Chapter 7

In the president’s office of Hansan Media, the entire view of Sangam-dong stretched out like a panorama beyond the windows.

President Choi Min-cheol was sitting on a comfortable sofa, yet sweat trickled down his face as though he were sitting on a bed of thorns.

It was because of the plagiarism scandal that had recently thrown Hansan Media’s competition into chaos.

Sitting across from him was Do Ian, the CEO of Deflix Korea—the man who had perfectly resolved what could have become a disastrous mess.

And in the seat of honor sat Chairman Jung Yoon-jun, the head of Hansan Group.

Hansan Media was a key new business venture that Chairman Jung was pushing forward with the future of the entire group at stake.

Yet this kind of scandal had erupted in the competition they had prepared so ambitiously.

President Choi felt as though his lifespan were being shaved away in real time.

“I heard that if it hadn’t been for CEO Do, the name of Hansan would have been dragged through the mud by the market’s gossipmongers.”

At Chairman Jung’s solemn voice, President Choi nervously lowered his head even further.

When the plagiarism dispute with DBS Broadcasting Station first erupted, the dominant opinion internally had been to cancel the Grand Prize entirely in order to minimize the risk.

Once a plagiarism controversy broke out, it was obvious that things would descend into a messy battle of accusations. Rather than tarnishing the company’s image, many had suggested simply selecting another work from the beginning.

If they had done that, the winning entry announced first by DBS Broadcasting Station would have survived.

But Do Ian, who had participated as one of the judges, had personally vouched for writer Min Yoon Seul’s work.

“The short film that appears in the script was filmed by me. I made it together with Writer Min when we were in college.”

He had also personally led a confidential meeting where the production PDs from Hansan Media and DBS Broadcasting Station were gathered together to share and compare their respective competition-winning entries.

Fortunately, Yoon Seul had meticulously preserved an enormous record of her writing process—from the original concept and treatment to the most recent scripts, along with a detailed revision log arranged chronologically.

And astonishingly, they discovered that the third draft matched the manuscript submitted under the name Min Sara to the DBS competition.

The veteran PDs who read the two scripts back and forth reached an easy conclusion.

The difference in quality was so enormous that the two works could hardly even be placed on the same level.

“There’s nothing for you to worry about, Chairman. I was simply lucky.”

At CEO Do’s humble response, a faint smile appeared at the corners of Chairman Jung’s mouth.

“Actually, Deflix is also reviewing a contract for Writer Min’s work. We’re positively considering investing in Insomnia as well.”

“Oh? Is that so? A rookie writer whose work has caught Deflix’s attention… She must be far more talented than I expected. If it weren’t for you, CEO Do, we nearly would have let such a valuable writer slip right through our fingers.”

At Chairman Jung’s words, President Choi—who had been the first person to order that the work be excluded—felt his lips go dry.

“I’m looking forward to it. If I attend the awards ceremony this week, I’ll be able to see the writer’s face too, won’t I?”

“Yes, Chairman. Writer Min Yoon Seul has given us her final confirmation that she’ll be attending this awards ceremony.”

President Choi, who had been sitting quietly to the side waiting for the right moment, hurriedly answered.

At that moment, every trace of a smile disappeared from Chairman Jung’s face.

His bewildered eyes turned toward President Choi.

“…What did you say her name was?”

“Pardon? Ah… Min. Yoon. Seul. Writer Min Yoon Seul.”

President Choi answered slowly, emphasizing each syllable.

Chairman Jung’s mouth fell slightly open.

The name Yoon Seul brought a fragment of a distant memory back to him.

“Director, if we get married someday and have a child, what would you like to name them?”

“I don’t know. How about taking one character from each of our names? If it’s a boy, Hye-jun. If it’s a girl, Yoon Seul. What do you think?”

“I like it. Jung Hye-jun, Jung Yoon Seul… Both names are so pretty, Director.”

The woman with whom he had once whispered about such a brilliant future had abruptly broken up with him less than a month later and disappeared from his life forever.

“I don’t want to suffer any more insulting remarks from the Chairman because of you. He says he could never accept someone like me as his daughter-in-law. He even told me not to naively think that if I happened to have a child, he would accept me because the child would share his blood. He said that child would grow up their entire life being called an illegitimate child under a stepmother. I’m ending this.”

