Free Web Novel“I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to hear it....”
Director So felt like she already knew what the music director was about to say. A bad premonition crashed down on her.
“Our schedule....”
“I don’t know. I didn’t hear it... I don’t know anything about schedules or dates....”
“It’s been moved up to just two weeks from now...!”
The consecutive poor ratings of the drama currently on air had resulted in an early termination. They were wrapping it up in a hurry next week, and before the next drama began, they had to fill the gap with <No Interest Whatsoever>.
“T-That can’t be.... You’re joking... right?”
With a trembling voice, Director So tried to deny what she had just heard. The music director, who understood that feeling all too well, had moist eyes.
“Please accept reality, Director....”
At a time when not even half of the music needed to complete the atmosphere had been made yet—
“Aaagh—!!!”
In an instant, the broadcast date of <No Interest Whatsoever> came crashing down on them. It was an emergency.
* * *
“Wow, Do Gyeoul....”
From number one to number three in entertainment news rankings. Do Gyeoul occupied the entire top section where public attention gathered the most.
Hours later, the heated interest still showed no sign of cooling down. Every community had hundreds of comments attached to the news of Do Gyeoul’s next project.
—Whoa, Do Gyeoul’s first romance lol who’s the male lead
└Personally I hope it’s Myeong Jeha TT_TT their visuals together would be insane
└She’s doing romance to shed the child actress image, and yeah MJH is insanely handsome, but I think it’d be better if she does it with someone older
—This is what a real celebrity looks like fr going straight back into acting after college feels so different from certain people who coast on special treatment, love it
└222 I thought the same thing, it really feels solid lolol
“She got swept up instantly.”
My article had already been buried way down below. It really hit me that the entertainment industry was always a fierce battleground. If you didn’t show something, you sank immediately.
‘Well, my position right now....’
I’d earned the title of an iconic rookie, but compared to Do Gyeoul filling my monitor screen, the difference in dimension was painfully obvious.
Even after more than two full years without any projects, the public still wanted Do Gyeoul.
‘As if they’d been waiting for her to come back.’
I realized again what Myeong Jeha’s words had meant.
—No matter how much you hate Do Gyeoul, don’t ignore her influence.
The image of Do Gyeoul sitting in the best seat at the Ruel Style Awards was still vivid. So was the thrill of the moment I first looked down at Do Gyeoul from the podium.
‘Someday, I want to hold an even better award and look down at Do Gyeoul.’
I wanted an award that everyone would recognize just by hearing its name.
“...Right. Which network is Do Gyeoul’s drama on again?”
I unconsciously scrolled back up.
Bzz— bzz— bzz—.
My phone vibrated.
“Yes, Director So.”
—Yeoreum-ssi! Sorry to ask so suddenly, but could you come to the station right now...?
Director So’s voice sounded far more urgent than usual. What was this?
—Our schedule suddenly got moved up.... Because of the early termination. So—
Ding—!
At the same time as Director So’s explanation, a status window popped up. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
The title <So Yesol’s Muse> is shining. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
[So Yesol] has gained inspiration from you!
Skill: <That Moves the Heart> A is temporarily amplified, receiving a buff effect.
▶Hidden Reward
[Lucky Point] ←
300p
Current Lucky Points: 400p
Unable to properly reach a conclusion, Director So let out a sigh and steadied her breathing. Then she spoke with resolve.
—Yeoreum-ssi, I need... your voice.
At that moment, only one thing came to mind.
—I want to add narration....
Maybe I’d meet Do Gyeoul at an awards ceremony sooner than I’d expected.
Do Gyeoul’s next drama was on the same network as mine.
MBS.
* * *
A foley recording studio surrounded on all sides by soundproof walls. So Yesol watched Han Yeoreum carefully put on her headset.
‘Only one week left....’
An article about the early termination had gone up, and news of <No Interest Whatsoever>’s scheduling had followed. There really wasn’t much time left now.
‘We barely finished the OST, but....’
The anxiety Director So had felt hit exactly as expected. Several spots in the planned OST lineup had been left empty. The tracks that only had draft concepts showed obvious gaps here and there.
“What do we do, Director So...?”
Dark circles sat heavily under the music director’s eyes after pulling all-nighters for days in a row. Director So, who had stayed up together with him, couldn’t think of a proper alternative either.
Director So briefly closed her dry eyes. It had been too long since she’d had proper rest, and her focus wouldn’t quite settle.
‘Do we... just finish it like this...?’
Then, Jung Yeondu from the scenes she’d edited hundreds—no, thousands—of times came vividly to mind. Amid exhaustion that had dulled all her senses, the face she’d seen through the screen, the voice....
‘Oh. Wait....’
Something came to mind that could fill in the empty audio here and there. Lines Jung Yeondu from <No Interest Whatsoever> could reveal as inner thoughts flooded Director So’s head.
‘This wasn’t in the plan, but....’
Director So slowly opened her eyes. There were less than 72 hours left now.
‘Still. It’s worth trying... right?’
So Yesol hammered at the keyboard like a madwoman. The foggy haze in her head cleared. It was all Jung Yeondu.
“Director, please get ready for narration foley recording....”
“Narration?”
“Let’s really... really fill it properly.”
And now, Director So was certain her choice hadn’t been wrong. Han Yeoreum’s voice, reading the script she’d written in front of the microphone, proved it.
“Seoul housing prices. A deposit of eight million, monthly rent of sixty-five. Fifty thousand won in maintenance fees. It’s not a small amount by any means. At this point, they could at least show me that much kindness and friendliness. Why is it always....”
The music director listening beside Director So gave a small nod. D-3 until broadcast.
‘This... will work.’
She’d long since forgotten any anxiety.
Instead, an even greater sense of anticipation began to bloom in Director So’s heart.
* * *
9:30 p.m. An office worker exhausted from overtime stood in line to catch the red bus heading to Gyeonggi Province.
‘Ah, I’m dead tired... seriously....’
Three hours round trip just for commuting. Even so, they endured it somehow with the spirit of a Gyeonggi resident. Thanks to the humid, sticky summer night, their back was already damp with sweat.
‘It’s hot.... This sucks....’
Finally sitting down on a red bus seat, the office worker turned the air conditioner toward themselves and reflexively picked up their phone.
People said you should use your commute for self-improvement, but even that felt like a luxury to a Gyeonggi resident. Just waiting for the bus already felt like it drained all their remaining energy.
‘Something watchable....’
An awkward Thursday, with one full day still left until the weekend. To kill the boredom on the way home, the office worker mindlessly scrolled, looking for a drama.
‘Huh? That’s Pi Chaewon?’
They spotted a familiar face. Pi Chaewon from <ParCheHi>, who had recently made them kick their blankets in embarrassment, was now decorating an MBS thumbnail.
‘I’ve never heard of this drama title before. What’s it about?’
Having to endure long, drawn-out travel times every day, the office worker wasn’t quite a drama addict, but they knew dramas fairly well.
That meant their standards ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) were reasonably high. They didn’t want to watch a drama that would only make the boring commute even more boring.
‘Still, if it’s Pi Chaewon.’
With just one project, Pi Chaewon had already become a “trust-and-watch” actor for them.
It had just started airing. The office worker decided to spend the hour and a half journey home with Pi Chaewon.
<No Interest Whatsoever>
They clicked on the tired-looking face. What appeared next was the inside of an office.
