MTLNOVEL Chapter 4
Chapter 4
First Day 2
Click.
After five tries, the call finally connected.
My heart almost dropped.
“Director. Yes, this is Miso’s aunt. Actually…”
–”Ah, yes, Miso’s aunt~. Oh, don’t worry. I’ll stay with her until 5 PM. No need to thank me. Hoho. Miso is such a sweet child.”
The director ran a small kindergarten alone, so she had been busy hosting a Christmas party with the kids and couldn’t answer the phone earlier.
But, Yujin.
When will your story end?
Their conversation just kept going with no sign of stopping.
Three minutes later.
I gave her a little signal, thinking this couldn’t go on any longer. Yujin nodded and started wrapping up the call.
“Director, I’ll come by later.”
–”Oh my, when Miso’s aunt comes, the kids will go wild. They’ll say a celebrity is here…”
“A celebrity? No way. I just joined the agency…”
–”Hoho. When you come, let’s have some warm red bean porridge and talk. I really like that actor, Jo Minseong, from your company.”
“Okay~. Let’s talk more then.”
After hanging up, Yujin smacked her lips as if she was still eager to talk.
Was there more to say?
Then what was all that just now?
Anyway, now that Miso wouldn’t be going home alone, she would be safe from the accident.
‘It’s done. Miso is safe now.’
As soon as the shoot was over, I had to go there right away.
I thought of Miso’s bright, cheerful face, and my heart started pounding.
“Miso will be so happy. She’s been dreaming of visiting a TV station~. La la~.”
Seeing Yujin’s face full of a motherly smile, I couldn’t help but laugh too.
Yujin, who was humming, tilted her head.
“Why? Do I have something on my face?”
“No. You just… look happy.”
Yujin chuckled.
“Of course! This was Miso’s dream. Really, thank you, oppa.”
Watching her hum and turn her attention back to the script, I thought—
I should be the one saying thank you.
Anyway, today, I had no intention of letting Yujin or Miso go home.
But how much does a hotel cost these days?
No, maybe a motel… That should be okay.
At this point, do I even have 5 million won in my bank account?
My poor wallet reminded me that I had indeed gone back in time.
Still, I had to find the cleanest motel for them.
* * *
Writer Lee Jiyeon, a legendary figure in the drama industry, often visited filming sets to check on her work.
She was also known for scolding actors if they made even the smallest mistake.
Because of this, her visits always turned into a disaster.
Actors cried, managers comforted them, assistant directors cleaned up the mess, and producers bowed and apologized—even when they weren’t sure what they did wrong.
But since she had written multiple dramas with ratings over 30%, no one could stop her.
And now, Yujin had to act in front of Lee Jiyeon.
I told Yujin about what was coming while she was reading the script and preparing for filming.
“The writer… is coming?”
“Yeah. In about 30 minutes.”
The script in Yujin’s hands was covered in thick black underlines, showing how nervous she was.
“What do I do? Oppa, I don’t feel confident.”
She was usually strong-willed, but since it was her first filming, she seemed a bit scared.
“Don’t worry. I’ve watched you practice. You’re good. You just need to fix one thing to make it perfect.”
“Where?”
I pointed to the part where she had messed up 23 times.
“Here, the third sentence, fourth word. Also, Lee Jiyeon really cares about diction. She’s especially strict when the lines are complicated. This part is tricky, so repeat it until it feels natural.”
“Got it.”
After hearing my explanation, Yujin kept practicing until her pronunciation became smooth.
Since she wasn’t too stubborn as an actress yet, she didn’t reject my advice.
I decided to go further and explain the stage directions and dialogues in depth.
The more she understood the character, the better her acting would be.
After listening to my analysis, Yujin was amazed.
“Wow, amazing! Oppa, how do you analyze scripts so well? You’re even better than my acting coach!”
She looked at me with sparkling eyes.
I answered in my mind—
Me?
I’ve eaten, drank, and talked about scripts with Lee Jiyeon so many times!
