Choi Go-eun
Inside the break room of Baekhak Entertainment’s management office, Ma Seok-du, the team leader, wore a functional short-sleeved T-shirt despite the chilly autumn weather and hummed an indecipherable tune under his breath.
“Senior, buy me some mala-tang~ And maybe some tanghulu too? Huhuhuhu-!”
The Team 4 leader, who was making coffee beside him, stared in horror at Ma Seok-du’s humming and said, “Team Leader Ma, what in the world is that bizarre song?”
Ma Seok-du jumped, then said, “No way, Team Leader! You don’t know this song? It’s the current number one on Shorts challenges!”
“...I know it. But why are you singing it, of all people, and not some YouTuber?”
“Heh. It’s fun, isn’t it? The lyrics are funny, and the melody’s ridiculously addictive. Tang-tang~ Hooru-ruuk!”
Team Leader 4 let out a long sigh. “Could you maybe spare a thought for our dignity, Team Leader Ma?”
“What dignity all of a sudden?”
“Because I’m genuinely terrified of the road managers underneath us seeing you like this.”
“Ah, come on! If you worry about stuff like that, you’ll never live the way you’re meant to, Team Leader 4. Heh...”
Team Leader 4 clicked his tongue. “Honestly, I know you’re in a great mood thanks to Chief Manager Kwon, but aren’t you a little too high-strung?”
“Ah, you noticed?”
“Of course I did. Everyone in management has noticed, except Team Leader Ma.”
“Really? It was that obvious?”
Rubbing the back of his head, Ma Seok-du shrugged.
“Still, if you were in my shoes, wouldn’t you be flying too? With such a reliable chief manager down there?”
“I would fly, sure. If the chief manager on our team pulled off results like that, I’d be tap-dancing too. But with your build, Team Leader Ma... Tang-tang hooru-ruuk? Come on, that’s a little much!”
With that, Team Leader 4 mimicked Ma Seok-du’s dance from earlier.
Ma Seok-du’s eyes went wide. “Whoa? Team Leader 4, you’ve got a talent for dancing.”
“Back when I was a star road manager, I used to copy the dance moves from the side.”
“Oh. Then should we film a Shorts challenge ourselves?”
Team Leader 4 looked genuinely alarmed. “W-what are you talking about?!”
“Our Kwon Chief Manager was on TV and became a star manager. We can’t let the team fall behind, can we? Let’s become a YouTube star too.”
“Hey, wait, stop! Don’t come any closer!”
Just as Team Leader 4 was about to grab the finished instant coffee and make a run for it, the break room door opened and the PR team leader appeared.
“Team Leader Ma!”
Startled by the sudden entrance, Ma Seok-du answered, “What brings you all the way out here, Team Leader of PR?”
The PR team leader, still out of breath, looked around sharply and asked, “Where’s Chief Manager Kwon?!”
“...Huh? Chief Manager Kwon?”
“Do you know how many calls I just got because of Chief Manager Kwon?”
That made Ma Seok-du’s shoulders jerk. “W-what do you mean, Team Leader of PR? Don’t tell me Chief Manager Kwon caused some kind of trouble?”
“I don’t even know if I’d call it trouble... No, never mind that. Team Leader Ma.”
The PR team leader’s gaze sharpened. “Who exactly is Choi Go-eun?”
“...Huh?”
“It’s chaos right now because of this actress Choi Go-eun. I’ve been getting calls nonstop from directors and producers who attended the Busan International Film Festival, all asking about her. I looked into it, and it says the actress Choi Go-eun is under Team 5, so why don’t you know her, Team Leader Ma?”
Choi Go-eun?
At the unfamiliar name, Ma Seok-du searched through the roster of Team 5 actors stored in his head.
And not long after, a familiar voice surfaced with it.
I’ll take Choi Go-eun, Team Leader Ma.
“!”
Ma Seok-du’s eyes widened as Kwon Chan came to mind.
The PR team leader, watching his expression closely, folded his arms.
“So Choi Go-eun is with Team 5, then.”
“...”
“Where is Chief Manager Kwon, the man in charge of actress Choi Go-eun?”
The PR team leader grabbed at his hair. “Even Director Na Jun-hu called because of this actress Choi Go-eun that your Chief Manager is managing! Director Na Jun-hu, the director with two films past ten million admissions!”
At that explanation, the mouths of Team Leader 4 and Ma Seok-du fell open.
“.......What?”
