Chapter 029
When my thoughts reached that point, I became anxious.
On top of that, Lee Kyung-hoon, who had fallen to rock bottom in an instant because of a drunk assault incident, would spend several years reflecting on his actions and seemingly fade from the public's memory, only to attempt a comeback later.
And that happened when he was cast in the very movie that Choi Moon-ho ran away from after committing fraud in 2012.
At the time, Lee Kyung-hoon claimed that he too had been victimized by the fraud committed by Choi Moon-ho, the representative of the film company, and appealed to the public that he was innocent.
However, during the police investigation, it was revealed that he had frequently visited entertainment establishments while making contact with investors.
As a result, Lee Kyung-hoon was completely expelled from the industry.
‘But they're planning to put someone like him in the lead role of this movie? Just where the hell did the connection between Choi Moon-ho and Lee Kyung-hoon begin?!’
I quickly racked my brain.
If Lee Kyung-hoon ended up appearing in this movie just like Choi Moon-ho had entered it as an unexpected variable, this movie would truly face the worst possible situation.
Yes, first, I needed to interrupt the flow of the conversation.
“By the way, I heard Lee Kyung-hoon's appearance fee is enormous. Wouldn't it be a little difficult with our budget?”
At that moment, Choi Moon-ho's brow twisted strangely.
His eyes seemed to say, How dare an accounting employee from the production department object to what the director and producer are saying?
“I didn't know. I didn't realize our Gi-baek was this meddlesome…”
“Ah, I'm sorry.
I spoke without thinking…”
Good.
At least I had managed to interrupt the atmosphere that was beginning to settle on Lee Kyung-hoon, even if only temporarily.
At that moment, Baek Seong-han quickly spoke up as if defending me.
“Ah, that's because Gi-baek is in charge of production accounting, so I guess he's quite concerned about every single part of the budget.
Hahaha.”
“I'm sorry.
The production budget is limited, and if the actors' appearance fees increase, the budgets of other departments will inevitably have to be reduced, so I spoke without realizing it…”
“Anyway, Gi-baek works so hard at everything.
Hahaha.”
As Baek Seong-han defended me once again, Choi Moon-ho raised the corner of his mouth and gave a sly smile.
“Isn't it because our Manager Baek works the kids under him too hard?”
Just as Choi Moon-ho was subtly trying to gaslight him, Director Park Jun-beom, who had been lost in thought for a moment, spoke again.
“Alright, alright, enough.
More importantly, do you really have some connection with Lee Kyung-hoon?”
At Director Park's words, Choi Moon-ho's eyes gleamed wickedly like a hunter watching his prey.
**“If the director simply says he likes him, then I have to create a connection even if one doesn't exist.
Should I arrange a meeting somehow?”**
After the general meeting about the schedule ended, Manager Baek Seong-han gathered everyone from the production department in the small garden set up on the rooftop of the Big Picture building.
“It's pretty rough from the first day, right?
Smokers can come up here to smoke from now on.
Well, even nonsmokers can come out occasionally and get some fresh air.”
**“Oh~ There was a place like this?
It's nice.”**
Cha Seung-jun looked at the city scenery beyond the rooftop and admired it.
However, Choi Seon-hwa, who had looked full of dissatisfaction since the meeting, finally opened her mouth as if she could no longer bear the frustration.
**“About Lee Kyung-hoon.
You really didn't know about him either, Manager?”**
“Keep your voice down.”
“You really didn't know either, right?!”
“Producer Choi suddenly became the main producer, so he must have been overwhelmed with everything.”
**“Does that make sense?
It already seemed like something that had been settled with the representative.
When he discussed it with the representative, you were completely excluded from it.”**
“Enough.
Stop it.
What's the point of talking about something that's already happened?”
Despite Baek Seong-han telling her to stop, Choi Seon-hwa was already too angry to back down.
**“The representative is really being too much.
No, how could he do this?
He decided to replace the producer without even giving you a word of warning, and now there's the issue of casting actors too…
Manager, did you perhaps do something to offend the representative?”**
At Choi Seon-hwa's question about whether he had offended the representative, Baek Seong-han chuckled.
“That's what I'm wondering too.
I don't even know what I did to offend him without realizing it…
Hahaha.”
Baek Seong-han gave a bitter smile and exhaled cigarette smoke toward the empty sky.
Only then did Choi Seon-hwa calm down.
“I'm sorry…
You must have been more hurt than anyone else by what happened…”
“If you understand, that's enough.
And you, manage your expression carefully.
You show your emotions toward Producer Choi too clearly.
Especially in front of the actors, you absolutely can't behave like that.
Understand?”
“Yes…”
Choi Seon-hwa pouted as she answered reluctantly.
“Ah, and Gi-baek, I'll let it slide this time too.
When the director and producer are talking, you shouldn't interrupt like that.
Understand?”
“Huh?
Ah, yes…”
Unlike my answer, my mind was spinning rapidly, trying to figure out how I could return this situation to where it had started.
‘Ah, what should I do…
I can't just blindly oppose Lee Kyung-hoon's casting either…’
Opposing Lee Kyung-hoon's casting with clumsy excuses like his appearance fee being too expensive or his schedule being difficult to adjust, just as I had done earlier, could instead have the opposite effect.
It might cause Choi Moon-ho to mark me as an enemy right from the beginning.
I had to be careful.
‘Ah…
Isn't there some way…’
At that moment, a conversation I had once had with an acquaintance suddenly came to mind.
<Heh, I knew it.
People don't change that easily.
From the moment I heard Lee Kyung-hoon was making a comeback, I had a bad feeling about it.
That guy Lee Kyung-hoon was causing all kinds of trouble even before the drunk assault incident broke out.
I've personally seen Lee Kyung-hoon beat someone up with my own eyes.>
It was sometime in 2012, when Lee Kyung-hoon, who had been reflecting on his actions because of the drunk assault and rape incidents, became involved in Choi Moon-ho's fraud case once again and was completely expelled from the entertainment industry.
At the time, my acquaintance had gone to the hottest club in Gangnam with his coworkers.
He said that Lee Kyung-hoon practically had a daily attendance record in that club's VIP room.
And Lee Kyung-hoon constantly verbally abused and assaulted the club employees.
Whenever a problem occurred, his agency would silence the employees by paying them money.
In fact, at that time, Cha Seung-jun and I were suffering terribly because Choi Moon-ho's fraud had caused us to be labeled as fraudsters ourselves.
We had no room to care about someone like Lee Kyung-hoon, so we had simply let those stories go in one ear and out the other.
‘Ha…
If only mobile phones had good video capabilities back then.
I could have waited at that club where Lee Kyung-hoon practically stamped his attendance card, secretly recorded him, and uploaded it to YouTube or Instagram.
That would have been the end of him…’
