Decision
'Do you like Mommy or Daddy better? If you don't answer, I will kill you.'
It felt as if a witch was whispering in my ear, pointing a chilling blade at my throat.
Deep down, I had already chosen Kim Soll-Ip's drama—but I had to answer carefully to make sure I didn't hurt Lee Ji-Yeon's feelings. If I spoke carelessly in front of Lee Ji-Yeon, she might think I was dismissing her and not contact me for her next drama.
After gathering my thoughts, I spoke cautiously.
"In my opinion as a talent agent, I think it would be best for the actor to choose the role they are passionate about!"
Kim Soll-Ip's expression brightened, perhaps because I remained calm despite the intimidation from top-tier author Lee Ji-Yeon.
However, I was met with Lee Ji-Yeon's intense gaze.
"Yoon-Ho. I don't like that look in your eyes. Don't you know how observant I am?"
'Yikes. Did she realize I had already made up my mind about whose drama to go with?'
I quickly bowed my head to avoid Lee Ji-Yeon's gaze.
"Hey, Ms. Lee. Stop tormenting him. Look at how pale his face has become because of you."
"What do you mean, Mr. Kang? All I did was just look at him. Can't I even look?"
'She was just looking at me? Her eyes were blazing!'
After being scolded by Kang Gam-Chan, Lee Ji-Yeon playfully poked Kim Soll-Ip on her side after complaining.
"Eek! Ms. Lee!"
The startled Kim Soll-Ip rubbed her side.
"Soll-Ip~. What are you doing? You should tell them about your situation as well."
Kim Soll-Ip sneaked a glance at Lee Ji-Yeon and began to share the progress of her drama.
"My drama Blue Sky is rapidly progressing under the control of the external production company, Blue Dragon. And…"
However, as she spoke of the process of her drama, an issue became evident.
"So, there aren't many roles available for immediate casting through writer recommendations. Naturally, we'll have to open an audition to cast the female lead. As for my personal favorite character, the second daughter Twilight, there's an actor who's being strongly endorsed by the production company. Perhaps we could consider the role of the third daughter, Autumn."
The character that would gain the most popularity in Blue Sky was that of the second daughter Twilight. I had intended to recommend Yoo-Jin for this role, but it seemed the production company already had another actor in mind.
'Should I give up on the role?'
This thought briefly crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed it. Given Yoo-Jin's talent, she should be a strong contender in auditions, regardless of who the opponent is.
I asked Kim Soll-Ip directly.
"Ms. Kim. What if Yoo-Jin auditioned for the role of the second daughter, Twilight?"
After pondering for a moment, Kim Soll-Ip responded.
"Then it will come down to who's the better actress."
"And what if the production company insists on using the actress they're pushing for?"
"Then I'll insist on casting Miss Yoo-Jin. Simple!"
I was surprised by Kim Soll-Ip's readiness to confront the production company while Lee Ji-Yeon seemed quite taken aback by her confident response.
"Wow, you aren't afraid of anything, are you? Do you think the production company is easy to deal with?"
But Kim Soll-Ip simply smiled back.
"Shouldn't I at least be this bold to compete against you, Ms. Lee?"
"Oh my goodness! Look at her audacity. You do realize I'm helping with the production of your drama, right?"
"I'm well aware that I'm debuting thanks to your help, Ms. Lee. But you did say to play fair, didn't you?"
The corner of Lee Ji-Yeon's mouth twitched upwards at Kim Soll-Ip's provocation. Despite her words, she appeared more like a proud parent, admiring their accomplished child.
"Alright, then. Let's do this."
Kim Soll-Ip nodded, gladly accepting the challenge.
However, the tension in the room was palpable, as everyone from Hoop Entertainment knew that whichever decision we made would be a tough one.
At that moment, the startled Kim Soll-Ip spoke urgently after looking at her phone.
"Ms. Lee! We made a reservation at the Japanese restaurant at 12 o'clock, remember!?"
"After all, everything we do is to feed ourselves, so we shouldn't be skipping meals. Right?"
The two writers stood up and laughed as if their squabble never happened.
Then, before leaving, Lee Ji-Yeon shared one more piece of information.
"Oh, our dramas will be broadcast at the same time. I'm on MBS and Soll-Ip is on SBC. A viewership ratings war between Lee Ji-Yeon and her protégé, Kim Soll-Ip. Sounds pretty exciting, doesn't it?"
The realization that any drama we choose would garner significant attention made Kang Gam-Chan's face light up.
"Ha ha ha. I'll give you an answer within a week, Ms. Lee."
But Lee Ji-Yeon shook her head.
"No, a week is too long. Please respond within three days."
Lee Ji-Yeon was going to great lengths for her departing protégé. She secured a drama time slot and even offered production assistance to Kim Soll-Ip. Moreover, she was challenging her to a direct time-slot showtime to help her gain more prominence.
However, the result of this head-to-head battle would be Lee Ji-Yeon's defeat.
As Kang Ji-Yung saw Lee Ji-Yeon off, I checked my planner to see if this meeting had changed the future.
But the event on the planner remained unchanged.
***
[Everyday V10]
[Date: April 1st, 2020]
-10:00 PM Monitoring. The viewership ratings started at 3.5% due to Choi Jun-Woo's scandal.
-10:00 PM Monitoring. The viewership ratings started at 7.5%.
The stark difference in viewership ratings between the two dramas wouldn't stem from differences in quality. It would be due to an revelation about the lead actor in "In the Name of God," Choi Jun-Woo, and his alleged mistreatment of female fans coming to light.
With dozens of victims coming forward, South Korea would be in an uproar for a while. Due to this, the drama would be halted after just four episodes.
I wondered how to help Lee Ji-Yeon, but I had a more pressing issue before me. After all, we were in the meeting room right now discussing which of the two dramas to cast Yoo-Jin in.
After seeing Lee Ji-Yeon off, Kang Ji-Yung returned to her seat.
"I escorted her to her car."
"Good. Well done."
Then, Kang Gam-Chan looked at us and beckoned us to share our thoughts. Kang Ji-Yung looked back and forth between Gu Seong-Cheol and I, before speaking.
"Let's first hear from those directly involved. What do the both of you think?"
Gu Seong-Cheol spoke first.
"I'm inclined towards Ms. Lee Ji-Yeon. Both dramas are being released simultaneously, going head-to-head, right? Besides, the viewership ratings are guaranteed with Choi Jun-Woo's appearance. The outcome is predictable and there's not much more to say."
It was only natural for Gu Seong-Cheol to make such a choice, as the prospect of a newbie like Yoo-Jin being in Lee Ji-Yeon's new drama would be newsworthy. On top of that, Lee Ji-Yeon had even mentioned she would cast Yoo-Jin in a significant supporting role.