Chapter 100: The Price of Actions (7)
“It’s company business—what am I supposed to do about it…?”
“At least put in a word…”
“Ugh, we have to separate personal and professional matters.”
“So that’s why you asked Writer Kim Si-woo to let you make a movie with his script?”
“What? That’s totally unrelated! Dad approved the script himself!”
While Kirishima Sumire and Arimura Noa were bickering, the director—who had disappeared earlier—returned with a dark expression.
“Looks like it didn’t go well…”
“Senpai!”
“What now!”
“Go talk to him, whether it works or not… Honestly, you think it’s a waste too.”
“Tch…”
Truthfully, even Arimura Noa hadn’t expected her acting to improve this much.
Like Kirishima Sumire said, she wanted reshoots if possible.
“Sigh… Fine, I’ll at least talk to Dad.”
Arimura Noa finally said she’d go to Arimura Ryōsuke.
Just as she pulled out her phone to make an appointment with her father, Kim Si-woo stopped her.
“Wait. First, we should ask the director directly. This is just our guess—we haven’t heard his actual thoughts.”
“Right.”
At Kim Si-woo’s words, the three actors immediately ran to the director and asked what he really wanted.
And the answer matched exactly what Kim Si-woo had predicted.
He had stepped away to call OnlyOne Film about reshoots.
“Director, after today’s shoot, come with us to talk to my father. I’ll set it up.”
“Thank you… everyone.”
“We’re all greedy for a good film, that’s all…”
“Yeah. Let’s finish today’s shoot strong first.”
And so, after filming wrapped, the three leads and the director headed to OnlyOne Film.
“Dad, I’m here.”
The reason his daughter, who usually called him “Dad,” was now saying “Father” was simple.
This was official business.
“You suddenly asked to meet… and brought the other actors and director too. What’s going on?”
“Please allow reshoots.”
“Reshoots? It’s only been two days. That’s not a big enough issue for production.”
“No! Like you said, it’s just two days. If investing two more days makes a much better movie, isn’t it worth it?”
“No matter how much my daughter is starring, I can’t let personal feelings interfere.”
Truthfully, if she had come alone, he might have agreed right away.
That’s how much of a doting father he was.
But since she brought the others, he couldn’t.
“Dad! That’s not the point!”
Somehow it had turned into a father-daughter argument.
“Sigh… No means no. If you want to convince me, bring solid proof.”
This time, her whining wouldn’t work.
But then the director pulled something from his pocket.
“President, please watch the video on this USB.”
“Video?”
Arimura Ryōsuke plugged in the USB the director handed him. There were two files inside.
“Today’s footage and the first day’s footage. Watch them, and if you still say reshoots are impossible, I won’t bring it up again.”
“Fine.”
Arimura Ryōsuke started with the first day’s footage.
Arimura Noa and Honda Daisuke looked genuinely solid.
Compared to movies he’d seen before, they didn’t fall short at all.
Then Kirishima Sumire appeared, and Arimura Ryōsuke flinched.
Her skill level was on another plane compared to his daughter and Honda Daisuke from that day.
And it was obvious even through the screen.
After watching, aside from Kirishima Sumire standing out far more than the two leads, Arimura Ryōsuke didn’t see any major issues.
The other two weren’t bad either.
“Isn’t this good enough?”
“You’ll change your mind after watching the next one.”
Hearing the director’s confident words after the first video, Arimura Ryōsuke played the footage shot today.
“Huh…”
He couldn’t help but be shocked.
‘How can it change this much in just three shoots?’
In the first video, only Kirishima Sumire stood out.
But this time, all three harmonized perfectly, each asserting their presence.
Now he understood why they were pushing for reshoots.
If the difference was this stark, even he would want reshoots as a director.
“I honestly thought ‘how much better could it get’… but you all grew so much in such a short time. Fine. Don’t worry about the budget—I’ll approve the reshoots.”
“Thank you, President.”
The director bowed deeply in gratitude.
“Thank me for what? A better film means more money for the company anyway. As president, I’m just choosing the option that earns more.”
“Dad! Thank you!”
Arimura Noa thanked him with a hug, and the corners of Arimura Ryōsuke’s stern mouth twitched upward.
“Now everyone else, please leave. I need a moment alone with my daughter.”
“Yes, sir.”
The director and the two actors besides Arimura Noa left, leaving just father and daughter in the office. Arimura Ryōsuke’s mouth curved into a full grin.
“Hey, sweetie. If you wanted reshoots, you could’ve just asked me privately.”
“Huh? So you would’ve said yes? But just now you…”
“Of course I’d say yes to my little girl. But with everyone else here, it would’ve hurt your image. Next time something like this comes up, just tell Dad secretly, okay?”
Arimura Noa nodded.
“Okay…”
“By the way, how did your acting improve so fast? My daughter really is a genius. You’re eating dinner at home tonight, right? Mom made a ton of food because she heard you’ve been working hard.”
“No, I have plans tonight too. I need to prepare more for the movie now.”
“Prepare? Where are you going? Can’t you eat first?”
