Chapter 56: The Same Frame
Two days later, in the evening.
Geonwoo was sitting at the desk in his apartment, looking at his laptop screen.
A moment later, an unfamiliar face appeared.
It was a journalist from an American film publication.
This was the first interview on the schedule Yoon Jihye had sent him.
Because of the time difference, it was already late in Korea, but the interview wasn't expected to take long.
After exchanging brief greetings, they went straight to the questions.
"Before the Light Reaches has entered the movie Top 10 in several countries. Did you expect this kind of response?"
Geonwoo shook his head.
"No. I didn't expect it to go this far."
"This is your first feature film, correct?"
"Yes."
"Neither you nor your actors are particularly well-known overseas. Even so, the number of viewers continues to grow."
The journalist briefly checked his notes.
"There's been a lot of discussion about the neighborhood in the film. It's a Korean neighborhood facing redevelopment, but audiences in other countries seem to have connected with it too."
Geonwoo had received a similar question at Fribourg.
He thought for a moment before answering.
"The setting is in Korea, but losing a place and never being able to return to it isn't something that happens only in that neighborhood."
The journalist nodded.
Several more questions followed.
The filming period.
His experience working with the actors.
And what it had been like to win an award at Fribourg.
Then the journalist changed the subject.
"Are you preparing your next film as well?"
"Yes."
"Is it at a stage where you can tell us about it?"
Geonwoo smiled.
"I can tell you the title, at least."
The journalist waited.
"It's a film called The Night the King Died."
"Is it... a period film?"
"Yes. It's a Korean historical film."
"Is it on a larger scale than your previous film?"
"Much larger."
The journalist laughed.
"Then when can we expect to see it?"
"We're planning to begin filming this year, so you'll have to wait a little longer."
The interview ended a few minutes later.
Geonwoo closed the video call and leaned back in his chair.
A little later, Jihye sent him a message.
[Good work today. Tomorrow's interview with the French publication is at 4 p.m.]
Geonwoo replied.
[Understood. I've checked the schedule.]
The French interview the following day had a slightly different atmosphere.
The journalist had already seen Before the Light Reaches at Fribourg.
"It feels a little strange to see a film I watched at the festival now appearing in the NetPlus rankings."
The journalist laughed as he spoke.
Geonwoo smiled too.
"I feel much the same way."
"You've been keeping an eye on the international response, haven't you?"
"Occasionally."
"Only occasionally?"
"The actors are much more diligent about looking for reactions and sending them to me."
The journalist laughed.
"Now I'm curious which actor is the most enthusiastic."
Geonwoo didn't even have to think.
"Kang Taejun."
After the interview, the journalist requested several additional photographs for the article.
Geonwoo passed the request along to Jihye and closed his laptop.
Over the next few days, Before the Light Reaches continued to enter the rankings in more countries.
At first, the response was concentrated in Asia.
However, its ranking also began rising in France, and just before the weekend, it entered the movie Top 10 in the United States.
This time, Geonwoo was the first to notice.
He was on his way back from lunch at TS ENM.
While waiting for the elevator, he checked NetPlus on his phone and suddenly stopped.
He took a screenshot and posted it in the group chat.
[Baek Geonwoo: We've entered the US Top 10 too.]
Taejun was the first to reply.
[Kang Taejun: Seriously?]
Another message immediately followed.
[Kang Taejun: Whoa!!!]
[Kang Taejun: We're actually in the US rankings too!]
Yura responded shortly afterward.
[Han Yura: This is pretty amazing.]
Taejun kept sending messages.
[Kang Taejun: Hyung, that means people in America are watching our movie.]
[Kang Taejun: I seriously can't believe it...]
Dogyeom joined the conversation too.
[Lee Dogyeom: That's incredible...]
[Lee Dogyeom: I'm on set right now, and I almost screamed lol]
Yura sent a laughing emoji.
[Han Yura: Wait until filming's over, then scream lol]
[Lee Dogyeom: Okay lol]
Geonwoo smiled as he read the messages.
