Ch.54Did I suggest this for nothing?

Have you ever seriously contemplated talent?

Have you ever deeply thought about the definition of genius?

There were several common phrases used to describe such types of people.

That they’re simply born different,

That you can tell just by looking at them,

That they do with ease what others find difficult, and so on.

There were many such expressions, but Han Taegeon thought differently.

‘The standard of having talent, of being a genius.’

It means mocking others.

To Han Taegeon, a genius was like a rolling stone.

One that mercilessly crushes stones that have been embedded for a long time,

And then takes their place as if nothing happened.

‘This is truly absurd.’

Han Taegeon let out a hollow laugh as he watched Kim Donghu, or rather, the student soldier on the screen.

The student soldier’s screen time was at most 5 minutes.

He was truly like a supporting ingredient that needed to be placed in exactly the right spot.

And Han Taegeon knew well how difficult such a role was.

Not appearing until the middle of the film.

Having to express a character with just a few lines and simple actions.

Not a single mistake could be tolerated.

One mistake and it’s over.

The moment the character is perceived as sloppy,

A character that appears for only 5 minutes of the running time is treated as defective.

But what if it succeeds?

‘It becomes something to look forward to.’

Because they appear so little, it leaves you wanting more.

Because you know that the situation changes as soon as they appear,

The character’s existence becomes the switch that changes the play.

That’s how it actually was.

Because it showed how a young soldier breaks down on the battlefield.

It reveals how devastating the Endless Frontline is, and how cruel war can be.

“Sister, what’s my name?”

A single line from a boy who has forgotten even his own name changes the mood of the film again.

The calm question, as if anticipating his own death, scatters into the air,

And as his gaze moves sideways, the screen naturally follows his line of sight.

A foolish-looking officer can be seen spouting things like “Revolution Hill! Great Leader Comrade!”

What’s the use of all that?

Why cling so desperately to something that becomes useless once you die?

Do they really think they’ll go back north and live a good life if they win here?

Hoo,

A short sigh conveys a profound sense of futility.

‘He’s lost his mind.’

Han Taegeon gripped the armrest tightly at that incredible expressiveness.

Since watching it in person versus watching an edited video felt completely different.

Han Taegeon was immersed in the film he had shot.

As the film continued,

It eventually reached the climax.

The American bombing begins, indiscriminate between friend and foe.

The battle changes from killing the enemy to struggling for survival.

And there, the student soldier appears again.

Having forgotten why they even came here,

They point guns at each other to survive.

Bang! Bang!

“Comrade, have you been well?”

“Who’s your comrade, you bastard.”

He gives his all just to kill one young child.

No, the boy before him was no longer a child.

The tragedy born of war.

A monster born with questions no one can answer.

Clang!

As soon as the bullets run out, bayonets clash.

To survive,

After rolling desperately on the ground and getting up several times.

Thud!

A blade pierces the student soldier’s lung.

Afterward, the student soldier’s death is briefly shown.

His desire to see his sister,

Turns into a question about where to find rice and soup.

But just as he can never see his sister who has already died,

No one can answer the student soldier’s question,

And even the student soldier himself, bound by that question, slowly meets his death.

Afterward, the scene of the slowly changing front line is drawn on the screen.

The scene where the ROK Army finally pushes back the KPA and takes the hill.

They claimed victory at the very end, but no one was smiling.

What was this war for? They had fought so long they’d forgotten.

Should they be grateful to be alive?

For that, the burden of those who died weighs heavily on their shoulders.

The feebly fluttering Taegeukgi flag on the hill catches the eye.

How many thousands died just to see that flag?

That’s how the movie ends.

“Wow…”

Riding on someone’s admiration, the movie screen explains the true story behind Endless Frontline.

How horrific the battle at Baekma Hill actually was,

How noble and great their sacrifices were, and so on.

Various explanations followed, but the VIP audience couldn’t properly take in those explanations.

‘What exactly did I just watch?’

‘Is that him? Kim Donghu? The four-time Mise-en-scène winner?’

‘What kind of actor did Director Kang Sanghun cast?’

‘I want to film him, I want to film him in my work, I sincerely want to film him. I want to go find him right now and beg him to look at my script and appear in it immediately.’

Just 5 minutes of running time.

The brief time Kim Donghu lived and breathed on screen as a student soldier.

Just that short amount of time had film industry people desperate.

‘…So what I saw in High Dream wasn’t his peak?’

‘No, why is he so good at bayonet fighting? What is he?’

The audience kept glancing at the cast.

‘Director Kang Sanghun’s smile is completely reaching his ears, if he smiles any more he’ll pass out.’

‘The actors all look completely surprised…’

And what about Kim Donghu?

Munch, munch.

He was chewing popcorn as quietly as possible.

Everyone was going crazy because of him, yet he was calmly eating snacks?

