episode_0076

After lunch.

​

Vroom─!

​

Mystic’s van was diligently driving. The destination was Director Go Tae-min’s studio. The reason being, today was their turn to share their impressions of the newly received ‘Crescendo From Tomorrow’ script.

​

Tap tap tap….

​

Sooa’s heart was timidly beating.

​

She couldn’t help but be nervous. Because she had heard amazing news.

​

‘I’m going to the finals? Really?’

​

Sooa had encountered film festivals a few times.

​

When the red carpet is elegantly laid out, celebrities shining like jewels get out of sleek black cars. And they enter while receiving all kinds of flash photography. Giving a nice smile once.

​

Of course, what Sooa is facing now is the Busan International Short Film Festival. Its status is far less than year-end awards ceremonies or the Cannes Film Festival, but so what? This is also huge for Sooa!

​

‘…To think my situation would change like this.’

​

Just a few months ago, she was just an unemployed person.

​

‘Anyway, I should tell the CEO soon.’

​

Sooa turned her head toward Kim Yi-seo in the next seat.

​

“CEO-nim.”

“Yes, Sooa.”

“Have you heard from Director Park Joon?”

“Contact? What kind of contact are you talking about?”

​

It was then.

​

─♩♪♬

​

Just then, Kim Yi-seo’s phone rang.

​

“It’s Director Park calling. Just a moment.”

​

Kim Yi-seo brought the phone to her ear, and Sooa thought her hands were so tiny, no matter how many times she saw them. So much so that the phone was bigger than the CEO’s hand.

“Yes. This is Kim Yi-seo from Mystic.”

​

Then, a very excited voice returned.

“Ah, CEO-nim! I’m calling with very good news!”

“Good news, you say?”

“It means that the production costs you supported Mystic with were worth it!”

​

Just how excited Park Joon was, the sound coming from Kim Yi-seo’s phone was audible even to Sooa’s ears.

​

“‘Sword’ has advanced to the finals. Only thirty works can get the opportunity to be in the finals, and ‘Sword’ is one of them!”

“…Really?”

​

“Yes! It’s certain! I couldn’t believe it myself, so I asked again two or three times. Oh, I already sent a message to Sooa-ssi. Oh my, my hands are still shaking.”

​

Kim Yi-seo was dumbfounded, but soon she was overjoyed.

​

‘Sword’ was actually something Sooa liked, not a work that Kim Yi-seo liked. Kim Yi-seo had just gambled on riding along because Sooa was riding a tiger.

​

But the result? Passing to the finals.

​

It was the moment when it was proven that Sooa was right, and at the same time, it was also the moment when Kim Yi-seo’s judgment in trusting Sooa was clearly correct. It was impossible not to be moved.

​

Kim Yi-seo opened her lips again.

“Looking at the articles pouring out these days, it seems that interest in the Busan International Short Film Festival is especially huge this year. Even just the number of submitted works must be huge.”

​

“That’s right. Interest also increases as much as money is spent. It seems they’ve been doing a lot of promotion here and there, and thanks to the increase in awards, the number of submissions has been the highest ever.”

“I knew it. And they broke through that.”

​

Kim Yi-seo clicked her tongue anew.

“But, come to think of it, the result notification is strangely fast? Even last year, when interest was waning, it seemed to take quite a while for the finals results to come out. Why is ‘Sword’ so fast?”

​

“It means one thing.”

​

Park Joon said.

“Before even seeing other works, it means that as soon as they saw ‘Sword,’ they thought it was definitely a pass. As a director, there’s no experience more rewarding than this.”

“Is that so? Congratulations. I’m also proud as an investor.”

“Thank you! Thank you so much! Ah, and you know this is confidential, right? It’s only been notified to the ‘Sword’ staff.”

​

“Of course, I know. It’s an industry unwritten rule.”

​

The two shared their joy for quite a while after that, and after a while, Kim Yi-seo nodded with a satisfied expression. Finally, the long phone call came to an end.

“I should hang up soon. Have a good day, Director.”

“Yes! Bye!”

​

But even after hanging up, Kim Yi-seo couldn’t put down her phone. She was just frantically flipping through her phone book. Because there were many places to call from now on.

​

First, the first one was Sooa’s styling team.

​

Why, that team that painted Sooa white and took her profile picture.

​

“Oh my god, that rookie friend advanced to the finals?”

​

As soon as she heard the news, unsurprisingly, the photography team leader couldn’t hide her surprise either. Thanks to that, Kim Yi-seo’s satisfaction deepened.

“That’s right.”

“I thought she was unusual even during the profile shoot, but she really pulls it off. That friend doesn’t even have a filmography yet, so she’s experiencing the film festival?”

​

“Um….”

​

Kim Yi-seo pondered for a moment.

“Well, that’s right in Korea.”

​

She answered like that while looking at Sooa’s face next to her.

​

From Kim Yi-seo’s point of view, Sooa was an overseas type, so she couldn’t be sure that it was her first film festival. More than anything, her expression. Doesn’t Sooa look more peaceful than anyone else right now?

​

Around the time she was thinking that, the photography team leader spoke again.

​

“I need to loosen up my hands in advance. If you’re going to the film festival, you have to give the styling some strength. I heard a lot of big shots are coming this time?”

