✏️How to Write a K-Drama: Chapter Sixteen
The table read. 📒
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“No…another drama suddenly fell through and this is the only backup we have for airing. The drama premieres in one month. Filming starts next week.”
Things moved quickly from there. The script reading took place two days later. Won Joo met Jae Woon and Yul Hee and thought to himself that they looked quite good together. He could feel it in his gut—this drama was going to be a success. So far he hadn’t been wrong when he felt this way.
He met the writer, too, one Ms. Eun Joo Ni. She looked a bit familiar. She also seemed a bit out of it, so her aura threw him off. There was a lack of approachability there, but he could understand. Writers weren’t generally expected to be on set anymore, and they certainly weren’t expected to write on the fly since most dramas had moved to fully or mostly filming the entire series before beginning to air. She looked a bit frazzled—although she was hiding it well—and he could understand that.
However, Won Joo was surprised to learn that she and Jae Woon had been “fake dating” this whole time for the sake of her script. His manager, who was somewhat of an expert at picking up intel, had whispered this to him shortly after they’d arrived at the table reading.
“It’s not a big secret or anything, just something on the down low,” Ji Hoo had whispered to him. Won Joo nodded back and studied Jae Woon and the writer, Joo Ni. They didn’t look as good together as Jae Woon and Yul Hee, but they seemed comfortable working together, which was another good sign that the drama would do well.
Meanwhile, Da Young was indeed overwhelmed, which meant her whole system was shutting down. But what was throwing her off the most was that everything was different now. Yul Hee was smiling cutely and softly, in full celebrity mode, and Jae Woon…He seemed to have reverted to the version of himself when they first started “dating.” Maybe he was overwhelmed, too, and likewise shutting down. Maybe he was focused on being a professional and giving his complete attention to the script. He barely said anything to her—or anyone for that matter. She eyed him again briefly, then returned to the script in front of her.
The script reading began, but she could barely focus. She flashed back to a conversation she had with Yul Hee the night before…
–
“Isn’t it going to be harder for you to hide things from your parents, now that you have to be on set all the time?” asked Yul Hee.
Da Young nibbled on her lower lip. Her parents didn’t know what she wrote, just that she was doing well. She had refused to tell them anything, unwilling to repeat the disaster of her child modeling days and its untimely end. They didn’t know her pen name or any other detail in lieu of having the bookstore to make a living off of—but the bookstore, under their shoddy management, was suffering. It was also draining all her savings; it had been ever since she obtained it with her earnings as a child model. She needed that contract renewal.
She also needed to continue keeping her pen name and projects under lock and key, especially now that both Jae Woon and Yul Hee were on board.
“We’ll just have to create a huge subterfuge,” Da Young said.
“Operation Hans Unite a go?” asked Yul Hee.
Da Young nodded at her. They had done this a couple times with full cooperation from Yul Hee’s father. He owned a martial arts studio, where Yul Hee of course learned her signature move, the high kick, and would cover for her by pretending he had hired her to work part-time whenever her parents started getting suspicious about long absences.
Yul Hee and Da Young clasped hands like they were going to arm wrestle, their usual way of sealing a deal and showing each other support.
–
Jae Woon was doing an impressive job with the lines so far. He sat there looking aloof, which fit the character. She flushed slightly, remembering how she had based the lead on the cool character Jae Woon had first played in the cafe. She wondered if he had noticed and what he thought of the script. She couldn’t tell at all what he was thinking today.
Yul Hee was appropriately upbeat with a natural touch of sweetness. Won Joo was like a puppy Da Young wanted to adopt. He seemed the closest to his image as the down-to-earth boy-next-door. The cast was good. Da Young felt satisfied that things were coming together, and the response on the internet had been positive so far, as well.
When the script reading ended, people started to get up and gather their things, but the director, Lee Yong Joon, stopped them from leaving. “One more thing,” he said, “let it be known to everyone that our very own star, Jae Woon, is helping our renowned writer, Eun Joo Ni, with the script this time around, so if you see them together, please do not be surprised. Even go ahead and say hi, but let’s try to keep this strictly within this room.”
Da Young stood next to the director. She wanted to say, “Definitely please feel free to not only say hi but also come up to us and give us any suggestions on what you’d like to see on screen! This is a more collaborative project than the ones I had taken on before. As we’ll all be on set together, let’s get along. I’m very excited to join you,” but none of that flew out. Instead, she gave a small smile and small bows as people started to pile out of the room. Some people stayed behind to give her lingering stares and to murmur to each other. That was to be expected. She caught Yul Hee’s eye, and her friend gave her a small, warm smile, which she returned.
Da Young quickly gathered up her things, hoping to talk to Jae Woon, but Director Lee turned to her. “Excited to work with you again, this time on set!” he said cheerfully. He was a friendly man who was very accommodating and happily asked her for her thoughts on direction at times, which she usually found flattering. It also reassured her that there would be no problems with Yul Hee, who threw a sandwich at her last director when he made a rookie actor cry.
The director continued, “Since you’re on set, I can turn to you more easily for help this time! And if things go well…”—he lowered his voice as if relaying a secret—“maybe next time you can even get producer credit.” He gave out a loud ho-ho-ho of a laugh that Santa would envy, then turned to introduce her to his assistant director, Jang Kyung Hwan.
“I’m excited to work with you. I’m a fan,” he said. He was slender and tall with broad shoulders and a very calm facial expression and voice that indicated absolutely no excitement whatsoever but seemed respectful enough. Da Young gave him a small smile and shook his hand.
“What happened to Il Koon?” she asked the main director.
He replied, “Oh, he’s the main director of another drama now! Exciting for him, right? He’s moving up in the world. I’m actually probably going to have Kyung Hwan do a lot of the directing this time as he should be ready to take charge of his own drama soon, too.”
She nodded and said her farewells, then turned to see that Jae Woon was gone. Yul Hee had also rushed off to whatever was next on her schedule, so maybe he had been busy, too. The meeting room had cleared out quickly.
Resigned, she finished gathering her things and left for home.
–
Jae Woon sighed once he seated himself comfortably in his usual seat in his black van. He was tired. The fatigue came all at once as his mask slipped. He always felt the most comfortable alone. His manager was out on a call, so he’d have peace and quiet for another few minutes. He didn’t mind Jo Suk so much, but he needed this time to recuperate and clear his mind. It was all starting again…
His phone buzzed and he looked down at it. Yup, it’s all beginning, he thought as he gazed at the ID.
Madame Do.
Next week on 🌟How to Write a K-Drama🌟
“Hello?” she asked. “Yes, this is Eun Joo Ni…Who is this?” Da Young was a bit on guard but mostly confused. Normally, any queries would be directed towards her agent. There was no way anyone would even have her personal number…