When I Opened My Eyes I Was a Superstar

“Dude, what do you think?”

“Be honest.”

KK’s rehearsal hall. Do Wook was facing Jung Yoon Ki and Kim Won. There was sweat dripping down Jung Yoon Ki’s and Kim Won’s cheeks.

Suk Ji Hoon had left to record ‘Camping 48 Hours’, and Ahn Hyung Seo and Park Tae Hyung each had private lessons at this time, so Do Wook was the only one who could answer their question.

“Ah…”

“What’s wrong?”

Jung Yoon KI asked curtly when Do Wook briefly hesitated with his answer. He wasn’t getting upset with Do Wook. He was just very disappointed that Do Wook’s response was not positive.

“Nothing!”

Do Wook quickly denied.

Jung Yoon Ki and Kim Won had just performed their unit OKAY’s second album title song for Do Wook.

They had not recorded it yet so the two of them rapped live with the MR in the background.

Do Wook knew that the song was out because he had heard about it in passing. While Do Wook was gearing up for his solo activities, the two of them had received the song and were eagerly working on producing their album.

The producer was an external producer and was the top producer in the Korean hip hop world these days. Do Wook was no longer involved in the hip hop unit OKAY.

Jung Yoon Ki and Kim Won had built up a certain amount of experience, and had solidly established themselves in the music world enough for them to release an album in the way and direction they wanted. It was a process to develop themselves.

“No, not at all. It’s good. The lyrics are sad but fun at the same time because of the rhythm.”

“Really? You can’t just be telling us that to spare our feelings.”

“Bro, we haven’t recorded it yet so we can edit it.”

Do Wook smiled as he replied,

“I don’t say empty words. It really is good.”

Only then did Kim Won and Jung Yoon Ki relax a bit, and they looked at each other and gave a nod.

It was a song that you could clearly feel how much the two of them racked their brains and struggled over it in a short amount of time.

“I listened to it without knowing the lyrics, but I was able to understand it all. I think Won’s pronunciation in particular has really gotten better.”

The two people’s faces became brighter when Do Wook praised them in detail. Kim Won asked back excitedly,

“Is that so? I purposely didn’t use much English rap!”

“Yes, it improved a lot. However…”

“Huh?”

“Your voice when you rap in English is your strength, so I think you can add something at the end as if you’re chanting.”

“See! I said to put it in, but he took it out!”

Scratching the back of his head, Kim Won said, “I guess I should put it back in then,” and rummaged through his phone to find the lyrics.

They were currently doing a remake and the full-fledged recording started tomorrow, so it was totally possible to edit it.

“Also…”

“What is it? You’re also our entire group’s producer. Tell me honestly.”

Jung Yoon Ki urged. Do Wook gave his opinion after much consideration.

“I think the melody part is a little weak. What about lowering the volume of the bass when the melody comes out and increasing the melody line…? Although, it might be better to leave it as the Producer intended since it’s better for the overall song…”

It seemed like a difference in genre or value.

Do Wook believed you had to hook the audience during the chorus. The completeness of the entire song is important, but to Do Wook, who is the singer of a popular song, it was more important to get the song known.

Jung Yoon Ki and Kim Won, who had been listening quietly to Do Wook, nodded their heads.

“I think I’ll have to think about that part.”

“Ok. Going the direction you guys want is the best way.”

It was Do Wook who said that, but Jung Yoon Ki and Kim Won weren’t completely without greed either. It was thanks to Do Wook that they were able to release OKAY’s first album.

Without Do Wook’s support or influence, it would have been difficult to make a unit album with hip hop music like they wanted to do.

That was why they wanted this second album to be even better. That judgment would be done by the ranking on the music chart.

Thinking about it that way, what Do Wook said was probably right. They had to make the melody line stronger and get it stuck in the audience’s heads.

With that thought in mind, Jung Yoon Ki and Kim Won thanked Do Wook.

“No problem. The other members haven’t heard it yet, right?”

“Yeah. Not yet. We’ll have them listen to it when they get back later.”

“Ok.”

While the three of them were enjoyably having conversation in the rehearsal hall, Ahn Hyung Seo, who had returned from his private vocal lesson, entered the room.

As soon as he noticed Ahn Hyung Seo, Kim Won rushed towards Ahn Hyung Seo and asked him to judge OKAY’s new song. Before he could put down the backpack he was carrying, Ahn Hyung Seo stood idly and had no choice but to listen to Jung Yoon Ki and Kim Won’s rap.

***

Do Wook headed to the conference room after leaving the rehearsal hall. Since he was done with his solo album activities, it was time to discuss future activities with Manager Oh Baek Ho.

There was a rough schedule. He would do solo activities while OKAY was doing their activities, then around the time OKAY would be done with their activities, there were concert tours planned for Korea, Japan, and China.

For Do Wook’s solo activities, it would be activities as an actor.

After ‘Get Ready 1999’, offers were flooding in for Do Wook, but they were all rejected. Although there were less now compared to right after ‘Get Ready 1999’, there were several drama producers who had said to contact them anytime.

“There’s a huge pile of manuscripts in the office that came for you. I reviewed them with Assistant Manager Do and the staff and picked them out, but there’s still a lot.”

“Ah, by the way, Manager Oh. There’s an offer I received directly.”

“Directly to you? What kind of drama is it?”

“Well…it’s a movie, not a drama.”

“Movie? You got a movie offer?”

Manager Oh Baek Ho, who was drinking milk coffee he had gotten from the vending machine, asked with surprise. There were many discussions for dramas, but there was still no movie offer.

