CHAPTER 055: An S-Rank Pretending to Be B-Rank
CHAPTER 055: An S-Rank Pretending to Be B-Rank
“Get out. Stop wasting my time.”
Choi Jeongin doubted her ears for a moment.
How dare he—how dare he say something like that to Choi Jeongin?
“What? Who the hell is this rude bastard? Who are you!”
Choi Jeongin flew into a rage, but Han Seungwoo didn’t even respond.
He simply lifted his teacup leisurely and savored the aroma.
That perfect disregard tore Choi Jeongin’s pride to shreds.
“Y-you, you—!”
As the situation turned ugly, Director Park panicked, grabbed Choi Jeongin by the arm, and pulled her to the side.
“Writer Choi, please calm down…! That person is ContentTrinity’s division head! He’s the son of the Taeseong Ilbo chairman!”
“W-who…?”
Only then did Choi Jeongin shut her mouth and stare at Han Seungwoo with shocked eyes.
He was still, in the same relaxed posture, taking a sip of hot tea.
“Mmm—still tastes like shit. Don’t you have any cola?”
Once she grasped the situation, the anger drained from Choi Jeongin’s face like an ebbing tide.
She gathered the handbag she’d been gripping like a weapon and held it politely with both hands.
No matter how much she was a star writer who didn’t care about anything, even Choi Jeongin knew how to watch her step in front of a chaebol.
“I-I’m sorry for interrupting while you were in the middle of a conversation.”
“No. Interrupting during a conversation is fine.”
Han Seungwoo rotated his teacup slowly and continued.
“What’s wrong is barging in with no manners.”
Han Seungwoo jerked his chin toward Choi Jeongin.
Understanding the gesture, Director Park hurriedly introduced her.
“She’s writer Choi Jeongin. She wrote Halfway Dating—”
“Oh, her? Writer Choi Jeongin, who wrote Survival Love, the one that got wiped like a dog by Possessed Investigation?”
Choi Jeongin’s face turned blue.
She bit her lip until it nearly bled, but she couldn’t dare argue.
This wasn’t someone she could crush with the authority of being a star writer.
He was the royal family of Taeseong Group, holding enormous power over the broadcast industry.
“…I’m Choi Jeongin.”
“I saw you storm into the director’s office and cause a scene, so I thought you were someone big. You scared me. I thought you were Joanne Rowling.”
Unable to endure any more humiliation, Choi Jeongin forgot whatever she’d come to say to Director Park and fled the office as if running away.
“She’s leaving without even closing the door. Seriously. Even adults need to be taught manners properly again. Right?”
Director Park swallowed the thought, ‘Says the guy talking down to someone ten years older than him…,’ and only smiled quietly as he closed the door.
“Anyway, let’s continue what we were discussing.”
At Han Seungwoo’s words, Director Park returned and sat across from him again.
Then, with a business smile equipped, he spoke.
“Reading this year’s grand prize winner made me admire your eye, Division Head. It’s the real deal. The characters are lively and charming—if we cast well, it has mega-hit written all over it.”
“Of course. Naturally.”
“The synopsis and the first draft of the script are already complete, so we’ll clear a slot in the second-half schedule and compress the prep stage as much as possible to move fast. We’ll begin casting the director and key actors immediately as well.”
Han Seungwoo smiled in satisfaction at Director Park’s drive.
“Good. Since it’s the one I picked as the grand prize, I’m getting impatient to see it.”
Los Angeles International Airport.
Director James Rodriguez, having finished judging the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, returned home briefly.
One of his past hit films was being rebooted as a drama, and there were contract issues he, as the original creator, had to handle no matter what.
After wrapping things up quickly, he checked his calendar.
The film festival opening ceremony was three days away.
It was a tight schedule where he had to return to Korea again, but he didn’t head straight back to the airport.
There was a friend he wanted to meet and talk to today.
He couldn’t stand it—he wanted to tell him about the awesome film he’d discovered during judging as soon as possible.
James headed toward the parking lot.
He started up his old Cadillac and called his friend.
“Hey, Quentin! Where are you? What are you doing?”
-I’m distancing myself from the world and pouring contemplation into letters.
“So you’re saying you’re in your room writing a screenplay.”
-Heh, exactly.
“Can I drop by your studio? I’ve got something I want to talk about.”
-If you bring beer.
His friend’s studio, reached in no time.
When James turned off the engine, a bizarre-looking man greeted him: tacky overalls, Hagrid-like hair, and a red hat perched on top that didn’t even fit.
His name was Quentin Marino.
A director praised as having the most original style in Hollywood history.
A man with the nickname: an S-rank film director pretending to be B-rank.
“How was the festival judging?”
“Shit. Never again. I suffered the whole time trying to act refined.”
“Hahaha! So—did you find any interesting films?”
