Chapter 1135: The Warmest Season, Winter (7)

Finally, November arrived.

A new change began taking place in theaters.

"Hmm?"

"Huh?"

People walking around inside multiplex cinemas stopped in their tracks for a moment.

The reason was the poster.

[Sound of the Sun]

It showed the back of a man passionately playing the piano under dazzling lights.

Someone pointed at the poster and said to their partner,

"Wow. Looks like that is coming out soon."

"What is it?"

"You know. That movie about Sun Wooju's father? The one with him as the main character."

"Ahhh~"

As if to prove those words, the poster had large text written across it.

[Coming to theaters this November]

That was not all.

Several major theaters had even set up pop-up stores and event zones.

Anyone could tell that the most anticipated movie of the winter was about to be released.

"Wow."

The same was true for people sitting in theaters, munching on popcorn.

Among trailers for major new films, including director Robert McGuinness's West Hollywood, came the trailer for Sound of the Sun.

A beautiful young boy walking through a field of reeds lets himself be carried away by the sound of rustling leaves.

[Have you ever heard the sound of the sun?]

An English monologue.

After hearing those words, a middle-aged man in a suit, Winston Ross from that time, shook his head while interlocking his fingers.

[I have never heard it once. Have you?]

Sitting across from him as if it were an interview, the boy who had been scribbling on sheet music stopped his pencil.

[I have.]

The boy immediately sat at the piano and began playing.

The old man looked surprised, and the main theme began.

『A moving true story that captivated the world!』

Everyone let out exclamations.

Wow...

The song is incredible.

The scene immediately transitioned from the boy to the young man.

As the trailer's pace accelerated, major scenes appeared.

[This is New York...]

Excitement.

[Your way isn't jazz.]

Conflict.

"Everyone! Sun Myeongju has arrived!"

A dazzling stage.

[I love you. More than anyone else.]

Love.

The provocative phrases continued one after another, and at the end, a funny scene appeared before the trailer came to a close.

[Coming to theaters this November]

People who visited theaters searched for Sound of the Sun.

"It's really coming out soon."

"Ah, I seriously have to see this... The tickets are going to be impossible to get, right?"

"I think the first day is probably going to be hopeless."

Several months ago, when Sun Wooju had boldly released Like The Sun, Sound of the Sun had already become a must-see film among movie fans.

There was no other way it could be.

Just like how a certain song sung by the queen of an ice kingdom became a huge hit back in 2013 and helped the movie succeed as well, Like The Sun contained something that represented the essence of the kind of songs Koreans loved.

Every time new still cuts and teasers were released, movie fans became restless.

Movie fans were already debating which theater to choose and where the sound quality was best.

A little patriotic marketing was mixed into the excitement as well.

[Reasons why Sound of the Sun needs to succeed.txt]

The post explained that many Korean Americans and Koreans working in Hollywood, including director Deborah Kim, had participated in the film.

A film about Asians, a group Hollywood was infamous for not investing in easily.

The discrimination minorities faced in the industry.

Interviews before the movie's release, where the staff talked about the hardships they endured, were receiving attention.

"I don't know if I'll watch it or not... but I really hope the movie turned out well. I hope it becomes a huge success."

"I should at least watch it once."

"Movies like this need to succeed."

Because of these reasons, Sound of the Sun had become the center of attention even before release.

On top of that, news spread that national idol Sun Wooju had personally stepped forward as the composer and producer for a movie about his own father.

Even people who were still deciding whether to watch the movie or not were generally supportive.

And that atmosphere was reflected clearly.

"This is insane..."

"What?"

"There are no seats."

"No seats?? There are this many theaters?"

It was true.

Starting from the release date of Sound of the Sun, there was not a single available seat left for several days of screenings.

Only then did moviegoers remember the presence they had forgotten.

Right... Wooju is from NewBlack.

The leader of NewBlack, the undisputed most popular idol group in Korea.

This movie was something Souffle had been waiting for.

They were not watching simply because it was a movie featuring their favorite's father.

They viewed it almost like a prequel.

A movie carrying the important meaning of showing where the star known as Sun Wooju had come from.

But even Souffle, who were famous for being experts at ticketing, found getting tickets nearly impossible.

Movie fans, ordinary people, and Souffle were all competing to grab any available seats.

Of course, it was not that there were literally no seats at all.

There are seats. There are technically seats...

The problem was that every remaining seat had a reason.

They were in the first row, forcing people to crane their necks upward.

Or the view was slightly blocked by audio equipment.

