Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All - Chapter 310: Oh Bok-Hee (2)

Oh Bok-Hee was the drama-crazed PD.

Having turned 37 years old this year, she lived and breathed dramas, and was recognized as the top drama PD.

However, her intense focus on drama production often led to clashes with complacent cast members.

For instance, when the lead actor Choi Tae-Woong became complacent and gave a half-hearted performance in her previous work Magic Lamp, she openly scolded him in front of everyone.

Choi Tae-Woong lashed out and said she was being ridiculous for putting so much effort into a mere drama.

This situation escalated when Oh Bok-Hee grabbed Choi Tae-Woong by the collar, sparking a physical fight.

Although the fight ended quickly thanks to bystanders intervening, a humiliated Choi Tae-Woong stormed off the set.

MBS’s President Kim Gyuk-Shik and TK Entertainment’s President Kim Tae-Kwon had to step in to resolve the conflict. Although Choi Tae-Woong eventually returned to the set and filming resumed, the two never reconciled and the production was a tense balancing act until the end.

As a result of this incident, Oh Bok-Hee was placed under disciplinary action.

Although she might seem like a problematic PD at first glance, her actions stemmed from her passion and dedication to drama production.

I needed someone like Oh Bok-Hee who would put her all into Yoo-Jin’s first drama as the lead. Additionally, she was the director of Hwaranjeon in my past life and helped the drama achieve an average viewership rating of 25% despite the copyright lawsuit issue.

Now that the copyright issue has been solved, I was confident we could aim for an even higher viewership rating.

I also had another reason for choosing Oh Bok-Hee.

In my past life, Oh Bok-Hee had stood by Han Woo-Ju who was cornered by the lawsuit, and showed loyalty by enduring criticism alongside her.

High viewership ratings and loyalty were the two reasons I recommended Oh Bok-Hee to Kim Gyuk-Shik.

“Yes, I’d like Mrs. Oh Bok-Hee to take on the role of PD for Hwaranjeon.”

Looking surprised, Kim Gyuk-Shik began to dissuade me. “This isn’t good. It seems like Team Lead Jung doesn’t really know PD Oh’s personality, but she is…”

“I heard she’s currently under suspension for causing trouble because she’s so obsessed with dramas.”

“What? So you’ve heard. But you still want to work with PD Oh even knowing that?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

Kim Gyuk-Shik questioned further, “Even though she hit the lead actor?”

“She must have had a good reason to do so.”

Kim Gyuk-Shik looked at me as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “PD Oh isn’t someone who holds back just because the main lead is a woman!”

I replied straightforwardly, “If Yoo-Jin gets scolded by PD Oh because she doesn’t meet her standards, we’ll gladly accept the feedback as long as it’s justified.”

“For heaven’s sake! Are you confident or just not thinking at all?”

At that moment, Yoo-Jin standing beside me replied even more nonchalantly, “I’ll work hard so I don’t get scolded, Mr. Choi!”

Choi Sang-Byung turned to Lee Ji-Yeon with a frustrated look on his face. “Ms. Lee, aren’t you going to stop this?”

“How many times do I have to tell you? I’m just here as an assistant writer,” Lee Ji-Yeon responded dismissively.

Choi Sang-Byung then turned to Han Woo-Ju. “Ugh. Then what do you think, Writer Han?”

Han Woo-Ju answered confidently, “I fully trust Mr. Jung Yoon-Ho’s judgment!”

“Sigh…Jeez.”

As both sides were at a standoff, Kang Gam-Chan intervened. “Mr. Choi. Since MBS also has someone in mind, why don’t we meet them all first before deciding?”

Choi Sang-Byung nodded. “That sounds like the best approach for now.”

Choi Sang-Byung then instructed Kim Gyuk-Shik, “Let’s start by calling in CP Choi Tae-Joong and PD Yang Hyun-Seop.”

“Yes, sir.”

Kim Gyuk-Shik picked up the phone and called their candidates.

