Red Carpet Spotlight
The Busan Cinema Center stood in Haeundae-gu, already swarmed with people ahead of the Busan International Film Festival’s 30th anniversary opening ceremony.
Every year the opening ceremony drew countless celebrities, making tickets notoriously difficult to obtain. This year, however, the buzz was even louder—the opening film was director Song Chan-wook’s latest work, drawing massive excitement from ordinary movie fans as well.
Whether in Korea or abroad, the red carpet was the symbol and the highlight of any film festival. It offered fans who loved cinema, and even casual viewers who only watched movies on dates, the rare chance to see stars they had only ever glimpsed on screen.
At the plaza in front of the red-carpeted entrance, barriers controlled access while outdoor seating allowed spectators to watch the arrivals. Those lucky enough to claim seats had lined up the night before, treating the spots like limited-edition collaboration merchandise.
A light drizzle began to fall. People seated outside hurriedly pulled on disposable rain ponchos.
“A car is coming in!”
A staff member wearing an in-ear monitor shouted down the line. Fans, reporters, and ordinary spectators all raised their cameras, waiting for the stars to appear.
The BIFF red carpet ran about twenty meters before pausing inside a circular building. Once the official ceremony began, the celebrities would walk the L-shaped carpet inside and take their seats.
The first vehicle to arrive carried director Oh Jae-kyu, famous in Korea for occult horror films. He had shot his latest project in Taiwan. Stepping out of the Genesis sedan was lead actress Lin Er-ru, who had first gained recognition in Korea through Taiwanese romance films.
She wore a white halter-neck dress. Fans who recognized her cheered loudly.
“Wow! Unnie, you’re so beautiful!”
“Lin Er-ru!! Look over here!”
The Taiwanese actress smiled awkwardly, clearly nervous, and waved. Flashes erupted around her elegant figure.
As Korea’s largest film festival, the event soon saw a steady stream of both overseas and domestic stars. Among them were newcomers and rising talents whose popularity could be instantly gauged by the volume of cheers from the outdoor seats.
“Wow! Unnie, you’re gorgeous! So gorgeous!!”
“Aaaah! Oppa! Just once over here!!”
“Over here!! This way!!”
“……Who’s that guy?”
“Don’t know? Some trainee?”
“Wooooow……”
After roughly thirty minutes, the biggest names began to appear.
“Waaah!!! Shin Jae-woo!! He’s insanely handsome!!!”
“Hyun-do oppa! I’m right here!! Kyaa!!!”
“Choi Moo-jin!!!! Choi Moo-jin!!! Aaaah!!”
……
……
“Huh. Isn’t that Eun Chae-won?”
“Her real-life visuals are insane.”
“Who’s next to her?”
“Oh, isn’t that the guy? The one who was in that thing?”
“Ah, right. They filmed a movie together, didn’t they?”
“Kang…… Kang Tae-san! Wow, his real-life look is something else.”
“Their visuals together are crazy good, right?”
Kang Tae-san stepped out first, following Eun Chae-won’s manager’s instructions. He moved to her side of the car and offered his hand. The SUV sat high off the ground, and at 160 cm, Eun Chae-won needed the help.
She took his hand and stepped down safely. Together they began walking the red carpet at her pace, one measured step after another.
“Eun Chae-won-ssi! Could you look to the right, please?”
The official BIFF video team stopped them. Eun Chae-won and Kang Tae-san paused and faced the 35mm full-frame camera. The image it captured looked like a scene straight out of a movie—two actors playing celebrities walking a red carpet.
Eun Chae-won’s skin glowed even whiter against her black dress. Though she wore striking earrings and a necklace chosen to match, her striking features made the accessories almost invisible. Beside her, Kang Tae-san wore a simple black suit and white shirt, yet he drew every eye. His neatly pomaded hair added a subtle wild charm to his youthful face.
While Eun Chae-won’s fame far outshone his, everyone watching them in that moment shared the same thought.
‘Who on earth is that actor?’
Kang Tae-san’s role on the red carpet was simply to support Eun Chae-won. It had nothing to do with rank; on the red carpet the female star was traditionally the focus. When two actors from the same project walked together, the man’s job was to make the woman shine.
Ironically, Kang Tae-san’s lower profile only fueled people’s curiosity.
“That’s the actor whose role got changed, right?”
“Yeah. Kang Tae-san. He’s been the talk of the industry lately.”
“His real-life look is great. Even better on camera.”
The moment Kang Tae-san met the camera, the all-seeing perspective he had absorbed from Yoon Si-on worked its magic on the staff.
“Shall we go?”
Eun Chae-won and Kang Tae-san continued down the rest of the carpet.
“Oh?”
Perhaps because she rarely wore such high heels, Eun Chae-won’s ankle twisted slightly. She began to stumble.
In an instant, Kang Tae-san caught her. They were walking so close that the moment passed in a flash. Thankfully, no one else noticed—except the crowd’s sudden roar.
“Waaaaah!!!!”
“What? What just happened? Did they hug?”
“No way!! Unnie!! Oppa!! Date already!!!”
Attention that had been drifting toward the next arrivals snapped back to the unexpected skinship. Eun Chae-won calmly linked arms with Kang Tae-san and turned to wave at the crowd, the gesture looking like a perfectly staged movie scene. Spectators who assumed it was deliberate cheered louder and snapped photos.
“You two look amazing together!!”
“Unnie! I’ll definitely watch the movie!”
“Waaaaah!!!”
Ironically, more eyes followed the departing pair than the new arrivals still stepping onto the carpet.
“Thank you.”
Eun Chae-won was relieved Kang Tae-san had handled the near-miss so smoothly. They walked awkwardly arm-in-arm toward the holding area inside the building.