I had memorized all her scripts by heart.
“Alright, focus on the script. We don’t have much time before she arrives.”
“Yes, sir!”
Regaining her confidence, Yujin continued practicing her lines carefully.
With the right guidance, her acting was getting smoother and more natural.
* * *
“Okay, that’s enough. You passed. Let’s go.”
“Go where?”
“To meet Lee Jiyeon. If you have to take a hit, better to take it early.”
Lee Jiyeon tested actors anytime, anywhere.
Instead of waiting for her to do it on set, I’d rather have Yujin show her skills in a private setting.
But Yujin shook her head.
“Oppa, it’s better to take a hit later, when the person hitting you is tired.”
That… actually made sense?
But I had no time for silly logic like that.
“She’s not as scary as people say. Why are you so afraid?”
“The rumors I heard say otherwise.”
She looked doubtful, but I casually shook my head.
“You heard wrong. Come on, let’s go.”
‘As long as you don’t mess up, you won’t get hit.’
With that thought, I grabbed the script and led Yujin to the parking lot.
* * *
“There she comes.”
A pink Rolls-Royce, almost as big as a minibus, pulled into the parking lot.
Click-clack.
The gravel on the ground scattered loudly as the car stopped.
A young woman with her hair tied back got out of the driver’s seat, carrying a heavy-looking suitcase.
For some reason, she looked familiar.
‘Kim Solip?’
Now that I think about it, she was Lee Jiyeon’s assistant writer at this time.
In ten years, Kim Solip would become a top writer, rivaling even Lee Jiyeon.
A thought flashed in my mind.
Around this time, Kim Solip went independent and had a huge hit.
‘The title was… Blue Sky, right?’
To confirm my memory, I quickly opened my V10 diary app.
But then…
The diary’s content had changed.
[Everyday V10] [Date: December 12, 2019]
–PM 01:30 (Deleted schedule: (Report) Guri Set, Gyeonggi-do. Yujin, 23 NGs. Got scolded badly by the writer on set.)
For a moment, my mind went blank.
What?
This diary…?
Can the schedule actually change?
Could it be… because I helped Yujin with her acting, the future written in the diary disappeared?
Questions piled up, leading to a quick conclusion.
“The diary’s schedule changes based on what I do.”
If that’s true, then this diary is more valuable than I ever imagined.
Just having 10 years of schedules written down is already amazing, but being able to check a changing future?
I was so shocked that I gulped down the coffee in my right hand.
“Ah, hot, hot, hot!”
I burned my tongue.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Also, take a deep breath and get ready. Writer Lee Jiyeon tends to come at you suddenly. She might ask you to act right away.”
While Yujin was preparing for her acting, I flipped through the diary to see if anything else had changed.
But then…
The most important event of today was still there.
[Everyday V10] [Date: December 12, 2019]
–PM 05:30 Kang Dong Kyung Hee University Hospital Funeral Hall. Miso died.
Thud.
I felt like my heart fell down inside me.
“Why isn’t this disappearing?”
I definitely called the kindergarten and made sure Miso couldn’t go home.
Could it be… my actions don’t change the future?
At that moment, a famous movie scene flashed through my mind.
…
I quickly shook my head.
That movie is a masterpiece about fate being unavoidable, but this is the worst time to be reminded of it!
I just thought I was finally done with bad things, and now this?
And at the same time, I realized…
Just making a phone call wasn’t enough to stop Miso’s death.
I needed to go get her.
But the timing was bad.
Writer Lee Jiyeon had already stepped out of her car and was right in front of me.
My lips started to feel dry.
“Do I have to give up this chance to impress Writer Lee Jiyeon? Yujin worked so hard for this opportunity!”
Then, I remembered the time of Miso’s accident.
3 PM.
There was about one and a half hours left.
My brain started working fast.
“Stay calm, Yunho. You can do both. Yujin’s acting will take about five minutes. As soon as this is over, I’ll run to the kindergarten and get Miso.”