***

While waiting for Choi Tae-Joong and Yang Hyun-Seop, I checked my planner.

[Everyday V10.1]

[Date: December 21, 2021]

-09:50 p.m. On the Edge of the Sword Episode 20 Viewership Rating 8.9%.

‘I see it’s still the same,‘ I thought.

The fusion historical drama On the Edge of the Sword directed by Yang Hyun-Seop in my past life did not reach double-digit viewership ratings even by its 20th episode.

The outcome was disastrous since he had taken on the project just for the sake of buffing his portfolio as he didn’t like or care about historical dramas.

The entry remained unchanged, so my conviction to entrust Hwaranjeon to Oh Bok-Hee only grew stronger.

Soon after, Choi Tae-Joong and Yang Hyun-Seop arrived.

Since Choi Tae-Joong, who was well-versed in historical dramas, led the conversation, it initially seemed promising.

However, as more questions came from writers Han Woo-Ju and Lee Ji-Yeon, Yang Hyun-Seop began to show his lack of knowledge.

After the meeting, the two left the president’s office.

Kim Gyuk-Shik cautiously asked for feedback. “What do you think, Writer Han?”

Han Woo-Ju replied carefully, “Mr. Choi seems knowledgeable about historical dramas, but Mr. Yang doesn’t seem to know them well. He didn’t even recognize ‘Geonmora,’ a Silla word meaning ‘castle,’ despite having read the first episode of the script.”

Kim Gyuk-Shik looked flustered. “Wh-who would know words like that? Silla language, really?”

“That’s why I used mostly mixed Gyeongsang dialect and Joseon-era historical drama speech, leaving out a few Silla words to make it easier for viewers to understand. However, it seemed like Mr. Yang didn’t even understand the hierarchical speech system.”

The hierarchical speech system referred to unique honorifics often used in historical dramas to reflect social status.

As it became evident that Yang Hyun-Seop lacked knowledge about historical dramas, Kim Gyuk-Shik fell silent and backed down.

At the same time, Choi Sang-Byung who had been praising Yang Hyun-Seop also stepped back while clearing his throat awkwardly.

That’s when Kang Gam-Chan subtly joined the conversation. “Mr. Choi. Now that it’s come to this, shouldn’t we at least meet with PD Oh as well?”

Kim Gyuk-Shik reluctantly nodded. “Fine…I’ll call her in.”

Kim Gyuk-Shik made a call. However, a sharp voice could be heard from the other end of the line, causing him to lose his temper.

“Ah, why are you bringing that up now? Just come to the President’s office quickly! What? You can’t come? Hey! You stubborn fool! Don’t you know that Miss Jung Yoo-Jin and Ms. Lee are here to see your glorious face!?”

After hanging up, Kim Gyuk-Shik cleared his throat repeatedly. “That temper of hers…ahem.”

A moment later, the door to the president’s office opened.

“Ugh, why did you call me? Weren’t you the one who told me to get lost? You said that someone like me wasn’t needed in the drama department!”

As soon as Oh Bok-Hee sat down, she grumbled curtly. With her short hair and horn-rimmed glasses, her first impression was more like a writer than a PD.

Oh Bok-Hee greeted us as well. “Hello, I’m Oh Bok-Hee.”

She bowed slightly and spoke to Lee Ji-Yeon with whom she was familiar. “Ms. Lee, it’s been a while. How have you been?”

Lee Ji-Yeon smiled. “Nothing much other than missing you since you never keep in touch.”

Oh Bok-Hee shrugged. “I couldn’t reach out because I didn’t want to bother a star writer like you. Please understand. Anyway, I’m going to quit the company soon.”

Lee Ji-Yeon’s eyes widened. “You’re quitting the company?”

“Yes. I can’t take it anymore. They keep telling me to make everything half-heartedly, but how can you make a drama half-heartedly? I’ll just go independent.”

Shocked by Oh Bok-Hee’s sudden declaration, Kim Gyuk-Shik exclaimed in surprise. “What are you saying now right? They want to entrust you with the directing! Writer Han and Miss Yoo-Jin are here to see you!”

