I’m an Unknown Actress, But Everyone Knows Me - Chapter 106

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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 106

Just a moment ago, she seemed to be filming a vlog with her camera, but before she knew it, she was so absorbed in eating cold noodles that she didn’t notice the camera angle had become suspicious.

“Yeoreum, have another bowl. You’ve been through a lot dieting for the awards ceremony. I understand that feeling. I do!”

“Yes! Thank you!”

The conversation between Director Gong in his black padding vest and Han Yeoreum wasn’t the composition of an actor’s vlog. The camera, which had slid down due to the weight of the lens, was only showing Han Yeoreum’s cold noodle bowl, looking extremely suspicious.

‘It looks like someone’s secretly filming…’

If muted, it could pass for a scene from an investigative journalism program. Yoon Hyeonjo quietly laughed, thinking it looked like a broadcast titled [The Two Faces of Cold Noodle Restaurants? The Terrifying Duality of Cold Noodle Broth We Consume]. Since the camera angle was funny, he didn’t feel like correcting it.

Buzz-.

[Should we get up from our seats now, hyung?]

Yoon Hyeonjo made eye contact with his manager who was looking at him from among the staff. He shook his head briefly.

Though the atmosphere was chaotic and disorganized, and somewhat a waste of time, it seemed okay to stay a little longer.

‘I wish it would be released soon.’

He was curious about the characters who would come alive and breathe on screen. Detective Yoon, and Influencer 1 too.

“Ah, the camera angle! This is completely ruined!”

Han Yeoreum noticed the camera angle only after she had finished her second bowl of cold noodles.

* * *

Cold noodles are truly a scary food.

‘I got so absorbed in eating without realizing it.’

Now let me focus on the main purpose. Just as the company dinner had ripened to the right point, talk about break-even points and box office success was coming up.

“Did you hear about that director? His teeth… six of them were pulled out.”

“Kyaaah!”

“You didn’t know? It wasn’t just his teeth. His hair has been gone for a while…”

“Kyaaah!”

No ghost story in the world could be scarier than this.

In this industry, even crying directors stop when talk of break-even points comes up. There were more than one or two tragic works that completely blew enormous investment amounts.

“Well, we all did so well for each other. It’ll turn out good. Yeah. It’ll turn out good, of course! Right? Huh? Right. Yeah. Right.”

As expected, the Chungmuro civil servant is different. Director Gong calmly raised his glass without showing any signs of nervousness.

“Director~. That’s vinegar.”

No, it wasn’t. What Director Gong was pouring wasn’t soju but vinegar. Yoon Hyeonjo stopped Director Gong.

Director Gong’s hand holding the glass trembled violently. Director Gong makes decent movies, but even box office success at that average level was seen as gambling in this situation.

“Yeoreum, will it do well? It’ll do well, right? Huh?”

Director Gong was seeking endless empathy from me. I showed a weak smile. With a subtle nuance.

‘Well… I wonder?’

Then Director Gong’s reaction came quickly.

“Please! You have to say it’ll do well, Yeoreum! The way I feel right now, I’d even want to write a talisman! I think my knee creaked a bit when we held our ritual ceremony, you know? I’m still anxious about that, it’s driving me crazy.”

Director Gong finally downed the glass he was holding in one shot. That was the vinegar he had just poured, but he seemed to have reached the point where he couldn’t taste anything. He even poured another glass.

‘I’m the one who really, absolutely needs this movie to succeed, Director…’

Now is a good time for movie goods to establish themselves as a type of fandom-centered marketing. It’s the timing to collaborate with multiplexes on first-week goods and photo tickets, and arouse the desire to collect among ‘movie fans.’

‘GCV and Modern Box just made collaboration goods with famous characters.’

That strategy achieved great success not long ago. Even if Director Gong doesn’t know, the people here would have to have some favorable feelings toward collaboration goods. I spoke as if I had just thought of something.

“Come to think of it, wouldn’t it be good if we also made some kind of goods?”

At my words, laughter erupted from here and there. Making goods for a domestic movie wasn’t an opinion that could gain sympathy at this time.

“Cute, so cute!”

“So spirited-! You’re the type who collects cola cups and miniature gacha items, aren’t you?”

It was understandable since I had suggested the idea of making goods, which could only be done with famous animation characters.

But as expected.

“No, tell us a little more.”

An industry person took the bait.

* * *

From cinephiles who collect to general audiences who take movie posters home without creasing them, block toys made with movie scenes as motifs make anyone interested at least once, soundtracks even reach number 1 on music charts, and postcard sets are basic products that aren’t even considered goods.

“I think it’s good. Do you remember 2 years ago? The single-person popcorn set controversy.”

Goods that Modern Box produced while exclusively screening an animation.

They used the strategy of printing images on popcorn containers and selling them as sets for the first time in theaters. At that time, demands poured in through SNS to sell single-person sets instead of two-person sets.

“Ah, I remember. There were people who threw away just the popcorn and took only the container.”

