Chapter 6

**All-Rounder Entertainment Life Almanac 6 (6/280)**

PASSWORD: ********

As soon as I arrived at work, I logged into my company email.

∥I-media∥ Please update the JWN mailing list

∥STAR+∥ Inquiry about the press conference schedule for "The Lions of Friday"

∥Studio Y∥ Sharing the contact information for the entire staff of "Your Home"

∥Studio Y∥ Sharing the casting progress for the drama "Your Home"

∥JWN Channel Marketing∥ Request to confirm the still contract schedule

∥Studio Y∥ (Shared) 1st to 4th episode script second revision *Be cautious of leaks*

∥JWN Media∥ Sharing the minutes of the W1 Media all-hands meeting

‘How many emails are there?’

Over forty emails had piled up overnight.

After nearly a decade, I’ve returned to the first-year broadcasting publicity job, and 24 hours a day feels insufficient.

‘Well… This is my daily life. I just need to adapt quickly.’

As I scanned the titles from top to bottom, my colleague Yoo Hee-jin, who sits next to me, spoke up.

“Chun-ho. When will you give me the draft of the press release to be distributed this afternoon?”

“Ah, you mean the schedule change for 'The Lions of Friday'? Just a moment.”

I immediately opened Word and proofread for typos.

‘Title, names… date, no typos. The still should be the final group poster… ok!’

As soon as I sent the file via messenger, Yoo Hee-jin’s head popped over the partition.

Her expression seemed to say, ‘What’s with you today?’

“How did you finish it so quickly? I thought you’d barely have it done by lunch.”

“I just… made some adjustments to the draft after work yesterday.”

Actually, I wrote it on the subway on my way to work this morning.

‘So, on my phone…’

It takes over an hour to get from home to Sangam, so I work instead of sleeping.

If I just avoid the peak hours, there’s no better place to write articles than the Line 2 subway.

And as soon as I get to the office, I check for typos, and the article is done!

“Since you’re working on a drama… you didn’t just rush it, did you?”

“Of course not.”

After successfully presenting, the task assignments were completed.

My name was officially listed as the main publicity officer for "Your Home."

Of course, that doesn’t mean the work I’ve been doing so far has disappeared.

‘"Your Home" hasn’t even started production yet… Even if it launches as soon as possible, it will take at least three to four months.’

In the meantime, we, Team 1, will have to run around like mad, handling various programs as we always have.

The press release I just gave to Yoo Hee-jin is part of that.

‘There’s no need to be so meticulous.’

Watching Yoo Hee-jin check the draft with her narrow eyes, I reflected on my past self.

‘Typos, awkward phrasing, and no sense in selecting stills… that’s what she used to say, right?’

Before the regression, I must have seemed full of shortcomings to Yoo Hee-jin.

‘I remember struggling for four or five hours over a simple article.’

The article Yoo Hee-jin is reading now is about the schedule change for "The Lions of Friday," a variety show that’s about to have its press conference next week.

It’s essentially just an announcement, so as long as the numbers are correct, there’s no room for error.

“Good job. Keep it up.”

Depending on how you hear it, it sounds like a rebuke: “Why don’t you usually do this?” But for Yoo Hee-jin, this is high praise.

She loves leaving on time and hates additional work. The best way to get along with her is surprisingly simple.

Don’t make her do the same thing twice.

‘It’s obvious, but before the regression, it was so difficult.’

This time, it’s different.

Because I have a trump card.

“Thank you!”

My loud response seemed to please her, and Yoo Hee-jin smiled.

***

I don’t know how the morning passed.

I wrote a few articles, had lunch, and read a few pages of the script revision when it came in.

It was already four o’clock.

‘I’m so tired. Even though this isn’t my first time.’

As soon as I realized it was afternoon, my whole body felt heavy.

After less than a week, my body seemed to be reacting to the office worker’s clock.

‘I’m in my forties, but my body is still in its twenties. I shouldn’t be this tired already.’

I shook my head lightly and rechecked the emails related to "Your Home."

I needed to look at them whenever I had time to jog my memory.

Opening the Excel file sent by Studio Y, I saw the contact information of the confirmed staff members.

