The Curtain Rises

At a cafe near Yeouido, Im Hyun-sung stared across the table at his fifteen-year friend with a look that said he simply could not understand him.

Has this guy lost his mind?

He had shown his face after three years, then suddenly claimed he’d won the lottery.

And on top of that, he was asking him to go into business together.

Kwon Chan had always had a streak of recklessness in him, even back in high school, but what in the world was this supposed to mean?

Im Hyun-sung folded his arms. "Explain."

"Explain what?"

"The nonsense you’ve been spouting. Start with the lottery. Did you actually win?"

A faint smile touched Kwon Chan’s mouth.

"Yeah. For real."

"...Damn. You’re insane."

"You believe that easily?"

"You’re not the type to joke about something like this."

"So? Jealous?"

Jealous?

...Hell.

Was that even a question?

He was insanely jealous.

A lottery win meant at least 1.4 billion won.

House prices in Seoul had gone up, sure, but 1.4 billion was enough to buy one of those 32-pyeong apartments people called a standard family unit.

These days, people said making it in life meant owning your own place in Seoul, and Kwon Chan had casually snatched that kind of success out of thin air.

Im Hyun-sung let out a heavy sigh. "Fine. Forget the lottery for a second. What’s this about working together?"

Kwon Chan took a leisurely sip of coffee before answering.

"I’m thinking of starting a company."

"Oh, really? Why? Got a pile of cash and suddenly want to try your hand at business?"

"Something like that."

"Don’t be stupid. Business is for people with a real feel for it. Put that money into real estate instead. You know house prices are climbing again, right? They’ll probably keep going up. Buy an apartment in Yongsan or Seongsu. That’s the fast track to money."

Kwon Chan looked at him with clear curiosity.

"So you know real estate investing too?"

"Once you get into stocks, you end up memorizing real estate stuff too, whether you want to or not, friend."

"Oh? Then you must know the business side pretty well too?"

"...What exactly did you hear in everything I just said?"

Kwon Chan let the words drop lightly. "I’m thinking of setting up a film investment company."

Im Hyun-sung frowned.

"Do you know how the stocks of movie theater chains are doing lately?"

"Not really."

"Then learn. They’ve gone beyond the basement and dug straight into the underground."

Kwon Chan nodded.

"I know the industry’s in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠rough shape."

"And you still want to make a film investment company?"

"I’ve got a few promising leads. But as you can see, I already have work on my plate. I can’t just quit that and recklessly start a company. That’s why I need you, Hyun-sung."

Kwon Chan smiled faintly.

"Let’s work together."

Im Hyun-sung’s expression shifted, becoming hard to read.

"You serious?"

"If I wasn’t serious, why would I come all the way here?"

Im Hyun-sung tilted his head.

There’s something off about this guy...

Was this really the Kwon Chan he knew?

In the three years since they’d seen each other, his friend’s atmosphere, even the way he spoke, had changed a lot.

It was hard to put into words.

Maybe it felt like meeting a successful full-time investor?

He’s somehow steering the conversation at his own pace, isn’t he?

Because of that, even though the shell in front of him was definitely Kwon Chan, he felt strangely unfamiliar.

Still, it didn’t feel bad.

Im Hyun-sung leaned slightly forward.

"No."

"What do you mean, no?"

"I’m saying I can’t work with you, idiot."

He said it flatly.

"I don’t want to lose a friend over work, man."

Kwon Chan nodded slowly.

"Fair enough. When you run a business together, even close friends end up falling out all the time."

"Oh? You know that and still came to ask me?"

"Because you’re the only person I know who’s reliable."

With that, Kwon Chan casually tossed out another line.

"Black Bride will do at least five million."

"?"

"You know the movie starring Lee Ha-eun that’s opening soon? That one’s going to pull at least five million."

Im Hyun-sung’s brow furrowed.

"Hey, Kwon Chan..."

"And there’s an independent film called Our Flower that’ll clear its break-even point too."

"..."

Then Kwon Chan smiled.

"Let’s talk again after the sources check out. That’s fine, right?"

Im Hyun-sung looked utterly incredulous.

"Are you talking sense or spouting bullshit?"

Kwon Chan burst out laughing.

Im Hyun-sung’s face soured.

Something’s definitely off.

Is this really Kwon Chan?

Thinking that, he asked, "You never really had much ambition for success in this area, did you?"

"Nope."

"So why are you suddenly talking about business and success? What, got a taste of money and now you want to climb into the upper class?"

At those words, Kwon Chan stopped laughing.

"Because there’s something I want."

