Chapter 337
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 337
Chapter Title: The Grand Finale and a New Beginning
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At Bearround, filming for [The Survivors] was complete, and the editing process was in full swing.
One might have thought the unplanned filming for the director's cut would require more time, but thanks to the efficiency of having two sets, or perhaps the actors who delivered their lines with hardly any NGs, the schedule was more or less on track.
The Head of Planning at Bearround went to see Director Jeffrey, who he knew would be glued to the editing room again today.
As expected, inside [The Survivors] editing room, Director Jeffrey was staring intently at the monitor. A quick glance revealed he was working on the theatrical cut, not the director's cut.
‘I thought he would work on the director's cut first…’
This was a relief for Bearround, which was eagerly awaiting the theatrical version of [The Survivors].
The Head of Planning, who had been standing quietly so as not to disturb him, spoke up when Director Jeffrey finally looked away from the monitor and leaned back to stretch his stiff body.
“Director, how about taking a short break?”
“Ah. Should I?”
Accustomed to this routine, Director Jeffrey wasn't surprised and rolled his stiff shoulders. The Head of Planning pulled up a nearby chair and sat down.
“How’s the editing going?”
“Great. It’s been a while since I’ve had this much fun editing.”
“When are you planning to work on the director’s cut?”
“I plan to finish the theatrical cut first, then edit the director’s cut. We have an internal screening scheduled, but the director’s cut can be re-edited even after that.”
The Head of Planning nodded and then commented.
“We’ll have to commission new music for the director’s cut, then.”
At those words, Director Jeffrey thought for a moment before speaking.
“What about arranging the music from the theatrical cut?”
The Head of Planning’s eyes darted around.
While other director’s cuts often reused music from their theatrical versions, after reading [The Survivors Director's Cut_rev7_8_final_wrapup_wrapup2_finalfinal_end_really the end_completed version], he felt it deserved its own original score.
“Wouldn’t it be better to commission a new one?”
“No. I think an arrangement would be better.”
He was now used to the gleam in Director Jeffrey’s eyes.
It was remarkable how a person could change from such a small catalyst.
“Understood. I’ll relay that to the music director. Should I pass along the director’s cut script to him?”
There were two ways to go about scoring a film. The first was to read the screenplay, compose music based on the director's vision, and then insert it into the footage. The second was to watch the fully edited film and create music that reflected the director's intent.
The revised script for the theatrical cut of [The Survivors] had already been sent to the music director.
Stroking his chin for a moment, Director Jeffrey spoke.
“Let’s send him the footage for the director’s cut.”
“Yes, understood.”
The Head of Planning nodded.
Unlike the shoot, which had been plagued by various incidents, the post-production was proceeding smoothly, which was a great relief.
Just as Director Jeffrey was about to refocus on editing, he turned his head with an "Ah" and looked at the Head of Planning, who was about to leave the room.
“Oh, by the way, it’s opening this week, right?”
“Pardon? Ah, yes.”
The Head of Planning paused for a moment before answering Director Jeffrey’s question.
There was only one movie opening this week that he could be talking about.
“You mean Assemble 4. Yes, it opens this Saturday.”
Early April.
[Assemble 4], the film that would conclude the grand saga of Marine Company’s hero movie Season 1, was being released.
* * *
In front of a bustling movie theater.
“So it’s finally ending.”
His twin brother, Park Jio, who had been running around at soccer practice until just yesterday, gazed up at the posters for Assemble 4 that plastered the theater walls. Sitting next to him, his older twin, Park Jihu, was busy memorizing English vocabulary.
“It was about time.”
“But I really thought Seojun would show up in Assemble at least once.”
“He probably couldn’t since he’s not a hero. I heard Shadowman isn’t in Assemble 4 either.”
“It’s just a shame, that’s all.”
Jio tore his eyes away from the [Assemble 4] poster and looked around. Two weeks had passed since [Assemble 4] was released. Being a Marine Company film, the theater was still packed.
“The first Marine Company movie we ever saw was Shadowman 1, right?”
Jihu nodded at Jio’s words.
“We watched it because Seojun was in it. Was that when we were eight, or seven?”
