小火星

“…a, an appearance fee?”

The production manager across from the Song Man-woo PD frowned deeply at his response.

“Does a guy with an unclear portfolio deserve an appearance fee? It makes no sense to talk about an appearance fee from the beginning!”

The production manager suddenly grew angry. Of course, his reaction was natural. Moreover, he belonged to C-Blue Studio, a large domestic production company. From his perspective, Kang Woojin was no different from an ordinary person.

His past was very mysterious.

And a guy like that talks about an appearance fee before even starting? To the production manager, who had been involved in numerous productions, it was an outrageous behavior. He had never seen such an actor before. So, the production manager’s voice grew louder.

“No matter how unique this Kang Woojin is, it’s not acceptable. It shouldn’t be. This is just an speculation of yours, PD.”

“Well, that’s true, but-“

The heavyweight Song Man-woo PD also felt the same. The talk of raising an appearance fee was merely his speculation. However, this guy Kang Woojin was an oddball he had never seen before. How about his acting skills?

He could easily surpass even the top veterans with more than 10 years of experience.

On top of that, the serious atmosphere he exuded, his determination, and even his aura. A guy who appeared casually on ‘Super Actor’. Wouldn’t such a guy have the guts to negotiate an appearance fee from the beginning?

‘Even Writer Park clearly showed a liking for him.’

Not just writer Park Eunmi. Song Manwoo PD, Hong Hye-yeon, and everyone else who saw Kang Woojin in the conference room today were mesmerized by him. If he realized this, it was quite possible for him to negotiate an appearance fee.

In other words,

‘It’s my first time dealing with someone negotiating from the start, so it’s a bit tricky.’

Looking at the situation, Kang Woojin was currently in a advantageous position. Song Man-woo PD, who had his arms crossed and was deep in thought,

-Whoosh.

He turned his head toward writer Park Eunmi seated to his left. She, who had put on a headband at some point, was already looking at Song Man-woo PD. Her face was stern. Writer Park Eun-mi’s determination was firm.

“Whether it’s a guess or whatever, I don’t know.”

She declared succinctly.

“I’ll just say one thing, don’t skimp on the money.”

Her voice was heavy, almost chilling. Her short statement held many implications. Something like ‘Don’t miss out on him just to save money, or I won’t let it slide’?

Soon, Song Man-woo PD who shrugged his shoulders turned his gaze to the production manager.

“Director Lee, I want to live long, so shouldn’t we decide on Kang Woojin’s appearance fee, regardless of whether it’s speculation or not?”

The production manager heaved a long sigh.

“Ah- PD, writer. We have our production company’s standpoint too, right? There is also an industry standard. No matter how unique Kang Woojin is… rumors may spread throughout the entire industry.”

“I know, I understand. It’s quite a headache.”

Song Man-woo PD, who was recalling Kang Woojin’s face at this moment,, added,

“But – treating that guy as just any ordinary newcomer or nobody… that’s also a bit strange.”

“Well, that…”

“Ordinary newcomer or rookies can’t secure supporting roles just by impressing the director and the writer. Plus, he came all on his own, without any agency backing.”

Silence filled the room for a moment. Song Man-woo was the first to break the silence.

“Let’s do this. To avoid rumors and prying eyes, let’s offer a fee that’s above the average, but also add a confidentiality clause in the contract.”

“···I mean no disrespect, but how much do you think Kang Woojin’s fee should be, PD?”

“Hmm- Right, but you saw him today, didn’t you? He’s really smart. He’s a clever guy. I think he wouldn’t overdo it. He would have determined his own value within a reasonable range.”

Song Man-woo PD started to write a number on a nearby piece of paper.

“How about this as a maximum, what do you think?”

At that time, in Kang Woojin’s one-room apartment,

Unaware that his fee was being negotiated, Kang Woojin was lying down comfortably. He wasn’t sleeping. He was watching a drama on his phone.

