Crisis in the Boardroom

Monday. DreamNest Boardroom.

Mr. Choi's eyebrows were twitching.

He was reading the proposed continuation to Chapter 14—the long-awaited next episode in the viral hit.

He wasn't happy.

Not even close.

In his hands: a chapter draft written by Seo Jinhyuk.

Jinhyuk's Proposal (a.k.a. The Sci-Fi Catastrophe)

"An alien hiding on Earth is the cause of all the dual realities."
"It's not just Clarisse. There are many others experiencing fractured timelines."
"A joint elite task force from Japan and Korea is deployed."
"One of them is the 'Shadow Monarch' — a deadly but compassionate soldier."
"They fight the aliens. Everything resets."
"And in the end... a dragon appears. Flying south."

Yes.

A dragon.

The Assistant Producer stared at the script in disbelief.

Then, He threw it directly at Jinhyuk's face.

"ALIENS?!" He shouted.

"DUAL REALITY?!"

"SHADOW MONARCH?! DRAGON?!"

He slammed the rest of the script down on the table.

Then without hesitation...

WHAP!He slapped Min Yee across the face with the script.

"You started this story as a psychological drama!"

"A grieving mother. A child lost in dreams. A metaphorical clock twisting the perception of time and memory..."

He jabbed the script again with his finger.

"And now you're telling me the solution is alien extermination and a dragon flying to the south?!"

Jinhyuk, face burning red, trying to defend Min Yee - stammered:"We just thought... maybe a twist like The Matrix meets Goblin meets Game of Thrones finale—"
"You're not here to create the next Avengers: Endgame!" the Assistant Producer barked.

"Let me read the next proposal before I fire everyone in this room!"

Next: Kang Minjae's Proposal(a.k.a. The Art-House Attempt)

Scene: "The Pill Choice"

Cinematic. Dim lighting.

A shadowy figure—bearing an uncanny resemblance to me, wearing a dark sunglasses. The one they call "the mysterious plagiarist"—stands before Dr. Clarisse.

In his hand: two capsules.

He speaks, voice calm, cryptic.

"Dr. Clarisse..."

"This is no longer about what's real. It's about what you're willing to accept as real."

He lifts both hands:One red pill. One blue.

"The red pill — truth, in all its ugliness. You'll remember Ethan, even if he was never real."

"The blue pill — peace. Return to the clinic. To your patients with goiter and PCOS."

"No Ethan. But silence. A lie that feels like healing."

Mr. Choi's feedback?

He actually paused.

"Cinematography: beautiful."
"Tone: heavy. Maybe too heavy."
"Emotion: you're trying."
"But we don't need another Matrix parody."
"We need a continuation, not a TED Talk on perception."

Then...

WHAP!

He hurled the script—not at Minjae—but at me.

Right in the face.

I bowed.

"Sir. Give me more time. I'll fix this. I promise."

Mr. Choi, seething:"You better fix it, Min Yee. You've put this studio at risk.The world is watching. Netflix is waiting. What do we give them after Chapter 14?These two? This is garbage!"

"You better find me a story. Or I find someone else."

Back at my office...

I shut the door and looked at my two apprentice writers.

They were already standing.

"Guys..." I began.

"I know you tried your best. But what we need is a Chapter 15 that has real weight."

"Something that continues the soul of Chapter 14—not throw dragons and pills at it."

Jinhyuk, head low:"Sir... sorry." He bowed deeply.

Minjae followed:"I'm sorry too." Another deep bow.

I exhaled.

"It's not your fault now. What's done is done."

"But maybe I still have one move left..."

Their heads lifted slightly.

"Sir?" they asked in unison.

I turned my back, stared out the window.

"I'm going to the Philippines."

They blinked.

"The Philippines?" Minjae echoed.

"I'll look for inspiration... maybe something from a mental health institution.A patient's story, or something deeply human."

But the truth?

I'm not going there for "inspiration."

I'm going there to find the original authors of the story.

Because if I don't—

We're dead.

All three of us.

Our jobs. Our reputations. Our last shot.

This might be the only break we'll ever get.

And if this collapses?

Then we collapse with it.

That's the reality now.

That's the story behind the story.

And the clock...

is ticking.

To be continued...