Chapter 74: Expansion (3)

Translator: Dreamscribe

“That’s right! Director Shin Dong-chun!”

Just as she said it, the corners of Kim So-hyang’s lips curled up.

“Woojin’s debut work ‘Exorcism’ really took off with him as a rookie director. He had a pretty good track record with drama direction in the past. Anyone here seen ‘Exorcism’?”

“I’ve seen it. I went to the ‘Mise-en-scène Film Festival’ out of curiosity. ‘Exorcism’ was fantastic. It was the most entertaining short film.”

“How was its style? Do you think he could handle a drama again?”

“Yes. It actually felt like a mix of film and drama editing. The fast and slow pacing was amazing. And the sound, the audio techniques were brilliantly incorporated.”

Most of the team leaders in the meeting room nodded in agreement.

“With Director Shin Dong-chun on board, everything will be complete. We have a story as well, like a reunion between a previously unknown director and actor.”

“A reunion of the ‘Mise-en-scène Film Festival’ award-winning actor and director?”

Director Shin Dong-chun seemed perfect for the job, but there were concerns.

“But even if he seems perfect to us, would Director Shin Dong-chun take this on? I’d have to verify, but from what I guess, he’s probably busy with meetings after getting recognition at the ‘Mise-en-scène Film Festival’. Scripts would be pouring in, right?”

Would Director Shin Dong-chun take the lead? Of course, there’s actor Kang Woojin, but business is business. It was uncertain if Shin Dong-chun would lead while rising as a popular new director.

However, Kim So-hyang believed there was a high chance.

“It’s not like we’re handing him all the series, just the ‘Male friend’ part. If he’s already committed to another project, we’d pass, but if he’s still adjusting, it might work.”

Regardless, speed was crucial in getting him on board.

“When did the ‘Mise-en-scène Film Festival’ end?”

“Early May, last month.”

“So, after winning, he would’ve been busy with interviews for a week and meetings with production and film companies for another two weeks. The timing isn’t bad.”

Soon after, Kim So-hyang gave her orders.

“Find Director Shin Dong-chun’s contact immediately and get in touch. Make sure to emphasize our strong support when proposing the project. And subtly bring up Kang Woojin as well.”

The team leaders quickly stood up to get to work. Kim So-hyang murmured to herself,

“Heh- I think Director Shin Dong-chun might have already seen the news about Woojin starring in ‘Male friend’.”

Fast forward.

On Thursday, four days later, Kang Woojin finally had a day off. Or rather, he had to reschedule everything due to a personal matter.

“Ah- Time to leave.”

He was moving out. In other words, it was the day Kang Woojin left his studio apartment. It felt a bit rushed, but considering his skyrocketing fame, it was necessary. There was also some urging from Choi Sung-gun.

Regardless,

“I thought I’d spend at least my 20s here.”

Woojin, wearing a casual hoodie, slowly looked around the studio that had supported him all these years. Now, it was completely empty. Memories flooded in – like the times he passed out drunk or the day he first signed the lease., and so on.

“It’s a small room, but so many things happened here.”

Kang Woojin had a bittersweet expression. But he couldn’t linger.

With a swift motion, it was time to say goodbye. As Woojin put on his shoes, he lightly tapped the shoe cabinet.

“I’m off then-”

It was a farewell to the studio apartment that had been his home. Finally, Kang Woojin, with his ‘Mise-en-scène Film Festival’ trophy in hand, closed the door of the studio apartment. A moving truck and Woojin’s van were waiting outside.

-Thud!

Both vehicles set off as soon as Woojin got into his van, and about an hour later, they stopped near the bw Entertainment building. It was an officetel near Samseong station. As Kang Woojin entered his new residence, he was taken aback.

‘Wow… This place is amazing.’

If there were no people around, he would have run around cheering. The new house was that splendid. It looked at least twice as big as the studio apartment. To others, it might have looked ordinary, but in Kang Woojin’s eyes, it was nothing less than a palace. Even appliances like the TV and refrigerator were already in place.

