The Thread of Reason
The top actress’s declaration that the film would draw ten million viewers made the staff gathered around her go wide-eyed.
“Huh? Ten million all of a sudden?”
“The lead actress can mention ten million if she wants. What’s the big deal?”
“Sure, but... these days, people call it a huge hit if you just clear breakeven, so isn’t ten million a little much?”
“Oh? I guess so. Still, given Lee Ha-eun’s image, it does feel a bit out of nowhere.”
Their gazes, fixed on Lee Ha-eun, naturally drifted to the back of my head.
“But didn’t the manager from Baekhak say ten million in the making-of film too?”
“Huh? Right. Come to think of it, the Baekhak manager was the first one to say ten million in the making-of.”
“Wait, does that mean... he saw in Baekhak’s data that this movie will hit ten million admissions?”
The staff’s murmuring sent a cold sweat down my back.
Damn it.
I’d completely forgotten about that mouth of hers, the one that never knew where it would fly off to next.
Then, as she came down from the ancestral table, the top actress looked my way and gave me a sly, foxlike smile.
It was the kind of alluring eye-smile that would’ve stolen any man’s attention, but to me it felt like a challenge that said, You can’t beat me.
A dry laugh slipped out of me.
“Ha, really...”
She really was impossible to predict.
Which was exactly why she was so attractive.
No wonder she had bewitched the entire nation.
And now that woman, who had captivated the whole country, had made a ten-million declaration to support me.
How was I supposed to take that?
Just then, Director Park Jun-seo shouted, “All right, the ritual’s over, let’s get ready to shoot!”
The occult film whose top actress had declared ten million, Black Bride.
At last, the long-awaited first shoot had begun.
***
Preparations were finished. Standing at the center of the set, Director Park Jun-seo muttered to himself, “...The first take needs to come out looking pretty damn convincing.”
I stood beside him and slowly nodded.
The beginning of a film lives and dies on the first take.
Maybe that was why the set was thick with raw, electric tension.
The crew who had finished their preparations wore grim, determined expressions, and the actors watching from the waiting area looked tense enough to snap.
Watching it all, I folded my arms.
The first scene is Lee Ha-eun and Seo Tae-jun’s joint scene.
Since it was the most important opening scene, the two leads were going first.
What kind of acting would the two stars of Black Bride show on their first take?
Then Director Park Jun-seo shouted, “Actors, if you’re all ready, let’s run a light rehearsal!”
With that, Lee Ha-eun and Seo Tae-jun, already finished with makeup and costume, walked out. Lee Ha-eun in a bridal outfit, Seo Tae-jun in a nun’s habit. The two of them looked as if Seorinbi and Kang Ji-hu, the exorcists from Black Bride, had stepped straight out of the script.
The staff beside me let out a low gasp.
“Wow, insane.”
That was about the highest praise a crew member could offer, and my mouth curved faintly at the corners. Meanwhile, the two actors began matching their movement cues with the art director.
Time passed, and the art director gave Director Park the OK sign.
“Director, we’re ready!”
“Okay! Then let’s go right in!”
The staff who had been moving busily around the set all stopped at once and turned to the two actors. The actors sitting in the waiting area set down their scripts and looked up.
Under that concentrated attention, the Jimmy Jib camera tilted upward and captured the two actors standing in the cemetery through its lens.
Every eye, every breath, every scrap of attention on set settled on Seo Tae-jun and Lee Ha-eun.
Watching the composition of the two leads on the main camera, Director Park Jun-seo shouted, “Since this is a rehearsal, just think of it as matching your rhythm lightly! Countdown... 3, 2, 1. Action!”
At the director’s cue, the lips of Lee Ha-eun, now Seorinbi, moved.
“Ugh! So annoying! What is this slimy mess?”
Her sharp voice tore through the set.
“You had to choose something like this of all things! Are you out of your mind, Kang Ji-hu?”
She was the best woman in the world at playing irritated.
Her expression, so full of life it felt almost too real, combined with her polished diction and stamped Seorinbi’s personality straight into the room.
