As Moon Suyeon went around the location greeting people, Heavenly Yuah approached with her full set of costumes ready.
Purple top, leather hot pants, and a cowboy hat.
At her waist were holstered two revolvers, and on her back was a large case strapped.
It was Violet’s visual character design—a definite one at that.
“Seems like you were a bit late, Yoo-a hyung.”
I greeted Heavenly Yuah, who appeared somewhat exhausted.
Although she usually stuck to the shooting schedule like a clock, today she had been a little late compared to normal.
I supposed that her negotiations related to Luna had taken longer than expected.
“Please don’t remind me. It was incredibly exhausting,” she sighed.
“Still, it seems like things went well,” I said.
“Maybe, yeah. It’s officially over now.”
Even though Moon Enter is practically confirmed to go bankrupt and dissolve, there were still tasks on our end. It involved retrieving everything related to Luna from Flame. Similar to when an idol group decides not to renew their contract with the original company and moves to another place, they sometimes lose the right to use their original songs or group name. Think of it in that manner. Though Luna is a solo singer and not part of an idol group, complications can still arise depending on how her previous contract was structured with the old company. Just because a company goes bankrupt doesn’t mean intangible assets disappear entirely.
The creditors of Moon Enter might reclaim these properties for commercial use, or so they say. Even if that’s not the case, it’s better to clean things up to avoid issues. It isn’t something I understood deeply, but I nodded anyway. No matter how it turned out, as matters had been settled already, there was no need to worry further.
“So, did you manage to find that guitar?”
“Yes, the guitar that was lying around the practice room—there were no problems with that.”
Though for me, what truly resonated wasn’t merely that, but that we had retrieved the guitar Moon Suyeon cherished. She might have distanced herself from Moon Enter emotionally, but she still cared for certain objects. The guitar, given to her by Moon Enter’s former president when she began singing, had unfortunately been left behind when she rushed to leave the company. This time, she accompanied Heavenly Yuah to Moon Enter specifically to retrieve it. With the company in disarray and former president Moon under police investigation, we had our concerns about the guitar, but it was successfully recovered, setting our minds at ease.
“And that coffee truck…”
“Ah, that was Moon Suyeon individually covered.”
“Really?”
“Yes, when we tried to have the company help with it, she didn’t want that. She said she needs to show her appreciation?”
“Hmm… She certainly showed plenty of appreciation then.”
Even a simple coffee truck rental usually costs several hundred thousand won. For a different entertainer, perhaps it wouldn’t be notable, but isn’t her current balance only 1.7 million won? Given her situation, the fact that she personally handled this cost made it feel like one of the most genuine expressions of gratitude.
“…she probably needs some better financial management.”
“That’s right. I’m considering assigning Selly as her coordinator.”
“Coordinator? Isn’t she going to be her manager?”
“No, her manager will be a man. But I think Selly should handle coordination.”
“…Does Selly even know how to do coordination?”
“Yes, actually. She was my coordinator when I first debuted. Apparently, she’s always had to manage people with the habit of attracting stalkers, so it’s something she can handle.”
Indeed, Selly is remarkable—it’s hard to think of anything she might not be skilled at. Although, speaking of which, wasn’t Heavenly Yuah’s debut nine years ago? Could Selly have been with her even then?
Which means…
“Just how old is Selly anyway?”
“Ah… Honestly, I don’t know.”
Truly a mysterious woman. If Selly had been with Heavenly Yuah for nine years after retiring from some nation’s intelligence service, she should be at least late thirties. Yet her face remains timeless. I thought people of Slavic origin aged faster, but Selly seems to be an exception.
Nevertheless, with someone as versatile as Selly looking out for Moon Suyeon, I feel a sense of relief. Though our guards, equipped with black masks, anesthetics (illegal), stun guns (illegal), form an enigmatic organization, they are experts in protecting and defending individuals. With the frequent presence of stalkers and fanatics in Moon Suyeon’s life, this level of protection is essential.
“Considering this, it isn’t bad that she moved into the company building, is it?”
It seemed like Heavenly Yuah had a plan all along.
“Ah, by the way, Senior Namm Hyun-ho mentioned something about your company.”
“Namm Hyun-ho?”
“Yes, he’s interested in signing a contract, apparently.”
“…Not bad, then.”
“Right?”
She, too, seemed to see the potential for Namm Hyun-ho’s joining Flame positively. In truth, it was normal. Which South Korean entertainment agency wouldn’t jump at the chance to have a star of Namm Hyun-ho’s caliber join them? Whatever the specifics, the decisions would ultimately be left to the company and Heavenly Yuah, so it was my job to communicate his intentions to the company.
“Let’s proceed with the filming.”
Our brief conversation concluded as it was time to start shooting. The scene scheduled today was the Han-yang ambush.
I Myung greeted Violet after she took a train from Busan to Han-yang, but midway through their movement, they were attacked by unknown assailants. Aristocratic families, fearing the growing power of the royal household due to the developed gold mines, initiated a surprise attack to eliminate any threats.
Throughout her voyage from Busan to Han-yang, Violet had already been subjected to a few ambushes, so she unleashed her pent-up anger, turning the attackers into swiss cheese with her firepower.
