Chapter 26

Chapter 26

TL: KSD

When it rained, they took shelter in park pavilions or shopping malls. Fortunately, there was a small park in a nearby apartment complex, so the two hid under a tiled roof made of wood.

The boy, gazing up at the gray sky overlooking the gray city, expressed his belated curiosity.

Why dont you have a name?

The boy asked the girl, who was fixing a guitar. It was a guitar picked up from a nearby garbage dump.

Its not that I dont have a name. I just havent decided on one yet.

What do you mean?

The girl answered without taking her eyes off the guitar.

Its not that I never had a name. Ye-rim, Hae-sol, Min-ji, Bom, Ji-hye There were several. But those were just names I gave out to people at the community center or free meal services whenever I moved neighborhoods. My family called me hey, you, daughter.

Why?

It wasnt just me; everyones names changed. Night solicitors and girls in the entertainment business all use aliases. We sold water, so we changed our aliases frequently too. Eventually, we just stopped calling each other by names.

What are night solicitors and what is the entertainment business and water selling? The boy didnt know these terms, but every time he asked what they meant, the girl would smirk mischievously and dismiss him, saying it was too early for him to know.

And as if it was the most natural thing, and pitying herself for knowing such things too early, she would tease the boy for a while but then suddenly show a sad smile.

The boy hated that. So, this time, before the girl could show a sad smile, he changed the topic.

Why do you carry that guitar around if you cant even play it properly?

The guitar the girl picked up was more of a begging tool than an instrument. She would squat in crowded places with the guitar, making only ting-ting sounds.

The boy simply couldnt understand why she would carry around a guitar she couldnt play.

Thats because.

What?

People tend to throw more coins when I have a guitar, compared to when I dont.

Even if youre not playing it?

Yeah.

Why though?

Maybe because someone who appears to be doing something seems more appealing than someone doing nothing.

After finishing tuning the guitar, the girl finally looked up at the boy with a mischievous smile.

Great! Where do you want to go tomorrow?

Hmm. I want to see animals.

What kind of animals?

Cute ones.

Then lets go to the mountains!

Okay!

EP 2-Other

Baekhak Entertainment.

Baekhak Entertainment has a nickname.

Its known as the factory.

The nickname was given because it produces celebrities and works just like a factory.

Naturally, Baek Seung-won, the CEO of Baekhak Entertainment, automatically received the nickname Factory Manager.

An artist creates art, but a factory manager does business. Baek Seung-wons interest in Moon In-seop was not because of artistic insight but due to a business perspective.

That is, the reason Baek Seung-won stepped in to sort out the issue and fired Yang Sung-jun, the department head at Baekhak Publishing, was not out of consideration for Lim Yang-wooks circumstances. It wasnt because he personally cherished Moon In-seop either.

It was because of money.

It seems like a good time to start doing business.

Now that Author Moons popularity was on track and he was relatively free from controversy, there were endlessly many ways to make money using Author Moon.

An author who, despite being a primary school student, published 16 short and medium-length novels and debuted on the 9 oclock news Its impossible not to love him. Moon In-seop already had what could be called a fandom, albeit small in scale.

Baek Seung-won knew well how to expand the scope of this fandom and at the same time, make a business out of it.

Media mix.

That is, film adaptation.

Proceed.

Yes!

The moment CEO Baek Seung-won snapped his fingers, the factory employees, who were only waiting for his command, started moving like machines, adhering to a precisely defined process.

Which novel should be adapted into a film?

Cause of Death, which became famous through Gu Hak-juns review.

How long should the movie be?

A short film, to be released before the issue cools down.

And the shooting?

Mobilize our own production team and start cranking up immediately.

What about casting?

To market it as a meeting of young geniuses, choose the most famous among our child actors.

Make it happen by next month.

Sir, even for a short film, that schedule is too tight.

You have one month.

But, but.

One month.

Yes.

Of course, CEO Baek Seung-won knew.

That this meant there would be no room to care for the quality of the work.

But does putting effort guarantee quality?

Does mobilizing experts to accurately adapt a novel into a film, hiring famous actors, refining the script, and increasing the number of filming staff ensure that the movie will make a profit beyond its break-even point?

No.

Although Baek Seung-won is doing business in this field, the essence of the entertainment industry is art. And art is not about numbers. It depends on peoples hearts. Hearts are fickle.

In other words, box office success is random.

Then, isnt it beneficial to produce as much as possible?

Of course, the CEOs of competing entertainment companies point fingers at Baek Seung-wons philosophy.

-A CEO from a suit background, who knows nothing about art, is muddying the waters in this field, relying only on the backing of a large corporation!

And Baek Seung-won answers like this.

-Whats that? I cant quite hear the words of small business CEOs who have a lower market cap than me.

Baekhak Entertainment, led by Baek Seung-won, was performing well enough for the main Baekhak Group to comfortably keep a distant family member as its CEO.

It means theyre making a lot of money. So, within Baekhak Entertainment, CEO Baek Seung-wons philosophy is considered the light and the truth.

Therefore, the production site of the movie Cause of Death was also economically and rationally organized.

This meant that the set was shabby, and the staff wandered around like zombies.

Two people arrived at such a set.

Lim Yang-wook and Moon In-seop.

* * *

Its somewhat different from what I expected.

Lim Yang-wook could automatically tell what Moon In-seop had left unsaid. The atmosphere of the shooting site and the quality were definitely not a pleasant sight.

Whats going on?

Sweat dripped down Lim Yang-wooks sleek head.