“It was when Shadowman 2 came out.”
They had been too young to understand the movie when it first came out, so they had missed it in theaters and watched it at home later.
“Yeah. We watched it at Seojun’s house…”
He remembered how all the childhood friends had gathered at Seojun’s house to watch it, only to end up sobbing their eyes out.
Since then, the kids had made a point to watch every Marine Company movie.
“We’re here!”
In the distance, they saw Mina Owen and Kim Jiyun running toward them.
Seeing Jio and Jihu, they had assumed everyone was there and rushed over, but Seojun was nowhere in sight.
“Looks like Seojun isn’t here yet,”
Jiyun said in a hushed voice. Jihu and Mina chuckled softly at her caution.
“Yeah, he’s not here yet.”
“Even if you said ‘Seojun’ out loud, people would probably just think it’s a common name.”
“Still, you never know.”
Jio’s eyes darted around, realizing his mistake. He had just been excitedly talking about Seojun without a care for who might be listening.
“You think anyone heard?”
“Nobody’s paying attention, so don’t sweat it, you idiot.”
Jio pouted at Jihu’s remark. Seeing the twins unchanged after all this time, Jiyun and Mina giggled.
“Jihu, are you studying English words?”
“Yeah. I have a test at my academy.”
“Ugh, I hate that.”
“If you want to follow Si-hyeok hyung to Europe, you’ll have to learn a foreign language, even if it’s not English.”
“...I guess so, huh?”
Jio’s face scrunched up as he thought of Jung Si-hyeok, the soccer player currently active in Europe, and nodded reluctantly. The others burst out laughing at his expression.
“You should ask Seojun to practice speaking English with you.”
“That definitely sounds better than learning from a book. I can help too.”
At Jiyun and Mina’s suggestions, Jio crossed his arms and tilted his head in thought.
“...I don’t think I’d be able to say a single word.”
They could all vividly picture it: if they suggested practicing English, Jio would fall silent for a moment before resorting to gestures and motions.
“But don’t you think Seojun would understand him perfectly anyway?”
“You’re right.”
The kids burst out laughing, imagining Seojun effortlessly understanding Jio’s clumsy body language. Mina laughed along as she tapped on her phone.
>Jihu: Everyone’s here but you lol
>Seojun: ;;;Why is everyone so early?
>Seojun: Almost there! Wait just a little longer!
“Seojun said he’s almost here.”
“Did you get the tickets?”
“Yup. Printed them out right here.”
As they sat side-by-side on a bench, chatting about what to do after the movie, a conspicuous figure appeared in the distance. Student No. 1, wearing a black cap with a slime badge, pulled down low.
“Oh, that’s Seojun.”
It must have been a friend’s intuition.
The four kids instantly spotted Seojun, who was trying to hide his presence to avoid being recognized.
Seojun’s face broke into a wide smile when his eyes met theirs. The kids’ faces lit up in return.
“It’s so strange at times like this.”
“I know, right? No one recognizes him.”
Even though his face was partially hidden by the cap, it was always amazing how people failed to recognize him.
“The Seojun in movies and dramas does feel like a different person, though.”
“That’s true.”
“That’s Lee Seojun for you. He’s such a great actor.”
The reason was surprisingly simple.
His childhood friends knew the Lee Seojun who wasn't a superstar.
“Hey!”
Seojun, in his black cap, was the last to arrive.
His four friends, who had been with him since they were babies, greeted him with bright smiles.
* * *
Time flew by as they chatted, and soon it was time for [Assemble 4] to begin.
“It’s time. Let’s go watch the movie.”
“We’re getting lunch after, right?”
“Yeah, but I’m still getting popcorn.”
Even though they were having lunch, popcorn was non-negotiable.
Everyone laughed at Jio’s declaration, and after buying snacks to their own tastes, they headed into the theater.
Just as they had since they were little, Seojun sat in the middle of their five seats to avoid being noticed. He popped a piece of caramel popcorn into his mouth and waited for [Assemble 4] to start.
“The ads are so long.”
“Tell me about it. Jihu, want a nacho?”
“Sure.”
“I’ll have one too.”
After what felt like an eternity of commercials, the Marine Company logo finally appeared on the screen.
