[Everyday V13]

[Date: April 21, 2021]

-06:30 p.m.: [NEW. Jung Yoo-Jin]

The filming of She Was Beautiful postponed indefinitely.

An "indefinite postponement" was postponement in name only. In reality, it was no different from a cancellation.

I immediately began running through every possible scenario that could have led to this. In most cases, when a production was postponed indefinitely, it was because the investors or the distributor had decided the project would not be profitable.

Since pouring money into it would only result in losses, they would declare an indefinite postponement and let the production quietly fall apart.

However, She Was Beautiful was different. LT Entertainment had taken full charge of both investment and distribution, and it was a project which President Shin Jong-Ki was personally pushing with affection.

If that was the case, then the next most likely scenario was that one of the lead actors had suffered a serious injury.

I immediately pulled up the daily shooting schedule that AD Park Sung-Bin from the directing team had shared and checked it on my phone to confirm Yoo-Jin's filming schedule.

[Daily Shooting Schedule]

[TIME TABLE]

-02:00 p.m. Roll call and ritual.

-02:30 p.m. Team meetings.

-03:00 p.m. Waiting room scene 5.

-04:00 p.m. Action school team member check.

-05:10 p.m. Water truck double check.

-05:20 p.m. Vehicle and stunt equipment double check.

-06:00 p.m. Scene 10 filming at sunset.

-07:00 p.m. Dinner.

...

The current time was 10 a.m. Filming would begin in four hours. And Scene 5, Yoo-Jin's first shoot of the day, was a scene where Han Bit-Na, the popular member of Angel Wings, argued with another member, Lee So-Mi, in the waiting room.

However, that scene was nothing more than a verbal argument, so there was no risk of Yoo-Jin getting hurt.

Then my eyes caught the 6 p.m. schedule.

[p.m. 06:00 Scene 10 filming at sunset.]

Scene 10 was where Han Bit-Na got into a car rollover accident while heading to a solo schedule with her talent agent. The car would skid on a rain-soaked road and flip several times, making it one of the most dangerous shoots in the film. The stunt actors from the action team were scheduled to handle the dangerous parts, so Yoo-Jin herself was not supposed to be at risk.

However, even if Yoo-Jin did not get hurt in this scene, there was still a hidden danger that could lead to an indefinite postponement. That was a major casualty accident. Even if it was not the lead actor, if someone died or was seriously injured during filming, the director would have no choice but to immediately declare a halt to production.

After the accident, the press would swarm the set for interviews, and everyone from LT Entertainment to the production company, the director, and the staff would be subjected to police investigations.

Moreover, the stunt shoot was scheduled for 6 p.m., which closely matched the warning time Everyday had given me. That meant the most likely possibility at the moment was that an accident would occur during the stunt action scene, leading to an indefinite postponement.

Yet, that was still only one possibility among many.

'No matter what, I need to get to the set as quickly as possible and see for myself.'

Feeling pressed, I immediately started the car and headed for the She was Beautiful set. I had to prevent She Was Beautiful from being postponed indefinitely at all costs.

***

About ten minutes away from the Hwaranjeon set was the Gyeongju set of She Was Beautiful.

With only three days to prepare, building an entirely new set had been impossible. So we rented three massive warehouse buildings, and every member of LT Entertainment's props team was mobilized, working without sleep to transform them into sets.

The first set to be prepared was Angel Entertainment, the agency of the girl group Angel Wings that Han Bit-Na once belonged to. Next was Han Bit-Na's home, where she had shut herself away from the world. Then, the officetel of talent agent Baek Ill-Seung, the man who had brought Han Bit-Na out of her house, was built. Even the tiny five-pyeong officetel that served as the office of Dream Entertainment, newly established by Baek Ill-Seung, was being prepared.

All the sets were being built so the actors would not have to travel back and forth to Seoul if at all possible.

Creak.

I parked in the lot and saw the three towering warehouse buildings standing about twenty meters ahead. In front of them, countless props team staff hurried around wearing their gear.

Thud.

Clang.

Sizzle.

Whirrr.

The sounds of hammering, metal striking metal, welding, and wood being cut rang endlessly in my ears.

At that moment, loud voices from the props fabrication staff spilled out through the slightly open door of Set Building No. 1.