Oh Bok-Hee simply replied nonchalantly. “So what? If another problem arises, you’ll just tell me to leave again. Anyway, I came to give you this. Here, Mr. Choi.”

Oh Bok-Hee handed over a white envelope she had brought with her. Scribbled messily on the envelope were the words “Resignation Letter.”

Choi Sang-Byung looked at the resignation letter in disbelief. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Can’t you see? It’s a resignation letter. I even wrote it out neatly!”

“This is neat writing?”

The sloppy handwriting resembled ancient hieroglyphs.

Oh Bok-Hee’s face turned red as she shouted. “That’s right! I’m terrible at writing! So what!”

Her actions and words were sharp as if she had a lot pent up inside.

Choi Sang-Byung and Kim Gyuk-Shik’s expressions darkened as they felt their dignity was compromised in front of the guests.

‘This isn’t good,‘ I thought.

Sensing the situation taking a strange turn, I quickly intervened in the conversation. “We would really like you to take on Ms. Han’s debut project, Mrs. Oh.”

Oh Bok-Hee turned her head toward me. “So you’re the famous Team Lead Jung, huh? I’m sorry, but I’m planning to quit the company. Please find another director, Mr. Jung. There are plenty of good PDs at MBS besides me.”

Oh Bok-Hee shook her head and showed no hesitation.

I frowned. ‘This is troublesome…‘

I did not recall Oh Bok-Hee being this edgy in my past life.

She was several times more sensitive now than usual probably because she was about to resign.

This was likely the result of MBS’s higher-ups having one-sidedly taken the star actor Choi Tae-Woong’s side and blaming everything on Oh Bok-Hee in the last incident.

In the end, I had no choice but to play a different card. “Then could you at least review Ms. Han’s synopsis and script? We have up to episode three, written collaboratively by Ms. Han, Ms. Lee, and Ms. Kim.”

Han Woo-Ju wrote the first episode of Hwaranjeon. However, the second and third episodes were mostly completed by Lee Ji-Yeon and Kim Soll-Ip based on the synopsis written by Han Woo-Ju.

I mentioned this to tempt Oh Bok-Hee. Given her passion for dramas, there was no way she would refuse a script co-authored by Writers Lee Ji-Yeon and Kim Soll-Ip.

Oh Bok-Hee hesitated and cleared her throat. “Ahem. Fine. Then I’ll just take a quick look. But I’m not doing this because I want to make a drama. You know that, right?”

“Of course. You can just take a look and give us your feedback.”

Fearing she might change her mind, I quickly handed her the tablet.

“You can start with the synopsis and then check out the scripts up to episode three.”

Oh Bok-Hee took the tablet and began reading the script slowly. Her initially sullen face gradually showed signs of interest as she turned the pages.

After quickly finishing the script, she immediately approached Han Woo-Ju sitting on the sofa.

Oh Bok-Hee spoke as if nothing had happened with a bright smile on her face. “Ms. Han, did you really write this? It’s too polished and entertaining for a beginner writer. Oh, wait, you wrote Under the Big Tree, didn’t you? I’m sorry, my bad.”

Han Woo-Ju beamed at the sudden change in Oh Bok-Hee’s attitude. “Mrs. Oh, do you really think my script is good?”

“Yes. Especially how each character is vividly alive, it’s really something… I would really…really like to make… Oh, what am I saying?” Oh Bok-Hee mumbled to herself, tapping her lips and saying it was a slip of the tongue.

I expected this reaction knowing her passion for dramas.

After conversing briefly, Han Woo-Ju nodded firmly. “I would also like Mrs. Oh to direct my work!”

Oh Bok-Hee glanced toward Choi Sang-Byung and said, “I really want to, but I don’t think I can because I’ve been blacklisted by the higher-ups…”

The moment Oh Bok-Hee expressed her desire to make the drama, Choi Sang-Byung and Kim Gyuk-Shik laid out their conditions. “Alright, PD Oh. We’ll lift the suspension immediately, so take charge of directing this drama right away!”

