Jennie
I sat still in my seat trying to feign calmness as I watched Hyun-suk take in the information that we have just told him. He blew out a breath, "When I said that we should consider publicity stunts to promote the movie, this was not what I had in mind."
"I know, and I'm so sorry." I pleaded, "I know how hard you and everyone involved making the movie worked and I hate that I'm putting all of that in jeopardy." I hung my head low, knowing that this stunt has tainted my image and marked me as unprofessional and hard to work with in the industry.
"It's more than putting us in jeopardy. This movie is the first major project for a lot of the crew members, if it doesn't do well, it'll reflect on their resume and make it harder for them to land other projects in future." Hyun-suk further explained his stance.
I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat, "I... I know.."
Lisa spoke up from beside me, "Can you not do that?"
Both Hyun-suk and I looked at her surprised. "Babe..." I whispered.
"No." she frowned at me, "Don't 'babe' me." She turned her attention back to Hyun-suk, "I'll admit, the contract should have never happened. But Jennie was in a tough spot and I was tight on money, so it seemed like a win-win for everyone, at that point of time. No one anticipated for us to fall for each other, it just happened."
I held her hand to try to get her to calm down because I could feel the anger radiating from her.
"She came here to give you a heads up instead of blindsiding you. Yes, what we did was unethical and we'll take full responsibility for our actions. But making Jennie feel bad about the future of everyone that has worked on this movie isn't fair. She has got enough pressure on her and you're not helping by adding on to it."
I kept my attention on Lisa because I was in awe of her. She said everything I wish I had the guts to say but because I didn't want to come off as difficult to work with, I kept my mouth shut. I was a little terrified to look at Hyun-suk but I chanced it anyway. It was hard to gauge what he was feeling because he had a neutral expression on his face. But he relaxed his shoulders, "You're right." He directed his attention to me, "I'm sorry, Jennie. I know you came to talk to me as a friend and I should've done the same, instead of talking to you as a colleague."
He folded his hands and rested his elbows on the table, "I'm not gonna lie, I have no idea what to do."
I could see the worry in his eyes, "If you need me to not attend press interviews or cast interviews, I fully understand your position on it."
He sighed, "Let's just see how the public will take the news first, before we make any decisions." The corners of his lips lifted into a smile, "But I am really happy that you guys are back together." he raised an eyebrow at us, "For real this time, right?"
Lisa laughed and held up my hand to her lips and kissed it lightly, "For real."
Hyun-suk shrugged his shoulders, "Then I guess we'll have to let the chips fall where they may." He held up a finger, "But I call dibs on making your relationship into a movie. After this meeting, I'm calling every major screenwriter to get this off the ground."
I let out a breath of relief with a laugh, "Deal."