“D-Director Na Jun-hu is looking for actress Choi Go-eun?”
One of the country’s top directors.
The ever-reliable Na Jun-hu was looking for an unknown actress?
Multicultural had finished screening.
The reaction that burst out at that moment was even hotter and more explosive than I’d expected.
“.......Ah, I’m crying.”
“What is this movie... ? Why is it so sad?”
“Wow, that aftertaste is insane. But why is it so short?”
“It’s a short film! It’s not even an indie feature, so of course it’s short.”
“That final monologue from the lead was seriously chilling, wasn’t it?”
“Man! That close-up of the lead’s face at the end was so real I almost teared up without meaning to!”
Gasps, admiration, excitement.
“Hey, hey, this is huge. I’m uploading this to Reels right now.”
“The title was Multicultural, right?”
“Who’s the actress playing the lead? I’ve never seen her before.”
As one fierce reaction after another erupted from the audience, a satisfied smile spread across my lips.
Then, beneath the seating area, the officials’ section started buzzing.
“........What? Who made this film?”
“Kim Jun-su? He’s a total beginner director, isn’t he?”
“No, more importantly, who is the lead?”
“Choi Go-eun? Hurry up and find out which agency she’s with!”
“She looks unknown. Whoever gets to her first wins!”
“Get on the phone, now! What are you doing? No, go find the actress in person!”
PDs and directors couldn’t hide their surprise, clicking their tongues in disbelief.
The scouts from every agency who had come to the Busan International Film Festival to find hidden gems were in an uproar, making call after call.
And at the center of it all were Multicultural and Choi Go-eun.
The script I’d found, and the actress I’d managed, were drawing the full attention of the Busan International Film Festival’s opening ceremony.
Kuh...
A thrill too sharp to describe ran from my spine through my whole body.
The corners of my mouth kept trying to tap-dance on their own.
I worked myself to the bone for three months just to see this scene.
Meanwhile, with the host’s commentary, the next film began screening.
But I could still feel it.
“Ah, there’s still a little something missing.”
The afterglow left by Multicultural was still hanging over the Busan International Film Festival opening ceremony.
That doesn’t mean the other films were weak.
As films carefully selected for Asia’s best film festival, they were all excellent.
But Multicultural was a short film.
Within just twenty minutes, it had managed to pull in not only the audience but also the directors and PDs to the point of leaving their eyes wide in shock, and that level of immersion and acting was not something a one-hour film could easily reproduce.
There’s a reason short-form videos are all the rage these days.
Leaning back with my arms folded, I started doing the math in my head.
The response is at its peak, and I’ve also met a good partner in Reporter Seo.
If I rolled this snowball well, it looked like I could create a wave much bigger than I’d expected.
Then, at last, all the scheduled screenings ended and the closing credits rolled.
“That wraps up every film prepared for today! But the Busan International Film Festival is only just beginning, everyone!”
At the host’s words, thunderous applause erupted.
“A variety of works will be screened throughout the festival, so please keep looking forward to them and showing your interest! That concludes today’s opening ceremony! Thank you for staying with us until the end, and I hope you all continue to enjoy the many good moments ahead!”
Faces among the applauding audience lit up with satisfaction.
“It was fun, right?”
“Kuh... Yeah! This is how you’re supposed to watch movies, out here!”
“But the best film of the opening ceremony was definitely that first short, right?”
“Hey, hey! The reaction’s already going up on Instagram!? The Multicultural post has over thirty likes already!”
“What? Really? Damn, I should post it too. Wait up!”
As the whispering from the seat beside me drifted over, the rhythm of my hands clapping grew even lighter.
Is this going to spread by word of mouth and blow up?
Hmm. Was that too far ahead of myself?
No matter how good the response was, I couldn’t say for sure that it had already caught fire by word of mouth.
Still.
Seeing this reaction, I could at least dare to hope.
Suppressing a laugh, I rose from my seat.
As the opening ceremony ended, directors, PDs, and actors stood up and began greeting one another.
“Guess I should head over.”
Our Choi Go-eun.
What must she be feeling right now?
In a single moment, she’d gone from an unknown actress to the woman standing at the center of the Busan International Film Festival.
Imagining the expression on Choi Go-eun’s face now, I started walking toward the officials’ section.
But then, what was this?
“!”
There were men in suits who had gotten to Choi Go-eun before I did.
At a film festival, if there were people in suits like me...
