Chapter 40
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Post-Credits Surprise
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“Welcome back.”
“Yeah!”
After finishing all the filming, they returned home.
Seo Eunhye was planning to stay at her maternal grandmother's house to take care of her after she was discharged, so only Lee Minjun was home.
Coming home from work to an empty house. It was so lonely.
Lee Minjun hugged Seojun tightly. Seojun giggled and hugged his dad back just as tightly.
“Well, I'm off then.”
Waving goodbye to the father and son who were enthusiastically sharing a reunion hug, Kim Heesang was about to head home and enjoy his vacation when Lee Minjun grabbed his shoulder.
“What is it? What now?”
“How about a trip to America?”
Lee Minjun smiled sweetly, but it sent a shiver down Kim Heesang's spine.
“America?!”
Seojun, who was taking out the autograph he got from Jiseok-hyung and the gifts from his grandparents from his goblin bag, tilted his head. America? Why America?
“Heesang-samchon. Are you going to America?”
“Yep.”
“No! I'm not going! Why would I!”
Kim Heesang yelled, but Lee Minjun dragged him into the living room. The three of them sat around the table.
“Why America all of a sudden?”
“The director of Shadowman wants to sign a movie contract with Seojun and asked us to come over. He said he could come here instead, but that feels like a bit much. While we're at it, I thought Seojun could go play with Jack at an amusement park or something.”
A movie! Seojun, who was eating the watermelon Lee Minjun had prepared, snapped his head up.
“Then you can go, can't you?”
“I can't because of work.”
“Am I doing another movie?”
“If you want to, after reading the synopsis?”
“Woooow!!”
Seojun threw both hands in the air. One movie ended, and another one appeared.
Wait a minute. Is it another extra role? Seojun, who wanted to play every role he could at his age, decided to follow his dad's advice and check the synopsis before making a decision.
“That's why I'm telling you to join our company.”
“Not 'our' company, 'your' company.”
Kim Heesang said slyly. The company was growing big enough to contract with a factory, but it was hard to find trustworthy people to work with. Once his dream vacation was over, there would be a lot of work for Kim Heesang to handle alone.
Before that, he needed a truly reliable employee. For example, someone trustworthy because they'd been friends since middle school, and someone who would use money wisely because they were the investor's father.
Lee Minjun!
“No, Seojun invested the money he earned from N-tube, too. So it can be Seojun's company as well. I don't have anyone I can trust and delegate to. If you join, I'll make you a co-CEO.”
At Kim Heesang's words, Lee Minjun was lost in thought.
“When you need to go with Seojun like this, you can't because of your company. And who knows when I'll have to send you on another business trip abroad? Plus, the trip could get extended two or three times longer, like last time. If you come to our company, I'll manage your schedule diligently! I'll pay you well, too! And you'll only have to do a little work!”
Kim Heesang tried hard to persuade Lee Minjun. If this didn't work, he was planning to lie on the floor and throw a tantrum.
Lee Minjun sighed. He had talked it over with Seo Eunhye. His mother-in-law's hospitalization made them realize that emergencies could come up for Eunhye too. As a couple, they needed more flexible time to take care of Seojun. That, or they had to find someone trustworthy.
“Alright.”
“Great! When can you start?!”
“I need to hand over my duties, so give me some time.”
“Take all you need!”
“For now, you go to America with Seojun.”
“You said it's for a contract. Is it okay for me to go?”
“He said a representative could go, and Nara said she'd go with you.”
Nara Kim. Kim Heesang, who had gotten to know Nara while she stayed at Seojun's house, nodded.
“Meet with the director, and hang out with Jack before you come back. And take some presents with you.”
Seojun smiled brightly. It had only been a few months since he'd seen them, but he missed them a lot.
“I'm going to see Jack, Maria, and Eric! And Nara-imo, too!”
He placed a few of his monster dolls in front of Lee Minjun.
“I want to give them this one and this one!”
“Okay. Let's pack those, too.”
And so, two days later, loaded with a pile of gifts for their friends in America, Seojun and Kim Heesang boarded a flight to LA.
* * *
Title: On mountains, stick to the path
Author: LawAndOrder
On mountains, stick to the path. Don't get carried away by the mood and wander into the woods.
I was wandering through the woods and fell into a pit for catching wild boars, and my leg got bent the wrong way. I never imagined a person's leg could bend like that.
It hurt so much and I was so scared, so I screamed for help, but no one came T_T I lost track of time... It was so cold and difficult T_T I cried until I passed out.
But when I woke up, I was in a hospital. They said I would have been in danger if I'd been in the pit any longer. Hypothermia. But the doctor said it was strange that my body temperature was more normal than expected.
A child actor who was filming a movie in the village found and saved me. My savior. I plan on watching the movie 10 times later.
+)But I don't know how he found me. They said only the villagers knew the location of the pit.
Bored in the hospital, the boy was browsing internet forums and decided to post his story.
