Producer with no Regrets - Chapter 344



Only Noblemtl

Episode 344

“Oh, what’s wrong!”

“Because the age difference is the smallest.”

“We decided to assume we’re the same age!”

“What, I don’t know. And you asked the wrong question to begin with. If you’re going to ask such a question, you should have chosen the right target.”

“to?”

“It’s because of the word ‘marriage’. You guys are the ones who are anxious about showing off, so how could you possibly imagine such a future?”

“Don’t treat me like a child!”

“It’s annoying that I don’t even have a credit card.”

“I’ll make it as soon as I get to Korea!”

Rika looked around, pondering, then spoke in a voice that was slightly lower than before.

“Then, Yeon… … .”

“Let me ask you the opposite.”

Seongpil cut off her question.

“We always talk about potential grooms among ourselves. Men in their 30s… … .”

“It’s bitter… … .”

“Honestly, among the male employees at Garo Enter, who would be the most suitable candidate for a groom?”

Rika answered without hesitation, just like Seongpil.

“It’s Director Han!”

“why?”

“There are countless reasons!”

A silence arose for which no one knew the reason.

The two stared at each other in silence.

5 seconds, or 1 minute.

There was no way to tell the time.

Then, as if they had suddenly been fooled, they both burst into laughter at the same time.

“Because Teacher Seol-ha is kind and pretty! I understand!”

“Director Han is an amazing and wonderful person.”

The two spent the next thirty minutes praising Baek Seol-ha and Hangu-in.

It was like the process of resealing a box that had been opened unintentionally. The two of them were trying to close the box somehow while holding their heads together in a drunken state.

After 30 minutes, the two were again exchanging meaningless jokes.

It was as if he was trying to turn all the conversations he had previously had into jokes, and he kept decorating the conversation with ridiculous stories that made people laugh.

It was meaningless, but as conversations with friends often are, it was fun.

* * *

Rika couldn’t enjoy her tour of Edinburgh very much because the whiskey she had yesterday was still stuck in her throat and was preventing her from concentrating.

“Yes, this is indeed a city of festivals and castles… … .”

“If you’re tired, do you have to go sightseeing instead of resting?”

“Just going back would be a loss in life, ugh… … .”

Eventually, Rika had to return to her accommodations.

Waking up early in the morning was not worth it, and she snorted on the sofa until her flight home approached.

Seongpil nursed her with utmost sincerity while she lay down.

By making food or drinks that help relieve hangovers, or mostly by being conversation partners.

“Look at this. The teaser trailer for the comeback of Kaius is out.”

“I’ve heard that ten times… … .”

“No, I told you the teaser image is really emotional. The picture moves. It’s like pop art. Look at Erica in particular. She’s standing in the forest, but if you look closely, the hem of her skirt is waving a little bit.”

“I know Eri-chan is pretty, so please stop!”

“I really want to steal the KS Entertainment visual team staff. Should I learn art design too?”

“… … .”

Rika suddenly became silent.

Seongpil was worried that he had gone too far. He really didn’t mean to upset Rika.

‘I was just saying this because I was bored and wanted to say something… … .’

Seongpil became a living podcaster and worked hard to explain his interests, but he received such a cold response.

“Rika, are you mad? Okay. I won’t talk about Caius anymore.”

“That’s not it… … .”

Rika put her hand on her forehead and looked out the window. It seemed as if she was looking not at the scenery but at the past.

“Eri-chan and I were close when we were trainees.”

“Yeah, I’ve said that often.”

It is said that Rika and Erika became close quickly because they both had one thing in common: they were both Japanese.

In particular, it seems that Erica took good care of Rika. So Rika followed Erica as if she were her own older sister.

“But after I left the company, all contact with him suddenly stopped. He didn’t even send me a text message unless I contacted him first.”

“You must be busy with your idol activities.”

“That’s… … I keep in touch with Teacher Seol-ha often… … .”

It was a very strange thing, Rika thought.

I don’t get that usual text from the person I met face to face every day and became close with.

However, he often updates Baek Seol-ha on his recent activities as if to show off their friendship.

“Did I do something wrong… … .”

“No way. It wasn’t like there was a huge fuss in the practice room, with people kissing on the cheek.”

“… … Hmm.”

Rika turned her back to Seongpil and lay down, not wanting to show her sadness.

“It’s not because of you, there must be some reason… … .”

Suddenly, the conversation was cut off.

Because it reminded me of what happened in France.

Seongpil, who caught Erica smoking, made some kind of deal with her.

‘A request to be friends with Seol-ha… … .’

And Erica asked Sungpil to be her friend.

‘Wait a minute. Erica contacts me sometimes too.’

