In This Life, I Want an Oscar, Not a Husband - Chapter 57

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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This life, I choose The Oscars over a husband.
Chapter 57

* * *

Park Chang-sung felt an odd sensation watching Park Seo-woo leave, saying he’d go buy more alcohol.

“If I become a good director before I turn thirty, then no one will be diminished, right?”

For some reason, that youthful boast didn’t sound like mere childish prattle.
“Director, are you being too careful with yourself today?”
That was when it happened.
Do Eun-hee sat down beside Park Chang-sung.
She opened a fresh beer can and handed it to him.
“Actress Do Eun-hee, shouldn’t you be taking care of yourself? Our film is about to start shooting soon.
(Film production begins)
Isn’t it?”
“I’m taking care of myself. ‘Sun-young’ is a character who lost her husband and just kept drinking and eating ramen. That’s character work.”
Had she thought that far ahead?
Typical Do Eun-hee.
As if reading his expression, Do Eun-hee nudged Park Chang-sung’s shoulder with her own.
“What do you take me for, Director?”
“It feels strange hearing ‘Director’ from you, senior.”
Do Eun-hee laughed at Park Chang-sung’s words.
They had been Film Department classmates, once addressing each other as senior and junior.
“It’s quite moving. The guy who used to wear burlap sacks everywhere is now a director.”
“Is that so? I always thought you’d do well from way back.”
Park Chang-sung furrowed his brow at Do Eun-hee’s words.
“What made you think that?”
“Every project you filmed was always good.”
“Senior Do has always had a good eye for people, haven’t you?”
In fact, most of the people Do Eun-hee had marked as promising had become successful directors and actors.
“So, in this film too—do you see anyone who looks like they’ll make it, and anyone who won’t?”
“I see three people.”
Do Eun-hee looked toward Park Chang-sung.
Without realizing it, Park Chang-sung found himself thinking of Ha Eun-rae, the one Park Seo-woo had filmed.
Park Chang-sung had once photographed Do Eun-hee in that exact way too.
“Who?”
Do Eun-hee let out a soft laugh as she looked at Park Chang-sung’s face.
“Five hundred won if you’re curious.”
“Ah, noona….”
The old honorific slipped out of Park Chang-sung’s mouth before he could stop himself, and he glanced around nervously.
But Do Eun-hee simply shrugged her shoulders indifferently and answered.
“Ha Eun-rae.”
That was naturally a name Park Chang-sung had anticipated.
“Go Heung-jae.”
This was also someone he’d expected to some degree.
“Kang Ye-ji.”
But the last name was unexpected. She was the newcomer who had even stumbled over her lines during today’s reading.
“Kang Ye-ji?”
At Park Chang-sung’s question, Do Eun-hee looked up at him.
Caught in that characteristic, charismatic gaze of hers, Park Chang-sung found himself drawn in without realizing it.
“That girl has the fundamentals. And above all, she’s hungry for it. Those kinds of people grow. They always do. But how far that potential will take her—that’s something we’ll have to wait and see.”
As Park Chang-sung watched Do Eun-hee’s profile, he found himself overlaying it with the profile of Do Eun-hee he had captured in his camera long ago.
Then and now, Do Eun-hee was beautiful.

* * *

The day of my meeting with Seo Eun-sul.
I looked up at the apartment complex located in Mapo.
‘Seo Eun-sul’s studio.’
In my hands were melons and mangoes that Seo Eun-sul supposedly loved.
Of course, I wasn’t trying to win Seo Eun-sul’s heart with mere melons and mangoes.
The professional world is cold, after all.
This was merely basic courtesy, and the real way to win Seo Eun-sul’s heart was by proving that ‘I am the right person for Seo Eun-sul’s drama.’
And so—

[‘Screenwriter Seo Eun-sul’ — Search dramas written between XXXX and XXXX?]

I used my search right.
I had racked my brain to avoid making any mistakes.
First, I set the range clearly to this year and next year, and searched using ‘writing’ instead of ‘production start’ as the filter.
I couldn’t risk having already-cast projects appear in the search results.
Fortunately, the scripts written by Seo Eun-sul for this year and next year narrowed down to exactly three.

Purgatory Season 1
Purgatory Season 2

And….

Loving

‘…!’
Was that the work currently being written?
I gazed at the viewership ratings displayed beneath Loving.

Episode
Viewership Rating
Episode 15
22.4%
Episode 16
24.8%
1)
1) Achieving the highest viewership rating of XXXX, it revived the terrestrial broadcasting drama that was dying, earning Seo Eun-sul the praise of being “truly exceptional.” However… see the controversy category below

The reason a “however” is attached despite the outstanding viewership ratings.
I already know without even looking!
What is it, you ask?

8. Controversies and Incidents

-The production became a hot topic due to staff abuse-of-power allegations. On the very day of the final episode’s broadcast, staff members claimed the PD had habitually engaged in verbal abuse and violence, releasing recordings and video evidence. However, since the recordings and videos were not admitted in court, the industry speculated that the evidence submitted by the staff may have been fabricated. Nevertheless, having already become a major scandal, the PD became a somewhat unfortunate victim of public disdain.

-Another misfortune was the drunk driving accident involving Shin Jung-ui, who played the female lead. After the series ended, Shin Jung-ui caused a three-vehicle collision while driving under the influence in the middle of Gangnam-daero, leading to her retirement from the entertainment industry—a historic scandal. (Shouldn’t we be performing a gut exorcism at this point?)

