Chapter 38: Busan (1)

Translator: Dreamscribe

The hulking Go Chun-seok's 'ability' was extremely simple. The proof of it sat in Lee Chan-hoo's hand- the little steel ball.

Go Chun-seok's ability was 'strength' itself.

Lee Chan-hoo, whose eyes were still full of question marks, pulled another tumbler from the desk. He mimicked the exact motion Go Chun-seok had made, trying to crush it. But the stainless steel tumbler didn't so much as dent.

"Wow, how does this even work?"

Seeing that, Go Chun-seok solemnly extended his hand.

"Want me to crush it for you?"

Lee Chan-hoo quickly clutched the tumbler to his chest.

"Stop turning my tumblers into steel balls. Without this I've gotta scoop water with my hands."

Ha Yeon-ji cut in with a smile.

"There are paper cups, aren't there?"

Lee Chan-hoo answered Ha Yeon-ji as if she were beneath him.

"What are you talking about? Paper cups have zero style."

"You don't have any style to begin with, so why bother."

"You wanna go?"

"Try opening your eyes first when you talk."

"Take the padding out of your bra first."

War was about to break out. Go Chun-seok watched the two of them in silence. Are they always like this? It was Kang Jae-ha who stopped Lee Chan-hoo and Ha Yeon-ji's war.

"So then."

Jae-ha jabbed his index finger at Go Chun-seok.

"Your ability is 'strength' itself."

"Yes, Commander."

"Refreshing."

No wonder. Back in the other world, too, Go Chun-seok had been enormously strong. Kang Jae-ha had seen him swing clubs the size of a grown man.

'Demonic Beasts' heads popped like balloons.'

That was why Go Chun-seok had served as both tank and power fighter. He was good with his body, but not the type to work with his head. Not that he was stupid; his intelligence just wasn't exceptional. Back then, though, none of that had mattered much to Kang Jae-ha.

A weapon only needed to perform. Intelligence was the job of the person wielding it.

And Kang Jae-ha was the one who had wielded them.

"So the moment you crossed into the other world, what you received was 'strength'."

"Yes, and it feels like it's gotten a little stronger since."

Kang Jae-ha looked at Go Chun-seok for a moment, then let out a small laugh.

"You could crush a man's skull no problem, then."

"...It isn't particularly difficult. Do you need one crushed?"

"Not needed."

There was no occasion to crush a man's skull. Something weaker, perhaps. Either way, Lee Chan-hoo and Ha Yeon-ji were no pushovers, but in his own way Go Chun-seok was the most dangerous of the three.

'They say in the face of overwhelming physicality, everything else becomes meaningless.'

No, there was one thing that surpassed overwhelming physicality. Go Chun-seok murmured it himself.

"But even my 'strength' is nothing in front of you, Commander."

He meant 'Absolute Obedience'.

"Well, yeah."

"As expected of the Commander."

Go Chun-seok abruptly wore a look of profound admiration. Ignoring that, Jae-ha moved on to another question.

"How does the mechanism work. Your 'strength', can you control it?"

"Of course. Normally I'm the same as always. When I use the ability, my 'strength' increases."

Certainly, even without using the ability, Go Chun-seok's baseline strength had to be far beyond an ordinary person's.

"Any conditions?"

Lee Chan-hoo and Ha Yeon-ji had simple conditions tied to their abilities. Go Chun-seok scratched his chin and answered.

"There don't really seem to be conditions. But when I use my 'strength', the next day I get hit with serious muscle pain."

"Muscle pain?"

"Yes. Anywhere from one to two days, at longest."

"And during that time you can't use your 'strength'?"

"Seems that way."

I see. So in Go Chun-seok's case, it looked less like a condition and more like a minor penalty. Jae-ha nodded and gave Go Chun-seok his instructions.

"Got it. Then come in here to work after the weekend."

"Understood. I'll come in a suit."

