Chapter 82: Round Two (3)
Before even facing Choi Do-hyun, Kim Si-woo felt like he might collapse first.
Ever since handing his script to CBS, there had been no such thing as rest in Si-woo’s schedule.
“Sigh… Still, if I wanted to use CBS, I didn’t really have a choice…”
By building connections with influential people inside CBS, Si-woo gained a decisive advantage in the media battle against Choi Do-hyun.
Naturally, other broadcasting stations tried contacting him as well, sensing the shift.
But Si-woo had no intention of forming new ties with other stations yet, so he turned them down.
For now, he was sitting in a CBS conference room.
“The male lead you wanted—Actor Lee Il-kyung—said he’d gladly take the role.”
“Thank you.”
“But the actress declined; she has another commitment.”
“Did you prepare a shortlist of possible actresses?”
“Yes.”
Kim Jin-man handed him a document listing potential female leads.
Even though the role was labeled “female lead,” the actual screen time was closer to a supporting role, so Si-woo assumed the actress declined because the part wasn’t large.
“Well, yeah… Calling it a lead is a stretch, right?”
“I don’t think the issue was that, but… technically, yes.”
“Hmm… What about this actress?”
Si-woo pointed at one name on the list.
Kim Jin-man gave a hesitant reply.
“Ah… she’s good. Very good at acting.”
“If you say only her acting is good… what about everything else?”
“Well… haha… she sometimes causes loud problems on set.”
“….”
One of the things Si-woo valued most—besides acting ability and suitability—was set atmosphere.
“Then that won’t do.”
Hearing Kim Jin-man’s explanation, Si-woo immediately crossed her out.
After reviewing each actress, Si-woo arranged them in order of who should be contacted first.
“Let’s try contacting them in this order.”
“Understood.”
Kim Jin-man eagerly agreed, signaling that he would personally step in to secure the casting.
Since no one else had objections, the rest of the staff followed his direction.
Once the leads were settled, Si-woo handed over the profiles of the two supporting actors he previously mentioned.
“These two… please take good care of them. Aside from a web-drama, this will be their first official shoot. They may be lacking.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure everything goes smoothly.”
“But don’t go too easy on them. Actors grow by hearing harsh truths on set.”
“I understand exactly what you mean.”
It was ironic—Si-woo himself absolutely hated hearing harsh truths.
After finishing the CBS meeting, Si-woo called Choi Ha-rang and Lee Jae-goo on his way home, confirming that they’d officially secured supporting roles.
Si-woo’s days stayed busy while he waited for his own movie to finish post-production.
Two months later, news finally arrived from Choi Do-hyun’s side.
[Choi Do-hyun challenges Writer Kim Si-woo.]
The moment he saw the headline, Si-woo knew.
Choi Do-hyun’s movie was complete.
Si-woo immediately called Director Park Woong-deok.
“Director.”
—You’re calling because of the article, right?
“Yes.”
Park Woong-deok already knew—he mentioned the article as soon as he answered.
—Thanks to you, I edited at a leisurely pace, only seven hours a day, and we still finished comfortably.
“I’m sorry.”
—Forget it. More importantly, shall we begin our side too?
“Yes, I’ll be counting on you.”
—Good. Let’s have a drink soon, Writer Kim.
“Yes, Director.”
Just a few hours after the end of that call, new articles exploded online.
[Kim Si-woo vs. Choi Do-hyun: Round Two—Who Will Win This Time?]
[Why does Choi Do-hyun keep targeting Kim Si-woo?]
On top of everything, sensational headlines kept popping up one after another, and Kim Si-woo simply let himself ride the wave—hoping it would grow even bigger.
And just as he wished, it exploded.
The reason: a clash between Jung Se-yeon’s fanbase and Choi Do-hyun’s fanbase.
Both fandoms were massive. And with big fandoms came extreme fans—people who immediately began attacking each other online.
Si-woo loved it.