“Ah, to Writer Kim Si-woo’s apartment.”
“What?”
Arimura Ryōsuke’s hand trembled at the thought of his daughter going to some man’s place.
“D-don’t tell me… you and Kim Writer are already… like that?”
“What are you saying?! You idiot Dad! It’s not like that. Sumire and Daisuke are coming too!”
“Oh, I see. Then Dad can join—”
“No thanks. Go home and take care of Mom. I’m leaving.”
Slam.
The office door shut. Arimura Ryōsuke pulled out an old photo of young Arimura Noa from his drawer.
“Our little girl… already this grown up…”
He sniffled, reminiscing about the days she clung to his leg saying she’d marry him when she grew up.
“Kim Si-woo? If you lay a hand on my Noa… I’ll kill you.”
Muttering while staring at the Japanese sword hanging on the wall, Arimura Ryōsuke’s eyes looked a little unhinged.
Having successfully secured approval for reshoots, the three leads stopped by their homes before hurrying to Kim Si-woo’s apartment.
“You’re here?”
“Yes, Writer-nim.”
“You told me to drop formalities, but you’re still using honorifics?”
“You’re older than me. This feels more comfortable.”
“Tch. It gets confusing when we talk with the others.”
“Then… just speak however you’re comfortable, Writer-nim.”
“Alright.”
Honda Daisuke was perfectly fluent in Korean honorifics too.
While Kim Si-woo chatted with Honda Daisuke, the second actor arrived.
“Hello. I’m first, right?”
It was Kirishima Sumire.
She clearly rushed to arrive before Arimura Noa.
“Yeah, before Noa-ssi.”
“Phew… good.”
“Good what?”
“Eek! You scared me!”
And right behind her, Arimura Noa walked in.
“Nothing. Let’s go inside. We need to run through the reshoot parts too.”
Once inside, the actors busied themselves practicing with each other.
As their acting improved, so did their motivation.
But the more Kim Si-woo thought about it, the less sense it made—why were they practicing here?
‘If we’re going to do this, why not just rent a proper practice room…?’
While he pondered that, the actors took a break and approached him.
“Writer-nim, what do you want to eat?”
“I’ll have two premium sushi sets.”
But of course, free food was impossible to resist.
The next shooting day arrived.
Most people grumbled about the reshoots, but what could they do?
The boss says do it, you do it.
The director was extremely satisfied with the reshoots.
The actors’ performances had become richer and more solid.
“We made the right call with reshoots.”
While the director and actors were all pleased, one person now had a problem.
Kim Si-woo.
‘Things look fine on set now… Is there any reason for me to stay in Japan longer?’
There wasn’t really any left.
Waiting for the entire shoot and editing would take far too long.
“I think I’ll head back to Korea soon.”
That night, hearing Kim Si-woo might return to Korea, the actors looked panicked.
“What do you mean all of a sudden…?”
The three leads had assumed he’d stay with them until the end. Hearing he might leave made them anxious.
Just having him quietly there had been a huge source of support.
“Honestly, there’s nothing more I can tell you about your characters now…”
“No, wait. At least think about it a bit more… Ah! We ordered premium sushi again, so eat first!”
“Yeah.”
Buying time with premium sushi, the three actors—for the first time—talked about something other than acting at Kim Si-woo’s apartment.
“We all agree this is an emergency, right?”
“Yes!”
“I hate to admit it… but yes.”
Honda Daisuke answered immediately, Kirishima Sumire reluctantly.
“How do we keep Writer-nim here longer? Come on, think of good ideas.”
“Uh… food? We buy him Osaka’s best restaurant meals every day.”
“You forgot how long Writer-nim’s been in Osaka? He’s already tried all the famous places.”
Honda Daisuke’s idea was shot down instantly.
“Ah…”
“Next.”
They threw out various suggestions, but none had a solid reason or way to actually keep him.
From the start, Kim Si-woo didn’t want his identity revealed, so going back to Korea might even be the right choice.
“Should I cry and beg?”
In desperation, Honda Daisuke even offered to cry and plead.
Truthfully, Honda Daisuke liked Kim Si-woo and really needed him.
He felt like a reliable big brother shielding him from the two intense actresses.
If Kim Si-woo left now…
He’d be tormented by the two women throughout the entire shoot—it was obvious.
“Want to try it?”
“Yeah, even Writer-nim might cave if you cry and beg.”
The two actresses enthusiastically pushed Honda Daisuke forward. The innocent guy took a step.
“I-I’m going in.”
“Fighting!”
The actresses cheered him on. He stopped in front of Kim Si-woo, suddenly dropped to his knees, and started crying.
“Writer-nim… please don’t go? I still need you…”
“?”
Tears streaming down his face, Honda Daisuke was the ultimate picture of desperation.
Perfect acting.
His most earnest performance ever.
Kim Si-woo, mid-bite of sushi, was genuinely startled by the sudden kneeling and crying.
He almost fell for it.
Until he saw the two actresses smirking behind him.
“What are you doing right now?”
Kim Si-woo’s icy voice struck Honda Daisuke’s ears.
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