Chapter 138
“You were out here? We’ve been looking all over for you.”
Song Jaehyun approached me as he spoke.
“Ah, I was taking some calls. Interview requests, distributors... people keep calling from everywhere.”
“As expected of Cannes.”
Baek Seonghan smiled happily.
“Just making it into the Competition is enough to have them contacting us first. Hahaha.”
“Seriously. It’s already like this. If we actually win something, it’ll probably become complete chaos.”
“Come on, win something?”
Song Jaehyun waved his hands dismissively.
“I’m not even hoping for an award. Besides, have you seen the other films in the Competition? They’re all made by incredible directors.”
Baek Seonghan clicked his tongue at him.
“Come on. Being too humble can be ugly too.”
He looked toward me.
“We’re allowed to dream, aren’t we?”
“Of course.”
I nodded repeatedly.
Then Song Jaehyun quietly took my hand.
“Kibaek.”
His voice became sincere.
“Thank you. Really.”
“If it weren’t for you, I never would’ve even dreamed of making it into the Cannes Competition.”
The warmth of his hand seemed to convey more than words ever could.
“No, Director.”
“This is the result of you spending three years agonizing over the screenplay day and night, then working just as hard to make the film.”
I smiled at him.
“And Director, you know I have good instincts, right?”
Song Jaehyun chuckled.
There was a strange mixture of relief and expectation in his smile.
I continued.
“I’m sure we’ll get a good result, so save your thanks until then.”
At my hopeful words, Song Jaehyun’s eyes reddened for a moment before a bright smile spread across his face.
“All right.”
“Then I’ll trust your instincts one more time, Kibaek.”
There were many things in the way we looked at each other that didn’t need to be said aloud.
Time passed quickly after that.
YTBS’s May Monday-Tuesday miniseries Happy Laundry successfully aired its first episode.
A few days later, Director Song Jaehyun and the Kingdom of Crime team boarded a flight to attend the Cannes Film Festival.
Because there were only a limited number of seats available, Song Jaehyun, Han Taesung, and Kim Eunkyung traveled separately in first class.
The rest of us, Baek Seonghan, me, Cha Seungjoon, Woo Jungin, and Film Team Leader Ju Hanyoung, flew business class.
“Kibaek, when you call a waiter at a French restaurant, just quietly raise your hand or make eye contact until they notice you.”
Cha Seungjoon had spent a week backpacking through France after completing his military service.
Ever since we boarded the plane, he had been endlessly showing off everything he knew about the country.
“You can’t shout, ‘Excuse me, auntie!’ like you do back home. You’ll embarrass yourself.”
“And right, bathrooms.”
“In France, you even have to pay to use some public restrooms.”
“You didn’t know that, did you?”
“I know. I know.”
I sighed.
“So please stop already and get some sleep.”
“What are you going to do if you can’t adjust to the time difference?”
“I’m fine.”
Cha Seungjoon grinned.
“I’m naturally a night owl anyway. I’m practically already adjusted.”
With that, he returned his attention to the French travel guidebook in his hands.
I turned toward the window.
There was nothing outside except clouds.
Before my regression, Kingdom of Crime had received enormous praise from countless world-famous directors and critics.
But...
That didn’t necessarily guarantee that Kingdom of Crime would win anything at Cannes this time.
Even so, there was one possibility I was willing to put my hopes on.
Jean Dumont.
A world-renowned French film director.
Before my regression, Jean Dumont had praised Kingdom of Crime so highly that he once said the fact that it had failed to win the Palme d’Or at Cannes was nothing less than a trick of God.
Of course, Jean Dumont wasn’t a member of this year’s Cannes jury.
But there was hardly anyone in the film industry who didn’t know how much influence a single word from him could carry.
And there was something else.
The president of this year’s jury, legendary Hollywood director Steven Berg, regarded Jean Dumont as his mentor.
If Jean Dumont could mention Kingdom of Crime to Director Steven, even just a little...
If that happened...
Then maybe challenging for the Palme d’Or really wouldn’t be impossible.
But there was one problem.
There was no guarantee Jean Dumont would even watch Kingdom of Crime at this festival.
Jean Dumont was famous for visiting Cannes almost every year.
But that didn’t mean he watched every single film being screened.
Ha... what do I do?
I absolutely have to make Jean Dumont watch Kingdom of Crime.
There were two missions I absolutely had to accomplish during this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
One was getting Director Jean Dumont to watch Kingdom of Crime.
And the other was...
Just as I continued thinking...
“Hey, hey, CEO Min.”
Cha Seungjoon suddenly nudged me excitedly.
“Meal service. The food’s coming.”
A flight attendant had appeared in the aisle, pushing a meal cart.
Ha...
Before my regression, Cha Seungjoon was always a dependable mentor-like hyung to me.
But now, Cha Seungjoon no longer felt like a dependable mentor.
If anything...
He almost felt like an adorable younger brother.
Then again, I really was young back then.
I looked at him and smiled quietly.
“Hyung, seeing you this happy makes me happy too.”
“Eat plenty.”
