The Genius Manager Who Sees Algorithms, Episode 010
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10. Finding a Solution
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‘This was it. It’s a script with only 120,000 views, but it means that if I pair it with Go Arin, it could easily surpass 4 million….’
It wasn’t certain, but it was the most reasonable hypothesis so far.
Just as I was lost in thought, Go Arin moved. She was returning the chair she had used during practice to its original spot.
‘As I thought….’
As Go Arin stepped away from the script, the question mark became clear again. Then, it vanished before my eyes, like smoke. It felt as if I were possessed by a ghost.
“Excuse me, Manager?”
“Yes, yes? Oh, did you call me?”
“What are you thinking about so hard? I called you several times.”
“That… I’m sorry. I was just lost in thought for a moment.”
Go Arin pouted, looking a bit hurt, and picked up her eco-bag.
“I’m done practicing, so I’m going to head out now.”
‘Oh, then have a safe trip.’ …No, that wasn’t it. I had to take her home. I reminded myself once again that I was Go Arin’s dedicated manager.
“Let’s go together. I’ll take you home.”
Go Arin’s face brightened instantly.
“Then, as a sign that I’ll work hard from now on, I won’t decline.”
After packing her things, Go Arin trotted out of the practice room. I stood there for a moment, staring at the empty air where the algorithm had appeared just a moment ago.
The answer was clear now. The only question was how to weave the two together from here on out.
* * *
“Ugh, finally.”
We arrived in front of her house, and Go Arin got out.
“Arin, you worked hard today.”
“You worked hard driving, Manager.”
In the cold weather, her breath misted between her red lips. Even so, she didn’t leave right away and lingered in front of the car. What was this? Did she have something to say?
“Um… there’s nothing scheduled for tomorrow either, right?”
“There are no set schedules yet.”
“Even if I want to work hard, there’s nowhere calling for me. I’m sorry.”
It wasn’t her fault, so why was she apologizing? Still, her kind personality was a pass in my book.
“Don’t be sorry. This is just the beginning, so don’t be too anxious.”
Go Arin nodded, her lips pressed tightly together.
“And if you need to come to the office or need anything, just tell me anytime. It’s easier for me that way, too.”
“Yes, okay. But in that sense, can I be a bit more comfortable with you, too?”
Huh? Did I make her feel uncomfortable? When I looked at her, confused, Go Arin chuckled.
“I mean, you can speak comfortably to me now, too. You’re so formal that it actually creates a sense of distance. We’ve gotten a bit closer since yesterday and today, haven’t we? We even had a drink together.”
Well, only Go Arin had actually been drinking, but it was true that we’d had a drinking session. Besides, we would be seeing each other often, and since there was a significant age gap, it would probably be more comfortable that way.
“Well, let’s… do that.”
My tone came out weirder than I intended.
“What was that! That was so awkward.”
For a moment, her eyes sparkled like a high school girl who couldn’t wait to tease someone. Still, she seemed to be holding back, suppressing the corners of her mouth as if trying to maintain some decorum.
It was an expression that made me want to pinch her cheeks. She was a human vitamin, if there ever was one.
‘Actor Go Arin is charming, but human Go Arin is quite something, too.’
Of course, that was a perspective from a manager, completely devoid of any ulterior motives.
Trying to suppress her laughter, Go Arin suddenly held out her hand.
“What? No, what is it?”
“Give me your phone.”
Did she leave it at home to practice? I handed over my phone without much suspicion. Go Arin tapped in a number and handed it back.
“I already know your phone number….”
At my words, Go Arin burst into a giggle.
“Isn’t that too short to be a phone number?”
Looking at it again, the number was only six digits long. Then what on earth was this number? When I stared at it blankly, she finally spoke.
“It’s my front door passcode.”
“…….”
“You need to know it if you’re going to come pick me up. I might not wake up, you know.”
Aha. So that’s what she meant. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t flinch just now.
Anyway…. That wasn’t the important part.
“Please contact me as soon as a schedule comes up. I’ll be waiting.”
She waved lightly and trotted up the stairs.
