When I Opened My Eyes I Was a Superstar - Chapter 124

# 124

The end and the beginning (3)

***

White letters flowing over the black screen that filled the movie theater.

It was very nerve-wracking to see my name listed in the credits. After the credits rolled, the theater lights came on and the dark front stage became brighter.

Director Yoon Seong-ah, Park Hyo-won, and Do-wook went up to the stage one by one.

Because it was a press preview, the atmosphere was different from meeting with a general audience. Nevertheless, applause erupted from time to time from the audience.

The reporters’ expressions were all serious. They had facial expressions that looked like they were thinking about something.

It wasn’t meant negatively. “Blue Whale” was a film that made you think a lot. It was difficult to think of it as a film simply dealing with school violence.

It was a story about feelings that they didn’t even know they had at the time they were going through that time. When you look back later, you realize that it was jealousy, a sense of inferiority, and various other emotions called friendship.

It was a film that awakened, albeit late, feelings that were unknown to those who had not yet seen it, and deeply empathized with those who did.

Those emotions were so subtle that it was a question of how to capture them, but director Yoon Seong-ah used an extreme device called ‘violence’ to depict those emotions explosively.

As the three people sat down on the chairs provided, the reporters began asking questions.

Today’s press preview was held in a format where questions were freely exchanged after the screening.

“This is Cinephile Reporter Yoon Hee-yoon. “Please give us your brief thoughts on the three films.”

“I have special affection for him as he is my first child. This is another start, but even though I was inadequate in many ways, the results seem to be good and I am satisfied. However, the question remains whether everything I intended was conveyed well. Since interpretation is up to the audience, it is probably out of my hands. Anyway, I am sincerely grateful to the two actors who worked with me. “If there is a good result, the credit belongs to the two actors.”

Director Yoon Seong-ah gave his thoughts in detail, unlike usual.

“Actually, I was so nervous… It was my first time holding a microphone. “I spoke gibberish and I’m sorry.”

Director Yoon Seong-ah’s added words eased the atmosphere of the chairman a little.

“Starting today, you will have a lot of work to do on the mic, so you will be fine.”

Dowook, who was relatively familiar with being on stage, encouraged director Yoon Seong-ah. At the same time, it also implied that the movie would do well. Reporters were impressed by Do-wook, who was the youngest but seemed the most professional.

There was an implicit order of questions, so the story had not yet come out, but Do-wook was a very strange figure among film reporters. The desire for coverage was burning.

“This is Film 2000 reporter Kim Kang-hyun. I understand that this is director Yoon Seong-ah’s first debut work. Responses are that the overall level of completion is higher than expected. In particular, it is said that the mise-en-scène is excellent and that there is a new direction that does not follow existing films. “What do you think?”

“My major was film, but I started working in advertising. “Because I work in advertising, where I have to judge the outcome through video in just a few seconds, I think there are parts of it that give me a different feel from existing movies.”

Another reporter followed up with a question.

“Despite being a female director, she portrayed the world of wandering boys in a realistic way. “I wonder how that was possible.”

“Uh… I thought that the emotions felt at that time were essentially similar, whether women or men. Also, Hyowon Park here helped me a lot when writing the scenario. From the beginning, the role of Hyowon was modeled after Park Hyowon. “Image.”

Naturally, the questions moved on to questions about the actor.

The reporters asked Park Hyo-won basic questions, such as her thoughts on acting and her evaluation of the movie, and then asked about her co-star Do-wook.

“Have you ever thought that your partner would become an idol-turned-actor?”

“Of course I haven’t tried it. “I had no idea that such a popular star would come in and make an art film.”

Park Hyo-won answered honestly. Do-wook, who knows Park Hyo-won’s conversation style well, just laughed because he knew that he was really saying ‘I didn’t know’ without any other intention.

“How do you feel about working together?”

“I don’t think there’s a need to say where the actor is from. He is a good actor…and a competitive actor as well. “It is true that I felt the same jealousy in real life as in the movie.”

Dowook looked a little surprised because this was his first time hearing this. I didn’t know that Park Hyo-won felt competitive towards me, his junior.

That also means that Do-wook’s acting is attractive.

Dowook was asked about his thoughts on his first film challenge and how he was cast. Director Yoon Seong-ah continued his answer after cutting off Do-wook’s brief reply that he was introduced to the story by a professor at his school.

Director Yoon Seong-ah explained an anecdote he received from Do-wook when he was working at a billboard.

The reporters’ hand movements as they typed director Yoon Seong-ah’s story became much faster. Reporters holding recorders were also listening intently.

Next came the story about acting.

“The scenes where Jeong-hwan assaults Hyo-won in the classroom are very realistic. I was surprised because it was so different from my usual image. “Have you ever actually had a fist conversation with your friends?”

It was a joking question. However, Dowook didn’t feel like laughing at this point, so he held the microphone without changing his expression.

“I have never used my fist even as a joke. That’s why I had a lot of concerns about whether or not it would be realistic. “It was my first time taking on a role that was so different from mine… I was lost and confused, but I would be grateful if people who watched it accepted me as Jeong-hwan rather than Kang Do-wook.”

The reporters nodded at Do-wook’s words.

Entertainment reporters, not film reporters, were also present, and they felt the performance was enough to cause confusion. This was because his personality was very different from the Do-wook they knew.

“This friend really thought about it a lot. “When I watched him, I thought he had great passion, and I think that was expressed with sincerity in his acting.”

