Glory Film Company

Episode 50: Uninvited Guest (3)

“Ugh, this is giving me cold sweats,” Ahn Junseok muttered, pretending to wipe his brow, clearly flustered.

“I promise this time. I’ll check it by tomorrow and give you feedback. No, better yet—let’s meet. We’ll talk it out in person.”

“Really?”

“Have I ever lied?”

“Well… kind of feels like you did here.”

“Ugh, come on, Writer Na. Why are you doing this to me?”

Ahn Junseok awkwardly flipped through his schedule, clearly intent on setting up a proper meeting this time.

“Alright, tomorrow at three, at the office. I’ll even jot it down here, see? Good enough?”

“Fine,” Writer Na conceded.

“I’m sorry. The company is still in its early stages, and I’ve been swamped. It’s not like I have much experience, either. Things have been hectic. And I thought we’d had enough discussions in the early stages of this project.”

“I thought so too,” Na said with a sigh. “But now I’m wondering if something’s changed.”

Na Sejeong.

A writer hired by Ahn Junseok’s production company, Master Film. She was 28, two years older than Youngkwang. Na had won first place in a screenplay competition hosted by Jeil Entertainment, but the screenplay was never turned into a film. Instead, that connection had brought her into Ahn Junseok’s project.

She’d been recommended by figures like Park Sunghoon and Yang Hyesoo from the selection committee, so there was no prior connection to Hong Ingi. However, it seemed she and Hong had clashed recently over creative differences.

“Well, I think I’ll head out now,” Park Sunghoon said abruptly, standing up as if oblivious to the tension in the room.

For a busy Jeil Entertainment executive to spend three hours at a small production company’s year-end party was a significant show of courtesy. He had done his part.

“I’ll be on a long business trip next month with Director Ahn,” Park said. “So, Assistant Manager Yang will handle things here. If any issues come up, she’ll contact me.”

He gestured toward Yang Hyesoo, prompting nods from Lee Deokjae, Choi Suhyeon, and Youngkwang.

“I’ll be leaving as well,” Writer Na said, barely waiting for Park Sunghoon to finish before grabbing her bag and rising. Her timing was impeccable.

“Hah.”

Hong Ingi glared at her with disbelief, but Na ignored him and spoke firmly.

“There’s a lot of material I need to review. This isn’t the time to sit around drinking and eating.”

Considering she had already indulged quite a bit, her declaration of restraint at this point carried an ironic sort of charm.

As Park Sunghoon and Na Sejeong left, Hong Ingi exchanged a knowing glance with Ahn Junseok, chuckling.

“It’s the same in America. These younger generations think they’re so cool, but they’re often just rude. They proudly complain about mistakes caused by their lack of experience, and they’re quick to blame others when they fail to understand something. Haha.”

Completely lacking self-awareness, Hong rambled on, shifting all blame to others as he criticized Na.

“Writer Na is like that too. I gave her advice to think about the franchise as a whole, but she took it the wrong way. Don’t we need to consider the forest when structuring a story? Only then can we decide what elements to reveal first for maximum effect. But no—she took it so defensively.”

“Hmm.”

“She acts like she’s clever, but her logic is weak. You know the type—lacking in skill but always making a fuss about respect and recognition. Typical of today’s youth, wouldn’t you agree? Haha.”

Hong laughed alone, his humor failing to land.

Youngkwang silently observed Hong’s smug expression. It was becoming increasingly clear why he and CEO Gu had been so closely aligned in the past. Their intentions were transparent.

It was obvious Hong was nervous about what Na Sejeong might say tomorrow. His incessant negative comments were an attempt to shift blame and plant biases against her.

“I doubt Writer Na has trouble understanding things,” Yang Hyesoo interjected, seemingly unable to tolerate the atmosphere any longer.

“We specifically recommended her after carefully considering how she could best collaborate with Director Ahn.”

