Chapter 107: Birth
“An investment? How much?”
Ko Gyeongmin seemed the most surprised.
And for good reason—no one had given any indication, and he made this decision.
Investing in a movie is really…
‘You might as well buy land with that.’
Unless it’s a big corporation, I’ve never seen an individual succeed!
Ah. There is one. There was a case of a film director who also held an investment stake in a production company.
“The more, the better, but unfortunately, I’m not at that level. With the extras’ pay and one junk truck…
Ha Muyoung curiously looked at the production company’s CEO and the director, as if asking for a rough amount.
“Well, I think we’ll need to crunch the numbers. If the truck crash scene goes off without a hitch, we’ll be good, but just in case…
“We might need two.”
They’d have to map out the movements on set, and since there was a scene to be spliced in, if the angle didn’t work out, they’d have to smash two trucks. Muyoung nodded.
“Alright. I’ll put in 200 million won.”
“Muyoung, really?”
“Yes. Round up all the trailing numbers neatly! I’ll invest 200 million won. If there’s any left over, we can use it for a staff dinner, that’d be nice.”
200 million won. That’s a huge number.
But Muyoung readily washed his hands of it.
“We can use up all the money I’ve earned from ads until now.”
“No, wait. CEO, director. Let me talk to Muyoung for a moment…
Gyeongmin covered his mouth in shock. Of course, since he hadn’t seen the flower petals, his reaction was natural.
Even if two master teachers appeared, it’s a supporting role. On top of that, a new director and a mid-sized production company. This is a perfect recipe for disaster!
“As long as we sign the contract before filming starts, right? Please send the investment contract to the company as well.”
But Muyoung, unconcerned, made his request.
Gyeongmin, pulling him into the hallway, shook Muyoung’s shoulders in alarm.
“Dude, are you crazy?”
“I don’t really want the script to change because of money. And I like that saying.”
“What saying?”
“That people should burn money like fallen leaves for meaningful things.”
It was a quote from Mr. Han Changgi, who founded the magazine Deep-Rooted Tree. Muyoung, meaning to tell Gyeongmin not to worry too much, shook his hand.
“It’s not like I’ll be carrying money with me when I die.”
“But still…
“Actually, I felt the same way about You Are a Star, I Am a Star. I didn’t have much money back then.”
He wanted to hand out padded jackets from a well-known brand like the other leads, but since he hadn’t been paid yet, gloves were the best he could do.
In making the work, he wanted to do more than just act, to contribute as a lead in various ways.
“But with this script, the director made it, but I’m the one who will complete it. So it’s my work. For that, money doesn’t matter.”
Gyeongmin’s expression said it all: he understood, but he didn’t.
Muyoung smiled.
“I’ll just earn more money!”
“Freelancers always need to hold onto their money tightly, man. You’ve got tax filings in May too.”
“The ad revenue is from this year, so if I prepare well next year, it’ll be fine. Last year, I probably earned less than 10 million won. This time, I’ll get a refund.”
A few hundred million from The Plague, a few tens of millions from SNS modeling.
If it weren’t for Junho and the landlord, he wouldn’t have made it. Gyeongmin sighed in resignation.
“That guy, he’s not budging.”
“Haha. Hyung, it’s me, Muyoung.”
Living alone, he should know these things.
At Muyoung’s words, Gyeongmin tousled his hair. Yeah. It’s his money, he can do what he wants with it.
“The director hit the jackpot.”
“Yeah. Where else would you find an actor like this?”
Not only does he not take an appearance fee, he even invests.
An actor who loves the script as much as he does.
“So, Hyung, make sure everything goes smoothly.”
“Got it. Na Geumdong will flip when he hears—”
“Na? Why me?”
He’s no gentleman.
Na Geumdong, drying his hands in the bathroom, perked up. What’s going on? What’s going on? His eyes sparkled with curiosity.
Muyoung, smiling, silently entered the reading room, and Gyeongmin slyly avoided him.
“What’s going on?”
“It’s nothing. I’ll tell you at the company.”
“Huh? What’s this?”
Na Geumdong, curious, followed them in. The break time ended, and the director and production CEO also re-entered the reading room.
“Shall we start again?”
“Let’s. Where were we?”