It was bw Entertainment’s consideration.

Everything about Kang Woojin had changed. A new house, a new life, a new job, unfamiliar acquaintances in the entertainment industry, and more. Woojin was slowly starting to feel like an actor.

The people around him had changed as well.

His noisy friends still messaged in group chats, treating Kang Woojin as a full-fledged actor.

-Woojin: Moving done.

-Dae-yeong: Congrats, Mr. Actor. I’ll come to make it messy soon.

-Kyung-sung: Housewarming party, let’s go. Invite Hong Hye-yeon, let’s go.

-Hyeong-gu: Housewarming party, let’s go. Invite Hong Hye-yeon, let’s go x2.

-Woojin: Shut up, animals.

-Kyung-sung: Have you seen Hwalin in person, Kang-star? Isn’t she beautiful?

-Woojin: Yes yes yes.

-Hyeong-gu: Kang-star ‘Park-Dae-ri’, come back. It feels odd without you in Hanryang.

Woojin’s parents were the same.

“Uh, Mom.”

“Yes, our actor Kang. Are you eating well? Want me to send you some porridge?”

“Mom’s porridge is good even if it’s cooled down.”

“No- I’ll come and cook it for you.”

“What?? It’s okay. Porridge. I’ll just buy some here. I’ve been eating well.”

“Alright. Your father and I are watching your show. You appear occasionally in flashbacks since you died.”

“…Mom. I’m alive.”

“Oh, you know, here, you’re a superstar to my friends and guests. Have I told you?”

Inside an actual porridge shop in Jinju, there was a huge poster of Kang Woojin. On both walls. Probably chosen by Woojin’s parents themselves.

When some customers asked about the poster,

“Is this the hot new actor these days? Are you a fan, owner?”

Seo Hyun-mi and Kang Woo-chul proudly answered simultaneously,

“This is our son.”

“It’s our son.”

Strangely, Kang Woojin’s usually pesky younger sister, Kang Hyun-ah, had become quiet. Woojin felt a bit uneasy about it but brushed it off. She might be busy studying.

After settling into his new place, Woojin went to an ad shoot the next day, on Friday the 5th.

It was a shoot for a ‘Mxdonald’ advertisement.

It was swift. The shoot was scheduled just about a week after the contract was signed. ‘Mxdonald’ wanted to capitalize on Kang Woojin’s popularity as soon as possible.

“Hello.”

“Ah! Welcome! Kang Woojin has arrived! Woojin, please review the concept with the director right away.”

The advertising studio felt both unfamiliar and familiar to Woojin. The size was as big as an auditorium. The atmosphere resembled a drama set, but the props and filming equipment were slightly different.

Most importantly,

‘…Is that a hamburger? Do I eat all of that?’

There were stacks of hamburgers on a table in one corner. At least 30. Are they grenades? At a glance, they looked like weapons. Therefore, Woojin, even in his persona on, felt a bit scared. It’s already nerve-wracking since it was his first advertising shoot experience. Was he expected to eat all of that?

Fortunately,

“You only have to pretend to bite the hamburger for the shot. You can eat it if you want, but if it’s hard, you can spit it out.”

He didn’t have to eat all the hamburgers. There were also fake ones for the advertisement.

‘The real one looks different. This shouldn’t be! Oh, I’m the model? I keep getting confused.’

Woojin was amazed by the various things. After a brief concept meeting with the director and ‘MxDonald’s staff, he changed into makeup and costume and headed to the filming zone.

He looked very much like ‘Park Dae-ri’.

The shooting zone was a luxurious sofa set against a backdrop of blue screens. These blue screens were for post-production special effects. Unaware of this, Woojin just acted as directed. But did he have to bring out the maximum ‘Park Dae-ri’ vibe?

He didn’t know, but he decided to go all out.

“Ready- Action!”

Kang Woojin based his hamburger bite on the scene from ‘Hanryang’ where Park Dae-ri was eating a hamburger in the interrogation room. Although it was his first advertisement, his acting went smoother than expected. Even the director and others on the set were full of admiration.

