My Girlfriend’s Fortune: 3,141,592,653,589

TL: Aniea

Umm-

Jung Ha-rin, who was lying on the hospital bed, slowly opened her eyes. Out of habit, she tried to raise her hand to rub her eyes, but for some reason, her arm wouldn't move.

'...Heavy.'

Even moving a single finger was difficult. It took a long time for her to gather her wits and lift her eyelids.

"...Where is this?"

A strange ceiling.

For a moment, because of the strong light pouring down from the ceiling and her hazy mind, she thought she might be in heaven.

Beep- Beep- Beep-

Until she actually heard the sound of the heart rate monitor, which she had only ever seen expressed in writing.

Must be a hospital.

She wasn't sure.

As usual, while immersed in writing, the last thing she remembered was her vision suddenly turning bright yellow and her head spinning before everything went black.

'...So this is what they mean by seeing stars.'

Green, yellow, red.

She had thought it was a metaphorical expression likening it to the typical warning signals of a traffic light.

But experiencing it firsthand, it was literally as if her vision turned yellow, like someone had dropped paint in her eyes, spreading quickly from the center.

'I want to jot it down before I forget...'

She didn't know where her phone was. She had been changed into patient clothes, making it hard to find the notebook she usually carried.

Heh-

Suddenly, a laugh escaped her lips. The first thought after waking up from collapsing due to overwork was wanting to record this feeling.

She thought to herself that she must really be a serious case. If she hadn't become a writer, she wondered what she would be doing and where she would be living now.

"...Ah, AH!?"

Then suddenly, Jung Ha-rin realized she had collapsed while typing the drama script.

A flash of lightning struck in her mind, and her heart began to race. Only then did blood start to circulate to her fingertips and toes, slowly giving her strength.

'...I don't have time for this.'

The script was something she had stubbornly rewritten from scratch. Because of that, the entire production team was struggling with shooting scenes day by day with incomplete scripts.

And here she was, collapsed and lying in bed. It was something she couldn't allow herself to do.

"Ugh-!?"

A sudden headache caused Jung Ha-rin to furrow her brows. Her mind turned blank, and she felt her consciousness slipping away again.

No matter how she tried to hold onto it, her body, which had reached its limit, refused her commands.

"This, this can't... happen..."

She needed to get up somehow.

Everyone must be waiting for the script to be finished.

She gritted her teeth and clenched her fist.

Only then did she realize there was an IV drip inserted in the back of her hand.

It's annoying.

What she needed now wasn't this syringe needle, but a sharp pen nib. Just as Jung Ha-rin was about to pull out the IV,

"Hey, Jung Ha-rin! What do you think you're doing!?"

Kang In-ho, who had cautiously opened the door and entered, was startled and quickly rushed into the hospital room.

He urgently grabbed Jung Ha-rin's hand and pressed the nurse call button at her bedside.

"Why...?"

Director, why are you here?

She tried to ask, but her mouth was so dry that her voice wouldn't come out properly.

"I came after finishing all of today's filming, so don't worry. I've already contacted your family members. So right now, don't think about anything and just rest."

"That..."

"It's only been a few hours since you collapsed, Writer Jung. This is the VVIP room that Woo-ju-ssi arranged. Fortunately, it's not a major illness, so you'll get better with some rest and IV fluids for a while."

"......"

As if trying to make her save her strength from asking questions, Kang In-ho poured out answers to questions she might have been curious about.

"Excuse me for a moment."

Meanwhile, the attending doctor and nurse arrived to check her condition, confirming once again that there were no major issues with her body.

"You woke up earlier than expected. It's impressive mental strength, but you need absolute rest for at least two to three days, up to a week."

"No, I can't..."

"Listen to the doctor. If you don't, I'll abandon the project before Writer Jung does."

"......"

Jung Ha-rin glared silently at Kang In-ho. However, he was determined not to back down here.

In the silence that followed, the doctor and nurse, sensing the atmosphere, quietly left the room. The conversation between the two continued.

Thanks to the nurse's help earlier, Jung Ha-rin had moistened her throat, and a bit of strength returned to her voice as she spoke first.

"Director. I'm really fine, you know? I feel refreshed after a good sleep, and I can start working right away."

"Jung Ha-rin. Do you think such an obvious lie will work with me? How many years have we worked together? I can tell just by looking at your eyes."

"...Oh, come on. What do you know? You don't know anything. Even if you managed today's filming somehow, what are you going to do from tomorrow?"

"Ad-lib."

"...You're not serious, are you?"

"No, I'm serious."

Jung Ha-rin furrowed her brows, glaring at him. Because they had worked together for so long, she could tell just by looking at his eyes whether he was serious.

"...You've really gone crazy?"

Realizing he was serious, Jung Ha-rin was so flustered she couldn't even filter her words properly.

On the other hand, Kang In-ho accepted it calmly, as if he had expected this much. Watching him, Jung Ha-rin raised her voice in disbelief.

"Are you in your right mind!? Improvisation on top of incomplete scripts! This isn't some one-time theater performance, there's no way that's possible!"

Scripts exist for a reason. Even having a rough script is worlds apart from having none.

Even veteran actors, who are the best in the field, only ad-lib after careful consideration and consultation with everyone, and even then, it's just a small part of the whole.

Moreover, <Peaceful Chaebol Life> is a team mainly composed of rookie actors with no experience. The character consistency would break down in less than a day.

'...Once character consistency breaks down, everything is over.'

One of the biggest factors determining viewer immersion is the consistency of the characters.

These days, there's a lot of talk about three-dimensional character composition and whatnot. But even that needs to be done under a thoroughly built-up foundation to be convincing.

