Godsent Top Star [EN]: Chapter 86

Crank In (2)

086. Crank In (2)

2022.01.25.

“It’s hard to put my finger on it exactly. Anyway, the thing is, what I’m shooting is a romance, right? So, I felt like something was missing, like that tingly, thrilling feeling? But now…” The assistant director subtly glanced to the side. There, the warm, fuzzy bear [referring to Director Ji] was trying to avoid eye contact, huddled with his large frame. “In my opinion, it’s much more stimulating than I thought. I think this project will be a great success.”
“Stimulating… that means it’s a good thing, right?”
“Of course. Seeing our director acting so awkward and circling around Yeonwoo, I already knew it. Oh, now that I think about it, he seems a bit more comfortable now. Right, Director?” Director Ji stared silently into the distance. But his ears and neck, flushed red after his face, were so visible that no answer was really needed. ‘This is him being comfortable?’ I feel strangely… ‘pitiful?’ It makes me want to take care of him. It’s rare to feel this way towards a huge, bandit-like bear.
“Anyway, it looks like the director is going to pour his soul into every scene, so Yeonwoo, you can look forward to it.” No. There’s no need to pour his soul into it that much, is there? Yeonwoo wisely kept these words to himself. ‘This type, once they’re hooked, they smolder subtly and then self-ignite, digging in even more fiercely.’ Trying to stop someone who openly throws themselves into something will only make them burn hotter. It’s best to just leave them alone. That’s why he didn’t stop the frenzied filming from earlier. ‘If he burns too much with passion and fervor, and some kind of spirit gets attached, it’ll become a headache.’ We can’t create a haunted movie. Especially since it’s not even a horror movie, but a romance.
“Cooperation… thank…”
“It’s my job, of course.”
“The script… revisions… not major…”
“He says the script will be slightly revised. After seeing today, I thought it might be. Oh, but it won’t change drastically, so don’t worry too much.”
“Crank-in… excited…” Director Ji said shyly, lowering his eyes.
“I’m excited too. Crank-in.” Yeonwoo also smiled and replied. One week left until the official start of the movie.
***
[Our Yeonwoo is filming a movie! Filming a movie!]
“It’s distracting, so be quiet.”
[Aren’t you nervous?! Tomorrow is the first day of filming!]
“Not really.”
[How can you be so indifferent!]
“Don’t you think you’re the one being overly dramatic, not me being indifferent?” Yeonwoo is the one filming the movie, but the child spirit is the one making a fuss.

