Chapter 191
Chapter 191
Do You Think It’ll Win?
“Are you Korean?”
A man who appeared to be an associate spoke first. Yu Yeon-seo nodded, mentioning that his party also wanted to speak with them. The other man responded cheerfully.
“What did he say?”
“He’s asking if we’d like to join them. What do you think?”
In truth, he had already agreed. Judging by their expressions, it didn’t seem like they would refuse.
“We’d love to... but won’t you be tired?”
Park Seung-hwan and Director Kim Jae-ho glanced at Yu Yeon-seo, gauging his reaction. They were already comfortable thanks to his meticulous support at the festival, and they felt it was shameless to ask him to interpret as well.
“It’s not tiring at all. This is nothing...”
Besides, forming a connection with them would benefit him too. Still, since the two seemed uncomfortable... he gestured into the air, calling over Cha Yun-ho and instructing him to interpret for them. The expressions on Park Seung-hwan and Director Kim Jae-ho brightened immensely. When they returned to Korea, they would surely gush about Yu Yeon-seo.
The affable Cha Yun-ho lightened the mood, relaying the two men’s words and translating for Director Price. Yu Yeon-seo smiled and greeted the man sitting across from him.
“Disappointed it’s not Benjamin?”
“Not at all.”
He had a gut feeling that anyone accompanying Director Price wouldn’t be an ordinary person. Besides, there would be plenty of other opportunities to make an impression. Having attended a few charity events in the U.S., he had realized that his mother’s and grandmother’s influence was quite formidable there as well.
“I’m Yu Yeon-seo.”
“Christopher Martin. Please, call me Chris.”
While Director Kim Jae-ho spoke excitedly, Yu Yeon-seo and Chris politely shook hands and introduced themselves.
“If you don’t mind my asking, what brings you to the film festival?”
“A film I was in was nominated.”
“Oh... I was just thinking of seeing a foreign film today. Which one is it?”
Yu Yeon-seo briefly explained Filicide and The Scent of the Wind. But the man’s expression was a little strange. He looked like he wanted to ask something but was holding back.
“Is there something you’d like to ask me?”
When he asked cautiously, Chris’s face lit up as he held out his phone screen.
“Do you know this person?”
On the screen Chris showed him was the poster for Lee Hui-seo’s debut film, A Happy Farewell. Caught off guard by the unexpected situation, he momentarily lost control of his expression. Seeing his face suddenly stiffen, Chris spoke cautiously.
“Did I make a mistake?”
“Ah, no. It was just sudden. That’s the woman who gave birth to me...”
“I knew it! I thought you looked alike!”
Chris continued excitedly. It turned out Chris was the one who had initiated joining their table. He had been intrigued after seeing Yu Yeon-seo’s resemblance to Lee Hui-seo and had asked his companions if they could.
“You know my mother?”
“I know her work. Wasn’t A Happy Farewell screened here as well?”
Come to think of it, he thought he’d seen something about it on the plane. It was a hot topic that she had walked the red carpet at Cannes for her debut film, but it was an era when failing to win an award was framed as a failure.
“Actually, I’ve been thinking about rebooting A Happy Farewell. Seriously.”
“Would that be possible?”
“Why not? It would require a lot of adaptation, of course.”
A Happy Farewell worked because of the sensibilities of its time; it didn’t quite fit the modern era. But he hadn’t realized the man was such a fan of Lee Hui-seo... Yu Yeon-seo offered vague affirmations as Chris spoke with excitement.
“But when I tried to buy the rights, I couldn’t.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Has she no plans to return to acting?”
Yu Yeon-seo paused, just as he was about to drink his water. Does this man not know? It seemed he was captivated solely by the actress’s performance in the film and knew nothing of her personal life.
‘That’s possible.’
He’d been asked related questions at Q&A sessions, so perhaps he’d grown a bit complacent. In Korea, there was no one who didn’t know about his family situation. Whenever the topic came up, someone close to him would subtly change the subject. Recalling that consideration, Yu Yeon-seo let out a small smile and smoothly steered the conversation elsewhere.
“This has been enjoyable. Are you attending the gathering after the festival?”
“I’ll see you soon, then.”
