Chapter 29: Unofficial
“I know, rather…….”
Bonggun thought for a moment, trying to find the right words.
“Someone I remember unilaterally?”
“That’s very unusual.”
“There’s no one as unusual as that person. There’s something called the Seoul Union Theater Club, literally a union for people in the metropolitan area.”
The words sounded grand, but it wasn’t actually anything special. It was about fostering friendships, sharing works, or watching each other’s plays like a mutual aid society. Bonggun, who was in charge of playwriting, had been active mainly through exchanges with writers.
“I met him there, but he wasn’t a college student. His affiliation…… Oh. I don’t remember. Anyway, the funny thing is that he doesn’t tell people his real name.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know either. He always wore a hat pulled down low. He didn’t open up about himself, as if he had committed a crime. But-”
Bonggun hesitated for a moment. The script in his hand. He skimmed through it briefly, but as expected, it was excellent.
“He wrote really, really well.”
It was so memorable. The fresh shock I felt when I first saw it. And the jealousy. It was a work that had both personality and density, something any writer would aspire to.
“It was so well written that it was annoying.”
“Wow. That’s amazing.”
“Everyone kept it to themselves on the outside, but I think they all felt the same way on the inside. We exchanged feedback a few times like that, and then one day he disappeared.”
“You lost contact with him?”
“Yeah. He didn’t post any more writing. But actually, there are so many members in the club union that people often come and go. Naturally, I thought he’d come back next week or something, but then it was completely over. That was probably…… last year…….”
It had been a while, so Bonggun didn’t remember the exact date. He shook his head and changed the subject. It wasn’t important anyway.
“Anyway, you finished it. That guy had a very detailed character setup, so his only drawback was his writing speed. It’s a good attitude, but honestly, no writer goes into detail about a character’s eating habits or anything like that, right?”
“That’s usually the case, I guess?”
Instead of saying he didn’t know because he wasn’t a writer, Muyoung replied appropriately.
“I tried to follow that as a secret to success, but oh. It didn’t work for me. You have to limit it to some extent.”
He shook his head and reminisced. A masterpiece that seemed like it would never end was now complete and in his hands.
“Muyoung, can I read this?”
“It’s okay, but I have to practice for the audition.”
“Printing a copy won’t be possible…… Oh!”
Bonggun snapped his fingers, as if he’d had a good idea. Then he quickly ran back to his seat and turned on his laptop. Muyoung watched the screen from behind him.
“What is it?”
“There’s a post that Aok wrote on the cafe a while ago. Let me see…… as long as it hasn’t been deleted…….”
Click!
“It’s here!”
[The Plague: 3rd Synopsis. HWP]
[The Plague: Character Setting Book. HWP]
[I’ve written up to scene 78. HWP]
There were three files attached to the post. Bonggun downloaded them and sent them to Muyoung via SNS.
“I read fast. Can you wait a little while I look at this? Please. I think the beginning part hasn’t changed much. He’s the type who writes slowly but once he writes something, he sticks with it.”
He pleaded earnestly, with his hands clasped together. Honestly, before meeting Aok, Bonggun thought he was a pretty good writer himself.
‘There was no arrogance like that arrogance.’
You don’t know how stupid you are until you meet a genius.
“I want to see how he wrote and how he finished this work.”
Muyoung nodded as he looked at the files sent via SNS. What could he do if his roommate wanted it that much? Besides, the gift he gave him seemed to be more useful than he thought.
“Go ahead and read.”
“Yes! Thank you! Really!”
He took the script and glanced at the backs of the heads of two friends who were playing a game. They were so focused on the game that all sorts of noise was annoying.
“Wow. How many people are around here?”
“Tutu. Take it out and then go back in!”
“I’ll be in the lobby for a moment.”
“Go ahead, Hyung. Then can I borrow your laptop?”
“Do whatever you want!”
People come and go, but the lobby will be quieter than here. Muyoung sat in Bonggun’s seat and clicked on the file.
Click.
