Busan International Film Festival
Busan International Film Festival.
The drinking had long since hit its stride. Kwon Hyeon-bin and Director Park Yu-hyeon lightly clinked their glasses together.
"Actor Kwon, that world tour fan meeting of yours was truly something."
"You mean the Shanghai concert?"
"Haha, that's right. I’ve never seen a stadium in Shanghai packed like that, and you’re not even a top idol."
"I remember it wasn't a sellout."
"What does a sellout matter? What matters is that you’re an actor who can rent out the Shanghai Stadium."
Director Park Yu-hyeon filled Kwon Hyeon-bin’s empty glass and said, "You won’t regret this transfer. From promoting your next project to external activities, we’ll support you properly."
Kwon Hyeon-bin replied in an indifferent voice, "I’ll look forward to it."
Even in front of a heavyweight like the President of Baekhak Entertainment, the sort of man even a network station director would bow to, Kwon Hyeon-bin’s expression and attitude barely changed from the start.
Perhaps because of that, Director Park Yu-hyeon’s eyes curved into half-moons. But for some reason, in my eyes, Kwon Hyeon-bin didn’t look impressive at all. He looked uneasy.
Yeah. Like someone backed up against the edge of a cliff.
He looked like a desperate man who had given up everything, including his own life among the things he’d abandoned. And at that moment, I remembered the future text message I had checked just earlier.
-[Breaking News!] Hallyu star Kwon Hyeon-bin, suffering from severe depression, attempts suicide! Fans and industry insiders are all left in shock...!
Kwon Hyeon-bin, the Hallyu star whose transfer had rattled Baekhak’s stock price.
He might try to kill himself in the not-too-distant future.
Because of severe depression.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Public attention was like a drug. An entertainer addicted to that attention would collapse from the inside out.
The flood of cheers, the daily stream of malicious comments.
Kept exposed to things like that, no person could avoid wearing down mentally. Especially for a top-tier actor like Kwon Hyeon-bin, the attention and hate directed at him would be dozens of times greater than what other entertainers had to endure, which meant he would have broken down that much faster.
When I thought that far, I clicked my tongue softly.
Who would’ve thought Kwon Hyeon-bin was struggling with depression?
Honestly, if it hadn’t been for the future text message, I never would have expected it.
Given Kwon Hyeon-bin’s usual image, who would look at him and think depression?
A face so handsome it would make another man stare, along with the fame and recognition that came with being a Hallyu star.
Right.
Hallyu star Kwon Hyeon-bin had everything.
That he would be driven to attempt suicide because of depression was something no one could easily foresee.
This is turning into a headache.
If Kwon Hyeon-bin really did attempt suicide as the future text said, it would send shockwaves through everything in more ways than one. Not just Baekhak, but maybe even my own career would be rocked.
But beyond those shared interests, the biggest problem was...
The fact that one of the entertainers I was responsible for might try to take his own life.
This time, a human life is on the line.
Then, all at once, I came to a realization.
Seen this way, isn’t this actually a good thing?
If I hadn’t learned that Kwon Hyeon-bin was suffering from depression, horrible things would have happened one after another. But I had found out.
If I start taking care of it now, that means I can stop Kwon Hyeon-bin’s suicide attempt entirely.
After weighing the situation, I let out a long breath.
Yes... this was more than manageable.
I could keep Kwon Hyeon-bin from ever reaching the point of a suicide attempt in the first place.
Just as I felt my sense of duty as a manager waking up after a long time, Director Park Yu-hyeon pointed at me.
"Kwon Sil-jang here is currently the most capable person in our management department."
"..."
"He also manages our company’s flagship actress, Lee Ha-eun. He specializes in actors, so he’ll have no trouble looking after Kwon Hyeon-bin."
At Director Park Yu-hyeon’s introduction, Kwon Hyeon-bin’s gaze shifted to me.
"You’re the manager who handles Actress Lee Ha-eun? Then you’re the one who recommended Queen of Joseon?"
For the first time, curiosity colored Kwon Hyeon-bin’s voice.
Keeping that change carefully in mind, I answered, "Recommendation is a bit much. I only had some authority over it."
