People often say I lack awareness. Just by looking at my disheveled hair and sloppy appearance, it’s clear that I don’t care much about worldly appearances.
Look at me now—looking no different from a homeless person at the station. Before I knew it, beads of sweat started forming on my forehead.
Gulp.
My throat moves up and down. The tension, which I didn’t even feel during my past entrance exams, constricts my entire body.
Is it as if I met a wolf right in front of me? No way, how can a wolf roam free in the city?
But at this moment, the person sitting in front of me feels more like a tiger than a wolf.
“Your name is Go Gwangtae, right?”
“Y-Yes, that’s right.”
From the trembling voice, it’s hard to tell if this is a dream or reality.
To see if the hangover from the makgeolli I drank last night hasn’t worn off, I bite the inside of my cheek with my molars.
The faintly stinging pain feels like a harbinger of happiness.
“Do you know this old man?”
“How could I not know! Aren’t you Director Baek Janghoon!”
Even though I’m often told I lack awareness, how could I act so rudely in this situation? Isn’t he the most idolized figure in my career as a filmmaker?
I swear, even if I were to meet the great silent film director Buster Keaton himself, I wouldn’t be as nervous as I am now.
“I apologize for the sudden request to meet you, Mr. Go Gwangtae. I was worried that I might be inconveniencing you if you had other plans today. If you’re busy, we can just greet each other today and set up another time.”
“Oh no! Don’t say such disappointing things. I don’t have any other plans. At most, I’d be sitting in a secondhand bookstore alley in the exam village. Don’t worry at all. If it’s Director Baek Janghoon, I would have run out barefoot to greet you. Besides, I’m unemployed, unemployed! I’ve got plenty of time!”
His gesture of waving his hand is almost as if he’s having a spasm. It was out of concern that Director Baek Janghoon might leave.
“It’s hard to call you unemployed when your work is excellent. I contacted you because I wanted to meet the writer of the screenplay I read.”
“My screenplay…?”
“Youngguk—Actor Jang showed it to me. If it was uncomfortable for you, I apologize.”
“No! On the contrary, I feel like bowing down to Actor Jang. Having my screenplay read by you is an honor for my family! And please speak comfortably. I may look old, but I’m much younger than you!”
His tangled hair shakes vigorously. It seemed he was uncomfortable with someone he idolized so much continuing to speak formally to him.
At that moment, Director Baek Janghoon begins to speak.
“The reason I wanted to meet you today, Mr. Go Gwangtae, is…”
Gulp.
“I wanted to ask if I could direct your work.”
At that moment, Go Gwangtae’s pupils tremble as if an earthquake has struck.
“If your next work’s theme is law, it would suit you well. As a professor, you come across many law students. But I’ve never seen a freshman interpret legal perspectives as well as you.”
I feel a wave of embarrassment.
“Didn’t you do the same during the oral interview? Discussing the issues of the Korean judicial system, ways to overcome them, and the future direction of the legal profession. I never imagined you’d answer with ‘There’s no solution because of a lack of self-reflection.’”
“Didn’t you think I was being arrogant?”
“If I thought so, would I be a professor? I’d still be wearing a judge’s robe. The other professors at the interview felt the same. Some might say your answer was hasty and misguided.”
Professor Shin Jeonggil adds with a slight smile.
“I really like that rebellious spirit.”
Meeting Professor Shin Jeonggil today was indeed a great gain.
To study Go Gwangtae’s screenplay, I needed a legal perspective.
I didn’t expect him to answer my questions so frankly and honestly.
“Actually, I’ve been so engrossed in watching the movies and dramas you’ve appeared in lately that I lost track of time.”
“Excuse me?”
“My wife and daughter are fans of yours. So, after coming home from work, it’s become a routine to watch your works. Every time I see you on the screen, I find it fascinating. It’s like a different person is breathing in each role, not the law student I met in the lecture hall.”
It was surprising. I didn’t expect Professor Shin Jeonggil, who seemed detached from dramas and movies, to say he’d watched my entire filmography.
Then, Professor Shin Jeonggil asks with a curious expression.
“Can you tell me about your next project? Considering you came to see me, the theme must be related to law. I’m curious about how you’ll transform. A judge in a robe, a prosecutor, or perhaps a sharp lawyer in a law firm would suit you all well.”
“……”
“Which one is it?”
What should I say? I wanted to show Professor Shin Jeonggil the screenplay. He was so knowledgeable about legal perspectives.
But even if he saw the screenplay, it would be hard to pinpoint the protagonist’s profession.