Like a character who acted as a villain throughout the work suddenly reflecting on their life and repenting.

Or conversely, a character who never betrayed their loyalty under any circumstances suddenly betraying others.

Even without such extreme examples, it's the same. Even subtle changes in a character's way of speaking or gestures can make viewers feel disconnected.

"If that happens, by 4 episode... no, even by 2 episode, the ratings will plummet. Then the MBS team will overtake us in an instant, and the drama will be branded as a failure for us and the actors. You know how fatal that is for rookies, right?"

"I know. I know all too well."

"Then why on earth..."

"That's something you'll have to see and judge for yourself."

"...What do you mean?"

"Just watch and you'll understand."

Swoosh-

Kang In-ho took out a tablet he had placed beside him. After pressing the play button, a familiar voice began to flow out from it.

"This is..."

Kang In-ho didn't answer her question. He simply adjusted the position so Jung Ha-rin could watch the video more comfortably.

Despite being puzzled by his actions, Jung Ha-rin was drawn into the screen as if entranced.

- I'll give you a choice.

Gulp-!

Watching the video, Jung Ha-rin unconsciously swallowed dryly. Although only Kang Woo-ju's back was captured on screen, his cold smile was vivid in her mind.

'...Who wrote this? Mi-hee? Ji-soo?'

This was content she was planning for around episode 11. She had roughly outlined it but hadn't written a single word yet.

Since it wasn't a script she had written, it had to be the work of one of the assistant writers.

'That doesn't make sense.'

No matter how much she thought about it, there was no one among them with the skill to produce this level of immersion and quality.

If it were one of them, she should push them to go independent and write their own work immediately.

'Then who on earth...'

Suddenly, a face flashed through her mind, the owner of the cold smile she had just imagined.

"No way... Is this all ad-lib?"

"...Well, Ji-hwan's case is a bit ambiguous to call ad-lib, but Woo-ju's performance was entirely impromptu without any script."

"Lies."

The words slipped out unintentionally. She had known Kang Woo-ju was extraordinary for a long time, but this seemed too much.

Understanding her reaction completely, Kang In-ho shrugged and continued.

"He says it's not that difficult if he immerses himself in the role. He claims that if it were [Kang Joo-heon], he would certainly speak and act that way."

"......"

Jung Ha-rin was at a loss for words. She wanted to argue that it was impossible, but he had demonstrated it right in front of her eyes.

"Of course, not everyone can do this. Naturally, the assistant writers will draft scripts first, and the production team will adjust everything on set."

"......"

"I'm not saying we don't need Writer Jung. This method will surely have its limits and holes soon enough. So just one week."

"...What?"

Kang In-ho raised a single finger. He looked directly into Jung Ha-rin's eyes, still reeling from shock, and gave a gentle smile.

"We'll hold out for just one week. Recover fully and come back. You can trust us with that much, can't you?"

"......"

What exactly was this emotion she was feeling?

She had created and conceived countless characters, unraveling nearly every human emotion in writing. Yet, she couldn't understand her own heart.

Because of this, Jung Ha-rin remained silent for a long time.

A very long time.

*

- Give me some time to think.

- You know I can't give you much.

- A day is enough.

After sending Kang In-ho out, Jung Ha-rin lay on the bed, lost in thought.

Her body, exhausted and ready to fall asleep at any moment, blinked its eyes, but her mind, deep in thought, would not allow it.

- Social death or physical death. Which do you prefer?

In her mind, the video Kang In-ho had shown her replayed over and over.

Even though it was only his back, she vividly recalled Kang Joo-heon's voice, gaze, and every gesture as if he were right in front of her.

- Ha-rin, don't you sometimes feel that way? Even after creating a character, you find yourself at a loss about how to bring it to life in reality.

Suddenly, she remembered a conversation with her mentor from when she was an assistant writer, the one who had guided her on her current path.

- When it's hard for us to clearly conceptualize a character's image, sometimes actors complete the character for us.

- The actors do it first?

- Yes.

Swoosh-

Her mentor nodded calmly, then continued, gently patting her head with a soft smile.

- Beyond simply acting well or not, there are those who breathe life into the characters I've created, appearing like a comet.

- ...

- From that point on, I don't even have to try to move the character. They start thinking and moving on their own on stage. Whenever that happens, I think that 'fate' really exists in this world.

- Fate...

For some reason, that word kept circling around Jung Ha-rin. Her mentor looked at her with eyes that seemed to know everything.

- Hehe. You, too, will soon experience it. An actor who turns a writer's dreams and ideals into reality, a miraculous presence of fate.

At this moment, Jung Ha-rin transcended time and space, meeting her mentor's gaze.

How could she be so vivid, when she hadn't appeared even in dreams since passing away peacefully at home several years ago?

"......"

Swoosh-

Jung Ha-rin, who had been staring blankly into space, picked up her phone. Though her body felt like it weighed a thousand pounds, there was something she had to do before falling asleep.

Beep- Click!

The person answered the call before it even rang once.

With a faint smile at the voice full of worry and concern, Jung Ha-rin cleared her throat to keep it from showing and continued speaking.

"Just one week."

- I can't do more than that, even if you ask.

"If I come back and my position is gone, Director, you'll really die by my hands. You know that?"

- Who else would I put next to me but you? Don't worry about this and take care of yourself. If you collapse again, I won't work with you anymore.

"Hehe. Then please..."

- Huh? Hello? Ha-rin? Hey, Jung Ha-rin!

With her tension relieved, Jung Ha-rin fell asleep, using Kang In-ho's voice as a lullaby.

*****

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