"I see. Still, Manager."
"Yes?"
"Just in case, I’m saying this now. Please don’t take it the wrong way."
Kwon Hyeon-bin muttered in his usual indifferent tone, "I don’t really accept project recommendations. I respect your style enough, Manager, but I’d appreciate it if you’d refrain from that with me whenever possible."
At that, I smiled faintly.
"If that’s your style, I can absolutely work around it."
"..."
"Changing my approach to fit the entertainer I’m handling isn’t that difficult. Just tell me things like this, and I’ll adjust the rest of the care to suit Actor Kwon Hyeon-bin’s style as well."
Instead of answering, Kwon Hyeon-bin lowered his head in a small nod.
After that, several more rounds of drinks passed, and Director Park Yu-hyeon got to his feet.
"I have important work tomorrow, so I’ll head out first."
With that, Director Park Yu-hyeon glanced at me.
"Have a comfortable conversation with Manager Kwon, and if there’s anything you want the company to provide, feel free to say so, Actor Kwon."
"Thank you, Director."
"Haha, it’s only natural. Then..."
Letting his words trail off, Director Park Yu-hyeon gave my shoulder a light pat.
"Actor Kwon, I’m leaving him in your hands, Manager Kwon. Please take care of him."
I bowed.
"Please travel home safely, Director."
After Director Park left, Kwon Hyeon-bin and I were alone. He handed me another drink and said, "Do you drink much, Manager?"
At that, I fell into thought for a moment.
What should I do?
I knew alcohol wasn’t good for someone with depression, but right now, refusing to drink felt awkward.
I can’t exactly tell him on our first meeting that alcohol is bad because of depression.
Then...
Maybe it would be better to use this drinking session to get to know Kwon Hyeon-bin as a person?
After deciding on my approach, I loosened my tie and said, "Alcohol?"
"?"
"I’d drink it if I could get my hands on enough. I’m in management, after all, and sales is half the job, right?"
Kwon Hyeon-bin’s eyes widened slightly at the change in my attitude.
Seeing that, I raised the corners of my mouth and asked, "What’s your tolerance like, Kwon Hyeon-bin? Are you pretty decent at drinking?"
"I’m not bad."
"Really? Good. Since we’re both men, let’s not put on airs and just drink comfortably, yeah?"
"...You’re quite a fiery type, Manager Kwon."
Instead of answering, I poured liquor into Kwon Hyeon-bin’s empty glass.
"Shall we talk while we drink? I can’t stand seeing an empty glass."
One hour later.
After the two of us had demolished four bottles of Andong soju, I thought, my face flushed red,
...What is he, some kind of man with a hole in his stomach, Kwon Hyeon-bin?
Unlike me, the Hallyu star Kwon Hyeon-bin hadn’t changed color at all.
Looking at him, I regretted my earlier self.
What the hell did I just do?
...It seemed I’d seriously picked the wrong opponent.
What kind of nerve had I used to challenge this insane liquor tank with alcohol?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
My stomach ached.
But what hurt more was my pride as a man.
Kwon Hyeon-bin was pouring liquor into my empty glass and said, "If you’re drunk, you can stop now, Manager."
"..."
Damn it.
I wasn’t the type to brag about drinking, but being pitied like this really stung my pride.
Still, I couldn’t afford to make a mistake over alcohol on our first meeting.
Accepting Kwon Hyeon-bin’s consideration, I changed the subject.
"Why don’t we talk work while we let the alcohol wear off?"
"Work?"
"Yeah. Do you have a next project in mind?"
"No, nothing decided yet."
"Then when would you want to start your next one?"
Kwon Hyeon-bin swirled his drink quietly and answered, "Well, I’m not sure. If I find a good script, I’ll go in."
"Really? Then, Actor Kwon."
"Yes?"
"How about you rest a little longer until we find a good script?"
Kwon Hyeon-bin tilted his head.
"That’s odd."
"Pardon?"
"Usually, when a manager takes on a new entertainer, wouldn’t they want to get them into a project faster?"
I nodded.
"Usually, yes. But you made the difficult decision to transfer to the company, Actor Kwon. Shouldn’t we be a little more careful about your next project?"
