Free Web Novel“Why are there two scripts?”
“Cha Woo-hyun sunbae told us it was for the PBS Wednesday–Thursday drama launch.”
I held one script in each hand. One bore the PBS logo and the title Fox Bead; the other simply said Slip.
“The scripts are amazing...”
While Ji-ho marvelled, I asked, “Only one OST slot, so why two scripts?”
“It just happened that way.”
Seok-hwan hyung explained. “Both are offers for you. One came via Cha Woo-hyun’s introduction for the PBS OST. The other came through a composer.”
“A composer?”
“Remember P-snoop, the producer who worked with Woo-ju on a track for your second album?”
“I remember.”
I could picture his red snapback and round colored glasses. We’d clicked well in that session. But outside of studio meetings, I’d had no contact—and wondered why his name came up.
“He’s scoring a drama OST and recommended you to the production. He said your style would fit. And coincidentally, that show’s music director is friends with Cha Woo-hyun, so they’d heard about you, too.”
“Wait, hyung.”
Jun-hyun blinked and waved his finger back and forth. “So both came by Cha Woo-hyun’s recommendation? I don’t quite follow.”
“In simple terms, Fox Bead is Cha Woo-hyun directly recommending you to the drama’s music director.”
We nodded at the PBS Wednesday–Thursday drama Fox Bead. Then we turned to the cable GTV launch Slip script.
“That one’s where the music director heard good things about you from Cha Woo-hyun, then through the OST production company recommended the composer—P-snoop—to you.”
“Oh.”
“So really, both came via Cha Woo-hyun.”
“I see...”
We exchanged looks. He must speak highly of us wherever he goes. I’d never noticed sitting there greeting him so casually.
Ji-ho whispered, “Ri-hyuk hyung, should we write a thank-you letter?”
“Shut up.”
As Ri-hyuk blushed, Bijoo patted his shoulder. “But after this is over, we should give him a gift.”
“Definitely. He’s done so much for us.”
In a field where people scramble for any work, one supportive sunbae had brought us offers. He’d brushed it off as “I recommended you because of your skill,” but we were deeply grateful. We agreed to give him something when we met at the station. Then we faced the scripts again.
“So we have to choose one of these?”
“Right.”
Even before reading them fully, worries began.
“Oh—there’s one more.”
Seok-hwan hyung placed a third synopsis before us.
“...?”
This one was for the HBS Monday–Tuesday drama Windmill.
I blinked. Hyung pointed at Ri-hyuk. “This is an OST request for you. They’ve even done a guide vocal. They’re just looking for the right singer. The OST company said, ‘We were impressed by Masterpiece Discovery Team. Your voice color fits.’”
“Ooh...”
We all gasped. Our maknae urged, “Hyung, hurry and hand the script to Ri-hyuk hyung.”
“Let’s do it.”
Excited, we surrounded Ri-hyuk. Jun-hyun held his arm while Bijoo unfolded his hand like a dinosaur’s talon. We placed the script in his palm and clapped.
“I’m touched they asked Ri-hyuk hyung for an OST.”
“You’ve all worked so hard.”
“Actually....”
Before he could protest, the four of us crowded him. “Since we have the script, let’s take a commemorative photo.”
“Ah, please don’t.”
As he warned us with a wagging finger, we squealed, aiming for a group selfie—until Seok-hwan hyung spoke.
“Everyone.”
Ri-hyuk, lighting up, assumed hyung would add something. Instead Seok-hwan said, “Let me join, too.”
“Ah, hyung!”
We laughed at the mock outrage in Ri-hyuk’s face: “Why are you doing this to me lately?”
We returned to the studio with the three scripts. Spread them on the table and fell into thought.
“Which one will make us famous for making the right choice~”
Our maknae teased, “Wow, a grandpa’s tone,” and I shot him a look before resuming my pondering.
“Huh.”
As Bear slurped his protein shake, he tapped his paw and stared at me wide-eyed.
“Hyung, I have an idea.”
“What is it?”
“How about doing all three?”
“Ooooh...”
I applauded. “Jun-hyun, so you were listening when I explained earlier, huh?”
“Yes.”
