Chapter 108: Clumsy Kim Si-woo (2)
The next morning, Kim Si-woo picked up Hong Soo-yeon and headed to Siwoo Film.
“Cough, cough… Did you put on perfume?”
“Huh? Is the scent too strong?”
“It’s just… a bit intense…”
“What kind of fragrance do you like, oppa?”
“Me? Hmm… I think something subtle is nice. As long as it’s not a weird smell, anything’s fine.”
At Kim Si-woo’s vague answer, Hong Soo-yeon hurriedly started searching for perfumes on her smartphone.
A little while later, they arrived at the Siwoo Film office. Even in the morning, the team members were already busy working.
Kim Si-woo and Hong Soo-yeon greeted everyone, and Kim Si-woo approached Lee Yoo-jin.
“Yoo-jin, how’s the staff recruitment going?”
“Ah… Good morning, writer-nim. Well… there’s been a slight issue.”
“What issue? Let’s talk in my office first. And Soo-yeon, where are the scripts that came in recently?”
“Ah! Here they are.”
With the scripts in hand, Kim Si-woo entered his office with Lee Yoo-jin and Hong Soo-yeon.
“So, what’s the problem?”
“Well…”
Lee Yoo-jin’s explanation was simple.
The recruitment post had been intended to hire assistants to train and grow together with the current staff, but about half the applicants were experienced professionals.
Some of them were even quite well-known in the industry.
“Hmm… It’d definitely be more convenient to have experienced people join. Of course, it might make things uncomfortable for you guys.”
Even now, with just one or two veterans at Siwoo Film, awkward situations occasionally arose.
They respected each other, so no major issues occurred, but if too many veterans joined, it could shrink the opportunities for the current staff.
“What do you think?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure. The pros and cons on both sides are so clear…”
“Alright… got it. Gather the staff before lunch today.”
“Yes, writer-nim.”
Once the discussion about new staff recruitment ended and Lee Yoo-jin left the office, it was time to seriously look for Hong Soo-yeon’s next project.
“There are a lot of scripts.”
Looking at the tall pile on one side, Kim Si-woo suddenly felt fatigue piling up.
“It’s all thanks to you, oppa.”
At Hong Soo-yeon’s words, Kim Si-woo cleared his throat awkwardly.
“Ahem. Anyway, have you read through them?”
“Yes, well… I skimmed a few in the car when I was bored.”
“Any you like?”
“If I had to pick, these three.”
Hong Soo-yeon pulled three scripts from the pile and handed them to Kim Si-woo.
“They’re definitely from well-known writers.”
Two were dramas, one was a film script.
Kim Si-woo quickly skimmed through them.
Rather than reading in detail, he just glanced over the plots.
After about 30 minutes, he held out one script.
“How about this one? The female lead role isn’t bad, and the story’s decent. It’s a horror drama, so it should generate buzz.”
“Hmm… A drama will take longer than a movie, right? For filming…”
“Yeah, probably. And our movies were unusually fast anyway…”
After seeing the filming in Japan, Kim Si-woo realized that Korean production speeds were already quite fast.
But when Park Woong-deok, veteran actors, and experienced staff came together, they could churn out five or more projects a year as long as there was a script.
“Still, what if you release a new work while I’m filming a drama?”
“Hey, I might not even cast you.”
“Then I’ll at least audition.”
“Sigh… Fine. I won’t submit any scripts until you finish filming. If I do end up releasing one, I’ll cast you as the lead in the next one. How’s that?”
“Deal!”
In the end, Hong Soo-yeon decided to take the horror drama titled <Ghost> that Kim Si-woo recommended.
“Quickly contact Manager Chae and reach out to the writer. That way there won’t be any confusion.”
“Yes, oppa. I’ll step out for a bit then. I’ll be back before lunch. Let’s eat together.”
Once Hong Soo-yeon left the office as well, Kim Si-woo was suddenly hit with overwhelming fatigue. He leaned his head back and covered his eyes with his hand.
“Sigh… Next project, huh. I wonder how my work being filmed in Japan is going. Noah-ssi said filming should wrap up before winter.”