Straightening from where I’d been leaning against the wall, I met his eyes.
"That’s just how this business works. More than passion and drive, waiting and luck matter more."
"That’s true."
"So I’m saying let’s be a little more careful. There’s no need to rush. And besides..."
As I opened my mouth to explain, the alcohol haze began to fade a little. Feeling my mind clear, I continued.
"From where I’m sitting as your manager, it looks like you’ve been running too hard, Actor Kwon. Sometimes you need to rest so you don’t burn out, so take enough time to recover. What do you think?"
At that, Kwon Hyeon-bin looked at me quietly with a strange expression.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Slowly, Kwon Hyeon-bin opened his mouth.
"Since my debut, I haven’t really taken a break, so I’m not sure."
"Think about it slowly. I’ll move according to whatever choice you make, Actor Kwon."
Kwon Hyeon-bin touched the rim of his glass and answered, "Is this your style, Manager Kwon?"
"What part of it?"
"Rather than speaking for the company, it feels more like you’re taking care of me as a person."
"Well, a manager’s job changes depending on the entertainer they handle, so there isn’t really one fixed style. But still..."
Letting my words trail off, I lifted the corners of my mouth slightly.
"Even in an era where entertainers are turned into products, I still think this job is fundamentally one person working with another."
"..."
"So of course we look after the entertainer’s health too. That’s one of the manager’s most important roles."
Kwon Hyeon-bin, who had been staring at me silently, poured a drink into my empty glass.
...My stomach screamed.
"I’ll think about it for now."
"Yes, take all the time you need and give me your answer."
"Shall we toast?"
"Would it be enough if I just pretended to drink?"
"If you’re drunk, then you can just..."
"I’ll drink. Let’s do a shot."
And so the hellish drinking session with Kwon Hyeon-bin came to a safe end. The next day, I woke up in a strangely hangover-free state.
"Andong soju really is clean, huh?"
It had tasted like death while I was drinking it, but for the amount I’d had, my head was bizarrely clear. Thanks to that, I slowly replayed the previous day in my mind and thought,
"For now, it’s clear Kwon Hyeon-bin won’t be able to jump straight into a project."
After talking with him, he was a textbook workaholic.
At this point, it seemed best to give him a proper break and let him reflect on himself for a while.
Just as I had settled on the direction for Kwon Hyeon-bin’s management, a text message arrived.
My eyes widened.
"The editing for Multicultural is done?"
I had thought I’d need to wait at least another week, but it had finished far sooner than expected.
With the corners of my mouth lifting, I headed straight for Director Kim Jun-su’s editing room. When I entered the shared studio location shown in the text message, Director Kim Jun-su, who had come out to meet me, called my name.
"Manager Kwon!"
He offered me coffee and cake he’d bought in a full bundle and said, "How have you been, Director Kim?"
"Yes, yes! I’ve been well!"
"Looks like things went better than expected? The editing finished incredibly fast."
"The shots and visuals we’d already captured were so good that the work went faster than I’d expected."
The corners of my mouth rose.
"How’s the quality? Did it come out well?"
"...I-it might be better if you watch it once first, Manager."
Confidence overflowed from Director Kim Jun-su’s voice.
"I think it came out better than I expected... but I also don’t know how it’ll look from your side, so I wanted to show you first!"
The corners of my eyes lifted a little.
Have I ever seen Director Kim Jun-su this confident before?
Maybe because of that, a strange sense of anticipation crept up my spine. Just how well had the film turned out for Director Kim Jun-su to be reacting like this?
In the meantime, Director Kim Jun-su brought up the Multicultural cut on the monitor and said, "I’ll start the video, Manager Kwon."
Nodding, I focused on the screen.
Beyond the black screen, a Busan hillside neighborhood appeared, carrying an odd, delicate mood.
Standing with her back to that neighborhood, a young girl muttered, "Having different skin color in South Korea is a sin."
It was Choi Go-eun, made up as Choi Ji-sun.
Choi Ji-sun’s discrimination and contempt were explained in Choi Go-eun’s calm, matter-of-fact voice.
"Koreans are victims of racism too, but the people who are most racist are other Koreans."
