Everyone Remembered Tae-gyu
It wasn't just the Noir Sign gang who were shocked.
"...Ah, you scared me!"
One by one, more people arrived.
"You bastard! Damn near gave me a heart attack. Heh, been well?"
Even the veteran senior actor from Monster City, the eldest on set.
"Hey! Why haven't you been picking up lately? What? New project? Already? Wait, whose?"
Kwak In-ho, the writer who'd shown up unusually sharp and well-dressed.
"Oh, Tae-gyu! Look forward to the episode 12 ending scene later. Kahaha, I crammed it full!"
Ji Cheol-geun, the PD whose face had brightened so much since their first meeting.
"Lee Tae-gyu! Talk about my next project with me later."
The excited cinematographer Choi Seong-cheol approaching with a grin.
"......"
And Han Joo-hyuk, who appeared with a weary expression but nodded at Tae-gyu with a meaningful look.
And others besides.
"Tae-gyu-ssi?"
"When did you get here?"
"That table's too far in the corner; was gonna move it, but come over here."
"Our footage turned out great, right?"
"Thanks, but that's all Tae-gyu-ssi's talent."
"Tae-gyu-ssi, long time!"
The bustling crew and the other Monster City cast members arriving one after another. Amid the joyful smiles on the faces of these comrades reunited.
- Alright! You all know this tune, right? I had to grab the mic for the wrap party, so don't make that face—just bear with me once!
The AD's joke-laced bark, so tiresome on set, boomed through the speakers, drawing laughter from the crowd.
- Everyone seated? Fill those glasses!
The vast outdoor garden. With the assistant director's hearty voice echoing from the speakers, glasses began filling one by one atop tables where meat sizzled everywhere.
Around Tae-gyu, gnawing on ribs, people patted his shoulders and poured for each other.
The atmosphere was pure festival.
- Alright! April's fresh garden.
- Then, Monster City episode 12!
On the massive screen set up for all to see.
- High, action!
Monster City episode 12 began.
━━━━Splash!
The finale of Monster City.
Kang Hyeok, who had judged his company's manager and director—who'd used him as a pawn—one by one, even finished off a provincial drug ring. Now, heading to the final battlefield with the thugs he'd somehow gathered.
An abandoned apartment in Gyeonggi Province. This half-built site, construction halted, was actually a temporary hideout chosen by a veteran politician to launder all his slush funds. Beneath lay a massive hoard of gold bars.
Click, click, click.
To seize it all, protagonist Kang Hyeok steps out of the SUV with his men.
Now blinded by greed into a monster, just as he enters the basement where the vault door hides.
"......What."
He comes face-to-face.
"Kang Hyeok."
"Prosecutor Park, how—?"
"The assemblyman told me. Said everything in the world's down here."
"Assemblyman Kim would've never told you—"
"They say people get honest when death's near. Turns out it's true."
The corrupt prosecutor owned by gold bar master Kim, the assemblyman, whom he'd whipped like a dog.
Snap.
And thugs with knives bursting from every corner of the basement.
"......Wanna try me? Didn't you see what happened to Director Jeong?"
"Can't just share it."
"Fair enough."
With all other factions cleared, a fight erupts between the protagonist's thugs and the prosecutor's hitmen, gold bars in the vault ahead.
"......Kill them all!"
"......Kill them!"
The site turns blood-soaked in seconds. A brutal, desperate finale action scene—how long did it rage?
"Huff, huff. No way you're taking it."
"Ditto."
The two greed-mad figures, drenched in blood, refuse to release each other's collars—right as they lunge again!
━━━━Boom!
Sudden massive explosion.
"Wha—what...!"
"Gaaahhh!"
The abandoned apartment begins crumbling.
With deafening roars that could burst eardrums. Bleeding men, knife-wielders, those screaming through gritted teeth, those fleeing—all crushed under falling concrete chunks.
"Kang Hyeok, you mad bastard!"
The prosecutor roars, veins bulging, searching—but the protagonist is gone.
━━━━Boom, kabr-boom!
Dozens gripped by greed buried alive in the exploded ruins.
Cough, cough.
Outside the smoke-shrouded wreckage.
Thud.
Blood-soaked protagonist Kang Hyeok collapses.
"Hehey."
"......!"
Beside him, a scowling figure supports him. Someone fully wrapped in now filth-yellowed bandages.
"Everyone's so damn impatient."
"You, you're...?"
With every major Monster City character save the protagonist crushed in the apartment.
"Told ya, didn't I?"
A bag dropped near the collapsed site.
The money bag Oh Dae-bak had tossed to the clinging protagonist just before he entered for the gold.
"......Said I'd cash you out."
The gambler's face, clutching the bag that saved the protagonist.
Sneer.
Chilling madness twists into a rictus grin.
━━━━Boom!
Monster City, end.
The finale, just over an hour, ended.
"........."
"........."
"........."
The wrap party fell silent. Ji Cheol-geun PD abruptly stood and strode to the screen.
He pulled out his smartphone. Tension spiked.
Everyone watched his every move: unlocking, dialing, ear to phone, talking to someone in SBC's main control room.
Gulp.
All eyes from cast and crew fixed.
"......How much? Mm, mm. Okay, got it."
Call ended.
"Whew."
A short sigh.
Then, as anticipation built and eyes darted.
"Huhuhuhuhu."
Sudden laughter, then a booming roar.