“Honestly, it was mostly garbage, but at the end I found a real gem.”
James went off at length about Vacuum State—especially the lead actor’s overwhelming performance.
“The genre flips all over the place, but he never collapses. He carries the film straight through. His face looks pretty young, but how does someone that age deliver acting with that kind of depth?”
“Eastern Asians—hard to guess their age by their face. He might actually be older than he looks. But for you, who rarely praises actors, to be like this… now I’m curious. Who is he?”
“The actor’s name was Ryu… Ryu something… Korean names are hard as hell to remember.”
“Wait… Korean, and ‘Ryu’? Is the actor’s name Ryu Sunho, by any chance?”
“Oh? That sounds right. How do you know?”
“There’s a drama I watched recently that I really enjoyed. It’s called POSSESSED. There was a young guy in it who caught my eye.”
“He’s in that?”
Quentin Marino nodded.
“Then I’m even more curious.”
Then he gave a meaningful smile.
“I was feeling suffocated being stuck in my room anyway—this works out. When did you say that festival opening ceremony was?”
Meanwhile, Saint-Tropez, France.
Under the dazzling Mediterranean sun, PD Yeom Jaeho and the writers were seated at an outdoor café overlooking the harbor.
On the table, espresso cups sat amid scattered stacks of documents.
“Look over there. If we do business in that square, the shot will come out perfectly.”
PD Yeom Jaeho pointed to a plaza where an old harbor blended with yachts.
A writer followed his gaze and spoke worriedly.
“But if there are that many tourists, will we be able to control things? It’s only fun if we capture locals’ reactions raw, but if we can’t communicate and it’s chaotic, it’ll feel floaty.”
“That’s why we need Ryu Sunho.”
PD Yeom Jaeho said with a smile.
“There’s no language he can’t do. Answers that pop out instantly depending on the tourist. Can’t you already picture the locals’ reactions, shocked from the start?”
Writer Jeong Gaeul chimed in.
“They’ll probably be shocked before he even opens his mouth. I saw the recent photos—he cut his hair and his visuals really came alive. If we capture proud Westerners gawking and praising that face, it’ll spread everywhere as meme images.”
“Right. In every way, he’s someone we can’t leave out. Ryu Sunho’s film shoot is finished now, and once his promo activities wrap up, we go straight into our shoot.”
“Yes, sounds good.”
PD Yeom Jaeho looked at the casting list on the table.
“Mm, even looking again, we built the lineup well. Lee Yuna agreed to join in the end, right?”
“Yes. Her agency refused at first because of scheduling, but when they showed her the cast list, she said she’d do it. Apparently she shouted ‘Hoo-woo!’ as an aside… Maybe something good happened that day.”
“Really? Did she know someone? Either way, great. If Lee Yuna joins, the buzz will definitely rise. And the guest is confirmed too?”
“Yes. Actor Gong Hajin can’t stay long because of her schedule in Cannes, so she’ll appear briefly as a one-day part-time worker.”
“Okay. If even actor Gong Hajin shows up, it’s going to be total chaos. Then we keep the guest completely hidden and blow it up when it airs.”
PD Yeom Jaeho lifted his espresso cup with a satisfied smile.
“Now let’s push out articles with the confirmed cast list. We should start moving too.”
Two days later,
news about PD Yeom Jaeho’s crew’s new variety show flooded the internet like a rising tide.
[Variety Emperor PD Yeom Jaeho launches new show… This time it’s France]
[“Lineup is insane” Communities shake… PD Yeom Jaeho’s new variety show explodes in buzz]
[PD Yeom Jaeho’s new show is Saint-Tropez, France! ‘Mediterranean business battle’ unveils its veil]
Because it was his new work—him showing the best form among existing variety PDs—anticipation was enormous.
Just the concept and the cast list had already set multiple communities buzzing.
-PD Yeom Jaeho’s new variety show dropped!
-The concept looks like a familiar flavor, but since it’s PD Yeom Jaeho I’m excitedㅋㅋㅋㅋ France restaurant, wow
└He keeps adding twists though. It’s not just selling—it’s a competition concept
-The cast lineup is out too?
-Oh? Is this Ryu Sunho’s first TV variety appearance?
└Yeah, he’s done YouTube variety before but TV is his first
-But France sounds kind of brutal. Their food standards are high—does anyone even speak French?
└Lee Yuna toured overseas a lot, so she might know some French
└From YouTube vids it looks like she can do greetings, but not enough to take orders
└Well, if it doesn’t work, they’ll use English
-But I’m suddenly curious—Ryu Sunho seems like a good actor, so why is his nickname Robot Sunho?
