TMKG 8

Chapter 8. Memory Correction (1)

A few days later.

Chang-su visited the filming set alone.

When the schedules of the actors under the company overlapped, there were times when he had to come all the way to the set despite holding the position of director. Because if he wanted the managers to follow the 52-hour workweek regulations, on-site shift changes were necessary.

Celebrities were under exclusive contracts, but managers were all workers.

Of course, there were tricks like contracting managers as freelancers, but there was nothing like that at Line Entertainment, where Chang-su worked. It was because of his belief that if they were not full-time employees, their sense of responsibility could fall. Instead, they were using a flexible working hours system together, but as mentioned earlier, when the schedules of the actors under the company overlapped, there were times when it could not be helped.

“Juwon.”

“Huh? Director, you came?”

“It turned out that way. You go into filming in two hours, right?”

“Yes. They have to change the staff.”

Of course, the production crew also could not be exempt from the 52-hour regulation, so they were continuing the shoot by splitting into two or even three teams.

“I see.”

Just then, Kang Juwon glanced behind Chang-su.

Seeing him look as if he was searching for something, Chang-su had a thought.

‘Is he looking for Myeongin?’

It had only been a short time, but had he not been quite taken with Myeongin?

So he wondered if that was it.

“I asked Hansu to get me some digestive medicine… Did you not hear?”

It was not…If even one person remembered him, Myeongin would be extremely happy.

He had wondered just in case, but as expected, it was not.

“He said there was no digestive medicine, so Hansu said he’d buy it himself, bring it to you, and then leave work.”

“Ah! So that’s what happened.”

“Is your stomach not feeling well?”

“It’s not that bad, but I was worrying so much that I’m not digesting well.”

“I see… By the way, do you happen to remember the nephew who came to the set with me a few days ago?”

“Your nephew? Hmm… Ah. I think I vaguely remember him.”

His slight expectation was made meaningless, as looking at Kang Juwon’s expression, he still did not seem to have much interest.

“Did he ask you for an autograph?”

“Huh? Ah, yes, yes! Yes. I’d be grateful if you did.”

What autograph.

He gave a false answer to boost the spirits of the actor under his company.

A moment later, after receiving the autograph paper, Chang-su opened his mouth along with a word of thanks.

“Thank you. He told me to make sure I got it.”

“Bring him along again later. I’ll take a picture with him then too.”

“He’ll really like that. Then please rest for a bit. I’ll go say hello to the directors for a moment.”

After closing the car door, Chang-su headed straight toward the director.

The filming team had completely changed shifts, so it was a new PD instead of Kang PD, whom he had seen a few days ago, but fortunately, he was someone Chang-su knew by face as well.

He was about to greet him when, coincidentally, the directors were looking at the screen and talking about something.

“No matter how I look at it, the original is better than the edited version, isn’t it? They cut out everything that hits hard, didn’t they? Why did Kang PD edit it like this?”

“Kang PD thought a lot about it too. But if we air it like this, it’ll definitely get caught by the review board, so that’s why he did it like this. If we air it as is, it’s obvious it’ll get a Grade 4 from the review board.”

“It’s just a recommendation anyway. We can air it the way it was first shot, get called in, bow our heads a bit, and say we did wrong.”

“The problem is… we’re not the ones who’ll be bowing our heads. We only produce it, and KBC airs it, so the CPs will probably be the ones called in. If they say they won’t take our works from next time on because of that… it’ll be chaos.”

Chang-su quietly listened to that conversation from behind.

‘It sounds like they’re talking about Myeongin’s scene right now…’

Just in case, Chang-su stuck his head out and looked at the screen the PDs were watching.

As expected, the screen was showing the scene Myeongin had filmed.

Just then, as if the PDs sensed someone’s presence, they turned their heads, and Chang-su hurriedly greeted them.

“Director Lee Sanghwan. Have you been well?”

“Yes. Chief Park, it’s been a really long time. But you still come out to the set?”

“I became a director.”

“Huh. Already? It doesn’t feel like it’s been that long… Well, there’s even talk that Line’s actors don’t go to other companies because of President Park, so it makes sense that you’d become a director.”

