Chapter 298: Han Woo-Ju (2)

Chapter 298: Han Woo-Ju (2)

Behind the thin front door of Han Woo-Ju's house, the argument that was occurring between the two siblings showed no signs of stopping.

-Fine. I won't go and confront that woman. But don't work with her on this project!

-Woo-Hyuk, it's not that simple. You can't make a drama without connections. That's why I need to work with Mrs. Yoo no matter what.

It seemed that Han Woo-Ju was trying to collaborate with Yoo Sun-Jung again even after having her last project taken away.

Wanting to understand the situation better, I rang the doorbell.

Ding dong~

When the faint chime of the old doorbell rang out, the voices of the two people arguing quieted down.

Then I heard Han Woo-Ju's voice.

-Who is it?"

"Hello, I'm from Hoop Entertainment."

-What? You're from an entertainment company? But why...?

"You know Actress Jung Yoo-Jin, right? I'm Miss Jung Yoo-Jin's talent agent, Jung Yoon-Ho. I came because we're interested in the work you're writing."

-W-wait a moment, please!

The intercom cut off abruptly as soon as I introduced myself. A moment later, the old front door creaked open.

There stood Han Woo-Ju with her hair tied back tightly with a rubber band, dressed in a black tracksuit with white stripes. Behind her stood her younger brother, wearing a school uniform.

Pretending not to have overheard their conversation, I handed my business card to Han Woo-Ju. "I'm Team Lead Jung Yoon-Ho from Hoop Entertainment."

"Are you saying Actress Jung Yoo-Jin is interested in my work?"

Han Woo-Ju, who was just under 160 cm tall, looked up at me as she asked. The expression on her face was a mix of doubt and hope. It seemed like she wanted to believe it, but the situation was too sudden and unexpected.

I nodded. "Yes. She said she read the synopsis and instantly felt this was the one."

Han Woo-Ju's face brightened, but then she tilted her head in confusion. "But where did you see my synopsis?"

"I saw it in the KBC writer's room. The title was listed as Hwaranjeon. Is that right?"

In my past life, Han Woo-Ju had said she had sent her first script to the KBC writer's room.

'But no one ever discovered it,' I recalled my past memories.

KBC had a writer's room where aspiring writers sent countless synopses and scripts, hoping for the broadcasting station to give it a single glance.

The junior writers who managed the room would gather these synopses and scripts into one pile. In reality, no one ever looked at them. They were just left there piled up like trash until the cleaning crew eventually threw them away.

Nonetheless, I calmly told Han Woo-Ju that I had read the synopsis she had sent.

"But I sent it just a week ago. H-how did you find it so quickly...?" Han Woo-Ju asked in a puzzled tone.

I gave a subtle smile. "I guess I got lucky."

As Han Woo-Ju gasped in surprise, her younger brother, Han Woo-Hyuk, spoke up pleadingly. "Mr. Jung! Does that mean you'll make my sister's work into a drama?"

Han Woo-Ju quickly tried to stop Han Woo-Hyuk. "Woo-Hyuk, it doesn't work like that. Even with an actor ready, you still need a production company, investors, and a broadcasting slot to make a drama—"

Interrupting her, I answered, "If Miss Yoo-Jin takes the lead role, securing a broadcast slot will be a breeze. All you need to focus on is writing."

Hearing this, Han Woo-Ju froze in shock. She hadn't expected to be able to debut so quickly.

At that moment, Han Woo-Hyuk asked carefully, "Um, hyung. Does that mean we don't have to worry about Yoo Sun-Jung anymore?"

I turned to look at Han Woo-Hyuk. "If you don't mind, could you tell me what's going on?"

Han Woo-Hyuk sighed and nodded. "Writer Yoo suggested co-authoring a script after seeing my sister's synopsis, but she took credit for the entire work the last time. And now, she's trying to do it again!"

I turned to Han Woo-Ju. "Is that true?"

At that moment, Han Woo-Ju reached out in an attempt to cover her brother's mouth. "Woo-Hyuk, that's not how it is!"

Han Woo-Ju jumped up and down, trying to stop her brother from speaking. However, her brother, who was around 180 cm tall, was way out of her reach.

Dodging his sister's attempts, Han Woo-Hyuk turned to me and asked, "Hyung, do you know the drama Under the Big Tree?"

"Yes, I know it."

"My sister wrote the whole thing! But Yoo Sun-Jung, who calls herself a mentor, published it under her own name! And all my sister got was 3 million won!"

Han Woo-Ju looked utterly shocked and her face turned pale. "W-Woo-Hyuk! You can't just say things like that! What if I get blacklisted in this industry?"

Under the Big Tree, written by Yoo Sun-Jung, was a melodrama with an impressive 19% average viewership ratings for its genre. Thanks to its emotional depth and vibrant characters, the actors in it had swept up advertising deals.