As the meal came to an end, the two exchanged business cards. Yu Yeon-seo’s eyes sparkled as he saw the company name on Chris’s card.
‘I knew I had a good feeling about him.’
It was one of America’s major film investment and distribution companies. No matter how talented the production company and actors were, the ones with the money and the distribution were the ones in charge. And his position was quite high up, too. He put the card in his pocket, thinking he’d done well to come here.
‘If only that thing wasn’t here, it would be perfect.’
He sighed softly, looking at the shimmering white figure before his eyes.
Benjamin Price and Christopher Martin walked down the street, discussing the group they had just parted with.
“So, was the conversation enjoyable?”
“It was. Meeting my fans is always fun. And you? You seemed to get along with that handsome fellow.”
Benjamin looked at his friend with surprise. Chris was the type to cut people off sharply if their interests didn’t align, yet he had seemed to genuinely enjoy his conversation with Yu Yeon-seo.
Chris fiddled with the JSENM business card Yu Yeon-seo had given him. He had heard of the company before. A Korean media conglomerate, wasn’t it? A good connection to have, especially with Korean content being so popular lately. And what a strange coincidence that he was the son of the lead actress from a film that had deeply impressed him.
“Where should we go first today?”
“How about we go see their film?”
“Sounds good.”
At that moment, Chris still thought Yu Yeon-seo was just a representative from the production company. That is, until he spotted his name on the poster before the screening of Filicide began.
“Oh, looks like that handsome fellow from earlier is in this movie.”
“Is he?”
The poster for Filicide featured the character Hwang Min-jae as a small dot walking alone on a long, straight road, so you had to look closely at the small print at the bottom to see which actors were in it. Chris took the opportunity to look up Yu Yeon-seo.
‘Juseong Group... no, wait. He’s her grandson?’
Park Geum-ju was a titan of the art world, influential even in the United States. Come to think of it, he had heard that Park Geum-ju had an actor for a grandson. He just hadn’t known it was Yu Yeon-seo. He hadn’t been able to attend the last charity event due to a scheduling conflict.
And the son of the next chairman of JSENM... wait. Next chairman? Then what about Lee Hui-seo? He clicked on a separate link on Yu Yeon-seo’s wiki page.
‘So that’s why his expression was so strange earlier...’
I really put my foot in it... I’ll have to apologize later.
With that thought, Chris put his phone away and watched the movie. And as it progressed, a growing interest could be seen in his eyes.
‘Well, well... he looks like he’s found his muse.’
Benjamin Price glanced at Chris and smiled faintly. But he, too, was completely engrossed in the performances of the grandfather and grandson on screen.
Park Seung-hwan’s portrayal was so convincing you wouldn’t know it was an actor in old-age makeup; he perfectly captured the movements of that age group and a life pushed to the brink. Yu Yeon-seo, too, showed a diverse range of charm in his transition from a precarious boy to someone gradually learning to stand on his own.
“This... do you think it’ll win an award?”
The staff credits rolled along with the movie’s main OST. The audience’s reaction as they left the theater was also positive.
Having served as a juror before, Director Price stroked his chin at Chris’s question. It seemed likely to take home either Best Director or Best Actor. But he wasn’t a juror now, so he couldn’t say for sure.
“Well, it makes one curious. Shall I ask?”
He made a call to someone.
“Hey, you. Are you busy?”
“Yeon-seo!”
“It’s been a while.”
At the photocall event for The Scent of the Wind, Yu Yeon-seo attended as the representative of the production company. He suppressed a smile watching the two lead actors, who looked like this was their first time at such an event. Lee Min-jun’s shoulders, in particular, were stiff as a board.
“Ah, wait a minute. Yeon-seo, go stand next to Director Cheon.”
“Why?”
“I’ll be compared to you if you stand next to me.”
He moved to Director Cheon’s side without a word. But then, Director Cheon also recoiled.
“Are you really doing this in a foreign country?”
“When you stand next to me, I turn into a squid.”
“Where did you hear that one?”
Yu Yeon-seo let out a dry laugh. The man who used to skip awards ceremonies had started making regular appearances after his car accident, actively participating in press conferences and promotional events. In the process, people had given him a nickname for his one special talent: ‘Turning the Person Next to Him into a Squid.’