Something he wanted?

A guy who’d won the lottery was putting on this whole show just because he wanted something badly enough to start a business?

Still, one thing was certain.

"And right now, I can’t have it."

Whatever it was, from Kwon Chan’s point of view, it seemed important enough to drive him this hard.

It was the first time he’d ever seen a fifteen-year friend look this desperate.

"So help me out, Hyun-sung. I don’t have anyone else to ask."

Im Hyun-sung, the finance guy from Yeouido, found his expression growing strange at the sincere plea from the friend he’d known for fifteen years.

The day after meeting my friend of fifteen years, I clicked my tongue and muttered, "I expected it, but convincing him isn’t easy."

Still, I couldn’t really blame him.

Just like I’d found my footing in this line of work, Hyun-sung had found his in Yeouido’s securities district as a fund manager.

No matter how close the friend, asking him to leave that behind and start a business with me was not an easy decision.

So I decided to drop the bait and wait.

He’d had a nose for money since way ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠back, and a sharp head to go with it.

Once he realized the material I had could make money, he’d change his mind on his own.

While I was sorting through the film investment situation like that, Manager Choi Cheol’s voice slipped into my ear.

"Team Leader."

"...Oh, yes. Choi Cheol."

"What are you thinking about so hard?"

I pulled myself out of it and answered, "Sorry. Something personal came up. The broadcast hasn’t started yet, right?"

The moment I finished speaking, the monitoring room door flew open.

"Hey! It hasn’t started the live Hello broadcast yet, right!?"

Clutching a laptop and a mess of other electronics in her arms, the PR team leader burst in and planted herself in front of me.

"Ugh! Black Bride is killing me these days, seriously! How are there so many press angles to chase!?"

At her grumbling, I smiled faintly and helped her set up the laptop.

"Should I brew you some herbal medicine, Team Leader?"

"No! The clinic told me I shouldn’t take stuff like that because of my constitution!"

"Then how about supplements?"

"Cut the flattery and tell me this: when are Lee Ha-eun and Seo Tae-jun scheduled to appear on Hello?"

At that, Choi Cheol, who had been watching the mood, raised his hand and answered cautiously, "The live Hello broadcast starts at six, and Lee Ha-eun and Seo Tae-jun are scheduled to appear at six-thirty."

"Oh, really? And who are you?"

"Seo Tae-jun’s manager, Choi Cheol!"

The PR team leader gave him a fresh, appraising look from head to toe.

"...You look more like a wrestling athlete than a manager, Choi Cheol."

"Huh? How’d you know? I was on the wrestling team at Gimhae High School!"

"What, that was real? You really were a wrestler!?"

I patted the shoulders of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the PR team leader, who was throwing a fit all by herself.

"There are ten minutes left until the live broadcast. Do you have time to gossip, Team Leader?"

"Aaaagh! Don’t rush me! My head’s already about to explode! And you there, former wrestling club member Choi Cheol, turn on the monitor!"

At her command, Choi Cheol sprang up and switched on the screen.

I folded my arms and turned my head, relaxed.

After the commercial ended, a familiar voice flowed out.

National MC Baek Seo-hun.

As soon as he appeared, the PR team leader began typing furiously, as if she’d been waiting for this exact moment.

Judging from her hand speed, she was clearly gearing up to make a live article spree for Black Bride.

Choi Cheol and I watched the wall of monitors, ready to keep a close eye on the first promotional variety appearance for Black Bride.

"?"

...Huh?

What was going on?

While I was blinking like an idiot, Manager Choi Cheol shouted urgently, "Team Leader Kwon’s on TV!!"

I could see that too...

But why...

Why am I on there??

To my surprise, the one decorating the Hello opening screen wasn’t Seo Tae-jun or Lee Ha-eun.

It was my face, from a ten-minute interview.

But the surprises didn’t end there.

The next woman to appear lifted the corners of her mouth and said,

Top-star actress Lee Ha-eun.

At her words, my eyes flew wide open.

The Hello episode that aired yesterday drew a whopping 7.5 percent in viewership.

Considering that the average rating for Hello up to that point had been 4.2 percent, this was nearly double.

At this level, it wasn’t just the appearance buzz but the promotional effect that had paid off handsomely.

Now that the full promotional schedule had begun, it was starting to feel real.

Black Bride was truly right around the corner.

The remaining promo schedule was moving smoothly, and even the internal screening after editing had been full of praise.

There was still the VIP premiere ahead, but I wasn’t worried at all.

To be honest...

I could no longer picture Black Bride failing.