Bang!
“Writer-nim!”
The door suddenly burst open, and a familiar voice rang out.
“Se-yeon-ssi?”
“I finally have some free time. Being a star is seriously exhausting.”
“You’re busy with ad shoots—what brings you here…?”
“Just came to give you a gift. And to buy you lunch.”
“You didn’t have to.”
At Kim Si-woo’s words, Jung Se-yeon put on a sulky face and lightly hit his arm.
“Yes! I absolutely had to give it to you. Why? Don’t want it?”
“No, thank you.”
The gift Jung Se-yeon brought was a watch that cost an eye-watering amount.
“I picked it out myself—the one I thought would suit you best. And in a bit, food will arrive too. There are new people at Siwoo Film now, so I need to show them what kind of person writer-nim is.”
“Huh? Why do they need to know what kind of person I am…?”
“So they don’t get cocky later—you have to put them in their place early.”
Jung Se-yeon was determined to prevent anyone from getting bold just because Kim Si-woo might treat them too nicely.
A little while later, the catering buffet Jung Se-yeon had reserved arrived at Siwoo Film.
“Is this the place?”
“Ah… this way.”
Kim Si-woo guided the chefs downstairs.
Down there, Jung Se-yeon was already chatting with the Siwoo Film actors.
“Hi! These are the familiar faces, and these must be the new ones.”
“Ah… Hello, sunbaenim.”
The Siwoo Film actors greeted her in flustered panic.
Jung Se-yeon.
Currently the hottest actress.
And a singer who had built an incredible career in the music industry.
The number of celebrities and trainees who looked up to her as a role model was staggering.
“Today I’m treating everyone, so eat as much as you want. And please take good care of our writer-nim from now on.”
Jung Se-yeon’s “request” was less a request and more a veiled threat.
To anyone watching, it was clear that the ones who needed to be taken care of were her and Kim Si-woo—not them.
Yet she was saying this because if anyone caused trouble for Kim Si-woo, they’d clearly face serious consequences.
“Ah… No, we’re the ones who should ask you to take care of us.”
Realizing her true intent, the actors quickly replied and moved toward the prepared catering food.
“Wow… this is seriously delicious.”
“Try this too—it melts in your mouth.”
The catering buffet Jung Se-yeon ordered was on a completely different level.
From various kinds of sashimi to sushi, it was a full Japanese course, and the taste far surpassed what you’d get at most restaurants.
The actors excitedly piled food onto their plates.
“Practice is definitely over for today.”
Watching them, Lee Yoo-jin shook her head.
“Ah… sashimi calls for soju.”
At that moment, someone mentioned soju.
No one hadn’t thought of it, but no one had dared say it out loud.
The actors and staff turned to glare at the source of the voice—then hurriedly looked away.
They actually agreed with him.
“As expected, sashimi needs soju. Should I go buy some?”
The person who brought it up was none other than Kim Si-woo.
“Yeah, let’s just have fun today. Count who wants to drink and go buy some soju.”
“Yes!”
People tallied the drinks, went out to buy soju, and while waiting, everyone chatted.
“This really feels like a university MT trip.”
“It does, kinda.”
One actor’s comment earned agreement from Kim Si-woo.
But the high schoolers who had never experienced a university MT and Jung Se-yeon, who had been in the entertainment industry since childhood, naturally had no idea what that was like.
“Writer-nim, is this what a university MT feels like?”
“No, it’s way worse.”
Kim Si-woo recalled his past and told them about the horrific MT he had attended.
“Normally MTs are one night, two days, right? But for some reason, my department did two nights, three days. And the amount of alcohol we drank over those three days… The snacks were super skimpy too.”
Jung Se-yeon listened with wide-eyed curiosity at Kim Si-woo’s explanation.
“Compared to an MT, this is practically heaven. The side dishes are sashimi, after all.”
“Still, I’m jealous.”
Jung Se-yeon, who in her early 20s had already gained money and fame, envied the wild university MTs where people just drank like crazy.
