Chapter 145
As the filming of [A Struggle of All Against All] reached its midpoint, Maillard Pictures decided to undertake a massive revision of the work.
Specifically.
"Since the investment funds have increased, let's scale it up."
It was a quality upgrade.
The release date was delayed by two months.
This left plenty of time, but how would they use it?
Would they take a break or focus on marketing?
‘Of course, we’ll work.’
It was work.
Hadn't they been recognized by a global corporation?
For a director, it was thrilling to the point of goosebumps.
Maillard Pictures decided to reinvest the goodwill shown by Netflix entirely into the project.
"Aren’t you disappointed? This was a chance to handle a large sum of money," Lee Min Ki remarked.
Director Jin Joo Yeon snorted and replied, "I didn't decide this alone. Both Seong Bo and you, the actor, agreed on it, didn't you?"
"Well, that's true, but still, from the company's perspective, it's a significant amount."
Lee Min Ki clicked his tongue.
Looking at the additional budget injected by Netflix, it had nearly doubled the originally promised production cost.
If they had pocketed the money, each person could have received at least several hundred million won.
Yet Maillard Pictures refused to take it.
"It's business," Director Jin Joo Yeon said cheerfully.
"Every company puts effort into making a sample product. That way, you can work together for a longer time."
"……You’re saying [A Struggle of All Against All] is a sample product?"
You folks may not realize it, but this is a global hit.
When Lee Min Ki asked with a hesitant voice, Director Jin Joo Yeon answered as if it were obvious.
"Of course. We have a mountain of projects to create in the future."
"Joo Yeon’s right. While [A Struggle of All Against All] is an amazing piece, we'll only make better works in the future."
"You’ve grown so bold, Seong Bo."
"Of course, I'm saying this in front of you, the actor, to score some points."
"Really?"
"……To be honest, I do regret not taking the money."
The two began chuckling together.
"Money can be earned later, but trust from you, the actor, cannot be bought with money."
"Joo Yeon is right, Director Min Ki."
"Haha……."
The jokes were now flowing easily between the two.
Their confidence had skyrocketed.
‘Well, a director needs to have confidence.’
Confidence trickles down like a waterfall.
A director who believes in themselves can inspire trust in their crew, and such a crew creates works that persuade the public.
‘For me, a good project is all I could ask for.’
Lee Min Ki smiled faintly.
They continued with additional shooting for another month.
With about two more weeks of shooting left, the main schedule was nearing completion.
However, Lee Min Ki and Maillard Pictures encountered an unexpected situation.
"You’re suggesting we take a break?"
"Yes."
Director Shim Seong Bo glanced around, looking displeased, and explained.
"The weather is so bad that it will be difficult to proceed with filming tomorrow."
The problem was the weather.
"The waves are rough, and the sky is gloomy. Even the sailors say that on days like this, they stay home and make pancakes. It’s the perfect weather for someone to get hurt."
Because the project involved frequent outdoor shoots, bad weather meant the day was wasted.
Moreover, since the latter scenes included maritime battles, this was even more the case.
"It would be better to step back for today."
While they could theoretically use indoor studios and correct it with CGI, that method only worked for projects planned with such setups from the start.
Suddenly switching to indoor work would not match the earlier footage.
‘Well, the director must have his reasons.’
After a brief thought, Lee Min Ki decided to go along with it.
‘Come to think of it, it was strange how the weather had been so favorable until now.’
On most sets, when the weather goes bad, you’re left waiting indefinitely. But so far, everything had progressed smoothly without wasting time.
"Let’s take two days off," Director Shim Seong Bo said cheerfully.
"Two days?"
"You, the actor, must be exhausted from running non-stop until now."
Not really.
Not at all.
‘If anything, it’s been comfortable not having Trainer Kwon chasing me.’
Being stuck on the island had its perks.
No matter how relentless Trainer Kwon Joon Yong was in ambushing him at home or invading his workplace, he couldn’t come all the way to the island at the southern tip of the peninsula.
‘Resting my lower body means my whole body feels fine.’
Thanks to this, each day had been slightly tedious.
He wanted to strain his muscles a bit, but it was impossible to do so during filming.
[Actor! You'll get hurt!]
Even Maillard Pictures had been trying to protect his body.
‘This is perfect. I’ll finally get to exercise properly.’
Was it normal to feel excitement about going to the gym on a rare holiday?
Probably not.
However, Lee Min Ki had become such a distorted human being that he could no longer recognize such obvious common sense.
He would vehemently deny it himself.
[Member, the fatigue caused by exercise is relieved by exercise.]
Just like someone else might say.
[……That doesn’t sound right.]
[If your lats hurt, working your legs will ease it.]
[What?]
[Just try it.]
Thus, as the filming of [A Struggle of All Against All] entered its fourth month in Sinan County…
Drururururuk.
"We’re departing."
The journey out of the island wasn’t too dull.
"Thanks to you, the actor, I learned a lot this time."
There was plenty of time to chat with one of the extras who had participated on set.
"Haha, you may not know me, the actor, but……."
"I remember. You played Shim Gyeon Woo, right? You were shot with an arrow and died yesterday."
"Gasp."
At Lee Min Ki’s words, the man’s mouth gaped open.
He never imagined that someone he had never practiced with during filming would remember the detailed role of a mere extra.
"Your acting was great. The way your eyes rolled back when you collapsed looked so natural."
"Wow……."
The man looked as if he might faint from sheer emotion, and Lee Min Ki asked with a smile.
"You don’t seem like just a random extra who responded to a casting notice. Are you affiliated with any agency?"
"Oh, me?"
The man stammered in response to the lightly curious question.
It was like watching a private nervously state his rank and name in front of a general in the military.