Even so, the popular screenings were impossible to get tickets for.

There were even scalpers appearing on Twitter.

Movie fans stared blankly.

No matter where they went, theaters were showing Sound of the Sun more than 50% of the time.

Normally, there would have been controversy over favoritism.

But there was little talk of that.

First, everyone was too busy trying to get tickets.

Second, there were no domestic films competing against it.

[4th Line's domestic box office success is basically guaranteed ㄷㄷ]

Sound of the Sun, nicknamed "Line 4" among movie fans.

And that was exactly what happened.

Just as the music industry carefully avoided making comebacks alongside NewBlack, movie distributors were in the same situation.

"Did you see this? They say every ticket for Sound of the Sun screenings nationwide is sold out."

"Sold out?"

"Yes."

"......"

How could a movie, not even a concert, sell out every seat?

The heads of production companies and distribution companies sighed with relief.

I almost died...

Good thing we avoided it early.

Originally, several movies had been preparing for release to target students finishing the CSAT.

But what kind of people were those in this industry?

People who had survived decades by reading the atmosphere.

The production companies and distributors preparing their releases immediately postponed every project until December or later the moment Sun Wooju gathered ten million viewers with Like The Sun.

No one fights against a storm.

Like a typhoon slowly moving northward, Sound of the Sun cast a massive shadow over the film industry.

It was the result of all the buildup accumulated like a giant energy attack.

At the beginning of the year, there had been a performance with the unbelievable concept that the past was sending a message to the future.

At the Pyeongchang Olympics, a son performed a tribute stage dedicated to his father during the opening ceremony.

Then there was the television documentary commemorating Sun Myeongju.

Sun Wooju's live performance that gathered ten million viewers.

And countless other events.

"I don't know how the movie itself will turn out. But I'm certain about one thing."

A filmmaker shared his prediction during a drinking gathering.

"Something truly huge is coming."

The other filmmakers silently agreed.

As the release date of the movie everyone in the industry and the entire nation was watching approached like a storm,

[Sound of the Sun Premiere]

The day of the Sound of the Sun premiere finally arrived.

"Huuuu..."

"Huuuuuu..."

"Huuuuuuuu..."

This was not a sound I was making.

"Hey."

I laughed awkwardly while looking at my underlings trembling beside me.

"I'm the one involved with the movie, so why are you guys more nervous than me?"

"But..."

Jiho spoke with a tense expression.

"Hyung's happiness is our happiness too."

"That's right."

"One person's unhappiness is everyone's unhappiness, and one person's happiness is everyone's happiness. That's why people say you shouldn't put all your apples in one basket."

The younger members' point was that because the movie succeeding would make me happy, today's reactions were important.

I smiled while looking at them through the dressing room mirror and ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) glanced around.

I saw people getting their makeup done just like me.

"......"

"......"

Lee Gyeonwoo and actress Yeo Eunseon, who played my mother, among others.

Everyone was silent.

Even director Deborah Kim, sitting on the sofa, kept adjusting her collar and swallowing nervously.

If even I, who was only responsible for the music, was this nervous, how much more anxious must the people who directly created and acted in the film be?

"Director."

"Yes?"

"If you're too nervous, would you like to look at Junghyun's jelly book?"

"Yes! I'd like that."

When Junghyun brought over his jelly book, everyone's eyes turned toward it.

Junghyun stood solemnly and raised his hand like a bishop.

"I shall open it."

"Jelly Jelly... Jebal..."

While Korean Americans began relying on superstition, Junghyun opened the book.

Everyone leaned forward.

The phrase written inside was:

[An extremely insignificant beginning.]

Junghyun turned the book upside down.

[But a magnificent ending.]

Everyone rubbed their chins.

"An insignificant beginning... a magnificent ending?"

"Insignificant? Isn't that not really something you can say about the current reservation numbers and such?"

"The ending is magnificent, so doesn't that mean it's good?"

It was an extremely ambiguous fortune.

The current domestic performance indicators were already showing records no other movie had achieved.

It was an unprecedented advance booking rate.

Yet because it said "insignificant beginning," everyone felt confused.

Junghyun closed the book and said,

"A fortune is just a fortune. Don't attach too much meaning to it."

"Then let's predict your fate, Junghyun."

"......"

Junghyun closed the book and pretended not to hear.

Ri Hyuk hummed thoughtfully.

"Even my intellect finds this difficult to interpret. An insignificant beginning means the ending will be magnificent."

