Reading
When I turned my head, Choi Go-eun was standing askew at the café entrance.
And yet the expression on Choi Go-eun’s face, which had always been poisoned with irritation whenever we met, was... vacant today. Stupidly softened.
The suddenly foolish-looking Choi Go-eun asked in confusion, “Why are you investing in a movie, Chief Manager?”
Ah.
So she’d heard the conversation from a moment ago.
I waved her over. “Sit down first. Has your part-time shift ended?”
“Yes. But what was that just now?”
“I’ll explain, but say hello first. This is Director Kim Jun-su from Multicultural.”
Choi Go-eun jerked her head around.
When the director’s eyes met hers, Kim Jun-su’s shoulders gave a sudden, visible jolt.
“H-hello! I’m Kim Jun-su, an aspiring film director!”
“...Hello. I’m Choi Go-eun.”
After greeting Director Kim Jun-su, Choi Go-eun looked back at me.
I shrugged and explained. “It’s nothing much. His screenplay was so good that I’m considering investing directly. That’s all.”
Choi Go-eun’s brows knit together.
She looked unconvinced.
But this wasn’t the time or place to explain everything.
“Are you two going to keep talking by yourselves? You’re going to leave Director Kim Jun-su standing there?”
At my reproach, Choi Go-eun’s gaze softened.
An awkward silence settled naturally over the table.
“......”
Director Kim Jun-su kept glancing between us, and Choi Go-eun seemed in no mood to break the silence first. Her face was sullen.
Without meaning to, I clicked my tongue.
Damn... these two are hard to handle.
Still, getting difficult people to move in the same direction was my job.
I was just about to try to loosen the mood when an unexpected turn came instead.
“I enjoyed reading the screenplay, Director.”
“...Huh?”
“I especially liked the emotional arc for the protagonist, Choi Ji-seon. Even though she’s being bullied, she keeps her composure. It felt very real.”
The rising star of the rookie awards, Choi Go-eun, smiled brightly and let her eyes curve with warmth.
Her suddenly changed demeanor left Director Kim Jun-su flustered; he scratched his head, clearly at a loss.
...But I was just as stunned.
Well, look at that?
Choi Go-eun could talk this sweetly too?
Meanwhile, Choi Go-eun continued the conversation in a gentle voice.
“As I was reading, I kept wondering about the background behind this subject. Was there a particular motivation?”
“Uh... actually, there wasn’t anything too grand behind it. During summer vacation, I volunteered at an orphanage and met a friend there who was born into a multicultural family, you know?”
Maybe because of Choi Go-eun’s gentle tone, Director Kim Jun-su seemed to relax a little and began speaking more naturally.
“Ah, so you were inspired by that friend?”
“Yes, yes. Even though he was so young, he was dealing with a lot of isolation and identity confusion. I thought it would be interesting to shine a light on that problem, so that’s how Multicultural came about...”
...The sight of him being so different from the way he acted when talking to me was ridiculous.
What is with these two?
So they only wore masks whenever they were dealing with me?
By then, Director Kim Jun-su had leaned forward for the first time. There was interest and passion burning in his eyes.
“...U-um, Actress Choi Go-eun? If it’s not too much trouble, could I see you act once?”
Instead of answering, Choi Go-eun looked at me.
Taking the hint, I pulled out the script for Multicultural.
“You can do it, right, Choi Go-eun?”
“Yeah, sure. Of course I can.”
Look at that.
She was only sniping at me.
“Scene number. Can you point it out, Director?”
“Then... shall we start from Scene #4, with Choi Ji-seon’s monologue while walking home from school?”
Choi Go-eun opened the script.
How much time had passed after that?
Then, all at once, Choi Go-eun’s cold voice broke the café’s quiet, lazy atmosphere.
“Those filthy bitches.”
My eyes flew open.
Across from me, Director Kim Jun-su’s mouth dropped open.
At that, the corner of Choi Go-eun’s mouth twisted crookedly.
“If I just die, can I get revenge on those bitches?”
***
Watching Choi Go-eun act, I clicked my tongue.
She’s good.
I already knew Choi Go-eun’s acting was exceptional.
But today...
It felt sharpened to a blade’s edge.
The emotional arc of Choi Ji-seon, the multicultural high school girl being bullied, spilled out of every line she spoke.
At that moment, the gooseflesh running down my arm turned into a chill of excitement.
She really prepared properly.
I slowly turned my gaze toward Director Kim Jun-su.
His mouth still open, he was watching Choi Go-eun’s performance in a daze.
A pleasant laugh slipped out of me.
By the time Choi Go-eun finished her monologue as Ji-seon, she was looking at me quietly.
“Choi Go-eun, do a little more reading.”
“Which scene?”
“Let’s see... this time, Scene #7. Act as Choi Ji-seon feeding her triplet siblings while her mother is out working.”
Choi Go-eun nodded and began reading again.
