I blinked in disbelief.
…Flop? Hansung Lee? What kind of nonsense is this?
And yet, I couldn't completely write it off as nonsense.
A hot director tanking their follow-up project was practically an industry cliché.
That's exactly why investors sometimes saw a director's new work as a red flag after they'd just landed back-to-back hits.
And by that logic, since Director Hansung had just scored two wins in a row, it wouldn't be strange at all if this next one flopped.
"Oh, Manager Lim. What brings you here?"
"Hello, director. I'm here accompanying our actress for her audition."
"Your actress? Ah, right, I heard you quit as Star Ina's manager. You went through a lot because of her. Still, I'll admit—thanks to you, controlling her was a lot easier."
Hansung was like the grim reaper to actors on set, but to staff and managers like me, he was nothing but kind.
We had even grabbed drinks together a few times.
So why is this one going to flop? Did success go to his head? He didn't seem like that type while filming with Ina.
This wasn't something I could stay indifferent to anymore.
I couldn't care less if the lead actress, Ina Kim, got a stain on her career or was dragged through the mud.
But if Hyunah passed the audition and the movie completely bombed, that would be a problem.
Well, that's only true if she passes the audition, of course.
Hansung looked at the actress following behind me.
"Is your actress… by any chance Hyunah Lim?"
His gaze, which had been as friendly as a kindly uncle a second ago, turned razor-sharp.
Hyunah spoke in a nervous voice.
"Yes, I'm Hyunah Lim. I look forward—"
But before she could even finish her greeting, the director coldly cut her off.
"If you're just here to try your luck on something out of your league, turn around and leave now. Do you know how much money is riding on this film? With all due respect, this isn't a project you should be getting ambitious about with your level of acting."
Oh boy.
Hyunah's face turned pale.
The inspection window also sounded an alarm.
[Condition is deteriorating due to tension and fear toward Hansung Lee! Acting skills are dropping!]
We're doomed!
Even at her best, it wouldn't be enough—and now her condition was only getting worse!
What should I do?
I couldn't just let things fall apart, so I racked my brain.
And found a way.
The only catch? It was risky.
Wait a second. Why am I acting like he's above me?
Sure, if I planned on dedicating my entire life to the entertainment industry, he was someone I absolutely couldn't afford to offend.
But who was I?
A building owner with a net worth of 100 billion won.
I raked in nearly 400 million won in rent every single month and lived in a penthouse overlooking the Han River.
I'm probably richer than those arrogant private investors tossing money at him.
The answer was right in front of me.
"You're crossing the line, director."
"Manager Lim?"
Director Hansung looked surprised, but Hyunah looked even more stunned.
"You haven't even seen her act yet, have you? Our actress practiced incredibly hard for today."
My goal wasn't to start a fight. I wasn't trying to change his mind, either.
I just wanted to take Hyunah's side right in front of her.
Just knowing someone is on your side is enough to give a person courage and strength.
Of course, I couldn't guarantee this would actually work.
After all, stepping up for your actor is just part of a manager's job.
Fortunately, it seemed to have landed well.
[Hyunah Lim is deeply grateful and touched by your actions!]
[Hyunah Lim's condition has recovered to its peak!]
[Hyunah Lim's affection toward you has significantly increased!]
Affection?
I tilted my head.
Anyhow, I got what I wanted, so I had to wrap this up.
I quickly bowed my head and apologized.
"I'm sorry if my words offended you. I just wanted you to give her a fair chance, so I acted out of line. She really worked hard."
Hansung burst into a hearty laugh.
To my relief, he didn't seem offended.
Thank God he was a good-natured director.
"You're still the same, Manager Lim. I guess that's why even that trainwreck of a star, Ina Kim, followed you. Alright. I'll keep a close eye on her acting. Let's grab a drink later."
"Thank you!"
After the director walked away, Hyunah spoke up.
"I'll do my best."
"You don't need to feel too much pressure. Just like we practiced—"
"No, I'll absolutely crush it!"
With an uncharacteristically deep and fierce determination in her eyes, she spoke again.
"Even if it's just for you, I'll win this role—no matter what."
* * *
"Contestants 56 through 60, please come in."
It was finally Hyunah's turn.
Although it was an open audition, the competition was fierce.
Even among the five people entering the room with her, two were already working professionals. They were both more successful and simply better actors than her.
Not to mention, there had even been an A-list actor earlier in the lineup.
Normally, Hyunah would have been too intimidated to even act properly, but something was different.
To think he would step up like that for a failure like me…
Whether on set or at the agency, she had spent her entire career walking on eggshells and enduring harsh treatment everywhere she went.
That was just the typical life of an unsuccessful actress.
But Chanwoo Lim was different.
He always cared for her and did his absolute best.
Now it's my turn to pay him back.
Something shifted behind Hyunah's eyes.
She was no longer a spineless, timid, washed-up actress, but the charismatic villainess, Seoryung Kim.
And then—
"You pathetic commoners. That's exactly why you'll never amount to anything! Nothing but vermin, groveling in the gutter to lick up the scraps we toss you from above."