The elevator arrived with a chime.
Still smiling, he slipped his phone into his pocket.
The following Tuesday.
Geonwoo arrived at TS ENM a little earlier than usual.
There were about ten minutes left before his meeting began.
He took his laptop out of his bag and opened the NetPlus weekly global rankings.
The Non-English Films category.
Before the Light Reaches had ranked eighth the previous week.
"I wonder how high we've climbed."
Tenth.
Ninth.
Eighth.
Before the Light Reaches wasn't there.
Geonwoo scrolled upward.
Seventh.
Sixth.
Fifth.
It wasn't there either.
"Don't tell me..."
Geonwoo scrolled a little farther.
Then his hand stopped.
[3rd Place: Before the Light Reaches]
For a while, Geonwoo simply stared at the screen.
Just then, his phone began vibrating.
Messages were already piling up in the group chat.
Naturally, Taejun was the first to send one.
[Kang Taejun: Hyung, this is insane.]
[Kang Taejun: THIRD PLACE! WE'RE THIRD!!!]
Yura replied almost immediately.
[Han Yura: I just saw it too.]
[Han Yura: We've climbed so much.]
Dogyeom sent a message as well.
[Lee Dogyeom: Whoa...]
[Lee Dogyeom: I keep checking to make sure it's real lol]
Taejun immediately responded.
[Kang Taejun: Wait.]
[Kang Taejun: Dogyeom.]
[Kang Taejun: Didn't you predict we'd be third this week?]
Dogyeom replied a moment later.
[Lee Dogyeom: That's right lol]
[Lee Dogyeom: I got it right!]
Yura sent a laughing emoji.
[Han Yura: Congratulations. Our Dogyeom has some incredible intuition.]
Taejun immediately sent another message.
[Kang Taejun: Dogyeom, predict first place this time.]
[Kang Taejun: Who knows? We might actually get first place next week!!!]
Geonwoo laughed as he scrolled through the conversation.
Then his family group chat began vibrating too.
It was Sua.
[Baek Sua: Oppa! You're third in the world!!]
A photograph appeared immediately afterward.
It was a screenshot of the rankings that Sua had taken herself.
[Baek Sua: I saw this in class and almost screamed.]
His mother sent a message next.
[Mom: Congratulations, son.]
His father replied a little later.
[Dad: That's incredible. Congratulations.]
Geonwoo looked at the screen for a moment before typing his reply.
[Baek Geonwoo: Thank you, everyone!]
[Baek Geonwoo: And Sua, you should get back to studying.]
[Baek Geonwoo: You'll regret it later if you stop studying just because you've gotten into university.]
The meeting room door opened.
The producer walked in and noticed Geonwoo's screen.
"Director, have you seen the NetPlus global rankings?"
Geonwoo smiled.
"I just checked."
"Congratulations!"
"Thank you."
The producer laughed as he sat across from him.
"All right, that's enough celebrating. Let's take a look at this."
Geonwoo opened the file.
It contained the costume-fitting schedule for the lead actors.
The makeup and camera-test schedules were attached behind it.
Geonwoo turned the page.
"Our schedule has suddenly become a lot busier."
"Well, it's June now. We need to prepare everything properly if we want to begin filming in November."
The producer pointed to the first fitting date.
"We'll start with the four leads."
Geonwoo turned to the next page.
Beneath each actor's name were details about the costumes prepared for them and the scenes that needed to be checked.
"We're going to check how they move during the fittings too, right?"
"Yes. We won't just have them try on the costumes. For actors who need to walk or run in their scenes, we'll check those movements as well."
Geonwoo checked all four appointment times.
"I'd like to attend every fitting."
The producer smiled.
"I figured you would, so I've already included you in the schedule."
Geonwoo looked over the four appointments again.
Nam Giheon was scheduled immediately before Min Jaeha.
There was a short gap between their sessions.
At that moment, Geonwoo remembered something he'd heard before.
