Chapter 109
Do Kijeong, who had been nervously watching my reaction, finally released a short breath of relief.
“Really? Ha... thank goodness...”
Director Choi Kyungmin smiled at him.
“See? What did I tell you? I said everyone would enjoy it.”
“Yes, Writer.”
Kang Jooyoung from the planning team nodded enthusiastically.
“It’s really good. At this pace, you might finish all sixteen episodes before May.”
“Don’t say something like that.”
Do Kijeong shook his head in a surprisingly cute way for someone his size.
“I already feel like I’m dying from writing this much.”
Everyone burst out laughing.
Then Lee Hyunwoo from the planning team asked,
“Writer, are you writing with a particular actor in mind for the lead?”
He tilted his head.
“While reading the script, I kept picturing Seol Kichan.”
Do Kijeong immediately reacted in surprise.
“Wow. How did you know?”
He smiled.
“I thought the character might feel more alive if I imagined a real actor, so I’ve been writing while picturing Actor Seol Kichan.”
“PD Lee, you’ve got good instincts.”
Director Choi Kyungmin naturally joined in.
“Team Leader Min, now that we’re talking about it, shouldn’t we start looking into casting soon?”
I smiled at him as if there was no problem.
“Of course.”
“Since Writer Do is writing with Actor Seol Kichan in mind, I’ll start by checking his schedule.”
“Wow...”
Do Kijeong looked deeply moved.
“To think Seol Kichan might appear in a drama I wrote... I can’t even describe how I feel.”
Just then, the phone I had placed on the table began vibrating.
It was an unfamiliar number.
Since we were in a meeting, and the number was unknown, I ignored it as usual.
After ringing a few times, it stopped.
A moment later, a text message arrived.
It was from the same number.
[Team Leader Min Kibaek, this is YTBS Division Director Jung Wonki. Please give me a call when you have time.]
It’s here.
He contacted me!
The moment I saw the message, I jumped out of my seat without realizing it.
I hadn’t shown it outwardly, but I had secretly been worried that Jung Wonki might never contact me.
My ambitious plan to ride the coming era of general programming channels might have gone wrong from the very first step.
But finally...
Jung Wonki had contacted me.
Only then could I breathe a sigh of relief.
YTBS headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul.
My team and I entered a meeting room while being guided by a YTBS employee who had come all the way to the entrance to receive us.
Inside, Jung Wonki was already seated with three other people who appeared to be YTBS employees.
Jung Wonki welcomed us warmly.
“Welcome, Team Leader Min. It’s been a while.”
“Yes, it’s nice to see you again.”
I smiled.
“And although it’s a little late, congratulations on becoming Division Director.”
“Thank you.”
He gestured toward the people beside him.
“These are members of our YTBS programming team and drama team...”
After short introductions and greetings, we all sat down.
“It turns out you’re quite famous in this industry, Team Leader Min.”
“Me?”
I blinked at the unexpected remark.
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, I heard about it by chance.”
Jung Wonki grinned.
“Apparently, you have the nickname ‘Hitmaker.’ Hahaha.”
“Ah, that...”
Ever since the Han Hyejoo scandal, I had heard that nickname from time to time.
But I still couldn’t get used to being called a hitmaker.
Normally, I might have become embarrassed.
But today was different.
If that reputation could help us here, I was willing to shamelessly use it.
I smiled.
“Well, if you’d like to find out whether that nickname is accurate, all you have to do is work with me.”
Laughter filled the meeting room.
After a little casual conversation loosened the stiff atmosphere, we finally moved into the real meeting.
“As I already told you, we’re currently in contact with several production companies.”
Jung Wonki spoke.
“We plan to hold individual meetings and choose the companies that fit us best.”
He looked at us.
“Big Picture is one of them.”
Although he was smiling, exhaustion could clearly be heard in his voice.
I waited for him to continue.
“But... just like you predicted before, Team Leader Min, the major production companies aren’t particularly interested.”
Of course.
That’s exactly why an opportunity reached us.
I simply nodded as if I understood.
“But let me make one thing clear.”
Jung Wonki straightened slightly.
“We’re not giving Big Picture a chance simply because we failed to secure a major production company.”
He explained that he had been genuinely impressed by the proposal I gave him before.
In fact, after reading it, most proposals from other companies had felt disappointing in comparison.
“We’re simply grateful that you liked it.”
Jung Wonki opened the document folder in front of him.
Inside was the proposal I had given him.
It contained the analysis my team and I had prepared on the drama market of the early 2010s.
It also covered various genre approaches and production directions that a general programming channel could try in order to separate itself from terrestrial broadcasting.
“To be honest, this surprised me quite a lot.”
Jung Wonki slowly flipped through the pages.
“How did you even come up with something like this...?”
“Because general programming channels and terrestrial channels are starting from completely different places.”
I explained that if a general programming channel approached dramas in the same predictable way as terrestrial television, it would never attract enough public attention.
Even people who had negative opinions of general programming channels still expected them to be somehow different from terrestrial television.
“So I believed the only way general programming channels could attract viewers was by satisfying that expectation.”
I gestured toward the proposal.
“That’s why we created this.”
Jung Wonki’s eyes shone, apparently satisfied by my confidence.
“Good.”
