Chapter 164: Collapse (3)
Chapter 164: Collapse (3)
I put in my earphones and listened to the recording all the way to the end.
He had really been properly provoked.
There was no need for someone who had held the top spot as a leading actor for over five years to bring up something like that in front of students, especially during a lecture.
Proof that he was inwardly unstable, I guess.
There was something I had learned while studying psychology in my previous life.
There were more people than expected who had a complex.
But they did not seem as common as they actually were.
Because most people did not show it when they were calm.
When circumstances changed suddenly and their anxiety was stimulated, it burst out as an uncontrollable emotional reaction.
And what Gong Hajin was showing right now was—
a loser complex.
It was the kind of complex commonly expressed as inferiority.
If he had been lucky, he had probably lived his life covering up that inferiority with his inborn talent.
But in cases like that, inferiority was replaced by superiority.
And in the end, when they met someone superior to themselves, the festering inferiority burst out.
Then they belittled the other person, cursed at them, and turned them into a liar through that inferiority.
They judged themselves as having succeeded by honing their innate talent, while dismissing the other person as someone who had succeeded more through luck than effort.
A twisted pride trying to protect the belief that I’m better than you.
Well, he probably had not been born with that kind of temperament.
A complex was something acquired later, after all.
But—
was that really something I needed to care about too?
Why should the person who got hit have to go digging into the story of the person who did the hitting?
For now, it did not seem necessary for me to respond to this myself.
People were already stepping up and getting angry on my behalf.
If I unnecessarily stepped in and poured more oil on the fire, then reactions like these could come out.
Two of the country’s representative actors are having a power struggle lol
Ugh, but this kind of ruins the image lol
This is something the two of them should settle on their own; why are they fighting on the internet like this? Not cool
There was a reason people said not to feed the trolls.
And if you listened closely to what he said, he had cleverly left himself all sorts of escape routes.
Well, an ordinary person would still get torn apart for comments at about that level.
But in Gong Hajin’s case, he had the image he had built up all this time, so if a moderate explanation was posted and he showed good acting again, it would probably be buried easily.
These days, all kinds of incidents were breaking out every other day anyway.
Gong Hajin was not going to collapse over a verbal slip of this level when it was not even a crime.
Still, it did seem like a crack had formed.
For some reason, I had a feeling the moment Gong Hajin collapsed might come sooner than expected.
Singgeut headquarters meeting room.
The team leader greeted me with an endlessly beaming smile.
“Oh wow, Sunho! It’s a bit late, but congratulations from the bottom of my heart on Mueon:ga surpassing 7 million viewers!”
“Haha, thank you.”
“Thanks to you, our ad also rode the viral wave and helped sales a lot. We’re the ones who should be thanking you.”
The silence marketing that had been rolled out to promote the movie.
Singgeut had cooperated at the time, and it seemed they had benefited as well when the silent outdoor ad videos became a hot topic on social media.
The moment he sat down, he got straight to the main point.
“You’ve probably already seen it in the articles. The news that Singgeut Ice Cream acquired Haechi Ice Cream.”
“Yes, I saw it.”
“So now we’re planning to properly let people know about that and continue with a large-scale marketing campaign.”
The gist of what he was saying was this.
Since the two giant companies that had been the twin pillars of the ice cream market were joining together, they had planned a collaboration product that could instantly grab people’s attention.
“When people think of Singgeut Ice Cream, the undisputed number one thing that comes to mind is the vanilla ice cream Only One, and from Haechi, their steady seller is the chocolate ice cream Deep Cacao. This is a new product that combines the two.”
I nodded.
It was an excellent strategy.
The news of a corporate M&A felt distant to the general public, but the news of a delicious new product felt close.
“For now, it’s planned as a limited edition, but the internal test response has been explosive, so we’re preparing for an official launch. Rather than just explaining it with words, it would be better for you to experience the product yourself...”
The team leader took out an ice cream from a cooler bag.
A pint ice cream in luxurious black-and-white packaging.
You could tell they had put effort into the design too.
My anticipation rose.
I picked up the spoon and took a big bite of the ice cream.
...This is insanely good.
The moment it touched the tip of my tongue, a sweet, smooth vanilla fragrance spread along with the cold temperature.
Right after that, the heavy, bittersweet taste of dark chocolate surged upward.
Softness and intensity.
Two different flavors blended perfectly inside my mouth and created synergy.
It felt like two ice creams that were already delicious on their own had come together into something even more refined.
I could see why he was so confident when he said the internal evaluation was good.
Once this got the right advertising and started spreading by word of mouth, it would sell like wildfire.
“How is it?”
“It’s really delicious. Seriously.”
“Haha, right?”
The team leader let out a sigh of relief.
Then, after a brief pause, he continued carefully.
“To be honest, the moment the product was completed, you were the very first person I wanted to let try it, Sunho. Your sense is just so exceptional.”
Even while flattering me, the team leader chose his words carefully so he would not make me feel pressured.
“If later on, even just a tiny clue suddenly comes to mind, please feel free to toss it out casually. If it’s your idea, Sunho, we’ll welcome it unconditionally.”
It felt like they were treating me not just as a simple ad model, but as a partner helping build the brand together.
Naturally so.
The response to the Chili Oil Ice Cream I had suggested had been excellent, and I had even come back after winning the Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions.
But...
did this really need to be put off until later?
The moment I tasted it, an idea had already come to mind.
“Team Leader.”
“Yes?”
“Would it be all right if I told you right now?”
The team leader’s eyes widened.
“Right now...? You just tasted it, didn’t you?”
