Investment
The mood at the drinking table turned awkward all at once.
I lifted my head and looked at Seo the reporter.
The lazy, throwaway expression he’d been wearing until a moment ago had gone stiff.
Embarrassment, surprise, confusion.
Those were the feelings written across Seo’s frozen face.
And then, for no reason I could explain, a strange rush of dopamine flooded through me.
So this was how Chairman Bae had felt when I shook his world.
I curled the corner of my mouth and spoke lightly.
“Just kidding. I’m kidding.”
“?”
“No, really, Reporter Seo. You crack some random joke first, and now you’re acting like that? You think I’m actually going to threaten you or something?”
“!”
Seo held his breath.
He stared at me for a second, then finally forced the words out.
“...Who makes a joke that menacing?”
“Pretty good acting, right?”
“Ha! Do actor managers all learn to act, too?”
Seo’s voice, trying hard to sound bright, trembled faintly at the end.
I felt the tension in him, but pretended not to notice and lifted my glass.
Seo, still half-dazed, raised his own.
I clinked glasses with him and said, “You know the reading for Black Bride is being held privately this time, right?”
Seo slowly nodded.
“I heard. Lee Ha-eun’s joining bumped the project up a level, but they’re still doing it closed-door?”
“The director insisted on it. He says you can’t risk spoilers with an occult film. So we’re only inviting Baekhak’s publicity team and planning to shoot some stills on set, but...”
I let the sentence trail off and tossed out the bait.
“I’ll invite you to that reading.”
“!”
Seo’s eyes widened, all the tension in them snapping taut again.
“Out of nowhere?”
“Out of nowhere? I always make difficult asks of you, so the least I can do is this.”
Seo’s gaze changed at my words.
“Hm...To my ears, that sounds less like a gift and more like an advance payment. Am I wrong?”
“What kind of advance payment is there between us?”
I poured the whiskey I’d ordered into Seo’s empty glass.
“You know I like you, right? But I keep asking you for tough favors every time we meet... so think of this as a gift.”
My voice, as it came out, sounded slick with oil.
When had I become such a smooth talker?
At the same time, a thought crossed my mind.
I had no need to make Seo an enemy.
Even if I crossed the line now and then with some stupid joke, he was one of the few people I could trust.
If this were a business relationship rather than a friendship...
There was no better partner than Seo.
So I wouldn’t trust him blindly, but I would use him.
That was the kind of business partnership I wanted: give and take, nothing more.
By then, Seo’s expression had brightened considerably, and he let out a rough laugh.
“Fine. It’s not like I work for free, either. Do you know how much I’ve gotten out of Director Kwon because of you?”
“Should we toast?”
“Sounds good. Let’s toast.”
We clinked glasses and brushed away the awkwardness from a moment ago.
Seo drained his drink in one go and leaned forward.
“So I just need to investigate HB Entertainment’s Park Tae-sik?”
His voice was full of new energy now.
I smiled faintly and answered, “For now... that’d be enough, I think.”
“Think?”
“Why not go ahead and check everything?”
“Eh? The whole cast?”
“Yeah. That kind of article’s been everywhere lately, hasn’t it? Korea, the so-called drug-free country, falling apart.”
“!”
“I’m probably being overly cautious, but you never know. What if there’s more than one drug user involved...?”
Seo’s eyes widened.
“Look at you. Director Kwon, you’ve got solid source material, don’t you?”
I didn’t answer. I kept quiet.
The drug user the future text had sent me was one person.
But at the moment, it was hard to pin that person down.
My guess was that there was a drug user somewhere among the supporting cast, but if I wanted to widen Seo’s investigation beyond his fixation on Park Tae-sik, I needed to spark his curiosity.
So I held onto that strange little smile and stayed silent.
Seo, watching my face, clicked his tongue.
“Director Kwon, how did you get so scary in the time I wasn’t looking?”
Me, scary?
Well.
I’d heard plenty of people say I looked like shit, but this was the first time anyone had called me scary.
Then Seo lifted his glass.
“Okay, deal. I’ll get to work.”
My eyes curved into crescents.
“Take good care of it, Reporter Seo.”
We clinked glasses again.
I emptied the whiskey, which was fairly strong, in one shot, and the buzz hit me hard.
My body warmed, my thoughts growing hazy, and I reflected, slightly unfocused:
Today, I’d learned a good lesson.
At the same time, it felt like I’d lost something.
I didn’t know what that thing was, exactly, but one thing was clear.
Starting today, I was going to change in a lot of ways.