“I knew it. PhD candidate, explain, please.”
Ri-hyuk nodded. “Look at each drama’s first air date: March 9, March 18, etc. Their broadcast periods overlap in March–April. They’ll compete fiercely for ratings. Who gets first place? That’s an unwritten rule in the OST world: if you take one drama’s OST, you can’t do the OST for its competitor.”
Jun-hyun cocked his head. “That’s really offensive?”
“Imagine us doing ads for all three competing chicken brands.”
“Oh—I get it now.”
He made an OK sign and we ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) laughed, then began studying the synopses. Since this would go on our résumés, we treated it seriously.
Mini-series run about eight weeks. At most six OSTs a year if nonstop. That’s why A-list names like Cha Woo-hyun and Yoon Chan-hyuk weigh offers carefully—choosing one means declining another. To avoid a scenario where the competing drama’s OST dominates the charts, executives and the OST company listen together before selecting a famous singer. Choosing well was crucial.
“How about choosing the one Cha Woo-hyun sunbae recommended? He did pick it for us.”
“That’s good, but it’s our career. We should review all offers. Cha Woo-hyun won’t be upset if we pick another.”
Better to honor the recommendation if all else equal, but we couldn’t pass up a better opportunity. We’d already told him we’d discuss with our company. For now, the important question was...
“Which do we choose?”
We stared at the synopses, groaning—until we used a friend’s help. We contacted a singer-songwriter friend who knew us and OSTs well.
—Drama?
A clear voice answered over video. Senior Jang So-won glanced at us and smiled. “You little ones are doing an OST for a terrestrial drama? I’m touched.” freёweɓnovel.com
—So-won ah, who is this?
A gentle voice chimed in. So-won, lounging on a sofa, turned and said, “Our jet-black rugrats. Want to say hi, unnie?”
“Hey! I’m bare-faced!” A phone spun to reveal Lisa in sweatpants, rolling her eyes as she fled.
—No schedule, bored, so I’m tormenting my homebody sister.
—Hello, New Black kids!
Lisa’s greeting came clear even in the background. With her musical-theater lung power, she bellowed from her hiding spot. We laughed and asked her to pass along our thanks.
When we resumed OST talk, So-won drew a thoughtful “hmm” and flipped back her hair.
—OST, huh... Usually you listen first then decide. So, Woo-ju, you’re composing the track?
“Yes.”
—Great, then we don’t need to hear a demo. What about the director and writer? The director–writer combo matters most in drama.
We answered, “Both are first-time to dramas. PBS’s writer won a big contest. GTV’s writer came from film scripts. Both directors are supposed to be good, too.”
From Seok-hwan, we’d only heard “All pretty safe.” Actor managers told us they were rising writers paired with competent directors.
—Answer’s obvious, then.
So-won said, “Take whichever synopsis or script the production sent and study it. That often fits best. Ah, unnie! What are you doing? Why are you cooking? I told you we’d go out to eat today.”
—No, why are you always trying to go out? It’s a holiday.
—Wait, kids. How about that BBQ place nearby...
Their bickering ended the call abruptly. It was rushed, but we’d heard everything we needed. Bijoo watched the dark screen and smiled.
“They seem to get along well.”
“Right.”
“I wish we could be like them. Roommates for another thirty years...”
As Bijoo muttered ominously, we urgently unfolded the scripts.
“Scripts, scripts.”
“These are page-turners.”
“Where to start~”
Following our sunbae’s advice, we read each script in turn. First, Fox Bead—Cha Woo-hyun’s direct recommendation. Written by a former assistant to a star writer who’d gone independent after winning a contest. It borrowed the nine-tailed fox legend.
“In a fox tribe, the protagonist has lived her whole life. On the run, she reunites with her high-school friend and falls in love. The tribe’s hunter, who secretly loves her, chases the pair.”
Set in modern times, this world hides mythical folk blending into Korea. The heroine is from the fox tribe. One day in high school she’s told to undergo a rite of passage: “Bring me your friend’s life.” The target: her closest friend. Torn between tribe and friend, she wrestles with this until the ritual day.