"Yong-Sik, hurry up and finish that welding. As soon as the ritual's done, we're going straight into filming."

"Yes, sir."

"And any teams that haven't wrapped up yet, keep your wireless intercoms on while you work. The moment standby for filming is called, you stop immediately, no matter what!"

"Yeah, yeah, just get us some coffee first! Make it strong!!"

"Okay. I'll grab it right away, so drink up and keep moving. We don't even have time to breathe right now!"

We had to complete the project by the end of May no matter what, so there wasn't a single person who wasn't in a rush. That included me. However, I knew all of this could be canceled, which made me more anxious than anyone else.

Even so, Yoo-Jin came first.

I turned my head and saw Yoo-Jin fast asleep, her mouth slightly open under a Powertuff Girls blanket.

'Right. Sleep over food.'

Yoo-Jin had told me to make sure to wake her so she could eat, but right now she needed more rest. I pressed the partition button to the right of the steering wheel and raised the electric divider between the driver's seat and the back seat.

Zzzing.

As the black partition slid up behind me, I could no longer see the back seat through the front glass. Only then did I turn off the engine, step out of the car, and head toward Set Building No. 1.

But aside from the props team, I barely saw any of the other production teams at the filming site.

'Where did everyone go? Are they inside the set?'

Since the first shoot of the day was scheduled to begin in Set Building No. 1, I made my way in to greet the director. Inside, near the entrance, I saw Director Yeo Ik-Hwan speaking with Shin Jong-Ki.

However, the expressions on their faces were far from normal.

'What is going on?'

With Everyday already warning that filming would be postponed indefinitely, I hurried over to them.

"Mr. Shin, Mr. Yeo. I'm here."

As I gave them a deep bow, Shin Jong-Ki turned to me with a forced smile. "Where's Miss Yoo-Jin?"

"She was exhausted, so she's sleeping in the car for a bit."

"I pushed the schedule too hard. A lot of people are suffering because of it. I'm sorry."

Yeo Ik-Hwan also forced a bright expression as he greeted me. "Mr. Jung. I know it's tough, but please make sure you take good care of Miss Yoo-Jin's condition."

I nodded. "Please don't worry. But is something wrong? You both don't look well."

Shin Jong-Ki hesitated before letting out a sigh. "Sigh... Half the staff didn't show up today."

"Half of them?"

"Yeah. The props team is all here since they're directly under LT Entertainment. But the contracted directing team, the production crew, lighting, sound... basically half of every department just went off the grid."

I had heard that the production teams had come down to Gyeongju two days ago to help the props team prepare for filming. And yet half of them had not shown up. Something completely incomprehensible had happened.

"They even ran rehearsals just fine yesterday and slept at the lodging, didn't they? So why all of a sudden?" I asked.

"I don't know. I just got the news myself. They all sent messages saying they'd pay the penalty fees and then went off the grid. Managing Director Lee Eun-Joo is trying to figure out what's going on right now."

Even if they were contract staff, walking out on the very day of filming like this was unthinkable. It was practically the same as saying they would never work on an LT Entertainment film again.

'This isn't some kind of collective self-destruction. What are they thinking?'

Even including my life before regression, I had never seen something like this. I couldn't make sense of it.

At that moment, Managing Director Lee Eun-Joo came rushing in. "Mr. Shin! We found out what happened!!"

Lee Eun-Joo was so flustered she did not even notice I was there.

Shin Jong-Ki urgently asked, "Spit it out. Why did they all suddenly run off like that?"

"Famous directors called up the staff they've worked closely with and pulled them all out. They told them they'd cover all the penalty fees and to come over. And if they didn't, they threatened that they'd never work with them again."

"Which directors?"

"Director Yoo Sang-Jin, Director Park In-Ho, Director Kim Chae-Moon, Director Ye Jung-Seok, and Director Yang Song-Hee."

Shin Jong-Ki's expression hardened. Those names, aside from the directors under my wing, were currently known as box office directors in the Korean film industry.

"Why would people of that caliber do something like this? I've never done anything to offend them!"

Lee Eun-Joo shook her head. "I don't know that part either. And the most important stuntmen for today? Not a single one showed up."

