The release of Hereheart is just around the corner.
I couldn’t focus on it because I was busy with the final filming of The Heirs.
But it seems there were some rough patches after, with Hye-won’s filming and the completion of the film.
“Hello.”
“Ah! Siyeon! It’s been a while. I really missed you.”
An hour before the premiere.
Director Bong Jun-young, whom I hadn’t seen in a while, rushed over.
Bong Jun-young was a rather humble person compared to his fame.
He consistently used honorifics even with me, someone younger, and his demeanor on set was pleasant.
From experience, people like him tend to do well for a long time.
The Duke of Delbern, who had naturalized as an imperial citizen from the fallen Fern Kingdom, was just like that.
Though from a destroyed country, he started as a count in the empire and eventually became a prominent figure in the royal family, earning the title of Grand Duke.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t pay more attention. I heard the later filming took longer than expected.”
“Hahaha! Siyeon, there’s no need to apologize. You did your part perfectly. You really sound like an adult, even though you’re still in middle school.”
Though he laughed out loud, Bong Jun-young’s expression wasn’t entirely happy.
As I had heard, it seemed he wasn’t satisfied with the later scenes.
Still, judging by the fact that the premiere went ahead as scheduled, it seemed to be alright to some extent.
“Take a look. I think we’ll at least break even.”
“It’ll do even better. I heard your last film almost reached ten million viewers?”
“That was just good luck. Anyway, I’ll be waiting. It’s about to start soon.”
Bong Jun-young greeted me and went to welcome the other guests.
It seemed that many celebrities attended, as it was his premiere.
Bong Jun-young, a director who gained much attention from a young age as an independent filmmaker, had his previous film The Strange come close to a nine million viewership.
There was a strong consensus that Bong Jun-young would be the next director to achieve a ten million hit.
I was just a supporting child actor for about 30 minutes.
But it was my first action film, so I was particularly attached to this project.
“…Huh.”
Attachment? Did I just think of the word attachment?
It’s funny to feel this way over such a small project.
It was something I couldn’t have imagined in my previous life.
Suddenly, I felt like I didn’t recognize myself.
Was I going mad after constantly acting out emotions on set?
Such strange thoughts for someone like me.
“Ugh…”
I couldn’t put the feeling into words.
It felt like something was swirling in my chest.
My head hurt.
“Siyeon!”
Then I heard a familiar voice.
It was Park Siha, Lee Minwoo, and the other actors from The Heirs.
Yuna was at the back.
I had circulated invitations as a courtesy, but I never expected everyone to show up.
“Hello! Thank you so much for coming.”
I couldn’t hide my surprise, as I hadn’t expected them to be there, but greeted them warmly.
“Our youngest is in her first film, so of course we had to come. But I didn’t know you were filming with Bong Jun-young.”
Lee Minwoo said with excitement.
At first, he had seemed like quite the old-fashioned person, but now, he had become one of the best senior colleagues, acknowledging me as an actor.
“The actor originally scheduled had an injury, so I got lucky and got the role.”
“Wow… Really? That must’ve been tough, especially with action scenes.”
“Siyeon comes from an assassin-girl background, so is action even an issue?”
“Please watch closely and give us feedback.”
Hahahaha
The atmosphere was warm and friendly.
I received bouquets and gifts from my The Heirs colleagues, greeting each person one by one.
Strangely, even though I wasn’t acting, my lips curled up on their own.
“…Thank you for coming.”
“…Here. Congratulations.”
Lastly, I approached Yuna, who was in the corner, to greet her first.
She handed me a small gift bag instead of a bouquet.
Inside was a necklace from a fairly well-known brand.
“I noticed your neck looked bare the other day. There’s an award ceremony coming soon, so you should take care of things like this.”
“Right! It’s already the end of the year.”
“This year’s newcomer award is obviously going to Siyeon, right?”
“If it’s not Siyeon, it’ll be Haon oppa.”
“Come on. Honestly, Siyeon deserves it more than I do. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime award, and I just so happen to meet Siyeon. Oh well…”
The conversation quickly shifted to the year-end award ceremonies.
Come to think of it, that’s coming up.
Jeyeong had mentioned it to me, and it’s already nearly December.
I should contact writer Kang Eung-sook too. I’ll bring it up before the last filming.
Recently, writer Kang sent me a revised script, so even if I don’t mention it, I’m sure everyone is thinking about it.
But I didn’t expect Yuna to consider such details for me.
As I turned to thank her, I realized Yuna had already disappeared.
Well, that’s fine. I’ll see her again on set anyway.
After my The Heirs colleagues caused a bit of a stir, it was finally time for the premiere to begin.
Looking at the audience, I saw that my fan club had taken up one section of the seats.
That person, I heard, is an announcer. Why do I always see them? Do they have no other work?
As with the production announcement, the questions were finished and the screening of Hereheart began.
The film seemed hundreds of times better than I expected.
It meant that Bong Jun-young’s skills exceeded my expectations by far.
During filming, the action scenes felt lacking as I had to match the level of other actors.
