Legendary Superstar

Donghyun handed the first script over. The paper was thick, and the cover page was labeled cleanly in bold letters: When the Moon Sleeps.

Minjae scanned the title briefly before opening it.

"Is this a historical romance?" he asked, flipping through the opening scene.

"Nope. More of a youth slice-of-life drama. I also thought it was historical because of the title, but it's not. It has university setting. Lots of ensemble cast moments. You'd be playing a literature student who wants to be a writer."

"Haven't seen this setup in a while." Minjae blinked slowly.

"Exactly. That's why the agency picked it for shortlisting. It's simple but has a nostalgic appeal." Donghyun chuckled. "Though I just worry how the audience will pick it up. They've been getting tired of university drama for a while now."

"Yeah…" Minjae hummed in agreement, reading silently for a few moments.

The dialogue was natural in the script. The characters had charm, too. But…

After the first few pages, he set it down.

"It's sweet," he said honestly, "but… it doesn't leave a strong impression. I don't think it's suitable drama after The Star's Secret."

"It's the same thing as we thought. It's warm, but forgettable. You won't gain much, but it's a safe option." Donghyun nodded knowingly.

Minjae didn't say anything. He set it on the side and only moved the script aside to reach for the next one. He'd analyze everything all together later.

For the meantime, he wanted to see everything first.

The second script had a darker cover. It has the title. "Second Lie."

A psychological thriller drama.

"The writer for this one used to be in the mystery genre," Donghyun explained. "It's about a young lawyer who discovers that his entire identity is fabricated."

"Sounds intense." Minjae's eyebrows rose slightly as he read the first page of the script.

He flipped through the first few scenes, his eyes narrowing slightly at the heavy exposition.

Then, he paused. His brows furrowing in confusion.

"…It's complicated for the sake of being complicated," he muttered under his breath.

"Yup. That's what we thought, too." Donghyun let out a tired sigh.

"It felt as if the Lead is trying to be smart, but it's messy." Minjae leaned back on his chair and rubbed his temple.

The pacing of the story was actually nice. But since the story was really complicated in the sense that everyone had different emotions and varying scenes, he felt like it would be too much for a second drama.

"Exactly."

He didn't even bother checking the rest of the script. He placed it on top of the first script and reached for the third one.

The next one was titled "Happy Ever After."

"The third one is a time travel romance," Donghyun informed him. He crossed hs arms as Minjae read. "You play a man who keeps going back in time to fix a failed relationship but can't seem to do anything."

"…That sounds like a recipe for getting canceled midway," Minjae said as he read the logline.

Donghyun laughed.

"You're not wrong. It's overly ambitious. They want to film in Europe for a few scenes. But if successful, this one will be good."

Minjae read through the first conversation scene, only to cringe slightly.

"I don't think I would want this hyung," He closed it quickly. "The lines are cringe. I don't think I can make myself same them. It also doesn't fit my image"

Donghyun laughed before accepting Minjae's feedback.

So far, three scripts have been done.

Minjae just exhaled.

"Don't worry, Minjae, the last two are better," Donghyun reassured, already pushing the next one toward him. "This one's being hyped about by some insiders already. There's no working title yet, but the codename is Evernight."

Minjae raised a brow, intrigued by how simple and unique the title was.

"It's a fantasy drama," Donghyun added. "Not high fantasy but more like urban fantasy. Think of shadows in Seoul, secret powers, that kind of thing."

"I see…" Minjae opened the script.

This time, he read longer as a scene caught his eye.

It was a late-night street chase. A line about monsters only visible under neon lights. And a lead character who looked human but wasn't.

"It's interesting," he murmured, still reading. "It feels different."

Donghyun nodded. "Yeah. The director of that drama was known to be experimental. It was not for everyone's taste. But if this lands well, it could make headlines."

Minjae didn't respond right away and just nodded. After reading a few more scenes, he simply closed the script and placed it back on the table slowly.

"I'll keep this one in mind," he said softly.

"That's fair," Donghyun replied. "And finally, this one."

