Chapter 39

Villain Only 039

Major Hype? Major Fire? (3)

"Please bear with the cramped space. Workshops are all like this, you know."

Even if it were a lie, he couldn’t say it was cramped, but he was being very modest.

Perhaps this was the humble pride that only the successful could afford.

"Director? You’re here?"

"Ah, Ji-tae. These are my guests. Just ignore them and keep working."

"Understood."

A man with sunken eyes and a scruffy head of hair poked his face out of the small room and greeted them.

Through the open door, several large monitors displaying numerous film editing screens, and another man with a similar appearance, were visible.

"Oh, these are the editors."

"Didn’t you edit it yourself?"

"I do, but I handle the big picture. The captain doesn’t touch every detail, like adjusting the winch, right? These guys are in charge of the CG. They’re doing the final editing."

Hwang In-joon led the two to a makeshift screening room.

One wall, slightly over two meters wide, was entirely a white screen, and a projector hung from the ceiling.

"It’s not the final version yet, so please bear with any imperfections."

"Of course. It’s an honor just to see it. I promise I won’t spoil it to anyone."

Jung Su-ryeon was more excited than usual.

For her sister, who dreamed of becoming a drama director after working as a PD, this must have been a unique and meaningful experience.

"But what kind of movie is it?"

At this, Hwang In-joon smiled.

"Isn’t it better to watch it without knowing anything?"

"Understood. That sounds better."

"Oh, right. We need some beer and snacks."

Hwang In-joon took beer and nuts from a mini-fridge and storage compartment in the makeshift screening room.

Jung Su-ryeon said enviously,

"It’s a fully prepared producer’s space. I’m really envious. When will I have an office like this?"

"You said you’re an assistant director, right? You’re still young, so you’ll grow steadily. Don’t be in a hurry."

Each holding a beer, Hwang In-jeon finally started the movie.

Impressive background music played softly, and the opening scenes began.

Stunning poses and posters of the actors alternated, captivating the audience, and finally, a large title appeared on the screen.

<The Vault>

***

- Rob the art gallery? No, who would benefit from robbing such a place?

- It’s not just any art gallery. It’s run by the matriarch of the Il-sung Group.

The movie was an action-comedy.

From start to finish, it maintained a consistently hot and exciting atmosphere.

There were occasional serious scenes, but they served to change the mood, and the film thoroughly pursued light-hearted black humor.

Action scenes that appeared at regular intervals, clean and crisp, added to the excitement.

Jung Su-ryeon eventually gave up analyzing the movie and immersed herself as a pure audience member.

The film’s identity was to pursue fun to the extreme.

- What, is there a huge stash of slush funds?

- No slush funds, but there are art pieces worth hundreds of billions, even trillions.

- Trillions?

- How about it? Are you interested now?

- Isn’t it dangerous?

- More dangerous than a regular bank, but also not. If we pull this off, it’s not just a Gangnam apartment. We can live like oil tycoons, traveling the world in private jets for the rest of our lives.

People gathered to rob the art vault of the matriarch of the country’s top chaebol, which housed astronomical-value artworks.

A former National Intelligence Service agent.

A current high-ranking Customs official.

And the current deputy director of the Il-sung Art Museum.

They agreed to break through the impenetrable security of the vault, which boasted better security than a bank, and to share the loot equally.

The movie, which captured the audience’s attention within a minute of the title disappearing, ran like a sports car, maintaining a roaring RPM until the end.

Chase scenes, thrilling action, eye-popping artworks and cash, gold bars.

Money spent like water and the young, beautiful women chasing it.

The true nature and scale of the wealth hidden in the vault, the conflicts surrounding it, and the tension of who would end up with the astronomical wealth.

The movie kept the audience’s attention throughout its runtime.

As the credits rolled with the ending music, Jung Su-ryeon finally came to her senses.

"Wow... I didn’t even notice the time. It was so captivating."

"Thank you, even if it’s a compliment."

"No, no, it’s not a compliment. I really enjoyed it. Wow, the movie is really well-made. If it gets a good rating, it could easily aim for ten million viewers."

