Chapter 134: The Last Regret
“Ugh, w-waaaah-”
Junho, who had heard the refreshing sound of vomiting on a refreshing morning, headed to the bathroom grumbling. Muyoung, who was struggling with the toilet, waved his hand.
“……Good morning.”
“You’re on the verge of death.”
“How did I get home yesterday?”
“How else? The manager brought you in.”
Junho patted him on the back and frowned.
After throwing up for a long time, Muyoung squatted down and held his head.
“Why did you eat so much when it was Enbin’s fan meeting?”
“I don’t know. Because of Unta… Ugh. What am I going to do with these clothes?”
They were the BORNTORE-sponsored clothes he was supposed to wear for the schedule, but they were completely ruined after drinking and rolling around. Junho handed him a wet towel and replied.
“What else can you do? You have to buy them, customer.”
“Waaah. I can’t live like this.”
“It’s really strange. You walked in just fine, but why do you look like this every time you sober up?”
He came in so casually that I didn’t even realize he was drunk.
With the strong smell of alcohol and his shoes still on, I thought, ’Oh, that guy’s gone.“
“What time is it?”
“It’s 7 a.m. Move aside, I have to go to work.”
Junho kicked Muyoung out of the way and left. Muyoung crawled into the living room and fumbled for his phone.
[2 missed calls]
[5 unread messages]
Ding.
The two calls were from Enbin, checking if he had gotten home safely, and the messages were from Unta.
[Muyoung, from now on, I’ll call you Hyung!]“
There were a lot of typos, but I got the gist of it. I don’t remember anything because my memory was completely wiped out… Muyoung scratched his head in confusion and checked the manager’s message.
[Call me when you wake up. There’s a hangover remedy in the kitchen. Oh, and by the way, the screening date for
Oh. Finally.
He must have been talking about the schedule yesterday.
Muyoung opened a portal and searched for
‘Ah.’
And even Mr. Jinrim and Mr. Kang Seongbae.
It was the same portrait he had seen at the funeral.
“Muyoung! There’s medicine in the kitchen!”
“Yeah, I know. I’ll take it in a minute.”
Junho shouted while brushing his teeth, but Muyoung didn’t move. He was dizzy, and he was busy looking at his phone. On the right side of the screen, there was a list of upcoming movies.
“Huh?”
Among them, he noticed the name of the big-budget film that Baekgun Entertainment had been preparing. He thought it was going to be sold to China or Russia.
Ding.
When he checked, the movie’s country information was listed as China. Well, it was based on a Russian webtoon, so there was no reason for them to import it. China, with its deep pockets, buys everything.
‘So it’s going to be released first in China?’
Thanks to that, there wouldn’t be any significant competitors during the screening of
Thud-
Then, an envelope flew towards his stomach.
Junho had thrown a packet of medicine from the kitchen. Muyoung opened a drink and said,
“By the way, it was sold to China.”
“Do you think selling it will cover the losses? From what I’ve heard, the investors aside, even the staff and subcontractors haven’t been paid properly.”
“Wow, really?”
“It’s a disaster. The celebrities are in trouble, and the staff are left hanging. But I heard the quality is quite good. Twenty domestic teams collaborated on the CG alone. They received Russian funding to compete with Hollywood or something.”
It was a high-stakes project, but it had flown so far away. Junho munched on an apple and sighed.
“We worked so hard, and China took it. Those guys have been picking fights with the Korean Wave lately, and it’s already annoying to think about what nonsense they’ll spout.”
“You’re heated up early in the morning. Calm down.”
“Maybe it’s because I heard someone throwing up in the morning.”
Ugh. At Junho’s words, Muyoung slumped onto the sofa without responding. His stomach was still queasy, like he needed more sleep.
“I’m going to work-”
“Okay, have a good day!”
“Take care of the house, you almost-unemployed guy!”
Bang!
Junho left the officetel with those words.
In the quiet house, Muyoung closed his eyes as he looked at Mr. Kang Seongbae’s face in the cast list again.
At the movie theater in Yeongdeungpo Times Square.
It was usually crowded, but today it was especially busy. It was because of the screening of
“This way, please.”
Muyoung, Bora, and Taeseok followed the guide, shaking their hands nervously as they rode the elevator.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m nervous too.”
“But you look so calm?”
“Hmm. Maybe because it’s my second time?”
Since he had already experienced it once with
“Oppa, you said there’s no GV, right?”
“Yeah. Instead, there’s an exclusive interview with
“Ahh. I’m so nervous.”
Bora clutched her heart and muttered.
After the screening, there would be a short break followed by an interview. However, there would be a segment where they would answer fan questions in real-time, simulcast on MeTube.
“It’s okay. They’ll edit it well for the broadcast.”
“But the people watching MeTube will see it.”
“Just 5 minutes. It’s a short segment within a segment.”
Taeseok reassured Bora with a smile.
The elevator doors opened, revealing a crowd of people like a swarm of clouds. And, of course, the reporters.
“Excuse me!”
“Oh, it’s Ha Muyoung!”
“Ms. Kang Bora! Mr. Ha Muyoung!”
Click! Click!
Since the celebrities attending the screening were all connected, the only people Muyoung, Bora, and Taeseok could invite were limited.
Big Win Entertainment didn’t have many other celebrities, and even the director was a newcomer.
“Hello, Mr. Jinrim.”
“I’m really looking forward to the movie today. Fighting,
“Since it’s Mr. Kang Seongbae’s last work, I think it will be a very precious and meaningful movie for me……”
Listening to the interviews of the celebrities, it seemed that about half of them were guests of Mr. Jinrim and Mr. Kang Seongbae. And among them, a familiar face caught his eye.