Director Kim Jun-su’s eyes locked back onto her.
How much time passed after that?
In the end, Director Kim Jun-su let out a breathless exclamation.
“You’re incredibly good.”
“!”
“No, really... are you actually a newcomer? How do you act like this... wow.”
This was the reaction I’d been waiting for.
I leaned forward.
“Looks like you’re very satisfied with Actress Choi Go-eun’s performance, Director.”
“Yes, yes... no, it’s not just satisfied... Is it really okay for me to cast an actress like this in my film? She’d probably pass auditions for other good projects with no trouble...”
“It’s because it’s your film that Choi Go-eun is acting like this. Your screenplay is just that good.”
After lavishly gilding Director Kim Jun-su’s face, I naturally continued.
“Then can we go ahead and confirm Choi Go-eun’s casting, Director?”
“Y-yes, of course, Chief Manager!”
“!”
“Honestly, I was pretty worried...! I’m really sorry now! And truly grateful! Thank you for giving me a chance to work with an actress like her!”
The corners of my mouth lifted.
Our Director Kim Jun-su got remarkably straightforward once he was hooked.
Suppressing a laugh, I kept the meeting moving.
Thanks to Director Kim Jun-su, who was completely won over by Choi Go-eun, the rest of the meeting went very warmly.
Before we knew it, we’d been talking about the project so long that it was almost time for me to head back to the company, and we wrapped things up.
We agreed to schedule another meeting on another day to go over the details of production and the casting of supporting actors, then left the café.
“U-um, Actress Go-eun... I brought a few things about the Multicultural setting and household, just in case they help with your acting...”
Director Kim Jun-su, his face red as a beet, was handing Choi Go-eun various documents. Watching the scene with satisfaction, I muttered to myself.
This feels promising.
Actors say they can feel it in advance when they come across a good script.
And that feeling had come to me too.
Director Kim Jun-su, who’d started brimming with enthusiasm.
Choi Go-eun’s razor-edged performance.
More than I’d expected... the short film Multicultural might do better than I thought.
Before I knew it, I was thinking, Should I really invest in this?
My mind was leaning that way.
Of course, if I did invest, there would be a lot to look into.
After all, it would be an investment in a project that featured one of my actors.
But if I thought about the Busan International Film Festival schedule, it would probably be more efficient for me to invest directly than to look for a small outside studio.
And then a fantasy drifted up in my head.
If... it were a screenplay I found.
How would it feel if the actor I pushed, the project I invested in, actually became a hit?
I couldn’t picture it very clearly.
Cases like that weren’t common.
But one thing was certain.
If that future became reality...
It would be thrilling beyond words.
Letting out a breath hot with excitement, I murmured, “This is fun. Producing Multicultural.”
Just then, Choi Go-eun, who’d finished speaking with Director Kim Jun-su, walked over.
I was just about to get my expression under control when Choi Go-eun started in on me.
“Chief Manager. Are you really going to invest in the movie?”
“Huh?”
“If you’re investing because of me, don’t. What are you going to do if you lose all that money?”
I blinked like an idiot.
“Are you... worrying about me right now?”
Choi Go-eun’s face scrunched up hard.
“I’m saying that because it’s stressful.”
“Hmm...”
“I-I mean it!”
“Okay, fine. But you know what?”
“Know what?”
“I’m not investing because of you.”
“?”
Choi Go-eun, startled, blurted out, “Th-then why are you investing?”
“Because the screenplay is good, isn’t it?”
“...You’re seriously investing just because of that?”
“Yes. And...”
I let the sentence trail off, then grinned.
“After seeing your acting today, I got hooked. You were really good today.”
At my praise, Choi Go-eun’s eyes widened.
She stared at me quietly for a long moment, then lowered her head.
“Is this really your style?”
“What is?”
“You know, praising people and putting them on the spot like that... making them all restless.”
Was I doing that?
I tilted my head, and Choi Go-eun looked at me with eyes that were different from before.
“...Still, don’t invest. I’m really worried about you.”
Her face was full of pressure and concern.
Seeing that sincerity, I sensed it immediately.
Only now was Choi Go-eun beginning to open up to me.
Maybe because of that, I also decided to speak honestly to her for the first time.
“Don’t worry about it. You just keep acting well, Choi Go-eun.”
The corners of my mouth lifted slightly.
“That kind of thing is for the adults to handle... yeah. You don’t need to worry about it yet.”
Choi Go-eun stared at my face again.
Her expression had softened into that foolish, vacant look again.
Seeing her like this, she did have a slightly dazed side to her.
I shrugged and suggested, “Want to grab a meal? What do you feel like eating?”
I had taken one step closer. And I planned to keep getting closer.
To the actress named Choi Go-eun.
***
The meeting with Director Kim went smoothly.
Once the logistics around Multicultural were sorted out, I could finally focus on Black Bride.
Among them, the occult fans were especially fired up about Black Bride.