Then Seo Tae-jun, as Kang Ji-hu, took a step toward the cemetery and delivered her line back to her.
“It’s about denial and selfish desire and evil lust and greed. And greed is idolatry, Seorinbi.”
“Shut up. You think I’m doing this out of some sense of mission like you?”
Seorinbi brushed past Kang Ji-hu and walked ahead. In one hand she held a cross, in the other a nail, and her eyes glinted with something wicked.
“I’m doing it for the money. All of it. If not for that, I’d have quit this crap long ago.”
Lee Ha-eun, as Seorinbi, let out a sneer.
“Do you really think the devil exists? Then let’s just pretend to do this properly.”
Seorinbi and Kang Ji-hu, the leads of Director Park Jun-seo’s occult masterpiece Black Bride.
“We only need to comfort believers suffering from illness in their hearts. That’s the exorcist’s job.”
The two fraudulent exorcists’ flashy debut set the filming location ablaze.
***
Thanks to the two leads nailing the first take, the mood on set had turned hot with excitement.
“We’ll keep filming right away!”
Maybe because of that, the rest of the shoot went smoothly as well. Since it was the first day and the schedule itself wasn’t overly brutal, that helped the morale of the crew and the actors too.
After filming a few light teaser scenes to give the staff, extras, and everyone involved a taste of what kind of film Black Bride would be, the first day wrapped on a good note. And then came the afterparty.
Gathered at a barbecue restaurant near the lodging, the Black Bride staff shouted at Director Park Jun-seo, “Director Park! You should do the toast!”
“You know the first company dinner’s toast is important, right?”
“Give us something good! No lame stuff like, ‘blue jeans’!”
At the crew’s uproar, Director Park Jun-seo frowned in thought, then belatedly shouted, “Ten million!”
“?”
“To a ten-million-viewer film! Everyone, cheers!”
The staff blinked blankly for a moment, then burst out laughing.
“Wow... even the director’s caught the ten-million fever.”
“That’s right! Let’s go for ten million!”
“Let’s make history by hitting ten million with an occult film!”
“To ten million, cheers!”
...Watching the scene, my neck drooped like a sinner’s.
No, seriously, why is everyone so obsessed with ten million? That’s just making this worse.
At this rate, it really was turning into something that had to be ten million or nothing at all.
As my expression soured, an unfamiliar voice called my name.
“You’re Manager Kwon, right?”
When I lifted the head I’d been bowing like a criminal, veteran actor Park Tae-sik was raising a glass toward me.
Startled, I hurried to pour soju into the empty glass in his hand.
“Yes, that’s right. I’m Kwon Chan, sir.”
“Nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Thank you. I’m a fan of yours too, so I’d been hoping to meet you one day, and now we’re working on a project together.”
“Oh? Really my fan? Or is that just lip service?”
“Is there anyone in this industry who isn’t a fan of Park Tae-sik?”
Park Tae-sik’s mouth twitched, and he poured me a drink in return.
“Man... you can tell you’ve got some miles on you from the way you talk.”
“Thank you.”
“So now I’m a little curious. Did you sell Lee Ha-eun on Queen of Joseon the same way you just talked me into this?”
I answered as plainly as possible.
“I wouldn’t call it selling her on it. The script was just so good that I suggested it to her.”
“You suggested it by chance?”
“Yes, more or less.”
“Come on, that’s not it! You happened to suggest a script that went on to hit a 30 percent rating, and even if you call that luck, it’s still incredible.”
Park Tae-sik clicked his tongue.
“Aigoo! Why doesn’t my own manager recommend scripts like that instead of dragging me into outdoor variety shows? Anyway, Manager Kwon.”
“Yes?”
“What do you think will happen with our film?”
Park Tae-sik’s eyes glittered with a pressure that felt downright troublesome.
“I saw the making-of film and you said ten million, so do you really think this’ll be a ten-million-viewer movie?”
“...”
“As the manager who got Queen of Joseon going, tell me once. I need a little encouragement.”