Not many people read it, and there were no comments at all. Feeling awkward, he was about to delete it but stopped and asked his grandfather, who was peeling fruit beside him.
“What's the name of that movie, Grandpa?”
“What was it? Uh, Devil? Evil Spirit? Something like that?”
“Devil. Evil Spirit.”
The boy searched for "devil" and "evil spirit." Foreign and Korean movies with similar titles popped up, but they had all been released already.
“When is it supposed to be released?”
“They said early August. All the villagers decided to go see it.”
It was early July. It was time for ads to start running, but the movie being advertised on TV and the internet right now was...
[The Returned Hero, Redbone 2! Grand premiere in mid-July!]
“Oh! Redbone 2 is coming out next week!”
The boy's eyes sparkled.
It was Marine Company's movie, Redbone 2.
* * *
Yeonghwa-gaek started an N-tube live stream.
“Hello, viewers. We'll now begin our Redbone 2 release commemoration Q&A, part 3. I am definitely not doing this to kill time because I failed to get into the Redbone 2 premiere. This was always the plan.”
-Yeah, right. Next loser.
-LOL So who are we talking about today?
“Today, we'll be talking about actor Lee Seojun, who set the April box office on fire. I will answer all your questions to the best of my knowledge. And I also have backup.”
Someone waved their hand from beside Yeonghwa-gaek's screen. With a gloomy expression, Yeonghwa-gaek continued.
“It's my little sister. I figured she'd know a lot about actor Lee Seojun, so I hired her for a hefty fee. She won't be on screen, so please don't mind her. Now, let's take the first question!”
-According to internet articles and rumors, Hollywood studios are flooding him with scripts. When do you expect Lee Seojun's next project?
Yeonghwa-gaek nodded.
“As an actor, you can't help but think about your next project. Especially for an actor like Lee Seojun, who appeared in a Marine Company film, even as an extra, everyone is probably waiting for his next work. Unlike other actors who typically return within one to two years, considering Lee Seojun's age, even two years might be a bit too soon. Unless he grows enough to handle more lines, he'll likely take on another role with no dialogue and little screen time.”
-Honestly, I think people are making a big deal out of it just because the extra was Korean. It was obvious Melissa Walton did better.
Yeonghwa-gaek read the comment and nodded.
“Honestly, it's rare for someone to watch a movie multiple times just to cry. If it weren't for my review video, I wouldn't have watched it 15 times either. Unless you're someone trying to prove it online like me or other N-tubers, most people won't watch it that many times. For the average person, it's more like, 'Oh, a Korean was in it, how cool? How proud?' That sort of feeling? The articles about actor Lee Seojun are also treated as getting ahead of ourselves. However.”
Yeonghwa-gaek said with conviction.
“The more actor Lee Seojun grows, the more people will realize the depth of his acting. He's going to become a phenomenal actor.”
-Next project: Hollywood? Or Korea?
“This is also quite a controversial topic. Regardless of whether actor Lee Seojun is in the US or Korea, I think it's better for him to appear in a Hollywood movie. Even if it's another extra role!”
-?? Why?
“This might be a bit of a strange example, but let's think about baseball. There's an unknown Korean player. Somehow, he gets to play in a Major League game.”
-Somehow? LOL
“It's an example. An example! That Major League game wasn't important enough to decide a championship. But for some reason, it drew a massive amount of attention. And in that game, the unknown Korean player hits a game-winning home run. Against a Major League pitcher! And the Korean player's team won. It would cause an uproar in both Korea and the US. People would be curious about who this player is and how he'll develop! Then, let's say that Korean player has to decide which team to play for.”
-Our team!! Come to our team!1
-? He should play in the Majors! The salary alone is on a different level!
-Majors 1
“And a few days later, this player, who's been hailed in articles as the next Major League star, shows up at a Korean stadium.”
-? Why? Why didn't he go to the Majors?
-His skill was a fluke LOL. They must have figured it out over there LOL. That it was a fluke LOL.
“Exactly. So what if this player continues to play in Major League games, even if it's only once in a while?”
-His skills will improve as he grows? He has great potential?
-It's the Majors, so they must have run all sorts of tests on him.
“Now, let's substitute actor Lee Seojun for this player. What would people think if actor Lee Seojun stayed in Hollywood? What would they think if he appeared in a Korean movie?”
-The analogy is a bit weird... but I'd probably think the same way.
-There's a reason the term one-hit wonder exists.
-So it's better for him not to appear in any Korean movies at all?
Yeonghwa-gaek paused in thought before speaking.
“Actor Lee Seojun would have to prove that his ties to Hollywood haven't been severed. That he's been acknowledged for his acting skills and ability to appear in Hollywood movies at any time. At the very least, he'd have to appear in Hollywood films up to his next two projects, and those films would need to be successful, with him playing memorable roles.”
-But instead of another extra role, wouldn't it be better to get paid a lot to be in a Korean movie? He has name value now.