Of course, there were one or two offers, but they were mostly no-name people just trying to borrow Do Wook’s name and use shallow tricks to raise hype for their movie.

Manager Oh Baek Ho didn’t count those ones at all.

Even Do Wook, who was concretely recognized for his acting skills in the drama ‘Get Ready 1999’, seemed to be impeded for being an idol. The movie industry strangely had higher obstacles than the drama industry.

Manager Oh Baek Ho was one of the people who laughed at such a snobby attitude in the movie industry, but it was still good if Do Wook could expand his scope to the movie industry.

“Yes. It’s a movie my school senior is directing, and I received the screenplay.”

“People from that school are definitely successful in the movie industry.”

Manager Oh Baek Ho nodded his head. Having gone to KNUA would definitely continue to be helpful to Do Wook’s acting career.

“What’s the Director’s name?”

“Director Yoon Sung Ah…it’s her first project.”

“Ah…is that so?”

At the news that it was a rookie director, Manager Oh Baek Ho’s expression became stiff. He was worried that they might be trying to use school connections to cast Do Wook into a lackluster movie.

As if saying he understood the concerns, Do Wook held out the screenplay.

“Blue Whale…the title is so…”

“I read it and it’s good.”

“It’s good?”

“Yes. Very. It has depth.”

“I know very well that you have an eye for these things, but I’m not sure. Even if it’s a movie, you can’t just do any old movie. There’s a public network mini series lead role among the drama manuscripts Assistant Manager Do has chosen.”

Do Wook was also well aware of that fact.

“I received them, those manuscripts.”

“You already received them? There wasn’t any you liked?”

“If I’m being honest…no, there wasn’t.”

Do Wook knew the synopsis of the manuscripts he recently received from Assistant Manager Do Ra Hee for him to review. The manuscripts only had 1 or 2 episodes, but there were no dramas that caught his eye.

One reason was that Do Wook already had his heart set on < Working Title: Blue Whale >, but there honestly were no projects that would become very big hits.

That being the case, he was confident that it would be good to try doing a movie with Director Yoon Sung Ah.

Manager Oh Baek Ho frowned a little at Do Wook’s response.

“What’s the size like? This production company.”

“Actually, it’s originally an independent film…’

“What?”

In most cases, independent films could not even be screened in general theaters. It was indeed a choice you could only make when you were strictly thinking of ‘acting’ only.

Of course, Manager Oh Baek Ho also wanted to fully support Do Wook to do activities in the direction he wanted.

However, realistically you couldn’t ignore profitability. A company is a place that’s looking to make a profit; it was hard to tell whether the company would readily be on their side on a matter that had no benefit to the company.

‘Since it’s Do Wook, we could let him do at least one event the way he wants to, but…’

Manager Oh Baek Ho couldn’t make the company move the way he wanted it to.

Do Wook quickly appealed that < Working Title: Blue Whale > was not the kind of movie Manager Oh Baek Ho thought it was.

“They got an investor, so it’s not completely an Independent film. It’s still no commercial movie, but… I think they plan to screen it in movie theaters. Above all, I really want to do it, sir.”

Manager Oh Baek Ho had his mouth shut tight and was deep in thought.

Manager Oh Baek Ho was full of worry as he flipped through the pages of the screenplay placed in front of him.

“You…know that Seo Jun is doing a new drama right?”

Do Wook’s pupils quivered a little at Manager Oh Baek Ho’s question.

“Yes. I’m aware.”

“Dramas and art films can definitely be different in the public’s perception. You’ve…taken that into consideration, right?”

“Yes.”

Do Wook’s will was resolute. Manager Oh Baek Ho made up his mind to follow Do Wook’s decision as much as possible.

Of course Do Wook had his own concerns, but it was hard to say prematurely.

“How long will the shoot take?”

“2 weeks. 2 weeks is all I need, sir.”

“Ok. We’ll try bringing it up to the higher-ups. I’ll read the screenplay too.”

“Ok.”

***

Jung Hwan and Hyo Won are 18 years old.

The most unstable age in one’s life.

Without a single family member to take care of him and his father constantly traveling to different nearby construction sites trying to earn money, Jung Hwan is the leader of a violent circle.

Hyo Won, a neighborhood boy he’s been close friends with since middle school, has a quiet personality. His grades are bad and his personality doesn’t stand out, so Hyo Won doesn’t have much of a presence in the class.

The most notable thing in Hyo Won’s life is his leader-of-a-violent-circle friend, Jung Hwan.

Even though he knows Jung Kwan is using violence outside of school, Hyo Won can’t really stop him. It’s because he was also a shield for Hyo Won himself.

Hyo Won is actually jealous of Jung Kwan deep down. he’s jealous of him for being number one in a male world, where strength is power.

Jung Hwan also has a subtle inferiority complex about Hyo Won. It’s an inferiority complex over having a normal life with a family.

The friendship between the two, which is considered strong, begins to crack due to underlying emotions. A friendship is very hard to fix once there’s a crack.

In the end, Jung Hwan starts to use violence against Hyo Won too.

“That’s it for the < Blue Whale > general plot. You’ve all read the screenplay so you already know, right?”

At Director Yoon Sung Ah’s words, Do Wook and his counterpart male actor, who were both gathered for the meeting, nodded their heads.

Do Wook’s counterpart was 5 years older than him and had already done 3 independent films.

“Then, let’s try the first scene for now. Starting with Jung Hwan’s line.”

The leader of a violent circle, Jung Hwan had a rough personality to boot. He was cussing from the first line.

Ahem ahem, after clearing his throat, Do Wook started to speak.

“What are you staring at, you bastard?”

—

Next chapter: The < Blue Whale > project begins