The VIP Ticket
“Do you happen to know actor Choi Kang-san?”
“No, wait, before that—this person really is actor Choi Kang-san, right?”
The eyes of the female employees began to shine like they’d all gone mad at once.
They were already close enough to be breathing down my neck, and now they were leaning in so far our faces were nearly touching.
“Come to think of it, isn’t the movie Choi Kang-san starred in supposed to open soon?”
“Yeah. If it’s a movie premiere, then it does sound like him.”
“It is, it is...!”
After trading theories among themselves with bright, sparkling eyes, they all turned those same eyes back on me.
“Assistant Manager, that’s the Choi Kang-san we’re talking about, right?”
“Uh, well...”
How was I supposed to answer this?
If you ask whether I’m close to him, then obviously no...
It was awkward.
Because if I said no, they’d ask whether that meant the actor was really Choi Kang-san, how I knew him, whether I could introduce them, and on and on until the questions buried me alive.
I hate that kind of thing.
It was already a burden just being the object of attention.
Having attention drift toward me because of a third party was even worse.
And since this was the company, I wanted to avoid that kind of thing even more.
But if I say no here, would they even believe me?
They had already dragged in the premiere angle, which had closed off even more escape routes.
What am I supposed to do now...
Just as I was scrambling to think as fast as possible—
“Assistant Manager Kang, you mean that acting major, Choi Kang-san, right?”
“...Huh?”
“The guy with the huge head, right? He was a junior in our club.”
Backup pitcher Assistant Manager Park came in hard from the side.
“The acting major with a head that big. I’d never seen anyone with such a huge head before. But he was close with you, right? I heard he became a film staffer, and the invitation for the premiere probably came to you, not him, didn’t it?”
Judging from his eyes, he was stepping in to help me.
“...Oh, yeah. Right.”
The moment I answered, the female employees’ excited expressions cooled.
“Oh, that’s all? So you just meant someone with the same name?”
“I thought it was something else.”
“Still, it can’t be easy for a famous actor to be close to an ordinary person.”
“What a shame. I was already thinking maybe I’d go to the premiere with you and get a photo with Choi Kang-san.”
The women, apparently losing interest in a flash, backed away in a rush.
Even then, Assistant Manager Park didn’t stop acting.
“Hey, but why does that guy with the huge head have such a huge head anyway? In my opinion, he probably got exempted from military service because of his head. It seems extremely likely that no ballistic helmet would fit him...”
***
The rooftop.
Assistant Manager Park and I slipped away and smoked a cigarette.
“Thanks.”
“For what?”
He grinned and looked at me.
“I figured those women were about to eat you alive, so I stepped in. That was the right move, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah. You saved me. That was really close.”
“Good thing we went to the same university. Otherwise, that could’ve turned into a real headache.”
“Yeah, seriously...”
If not, I wouldn’t have had any way out.
“So how did you end up knowing Choi Kang-san?”
Even though he asked with obvious curiosity, he seemed to realize something a beat later and added, “Oh, you don’t have to tell me if it’s awkward.”
“No, it’s fine.”
Assistant Manager Park wasn’t the type to hear that I knew a celebrity and immediately ask to meet him or start posting about it online, so there was no need to hide it.
“It’s not even that special. We just bumped into each other while having a drink.”
“Oh, at a bar?”
“Yeah. At the hotel lounge bar.”
“Ah. Back when you got that sponsorship through your blog?”
“Right.”
“Did that guy do coins too?”
“Who knows. Probably not...”
“Tsk. I’m not big on diligent people.”
The only thing this man cared about was coins.
I couldn’t even imagine what he’d been like before he had coins to obsess over.
Bzzzt-!
Assistant Manager Park’s phone vibrated violently.
“Ah, damn. The section chief’s looking for me. I’m heading out first.”
“Sure.”
He hit the call button and hurried off.
“Yes, Chief. Oh, no, I’m not slacking off. I was just...”
I figured it would be awkward if I went back in with him, so I decided to go down about three minutes later.
After making sure there was no one else around, I pulled out my phone.
[Choi Kang-san: Hyung-nim, are you busy?]
[Choi Kang-san: There’s a movie premiere at the end of this month. Would you like to come?]
