Chapter 138: Pledge Fulfillment
“Alright! That’s all from me. Everyone, keep up the good work today—” Yusah stood up and lightly adjusted his suit collar. He glanced at his wristwatch with a hint of regret.
He seemed to be a busy man, barely able to spare this moment.
“Mr. President, let’s discuss the details in a formal meeting. Looking forward to good news.”
The agency staff reflexively followed him out.
Muyoung waved goodbye, then hesitated.
“Oh! President!”
“Yes?”
“By the way, do you know how many viewers Street Sunlight has in China?”
“China?”
Yusah tilted his head, as if he’d heard something that didn’t quite add up.
“It hasn’t been released there yet.”
“Really?”
“And I don’t have any plans for it yet. The secondary distributor is Oakland in the US.”
When it comes to the film industry, it’s naturally Hollywood.
Even with all the talk about Chinese money these days, the fundamentals don’t change.
SJ’s policy has always been to focus on the US rather than China, and with Baek’s different approach, it’s only natural.
“Of course, Street Sunlight itself is a film that could appeal to English-speaking audiences.”
“But how did they find out?”
“What do you mean? The kimchi thing?”
“Yeah, there’s been a lot of talk on our SNS lately. More and more Chinese comments are popping up.”
Muyoung shared his concern, and Yusah just shrugged with a smile. It was obvious.
“Probably hackers, since it’s so popular. Must be distributed by them.”
He was referring to illegal downloads. An unexpected twist!
Muyoung’s mouth dropped open in surprise.
“Wow, that’s huge.”
“Sometimes, unimaginable things happen.”
Muyoung pondered, his eyes darting around.
He asked Yusah again, as if to confirm.
“So, there’s really no China release?”
“Why? Is there?”
“No, just asking.”
Good actors can’t lie.
Muyoung tried to brush it off, but Yusah sensed he’d made up his mind about something.
He didn’t seem like he’d share more right now…
“Well, I really have to go.”
“Okay, safe travels!”
“See you, Mr. President.”
Yusah left after politely greeting Na Geumdong. The office felt chaotic, like a storm had swept through.
Bora slumped onto the sofa, and Ko Gyeongmin was busy adjusting schedules.
“I’ll be right back.”
Even Na Geumdong, awkwardly laughing, grabbed a file and left. Muyoung stood still, taking in the small, worn-down office.
“What do you think?”
“About what?”
“The company, if it gets absorbed by SJ.”
After a busy stretch, a sweet Sunday off.
Muyoung, Bora, and Junho gathered at home, binge-watching variety shows while eating chicken. It felt like they were crashing a date, but what could they do? It was his place, and they were fine with it.
“Totally awesome.”
Bora, crunching on radish, replied.
“That much?”
“It’s SJ. Forty percent of the films released in Korea are from Baek, and the other forty percent are from SJ. With Baek out of the picture, what’s left? Did you know the stock price doubled after that incident?”
“Wow, you’re into stocks too?”
“…If we’re talking about the company’s value, then yes.”
Bora paused, catching her breath at the sudden comment. He had a way of cutting through context.
Junho fed her a piece of chicken and said,
“Yeah, it’s not like they’re cutting any actors. Big companies are big for a reason, right? They’ll handle things quickly, and the support will be top-notch. In my opinion, it’s a huge opportunity.”
“Mr. President’s proposal isn’t that bad. With SJ’s backing, the business could grow even bigger. I bet the titles will stay the same.”
Only the actual management would change; everything else would remain the same. Muyoung, focused on the TV, devoured the last piece of chicken.
“Yeah, it wouldn’t be bad.”
Having seen the pollen on Yusah’s shoulder, any choice would be good for Muyoung.
“Getting into a big company isn’t easy.”
“True. I can’t even imagine how I’d manage to sign with them.”
Aside from Muyoung, who was doing well, would Bora and Taeseok even get such an opportunity?
It’s not like idol auditions; for actor agencies, getting connected to a big company is like reaching for the stars.
“Oh, right. That’s been happening for three weeks straight.”
“What?”
“The live chat streaming we did.”
At Bora’s words, Muyoung snapped back to attention. On TV, Focusing on Showbiz was airing.
Actors who were rarely seen were streaming on MeTube, their faces enlarged, interacting with viewers in real time.
“The response was pretty good, right?”
“Muyoung, you’re often on W App, but Bora, Taeseok, and Teacher Jinrim are rare sights.”
“Teacher Jinrim looked so cute.”
“Ms. Areum seemed like she’d be cut right away, but she’s doing well. Good for her.”
Ew. “Our Bora.”
Muyoung’s mouth dropped open in shock.
Had they forgotten someone was there?
They were busy feeding each other chicken, all lovey-dovey.
Muyoung chugged his cola and grabbed his buzzing phone.
“Huh?”
Crazy notifications and DMs.
Bora, glancing over, widened her eyes. She saw the article on Muyoung’s phone.
“No way.”
[Street Sunlight Hits 7 Million Viewers in Just 25 Days!]
[Unstoppable! Street Sunlight Maintains 30% Booking Rate!]
[Street Sunlight’s Box Office Storm: Impact on the Blue Dragon Film Awards?]
The three huddled together, scrolling through the articles.