It was film reporters who were surprised by Park Hyo-won’s words. Although he was not yet familiar to the public, most people in Chungmuro knew Park Hyo-won well.

Currently, he is being recognized more by talented actors and art film directors. This was because it was rare for Park Hyo-won to praise a junior actor so openly.

As they were surprised and had already seen the movie, they agreed with everything Park Hyo-won said.

“I don’t know if you know, but the Internet is hot right now with the issue of school violence. An idol is suspected of committing school violence. Isn’t Blue Whale also a movie that deals with the issue of school violence? “What do you think about this incident?”

All the reporters looked at the reporter who asked the question. Among them, there were some who didn’t yet know what was happening on the Internet and looked curiously, but most of them were like ‘asking such and such a question.’

Anyone could see that it was an aggressive question asked to Dowook, a member of an idol group.

If you say it’s still just a suspicion, it’s clear that you’ll attract aggro by being tied together with the idol who was pointed out as the perpetrator, and even if you say that violence isn’t allowed, there’s a chance that you’ll be attacked by Seojun’s fans.

Dowook’s eyes shined a little fiercely, but soon calmed down as usual.

Dowook had no intention of avoiding it.

It didn’t matter if it was known that he was behind Seo Kang-jun’s takedown. No, actually, the term ‘behind the scenes’ was a funny word.

It wasn’t that Do-wook was manipulating something behind his back and pulling him down. It was all Seo Kang-jun’s doing, and Seo Kang-jun himself was falling apart.

“well. When can violence become justified? I don’t think that’s ever the case. “There is no justification or justification for unilaterally inflicted violence.”

Dowook’s resolute voice rang through the movie theater.

“In that respect, Jeong-hwan in the blue whale is the same. “The mistakes he made cannot be forgiven for any reason.”

People seemed to know that words have power. Listening to Do-wook’s low voice, it felt as if he was a stern judge.

And they were all right.

Question time was coming to an end. A question was asked: how many viewers are expected when the film opens next week? Director Yoon Seong-ah spoke about the number of audiences that could realistically be mobilized.

Congratulations were then delivered.

“It was named in the New Currents section of the Jeju International Film Festival. congratulations.”

Director Yoon Seong-ah’s face brightened up.

“thank you.”

Do-wook and Park Hyo-won are reporters, but they also bowed their heads to the audience. Director Yoon Seong-ah took advantage of Hit Entertainment’s new investment to submit “Blue Whale” to several world-class film festivals, including the Jeju International Film Festival.

Starting with its name being listed in the New Currents section of the Jeju International Film Festival a few days ago, it is currently awaiting the results of the Toronto Film Festival’s competitive section and the Cannes Film Festival’s non-competitive section.

In anticipation of good news from the remaining two film festivals, there were people who gave flower bouquets to Do-wook, director Yoon Seong-ah, and Park Hyo-won just before the three came off the stage.

The CEO of the Blue Whale production company personally gave director Yoon Seong-ah a bouquet of flowers and thanked her for her hard work. The person who gave Park Hyo-won a bouquet of flowers was his old girlfriend.

And the moment Dowook received the bouquet, the stage was packed. The flash also exploded the most. This was because all KK members came to visit.

***

After finishing the preview schedule, Dowook had dinner with the members for the first time in a long time.

It had been a long time since we had eaten together like this, as each person had a busy personal schedule.

While Dowook was filming the movie, OK’s second album was a success. Although it wasn’t as good as the previous first album, it was an opportunity to make the music they wanted to do more freely.

My grades were good too. They also performed strongly on the music charts and sold albums as good as most other groups, showing off KK’s power as a unit.

In Seok Ji-hoon’s case, he has stopped all personal activities except that he will have to leave once every two weeks due to ’48 hours camping’.

It was because of the upcoming overseas tour.

The members gathered at a Chinese restaurant with a separate room and Oh Baek-ho and Gu Cheol-min each ordered noodles and sweet and sour pork.

The members cheered when Dowook said he would shoot.

“But about that incident earlier. The internet right now is a sea of fire. It’s a sea of fire. “There were thousands of comments.”

“That’s right. Is it possible for Seojun to be active?…”

When Ahn Hyeong-seo brought up the topic, Seok Ji-hoon also nodded as if he was aware of the situation. Director Oh Baek-ho glanced at Do-wook.

“Anyway, I thought he was that kind of guy. From the moment you tackled me!”

Hyungseo Ahn said excitedly. It seemed like he was remembering the time he had been tackled before and hurt his leg. Already, posts were being posted on the Internet criticizing Seojun’s various actions. One of them was Seojun making a tackle during a futsal game.

At the time, it wasn’t noticeable so I passed over it, but upon closer inspection, many people said it seemed like it was deliberately targeted in a subtle way.

“I’m not sure yet, so be quiet.”

It was Jeong Yoon-gi who stopped Ahn Hyeong-seo. Jeong Yoon-gi saw the contents of the letter and felt uneasy, but it was something that could not be easily jumped to conclusions.

Dowook did not add anything else. As the food began to be served, Dowook’s cell phone rang.

It was reporter Choi Seong-jun.

Do-wook quietly left the room and received a call from reporter Choi Seong-jun in the hallway.

“hello? Yes, Reporter Choi. Where are you?”

Reporter Choi Seong-jun’s voice as he answered seemed astonishing.