I heard they were best friends in middle school.
But they grew apart after entering high school.
After thinking for a moment, Geonwoo spoke.
"Could we move Jaeha's appointment forward a little?"
The producer checked the schedule.
"By how much?"
"Just enough for him to arrive around the time Giheon's fitting ends."
The producer looked at Geonwoo.
"Do you want to see them together?"
"There's something I'd like to check."
Geonwoo had no intention of immediately investigating how close they had been in the past or why they had grown apart.
However, in a few months, the two would have to see each other regularly on the same set.
It would be better to observe them together at least once before then.
"Then I'll check with Jaeha's side."
"Thank you."
A few days later.
Geonwoo stood in one corner of the space prepared by the costume department.
The clothing racks were filled with outfits designed for different periods and social ranks.
Costumes he had seen countless times in photographs and drawings had finally taken shape as actual garments.
Yoon Jaehyuk was the first actor to arrive.
A little later, the changing-room door opened.
Jaehyuk stepped out wearing the clothes of the military officer, Lee Gyeom.
The outfit wasn't particularly elaborate.
It was appropriate for a military officer guarding the royal palace.
Jaehyuk stood before the mirror and checked the position of his belt.
A costume-department employee examined his sleeves and shoulders.
"Could you raise your arms for me?"
Jaehyuk lifted them.
"Does it feel tight here?"
"A little."
"Enough to restrict your movements?"
Jaehyuk didn't answer immediately.
He lowered his arms and raised them again.
This time, he turned his body and walked several steps.
"I think this much should be fine. I'll probably get used to it."
The employee adjusted the fabric around his waist.
"You have quite a few running scenes, so I'll give you a little more room anyway."
"All right."
Even while waiting, Jaehyuk didn't stand still.
He checked where his sword would hang and took several more steps to see whether the hem caught against his legs.
Without anyone telling him to, he repeated the same movements several times.
Geonwoo pictured Lee Gyeom from the screenplay.
Now that I see him like this, he suits the role even better than I expected.
Wearing his military uniform with a sword at his waist, Jaehyuk drew attention even when he was simply standing still.
His broad shoulders and straight posture made the uniform fit beautifully.
Even the costume-department employees occasionally glanced at him while checking what needed to be altered.
"Could you stay just like that for a moment?"
An employee picked up a camera for a test photograph.
Jaehyuk naturally turned his gaze.
Click.
After checking the photograph, the employee let out a quiet exclamation.
"You look great on camera."
Another employee leaned over to look at the monitor.
"Seriously. That military uniform really suits you."
Jaehyuk smiled a little awkwardly.
"That's probably because the costume is so good."
Geonwoo approached the monitor too.
On camera, Jaehyuk's eyes looked even sharper, and the lines of the military uniform stood out more clearly.
Geonwoo studied the screen for a moment.
He could already imagine the audience's first impression of Lee Gyeom.
A smile appeared on his face.
"Jaehyuk."
"Yes, Director?"
"You really suit the role."
Jaehyuk smiled.
"I'm glad to hear that."
The next fitting was Han Eunchae's.
When Eunchae emerged wearing Princess Yeonhwi's costume, the costume-department employees naturally turned toward the mirror.
Eunchae checked her reflection, then walked several steps.
She looked down at the hem of her skirt.
"Director, would it be all right if I tried moving a little faster in this?"
"Of course."
Eunchae made some space and quickened her steps.
She turned and took several more steps.
Then she stopped.
"This part catches a little."
A costume-department employee approached and examined the hem.
"Is it because of the length?"
"Yes. It's fine when I'm just walking, but I think I might step on it if I run."
Rather than checking how well the costume suited her appearance, Eunchae was first making sure she could move properly while wearing it.
"Would shortening it a little make a big difference on camera?"
The employee folded the hem upward.
"If we shorten it this much, it'll barely be noticeable."
Eunchae tried walking again.
This time, she moved even faster.
She turned, took several more steps, and stopped.