So he really did contact me.
After we’d met in Jeju, I honestly hadn’t thought much about it.
There was a wall between celebrities and ordinary people, after all, so I’d figured that sharing a drink and talking with him had been the beginning and end of our connection.
But if he’s the one reaching out first like this, there’s no need to draw a line, is there?
We’d gotten along well, and our tastes matched too.
I knew it wasn’t easy to make friends like that in real life, so I was honestly grateful he’d reached out.
I called him right away.
Maybe he’d already been holding his phone, because before the ring even finished, Choi Kang-san’s voice came through.
-Hyung-nim, hello.
“Kang-san. Long time no see.”
-Oh no, hyung-nim. You said we’d drop the formality when we met again.
“Ah, right. I did. Then I’ll talk casually.”
-Yes, that’s what I’d prefer too.
“So when exactly is the premiere?”
-It’s both Saturday and Sunday, but if you come on Saturday, I can meet you. There’s also a staff dinner afterward.
I had no intention of going to the dinner, strictly speaking.
Still, if I was going anyway, I should at least go when I could see Choi Kang-san’s face.
“Then I’ll come on Saturday.”
-Yes. It’s at Yongsan GCV by 6 p.m. I’ll send you the ticket, so just bring that with you.
“Okay. Thanks.”
-Yes, see you then.
A movie premiere, huh...
This was pretty exciting.
***
Ten days later.
Just after 2 p.m. on Tuesday.
Ping!
An email arrived.
[Emoji review approved.]
...Huh?
I checked again in case I’d misread it, but it was definitely in my personal inbox, not my work email.
Wait, already?
I’d heard these things usually took the full review period to get a reply, so I never expected to hear back in just a few days.
But the important part wasn’t the speed. It was the content.
It got approved?
That was completely unexpected.
I thought it would definitely get rejected.
It was my first one, and I’d made it in a single day and submitted it on a whim, so I’d been hoping for feedback so I could revise it and try again.
Instead, it had sailed through on the first try.
...Was the bar lower than I thought?
I read the email slowly.
There wasn’t much to it.
It basically said the emoji seemed suitable for SNS messenger use, so they were approving it.
The only part worth noting was this:
-The contract itself will proceed as an electronic contract, but we require an in-person meeting beforehand, so...
Looks like I’d have to meet them in person after all.
I slipped out of the office and headed for the rooftop.
“Yes, I’m calling about the email I received. Right. Pangyo? In that case, I think it would be better if I took half a day tomorrow and came by...”
***
“Hello, writer-nim.”
From the very first meeting, that ticklish form of address pricked at my ears.
“Writer?”
“Yes. Since you’re the writer who made the emojis.”
“If that bothers you, should I call you something else?”
“...No, it’s fine.”
I figured there was no reason to correct him, so I let it go.
“What should I call you, then...”
“Goodness, I’m not even in my right mind. I forgot to give you my business card.”
He immediately pulled a card from his inner pocket and handed it over, so we exchanged cards.
[Cacao Entertainment]
-Assistant Manager Baek Seong-sik.
Assistant manager.
What a welcome title.
“Ah, yes. Assistant Manager Baek.”
We ordered coffee and sat across from each other at a table.
“There’s no need to feel pressured by today’s meeting.”
Apparently, if you just hand back and forth a stiff contract, misunderstandings can happen, so this was really just a time to meet face to face, go over the details, and talk broadly about the industry.
“It’s really just about having coffee and seeing each other’s faces.”
“Ah, yes. I see.”
He smiled and asked,
“The emojis are very distinctive.”
“Oh? Really?”
“Yes. I liked them a lot. That’s why we picked them.”
“Thank you.”
I was grateful for the praise.
“By the way, you’re familiar with the revenue structure for emojis, right?”
“Yes. I heard it gets settled separately for individual sales and subscription use...”
“That’s right. Let me give you a simple explanation.”
For individual sales, a set of 32 emojis was priced at 2,500 won.
After platform fees and intermediary revenue shares were taken out, about 700 won would come to me as the creator.
As for the 2,200-won subscription plan, they said they calculated the total number of emojis used by that subscriber over one month and settled based on the proportion used.
“Honestly, very few people make the kind of money you see reported in the articles.”
