MTLNOVEL Chapter 3
Chapter 3
3. First Day 1
December 12, 2019.
Today.
Yujin will keep making mistakes in front of Writer Lee Jiyeon and get kicked out of her role.
And Miso, Yujin’s only family, will die in a gas explosion today.
At the same time, people will find out that Miso, known as her niece, is actually her daughter.
Yujin had adopted her after her sister died, but the public will gossip and say that Miso was Yujin’s child from a mistake she made.
This will be the worst day of Yujin’s life.
‘But this time, it will be different.’
Before those terrible things happen, I quickly take off my coat and cover Yujin’s head with it.
She keeps making mistakes because of the freezing cold.
Flutter.
With the coat covering her, Yujin looks like someone wearing a traditional Korean veil in an old drama.
“Wait here for a moment. I’ll get a blanket and coffee.”
“It’s okay, oppa.”
Yujin tries to give my coat back.
“Actors should only think about acting. If you make mistakes because of the cold, that’s even worse for everyone.”
“But…”
“It’s fine. I don’t get cold easily. Just stay like this until I bring a blanket and a hot pack, okay?”
Leaving the worried Yujin behind, I ran toward the staff’s supply table.
I grab a knee blanket and a hot pack from the pile of supplies.
At the same time, I think about how to save Miso.
“I just need to call the kindergarten and ask them to keep her until evening.”
If I remember correctly, Miso is at her kindergarten’s early Christmas party right now.
So, after Yujin’s shoot, we can go pick her up from there.
Today, Miso…
She will go home and die in the gas explosion.
“If she doesn’t go home, she’ll be safe.”
After picking her up from kindergarten, I’ll also call 911 to report the gas leak.
Since I know what’s going to happen, it’s not that hard to come up with a solution.
Hoo…
Finally, a long sigh of relief escapes from me.
A 36-year-old’s experience and a 26-year-old’s strong body.
With both of these together, there’s nothing I can’t do if I put my mind to it.
“Yes, I can stop it. I can stop it.”
I talk to myself while looking for a cup to carry the warm coffee.
Then, I see an unused thermos bottle under the table.
“I’ll pour the coffee into this.”
I use my past barista skills to make a perfect cup of coffee.
I pour one cup into a paper cup so it can cool a little on the way.
I don’t want Yujin to burn her mouth from drinking too fast.
But then, my phone, which I had put in my pocket earlier, starts vibrating again.
Bzzzz.
“Is it from work?”
I try to remember my boss from this time.
Oh Deok-gu, my team leader.
He looked strict, but he was actually a warm-hearted boss.
But as soon as I take out my phone, I see something unbelievable.
[Everyday V10]
[Would you like to download the backup file (December 12, 2029, PM 12:12)?]
“2029?”
I whisper in shock and quickly look around.
Luckily, no one is near.
I rub my eyes and check the phone screen again.
2029…
That’s the exact day I died.
And the diary app’s version isn’t V1 like now, but V10, the one I used in 2029.
“How… how is this possible?”
For a moment, I am too stunned to think.
Then, as if hypnotized, I slowly press the [YES] button.
Bzzzt.
A short vibration shakes the phone, and messages start appearing one after another.
[Everyday V10]
[Restoring backup file…]
[Automatically saving in the second diary folder.]
[Saving records from December 12, 2019, to December 12, 2029, in the second diary.]
…
[Save complete.]
A new diary tab appears on the screen.
[First Diary: Everyday V1]
[Second Diary: Everyday V10]
My heart starts beating wildly.
“Did it really… get downloaded?”
I wasn’t sure, but it really worked.
Swallowing hard, I tap on the second diary tab.
A fluttering sound, like pages turning, echoes from the phone, and today’s diary entry appears.
[Everyday V10]
[Date: December 12, 2019]
–PM 12:30 Guri Set, Yujin’s first appearance in Episode 21.