***
Handing the background investigation to Seo put out the urgent fire for now.
Once Seo sank his teeth into something, he never let go, so he’d definitely find a lead.
But I wasn’t planning to leave everything to him.
Finding a drug user wasn’t going to be easy, and the more people involved in a search like this, the faster it moved.
That was when a decent idea came to me.
Maybe I should set a trap.
When you’re in this industry, you hear all kinds of rumors.
And among them were rumors about drug users, too.
I’d heard drug users always had a habit of pushing their own drugs on other people.
I didn’t know whether that came from guilt or from a nasty instinct to drag someone else down with them.
But if that was true, then I might be able to build a pretty convincing rat trap.
The problem was how to set it.
“Director.”
“...Yes?”
“Eat some meat while you work.”
Ga-eul, sitting beside me, suddenly held out a perfectly grilled piece of beef.
I blinked once, then obediently took it and ate.
Ga-eul smiled and held out a cup of water.
“It’s hot, so have some water.”
Still a little dazed, I accepted the cup.
From across the table, Rei shouted, “Ahh! Ga-eul unniee! You stole my role!”
Nova, sitting next to her, wore a sly grin.
“So even the last bit of Rei’s presence got stolen by Park Ga-eul?”
“Director! Have some of my meat too!”
Rei hurriedly wrapped up a lettuce bundle and thrust it toward me.
A faint, crawling sense of familiarity returned.
I remembered the wrap army from that company dinner not long ago.
I ended up bloated the next day and a whole mess after that...
This time, determined not to repeat the mistake, I split Rei’s wrap in half and ate it.
Meanwhile, Ye-ji and Seol Chae-i, who had been idly gnawing on the meat I’d grilled while staring at a tablet, suddenly shouted.
“No way!”
“Nova unnie! The challenge video we uploaded this time is number three on trending!”
“What!? Really? What are the comments saying?”
“There’s a lot about Ga-eul unnie?”
“Oh, come on! Leave Ga-eul out of it! She’s a total superstar right now!”
Ga-eul, grilling beside me, frowned.
“Since when am I a superstar?”
“Oh? Weren’t you the genius songwriter-composer?”
Ga-eul glared at Nova with her eyes wide.
But Nova was the one person, aside from their maknae Chae-i, who had no real rival.
Even under Ga-eul’s sharp stare, Nova just kept laughing and provoking her.
“That girl! She acts like she doesn’t like it, but she’s loving it! You think I don’t know she searches her own name every night before bed?”
In the end, Ga-eul shot to her feet and charged at Nova.
Nova let out a cartoonish “Kya-ha-ha!” and dove behind me.
I snorted before I could stop myself.
“Nova, stop teasing Ga-eul. You’ve been at it all day.”
“No, Director! I don’t want to tease her either, but look at her face! She secretly loves this kind of attention!”
I stole a glance at Ga-eul’s expression.
Her face had turned the color of a beet.
Hm...so Ga-eul could make that kind of face, too?
In the meantime, Nova was eventually dragged away, pinned down by Ga-eul’s hands.
I turned the meat over and asked, “Anybody want more?”
“Me!”
“I do too, Director!”
“Let’s grill samgyeopsal this time!”
It had been quite a while since we’d hit number one on the streaming charts.
But To.Any and I had both been too busy to properly schedule a dinner together, so we’d kept putting it off.
To.Any was swamped with performances, events, and schedules.
And I had Black Bride, Multicultural, and a mountain of other things to handle.
So today, at last, we’d found time for a small, belated company dinner.
Normally we would’ve gone to a barbecue place, but by now enough people recognized To.Any that the girls wanted to eat comfortably, so we were grilling meat at the dorm instead.
That said, why do they all seem so relaxed?
Honestly...I’d been a little worried.
After the article broke and To.Any hit number one on the charts, Ga-eul had gotten even more attention than the others.
Idols were people, too, after all. Once one member suddenly starts getting all the shine, even a good relationship can turn awkward.
But it looked like my worries were unnecessary.
“Superstar Park Ga-eul! Kya-ha-ha-ha~”
“St-stop teasing me!”
“But Nova unnie’s right. You really are a superstar, aren’t you, Ga-eul unnie?”
“Agreed! She’s totally a superstar, Ga-eul unnie!”
There was no jealousy or resentment in sight, only a bunch of girls who were dead serious about teasing Ga-eul.
Watching that while I grilled the meat, I felt the nerves that had been taut over the drug-user issue loosen all at once.
This is nice.
So this is why people get into idol fandom?