A second-floor unit in a shabby row house. That was where the actor Go Arin lived. Even a girl group trainee dorm would probably be better than this…. Yet, the fact that she didn’t have a single complaint showed her passion for acting.
‘If the atmosphere on that set was enough to make someone like her decide to retire, what on earth was it like?’
That was a problem I would definitely need to look into later. But right now, the script was what mattered.
* * *
On the way back after dropping off Go Arin, my hands were on the steering wheel, but my mind was completely filled with thoughts of the script.
‘But no matter how I look at it, she’s not the lead….’
It was a typical Cinderella character, so there was no special merit to it. Moreover, if she took that role with Go Arin’s current image, the result would be obvious.
It was a situation where it was hard to expect good synergy between the two. I returned to the office with a heavy, unresolved frustration in my chest.
“Back from dropping off Arin?”
Pi Young-ro, who had returned after finishing Kim Chang-woo’s schedule, greeted me.
“Yes. I guess the Team Leader isn’t back yet?”
“Yeah, it seems the meeting is running quite late. So, did you get a chance to look at the script?”
“…….”
I hesitated for a moment, thinking about mentioning *Academy Romance*, but held back. It was too risky to bring it up without a concrete solution.
“I read it all, but there’s nothing that really stands out.”
“See? I told you. Still, you worked hard. It’ll all become experience and wisdom in the end.”
The senior’s sincere words were warm. I felt we had grown closer thanks to the company dinner yesterday.
“By the way, you don’t have anything urgent to do, right?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Then, since we’re here, why don’t we go around and say hello to the people in the office?”
“Shouldn’t you be resting, Senior?”
“Rest? I have to head out a bit anyway, and I have a moment to spare. Let’s go.”
From my perspective, there was no reason to refuse the consideration of a senior looking out for his junior. I also needed a moment to clear my head.
I followed Pi Young-ro as he took the lead. We first went around to the actor and singer teams to introduce ourselves. However, it was rare for managers to be stuck in the office in other teams as well.
“Everyone seems busy. But honestly, you only really need to make a good impression on the PR team.”
We took the elevator down one floor. As we turned the corner, a scene completely different from the floor above unfolded. The interior, lined with partitions, had an atmosphere that rivaled a news agency.
“Reporter Jung, I told you. Please release the interview content tomorrow afternoon. What are you supposed to do if you don’t keep your promises like this?”
“Hello. This is the PJ Entertainment PR team. Yes, it’s about the article that went up this morning. It seems the facts in the article are incorrect.”
The constant ringing of phones everywhere was dizzying. Pi Young-ro led me to the innermost desk.
“Our Se-ah doesn’t do things like milk injections. How many times do I have to say it? If that goes up, the editor-in-chief and I are going to be enemies. You know I’m scared when I’m angry, right?”
The person calmly saying everything she needed to say was Song Ji-young, the PR Team Leader. She had a warm impression and a style like a neighborhood aunt.
“Team Leader Song. I’ve come to introduce our new hire.”
After hanging up the phone, Team Leader Song’s gaze naturally turned toward me. Unlike her generous physique, her eyes scanned me quickly and concisely.
“Hello. I’m the new one who joined….”
“Ah, right. Kim Jung-woo, that’s the friend, right?”
I couldn’t help but be surprised that she even knew my name.
“You’re the one who persuaded Arin, right? Well done. It’s a waste of a face like that to just fold it all up.”
“Ah, yes….”
As I answered awkwardly with a stunned face, Pi Young-ro whispered.
“Don’t be surprised. There’s nothing that happens in this company that the PR team doesn’t know. If they push a little, they’d probably even find out how many pairs of underwear you have.”
Without realizing it, my hand moved toward my backside.
“Make a good impression. If you get on Team Leader Song’s bad side, you won’t have a leg to stand on.”
“Don’t scare him like that. We’re all one family anyway. We’re all in this together. And as long as we don’t make things difficult for each other, there’s no reason for voices to be raised. Right?”
It was an incredibly comfortable tone, but I knew. People like this were capable of anything once they snapped. She was someone I had to be as careful with as Team Leader Dokgo. Stored in my brain.