“Scene 85, sir.”
The four exchanged meaningful glances, mostly directed at Muyoung. With a nuance of, ‘Is the investment talk really happening?’
“Yes. Let’s do it!”
As if there was no doubt. Muyoung slammed the table and nodded. Among them, only Na Geumdong rolled his eyes.
Later, when the investment contract arrived at the company, he clutched his chest.
“What? 200 million?”
Muyoung, behind him, slyly supported his neck.
“Want to join in, CEO?”
“Are you crazy? Crazy?”
“High risk, high return. You know?”
“You brat! Oh…
But what could he do?
Since Muyoung was determined, despite everyone actively trying to stop him, his resolve didn’t waver.
Muyoung, carefully reading the investment contract, murmured in admiration.
“Wow. The corporate world really sees movies as money.”
Usually, the investment and distribution companies are the same, so when movie tickets sell, they take a 10% distribution fee. With money on the table, it’s not like they’re covering the entire production cost.
“Even if the production company doesn’t profit, the distributor makes a gain just by hitting the break-even point. I heard somewhere that in terms of cash generation, it’s the best.”
For a 5 billion won movie, the break-even point is usually around 1.5 to 2 million viewers.
These days, with so many 10-million-viewer movies, putting in 5 billion won and mobilizing 2 million viewers isn’t easy. The world only remembers success.
“Even if it becomes a hot topic, it doesn’t always translate to money.”
“Right. Surprisingly, there are movies with low viewership too.”
Everyone knows about them, but few actually watched them in theaters.
Muyoung slowly scanned the contract.
“Let’s see… our movie…
Besides the investment contract, there was a provided plan.
The currently raised investment amount totaled 4.7 billion won.
Adding Muyoung’s 200 million won, they could just about get the basics in place.
“What if this becomes a 10-million-viewer movie? Hehe.”
Muyoung, excited, covered his mouth.
Na Geumdong, completely resigned, crunched on some snacks, turning away as if he couldn’t bear to watch.
“My wife must’ve looked at me like that.”
“Like what?”
Muyoung, clueless, asked innocently. Gyeongmin whispered,
“You know, back when I was young, the CEO dabbled in stocks. Back then, he’d get so excited, saying it’d work out, it’d work out. Now, he’s neatly put it away to pass on to his son.”
Oh. Such a sad story?
The contract was received, and since the actor knew the movie explanation as well as the director, was there any need? Muyoung rummaged through his pockets for his stamp.
“Should I stamp it?”
“Stamp it! Stamp it!”
“Yay.”
The stamp was neatly pressed. With no further issues, and the transfer completed, the ritual was set to begin. Since it was such a small-scale production, even the ceremony was simplified!
“Please, let our Muyoung hit it big. That kid, not knowing the fear of the world, put in 200 million.”
In the days leading up to the first shoot, Na Geumdong was praying, even placing water on the table, but Muyoung didn’t know.
He simply read the script over and over, his heart fluttering with excitement.
At a studio in Suwon.
Though the sun was setting, the studio was bustling. In the vast space, a temporary pool was set up, and all the staff were busy preparing for the shoot.
“Hello!”
And Muyoung arrived right on time.
The director and assistant director welcomed him, waving. Beside them, a giant plastic container held black liquid.
“Welcome.”
“Wow. Is that it?”
“Vampire amniotic fluid.”
The director joked.
The first scene to be shot.
It was the vampire’s birth, recalled from the past. It was a scene Muyoung was looking forward to.
“Is it ink?”
“It’s a special solution, harmless to the body. It’s fine if it gets in your mouth. But it’s a bit slippery, so it’ll be hard to wash off. Did you bring a change of clothes?”
“Yes. Just in case, I brought three pairs of underwear.”
Black ink. No matter how you look at it, that’s what it was, but it wasn’t ink. Muyoung, curious, squatted down and poked it. Then, the stylist called him.
“Muyoung, let’s do your makeup.”
“Okay. But is there anything to do? It’ll all be covered in paint anyway.”
“It shows at the beginning. Since your skin is so pale, we’ll just tidy up your lips and eyebrows. The fangs will be added separately, right?”
A pale face with red lips.