The compliment might have put him in a good mood, but Chang-su was more curious about something else.

“Were you perhaps talking about the actor who acted in this scene?”

“This scene?”

The PD tilted his head as if he did not understand why he was asking such a question.

“That’s Jang Ji-won.”

“It’s not…”

“It’s not? …Ah! Right! Right!”

It was a reaction as if he had heard about Myeongin.

“After Jang Ji-won got into an accident, I heard they urgently used a bit-part actor. But they pulled off a scene like this with that kind of bit-part actor?”

“…”

“Want to watch it? From Go Miwoo’s expression to the camera angle, they made it properly chilling. On top of that, the way they laid in whistling to save the brief shot where this bit-part actor’s eyes appear is incredible.”

From the acting to the directing, it had all come from Myeongin, yet for some reason, there was not a single mention of Myeongin.

Rather, all the credit had been divided up among other people.

He had known that no matter what Myeongin did, people’s memories eventually blurred away, so he had expected it to a certain extent. But when he actually experienced it, Chang-su felt a little wronged. It felt as if a work of art Myeongin had completed was being exhibited under someone else’s name.

“PD, have you perhaps heard of Myeongin?”

“Myeongin? Are you talking about something like a Go master?”

“No. It’s the name of the bit-part actor who shot that scene.”

At that, the PD’s eyes narrowed as if he had noticed something.

When Chang-su waited for the PD’s answer with a slightly expectant expression, completely unexpected words came out of the PD’s mouth.

“Oh my, so this is why the actors don’t want to be away from Chief Park… no, you’re a director now, right? From President Park.”

“Yes?”

“I know everything. The bit-part actor who shot this scene is also under Line, right? You’re really amazing. You’ve become a director, yet you’re even taking care of bit-part actors.”

Chang-su could only smile awkwardly.

After that, he searched all over the filming set to see if there was anyone who remembered Myeongin, but there was not a single person who did. It was as if he had become someone who had never existed from the beginning.

Chang-su let out a deep sigh. Because Myeongin’s face, always smiling brightly, came to mind.

‘You must have been truly lonely…’

* * *

A few days later.

Myeongin had an extremely happy expression…It was because he had gone out, no less.

“Mister!”

“Yeah?”

“Aren’t you busy?”

“I am busy.”

When a little apology appeared on Myeongin’s face, Chang-su smiled and said,

“But I have time to go out with you. And I’m coming out in the evening after work, so it has nothing to do with work.”

“Thank you. But you must be tired after working. I’m happy to go out, though!”

“You don’t have to worry about that. I needed to exercise anyway because my belly fat’s been coming out.”

Grin!

Myeongin’s smile always made people feel good whenever they saw it. Because of that smile and the loneliness Myeongin must feel, Chang-su had recently been going outside with him every day. And there was also something he felt sorry about that he had not yet been able to say.

He had deliberately chosen a place with many people for Myeongin, who liked people, so the two of them were currently in Dongdaemun.

“Myeongin. Should we have a cup of coffee for a moment before we go? That place over there has a lot of people. How does it look?”

The place the two entered was full, with only a small table for two available. Even so, Myeongin looked around at the people as if he did not mind at all.

A moment later, Chang-su, who had brought the coffee, cautiously brought up the subject.

“Myeongin. You know what kind of work I do at the company, right?”

“You’re the general manager of the management team.”

“Right. So… um.”

It was truly difficult to bring up.

How should he say it so that Myeongin would be less disappointed, and so that he would not end up creating a situation where Myeongin comforted him instead?

It was extremely difficult. But thinking that it would be better for him to know now than to find out later and be greatly disappointed, Chang-su struggled to open his mouth.

“That’s the kind of work I do. The PR team is also together with the management team, you see? So this is something I know because of that… uh…”

As Chang-su dragged out his words, Myeongin, who seemed to notice something, asked back with a serious expression.

“Is it because of me? I’m okay! Is it maybe because of what we filmed last time?”

“That’s right…”

“You don’t have to worry about things like that. Are they going to reshoot it?”