A murmur swept through the audition room.
Everyone had just witnessed today's star being crowned.
* * *
"Cheers!!!"
Hyunah's casting was confirmed!
Thanks to that, I ended up attending the welcome dinner with her.
Well… this technically counts as overtime, but I don't mind company dinners.
As I'd mentioned, I'd shared a few drinks with Director Hansung before. It wasn't for professional networking, though—we just hit it off.
Plus, he was actually a fun guy to drink with.
"Here, have a glass, Manager Lim!"
"Don't make our manager drink."
"Actress Hyunah?" the director asked, surprised.
"And you shouldn't just drink everything they hand you either!"
"Eh…? Right."
Hyunah was… completely wasted.
She refused to leave my side, constantly whining about our manager this and our manager that.
Wait… is she turning into a troublemaker too? Just a different kind of drunk than Ina.
The thought crossed my mind for a second, but I quickly shook my head.
She was inherently too nice for that.
It's probably just the alcohol talking.
"Mmm… nngh… We're sticking together for the rest of our lives! You can never leave me behind, manager! Don't even try it!!!"
I let her drunken rambling go in one ear and out the other as I scanned the room.
Since it was a welcome dinner, it was a pretty large gathering.
Someone among the crowd caught my eye.
"You have no idea how high our expectations are for this movie at CB Securities."
"Haha… don't worry. It will do great."
"It better do great. Our firm invested 15 billion won, after all."
"……"
"I'm not saying this to pressure you. We at CB Securities believe in you, director."
"Haha… thank you."
15 billion won.
That was a massive amount of money.
It was 15% of my building's value.
Even for a brokerage firm overflowing with cash, it couldn't be a small sum.
That was probably why an executive director attended the dinner and was pressuring Director Hansung.
So this is why the movie ends up flopping.
We received the script after passing the casting.
I had also received this script back when I was managing Ina, so I knew right away that it was different from the director's prior work.
"The script came out particularly well, don't you think? Your original draft had some concerning aspects, but this version was revised by our firm's top experts, so it's guaranteed to be a massive hit."
What a load of bullshit.
It was painfully obvious why the movie was going to flop.
As if to confirm my suspicions, the inspection window popped up.
[Director Hansung Lee's new movie 'Crime Society' is doomed to flop due to excessive script interference from the investors!]
Hmm, what should I do?
Now that Hyunah had landed the role, the movie's success was no longer someone else's problem.
This is a rare opportunity that Hyunah barely managed to get. If this movie flops, she might never get another chance.
In this industry, a project's success mattered just as much as the quality of the acting—and that was especially true for an actress like Hyunah Lim, whose track record was less than stellar.
If she scored a major role through a once-in-a-lifetime break only for it to tank, there was a very real chance her career would never recover.
Even if the movie didn't fail because of the actors, producers will still avoid casting them.
Honestly, it was supposed to be the director's job to handle these things.
Investors trying to mold a movie to their liking was common. The director's role was to stand their ground and control the investors.
But Hansung wasn't doing that at all.
[He is being swayed by the investors because a slump has left him unsure of his own talent!]
Well, it seemed like there was no other choice.
I swallowed a sigh and stood up from my seat.
"Ah, where are you going, manager?! Are you abandoning me?!"
"…I'll be right back, so just sit tight and sleep."
"Okaaay!"
Leaving Hyunah behind, I headed to the table where the director and that executive from CB Securities were seated.
"I came over to share a drink with you."
"And you are?"
"I'm Chanwoo Lim, a chief manager at Star Entertainment. I am with Actress Hyunah Lim."
"A manager?"
A hint of disdain flashed in the eyes of the so-called executive director.
It was a familiar look.
Not all managers were created equal, but it was true that your average manager was at the absolute bottom of the entertainment industry's food chain.
"If you're a manager, you must go through a lot. Have a drink."
The executive bastard poured me a drink even though he wasn't my boss.
It wasn't soju, but whiskey he had brought himself.
"Thank you."
"Enjoy it, it's expensive. It's the kind of liquor you can't even dream of looking at on your salary."
It was an appalling thing to say, but I'd met all sorts of obnoxious people out in the real world. This was actually pretty cute as far as arrogance went.
Growing up in an orphanage, I had experienced all kinds of disrespect, so I wasn't really offended.
However.
There's no need for me to just sit back and take it, is there?
Before making my move, I thought it over one more time.
Who says I can't cause a little trouble? I absolutely can.
"Is that why you got so drunk, executive director? You figured you won't be able to afford liquor like this anymore either?"
"Huh…?"
"I heard CB Securities invested 15 billion won into this movie. If the movie bombs completely, won't you have to pack your bags and resign?"
The atmosphere at the table turned ice-cold.
The executive bastard looked as if he couldn't believe his ears, and a startled Hansung yelled at me.
"M-manager Lim! What are you talking about? The movie bombing?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
I slammed the script down in front of him and spoke.
"The script sucks. I don't know what kind of experts CB Securities hired, but your original script was way better. By like, a million times."
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