episode_0054

There is a term called warp and weft.

Threads that weave fabric.

The warp thread runs horizontally, while the weft thread runs vertically.

The two threads intersect and form a single shape.

The relationship between a manager and an entertainer was similar.

Just like warp and weft.

They intertwine, support each other, and move towards a common goal.

Seo Yisoo wanted to experience countless lives through acting like a flash of light.

Shin Jihu wanted to turn Seo Yisoo into a shining actress more than anyone else. Perhaps then, he could understand his mother who had abandoned him.

The two of them were moving forward in this way.

Seo Yisoo acted.

“….”

Sometimes, after finishing a scene.

Seo Yisoo would show a dissatisfied expression at his own performance.

But that was just Seo Yisoo’s feeling.

The perspective of a third party was different.

“Seo Yisoo, every scene you film is like a painting, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it seems like the technique is a bit rough, but there is impact in your acting.”

The staff members were in awe.

Seo Yisoo’s acting still captivated people’s attention.

Her acting clearly shone brighter than others.

And this was naturally reflected in the ratings.

Episode 4 rating: 8.7%

Episode 5 rating: 9.1%

Continuing to outperform the rival and maintaining the top spot in the same time slot.

It was truly an unstoppable growth.

As the work succeeded.

Seo Yisoo, who played an important supporting role, was also rising in popularity.

Of course, she was not the lead role.

It was rare for a supporting actor to become a top star just because one work did well.

Seo Yisoo had only a moderate level of interest in the entertainment industry or recognition among those who watched .

But considering that she had only recently debuted….

Her growth as an actress was quite remarkable.

And as sailed smoothly.

was also constantly moving forward to reveal itself to the public.

However, the path for was not as easy.

On a day off from filming .

Shin Jihu, who had come to the KS Entertainment building to handle office work, received a phone call.

“…Yes? Distribution?”

-Yes. It’s not a pleasant story, but I felt I should let you know in advance.

The director of .

Han Kyungjin was on the line.

There was a problem with the distribution.

Shin Jihu was taken aback.

“No. We received recognition at the Busan International Film Festival. It created quite a buzz. We’re not trying to monopolize theaters like a blockbuster, so why is there a problem?”

was a low-budget film.

And not even a low-budget film that would break even with an audience of less than 300,000.

To put it bluntly, it was a film made on a tight budget.

As such, the target number of theaters was not very high.

Although it gained some attention at the Busan International Film Festival and the target number had increased slightly….

Even so, it required a significantly lower number of theaters compared to most commercial films.

But now there was a problem with distribution?

Han Kyungjin explained.

-Yes. That blockbuster is causing a problem.

“Oh….”

-Basically, a 20 billion won blockbuster is opening at the same time as our film.

“….”

The film industry in South Korea was essentially an oligopoly.

Two major distribution companies controlled everything.

They prioritized the success of the large-scale projects they had invested in, and were not hesitant to monopolize theaters to achieve that.

It seemed like the theaters assigned to were being taken away by the blockbuster.

-We tried to appeal with the Busan International Film Festival title…. But it’s not working out.

“Oh dear.”

It was understandable.

He may have won an award at the film festival, but “The Sea Diary” was not a movie made for the so-called big hit.

Even if it won an award at a film festival.

With 10 million viewers being out of the question, it was uncertain whether it could reach 1 million or not.

From the perspective of major distributors, rather than distributing theaters evenly for “The Sea Diary” and other independent films, they would prefer to go all-in on the blockbuster they invested in.

After all, if it hits big, it could reach 10 million.

“Understood. Let’s just… observe the situation for now.”

After hanging up.

Tap- Tap- Tap-

Shin Ji-hoo drummed his desk, lost in thought.

“The distributor. They’re not very cooperative.”

The reason he was pondering like this was simple.

Because they were a major distributor.

A corporate giant that controlled not only the Korean film industry, but the entertainment industry as a whole.

Not just any entertainment agency.

No matter how confident Shin Ji-hoo was, he couldn’t just boss them around.

Tap- Tap- Tap-

Shin Ji-hoo drummed his desk, contemplating.

“Honestly. Even if ‘The Sea Diary’ doesn’t do well, it won’t make much difference in the current situation.”