Erica sends Sungpil short text messages on every holiday or anniversary.

Just this year during Chuseok… … .

[Have a bountiful Chuseok!]

[(Captured Line Friends emoticon)]

[For a friend, we don’t keep in touch often ^^….]

[← I tried to follow Director Jeong Ho-hwan’s writing style. What do you think? ᄒᄒ…?]

[No immediate reply]

[Business Tomo by any chance?]

[Hidoi ㅜㅜ….]

Seongpil sent him a convenience store gift card worth 30,000 won as a holiday gift.

It’s like giving your cousin some pocket money.

After exchanging messages like that a few times, we hung up again. And then, on another anniversary or holiday, I’d get a call from a ghost again.

‘This happens to me too, but you haven’t even texted Rika once?’

And do you keep in touch with Snow White often?

‘No, I appreciate it, but… … .’

It felt like the old Snow White was caught up in the Garo Enter.

Her world was all about the horizontal enter, so she thought what happened there and within the group was everything in the world.

So, Seongpil wanted Baekseolha to make friends who would be a point of connection with the outside world, that is, someone who could access news from the outside world.

It would have been perfect if the opponent had been Erica of Caius.

‘Yes, I appreciate it. Erica-san is very sincere in listening to my request.’

No, it’s not so much that I did you a favor, but that we really became friends.

Otherwise, Erica would seem like a very calculating person.

‘And I am being uncooperative in my dealings with Ms. Erica… … .’

Assuming that all of this is done through exchange, there is no reason why Erica doesn’t contact Rika…

‘Nothing to exchange?’

“Sir, the radio has stopped!”

“……ah.”

Seongpil shook off the imagination that he thought was absurd.

Is it because Erica and Rika no longer have a relationship because they have nothing to exchange?

‘A passing dog would laugh.’

Where in the world can you find such a person?

It’s just a normal human relationship.

There are people who are close to you and people who are close to you even though they are far away. There is a person who is right for each person.

‘I feel sorry for Rika, but Erika and Seol-ha had personalities that suited each other well. Rika and I… were like classmates when we were students.’

It seems like Rika still has feelings for Erica, but their relationships are usually close and then distant.

“Let’s see, what should I tell you next? Ah, Caius… … .”

“Now that’s enough for Caius!”

“Then should I tell you about the first generation of idol seniors? They were really sensational back then.”

“It’s not too bad!”

As it was time to leave, Sungpil came out of Rika’s room and spoke through the door as if urging her.

“Rika, you have to come out in 30 minutes!”

“Don’t worry!”

While waiting at the door, Seongpil felt uneasy for some unknown reason.

Eventually, he couldn’t stand it anymore and contacted Erica first.

I will be friends with Snow White.

Instead, be my friend.

If Erica had perceived it as a thorough exchange… … .

[I enjoyed the comeback teaser photos! They’re so pretty… … .]

While he was speaking formally, a smell that reminded him of the past wafted into Seongpil’s nose.

It wasn’t a real smell.

Seongpil’s memories are just being created at will.

The romantic French night and the gray smoke coming out of Erica’s mouth next to him dominated Sungpil’s senses.

‘Tomodachi (friend).’

Erica, who was sticking out her fist… … .

Seongpil hit his forehead with his cell phone.

‘Idols are something that when you see them in person, all illusions disappear.’

No, the impact of the cigarette was just too great.

Seongpil imagined what it would have been like if Erica had really been his friend, and sent her a text message.

[When are you coming back?]

[A teaser image was uploaded lol]

It was a question I would never have sent if we had a distant relationship. It was because it meant to ask for confidential information.

However, Seongpil decided to consider Erica as a friend. So he sent a text message to a friend in the IT industry asking about the company’s new products.

A reply came about 3 minutes later.

[It’s been a while, but it’s cold ㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜ]

[Want to know?]

[that…….]

Another three minutes passed since then.

[Read and ignore true story?]

[Aren’t you curious?]

[that…….]

Seongpil wrote down his answer while smiling brightly.

[Are you going to tell me?]

After a while, the answer came back.

[No way]

Naisho (secret).

“… … Then that’s right.”

There is no way they would disclose confidential information so casually.

Seongpil didn’t expect it and didn’t ask.

Seongpil’s fingers, which were about to type ‘hidoi ㅜㅜ’, stopped.

‘Hmm? But isn’t the grammar wrong?’

There are two representative words that mean secrets that you can learn from Rika.

These are ‘Himitsu’ and ‘Naisho’.

‘I think himitsu means a secret in a normal sense, and naisho means a secret between two people… … in a relationship.’

The moment I thought I should ask Rika when she came out.