As an occult maniac, I’m looking forward to it...
Wow, how long has it been since we got a domestic occult film?
If it’s Director Park Jun-seo, it’s worth trusting and watching lol
They’ll probably drop still cuts or a making-of film at this reading, right?
Even the lead and supporting lineup is insane. How did they even cast Lee Ha-eun?
The supporting cast is on another level too... lmao
I just want to see it already, but how am I supposed to wait until next year?
Occult films might be a niche genre, but it was one with a fiercely loyal fan base.
And among those hard-core occult fans, the presence of Black Bride was growing larger by the day.
Attention, momentum, interest. Everything’s excellent.
If the film kept riding this wave and the acting quality from the Black Bride cast at this reading was strong too... it would be the perfect start.
The problem is that drug addict.
For now, I’d asked Reporter Seo to dig around in the background, but there’d been no word back.
Then again, police kept a hawk’s eye on drug-related crimes.
Even so, they often ended up empty-handed because they couldn’t easily identify the traffickers.
No matter how capable Reporter Seo was, catching the tail of those drug users wouldn’t be easy.
Reporter Seo can handle her side. I need to keep narrowing the net on my end too.
Looking at it that way, this reading was...
really something I was looking forward to, in more ways than one.
The Black Bride cast’s acting.
And the drug user hidden among them.
It was with that mixture of anticipation and worry that I arrived at headquarters and went to work.
After lunch, I was drinking coffee at a café near the company when Jeon Hyeong-u, whom I rarely saw, appeared at the café entrance.
My eyes widened slightly.
What’s Road Manager Jeon Hyeong-u doing here at this hour?
Wasn’t Lee Ha-eun’s schedule running down to the minute right now?
My pulse quickened for no reason, and Assistant Manager Seok called out loudly, “Hyeong-u! What, you’re actually coming to the company these days?”
At Seok’s shout, Road Manager Jeon Hyeong-u lifted his eyes and hurried over.
“Hello, Team Leader. Oh? Chief Manager, you’re here too.”
“Want a coffee?”
“You’re buying?”
“You little punk. Still love free stuff, huh?”
After ordering an iced Americano, Road Manager Jeon returned to his seat and let out a long sigh.
“Wow... I never thought coming to work at the company would start feeling like a vacation.”
I ignored the faint tension building in my chest and asked, “You must be really busy because of Actress Lee Ha-eun?”
“Don’t even start, Chief Manager! Honestly, if it were just domestic jobs, I could live with it. But because she’s a top-star actress, her schedule is global too. Last week she was in Japan, and the week before that she was in China... after this reading, I have to head to Europe for a business trip too.”
Seok, sitting beside him, tilted his head.
“For all that, you look like you’re still handling it fine?”
“Huh? What do you mean by that?”
“I mean, the people who handled Actress Lee Ha-eun before you weren’t just complaining that they felt like they were dying. They actually looked like they were dying.”
“...”
“But you’re only saying it feels like you’re going to die, not that you already did. So I guess it’s manageable?”
Road Manager Jeon shrugged.
“It’s a bit complicated, but... taking care of Actress Lee Ha-eun is honestly manageable.”
“Seriously? That’s Lee Ha-eun you’re talking about.”
“Yes. No, the thing is, Lee Ha-eun doesn’t pay much attention to me.”
“...She doesn’t pay attention to you? Weird.”
Seok glanced at me.
“The Kwon Manager sitting next to you was getting chewed out like crazy every single day... maybe it’s because she’s been working on a project?”
“Ugh... If I have to get chewed out by my assigned celebrity on top of this schedule, I won’t survive, Team Leader.”
Watching for the right time to jump in, I suddenly asked, “How is Actress Lee Ha-eun these days?”
“Huh? Actress Lee Ha-eun?”
“We’re about to start the reading, right? Has her condition been okay lately, or anything unusual happened?”
At my question, Road Manager Jeon fell into thought.
“Actress Lee Ha-eun’s unusual points...?”
Watching him, my throat bobbed.
I’d been trying to ignore it, but... yeah.
Honestly, I was too curious.
Lee Ha-eun, who hadn’t contacted me since that meal.
What exactly was she doing?
What was she doing that kept her from getting in touch like this?
I was about to hear the secret from Road Manager Jeon’s mouth right now!
Then Road Manager Jeon tilted his head.
“She’s picked up a strange hobby.”
My eyes widened.
“A hobby?”
“Yes. These days she only watches animal-documentary YouTube videos.”
“?”
My mouth fell open like a fool.
“A-animals?”
“Yes, animal-documentary YouTube. Six ways lions and tigers mark their territory! How lionesses drive out hyenas! Stuff like that.”
“...........”
Road Manager Jeon shrugged.
“She only watches those videos during transit lately. Did Actress Lee Ha-eun always like animals, Chief Manager?”
My expression turned flat.
...Lee Ha-eun, who doesn’t even like humans, is watching animal documentaries?