A legal professional in a rule-of-law country, yet also not one at the same time.
Anyway, the theme of the screenplay is “Law is far, fist is near.”
The answer to that is just one sentence.
“An outlaw.”
“Huh.”
I still can’t believe it. My legs feel like they’re trembling as if I just ran a marathon.
I pinch my cheek to check if I’m dreaming, but only feel pain.
When I raise my head to look at the sky, the tangled telephone wires remind me that this is reality.
“Gwangtae, is something wrong?”
The elderly owner of the secondhand bookstore asked with a worried expression. It’s understandable since he looks different from his usual self.
His sharp gaze, studying people, was gone, and he looked dazed as if he were high on something.
In the end, he collapses, unable to control his trembling legs, and sits down in the corner of the secondhand bookstore.
“Oh my, Gwangtae—!”
“I’m, I’m okay. My head’s just a bit cloudy.”
“What’s wrong with you, young man? No matter how tough things get, you have to stay focused.”
The old bookstore owner helps him up, his touch full of concern.
“Did something bad happen?”
At that moment, Go Gwangtae’s shoulders shake. He had an endless conversation about his screenplay with the director he idolized, Baek Janghoon.
It was a piece of work that no one had acknowledged.
His “child” was recognized.
By none other than a renowned director in Chungmuro.
Tears or a smile—whatever it was, it spread across his face. It must have looked like crying and laughing at the same time.
“It’s okay. I’m okay.”
“Are you really okay?”
“I won something better than a lottery.”
“What?!”
Indeed, even winning the lottery wouldn’t make him as happy as he is now. He had never felt this excited in his life. The praise from Director Baek Janghoon was enough to send shivers down his spine.
As the old bookstore owner walked away with a puzzled look, Go Gwangtae wiped his face with his long fingers. Tears and laughter mixed together.
“A film adaptation.”
The realization that his screenplay would be turned into a film hits him. He knows there’s a chance the production could be canceled during pre-production.
But the fact that Director Baek Janghoon himself said he would direct it is like a guarantee.
Director Baek Janghoon not only asked about the screenplay but also about the casting of actors.
- Did you have any actors in mind for the lead role when you wrote the screenplay? Was it perhaps Actor Jang Youngguk?
In response to Director Baek Janghoon’s question, Go Gwangtae shook his head. He met Actor Jang Youngguk because he was worried the screenplay would be buried and forgotten. He couldn’t express his gratitude enough to him, but there was nothing he could do about it.
After all, Go Gwangtae, who had been writing in seclusion, didn’t even know of Actor Jang Youngguk’s existence.
‘I think it would be better for you to contact the lead actor directly. I don’t know much about actors, nor do I have the talent to evaluate their acting.’
Director Baek Janghoon gave a short nod to his answer.
He couldn’t help but be curious about who would play the lead role.
“I met the writer, Mr. Go.”
It was at dinner. When my grandfather spoke, I couldn’t help but pause with my chopsticks. I never imagined he would meet Writer Go Gwangtae so quickly.
“Grandfather, does that mean…!”
“Finish chewing your rice before you speak.”
After swallowing the rice in my mouth, I asked.
“Are you saying you’ll direct it?”
My grandfather responded with a short nod. To be honest, I had my doubts. Every director’s perspective on a work is different.
What may be a masterpiece to one person could be seen as a failure to another.
Moreover, Writer Go Gwangtae’s screenplay was so complex that even the most skilled directors might shy away from it.
“Youngguk, the person you mentioned is much more polite than I thought.”
Go Gwangtae was known as the madman of Chungmuro in his past life. He wasn’t called a madman for no reason.
He avoided basic SFX work that could be easily seen in any future movie. He pursued raw, unfiltered direction.
As a result, actors suffered. Moreover, his personality was so eccentric that actors who worked with him all said the same thing.
- Director Go Gwangtae’s films are always a success. But I never want to work with him again.
So, my grandfather’s words felt surprising.
But then again, my grandfather is considered the greatest director in Chungmuro. Even a mad dog would behave meekly in front of a tiger.
“The screenplay is already complete, so we just need to extract the main plot and assemble it. Rewriting the script for each scene will take time, but it’s like drawing a blueprint. Financing will come if we look for it. But there’s one thing that bothers me.”
What could be a hindrance now that Baek Janghoon’s team has decided to take on the project?
But my grandfather’s next words revealed the issue.
“We need to cast the lead actor, hmm.”
“Grandfather, I gave you the screenplay, but…”
“Of course, I have you in mind as an actor, Youngguk.”
What a bolt from the blue.
