Seeing Jun‑seong slumped over from the fallout of <The Miracle of the Match Girl>, I laid the newspapers in front of him.
[<Desirelessness> breaks two million! Competitors powerless……]
“What… what?! We hit two million over the weekend?!”
Jun‑seong looked shocked as he read the headline.
“You’re a producer—don’t you even check film news?”
“I collapsed after watching <The Miracle of the Match Girl> and slept all weekend… But this is huge. Two million? Already?”
Maybe because so many big theaters had opened in Seoul over the past year, audience numbers had risen beyond comparison.
In the office, Jun‑seong even threw in a little dance while skimming the papers.
“You’re all over the place. Weren’t you ready to die a minute ago?”
“How can I stay still when the audience keeps climbing? We’re not losing at all in the speed race with <Night>!”
He grinned at me. I couldn’t help but chuckle back.
It truly was a relief—this film I had crafted with my own hands was doing well.
Seeing the poster of <Desirelessness> hanging beside <Night> made me smile.
The headache of squeezing my brain during the planning stage had already turned into a fond memory.
Judging by the current numbers, we hadn’t missed the commercial mark either, and the critics’ and reporters’ reactions were different from those to <Night>.
[Gyeong Chanhyeon’s gaze—fresh and sharp. What he wanted to say in <Desirelessness>.]
Critics traded opinions about what I was trying to express, and I enjoyed reading their interpretations.
With things like this, a bit of ambition started to sprout.
I even thought we might surpass <Night>’s total audience.
“Oh! My baby. Amazing!”
Jun‑seong went so far as to kiss the poster I’d been gazing at, laughing like a lunatic.
“Our baby.”
“Fine, fine! Our baby!”
Smooch.
“Gross. Cut it out! What are you doing to that sacred office poster?”
I scrubbed the spot his mouth had touched with a wet tissue.
“I’m gross? I worked hard too, you know!”
“Isn’t it gross? Print another one, put it at home, and smooch that!”
Apparently amused by my reaction, he carried on even more fervently, and I gave up trying to stop him, just laughing instead.
You can’t beat someone who’s actually crazy, not just pretending.
“Enough already. Do whatever you want.”
“Heh heh…”
Jun‑seong looked at me with a sly grin.
“By the way, what’s Jun‑sik up to these days? Should we ask him out for a beer tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow?”
“Just a light drink to celebrate the movie’s success. Think hyung’s busy?”
“Hard to book someone with a family on short notice……”
I sent Jun‑sik‑hyung a text.
[Hyung, got plans tomorrow? Beer with Producer Lee to celebrate how well <Desirelessness> is doing?]
“I texted—”
Before I could finish, a notification chimed.
Ding.
[Nothing tomorrow. Sounds good! I’ve got something to talk about too.]
The reply came as if he’d been waiting.
“Huh?”
“Is he your secret lover? What kind of instant reply—”
“He says he has something to discuss?”
“About what?”
Next day.
We invited Jun‑sik‑hyung to the hof we frequented, but we had to move almost immediately.
“Uh… you’re Park Jun‑sik, right? Wow! Could I get your autograph?”
“And next to him is Director Gyeong Chanhyeon, right? Please sign too!”
The moment they recognized Jun‑sik, they recognized me, and the autograph requests made it impossible to stay.
“So this is why famous folks go to pricey places…”
“We could just eat here—signing isn’t so bad, kind of fun actually.”
“No. Too many people. We’re disrupting their business. Let’s move to a quiet spot I know.”
Jun‑seong’s lips stuck out.
“An unknown guy could die of hurt feelings.”
“Then get famous.”
“The producer weeps… does all the grunt work backstage while the fame goes to actors and directors.”
“Because the director and actors perform the tricks, you know.”
Grumbling, he hailed a cab, and we shifted to a small bar with few patrons.
“Hyung, what’s that thing you wanted to say?”
At my question Jun‑sik hesitated, speaking carefully.
“A talk show called… They invited me. Haha… It’s my first time getting something like this, and I don’t know what to do.”
Before he’d finished, Jun‑seong’s grin reached his ears.
“Oh… hyung’s a star now. Which show?”
“‘Your Night’.”
Jun‑seong’s jaw dropped.
“What?! ‘Your Night’?! That’s huge!”
“Think it’s okay to go?”
Hyung looked at me.
“Of course you have to! Hyung!”
“I’m not sure… what if I end up hurting the movie…”
‘Your Night’, hosted by Jeong Ji‑soo, aired Saturdays at 7 p.m.—a prime‑time family‑friendly talk show with solid ratings.
If he had an agency, they’d script his TV persona, but… hyung had none of that.
Maybe that’s why he seemed so uneasy.
But if this went well we could boost <Desirelessness>’s audience even more.
“Hm… Go on it. It’ll help you a lot.”
“Will it…?”
He still looked like there was more weighing on him.
“That’s all? Not a big deal.”
Beside us, Jun‑seong laughed and took a drink, then frowned as something occurred to him.
“Wait… there’s that ‘Surprise Guest’ segment! What do we do about that…?”
The ‘surprise guest’ bit brings in a friend of the guest without telling them—depending on their chemistry, the show’s ratings would swing.
“The PD asked about that too… whether I have any celebrity friends… and to tell them who we’d bring.”
“Knew it! All staged. Always felt weird how they act all shocked.”
Hyung smiled awkwardly at Jun‑seong’s words, clearly worried.
He’d just debuted; there was no way he had famous friends.
Maybe noticing hyung’s fretfulness, Jun‑seong nudged my side and whispered.
