Chapter 47 - What the Hell is This Guy?!

『 Translator – Divinity 』

A Japanese restaurant near the National Assembly Building in Yeouido.

At a luxurious restaurant also frequented by politicians, PD Park Jong-hoon of the HBS Drama Department was being treated.

“PD-nim, how is your shoulder?”

“It's really not good. I thought it would get better after the surgery.”

“Sigh, you must take good care of your health. Ah, please have another drink.”

“Ah, yes.”

The one offering a drink to PD Park Jong-hoon was Director Kim Do-gyun of the entertainment agency UBX.

Today, Kim Do-gyun was scheduled to pay for the meal.

“By the way, the feel of this upcoming project is really good.”

Kim Do-gyun gave a sly smile as he filled his glass.

“If you make a fusion historical drama poorly, it's just childish. And you just get cursed out by people who like history.”

“That's right.”

“However, this project has a very good concept. The dreams and ambitions of warriors struggling in a chaotic political situation set in the late Goryeo to early Joseon period... this will also appeal to fans of traditional historical dramas.”

“Well… that would be good.”

The drama currently being prepared at the HBS Drama Department, 'Unshakeable Dynasty,' is a fusion historical drama set in the period when the Goryeo Dynasty was heading towards its fall.

As befits a fusion historical drama, it was scheduled to pursue trendiness rather than gravity, and to emphasize entertainment elements such as action.

“Especially among the characters... the female warrior named Wol-hwa, she's very charming in my view. She's a charismatic and skilled person, but she also has a weak side, a three-dimensional charm.”

“……”

“It would be perfect if our N.A.N's Ryu-hwa took the role. Their names are similar, too, haha!”

N.A.N is UBX's flagship girl group, and Ryu-hwa is a popular idol considered to be in charge of N.A.N's girl crush concept.

Today, Kim Do-gyun's objective was to insert this Ryu-hwa into 'Unshakeable Dynasty'.

“Fusion historical dramas have to be exported overseas anyway. Since Ryu-hwa has many overseas fans, she will also be a help to overseas success.”

“……”

Fusion historical dramas often achieve good results overseas.

They say it's consumed as a type of oriental fantasy rather than a historical piece.

For that reason, works with many handsome young actors are preferred over ones with many middle-aged actors like traditional historical dramas.

That's why these days, they often cast idol-turned-actors in fusion historical dramas.

Because they can also expect an influx of K-POP fans, it was a factor that absolutely had to be considered for overseas success.

“Our Ryu-hwa, as you know, has acting experience. She's also studying acting a lot right now, and she will not disappoint you.”

“However, Director Kim…”

Park Jong-hoon felt uncomfortable and opened his mouth.

“This is structured to absolutely require going through an audition, so it's impossible to decide on one person in advance. That's why I can't give you a definite answer on whether Ryu-hwa can take on the role of Wol-hwa...”

“Ayy, I know all about that. I'm just asking you to look upon her favorably at the audition.”

“Um…”

“Just evaluate her fairly, fairly.”

Kim Do-gyun waved his hands.

However, that was only on the surface.

Park Jong-hoon was not naive enough to not know its real meaning.

“Ah, and.”

Kim Do-gyun took out an envelope from his briefcase.

“This, please use it for your taxi fare when you leave. I'm giving it to you in advance in case I forget.”

“……”

It was too thick an envelope to be just for taxi fare.

However, the exchange of thick envelopes like this is a common occurrence in this field.

‘In the end... he's asking me to use my influence internally so that Ryu-hwa can snatch the role.’

Actually, this was a proposition that had merits for both sides.

On UBX's side, they want N.A.N's Ryu-hwa to grow into a full-fledged 'acting-dol'.

If she can appear as one of the main characters in a major network drama, it would be a huge leap.

Meanwhile, on the broadcasting station's side as well, casting the popular idol N.A.N's Ryu-hwa would make it easy to arouse people's interest.

Because fusion historical dramas need to secure many young viewers, Ryu-hwa's presence would be a great help.

‘But... what if the drama is ruined because of that Ryu-hwa?’

Sometimes, an entire drama receives bad reviews because of a rookie actor with subpar skills.

It's something that mostly happens when an entertainment agency forcefully inserts a rookie actor like this.

If 'Unshakeable Dynasty,' which they are preparing with all their heart and soul, receives bad reviews due to a controversy over the 'foot-acting' of a girl-group-turned-actress... it would be truly terrible.

“If Ryu-hwa gets to appear, we at UBX will not spare any support.”

“……”

The problem was that to make the project, the help of an entertainment agency like UBX was also needed.

