* * *
Na Kang-in had no interest in the movie’s success. He was at the PC Bang as usual.
AI Zijin spoke.
[We need to move out of this temporary base and find a more stable place to stay.]
“Isn’t it uncomfortable here?”
[Anywhere would be better than the PC Bang rest area. You need proper rest to maintain your combat strength.]
“Can we afford a new base with our budget?”
[I’ll look for a place we can afford with the upcoming movie appearance fee.]
“Will that money be enough?”
[It’s not sufficient. We need to secure a base not only for living but also for equipment manufacturing, and we don’t have the budget for that.]
“Equipment, huh….”
[You currently have no equipment.]
“Not having it doesn’t feel inconvenient.”
[You need to acquire or create at least the essential equipment. To do that, we need a stable base with the necessary facilities.]
“Earning that budget as an PC Bang part-timer would take too long.”
[That method would take too much time.]
Kang-in wasn’t interested in the movie’s success, but the three friends at the PC Bang were very interested.
Yoon Ah-reum, while checking the movie community board during her break, said,
“The movie is really fun, but they say the theaters are empty. Oppa, what should we do?”
Kang-in asked,
“What can I do to solve that problem?”
“Of course, you can’t do anything. But it’s your first appearance, so it would be nice if it did well.”
“It’ll do well.”
***
The concern was unfounded.
On the second day of release, word of mouth spread, and the audience numbers surged.
On the third day, some theaters were sold out.
A couple who came to see the movie complained.
“Wow. They say it’s a hit on the internet, so we came to watch it, but there are no tickets.”
The girlfriend asked,
“Didn’t you reserve the tickets?”
“There were a lot of seats left at the theater yesterday, so I thought we could just come.”
“Are you kidding? What are we going to watch now?”
“My face?”
“Do you want to die?”
“Hey! You’ve changed! You used to say I was cute!”
“Oh! There are tickets left for the next show, so let’s go eat first!”
***
Tae-ho, checking the report, raised his hands in the air and shouted.
“We made it!”
Director Tae-min Son laughed, sitting cross-legged on the sofa in the THO Entertainment CEO’s office.
“Heh. See? I told you everything would be fine. There’s no way our movie wouldn’t attract an audience. I believe if we do good marketing and secure enough theaters, we’ll soon hit ten million views.”
The marketing was poor, but THO Entertainment had pulled all its resources to secure the maximum number of theaters. If they hadn’t secured enough theaters in time, the company could have suffered a serious blow.
But many of those theaters filled up, and the results on the third day of release showed it.
Tae-ho, grinning widely, chimed in.
“Of course, we have to keep this momentum and reach ten million! Director Son Tae-min, the ten-million-viewer director!”
Though Son Tae-min was one of the top romance directors in the country, he had never made a movie that surpassed ten million viewers.
Even so, he boasted confidently. That’s how sure he was.
Tae-min, rubbing the side of his nose with his finger, said,
“Huh. How about making a full-fledged action movie next?”
“Huh? Director Son. It worked out well this time, but action isn’t your specialty….”
Tae-min sat up from the sofa and spoke seriously.
“There’s a really great story I’ve always wanted to make into a film. If Mr. Na Kang-in agrees to handle the action scenes, I’ll start working on the script right away.”
When Na Kang-in’s name was mentioned, Lee Tae-ho’s attitude changed.
“Director Son, why don’t you sign a contract with us for that film too? If this movie makes a lot of money, we can invest generously in the next one and make it an action blockbuster!”
“Haha, should we?”
“But Director Son, have you talked to Mr. Na about it yet?”
“We need to talk about it now.”
“What?”
Son Tae-min raised his voice confidently.
“Would Mr. Na really turn down such a great opportunity? Haha. Oh, since we’re talking about it, why don’t I call him now?”
Son Tae-min leisurely took out his smartphone and opened his contacts. Na Kang-in’s number was already saved as a favorite.
He made the call.
Although the signal kept ringing, no one picked up.
“Uh… He’s not answering? Ha, haha. He must be busy.”
***
Na Kang-in often doesn’t answer calls from unknown numbers.
“If it’s important, they’ll send a text.”
Yoon Ah-reum clapped her hands as she read the news on a movie community board.
“Wow, it looks like the movie’s a hit. That’s great for you.”
Na Kang-in responded.
“If it’s a hit, it’s great for the people who made it. I don’t get a running fee.”
“It’s good for you too. In the next movie, you might get to be a proper actor instead of just doing action stunts.”
“Hmm…”
Na Kang-in spoke softly.
“If I work as an actor, I could secure the budget for setting up an equipment base faster than I can now.”
AI Zijin warned.
[If too many people recognize your face, it could negatively affect your mission.]
“I know. It’s not efficient.”
Na Kang-in and AI Zijin were acting under the assumption that their current situation was an infiltration operation.
However, they couldn’t determine how becoming a famous actor would affect this mission. This wasn’t a standard operation.
‘So, the plan to secure the equipment base budget by becoming an actor is on hold.’
Na Kang-in told Yoon Ah-reum.
“I just did a bit of part-time work for that movie.”
“I think you’d be good as an actor.”
Na Kang-in brushed it off.
“To be an actor, you need acting skills. Have you ever seen me deliver lines?”
“No. So, you’re not good at acting.”
***
Director Son Tae-min explained to Lee Tae-ho.
“Mr. Na Kang-in didn’t show much facial expression because of the mask, but his physical acting was excellent.”
Lee Tae-ho asked.
“Has he studied acting?”
“That, I don’t know. But he must be interested in acting to be so good at physical acting, right?”
“So, you’re planning to give Mr. Na a proper role?”
Son Tae-min grinned.
“Of course, I want Mr. Na to be in charge of all the action scenes in the next film, and I’d like to give him a role as far as his acting allows. Either way, the next film has to be with Mr. Na. Haha.”
Lee Tae-ho nodded vigorously.
“Whether it’s a pure action or a rom-con action, you absolutely should. If you get Mr. Na’s signature, our company wants to invest directly in your next film, just like this one.”
***
Na Kang-in told Yoon Ah-reum.
“I’ve done one movie, that’s enough.”
Yoon Ah-reum clicked her tongue.
“That’s a shame. You’d be good at it.”
“I’m busy with other work.”
“It looks like you’re just playing around all the time.”
“I’m not playing.”
“Then what are you doing?”
“Um…”
Na Kang-in decided to tell the truth.
“A special mission for the Earth Union Forces?”
Yoon Ah-reum scoffed.
“You’re just playing.”
***
The movie “A Sunny Day” was rapidly gaining viewers. In big cities, tickets often sold out except for early morning and late night showings.
The reviews were positive. Critics liked it, and the audience gave it high ratings.
Director Son Tae-min, who was already a successful romance director, was now even more successful.
A film magazine journalist interviewed him.
“You described your film as a romantic comedy and action movie. There are many praises for the action scenes.”
Son Tae-min laughed.
“Haha. So, I’m thinking of focusing on action for my next movie.”
“Oh! Are you already preparing for a new film?”
“I’m just in the planning stages. It’s not something I can do alone.”
* * *
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