“I wonder what Choi Do-hyun is doing right about now…”
While Si-woo was making preparations on his side, Choi Do-hyun was also extremely busy.
As the lead actor, he had nonstop broadcast appearances and had to attend various movie premieres.
In contrast, Si-woo had already finished all his scheduled TV appearances in advance, so he was considerably more relaxed.
A few days later, the premiere screenings officially began.
From the very first private screening, Si-woo’s movie Idol was overflowing with popularity.
After the technical screening and the distributor screening, he attended the press screening—his third time watching the same movie. Yet he wasn’t tired of it at all.
The reason was simple: Jung Se-yeon’s songs.
Even during the movie, her songs filled every quiet space so beautifully that boredom never had a chance to creep in.
Even the major distributor CW ENM responded positively.
“Hoo… Today’s the most nerve-racking for me.”
“Because of the reporters and critics?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t worry about them. They get torn apart by audiences too. And if they say something ridiculous, just fire back. Like: ‘Because of that reporter, I’m never making another film.’ That kind of thing. They disappear real quick.”
Park Woong-deok spoke as if he’d experienced it firsthand.
“With your level of influence, that reporter probably wouldn’t be able to work in this industry again…”
“No idea. I never saw his face after that.”
Si-woo realized, from the tone and expression, that this story was absolutely true.
After the movie ended, Si-woo, the cast, and Director Park Woong-deok were quickly surrounded by reporters and critics.
“This movie was excellent as always. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
“But before asking about the content, I have to ask this: are you confident about your direct confrontation with Actor Choi Do-hyun?”
“As you can tell from the movie… I’m not confident. I’m not confident I’ll lose.”
Si-woo’s arrogant line made the reporters hammer their keyboards wildly.
“And I’ve seen a lot of articles related to him. Most of them criticize the film industry. About what films he approves of, what directors he respects… I know he’s good at acting, but I don’t think that makes him someone who creates good films. Everyone has different tastes. He has films he thinks are good, and others have films they think are good. I don’t understand why he insists others think like him. Anyway, once this is over, I hope we don’t get entangled again.”
The moment Si-woo lowered the microphone, every reporter raised a hand at once.
But that was the final Choi Do-hyun–related question. Everything afterward focused solely on the movie.
“The film’s story resembles Jung Se-yeon’s real life. Did you picture her as the lead from the very beginning?”
“Yes. I wrote it with Jung Se-yeon in mind. Honestly, she’s the only one who could pull off this role.”
Finding someone who had the acting talent, vocal ability, and stage presence required was nearly impossible. The reporters and critics who had seen the film all understood this.
They then proceeded to ask Jung Se-yeon and Park Woong-deok about the filming atmosphere and other behind-the-scenes details.
Time passed quickly, and finally, the last question was directed at Kim Si-woo.
“Last question. In the film industry, every actor you choose ends up becoming a massive star. You’re now being called a ‘star-maker.’ Is there anyone in mind for the lead in your next film?”
“No. I plan to rest for a while. I’ll look while resting. And if I find someone, I’ll contact you first.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Please leave me your business card before you go.”
And with that, the press screening ended smoothly.
The internet immediately flooded with articles quoting Si-woo’s statements and connecting him to the ongoing rivalry with Choi Do-hyun.
“Did that really end smoothly?”
“If it ended the way I wanted, then yes, it ended smoothly.”
Jung Se-yeon looked at him with worry, prompting Si-woo to tease her.
“Do you think we’re going to lose?”
“N-no, that’s not what I meant—”
“I’m disappointed, Ms. Se-yeon.”
“Ah! Why are you like this!”
Her face flushed bright red at his teasing, and Si-woo wanted to continue, but the deep baritone rumble from the seat across the table stopped him.
“Writer Kim. You remember our deal, right?”
“…Yes, Director.”
After finishing the press screening, the group moved to a tuna sashimi restaurant.
“It’s only 3 p.m….”
Jung Se-yeon looked startled at the bottle of sake Park Woong-deok had already brought out.