Familiar names were interspersed with a few new ones.

I needed to catch every change carefully.

‘This was a hit in the past. If my involvement leads to even greater success, that’s fine, but I can’t let it fail.’

I’m the only one who knows the future of this project.

The burden of knowing something no one else does weighed heavily on my mind.

———————

Planning: Oh Young-seok…

Screenplay: Min Hae-yeon…

Direction: Lee Ho-jin…

Assistant Director: Kwak Seung-yeon…

Cinematography: Ha Seok-hoon…

.

.

Casting Director: Kim Gil-hong

.

.

Channel Marketing: Lee Mi-so

———————

‘The writer and director are the same as in "Share House.”’

Min Hae-yeon was already well-known in the broadcasting industry for this work.

The same goes for Lee Ho-jin PD.

I can’t remember exactly when he left KDS, but…

‘He won the Best New Director award for "Share House.”’

It was a bit unsettling that he came to JWN instead of Webflix.

Since the schedule has been moved up, if things go well, both of them can become well-known to the public much faster.

‘What’s changed is the title… the schedule. And Oh Young-seok CP’s involvement in planning.’

The title of a drama can change at any time, so it’s not a big deal.

Before the regression, it was odd that Oh Young-seok was not involved in the planning of "Share House," but with the change in the broadcasting network, it’s entirely plausible.

‘And…’

‘I joined the project.’

My name was added to this list by none other than the "Entertainment Life Almanac."

If you change the character for "art" (藝) to "love" (愛), it could be a short love advice column that appears in every issue of a monthly magazine without any sense of dissonance.

The existence of the "Entertainment Life Almanac," which appeared with my regression, must be the starting point of all these changes.

The time still floated alone on my phone screen.

It wasn’t the first or the last time the alarm went off.

I pushed my phone into the inner pocket of my jacket, trying not to be distracted by it.

‘Don’t wait too much. It will come when the time is right.’

I shook off my lingering thoughts and decided to check the casting progress this time.

There were many urgent and important tasks to do rather than waiting aimlessly for an alarm that might ring at any moment.

***

Saturday morning.

“Did you go for a run again today?”

After a light jog, I entered the front door, and my mother came out of the bedroom.

“On a Saturday, why are you exercising so much?”

“I’m just trying to take care of myself.”

“On days off, you should sleep in. What’s gotten into you? You’re even doing morning exercise now.”

“Just because.”

One of the resolutions I made after the regression.

To take care of myself while I can.

My physical strength and appearance. Once the time passes, it’s hard to reverse.

‘Especially since appearance is important.’

Not as much as for entertainers, but appearance is a spec for everyone.

Especially for those in the publicity field, regardless of the industry, they pay quite a bit of attention to their appearance.

‘After all, it’s about dealing with people.’

‘Even when dealing with reporters, the first impression is half the battle.’

Being naturally good-looking is the best, but with effort, you can usually surpass the average.

This time, I decided to properly manage my appearance.

“Why are you up so early, Mom? It’s not even seven yet.”

Holding the envelope, I handed it to my mother, who gets up early to prepare breakfast for her grown children, whether it’s a weekday or weekend.

“You need to eat breakfast… What did you buy?”

“Hangover soup. I bought it from the 24-hour potato stew place nearby. Your sister seemed to have had a lot of drinks last night.”

For the past ten years.

My sister, who is part of a small theater group in Daehak-ro called Yeonu (煙雨), has been known to do this often.

‘These days, she mostly teaches, rather than performing on stage…’

Whether she’s an actor, a teacher, or a staff member.

She’s living up to the saying, “Alcohol flows in the veins of theater people.”

‘But since Hae-na was born, she seems to be trying to cut back…’

Is it because the theater business is tough, or because she’s a single mother?

I was worried because she never opened up about her feelings.

“That’s true, but… you could just make it yourself. Why spend money?”

“It’s not much. And who boils hangover soup in the morning? When your sister wakes up, she can have this for breakfast.”

My mother, holding the heavy hangover soup, headed to the kitchen, and I went to my room after finishing my shower.

