Godsent Top Star [EN]: Chapter 146

The God-Given Top Star 146. Ki Han-hyang? (1)

146. Ki Han-hyang? (1)

2022.03.26.

The investor who readily contributed an enormous investment to a movie gasping for production costs. Thanks to that, the movie came out with a divinely inspired quality, but… “Ah, Investor-nim! It’s nothing much…” The voice of the staff, who had been speaking with divine joy, gradually diminished. “That’s, haha… it was just something we were saying among ourselves.” “Y-yes, that’s right. We would never treat an ordinary person like that without careful consideration…” One of the other staff members, who was chiming in from the side, even bit his tongue.

“…” Watching them, Yeon-woo sighed inwardly. A big-handed investor who readily donates a large sum to a low-budget film. Moreover, he doesn’t meticulously scrutinize the details, nor does he ask questions, showing great generosity. And that’s not all. He even took care of the staff’s welfare, which he didn’t necessarily have to, diligently providing food trucks, upgrading flights, and more. Of course, the staff’s gratitude for receiving all that was separate from their mental burden.

In any case, when you think about it, Woo Do-gyeom was an ideal investor, more than anyone could have asked for. But.

‘No, why is he suddenly acting like this?’

‘Why is he suddenly acting so friendly…’

‘Why is someone who never even talked to us…’ It wasn’t for nothing that question marks popped up in the staff’s heads. He was a very grateful person who raised the quality of the movie, but he was still a difficult person to deal with. Woo Do-gyeom. The only time he became human was when one particular person was present. Everyone in this place knew who that one person was, without needing to be told.

-Are we even breathing properly right now?

-I don’t know… I’m completely out of it. Why is he staring at us so menacingly? Did we make a mistake?

-N-no. It’s not that, I think that’s how he usually is? Think about it. He’s always been like that when we’ve seen him.

-Huh? Now that you mention it, it seems like it…

A very natural change that only occurs when one person is present. The staff knew which side was closer to the real Woo Do-gyeom. Perhaps the 모습 [moseup – appearance/demeanor] they usually saw was the man’s true self.

-When is Yeon-woo coming today…?

-I don’t know. He’s already done with filming, so we should be grateful that he’s coming at all. How can we ask him that?

-Sniff…

He used to visit the set almost every day, but the fact that they still weren’t used to it was proof. Thanks to that, the staff vaguely recalled the memories of being restless and tormented. And at the same time, they thought.

‘Hmm. It’s almost impossible to contact him when Yeon-woo isn’t here… The twins are cute, but let’s drop this plan.’

‘He cherishes the children so much… If we cast the twins, that means we have to see the investor again?’

‘For our mental and emotional health, let’s give up on that idea…’

That’s when everyone made a decision with one mind.

“Good.”

“Sorry… Yes?”

The staff member, who was about to apologize reflexively to the low voice that popped out, froze.

“I said it’s good.”

“So… the children…?”

“I know that many photos of my children have already been circulating, so it’s not like they’re ordinary people anyway.”

Why did that sound like, ‘You made my children’s photos circulate, so atone with your death.’ Clearly, Woo Do-gyeom approved it, and Cheongwang was the one who led the fake marketing, but still, it felt like they had done something wrong. They should have properly controlled the set and prevented this from happening. They even felt like they should take responsibility and resign from their positions.

“So it’s okay. Proceed.”

“It’s really okay. We’re just sorry that we got too excited and couldn’t distinguish what we should and shouldn’t say.”

“Hmm?” Woo Do-gyeom’s eyebrows rippled. An atmosphere like cold water had been poured on them. He wasn’t just a typical investor, and Woo Do-gyeom’s unique atmosphere made them feel like they had to read his mood for no reason.

In the end, Yeon-woo stepped in, unable to watch any longer.

“What he’s saying is true.”

There was no need to take Woo Do-gyeom’s side, but.

‘It’s always best to save the pitiful herbivores.’

Everyone here is innocent, honest, and diligent. So they must be overwhelmed by Woo Do-gyeom’s atmosphere.

[Truth] Yeon-woo said, looking at the results of the intention analysis that appeared before his eyes. Woo Do-gyeom tilted his head towards Yeon-woo and curved his lips.

“That’s right. As 군 [gun – a respectful suffix] says, everything I say is true. I don’t know why they don’t believe me.”

Well, it’s because you don’t usually act like that, that’s why. No matter how much Woo Do-gyeom tries to hide it, Yeon-woo can’t help but figure out what kind of person he is.

“Anyway, he says it’s true, so I think you can believe him.”

“Uh… so you’re really saying we can cast the twins…?”

The question was directed at Woo Do-gyeom, but it was subtly directed at Yeon-woo.

“I don’t make empty promises. More than that, do you accept requests as part of your pledge?”

“Yes?! Requests… what kind of requests…?”

Surely he’s not going to use the children as an excuse to ask for something strange? That anxiety seemed to float above the staff’s heads.

“Does a request from an investor usually end as just a request? Why are you butting in?”

A light jab at ruining the fun. Woo Do-gyeom tilted his head again and answered innocently.

“Right. I’m the investor, can’t I even make one request?”

This guy is definitely enjoying this right now. It doesn’t seem like he’s really going to make a request, but.

“It seems like there’s someone here who doesn’t know when to jump in and when to back off.”