At first, Chairman Jung hadn’t gone looking for Seul-hye because he thought she had coldly abandoned him.

But before a month had even passed, he was desperately searching for her.

Yet he couldn’t find a trace of her anywhere.

Years passed.

When he finally managed to find her, there was an unfamiliar man and a child beside Seul-hye.

“You got married?”

“Yes. I’m happily living with an ordinary man who loves me, and we’ve had a child together. So please forget about me now, Director, and find someone good for yourself.”

Remembering the last peaceful expression on the woman’s face—so peaceful that he couldn’t even bring himself to resent her—made his heart ache as though it were being carved out with a knife.

“Chairman, are you all right? Your complexion suddenly became so pale…”

At President Choi’s anxious voice, Do Ian also looked at Chairman Jung with concern.

“I’m fine. I simply got lost in an old memory for a moment.”

Chairman Jung waved his trembling hand faintly.

Even though it had been more than twenty years ago, the moment he heard the name Yoon Seul, those memories came rushing back as vividly as though they had happened yesterday.

She must be living well somewhere.

Chairman Jung rubbed his dry face, his expression unbearably lonely.

[Let’s draw up the contract. Come to the office.]

That was the text Yoon Seul received from Do Ian three days after sending him her synopsis and treatment.

Yoon Seul was left speechless.

In her previous life, she had never been particularly fortunate when it came to OTT platforms.

Her work had simply been better suited to the domestic market.

But that didn’t mean she had never dreamed of reaching viewers around the world.

So her heart fluttered slightly.

“Are you Writer Min Yoon Seul?”

When Yoon Seul arrived at the lobby of Deflix Korea’s headquarters, a female PD who looked to be in her late twenties recognized her.

She showed Yoon Seul around the building.

The enormous posters displaying original content and the stylish interior design immediately caught Yoon Seul’s attention.

A short while later, they headed to the ninth floor, where the CEO’s office was located.

Following the secretary inside, Yoon Seul saw Do Ian sitting at his desk working.

With his sleeves rolled up and his eyes focused on a tablet, he looked incredibly impressive.

“CEO, Writer Min Yoon Seul is here.”

“Ah, please come this way.”

Do Ian stood up when he noticed her.

Yoon Seul sat across from him at the conference table.

With a gentle smile, he handed her the contract.

She had already reviewed it by email, but the terms were far beyond what could normally be expected for a rookie writer. On top of that, he had even adjusted the contract period so that she could begin working on the full script after finishing Insomnia.

Yoon Seul alternated between looking at the contract and Do Ian’s face before unintentionally voicing the question that had been lingering in her mind.

“You offered me this after reading my work, right?”

Do Ian let out a small laugh.

His deep eyes, filled with a hint of playfulness, settled on Yoon Seul.

“Did you think I offered you the contract because I had ulterior motives after seeing you, rather than because of your work?”

“Oh, that’s not what I meant…”

“I can’t say I have absolutely no ulterior motives. But this contract was decided after thoroughly considering the business potential and taking the opinions of our directors into account.”

I can’t say I have absolutely no ulterior motives?

Those words immediately sent Yoon Seul’s thoughts into turmoil.

“But there’s something that’s been bothering me… Ms. Min Yoon Seul, are you in a situation where you need help right now?”

“No. Why are you suddenly asking me that?”

“A work inevitably contains a part of its author. But the work you sent me this time was very different from the writing I remember from you.”

Yoon Seul drew in a deep breath.

She felt as though a shameful part of herself that she wanted to hide had been exposed.

Min Yoon Seul had returned from hell carrying the memories of having been betrayed by the mother, sister, and husband she had believed were her family, and of suffering a horrific death.

There was no way she could still be the same Min Yoon Seul that existed in his memories.

He had seen straight through the resentment and coldness of revenge hidden within her writing.

Why does this man keep making me feel so strange?

“No. It’s just… I wanted to challenge myself with a new genre that was different from what I usually write.”

“Then that’s a relief.”

A clear look of relief crossed Do Ian’s face.

Seeing that, Yoon Seul realized that he had genuinely been worried about her.

Even back then. And even now, you’re such a warm person, Do Ian.

With that thought in mind, Yoon Seul finished signing the contract.

Do Ian stood up and said,

“Come somewhere with me.”

The place they arrived at was somewhere Yoon Seul had never expected.