He had already heard the words he had not wanted to hear.

That he was okay. The sight of him smiling even bigger to hide the fact that he was a little disappointed.

“Haa. They’re not reshooting it. Um… Go Miwoo appeared on a YTube channel. It’s not because of that, but because a movie she filmed before is going to be released soon.”

Unable to meet Myeongin’s eyes because he felt sorry, Chang-su took out his cell phone.

“It’ll be better for you to see it yourself. The actor who appeared with her is from our company, so we received the filmed footage in advance.”

In the video, the MC threw a question at Go Miwoo.

—Senior Go Miwoo, what is acting to you?

—Mm, should I say it’s the act of finding my own path?

—Finding your own path means you’re worrying about acting? Huh? When it comes to acting ability, Actor Go Miwoo can’t be left out, but someone like you is still having those kinds of worries?

—Of course I am, because I’m an actor. Actually, until recently, I thought I was doing the best acting I could possibly do. But that thought changed recently.

Myeongin realized right away. From the circumstances, it was certain that she was going to talk about acting opposite him.

—A writer I’m close to recently went into a drama. So I appeared in the drama as a cameo to support them. But that day was a little strange. I definitely filmed, but I didn’t know what I had done and come back from doing.

—Even though you filmed?

—Yes. I came home, but as if I had been possessed by something, I didn’t know what I had done or how I had come home. I really had no strength at all in my body, and even my hands were trembling.

—Gasp. Really?

—That had never happened to me before. To the point that I worried whether I had acted properly, or whether I had gone to help and ended up being a nuisance instead. So I really shouldn’t have done this, but I separately asked for only the footage I was in. I was going to reshoot it if it looked strange. But it was so good.

—Wow! To the point that you’d say with your own mouth that it was good, Senior? Now I’m getting really curious.

—Even when I watched it, I was acting in a way that made it look like I had completely fallen into that role. Thinking about it now, I even wonder if I hadn’t been possessed by something.

—Method acting! Maybe it was because you were completely immersed in the role?

—Was that it? Hohoho.

And so the video ended.

Chang-su looked at Myeongin. Perhaps he was disappointed, as he had his head hanging low and was only staring at the video on the phone. Since it was probably his first time in a situation like this, Chang-su could only feel at a loss over what comfort to offer.

“Myeongin… Hm?”

Myeongin raised his head.

But contrary to what he expected, he was extremely happy. It was not that he was forcing himself to smile; his eyes were truly sparkling, and the corners of his mouth were lifted up to his ears.

“Myeongin?”

“Yes?”

“You watched it all, right?”

“Yes!”

“You’re okay…?”

“Yes?”

Myeongin tilted his head for a moment with a puzzled expression, then smiled broadly as if he understood.

“Ah! You were worried because there was no mention of me.”

“Uh… I was.”

“I thought it would be like this.”

“You expected it?”

“Yes. To a certain extent, I expected it.”

As if that was something he was used to and not a problem at all, Myeongin smiled and continued speaking.

“But I’m still left in the video. Well, there isn’t a single person who recognizes me, but I can still confirm that I really am alive.”

Grin!

Even if people forgot him, the fact that he had now confirmed his own existence made him extremely satisfied.

Then Myeongin suddenly widened his eyes.

“Mister! It won’t get edited out, right?”

“The scene you’re in?”

“Yes. Now that I think about it, I thought they might edit it out.”

“That probably won’t happen. Rather, it looked like they were going to pre-release only that scene and use it for promotion.”

“Ah! Really?”

Even if it were uploaded, it was obvious that all the praise would be for Go Miwoo, but he seemed so happy about it.

“Isn’t it upsetting that you worked hard, but people don’t recognize you?”

Myeongin smiled broadly once more as if he really was okay.

“Mom said that later on, people will be able to recognize me. And she said that right now is the process of preparing to be loved.”

“Ah…”

“I feel like I did well in that process, so I’m a little proud. Hehe.”

Seeing Myeongin sincerely proud as he winked, Chang-su almost scratched Myeongin under the chin.