If I Don’t Earn 1 Trillion Won, My Regression Ends - Chapter 75

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 75

Director Haemun’s new film is titled “Family History.”

An adaptation that pays homage to the immortal icon of French literature “Bonjour Tristesse,” dealing with the destructive relationship between father and daughter.

Haemun put so much effort into securing the rights that he stayed in France for nearly three years.

The original is a coming-of-age story mixed with melodrama and jealousy, where the immature daughter ‘Cecile’ tries to push away her father ‘Raymond’s’ remarriage partner out of childish jealousy, causing a tragic accident.

But once it fell into Haemun’s wicked hands, this coming-of-age story was completely transformed in a different direction.

In “Family History,” newly adapted by the director, this father-daughter pair is reinterpreted as a mutually destructive relationship that drives each other to ruin.

The father role that Bae Seo-nyeok took on is a weak Ripley syndrome patient, a con artist who preys on white upper-class visitors at resorts.

The daughter I’m playing is the young mastermind behind the scenes who gaslights and manipulates such a father.

A Ripley syndrome patient who believes their own fabricated lies as truth is a natural-born con artist.

Sometimes a free-spirited artist, sometimes a thief with a story, sometimes even an heir to an old conglomerate.

The con artist father, who conspired with his daughter to toy with people through soul-swapping transformations, meets a woman he considers his destined partner while living a fake life.

Thinking he has found true love, he confesses to his daughter, who is his master and controller, that he wants to quit and live an ordinary, happy life…

The content was about the daughter, properly triggered by this, turning dark and cruelly retaliating against her father and his lover.

So to classify it precisely, it could be called a picaresque (work with a villain as protagonist) psychological noir.

Director Haemun set the names of the protagonist father and daughter as ‘Lemon’ and ‘Sel’ as a device to preserve the original’s essence.

Munlemon and Munsul.

The story begins against the backdrop of an Italian resort, when the daughter ‘Munsul,’ who had been confined to boarding school, returns to Sorrento for vacation.

Honestly…

I was bewildered when I first received the script.

And for good reason—wasn’t it four years ago that Haemun and Bae Seo-nyeok first set their sights on me?!

‘What did they see in a nine-year-old to give her such a role…?’

Just how did I appear in people’s eyes?

Despite all my rambling explanations, the female protagonist ‘Munsul’ is ultimately a demon!

She observes and dominates her chameleon-like trashy father, rolling him around this way and that, then eliminates him when he doesn’t suit her taste—like a female praying mantis, if you will!

‘Why did they believe that only I could play such a role, that I could pull it off?’

Where else can you find such a pure fairy-like child as me?

Do you know how many times Madam Grass Leaf Girl has soaked in Fairy Spring?

Moreover, while Haemun was rewriting the script last year, the script’s intensity kept escalating, and as my screen time increased, the intense scenes exploded proportionally.

I nearly fainted when I discovered in the revised script that Seli slaps her father Lemon dozens of times.

Haemun!!! What is this supposed to be?!

Could a normal twelve-year-old child, not a regressed twelve-year-old, really handle this? Fat chance!

This isn’t even Hollywood, and in this crude and uncivilized era, there were no child welfare advocates or psychological counselors standing by on set.

‘There’s a reason it was buried in history…’

No wonder I never saw a movie with this title in the future.

Scripts that died without reaching the market all had their reasons…

In any case.

The water was spilled, the contract was signed and sealed, and the advance payment was all received.

The female praying mantis—no, this gaslighting demon girl was my character in the debut work that would stay with me for life.

For instance, wouldn’t this be the first step toward becoming a future legend?

To truly become a legend, I must play this character well—extremely well! If only for my filmography over the next 10 years.

‘So then.’

“I think we should cut it after all. Going short is the right choice.”

“No way! I said no!”

Inside the makeup trailer.

Haemun stamped his feet.

“You’re not listening. Listen to this director. Do you really want to get in trouble? Seli absolutely cannot have a boyish feel, got it? Don’t you know Enfant Fatale? You think I showed you Matilda for no reason!”

“But—”

“Tsk! But what! You need to have the innocence unique to children while being more destructive than adults! Think about it. Would audiences fall for her if I shove some servant boy-looking kid at them? Huh? What do you all think! Would they fall for her?”

When the angry director turned around, the makeup team and art team quickly lowered their eyes, worried about getting caught in the crossfire.

Day 3 of arriving at the Sorrento location.

The filming team’s final location check was complete, and local equipment testing was finished.

After tomorrow’s ritual ceremony, full-scale filming would begin.

During the final check to confirm the protagonists’ visual concepts—that’s where the problem arose.

The director and actress had starkly different opinions about the female protagonist ‘Munsul’s’ hair.

“Director, you initially set the concept as a pixie cut. I’m just saying let’s go with the original plan.”

A pixie cut meant an extremely short haircut.

It’s a bold style that fully reveals the neckline and head shape, mainly used by Hollywood actresses as a tool for image transformation when expanding their acting spectrum.

“That was the concept when you weren’t cast! You’re too young to pull off that feel!”

“How do you know without even trying?”

“If we try and mess it up, can you grow it back to a bob in one day? Are you Son Goku? Can you make your hair grow out at will?”

“What law says it’ll definitely be messed up?”

“Should I mess you up first to make you listen?”

“…”

I glared at Haemun.

Haemun glared back, not to be outdone.

“Uh, Sing-a…? Just listen to the director. Be good? Adults have better judgment on these matters.”

“Right, right. Sing-a doesn’t want to look ugly on screen either. Right? What’s the point of looking like a boy? The unnies will cut you a pretty bob~.”

Noh Man-yeong and the staff, who had been just watching, belatedly supported Haemun. They coaxed me gently as if soothing a child (which I am).

‘Ugh… so frustrating.’

“This is my movie. If it flops, you won’t take responsibility anyway, you little thing. Listen to me! Bob cut. We’re going with a bob! Makeup team!”

“Yes, yes. Director…!”

No, it won’t flop! I’ve seen it!

I watched the makeup team approaching with scissors, wanting to scream.

‘I’m not being stubborn for no reason!’

This is really driving me crazy. I had only just discovered it yesterday.

Who knew there was a hidden function in Persona Hall’s [Final Cut], the skill that shows the future completed version.

Yesterday, the makeup team and director were constantly discussing ‘Munsul’s’ hairstyle, and the consensus was leaning toward the makeup team’s opinion that a short cut would make her look like a boy because of her age.

That night, while practicing in the hall, I suddenly remembered and just muttered out of curiosity.

‘As Haemun originally intended…’

“What would it feel like if we went with a short cut?”

And the moment I spoke those words.

‘Munsul’s’ curly medium-length hair on the IMAX screen changed to a short cut that fully revealed her nape, the so-called pixie cut—

And wasn’t some window appearing on one side of the screen?!

Feature Film “Family History” (2003)

Genre: Psychological Thriller, Crime, Family, Period Drama, Picaresque

Director: Haemun

Screenplay: Haemun

Starring: Bae Seo-nyeok, Seosing-a, Geum Ju-ran, etc.

Production Company: Il-wol Film

Distributor: KJ Entertainment

Production Budget: Approximately 6 billion won

Domestic Audience: 3.15 million → 4.7 million

Final Box Office (Worldwide): $16.3M → $27.8M

Profit Rate: 226.0% → 456.0%

…?! What, what is it?

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