“Right. That happened… But that had a really solid fanbase.”

It was a work that dominated for a century in Japan. So just as the atmosphere was about to emerge that that work had to be an exception.

Han Yeoreum spoke lightly, as if it was nothing.

“You know the photo zones they install inside movie theaters after movies are released. Couldn’t we make goods tickets in connection with that?”

The industry person who heard that unconsciously leaned his upper body toward Yeoreum.

“Since we’re a crime action film, even if we make a simple photo zone like taking mug shots, it would look plausible. I don’t know much, but… installing photo zones nationwide would cost quite a bit. If we reduce that amount and put it toward goods tickets…”

It happened to be a time when goods were being produced, led by a successful animated theatrical release and several overseas films.

‘What’s stopping us from doing it just because it’s a domestic movie!’

Such spirited claims from industry people were dismissed as jokes, but in their hearts, passion for goods was alive and breathing.

“I think word of mouth would spread easily because of audiences taking photos with photo tickets. If they post on SNS stories and such, there would be reactions like ‘Oh? That looks fun.’ It’s not like we’re randomly holding SNS tag events.”

As expected, twenty-year-olds were different in some way. The industry person had already squeezed between Director Gong and Han Yeoreum.

“First of all, goods need to inspire a desire to collect! But isn’t it something like that? Huh? That person has it? I can have it too? That feeling.”

“Right. It’s not for nothing that animated movies have different goods each week. People rewatch several times just to get one postcard.”

Before long, the industry person and Han Yeoreum were talking as if producing goods for was a foregone conclusion.

“These days, what is it. They produce a lot of badges. What do you think, Han Yeoreum?”

“Badges cost money to make the molds… I was thinking, what about business cards with a slight variation on photo tickets?”

“Detective business cards! That’s good! Hey!”

“We could do Detective Yoon or Detective Gwak business cards in weeks 1 and 2, and it would be fun to include club business cards from the villains who make the Happy series.”

Once the conversation got started, things progressed quickly. The staff who were listening offered their opinions one by one.

“How about putting ‘Happy Balloons’ in some photo zones? With smile marks.”

“Oh! Then should the pledge video be saying lines after inhaling helium gas?”

“What about buying small smile stickers and sticking one somewhere on our outfits during stage greetings?”

December 31st. The hearts of people who were excited for the year-end became even more excited.

From the preparation stage to the filming stage. The box office success of a work was what staff felt most sensitively about.

And definitely had the atmosphere unique to a work that would succeed. Before long, Director Gong’s trembling from nervousness had stopped.

“Oh! They’re doing the countdown now!”

With someone’s shout, everyone’s gaze went to the TV playing in one corner of the restaurant.

“10! 9! 8! 7!”

The voices of staff members joined in one by one. The restaurant filled with anticipation for the new year.

“3! 2! 1!”

Bell sounds were heard. The hearts of people who had struggled together all this time came together. Director Gong smiled and raised his glass high.

“Well then, everyone have a happy new year! Let’s go for 10 million with our !”

At the mention of 10 million, everyone burst into laughter. Sometimes such unrealistic goals were treated as jokes like this.

“Yes! For ‘s 10 million!”

The one not laughing was Han Yeoreum, and

“Yes~. Cheers.”

Yoon Hyeonjo. There were only two people.

The staff member who had been enthusiastically discussing goods just moments before also raised his glass. Everyone in the store cheerfully clinked their glasses together.

“Aack! Wh-why does this taste like this?”

“Ah… Director, you drank the vinegar I poured earlier again.”

It was a peaceful first day of the new year.

* * *

Han Taeyang remained sitting on the sofa. With his arms crossed and eyes closed, Taeyang looked like compressed anger.

“Is this crazy…”

After all, staying out past 12 o’clock counts as staying out overnight. Han Yeoreum said she was going to a company dinner, but she stayed out overnight from the very first day of the new year.

Beep-beep-…beep-…beep-.

Even the hand pressing the door lock reeked of alcohol. The machine beeped as she entered the wrong numbers.

“Yeoreum, are you okay?”

“I’m, fine. Unnie! Actually, I… really, really have a high alcohol tolerance…”

Han Taeyang shot up from the sofa. Then he walked with light steps, considerate of the downstairs neighbors, before yanking the door open.

“Thank you for your hard work staying out so late. Please give me my sister now.”

“Oh oh. Yeoreum’s little brother! You’re still awake?”

Yeoreum staggered and stepped on a delivery box in front of the door, swaying greatly. Taeyang caught Yeoreum with an annoyed expression, only then noticing the delivery box.

“Well, I’ll head in now! Please tell Yeoreum that I’ll come pick her up for lunch tomorrow!”

“Yes. Get home safely.”

The delivery box that came into the entrance had one corner dented from Yeoreum stepping on it.

He planned to take Han Yeoreum to her room first and then check the box, but clear text caught Taeyang’s eye.

[▶︎Project heroine

The Cherry on Top of the Parfait Belongs to the Heroine]

“…Goods?”

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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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