The first thing that caught Muyoung’s eye was, of course, the ‘Character Setting Book.’
[Jaeni: Age nine. Due to a childhood without care, her black hair reaches down to her buttocks. Round face. There are burn marks on her wrists (from an outsider’s perspective, it looks like a suicide attempt> this is why she becomes a target for thugs). She hates beans and loves chocolate-]
Information about the child protagonist appeared first. There were five or six A4 pages of detailed content for each character.
The content was complex, as if he had written down everything that came to mind randomly. Muyoung scrolled down and looked for Louis.
“Oh. Here he is.”
[Louis: Age twenty-one. Brown curly permed hair. Love deprivation. Runs a small shop near the FG factory with only his grandmother. Has mathematical genius but couldn’t shine due to unfortunate circumstances. When his grandmother died of an illness, he suffered from depression and attempted suicide. But he was caught by Jaeni, the only customer at the supermarket, and it failed. He decides to follow her. He likes and enjoys being petted by Jaeni. Always has chocolate in his pocket-]
“I was wondering where all the chocolate was coming from.”
It was from Louis.
There were some parts that were slightly different from the current script, but there was a lot of backstory that filled in the gaps in the puzzle. Muyoung read the behind-the-scenes story, pressing down on each letter.
“Louis. Louis…… Jaeni…….”
And he muttered the names of the two most important characters.
As he read, he felt like he was gradually becoming immersed in their world. At first, he chose the work because of the pollen, but now it was different.
‘I really want to try it.’
He wanted to be them, living in an attractive world. If possible, he wanted to be those two people in this strange love relationship, Louis and Jaeni.
Swoosh.
Muyoung brought over a notebook and began to transcribe the settings of all the characters, which spanned dozens of pages. Since he had to memorize them anyway, this method seemed good.
“Oh my gosh-! Is it up to here?”
“Okay. You’ve done a lot.”
The game, which had been going on since early that morning, finally ended.
Park Moon-sung and Choi Hwan stretched and looked around the dormitory.
“…… Didn’t you say the midterm exams were over?”
“Why is he sleeping over there?”
“Oh my. Is Bonggun crying?”
“He’s crying? Phone! Phone!”
Muyoung, who was frantically writing something down, and Bonggun, who was sleeping in Muyoung’s bed so as not to disturb him. In his arms was the script for The Plague, and his eyes were wet.
Click-!
“What kind of dream are you having to cry?”
It was a mixture of jealousy and the satisfaction of meeting a masterpiece. While Bonggun sniffled, Muyoung shook his aching wrist and laughed.
‘It was good.’
As the lives of dozens of characters were organized, the overall structure of the work was naturally understood as well. A character’s actions were the flow of the story, after all.
‘I can do it.’
Becoming a perfect Louis, better than anyone else. Bringing him, who lives in a two-dimensional world, to life. Muyoung’s eyes sparkled under the light of the lamp.
“Geum-eun-dong-! It’s been a while!”
“It’s Na Geumdong, okay. Sheesh.”
“Sit down. Sit down. Wow, you’re full of energy today?”
Na Geumdong, dressed in a sharp suit, and the banquet prepared before him. The president of Monet took off his coat with a smile.
“Are you busy? You’re about to start a new project soon.”
“Yeah. It’s a bit different from before, so it’s hectic.”
“So the rumors are true? There’s already a cast in mind?”
“Well. You’ve got good ears.”
Normally, the production company and director decide on a project, and then they select the actors and start filming.
But this time it’s a little different.
Since the actor was already decided, they were making adjustments on that side first.
“So, is everything going well with everyone?”
“Hmm. Since it’s Director Jin Gyeongmun’s work, everyone’s pretty positive.”
Jin Gyeongmun also mostly agreed with the casting, except for a few people. The image fit surprisingly well, so even the investment company’s mood wasn’t bad.
“Except for two or three people, it looks like it’ll go pretty much as planned. It’s going smoothly, like everything’s falling into place.”
