The preview screening of
Although it became a topic of conversation recently, Director Baek Min's movies are inherently films with a significant divide in preference.
Artistic value, artistic merit.
Of course, showing that is a good thing, but it's a film that has very little appeal to the general public.
That is the general perception of Director Baek Min's films.
In the case of actors, there are some who prefer it and want to appear, but most actors chasing commercial viability tend to avoid it.
"This time, it's truly different."
"Didn't you say that during the previous movie too?"
"But this time, an American actor showed interest! And Japan directly proposed a simultaneous release!"
"Yes, yes, that's exactly why we came."
Film critic Kang Yoo-seok replied listlessly to the passionate words of his fellow film critic, Lee Seok-hoon.
Of course, he doesn't underrate Director Baek Min's films.
No, rather, he rates them highly.
The reason he was so listless, however, was simple.
'Are they awkwardly trying to bring in commercial viability?'
Director Baek Min is not cut out for commercial films.
He could confidently assert that.
'From the looks of it, it seems they made it decently at the request of the investors, but...'
He couldn't believe that Japan really showed that much interest.
Even because of a single actor?
It's ridiculous.
Even the Hollywood actor known as the fairy of the century made a cameo appearance.
Just how much money did they spend?
'Even actor Lee Sang-soo?'
He had clearly heard that
But seeing it now, that doesn't seem to be the case.
Or did a massive investor join late?
'Cho Seo-hee's background is suspicious.'
It's a recent rumor circulating in the industry.
A rumor that Cho Seo-hee is the daughter of a chaebol family.
And the speculated source of that background is the leader of South Korea's cultural industry, Newlike Group.
If so, it wouldn't be strange for the bizarrely surging interest towards
"Oh, it looks like there are students over there."
"What?"
He opened his eyes wide as he saw students standing at the back of the preview screening line.
To think students would line up for a Director Baek Min film.
'Is it because of the actors who participated this time?'
Cho Seo-hee and Joo Seo-yeon are, after all, actors popular even among the younger generation.
Especially Seo-yeon, with her game streams and various variety shows.
Above all, she's a star frequently mentioned in online communities.
"Actor Joo Seo-yeon's awareness has risen too high to say it was only over the past year, right?"
"Huh? No, Yoo-seok. If anything, Actor Joo Seo-yeon was more famous 10 years ago."
"When she was on 'Tae-sum-dal'?"
"That's right. She still has a long way to go to catch up to that time."
Honestly, not that long.
She has caught up a lot, though.
The ripple effect shown by the young Joo Seo-yeon at the time held an advantage even compared to now, where she appears on many variety shows and commercials.
At that time, TV was establishing itself as the main visual medium, and no matter where you turned, stories about Seo-yeon came up.
"Princess Yeon-hwa, huh."
"You know it after all. I like her bubbly appearance on variety shows now, but recently... ah, right. I think her look in the Violl commercial was just perfect. My, how pure and innocent she looked."
"It's a somewhat boring character to come out with these days."
"Where would you find such a thing?"
As they were having that conversation, the preview screening line began to decrease in earnest.
Meaning the preview screening had officially begun.
"I would like to express my gratitude to all the audience members who came to today's preview screening."
As everyone went and sat in their designated seats, the actors appeared along with the words of the MC hosting this preview screening.
First, the three who could be called the representative actors of
"Wow, she's really pretty."
"The one in the front is Actor Joo Seo-yeon, right? Next to her is Cho Seo-hee, and..."
Most people quickly recognized Seo-yeon and Cho Seo-hee.
However, the female actor standing beside them.
More people found Lee Ji-yeon unfamiliar.
That was because most of Lee Ji-yeon's proper roles so far were supporting roles in dramas.
And even then, mostly cable dramas.
"She was on that recent Japanese variety show. The one who nagged a lot when Actor Joo Seo-yeon was riding the bear."
"Ah, that actor! Ah, right, right!"
Fortunately, her awareness rose somewhat thanks to the trending Bear Rider Joo Seo-yeon recently.
The only one who said anything to Seo-yeon riding the bear on that variety show was Lee Ji-yeon.
Since most were busy running away as long as Seo-yeon exchanged a greeting with the bear, she was highlighted along with the relatively composed Stella.
Of course, she did faint during her first meeting with the bear.
Well, that was only natural.
"The cast, excluding those three actors, isn't particularly special."
"Put nicely, it feels like there are a lot of actors focused on their craft."
Kang Yoo-seok and Lee Seok-hoon briefly exchanged such words.