That one line drew the eyes of everyone around us toward me. Only then did I realize how strangely I’d been seated.
...Why am I sitting at the actors’ table instead of the manager table?
The situation was off in a way I couldn’t quite pin down, but it was probably too late to complain now.
Keeping my expression in check, I answered, “Well, I don’t think ten million is likely.”
At that, I could feel a faint disappointment roll through the gazes around me. Director Park Jun-seo even clicked his tongue.
“Tch, was that just lip service?”
With an ambiguous smile, I thought to myself, Good. If I can rein in this sudden ten-million craze somehow, that’s a relief.
But for some reason, seeing the disappointed expressions on the actors’ faces as they looked at me made my bad habit flare up again.
No, please.
Please, shut that mouth of yours for just one day, okay?
But, as always, my mouth refused to listen.
My voice slipped out between my parted lips, certain and unshaken.
“Still, I think five million is absolutely guaranteed.”
Park Tae-sik’s eyes went wide.
“Five million? Then it’ll definitely clear breakeven, right?”
“Yes, but...”
“But?”
“If it rides the buzz and picks up word of mouth, then seven million.”
“!”
“And if the other movies opening against it don’t get lucky...”
I let out a silent sigh and finally said the word.
“Ten million starts to look entirely possible.”
“!”
Park Tae-sik blinked like an idiot.
“Uh... Manager Kwon, you’re saying that with such a serious face I can’t even tell if you’re joking.”
Nam Oh-seong, a top-tier supporting actor seated beside Park Tae-sik, leaned in with interest and asked, “Manager Kwon. Is that calculation from Baekhak’s side?”
“No, it’s my personal prediction.”
“For a personal prediction, that’s awfully detailed.”
It had to be detailed. I was certain Black Bride would clear five million no matter what.
Of course, I couldn’t say that outright.
“Seeing the performances on set today, that’s just the feeling I got.”
“The performances on set?”
“Yes. The leads shone plenty, and the supporting cast, including you, Park Tae-sik, were excellent too.”
I tossed it off lightly, almost joking.
“The leads shine, the supporting cast shines, the script is good too. If the numbers don’t come through, I’d blame the audience.”
Even as I said it, I felt a little embarrassed by the shameless lip service.
But Park Tae-sik seemed to love it.
The veteran actor burst out laughing and held out his glass again.
“Ha! Manager Kwon, I really like you! Come on, take a drink!”
And so I downed the drinks Park Tae-sik poured for me, one after another, until the other actors around us began speaking to me as well.
“I heard you’re the manager in charge of Lee Ha-eun and Seo Tae-jun. Is that right?”
“Can I pour you a drink, Manager Kwon?”
“My dream agency is Baekhak, and from your point of view, how is it? The way they care for actors, is it really as good as people say?”
Before I knew it, I had become the center of the dinner table.
I didn’t know if it was because of the ten-million declaration in the making-of film or because of the reassuring Baekhak name, but the barrage of drinks and questions made it hard to keep my head straight.
Then Seo Tae-jun, who had been at another table, appeared.
“Hey, why are you all getting my manager this plastered?”
The Romance Prince frowned.
Watching him quietly, I answered slowly, “I’m not that plastered yet, Seo Tae-jun.”
“Would you look at that? Your tongue’s already tied.”
Clicking his tongue, Seo Tae-jun blocked the stream of drinks aimed at me.
“That’s enough. This man has to go back to Seoul tomorrow, so why are you all trying to drink him under the table?”
With that, he pulled me up from my seat and gave me a look.
Let’s get out of here.
Hmm. Seo Tae-jun, as expected, was the only one.
I was already a little over the line, and he’d shown up at just the right time.
So I handed the drinking table over to Seo Tae-jun and slipped out of the barbecue place, shivering as the cool evening wind hit my shoulders.
“Man, it really is autumn now.”
It wasn’t winter yet, was it?
Our country’s idea of the four seasons had been broken for a while now, so maybe next month I’d already be stuffing myself into a padded coat.
