From A Producer To A Global Superstar-Chapter 245: Phone call

Few days past Dayo noticed the silence almost immediately.

There were no updates.

No calls.

No messages.

No indirect responses through the usual channels.

At first, he assumed it was normal delay. Negotiations always took time, especially with what was going on as the agencies were all again him and her agency was the fore front

But the silence was not needed they could have just sent a simple no I am not interested. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

As for the reason for the haste.

The schedule was already tight.

The cast for the movie was almost complete. Most of the supporting roles had been filled. The male lead was secured.

Only two roles remained unresolved.

The first was the child actor which was urgent but he was sure he would see a fitting child for that.

And the second was the support of Jin-hee.

Dayo had conducted several auditions for musical related projects during that period, meeting different performers and listening to presentations, but his attention kept drifting back to one thing.

Her.

From the moment he reviewed the role, he knew there was no one better suited for it. The character demanded restraint, emotional depth, and control. It was not a role that could be carried by surface acting or popularity alone.

She fit it perfectly.

And she had a 91% which was the highest he had seen apart from 100% belonging to park Hyun-Seo.

Which was why the silence bothered him.

Even a rejection would have been something. At least it would have been clear.

But this felt different.

On the fourth day, Dayo decided to stop waiting.

He picked up his phone and dialed the number he already knew by memory.

The agent answered after the third ring.

"Good afternoon," the agent said smoothly. "Director Dayo."

Dayo kept his tone calm. "Good afternoon. I wanted to follow up. I reached out earlier regarding Minji, but I have not heard anything since then."

There was a brief pause on the other end.

"Well," the agent replied carefully, "things have been complicated."

"Complicated how?" Dayo asked.

The agent sighed lightly, as if burdened. "She has been thinking about it. You know how actors are. Emotional. Hesitant."

Dayo leaned back in his chair. "So she has not decided?"

"She said no," the agent replied quickly.

The speed of the answer caught Dayo’s attention.

"She said no?" he repeated.

"Yes," the agent continued. "She did not even want to discuss it further."

Dayo frowned slightly. "I did not get a chance to speak to her directly."

"What chance do you need?" the agent asked. "You know the situation. The ban is still active. The agency has already made its stance clear. It would be dangerous for her career."

Dayo was quiet for a moment.

The agent continued talking, clearly confident now. "Honestly, I think it is best you move on. There is no reason to put her in a difficult position."

Dayo listened carefully.

Something was off.

The agent’s words sounded rehearsed. Too convenient and weird.

"Did you tell her everything I said?" Dayo asked.

Another pause.

"I gave her the necessary details," the agent replied. "There was no need to go further."

Dayo’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Necessary details.

That could mean many things.

Or nothing at all.

"I see," Dayo said after a moment. His tone softened. "Thank you for your time. I appreciate the update."

The agent seemed relieved. "Of course. I hope you understand."

"I do," Dayo replied. "Completely."

He ended the call.

For a few seconds, he remained still, phone resting in his hand.

He replayed the conversation in his head.

There were only two possibilities.

Either the agent never fully delivered the message to Min-Ji.

Or the agent was acting as a mouthpiece for something bigger.

Either way, one thing was clear.

Waiting any longer would change nothing.

Originally, Dayo had no intention of contacting her directly. He preferred formal processes and clear boundaries. But this situation no longer allowed that.

He scrolled through his contacts.

Stopped.

Then pressed call.

The phone rang.

Once.

Twice.

Then it connected.

"Hello," a female voice answered, cautious and surprised.

"This is Min-ji," she said.

"This is Dayo," he replied calmly.

There was a short silence.

"Dayo?" she repeated. "The director?"

"Yes," he said. "I hope I am not calling at a bad time."

"No," Minji replied quickly. "I was just surprised."

"That is understandable," Dayo said. "I will be direct. I contacted your agent earlier, but the conversation did not give me clarity. I wanted to hear from you directly."

Another pause.

"I see," Minji said quietly.

"I was told you declined without discussion," Dayo continued. "I wanted to understand what happened."

Minji did not answer immediately.

He could hear her breathing on the other end.

Then she spoke.

"I liked the role," she said. "Very much."

Dayo waited.

"But the situation around it," she continued carefully, "is not something I can easily handle."

"In what way?" Dayo asked.

"There are pressures," Minji replied. "Not just from my agency. The top agencies are involved. Going against them is not simple."

"I understand," Dayo said. "But that was not the only concern, was it?"

Minji hesitated.

"Yes, there is also the issue of production," she said. "From the looks of things due to the ban the cast is incomplete. Meaning it wouldn’t start even if I agree to film."

Dayo raised his eyebrows slightly.

"Is that so ?" he asked but he smiled as he caught something from what she said she said even if she wanted meaning there was a high chance she would agree.

"Yes," Minji replied. " according to what i heard that it’s only one actor which is the lead and he cannot carry an entire film. That without a full cast, the project would collapse."

Dayo leaned forward.

"What if I told you the cast is already prepared?" he asked.

Minji let out a quiet laugh. "That would be impossible."

"Why?" he asked.

"The top agencies blocked all access," she said. "Everyone knows that."

"I have my ways," Dayo replied calmly.

There was silence again.

"What if we met?" he continued. "I can show you. Proof and my offer you can decide on what to do after then."

Minji hesitated.

"Dinner," Dayo added. "Nothing formal. Just a conversation."

She thought for a moment.

"If you can truly show me that the cast is ready," she said slowly, "then yes. I will listen."

Dayo smiled faintly.

"Then we will meet," he said.

"Alright," Minji replied. "We will see."

The call ended.

Dayo placed his phone on the table.

The path forward was finally clear.

But the question hang would the bait be enough to catch the fish..

Only time would tell.