The cast filled the front stage in front of the screen.
And.
"You were probably all curious."
Just when everyone thought all the actors had come up on stage, the MC opened his mouth.
"The person who appeared at the very end of the trailer!! Who the man narrating throughout the trailer is!"
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One more.
There was still an actor who hadn't come up.
A black suit, a long coat.
The same outfit seen in the trailer.
Along with a high-quality homburg hat worn by gentlemen catching the eye.
Hidden in the shadows, he couldn't be seen properly, but that jawline was the same as the one seen in the trailer.
"T-t-t-that..."
The man who was about to open his mouth without realizing it snapped his mouth shut.
He wasn't the only one.
Those near the man also stared intently with 'no way' eyes at the man striding in.
'It's him, it's real. It's real!!'
The man covering his mouth with both hands.
He was a YouTuber who skyrocketed thanks to actor Joo Seo-yeon, and a man who barely managed to participate in the preview screening, Han Bong-sik.
He couldn't contain his ecstasy.
'As expected, Joo Seo-yeon is a goddess.'
Even when I was merely following her around, I never used to get crumbs like this, did I?
Jackpot, an absolute super jackpot.
Since it's a general preview screening, there probably wouldn't be a non-disclosure agreement.
Of course, there's always the "what if," so he would have to ask the officials, but if they just allowed him to use what he saw right now for promotion, he was confident he could make a video in a single day.
His mouth was already itching to spill the beans.
"Hmm."
After coming up on stage, he exchanged glances with the other actors with a slightly awkward face.
He felt as if he had taken the spotlight in place of the young actors.
Above all, the leads of the movie were other actors.
"Hello, I am Lee Sang-soo."
Taking off his homburg hat, he faced the audience for the first time in a really long while.
As his face, which had been hidden in the shadows, was revealed, the suppressed cheers of the audience finally burst out.
"It's really Actor Lee Sang-soo?"
"I told you! It's Lee Sang-soo!"
"Wow, look at how insane the cast is."
"I thought he retired, but he didn't."
Excited voices fill the theater.
Seeing everyone looking at Lee Sang-soo and chattering with excited voices, Lee Sang-soo felt his hands tremble slightly.
The gazes of the countless audience members he had only avoided after failing in Hollywood.
Even while thinking those eyes were scary, a strange nostalgia arose.
A bizarrely inexplicable lump filled his chest.
And blocked him from uttering anything more.
What words should he say?
If it were his former self, he would have joked around and said something like, "Please enjoy the movie."
But today, even those words didn't easily come out.
Like an actor standing on stage for the first time, he was only carefully stroking the brim of his homburg hat.
"I participated in this
That was all he could manage to say.
Perhaps because they felt that lump in his throat, some audience members even teared up.
He failed in Hollywood, felt his limits as an actor.
The thought that he couldn't climb any higher.
Thinking that no matter how much more he tried, he would only end up running in place, he declined film appearances.
"But you want to do it, don't you?"
To those words of Lee Sang-soo, Seo-yeon spoke as if it were really nothing.
Funnily enough, whenever they went out fishing, Lee Sang-soo used to often say those kinds of things to Seo-yeon.
Ever since
Of course, it wasn't just Seo-yeon; Lee Ji-yeon also joined to persuade him, lest he change his mind.
At that time, he was probably still contemplating appearing in
"Honestly, I don't know Actor Lee Sang-soo's feelings very well, but..."
Sometimes, Seo-yeon could utter surprisingly deep words.
As if reading the other person's mind.
She clearly said she didn't know, but it felt like she was reading it.
"It seems like you don't want to give up."
Yes, those words were right.
He didn't want to give up.
He wanted someone, even if by force, to grab his hand and pull him along.
Perhaps he had such a childish heart.
How did this audacious young actor know that?
"I would appreciate it if you enjoy the movie."
Leaving those final words behind, Lee Sang-soo sat down beside the other actors.
A thunderous cheer.
The actors who participated in
Seo-yeon couldn't fully know Lee Sang-soo's emotions, but she somehow felt a little choked up as well.
'"Empathy" is a bit scary.'
People often say that seeing Seo-yeon's acting induces "empathy" in others.
Was this what they meant by that?
She hadn't been conscious of it until now, but maybe she had felt this kind of feeling when watching movies, too.
"Well, then we will now officially begin the movie screening. After the screening, a brief autograph session is also scheduled, so please stay in your seats if you are interested."
At the word "autograph session," another wave of commotion rippled through the audience.
"Daebak, just the stage greeting would have been enough!"