…
“Damn…”
Myung tried to pull her out of the situation quickly, knowing the aristocrats trying to obstruct the exploration of the gold mines would attempt her arrest in some way.
Even if they couldn’t legally handle her due to her diplomatic status, the delay in her work alone would cause significant harm.
…
“What in the world…”
“Not good, these guys need to see what’s coming for them!”
“Alright, let’s move! Move!”
“Ok! Cut! Great!”
“Good job! Thank you for your hard work!”
The scene came to an end as the director gave the cue. Heavenly Yuah immediately approached the fallen stuntmen, thanked them, and helped each one to his feet, acknowledging their excellent performances of getting convincingly shot down by the Gatling guns. I thought the same—the stuntmen, professionals in action, performed the scene realistically. They made the mass casualty scene look incredibly convincing, which allowed us to wrap up quickly—a fitting commendation for their effort.
“Here, wouldn’t regular revolver action have been better?”
“No, for this character, handling the threat with a Gatling fits better.”
“Hmm, but there’s not enough revolver action, then.”
“Does Violet even need to display revolver action?”
“The revolver action is simply gorgeous.”
“Heavenly Yuah, doing a double-shot revolver…with kicks and jumps!”
“Exactly!”
“All that can be handed over to Im Myung. Violet is about firepower.”
“But who on earth uses a Gatling gun at the heart of the city?”
“Exactly why she’s called a ‘Ruins Maker.'”
There was some disagreement between the director and the writer on this particular scene. Was it too crude to bring an actual Gatling gun into the town?
Director Bang believed using two revolvers to face an assassin would be more natural, while writer Yang Yu-ri insisted on using the brute firepower of the Gatling as something perfectly fitting for the character of Violet.
In my opinion, it was a difference in preferences. Director Bang, who is purely an action enthusiast, isn’t particularly fond of Gatling gun rampages. On the other hand, Yang believed that a Steam Punk world needed characters who could handle firepower battles.
“Still, since the scene turned out well, let’s move on to the next.”
Director Bang didn’t press his point too strongly, given how well the scene turned out. It was simply a matter of voicing his dissatisfaction—perhaps a tantrum due to his inability to direct a more intricate action scene from Heavenly Yuah. He must subconsciously think this scene with the Gatling is appropriate, too.
Thus, the day’s shooting continued smoothly without any major issues.
*
Namm Hyun-ho joined Flame almost immediately.
There was no particular need to delay or complicate negotiations since both the company and he were fully on board. Moreover, a complete reorganization for his inclusion wasn’t necessary, as Namm Hyun-ho already had his own team. They agreed for the entire team to join Flame under contract, with the stipulation that if Namm Hyun-ho ever decided to leave, the entire team would resign as well.
“Our Hyun-ho oppa, we hope to work well together.”
Jo Gyu-tae, Namm Hyun-ho’s manager, who is three years younger than his client, immediately began greeting each department upon joining the company—even though there were only T.E.A.M Leader Seo’s Scheduling Team and Director Hong’s Media Management Team. He also extended greetings personally to the affiliated actors, clearly showing his courteous demeanor.
“To be honest, it was a challenge. Our leader has a character like no other. The first meeting was shocking, but now, it’s a great opportunity to work together.”
“Likewise.”
“And thanks to this, the problematic people around him, you know, those Jo Yoo-shin-like characters, have nearly dispersed. You get the message—he’s someone who doesn’t listen.”
Ah, indeed.”
The manager certainly suffered while covering for Namm Hyun-ho, who is well-known for being a bit eccentric. Despite being only as old as I am, considering he’s three years younger, it’s quite possible he had quite the experience following Hyun-ho around. He seemed to know exactly where Hyun-ho came from, too—there was a certain learned air to him. He likely hailed from Changcheon, given my impressions.
Additionally, it was intriguing that his example involved Jo Yoo-shin, mentioned no less than three times. How much exactly did the manager dislike Jo Yoo-shin?
In any case, the deal satisfied both sides. They managed to unload one heavy burden, thanks to us.
“Wow, are you living at the company? You really are insane.”
“…I don’t want to hear that from you, hyung.”
As I anticipated, Namm Hyun-ho didn’t seem interested in moving into the company office. He referred to those who did so dismissively, like they were crazy. While it’s undoubtedly exciting to have a sane actor join the company, it felt peculiar with someone like Namm Hyun-ho involved. That man was clearly crazier than I was—why keep calling me the madman?
Still, with Namm Hyun-ho joining Flame…
Flame now housed a lineup of stellar actors: Heavenly Yuah, Moon Suyeon, Namm Hyun-ho, and White Siu. We had constructed a small but powerful team that large agencies rarely managed to assemble.
Of course, from my perspective, this was like a peculiar party mixing Heavenly Demon (monk), Hao Moonzhu (killer), Namgoong Family (warrior), but it was undeniable that no one could dare to overlook Flame Entertainment anymore. Especially since, ultimately, Moon Suyeon joining the company was my own doing—this development had a bittersweet ring to it.