Muyoung, twisting his hair to cover his ears, looked in the mirror. Because of the makeup, he didn’t look like his usual self.
“You look pretty.”
Gyeongmin, watching from the side, commented.
His appearance seemed to straddle the line between male and female.
“Muyoung, are you ready?”
At the director’s words, Muyoung smiled faintly and took off his shirt.
“Well, it’s the first shoot, but the greeting seems a bit intense.”
Wearing only a pair of tight shorts like bikini bottoms, he fidgeted. The director, laughing, covered him with a towel.
“Sorry. The studio rental and the other actors’ schedules didn’t align.”
“No, I didn’t mean that. I was just embarrassed. Starting with birth is meaningful and nice.”
The director explained, pointing to each camera.
“When you enter the pool, we’ll fill it with ink. Only your face will be visible. Here, the black paint, white skin, and red lips need to stand out.”
“I’ll have to be careful not to get it on my face.”
“Keep your eyes closed, and the camera will slowly zoom in for a close-up. When you hear the clicker, open your eyes all at once! Make eye contact with the lens. And with each pan, time will shift. You get it?”
Panning is a technique where only the lens moves left and right without changing the camera position.
It’s perfect for expressing the vampire’s boredom, trapped in the womb for decades.
“I understand.”
“Shall we try it?”
“Yes!”
Muyoung lay flat in the vast pool. He took a deep breath, feeling the paint rise throughout his body.
“More! Pour more!”
“Stop!”
The paint reached Muyoung’s chin, his body slightly buoyant.
“Shall we begin, Muyoung?”
“Yes, let’s go!”
With his eyes closed, Muyoung responded.
Soon, all the lights were turned off, leaving only a soft glow from the ceiling. Then, the camera, attached to a rope, descended from the ceiling.
All that was visible on screen was black water and a white face floating in it.
Zzzzhh—
As the camera drew closer, Muyoung’s face was gradually zoomed in. When it filled the screen, the director clicked the clicker.
Click—
Snap!
At the signal, Muyoung’s eyes snapped open. His brown eyes sparkled with vitality, brimming with the energy of birth.
“Okay! Cut!”
“We’ll go straight into the next part, Muyoung!”
“Attach the special solution to his wrist, quickly!”
“Yes!”
Then, they shot Muyoung’s entire body, not just his face. The paint flowed down his beautiful torso. Muyoung slowly moved his hands and feet.
‘Pan!’
The camera moved to the right, capturing only the black water. When it slowly returned to the left, the vitality in the brown eyes had faded.
Countless years had passed, expressed in a short moment.
‘Who am I?’
‘How long will this boredom continue?’
Before he knew it, he existed.
Who created him, and why was he here? Overcome with frustration at not knowing anything, he raised his hand to cover his face.
“Ugh…
The sticky amniotic fluid covered his face. Like a crow with a broken wing, he twisted his body, suppressing his loneliness, anger, and annoyance. His entire body contorted uncontrollably.
“Aaaah!”
Splash—!
The amniotic fluid scattered in all directions, and veins bulged on the vampire’s neck and hands.
He felt like he was going mad. In the void of nothingness, the vampire’s eyes flashed as he raised his hand.
‘I want to escape.’
‘I want to tear myself apart.’
He opened his mouth slightly as he rose. Black droplets fell. He began to gnaw on his own wrist, sucking blood.
Gulp—
With each swallow, the paint, illuminated by the lights, shimmered. The staff held their breath, watching the vampire’s birth.
“Ah…
The first taste of blood.
The red blood spreading across his lips mixed with the ink, turning dark red. His eyes rolled back as if he’d taken a drug.
The vampire, madly sucking his wrist, lost consciousness.
Splash—
Simultaneously, his body sank into the deep amniotic fluid.
Completely submerged, the surface stilled, and all fell silent. The director held his breath, continuously checking the screen.
“Okay! Cut!”
“Phew!”
At the same time, Muyoung surfaced, exhaling. He was a mess of black paint.
“Was it good?”
The vampire’s memories of the womb.
The moment he lost consciousness, the vampire was born into the world.
Muyoung, wiping his eyes with a towel, asked. The director, hands clasped as if in prayer, murmured,
“Exactly as I imagined, exactly. Muyoung, thank you.”