“Wow, nailed it! The Park Dae-ri concept was the right choice.”

“But Woojin, how do you grasp your emotions so quickly? Your expressions change in mere seconds.”

“It feels like we’ve found a major rookie actor, doesn’t it?”

However, advertising was definitely different from drama.

“Cut! Good! Woojin, this time point the hamburger a bit forward and go again.”

“Yes.”

“Action!”

Could one call it the grunt work of the filming industry?

“Nice! Cut! How about smiling a bit more wickedly this time?”

“…Yes.”

The same scene was shot over ten times. It wasn’t because Woojin was doing something wrong.

“Cut! Great! Next, hold the hamburger with both hands!”

They simply wanted to capture as many angles as possible. Action, cut, action, cut, action, cut, over and over. The requested poses, expressions, and lines changed every time.

Kang Woojin underestimated advertising and quickly became exhausted.

‘Advertisements are insane. So demanding. And only one shot is done. I’m getting tired fast.’

There were cue sheets in advertising, but no detailed script like in dramas. Kang Woojin felt that dramas or movies with scripts were better. Somehow, after a few shots, it was lunchtime.

And the meal served to Kang Woojin was…

“Woojin! This is our new MxDonald’s product. Give it a try!”

“…Thank you.”

It was another hamburger.

‘Ugh.’

Meanwhile,

In Seoul, at a major film company. A familiar square-jawed man was present in a meeting room with several others. It was Director Shin Dong-chun, looking healthier than before and without any trace of his previous haggard appearance.

He seemed full of vitality.

The aura he emitted had also changed. He now exuded the undeniable aura of a director. And he had every reason to. And why not? Having won the best work award at the ‘Mise-en-scène Film Festival’ a month ago. Not just Kang Woojin, but a lot had happened to Director Shin Dong-chun as well.

『[Movie Talk] Best Film Award winner Exorcism’s Director, Shin Dong-chun, the gem discovered by Mise-en-scène in Chungmuro.』

Although not as explosive as Kang Woojin, Director Shin Dong-chun was being recognized as a rising star in the film industry. He achieved three awards, including the grand prize, at the notoriously strict ‘Mise-en-scène Film Festival’, and ‘Exorcism’ itself received high acclaim.

Furthermore,

『Kang Woojin’s effect? ‘Exorcism’ released on various OTT platforms showcases its power despite being a short film.』

The performance of ‘Exorcism’ on OTT platforms was quite satisfactory. So, Director Shin Dong-chun was swamped with interviews from various film media, appearances on various YouTube channels, and calls from production and film companies.

Currently, he was at one of those places.

This major film company was also proposing a future collaboration to Director Shin Dong-chun.

“Director, what do you think?”

There were about five people from the film company, while Director Shin Dong-chun was alone. He did not seem flustered, having already gone through numerous meetings.

“Hmm-”

“We understand your hesitation. We’ve heard the rumors about the offers you’ve received from others. We promise to give you the best terms.”

“Yes, I’ll consider it.”

“Haha, we really want to work with you.”

A pleasant-looking man from the film company changed the subject.

“First, we want to know your thoughts. We are considering two options: a commercial remake of ‘Exorcism’ or going with one of our scenarios we already have for our collaboration. What do you think, Director?”

Either option was enticing. Expanding the world of ‘Exorcism’ for a large-scale film remake, or diving right into a new project using a script the film company already had.

Among the two, Director Shin thought,

‘I am tempted by the ‘Exorcism’ remake.’

Although it would need some adaptations, the idea of remaking ‘Exorcism’ was enticing. However, a film isn’t made by a director alone. It involves multiple crew members and actors. This means that he couldn’t decide solely based on his personal desire alone.

‘But perhaps we should leave ‘Exorcism’ as it is.’

The current success of ‘Exorcism’ was possible because it was a short film.

‘It succeeded because of Woojin’s acting, the effort of the crew, and because of Hye-yeon. If I change it in any way, it might be ruined.’