“······”

Actually, Kang Woojin had been in this state for quite a while. He had arrived home around 6 PM after the meeting. Now it was 11:30 PM. Although about 5 hours had passed, but for Kang Woojin, it felt like over 15 hours had passed.

Why?

As soon as Kang Woo-jin got home, he entered the void space multiple times. He had almost finished reading all the characters in part 1 of ‘Elegant Daughter’ among the updated works in the void space, except for ‘Cafe Male Clerk.’

Of course, this involved some experiments.

The drama that Kang Woojin, who had finished reading the characters, was currently watching was part 1 of ‘Elegant Daughter.’ He rewatched it several times, analyzing how each actor played their roles, the differences between the script and the direction, the gap between the background experienced in the void space and reality, etc.

Thanks to this, Woojin realized.

“It’s clear why this drama failed when I look at it this way.”

Leaving aside the direction and other things, the acting of the actors was very poor.

“Isn’t this actor quite famous?”

Now that Kang Woojin had personally read every character from the script in the void space, he could clearly evaluate them. It was as if the actors in the drama were trying to imitate Kang Woojin.

Because Woojin had already acted all the roles in the script.

In other words, from Woojin’s point of view, it looked like the actors were imitating him. And from his perspective, the actors’ performances were pretty bad.

“The dialogue feels a bit… empty?”

The lines the actors were saying didn’t convey any emotion. They seemed to spit out lines forcefully to fit the situation.

“It’s a shame, it would be nice if it was a bit more heartfelt.”

Was this how someone checking their mimicry felt? Anyway, Kang Woojin didn’t know. Unbeknownst to him, his knowledge related to acting was accumulating little by little. By repeatedly reading various roles, various emotions and expressions were overlapping.

A training method that others couldn’t even imagine.

It was at this time.

-Brrrr, Brrrrrr.

Kang Woojin’s phone playing the drama vibrated. It was, of course, a phone call and the caller was his friend, Kim Daeyoung. Soon, Woojin lay on his side and put his phone to his ear.

“Why are you calling this late at night?”

Then, from the other side of the phone, Kim Daeyoung,

“Hey, let’s meet after I get off work tomorrow. You promised to treat me to meat last time.”

He spoke while yawning.

“Also, bring the scripts and scenarios you borrowed.”

***

The next day, 14th of Friday, late evening.

The time was past 8 o’clock when Kang Woojin was walking near Jeongja station. His outfit was similar, consisting of a padded jacket and jeans. However, today he was wearing a hat.

There’s no reason to fuss over his hair when meeting his friend, Kim Daeyoung.

“It seems to be around here.”

Soon, Kang Woojin looked around the area. He was looking for a pork belly restaurant that Kim Dae-young had told him about. It was then that Woojin’s phone rang.

“Huh?”

Kang Woojin checked the caller and grinned slightly. It was because the person on the other side was Song Man-woo PD. What is it? Anyhow, Woojin cleared his throat and answered the phone.

“Yes, hello.”

Song Man-woo PD greeted him from the other end of the phone. His tone was relatively cheerful.

“Woojin, how are you doing?”

“Good. Thanks.”

“By the way, I was wondering if you had a rough idea of your appearance fee? I’m not negotiating, just curious.”

Appearance fee? Call me out of the blue to talk about appearance fees? It was a question that Kang Woojin hadn’t thought about at all, and as a result, he was slightly taken aback.

“…”

Then Song Man-woo PD proceeded with the matter again from the other end of the phone.

“Of course, I’m sure of most, if not all, of your thoughts are about the appearance fee. OK, then let’s talk more realistically.”

“…realistically.”

“That’s right, Come to think of it, our writer Park suggested casting too rashly. I did too. We should also consider various conditions.”

“…”

“Let’s do this. We don’t have much time either. We need to cast for the role of ‘Park Dae-ri’ soon. Think about it by today, then let’s meet tomorrow and discuss the conditions before making a decision.”

The specific conditions weren’t clear, but Kang Woo-jin thought it didn’t matter. Because he was more inclined to do it anyway.