It was a low-budget film anyway.

Even if it managed to secure proper theater screenings, hitting 1 million viewers would still be a great success.

From Seo Yi-soo’s perspective, just being the lead in an award-winning film filled the filmography of “The Sea Diary.”

So, it was better to stay put.

There was a risk of making enemies with a major distributor for no reason.

As the heir to a conglomerate, Shin Ji-hoo was someone who had learned ‘calculated decisions’ in various ways.

He knew better than anyone what was the wise course of action.

Tap- Tap- Tap-

With his fingernails, he drummed on the desk.

With each tap, Shin Ji-hoo recalled Seo Yi-soo from when they were filming “The Sea Diary.”

He remembered Seo Yi-soo, who shone brighter than anyone in her acting.

And at the same time, he remembered his determination to make her shine even brighter.

His resolve to show the world how brilliant she was.

“….”

Shin Ji-hoo was Seo Yi-soo’s manager.

More than just making rational decisions, he was the person who made sure the actress got what she wanted.

Shin Ji-hoo picked up his phone.

“….Who was the director over there? Kang Dae-hyun?”

The world of conglomerates is small.

It wouldn’t be strange for Shin Ji-hoo to have known the director of a major distributor since childhood.

That evening, Shin Ji-hoo made an appointment.

“Ugh. I have to see that unlucky guy’s face again.”

The grandson of the chairman of a major distributor.

Kang Dae-hyun was known for his arrogant personality and often clashed with the pragmatic Shin Ji-hoo.

But today, they had to meet to ask for a ‘favor’ regarding distribution…

He might not know it, but he was going to face some bullying after a long time.

“Ugh, really. I don’t know why I have to go this far.”

Shin Ji-hoo said with a wry smile.

It couldn’t be helped.

Shin Ji-hoo wasn’t just Seo Yi-soo’s manager.

Just as Seo Yi-soo fulfilled her role as an actress through acting.

Shin Ji-hoo also did what he could as a manager.

That day, during the meeting with Director Kang Dae-hyun.

Shin Ji-hoo heard a lot of things.

“Long time no see? I heard you’ve been playing house at the company lately? When are you going to come to your senses?”

“What? Distribution? Just a measly break-even of 300,000 won? Seriously… Shin Ji-hoo. How did you end up like this?”

“That’s why I’m trying to persuade you. I do business differently from you. Right? You’re in a position to politely ask for a favor for a mere 300,000 won film.”

“Drink up, drink up. You might not know because you’re playing house with kids, but when it comes to business talk, alcohol is the best.”

They drank a lot of alcohol.

Shin Ji-hoo heard words he didn’t want to hear, said things he didn’t want to say, and saw things he didn’t want to see.

That night.

In the villa where Seo Ee-soo lived in a one-room apartment.

Seo Ee-soo felt the noise at the door and peeked outside.

“….Shin Ji-hoo?”

Shin Ji-hoo was there.

Next to the door of the one-room apartment, a tall man was squatting and swaying.

His face was red.

With every breath he took, the smell of alcohol vibrated.

At a glance, it was clear that he was not just drunk.

Seo Ee-soo approached Shin Ji-hoo.

“Shin Ji-hoo. What’s going on? Why are you like this?”

“….Uh, Seo Ee-soo? What are you doing here?”

“Well, it’s our house.”

“Why are you in our house?”

“….”

He seemed really drunk.

“Why did you drink so much?”

Seo Ee-soo felt upset for some reason.

Shin Ji-hoo was drunk.

Drunk, his usually neat suit was crumpled all over, looking pitiful.

He seemed to have gone through a lot.

And when you drink too much, don’t you bother others?

Seo Ee-soo didn’t have any experience, but she heard that the hangover the next day was terrible.

So Seo Ee-soo was not happy.

But…

“Heh, hey. Listen to this.”

Strangely, Shin Ji-hoo seemed to be in a good mood.

Shin Ji-hoo boasted about what had happened to him that day.

It was something he would never do under normal circumstances.

He did it for his actress, he said.

He wouldn’t have said it so openly.

He was drunk.

“…So, in the end, it seems like the distribution issue will be resolved. How about that? Aren’t I amazing?”

