Rustle— Rustle—
The space was filled with silence, occasionally interrupted only by the sound of turning pages. Kim Sun-il and Seo Yeon-joo were reading the script for Sword.
“Hmph, you said you weren’t doing it.”
“Just looking over the script, that’s all.”
“Then why did you underline my lines?”
“Hey, shut up. Close your mouth and stop being nosy.”
In the midst of their usual warm conversation, both their heads suddenly turned toward the door. A third party had appeared.
“Uh, it’s heavier than I expected.”
Was she a girl? The voice murmuring this belonged to a rather petite woman.
With a pile of documents so high that it obscured her from her belly button to her head, her small frame was barely visible.
Somehow, she managed to neatly set down the pile of documents. She then wiped the sweat from her forehead.
“…whew, I was anxious that I wouldn’t drop it.”
Finally, her appearance was revealed.
Her hair looked like barley fields, a faint golden color, with two large hairpins on her fringe. Below that were emotionless eyes, shining like jewels.
From any angle, she looked like a middle schooler at most. However, the clothes she wore gave off the impression of a professor or detective, creating a stark contrast.
It was as if she’d stolen some wide-cut clothes from an indulgent father.
“What brings you to watch us read the script so affectionately? Have you finally realized how childish constant bickering like siblings is?”
Now, it wasn’t just her outfit that was odd. Her tone, with its air of authority, made her quite a peculiar presence.
“…Affection? What kind of low-level joke is that?”
“President, stop talking nonsense as soon as you walk in.”
Seo Yeon-joo and Kim Sun-il spoke in unison.
The woman known as the president only shook her head.
To everyone’s surprise, this tiny woman was the president of Mystic Entertainment, Kim I-seo.
“Remarks inappropriate for addressing the president. Show some restraint.”
It was hardly a serious conversation. Rather, it felt more like the banter of friends.
However, no one in this bizarre situation thought anything of it. This was, after all, an everyday occurrence in ‘Mystic Entertainment’.
Kim Sun-il, Seo Yeon-joo, President Kim I-seo.
Mystic Entertainment consisted of just these three people, yet their characteristics were vastly different. Despite this, their respective roles were so well-managed that they had inadvertently created a familial atmosphere.
“Alright. Please focus for a moment.”
President Kim I-seo lightly tapped the towering stack of documents reaching almost to her chest. Her expression was filled with pride.
“I’m planning to organize our schedule for the coming year in advance, so let’s select from among these what suits your preferences. Ads, movies, dramas, variety shows… I’ve carefully selected only the best opportunities for you.”
“Hm, President. These are all good, but—”
Seo Yeon-joo adjusted her hairband while speaking.
“Have you heard about the short film Sword?”
“…Ah, are you questioning my competence as a president? Of course, I’m aware. It’s an unfortunate masterpiece that’s too well-known to miss.”
Kim I-seo smirked slightly while tilting her chin.
Moreover, she extended her chest while placing her hands on her hips.
She looked like a flying squirrel.
“Personally, I value Park Jun as a director, but the situation is too dire, so I had to exclude it. I can’t throw my precious actors into the fire, can I?”
Her confident voice continued uninterrupted.
“…If you’re worried that I brought back landmines, I assure you, there’s not a single one among these. I stake my position as president on it.”
At that, Kim Sun-il spoke.
“Seo Yeon-joo and I are doing that. Just know it.”
“Yes. Take your time to look it over, and when you’ve decided—”
However, President Kim I-seo’s words got cut off mid-sentence.
It was as if something had caught in her throat, stopping her speech.
Her eyes blinked a few times.
“…”
A moment of silence passed.
Then her flying-squirrel-like figure slowly shrunk.
“…”
“What was that?”
…
…
…
…
…
A little later.
“…”
President Kim I-seo lay on the floor with her eyes tightly shut, her hands politely placed on her chest.
She resembled a mummy.
“Have I not treated you well up until now? That’s right, I haven’t. That’s why you’re betraying me like this, right…?”
Her muttering was truly pitiful.
She was almost like a matchstick girl on the verge of death.
“It’s fortunate that humans can die. Then I won’t have to see my actors throw themselves into their own hells. I intend to die. Don’t try to stop me.”
“Tell us after this is all over. Focus on the script.”
“…”
Kim Sun-il’s words made Kim I-seo’s body flinch.
“Really, you two go too far.”
“Stop making a fuss. You’re not exactly a child, are you?”
“Child?!”
President Kim I-seo shouted loudly, like a squirrel struck by lightning.
Regardless, Kim Sun-il’s provocation had worked effectively. The president, who had not moved an inch while lying down, instantly raised her upper body.
“You’re both very busy even now. Moreover, Sword is already a failed piece, so if you reveal your willingness to participate, it will flood with articles. You know, once an article is published, it’s difficult to retract.”