"Whatever you like. Aside from tasks I specifically assign, stick with Lee Chan-hoo for now, and, hm."

Kang Jae-ha let out a low sound and murmured to himself inwardly.

'Later on, it'd be interesting to open something like a security company with him at the front, to be the hands and feet of MEG, the brain.'

In name it might be a security company, but really it would be a place to keep MEG's manpower assembled. Having finished thinking, Jae-ha fixed Go Chun-seok's position.

"For now, you're going to the security team."

The weekend passed, and Monday came.

Before anyone noticed, May had ended and June had begun. June 1st. The weather was steadily growing warmer. And in the middle of that, there was a place several times hotter, thanks to the heat of concentration.

It was the 'House of the Daytime Moon' studio.

At present, 'House of the Daytime Moon' was in the thick of finishing work after its first test screening, preparing for the second. The first test screening had the feel of a final check; the second was the real thing.

Once that second test screening was done, 'House of the Daytime Moon' would be walking straight down the road toward release.

A familiar-looking woman stepped into that 'House of the Daytime Moon' studio. Ha Yeon-ji.

"Hello."

She was here as a journalist, and the one who greeted her was the thick-browed Director Hong Man-seop. He'd clearly been pouring himself into the work lately; exhaustion was stamped all over his face.

"Ah! Yes, hello. You're the reporter who called, right?"

Ha Yeon-ji flashed a bright smile and handed Director Hong Man-seop her business card.

"Yes! Director-nim, I'm Ha Yeon-ji, a reporter at 'Prime Patch'."

Director Hong Man-seop was slightly taken aback by her beauty.

'Do they hire reporters based on their looks these days?'

Gathering himself, he introduced himself.

"Yes, I'm Hong Man-seop. I'm making the animated film 'House of the Daytime Moon'. Uh, I was surprised when I got your call. An interview request out of nowhere. And 'Prime Patch' is a fairly big outlet."

"Is that so??"

Ha Yeon-ji continued as she was shown to her seat.

"Lee Chan-hoo... CEO-nim."

She was a touch annoyed. Internally, of course. Calling Lee Chan-hoo "CEO" clearly did not sit well with her. Even so, she kept her smile intact and pushed through.

"I came on CEO-nim Lee Chan-hoo's recommendation."

"Ah!"

Reminded of his investor Lee Chan-hoo, Director Hong Man-seop was once again moved. Not only had the man thrown in a billion won investment, he was sending a journalist acquaintance to look out for him.

"...Thank you."

In truth, Ha Yeon-ji was here on the orders of her Commander, Kang Jae-ha, but she played the part entirely otherwise.

"Oh, please. Well, for starters, let's hear a bit about 'House of the Daytime Moon'. I'm planning this as a feature piece. I've got a title in mind too- 'Homegrown Animated Film 'House of the Daytime Moon', First in Years, Stirs Major Anticipation.' How does that sound?"

Up to now nobody had paid any attention to 'House of the Daytime Moon'. Not once in its life had it received a call from a reporter. Yet the moment a new investor appeared, the situation changed drastically.

With his heart racing, Director Hong Man-seop began reeling off every point of pride about 'House of the Daytime Moon'.

"As long as you're here, how about you take some poster shots while you're at it? They're still rough drafts, but."

The article on 'House of the Daytime Moon' went up the very next day.

《[Feature] Homegrown Animated Film 'House of the Daytime Moon', First in Years, Stirs Major Anticipation/ Photo》 Prime Patch, Reporter Ha Yeon-ji.

It began with Ha Yeon-ji, but several more articles followed. Sure, Ha Yeon-ji had pulled strings and mobilized journalist acquaintances, but there was also the fact that other outlets, once they saw the piece on 'House of the Daytime Moon', jumped on the bandwagon.

At the same time, there was another place pumping out publicity with equal ferocity.

