Chapter 59: One Day (1)
In the SBC president’s office, executives at the director level were gathered to discuss how to handle tabloid articles about Jung Yoo-Jin.
"How are we planning to handle this issue?"
When Kim Gab-Soo, the president of SBC, asked with a stern expression, Drama Director Lee Ki-Do glanced around cautiously before responding.
"We're considering replacing her role. There's no need to work with an actress caught up in a controversy, right?"
As Lee Ki-Do spoke cautiously, looking for Kim Gab-Soo’s approval, Jung Sam-Ryong stood up abruptly.
"Mr. Lee! How could you say this all of a sudden without consulting me first?"
"Hey! How dare you raise your voice in front of Mr. Kim?"
But the undeterred Jung Sam-Ryong continued. "We've already discussed and settled this matter in advance, didn’t we? They’ve been handling the situation well. We can’t just do this."
But Lee Ki-Do shook his head.
"Mr. Jung. I understand where you are coming from, but this has grown into a bigger problem than expected. Haven't you seen the reactions on social media? There's an uproar over why we're using such a controversial actress."
Then, the Director of the Culture Division, Woo Ji-Han, stepped in. "Mr. Lee, why don’t we wait a bit and watch the situation? The Human Stories episode is going to be broadcast soon. We did agree to wait until then, right?"
As others started to object, Lee Ki-Do frowned. "Mr. Woo, don't you know we need to start the crank in for Blue Sky right away?"
"What's the problem in delaying it for a day or two? And don’t you think public opinion will change after our documentary airs?"
"Do you really think public opinion will change easily just like that? Do you think those who posted the malicious comments will suddenly start posting supportive ones!?"
Despite Woo Ji-Han's persuasion, Lee Ki-Do was adamant about his stance.
The debate continued for a while without reaching a conclusion.
Finally, Kim Gab-Soo intervened to end the argument. "What did the writer say?"
"She insists on using Jung Yoo-Jin. She says there's no time to cast a new actress."
"And the reaction of the other actors?"
"Ms. Lee Sa-Rang strongly supports Ms. Kim Soll-Ip’s decision. She even threatened to boycott the shoot if we showed a lack of confidence in our cast in the face of such a minor controversy."
"Really? Lee Sa-Rang said that?"
Lee Sa-Rang, a renowned actress with a career spanning over four decades since the age of five, was playing the mother of Twilight in Blue Sky. Her firm stance made Kim Gab-Soo fall into deep contemplation. Although not all actors might agree with her, they couldn't ignore the words of such a sunbae with many years of experience.
The pushback from the writer and actors was significant. Even with viewers calling for a boycott, SBC couldn't make a hasty decision ignoring the sentiments on set. On top of that, Jung Yoo-Jin’s fans were calling for people to show their support by contributing to the viewership ratings.
After weighing the pros and cons cautiously, Kim Gab-Soo came to a decision. "Director Lee, let's delay the crank-in for just a week for now. We made a promise, so we should keep that promise."
"But Mr. Kim!"
Lee Ki-Do protested, but Kim Gab-Soo responded with a frown. "If you're so frustrated, go talk to Ms. Lee Ji-Yeon yourself!"
"I’m sorry? Why Ms. Lee Ji-Yeon and not Ms. Kim Soll-Ip...?"
"Lee Ji-Yeon goes around saying Kim Soll-Ip is her baby. So what do you think will happen? Will she listen to her baby or us? I don't want to be on bad terms with Ms. Lee, so if you insist on your way, then go explain the situation to her yourself!"
Lee Ki-Do was taken aback by Kim Gab-Soo’s harsh tone. Being on Lee Ji-Yeon's bad side could jeopardize Kim Gab-Soo’s position and future projects. After all, the broadcasting station’s earnings depended heavily on star writers like Lee Ji-Yeon.
"And let's reassess the situation after the broadcast of The Human Stories. And Director Lee, you persuade the actors yourself. Act like a director in times like these, okay?"
"M-Mr. Kim."
"That's enough. There’s no need for further discussion. Everyone, you may leave."
With Kim Gab-Soo's dismissal, the meeting concluded.
***
Yoo-Jin finished her appointment at the hospital and wanted to return to the script reading session. However, she was unable to do so as the doctor had advised against it.
Having sought the hospital’s permission, Na Hun-Seok captured all these moments on video with the intention of including them in the upcoming broadcast.
Then, a few days passed.
[Rookie Actress J's Secret Life]
-Miss J's hidden child revealed, this time a son.
-The child's father has been identified! A member of a local gang...