-The final calamity: Seo Ho-jun, who played the male lead, was revealed to have used drugs and was actually imprisoned! With this, Loving achieved the triple crown of misfortune—becoming Seo Eun-sul’s greatest terrestrial broadcasting hit and simultaneously her greatest scandal, forever immortalized in infamy.

This drama is plagued by one misfortune after another.
But at the same time—
“Hello, Writer. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
it was a drama I couldn’t afford to miss.
I smiled brightly as I looked at Seo Eun-sul, her disheveled hair tied back tightly.
Seo Eun-sul.
A brilliant writer who had never experienced a single failure.
A writer who would soon collaborate with Hollywood actors on global dramas.
A writer who would create a terrestrial broadcasting drama for my filmography.
“Come in, come in. Oh my, you shouldn’t have brought anything.”
If this was a work I couldn’t possibly let slip away, then in this life, I would absolutely transform every misfortune surrounding this drama into an opportunity!
With that resolve, I gazed at the whiteboard positioned in one corner of Seo Eun-sul’s studio.
The whiteboard displayed photographs of several male actors, including Seo Ho-jun, as she seemed to be deliberating over the male lead casting.
Among them, I could also see a photo of Go Heung-jae.
As for the second misfortune, Seo Ho-jun—I would absolutely resolve that myself.

* * *

The moment I entered, Seo Eun-sul quickly moved the whiteboard aside and smiled at me.
“Originally, actress Do Eun-hee was supposed to come too, but it seems she drank quite a bit the night before. You’re not uncomfortable with it being just the two of us, are you?”
“Uncomfortable? Not at all.”
I waved my hand dismissively.
I was extremely uncomfortable.
A one-on-one meeting with Seo Eun-sul!
Seo Eun-sul handed me a cup of coffee and sat down across from me.
Then she rested her chin on the desk and stared intently at my face.
What… what is this?
I hadn’t even taken a sip of coffee when I found myself smiling awkwardly at Seo Eun-sul.
“You’re beautiful in person too.”
Seo Eun-sul smiled softly.
“Thank you, Writer.”
“You see, among actors, some look terrible in person, some look pretty in person, and some are genuinely beautiful in person. But I think the second type is actually the best for actors.”
I understood what she meant.
Among actors, there are those who simply don’t photograph well.
People whose natural beauty doesn’t even show half as well once the camera is turned on them.
Their actual faces are lead-role material, yet on camera they look like supporting characters.
Conversely, there are actors whose real appearance is unremarkable, but the moment a camera is pointed at them, they gain presence.
People who somehow project more through the camera than what they actually possess.
‘This type is naturally born to be an actor.’
But in cases like this—
“When the screen captures you better than reality, you start getting cocky. More comes across than what you actually possess as an actor.”
It’s easy to fall into that trap.
I detected profound insight in Seo Eun-sul’s words—someone who had observed countless actors over many years.
Experience truly cannot be ignored.
“But you’re right in the middle, which is good. Both your effort and natural talent are well-balanced.”
“Thank you for seeing it that way.”
“Do Eun-hee mentioned that Purgatory is getting a Season 2?”
“Oh, no. You’re doing Season 2? Congratulations!”
I offered my congratulations while playing dumb as best I could.
Why would I broadcast to the whole neighborhood that I’d regressed?
“I’m really looking forward to it.”
“You should be. Ryun will have a much bigger role in Season 2, right?”
“Ryun?”
I deliberately widened my eyes in feigned surprise.
Hah, I’ve been working so much lately that I’m actually getting decent at acting.
“You really didn’t know? Ryun’s popularity is huge. The production company even asked to make sure Ryun gets a bigger part. The script work should start soon, and we’re looking at a shoot in about two years. Will you have time?”
“Time?”
Why would you ask a rookie actor about their schedule two years out? Like she’d have her life planned that far ahead.
“Of course I will! Even if I don’t, I’ll make it work!”
At my words, Seo Eun-sul went blank for a moment, then burst into laughter.
“Ah… you really are.”
“Yes? What is it?”
“Do Eun-hee said you look like a sharp-clawed cat, but you’re actually cute.”
“…Oh.”
Cute? Me?
I don’t think I’ve ever heard that in my past life.
Though lately I’ve been seeing posts like this regularly on the secondary SNS account Kang Ye-reum set up for me.

– She must be insane, our girl’s heading somewhere with her schedule. So damn cute
– I wish she’d film a few more Cassette Tape commercials. Did everyone see the B-cuts that dropped on BelStar?
└ Obviously. Watched them again and again, the data’s practically deteriorating now.
└ When are more of these gorgeous pictorials coming out?
└ Isn’t holding that tape just the cutest thing? Seriously looks like a cat in boots.

…Well, those are just fans, after all.
I figured they’d see the good in anything.
Come to think of it, everyone was buzzing about the Busan International Film Festival preview coming up soon.

– Looking for someone to go to the preview with.

Seeing my fans come to the preview screening filled me with indescribable emotion.
This time, I definitely need to practice my autograph before I go.
“Is this level of cuteness good enough?”
“Huh?”
Seo Eun-sul grinned and thrust a book in front of me.

‘Loving – I’m Selling My First Love (Working Title)’

…What? I’m getting the script this quickly?

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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