《[Film Festival] 'Busan International Film Festival', the World Will Be Watching, Announces Record-Breaking Scale With Opening Just Three Weeks Away》

The 'Busan International Film Festival' side. With the opening right around the corner, it was prime time to blast out articles like mad.

《'Busan International Film Festival', Opening June 26, Unveils Record Lineup/ Photo》

《'Busan International Film Festival', Over 200 Official Selections Including Features and Shorts... A Look at the Standout Works》

The A-list celebrities being invited, famous figures, works by master directors, the confirmed opening date, and so on. As a festival drawing the world's eye, they were ready to pour out publicity endlessly.

Even foreign media were actually covering the 'Busan International Film Festival'.

Of course, the 'Busan International Film Festival' had already announced its invited works.

-This year's Busan International Film Festival is gonna be sick ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ they said they scaled it up huge

-Wait why is it already sold out??

-If you wait, cancellations open up. Same thing last year.

-Gotta go see the red carpet

-Same ㅋㅋㅋ they're saying Hollywood actors are coming this time

And naturally, 'Condensation' was proudly on that list.

Leon Entertainment wasn't about to just sit back and watch.

《[Hot Pick] 'Condensation', Official Selection in Short Film Section of 'Busan International Film Festival'... Supporting Actress 'Yoon Da-yeon' Catches the Eye》

《Among Domestic and International Official Selections in the Short Film Competition Section, a Korean Director in Their 20s? The Lone Entry Draws Attention to Short Film 'Condensation'/ Photo》

Everything they could push, Yoon Da-yeon and An Ji-hee, plus 'Condensation' itself, they were blasting through media outlets and online communities alike. As a result,

-Oh, Yoon Da-yeon! Haven't heard that name in forever ㅋㅋㅋ so she shot a short film, huh~

The public was slowly starting to bite.

That same afternoon, at a rented studio.

Kang Jae-ha, his expression flat, opened the door to the rented studio. The inside wasn't very spacious, just a work desk and a four-person table. At that table sat a man with a rough-looking face, hunched over a laptop.

"Ah!"

The man, who'd been typing at his laptop, bolted upright the moment Jae-ha walked in. Oh Jong-man.

"Hahaha, Manager-nim!"

Oh Jong-man welcomed Kang Jae-ha and gestured to the four-person table.

"I'm so sorry, I should have come to Leon."

Kang Jae-ha shook his head calmly as he sat down.

"Now that you've properly started life as a writer, Leon isn't the best place to talk."

"Thank you. But I hear, Manager-nim, you've become incredibly famous over at Leon."

"Which is a bit of a pain."

Jae-ha took the canned coffee Oh Jong-man offered and gave his condition a once-over. Stubble had grown on his upper lip and chin where there hadn't been any before, and he'd gotten fairly gaunt. It made his already rugged face look even harsher.

Probably not sleeping well because of all the writing.

Even so, Oh Jong-man's trademark warm, ingratiating tone was unchanged.

"Come to think of it, Manager-nim, it's been quite a while since I last saw you, hahaha."

True enough. Oh Jong-man had signed with 'MEG' around late April. They'd met once in between, but it had still been a stretch.

"We've kept in touch, so that's fine. And you've been focused on writing."

"Haha, I'm pretty much holed up in here. I've lost track of how time passes."

"How's the agency? 'MEG', was it?"

When Kang Jae-ha feigned ignorance and asked about 'MEG', Oh Jong-man gave him a thumbs-up.

"What can I say? It's been great. They even gave me a studio like this. The CEO over there calls me once a week, or drops by in person and treats me to a meal. Oh! Lately a guy with a huuuuge build started coming along too."

"Is that right? Well, that's the bare minimum, really, for an agency."

"It's all thanks to you, Manager-nim! If it hadn't been for you, Manager-nim, I'd never have met 'MEG'."

Like he'd been holding it all in and finally let it out, Oh Jong-man talked without pause. Writing was a lonely profession, after all. But then again, he had a good wife, so he'd be fine, Kang Jae-ha thought, and changed the subject.

