A Genius Director Who Dominates OTT Platforms - Chapter 89

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

The Genius Director Who Dominates OTT

Episode 89

* * *

To cut to the conclusion, I couldn’t refuse Eum Seong-hyeon’s request.

More precisely, I should say I couldn’t refuse the request that came through Eum Seong-hyeon.

Because it was Director Yang Ho-seok from 【Upsin】 who wanted to appear on the radio with me.

Yang Ho-seok.

A representative director of South Korea who directed one ten-million-viewer film and three five-million-viewer films.

“Good films don’t come around easily. Since it’s Director Yang Ho-seok, I stamped my approval without hesitation.”

Go Team Leader, who’s picky about projects, didn’t stamp his approval without consideration for no reason.

Actually, I had a slight connection with Director Yang Ho-seok.

I had appeared in three films he directed.

The ten-million-viewer film was as an extra without lines, but the two five-million-viewer films were minor roles with a few lines.

Though I’d never had personal conversations with him, I had received good impressions on set.

But I thought this was just my own memory…

“Ah, I remember. That was Director Dohyeon-u?”

When I threw out that comment as an icebreaker, Director Yang said he remembered me.

“Really?”

“Of course. Weren’t you the police officer who got hit by a car, fell down, and shot a gun?”

“…That’s right.”

“Ah, you even used the radio. Right?”

“Yes.”

This is a bit bewildering.

Even though films have fewer cuts than dramas, how could he remember all of that?

However, Director Yang Ho-seok’s following words were unexpected.

“I think I kept an eye on you. I even asked Director Jo who that guy was.”

Eum Seong-hyeon, who had been listening quietly, chimed in.

“Why? Did he act well?”

“He did well. But more than that, should I say he acted in an interesting way?”

“Interesting?”

“He acted with the completed work in mind. Of course, that act itself isn’t unusual. There are other actors besides Director Dohyeon-u who act that way. What I found interesting was that I could see what actor Dohyeon-u was looking at.”

I felt a pang while listening to Director Yang’s story.

I didn’t know when I was an actor, but now I understand why I couldn’t succeed as an actor.

It’s a bit embarrassing, but…

I shouldn’t avoid it, right?

“Director, I’m sorry about back then.”

“Hm?”

“I didn’t know when I was an actor, but after becoming a director, I realized. That I had overstepped my bounds.”

What came back from my polite apology was hearty laughter.

“Hahaha.”

Director Yang Ho-seok, who had been laughing for a while, stopped laughing and asked.

“Wait, you understood what I meant? That’s amazing. Aren’t you only in your second year as a director?”

“It’s thanks to actor Eum Seong-hyeon.”

“Me?”

It’s true.

Actors act, and directors direct.

How to use which scene is the director’s domain, and the actor’s duty is simply to do their best.

I learned this simple principle through Eum Seong-hyeon.

“Watching Seong Hyeon’s acting, I thought to myself that I wouldn’t have acted like that.”

Eum Seong-hyeon in Accomplice was an actor who didn’t know how to ease up.

He put all his effort into every scene, and even in scenes that existed for relaxation, he injected tension.

When looking at the entire work, it was clearly the wrong flow.

But instead of directing him to ease up, Director Jeong Hee-su changed the arrangement of scenes.

She provided relaxation through other scenes and created unexpected tension through Eum Seong-hyeon’s scenes.

This elevated the drama’s level by one notch.

In other words, Eum Seong-hyeon’s best effort, which seemed problematic to me, gave the director new inspiration.

“It’s a method I could never have used during my acting days.”

Because I saw the entire work.

Because I acted while presenting the answer of ‘this is the best way to direct this.’

This was why I apologized.

Because it was a kind of overstepping.

Then Director Yang Ho-seok said.

“That’s impressive. Now I understand why Seong Hyeon regards you as his mentor.”

“Mentor?”

We don’t have that much of an age difference, do we?

Aren’t we six years apart?

Sung Tae-chang and I are seven years apart…

This makes me look like trash, doesn’t it?

“But Director Do is misunderstanding something – many directors didn’t reject Director Do because of overstepping, right?”

“Then why?”

“It’s annoying. When someone presents something I don’t know yet.”

“…No way.”

Still, they’re directors responsible for the biggest pillar of popular culture.

There might be some people like that, but shouldn’t there be more who aren’t?

“If that were really the case, would Director Do be riding high like now? He would have collapsed from lack of competitiveness.”

“Th-thank you for the compliment. I’m truly honored.”

I changed the subject out of embarrassment, but Director Yang Ho-seok was all smiles.

It turned out that Director Yang wanted to see me because he gained a lot of inspiration from Accomplice while doing post-production work on 【Upsin】.

“Maybe I’m trying to build connections in advance so you won’t sue me for plagiarism.”

That can’t be.

Director Yang is the type who buys the rights even if he’s only slightly influenced.

So we chatted about works for quite a while.