Just looking at them feels healing, huh? Hm-hm.
Then Ye-ji, her eyes bloodshot from monitoring the group’s stage videos on the tablet, shouted, “Ah! We’re out of lettuce, guys!”
My eyes widened slightly.
Perfect chance to smoke.
I’d been craving nicotine anyway.
I shot to my feet.
“I’ll go buy some.”
“Eh? You, Director?”
“Yeah. I want to get some air, too.”
Ga-eul, who had been punishing Nova, suddenly raised her hand.
“I’ll go with you, Director.”
My shoulders twitched as I reached for the cigarettes.
“...I can just go by myself, though.”
“I want to get some air too. And I want ice cream.”
I turned and looked at her face.
There was a stubbornness in those curved eyes that I couldn’t talk down.
...Damn.
Guess I’d have to smoke next time.
Ga-eul put on a bucket hat and a mask, then fell in beside me.
Brushing my bangs back, I said, “All right. Let’s go together.”
Come to think of it...right.
Smoking around the girls did feel wrong.
Maybe I should quit this chance.
With that kind of useless thought in my head, I headed for the convenience store with Ga-eul.
***
Back at the dorm after Director Kwon and Ga-eul had left, Nova crossed her arms and muttered, “Seriously, that girl. Why is she glued to the director today?”
Seol Chae-i, sitting beside her, shot back, “Because you keep teasing her so much.”
“What are you talking about? I only teased her?”
“We joke sometimes, but you’ve been at it all day.”
Nova’s expression turned serious.
“It’s funny, though. You guys don’t think Ga-eul’s reactions are funny?”
Rei, who had been chewing her meat with gusto, suddenly lifted a hand.
“Ga-eul unnie reactions are super fun, yes.”
“Ha...I’m going to tease her again when she comes back.”
“Stop teasing her already! She’s not a kid.”
“Shut up! Ga-eul is my emotional support doll, so I’ll do whatever I want!”
As Seol Chae-i shook her head helplessly, Ye-ji, who had been staring at the tablet, suddenly shouted, “Kya-ha-ha, guys!”
“Gah! What’s with that laugh, unnie?”
“Look at this!”
At Ye-ji’s cry, the girls gathered around one by one.
“What is it, unnie?”
“Ha, we made the nominees list!”
“Huh? The nominees list for what?”
Ye-ji threw both arms into the air and shouted, “We’re nominated for first place on SBC Show! Music!”
At Ye-ji’s shout, the To.Any girls stared blankly for a moment, then belatedly shouted along.
“We’re nominated for number one!?”
***
The next day.
After wrapping up dinner with To.Any, I headed to a café near Hapjeong Station instead of the Baekhak headquarters.
“What did you say, Ye-ji? We’re really up for number one?”
[“Yes, I just called PD Choi Ho-cheol from Show! Music and checked. It’s real! They said we’ll also get a later performance slot this week!”]
We’d already hit number one on the music charts, so music show first place was in reach, but to be nominated this quickly?
Suppressing the grin trying to leak out, I said, “Since this is their first stage after becoming first-place nominees, talk to Director Choi Jeong-eun and put together the stage concept properly.”
[“What!? I, by myself, Director...?”]
“Then you’ll have to do it by yourself. You’re To.Any’s manager.”
[“...Can I really do it?”]
“You don’t need to do it perfectly. Just work with Director Choi Jeong-eun and shape the stage concept.”
[“I’ll try, Director!”]
I ended the call with a small upward curve of my lips.
To.Any was moving smoothly.
Number one on the charts, and now nominated for first place on a music show... at this rate, were they following the royal road route?
That was the usual path for a breakout girl group.
In idol industry terms, the so-called first-tier level.
And among them, there was the route to becoming one of the top idols.
Chart-topping right after debut, then first place on the big three music shows. After that, album sales matter too, but... usually that’s the standard route.
And now To.Any was following that exact same route the first-tier idols had walked.
Of course, their fandom strength was still behind even second-tier idols, let alone first-tier ones... but that was a problem time would solve gradually.
Once they win a music show, the fandom size will jump again.
The tension I’d been carrying because of the drug-user issue loosened once more, this time because of To.Any.
I let out a satisfied breath and went back into the café.
Kim Jun-su, who had been fidgeting with his fingers in obvious discomfort, jerked and bowed his head.
I sat down across from him and said, “Sorry, Director. It was a call I needed to take, so I had to step out for a second.”
“Oh, n-no...it’s fine, Director.”
“Do you need anything else to drink or eat?”
