I’m an Unknown Actress, But Everyone Knows Me - Chapter 231
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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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Chapter 231
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Yeonhuijae walked slowly. Without swaying left or right, maintaining a straight and vertical center with perfect posture, she moved forward one step at a time.
Like someone whose body was accustomed to the attitude that others should naturally wait for her.
The narrow hem of her kimono brushed against her knees, preventing it from coming forward. Even her walking was Huijae herself, rigorously practiced.
She kept her knees bent as little as possible, maintained a straight back, and kept her gaze fixed 45 degrees downward.
And finally. Her stride was consistent.
‘Huijae.’
Director Ja thought this while watching Han Yeoreum captured beyond the monitor. Before filming, Writer An and Director Ja were deep in discussion.
“There’s an abandoned factory in Jinhae, so if we use this well—”
“Right. It definitely makes for good shots.”
Writer An said while looking at the tablet PC containing location still cuts.
“What scene will you start the first shoot with?”
“Obviously Taeseok reminiscing about young Huijae.”
The drama was semi-pre-produced. They needed to draw viewers’ interest as much as possible with Huijae and Taeseok’s appearances in the preview.
Just the fact that successful Taeseok still carried his first love in his heart was enough to instantly capture viewers’ anticipation.
“Director, and here in episode 1, you know. The background.”
Writer An tapped a section of episode 1’s script with her finger. It was the scene where Huijae entered the photo studio.
“Why the background?”
“Make it a pear blossom garden.”
I understand the meaning Writer An wants to include. It was her intention to properly establish Huijae’s position as a Korean living in Kobe.
So that viewers could also notice the fact that ‘Huijae dislikes pear blossoms,’ just as Han Yeoreum had penetrated.
“Why? Weren’t you going to save it and reveal it later?”
“That was the original plan.”
Writer An ruffled her hair.
“But I don’t know. I changed my mind.”
The fact that both Myeong Jeha and Han Yeoreum, those young kids, had seen through her true intentions touched something in Writer An’s heart.
Writer An, who had received the script reading video for 【The Great Garland】, had her attention focused on Han Yeoreum.
“You like that kid, don’t you?”
“Who.”
“Don’t pretend not to know when you do.”
Director Ja said while writing down Writer An’s request in the episode 1 script.
“The script reading video, doesn’t the audio quality sound different?”
Director Ja, recalling Writer An who was hit right on target by those words, clapped his hands lightly.
“Alright! Then let’s do it again with a close-up!”
He gestured to Taeseok, who had been watching from across from Huijae.
“How is it?”
“She’s doing well.”
Yeonhuijae acted as if she couldn’t even see whoever was in front of her. She didn’t even glance toward Ji Haebeom.
Ji Haebeom watched Huijae through the monitor from behind Director Ja.
This time they needed to capture Huijae’s face in detail as she got into the car. Huijae’s black hair visible beyond the camera fluttered in the wind. The nurse opened the car door and supported Huijae. Huijae’s face as she climbed into the car was captured on the monitor.
Huijae briefly bit her lower lip tightly, then pressed it into a straight line.
‘…This…’
‘She’s doing it properly.’
This was what Gi Juye had prepared like a decisive blow during the audition. Eun Baekhap’s characteristic habit.
If Gi Juye had tried to connect the child and adult roles through voice, Han Yeoreum spoke through expressions.
A natural habit that seemed to come out unconsciously.
Han Yeoreum had melted even Eun Baekhap into her own Huijae so that viewers could naturally accept the growth.
* * *
“Director! Director!”
“Come on! Let’s eat—”
Director Ja didn’t pay attention to the voice calling him and ran toward the catering truck. Director Ja’s steps were light, satisfied with today’s filming. The first shoot, the start was very good. It was favorable.
“News, huff, huff…! News! I think you need to see it!”
“You come too. Let’s eat.”
