Chapter 32: Climbing the Rankings
The next morning at seven.
A new promotional image appeared on Bridge Pictures' official account.
[Opening Day Seat Occupancy Rate: #1]
Smaller text appeared underneath.
[Among Films Ranked in the Box Office Top 10]
The image also included the film's Busan International Film Festival and Vision Awards.
Beside them were several short audience reviews from the previous day.
Within an hour, the image spread across movie communities.
[Only opened in 24 theaters and still ranked first in occupancy?]
[My neighborhood doesn't even have a screening.]
[Watched yesterday. My theater was pretty full.]
[If you watched the first ten minutes, you need to watch the rest.]
[Give this movie more theaters.]
The moment Yoon Jihye arrived at work, she checked her email before looking at advertising reactions.
Replies had already come from theaters that received the data Assistant Manager Min sent the night before.
"Yongsan says they'll add a Saturday afternoon screening."
Assistant Manager Min read the email.
"They can also open one Sunday evening."
"Anything else?"
"Wangsimni and Sinchon sent inquiries."
"Now we're finally getting a response."
"The Friday 7:20 p.m. Yongsan screening only has two seats left."
"Then it'll sell out soon."
Jihye immediately instructed him,
"Contact TGV. Confirm that we'll take the Saturday screening and the Sunday evening one too."
"Okay."
Assistant Manager Min immediately called the TGV representative.
Around the end of afternoon classes, the cafe in front of the university was crowded with students.
Geonwoo sat by the window, looking down at his phone.
A message from Yoon Jihye had arrived.
[TGV Yongsan Friday 19:20 SOLD OUT.]
[Saturday 16:10 and Sunday 18:40 additional screenings confirmed.]
While Geonwoo read it, the cafe door opened.
Hyunsoo entered with a bag over one shoulder.
Han Yura and Kang Taejun came in behind him.
Geonwoo looked up.
"Why are all three of you together?"
"We ran into each other in the hallway."
Hyunsoo sat across from him.
Yura and Taejun placed their bags on the seats beside them.
They had gathered to briefly discuss the Gangnam GV scheduled for the next day.
"Guys, our movie keeps getting more screenings."
Geonwoo showed them the message.
Taejun leaned toward the screen.
"Wow... This is crazy. What if our movie actually becomes a huge hit?"
Hyunsoo smiled at the thought.
"Just imagining it makes me happy."
A little after six in the evening.
Commuters streamed through the TGV Yongsan lobby.
Red text appeared beside Before the Light Reaches on the electronic board.
[19:20 SOLD OUT]
A woman standing at the ticket counter asked,
"Why aren't there more theaters showing this movie?"
"I'm sorry, I don't know."
"I want to see it, but hardly anywhere is showing it. It's so hard to get a ticket."
"We added another screening tomorrow at 4:10 p.m. There are still plenty of seats, so if you book now, you should get one."
The woman immediately took out her phone.
A man waiting behind her also told his friend,
"Hey! Let's book tomorrow's one."
The two left the counter while purchasing Saturday tickets.
Geonwoo stood in one corner of the lobby watching the audience.
Soon theater entry began.
Everyone looked excited.
Bzzzt.
The phone in his pocket vibrated.
Hyunsoo was calling.
"What?"
"What do you mean, what? I wanted to know what it's like over there."
"Everyone looked excited."
"Really? I think word of mouth is slowly spreading."
"Seems like it."
"What rank do you think we'll get today?"
"Who knows."
Geonwoo thought for a moment.
"We were eighth yesterday, so I'd be happy if we got into the top seven today."
After midnight, the daily box office updated.
[#7 - Before the Light Reaches]
It had climbed one place.
A message from Hyunsoo arrived immediately.
[#7!!!]
Before Geonwoo could respond, another came.
[Tomorrow, let's get #5.]
A smile naturally spread across Geonwoo's face.
"Top five would really be amazing."
Saturday afternoon.
People began gathering outside the Gangnam theater an hour before the GV.
When Geonwoo entered the lobby with Han Yura and Kang Taejun, people at the front of the line recognized them.
"Isn't that Actress Han Yura?"
"Kang Taejun is beside her."
Yura slowed slightly.
Taejun unnecessarily adjusted his jacket sleeve.
At school, people still called them by their names or as seniors and juniors.
Being called actors still felt unfamiliar.
The two awkwardly bowed toward the audience.
After walking a few more steps, Yura quietly said,
"Being called an actress still feels strange."
Taejun pressed his lips together.
"Same."
"You look like you enjoy it."
Geonwoo spoke without turning around.
The two couldn't answer.
They looked at each other instead.
This time, both were smiling.
Yura briefly slowed her pace.
The audience didn't rush over.
They simply raised their phones or waved lightly.
Yura bowed toward them again.
A theater employee guided the group to the waiting room.
"The GV screening is completely sold out."
The employee placed bottled water on the table.
They could hear the voices of audience members outside.
During the GV, noticeably more questions were directed at the actors.
"Director Baek, where did you first discover Actress Han Yura?"
"Actor Kang Taejun, what did you focus on the most while preparing for Minjae?"
"My friend watched the movie and called me saying I absolutely had to see it. That was the first time I heard the actors' names, but after watching today, I already memorized them."
Yura held the microphone with both hands.
"Thank you."
That night, the daily box office updated again.
[#5 - Before the Light Reaches]
A film that had ranked eighth on opening day had climbed three places in only two days.
New articles appeared online.
[Before the Light Reaches Opens in 24 Theaters and Climbs to #5 at the Daily Box Office]
[After Taking #1 in Seat Occupancy, Rankings Continue to Rise]
[The Reverse-Run Miracle of an Independent Film]
The ranking didn't fall on Sunday either.
[Weekend Box Office: #5]
[Cumulative Audience: 61,384]
The number of theaters had increased to more than fifty.
