A Masterpiece
“This could be the sort of matter that ruins your next film on the spot.”
At Lee Chanhoo’s calm voice over the phone, Director Yu Giltae, who was already deep in preproduction on his next project, immediately furrowed his brow.
“...What did you say?”
It was less that he was offended than that it was absurd. A cold call out of nowhere, and now someone was telling him it might ruin his new film? Under normal circumstances, Director Yu Giltae would have hung up right there.
He would at least have told him not to waste his time.
But for some reason, he didn’t.
“...”
He couldn’t bring himself to end the call. It was nagging at him. More precisely, it was irritating him. There were several reasons for that.
First, the man who had called.
Lee Chanhoo of MEG. He had already been mentioned quite a bit at BIFF, and it was fair to say he was the one who had kicked off the explosion around Gyeollo becoming a three-award winner. In film, money had to flow before anything could be shot.
Director Kwon Seongmin said in his remarks that MEG saw Gyeollo first.
That meant he had a remarkable eye. MEG might not have been a familiar or famous investor to Director Yu Giltae, but it was not the kind of name he could ignore. And now, out of the blue, the thing he was talking about wasn’t investment but something that might “ruin the next film.”
In filmmaking, even a small breeze can leave a project badly damaged later on.
That is especially true for works by a master in Yu Giltae’s class.
There were plenty of real cases like that.
Which was why film directors, Yu Giltae included, tried to shut down every likely trouble during preproduction. Perhaps because of that unknown trouble, Yu Giltae answered into the phone.
“...You’re saying you know of something serious enough to ruin my new film?”
Lee Chanhoo’s reply came quickly.
“That’s right.”
“And what exactly is it?”
“It’s a bit much to explain over the phone. I’d like this to be a win-win for both of us, and I’d prefer to tell you in person.”
“...”
Yu Giltae had the intuition that if he dismissed this man, it would keep bothering him all day.
Better to meet him for even a little while than to keep wondering.
If he said something pointless, he could always stand up and leave. And if he found it offensive, he could spread the word to everyone around him not to get tangled up with MEG. In the end, Director Yu Giltae gave in to Lee Chanhoo.
“All right. Let’s meet.”
A little later.
Kang Jaeha and Yoon Dayeon got into the elevator. At the same time, Yoon Dayeon took a small breath.
“Hah. Maybe because it’s been a while, but why am I so nervous?”
After muttering that, she asked Kang Jaeha, “How do I look?”
He answered flatly.
“Ugly.”
“Ha. Unbelievable. You want a fight?”
“Bring it on.”
“You’re the only person in the world who could tell his own actor she’s ugly... No, I’m asking if I look nervous!”
“You don’t look nervous at all right now.”
“Oh. Ah.”
For a moment, Yoon Dayeon realized that whatever irritation or tension she’d been carrying had vanished because of Kang Jaeha, and she snorted.
“You did that on purpose?”
“Who knows.”
“You really know how to yank a person around. Hah—”
When the elevator doors opened, Kang Jaeha murmured in a low voice.
“What’s there to be nervous about? Just be yourself, Yoon Dayeon.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You know exactly what it means.”
He meant: act like yourself, like a completely unhinged nutcase. Yoon Dayeon pouted and grumbled.
“Would the world collapse if you said something a little nicer?”
He ignored her, and when they reached the meeting room he had been guided to, he opened the door. Film posters lined the walls. A familiar face soon greeted Yoon Dayeon.
“Dayeon, welcome.”
It was Director Yu Giltae. Yoon Dayeon shook his outstretched hand and replied with an ease she had not had a moment ago.
“Hello, Director.”
It was then that Jaeha greeted Yu Giltae.
“I’m Kang Jaeha. I came with Yoon Dayeon.”
“Yes, I know. You became famous in one shot at BIFF.”
Yu Giltae was not unaware of how sharply Kang Jaeha’s name recognition had risen.
“The production story behind Gyeollo left an impression. My instinct says... Manager Kang, you’ll end up in a rather high position someday.”
At the compliment, Jaeha gauged the smile on Yu Giltae’s face.
A forced smile, strangely enough. Well, if he got a call from Chanhoo, that’s only natural.
Neither Yoon Dayeon nor Director Yu Giltae had any way of knowing that the real power behind Lee Chanhoo, the frontman of MEG, was Kang Jaeha. In any case, the three of them sat down. After a brief exchange of small talk, Yu Giltae got to the point.
“The reason I asked to see Dayeon wasn’t anything complicated. I wanted to show her my script.”
“...Really?”
“Yes. I decided that from the moment I saw Gyeollo. There’s a role I want her to play.”