“Oh, uh, haha. Is that so? Well, you know, paperwork and actual experience don’t always match. From what I’ve seen, she’s a bit stiff.”

Despite Yang’s measured rebuttal, Hong continued to criticize Na, prompting Yang to smirk and respond with an icy gleam in her eye.

“Isn’t that more of a communication issue? It doesn’t sound like something to generalize as ‘young people being rude.’”

“…Pardon?”

“Should I point out how older people are masters at being overbearing and gossiping as soon as someone steps out for a bathroom break? Would that make you feel better?”

“……”

Yang Hyesoo’s tone was sharper than usual. It wasn’t just because she had faith in Na Sejeong; she also fully understood that she was in a position to call out Hong Ingi’s behavior. As an assistant manager in Jeil Entertainment’s selection committee, she was in a position of power. She didn’t have to endure discomfort unnecessarily, especially with some alcohol emboldening her.

“Anyway, Director Ahn is a highly imaginative and artistically promising filmmaker, and Writer Na is incredibly logical and witty. I hoped their strengths would blend seamlessly into this project.”

“Ah, it seems there’s been some misunderstanding…”

Hong Ingi leaned forward, his displeasure now plainly visible.

“I’m not dismissing Writer Na’s skills. I just feel that misunderstandings like these should be resolved calmly instead of blowing up like this. Earlier, for example, it seemed like the delays were being entirely blamed on the PD, which wasn’t fair.”

Sensing that continuing to insist might backfire, Hong quickly softened his stance but couldn’t resist sneaking in some self-defense.

“Well, that’s something for them to work out. It’s not really our concern,” Yang Hyesoo said, frowning as she shook her head.

Wow, this is getting interesting, thought Youngkwang, watching the exchange.

He concluded that even if Hong Ingi had been planted by CEO Gu with some nefarious plan, shaking up the team wouldn’t be easy with Yang Hyesoo and Na Sejeong in the mix. Still, he intended to dig deeper into whether there was an actual connection to Gu.

“Alright, the mood’s tense. Let’s have a drink!”

“Cheers to pushing forward!”

“Yes, to the movies we’ll create in the future!”

“Oh, that toast is a bit old-fashioned, but anyway—cheers!”

The awkward atmosphere eventually eased after a few more rounds of mingling.

That year-end party went on past midnight, with Bae Youngho’s much-anticipated teaser trailer screening being a highlight. All in all, it was a productive evening for everyone.

****

Two Days Later

Although Christmas fell on a Sunday that year, Monday wasn’t a substitute holiday. However, by 3 p.m., My Way Pictures was eerily quiet. Not a single person had shown up.

What’s going on? Did they all ditch me?

Monday lunches were typically reserved for regular meetings, and it wasn’t just one or two members missing—everyone was absent. Even messages in the group chat went unanswered.

It wasn’t until after 4 p.m. that Lee Deokjae, Choi Suhyeon, and Jang Hyunmin finally showed up at the office.

“Sorry, PD Youngkwang! Did you wait long? The traffic was insane because of the year-end rush. I saw your messages super late too,” said Lee Deokjae.

“Oh no, we actually decided to skip today’s meeting during the year-end party. You must not have been around when we mentioned it. Sorry about that!” added Choi Suhyeon.

“Yeah, we were all so busy trying to keep things organized and take care of everyone. It’s our mistake, really. Anyway, why don’t you just call it a day? We’re heading out soon too,” Jang Hyunmin chimed in, laughing sheepishly.

Youngkwang frowned deeply. The faint smell of alcohol wafting in with the cold air confirmed his suspicions. Day drinking again? Really?

“Were you drinking again? Seriously, what’s wrong with you people? This is such a crucial time for us. We could at least have our meetings before hitting the bottle!”

“Wow, such a nag.”

“Yep, Youngkwang’s our resident nagger! Haha!”