This means that the strategy of <showing Author Moon the process of his novel being made into a movie to get him interested in activities in the entertainment industry> becomes pointless.

The following strategies, <subtly introducing him to variety shows for movie promotion> and the <project to make Author Moon a big shot in the entertainment industry>, also face difficulties.

Whats that?

I-Ill give it to you.

No need!

She retorted, taking my notebook and starting to read it with a Hoo of interest.

Whats this? A script? Why does this script read like a novel?

Its actually a novel.

But no answer came back.

Kim Byul was already engrossed in my book with a serious expression. That expression gave off a different vibe from before.

She looked like an actress who had just received a script. Of all the behaviors I had observed, this seemed the most genuine.

* * *

Outside, the sounds of the filming site could be heard faintly. In the waiting room, apart from that, there was silence, only the sound of breathing and the rustling of pages being turned.

How much time had passed?

Kim Byul put the book down and said:

Its a road movie?

A road movie?

Yes. Like Kikujiro, Little Miss Sunshine, Bonnie and Clyde.' (TL: All these are real movies)

Whats that?

You dont know? How about Suzume? (TL: Suzume Anime)

That too, Im not really sure

Man, this! Hey! How can you be an actor if you dont watch movies!

I havent had the luxury to go watch movies in my life

Wow!

Kim Byul was as shocked as when someone says they dont mix intestines in their pork soup.

Moon In-seop tried to calm Kim Byuls anger by waving his hands and explaining.

I may not know movies, but I know what a road movie is.

Oh? Tell me what it is.

Its a narrative that focuses not on the destination, but on the journey to it.

Pass.

Kim Byul, as a (self-proclaimed) senior, gave Moon In-seop a passing grade on his understanding of the genre. Then she evaluated the story contained in the notebook she was holding.

This. Its a decent road movie.

Is it?

Yeah. Ive seen lots of scripts and movies, you know? So now I absolutely dont cry. But this one got me a bit teary at the end.

Moon In-seop, caught by the term teary, inquired in detail.

Which part made you feel teary?

Uh, well, its

Kim Byul strained her brain, trying to squeeze out a critique. Though confident in acting, she wasnt strong in criticism. However, she couldnt show her inferior side in front of a junior, so she mobilized all her knowledge to come up with a critique.

The two travelers are complete opposites, arent they? The girl has no name, no parents, and no place to return to, while the boy has a name, parents, a home, everything. The wandering of these two children through the city had a certain feel to it.

And then?

Both kids are young, right? So, the way they describe our everyday lives through the eyes of children was unique. How many contradictions there are in the life that adults pass by without a second thought. It was a bit like travelers wandering through the Middle Ages while looking at the stars.

Uh-huh. Good. And then?

And then? Well, the girl, despite being from a runaway family and in the worst situation, is free and happy, while the boy, who is in a normal situation after running away, is unfree and unhappy. This contrast makes you think about where happiness comes from. What makes a person truly free? I didnt realize this while reading, but now that Im talking about it, it came to me. But why doesnt the girl have a name?

Moon In-seop responded to Kim Byuls musing.

Because a name is something given by others.

What?

A name signifies a person, like the title of a novel. But she has no one to give her a name, no nest, no roots, so she has no name. But conversely, it means the girl is trying to build her own nest and life from scratch, making her own name, so she is already in a state close to completion as a human being. The girl without a name has dreams. Thats why she is free.

Really?

Of course, theres no such person. So the girl is somewhat of an abstract character. An almost utopian figure. So when the boy looks at the girl, he sees someone who has what he lacks. Someone incomplete seeing someone complete. Because the boy is ordinary. Like us.

Huh.

And, it might be hard to see this as a road movie because the two have different destinations. For the boy, this is a deviation, a journey before returning home, but for the girl, wandering is her everyday life, her existence. Why? Just because she was born that way.

Moon In-seop returned to the initial question.

At which moment of these two intersecting lives did you feel touched?

Kim Byul was a bit frightened by the boys gleaming eyes pressing towards her.

Whats with this kid? His gaze is strange. Kim Byul leaned back with an awkward posture and responded.

Im not sure?

You dont know? Why?

Well. Being touched is just being touched. Anyway, go over there. Dont stick too close.

Only then did Moon In-seop realize he had been leaning too close to Kim Byul.

The boy regained his composure and straightened his posture.

My apologies. Anyway, it was a satisfactory answer. This novel has a certain moment unique to it that cannot be found in other novels?

Kim Byul answered hesitantly.

Yeah. I was a bit touched by the last scene.

How was that touching? Was it good?

Well. It was good.

Then thats enough.

Kim Byul suddenly realized she had been completely wrapped up in the pace of the boy in front of her.

Before showing her bafflement, there was a question she needed to ask first.

But who wrote this?

I did.

Ah, come on! Dont lie.

Kim Byul laughed, telling him not to joke.

Moon In-seop looked at her with an expressionless face.

In the silence that followed, Kim Byuls smile gradually faded.

You wrote it, didnt you?

Didnt you?

* * *

After finishing the conversation with Lim Yang-wook, the director opened the door to the waiting room.

The director smiled upon seeing the two people in the waiting room.

Ah! Its great to see the original author and our actor together! Having two young geniuses together makes for a wonderful scene! Actually, for the promotion, were planning to pair you two together, so its good to get acquainted early.

The director looked back and forth between the two, sitting at opposite ends of the waiting room.

Have you two had a lot of conversations?

Moon In-seop answered.

Yes.

Kim Byul answered, her face reddening, almost on the verge of tears.

Yes, yes, we did.

****

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