At once, Yoon Dayeon’s face filled with a mixture of joy and emotion. And Kang Jaeha, at this exact moment, had already seen the scene once before through déjà vu.
Except for me being here, it’s exactly the same.
Soon Yu Giltae handed her the stack of papers he had prepared in advance. It was the script, and on the cover were simple lines of text.
-Title: Murder of Masks
-Director: Yu Giltae
The title of Director Yu Giltae’s new work appeared to be Murder of Masks, and Yoon Dayeon, taking the script, had widened her eyes noticeably. Yu Giltae adjusted his round glasses and murmured to her.
“To be honest, it’s a supporting role, and there isn’t that much screen time. But I really want you to take it, Dayeon.”
At this point, whether it was a lead role, a supporting role, or even a bit part, the amount of screen time didn’t matter to Yoon Dayeon. A master director was personally asking her to take a role. That alone was enough.
Even when Yoon Dayeon was at the height of her popularity, opportunities like this had not come often.
No, this was the first time a master had personally handed her a script.
This is insane... Is this really happening?
After sinking to the bottom and clawing her way back just to survive, a master director was now reaching out to her. It felt strange. Yoon Dayeon glanced sidelong at Kang Jaeha, seated beside her. His face was utterly placid. How could he stay so calm?
Without meaning to, she laughed.
So this is what he meant by hitting bottom. That was the right answer.
If she simply followed the direction he had set for her in silence...
I feel like even stranger things than this are going to happen.
Yoon Dayeon tightened her grip on the Murder of Masks script in her hand and answered Yu Giltae with real force.
“Yes, Director. I’ll read the script carefully.”
Then Kang Jaeha cut in.
“Director, what’s the situation with the cast for this film?”
“Haha. You’re in such a hurry you haven’t even asked for the basics. First, the contracts with the lead actors are done.”
“So you’re still sorting out the supporting cast.”
“That’s right.”
“Have investment, distribution, and production all been finalized?”
“The production company is set. Investment and distribution are still being coordinated.”
Jaeha nodded and then turned his eyes to the script in Yoon Dayeon’s hands.
The timing isn’t bad.
He made a request to Yu Giltae across from him.
“Director, may I get a copy of the script as well?”
Yu Giltae nodded readily, and before long the meeting was over. Once Yoon Dayeon got back into the van with Manager Kim Daeyong, the smile on her face refused to fade. Even a top star would be like that, so how could Yoon Dayeon be any different?
What’s more, Yu Giltae’s Murder of Masks would become a hit.
Of course, only if Kang Jaeha didn’t interfere, it would go to pieces.
While Manager Kim Daeyong and Yoon Dayeon were deep in conversation in the back, a brief vibration sounded on Jaeha’s phone. It was Lee Chanhoo. A report to the commander. The moment Jaeha sent him a short reply,
-Buzzz, buzzzz.
this time it rang with a long vibration. A call. The caller was Director Kwon Seongmin. When he answered, Director Kwon Seongmin’s voice came through the phone.
“Manager. I... the feature-length script for Gyeollo is basically finished now. Ah! Of course, it’s not 100 percent complete yet, and it still needs revisions, but... could you take a look?”
Kang Jaeha smiled faintly and answered.
“Where do you want to meet?”
Later that afternoon, at a large cafe near Leon Entertainment.
Kang Jaeha entered the cafe and immediately spotted the person he was due to meet. It was Director Kwon Seongmin. The young director, who had been looking at his phone, saw Jaeha and sprang up at once.
“Manager!”
With a faint smile, Jaeha approached and sat across from Director Kwon Seongmin. For the record, it had been Jaeha’s idea to meet here. If they met at Leon, too many eyes would be on them.
In any case, Director Kwon Seongmin pushed his glasses up and spoke first, offering thanks.
“Thank you, Manager. You must be busy, too.”
“You’re probably busier than I am.”
Kwon Seongmin’s status and recognition had surged, but to Jaeha’s eyes he still looked young.
Though once shooting starts, he changes completely.
As Jaeha muttered to himself, Kwon Seongmin carefully handed over a stack of papers.
“The feature-length Gyeollo script I told you about.”
It was the thing he had once asked Jaeha to look over if a feature-length version of Gyeollo ever came together. Of course, the very fact that Kwon Seongmin had reached the point of writing a feature-length script for Gyeollo was also part of Kang Jaeha’s design.
All of it had been a seed Jaeha had planted in advance.
And that seed had grown and put out shoots.
Kang Jaeha recalled the key details from the feature-length Gyeollo he had already seen in déjà vu. The words printed on a banner.