“It’s not nagging! Ugh…”

Youngkwang looked at the three of them, their unfocused eyes betraying the state they were in. Shaking his head in disbelief, he launched into a tirade.

“We all agreed, didn’t we? We’re juggling three movie projects and prepping for the next one. A solid plan increases our chances of success and keeps us from getting overwhelmed later. Sure, a single day might not seem like much, but all these small chunks of time add up. Whatever, just sit down. Let’s at least review the plans you brought.”

“Haha, you’re too much sometimes.”

“Exactly! This company wouldn’t run without PD Youngkwang! He’s so reliable and trustworthy! Haha!”

“You’re right! He’s amazing. Every time I see him, I… I…”

“…What? Why are you crying all of a sudden?”

The cheerful banter turned awkward as Jang Hyunmin’s eyes welled up with tears.

Youngkwang noticed more peculiar behavior. Lee Deokjae cleared his throat awkwardly, his eyes reddened, while Choi Suhyeon lightly patted both men on their shoulders and sniffled.

What’s going on? Why is everyone suddenly like this? Why are they all crying?

“What’s wrong with you all? Why are you crying? Stop it; this is starting to annoy me,” Youngkwang said, confused and exasperated.

Lee Deokjae, his eyes glistening with tears, managed a weak smile and replied.

“Ahem… how many times have I told you? There was a PD who had the same name as you.”

“Oh… right.”

“Today’s his death anniversary.”

“…!”

Youngkwang was momentarily stunned into silence.

Of course, it was just after Christmas, wasn’t it? The day Director Bae Youngho’s film began production, the same day they had filmed the fire scene.

As Youngkwang hesitated, calculating the date of the incident in his head, Choi Suhyeon waved her hand dismissively, interpreting his pause as guilt.

“Oh, don’t feel bad. We should’ve told you properly… but time just slipped away as we kept putting it off.”

“So… that’s your excuse for drinking today?” Youngkwang asked, shaking his head.

“Huh?”

“What?”

“Skipping the meeting, ignoring all my messages, and spending the whole day eating pork belly and drinking soju—is that what you’re telling me?”

The three glanced at each other awkwardly.

“You’re so cold sometimes, you know that?”

“Exactly! We told you it was his death anniversary. Can’t you be a bit more human about it?”

“If you wanted to pay your respects, you could’ve done it quietly after work in the evening. And it’s been 19 years! He wasn’t your family—what’s with the waterworks? Sit down already! Why are you skipping meetings when we have a critical review with the selection committee coming up?”

Youngkwang’s sharp words hit their mark, and the three stopped crying abruptly, their faces frozen in surprise.

“Listen, kid, this is about loyalty. Movie people stick together. He wasn’t family, but he was as close and as important as one.”

“That’s right. He was someone we’re still grateful to. Someone we still miss.”

“Ah, Youngkwang PD, you wouldn’t understand. You don’t know how we really feel.”

Youngkwang listened to their grumbling before asking bluntly.

“Do you even have a specific place to visit?”

“What?”

“The fire… he passed away at the scene, didn’t he? That must’ve been horrific. Was his body even recovered properly?”

“…It wasn’t easy. The fire was massive—it was hard to recover anything.”

“But they managed to enshrine his remains in a columbarium. It’s at a memorial park in Seongnam, so it’s not far.”

“And… you three have been going there every year? Together?”

“Yeah. At first, we visited separately, but after a few times bumping into each other on his death anniversary, we decided to go together. Haha.”

At least they’re loyal.

Youngkwang looked at the three of them with a strange mix of emotions. He had spent so much time wondering how people would live on after his hypothetical absence, but he had never stopped to consider how he might be remembered or missed by others.

To someone, I was an important person too, huh?

A faint, ticklish feeling stirred in his chest.

But the sentimentality didn’t last long.

Vrrring.

His phone buzzed.

A sudden message from Jeil Entertainment’s Yang Hyesoo:
“Are you free today? It’s urgent.”