Remaking isn’t that hard. All you have to do is adapt and produce. It might even succeed. But without Kang Woojin, ‘Exorcism’ wouldn’t be the same. At least, that’s how Director Shin Dong-chun felt.

‘It was Woojin’s passion and emotional attachment that made ‘Exorcism’ what it is.’

In other words, ‘Exorcism’ without Kang Woojin was like a red-bean bun without the bean paste. Therefore, Director Shin Dong-chun looked at the film company employees and shook his head.

“I don’t want to touch ‘Exorcism’.”

“That’s a pity. Frankly, ‘Exorcism’ has a good chance of commercial success.”

“It’s not about the odds of success. Of course, if all the actors are on board, I’ll consider it, but not now.”

“If it’s about the actors— are you referring to Kang Woojin and Hong Hye-yeon? Well, Woojin is indeed getting a lot of attention lately. There’s no guarantee he would redo ‘Exorcism’.”

“If you have selected any of the scripts you mentioned, I’ll take them today. I’ll read them and get back to you.”

Smiling, a film company executive handed over two bundles of paper.

“You’ve accumulated a lot of scripts, haven’t you? I wish you’d read ours first, haha.”

Taking the scripts, Director Shin Dong-chun, with a serious face, responded,

“If I decide to direct, there’s one actor I definitely want to bring along, if that’s alright.”

“Ah, are you referring to Kang Woojin?”

“Yes. I definitely want Kang Woojin.”

“Of course, that’s no problem. Woojin is currently popular and a good actor. But you seem to like him a lot.”

“……”

Director Shin Dong-chun didn’t respond, but thought to himself,

‘It’s because I owe him for his passion and attachment.’

It was Woojin who had brought him to where he is now, saving him from the brink. Even though everything started from a misunderstanding, for Director Shin Dong-chun, ignorance is bliss.

After the meeting, Director Shin Dong-chun, holding the scripts, entered an elevator.

“Phew.”

He then checked his phone, lately his hobby. Watching Woojin’s rising success. There was no need to search. There were plenty of articles about him on the entertainment homepage.

“Oh- sports day video exceeded 6 million views? In just two days?”

As he approached his parked car

-♬♪

He received a call from an unknown number. Given Woojin’s recent popularity, it wasn’t surprising.

“Hello, this is Shin Dong-chun.”

A female voice came from the other side.

“Hello, Director. This is Lee Nam-hee, the creative team leader at Netflix.”

“Netflix?”

Suddenly, Director Shin Dong-chun recalled a recent article about Kang Woojin’s short drama.

“Ah, yes, hello. What can I help you with?”

“I know you’re busy, but we wanted to ask if you’d be willing to direct a project for us. I don’t know if you’ve seen the news, but it’s a short drama project.”

“Is it ‘Male Friend’?”

“Oh, you know it. Yes, that’s right. As you know, Woojin and Hwalin will be the leads. If you’re interested…”

“I’m available now.”

Without hesitation, Director Shin Dong-chun immediately replied over the phone, smiling.

“Let me know the location, and I’ll head to Netflix right away.”

Early in the morning, 6 days later, at Kang Woojin’s new apartment.

Even though he had finished moving, Woojin’s unpacking was far from over. Woojin, with a hoodie on, appeared in the underground parking lot, thinking,

‘So sleepy- I’m tired-‘

He felt very tired from waking up early. Once he got in the car, he decided to head straight to the void space. As he looked around the parking area, he noticed a black van with its hazard lights on, waiting to pick him up.

What was intriguing was,

“Woojin.”

For some reason, Choi Sung-gun was outside the car waiting for Woojin. Woojin approached him and bowed slightly.

“Hello, but why are you outside?”

Instead of a greeting, Choi Sung-gun handed over a bundle of papers.

“Here, take this.”

“What’s this?”

As Woojin curiously took the bundle, Choi Sung-gun explained its origin.

“It’s the official script for Director Kyotaro’s next work.”

“Oh.”

The script from the Japanese master director was now in Woojin’s hands.