Chapter 74: Role distribution.

Two days later.

Go Tae-min’s studio. The meeting room.

As expected from a director nicknamed the “Meticulous Maestro,” the meeting room in Director Go’s studio was anything but ordinary.

A grand piano sat prominently in the space, setting it apart even more.

Seated in the room were the production team of Crescendo from Tomorrow, Director Go Tae-min, CEO Kim Yi-seo, and finally, Lee Sua.

The atmosphere was, naturally, awkward.

Sua fidgeted with her hands, which were resting on her lap.

“They called me here even after I refused? Ugh, this is uncomfortable.”

She felt as if she were sitting on a bed of nails.

More than anything, she couldn’t understand the attitude that Go Tae-min was displaying.

Kim Yi-seo had clearly conveyed her refusal, yet the director was now gazing at Sua with a deep, contemplative look.

“Is he hoping I’ll change my mind? But I still have no intention of taking on a Tier 7 role. Of course, I’ll decline politely.”

With Director Kim Jun-ki, it had been easy to refuse—Seo Jae-woo, his manager, had been sent in his place, so all Sua had to do was inform him of her decision.

But Director Go Tae-min was a different case.

He had even cleared his schedule to arrange this meeting with Mystic Entertainment, which made Sua realize she needed to handle this with proper courtesy.

“An actor’s job isn’t just about acting well.”

Her constant efforts to manage her image continued.

Lately, Sua had come to fully understand that actors need to maintain good relationships within the industry.

To become an actor that everyone can appreciate, she needed to handle beginnings and endings with equal importance.

So, today’s meeting had a clear goal—reject the offer without leaving any room for future trouble.

“I never imagined I’d have to think about things like this.”

Truly, Sua the Admirable.

[Everyone has these thoughts. This is just basic common sense.]

A small part of her mind immediately shot down her self-praise, but she ignored it. Be quiet. Don’t talk to me.

At that moment, Go Tae-min smiled slightly.

“I heard that you declined the offer, Ms. Sua. Could you briefly share what you didn’t like about it? That’s all I need to know.”

Kim Yi-seo’s instincts immediately kicked in.

“He’s not pressing her for an answer… If anything, doesn’t this sound like he’s willing to adjust things if there’s an issue?”

Raising her sharp business instincts, Kim Yi-seo spoke up.

“If Sua’s answer changes things, does that mean you’ll make adjustments?”

“Yes.”

Go Tae-min nodded.

“If she has a strong dislike for the role, there’s nothing I can do. That’s just how this industry works. You can’t force someone into it.”

Kim Yi-seo nodded, and so did Sua.

You could force physical labor, but you couldn’t force acting.

After all, it wasn’t possible to pull out emotions that weren’t genuinely there.

Kim Yi-seo continued.

“What if Sua’s concerns are minor?”

“Then I’d consider making adjustments. I’ll be direct—I like Ms. Sua. It doesn’t matter if she’s a rookie. That’s why I reached out immediately that day.”

Kim Yi-seo turned to Sua with an imploring look.

Sua understood the meaning behind that gaze with ease.

“They’re willing to adjust things this much, and you’re still going to say no? They’re even offering to rewrite the script. Are you really rejecting this?”

Meanwhile, Go Tae-min’s eyes were fixed on Sua.

“Well, let’s hear the thoughts of the person involved.”

Sua thought for a moment before speaking.

“Director, about this character, Kim So-hee…”

“Kim So-hee? She’s the main character of my film.”

“Has her character truly been fully developed?”

“Developed? Could you explain in more detail?”

By this point, both Director Go Tae-min and the entire production team were looking at Sua with newfound curiosity.

Feeling slightly pressured, Sua finally spoke.

“She feels incomplete.”

“Incomplete?”

“Yes. From my perspective, many crucial elements of Kim So-hee’s character are missing—so much so that it could ruin the film.”

As Sua laid out the insights she had gained from her observations, the room fell into a tense silence.

The production team, visibly shocked, began murmuring among themselves.

Kim Yi-seo, on the other hand, was sweating and anxiously darting her eyes around.

She feared what might happen if the situation turned sour.

Then—

“I see. The main character of my film… is lacking.”

Go Tae-min spoke those words.

His voice carried so much weight that Sua instinctively clenched her knees.

It was intimidating.

Did I say it too bluntly? Should I have phrased it more carefully?

But—

“…Ms. Sua, your eye for detail is truly different.”

Go Tae-min grinned widely.

“To be honest, I wasn’t sure if something like this was even possible. But now that I’ve witnessed it firsthand, I can’t deny it.”

“Huh?”

“You’re absolutely right. Ms. Sua, you pinpointed it perfectly.”

With that, Go Tae-min handed Sua a new script.

It was much thicker than the one she had received before.