Fans and acquaintances were sending congratulatory messages with links, the alerts showing no signs of stopping.
“Whoa!”
“Yes!”
“Bora, you’re the best! The best!”
“Hey, Im Junho, what about me?”
“Yeah, Ha Muyoung, buy me dinner~”
They were hugging, cheering, and rolling around on the sofa. Bora was screaming and tumbling on the floor.
Muyoung tried to join in, but Junho pushed him away, hugging Bora tighter.
“Ugh, me too!”
“Hug yourself. What are arms for?”
Ugh, so sad.
Bora, giggling, calmed down and told Muyoung,
“We should prepare our pledge. 700 lunchboxes!”
“Right. Let’s post photos too. Where’s the paper and pen…”
They held up a carefully written note: “Thank you so much for 7 million!” Bora took the photo, smiling.
“I’ll do mine at home. If we take it with the same background, people will go crazy.”
“Awesome!”
“We’ll ask the company for the lunchboxes, right?”
Muyoung smiled and nodded.
He casually asked her opinion.
“What about Korean food for the lunchboxes?”
“Korean? Of course. It’s hard to pack other cuisines. Maybe Japanese, but…”
“Like kimchi fried rice and bulgogi.”
At Muyoung’s suggestion, Bora looked up from the lens, smiling slyly. So cute.
“Why not kimchi as a side too?”
“That’s too salty. If you don’t like it, I’ll do it first—”
“—Fine, whatever.”
Bora tossed her phone to Muyoung.
Taeseok and Teacher Jinrim would probably be okay with it, but the company might be a bit puzzled.
But there was no reason to stop them. If Koreans want Korean lunchboxes, what could they do?
“Let’s do it.”
“Wow, Bora’s awesome.”
Muyoung winked and posted the photo on SNS, along with a heartfelt thank-you message and emojis.
[Everyone~ Can you believe it? Street Sunlight hit 7 million today! I’m so, so grateful and happy to keep my pledge. See you soon with proof photos! Thanks to you, Muyoung is happy. I hope you are too. Promise!]
A few days later,
Muyoung posted a new photo.
Standing in front of 700 lunchboxes from a custom bento specialist, he smiled, showing the contents. The kimchi fried rice had a ‘( ᐛ )’ emoji made of seaweed on the sunny-side-up egg.
[Pledge Keeper is here! We worked with the custom bento shop ‘Haetbul.’ They were so kind, even with the sudden large order. (Not sponsored! Just really grateful.) These Korean lunchboxes, made with local ingredients, are here! Kimchi fried rice with a must-have sunny-side-up egg (^∇^) Plus bulgogi and healthy namul. They look so good, right? The 700 lunchboxes were delivered to children in need. Smelling them made my mouth water! My favorite Korean dish is kimchi fried rice. How about kimchi fried rice for dinner tonight?]
In another photo, Taeseok, Bora, and Teacher Jinrim smiled, making V signs.
There were no photos of the children, but everyone knew it was Muyoung’s consideration.
-Wow! Congrats on 7 million!
-Such a good deed~ Always cheering for you!
-Muyoung, I love you love you love you love you (*˙˘˙)♡
-LOL, is this a direct hit?
-Someone grab a thank-you photo!
-That’s a real Korean lunchbox!
-Ugh, the mainland’s reaction is ridiculous. How did they even watch it if it’s not released? LOL
-May all the actors soar high! Thanks for the heartwarming news~ The awards are in two days, see you then! I won’t sleep that night because of you, Muyoung.
-We’re serious about food… Don’t mess with us… We drink kimchi juice like water… Muyoung… Can I have some dongchimi too…
The impact of the 700 lunchboxes was bigger than expected. Among young, popular actors, few would openly respond like that.
Most were cautious, considering overseas promotions.
Ding-ding.
“The response is stronger than I thought.”
Bora sat beside him at the shop. Taeseok, already done with his makeup, played games on his phone.
It was finally the day of the Blue Dragon Film Awards.
“More Chinese comments.”
“You too? Me too.”
Muyoung and Bora smiled, catching each other’s eyes in the mirror.
The stylist, fixing their hair, asked,
“But it’s really impressive. No one talks about this. Are you sure it’s okay? What does the company say?”
“They didn’t say anything.”
A problem only becomes a problem when acknowledged.
What’s the issue with buying kimchi fried rice lunchboxes, something they’d eaten countless times?
“Are the Chinese comments harsh?”
“Uh, it’s fine.”
Muyoung, showing his shiny face, muttered.
“I can read English, but no Chinese. Just looks like characters to me.”
It was uncomfortable, but no more than that.
Muyoung asked the stylist to touch up his makeup and adjusted his outfit. He wasn’t going to force himself to smile through it.
“Is everyone ready?”
Ko Gyeongmin entered the shop and asked.
Taeseok stretched lightly, and Bora fixed her hair with spray.
“What about Teacher Jinrim?”
“We’re meeting at the entrance. We should head out now.”
“Okay, we’re all set. Bora?”
“Me too. Taeseok finished ages ago.”
The three, dressed in suits and gowns, sparkled. Guided by Ko Gyeongmin, they got into the car.
The evening marked the start of a glamorous night festival.