pappabearbooks Chapter 223: Fruit (4)
Chapter 223: Fruit (4)
In a quite spacious script reading venue in the middle of being set up. Inside and out in the corridors, more than a dozen staff members were moving busily. In the center of the reading room, a ㅁ-shaped table had been arranged, and many chairs were set up surrounding it."Putting up the role cards!"
"Yes! Please set up the water bottles while putting up the role cards."
“We have 2 hours left, so let’s hurry!”
As time seemed to be running out, the staff’s hands moved faster. Still, most of the preparations had been completed the day before, so only the finishing touches remained. One of the staff attached something to the glass door of the reading room.
-‘Tale of the Strange Moon’ Script Reading Room
Yes, this was the place where the script reading for ‘Tale of the Strange Moon’ would take place. Looking closely, the staff were all part of the ‘Tale of the Strange Moon’ team. Some employees from Netflix Korea were among them. Then the role sheet was placed just to the left of where PD Jung Soo-ryeong would be seated.
-Role of Choi Si-baek / Actor Rojun-nim
The name for the role of ‘Choi Si-baek', one of the two male leads in ‘Tale of the Strange Moon'. And behind that name, Kang Rojun. One by one, the role cards were neatly laid out, and cameras were set up throughout the reading room. Around that time, people slowly began to enter the reading room. Starting with the key staff of ‘Tale of the Strange Moon’.
Each of them held a copy of the script for ‘Tale of the Strange Moon’ in one hand.
The key staff in charge of major aspects such as filming, lighting, art, and sound sat down while chatting amongst themselves.
“Can’t believe the day for the script reading finally came.”
“Seriously, the pre-production period felt longer than expected.”
“It was a bit rough with the set and location scouting, but since it's a 6-episode season, it actually moved up quite a bit.”
“Have any of the actors arrived yet?”
“They’ll be here soon. I saw a few of them in the parking lot downstairs.”
“By the way, isn’t Rojun-ssi incredible?”
“Oh yeah - his form is insane. He’s still No. 1 on both Netflix Japan and the OST chart.”
The conversation quickly shifted to Kang Rojun.
“He’s hitting it big with ‘Vanguard’ too, and even the works he’s released as a writer are all trending hits... Rojun-ssi’s price must be skyrocketing every month.”
“Same goes for his acting career. Hmm, I’m curious about ‘Like a Kaleidoscope'. When does it release in Korea?”
“This Friday. Today’s Tuesday, so three days left.”
The newly entering key staff also naturally joined the conversation about Rojun.
“Anyway, for us working on ‘Tale of the Strange Moon', we should be bowing to Rojun-ssi. Thanks to ‘Like a Kaleidoscope', we’re getting indirect promotion too.”
“What’s there to say? Rojun-ssi’s existence is a promotion in itself.”
“I should ask for an autograph today if I see him. My daughter’s crazy about him.”
“Ha ha, I should do that too. If I take a picture with Rojun-ssi, my kids might start worshipping me like a god.”
Soon after the key staff, the actors began entering the reading room. Supporting roles, co-leads, and more.
“Hello!”
“Oh! Actor-ssi! You’re here early??”
Thanks to the actors who were familiar with the key staff, the reading room quickly grew lively, and as time passed, the seats in the reading room filled up rapidly. Before long, more than half of the ㅁ-shaped table was filled with actors. Handsome, pretty, charming, or unique - the actors had a variety of appeal.
From top-tier to A-list, regardless of status, the actors naturally began talking about Kang Rojun as well.
“Is Rojun-ssi here yet?”
“He’ll probably come with PD Jung. He’s the writer too, after all??”
“Ha, I’m excited. Am I finally going to see that astonishing face in person?”
“I’m a fan of Rojun-ssi too. I’ve been supporting him since ‘Produce That 100!’”
“Rojun-ssi sure has a lot of fans. Well, even Tae-soo and Rina spoke highly of him. I heard he’s super nice.”
It made sense.
Kang Rojun was both the writer and lead actor of ‘Tale of the Strange Moon'. On top of that, the explosive impact of ‘Vanguard', and now a powerful ongoing issue shaking Japan. The list of talking points about him could go on endlessly.
“But seriously, doesn’t Rojun-ssi seem like a monster? I mean that in the best way! He’s pulling off being an artist in ‘Vanguard', while also writing and acting... I could never do that.”
“He even writes songs and lyrics, right?”
“That's right!”
“He’s definitely not ordinary. From the start, even his face looks like it was born to be a star.”