[Our actor trained him so much, but he’s still so cold… How is he going to film a sweet romance like that?! Is the movie going to flop?!] “Are you holding a ritual for it to fail?”
[Ah, it’s just! To think I’d see our Yeonwoo filming a romance. Forever alone…]
“Stop. That’s enough.” A chilling aura flashed in Yeonwoo’s eyes, and the sparrow snapped its beak shut. Then, chirping and feigning ignorance, it cautiously spoke again.
[But really, can you film it well? It’s something connected to your lifespan, too.] “Are you saying I’m going to die?”
[Hey, hey. You have to think about our Yeonhwa! How can you still not understand Yeonhwa’s feelings, being her only child?] “Why is Ms. Kang suddenly coming up? More importantly, did you go see Ms. Kang?”
[What? Ummm? Me? Me see Yeonhwa? Wh-why would I see Yeonhwa?] The strangely rising tone gave it away. ‘Suspicious. But if something happened to Ms. Kang, this guy wouldn’t be so calm.’ Besides, what kind of person is his mother, Ms. Kang? She’s a shaman [spiritual medium] from a family of shamans who can see a thousand miles while sitting down. Moreover, Yeonwoo’s face is all over TV and the internet, making it even easier to find him. Kwon Seonghyun tripled the security after the Woo Dogyeom incident, but that wouldn’t work on Kang Yeonhwa.
[Ahem, ahem! Ah, anyway! Yeonwoo, aren’t you really worried? You’re confident, right? You’re not just going to go with the flow and let it fail, are you?] This guy tends to worry unnecessarily sometimes. Knowing that he’ll keep nagging if he’s not calmed down, Yeonwoo sighed. “Honestly, I’m not completely free from worry either. But the director said I’m exactly what he wanted, so I trust his judgment. He praised me a lot.” The intense appearance of Director Ji and the staff during the script reading in many ways. What should I say. Is it because they’ve worked together for so long? The way they moved in perfect order at the instructions of the taciturn Director Ji comes to mind. And Director Ji’s passionate appearance as well. ‘It felt like seeing Pygmalion diligently sculpting Galatea [a reference to the Greek myth where a sculptor brings his statue to life]?’ Director Ji, who speaks very little. But as a counterbalance, his eyes spoke volumes of emotions. The feeling of a gaze that could burn you might be like this.
[He praised you?]
“He said I’m perfect as I am right now?”
[Huh?]
“He told me not to think about doing anything more and just come as I am, so that must be praise.” If that gleaming look wasn’t praise, then that would be scary in its own way. Anyway, thanks to that reason, Yeonwoo was able to escape the health food hell these days.
[Yeonwoo, you have to eat this. You need to get better soon.]
[The director said to maintain this condition. It’s better to reduce the health food.] Eating good things for your body is only good once or twice. Eating Buddha Jumps Over the Wall [an expensive and elaborate soup] and eel with samhap [fermented skate, pork, and kimchi] every meal is quite a chore. Is it more painful because I’m not a big eater? Once, I cautiously probed through Lee Gyusik.
[Isn’t Kwon Seonghyun busy? I feel like he’s wasting his talent.] An actor should do actor’s work. But.
[It’ll be easier for Yeonwoo to give up too…]
[…Yes?]
[He doesn’t cause any problems… Seonghyun is talented in many ways, so he became an immovable top star, but he wasn’t that passionate about this job itself.] Lee Gyuhan, the former Kwon Seonghyun’s manager and current manager of Kwon Seonghyun and Yeonwoo, suddenly confided his feelings.
[I’m only saying this because it’s you, Yeonwoo, but Seonghyun is a guy who has everything, right? It would be understandable if he became lazy, but it’s a great relief that he continues to be diligent… How should I put it? Compared to the career he’s built, he felt a bit lacking in passion. ‘I’m doing it because it’s my job, so I’m taking responsibility’? To be blunt, I thought he might leave this industry without any regrets someday. But.] Lee Gyuhan’s eyes turned to Yeonwoo.
[Yeonwoo, you’re the only person Seonghyun has shown this much interest and passion in.]
[…Is that so?]
[So, I hope you’ll be generous with him. He’ll be a great help in many ways.] It’s not like I’m building a relationship with Kwon Seonghyun hoping for that help. No, more than that. ‘Kwon Seonghyun is retiring…?’ Suddenly, goosebumps ran down my spine. When the guy who envied and was jealous of Kwon Seonghyun impersonated Kwon Seonghyun and committed all sorts of dirty deeds. ‘That’s when the penalty appeared, right?’ What the penalty said was clear. Do not degrade Kwon Seonghyun’s reputation or recognition. Or prohibit acts equivalent to that. Furthermore, help Kwon Seonghyun. It’s not clear in what way to help him… But it was a fact that could be known when the hidden mission was cleared and the penalty was completely lifted. So, this is certain. ‘Retirement is absolutely not allowed.’ Therefore, Yeonwoo had no choice but to constantly receive Kwon Seonghyun’s health food shower. But. After the script reading, Yeonwoo was given an exemption. It was Director Ji’s instruction that he was ‘perfect’.