The assistant director hurriedly followed beside Director Ja. Director Ja only said what he wanted to say as usual. The assistant director’s grip on his arm was strong.
“We’re screwed…”
The assistant director, whose face had turned pale white, said. Regardless, Director Ja stamped his feet while watching the staff running toward the catering truck.
“Today’s the day they serve sausages!”
The assistant director dropped a bomb on him.
“They’re pulling all the Chinese investment money.”
The assistant director, who had loosened his grip on Director Ja, held up his phone. An urgent news alert was displayed on the screen.
[China Finally Draws the Sword… Announces THAAD Retaliation ‘Korean Wave Ban’]
Thud.
Director Ja collapsed on the spot.
It was truly the arrival of hell.
* * *
There’s a famous saying.
‘Never put all your eggs in one basket.’
It meant not to concentrate investments in one place just in case, but to spread them across multiple places as a safety net.
“One of these will hit!”
That’s why. Entertainment industry investors had invested in this work and that work like an octopus spreading its tentacles.
The Korean Wave’s popularity in China was extraordinary at the time. They bought whatever was made, bought whatever was made, truly buying everything that was produced without question.
—Chinese authorities are known to have issued strict Korean Wave bans, including prohibiting the broadcast of Korean dramas and banning Korean entertainers’ broadcasting activities. Special correspondent Jo Jinyeong reports from Beijing.
But what if the egg basket suddenly encounters a typhoon and everything gets crushed?
—Due to this measure, satellite broadcasts in 31 provinces and cities as well as internet platforms are expected to be regulated.
The Korean Wave ban. The so-called Korean Wave prohibition order. It was a directive that blocked all Korean dramas, movies, variety programs, and even content that remade Korean works within China.
—Korean Wave stars’ fan meetings in China were completely canceled, and large-scale dramas that were about to begin filming had their production postponed. Other projects were put on hold from the planning stage.
The THAAD retaliation reduced the operating profits of 24 listed companies by 912.4 billion won in one year. It was truly enormous damage.
—A representative from a major domestic production company revealed that Chinese investors suddenly withdrew their contracts, and since filming set contracts and actor casting had already been completed, the damage is severe.
Especially the entertainment industry, where there were virtually no works without Chinese capital, was in a state of complete devastation, with officially announced figures from the film industry alone reaching 22 trillion won.
—According to experts’ analysis, South Korea’s economic growth rate will decrease by 0.2%…
A red light had turned on for Korea. It was truly an emergency.
“Did you try contacting the Chinese side?”
“They’re not answering the phone!”
“Aaaahhh!”
It wasn’t just ending with cutting investment funds. Korean Wave star dramas that had been produced on a large scale targeting the Chinese market would be fortunate to even break even, and works that had already started filming were completely halted.
“Everything’s gone!”
[Korean Entertainment Industry ‘Red Light’… The Sorrowful Fall of Korean Wave Stars]
[SBC 【Top Class】 Completely Suspended from Chinese Streaming Platforms… “Overseas Distribution Rights Meaningless”]
[Illegal Sites Rampant Within China? “Since we can’t watch by paying, we have no choice but to watch for free” – Shameful Reality]
“This… is a big problem…”
And now, An Junmyeong, sitting on the studio floor in the exact same position as Director Ja, was breaking out in cold sweat.
“We just barely started filming episode 1…”
【The Great Garland】 is a period drama. It needed to use all three settings: Joseon right after Japanese colonial rule, Jinhae after the Korean War, and Seoul during the economic leap period.
“The sets… what do we do…”
At this rate, it might be suspended indefinitely. The internal damage to KBC alone was enormous.
Both dramas and films were hellish group projects created by countless people coming together.
“We’re really screwed.”
Even one person falling apart would be a big blow, but everyone was swaying together.
Writer An closed her eyes while holding the just-completed 【The Great Garland】 episode 13 script.
Buzz, buzz, buzz.
That’s when it happened. Her cell phone trembled as if to wake her from her despair.
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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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