Chapter 25: The Next Film
After finishing his speech, Geonwoo stepped away from the microphone.
Applause followed him off the stage.
Han Eunchae waited until he reached the bottom before continuing the ceremony.
Geonwoo looked at the trophy in his hand again as he descended.
The TGV logo.
Before the Light Reaches.
His own name.
Hyunsoo held out his hands first.
"Hyung, let me hold it once."
"Be careful."
"You didn't tell Dogyeom to be careful."
Hyunsoo took the trophy with both hands.
He adjusted his grip several times before widening his eyes.
"This is heavier than I expected."
Dogyeom lifted the Audience Award trophy he was hugging.
"Mine's heavy too."
Then he hugged it against his chest again.
Yura smiled.
"When the ceremony ends, let's take a picture together."
After the awards ceremony, Geonwoo's team was guided backstage.
Hyunsoo placed the two trophies side by side on an empty table.
Audience Award.
TGV Award.
Taejun opened his phone camera.
"Wait. Everyone stand together."
"You need to be in the picture too, sunbae."
Hyunsoo took Taejun's phone.
Taejun stood beside Geonwoo.
Yura and Dogyeom joined them.
Click. Click.
Hyunsoo checked the photos.
"This is crazy. We really won two awards."
He grinned.
"One chosen by the audience, and another saying the movie has theatrical potential."
Geonwoo smiled.
"Looks like it."
"Why is your reaction so calm? You can be happier."
Geonwoo stared at the trophies.
It wasn't that he wasn't happy.
It just still didn't feel completely real.
"Hyung."
Geonwoo looked up.
"What?"
"You went blank again."
Geonwoo laughed briefly.
"I'm just happy."
Hyunsoo smiled too.
"Then that's enough."
At that moment, the entrance to the waiting area became noisy.
Han Eunchae was entering with several staff members after finishing her hosting duties.
While fixing the hem of her dress, she noticed Geonwoo's group and stopped.
She asked her staff to wait, then walked over.
"Director Baek Geonwoo."
Geonwoo turned.
"Han Eunchae."
"Congratulations. You went onstage twice today."
"Thank you."
Geonwoo glanced at the trophies before looking at her again.
"I wanted to thank you too."
Eunchae widened her eyes slightly.
"Me?"
"I saw the interview you gave after the first screening."
She thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Ah."
"Ticketing changed after that article."
Geonwoo continued.
"Your comment helped people notice the movie when hardly anyone knew it existed."
Eunchae waved one hand.
"I only answered what the reporter asked and said what I thought."
"That was huge for us. At the time, not many people had seen the film."
Geonwoo bowed.
"Thank you."
Eunchae didn't answer immediately.
It seemed she had only now realized how much that brief comment had meant to the team.
"But if you knew the truth, you might be a little disappointed."
"What do you mean?"
She looked around.
Her staff stood a short distance away.
"Honestly, I didn't enter the theater because I planned to watch your movie."
Geonwoo waited.
"That day, I wanted to get away from people for a while. I needed somewhere quiet, and I saw a screening room without many people."
Eunchae smiled awkwardly.
"I was planning to sit for a few minutes and leave."
"But you stayed until the end."
"Yes."
Her smile faded slightly.
"I got so absorbed that halfway through, I forgot I had planned to leave."
Geonwoo nodded.
"I don't care why you first entered."
He smiled.
"You stayed until the end."
Eunchae looked at him.
"I remembered my childhood while watching Seorin."
"Your childhood?"
"I looked after my younger brother a lot when I was young."
She explained.
"My parents often came home late. I made sure he ate, helped with his homework, and put him to bed."
Geonwoo listened.
"He kept asking when Mom would come home."
Her gaze moved toward the Audience Award trophy.
"I was young too, but in front of him I tried to act like everything was okay."
"Sometimes I was exhausted and snapped at him for no reason."
She pressed her lips together for a moment.
"There were many times I couldn't say sorry immediately."
"So that's why you connected with Seorin."
"Yes."
She nodded.
"Watching those scenes felt like looking at my old self. After that, I stopped thinking about anything except the movie."
Geonwoo remembered her interview after the first screening.
She had said Seoyoon stayed with her.
"Was that also why you said Seoyoon stayed in your memory?"
"My brother was like that too when we were little."
She smiled faintly.
"He kept asking when Mom would come home and why Dad was late again."
After a short silence, Eunchae laughed.
"I entered because I wanted to hide from people and ended up trapped there much longer than expected."
Geonwoo smiled.
"Then I guess our movie hid you."
"Apparently. It hid me very well until the credits ended."
At that moment, Dogyeom came closer.
He held out the Audience Award trophy.
"This is an award the audience gave us."
"That's right. Congratulations."
"Noona, you were one of our audience members too, so you're one of the people who gave us this."
Eunchae laughed.
"Me too?"
"Yes."
Dogyeom hesitated, then held out the trophy.
"You can hold it if you want."
Eunchae accepted it.
She read the engraving before carefully returning it.
"Take good care of it."
"I will."
Someone called Eunchae from a distance.
She looked toward her staff.
"I should go."
Geonwoo bowed.
"You worked hard hosting today too."
Eunchae took several steps, then turned back.
"Director."
"Yes?"
"When your next movie is finished, please invite me to the preview."
Geonwoo smiled.
"Of course. I'll definitely invite you."
She raised one hand before returning to her staff.
Hyunsoo watched until she was gone.
"Hyung. You already have the first audience member for your next film."
He grinned.
"Maybe it's time to start thinking about it."
"We literally just finished this festival."
"But you already wrote two scripts."