‘This guy’s reactions are amusing.’
As Lee Min Ki chuckled inwardly, the man stammered and began to speak.
“You probably won’t recognize the name. It’s not a very famous company. Ahem, so that’s probably why I managed to get in.”
“Hearing you say that makes me even more curious.”
“Ugh... You really won’t know it.”
A moment later.
The man, as if embarrassed, coughed awkwardly and reluctantly opened his mouth.
“Media Future Company.”
At the sudden mention of the name, Lee Min Ki’s mouth dropped open in surprise.
“Oh.”
How could the man interpret that reaction? He began to stammer again, looking embarrassed.
“See? I told you. You probably wouldn’t know it. It’s a really small company.”
That was the moment.
Lee Min Ki blinked slowly, then opened his mouth deliberately.
“…No. I know it.”
“What?”
Media Future Company—how could he not know that name?
No, how could he ever forget it?
Lee Min Ki smirked bitterly as he spoke.
“I know it. I know it very well.”
It was a name he would rather not be associated with.
A name that stirred a faint sense of trauma.
He had worked hard to distance himself from it, but somehow, it had come full circle to reach his ears again.
Facing the man whose eyes were now wide with awe, Lee Min Ki smiled faintly and said,
“Since the topic came up, why don’t you tell me some stories about your time at the agency?”
He had left the island.
Even though he was on leave, Lee Min Ki was not someone with a particular hobby.
[Spotted Lee Min Ki at a club. Photo proof attached.]
[It’s just someone who looks like him.]
[The shoulders don’t match Lee Min Ki’s.]
[LOL, Lee Min Ki’s shoulders are his ID.]
He wasn’t one to indulge in nightlife.
Preferring a naturally quiet life, he avoided not only clubs but even streets lined with clubs.
Then, did he enjoy sports?
‘Working out at the gym is enough for me.’
He disliked sports that involved competing closely with others.
Then, did he enjoy watching sports?
‘Movies are art.’
For him, a single movie was more than enough to satisfy him.
As someone like that, he had one particular pastime.
That was—
“Phew, all done.”
Booking every screening time at the cinema, from early morning to late night, and watching newly released films back-to-back.
‘This is how you spend a day off.’
Smiling slyly, Lee Min Ki looked at the reservation screen.
[She’s Got A Boyfriend]
[Chemical Explosion]
[I’ll Be Going Now]
[Arari]
The screen was filled with the titles of movies currently playing in theaters.
In fact, there wasn’t a single movie he hadn’t already seen.
Some of them he had watched quite a few times.
At the very least, he had seen them twice, and some as many as ten times.
But that didn’t matter to Lee Min Ki.
‘Movies are best when watched multiple times.’
He firmly believed that every rewatch brought a new perspective.
No, beyond belief, it was practically a creed for him.
Why? It’s simple.
Just because you’ve tasted ramen once doesn’t mean you won’t eat it again.
If it’s delicious, you keep eating it.
This logic, he applied to movies as well.
Whenever possible, he preferred watching them in theaters.
“…I thought you were joking, but you’re seriously doing it.”
This sentiment wasn’t shared by the two people who had joined him.
“You’re watching seven movies in one day? Sir, you’re a real movie enthusiast.”
“I don’t usually agree with Tak, but Min Ki, this is a bit intense.”
It was Kim Tak and Yoo Seon Ah.
When they suggested hanging out on their day off, he had said yes, only to find out it was a movie marathon from morning to evening.
‘I guess that’s how he improves so quickly.’
Yoo Seon Ah twitched the corner of her eye.
Come to think of it, Kim Tae Yang had made an excuse about having a schedule to avoid joining them.
Kim Tak suddenly spoke up.
“This doesn’t sit right with me.”
“Why not? We’ll watch two movies in the morning, eat lunch and rest, then watch the afternoon movies.”
“That’s not the problem.”
Kim Tak shook his head.
Oh, was he about to present some plausible argument?
Was he going to express his determination?
Yoo Seon Ah, for once, anticipated Kim Tak’s reasoning.
“I like regular cola, not diet cola.”
Ah.
So that was the issue.
Was he really complaining about that at a movie theater?
As Yoo Seon Ah stared in disbelief, Lee Min Ki calmly replied.
“Shall I throw it away?”
“I’ll drink it.”
“Be more careful next time. I’ll let it slide this once.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Yoo Seon Ah’s expression became increasingly baffled.
Was that really a conversation worth taking so seriously?
It was just a drink.
You could simply pay 3,000 won at the counter and get a new one.
But for some reason, it seemed like a sensitive topic for the two of them.
“Well, I think it’s time for us to head in.”
By now, it was almost time for the movie to start.
Just as they were about to enter at the perfect moment—
“Oh.”
Lee Min Ki came to a halt.
It was as if he had seen something he shouldn’t have.
Like a child in a game of “Red Light, Green Light,” frozen in place.
The next moment, his eyes filled with confusion as a man a few meters ahead turned to look at him.
“Lee Min Ki?”
“…”
Under normal circumstances, he would have brushed it off as something he often heard.
But this time, he couldn’t.
Before he could even process the situation, his vocal cords betrayed him, and the name escaped his lips.
“Ham Chi Hyun?”
Ham Chi Hyun.
A person he never wanted to meet again, yet someone he had also hoped to encounter just once.
The moment he registered the man’s face, the world seemed to lose a bit of its saturation.
Lee Min Ki let out a small laugh.
‘So this is how we cross paths again.’
Media Future Company.
The CEO of the company whose name he wanted to erase from his memory was now standing before him.
No, rather than just standing—
As fate would have it, standing before him again, Lee Min Ki blinked slowly.
‘What even is luck?’