└Search YouTube for “Ryu Sunho 6 o’clock My Hometown”
-I’m worried our Yuna will suffer abroad… She’s so soft—if she meets a nasty customer she’ll get hurt,,,
└Worry about your own life, old man;;
Meanwhile,
Seong Nobin, a named user on the film-maniac community “Amazing Movie.”
Today again, he posted his daily recurring post.
[Praying for actor Bae Seonggeon’s movie to be a hit — Day 124]
-You’re really devoted. Once his movie casting got confirmed, you changed it to praying for a hit
-Respect the consistent post^^
-Are you related to actor Bae Seonggeon?
-I’ll ask again. How long are you going to keep doing this?
-He used to stir shit in the past—maybe he’s doing it just for attention?
-But I’m excited for the movie tooㅋㅋㅋ Actor Bae Seonggeon praised how well he worked with Ryu Sunho on set, didn’t he?
“Heh heh.”
Watching the reactions after posting, Seong Nobin felt satisfied.
In truth, part of posting daily was wishing for actor Bae Seonggeon’s success, but a big part was wanting attention.
Keeping up a consistent “concept” was how you branded yourself into people’s memory.
He refreshed out of habit, thrilled by the rising views and comments, when—
a one-line title on the trending board caught his eye.
[Real-time: A mysterious container laboratory appeared in Jongno]
‘What is it this time.’
As if possessed, he clicked the post.
In the photo, a massive container laboratory sat alone.
Inside, it was packed with lab equipment, but there was no one.
It was so clean it felt obsessive, empty enough to be creepy.
There was only one trace of a person.
An axe embedded in the center of the lab.
“Huh? Wait… this feels similar to the axe embedded in that Gangnam Station sports car?”
Scrolling down to check more photos, he saw police line cordoning the area, and people in protective suits staged as if investigating something.
In front, there was even a sign that read: “Vacuumization Hazard Zone.”
Seong Nobin’s heart started pounding.
He sensed it wasn’t a simple incident—it was clearly an intentional performance.
As he excitedly scanned the comments, someone dropped a link.
[Film Vacuum State — First Trailer Released]
Seong Nobin swallowed and hit play.
A dark, uncanny atmosphere. Daring editing that couldn’t be pinned to a genre.
And at the center, Ryu Sunho’s acting dominating the screen.
When the roughly one-minute video ended, Nobin muttered without realizing it.
“Holy shit. This is insane… this was it?”
Only now did all the pieces click into place.
The axe-embedded car at Gangnam Station.
The bizarre lab in Jongno.
All of it was massive bait—one huge setup for this film.
Seong Nobin immediately returned to “Amazing Movie” to check people’s reactions.
-Wow, from marketing to trailer, this is the freshest this year
-Wait, then was the Gangnam Station and Jongno stuff all an ad for this movie?
└Yeah, from the Gangnam Station axe car to the Jongno lab, it was all buildup. And they matched the film’s tone and manner perfectly
└Holy shitㅋㅋㅋㅋ I never imagined it. Who’s on that marketing team—give them a bonus, seriously
-Hands down the most striking trailer I’ve seen this year
└I can’t predict anything while watching. But it’s so fucking my taste
-I’m watching this in theaters no matter what
-I saw Ryu Sunho act for a second and it’s suffocating;; what is this vibe. He’s totally different from Kang Seoho again
Behind the excited reactions, seasoned film buffs splashed cold water with sober comments.
-Everyone calm down. How many movies have had a killer trailer and a bland main film? This could be classic trailer-bait
└Yeah, could be a movie with only atmosphere and no story
-If the marketing is too strong, it can raise expectations and make the disappointment worse. Double-edged sword
-And you always have to be careful with rookie directors. They go hard early, then fizzle out at the end a lot
└They mixed genres too much—whether a rookie director can handle it is the key
└Still, the attempt itself is fresh. I’m sick of watching the same movies over and over
-Ryu Sunho’s acting impact is real. But can a rookie actor carry two hours as a solo lead? Drama and film pacing are totally different
└Actor Bae Seonggeon even praised him—doesn’t that guarantee acting ability?
└There are plenty of cases where the actors are good but the movie goes off the rails. You only know once you watch it
As the meaningless back-and-forth went on—something no one could know until the lid was opened—
a new post went up that made Seong Nobin doubt his eyes.
“…What?”
[They say Quentin Marino is coming to the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival opening ceremony tomorrow?]
-Huh? Quentin’s coming to the BIF opening ceremony?
-???? He’s not even a judge—why is he coming?
-Reporter said he came just to watch movies. He even showed the ticket he bought
-He entered the country with James Rodriguez. Did James lure him?
-That seems likely, yeah. James was a judge, right. Looks like there really is something he’s anticipating?
-Yikes. So Quentin’s first Korea visit happens like this;; insane
-I’m so excited to see what movie Quentin watches and what he saysㅋㅋㅋ