The hallway was silent for a moment.
Kim I-seo, too, looked rather flustered at the moment. She had not imagined that the visitor would be Director Yusaku.
The silence was first broken by the staff.
Soon, murmurs began to spread.
“Isn’t this the director who was invited to the Short Film Festival?”
“He’s a Japanese master, but he’s also quite well-known in Korea. He blends the tastes of both countries well. Isn’t he the director of ‘Sometimes, By Chance’?”
“Ah! So this is that director! Wow!”
As more staff began to recognize Director Yusaku, Kim I-seo’s curiosity only deepened.
Sua felt the same way.
‘Hmm? Did I find the person who broke my trophy?’
However, Director Yusaku was not alone. A man who looked like an assistant stood beside him, along with an interpreter that Sua had seen before.
Director Yusaku greeted them first.
“I’m visiting today because I’ll be leaving the country tomorrow. If it’s inconvenient, I can turn back. I know this is a bit rude.”
The interpreter standing nearby translated his words in real-time.
Kim I-seo glanced at her watch a few times as if considering, then responded.
“Not at all. It’s actually an honor to have Director Yusaku visit. However, I have a very important schedule today, so we’ll only be able to talk for about an hour. Is that okay?”
“Yes, that will be enough.”
“Alright. Let’s see….”
Kim I-seo gestured urgently to the staff.
It was a signal to quickly prepare a reception area. The staff immediately understood and sprang into action.
Kim I-seo offered a slight smile.
“Director Yusaku, may I ask the purpose of your visit?”
“That’s quite obvious…”
Instead of answering verbally, Director Yusaku glanced towards Sua.
Those who noticed his gaze looked at each other with surprised expressions. However, Director Yusaku nodded as if confirming their suspicions.
“There’s no one else but Sua. It’s all for Sua.”
Sua’s eyes widened.
“Did you come because of me?”
“Yes. The focus of today’s discussion is entirely on Sua.”
Meanwhile, the interpreter did not translate the conversation between Sua and Director Yusaku. Having met before at an awards ceremony, the interpreter knew Sua’s Japanese was excellent.
Sua continued confidently in fluent Japanese.
“I’m suddenly unsure what this is all about…”
“There’s no need to be nervous. It’s a simple proposal.”
Surprise gradually spread across the faces of the nearby staff. After all, her pronunciation had earned high praise.
At that moment, Kim I-seo nudged Sua’s side.
“Sua, I’d like to listen too. Can you translate as well?”
“Understood.”
Sua nodded confidently.
It was then that Director Yusaku began speaking again.
“I was deeply impressed by Sua during the film festival.”
Sua began translating immediately, and the director continued.
“If I were to talk about the shock I felt then, it could easily take a whole day. However, given that your time is limited today…”
Everyone’s admiration grew as they witnessed Sua’s translation skills.
“Today, I think it’s best to get to the main point quickly. An hour will be more than enough. Thank you for accepting.”
It was around then that the staff returned. It also signaled that the reception area was ready to welcome the distinguished guest.
The proposal began abruptly.
…
…
…
.
.
.
Thud.
Director Yusaku carefully placed his teacup down.
“I feel I’m being treated a little too well, considering I’m an uninvited guest.”
Without realizing it, Sua was about to reply with “I agree,” before biting her tongue. Habits can be scary like that.
“Most importantly, I’m very pleased that we can communicate without an interpreter. Our conversation today won’t last long.”
“I agree.”
Sua nodded. Sua agreed.
Inside the reception area, the current setup was a face-to-face meeting of four individuals: Kim I-seo and Sua on one side, and Director Yusaku and his assistant on the other.
The interpreter didn’t join, as they were no longer necessary.
“The advantage of being able to communicate directly is immense, especially in this industry. A director’s world is delicate, and even one miscommunicated word can ruin everything.”
“That’s right.”
“I apologize for breaking your trophy earlier. Nevertheless, my admiration for Sua hasn’t waned. In fact, my assistant and I were quite surprised to learn that she directed a short film.”
“Hmm…”
Now Sua no longer felt guilty to respond with sounds like “hmm,” “oh,” or “emm.” What’s the big deal! I’m already doomed anyway!
Suddenly, Yusaku asked.
“You have experience with both countries, so you’ll understand. Korea and Japan have similar yet distinct attractions, don’t they?”
“Yes.”
Sua actually hadn’t traveled abroad due to the cost.
But it wasn’t the time to admit that. Sua cleverly sidestepped the topic.
“I am quite interested in Japan.”
… thanks to video games and anime.
Then Kim I-seo abruptly interjected. Her face showed a faint hint of urgency due to the lack of time.
“Director, you mentioned you visited for Sua. Could you tell us the reason in detail?”
“Ah, I apologize. Let me get right to the proposal.”
Director Yusaku’s expression became very serious.
“Sua, lead our war for us.”
“What?”