“N-no...I’m fine.”
“....................”
A suffocating silence settled between Kim Jun-su and me.
My job didn’t exactly make me socially awkward, but...
Why was every meeting with Director Kim Jun-su this awkward?
Ugh...Even though this is only our second meeting, it’s still awkward.
And the cause of it, if I were being honest, was Kim Jun-su himself.
He was so busy watching my reaction that I ended up watching his, too.
No, is the Baekhak name really that intimidating?
I knew Baekhak’s name carried weight for a rookie director, but this much? At this point, it wasn’t just caution anymore. He looked downright terrified.
Managing my face before it could turn sour, I forced myself to speak. Go-eun had said she’d be about thirty minutes late because she was covering a part-time shift at the last minute, and we couldn’t just sit here with two men looking miserable until then.
“Director Kim, have you worked out a shooting plan yet?”
At my question, Kim Jun-su startled and answered quickly.
“Uh...I have a few candidate locations in mind.”
“Where are they?”
“I-I’m thinking about Gamcheon Village in Busan.”
Gamcheon Village?
As someone from Busan, the name was familiar.
Feeling a little more interested, I asked, “That’s the arts village the city pushes, right?”
“Yes, y-yes, that’s right!”
“Is there a reason you chose Gamcheon Village as the filming location?”
For the first time, Kim Jun-su stopped stuttering as he explained.
“Well...if we want to show the reality of the multicultural protagonist, Choi Ji-seon’s family, a hillside neighborhood seems right. But if we make the atmosphere too dreary, the overall tone of the work will sink...”
I listened closely and nodded.
This part is good, too.
For all his other shortcomings, Kim Jun-su was solid when it came to passion for the work.
Right...As long as a director has passion for the piece, what does social skill matter?
Then, after finishing his explanation, Kim Jun-su called my name first for the first time.
“...But, Director Kwon.”
“Yes?”
“Um...what should we do about the budget?”
My eyes widened slightly.
“Oh, right. We need to find an investor first.”
“Yes...we need to secure production funds before we can start making the film...”
“Do you have a budget range in mind?”
“Well, once you account for the actors’ fees and the camera and equipment rentals, even the bare minimum would be...”
“The bare minimum?”
Kim Jun-su squeezed his eyes shut.
“Two...I’m thinking about twenty million won!”
Twenty million? 20 million won?
Before I knew it, I was rubbing my chin.
Did short films really only cost this little to make?
Before I could think further, Kim Jun-su blurted out, “If we stretch the expenses as much as possible, I think we could manage with ten million won!”
“...It’s a short film, but can you really make one with ten million won?”
“It’s a l-little short, but I’ll make it work!”
At his answer, I folded my arms.
Ten million is impossible.
Let’s see...should I set the production budget at twenty million like he first said?
I was mentally sorting through a few small investment companies that only backed independent films when a thought suddenly struck me.
...Wait, isn’t it fine if I just invest myself?
Look at that.
I unfolded my arms and started doing the math.
The revenue model for an indie film is festival screenings and art-house theaters.
There were also smaller routes, like selling the rights to NutTube.
And Multicultural was aiming for the Busan International Film Festival.
Because Go-eun needs to win Rookie of the Year.
If Go-eun won the rookie award, the film would draw a fair number of viewers, and even if she only picked up another prize besides Rookie of the Year, there would be prize money as well.
Add it all up, and a 20 million won production budget could generate a pretty decent return.
My eyes widened.
Worth investing in, maybe?
I’d already delayed real-estate purchases, leaving my lottery winnings sitting uselessly in a bank account.
In that situation, an investment of around 20 million won...
Honestly, wasn’t that worth trying?
If the conditions line up, this doesn’t look bad at all.
Of course, it wasn’t something to decide rashly.
After a moment’s thought, I tossed out a gentle lead-in.
“Don’t worry about the budget, Director.”
Kim Jun-su’s eyes went round.
“Uh...does that mean Baekhak will invest in it?”
“Well, that would work, but...”
I trailed off and shared what I’d been thinking a moment earlier.
“If the production budget is around twenty million won, I’m thinking I might just invest it myself.”
“!”
“From what I saw in the script, this is the kind of amount I could invest directly, and if we write the contract properly, it might be better for you than getting Baekhak to back it...”
My words cut off mid-sentence.
At that moment, a voice both familiar and unfamiliar came to my ear.
“Why would the director invest money in a project?”
I turned my head.
Leaning against the café entrance, Choi Go-eun was staring at me with a startled expression.