With that decision, I forced my pounding heart to settle and led Yujin to Writer Lee Jiyeon.
I needed to save every second.
* * *
Writer Lee Jiyeon was an S-class writer who earned over 100 million won per script.
Despite being in her 40s, she pulled off a bold leopard-print coat and 7cm high heels with ease—she could be an actress instead of a writer.
But walking on ice in heels was too much.
So, Kim Sollip, wearing flat shoes, was helping her walk.
“Be careful, writer.”
“Ugh, again with the nagging. Just shut up~.”
Future legendary writer Kim Sollip was, for now, just a mere assistant.
I was worried about Miso, but first, I had to focus on the situation in front of me.
As soon as I reached Writer Lee Jiyeon, I bowed politely.
I made sure to introduce Yujin properly.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Writer Lee Jiyeon.”
“I’m Jung Yujin, playing the role of Lee Seollan. I truly love your work—”
Writer Lee Jiyeon pushed up the red glasses on her nose and wagged her finger.
Like a metronome, her finger swayed in a steady rhythm.
“No, no, no~. I don’t like common compliments~.”
“I-I really do love your work…”
Lee Jiyeon looked Yujin up and down, then spoke.
“Lee Seolran? Your face is fine, but I don’t know about your acting. Show me.”
Just as I expected—she always started with an acting test.
If you put it negatively, she was obsessed with her work.
If you put it positively, she was deeply attached to her work.
“Yes, writer.”
Yujin answered confidently and began acting as Lee Seolran.
The moment she started, Writer Lee Jiyeon’s eyebrow twitched.
Right now, Yujin acting perfectly matched the Lee Seolran in Lee Jiyeon’s mind.
Before my regression…
Whenever Yujin made mistakes, Writer Lee Jiyeon explained how to act as Lee Seolran.
Lee Seolran, the heroine’s friend, was a strong-willed police officer.
She needed a firm voice and a sharp diction.
I remembered those details from my past life and coached Yujin accordingly.
And now, the result was beyond what I expected.
I couldn’t take my eyes off her.
What was this feeling…?
I was being drawn into her performance.
Yes. That was the right way to describe it.
Even in this tense situation, my heart raced watching her.
Writer Lee Jiyeon’s lips curled into a meaningful smile.
Success.
No.
This was a huge success.
* * *
Yujin’s short performance lasted less than three minutes.
She caught her breath, her face slightly flushed.
Writer Lee Jiyeon stared at Yujin for a while before finally speaking.
“Not bad. Your voice has character. You memorized the script well. Hmm~.”
“Thank you, writer!”
But then, she said something unexpected.
“What’s your name?”
Writer Lee Jiyeon was not the type to ask actors’ names—unless they were superstars.
Normally, she just called them by their character names.
But now, she was asking for Yujin’s name?
“She’s interested!”
Yujin, excited, answered right away.
“Yes! I’m Jung Yujin from Gulreongsoe Entertainment!”
“Gulreongsoe? It’s run by Director Kang, right?”
“Yes, writer! Director Kang Gamchan is our CEO.”
Writer Lee Jiyeon tilted her head slightly.
Not up and down—sideways.
“Got it~. And Yujin? I really like Yujin Park.”
…Yujin Park and Jung Yujin?
What’s the connection?
Well, at least she likes the name.
“Yujin~. But who taught you acting? Does Gulreongsoe have a trainer that good?”
Compared to the actors, Gulleongsoe’s trainers weren’t very skilled.
That was because Executive Director Lee Gicheol had stuffed the place with his friends from Seoul Arts University.
People like Manager Kim Dongsu and Trainer Choi Hyunmin were all from the same Seoul Arts line.
Before I could stop her, Yujin answered.
“Oh! This script reading? My manager oppa helped me, writer!”
Writer Lee Jiyeon slowly turned her head toward me.
Then, with a deep frown, she asked:
“And you are~?”