He handed the last script over. The cover read, "Winter's Ending.'

Minjae's hand paused over the title.

"What is it?" Donghyun smiled, noticing the intrigue in Minjae's eyes.

"That's the one that got the best internal feedback. A character-driven drama set in a quiet countryside town. It's about a prodigy pianist who returns home after losing his ability to perform."

Minjae flipped the script open.

The first scene was quiet.

There was snow falling. A small, outdated train station and the lead character standing still with a suitcase and a distant look in his eyes.

Minjae read on.

Then he stopped.

There was a line of dialogue, it was simple but striking.

"Even music sounds different when no one is listening anymore."

Minjae blinked.

His hand tightened slightly on the paper.

"…This is good." He muttered.

"We thought so too." Donghyun watched him.

"The only problem was it's a musician. It's kind of similar to Chasing Dreams."

"Hmm… We didn't think of that."

It was a fact that Donghyun and the others overlooked.

"I'll see if the author can adjust the script if ever to a diffent career."

Minjae reluctantly nodded.

"Thanks, hyung."

"So do you need more time to decide what's the best for you?"

Minjae quickly shook his head. He smiled for a moment.

"No need hyung. I just need to look over them one more time in silence so I could think."

"Alright, Ill give you the time. I'll quiet down and let you decide."

"Thanks hyung."

As soon as Minjae said those words, he glanced at the stack of scripts he had just gone through, his eyes narrowing as he reached for the first one again.

When the Moon Sleeps.

He opened the first page again and placed his palm over it, activating his skill.

[Skill activating… ]

Once more, Minjae's mind was filled with faint glimpses of the future. But this time, it felt… flat.

"It's warm but forgettable. The type of drama you watch during dinner and never think about again."

"Decent acting, but nothing stands out. I liked it, but I wouldn't rewatch it."

"I only finished it because I had nothing else to watch. Kind of a background-noise drama."

[Success initializing…]

[Success rate: 54%]

'It's fine… but I won't grow with it.' Minjae slowly exhaled and leaned back.

He set the script aside and picked up the next.

Second Lie.

It had more edge. A darker plot. But Minjae was already skeptical from reading it earlier. Still, he needed to confirm.

He closed his eyes and activated the skill again.

[Skill activating… ]

The future flashed across his mind again, this time more chaotic.

"I have no idea what happened in the last two episodes. The writing fell apart."

"Confusing for the sake of being clever. Dropped it at episode ten."

"The first episodes was good though. Honestly the only reason I made it halfway through."

[Success initializing…]

[Success rate: 60%]

Minjae flinched slightly at the number.

He rubbed the back of his neck and murmured, 'It's higher than the first one?'

That surprised him.

Still, he slid Second Lie to the far end of the table and reached for the third.

Ever After Again.

[Skill activating… ]

Once more, the system responded.

"Too many timelines. Got confused halfway through."

"Nice visuals, but that's about it. The plot is so convoluted."

"Dropped it at episode 4."

[Success initializing…]

[Success rate: 35%]

Minjae didn't even react.

He placed it down wordlessly and grabbed the fourth script.

Evernight.

This one had caught his attention earlier.

He placed his hand over the opening scene again, activating the system.

[Skill activating… ]

This time, the energy was different. Stronger.

"This drama is wild. Like, actually wild in a good way."

"The visual effects? The tension? 10/10."

"A crowd's favorite. I hope more people find it!"

[Success initializing…]

[Success rate: 75%]

Minjae nodded thoughtfully.

"A hit… but not that much." He could see himself doing it, but it wouldn't appeal to everyone.

And finally, he reached for the last one.

Winter's Ending.

[Skill activating… ]

And this time, the vision felt different..

"This drama made me cry. And I don't cry easily."

"I initially thought it was like Chasing Dreams but this one was much beter.."

"I didn't expect much… but I ended up watching it three times. It stayed with me long after the credits."

[Success initializing…]

[Success rate: 89%]

Just like that, Minjae had an answer.

"I'd do the 5th one, hyung."