Chapter 45 Script reading

Next day, Ji Hoon wakes up early. He prepares breakfast for the girls and leaves a note for them.

He then goes back to his old home to fetch his mother, who is going to be in the drama too.

"Aigoo Ji Hoon ah! Why did you come so early? I thought the script reading is at evening?" His mother is complaining in the car.

"Mom, we should be the first one to arrive since I've already delayed this for so long."

"No, YOU should be the first one to arrive. Aigoo, I kinda regret accepting this role now, I should be sleeping on my bed now..."

"Well, it's to back off now mom. But aren't you glad we can be in the same drama?"

"Glad? Not at all. What is there to be glad about?"

"That's kinda dissapointing to hear."

"I might be glad if you told me you are getting married or something. By the way, how are the girls? I hope you are treating them well."

"Of course I am, I would like to think I do a good job."

"But there's no limit to this, you should always try to do better."

"I know mom."

"Try some new things too, that's what me and your dad do, so that life wouldn't be boring."

"What kind of new things?"

"Find that out yourself."

...

"Let's go buy some coffee and drinks on the way, for the actors and film crews, as an apology for delaying this for so long."

"On it."

Ji Hoon stops by a coffee shop.

"Oh! Yeon Tae and Cassie! Long time no see!"

"Ah oppa~ you are back!"

"You two buying drinks for the girls?"

"Nae~ we have to shoot for a commercial later, schoolgirl uniform commercial. Wanna see oppa?" (❛◡˂̵ ̑̑✧)

"Nah I'll pass, I gotta go to the film set, maybe next time."

"Oh? Oppa's new drama?"

"Yeah, you can come visit if you want, I'm sure the set would like some girl spirit in it."

"Sure oppa, we will visit when we are free. By the way, what's the plan for our next release?"

"You have two choices, first you can make an album which consists at least eight songs, that's how they usually do it these days. Or you can just prepare for a single, but it must be a high quality one."

"Any difference?"

"Well the first one can guarantee a certain amount of income, eight different kind of songs can suit eight different tastes in music. It will however take some time to record and produce the album."

"What about the other option?"

"The other option, you will release a song once every four or five months, and we will merge them into a mini album at the end of the year. This one is riskier though because with only one song, it's hit or miss. If the song is a hit, then you are gonna have a busy schedule, performing on music shows, all kinds of commercial, variety shows, etc. If the song is a miss then, you might spend four months doing nothing except practicing for the next song, your reputation might take a hit."

"Shouldn't we just pick the first plchoice then?"

"Let me finish. For second option, you need to follow trend, understand what the fans want, and you also require a little bit of luck. Fortunately for you, G0G is now the trend, and because of me, you girls even have fans from overseas. Do you know how many girl groups were formed after your succesful debut? And that goes for female solo singers too, because of Jee Eun and Tay's succesful debut. A lot, but not much survived. So I'm confident that in terms of girl group and female solo singers, our company stands at the top for now. That's why as long as the new song is not trash, there shouldn't be any problem."

"I assume oppa will be the one providing us the new song then?"

"Of course, if you want~"

"Then we choose the seco-"

"Hold on! You shouldn't decide on your own, go back and discuss with your members amd give me the answer later, we are not in a rush."

"Nae oppa~"

"Oh! My orders are here, I gotta go, see you later~"

"Oppa annyeong!"

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After that, Ji Hoon drives to the set. The director is already here, waiting in the meeting room.

"Hello director, I'm Kim Ji Hoon, sorry for all the delay!"

"It's no problem writer-nim, your company actually gave me a chance as this is my first time directing a film."

"Oh, really? Why is that?"

"Maybe because I'm too young, nobody trusted me."

"Well, I'm sure you were picked because of your ability, so I look forward working with you in the upcoming weeks."

"Thank you writer-nim."

"Just call me Ji Hoon."

"Nae Ji Hoon-ssi."

"Erm, just an advice, you are the director here, the most powerful person in the whole set, you should be more confident in yourself,, so that fellow actors are able trust you moving forward."

"Nae, thanks for the advice Ji Hoon-ssi!"

"Seems like this guy still has a long way to go huh..." Ji Hoon thought to himself.

*knock knock

Tae Rim enters the room after knocking.

"Oh Tae Rim noona! Long time no see!"

"Hmm? Didn't expect to see you here so early."

"Hahaha, I woke up early today and I didn't have anything else to do, so I decided to come here early. Here noona, warm coffee, you too director."

"Thanks, by the way, who is that woman over there?" Tae Rim points at the direction of Ji Hoon's mom.

"Oh that's my mom, she will be in this drama as well."

?!

"Y-your mom?"

"Yeah! What's wrong?"

"Please hold this coffee for me." She puts the coffee in Ji Hoon's hand and rushes to his mom.

"Annyeonghaseyo eomeonim!"

"Oh oh annyeonghaseyo! You are...?"

"You can call me Tae Rim, I'm Ji Hoon's good friend! He picked me as the female lead in this drama."

"Oh! You are the one he told me this morning! Nice to meet you Tae Rim ah! Aigoo, you are so pretty!"

"Nono, eomeonim is also very pretty, you are still so young! When did you give birth to Ji Hoon?"

"Oh it was..."

...

Ji Hoon and the director looks at each other, and decide to leave the room quietly. After that, they stand in front of the room like a gatekeeper until all the actors arrive.

...

After basic introductions are made, they start the script reading session, which is weird for Ji Hoon, as this is his first time doing this. He didn't have the chance to do it in his last movie because it was so rushed, so everything is new to him. Luckily, Tae Rim is there to guide him whenever he needed help.

"I liked this whole story but there's just one thing that's been bugging me this whole time." Said Tae Rim.

???

Ji Hoon looks at her with questioning eyes.

"Why do I have to call you ahjussi? You are like five six years younger than me. Did you do this on purpose when you wrote this?" She clenches her teeth while asking him.

"You don't look older than me though. Everyone would believe me if I say you are my little sister."

"Hmm... fine, then I'll compromise myself, just for this drama though." She said so with a smile.

???

"Weird..." Ji Hoon could bever understand how she just changed her attitude completely in just a second.

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