These were actors recognized in the industry, yet the flow of conversation was filled with praise for Kang Rojun. Because everyone knew that what he had accomplished was far from easy. And it was still ongoing.
“If you look at Rojun-ssi and ‘Vanguard', the answer is obvious. The ‘World Star’ label is coming his way for sure, soon.”
The script reading room for ‘Tale of the Strange Moon’ was, in every sense, filled with the talk of Kang Rojun.
It was right at that moment.
A woman entered the reading room. It was PD Jung Soo-ryeong, with her dry brown hair tied in a single ponytail. She waved with a rather relaxed expression, likely familiar with many of the actors already present.
“Hello hello, oh teacher, hello. You came early.”
Behind PD Jung Soo-ryeong, who bowed her head to a senior actor, followed several members of the directing team including the assistant director. Then.
-Swish.
A man with striking black hair appeared.
“Hello!”
It was Kang Rojun. He wore a calm outfit, a beige knit short-sleeve shirt, butto the eyes of these top-tier actors, he seemed to shine.
‘Wow, that’s insane……’
‘…Tae-soo wasn’t exaggerating. That face is truly beautiful, just beautiful.’
‘Whoa- he’s like a walking magazine photoshoot.’
Of course, Rojun himself was inwardly amazed as he looked at the gathered actors.
‘Unbelievable, seeing all these people in person.’
Kang Rojun, transforming his slight nervousness into a warm eye smile, greeted the actors one by one without pause.
‘I feel reassured! That these incredible actors are the cast of 'Tale of the Strange Moon'.’
As he kept bowing nonstop, Rojun spotted his own role card.
-Role of Choi Si-baek / Actor Rojun-nim
Though it was a character he created himself, something hot boiled up from within his chest. Passion? Drive? Elation? Whatever it was, Kang Rojun was visibly uplifted when he took his seat.
“Nice to meet you all. I’m PD Jung Soo-ryeong, in charge of directing ‘Tale of the Strange Moon’.”
PD Jung Soo-ryeong announced the start of the script reading. Soon, actors, key staff, reporters, YouTube filming teams, and other staff focused as they opened their scripts.
“The reason pre-production could proceed without issue was all thanks to you. Um- shall we start by introducing the key members of ‘Tale of the Strange Moon’?”
She gave a glance toward Rojun. As Kang Rojun stood up smoothly, Netflix Korea’s Executive Director Lim Hyun-jin, seated among the staff, appeared visibly restless.
‘Phew, why am I so nervous? It’s not like this is my first script reading.’
The bigger the expectations, the more anxious one becomes. That was only natural. Especially since she was personally witnessing the success of ‘Like a Kaleidoscope’ on Netflix Japan.
At the same time.
“Hello.”
Kang Rojun formally introduced himself to the lineup of top actors. At the script reading for ‘Tale of the Strange Moon', which was set to launch globally.
“I’m Rojun, writer of ‘Tale of the Strange Moon’ and actor playing the role of ‘Choi Si-baek.’”
It was Kang Rojun who opened the lid.
At this moment.
A conference room filled with several people. From the conversation, it seemed they were executives of the ‘K-POP Awards'. In fact, they had started preparing for the ‘K-POP Awards’ two months ago. And this month, the project had begun in earnest.
“Alright, then let’s finalize the venue as the studio center performance hall in Paju, and set the date for November 20.”
Since today, October 5, marked the start of promotions to the media for the ‘K-POP Awards', important matters were being finalized one after another. Naturally, this included which broadcaster would air the event, the number of audience members on the day, ticket sales, and so on.
After discussing agenda items for about an hour, the topic shifted to the artists who would be invited.
The singers who would attend the awards.
The very core, the essence.
The list of artists to be contacted was distributed, and the first screen on the tablet displayed ‘Vanguard’.
“Ah- ‘Vanguard’ is an absolute must. They need to be confirmed before any other group.”
“Exactly. Without them at this year’s ‘K-POP Awards', it’s like red bean buns without the filling.”
“Just think of how many ‘firsts’ they’ve achieved. They’re top priority. No, priority zero.”
The moment ‘Vanguard’ was mentioned, the energy in the room spiked. And understandably so.
“You’ve contacted GN, right? Any response?”
“It’s positive for now. I mean, they’ve dominated the whole year, they’d want to reap the rewards.”
“Let’s not let our guard down. You all know, right? CEO Ha Seo-hwan is no pushover. If anything seems even slightly unclear, they’ll pull ‘Vanguard’ out immediately.”