“I understand.”

Then, after hearing Woojin’s resolute answer, Song Man-woo PD told about the meeting place.

“Tomorrow morning at 10 o’clock. You can come to the C Blue Studio where we had the meeting.”

A little while later.

Kang Woojin and Kim Daeyoung, full of excitement, sat face-to-face, enjoying pork belly. The sizzling meat quickly disappeared into their mouths, and the soju, used to wet their throats, was poured into their glasses several times.

And the current topic of conversation is.

“Hey, I told my colleagues about seeing Hong Hye-yeon in person, right? They all were super jealous.”

It was about the top actress, Hong Hye-yeon. Of course, it was Kim Daeyoung, her die-hard fan, who started the conversation.

“Moreover, I even made eye contact with Hong Hye-yeon that day, right? Damn, I regret not being able to take a photo with her.”

Watching Kim Daeyoung, Kang Woojin secretly sneered.

‘Just for that. Heh, Hong Hye-yeon called me by my name directly. Kang Woojin!’

If he told this to Kim Daeyoung, he would faint. However, Woo-jin decided not to mention it for now.

At this point.

“Hey Woojin.”

Kim Daeyoung, who had just stuffed his mouth with a lettuce wrap with three slices of grilled pork belly, changed the topic.

“So, what are you going to do about your job change? You’ve already quit and been resting for about two weeks now, right?”

Kim Daeyoung abruptly brought up the reality of the situation.

“You should start looking for a job after taking a rest, right? If you keep this up, are you really going to rest forever? How about I ask my company’s design team?”

“Do you think a medium-sized company would hire me?”

“No, I’m not talking about becoming a regular employee or anything. I mean, you should at least look for a contract position. Isn’t the portfolio important in the design field?”

“······”

At this point, Kang Woojin stared at Kim Daeyoung for a while and then asked

“Hey, let’s suppose you are a completely unknown actor, and you were cast in a work by a great PD or a great writer, what would you do?”

Suddenly, Kim Daeyoung’s expression hardened.

“Who’s the female lead?”

“I don’t know about the male lead, but let’s say the female lead is, for example, Hong Hye-yeon?”

It doesn’t matter who the male lead is. If Hong Hye-yeon is the female lead, it would be a waste of time to even ask such a question.”

“So you just go for it?”

“Yeah. I’d just go straight for it. Especially if the female lead is Hong Hye-yeon.”

Kim Daeyoung downed a shot of soju and continued.

“Do you think a big-name PD or amazing writer would care about a completely unknown actor? You’d probably have about as much presence as a plankton. And then a top actress like Hong Hye-yeon is the female lead? It would be a miracle for an unknown to get a role in such a work.”

“Is it that difficult?”

“Yeah. It’s not just difficult, it’s practically impossible. Such a huge drama wouldn’t need to bother with an unknown actor. There are plenty of actors eager for a role. It’s tough enough to get a supporting role, let alone a main role. You’ll need introductions through family, colleagues, and school networks.”

“Family, colleagues, and school networks.”

“Yeah, the entertainment industry is like that. It’s a place where family, colleagues, and other networks are required the most. Anyway, in such a place, for an unknown actor to get a role? Even if I had to kill someone, I would. But in reality, that won’t happen.”

“Uh-huh.”

Sorry, but that’s happening to me right now? Kang Woojin, who had been silent in the face of Kim Daeyoung’s eloquent explanation, asked another question.

“Then, suppose you’re that completely unknown actor and you got that role. How much would you expect for the appearance fee?”

“Appearance fee? What are you talking about? It’s not about how much I’ll get, but rather, I would gratefully accept whatever they offer me.”

“Is it that serious?”

Ha! My friend, as I just said, it’s a miracle in itself for a completely unknown actor to break into that field. It’s a miracle that they have given you the role. How could you discuss the appearance fee? Well, they’ll probably pay something, but normally, a newcomer would get 30,000 per episode. That’s already a lot.”

“30,000 won?”