“How about Chanhyeon?”
He eyed me playfully.
“If Chanhyeon could appear, that’d be great…”
Hyung looked at me apologetically.
“You know he’s got a fan café, right? The PD would love it.”
……
Hyung trailed off; I nodded.
“If the PD’s fine with it, I’ll go.”
Eyes widening, Jun‑seong asked,
“You’ll really appear?”
“You just told me to. All I’d do is laugh at a few jokes—why not? It’s hyung’s thing.”
“Well… I just didn’t think you’d bite so fast. Got me all fluttery like a fisherman who actually hooked one…”
“Really? You’ll do it? You’ll appear?”
Still dazed, Jun-sik smiled at me.
“Yeah. If the PD okays it.”
“Thank you. Really, thank you… I’m still nobody, but if you ever need…”
“We help each other out.”
He raised the soju glass in front of him.
“Truly… thanks. You too, Jun‑seong… Tonight’s on me.”
“Guy with a family—can you splurge like that?”
“If it’s for you two, my wife said it’s fine. She said go into debt if I must.”
“Then we’ll eat properly tonight.”
Jun‑seong loosened his belt and stuffed it into his bag.
“Ha… should’ve worn sweats.”
He emptied the dishes in a flash; Jun-sik watched in awe.
“Hyung, are you overdoing it? He eats a lot. When he lived at my place, the food bill…”
“Lived poor after leaving home, so I store it in my belly now.”
“What are you, an animal? Can you even do that?”
Ignoring me, he inhaled the food.
“I’ll call the PD now.”
Hyung stepped away with his phone, and halfway through chewing Jun‑seong looked at me worriedly.
“You and Jun-sik hyung…”
“Swallow before you talk, filthy brute.”
He gulped down the mouthful roughly.
“You and hyung aren’t exactly funny characters, so I’m a bit worried.”
“Better boring than filthy.”
“What sticks in people’s minds is filth, not boredom. Filth might be better.”
He had a point.
If we go on TV and do nothing memorable… no reason to be there.
Looking dull while only plugging <Desirelessness> might even backfire.
“Does hyung have any party tricks?”
“Better to set a clear concept. I’ll be his temporary manager.”
“You just want to be on TV, huh?”
“Sure I do… but you fit better. You’re closer to him. And people don’t care about producers; they think directors make movies alone. Tsk…”
Hyung returned from the call, wearing the brightest smile I’d seen tonight.
“Chanhyeon! They said yes! They’re even happier—the viewers will find a film director on a talk show really novel.”
“Ha…”
Jun‑seong looked back and forth between us and sighed.
“When’s the shoot?”
“In a week?”
“Hyung, hard training for a week. Let’s nail the concept.”
Arms folded, he faced us with a determined look.
“Goal: squeeze every last soul into <Desirelessness>.”
Over drinks we debated our broadcast concept late into the night before splitting up.
A few days later
At the variety‑show studio, Park Jun‑sik looked around curiously—it was his first time on a broadcast set.
Thanks to a week of schooling by Lee Jun‑seong, he’d even reviewed how to act.
“Whew…”
A man in a blue‑tinged suit and black shoes stopped beside him.
It was Jeong Jisu, host of <Your Night>.
“Nervous?”
“Ha‑ha… I’m fine.”
“I really enjoyed <Desirelessness>. How did you pull off that acting…”
With his trademark winking grin, Jeong gave him a thumbs‑up.
“Thank you. Ha‑ha.”
“Hearing you’ll hit three million soon?”
“Yes! They say so. Ha‑ha.”
Jeong looked pleased.
“Impressive.”
“Oh, it’s thanks to Director Gyeong Chanhyeon that I’m here.”
“And today’s surprise guest is Director Gyeong, right?”
“Ah… yes.”
“Director must cherish you, showing up himself. That’s never happened before.”
“Ha‑ha…”
Seeming curious about the rookie actor, Jeong chatted until the PD signaled to move.
“Okay! We’re starting in a moment! Everyone ready!”
“I’ll head out first. You read the script, right? When I call your name, just come on out. After that, if you have better stories than what’s written, feel free.”
“Yes!”
Jeong strode off, and as soon as he sat, the PD shouted.
“Cue!”
At the cue, Jeong smiled with his eyes and faced the camera.
“Back again to share your evening, it’s <Your Night>!”
As the studio audience cheered, Park Jun‑sik took another deep breath.
“Tonight’s guest is amazing. A hint first: the film that’s been making waves lately—<Desirelessness>! Who could it be?”
He lifted his shoulders with an innocent expression.
“It’s actor Park Jun‑sik!”
At the sound of his name, Park Jun‑sik hurried toward the camera—and suddenly tripped over something and fell.
Thud.
Startled, Jeong sprang up and helped him.
“You okay?”
“Ha‑ha… yes, I’m fine.”
Being an actor doesn’t mean you must always look stiff and cool.
Director Lee Jun‑seong had suggested an “a bit clueless off‑stage” concept: act impressive when acting, but break the wall with viewers now.
Truthfully, no acting was needed—Gyeong Chanhyeon had simply asked him to be himself.
“Now we’ll get to know Mr. Park Jun‑sik. Ha‑ha, let’s give him a big hand for giving us a laugh right from the start!”
As applause and cheers rained down, Park Jun‑sik scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
T/N: What is Hof? It is a Korean style bar or a place that serves drinks with food. You will see the sign everywhere in Korea. It is usually written in English “HOF” or Korean “호프”
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