Chapter 111: Proposal
“Do you know what it’s about?”
“No. They just asked me to come.”
“Hmm. I’m worried.”
“If they’re asking me to come at this hour…”
Muyoung went to the production company with Gyeongmin. There was a missed call and a text message saying it was important and to please call back, but they didn’t say what it was about.
“Welcome.”
Director Cheolmin was the first to greet him.
Teacher Jinrim, Teacher Seongbae, Director Bae, and the production company’s CEO. Only the four of them were waiting for him, in an office with the lights half off.
“What’s this about? I was surprised when I got the text.”
“Sorry. Did you enjoy the festival?”
“Haha. Don’t ask. My friends were a handful.”
Muyoung answered Teacher Seongbae’s kind question. His voice was clear, but the atmosphere…
“What’s wrong?”
Something was definitely up.
Sensing something, Muyoung’s expression hardened.
“After you left, we kept filming, but this old body just can’t keep up.”
Seongbae calmly stroked the back of his hand as he spoke. About two hours after Muyoung left, he collapsed, complaining of severe abdominal pain and dizziness.
“Goodness. Teacher.”
Muyoung was startled and took his hand.
“Actually, I had cancer before. I was treated for it, but it seems to have come back. They said I’d have the detailed results by the end of the week.”
It was as if he were talking about someone else.
His tone was dry as he clicked his tongue and spoke sadly.
“W-what do we do then? You’ll have to get treatment again, right?”
“That’s why I called you. Since you’re the lead, you have more scenes with me than the others. I didn’t think this was something we could discuss over the phone, so I called you here at this hour. Sorry.”
Teacher Jinrim, sitting beside him, sighed deeply and sipped his coffee.
“No, Teacher. Please don’t say that.”
“Getting treatment is something my family and I all want…”
He didn’t want to give up on the movie, either.
Once he decided to do a project, he saw it through to the end no matter what. That had been his attitude for decades.
“I think we’ll have to adjust the movie schedule a bit. Film all my scenes consecutively. That means you’ll have to adjust your schedule, too. Think you can do that?”
Muyoung’s expression said it was only natural.
“Of course, Teacher!”
“You’re the busiest person in showbiz these days! Haha!”
“What are you talking about? I’m just going to festivals and playing around.”
“I can’t film while I’m getting treatment, so that’s what we decided. Luckily, the play has double casting, so I think it’ll be okay if I drop out in the middle.”
As if it was no problem at all, he waved his hand vigorously.
“Distribute your energy as much as you can handle. I’ll work around your schedule.”
“Thanks.”
At his words, Muyoung suddenly thought of the gray smog. The acting that had become wings and disappeared. He suddenly had an inkling of what it meant, but he shook his head to clear the thought.
“Hyung. Let’s rearrange our schedule, too.”
“Hmm? Oh. Yeah. Of course.”
It wasn’t just the movie shoot.
They had to take poster photos in advance, and they had to put all their energy into every single shot so there’d be no need for ADR.
Teacher Seongbae smiled and muttered,
“I’ve always approached this project as if it were my last, and maybe it really will be.”
“Teacher! Please don’t say that.”
“It’s the truth. Jinrim, take care of your health, too. Quit smoking! Haha. Oh, right. This is a secret from the staff. I don’t want them worrying about me and affecting their work.”
“What about the other actors?”
“Hmm. Let’s see. After you, Bora has the most overlapping scenes with me, so I’ll give her a heads-up separately.”
“Understood.”
At that, Seongbae gave Muyoung a warm hug. The two of them embraced tightly for a brief moment.
The old man conveyed his thanks in silence, and Muyoung whispered solemnly,
“Teacher. I’ll be sure to see it.”
“Yeah. What?”
“Your sparkle.”
“Haha! What good is an old man sparkling?”
Vibrant pollen that would blow away all the smog.
He’d be sure to see it, Muyoung vowed, gripping the old man’s hands.
“Muyoung! Class is over.”
“Hmm? Uh. Yaaawn—”
“Are you leaving right away again today?”
In the quiet classroom, Muyoung got up, his body tired, and nodded.
There weren’t enough hours in the day. With fixed movie shoot times and other schedules to keep, the line between day and night had been blurred long ago.
“Yeah. What time is it?”
“Twelve thirty.”
“My manager will be here soon. I’ll head out.”
“Hey! Don’t forget your assignment!”
“Don’t worry!”
On top of that, it was finals season, so he wished he could split himself in two like Hong Gildong.
It’d be so nice if there were a working Muyoung and a studying Muyoung.
Honk!
“Hyung!”
“Good work. Hop in.”
He sat in the front seat and checked his schedule. He’d gotten it the day before, but it didn’t mean anything.
Since his schedule was constantly changing, it had become habit to check it just hours in advance.
“Let’s see… The movie shoot’s been pushed back, huh?”
“Yeah. I think Teacher’s having a hard time with his stamina.”
“Then where are we headed first? Hyung. What about my lunch?”
The movie schedule always took priority. With his schedule constantly changing around it, he was exhausted.
Muyoung looked around for some bread or snacks. He always had some prepared, but not today.
“We’re going to eat now. Meeting and meal with Nepflix.”