Ju Kang-Yong's articles were becoming more outrageous. However, the increased intensity of these tabloid articles indicated his desperation.
Finally, January 27th arrived—the day when the first part of The Human Stories was to be broadcast. Gu Seong-Cheol and I headed to Kang Gam-Chan's office upon his call.
Knock, knock.
"Come on in."
As we entered, I could see Kang Gam-Chan, Jung Soo-Hyuk, Kang Ji-Yung, and the head of the legal division, Kwak Moo-Hyuk, seated with serious expressions.
Kang Gam-Chan pointed to a chair for us to sit on. As soon as we took a seat, he immediately inquired about Yoo-Jin's well-being.
"Is Yoo-Jin doing alright?"
"Yes, sir. Apart from the minor incident that day, there have been no major issues."
"You've done a great job. It's not easy to keep someone's mental state in check..."
Kang Gam-Chan appeared fatigued, probably due to his concerns about the situation.
"Today's the broadcast day for the documentary, right?"
"It is."
"Let's hope it goes well."
Kang Gam-Chan then turned to Kang Ji-Yung.
"And Director Kang, what about the information Reporter Choi So-Hye prepared?"
"The list and evidence related to the first group of victims have already been handed over to the legal division. And today, we'll provide them with the second group of victims' details. It took some time to persuade them."
Kang Gam-Chan's eyes sparkled.
"If we've drawn the sword, we must cut decisively. Make sure those scoundrels can never pester our celebrities again."
If it weren't for Reporter Choi So-Hye, we would have only succeeded in imposing a fine on Ju Kang Yong's newspaper company. After all, the articles were initially published anonymously with blurred photos.
However, with the list of victims and testimonies Choi So-Hye had prepared, we had sufficient evidence for a lawsuit against Ju Kang-Yong.
"Well, then. Shall we start?"
With Kang Gam-Chan's words, the plan was underway.
***
The landlady brought seafood pajeon[1] and dongdongju[2] to Yoo-Jin's house. The large wooden basket overflowed with steaming hot squid-filled pajeons.
"Miso! Yoo-Jin! Come and take a seat!"
Yoo-Jin and Miso rushed over with their mouths watering. Having been off the phone and internet for a few days, Yoo-Jin's condition had improved.
The landlady's seafood pajeon received enthusiastic thumbs-ups from both Miso and Yoo-Jin.
"Wow!"
"I even brought a bottle of soda for you, Miso."
"Grandma, you're the best!"
The landlady beamed with pride. "Alright. Let's have a drink while watching TV."
"Sure, ma'am!"
They filled their glasses and turned their attention to the TV.
"It's starting."
[SBC The Human Stories – ‘A Day in the Life of a Newbie Actress (Part 1: Under the Sky Without a Mother)’]
The screen was a blurry black and white like an old movie projector. The childhood photos provided by Yoo-Jin appeared on the screen one by one. The photos showed an ordinary single-family house with traditional Korean decorations on one side and laundry hung on a line across the yard.
In the photo, a man in his mid-30s was sitting on the floor repairing a child's bicycle while a woman in her early 30s was smiling brightly as she shook out the wet laundry.
After about ten seconds, the TV screen switched to a photo of a little girl hugging her mother who was doing the laundry. The little girl was the young Yoo-Jin. Though everything on the screen was black and white, only one person in the picture, the young Yoo-Jin hugged by her mother, was colored.
"Mom... Dad..."
Yoo-Jin's voice started to intertwine with sobs as she looked at the photo. The dongdongju and pajeon she had been holding in her hands were long forgotten. Yoo-Jin's eyes couldn't leave the image of her parents on the TV.
Miso quickly ran to the dresser and brought back a box of tissues. She carefully pulled out two sheets and handed them over to Yoo-Jin.
"Mom, here."
"Thank you, Miso."
Yoo-Jin wiped her tears with the tissues Miso handed her and hugged Miso, before refocusing on the TV.
The screen slowly depicted Yoo-Jin's childhood, resembling the turning of pages in a picture book. Each black and white photo showed how loved and happy young Yoo-Jin was. She was always smiling—at her mother, at a puppy, and even at a frog. A girl who was always smiling: that was young Yoo-Jin.
Then, Yoo-Jin's older sister soon appeared. In every photo, Jung Yoo-Mi was holding Yoo-Jin's hand tightly as if she were worried Yoo-Jin might get hurt or lost. Jung Yoo-Mi’s gaze was always on her younger sister, even though she looked only seven or eight years old. It was evident how much Yoo-Jin’s sister adored Yoo-Jin.