“Alright!”

“But we’ll choose the CP. Is that okay with you?”

Oh Bok-Hee squinted her eyes. “Who are you planning to put in charge?”

“Jin Hyung-Soo!”

Oh Bok-Hee’s face twisted. “But Mr. Jin knows nothing about historical dramas! And historical dramas require a lot of money—why would you put Mr. Jin in charge?”

Jin Hyung-Soo, mostly known for directing daily dramas, was nicknamed the “Cheap CP” within the broadcasting station.

Unlike daily dramas, saving on production costs doesn’t necessarily lead to good results for Wednesday-Thursday dramas.

In my past life, all MBS dramas suffered dismal ratings for a while when Jin Hyung-Soo became the head of the drama department.

However, that was a future only I knew.

‘How do I persuade them?‘ I wondered.

The thought briefly crossed my mind, but I soon shook my head. After all, this wasn’t the only broadcasting station around.

I pondered, ‘If PD Oh goes independent, should I try to persuade another production company to make it?‘

At that moment, proposals for Hwaranjeon started flooding in via KkTalk messages.

‘What perfect timing.’

Now that I had several negotiation cards in hand, there was no need to play along.

Meanwhile, Choi Sang-Byung continued to argue that he could not compromise on keeping Jin Hyung-Soo.

Eventually, Oh Bok-Hee grew tired and raised her hands in surrender. “Fine, then I’ll just give up. I can’t work with Mr. Jin. It’s a shame, but please just accept my resignation.”

Choi Sang-Byung’s face twisted in frustration. “Hey! Are you trying to mess with me? You’re doing this on purpose, right? Aren’t you?”

“I’d rather submit my resignation rather than make a project that will tarnish my name!”

Choi Sang-Byung stared intently at Oh Bok-Hee, then shifted his gaze to me. “Team Lead Jung. If you absolutely have to work with PD Oh, then consider my offer off the table!”

He was telling me to choose between a drama that already had a broadcast slot and Oh Bok-Hee.

The eyes of Kang Gam-Chan, Yoo-Jin, and the writers all turned toward me.

Seeing their trusting gazes filled me with newfound confidence.

‘Alright, time to move on to Plan Bm,‘ I decided.

I immediately handed Choi Sang-Byung the KkTalk messages I received.

“What’s this?” Choi Sang-Byung asked.

“I’d like you to take a look at it, sir.”

With a frown, Choi Sang-Byung began reading the KkTalk messages I had received. “Jung Yoo-Jin’s fee is 107 million won. Total production cost of 20 billion won? What’s this now?”

When Choi Sang-Byung saw the proposal sent by Blue Dragon’s Chief Cha Soo-Yeon, his face started to show signs of bewilderment.

However, that wasn’t the end of the KkTalk messages I received.

“And if you look at the messages from KBC and SBC CPs below that….” I continued.

[KBC CP Yang Joon-Soo: Jung Yoo-Jin’s fee is 105 million won. Same conditions as MBS with a total production cost of 15 billion won. But you know we have our own set, right? Realistically, that saves us 7 billion compared to other stations.]

[SBC CP Jung Sam-Ryong: Team Lead Jung! We’ll definitely pay more for Jung Yoo-Jin’s fee than MBS and KBC! Just come over and let’s talk! The President insists on meeting you!]

Even KBC and SBC were requesting meetings.

Choi Sang-Byung looked back and forth between my phone and my face.

Meeting his gaze directly, I responded. “I wanted to make this work at MBS if possible… but I understand. I’ll consider MBS’s offer as off the table. We’ll take our leave now.”

Just as I lifted myself off the sofa, Choi Sang-Byung shouted urgently. “Team Lead Jung! Wait! Stop! Freeze! I’ll offer 110 million won for the appearance fee! I’ll meet all your conditions on top of that!”

In his desperation, Choi Sang-Byung called out terms that surpassed all the offers I had received.