“This would be quite embarrassing, and it would also be inconvenient for many reasons.”
At that moment, Seo Yeon-joo quietly spoke.
“Still, we have to do it. The girl cast as Wi Ji-hye is amazing.”
“Then you should tell me who it is.”
“Would you know her name even if I told you?”
“…Are you kidding? I’m already struggling to convince you.”
“But, there is one thing I can tell you.”
Seo Yeon-joo confidently narrowed her eyes and spoke.
“She’s the one who secured the role of Kim Yu-han in Special Mobile Unit 808.”
“…”
Kim Yu-han from Special Mobile Unit 808.
Even President Kim I-seo, usually expressionless, couldn’t help but show interest, but soon there was an obvious confusion.
Kim I-seo tilted her head slightly.
“…Wi Ji-hye’s role is female, while Kim Yu-han’s role is male. Did I miss something? This completely defies common sense.”
Subsequently, Kim Sun-il and Seo Yeon-joo’s explanations began.
“Their first meeting was through I Became an Actress This Way—”
“She declared her departure out of nowhere because acting was just a hobby—”
Their first encounter with Su-a, her abrupt departure, the process leading to her casting in a drama, a lackluster reaction, and her extremely bold behavior for a newcomer… The more they explained, the more there was to talk about.
They even revealed in detail that Su-a had no experience and was not affiliated with any agency.
“…So that’s what happened.”
When Seo Yeon-joo nodded her head to conclude her explanation, there was only silence.
“…”
That silence continued for a long time.
Finally…
Kim I-seo’s bewildered gaze turned towards the two actors.
“Am I supposed to believe this?”
However, she soon shook her head.
“No, no, there’s no reason for you to lie. But…”
President Kim I-seo focused on another aspect.
“…Is it true that such a newcomer is still unaffiliated?”
◆◆◆◆◆
Meanwhile, Su-a was having another phone call with Park Jun.
Was she extremely grateful to Su-a for accepting the role of Wi Ji-hye?
Park Jun seemed eager to inform her of every small matter and regularly called with updates. He was almost like a graduate student.
Of course, Su-a didn’t find this unpleasant.
Receiving such high treatment from the other party felt satisfying, and since they weren’t meeting in person, it brought no burden.
‘If we ever meet in person, facial acting might be quite hard…’
But during a phone call, just modulating her voice seemed sufficient—easy enough.
Su-a reminded herself.
Image management, image management…
Hardworking in acting but not easily approachable in private. A crazy woman who bites if anyone tries to harm me. A charismatic older sister who commands respect…
Su-a repeated these things in her mind as if brainwashing herself, then spoke.
“What is the matter today?”
Her calm, composed tone was gradually improving.
Fiddling, fiddling…
Of course, while softly touching the ears of a bunny plushie. Somehow, this brought inner peace, and her voice came out better.
“Ah, I apologize. Have I been contacting you too much lately? Was it inconvenient for you? Perhaps we should only send reports from now on?”
“Not at all. And creating reports for such trivial matters…”
“Everything is for Miss Su-a. Anything.”
Park Jun earnestly emphasized and continued speaking.
“Miss Su-a, the matter I have to tell you today is simple. You and I belong to a similar category, so you will surely understand.”
“Similar category?”
“Yes. People like us, once we get hooked on something, can’t compromise or negotiate. We must see it through to the end, right? Even if it’s against ourselves! Isn’t that true?”
“…”
Su-a briefly reflected on her past.
Even when playing games, she had often pressed the surrender button immediately…
“To me, it’s about artistry. I understand that popular appeal can satisfy, but I can’t compromise. That’s why I chose the path of directing in the first place, aiming for artistic recognition.”
“I see.”
Su-a nodded.
Though she didn’t fully understand, there was something that made her nod—namely, the special change.
[Short Film Sword]
▶ Sufficient Realization Elements
▶ Experience Completed / Grade 1
After cheering over the 1.5 grade, now it’s an impressive Grade 1. For Su-a, there was quite a bit of surprise.
‘Does the rating correlate strictly with viewership?’
There were several speculations.
‘Is Director Park’s fervent will the reason? Or is it because Yang Ha-rin is no longer part of the equation? Either way, it seems advantageous for me. I should investigate this later.’
As Su-a pondered, Park Jun’s passionate speech continued.
“My short film Sword is not a commercial blockbuster. It’s a movie that exists to win awards.”
“Awards?”
“Yes. Therefore, we aim for the Busan International Short Film Festival.”
“International Short Film Festival…?”
At that moment, Su-a unconsciously gripped the bunny ears tightly. International? That would mean works from all over the world, right?
“Yes. Of course, in Korea, Busan International Short Film Festival is the biggest, isn’t it? Though Miss Su-a might know better.”