–P+M 01:00 Guri Set, Writer Lee Ji-yeon visits.
–PM 01:30 (Report) Guri Set, Yujin makes 23 mistakes. Writer gets angry at her.
–PM 04:20 MBS Open Hall broadcast, Joo Young-in transferred from Namyangju to MBS Open Hall.
…..
–PM 05:30 Kang Dong Kyung Hee University Hospital Funeral Hall. Miso has died.
“What… is this?”
My heart pounds even harder.
Right now…
A diary holding ten years’ worth of records is in my hands.
‘Even my diary came back in time with me!’
Before, my life was so busy that I couldn’t even remember what happened yesterday.
But now, with this diary, I can check everything I forgot.
* * *
Before I came back in time…
I had spent money without limits, but I knew now that it was meaningless.
I had surrounded myself with selfish people, but in the end, that was empty, too.
When I was dying, none of those people came to see me.
Only the seven girls from JeongSilMo, who I hadn’t even taken care of properly, stayed by my side.
Thinking about all of this, I hold my phone tightly and set my new goal for this life.
I will save Miso.
I will make Yujin and the seven girls from JeongSilMo into top stars.
And this time, I will choose people over money.
With a firm decision, I take a deep breath and gather my energy.
“Alright!”
Just then, a man’s voice comes from beside me.
“Did you use up all the hot water?”
When I turned my head, I saw a man shivering as he waited to drink coffee.
“Oh, yes. Go ahead. I’m sorry.”
But… his face looked familiar.
“Are you Assistant Director Kim Sungwoon?”
“You know me?”
“Yes. Didn’t you work as a staff member on Today Again and The Reckless Sister?”
Kim Sungwoon will become an MBS producer next winter. After that, he will keep making hit dramas for the next ten years.
Didn’t he record a 28% rating with Lee Seung-ah’s script?
Anyway, he is excellent at directing, planning, and picking great projects.
And he is also a skilled leader who keeps a drama set running smoothly.
“Haha, those dramas had worse ratings than the national anthem. But you watched them.”
Kim Sungwoon smiled awkwardly.
He tried to play it off, but he looked pleased that I recognized him.
I quickly took out my business card and bowed slightly.
“I’m Jung Yunho from Gulreongsoe Entertainment. Please take good care of Yujin.”
Kim Sungwoon looked at my business card and tilted his head.
“Manager Jung Yunho…? Hm, so you’re not a team leader?”
“Yes. Today is my first day. I dressed formally to help Yujin feel confident.”
Usually, field managers wear hoodies, jeans, and sneakers before they become team leaders.
Since I was wearing a suit, he must have misunderstood.
“I see. No wonder you look young. But I don’t have a business card with me right now. What should I do?”
“It’s okay. I already know your contact information.”
“You know my number?”
“Yes. I’ve memorized all the MBS producers’ and assistant directors’ numbers.”
Kim Sungwoon looked surprised.
“I didn’t think people still memorized phone numbers these days. Now I feel bad…”
At that moment, I realized this was the perfect time to promote Yujin.
“If it’s not too much trouble, may I send you Yujin’s profile?”
Kim Sungwoon looked at me for a moment, then smiled.
“Go ahead. I like supporting hardworking people.”
Of course, he understood I was asking him to keep an eye on her.
After saying goodbye, Kim Sungwoon grabbed three cups of coffee and ran back to the set.
He’s in his second year of work, so he must be really busy.
Meeting Kim Sungwoon as my first staff member after returning…
It felt like my second life was off to a great start.
I saved his number in KakaoTalk and immediately sent him Yujin’s profile.
[Jung Yunho, Manager: Here is Yujin’s profile. Please take a good look at it.]