"But if the ending is magnificent, doesn't that mean winning awards? Could this go to places like the Academy Awards?"

Everyone burst into laughter at the youngest member's words.

"Why? My dad said the same thing. When Grandpa first opened the chicken restaurant, he never imagined the company would become this big. You never know what will happen in life. Hyung, you never thought we'd go to the Grammys either."

"That's true."

I patted the youngest member's head, who was enthusiastically burning through his optimism and encouraging everyone around him.

Meanwhile, I spoke to the other actors and staff.

"I'll go greet everyone first."

"Sure. Wooju, see you in a bit."

"Yes."

Before all of us went out together for the stage greeting, I planned to go out ahead of time.

After adjusting my suit, I joined Seokhwan hyung standing in the hallway.

"Did everyone come?"

"It was so hard narrowing down the list. Everyone wanted to come."

I listened as he told me who had arrived.

Close friends of mine.

Senior actors from the company.

Various famous figures in the entertainment industry.

But there were other people I was paying attention to.

"Did they all come too?"

"Yeah. They're here."

I nodded and headed toward the theater.

Just like when I wore a suit, people stared at me in surprise whenever I walked down the hallway.

I wished they would look at me like that even when I wore casual clothes.

"Tsk."

"?"

"Nothing."

I playfully poked my head into the theater, and someone shouted.

"Ahhh!"

"Waaaaaaaaah!"

A roar so loud it felt like my ears would burst.

People stood up all at once.

I waved and greeted them.

"Hello~"

Then I slipped into the theater.

I greeted acquaintances sitting near the front row, including Kim Deoksun, and exchanged greetings with the people already seated inside.

"Was your trip here okay?"

"Yes."

"You all waited such a long time."

Sometimes, there are expressions people make.

They are so excited and overwhelmed that you can understand their feelings without them saying anything.

The people in front of me had those expressions.

"Wooju."

Among the people I greeted, a middle-aged man spoke.

"Compared to waiting twenty years, one year is nothing."

"That's true."

I answered with a smile.

The special guests attending today's premiere were my father's fan club members.

People who had continued being active members of a fan club that had received nothing new for twenty years.

I wanted these fans of Sun Myeongju to see the movie before anyone else.

That was why we had postponed the press screening, which had originally been planned earlier.

"Thank you so much for coming. No, thank you even more for becoming my father's fans."

"Don't mention it. We're the ones who are grateful."

"That's right. We're the truly blessed ones. Mozart fans don't suddenly receive video letters or new compositions, do they?"

Well... new sheet music has occasionally been discovered...

But I was not Ri Hyuk, so I simply smiled and agreed.

While I shook hands and thanked each member of Sun Myeongju's fan club, who were filled with excitement and happiness,

[Now, we will begin the stage greeting with the actors and director.]

Under the MC's guidance, we held a short pre-event.

After briefly greeting the audience and asking for their support, we all sat down with nervous expressions.

"Huuuu..."

I took a deep breath and grabbed the hand of the person sitting beside me.

A wrinkled but warm hand.

However, Grandma's eyes were focused more on the pamphlet than me.

I leaned closer.

"What are you looking at?"

"Nothing... just this and that."

She avoided answering, but her gaze stayed fixed on one place.

The poster of actress Yeo Eunseon, who played my mother.

"Does she look like her?"

"Not her face exactly... it's just... something about her... I don't know..."

The bright, sun-like atmosphere in the poster seemed to remind Grandma of my mother.

That was probably why she kept secretly glancing at Yeo Eunseon's face nearby.

I understood why Grandma was like that.

I had also flinched when Lee Gyeonwoo appeared wearing my father's costume.

"Talk to her after it ends."

"Oh, no."

Grandma waved her hands, embarrassed, and I laughed before turning my gaze away.

The lights slowly began to dim.

"Wooooooah—!"

The cheers of my father's fan club could be heard.

The joy that the movie had finally arrived.

As everyone cheered in that excitement, the actors and I smiled quietly.

As the lights continued to dim, the screen narrowed.

I handed the nervous Grandma a small bag of popcorn.

"Want some popcorn?"

"Yeah."

While the sound of her chewing popcorn could be heard, the production company logo appeared.

Gulp—

Just as everyone swallowed and focused,

a sharp crack came from beside me.

It was the sound of a popcorn kernel breaking between teeth.

"......?"

Kim Deoksun froze in place, tilted her head, then spat something into her hand.

"Hey."

"Hm?"

"Your grandma broke her tooth."

"......"

Who on earth did Grandma take after?