And now, I was hearing that it had actually been written by Han Woo-Ju.

"What happened, Ms. Han? Is all of this really true?"

Han Woo-Ju wore a resigned expression. With a heavy sigh, she began to explain the situation. "Sigh... It's true that I wrote Under the Big Tree. But I was promised that I could debut under my own name with my next project."

It was common for main writers to delegate a few episodes to assistant writers. However, in Han Woo-Ju's case, she had written Under the Big Tree entirely on her own.

Yoo Sun-Jung had promised to list Han Woo-Ju as a co-author, but her name had been nowhere to be found when the script was printed. Their ridiculous excuse for the reason was that the broadcast station and director were hesitant to work with a new writer.

Although the copyright was registered, it wasn't the end of the matter—it was just the first step in solving the problem.

Nevertheless, we had passed a significant hurdle. Then, I handed the contract to Han Woo-Ju.

[Hoop Entertainment Standard Electronic Contract]

I pointed to the spots on the electronic contract displayed on the tablet where Han Woo-Ju needed to sign. "Please sign here, here, and here—three places in total. Once the contract is signed, our legal team will take over."

I began explaining the contract terms. "The advance payment is 20 million won. The revenue split will be 70% for you and 30% for us. The contract covers both domestic and international rights, and it will remain in effect for five years after the work is broadcast."

As I explained each term and answered any questions the siblings had, Han Woo-Ju nodded along and signed accordingly.

On the other hand, Han Woo-Hyuk carefully checked the contract for any issues.

'This guy... he'd make a perfect talent agent,' I remarked inwardly.

Since Han Woo-Hyuk was a high school senior, I wanted to ask about his future plans, but for now, Han Woo-Ju's situation was the priority.

"But Mr. Woo-Hyuk..."

"You can speak comfortably, hyung."

After a brief moment of hesitation, I nodded. "Alright, Woo-Hyuk. For now, Mrs. Yoo or her law firm might call often. Make sure your sister doesn't answer the phone and that you take the calls instead. Give them my contact information and tell them to call me directly."

"Oh, okay. Understood."

"And Ms. Han. Don't go back to work starting today."

Han Woo-Ju looked conflicted. "I left some clothes at the office... Can I at least go get them?"

"I'll buy you new ones, so let's forget about those. It's best not to do anything that might raise any kinds of suspicion."

After the contract was signed, I suggested that Han Woo-Ju and Han Woo-Hyuk accompany me to the company.

After all, both of them needed to be aware of what was about to unfold.

***

Upon arriving at Hoop Entertainment, they told Kang Ji-Yung about the situation, and she immediately mobilized the legal team.

The company’s legal team began gathering evidence for legal protection and recorded Han Woo-Ju's testimony. Then they promptly paid the 20 million won advance.

As soon as the 20 million won appeared in her bank account, Han Woo-Ju called her father.

At that moment, she suddenly began speaking in a thick Gyeongsang dialect. "Dad! It's me, Woo-Ju!"

-Oh my! Look who it is! It's my beloved eldest daughter!

Her father's gentle Gyeongsang dialect came through the phone.

Han Woo-Ju's father was from Busan, and since Han Woo-Ju had also attended school in Busan when she was younger, they were speaking in their own dialect.

"Dad, why did you keep it from me?"

-What are you talking about?

"Do you really think of me as your daughter?"

-Have you been daydreaming? Why would you say something like that?

Tears started to flow down Han Woo-Ju's face.

-Woo-Ju! Are you crying right now? Who made my daughter cry? I'll go and give them a good beating!

Despite being hospitalized for a herniated disc, her father was more concerned about his daughter.

Wiping away her tears, Han Woo-Ju grumbled. "What beating? Are you a gangster or something?"

-That's just a figure of speech. But really, why are you crying? You're making my heart ache.

"Don't you know how much my heart aches? You got injured and didn't even tell me!"

-...

"So don't ever do that again. If you do, I won’t be your daughter anymore!"

-Did Woo-Hyuk tell you?

"Yes! And just so you know, I've become a writer just like you wanted! So go ahead and get the surgery. I’ll send you the entire 20 million won!"

-20 million won? Are you serious?

"Yes! I'm sending Woo-Hyuk down to Busan, so get the surgery right away! From now on, I'll be earning the money. So don't worry! Got it?"

At that moment, her father shouted into the phone with his booming voice.

-My daughter's really a writer now?

"Yes, it's true! And Yoo-Jin unnie will be the lead actress of my work!"

-Hahaha! This is amazing! Woo-Ju, I feel like I've already healed just from hearing this great news! I don't even need the surgery! You're the best!

After her father found out that his daughter’s dream had come true, he kept shouting with joy.

However, the entry in my planner wasn't disappearing even with the contract signed and the synopsis registered for copyright.