[8 days later.]

[You know it’s not true, right?]

The answer came back as if Seongpil had read his mind.

Seongpil looked at it as if he had been hit, then laughed lightly as if he was joking with Rika.

‘You seem like real friends.’

Seongpil answered right away.

[Seongpil: I will report Director Jeong Ho-hwan for leaking confidential information.]

[Erika: Sonna (like that)!]

“Oh my! I gained 0.1kg!”

As soon as Rika’s scream was heard through the door, Seongpil laughed as if he was going to suck all the air out of his lungs.

“Ah! It’s bad to laugh at other people’s misfortune!”

“So-and-so, so-and-so hahahaha!”

“Aren’t you laughing too hard?! I told you that the idol in charge gained weight!”

* * *

“Director Park.”

On the plane to Germany.

Jo Jeong-hoon, sitting next to Seong-pil, created a heavy atmosphere as if he had something important to say.

With his delicately folded arms, anyone who saw him would mistake him for Oppenheimer, who was on the verge of developing the atomic bomb.

“Yes, Director.”

“No matter how much I think about it, it’s a bit much for you not to drink with us in England.”

“That story again?”

Jo Jeong-hoon seemed quite upset that Seong-pil did not attend the dinner and only drank with Rika.

“I told you Rika used her own money (Sungpil’s card, she’ll pay it back when she gets paid) to buy alcohol, so why didn’t you drink it?”

“I know that… … . In reality, aren’t our team and Garo Enter one? I wish Rika and I had joined later. It was really fun.”

“I will definitely participate in Germany… … .”

“Our team missed Director Park so much that we spent an hour writing a three-line poem in Park Sung-pil’s name.”

“What did you do in someone else’s name?!”

Jo Jeong-hun introduced the winning piece of the Park Seong-pil Three-Line Poetry Contest. It was so creative that Seong-pil was surprised.

By the way, the winner was Lee Yu-i.

It is said that while going shopping with Rika, she met up with Jo Jeong-hoon’s team along the way.

“By the way, you work on a tablet?”

Jo Jung-hoon didn’t rest from the moment he got on the plane. He edited the video nonstop on his tablet.

Seongpil also had some experience in video production programs, having produced fan videos for Kaius.

‘That’s an unbelievable skill level.’

Every time Jo Jeong-hoon’s fingers moved here and there, the video changed again and again.

He wasn’t a pro for nothing.

“Oh, this isn’t work, I’m just drawing a rough sketch. I can’t do it well in my head.”

“The sketch… …? The quality is too high?”

“Well, it’s a bit difficult to produce Padron results. You have to have a dedicated monitor and equipment to handle it properly.”

Seongpil continued to watch his work, hoping to get some video editing tips.

But looking around didn’t help.

‘I’m having a hard time working with the mouse, my hands shaking. That alone is hard.’

Jo Jung-hoon seemed to be one with the tablet. No, he was a magician. Every time he moved his fingers, magic happened.

“Should I buy an Apple too?”

“Yes? Why?”

“Just because it’s cool?”

“It doesn’t really have much merit for the average person. Only people in the arts find it useful. I also have a separate window at home. Um… … .”

Jo Jeong-hun focused on the tablet.

“I definitely feel better after hearing Yui-san give me advice.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Lee Yui is in charge of the visual part of the Girls’ League.

She came along on this journey to supervise the visuals of the VCR footage, and she played a big role from the beginning.

“At first, I was annoyed… … No, not annoyed. I was a bit annoyed when you directed me.”

Because Lee Yu-i completely changed direction from the original script.

This was the reason why the filming time was long.

The VCR video of Rica planned by Garo Enter and Jo Jeong-hoon was overflowing with tragedy.

It was filled with the agony and passion of the nobles on the eve of the Glorious Revolution, and their enthusiasm for the revolution.

The reason I saw it was because I evaluated the result negatively.

‘I think it’s too much… … .’

Seongpil and Jo Jeonghoon also knew that it was excessive.

However, they thought that a little bit of cringe was just right for idol concert VCR footage.

Since it is for the fans, it is not excessively emotional. Rather, it is better to increase the things to see and capture the emotions deeply.

Many idols were like that.

“But looking back, the plain side is much better.”

I played the video edited by Jo Jeong-hun all the way through.

The long shot of Rika’s back as she sits at a round table with nobles gradually gets closer.

As the angle approaches, we see wheat fields being trampled by soldiers, enemy troops marching, and people groaning under the tyranny of the king.

As the climax approaches, Rika suddenly stands up, picks up her sword, and turns towards the camera from an angle that is noticeably closer than before.

Finally, we get a close-up of Rika’s burning eyes as she steps forward to lead the revolution.

