun pretended to rub his nose, covering his face. His face burned so hot he couldn’t stand upright. ‘Do we really have to go so far as to pretend to be Oh Munseong’s fans just to cast him? Does he have no dignity, being a supposedly famous man?’
‘Time, please, flow faster.’ As he nervously tapped his foot, waiting, he saw Nam Yiwon, a short distance away, opening his bag and taking something out. ‘It’s the script.’
‘Why bother coming all the way here to give him the script again? Oh Munseong wouldn’t even read it, claiming it’s too difficult anyway.’ As he pondered this, Nam Yiwon walked to the other side, as if his allotted time had run out.
On his way out, he suddenly turned around and shouted in a voice loud enough for Seungjun to hear from where he stood, “Please read the script and contact us!”
Startled, his heart sank. At that moment, simultaneously, the voices of fans, each adding their own commentary, erupted from all directions.