No matter what anyone said, this year, ‘Vanguard’ had stirred up the country completely through issues, impact, and the market.
“We can’t let that happen. Keep pressing on.”
And then.
The script reading for 'Tale of the Strange Moon', which had started at noon, finally ended close to nightfall. However, Kang Rojun didn’t leave the reading room immediately. He first greeted all the senior and veteran actors, then held a meeting with PD Jung Soo-ryeong as the writer.
In the end.
‘It’s already night. Time flew.’
Rojun got into the van for the ride home in the pitch-dark night. But there was no sign of exhaustion on his face. In fact, he was smiling broadly.
‘That was genuinely fun. Script readings have a different vibe than actual shoots, it was hella fun.’
The passionate performances of the senior actors, PD Jung Soo-ryeong’s directing, the cast and key staff he’d grown closer to, and seeing the outline of 'Tale of the Strange Moon', a work he created, take shape clearly. There was a lot for Kang Rojun to enjoy.
A few days passed.
On Friday the 8th, while news articles about 'Tale of the Strange Moon' were going viral.
《[Star Talk] A heated atmosphere at the script reading for 'Tale of the Strange Moon'/ Photos》
《[Photo] Rojun’s visuals shine even among top actors, almost like a halo/ Photos》
《‘Writer Rojun’s highly anticipated work 'Tale of the Strange Moon' finishes script reading, when is the crank-in?》
Meanwhile, the public on various online communities were filled with complaints.
-Ah!! Wasn’t 'Like a Kaleidoscope' supposed to launch in Korea today!! This delay is so unfair!!
Even a week after its release, 'Like a Kaleidoscope' was still shaking Japan. Originally, it was scheduled to launch on Netflix Korea on the 8th as well, but due to various interests and circumstances, it had been delayed by about a week.
Eventually, the Korean release of 'Like a Kaleidoscope' was rescheduled for October 15.
However, Kang Rojun didn’t react strongly. No, he didn’t even have time to care. He had too much to do. And when you’re busy, a week passes in the blink of an eye.
In reality, that one week disappeared in an instant.
October 15 arrived in no time.
From the morning of the 15th, the media was buzzing about the Korean release of 'Like a Kaleidoscope'.
《[Issue Pick] 'Like a Kaleidoscope', the drama that sparked a craze in Japan, finally available on Korean Netflix today at noon》
Among fans, anticipation wasn’t just for 'Like a Kaleidoscope', there was also high excitement for 'Dreamlike'. That was because 'Dreamlike' was being released on domestic music platforms, just like in Japan. While the song had already gone viral on YouTube and other platforms, the official release as a music track had a different feel altogether.
Whatever the case, as media and public expectations soared.
“......Phew- Okay.”
Inside the editing room of 'Blood Hunt', Director Yoo Ji-heon, looking even more gaunt, slowly nodded and gave a sign to the editors.
“OK, great work, everyone.”
“Whew- Director, you worked hard too!”
“Thank you for your hard work!”
Then Director Yoo Ji-heon, who had been staring at the monitors in front of him, rolled his neck and picked up his phone. He was about to call someone. The person who picked up was Production Manager Jang Hak-seon of BG Pictures.
“Yes, Director.”
Director Yoo Ji-heon answered quietly over the phone.
“'Blood Hunt' editing is now complete.”
A declaration that post-production was finished. Which meant.
“You’ve worked so hard, Director! I’ll head straight to the editing room!!”
“No need for that. By the way, have we secured all the screening theaters?”
“Of course, the release preparations are perfect!”
All that was left now was the release.
Meanwhile, over at Netflix Korea.
The company was now divided into two main teams. One monitoring the soon-to-be-released 'Like a Kaleidoscope', and the other, the 'Tale of the Strange Moon' team.
The 'Tale of the Strange Moon' team was gathered in the large conference room.
PD Jung Soo-ryeong, Executive Director Lim Hyun-jin, and other key figures from 'Tale of the Strange Moon' were all present. What was taking place now was the final production meeting. With the script reading complete, it was the natural next step. Soon, PD Jung Soo-ryeong, who had been nodding deeply in thought, muttered.
“We need to fully check the sets that have been completed, so let’s set the first shoot for November 1. When you send out the filming schedule to the actors, make sure to include the date of the first shoot.”
The first day of filming for 'Tale of the Strange Moon' was just around the corner.
“The opening scene for day one will be of ‘Choi Si-baek’.”