They could only be scouts sent by agencies and related companies.
The corner of my mouth twisted ever so slightly.
“Look at this.”
They’re eyeing my actress?
I headed straight for Choi Go-eun’s table.
Choi Go-eun, surrounded by men in suits, somehow spotted me and shouted, “Chief Manager!”
At her call, the suit-clad men holding business cards turned and looked at me.
Almost on reflex, I let my lips curve into a smile.
“Is there a problem with my actress?”
“...”
My question caught them off guard, and one of the suited men asked back, “Uh... are you perhaps actress Choi Go-eun’s manager?”
“Yes. Kwon Chan, Chief Manager of Baekhak Team 5.”
“!”
“Let me ask again... what business do you have with my actress?”
I deliberately lowered my voice. The suited men surrounding Choi Go-eun exchanged glances, then wore awkward expressions.
“Haha... sorry. We didn’t realize she had a manager.”
“W-we apologize for the intrusion!”
With that, they quickly tucked their tails and fled.
From among them, I caught the murmuring as they retreated.
“Huh, she was a Baekhak actress?”
“No wonder. No way someone that unknown would suddenly pop out of nowhere.”
“And he’s not just a manager, but a chief manager handling her? So she must be a prized actress they’re raising carefully.”
“Why is it always Baekhak whenever someone looks promising? Tch...”
I stared after the backs of the suited men, waiting until they were completely out of sight before turning back.
By then, Choi Go-eun had come right up to me and called my name in a voice that was annoyingly smug.
“Chief Manager.”
I relaxed the tension around my upturned eyes and answered, “Yes, Choi Go-eun.”
“I got a business card. Hmph.”
“A business card? What kind of business card?”
“I don’t know. These people in suits came over and handed me a card, saying to make sure I contacted them.”
With a self-important look, Choi Go-eun watched my reaction.
A snort of laughter escaped me.
Seriously, so irritating.
Choi Go-eun really was... sometimes she felt less like an actor I managed and more like a disobedient younger cousin.
Shaking my head, I answered, “Sounds like scouts’ business cards.”
“Oh? Scouts’ business cards?”
“Yeah. Choi Go-eun, you’ve become a star.”
“Come on, getting a business card doesn’t make someone a star.”
“For an unknown actress, that’s enough. So? Are you going to call them? Now that you’re a star, are you thinking of changing agencies?”
Choi Go-eun suddenly went serious.
“No. I’m staying with Baekhak.”
“Why? You could at least call them once.”
“...You’re teasing me right now, aren’t you?”
“Ah, you noticed?”
Choi Go-eun pouted, then lightly thumped my chest.
“Why are you hitting me? Hm?”
“Don’t know.”
“Ow, that kind of hurts.”
Just as she kept needling me despite my mock complaints, Kwon Hyun-bin, who had briefly vanished from my field of view, approached.
And beside Kwon Hyun-bin...
There stood an entirely unexpected heavyweight.
Director Na Jun-hu?
Na Jun-hu, the two-time ten-million-admission director.
One of the country’s most acclaimed commercial filmmakers had appeared in person.
Shocked, I hurried to greet him.
“Director Na Jun-hu?”
“Ah, are you perhaps actress Choi Go-eun’s manager?”
“Yes, Kwon Chan, Chief Manager of Baekhak Team 5.”
As I quickly searched my pocket for a business card, Director Na Jun-hu smiled warmly and said, “I wondered where such a treasure had come from, and it turns out she’s with Baekhak. Would it be all right if I spoke with actress Choi Go-eun for a bit, Chief Manager?”
At Na Jun-hu’s words, my eyes flew wide open.
I couldn’t hide how stunned I felt.
That Na Jun-hu wants to talk to Choi Go-eun?
Na Jun-hu, the two-time ten-million-admission director?
With unknown actress Choi Go-eun?
I was wildly shocked inside, but I kept my face calm on the outside.
Swallowing dryly, I answered, “Of course, Director Na Jun-hu.”
“Oh, thank you. I hope I’m not being rude by dropping by so suddenly.”
“Not at all. Please, speak freely.”
Stepping aside, I motioned toward Choi Go-eun.
Picking up on my signal, Choi Go-eun greeted him politely. “Hello, I’m Choi Go-eun.”
“Hello, Choi Go-eun. I’m Na Jun-hu. I was so deeply moved by Multicultural that I came all the way here like this...”