"Damn it!! This is driving me insane."

This must have been why Everyday had triggered the alert. If half the staff did not show up, every filming schedule would fall apart.

And in that instant, I realized who was behind this. No matter how aggressively those directors tried to poach staff, pulling out people who were already locked into a project like this was nearly impossible. After all, just paying the contract penalties alone would cost a fortune.

That meant there had to be a powerful backer behind them, someone willing to cover all those fees. And it was obvious who that backer was.

I said, "Mr. Shin. I think CK Entertainment is behind this. A few days ago, Jo Jae-Kyung was clearly targeting our project. I think he's joined hands with his uncle to come after us."

Shin Jong-Ki and Lee Eun-Joo, who had momentarily frozen in anger, nodded at the same time.

"Right. Those directors wouldn't dare come at me without backing from someone like CK Entertainment."

"Exactly, Mr. Shin! If not those bastards, I mean, those people, who else would pull something this insane?"

"Hold on. Just wait."

Shin Jong-Ki picked up his phone and immediately called President Son Hyung-Tae of CK Entertainment. Son Hyung-Tae answered with a laugh.

-Oh my! Mr. Shin! It's been a while. What brings you to call me?

"Hey! Son Hyung-Tae! Are you really going to do this to me? Huh?"

-I'm not sure what you mean...

"You had Jae-Kyung and those directors pull my staff, didn't you?"

There was a brief silence before Son Hyung-Tae replied smoothly.

-I have no idea what you're talking about.

"You have no idea? Hah. You sure make things easy for yourself."

-I don't know what you're talking about, so I can only say I don't know.

"Really? Then pull CK Entertainment out of the next projects of the directors I'm about to name. Do that, and I'll believe you. Yoo Sang-Jin, Park In-Ho..."

That was when Son Hyung-Tae let out a scoff.

-Why would I?

"What?"

-If we don't use directors of that caliber, we're the ones who lose out. Why would I do that?

"You bastard! Then it is you!"

-I told you it's not.

As the conversation began looping in circles, I stepped in. "Mr. Son. This is Jung Yoon-Ho."

-Chief Jung?

"Yes."

-Hmm. So you were there as well.

"Well, this is Yoo-Jin's first leading role."

-Is that so? Ah, right, it is.

"For my sake, at least, could you step in and fix this?"

Up until now, my relationship with Son Hyung-Tae of CK Entertainment had not been bad. I had even introduced a few projects to him in the past.

So I decided to ask him one last time. Nevertheless, he replied in a tone of feigned disappointment.

-How many times do I have to say it? I told you, I don't know anything about this.

'Fine. Then there's nothing more to say.'

From now on, I would just have to keep my distance from CK Entertainment.

"I understand your position, Mr. Son."

-Huh? Why are you lowering your voice like that, Chief Jung? I'm telling you, it's not like that. I really don't know.

At that moment, Shin Jong-Ki shouted into the phone. "From now on, it's war, you bastard!"

Beep!

After hanging up, Shin Jong-Ki fumed with anger.

'Yes. The war has begun.'

But before anything else, we had to plug the holes left behind.

***

Once Shin Jong-Ki finally calmed down after venting his anger, Lee Eun-Joo cautiously asked, "Mr. Shin. What do we do? Is today's shoot over like this?"

"Over? For whose benefit? That bastard President Son must be pulling this stunt because CK lost the number one distribution spot to LT for the first time. But there's no way I'm letting this slide! Call in all the production staff in Seoul. No, call the ones in the provinces too!"

Lee Eun-Joo answered with a troubled expression. "I already checked. There's no one in the provinces either. Those directors we mentioned swept them all up."

"So what, we're just supposed to give up?"

After thinking for a moment, Lee Eun-Joo replied, "The production team filming GP in Cheorwon wraps up in ten days. We could bring them in then."

"But that means we're losing two weeks, doesn't it? We only have six weeks left until the end of May. If we lose two of them, we might as well give up on the film festival."

"Hmm..."

"Did you contact Director Park Sun-Jae? Happy & Happy hasn't started filming yet, so ask if we can borrow some hands for just two weeks."

"I called there first. But since they haven't officially entered production yet, aside from a few team leads, there aren't many staff members. Still, they said they'll send those they can."