“Take a look at this, Ms. Sua. This is the real version. And…”

He turned toward the production team.

Their faces all bore expressions of sheer shock.

“You all saw that, didn’t you? Now, get out!”

The meeting room.

Only three people remained—PD Son Jiwoong, Kim Yi-seo, and Go Tae-min.

Kim Yi-seo tilted her head in confusion.

“What exactly just happened?”

“It’s exactly as I said earlier. Ms. Sua was spot on.”

“There was really an issue with Kim So-hee’s character?”

“Rather than an issue, there was an empty space.”

Go Tae-min continued.

“So-hee is a piano prodigy because she has savant syndrome. She’s living with autism.”

“Huh…?”

“But the script that was given to Mystic Entertainment didn’t include that element at all. It just portrayed her as a flawless piano genius.

And Ms. Sua saw right through it.”

Go Tae-min stroked his chin, still looking amazed.

“This is incredible. Truly surprising.”

He looked like he had a lot to say.

“There are so many things to praise, but first and foremost, her attitude stood out.”

“Her attitude?”

“She couldn’t have ignored my reputation, yet Sua completely disregarded it. She didn’t try to impress me, nor did she seem to be watching for my reactions. She focused solely on the script.”

“That’s just how she is. I’ve seen it many times before.”

“That kind of attitude might just be a talent granted from the heavens. Or maybe it’s the influence of being from overseas? People who come from abroad tend to be less concerned with reading the room.”

At that moment, Kim Yi-seo gathered her thoughts.

“First of all, thank you for your compliments on Mystic’s actress. However…”

Her expression turned serious.

“May I ask why you conducted this test? You could have given her the completed script from the start.”

“That’s because…”

Go Tae-min smiled.

“There were a lot of people who were curious.”

“Curious?”

“They wondered if Sua simply got lucky when she rejected Director Kim Jun-ki. But after what just happened, it’s clear now. It wasn’t just luck.”

Did she push away Kim Jun-ki simply by chance?

Or did she possess a foresight that bordered on precognition?

This was a question that even Kim Yi-seo had pondered.

She had been somewhat curious about it herself.

But now, looking back, she realized Go Tae-min was right.

It was now beyond doubt—Sua wasn’t someone who relied on luck.

She had a precise eye for recognizing a script’s success factors.

However, perhaps mistaking Kim Yi-seo’s silence for hesitation, Go Tae-min added a few more words.

“Don’t misunderstand. This wasn’t done out of doubt toward Sua. In fact, I fully believed in her. And in the end, this was for her benefit as well.”

“You mean this test was helpful to Sua?”

“Of course.”

Go Tae-min nodded.

“Just because I want to cast a rookie doesn’t mean it happens instantly. Filmmaking is a collaborative medium. Just look at how many people are involved in the production team alone.”

“That’s true.”

“So, even though I’m interested in Sua, things won’t go smoothly. There’s a lot of resistance from people in the industry—especially from those who didn’t visit the 808 set.”

Kim Yi-seo quietly nodded.

It was only natural.

Since Special Task Force 808 hadn’t aired yet, to many, Sua was still just an unknown rookie.

People probably thought she wasn’t suited to work with a renowned director like Go Tae-min.

“If they haven’t seen Sua, of course, they’d oppose her.”

“I personally like working with rookies, but most people don’t. They believe that mixing in a top actor is necessary for a movie to succeed.

And honestly, that logic isn’t entirely wrong.”

Go Tae-min shrugged.

“On top of that, the role of Kim So-hee was already being eyed by a top actress. From their perspective, why should they take a chance on a rookie? They already had a proven star lined up.”

“A top actress? May I ask who?”

“Ham Ah-yoon.”

“Ham Ah-yoon?!”

Kim Yi-seo reacted strongly.

Understandably so—Ham Ah-yoon was on the same level as Seo Yeon-ju in the industry.

“But.”

Go Tae-min continued in a calm voice.

“Now that everyone has seen Sua’s insight firsthand, my stance holds a lot more weight. The path for Sua to be part of this project is steadily being built.”

“Ah…”

Kim Yi-seo let out a quiet exclamation.

A true master was different.

Go Tae-min had gone out of his way to ensure Sua’s place in this project.

Now she understood.

For Kim Yi-seo, this was fantastic news.

If Go Tae-min hadn’t arranged this opportunity, the burden of convincing those who doubted Sua would have fallen entirely on her.

Now, a huge challenge had been lifted from her shoulders.

Go Tae-min spoke again.

“So, let’s move on to role assignments.”

“Role assignments…?”

“Yes. Role assignments. I will convince the production team, and you, CEO Kim, will convince Sua. That should work out perfectly.”

Go Tae-min’s deep-set eyes gleamed.

“The role of Kim So-hee—I absolutely want Sua to play it.”