Returning to Hong Min-a’s side, Yu Yeon-seo smiled for the cameras. Hong Min-a wore a pouting expression, but Yu Yeon-seo knew it was all in good fun.
“So, did you get a dress you like?”
“Of course. You’ll be surprised. Will you be my escort?”
“You have Min-jun. Besides, I have to be with the Filicide team.”
“Aw, that’s a shame. How about both teams enter together?”
“That’s a good idea.”
It seemed everyone was content just to be attending the festival. Director Cheon, of course, was an exception, as he was once again a strong contender for an award.
“I’m the actor here, but why is all the attention on Yeon-seo?”
“Noona, don’t ask questions you already know the answer to.”
“Aww...”
Lee Min-jun comforted the dejected Hong Min-a.
After the photocall with the Filicide team, Yu Yeon-seo calmly greeted the fans holding out items for him to sign.
Yu Yeon-seo managed his schedule as both an actor and a producer. Since Director Cheon’s The Scent of the Wind was receiving good reviews anyway, he had lowered his expectations for Filicide.
“Gasp...!”
When Director Kim Jae-ho’s name was called for the Best Director award in the Un Certain Regard section, Yu Yeon-seo’s eyes widened in surprise. The competition was so stiff that even he hadn’t expected it.
“Uh, what should I do?”
“Just speak in Korean.”
Yu Yeon-seo and Park Seung-hwan pushed Director Kim Jae-ho forward by the back. He applauded generously for Director Kim Jae-ho, who tearfully gave his acceptance speech. He had a good feeling.
“Congratulations.”
Yu Yeon-seo smiled and welcomed Chris, who was holding out a glass to him. Filicide won the Best Director award in the Un Certain Regard, a non-competitive section. Director Cheon’s The Scent of the Wind won Best Director in the main competition. Both films were projects that Yu Yeon-seo had actively pushed forward.
‘Next time, I want to win an award as an actor...’
He had been momentarily distracted by his emotions and the need to catch the culprit, but his passion for acting remained. When this was all over, he would live his life doing what he truly wanted.
“There’s something I must apologize to you for, Yeon-seo.”
“An apology?”
“I thought you were just an employee of the production company.”
Aha, so he’d finally learned about his complicated family history. Yu Yeon-seo chuckled.
“Wouldn’t it be a waste for a face like this to be a mere production company employee?”
“Haha! I suppose you’re right.”
His joke made Chris relax his stiff expression. Yu Yeon-seo observed him carefully. He knew Lee Hui-seo from her work, but he had no interest in the actress herself. He was the type of person who judged solely based on the work. He wanted to hear this man’s assessment.
“So, how was my acting? Did I shock you the way my birth mother did?”
“Even more so.”
With a serious expression, Chris gave a lengthy analysis of his performance in Filicide. Yu Yeon-seo found the critique refreshing. Because of his striking looks, most comments focused on his face, but Chris disregarded his appearance entirely and spoke only of his acting philosophy.
“Have you ever considered appearing in a Hollywood film? Not to brag, but I have some pull in the industry here...”
“I’m honored, but I have no such plans at the moment.”
He might consider it for a good script, but there were surely fresh scenarios he hadn’t even tried in Korea yet.
“If you change your mind, please contact me anytime.”
However, he gladly accepted Chris’s goodwill. It seemed Filicide had really impressed him. Later, when he needed a new challenge, he would shamelessly ask for a favor.
“It’s a bit of a shame, isn’t it? If she were still alive, the two of you could have walked the red carpet as actors.”
At his words, Yu Yeon-seo gave a bitter smile. Walking up the red carpet holding hands with Lee Hui-seo, who would be wearing a gorgeous dress like Hong Min-a... He thought he might have had such fantasies early in his acting career.
If his mother were alive, he wouldn’t be plagued by these visions and auditory hallucinations. The family atmosphere would have been perfectly harmonious. Things like mother and son being nominated in the same category, happily attending the awards ceremony, and popping champagne at home.
But even imagining this made him feel guilty toward Choi Yu-jin, so he quickly dismissed the thought. But he couldn’t stop the sigh of regret that escaped his lips.
“...I suppose so.”
At the same time, his feelings toward the one who had taken her life deepened.