“That’s right. Actors, directors, reporters, staff, audiences, all the human beings who love this medium gather. Please take good care of her. I want Sooa to shine the most even in that place.”

​

Meanwhile, Sooa’s heart was still beating.

​

Tap tap tap….

​

That was because she could hear all of Kim Yi-seo’s phone conversation. Oh, I’m going to a place where all those people gather. Worries such as ‘I really have to show only good things’ rushed in.

​

Of course, that was just Sooa’s inside story. On the outside, she just had a solemn expression, so Kim Yi-seo was once again impressed.

​

‘A blank filmography, and she’s stepping on the land of the finals? It’s unconventional. It’s like success follows Sooa after she goes first. Even friends who were called rising stars couldn’t do this much.’

​

Sooa being good at acting is now familiar.

​

But what Kim Yi-seo is truly amazed by is the scale of things that stick to Sooa. Advancing to the finals, courtship from master directors, praise and obsession from all kinds of staff….

​

What Kim Yi-seo felt was clear.

​

Sooa was an actress who even had charm.

​

‘An actor’s acting ability and the charm to attract people around them are different. For example, look at Sun-il. He’s good at acting, but because he’s prickly, he doesn’t get many offers….’

​

Where does it end? There were endless advantages.

​

‘…Moreover, she’s good at foreign languages. What is her real identity?’

​

Thinking about it now, Kim Yi-seo didn’t regret the three cars she paid as a contract condition at all. Rather, she even thought she had bought Sooa well at a cheap price.

​

She was soaked in such happy thoughts for a long time.

​

After a while, Kim Yi-seo asked Sooa.

“That’s right. Sooa, have you checked the script yet?”

“Have you made a decision? The Kim So-hee role.”

Sooa nodded.

“Kim So-hee, I want to do it.”

“….”

​

Then Kim Yi-seo quietly shook her head. Like a human shaking off drowsiness because she wondered if this moment was a dream.

​

“Sooa, what did you just say?”

“‘Crescendo From Tomorrow’. I’ll participate.”

“….”

​

Then Kim Yi-seo held Sooa’s hand tightly instead of answering.

​

“Sooa.”

“Yes?”

“Thank you so much.”

“…Yes?”

“Finally, Sooa isn’t refusing.”

​

Well, that’s how it happened.

​

The previous ones were so strangely rated that she couldn’t do them, but ‘Crescendo From Tomorrow’ is 1.9 grade. There’s no reason not to do it.

​

Thanks to that, the plan in Sooa’s head became clear.

​

After graduating from the ‘Musician’ characteristic through ‘Crescendo From Tomorrow,’ she will gradually develop other characteristics. If she does that sort of thing, wouldn’t she become a perfect human being before she knows it?

​

Yes, in other words, Sooa Perfect!

​

[ Sooa Perfect, a matter for the future. ]

[ Sooa, needs to focus on current work. ]

[ Current state: moronic. ]

​

Sooa pretended not to see the special feature window. Sooa block.

​

Instead, she said to Kim Yi-seo.

“This work makes my heart race.”

“That’s a relief. I was worried about what would happen if there was never a work that would motivate Sooa. Ah, and would it be okay? You’ll have to learn the piano to play Kim So-hee.”

​

She was about to spit out the words, ‘I know how to play the piano─’

“….”

​

Sooa tightly closed her lips.

​

Because a better word came to mind. Therefore, she said this.

​

“CEO-nim, I’m an actress. I’m ready to endure any adversity to play a role. The piano is no exception. Even if my fingers hurt like they’re going to break, I’ll practice.”

​

[ It’s just Sooa deception. ]

[ Sly act. ]

[ Yet, avoided the torture script. ]

​

‘Shut up. Can’t you be quiet?’

​

[ Sooa deception (whisper whisper) ]

​

‘…?’

​

Sooa thought. Is this crazy?

​

While Sooa was determined to sort out the special features and rankings soon, tremendous emotion floated on Kim Yi-seo’s face.

​

“Thank you, Sooa. Director Go Tae-min will definitely be happy too. Ah, then should we stop looking for scripts for the time being? Or do you want them to keep being supplied?”

“Um, keep giving them to me. They inspire me.”

​

To be exact, I can see the grades. Yes.

​

Ah, right. And Sooa hurriedly added a word.

​

“If possible, please make them scripts in the production stage.”

“Ah? Is there a reason? It would be good to have already completed works, even those that have already been aired, to study this and that.”

“That’s….”

​

Sooa soon put on a faint smile.

​

“…I can find those scripts on my own. I don’t want to bother CEO-nim.”

​

[ Sooa lie ]

[ Sooa deception ]

[ Sooa trash Sooa bug ]

​

Pop─!

​

Sooa turned off the special feature window completely. 100% transparency.

​

“Okay. Then just decide on the genre.”

​

Kim Yi-seo, who was soaked in emotion, nodded.

“Romance, or noir full of crime and action, or you can tell me the character you want. A madam waving a wad of money like a fan, or….”

​

But Sooa didn’t choose one.

“Yes.”

​

She just nodded with a one-letter answer.

​

That meaning, just give me everything.

​

◈◈◈◈◈

​

Later, at Director Go Tae-min’s studio, which they arrived at.

​

“…Huh?”

​

Sooa stiffened.

“…?”

​

It was because too shocking a sight came into view.