"Ah! Yes! One moment."

Oh Jong-man must have printed it out in advance. He handed Kang Jae-ha a stack of paper from the desk.

"It's not 100%, but I'd say it's about 80% done."

The stack was thick. Kang Jae-ha asked at once.

"Three."

'That's fast.'

Talent for writing, and fast hands to go with it? At this point, Oh Jong-man cautiously opened his mouth.

"No trouble. I said I'd read it. If you don't mind, I'll give you some advice as appropriate up until your debut."

"I'd be beyond grateful!"

"Long-term, it's win-win for both of us, Oh Jong-man-ssi. I mean, your work could end up helping me too, writer-nim."

"Haha, writer-nim. That's embarrassing."

Soon Kang Jae-ha smiled.

'Already good. When he really buckles down, it's leagues better than last time. In both entertainment value and quality.'

"......"

Kang Jae-ha thought back to the Deja Vu he'd recently seen through General Manager Kim Dae-yong, the one that featured Netflix.

『"A Netflix One-Act Drama project? Sounds like this one blew up, huh?"

"Ah, that? Yeah, it's been crazy hot lately on YouTube and everywhere. Going viral on social media too."

"Tons of people watching it, apparently. Shot straight into the rankings. One-Act Dramas don't usually become a hot topic like this. Guess if you throw enough money at it, anything takes off."

"Well, the platform being Netflix is a big factor. Netflix has been dumping insane money into original series lately."』

At the same time, he tossed Oh Jong-man a question mark.

"Writer-nim. Have you decided where you're submitting for the One-Act contest?"

"Ah, I've gotten some info. Honestly, I figure it's better to go with one of the three major broadcast networks. Cable or specialty channels feel a little too small. Oh! Not that I'm getting ahead of myself, but this is my first try, right? So I thought, why not cast a line in the bigger water..."

Watching Oh Jong-man laugh sheepishly, Kang Jae-ha recommended somewhere else.

"How about Netflix?"

"...Netflix?? Ah, the OTT side. But does Netflix even have an open call? I hadn't heard."

"It'll come up soon."

At that moment.

A mid-sized meeting room. Posters of various works lined the walls, and the room was enclosed by glass panels. Roughly eight people were seated around the table. The materials in front of them all bore a familiar logo.

-Netflix Korea.

This was the 'Netflix Korea' office. Netflix had launched its Korean service in 2015, so it was now in its fifth year. As an OTT, it had already claimed the number one spot, and with solid funding and autonomy, it was currently stirring up waves in the content market.

Soon the bald man at the head of the table opened his mouth. He was Netflix Korea's managing director, effectively its CEO.

"We've decided to run the 'One-Act Drama Project' to line up with the broadcasters' open call seasons, so the announcement goes out this evening, as planned."

The bald managing director calmly recited the decisions to his staff, as if chewing them over.

"One PD will direct the shoots, and the number of One-Act Dramas will be six. Headquarters has signed off, so we can afford to expand the scope a bit."

"Then it'd make sense to set the prize money for winning works fairly high, right?"

"Let's do that. That's how we pull in a larger pool of submissions."

The bald managing director nodded and spoke again.

"Six episodes confirmed. The 'One-Act Drama Project' will go with a format of releasing a new work each week."

Listening to them talk, it was clear the 'One-Act Drama Project' was an original series exclusive to Netflix Korea, funded by them. The bald managing director then turned his eyes to a staff member at his side.

"If there are any decent writers in this 'One-Act Drama Project', let's lock them in early."

It was a simple directive.

"If their Writing Flair is strong enough, we might even put them on a long-form original series."

The 'One-Act Drama Project' hosted by Netflix Korea was officially announced,

《Netflix Korea to Open Its First-Ever 'One-Act Drama Project' Since Launching Korean Service!》

that very afternoon.