I’d heard that in the past, there were people who hit it big, retired, and even bought buildings.
But these days, it seemed you had to reach the top ranks in sales just to make around ten million won a month.
“Of course, if that income keeps coming in steadily, it’s still not bad.”
That was the strength of copyright businesses, after all.
“I’m not expecting much. I’d be happy if it just made side-hustle level money.”
“Haha, even so, I’ll still wish for a huge hit.”
“Thank you.”
“Anything else you’d like to ask?”
“No.”
“All right. If any questions come up or any issues arise, please feel free to contact us anytime.”
“Thank you.”
“Yes. You worked hard today.”
***
The emoji started selling the very next day.
But even after several days passed—
“...15 sales?”
My total revenue was only 35,000 won.
“So my share is...”
Just 10,500 won.
“I said I wasn’t expecting dramatic money, but...”
This was a lot slower than I’d imagined.
Should I promote it on my blog or something?
No.
Even if I did, how many people would actually come to the blog?
It’s only been a few days anyway. I should wait a little longer.
Clack.
I closed the laptop and got ready to go out.
Feels like I’m going to the movies for the first time in a while.
My destination was Yongsan GCV.
When I arrived at the venue, there were far more people than I’d expected.
Where am I supposed to go?
Then I spotted a few high school girls holding signs that read “Choi Kang-san Forever” and “We love Kang-san oppa.”
Looks like this is the place.
I lined up casually behind them.
One by one, people were assigned seats, and after waiting about fifteen minutes, my turn finally came.
“Please show your ticket.”
“Yes, here it is.”
But the staff member looked at the ticket, flinched, and stared at me before hurriedly saying something to the supervisor beside him.
“Is there a problem?”
“No, it’s not that...”
He handed the ticket back and said,
“This is a VIP ticket. You don’t need to line up here. Just go in through that side.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you.”
Looks like Choi Kang-san had prepared something better than I expected.
***
There aren’t many people here.
Because it was a VIP ticket, I was able to enter the theater before the other audience members.
Just as I was starting to feel awkward being alone in the empty theater—
“Hyuuung-niiiim!”
Like a giant dog charging over, Choi Kang-san came running up to me with a bright smile.
“You came!”
“Of course I came.”
I handed him the bouquet I’d brought.
“Congratulations.”
“No, hyung-nim. You brought me flowers?”
He chuckled and asked,
“Still, you are a friend of the lead actor, so I had to bring something.”
“Then hyung-nim, give this to me after everything’s over.”
“Would that be better?”
“Yes. There’s a stage greeting after the movie here.”
“Ah, right. Got it.”
Clunk—
At that moment, the main doors opened, and the premiere guests began filing in one by one.
“Whoa, it’s Choi Kang-san.”
“Really? Where?”
“Over there!”
“No way...”
“Oppa-a-a!”
Realizing his mistake, Choi Kang-san stepped back.
“I’m here secretly, so keep it under wraps. I have to greet people in the other theater first. For now, just enjoy the movie comfortably. I’ll come back after the screening ends.”
“Sure. See you later.”
“Yes.”
He came and went in a flash.
The audience members all shot me a quick glance on their way to their seats.
Among them, the high school girls holding Choi Kang-san signs were looking at me with a deep, unmistakable envy.
...This is uncomfortable.
I slipped into my seat, trying not to meet anyone’s eyes.
I was staring at the screen, which hadn’t even been turned on yet, when—
Tap, tap.
Someone tapped my shoulder from behind.
“Um...”
“Yes?”
When I turned around, it was those high school girls from before.
“This...”
They shyly held out some chocolate.
“Could you give this to Kang-san for us?”
“No. You eat it, mister. We’re his Sandul, okay? You know? We’re his real hardcore fans, and we saw you were kind of close with him. Could you tell him to look our way just once during the stage greeting?”
Their voices and eyes were full of earnest pleading.
“Please, mister. We’ve got an extra class today, but we skipped academy to come here.”
“Ah, yes. I’ll do that.”
“Thank you!”
Sure, I was grateful for the chocolate too, but...
Choi Kang-san was only two years younger than me, and he was oppa, while I was mister.
Damn. What a cruel world.