“The product is so good that the idea immediately sprang up.”
I set down the spoon, wiped my mouth, and continued.
“The core of this product is the harmony of two contrasting flavors, right? Soft vanilla and intense cacao.”
“That’s right.”
“Then how about showing that visually and unpacking it with storytelling? For example...”
I calmly explained the image that had formed in my head.
As the team leader listened, his eyes gradually widened, then soon began to shine.
He rubbed his arms, making a gesture as if goosebumps had risen.
“...This is so good. Good enough that I want to shoot it immediately and see it with my own eyes.”
A good reaction came out, so I felt good too.
But something about ending it here felt a little lacking.
If we took it just one step further, would the shock this product threw into the market not become even bigger?
At that moment, my thoughts locked together like gears, and another idea flashed through my mind.
“Could I suggest one more thing?”
“Of course! Please, say whatever you like!”
“If it’s a product this well made and the concept is this clear, then I think it might be good to draw people’s attention a little more decisively.”
I told him a strategy that could give consumers the fun of comparing and maximize buzz.
After hearing me out, the team leader thought for a moment.
Then he asked carefully.
“It’s a good idea, but... would you be okay with it, Sunho?”
“As long as Singgeut is okay with it, I’m completely fine with it. It sounds like fun.”
The team leader seemed to have reached a decision and nodded.
“Sounds good. I’ll report it to upper management right away and push it forward. Ah, then is there perhaps anyone you already have in mind?”
“Well. Ideally, someone who can act well, has name recognition, and has a somewhat different image from mine. The impact would be bigger that way.”
After the controversy over Gong Hajin taking shots at Ryu Sunho was ignited, Gong Hajin’s side responded swiftly and skillfully.
[Gong Hajin’s side: “Taking shots at a junior? Malicious editing... It was only a theoretical piece of advice about acting”]
[“There was absolutely no intention to disparage any specific person”... Official statement on the controversy over the recording]
They explained that the remarks had not been aimed at any specific work or actor, but had come up in the course of emphasizing the importance of fundamentals to aspiring actors.
In addition, his agency uploaded a photo emphasizing the friendship between Gong Hajin and Ryu Sunho.
A photo taken for publicity during the filming of Two Table, but left unreleased.
The sight of them looking quite close gradually cooled the outrage, and at the same time, efforts to manage the tone of comments in online communities beneath the surface were carried out fiercely.
They even took smiling photos like that, and now people are sneakily trying to drive a wedge between them again, ugh lol
Yeah, there’s no reason Gong Hajin would take shots at Ryu Sunho lol
⌞If you really want to be exact, he was criticizing the critics, not Ryu Sunho. People just got worked up for no reason.
Listening to the recording file, it really does sound like the front and back were cut off and edited to make it more provocative.
Looks like the original post got deleted too ㅉㅉ What a pathetic ending, deleting the post and running
On top of that, Boundary, which happened to open right around then, received critical praise for Gong Hajin’s dual-role performance, so the controversy remained no more than a storm in a teacup.
But even at that moment, Gong Hajin’s insides were burning black.
No matter how much he packaged himself as a good senior, reality did not change.
Mueon:ga kept racing ahead, breaking new box-office records day after day.
And the praise pouring toward Ryu Sunho showed no sign of stopping.
Now, in one corner of Gong Hajin’s heart, a crooked conviction was steadily growing.
My acting is far better.
It was only the difference in directors that had shown itself.
If he had been given Director Baek Junbong’s direction and a script like Mueon:ga, he would have delivered a performance far deeper and more overwhelming than Ryu Sunho’s.
He was certain of it.
But that old bastard... I greeted him properly every single time and even sent gifts on every holiday, and this is how he stabs me in the back?
Gong Hajin ground his teeth in fury at the betrayal.
And while he was swallowing that twisted resentment, an unexpected opportunity arrived.
“What ice cream?”
“Singgeut Ice Cream. They asked to have an advertising meeting.”
“What do they think I am, Ryu Sunho? I’m not doing those low-grade ads that snatch away the pocket money of little kids.”
Gong Hajin waved his hand irritably.
“I know. I figured you’d react like that, so I was going to reject it. But the ad concept is actually pretty good. I thought you might like it, Hajin. Just take a quick look at the proposal.”
With a displeased expression, Gong Hajin accepted the proposal his manager handed him.
A collaboration between Singgeut Ice Cream and Haechi Ice Cream.
A concept ad that would express the combination of soft vanilla and heavy chocolate through a dual-role performance.
Looks like they approached me after seeing the dual role in Boundary.
Well.
A delicate dual-role performance like this was not something just anyone could pull off easily.
If you acted it clumsily, it was exactly the kind of concept that would only expose your lack of substance.
Still, I’m not doing an ad like this. It kills my image.
Just as he was about to toss the proposal back to his manager, the contents written on the last page caught his eye.
...They’re casting multiple actors to perform the same script?
The same script, the same concept.
It said they would each interpret and perform it in their own style, and then release each version separately.
And among the actors currently cast, one of the listed names was Ryu Sunho.
At that moment, the corner of Gong Hajin’s mouth curled up darkly.
Perfect. Their acting skill will be laid bare.
Because of an incompetent director, his pride had been somewhat crumpled at Cannes.
But through this opportunity, he could show people properly.
Who the one who could really act was.
I’m not a national actor who’s stayed at the top for years for nothing.
After finishing his calculations, Gong Hajin slapped the proposal down and said,
“Tell them I’ll do it.”
And one month later, when the advertisement was released, heated reactions came pouring in.