“How are you, Director Park?”

“Well, I’m not sure. I think Yui-san’s direction is also good.”

“Don’t think about my face.”

“… … I think it’s better than the original script.”

“It would be easier if you said it like that.”

Jo Jeong-hoon turned off the tablet with a satisfied smile.

“I really want to avoid making two final drafts and then sighing that my piece wasn’t chosen. That would just lead to unnecessary expectations.”

Seongpil doesn’t know what to say.

It took several days to write the storyboard. But when it was actually filmed, the young Lee Yu-i said it wasn’t very good.

Moreover, when I did as she said, the results turned out even better.

Perhaps Jo Jeong-hoon is very heartbroken.

“I think searching for concert VCRs as often as I could was actually harmful.”

“yes?”

“I feel like I want to follow the mainstream. Well, Director Park approved my script.”

Jo Jeong-hoon laughed like a mischievous child.

“After all, isn’t it better to be young than stubborn people like us?”

Seongpil saw Lee Yui sleeping with a blindfold on in the backseat.

He is a person who sketches outfits as part of his daily routine even after a night of heavy drinking.

In the end, it seems that he slept until dawn to finish the sketches for the set amount of time, and had no intention of waking up from dreamland.

“Your head is stiff.”

Seongpil hid his trust and pride in Lee Yui. And then he spoke rudely for no reason.

“If a working person is in their early 30s, they are very young. How can you say that already?”

“Director Park, are you in your mid-level position?”

“… … .”

“I’m in the latter half. Well, I’ve lived my life and I can say that age isn’t something you can lie about. Please accept it slowly.”

“I already accepted it.”

Park Seong-pil, 33 years old.

‘You’re already in your mid-30s.’

If I had to say, it is a pretty age, then it is a pretty age.

Seongpil asked himself.

‘Am I living like a flower?’

The answer is.

‘Of course.’

Seongpil blossomed brilliantly.

I feel more alive than at any moment in my life.

Because there is a girls’ league.

And it will continue to bloom even brighter in the future. There is a long way to go with the Girls’ League.

* * *

Arrived in Germany.

Jo Jeong-hoon’s team first headed to their destination to find lodging and look around the filming location.

Seongpil stayed at the airport and waited for Jo Ara to arrive.

‘I will never miss this.’

Seongpil still remembered his bitter failure in the United States.

Jo Ara, who had become lost, cried and hugged Seongpil, who had arrived late.

How scary must it have been for a child whose signature attitude was cold to do that?

‘But Director Han is with us.’

Germany is the home ground of Koreans.

After returning from the United States with Jang Ha-yang, he boarded a plane to Germany.

He had nothing but regrets.

Even though I am in a position to receive money for my work, constantly changing countries is harder than any other hard labor.

‘Coming in now.’

Seongpil joined the line of people waiting to enter the country, waiting with bated breath to see Jo Ara and Han Gu-in.

But something seemed to have gone wrong on the plane, and passengers were slow to disembark.

Seongpil’s concentration was also gradually decreasing. He picked up his cell phone to kill some time.

‘Erika said the comeback was in 8 days and today is… … .’

There are exactly 6 days left.

Pre-orders for the KARA album began yesterday, a week before their comeback.

By the way, Sungpil had bought four copies with his eyes sparkling at the news that it was a regular album.

‘Should they have put it in an article about pre-sales? If it sold a lot, KS Entertainment would have released the information… ‘

Seongpil’s pupils shook rapidly.

“mister!”

At the same time as the shock, Joara’s call was heard.

When I raised my head, Joara was running towards me briskly. Behind her, far away, Hanguin was expressing his fatherly concern, saying, “It’s dangerous to run!”

Of course, Joa did not listen to Hanguin’s words, not to the little girl.

Maybe he didn’t hear it because he was a kid.

“I’m brimming with fighting spirit right now.”

“uh?”

Joara clashed her palms and fists together like a martial artist going into battle.

“I’m going to film this amazing video and amaze my fans. It’s going to be perfect.”

Since Caius will come too, there can be no suitable results.

Sungpil had heard of the Girls’ League’s plan to invite Kaius to the concert. The reason Joara is so motivated to fight is probably because of Kaius.

“Please guide me quickly.”

Joara showed a wonderful, refreshing smile. Unfortunately, Sungpil couldn’t focus on her expression.

His gaze turned downward to the screen of his cell phone.

[Caius’s first full-length album, over 100,000 copies sold on the first day of pre-orders… … ]

‘……how.’

An album priced at over 50,000 won sold over 100,000 won on the first day of pre-orders?

‘Growing up much faster than in my previous life.’