Sua involuntarily repeated the question.
War? A war? What’s going on all of a sudden?
Director Yusaku laughed.
“Of course, it’s not an actual war. More specifically, I’m offering you a role in my next project.”
“Aah.”
Sua sighed with relief internally. Whew.
“My goal is to break the mold of Japanese noir, and to achieve that, I need to take a bold step. But it has to succeed. Failure would only lead to ridicule.”
“What kind of challenge are you talking about?”
Sua wondered if they were planning a protest or something.
“First, let’s take a look at this. Assistant.”
The assistant beside the director then pulled out a large tablet and displayed a poster on the screen.
Sua immediately recognized it.
“It looks like a poster advertising a contest.”
“That’s correct. I was in charge of judging the winning entry and have already decided on it. It’s a rather risky but excellent piece.”
“I’d appreciate more details.”
As Sua tilted her head, the director continued.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t bring the screenplay today, but it’s quite an edgy noir. Sua would take on the role of a Yakuza member.”
Director Yusaku continued calmly.
“It’s so edgy that there’s already heavy backlash. Projects competing with noir films are trying to squash us, and for a while, they’ll keep doing so.”
“…If people around you are reacting that strongly, isn’t it just a bad script? Maybe there’s a problem somewhere.”
“That’s true. But we can turn this into a winning script.”
Director Yusaku’s eyes sparkled with determination.
“If Sua joins us, this script will certainly break the mold of Japanese noir. Assistant, show it!”
As the assistant began adjusting the tablet, Sua relayed the content to Kim I-seo. He wants to hire me.
The assistant then launched a graphics program.
“…Isn’t that my photo?”
Sua murmured.
She remembered from her profile photo session, where alongside passport-style photos, they took a few full-body shots. On the tablet, a photo of her sitting on the floor was being displayed.
What are they planning to do with this? She couldn’t even guess.
“Let me show you what we envision for Sua. It will help you think about this proposal.”
Swoosh, Swoosh—
As soon as the pen moved, Sua instantly understood what they were doing.
“A.”
Director Yusaku began overlaying various drawings on Sua’s body, essentially showing what she might look like fully made-up at this very moment.
It was so skillfully done that the process didn’t take long at all.
The director beside him nodded in apparent satisfaction.
“Exactly! This is it! Before, it was unclear in my mind, but having done this work, it’s so clear now. This role is only for Sua! Definitely!”
“…”
On the other hand, Sua was in shock.
‘You mean, this is the role you think only I can play?’
The result in front of her eyes was stunning.
With tattoos, cigarettes, and a barely concealed chest bound with bandages, the exposure was extreme. Moreover, she looked utterly fearsome.
This is way too harsh…
Sua scratched her head.
“It seems like I’m far from this image, and the makeup looks very challenging…”
But Sua’s words were cut short.
Kim I-seo had just interjected.
“This is fine, actually.”
There was considerable strength in the representative’s voice.
“Practically, there’s no makeup involved. You’re being cast just as you are. Even the look is pretty similar to your actual appearance.”
“…?”
What exactly does that mean, Director?
Sua quietly glanced around.
Well, here the only interpreter is me.
Sua then adopted a serious expression and responded.
“The Director also believes we should consider it.”
“Excuse me?”
“Is that true? Did Director Kim really say that?”
“Ah, umm, emm…”
“Perhaps it’s due to the emotional differences between Korea and Japan.”
“Yes?”
“In Japan, you’d be called a demon or an ogre. So terrifying that crying children would stop immediately. They might even believe you were born for this role.”
“…”
“Even though I don’t know how this is perceived in Korea, in Japan, you’ll be praised as a perfect fit. There’s no need to worry.”
Sua couldn’t help feeling disheartened.
“Alright, I’ll think about it.”
Of course, it wasn’t just because she was upset that she declined. The main reason was that she hadn’t even reviewed the script’s rating yet.
Well, so she’s thinking about it. Really.
Director Yusaku seemed satisfied with this response.
“Understood. There’s no need to respond immediately.”
With that, everyone stood up from their seats.
After stepping out into the hallway, Director Yusaku began discussing something with his assistant, while Kim I-seo approached Sua.
“Sua, how did it go?”
“They’re offering me a role, and I said I’d think about it. The drama hasn’t been aired yet, and I still need to consult with you.”
[And I’m upset.]
The latter part was ignored.
“Sua is being offered a role, right? Hmm, well then…”
Kim I-seo quickly thought it over.
“Breaking into Japan is an incredible opportunity, but given who Sua is, she’ll expect the best treatment. It’s not impossible. There’s a way to captivate a legendary director.”
Having made her decision, Kim I-seo lifted her head.
“Director Yusaku.”
When the director’s gaze turned towards her.
“Would you like to accompany us for a moment?”
Kim I-seo said this with a faint smile.
“Sua’s drama is airing right now.”