My sister, who clearly came home in the early hours, and my niece, who was rubbing her sleepy eyes waiting for her mother, would take at least two more hours to wake up.

‘I’m not that hungry… maybe I’ll just read some articles.’

Sitting on the bed, I opened my laptop.

As soon as I opened the browser, the entertainment main page of the portal site filled my laptop screen.

I typed the title of the variety show launching next week into the search bar and hit enter.

‘Let’s see. The article I distributed yesterday…’

After distributing an article, I monitor the portal for a few days, from the day of distribution.

From the number of articles to the comments, the reporting media, and the names of the journalists.

I check everything meticulously.

‘Twenty-two major media outlets. Hee-jin will like this.’

It’s a reality show for an idol group, so more articles were found than usual.

‘That’s why they’re called idols, idols.’

Thinking about it, there was one idol actor in "Your Home."

‘Lee Se-yeon, the youngest member of White Rose, who did the narration for the first episode.’

She wasn’t a great actress, but she received good reviews for perfectly portraying a high school girl who dreamed of being a ballerina.

‘Will she be in this one too?’

Suddenly, the casting list for "Your Home" that I checked in the office yesterday flashed in my mind.

‘…No, she wasn’t there.’

I didn’t see Lee Se-yeon in the expected cast lineup shared by Studio Y.

They said they were just starting to cast the lead actors, so she might be in contact now…

‘But, how old is she now…?’

I typed the actor’s name into the portal’s search bar.

– Middle-aged actress, novelist, member of parliament…

– No search results found.

‘What? Could it be…?’

– Knowledge Encyclopedia: Dry Gin

– A new Vietnamese restaurant…

‘She’s not there! …When did White Rose debut?’

White Rose was a failed three-member female idol group.

I can’t even remember the title of a song they sang, so there’s no way I could remember their debut date.

Honestly, if it weren’t for Lee Se-yeon, I wouldn’t have remembered the group’s name at all.

‘Probably in the next year, or maybe two years.’

I considered the release date of "Share House" on Webflix.

Even if they started production as soon as possible, it would be 1-2 years later.

‘Moreover, the character Lee Se-yeon played was a high school student.’

Where did I see it?

I remember an interview with Lee Ho-jin PD where he said, “When Se-yeon came for the audition, she was wearing her own school uniform.”

She must have been around that age.

‘This time, the schedule has been moved up by at least two years.’

For adult actors, it might not be a big deal, but for young actors under twenty, a year or two is significant.

‘Maybe…’

The casting might change significantly.

And then,

Ding!

The sound I had been waiting for all week rang out.

I quickly picked up my phone.

As I read the message, my fingertips trembled involuntarily.

Last time, it was the article about me taking charge of "Your Home."

‘What is it this time? Another show? A drama? Or a variety show?’

Before the alarm disappeared, I quickly touched [Yes].

Then, unexpected words appeared before my eyes.

“F…o…r…t…u…n…e…?”

A small flower blooming in Yeonu (煙雨)

How did I feel when the alarm first rang?

‘It just said I was taking charge of "Your Home" without any context.’

If it weren’t for Oh Young-seok CP mentioning "Your Home" in the meeting, I would have dismissed it as just another spam ad.

‘Or maybe I wouldn’t have remembered it at all.’

But the drama "Your Home" was real.

After that day, I checked my phone constantly, day and night, whenever I thought of it.

I opened and closed the notes app multiple times.

It took a few days before I could calm down and think, “It will come when the time is right.”

‘But what is this…’

Afraid it might disappear like last time, I didn’t even touch the screen, just reread the message.

‘Hmm…? Something feels off…’

Just in case, I wrote the message on a Post-it note with a Monami pen from my desk.

As I copied it word by word, I realized something.

‘It’s not telling me to meet a benefactor… it’s telling me to become one?’

The sentence felt awkward.

After all, isn’t it usually “Today! You will meet a benefactor!” in fortune-telling or horoscopes?

It was strange.

‘Moreover…’

Look around you…

And show concern for someone close to you.

For someone close, you naturally show some concern, don’t you?

I had no idea who it was referring to.

‘Anyway…’

“Not love, but entertainment…”

I’m not disappointed.

Absolutely not.