[Assemble 4]
The beginning of the final story.
* * *
“That was so good!”
“They must have gone all out since it’s the last one. The CG was insane.”
Seojun agreed with Jiyun.
[Assemble 4] was truly amazing.
Seeing Davis Garrett as Red Bone after watching his performance in [The Survivors] was a fresh experience. It also made him curious about what kind of ad-libs he had pulled in [Assemble 4].
‘Still, I doubt he changed the entire second half of the movie like he did with The Survivors.’
Thinking back on it, really.
It was a shoot that only made him laugh.
He doubted he would ever have another filming experience like that again.
“I bet it’d be fun to watch in 4D too.”
“Yeah. Should we go see it again later?”
Not just Seojun and his friends, but everyone who had come to see Assemble 4 seemed satisfied, their faces flushed with excitement as they chatted and laughed. Among them were people who had already seen it multiple times.
“Let’s go get lunch. My friends recommended a place.”
“A recommendation from a culinary high school student? We have to go!”
The kids’ eyes sparkled at Mina’s words.
The restaurant Mina’s friend had recommended served steak and pasta and wasn’t too far from the theater. It was on the third floor of a building in an alley and seemed to be relatively unknown, having opened recently.
Guided to their table by a staff member, Seojun and his friends looked around the interior. The tables were spaced generously apart, and the place was clean.
“How did you find a place like this?”
“My friends’ hobby is making a map of great restaurants. Whenever a new place opens, they’re the first to check it out.”
“Ooh,” the kids said in admiration at Mina’s explanation.
After looking at the menu and ordering several dishes, the kids started chattering again.
“When did they say the first movie of Season 2 is coming out?”
“I heard it was in the second half of this year… but they haven’t announced an exact date yet.”
At Jihu’s answer, Jio leaned forward and whispered.
“Do you know, Seojun?”
“My contract’s over. I don’t know anything.”
The kids burst into laughter at Seojun’s response.
Soon, the food arrived. Hot steaks, steaming pasta, and fresh salads filled the table. Seojun and his friends served themselves onto their small plates and began to eat.
“This is delicious!”
“Oh, wow. You’re right. This is really good.”
Jiyun, who had tried the pasta, and Jio, who had taken a bite of the steak, had sparkling eyes.
“They said it was three and a half stars. It really is good.”
Mina’s comment made Seojun and Jihu’s eyes go wide.
“...This is only three and a half stars?”
“I want that restaurant map. How many stars is the max?”
In response to Jihu’s question, Mina, who had just taken a bite of salad, held up her hand, spreading all five fingers.
“Five. But there aren’t any five-star places yet. There’s one place with four and a half.”
“Four and a half stars…”
Seojun put a piece of steak in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. The juices from the thick cut of meat filled his mouth.
‘If this is three and a half stars, how delicious would four and a half be?’
Mina burst out laughing as she saw her friends, mouths shut tight as they chewed, staring at her with gleaming eyes.
“Alright, alright, I’ll tell you. But that place is a bit expensive, so even my friends have only been there twice.”
“It’s fine, we can go with our parents!”
“Let us know about the other places too, if they’re good.”
“Even a two-star place would probably be delicious.”
Everyone nodded eagerly at Jio’s words.
After a satisfying lunch, Seojun and his friends moved to a nearby board game cafe.
“Oh, I got it, by the way.”
Seojun said after successfully removing a wooden block and placing it on top.
It was Jio’s turn next, and he contemplated his move with a serious expression. It seemed everyone else had just eaten and come to play Jenga, as the tower in the middle was now nothing but a skeleton.
“Got what?”
The others, except for the concentrating Jio, tilted their heads.
Seojun grinned brightly.
“The notice to get my national ID card.”
Ooh.
The kids’ eyes lit up.
Lee Seojun.
Age 17.
Born on March 10th.
The time had come for him to get his national ID card.
* * *
Crash.
“Aah!”
“Alright, Park Jio loses.”
“What should the penalty be?”
“Hmm… a few smacks on the back?”
“He won’t feel that. Let’s make him memorize English words.”
“Hey! Park Jihu!”
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