A conversation began between the two-time ten-million-admission director and an unknown actress.
Watching them, my heart gave a small leap.
I knew Multicultural turned out well, but enough for Director Na Jun-hu to take interest?
Then...
That meant the actress I found and the script I chose had shaken the heart of a two-time ten-million-admission director.
In that case, doesn’t that mean I’ve been acknowledged too? By Director Na Jun-hu himself?
While I was entertaining that useless thought, Kwon Hyun-bin, who had somehow ended up beside me, muttered quietly, “It’s been a while since I’ve seen Director Na Jun-hu get that intensely hooked on one actress.”
Coming back to myself, I answered with effort, “Are you giving me a kind word because you know her, Actor Kwon?”
“Director Na Jun-hu isn’t in a position to be offering lip service.”
“Right. Fair enough.”
At that, Kwon Hyun-bin stared at my face for a moment.
“But Chief Manager.”
“Yes, Actor Kwon Hyun-bin?”
“Did you recommend this Multicultural script to actress Choi Go-eun?”
At Kwon Hyun-bin’s casually tossed question, my eyes widened.
Look at that?
Since our first meeting, the eyes that had always seemed lethargic and half-dead now held a surprising amount of life.
Did Choi Go-eun’s acting fire him up?
A slight smile touched my lips.
If so, had Kwon Hyun-bin’s depression improved a little too?
With a bit of hope, I answered, “Yes, that’s right.”
“Choi Go-eun’s acting was amazing, but the script was excellent too.”
“Don’t even get me started. I went through five hundred short-film scripts, you know.”
“You’re exaggerating a bit.”
“Huh? How is that an exaggeration? It’s true!”
Kwon Hyun-bin let out a small laugh.
Maybe because he was someone whose mood usually ran low, even that faint smile made his whole face look different.
Watching him, I asked lightly, “Actor Kwon Hyun-bin.”
“Yes?”
“Want to take a look at a script?”
Kwon Hyun-bin’s eyes widened.
“Is this a casting offer?”
“No, but I do have a pretty decent script among the ones I’ve got.”
Kwon Hyun-bin’s gaze wavered.
Interest and anticipation.
The Hallyu star who’d said he wasn’t going to accept any work recommendations at our first meeting had changed his look entirely.
The change sent a shiver straight up the back of my hand.
“I’m curious.”
“Don’t get your hopes up too much.”
“Chief Manager, the way you say things just makes me more curious.”
“Hey, that’s a problem. Just think of it as taking a look at a decent script while you’re resting.”
Kwon Hyun-bin’s mouth lifted slightly.
“That just makes me want to hope even more.”
At his words, I thought, Is that a joke? Teasing?
I wasn’t sure.
He really was too serious a person.
But one thing was clear.
For reasons I couldn’t quite name, the distance between Kwon Hyun-bin and me had narrowed a little.
Because of that, I found myself lifting the corners of my mouth the same way he had.
Then fireworks exploded.
Paang-!
I turned my head and looked up at the night sky.
The fireworks scattering across it spread like shining stars.
Red, blue, green, and gold bursts crossed and overlapped in a dazzling dance.
“Oooh...!”
“It’s fireworks!”
“Take a picture, take a picture!”
Actors, directors, PDs.
And even the fans and tourists who had come to see them.
Everyone looked up at the fireworks painting the night sky and let out cries of awe and wonder.
Watching the beauty and emotion of that moment, I thought to myself, This is the beginning.
Asia’s greatest film festival had now truly begun.
And the one who would stand at its center...
“She’s beautiful.”
Like the fireworks that had just filled the night sky, Choi Go-eun would be the actress who left a deep afterimage in the audience’s hearts.
The day after the opening ceremony ended, Ma Seok-du called me.
“Hey, Kwon Chan!”
“Good grief, you’re going to burst my eardrums, Team Leader Ma.”
“Y-you! What is going on?! Who is Choi Go-eun, what is Multicultural, and why is Kwon Hyun-bin at the Busan International Film Festival!”
“I’ll explain later. More importantly, Team Leader Ma.”
My voice came out with a touch more swagger than usual.
But come to think of it, that was only natural.
“Could you ask the PR team leader to prepare some articles? If a Baekhak actress looks like she’s about to win the New Actress Award, is the agency supposed to sit there and do nothing?”
The work and the actress I had chosen had drawn the attention of Asia’s top film festival.
Then I was allowed a little swagger like this, wasn’t I?