“Man, I want a cigarette.”
They say smoking after drinking is terrible for you, and I knew it, but it was still hard to resist. That was probably the misery of being a smoker. With a foolish grin tugging at my lips, I headed off in search of the smoking area.
It was definitely Gangwon Province; unlike Seoul, everything around me was pitch-black. With not even the usual streetlights turned on, I had to switch on my phone flashlight just to find the smoking area.
When I stopped walking, I grumbled like a child.
“As if this weren’t an occult film set, the smoking area looks scary too.”
A gloomy air hung over the dark smoking area.
If a ghost were going to jump out, wouldn’t it be from a place like this?
As I thought that and brought a cigarette to my lips, a strange hand lightly tapped my shoulder.
“!”
Startled, I dropped the cigarette from my mouth. Feeling the alcohol rush out of my body in an instant, I shouted, “Wh-who is it?”
“Kwon Chan.”
“!”
My eyes widened.
“...Lee Ha-eun?”
“Yeah.”
“Not a ghost, Lee Ha-eun, right?”
At my question, Lee Ha-eun walked out to stand across from me and said, “Have you ever seen such a pretty ghost?”
I was speechless.
No, more importantly, when had this woman followed me out here?
Then Lee Ha-eun asked in a light voice, “Came out for a smoke?”
I cleared my throat and answered, “...Yes.”
“Why don’t you quit?”
“I’d like to quit too.”
“Then don’t just say it. Actually quit.”
Was she seriously lecturing me right now?
Shocked, I shot back in a teasing tone, “Why? Worried about me?”
A question tossed out as lightly as possible.
But Lee Ha-eun answered with such seriousness it was almost embarrassing.
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“...”
“I’m worried it’ll hurt your health...”
She tapped my shoulder, and some unidentified bug darted away in a blur.
“I’m worried you’ll get talked about behind your back...”
My heart thumped.
Maybe it was the alcohol, but it was beating much harder than usual.
Then her hand moved to my forehead. Brushing my messy bangs into place with gentle fingers, she whispered, “I’m worried somebody’s going to want to take you away. You’re a seriously annoying man, you know that?”
My throat bobbed.
This is dangerous.
The dinner venue was dark, but it was still open on all sides.
If anyone saw Lee Ha-eun standing in front of me like this, ugly rumors would start immediately. On any normal day, I would’ve been smart enough to panic and run by now.
But alcohol was a frightening thing. Some nameless courage surged up inside me. Staring straight at Lee Ha-eun, I asked, “Why do you care about me?”
“Why, can’t I care?”
“Doesn’t that seem strange, between us?”
“Really? Then, Kwon Chan.”
Lee Ha-eun stepped a little closer. I was lucky I stood over 180 centimeters tall; if I’d been even a little shorter, we would’ve ended up in a precariously intimate frame, considering how tall she was for a woman.
“Why did you do that interview?”
“What, is there a problem with it?”
“I’m not some clueless idiot.”
A smile tugged at Lee Ha-eun’s lips.
When she was angry or irritated, she really was like a ghost... but when she smiled like this, she looked like an angel from another world.
That angel leaned in and whispered to me.
“You did that interview because of me, didn’t you?”
I couldn’t deny it, and I couldn’t quite agree either. Honestly, because it was true.
Then her hand rose again, this time to my face.
“What? Did you think I wouldn’t notice?”
Her slender fingers stroked my cheek.
At the damp touch of her hand, I squeezed my eyes shut.
“You made it so obvious. How could I not notice? Hmm?”
At last, a groan slipped from my lips.
Ah...
Dammit.
I hated to admit it, but... yeah.
Drunk and looking at her now, Lee Ha-eun was...
way too lovable.
I’ve lost my mind. I’ve completely lost it.
The thread of reason was being pulled taut, ready to snap.
Just as that thin line seemed about to break under the tension of the moment, my name came from across the way.
“Manager Kwon! Where did you go?!”
Startled, I pulled Lee Ha-eun toward me.