"I must have been such a nuisance to her..." Yoo-Jin muttered to herself.
The photos swiftly passed by following the timeline and showed the siblings growing older. Even as Yoo-Jin reached the age to wear a school uniform, the two sisters continued to hold hands and shared smiles.
Time passed, and the photos of Yoo-Mi at a maternity hospital while holding Miso wrapped in a blanket, were shown on the TV. Yoo-Mi looked disheveled as she was taking a rest in bed shortly after giving birth. But at that moment, something changed in the photo. While the background remained black and white, another person became colored—it was Miso wrapped in the blanket.
"It's Miso!" Yoo-Jin pointed at the screen excitedly.
Miso tilted her head curiously with an excited expression. "That's me?"
"Yes. That’s how small you were when you were born, Miso..."
In the photo, the whole family was smiling warmly at baby Miso wrapped in her blanket.
Then suddenly, without realizing it, Miso muttered to herself, “Dad, Mom...”
Looking at the face of her mom, whom she barely remembered now, Miso began to sob. Yoo-Jin quickly embraced her to comfort her.
"It's okay, Miso. It's okay. Mom is here."
"Yes...I’m okay, Mom."
At that moment, the background music began to play.
『When mom goes to pick oysters under the island's shade~』
The song ‘Baby of the Island Home’ filled the room from the speakers with no narrations or subtitles. The quiet and slow melody with heartbreaking lyrics touched everyone's hearts.
I felt overwhelmed for some reason and let out a tear without realizing it. I somehow felt an inexplicable longing for a mother I'd never seen.
As the song neared its end, the screen slowly transitioned into full color.
It was the funeral hall of Yoo-Jin's parents and her sister's family.
The Human Stories was now indicating that Yoo-Jin and Miso's lives had begun together from this point. Time flew by again, and Yoo-Jin's school appeared on the screen. Suddenly, the students at the school's main gate in the photo started to move.
The screen, which had been showing only the photos so far, had now transitioned to videos. The TV showed a brief glimpse of students heading to school, followed by a scene in the staff room.
A pleasant-looking woman in her mid-50s with streaks of white in her short hair was smiling broadly.
"Huh? Mrs. Choi Eun-Hye?"
Yoo-Jin's high school homeroom teacher in grade 12, Choi Eun-Hye, started talking about Yoo-Jin to the camera.
-Yoo-Jin? Haha! I can't believe she became an actress. She was always busy looking into becoming a civil servant. Anyway, everything that guy Ju Kang-Yong wrote is all lies. Everyone in this school knows how kind and caring Yoo-Jin was. Here, take a look at her school record.
Choi Eun-Hye showed the school records and gave an insight into Yoo-Jin as a person. Next, Yoo-Jin's friends appeared on the screen.
-Yoo-Jin, are you watching this right now? Thanks to you, I've become a teacher at a special needs school. You helped me a lot by pushing my wheelchair all the time. Thank you.
-A bully? Pfft. She used to cry at the sound of thunder.
-She couldn't even go to the bathroom alone during night self-study. How could she be a bully? Yoo-Jin, have you been hiding your true power all along?
-Anyway, Yoo-Jin, I'm glad I can see you on TV now! I'll definitely watch the broadcast!
-Yoo-Jin adored Miso like her own daughter. That's why Yoo-Mi unnie always urged her to marry quickly and have her own child. But Yoo-Jin, do you even have a boyfriend now?
Yoo-Jin's face turned red at her friends' teasing remarks.
"Ah, what are they even talking about..."
While there were pleasant stories, her high school friends also shared candid tales. Yoo-Jin's life and relationships were revealed through the footage. Moreover, the owner of the snack bar in front of the girls' high school, the comic book store, and even the convenience store owner confirmed that Yoo-Jin was a kind and caring student.
Then, the screen changed again.
'When was this?'
The date was unknown, but Yoo-Jin was sitting on the couch and practicing her script. She was completely immersed in the script with her hair tied back.
Behind her, Miso was lying on the floor and diligently doing her homework as she bounced her feet in the air. For a long while, Yoo-Jin uttered her lines softly while Miso concentrated on her drawing.
Seemingly bored of waiting, Na Hoon-Seok spoke up first in the video.
『Excuse me, Yoo-Jin. We are here, you know?』
『Oh! It's Mr. Na!』
Both Yoo-Jin and Miso turned their heads with bright smiles on their faces, naturally bringing smiles to the viewers' faces.
And at that moment, the narration began for the first time. Unexpectedly, it was the voice of someone completely unexpected.
1. Korean pancakes ?
2. Traditional Korean liquor ?
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