-Celebration! 5 million viewers surpassed! Thank you!
It was easy to see the blockbuster in the making as Jaeha checked the title of the feature-length script.
-Title: Gyeollo: Heeyeol
It seemed the title had been upgraded along with the remake from short to feature film. In any case, Jaeha drew the script for Gyeollo: Heeyeol closer and nodded.
“I’ll read it and then let you know.”
“Yes, thank you! Please feel free to tell me if it’s not fun. Though knowing your personality, you’d probably cut right to the bone without me even asking...”
Trailing off, Kwon Seongmin awkwardly changed the subject.
“And then... I’m just asking, but you know Lee Chanhoo from MEG, right?”
“I do.”
“If he sees Gyeollo: Heeyeol, do you think he’d invest in the feature film too? I’ve gotten a fair number of agency and investment offers, but if possible I’d like to do the feature version of Gyeollo with MEG too.”
“You’d probably be better off asking him directly.”
“R-right?”
He was probably just being cautious. No matter that he had taken the grand prize at BIFF, Kwon Seongmin was still a newcomer, and all he had done so far was make short films.
Which meant he was still badly lacking experience.
Kang Jaeha, who knew that better than anyone, gave him a matter-of-fact piece of advice.
No, more than advice, it was a nudge.
“The judgment call is his to make. Don’t be scared. Just go for it.”
“Ah! Yes!”
“If Lee Chanhoo likes it, he’ll invest. And even if he doesn’t, you’ve got plenty of other offers, so you can just move forward.”
When Kwon Seongmin nodded hard, Jaeha asked him something else.
“Better yet, why don’t you ask about an agency contract with MEG? If you were under them, I don’t think you’d have to worry about investment.”
Kwon Seongmin’s eyes widened.
“Ah, I was actually going to ask about that too.”
A short while later, on the morning of July 28.
Two men faced each other across a meeting table. One was Director Yu Giltae, wearing round glasses. Across from him sat...
“...”
a man with narrow, smiling eyes. Lee Chanhoo.
He was, naturally, there as the representative of MEG, and just after the greetings were done, Director Yu Giltae, the master filmmaker, asked him in a voice that was a little cold,
“Shall we hear it, then? The matter you said could ruin my next film.”
With easy grace, Lee Chanhoo crossed his legs and got straight to the point.
“Of course. But before that, there’s a condition I need to inform you of. You could call it an agreement.”
“...And what is it?”
“You’ll keep your promise, won’t you?”
“Who do you take me for?”
“You’re Director Yu Giltae, one of the country’s masters.”
He was basically saying, in roundabout fashion, that a master of this caliber would not say one thing and do another. Yu Giltae of course understood immediately. He looked at Lee Chanhoo on the opposite side with a strange expression.
An atmosphere full of confidence. A face that gives away nothing. A type I find distinctly unpleasant.
Yu Giltae felt like walking out on the spot, but he forced the emotion down.
“Don’t worry. I keep my promises. What’s the condition?”
Lee Chanhoo’s smile deepened.
“The condition for telling you is that you include me in the investment for your new film.”
At the same time.
The location was a movie theater near Leon Entertainment. Even though it was a weekday morning matinee, there were quite a lot of customers in the lobby. Among them, a familiar face stepped inside.
-Swish.
Black hair, an unremarkable face. Kang Jaeha.
“...”
He was alone, and after spending a short while looking at the various trailers playing on the lobby monitors,
“Hm.”
he checked the time and started walking. Jaeha bought popcorn first. Not just any popcorn, but onion-flavored.
This is what I feel like today.
Holding the popcorn he’d bought, he headed familiarly into the screening room. A few couples entered the same theater behind him. The spacious screening room Jaeha stepped into already had quite a few people seated.
About thirty or so?
It was a lot for a weekday matinee. After briefly scanning the room, Kang Jaeha found his seat and sat down. Around the middle of the audience. Not long after, the lights in the screening room dimmed further, and a large commercial started playing on the screen.
About ten minutes later.
-Swoosh.
The room went completely dark. Soon a film began to appear on the giant screen. Joseon-era setting. Night. Deep in the mountains. One person suddenly died. What was on the screen was an animated film.
Soon rich music filled the entire theater.
The melody of the gayageum.
Kang Jaeha, chewing his popcorn, smiled faintly.
As expected, the quality is good.
On the screen he was watching, several lines of text appeared.
-Investment: MEG
-Director: Hong Manseop
Then the title of the animated film appeared in large letters.
Natdaljib
Kang Jaeha’s investment, Natdaljib, had officially been released.
---