So I changed the direction of my thoughts.

How far would Black Bride actually go?

As I always said, my floor for Black Bride was five million admissions.

If word of mouth kicked in, seven million was easily within reach, and if luck stayed on our side, ten million looked possible too.

I didn’t know yet whether the buzz would truly catch, but the situation surrounding Black Bride was undeniably on my side.

That meant luck was leaning our way.

Then all that remained was word of mouth.

The VIP premiere was right in front of us.

It meant the time had come for Black Bride to catch the final missing piece of the puzzle: word of mouth.

Final rehearsal for the K-Singer-Songwriter championship stage.

I leaned against the wall and looked down at my smartphone.

A dry laugh slipped out of me.

A pleasant kind of dry laugh.

I quickly tapped out a reply.

Just as a real laugh was about to burst out of me, Huang PD from K-Singer-Songwriter approached.

I hurriedly fixed my expression and slipped my phone away.

"Team Leader Kwon."

"Oh, yes. Huang PD."

"Are you done with rehearsal?"

"We’ve just started, actually. Since it’s the final stage, the contestants are stuffing in too many production effects, so I think we’ll need to do it five more times."

With that, Huang PD let out a heavy sigh.

"After this rehearsal ends, K-Singer-Songwriter will finally be over too."

"You’ve worked hard."

"It feels awkward saying this out loud, but I really have suffered quite a bit. Haha!"

Well, that was a bit shameless. Still, fair enough.

There were plenty of overlapping issues, but he was the executive producer of a competition variety show that had crossed the 20 percent rating mark.

I couldn’t deny his ability, his editing, or the way he steered the program.

So I found myself wondering all of a sudden.

What kind of show will Huang PD do next?

When this competition variety show ended, Huang PD would move on to another program too...

In that case, maybe we should work together again.

As I stroked my chin with that thought in mind, Huang PD answered while looking off into the distance.

"Thank you."

Huh? Out of nowhere?

In the meantime, Huang PD rambled on.

"...To be honest, if it hadn’t been for Team Leader Kwon, the program might have been wrecked because of the K-1 issue. I never really had a chance to thank you properly."

His face had gone bright red.

It was obvious he wasn’t used to this kind of conversation, even without asking.

I naturally brushed it off with a joke.

"You handled all the cleanup yourself, though."

"Oh, come on, don’t say that. It’s thanks to you that we had footage of Park Ga-eul composing her own song in advance. If we hadn’t, the K-1 fandom would still be throwing our board into chaos."

He let out a long sigh and muttered, "Honestly... I think we were just incredibly lucky. Who would’ve thought K-1 would go down that definitively? It was almost like he’d been singled out."

I asked, pretending not to know a thing.

"Luck makes up seventy percent of this industry, right?"

"That’s true."

"If luck was on our side, that just means it was a program that was going to do well anyway."

Huang PD broke into a snort of laughter.

"Team Leader Kwon, you sound like a fortune teller."

I wasn’t a fortune teller, but I did ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠get future messages.

I shrugged and changed the subject.

"Now that we’re at the finals, who do you think will win, Huang PD?"

"If Team Leader Kwon asks me a question like that, don’t I have to say Park Ga-eul?"

"There’s only the final left, so there’s no need to be formal with me."

"Oh? Well, what good would pretending do now?"

At my question, Huang PD slowly stroked his chin.

It was a simple question, but he thought about it more seriously than I expected before answering.

"Honestly speaking..."

Honestly speaking?

"Still Park Ga-eul."

A chuckle escaped my lips.

"Aren’t you being a little too honest?"

"Too honest? Not at all."

Huang PD answered with a fairly serious expression.

"Team Leader Kwon, you may not believe me, but..."

Watching his face as his words trailed off, my eyes widened slightly.

This was sincere.

"My pick from the very beginning was Park Ga-eul. And since that pick has reached the final stage, of course the winner will be Park Ga-eul too, right?"

Huang PD, the executive producer of the competition variety show K-Singer-Songwriter that had broken past 20 percent ratings, truly and earnestly believed that idol singer-songwriter Park Ga-eul was the favorite to win.

Time passed quickly.

Winter had finally gone, and on a day when spring had arrived, I stood in front of the mirror before heading to work and looked myself over in a properly fitted suit.

I straightened the tie that had slipped a little askew, checked once more that I hadn’t forgotten anything, and then left the house.

Feeling the soft spring breeze, I murmured to myself, "All right. Let’s get moving."

Today was the VIP premiere for Black Bride.

And tomorrow, the K-Singer-Songwriter finals would begin.