“Let’s really go for it today. It’s been a while.”
Park Woong-deok poured sake into Kim Si-woo’s cup. Si-woo drank it like he was cleansing all the karma he’d accumulated.
“Khahhh…”
“Nice and refreshing. Boss! Bring us some appetizers.”
“Yes, Director!”
It seemed to be Park Woong-deok’s regular place—the owner quickly sliced sashimi and set it before them.
“Enjoy.”
“Thank you.”
For Park Woong-deok, good people, good alcohol, good food were life’s greatest pleasures.
“So, Writer Kim. When all this is over, what are you planning to do about that guy?”
“To be honest, I’d be grateful to get even an apology out of him. But if he were the type to apologize, none of this would have started in the first place… I’d rather never run into him again.”
Si-woo’s meaning was clear:
Someone would eventually have to choose Kim Si-woo or Choi Do-hyun.
To keep Si-woo and abandon Choi Do-hyun, Or protect Choi Do-hyun and lose Si-woo.
But the result was obvious.
Si-woo’s reputation had already spread throughout the industry.
He never interfered with casting, never demanded unreasonable fees.
And rumors said that if someone became “Si-woo’s person,” he took incredibly good care of them.
His popularity was much greater than he realized.
“Khaha… Soon that brat won’t be showing his face around here.”
Park Woong-deok spoke as if the outcome had already been decided, and took another drink.
Whether Choi Do-hyun was aware of this or not, he ultimately accepted Kim Si-woo’s direct challenge.
On broadcasts, he fired shots back at Si-woo, criticized the current situation of actors, and talked about what needed to be improved in the industry.
Only later did he learn that almost all of his statements had been edited out.
Time passed, and with the public preview screenings completed, Only the box office battle remained.
***
The Day of the Premiere
A large group had gathered at a pension in the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province.
Since Si-woo planned to take a break after this film,
He invited everyone who had helped him.
Director Park Woong-deok, the staff, actors, the production company, the Siwoo Film team, and even employees from Su-ji Salon.
Over a hundred people in total.
It was supposed to be a small gathering—but the more people he contacted, the bigger it grew.
“Is it today?”
“That’s right.”
Today was the day.
The premiere of the movie Idol, starring Jung Se-yeon.
“I really hope we win…”
Hong Soo-yeon clasped her hands nervously.
Next to her, Kim Ji-hyun responded casually.
“Of course we’ll win. Honestly, last time too—you won if you look strictly at revenue.”
“Thank you for saying that, Ji-hyun.”
“It’s just the truth. More importantly, why is it so hard to see you these days? Writer-nim, aren’t you working way too much?”
Kim Ji-hyun had grown even more sly since the last time he saw her—enough to keep even Si-woo on his toes.
“Ji-hyun, aren’t you busy? I heard you’ve been filming a movie recently.”
“I always have time to meet you.”
“Hahaha…”
Even though it wasn’t like Si-woo had plans to cast her anytime soon,
Kim Ji-hyun still contacted him constantly—updating him on which projects she joined, what she ate for lunch, small things and big things alike.
So even without wanting to, Si-woo always knew what she was up to.
“She acted like that before?”
And of course, Shim Ji-young—who disliked Ji-hyun—jumped into the conversation.
Shim Ji-young intentionally referenced past incidents, trying to provoke Ji-hyun.
But Ji-hyun countered by subtly bringing up age.
“Oh my, how long are you going to talk about things from the past, sunbae? Ah… though I understand. Anyone can get nostalgic for the old days.”
“…What?”
“What do you mean?”
Just as Shim Ji-young and Kim Ji-hyun were about to go at each other again, Park Woong-deok stepped in.
“Alright, alright. Quiet down, all of you. We should be getting news soon.”
***
2:00 AM
Even after midnight passed and it became 2 a.m.,
No one went to sleep.
Because tonight was the night—the day-one box office numbers would arrive.
Bzzzzz—!
Park Woong-deok’s phone finally rang.