Twenty point eight percent————!
"......!"
"......!"
"......!"
Thunderous cheers erupted everywhere. Wooaaah———— The garden flipped upside down.
Prepared champagne popped like fireworks, high-fives everywhere, cheers, jumping hand-in-hand, even hugs and screams.
"......That's right!"
"Kaaaaah—!"
"Congratulations, really!"
"Whoa, for real!"
"Boss! All the leftover booze here!"
It was warranted.
Not record-breaking for Korean TV, but enough to sweep year-end awards.
And a number the crew never dreamed of back when Monster City's slot was set.
"......Huh?"
"Wait, Kwak Writer-nim!"
"Writer-nim's crying."
"Hey, bring him up front quick!"
As standing ovations rose.
"Reporters, you filming this? Gotta record it so Kwak Writer-nim can't deny later?!"
Mischievous staff dragged teary-eyed Kwak In-ho to the screen amid flashes.
━━━━Bang!
━━━━Pababang!
Reporters invited to the party snapping away.
- Hyung.
Ji Cheol-geun took the mic from the AD and handed it to wiping-tears Kwak In-ho.
- Say a few words.
- Nah, kid.
- You will.
Practice that Baeksang Best TV Script acceptance speech?
- Hey, what.
- Hurry. People's waiting.
The crew and cast chuckled at the bickering over speakers.
Kwak In-ho! Kwak In-ho! Kwak In-ho!
Kwak In-ho waving it off frantically.
- Take it, hyung.
- Ahem. Uh, well... a short statement then.
Reluctantly taking the mic.
- As you saw, Monster City is about how twelve episodes of varied human desires ultimately lose to pure greed for money. Money, in the end.
His speech began...
- High school, maybe? Around then... when I first thought to write on this theme...
Kwak In-ho's speech—clean-shaven, dressed sharp, secretly anticipating this more than anyone—neared its end.
- ......So, around thirty, I thought, Korea could use a story like this.
The fiery mood cooled like a splash of cold water; all grew solemn.
'......Oh.'
Tae-gyu looked touched. A faint swell of emotion. Something hot rising. He even set down his ribs.
'......So that's why you've written till now.'
Hearing the writer's life story made it click. That refreshed expression, worlds from their wedding hall first meet—like a weight lifted.
Not just that. Past conflicts forgotten, Ji Cheol-geun beaming during the tale.
Crew yawning bored but proud; actors beaming with pride.
All resonated.
'......Is this why people make dramas?'
Rare. Finishing something long-term with like-minded comrades.
Or first time?
As Tae-gyu puzzled, tilting his head, recalling pre-numb days.
- Wow, great story!
- Ah, and also...
- Next, with our Kwak In-ho Writer-nim's future works! Praying the Kwak In-ho 'Squad' here keeps rising—applause!
Ji Cheol-geun snatched the mic, rousing cheers and claps.
Clap clap clap—— Suddenly, a meaningful smile at Tae-gyu, voice booming.
- Was gonna share my thoughts, but it'd kill the party vibe. Haha.
Laughter rippled; he continued.
- Quick promo here.
Promo?
- Ten fingers gnawed, none painless—all who toiled for Monster City are precious to me.
Question marks in all eyes, including Tae-gyu's.
- So, hotter cheers for our Monster City comrades battling next!
Ji Cheol-geun pointed: first Tae-gyu, then Han Joo-hyuk.
- Two weeks! Han Joo-hyuk! And Lee Tae-gyu! Our fierce rivals from the show entering Arena Short Film Festival with the same film!
Applause thundered.
The on-site maestro Ji Cheol-geun flowed like a pro host.
- Tae-gyu-ssi, you jumped right into a project post-shoot, right? Those who know, know. Sai-bi Church Maknae Son, reteaming with Han Joo-hyuk for killer acting!
Claps and whistles swelled.
- Festival judging's by committee anyway... but you know? Public buzz, popularity—even judges can't ignore.
Tae-gyu awkwardly bowing around.
- Spread the word! Those free, hit the fest and boost us!
The partygoers raised fists, cheering their names.
"Lee Tae-gyu!"
"Han Joo-hyuk!"
"Lee Tae-gyu!"
"Han Joo-hyuk!"
Ji Cheol-geun grinning to continue.
- We'll back you too. And... right on time.
His gaze to the rib joint door.
Clank.
A group enters.
- Applause! SBC Content HQ Chief Hwang In-guk and Drama Division Chief Nam Yeon-ju who pushed hard for Monster City!
First, SBC's Hwang In-guk and Nam Yeon-ju, awkward smiles—the unsung heroes.
Suits followed: Netflix Korea promo head, SBC overseas biz chief, etc.—unintroduced by Ji PD.
- Folks. On-site command's PD turf.
Eye contact with chiefs confirmed his wrap party command.
- Mid-run internal SBC talk, first time sharing here.
Linking unfinished sentence.
- Not just backing Joo-hyuk and Tae-gyu—mid-run discussion, first public reveal.
Remote clicked; garden screen reignited.
━━━━Splash!
Monster City's ending. Ji Cheol-geun smiling fondly at Tae-gyu's gambler-mad grin.
- Can't keep this to ourselves, right?
In this era of K-pop, K-beauty, K-food, K-film, even K-webtoons conquering overseas.
- Monster City! With K-cult leader invading Arena Short Film Festival.
- Now, global Netflix rollout!