“...?”
Yeonghwa-gaek tilted his head. Where did this idiot come from?
-???
-??
-Why? I know Lee Seojun was in the Elephant ad and 48 Hours. The Elephant ad was banned because of some international regulation, right? And his appearance fee for 48 Hours couldn't have been that much, could it?
“...You really don't know, do you? To be fair, I forgot and left it out when I posted my Shadowman review. Data courtesy of my little sister.”
Yeonghwa-gaek opened an internet window on the screen and went to N-tube. Then he went to the channel [JUN].
“The view count here, the subscriber count, and the number of likes. Do you see them?”
-There are... countless numbers here.
-LOL I've never seen view counts like this before LOL
“As long as there are babies under 20 months old and their parents on this planet, actor Lee Seojun will never go broke.”
-What if N-tube goes bust?
“He'd probably make DVDs and sell them.”
Yeonghwa-gaek shrugged.
-What kind of role do you want to see Lee Seojun in?
“Let's see. I was so impressed by his performance as William, so I hope his next role is one where we can see that kind of acting again.”
Yeonghwa-gaek's live stream continued after that.
* * *
On the day of the Redbone 2 premiere.
Choi Minji, an employee on the PR team at Movie Dream, the production company for 'Evil Spirit', entered the premiere theater with a pounding heart.
The fact that she was seeing Redbone 2 a few days earlier than everyone else made her heart swell with excitement. Besides Choi Minji, the faces of many others who had come to see the premiere were flushed.
“Here it is.”
Taking her seat, Choi Minji turned off her phone and sat down with a reverent heart. She had even taken a day off to see Redbone 2.
Soon, the theater darkened.
Marine Company's signature logo appeared on the pitch-black screen, and the Redbone OST began to flow from the speakers scattered around. Her heart pounded.
Two hours flew by in a flash. The movie was over.
Clap, clap, clap!!
A huge round of applause erupted, and Choi Minji clapped enthusiastically as well. On the black screen, the names of Marine Company and the director, Ryan Will, scrolled up. Soon, the names of the cast, staff, and partner companies would follow.
Choi Minji gathered her things and stood up, ready to leave quickly. Other audience members also began to get up, leaving the slowly scrolling end credits behind them.
But the lights in the theater didn't come on.
“What's going on?”
Choi Minji let the words slip out, but her voice was drowned out by the murmurs of the other audience members. Everyone was standing in an awkward posture.
Thump!
Choi Minji's and everyone else's eyes turned to the screen.
* * *
“Aargh. Turn on, already! Hurry!”
Leaving the theater, Choi Minji quickly turned on her phone. Even the time it took to power on felt like a waste.
As people brushed past Choi Minji, some were rubbing their arms as if they had goosebumps, while others wore expressions that showed they were dying to talk about what they'd just seen.
Her phone, which she'd been using for five years now. Choi Minji vowed to get a bonus after this was over and replace it immediately. A bonus! Yes! This was bonus-worthy!
Ding-
Her phone finally turned on. Choi Minji looked around and headed for a corner. She quickly called a senior colleague on the PR team she was close with.
Choi Minji cursed at her senior for not picking up. Every second counted, so why! Why! wasn't she answering the phone!
-What is it?
“Sunbae! Why are you just now picking up!”
The PR team member who answered Choi Minji's call pulled the phone away from her ear and looked at the screen. The youngest, Choi Minji. That's her, right?
-Sunbae! Are you listening?!
She tilted her head, wondering if this junior, who was practically screaming, was really the same nice junior she knew.
“Uh, yeah. I'm listening.”
The senior scratched her forehead. Choi Minji's voice must have leaked out from the phone, because the PR team leader's head popped up.
“Sounds like she's full of energy. If she's not busy, tell her to come to work.”
“Should I?”
The senior chuckled at the team leader's joke.
“If you're done having fun, you want to come to the office and work?”
-Yes!
“...What?”
-I'm on my way! Everyone wait for me! Taxi!!!
Silence fell over the PR team. Only Choi Minji's voice, shouting 'Taxi! Taxi!', echoed.
The team leader asked quietly.
“Minji. She's not actually sick or anything, is she?”
Slam!
The PR office door flew open.
There stood Choi Minji, her face flushed and panting, having actually come to work on her precious day off. The expressions of the PR team members turned strange.
As soon as she entered, Choi Minji skipped the greetings and got straight to the point.
“Is there anyone here who would rather die than hear a movie spoiler?”
“You can't work at a movie production company then.”
The job itself was a spoiler. You'd hear things from the staff passing by, from the director. A random rumor would end up in the movie. Everyone shook their heads. The PR team leader asked.
“So what's going on?”
From that point on, the expressions of the PR team members changed as they listened to Choi Minji's story. Even the team leader, who had been listening casually, was left with his mouth wide open at the unexpected tale.
And not long after, an emergency meeting was called.
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