“If you don’t know what to write about, it’s not a bad idea to pick three things that catch your eye and use them as your topics. That’s how a ‘writing’ competition works. They give you a random topic and you have a few hours to…”
“That’s good. But if you change the expression here, it gives a milder feeling…”
“How about we cut off the protagonist’s legs?”
The filming of went smoothly. The reason could be traced back to the quality of the participants. I realized this after teaching them myself.
The members cast by PD Shim Yeon-ho were people who originally had a connection to writing or had some literary talent.
If Gu Yu-na was taught one thing and she understood ten, the members of when taught one thing would understand about two things.
Thus, they could also be referred to as 0.2 Gu Yu-nas. (TL: It’s like they are 0.2 if Gu Yu-na is 1.)
What happened afterward goes without saying.
He became a living hero.
“Hello, I’m novelist Gu Hak-jun.”
Those who remember that era cannot take the name “Gu Hak-jun” lightly.
If one were to categorize Gu Hak-jun’s reputation, he was closer to a ‘sports hero’ than a novelist.
More people knew about Gu Hak-jun’s historical achievements than his literature, and there was an authority there that went beyond mere popularity.
If he had wanted, he could easily have become a member of the National Assembly, and even now, he receives offers every election season as a prominent social figure.
This was why the CEO of the broadcasting station personally came down to greet him when Gu Hak-jun visited.
“Hello, I am Kim Seung-hwan, the CEO of Baekhak Cultural Broadcasting.”
“Oh, there’s no need for such a formal welcome…….”
PD Shim Yeon-ho felt like he was going to lose his mind watching the CEO and Gu Hak-jun shaking hands.
Seeing the department head of the variety department glaring at him from behind the CEO made him feel even more nervous.
Barely holding onto his wits, Shim Yeon-ho, spurred only by Gu Hak-jun’s mere presence which had summoned the CEO, finally managed to ask him.
“Um, um, what brings you here……?”
“Ah, In-seop asked me to bring some stuff over.”
Gu Hak-jun was carrying various things in his arms. In his left hand, he held university textbooks, and in his right, a manual titled .
PD Shim Yeon-ho tried to quickly take them, but he missed the opportunity because Moon In-seop hurried over as soon as he saw them.
Gu Hak-jun’s eyes seemed to drip with honey as he looked at Moon.
In the pyramid of PD Shim Yeon-ho’s heart, Moon’s rank climbed a notch.
“Ah, thank you. I really needed this. But you didn’t have to come in person…….”
“No, how could I not contribute a hand to such a great broadcast!”
“Then, would you like to give a lecture?”
Moon naturally led Gu Hak-jun to the lectern. As a current university professor, Gu Hak-jun naturally stood at the lectern.
Gu Hak-jun began lecturing naturally in front of the bewildered cast and came down from the lectern 1 hour and 30 minutes later with a relieved expression.
Then, as if something had occurred to him, he clapped his hands.
Gu Hak-jun spoke to PD Shim Yeon-ho.
“PD-nim, if it’s not too much trouble, I know a great educator who…”
From behind Gu Hak-jun, the main writer shook her head vehemently.
But Shim Yeon-ho, the variety show PD.
He was a man who didn’t fear writing apology letters.
“…An educator, you say?”
“Yes! A very good educator indeed.”
Thus, the department head of the creative writing department at Baekhak Arts Middle School appeared at the broadcasting station.
“Ah, hello. I am Novelist Park Chang-woon.”
However, the broadcasting station people, being quite ignorant about literature, considered the title of former Minister of Culture more important than that of a novelist.
Poor BMB CEO had to make a hasty U-turn as he was about to leave work.
“Hello, Minister. I am Kim Seung-hwan, CEO of Baekhak Cultural Broadcasting…”
“Oh, don’t make it sound so formal, what Minister? I’m just Park Chang-woon, a teacher teaching kids at the academy.”
Park Chang-woon was a figure from an era when novelists held fragments of political power. Back then, it wasn’t strange. The strange thing was that a man from that era was still alive and walking around.
This was partly because Park Chang-woon entered the literary world at a very young age and was active, and simply because Park Chang-woon was a case of staying healthy even in old age.
Anyway, since many of Park Chang-woon’s contemporaries were mostly senior politicians, and he himself was a senior, the broadcasting station CEO respectfully greeted Park Chang-woon.
Of course, the fact that Kim Seung-hwan, the CEO, bent his back at a 90-degree angle was largely due to Park Chang-woon’s political alignment coinciding with that of the ruling party.
“Alright, alright, we’ll start the special lecture now!”
However, Park Chang-woon’s primary role was as a novelist, and he strove to be faithful to that.
Therefore, Park Chang-woon started a relay lecture following Gu Hak-jun.
At this point, the original schedule was already two hours over.
Yet, the reason the shooting continued was that many of the cast members were S-class celebrities who could adjust their own schedules, and they found the current situation both enjoyable and beneficial.
However, Min Hyo-min’s manager was alternately threatening and pleading with the PD to let them go because the schedule had overrun, and if Shim Yeon-ho hadn’t been crazy, they might have managed to escape.
Regardless of Min Hyo-min’s anxiety and whether her manager was scolded by his direct boss, Park Chang-woon finished his lecture satisfactorily and stepped down.
And PD Shim Yeon-ho, already deep in the dark arts and having decided to offer apologies as a sacrifice to summon ratings, asked:
“Writer Park Chang-woon, if I may be so bold, could you perhaps recommend another lecturer?”
Park Chang-woon thought for a moment.
Then he snapped his fingers.
“Ah! We should call that old man.”
“Who might that be……?”
“Eh, don’t worry about it. That guy retired and has nothing to do. He just makes his subordinates do everything and doesn’t do anything himself…”
And so, the ‘old man’ who had nothing to do in retirement and who just delegated everything to his subordinates, ‘the old man.’
Seo Woon-pil, the head of Korea’s top literary magazine, visited the broadcasting station.
“Hello, I’m Seo Woon-pil. I run a small literary newspaper.”
Seo Woon-pil was merely the head of a literary magazine and held no official title or position in politics.
However, compared to his political influence, Park Chang-woon was actually just a retired has-been.
Seo Woon-pil’s authority was comparable to that of Gu Hak-jun.
While Gu Hak-jun’s political influence was like a subtle floral fragrance that earned people’s respect through virtue and gentleness, Seo Woon-pil’s was a bit stickier and darker.
So, really, they had no choice.
“Heh, it’s been a while, Chairman~nim.”