“President Yusah!”
“Muyoung, long time no see.”
Yusah waved and pushed through the crowd towards them.
Muyoung laughed as he stared at his nose.
“You didn’t get a nose job.”
“My nose is not something that can be fixed with surgery.”
It was a joke about being hit by Jo Jungdan. Bora and Taeseok also recognized him and bowed.
“Hello, President.”
“Long time no see. You’ve all worked hard. The opening is next week, so now we just need to pray. Haha.”
The official release usually takes place about a week after the screening.
Bora looked around and smiled softly.
“But today, the President has brought many guests.”
“Is it that obvious? You have a good eye.”
At their words, Muyoung tilted his head in confusion.
Then Bora smiled and whispered to him,
“The celebrities here were invited by SJ. Most of them are from SJ E&M, and the rest are people who recently received investment or had a release.”
How do you know that?
When Muyoung looked at Bora in surprise, she just smiled. It’s stranger that you don’t know.
“It’s a big day, so it’s good to have a lot of people. You have to invite people when you can.”
“Thank you. And for having the screening in such a big theater.”
“Just make sure the results are worth it.”
Yusah responded to Muyoung’s gratitude.
At that moment, a staff member called them.
“The cast will enter now.”
“Okay, good luck.”
“See you later.”
As Muyoung passed by him at the staff’s call, something sparkled in the corner of his eye.
He turned around, but Yusah had already disappeared into the theater with his entourage, chatting away.
“Muyoung, from the right, right?”
“Yeah. Should Bora stand in the middle?”
“No, the lead should be in the middle.”
The three of them stood together and posed according to the reporters’ instructions. Right side! Front! Left side! And even a fighting pose!
Click- Click!
“Look this way one more time!”
“Muyoung and Bora, can you stand a little closer?”
“Sorry, we’re going in now.”
“Ah, wait a minute! Just a moment!”
“Thank you! Thank you!”
Muyoung politely greeted the reporters and people as he entered the theater.
In the dimly lit hallway, everyone smiled nervously before entering the theater.
“Director!”
“Oh, there are so many people.”
The director seemed overwhelmed, as it was his debut work. Mr. Jinrim, who came with him, felt the same.
“Oh dear. It’s chaotic.”
“Indeed.”
“If Mr. Kang Seongbae were here, he would have said something.”
“What would he say?”
“‘This is the life of a star!’”
The voice wasn’t similar at all, but the tone was exactly the same. Laughter bubbled up, filled with longing. Just then, a staff member called them.
“It’s time to enter.”
“Okay. Muyoung, stand in the middle.”
“Huh? Teacher…”
“Never mind.”
The director and the cast entered the theater, chatting noisily. The auditorium was almost full. As they entered, cheers and applause erupted.
Clap clap clap-
“Wooaah-!”
There were not only the guardians but also Bora’s and Taeseok’s fans, and the atmosphere was fantastic overall. The director took the microphone with trembling hands and began his greeting.
“Ah, ah, hello. I’m director Bae Cheolmin.”
Was it so difficult to give a brief greeting and introduce the movie? Everyone watched him with sympathy, silently cheering him on.
“We’ve captured the lives of a transcendent being, a vampire, and an ordinary human through the camera’s lens. I hope it resonates with your time.”
And he passed the microphone to Muyoung like a hot potato. His eyes were shaking endlessly, showing how nervous he was.
“Hello, I’m Ha Muyoung, playing the role of the vampire.”
“Waaaah! Muyoung!”
Unlike the director, Muyoung greeted the audience with ease.
Suddenly, he spotted a familiar face in the audience.
“Mr. Kang Seongbae……?”
He muttered the name blankly. It was Kang Seongbae, sitting in the audience, looking just like he did in the studio. He smiled and waved.
“Did I hear that wrong?”
“Why is Mr. Kang Seongbae……?”
The audience whispered and turned to look where Muyoung was staring. But what could they see?
Muyoung quickly continued with a smile,
“……I wish Mr. Kang Seongbae could be here with us today. I’m grateful for the passion and guidance he showed throughout the filming, and I hope you all have a wonderful time today. Thank you.”
Good. That was smooth.
Even as he passed the microphone, Muyoung couldn’t take his eyes off Kang Seongbae’s spirit. After the group greeting, the movie was about to start.
Muyoung asked a staff member,
“Is the seat in the middle of row J empty?”
“Yes. A guest spilled a drink.”
Ah, I see.
That’s how Mr. Kang got a seat.
Muyoung sat down and watched the screening. Every scene reminded him of the filming process, and he was amazed at how those moments had been edited into this final product.
‘This is amazing.’
Especially the scene where the vampire is born in the amniotic fluid, combined with the music, exuded overwhelming charisma. Bora couldn’t take her eyes off the screen and kept poking his arm.
‘Is he crazy?’
‘The editing is perfect.’
The other actors also delivered unique performances, driving the story forward with vigor.
As the short yet long 90 minutes passed and the ending scene appeared with the lights turning on-
Clap clap clap!
Applause erupted in the theater.
It wasn’t a play or a musical, but a screening in a movie theater.
Muyoung and the cast stood up and bowed to the audience again, and he quickly searched for Kang Seongbae’s spirit.
-It was great! Really great!
Kang Seongbae, sitting in row J, smiled satisfactorily and gave a thumbs up. He shouted those words and disappeared into a ray of light.
This time, he truly went to his own world.
As if watching his last work was his final regret.