A soft voice penetrated the still stiff atmosphere. Kwon Seong-hyeon, who had approached unnoticed, touched Yeon-woo’s shoulder.

“It’s common sense to know when to step back in a situation like this, but Yeon-woo is in trouble because of someone who doesn’t know that.”

“Is that directed at me?”

“That’s strange. I hear something that sounds like a dog barking somewhere?”

Kwon Seong-hyeon replied so naturally. Anyone who didn’t know he was an actor with several ten-million-viewer movies might have been fooled by his nonchalant tone. They might have even looked outside to see if a dog was really barking. If it weren’t for Woo Do-gyeom’s expression, which was smiling but coldly hardening.

“I wonder if you’ll only come to your senses after being bitten by a dog.”

“A club is the best medicine for a crazy dog.”

“…”

What are these people doing here?

“Yeon-woo. Do you know what you call someone who ruins a pleasant after-party by insisting on joining in?”

“…I don’t know.”

“They call them a 꼰대 (kkondae, old person who is condescending).”

The atmosphere, which had briefly loosened with Kwon Seong-hyeon’s appearance, froze again.

“Hmm…” The staff watched Woo Do-gyeom’s fingertips tapping the table with bated breath, along with a subtle smile. Haa. Yeon-woo sighed and stood up from his seat.

“Yeon-woo?”

“Yeon-woo 군 (gun)?”

Yeon-woo gestured towards the outside with his chin. “If you’re going to act childish at your age, both of you get out.”

Perhaps it was because of those words, spoken with a smile. The awkward air was quickly resolved.

“Both of you, go over there.”

“Yeon-woo 씨 (ssi)… I’m Yeon-woo 씨 (ssi)’s manager?”

“I’m the investor here?”

“You two didn’t make the movie together. You’re being a hindrance, so go over there. Quickly.”

When his excuses, which wouldn’t work on anyone, were met with a merciless response, Kwon Seong-hyeon and Woo Do-gyeom, who had been glaring at each other for a moment, got up. They probably instinctively sensed that continuing to resist here would only make the situation worse.

The two men, who were radiating an atmosphere of being worth a hundred, disappeared, and only then did the staff begin to stroke their chests one by one.

“Oh, thank you. I almost choked.”

The expensive meat they had eaten almost came back out into the world. The assistant director next to him leaned towards Yeon-woo and whispered softly. His face was very refreshed, as if he had gotten rid of ten years of indigestion.

“…” There were also people who silently expressed their gratitude with their whole bodies, raising their fingers. Anyway. They’re funny people. In a world where people are eager to flatter investors, no matter what.

‘They’re just busy cowering in fear.’

It was because they were these kinds of people that Yeon-woo cared about them.

After driving out the two men who were worth a hundred, the atmosphere slowly began to revive. Yeon-woo watched it with a relaxed feeling. He always felt good when good people got good results.

‘Anyway… I’m going to be busy.’

The perfect success of the premiere. That was a signal for the busy days ahead. But he wasn’t too worried. It was something Yeon-woo also desperately wanted.

*

“The offers are no joke.”

“They’ve already smelled it. It’s rare for a domestic romance film to get this kind of reaction in the past few years, so it’s even more so.”

The direction of the schedule that the agency had originally planned was twofold. One was Plan A, in case the premiere’s response was not good. The other was Plan B, in case the premiere’s response was good.

“The schedule is already full, but they keep looking for him, so I don’t know if it’s a good thing or not,” he said.

The premiere was a huge success, so they set the schedule according to Plan B as planned, but.

“I don’t know about Seong-hyeon, but I also think that it’s a good thing that Cheongwang is definitely responsible for the distribution side, rather than somewhere else. Aah, don’t look at me like that, I’m not being unfair. If I didn’t have a good reason, would I even think that way?”

Lee Gyu-han, who had been muttering in a complaining tone, jumped up. It was because he felt guilty when the neat and handsome man looked at him with a reproachful gaze.

“No. Why did you have to keep it so tightly under wraps during filming! If you had just slowly released tidbits, wouldn’t it have been better?” There were some media exposures that were close to accidents in between, but that’s an exception.

“Ugh. Director Ji’s filming style is like that, so I can’t say anything. Even okaying the YouTube upload was a huge step forward, so I know that’s the best I can do.”

Lee Gyu-han ruffled his hair roughly. It was a gesture that revealed his frustrated feelings.

“What a happy dilemma. No, is it a painful dilemma because it’s painful? Seeing that the movie is going to do well, I guess I’m happy, but why am I in pain right now?”

After the premiere. Good signs were heard everywhere. Advance ticket sales are also rising rapidly. Thanks to that, securing theaters was also very easy, so it’s not a bad start. No, it’s more like a successful start?

“Why did Han-hyang have to ask directly, of all people?”

Lee Gyu-han scratched his head again and again. This was the number one contributor to further twisting the already busy schedule. Ki Han-hyang. Commonly known as Han-hyang. A film critic with quite a bit of recognition for her cynical remarks and endlessly cynical and ruthless evaluations. Her main area of activity is only online, but this is by no means because Ki Han-hyang lacks ability. She was also famous for refusing numerous casting offers because she strongly disliked being affiliated with or bound by anything, and because she didn’t want to make untrue reviews.

She said she didn’t want to go on TV because she could never say what she wanted to say.

-Rather than putting on such a pretense, I’d rather not appear on TV at all.