“Wow. I like that. Doing two things at once.”
“I told you before, right? The Plague is getting a great response.”
Especially overseas.
But Muyoung felt his popularity more from You Are a Star, I Am a Star. It was more mainstream, it was a domestic project, and it was more recent.
“So Nepflix is producing an original series, and they want to meet with you.”
“Not casting?”
“They seem to be looking into several people. I think upper management will make the decision after seeing what we think. Just think of it as going to see the people and have a meal. If not this time, there’s always next time. Think of it as making a good impression.”
The landscape was slowly changing.
Movie theaters were still a symbolic place to go out to, but these days, more people were watching at home through streaming services.
The market indicators, growing explosively, spoke to the future.
“One original wouldn’t be bad. Plus, their series are only about seven episodes at most.”
If the response is good and it goes to the next season, who knows.
Series were usually about five to seven episodes.
Considering broadcast dramas were sixteen episodes, the efficiency of the energy and time put in was the highest it could be.
“Heard what project it is?”
“No. But I think it’s fantasy. They have a lot of those. The material’s stimulating, too.”
It was possible because they didn’t get regulated by the Korea Communications Commission.
Muyoung simply nodded as if to say he understood and slipped his phone into his pocket.
“Wake me when we get there.”
“Only eat a little, though. We’re going straight to the photoshoot after.”
“Yes, sir.”
Saying that, Muyoung fell into a deep sleep.
After driving for several dozen minutes, they arrived at a famous Chinese restaurant in Seoul. Wearing a hat and mask, he was guided by a server.
Sreeee—
“Ha Muyoung has arrived.”
“Hello!”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Manager Ko Gyeongmin.”
Three people were already in the small dining room. As Gyeongmin greeted them, he felt a sense of déjà vu and tilted his head.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Kang Ok-kyung, head of the investment team.”
She had a very sophisticated style and an elegant voice.
He felt like he’d seen her somewhere, but he couldn’t remember.
‘Since she’s an investment manager, maybe I saw her on the news?’
He simply pressed down his curiosity and sat.
They took out their business cards and greeted him. Muyoung politely looked at each one and gently placed them on the table.
“I don’t have a business card, sorry.”
“No worries. We know who you are. Haven’t you eaten yet? Is there anything you’d like?”
“I’m good with anything.”
They continued the friendly meeting, the employees supporting Team Leader Ok-kyung.
Muyoung picked at the side dishes and made small talk.
“Actually, I’ve seen you before.”
“Really? Where?”
“I was invited to The Plague’s GV.”
“Ah!”
It wasn’t Muyoung, but Gyeongmin who shouted at Ok-kyung’s words. Now he remembered. He’d only seen her in passing, but her aura was no joke, so she’d caught his eye.
“Why are you shouting?”
“Sorry. I felt like I’d seen you somewhere, and I guess it was there.”
“I see. Anyway—”
She smiled and took out a proposal.
It was a file with a brief synopsis and script for the project.
“You really left an impression on me then. It was clearly a modern piece, but you seemed like you were from another world. I think you have a unique charm and atmosphere. I just kept thinking that, and then a decent project came up.”
“Thank you.”
Muyoung politely accepted the paper.
Flipping through it, he saw the title was…
“The Only Landlord?”
“It’s an apocalyptic story. The protagonist is the owner of the only normally functioning building in a destroyed world. It’s about him building a safe shelter and striving to survive. Though since it’s experimental, it’ll probably be about six episodes. There’s a lot of CG.”
Six episodes…
That’s about three weeks of hard work. It’ll take that long just to film, and the rest will be up to post-production.
‘Hmm…’
What to do? I’m so busy right now—
“We’re looking at starting filming in about three months.”
“I see.”
By then, the movie shoot will be over.
Ok-kyung smiled as if she could read Muyoung’s mind.
“I think we’ll be able to give you the details after we hear your opinion.”
It was the most important talk about pay. He was about to say he’d think about it, when—
Whoosh!
Flower petals scattered everywhere with Ok-kyung’s smile.
Like a celestial being had stopped to take a walk. Muyoung recognized the petals.
“…You said you came to The Plague’s GV, right?”
“Yes.”
It was the same as what he’d seen then.
He couldn’t put it into words, but it was an instinctive feeling. Something warm enveloped Muyoung.
“…It’s an honor.”
“Then can I put in the proposal to upper management?”
The planning team would handle the budget and casting, and upper management would confirm it. They’d check the overall production costs.
“Does that mean it’s confirmed?”
“Hmm. I can’t actually give you a definite answer. I’ll be pushing for you, but the other teams have their own circumstances.”
“So you’re saying there might be an audition.”
“I’m sure you’ll do great.”
Ok-kyung said, her hands gently pressed together.
He didn’t know why she was pushing for him so much. When he asked with a curious look, she only smiled.
“I believe in my eye for talent.”
She’d create a work that would raise Nepflix’s status in Korea by a level. That’s what Ok-kyung said to herself every morning.
“I believe in myself, too.”
“Well, that’s good.”
Specifically, these eyes that see the sparkle.
Muyoung took a huge bite of sweet and sour pork and chewed.