[Attached file: Jung Yujin Profile (Gulreongsoe Entertainment Official)]
–Age: 23 (Born November 14)
–Nicknames: Cheonho-dong Burger Girl, Burger Queen Pretty Part-timer, Yujini
–Height/Weight: 165 cm / 47 kg
–Works: Morning Has Come (Written by Lee Jiyeon, Role: Lee Seolran)
–Hobbies/Specialties: Cooking, Cross-stitch, Listening to Music, Watching Movies / Cooking
After sending the official profile, I checked the company’s internal profile file as I walked back to Yujin.
I wanted to compare the information to my memories of her.
[Jung Yujin Profile (Gulreongsoe Entertainment Internal Data, Confidential)]
…
Strengths: Sharp facial features, pale skin, stable vocal delivery
Weaknesses: Lacking acting skills and emotional expression
(Trainer Choi Hyunmin’s evaluation: Seems emotionally suppressed, unable to express properly. Better suited for an idol team than an actress.)
–Acting: ★★☆☆☆ (CEO Kang Gamchan: Currently 2.5, Potential 4)
–Singing: ★★☆☆☆ (Vocal trainer: 2 stars)
–Dancing: ★☆☆☆☆ (Dance trainer: 2 stars)
–Variety Skills: ☆☆☆☆☆ (Variety show director: Maximum potential is 1 star)
No major rumors. Never involved in school violence.
Raising her niece Miso after her parents and sister passed away.
Reduce weight to 47 kg (Current: 52.1 kg as of Dec. 11).
Improve acting skills.
The company’s internal data used a 5-star rating system to evaluate Yujin.
But the part about her acting ability caught my attention.
Trainer Choi Hyunmin gave a harsh review, saying she had no potential to be a great actress.
“That’s ridiculous. Who does he think he is?”
I know how good Yujin’s acting will be in the future.
I couldn’t help but scoff at Choi Hyunmin’s judgment.
Besides, he wasn’t someone I needed to work with anyway.
In the future, he never accomplished much as a trainer or actor.
And more importantly, he was part of Director Kim Dogsu’s group from the Seoul Arts College.
That group will end up splitting the company in half three years from now.
After finishing my review of her profile, I quickly returned to Yujin.
“Put this down, cover yourself with this, wear this, and drink this.”
I handed her a cushion, a blanket, earmuffs, and a warm coffee.
Yujin’s face lit up.
She wrapped herself in the blanket, put on the earmuffs, and sipped the coffee as I instructed.
Slurp.
“Oh? What’s this? Oppa, what kind of coffee is this? It’s so good!”
“McX.”
“McX? You mean that famous yellow-brand instant coffee everyone drinks?”
“You got it.”
“How did McX coffee taste this good? No way!”
“It’s possible. If you get the water ratio just right, it tastes great.”
Before returning, I was called Barista Jung and Jung Café on set.
Seems like my coffee-making skills haven’t changed.
As the warm coffee entered her body, Yujin relaxed and gave me a big thumbs-up.
Her expression showed she was feeling better in the cold.
“Oppa, your coffee is amazing! I feel wide awake!”
That’s just the caffeine kicking in.
Still, I appreciated how happy she was over something so simple.
[Everyday V10]
[Date: December 12, 2019]
–1:30 PM Guri Set, Jung Yujin, 23 NGs. Got scolded badly by the writer.
–5:30 PM Kang Dong Kyung Hee University Hospital Funeral Hall. Miso passed away.
The schedule recorded in Everyday V10 still amazed me.
But I didn’t have time to be lost in thought.
I needed to make sure Miso didn’t go home where the accident would happen.
“Hey, Yujin.”
“Yes?”
“How about we take Miso to the broadcasting station today?”
Yujin, who was drinking her coffee, widened her eyes.
“Can we do that?”
I nodded.
“Yes. Call them now.”
“Yes! Awesome!”
Excited, Yujin quickly pulled out her phone.
Ringing…
–”The customer you are calling is not available…”
Ringing…
–”The customer you are calling is not available…”
‘Why aren’t they answering?’
Even after calling four times, the kindergarten director wasn’t picking up.