‘There’s no weirdo like him.’

‘Are all geniuses like that? Normally?’

‘Maybe for him, that level is just something he does naturally.’

After the theater lights came on amid shock and admiration.

‘I want to act, I want to act even better.’

‘I want to go write a review right now while I still feel this way.’

‘Did Kim Donghu leave right after? I’d like to give him my business card.’

Everyone hurriedly moved on their way as if enchanted by something,

And so, on the night the VIP screening of Endless Frontline ended.

★★★★☆

A critique of what had been an average war film

-Park Dongjin

★★★☆

The switch that erases a boring first half

-Lee Pyeongsik

★★★★

Depicting the unforgettable memories of that day

-Ji Hyeri

The reviews from three critics were posted.

ㄴWhat am I looking at right now?

ㄴLee Pyeongsik gave 3.5 stars?

ㄴPark Dongjin 4.5 Holy Shit

ㄴJi Hyeri even gave 4 OMG

Netizens came to one conclusion after seeing this.

ㄴYou’d be a fool not to see this, right?

That they absolutely had to see it.

+++++

About 10 days before the release of Endless Frontline.

Brilliant’s president Han Seongmun was still trembling.

“…Is this really our school uniform sales?”

“Yes, it is.”

“How are sales increasing when the beginning of the semester is over?”

“Cases of people throwing away their existing uniforms and switching to ours are increasing.”

Of course, the cause is the presence of actor Kim Donghu, who is currently our uniform model.

Han Seongmun stared blankly at the sales graph as he listened to his subordinate.

A graph that was shooting straight up, showing no fear of the heavens.

Is this really us, who until recently were called the worst school uniform brand?

“Wow, wow…”

It felt so surreal that it didn’t seem real.

He suddenly remembered the time when he had even mortgaged his house to get a loan just to make a good school uniform.

Does this mean all the debt is paid off now?

‘Can a model really make this much difference?’

Of course, quality would have had an impact too.

But even a fool could see that the current trend wasn’t created by quality.

“That thing, you know. The thing we sent to Kim Donghu and Ryu Jaerin’s agencies, what happened with that?”

“Ah, you mean the special meeting? Where we select a few people who bought uniforms for a meet-and-greet.”

“Yeah, that… when was the deadline again?”

“Until tomorrow—?!”

The subordinate who had been calmly reporting suddenly covered his mouth.

He had belatedly realized how the situation was unfolding.

“We, we need to draw lots. How many people applied?”

Brilliant had prepared a small event.

Riding on the popularity of High Dream,

Providing an opportunity to meet actor Kim Donghu for those who bought and verified their uniform purchase,

Firmly believing this would increase sales even more.

And in some ways, Han Seongmun’s strategy had worked.

But.

‘Hasn’t he become too famous?’

Kim Donghu’s recognition had suddenly skyrocketed.

High Dream? It was a drama that hit 30% ratings, but it’s already over.

But what about the short film The Real Hero and the commercial film Endless Frontline?

One won four Mise-en-scène awards,

The other was receiving critics’ praise and seemed destined to be a masterpiece.

In this situation, there exists an official event where people can meet actor Kim Donghu?

“H-how many people applied? How many were we going to select?”

“I’ll check.”

Just as he was about to ask his subordinate for exact figures.

Slam!

“President! The website crashed! What should we do?!”

Another employee came in with the worst news.

‘How can a school uniform website crash? This makes no sense.’

The shock didn’t end there.

“Oh, and the number of applicants right before the crash was 30,000.”

“…What? 30,000? Did I hear that wrong?”

“Yes, 30,000. And the phones keep ringing, so I unplugged the phone lines for now.”

Why did you unplug them?

Just as he was about to answer.

Ring ring ring.

His cell phone rang inconsiderately.

“Hello?”

-Hey, Seongmun. It’s your third cousin’s uncle. My daughter really likes Kim Donghu, and I heard that you…

“Ah, yes, yes, I really like Kim Donghu too. Take care, cousin.”

Click.

So that’s why they unplugged the phone lines.

Good job.

Han Seongmun praised his subordinate’s competence and suddenly thought.

‘Was suggesting the special meeting a mistake?’

It was supposed to be a casual event!

We never used to get many applications!

It was the moment he saw the disaster he had brought upon himself approaching.

+++++

At the same time Han Seongmun was falling into confusion.

Kim Donghu was currently.

“…So, um… you’re going to have a sibling.”

“…Ah, um… yes.”

Through Sims – Real Life, he had learned,

“Ahem… it’s a good thing that mom and dad love each other, right?”

“Ah… well, yes.”

He was vividly receiving news about a second child.

The scene of his usually taciturn father, red to the ears, announcing news of a second child.

If he hadn’t known in advance, he would have been shocked.