"I think this length is better. I'll need to keep moving in this outfit, after all."
"Then we'll alter it to this length."
"Thank you."
Eunchae returned to the mirror.
This time, she didn't simply look at herself from the front.
She raised her sleeves and checked how the fabric followed her movements whenever she turned.
Geonwoo quietly watched her.
She was thinking about Princess Yeonhwi much more specifically than when she had first received the screenplay.
Instead of focusing on looking pretty, she was prioritizing how the character needed to move.
And she had identified the problem herself before the costume team even pointed it out.
"Eunchae, you're checking everything very carefully."
Eunchae smiled briefly.
"I really want to do well."
It was a simple answer.
Then she looked down at the hem of her skirt again.
"Could I try running just one more time?"
The costume-department employee smiled and stepped back.
"Of course."
Eunchae began moving again.
This time, Geonwoo said nothing until she stopped.
Giheon's fitting took place that afternoon.
His first costume was the outfit he would wear while living at his private residence outside the palace.
After studying his reflection for a moment, Giheon asked,
"This is what I wear before returning to the palace, correct?"
"Yes," Geonwoo answered.
"You'll wear this until the scene where the princess comes to bring you back."
Giheon touched his collar.
The next costume was for his return to the palace.
Surprisingly, the second outfit was even less noticeable than the first.
It was designed to let him blend in with the people moving around the palace.
Giheon stood before the mirror without speaking for quite some time.
Then he pressed down lightly on his collar.
"Couldn't we make this part a little more ordinary?"
The costume-department employee approached.
"The collar?"
"Yes. It isn't flashy now, but if you look closely, it still looks like expensive clothing."
Geonwoo examined it too.
Giheon continued.
"At this point, making it difficult for people to recognize me is more important than showing that I'm the deposed Crown Prince."
"That's right."
Geonwoo immediately nodded.
"I think we can make it a little more subdued."
Giheon looked at the mirror again.
This time, he seemed to be checking his overall appearance rather than the costume itself.
He walked several steps, then lowered his head slightly and walked again.
Geonwoo watched him.
Even in ordinary clothes, Nam Giheon wasn't someone who could easily disappear into a crowd.
A smile appeared on Geonwoo's face.
I definitely made the right choice.
Just then, a costume-department employee entered.
"Actor Min Jaeha has arrived."
Giheon's hand stopped as he adjusted his collar.
A moment later, the door opened.
Jaeha entered with his manager and noticed Giheon standing farther inside.
His steps slowed for the briefest moment.
Giheon was looking at him too.
For several seconds, neither spoke first.
Finally, Jaeha broke the silence.
"Long time no see."
Giheon gave a small nod.
"Yeah. It has been."
That was all.
It was an unusually brief greeting for two friends meeting again after more than a decade.
Jaeha didn't smile as he normally did, and Giheon made no attempt to continue the conversation.
Geonwoo looked between them.
"Jaeha, welcome."
"You asked me to come a little earlier, so I made sure to arrive on time."
"Yes. Actually, there's something I want to check with both of you."
Both actors looked at Geonwoo.
He turned to Giheon first.
"Giheon, would you mind staying a little longer?"
"Not at all."
"Once Jaeha's fitting is finished, I'd like to see the two of you together."
Jaeha asked,
"Both of us?"
"Yes. You have scenes together in the film, so I'd like to see how you look together in costume."
Jaeha glanced at Giheon.
Giheon nodded without saying anything else.
"Understood."
Geonwoo turned back to Jaeha.
"Then let's start with your fitting."
"All right."
A costume-department employee brought over the historian's robes.
Jaeha took the clothes.
On his way to the changing room, he stopped for a moment.
Giheon was still standing a short distance away.
Their eyes met once more.
This time, neither said a word.
Jaeha opened the changing-room door and went inside.
The door closed.
Geonwoo glanced at Giheon before lowering his eyes to the fitting documents in his hand.
I wonder what they'll look like standing together.