But seeing the completed film, I forgot all about that shortcoming.
Looking around, everyone was engrossed in the film, barely breathing during the opening scenes.
Surely, the process of Hee-jeong’s rise in the slums was so gripping that there was no point where I could take my eyes off.
I hadn’t felt this immersed in any crime or spy film I had seen before.
It was a success. I thought to myself.
Bong Jun-young, who had been watching from the back, looked satisfied.
But that was only the first 30 minutes.
“…Sorry.”
After my part ended and the scene shifted to Hee-jeong’s growth, the atmosphere slowly started to relax.
People, now less tense, went to the bathroom or leaned back in their chairs, losing focus.
Bong Jun-young’s expression also stiffened a little.
It seemed this was the part he had been worried about.
Once the timeline shifted to the future and the lead actress, Hye-won, appeared, for some reason, the pace felt slow.
And as time passed, the screening ended,
followed by several interviews, and the premiere concluded.
“Thank you all for trusting and following along. I’m still a lacking director, but…?”
And finally, at the last gathering.
With the after-party beginning, Director Bong Jun-young raised a glass, delivering a speech and toast.
I held a glass filled with cola, staring at the sizzling meat on the grill.
The after-party menu was from a Samgyeopsal place that Director Bong Jun-young liked.
I had heard of it, but this was my first time eating there.
You can’t resist the crispy pork fat, especially when you grill it with kimchi.
Their kimchi was so famous that they even sold it separately.
And with cola, this was the perfect after-party.
If I had to go back to my previous life, I wouldn’t want to leave because of the food alone.
“…So, thank you all for following along! Hereheart! Let’s go for ten million!”
Let’s go for ten million!
With the toast for “Let’s aim for ten million,” the dinner gathering officially began.
Ah, so everyone is aiming for ten million.
That’s fine with me. Right now, what’s important to me is this samgyeopsal.
I was sitting with a new actor named Seonggang and Kil Daesu in the corner near the main cast.
Seonggang was in charge of grilling the meat, but I wasn’t happy with how he was doing it.
“Should I grill it?”
“No, I’ll do it.”
“Alright, just stay put, Siyeon-ya. But Seonggang, your grilling needs some work. Hahaha!”
“I’ll do it properly, sunbae!”
Seonggang, looking nervous, sprinkled pepper on the meat.
He was a newly discovered actor. In terms of experience, he was still less seasoned than me.
But Director Bong Junyoung’s eye for talent was sharp.
At least within the frame, he was delivering good performances.
Kil Daesu, who values skill, also had a positive view of Seonggang.
I hadn’t worked with him before.
He appeared in the future timeline, after Heejeong had already grown up.
But more than that…
“I’ll just do it!”
Swoosh—
“Huh? When…”
I couldn’t stand it any longer and grabbed the tongs and scissors from him.
“Hahaha! Siyeon-ya grills meat really well!”
“Enjoy, sunbae!”
“Should I try the meat you grilled, Siyeon-ya?”
Kil Daesu laughed and took a bite of the meat with some soju.
After seeing him eat, I picked up some well-grilled meat and kimchi.
I put some ssamjang and chili peppers on it, and it was heaven.
“Hahahahaha! Our Siyeon-ya really knows how to eat! Hahahahaha!”
After drinking a few shots of soju, Kil Daesu’s laughter grew louder.
I just responded casually while eating the meat.
“Siyeon-ya, your acting was really impressive. You’re still young, but… you’re amazing.”
“It’s all thanks to you sunbaes guiding me.”
Seonggang, who had been observing, started talking to me.
It’s a rule not to talk while eating, but why does he keep speaking to me?
“I’m also watching ‘The Heirs.’ I’m rooting for Kim Tak and Uriel.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m watching it too, ‘The Heirs.’ Hahahaha! By the way, Siyeon-ya, everything you’re in becomes a hit.”
“‘Here Heart’ hasn’t even started yet. Of course, it will do well.”
“So, Siyon-ya, what do you think about our movie? Do you think we can hit ten million? How did you see it today?”
At Kil Daesu’s loud voice, a brief silence spread around us.
I could feel the gazes from other tables shifting toward us.
The success of the movie is a sensitive topic, so no one had mentioned it until now.
He probably asked me first because I’m the youngest and he thought I could handle the topic lightly.
Kil Daesu acted drunk but was watching me with a clear gaze.
He was not an easy opponent.
“Well… compared to the other ten-million movies I’ve seen, I think it was really entertaining. It has mass appeal, and the trailer definitely sparks interest, so it could definitely reach that goal! But…”
“…But?”
The shop grew even quieter.
I continued eating the meat and shared my thoughts.
“…There’s a part in the middle where the focus breaks a bit. But the tension in the final scene was great.”
-……!
Suddenly, all eyes were on me.
For some reason, everyone started glancing at someone else.
I lifted my head and saw a female actress wearing an awkward smile.
She was smiling, but somehow, there were noticeable wrinkles on her forehead.
“Hahaha…”
Hyeonwoo was glaring at me with a very intimidating atmosphere.
Did I make a mistake?