Before Geonwoo could answer, someone called him.
"Director Baek Geonwoo."
It was Bridge Pictures' Yoon Jihye.
She looked at the two trophies and smiled.
"Congratulations on today's awards."
"Thank you."
"And now I need to keep my promise."
Geonwoo understood immediately.
"You mean the contract conditions?"
"Yes. I said I'd improve the terms if you won."
She looked between the trophies.
"You didn't win one. You won two. That gives me more leverage inside the company."
"How much can you change?"
"I can't confirm everything here."
She counted on her fingers.
"But we're reviewing a larger initial release, more regions, and a bigger marketing scale."
"What about screening times?"
Jihye laughed.
"Of course that's the first thing you ask."
"A larger number of theaters means nothing if the movie only plays at times when audiences can't attend."
"We'll negotiate for better time slots too."
Geonwoo nodded.
"Please also clearly state the conditions for expanding screens based on first-week performance."
"All right."
"And I want to know exactly how marketing expenses will be deducted during settlement."
Jihye watched him.
"Two awards and you're already asking for more."
"You said the awards would give me better terms."
That made her laugh out loud.
"You're right. I said it, so I'll keep my word."
She continued.
"I'll send the revised proposal by Monday. Once you're back in Seoul, let's discuss it formally."
"Understood."
After Yoon Jihye left, Hyunsoo asked,
"Hyung, so our movie can be released under better conditions now?"
"Right."
Kwon Taeoh walked through the Busan Cinema Center lobby carrying his Plus M Award.
Industry officials approached to congratulate him.
Several reporters asked for brief interviews.
Taeoh smiled, gave only the necessary answers, and headed toward the waiting car.
Just as he reached for the door, his phone rang.
The screen showed:
[Kim Youngjoon - Executive Director, TGV Content Division]
Taeoh stared at it for a moment before answering.
"Yes, Executive Director."
"Director Kwon, can you talk?"
"Yes."
Kim Youngjoon had known Taeoh since he was young.
They were close enough to joke privately.
But when business was involved, he never spoke casually.
"Congratulations on the Plus M Award. I heard your speech too."
"Thank you."
"And the request you made earlier was handled exactly as you asked."
Taeoh's hand stopped on the car door.
"The judging?"
"Yes. The secretary's office didn't contact TGV, and I didn't know the result myself until the announcement."
"I see."
Instead of entering the car, Taeoh turned back toward the lobby.
People were still coming out from the ceremony.
"May I ask one thing?"
"What?"
"Did you hear why Before the Light Reaches was selected for the TGV Award?"
Silence on the other end.
"I can't tell you all the internal judging details."
Kim Youngjoon paused.
"But I heard Low Ceiling was discussed right up to the end too."
"And they chose the other film."
"They thought it might produce a stronger audience response once released theatrically."
"The Audience Award probably affected that."
"Probably somewhat. But that wasn't the only reason. TGV reviewed the candidates separately too."
Taeoh slowly rubbed the engraved name on his Plus M trophy.
He had wanted the TGV Award without his family helping.
He wanted Low Ceiling to be judged as a movie directed by Kwon Taeoh, not as the youngest son's project.
He had personally made sure nobody interfered.
And the film selected instead was Before the Light Reaches.
Now he couldn't blame the judging simply because he disliked the result.
"Understood."
"You must be disappointed. I know you wanted the TGV Award too."
"The result I wanted only feels complete if I receive that award too."
"Right."
Taeoh looked deeper into the lobby.
"If they judged only the movies, then I have to accept the result."
"I'm glad you think that way."
But Kim Youngjoon didn't end the call.
Taeoh realized he wasn't checking Taeoh's mood.
He was waiting for the right moment to bring up something else.
"Is there something else?"
"You really do notice quickly."
"Go ahead."
"I heard you know Director Baek Geonwoo."
Taeoh's gaze stopped near the lobby entrance.
Geonwoo's team was walking out in the distance.
"He's a junior from school."
"Are you close?"
"We've crossed paths a few times."
"I see."
Kim Youngjoon paused.
"Have you heard anything about his next project?"
Taeoh's fingers pressed against the trophy.
"Why are you asking?"
"The screening team is reviewing Before the Light Reaches for theatrical programming."
He continued.
"And during that process, someone suggested checking his next project early too."
Taeoh fixed his eyes on Geonwoo.
"You're already looking at his next movie?"
"He won both the Audience Award and the TGV Award."
Kim Youngjoon's voice lowered slightly.
"If he doesn't already have something decided, there may be value in speaking with him before someone else does."
Taeoh said nothing.
"Director Kwon?"
"I'm listening."
"I only asked because I heard you attended the same school. I'm not trying to pressure you."
"Why don't you contact him directly?"
"We will."
Kim Youngjoon noticed the sharpness in Taeoh's voice but didn't comment.
"I just thought you might already know something."
"I don't know anything about Baek Geonwoo's next film either."
"I see. All right. Congratulations again. It's a good day, so don't look too angry."
Taeoh scoffed.
"When did I look angry?"
"I can tell just from your voice. I've known you for years."
"I'm hanging up."
"All right. Get home safely."
The call ended.
The driver waited beside the open door.
Taeoh lowered the phone but didn't enter.
"Wait here."
He turned around and walked back into the lobby with his trophy.
Hyunsoo noticed him first.
Geonwoo also stopped.
Kwon Taeoh stood in front of him and gave a short bow.
"Congratulations on the TGV Award."
"Thank you. Congratulations on the Plus M Award too, sunbae."
"There's something I'm curious about."
"What is it?"
"Have you decided on your next project?"