The spacious hall was already filled with actors, singers, and directors who had arrived earlier, greeting one another while waiting for the ceremony to begin. Director Mo Yeon-hee, delayed by traffic, soon entered as well.
“I heard you two got an amazing reaction.”
“Director, you’re here.”
“Photos of you two are already blowing up on SNS.”
Director Mo’s face was lit with a proud smile; her two leads were single-handedly promoting the film. Though she had lost weight from the grueling editing schedule, she looked delighted as she showed them the photos flooding her phone.
“I was tweaking the trailer on the way here, and seeing you two like this reminds me of Gun-ah and Lee-hyun. When did my kids grow up and start looking this good in formal wear?”
She wore a motherly smile.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
Kang Tae-san stepped away to take a call. Eun Chae-won, noticing how much thinner the director looked, quickly gathered a small plate of finger foods from the catering table and brought it over.
The two of them nibbled on the snacks and caught up. It had been a while since they had seen each other; schedules had been hectic after filming wrapped.
“You two really do look good together. Did you coordinate your outfits?”
Director Mo glanced toward Kang Tae-san, still on the phone in the distance.
“Tae-san-ssi matched his to mine.”
“Even in something so simple, he stands out. He really knows how to wear clothes.”
Seeing Kang Tae-san in a suit for the first time, Director Mo felt the same pride she would have watching her own child head to a first day at a major company.
“Of course, our Chae-won-ssi is still the most beautiful one here.”
“Director, really. You don’t have to say that.”
“What? I mean it. Watching the trailer again today, I thought the same thing. Casting you was the best decision I ever made. When this film becomes a hit, it’ll all be thanks to you.”
“Thank you for saying that.”
Meanwhile, Kang Tae-san finished his call and checked the message that had arrived. It was from Yang Seon-il, whom he had invited to Busan. The younger man had taken a photo from his VIP seat of Kang Tae-san walking the red carpet, now displayed on the big screen.
-Hyung! You look so cool! Thanks for letting me come to Busan too. Seriously, thank you T_T
Before the festival, the production company had asked Kang Tae-san if he wanted to invite any family or acquaintances. Kang So-yeon was busy with university festival tours, and Min Jin-cheol had come with him, so Yang Seon-il was the only person who came to mind. Knowing the younger man loved movies and dramas, Kang Tae-san had extended the invitation, and Yang Seon-il’s joy had been infectious.
The company hadn’t covered the KTX ticket or hotel, so Kang Tae-san paid out of pocket. Though he normally thought twice, three times, even four times before spending money, ever since cleaning Yang Seon-il’s home and learning about the bullying he had endured, spending on the younger man never felt wasteful. Besides, thanks to Yang Seon-il he had been able to give his best performance in Scar. Offering one more kindness felt only natural.
-Let’s watch the movie together tomorrow. And grab something good to eat.
-Yes, hyung! Thank you so much! Fighting!
Feeling warm, Kang Tae-san headed back toward Director Mo when a familiar voice called out.
“Tae-san!”
It was actress Song Yoo-na, whom he had met as killer and victim in Scar.
“Oh, noona!”
“Wow. I almost didn’t recognize you. When did you get this handsome?”
“Haha. You look so different in a dress too, noona.”
“Heh. It feels weird for me too. Thanks to you I finally got to attend BIFF. I owe you one, kid.”
“Thanks to me?”
“Yeah! Your insane acting made me a meme too. The director I’m working with now said he cast me after seeing me in Scar.”
“Come on. That’s just because you’re a great actress.”
Kang Tae-san recalled visiting Song Yoo-na’s house. While cleaning, he had learned how grueling and lonely an actor’s path could be. That day, he had truly decided to pursue this career seriously. Without her, he might never have stood here at all.
“I heard you won this month’s PD Award for the drama you filmed. Whenever your name comes up in the industry, everyone praises your acting in Scar.”
“What’s with you today, noona? Why are you hyping me up so much? I don’t have anything to give you.”
“You little punk. Just standing here talking to you is already a huge plus for me.”
“Why?”
“Why do you think? These events are all about networking. Right now, everyone here probably wants to get even one word in with you.”
Kang Tae-san glanced around. Now that she mentioned it, he could feel several gazes flicking toward him.
“Nah. There are way more famous seniors here than me.”
“Of course there are. But they come every year. You’re brand new. A fresh face always draws attention, especially when that face belongs to a monster-level rookie like you.”
“Haha.”
Kang Tae-san felt his cheeks warm. He had never imagined receiving this kind of attention from so many famous people. Embarrassed, he started to excuse himself to the restroom when Song Yoo-na let out a short gasp.
“Heuk.”
She was staring at someone entering the hall. Kang Tae-san followed her gaze.
At the end of it stood actress Baek Hye-rin.
Her light brown waves swept to one side, delicate eyebrows, large eyes that made it hard to tell if she had double eyelids, and clear amber irises. She wore a form-fitting mermaid-line velvet dress in soft brown as she stepped into the holding area. The moment she moved gracefully inside, every gaze in the hall turned toward her.
She was widely regarded as the most beautiful among the current top stars. Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Even among fellow actors, her presence felt like another class entirely.
“Whoa…… She’s unreal.”
Kang Tae-san’s mouth fell open without him realizing. The name Baek Hye-rin was familiar even to someone like him who paid little attention to entertainment news—her commercials flooded the television, always labeled “face genius.”
“What? Why are you making that face?”
Song Yoo-na asked worriedly, seeing an expression she had never witnessed from him before. Kang Tae-san answered without thinking.
“She’s the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen in my life.”