"I get bullied every day at school just because my skin color is different."
"Being ignored, despised, and bullied. Before I knew it, I’d grown used to that violence. But..."
Choi Go-eun’s face, enlarged through a fade-in, filled the screen.
The light throwing shadows across her face poured out everything she was feeling through the small gaps left by the illumination.
Anger, resentment, despair.
Without realizing it, I found myself absorbed in those emotions, unable to look away from the monitor. Then a single tear rolled down Choi Go-eun’s cheek.
"I don’t want my younger siblings to end up like me."
My gaze was pulled deep into the short film Multicultural.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
When the twenty-minute video ended, I was left with a strange aftertaste. After sitting with the film’s visuals for a long while, I muttered, "It’s a sad film."
"That’s why I was worried. What did you think, Manager? If it’s too dark, the flow of the movie tends to sag."
"No, it was just right. If anything, the emotional line stays consistent, so it’s easy to get immersed. But the overall story of this film, it really was taken from reality, wasn’t it?"
"Yes. They’re stories I saw and heard myself."
"Even the part about being ostracized in the orphanage?"
"Yes. Multicultural children abandoned by their families are usually discriminated against in orphanages too, and in school as well."
Without meaning to, I clicked my tongue.
"Is skin color really the reason for that discrimination?"
"Yes. Skin color was the biggest reason."
"It’s so simple that it makes sense."
Director Kim Jun-su asked quietly, "Overall, what do you think?"
What did I think overall?
After thinking it over carefully, I smiled faintly.
"I think it’s a well-made film."
"!"
"Especially the final twist. That really surprised me."
Director Kim Jun-su asked excitedly, "Ah, you mean Choi Ji-sun’s final monologue, right?"
I nodded. Maybe because I’d been put in charge of Kwon Hyeon-bin, who was struggling with depression and had attempted suicide in the future, Choi Ji-sun’s monologue, where she refused to lose hope even in a difficult situation, struck deep in my chest.
"That in the end, living is what gives life meaning."
As I spoke about Multicultural, conviction began to settle into my voice.
"No matter how hard and exhausting life gets, I really liked that line about how only by living can you even see hope."
Director Kim Jun-su, standing beside me, let out a long sigh.
"I’m glad. I’m relieved the message I wanted to convey came through properly."
"You worked hard, Director Kim."
"Not at all. It’s all thanks to you, Manager!"
"So now all that’s left is submission?"
"...S-so, do you think it can place?"
At Director Kim Jun-su’s question, I thought carefully.
Can it place?
Honestly, at first...
I hadn’t expected much from the film Multicultural itself.
It was just the best script I could choose out of several dozen short film scripts.
But once I actually saw the final edited version, I found myself thinking differently.
It turned out far better than I expected.
A solid story.
Director Kim Jun-su’s editing skill, which was impressive for a newcomer and full of unusual sense.
And finally, Choi Go-eun’s singular performance.
Individually, each was only one piece, but together they created a visual beauty that far exceeded what I had anticipated.
At that moment, my mouth moved on its own.
"Yes, absolutely."
The future text message had only told me that Choi Go-eun would win the New Actress Award at Busan International Film Festival. But now, after seeing the completed Multicultural, my thoughts had changed.
Even without Choi Go-eun, Multicultural was more than good enough to stand on its own.
So I had no choice but to look toward a future a little better than the one already set in stone.
"Multicultural will definitely place."
Choi Go-eun and Multicultural.
Maybe we really would pull off something huge at our country’s biggest film festival.
At the very least, my instincts were telling me that.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
A month later, my instincts proved exactly right.
-[Attention!] The Busan International Film Festival opening ceremony is just one week away! Who will this year’s best film belong to?
Multicultural and Choi Go-eun.
At Busan International Film Festival, Asia’s most prestigious film festival, both the film and its lead actress had been named award contenders.
But the startling twist didn’t end there.
"We’d like to include Multicultural in this year’s opening ceremony screening lineup. Would that be all right?"
Multicultural was included in the Busan International Film Festival opening ceremony screening list.
As a short film, it had secured a place in a prestigious slot that, except in very special cases, only feature-length and independent films could occupy.