[Director Ji Woonjae said that?]
[Yes. Well, you can check with Lee Gyuhan.]
[No. I believe Yeonwoo.] Kwon Seonghyun’s answer came without a moment’s hesitation. It’s strange that he doesn’t take it as an excuse, considering he was so obsessed with health food. The following mumbling to himself was a bit unsettling.
[…I see. They say he’s a director who’s good at handling characters, so I guess he really has an eye for characters.] The way he looked at the health food with a slightly regretful gaze was unusual. Seeing the look that said, ‘How can I make him eat this?’ Yeonwoo added a word.
[Honestly, instead of eating that stuff, Kwon Seonghyun holding my hand once would be more helpful for my recovery.]
[…Is that so?] A bright energy filled Kwon Seonghyun’s face, as if a flower had bloomed. It was a strange feeling in many ways to see his handsome face change with every word I said. Anyway, the important point is this. I legally escaped from the health food that was pushed on me every time.
“Yeonwoo, it’s time.” Lee Gyuhan peeked his head in from outside the door. As a skilled person, he casually ignored Yeonwoo talking to the sparrow and skillfully checked the time. “Tomorrow is the crank-in, so we’ll be going for the full course of care. Tomorrow is the official first event of the movie, so most of the mass media will be filming. Oh, and this is Director Ji’s idea, but we’re also planning to shoot a promotional making film.”
“Making film?”
“Since it’s not a major production, they’re going to upload it to YouTube and other platforms as a promotional strategy. It won’t be additional filming, and it seems like it will focus on the filming episodes and the actors rather than the movie content. The company’s PR team also agreed, judging that it would be good for raising Yeonwoo’s awareness. Oh, and also…” While moving in the car, Lee Gyuhan diligently explained the upcoming schedule. The talk ended when we arrived at the salon for grooming.
“Today is the full course, so you can take a nap at the salon.”
“Yes.”
“I have some business to take care of, so I’ll stop by the company and come back.” Before working in this world, Yeonwoo had no idea about applying anything more than skin lotion to his face. ‘It was a bit hard to get used to.’ Wiping his face with something fragrant and applying cream on top of it. That’s not the end. Applying something like a soft gel and then carefully shining a heated device all over his face, and then applying a cold, thick liquid. Surprisingly, the thick liquid maintained its elasticity and hardened over time. It took some time to harden, so in the meantime, Yeonwoo’s scalp and hair were also diligently tormented. Not only scalp massage, but also carefully applying cool gel between the hairs. ‘Isn’t hair just washed with soap?’ It was a moment that made the past seem so insignificant. The fact that they put so much effort into hair was really a new world. After the face and hair were finished, the massage followed. When he first went to the salon, Yeonwoo was horrified by the fact that others were touching him from head to toe, fingertips to toes, but it was the only part he liked. ‘That’s a bit good. Cool.’ Sometimes it sounds like bones are breaking, but once you get it, your whole body feels cool and energized. It promotes the body’s metabolism and improves blood circulation to make the skin look clear. That alone was worth enduring everything else.
“Kang Yeonwoo. Please come this way.” A sturdy manager in uniform called Yeonwoo. Following behind him, Yeonwoo thought. ‘Anyway, tomorrow…’
Tomorrow’s crank-in. I’m already looking forward to it.
***
The monumental first movie shoot. The first official event to announce its start, the crank-in site. That first start is none other than…
“…A memorial service?” A crank-in event held outside. The long red carpet in front of the panel with the image and the waiting reporters were as expected. But.
“Huh? That’s right. It’s your first time, right, Yeonwoo? It’s a bit of a disappearing trend these days… Traditionally, we hold a grand memorial service like this before starting a project. To wish the project well.”
“You’re holding a memorial service to wish the project well?”
“It’s superstition, but that’s how people’s minds work, right? Just to get in the mood. Stick some money in the pig’s nostrils and bow a few times. Then you feel like it’s going to be a success!” Lee Gyuhan, stretching his hands forward and making gestures. Watching him trying to receive this energy, Yeonwoo turned his head slightly. ‘This feels like they’re holding a memorial service to make the movie fail, not to make it successful?’