If UBX provides direct and indirect support, various problems they are currently worrying about will be resolved.

Moreover, it becomes very advantageous for overseas exports as well.

Because N.A.N enjoys tremendous popularity overseas, and UBX has a lot of know-how in exporting K-content overseas.

‘This is quite difficult.’

If Park Jong-hoon had been a star PD, he wouldn't have been swayed by this kind of thing.

Rather, he might have yelled at Kim Do-gyun and abused his own power.

However, Park Jong-hoon was not in a position to do that.

He had made many dramas at HBS over the years, but it was because the last project he made had failed greatly.

Now, his standing in the Drama Department is no longer solid. This current project, too, was almost canceled midway.

If he fails this time as well, he might have to leave the company.

If he thought from that perspective, it might be better to receive the help of the safety net that is UBX.

Because at least if the overseas exports do well, he won't be a complete failure.

“For now, I will take a good look. I'll also speak to the casting director.”

In the end, that's how Park Jong-hoon answered.

At that, Kim Do-gyun smiled broadly.

“Haha, as expected of PD Park-nim, you're easy to talk to.”

“……”

“Let's do well together. So that it becomes a good project.”

Park Jong-hoon would insert Ryu-hwa into 'Unshakeable Dynasty,' and UBX would provide maximum supporting fire.

An agreement was thus reached.

“Then Director, for now, this envelope...”

“Ah, PD-nim.”

As Park Jong-hoon tried to return the envelope, Kim Do-gyun smiled and brought up a new topic.

“We have a handsome rookie male actor at UBX, and I'm thinking of having him participate in the audition too. He's not under my charge, but he's a good kid. May I have him greet you sometime soon?”

“……”

This feels like he's sinking into a swamp.

Feeling as if the world were going dark before his eyes, Park Jong-hoon squeezed them shut.

Whether it was because of the alcohol or the stress, his shoulder that had been operated on seemed to be hurting even more.

***

The next morning.

Park Jong-hoon opened his eyes in the Drama Department's break room.

“Where am I...”

As he raised his body from the musty-smelling cot, he felt a throbbing pain in his right shoulder.

And his head was incredibly heavy.

“Aargh, this is a bad hangover.”

Last night, after parting with Director Kim Do-gyun, Park Jong-hoon drank alone.

He ended up drinking too much, and came to the broadcasting station while drunk.

He tried to sit down and work, but there was no way work would get done in a state of being dead drunk.

In the end, he had lain down on the bed meant for people working overtime and had fallen asleep.

“Pathetic, really...”

He let out a deep sigh, feeling a sense of self-loathing.

The pain he felt in his right shoulder was intensifying his sense of depression.

“I don't know if it hurts more because I drank, or if it hurts more because I slept wrong...”

It was half a year ago that Park Jong-hoon first felt the shoulder pain.

On the day of the Drama Department's outing, he injured his shoulder while taking a box of drinks out of the car trunk.

At first he thought it was no big deal, but it got progressively more painful, so he went to the hospital, and they said it was a rotator cuff tear.

There was someone he knew who had injured their rotator cuff, had surgery, and gotten better, so Park Jong-hoon also received the surgery without much thought.

However, even months after the surgery, his shoulder continued to hurt.

At the hospital, they said the surgery went well and there were no problems.

It seemed there was no choice but to just consistently do rehabilitation exercises.

So he continuously did exercises and received physical therapy, but it didn't get much better.

“This is really killing me...”

His body was so heavy that he didn't even want to stretch.

He was just sitting on the edge of the cot, letting out sighs.

“PD Park-nim?”

However, right at that moment.

The break room door opened, and an unfamiliar young man peeked his head in.

He was a tall and handsome man, and it was a face he was seeing for the first time.

“I asked someone else and they said you'd be here, so I came... are you okay?”

“Who…?”

“I mentioned yesterday that I would come see you this morning...”

“Ah, that's right. Now I remember.”

Park Jong-hoon cut the young man off mid-sentence and nodded.

It seems to be the rookie male actor that Kim Do-gyun mentioned yesterday.

I did hear he would come to greet me... was that this morning?

“Groan...”

Park Jong-hoon must have been trying hard to recall with his head dazed from the hangover, but the young man spoke cautiously.

“Is your head hurting a lot?”

“No, my head doesn't hurt that much... it's my shoulder that hurts.”

“Your shoulder…”

The young man's voice became serious.

“If you don't mind, may I take a look right now?”

“What…?”

“I'll massage it a bit.”

“……”

No, you're going to massage my shoulder to get on a PD's good side?