“I will work hard so as not to cause any trouble. I look forward to working with you.”
“Okay. Oh, and send me some photos of Arin whenever you have a chance. We haven’t had any photos to send out for articles lately.”
“Yes, I’ll prepare them at a pictorial level.”
“Oh, the new guy gives clear answers. Looking at those bright eyes, he’s going to be good at his job.”
I received generous praise on our first meeting, and the first impression wasn’t bad. Just then, a shadow approached from behind.
“Oh? So you’re the new guy for Actor Team 2?”
It was a team leader dressed in luxury goods from head to toe, wearing a languid smile.
“Hello, Team Leader. Jung-woo, this is Team Leader Han Sang-tae from Actor Team 1.”
As I greeted him, I instinctively examined Team Leader Han’s appearance.
‘A mix of luxury and knockoffs.’
He was the type who loved to show off. I could feel his character in his subtly condescending gaze and the slightly tilted angle of his head.
“What are you doing? Don’t tell me you’re making him do department introductions?”
“Yes, I thought it was necessary for him to get to know faces.”
At Pi Young-ro’s words, the Team Leader of Team 1 exaggeratedly waved his hands.
“Why are you so old-fashioned? What era do you think this is, going around doing introductions in person? You should just show him the employee directory and introduce yourselves when you actually need something.”
“Ah… yes.”
“Look at the new guy’s face. He looks like he’s dying of awkwardness. Let’s wrap this up quickly.”
A superior who pretends to look after a junior while actually looking down on them. He was the typical ‘kkondae’ in jeans.
In my previous job, he would have been exactly like Manager Kim. The conclusion was that he was someone to avoid.
I kept my words to a minimum. People like this were sensitive about their pride, so there was no need to stir up trouble. He was the first person I’d met here whom I needed to avoid or ignore.
‘In the end, there are jerks everywhere.’
I engraved this trivial truth into my mind once again.
*Buzz.*
Just then, the Team Leader of Team 1’s phone rang.
"Ugh, this leech. She’s relentless, even after I told her no."
"Who is it?"
"CEO Kwon Jin-ju. She needs to bring me something viable if she wants a reaction. She comes at me with a worn-out Cinderella concept and expects me to hand over Song-hee? Who would agree to that?"
The familiar name echoed once again. It was CEO Kwon Jin-ju, yet again.
'What were we in the past life?'
The threads of our strange connection kept tangling together.
Just then, I spotted CEO Kwon Jin-ju at the far end of the hallway, looking around expectantly. The Team Leader of Team 1 saw her first and shook his head in disgust.
"Ugh, what a nuisance. Hey, tell her you didn't see me."
With Pi Young-ro in the lead, the Team Leader made a quick escape. Unaware of this, CEO Kwon Jin-ju was still struggling to find him, looking here and there. That sight... it didn't feel like someone else's problem. It looked just like me in the past.
* * *
After returning from the departmental greetings, I picked up the *Academy Romance* script once more. I felt bad for CEO Kwon Jin-ju, running around and wearing herself out. But on the other hand, I could understand the Team Leader's reaction. What manager would want to hand over their actor to a project with such a predictable outcome?
'It’s unfortunate, but there’s nothing I can do. If there had at least been a character suitable for Go Arin, it would have been a win-win for both of us.'
But at that moment, something flashed through my mind.
'Wait... characters?'
I checked the logline of the script once again.
[A story capturing the competition and love of gifted students at the nation's most prestigious arts high school.]
A script centered on the concept of gifted students. But come to think of it, all the smart people around me had one peculiar trait. Their obsessions and the things that bruised their pride were all slightly different from a normal person like me.
'That’s it. They’re called gifted, but they’re boring because the characters are so cliché. What if I changed these gifted students into slightly eccentric geniuses?'
Just for fun, I gave a backstory to a few of the characters. Suddenly, the flavor of the characters came to life.
'Huh? Look at this...'
And in that instant, an image of Go Arin acting flashed through my mind. Go Arin’s acting ability, which could steal anyone's gaze. Without realizing it, I clenched my fist.
'I found it. The solution...'
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