On the day, she lures her friend to a secluded spot, reveals her true form, and threatens him. But seeing her monstrous self reflected in his eyes, she chooses friendship and abandons the ritual.
Then: “This is troublesome.”
An elder, who’d watched the ritual, appears and slaughters the friend as per tradition. He tries to kill the heroine for failing, but she cleverly escapes.
Meanwhile: Late at night, the male lead, returning home, sees a nine-tailed fox (in her transformed form) standing by a classmate. Terrified, he flees, but courageously returns—only to find her lifeless body. This triggers his trauma.
Haunted by guilt, he joins a group hunting mythical creatures. The heroine becomes a fugitive, changing identities to survive. The elder’s son—the secondary male lead—ordered to punish traitors, pursues the heroine, weaving a complex triangle of childhood friends and unrequited love.
“So intriguing...”
“Wait, that’s it?”
“Now I see why people watched EverDream.”
“I’ll have to watch the premiere.”
After Fox Bead, we read Slip. A new GTV crime thriller from the cable network that recently broke 10 percent ratings—the first cable to do so. Slip seemed derived from “time slip,” i.e., time travel. Written by a film scriptwriter, it follows a detective investigating mysterious deaths.
“In a Seoul mountain, a corpse is found. The murder weapon: a Paleolithic stone tool.”
“Paleolithic?”
“Ri-hyuk, calm down.”
“As Detective Park Chul-jin digs deeper, he plunges into mystery. What on earth is happening?”
We opened the script. Park Chul-jin, once with the Metropolitan Investigation Unit, was demoted over suspected corruption—his guilt ambiguous, a morally gray figure. Transferred to the fictional Oseong Precinct, he’s stigmatized as a troublemaker and shunned by colleagues. Life is dull—until a tip leads him to the bloody, horrific crime scene in the mountains.
“Police line in place... The murder weapon....”
“What is it?”
“A stone.”
“A stone...?”
As they ponder the unusual rock, a police intern asks, “Isn’t this Paleolithic?” It indeed resembles one. But an expert says it’s newly made—its chisel marks fresh.
“What the hell?”
Strange animal-fur scraps lay around; fingerprints deliberately left; bodies partially eaten. It seemed the work of a monster. Meanwhile:
“Report coming in! A bloodied culprit in fur clothing is roaming...”
In a residential area, reports flood of a “fur-clad assailant” bleeding as they walk. Videos caught shrieks, but CCTV showed nothing.
As Chul-jin wonders, “Could a real Paleolithic human be responsible?” another case explodes: a body killed by Joseon-era arrows.
And....
“What? That’s the end?”
“Now I know how people felt watching EverDream.”
“We definitely have to watch this live.”
After Slip, we examined Windmill. But soon a low “hmm...” escaped us.
“Feels like something I’ve seen before.”
A romance about Korean prosecutors’ work and love. A similar drama with a lawyer lead airs on TBC, and I’d heard our former TNT member Seok Ji-hun played a legal assistant. It had low ratings. Windmill likely to be similar. Though who are we to judge; the vibe felt off, so we tabled it.
“So we pick the drama most likely to succeed....”
I asked our maknae, “Ji-ho, what do you think?”
“Me?”
“Yes.” freewёbnoνel.com
“Uh... I’m nervous—can’t you decide? I like being the supportive youngest.”
He mimed pre-clapping with a big “Waaah!” I found it adorable. Bijoo kindly said, “Ji-ho, you act best among us. I was sure you’d shine in EverDream.”
“Hmmm...”
“Could you read them and tell us?”
With a wary “Praise’s nice but responsibility’s scary...” he took the scripts. His playful grin vanished into seriousness—he looked like a different person. Fans once wrote they fell for his concept shots; now I saw why. His face closed when he concentrated, opening into a radiant smile.
He tilted each script back and forth, lost in thought. He looked more handsome without his usual mischief. I recalled posts by fans shocked by his ever-shifting persona.
“We give up,” said Jun-hyun.
“Me too.”
We laughed. But then Ji-ho lifted his head.
“Hyungs, I’ve decided.”
“Really? Which one?”
“This one.”
Ji-ho slid his finger and selected the Fox Bead script.