Shin Ji-hoo said proudly.

He seemed to want to brag about what he had done for his actress.

“….”

Seo Ee-soo reached out to Shin Ji-hoo.

She brushed his messy hair and comforted him.

She said, “Well done.”

Seo Ee-soo.

She praised her manager who had fought for her in her own way in an unknown place, in an unknown way, for her sake.

“Really, you did so, so well. Really well.”

She felt frustrated that her vocabulary was still limited.

She wanted to say more.

But all she could say were inadequate words, which was unsatisfying.

It seemed like everything was a bit unsatisfactory these days.

Whatever it was.

There were little corners of dissatisfaction everywhere.

“….”

How long had it been like this?

“Sh-Shin Ji-hoo? Wake up.”

Shin Ji-hoo, who was already drunk, couldn’t hold on for long and lost consciousness.

Seo Ee-soo tried to wake him up in surprise, but it was no use.

“You’ll catch a cold if you sleep here!”

It was already November.

The weather was getting colder every day, and a chilly breeze would rise at night.

“Ugh!”

Seo Ee-soo wanted to drag Shin Ji-hoo into the apartment, but he was too heavy.

Or maybe, Seo Ee-soo was too weak.

She tried to lift Shin Ji-hoo until she was sweating, but he didn’t budge.

“….Hoo, hoo. It’s not that my body is bad, it’s just that I don’t have enough muscles.”

What should she do?

Thinking hard, she sat down next to Shin Ji-hoo.

Seo Ee-soo was still worried about Shin Ji-hoo.

“Shin Ji-hoo. Aren’t you cold? Say something.”

“….”

But Shin Ji-hoo didn’t respond.

So Seo Ee-soo activated the warmth spell.

She used a small amount of mana for the spell.

That’s equivalent to about 3 seconds if we convert Seo Yisoo’s mana into 100 years.

“Using magic after a long time.”

Since some time ago, Seo Yisoo stopped using magic.

Since mana itself was her lifespan, she didn’t use it much in the first place.

After learning that the average human lifespan is 100 years, she stopped using it altogether.

So, it’s probably right for her not to use magic even now.

Strangely, she couldn’t stay still thinking that Shin Jihoo would catch a cold.

“Today, Shin Jihoo went through a lot, that’s why.”

Seo Yisoo muttered as if making excuses.

It must be inevitable.

Wasn’t Shin Jihoo fighting today for himself?

Surely, he wouldn’t feel good if he caught a cold in the cold weather.

“….”

She felt strange.

Tick-tock-tick-

Beside the sleeping Shin Jihoo.

Sitting close to him.

Seo Yisoo nibbled on her finger.

With the sound of her nails hitting, tick, tick, the hallway light sensor in the villa responded, and the ceiling light blinked on and off with a tick-tock-tick sound.

As a result.

Shin Jihoo’s face.

Blinking.

It disappeared, then reappeared. Then disappeared again.

Every time Shin Jihoo’s face appeared and disappeared from view, Seo Yisoo’s heart kept flickering, going in and out noisily.

“….”

Seo Yisoo silently stared at Shin Jihoo’s blinking face.

It was confusing because of her own uncontrollable heart that flickered in and out.

Tick-tock-tick-

Blinking.

Her heart was in turmoil.

***

A week later, held a press conference.

It was attended by journalists, critics, and editors of prominent magazines.

[The most beautiful fairy tale that could be portrayed by both the director and the actors being newcomers]

[Cozy background, beautiful acting, and a poignant drama]

[Psychopath? No! Expect a completely different charm from .]

Their reviews and ratings set the media abuzz.

Online and on-site ticket sales began.

On the first day of release.

recorded a total of 27,000 opening scores.

Honestly, compared to other large-scale works, it was a modest figure.

But a week later.

surpassed 300,000 total audience members.

It was the moment when the film’s break-even point was exceeded.

Considering the opening score from the first day, it was quite a surprising upward trend.

But it wasn’t over yet.

General audience members who watched the movie left rave reviews.

And word of mouth about soared, leading to a surge in ticket sales.

From far away, from the Gabido Road.

From the cliff of Yonggot.

An unusual wind blows.