“Yes. But you should be grateful even if they offer 3,000 per episode. Getting cast is already a life-changing event.”

Honestly, Kang Woojin thought that was very low. Well, it’s not that he didn’t understand, given that actors are freelancers. But even so, 3,000 won seemed a bit too low.

At that moment.

“Ah, hey.”

Kim Daeyoung, who was filling Woojin’s empty soju glass, suddenly extended his hand.

“Speaking of which, did you bring it? The script and the scenario.”

Kang Woojin handed the paper bag he brought to Kim Daeyoung. Of course, he had made copies of the ‘Exorcism’ scenario, excluding the scripts. Just in case? Then Kim Daeyoung, who was rummaging in the paper bag, started talking again.

“But did you read this? You asked for it all of a sudden. You didn’t just use it as a coaster for your ramen, did you?”

“I read it, but is that short film ‘Exorcism’ not going into production at all?”

“Oh, I heard from a friend that they are producing it. I thought it would naturally fail, but then an investor came in or something.”

“Oh? So now they’re going to audition for the actors?”

“I don’t know. Maybe my friend also mentioned auditions, so it seems there are some roles available. Usually, in these short films, the leading and supporting roles are already determined.”

Listening to this, Kang Woo-jin suddenly crossed his arms, seemingly deep in thought. After a moment, he returned his gaze to Kim Daeyoung.

“Do you know which production company or movie studio is making that movie, ‘Exorcism’?”

Kim Daeyoung, who was flipping meat on the grill, narrowed his eyes.

“…You’re acting strange. Why are you suddenly interested in this field? You weren’t before.”

“No, I just… I read it, and it was fun. So I thought I’d watch it when it’s released.”

“······”

Kim Daeyoung, who was looking at Kang Woojin across the table with some suspicion, shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, okay. I don’t know about the production company either, but I’ll ask that friend.”

A few minutes later, after making a call outside, Kim Daeyoung sat down in front of Kang Woojin.

“I sent you a link via message.”

He waved his mobile phone.

“That’s a movie-specific community. If you go to the link, there’s information about ‘Exorcism’. Look it up yourself.”

***

At 10 am, C Blue Studio.

Two familiar figures can seen in a meeting room at C Blue Studio. It was Song Man-woo PD wearing a lightweight jacket and another person wearing glasses. Writer Park Eunmi was not among them.

Anyway, both of them had quite stern expressions.

-Swish.

There were several transparent files scattered in front of them.

At that moment.

-Squeak.

The glass door of the previously closed meeting room opened, and the production manager of ‘Profiler Hanryang’ entered. And behind him,

“Hello.”

Kang Woojin, who greeted in a low voice, also entered. Upon his arrival, Song Man-woo PD, who had a serious look on his face, smiled slightly.

“Come on in, have a seat here.”

Song Man-woo PD, pointing to the seat across from him, silently scanned Kang Woojin as he moved slowly. No, more precisely, he tried to gauge his mood.

‘As usual, he’s very cynical today.’

But it was in vain. It was hard to gauge anything from Kang Woojin’s poker face. Woojin had always been like that since he first saw him.

‘He’s good at hiding his feelings – well, it’s interesting when he’s acting because that changes completely.’

Anyway, Song Man-woo PD pushed a clear file towards Woojin, who was sitting in front of him.

“Check this out. It’s a draft contract for you, Kang Woojin.”

“Okay.”

Soon, Song Man-woo PD, opening the same transparent file, smiled and said,

“Well, there are a lot of complicated words here. But what I want to say right away is the appearance fee we’ve decided on for you.”

Kang Woojin on the other side looked at Song Man-woo PD. Then Song Man-woo PD pointed to a spot in the contract with his finger and spoke.

“Your appearance fee, Woojin, is 2,500,000 per episode.”

It was somewhat more than 3,000 won. Roughly 900 times more.

“How about it? 2,500,000 per episode.”

For a moment, Woojin’s poker face twitched slightly.

*****