“Most people would envy you, Se-yeon-ssi. Let’s call it even.”
“I guess so. Here, take this quickly.”
Kim Si-woo noticed the soju bottle already in Jung Se-yeon’s hand.
“It’s here already?”
“It arrived a little while ago.”
The people who had gone out to buy alcohol returned with armfuls of soju.
“Here, take it fast—my arms are about to fall off.”
“Ah… yes.”
Kim Si-woo accepted the drink Jung Se-yeon poured for him, feeling like he’d forgotten something, but he couldn’t remember what.
After that, Kim Si-woo drank with Jung Se-yeon and Lee Yoo-jin, chatting about this and that.
“What are your plans moving forward, Se-yeon-ssi?”
“Hmm, I’m going to rest for a while. I’ve shot a movie, released an album, and done a ton of ads, so for the rest of this year I’ll take it easy while slowly preparing my next album.”
“I see.”
“So… would it be okay if I come hang out here when I get bored?”
“Huh? Sure… but there won’t be much to do here.”
“I can just chat with writer-nim.”
“I have to write…”
Bang!
Just as he was about to protest, an angry voice came from behind. When he turned, there stood a clearly upset Hong Soo-yeon and an expressionless Chae Yu-hyun.
“Ah! What the—why are you eating again without me?!”
‘Ah! Right.’
Only then did Kim Si-woo remember what he’d forgotten: Hong Soo-yeon.
‘We were supposed to have lunch together… She looks really mad. Haha…’
Hong Soo-yeon strode over and sat down across from Kim Si-woo.
“Oppa, didn’t I say we’d eat lunch together?”
She spoke with a smile, but cold sweat ran down Kim Si-woo’s back.
“Haha… sorry. Se-yeon-ssi suddenly ordered catering, and I completely forgot.”
“And you’re even drinking? Last time I suggested drinking, you said no…”
“That time I was with the lawyer—mmph.”
Realizing his slip mid-sentence, Kim Si-woo clamped his mouth shut.
“Lawyer? You don’t mean Lawyer Lee Hae-soo?”
Of course, Hong Soo-yeon had heard everything and immediately fired back.
“Why is a lawyer coming up?”
Jung Se-yeon and Lee Yoo-jin looked at Hong Soo-yeon curiously, while Hong Soo-yeon stared at Kim Si-woo as if daring him to explain.
“Well, it’s just that…”
“What’s your relationship with her that you drank alone together?”
“What? Alone?”
Jung Se-yeon looked at Kim Si-woo in surprise.
“I was just grateful for all the help she’s given me, so I treated her to a meal, and we ended up drinking—that’s all.”
“What kind of relationship makes you drink alone? You could’ve just eaten.”
“That’s true…”
“Exactly. You’ve never drunk with us separately.”
No matter how Kim Si-woo tried to explain, not a single person there believed him.
Hong Soo-yeon, Lee Yoo-jin, and Jung Se-yeon were all convinced there was more to it.
“Some of us couldn’t rest because we were so busy working!”
“Exactly! I was busy directing a web drama!”
“Hey, you two get paid fairly for your work—why are you acting like it’s unfair?”
Kim Si-woo couldn’t understand why Jung Se-yeon and Lee Yoo-jin were painting him as the bad guy.
“This won’t do. Here, drink!”
Sensing that Kim Si-woo wouldn’t say more, Jung Se-yeon changed tactics and decided to get him drunk instead.
“Come on, drink!”
“Ah… okay.”
“Take mine too.”
“And mine…”
The three women took turns diligently pouring drinks for Kim Si-woo.
What they didn’t know was that, thanks to Park Woong-deok, Kim Si-woo could drink until he collapsed but would never slip up or make a fool of himself.
And his alcohol tolerance had grown enormously as well…
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If You Fall in Love at the Academy, You Die
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TL Note:
This novel is now translated and finished at Chapter 176.
If you’d like to continue right away, the remaining 68 chapters (108–176) are available on my Patreon Premium tier, along with extra chapters from my other 5 ongoing translated novels.
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