"This is totally great, I'm glad I came."
Usually, it's rare for actors to come and greet at a general preview screening like this.
Yet there's a stage greeting, and even an autograph session after the screening?
It was an incredibly sweet deal beyond any other sweet deal.
'They used their heads.'
Of course, film critic Kang Yoo-seok only shook his head.
The appearance of actor Lee Sang-soo was surprising, but it made today's event feel like a show.
Of course, a show isn't a bad thing.
But the important thing was that it was a different texture from Director Baek Min's films so far.
'Usually, when they promote so aggressively like this, the quality of the movie doesn't live up to the expectations.'
He didn't know if it was a prejudice, but that was how Kang Yoo-seok felt.
Was skipping the blind preview screening and going straight to a general preview screening also for this reason?
To gather influencers in this place and promote it all at once.
"Then we will now begin the screening. Please enjoy
Having said that much, the MC turned off the microphone and came down from the stage.
One by one, the theater lights go out, and a brief silence descends.
In that darkness, Seo-yeon looked at Ji-yeon for a moment.
A stiff face.
Her face seemed particularly stiff ever since she heard the word "autograph session" after the screening earlier.
She must have been informed in advance, but an autograph session didn't seem very welcome to Ji-yeon.
'She'll be fine.'
Seo-yeon didn't bother to say anything and looked at the screen.
The sound of rain is heard, and Seoul from long ago.
The appearance of Gyeongseong reflects on the screen.
"Sunwoo, your sister is going to work, okay?"
A girl putting on rag-like clothes and heading out to the market.
As Lee Ji-yeon's figure is captured on the screen.
Like that, the movie
***
"Ah~. The director of
"I fell asleep watching that."
"My mom fought with my dad after watching that."
Da-hyun smiled faintly as she listened to her friends' conversation.
From the perspective of high school students who mostly prefer entertaining movies, Director Baek Min's films were generally disliked.
However, the difference from before was that many prominent actors had participated in
Despite such differences, honestly, except for Da-hyun, no one seemed to expect much.
'It's fun, though.'
Da-hyun likes Director Baek Min's movies.
Because they give her things to think about.
So, she was very happy when Seo-yeon first gave her the tickets.
She even thought that if the movie was good, she would bring her younger siblings to watch it next time.
Above all, it was her first time watching a movie at a preview screening, so there was a lot to look forward to.
'It's Actor Lee Sang-soo.'
Then, she opened her eyes wide when she saw Actor Lee Sang-soo come out for the stage greeting.
At the mention of an autograph session after the screening, she became full of anticipation to get Director Baek Min's autograph.
'So Ji-yeon was the lead.'
And when the movie started, Da-hyun was surprised.
To be honest, she naturally thought Seo-yeon was the lead.
Since she came without knowing any information about the movie, she inadvertently assumed Seo-yeon was the lead.
Wasn't the movie also called
Naturally, hearing at the stage greeting that the character Seo-yeon played, Yuina, was the young lady of the 'Kasugayama Family', she assumed as much.
Thus, in the early part of the movie.
'Ah, so this is how it goes. Actor Lee Sang-soo's acting is good.'
Lee Sang-soo's acting as Gotō Isamu had a dignified depth to it.
To the point where his long hiatus wasn't felt.
Da-hyun found herself unintentionally drawn into the story of the protagonist 'Yeon Seon-ye', who goes undercover as a maid in the 'Amanabe Family' at the proposal of Gotō Isamu.
Feeling that it was somehow subtly different from Director Baek Min's movies she had seen so far.
Yeon Seon-ye, who sneaks in as a maid and ends up attending to the Amanabe Family's young lady, Michiko.
The story began in earnest.
'Huh?'
She tilted her head once past the middle point.
Her other friends also started showing subtle reactions.
Past the mid-to-late point.
'Uh, uhhh?'
From then on, Da-hyun fixed her eyes on the screen as if almost sucked into it.
It was strangely embarrassing, but it made her keep watching.
Above all, Da-hyun had absolutely no immunity to this kind of thing.
No way, no.
Wow, that.
I-is that real? Did they really do it?
Wait, i-isn't that too intense?
Is this rated 15+?
Ah, no, it's not overtly explicit or anything.
Something, the atmosphere, yes, the atmosphere is....
'Ugh.'
With her mind chaotically mixed up, Da-hyun rubbed her strangely dry eyes.
It was because she had immersed herself in the screen and hadn't even blinked properly.
'...It'll be hard to watch with my younger siblings.'
Thinking that.