“Rookies these days really do all sorts of things.”

“Pardon?”

“Well, do as you please.”

Since the other person brought it up first, this much probably wouldn't be power abuse.

As Park Jong-hoon turned his body and showed his back, the young man placed his hands on Park Jong-hoon's right shoulder.

“Give it a good massage.”

“Yes.”

Maybe the pain will subside a bit if he massages it.

Thinking that, Park Jong-hoon closed his eyes.

“You said you had rotator cuff surgery, right?”

“Uh… that's right.”

Did Kim Do-gyun tell his actor even that?

It was a bit absurd.

“Feeling it, it seems you had surgery on your supraspinatus tendon.”

“What…?”

“The rotator cuff is composed of the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis. It seems the tendon of the supraspinatus among them was torn.”

He had heard something like that.

But how does this actor know even this?

“Doesn't it hurt when I press here?”

“Agh!”

The moment he firmly pressed the upper part of the shoulder, a severe pain was felt.

It hurt so much that he shed a tear.

“Just as I thought.”

“N-Now what...”

“PD Park-nim, right now, there is no problem with your rotator cuff.”

The young man's calm voice was heard.

“Right now, your serratus anterior muscle, which rotates the scapula upwards, is in a weakened state. It's probably because it was tightly bound for a while after you received the rotator cuff surgery.”

The young man gave a strange explanation while touching the area near his armpit.

“When the serratus anterior weakens, the upper trapezius uses strength in its place, and if an excessive load is placed on the trapezius, the space between the clavicle and the acromion, which is the attachment point of the trapezius, widens. In the end, the ligament between the clavicle and the acromion becomes painful.”

“Wh-What on earth are you talking about?”

“To put it simply, what's hurting you right now, PD Park-nim, is not because of the rotator cuff. A problem arose in another place after the surgery.”

Saying that, the young man grabbed Park Jong-hoon's shoulder.

Using his thumb and index finger, as if grabbing with a pincer.

“It's not in a state of severe inflammation or rupture, so I'll release it for you a bit.”

“I just don't get it... Agh!”

An unidentifiable sensation soaring up to the top of his head!

An intense feeling he had never experienced before shook Park Jong-hoon's upper body.

The young man was holding Park Jong-hoon's shoulder as if pinching it and giving him a massage.

“I-I asked you to massage my shoulder, not like this... Aack!”

It hurt so much.

It was to the point where tears were streaming from his eyes.

“Because of the trapezius, the acromioclavicular joint is being stimulated, so you have to release the trapezius like this. The trapezius connects all the way to the back of the head, so if I release it like this, your head will also feel more comfortable.”

“Ugh, you, you…”

Park Jong-hoon asked while groaning.

“A-Are you really an actor?! You're not an actor, are you?!”

“No, I'm not an actor.”

The young man answered in a calm voice.

“Didn't you speak with me on the phone yesterday? I am Baek Hyeon-woo of Haram Entertainment.”

“Ah…!”

Now he remembered.

Come to think of it, 'Music World' PD Yoo Seon-hee had said she would send over a manager who was a former physical therapist.

They had promised that he would come directly to the Drama Department today, but he had completely forgotten.

“Ah, shit, because of this damn alcohol... Aaargh!”

“Does it hurt too much?”

Baek Hyeon-woo asked while continuing to press on his shoulder's trapezius muscle.

“I'm intensively stimulating the point where the muscle is knotted, so the pain is bound to be severe, but... shall I go a little gentler?”

“Ah, no…”

Park Jong-hoon squeezed his eyes shut and shouted.

“Keep going just like this!”

It does hurt.

But it wasn't just pain.

Head, nape, shoulders... a thrilling pleasure was spreading throughout his entire upper body.

Right now, Park Jong-hoon was feeling a refreshing sensation he had never experienced before.

Even his shoulder joint, where he usually felt pain, just felt refreshing now.

He wished he would continue just like this.

Park Jong-hoon thought.

“Understood, PD-nim.”

As if everything up to now had merely been a preview, even greater strength went into Baek Hyeon-woo's fingers.

At that, a pain one level greater than before was felt.

However, following that pain, a tremendous pleasure also soared up.

“Wow…!”

Park Jong-hoon's eyes flew open.

Yesterday, he had felt as if the world were going dark before his eyes, but for some reason, now it felt as if the world was opening up wide and clear.

It was a feeling as if he could just ignore the useless things and charge forward looking only ahead.

‘Baek Hyeon-woo, what the hell is this guy?!’

Feeling as if all the things that had been frustrating him were being completely resolved, Park Jong-hoon continued to let out cries of admiration.