He suggested meeting three hours before the radio broadcast, and I thought it might be too early, but it wasn’t at all.

I felt regretful that time was running short.

I learned so much too.

We promised to have drinks next time, but Director Yang will probably be busy for a while.

Because he has to enter post-production.

Probably a July release next year or Chuseok release?

With those thoughts, I headed to the radio station and was greeting the production staff when…

“…?”

For a moment, I experienced cognitive dissonance.

Before my eyes was a face I had never once imagined encountering.

Incredulous, I turned to look at Eum Seong-hyeon, and he was making the exact same expression as me.

Then the PD approached and spoke to us.

“It’s still confidential, but our DJ got into a traffic accident two hours ago. We urgently cast someone who’s been popular in radio lately…”

The PD looked at mine and Eum Seong-hyeon’s faces with a troubled expression.

“You seem less close than I thought? He definitely said you were close.”

Incredulous, my mouth opened automatically.

“He said he was close to us?”

The PD was about to say something, but Eum Seong-hyeon was faster.

“We’re not exactly close, but it’s not awkward either. I was just flustered because it’s been so long since I saw him.”

The PD’s face brightened.

He probably read the intention of ‘I’ll do well on the broadcast regardless of personal feelings’ in Eum Seong-hyeon’s words.

“I’m sorry. We should have looked into this more, but everything happened so suddenly.”

“It’s fine.”

I looked at Eum Seong-hyeon answering calmly, then turned my gaze away.

Avoiding my eyes…

Toward Tune.

Right, the leader of Agent Secret.

I had completely forgotten about it, but that pathetic group survived thanks to Eum Seong-hyeon.

Some members left, but there were also those who renewed their contracts.

I had wondered why I hadn’t seen Tune, who used to be active in variety shows, and turns out he had moved to radio.

Did he claim to be close with Eum Seong-hyeon out of desperation because his own position was precarious?

“There seems to be some history?”

I whispered quietly in response to Coach Yang Ho-seok’s question.

“He’s a pathetic bastard. If Seong Hyeon hadn’t become an actor, that guy would be 90% responsible.”

Coach Yang Ho-seok, who had widened his eyes, smiled slightly.

“Leave it to me.”

* * *

The radio broadcast with the strange combination of Yang Ho-seok, Eum Seong-hyeon, and Dohyeon-u attracted more interest than expected.

People were curious about what kind of story led to this combination.

As a result, the broadcast was quite successful.

Eum Seong-hyeon clearly showed his respect for the two men, and Yang Ho-seok and Dohyeon-u seemed to already have an unexpected friendship.

Especially when the two went off on tangents about foreign art films only they knew, the listeners’ reactions were heated.

-What the hell are they talking about

-I don’t know about that, but Yang Ho-seok really likes Dohyeon-u

-Dohyeon-u has deeper knowledge about the arts than I thought

-That’s probably why he succeeded

-Why are you all cursing

-I don’t understand what they’re saying

But the reaction to Tune was the worst.

No matter how urgent it was, they should have brought a DJ with basic common sense, he’s terrible at hosting and organizing, he’s too nervous and unpleasant to listen to, etc.

The worst reactions poured in.

The listeners didn’t know, but Yang Ho-seok was behind it all.

Yang Ho-seok made an unpleasant expression whenever Tune opened his mouth.

With a master of Korean cinema openly acting like that, Tune froze up.

* * *

After the radio show ended, I had two thoughts.

One was that Eum Seong-hyeon had now completely become independent.

The word “independent” sounds a bit strange, but there’s no better expression.

Eum Seong-hyeon won’t collapse.

He’s firmly rooted on his own two feet.

The second was that the relationship between the two had reversed.

In the past, if Tune made a choice, Eum Seong-hyeon would have reacted.

But today was different.

If Eum Seong-hyeon didn’t choose, Tune couldn’t act either.

It was Eum Seong-hyeon who stopped Tune when he tried to run away after the radio broadcast ended.

I don’t know what conversation they had, but I could tell who held the initiative.

That scene strangely wouldn’t leave my mind.

All the way back to SSK in the car I bought with my incentive.

Just as I arrived at SSK and was about to go down to the underground parking lot.

“…?”

The barrier at the parking lot entrance won’t go up, as if there’s some error.

It definitely should have recognized the license plate number, but there’s no movement.

As if it’s no longer affected.

‘That’s a strange way to put it?’

Is it because I just saw Eum Seong-hyeon and Tune?

That’s when it happened.

“Huh?”

Really out of nowhere, the answer to the question I’d been pondering for weeks came to mind.

What I should create.

Who I should ask to write the script.

All of it at once.

But…

Would this work?

Would this be a reasonable project?

Even I, who thought of it, think it’s such a crazy idea that I want to say “that’s ridiculous”?

But, well…

‘When was it ever different?’

It was always like this.

The only difference was whether my supernatural ability activated or not.

There’s no reason not to give it a try.

And so I.

Thud.

“Ah.”

Crashed into the barrier.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————