Chapter 63
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Excellent
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Excellent.
The editing room was thick with stale air.
There, director Min Woo-jung and two editors were huddled around a monitor, deep in discussion.
"Excellent."
What they were watching was a rough cut.
"It's not even properly edited yet—just a rough assembly—and it already has that vibe. Throw in some sound work, and it'll be gold, right?"
A rough cut was nothing more than scenes stitched together in script order, so saying it looked good was tantamount to praising the actors' performances.
At the editor's admiring words, director Min Woo-jung—her face gaunt from exhaustion—let a proud smile break through.
"The raw material is top-notch. Our job is to squeeze every drop out of it, so let's give it our all. But—"
She looked at the two of them and grinned.
"Let's call it a day. I've got a meeting, so I have to step out. You two, don't worry—just crash hard and come back refreshed."
At her words, flowers bloomed on the editors' sallow faces. They'd been burning the midnight oil for days, barely sleeping, just to keep up with the tight schedule for the rough cut.
Leaving them to their silent cheers, director Min Woo-jung quietly slipped out of the editing room and headed for the elevator.
As the film's overall director, editing wasn't the only thing demanding her attention. The weary-faced director made her way to a conference room where the key production staff had gathered.
She pushed open the door to the room, where five or six people were already seated, and plopped down in the head seat.
"Sorry I'm late. I was checking the rough cut. Mr. Manager, how's the prep for the production press conference going?"
The production press conference. If the production presentation was the event before filming began (crank-in) to introduce the cast and progress, then the production press conference was the one held after filming wrapped (crank-up) to kick off full-scale promotion.
Promotion was par for the course with a commercial film, but the clouded expressions on everyone's faces stemmed from something else.
The unsavory scandal involving their once-leading man, Hwang Jin-su.
The problem with [Just Friends] was that they'd already held the production presentation with Hwang Jin-su in tow, and it had thrown everything off-kilter in the aftermath.
After the incident, the [Just Friends] team had halted all promotional activities, focusing solely on damage control.
And now.
The time had come to dive back into full promotion. They'd chosen to let the firestorm die down first, but the deadline was here—no more delaying. If they wanted a theatrical release, this hurdle had to be cleared eventually.
At the director's worried remark, the production manager handed her a document and began explaining.
"We've booked the Megabox in Gangnam COEX. Thanks to Ms. Im Eun-ha, quite a few outlets have expressed interest in attending."
Director Min Woo-jung pinched the bridge of her nose and replied.
"We'll accept as many as possible, except the blacklisted ones. But we need tight control on the question list. Be cautious with reporters who might bring up old news. How are the actors' schedules shaping up?"
"Jung Woo-jin is prepping for his next shoot, so no major issues. Schedules should be finalized soon."
"Great. Gather promo materials and start rolling them out from the press conference."
Gangnam Megabox COEX.
Flower wreaths lined the entrance to the venue hosting the [Just Friends] production press conference. They were mostly from fans of Im Eun-ha, whose sky-high brand reputation had drawn massive fandom support.
The press section was packed with reporters. Im Eun-ha's star power played a big role, but it wasn't the whole story.
"So, who's the replacement ringer for that Hwang Jin-su dropout?"
"Why ask here? Jung Woo-jin. The guy who played the villain in [Fixer from Hell]."
"Oh...! The one blowing up communities back then... Things went quiet after, no breadcrumbs. Guess he was shooting a movie."
An actor swap was bad news—for the production team. For reporters, it was prime fodder.
The [Just Friends] team had repeatedly instructed them to avoid mentioning Hwang Jin-su, but that didn't mean they couldn't touch the topic.
For example, they could float questions about the challenges of mid-shoot replacement and probe Jung Woo-jin.
The reporters chatted idly with familiar faces, waiting for the event to start.
Meanwhile, director Min Woo-jung, inwardly fuming at the whispering press, lit up the moment her actors appeared.