“That’s good. So there are two or three spots left vacant? I heard the writer’s stubborn, how did you manage to get through to him?”
“Don’t even ask. Our staff worked hard. We got a list of alternative actors, and if that doesn’t work, we’re going to hold an audition with the writer participating.”
At first, he was stubborn, but once things started moving, he backed down a bit. It’s a writer’s dream, isn’t it? To bring their work to the screen in front of the public.
“But why do you keep asking such things?”
“We got a new rookie actor this time.”
“Oh ho! A rookie? At Big Win? What do you mean?”
“His name is Ha Muyoung, and this guy has an eye for scripts. He really wanted to do The Plague after reading it. Oh, by the way, he’s a hardcore fan of Moonshot.”
“He’s a rookie, right? How old is he to know Moonshot?”
“He’s a freshman in college now. So, if you could arrange a spot for him…….”
“Hmm.”
The president of Monet crossed his arms and thought. The two or three vacant spots that had suddenly opened up were quite important roles in the story.
“There are no roles right now that a twenty-year-old rookie could play.”
“Has the role of Louis been decided?”
“Louis? Oh, Lee Hijun from Silring. That’s almost a done deal. The schedule adjustment was the first to be completed. There’s still a meeting left with Director Jin Gyeongmun, but…….”
When both sides want each other, is there any reason for it to fall apart?
The president of Monet picked up his chopsticks and said regretfully,
“Minor roles are no problem, but, well. The roles just aren’t there.”
“Hey, Hyung. Don’t do that. Just arrange one meeting with Director Jin Gyeongmun and the writer.”
It had been a long time since they got a new rookie actor. And he chose Big Win despite giving up all the good opportunities! He trusted me completely!
Since he really wanted to do this project, the agency president desperately wanted to give him a chance.
“The kid’s acting is amazingly good.”
“Sheesh. He’s twenty years old. He must be good.”
“No. If you see this, your mouth will drop open. Wow! His mask is incredible too.”
“Haha! How come you get more girlish as you get older? If what you say is true, he’s a real gem for Big Win, huh? Right?”
“That’s right. He’s a gem!”
The president of Monet picked up a piece of sushi and laughed bitterly.
Yeah. Since they didn’t know each other’s circumstances, it would be a bit much to cut things off coldly while eating this meal.
“I can’t bring myself to call it a meeting.”
A tiny opportunity, like a grain of rice. He’d give it a shot. It would be too much to expect a significant role, but as he said, minor roles were always welcome.
“Just stop by and show your face. Aok and the director will be meeting with the actors soon. I’ll send you the location and time.”
“Thank you!”
“Let’s stop talking about work now. How’s your wife? Is she doing well?”
“Of course. She’s doing very well.”
“Was it five years ago? The last time I saw her.”
How much that tiny grain of rice would grow would depend on the actor. The president of Monet and Na Geumdong passed the wine glasses back and forth.
“I’ll go to the bathroom for a moment.”
“Yes. Go ahead.”
And while the president of Monet was away for a moment, Na Geumdong, drunk and dizzy, sent a text message.
[Muyoung made an appointment[email protected]]
[A meeting?]
[No. He said just to stop by and take a look.]
[Oh. I see. Where is that? Good job, boss. Please be careful on your way home.]
[Okay!]
Ko Gyeongmin, who received a call from Na Geumdong, immediately called Muyoung to tell him the news.
“Yeah. Muyoung, are you busy?”
-No, what’s up?
His voice was different from usual. It was a subdued tone, like a newspaper soaked in depression. Ko Gyeongmin wondered if he had dialed the wrong number and checked the screen.
“……I just got a call from the boss. There’s going to be a meeting for The Plague soon. Since most of the roles have been decided, it’s not a casting discussion, but it’s important to go and make your face known.”
-Yes. I understand.
“Get anything ready that you need to prepare.”
-Hmm…….
Muyoung thought for a moment before answering.
-I need to go get my hair done. I’m going to dye it brown and get a perm.