"Damn it. Then call them in for now."

"I will. But we're still short on people. What do we do?"

Shin Jong-Ki looked at me. "Chief Jung. Is there any clever solution?"

Buzz. Buzz.

I ignored the incoming call from Son Hyung-Tae and smiled at Shin Jong-Ki. Because I indeed had a solution.

"There is a way."

Shin Jong-Ki's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yes."

Lee Eun-Joo urgently asked, "Amateurs or lower-tier staff, we can find ourselves. But top-tier crews? There's nowhere left to look. Who are you talking about? Don't tell me you mean a foreign team."

"No."

"Then who?"

I looked at the two of them calmly and said, "The production team at Choi Sung-Moon Production."

Director Choi Sung-Moon of Beyond the Boundary was such a massive box office force that even CK Entertainment and LT Entertainment had to watch their tone around him. As Korea's top box office director, he not only had access to enormous sets like the one used for Beyond the Boundary, but he also kept a full in-house production team as salaried employees. He even had his own stunt team.

Shin Jong-Ki looked troubled. "All of Director Choi's people are full-time employees. And more importantly, he absolutely hates anyone poaching his staff. He doesn't even listen to me half the time. How are you planning to pull this off?"

Lee Eun-Joo nodded. "That's right. With someone like Mr. Choi, even we as a distributor have to tread carefully."

When a director reached the level of a super-powered "underdog" like Choi Sung-Moon, even a so-called powerhouse like LT Entertainment couldn't treat him lightly. After all, a director who pulled in close to ten million viewers every time could choose whichever distributor he wanted.

However, I could persuade Choi Sung-Moon.

"I'll convince him. If he agrees, please arrange helicopters to transport the production team immediately. And make sure the staff we borrow are compensated separately at proper day rates."

Shin Jong-Ki nodded repeatedly. "If we get his approval, that part is easy."

"Understood."

I took a deep breath and called Choi Sung-Moon. After several rings, the director of Beyond the Boundary answered.

"Mr. Choi. This is Chief Jung."

-Oh, Chief Jung. What's going on?

Choi Sung-Moon's rough voice came through the receiver.

"I have a favor to ask."

-Chief Jung asking me for a favor? The sun must be rising in the west. Go on. Let's hear it.

"I need to borrow your staff."

The moment I said it bluntly, I could hear a slight edge enter Choi Sung-Moon's voice.

-You want to borrow my people?

"Yes, sir. We're supposed to start filming today, but CK Entertainment pulled nearly all of our production staff."

Choi Sung-Moon valued a director's authority above all else. For such a reason, he also despised it when production companies or distributors interfered with that authority on set. So I explained exactly what CK Entertainment had done, because any director would be furious hearing it.

As expected, Choi Sung-Moon snapped.

-Those lunatics. What kind of nonsense is it to steal staff on the day of filming?

"Exactly. As it stands, we can't even begin shooting because we can't secure a production crew."

-And you want my boys to fill in?

"Yes, sir."

Choi Sung-Moon fell silent for a moment before replying in an apologetic tone.

-Even if it's you asking, Chief Jung, that's difficult. If I let my people go outside and they start taking side jobs at other productions behind my back, what then? Once I allow this, I lose the justification to stop it in the future.

Shin Jong-Ki and Lee Eun-Joo both looked disappointed. However, this was where my real move began.

"If a favor won't work, then how about a deal?"

-A deal?

"Yes. Help me, and I'll help you."

A chuckle mixed into Choi Sung-Moon's voice.

-Haha. You? Help me? Getting a little full of yourself these days, aren't you? I'm Choi Sung-Moon.

'Yes. You are Choi Sung-Moon. And I am a regressor.'

At that moment, I began revealing something only I, having returned from the future, could possibly know.

"If you don't resolve the fatal flaw in Hyeonjong: The King of the Original Text, that project will never be completed."

The project Choi Sung-Moon was currently preparing, Hyeonjong: The King of the Original Text, was meant to be Korea's first true trilogy, with a total production budget exceeding one hundred billion won. But before my regression, that project had failed to reach completion for a single reason.

'Mr. Choi Sung-Moon, I'm sorry. But you can't win against me—Because I know the future.'