Jung Woo-jin stepped out first.
Crisp black-and-white. A white shirt topped with a black jacket—clean-cut perfection.
His hair slicked back, his pale skin gave off young noble vibes mixed with a deadly vampire allure.
Director Min Woo-jung strode over, grabbed his hand, and looked up at him.
"Whoa! Woo-jin, aren't you just too handsome?"
That was when.
Im Eun-ha appeared from behind, click-clacking in a black dress that trailed to her ankles.
The dress hooked around her neck, clung to her torso, accentuated her slim waist, then flared out from the hips.
A dizzying outfit exposing her neck, shoulders, and bare back to highlight her figure.
Normally, she'd cling to the director with aegyo, calling "Director! Director!" but today, Im Eun-ha stood awkwardly, cheeks faintly flushed, bending slightly at the waist.
Director Min Woo-jung, finding it odd, approached her.
"Huh? Eun-ha, you okay? Nothing wrong?"
"N-no, it's nothing. Just a bit nervous..."
Im Eun-ha, who commanded stages before thousands with charisma, nervous? It sounded absurd to the director, but she urged her to sit anyway.
"Nervous? Then take a seat here for now. We've got about ten minutes before entry."
"Th-thank you... Huh...?!"
Im Eun-ha started to sit on the offered chair but let out a small moan. A bead of cold sweat trickled down her pale back.
The director grabbed her shoulders.
"You sure you're fine? You look off... Huh? Sweat...?"
Im Eun-ha forced a smile toward her.
"N-no, I'm good. Really, I'm fine."
The director worried it might be a cold, but what Im Eun-ha was enduring was something else entirely.
An inserted vibrator. The one Jung Woo-jin had given her was buzzing inside her.
The tension of wearing such an adult toy at a major event had her hypersensitive; the vibrations felt vividly intense.
Suddenly, the intensity ramped up. Her mind rang with the phantom whir.
"Eut..."
Im Eun-ha bit her lip, looking up at Jung Woo-jin with a flustered face, shaking her head side to side as if pleading no more.
But Jung Woo-jin just smiled down at her calmly, without dialing it back.
"Heut..."
Resigned, Im Eun-ha clenched her fists into her dress.
"Director, actors—time to enter."
Event staff signaled the start. Led by director Min Woo-jung, Im Eun-ha and Jung Woo-jin entered toward the front screen, followed by key supporting actors.
The director strode in gazing ahead. Im Eun-ha, used to this, naturally spotted the cameras, waving and smiling.
Click-! Click-!
Reporters snapped away at the ever-beautiful Im Eun-ha.
"Man, Im Eun-ha lives up to the hype. Even candid shots come out perfect."
Beyond reporters, homma fans with their own gear captured her too, angling for the best shots of Im Eun-ha.
As everyone fixated on her sexy dress, Jung Woo-jin emerged from the left, ascending the steps.
Step by step.
Steady shoe clicks. His expression calm yet not cold, soft even, as he advanced with confident strides. A quiet hush spread through the venue.
Those glued to Im Eun-ha turned, spotted him, and froze mid-shot.
"......"
"......"
"......"
Jung Woo-jin's last public appearance had been the [Fixer from Hell] production presentation—so limited that most reporters here were seeing him in person for the first time.
And the polished look he'd gotten at the salon was enough to short-circuit their brains momentarily.
Only as he moved to take his seat did some snap out of it, hurriedly framing shots.
Click. Click.
As if reading their minds, Jung Woo-jin didn't sit right away. Standing, he flashed a bright smile and waved. Reporters and homma alike scrambled to capture it.
In the ensuing buzz, emcee Choi Anna—hired comedian—grabbed the mic to kick things off.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Choi Anna, hosting today's [Just Friends] production press conference. Just watching our stars enter makes it worth being here, doesn't it? Let's give them a big round of applause!"
Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap-!!
Amid thunderous applause, the [Just Friends] production press conference officially began.