This was the first Su-a had heard of it.
Busan… I only knew about Haeundae…
“Of course, we can’t aspire to the international competition category at the moment. Given our rather tough circumstances, we’ll aim for the Korean competition category first.”
“Ah.”
So, it wasn’t competing against works from all over the world. The tension eased slightly.
“Winning an award would be ideal, but even making it to the main competition is already impressive. It lays the foundation for international challenges and also enhances your credibility within Korea.”
“I understand completely.”
In truth, she didn’t understand at all.
‘Anyway, making it to the main competition means advantage, right?’
That was what Park Jun mentioned. Simply making it to the main competition would add a solid line to your filmography.
“But, wouldn’t making it to the main competition be quite difficult?”
“Of course. It seems this year they’ve gathered renowned judges, and they have extremely high standards. They carefully analyze performances down to the smallest detail. For instance, overseas—”
Park Jun’s explanation went on for quite a while, and Su-a listened carefully, at least in her own way.
Regardless, Su-a had only one thing to say.
After all, the rating of the short film Sword kept rising, didn’t it?
“I believe that if Director Park continues like this, everything will be fine.”
Yeah, although I didn’t understand completely, Director Park was definitely doing an exceptional job.
However…
“…”
After a while, there were no more words coming through.
Huh, did the call disconnect?
At the moment Su-a turned up the phone volume to its maximum,
“Miss Su-a—!”
“Ah!”
The sudden loud voice struck her ears.
Su-a’s body trembled as though she’d been electrocuted. She reflexively caught the phone mid-air as it slipped from her grasp.
“Ah, um, w-why are you shouting so loudly?”
“I’m truly moved! I’ll continue to work hard! The grace of choosing my project over other luxurious works! I’ll repay it for sure!”
It was only because the rating of Sword was the highest!
Su-a embraced the rabbit plushie tightly with her legs and spoke.
“…Please don’t shout so loudly, at least.”
My heart hurts. My heart…
◆◆◆◆◆
CT Entertainment’s president’s office.
“Director Park, have you finally lost your mind?”
A smirk formed on the president’s lips.
The reason was straightforward. They had just noticed a casting post from Director Park Jun’s film Sword.
“Director Park must have a great attachment to this piece. Now, you’re even trolling around newbie recruitment sites? You must be desperate to save it.”
“Maybe he mistook it for a part-time job advertisement.”
Yang Ha-rin joined in with a cold laugh.
She was again sitting on the sofa, her eyes glued to her phone, diligently scrolling through posts related to her.
“What kind of good candidates could you possibly find from there? It would probably be at the level of university club videos.”
“That’s exactly what.”
Of course, CT Entertainment’s reaction was more than just mockery.
[How did Park Jun fall so low?]
[Short Film Sword… Now to public casting?]
They were meticulously tearing apart each of Director Park’s actions since he turned his back on them. They had no intention of letting his project collapse completely until it was utterly ruined.
“However, President.”
Yang Ha-rin spoke up at that moment.
“Something’s strange.”
“What?”
Ha-rin showed the casting notice she displayed on her phone screen.
“This notice, right?”
“Just a regular notice?”
“Look closer. It doesn’t mention casting for the role of Wi Ji-hye.”
“…”
The president’s eyebrows twitched.
“I left due to the role of Wi Ji-hye. In other words, Director Park, in an essential situation, must recruit an actor for the role of Wi Ji-hye, but—”
“He isn’t recruiting at all, meaning…”
The president reacted as if realizing something.
“Already secured it, huh. Could it be that he’s hooked up with Su-a or some other rookie? Isn’t this madness gone too far?”
A moment of silence followed.
Silence indicated confirmation. There were no other possibilities.
“Has this guy lost all sense of fear?”
The CT Entertainment president, with a fierce expression, relaxed his shoulders.
Simply reviving the movie and having Su-a as the lead are two situations that are as different as heaven and earth.
…Wouldn’t it look to some people like Yang Ha-rin lost out to a mere rookie?
The president gritted his teeth.
“I need more articles. We should put pressure on the topic of who Director Park discarded Yang Ha-rin for. She’ll surely lose her mind. The actors will likely be too stressed to act.”
Ha-rin remained silent.
“Why, Ha-rin, is this not enough for you? Should I look into other things?”
“Not yet, please hold on.”
She raised a hand as if something just occurred to her.
Looking as if she’d come to a decisive conclusion, her face showed certainty, then she shook her head slightly.
“It seems unnecessary. Instead, let’s let Director Park produce the short film.”
“Huh? Are you suggesting we just watch from the sidelines?”
“Of course not.”
Her eyes flashed with a sharp light.
“I’ll compete with another work. For the short film festival.”