Jung Su-ryeon’s praise was clearly sincere.

Hwang In-joon felt good and shrugged his shoulders.

"Thank you. It’s a bit disappointing. I didn’t expect an all-ages rating, but I hoped for a 12+ rating. We got a 15+."

"Wow, that’s a shame."

"The pre-edit version was actually R-rated. It was a bit too explicit."

"Ah, that’s why I felt something was missing in some parts. I’d like to see the R-rated version."

"We’ll release a director’s cut or a DVD later if the movie does well. You can see it then."

"I’ll definitely watch it. I’ll buy the DVD too."

The two, excitedly chatting, finally realized that Jung Se-hoon hadn’t said anything.

Hwang In-joon, feeling awkward, asked,

"Ah, did you not like it, Se-hoon? Your expression is... "

"No, I liked it."

"His expression is usually like this. It doesn’t change much. That’s why I’m always surprised when he acts. I didn’t know he could have such varied expressions."

"It’s fine. You can be honest. What didn’t you like? We’ll be working together on a movie later, so your feedback is important. I’m not a petty director who gets upset when criticized."

Jung Se-hoon waved his hands and shook his head.

"No, I really liked it. It’s just... "

"Just?"

"Some scenes reminded me of experiences I had in the past. I was just thinking about those times."

Hwang In-joon’s face was full of curiosity.

"Really? Which scenes, and what experiences? I’m curious."

"Right. What scenes did you experience in the movie? You only studied, right?"

"I didn’t just study. There’s a lot you don’t know about me."

"Sure, you’re great. You entered Korea University’s Electrical Engineering department as the top student at 17, right? That’s impressive. I wonder how cocky you’ll be on set when your value goes up."

Hwang In-joon was still curious.

"Se-hoon, which scenes? It seemed to have a big impact on you. It would help me in my planning to know."

"Those... "

Just as Jung Se-hoon was about to speak, the screening room door suddenly opened.

"Director? You’re here... Oh my! I’m sorry!"

A stunning beauty opened the door, her face turning red as she bowed.

Her shirt’s neckline, drooping due to gravity, revealed an extraordinary curve along her shoulders.

Her face and figure screamed, “I’m a celebrity.”

"Sorry. I didn’t know you had guests. I heard you were here from Sang-hee."

"Did you contact Kim the writer? Where was I?"

"Yes. You promised to buy me a drink today. What if you left without me?"

"Ah, right. I was a bit distracted."

It seemed the woman was a regular at the studio.

She looked familiar.

If she dyed her hair from brown to a vibrant red and applied a bit of fierce makeup, raising her slightly sharp eyes...

'She’s the movie’s female lead.'

Jung Se-hoon finally recognized her as one of the three criminals in the movie.

Throughout the runtime, she captivated the audience with her stunning looks and daring glamour, and she was the one with the biggest desires.

She appeared as the deputy director of the Il-sung Art Museum.

Her simple attire and makeup were different from the strong femme fatale image in the movie, which is why he didn’t recognize her at first.

Her choice to dress and act so plainly was probably because she knew her own charm well.

She seemed to suppress her glamour in everyday life, only showing it when necessary.

"Who are these people?"

She cautiously observed.

Despite her striking and aggressive physical appearance, her expression and gestures were very gentle.

"Nice to meet you. I’m Jung Su-ryeon. I work as an assistant in the drama production team."

Jung Su-ryeon bowed, and the actress, taken aback, bowed back.

"Oh, no need to bow. I’m Chae Ji-hyun. I’m an actress."

"I know. If I didn’t know Chae Ji-hyun in the drama industry, I’d be a spy."

"Exactly. If you don’t know Chae Ji-hyun in this industry, you’re a spy. But there’s someone here who seems to have come from the North?"

Hwang In-joon said teasingly, and Chae Ji-hyun looked at Jung Se-hoon with curiosity.

"I’m Jung Se-hoon. I’m a new actor."

"By any chance... "

The top star recognized her brother at first glance, and Jung Su-ryeon felt a bit proud, even though it wasn