Chapter 111
Chapter 111: Movie Director
Yoo Ji-han and his party members lightly wiped their bodies with tissues and wet wipes.
However, the waste expelled outside remained stuck all over their bodies and clothes.
To completely clean up, a bath and laundry were the only answers.
‘From now on, I’ll have to take potions in the bathroom.’
No matter how much he brushed off the black residue on his clothes, it wouldn’t come off.
Yoo Ji-han thought he needed to be more careful when taking potions from now on.
“Let’s wrap this up and head out.”
Kim Si-hoo rapidly typed on his laptop, quickly scrolling past sections that were not immediately important in the guild status report.
And just as he was about to close the laptop—
“Si-hoo. And Ji-han.”
“Yes?”
Min Yu-ri called out to the two members of the party.
She had a slightly tense expression.
“I have a favor to ask of you two.”
“Just say the word.”
“The potion we just took… could I take a little bit of my share with me?”
Min Yu-ri wanted to take her potion outside.
Yoo Ji-han glanced at the glass vial containing the potion.
Potions were not individual assets but rather the guild’s overall property.
It was against the principle to take something that guild members consumed outside without eating it.
There was always a chance it could be sold to others or misused in some way.
“Where are you planning to use it?”
“For my younger brother. I thought it might help even a little…”
Min Yu-ri intended to take the potion to feed her younger brother, who had collapsed due to Magic Discoloration Syndrome.
And the moment Yoo Ji-han heard her request, he somewhat grasped her intentions.
She didn’t seem like someone who was especially desperate for money.
“Is that not possible?”
Min Yu-ri licked her dry lips.
Yoo Ji-han and Kim Si-hoo exchanged glances for a moment.
Then they both chuckled softly.
They realized they were thinking the same thing.
“That’s not too difficult of a request.”
“Really?!”
“Yes. If needed, I can part with my share too.”
“Me too!”
“T-that’s a bit too much pressure…”
As Yoo Ji-han and Kim Si-hoo offered to willingly give up their portions, Min Yu-ri shook her head and waved her hands.
However, their sincere intention to help her was genuine.
“But I can’t give it to you right away. It’s not that the potion is precious, but its safety hasn’t been verified. I’ll have to consult with the supervising doctor as well.”
“Ah…”
Research on the consumption of potions by ordinary people, not heroes with magical power, was still ongoing somewhere.
But the harsh reality was that clear effects or side effects had not been properly verified.
‘That was a shortsighted thought.’
If taking the potion resulted in physical harm, it would be worse than not taking it at all.
Min Yu-ri blamed herself for wanting to act too hastily.
When it came to anything related to her younger brother, she tended to lose her composure.
“I’ll discuss this separately with Kazimir. Whether or not we can feed the patient a potion.”
“Oh, thank you so much.”
Min Yu-ri bowed her head.
She genuinely felt grateful towards the two of them.
“Shall we clean up now?”
After a short time, everyone began to prepare to leave.
Hmm—
Just then, Yoo Ji-han’s mobile phone vibrated.
It was a message from someone.
[Hello. Is this Yoo Ji-han’s number?]
It was a message from an unfamiliar number.
Yoo Ji-han replied, asking who it was.
[I’m Ha Seong-tae, a director producing hero movies. I recently stumbled upon a video of your party from Seok-woo at Hero Academy, and I’m reaching out to see if you have any interest in filming a hero movie…]
*
The weekend had come after a weekday ended.
Yoo Ji-han was walking somewhere with Kim Si-hoo.
“I think it’s this way.”
They arrived at the front of a small apartment complex.
Following the exact address on the phone led them to their destination.
[HST Studio]
A small sign hanging in front of an ordinary apartment door.
It seemed they had found the place they were looking for.
Ding-dong—
As he rang the bell, footsteps raced toward the door from inside.
“Is this Yoo Ji-han?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, hello!”
Opening the door to HST Studio was a man in his mid-thirties, wearing glasses and sweeping his long bangs back with a headband.
It was Ha Seong-tae, who had sent Yoo Ji-han the message a little while ago.
Yoo Ji-han and Kim Si-hoo followed him inside.
‘Wow…’
Scattered snack wrappers and plastic trash littered the floor.
Most of the delivery restaurant logos were printed on the plastic surfaces.
With the messy, bachelor pad-like appearance, Kim Si-hoo remarked in amazement.
“This is the office?”
“I use my home as the office.”
Ha Seong-tae casually kicked aside some trash on the floor as he moved into the living room.
Yoo Ji-han and Kim Si-hoo sat on the relatively intact sofa.
“Thank you for inviting us, even though you must be busy.”
“Oh no! Thank you for visiting my office today!”
The reason for visiting HST Studio today.
Ha Seong-tae had shown interest in Yoo Ji-han’s party because he was producing videos about hero activities.
Hero movies. These are videos highlighting real heroes rather than fictional characters that had been trending.
It was one of the content types that had recently become quite popular.
Even though movies were usually just about thirty minutes long at most.
Unlike heroes broadcasting live footage, the hero movie industry sought completed films.
Kim Si-hoo held up his phone’s screen towards Ha Seong-tae and said,
“I heard you made this.”
“Yes, that’s indeed my video.”
The screen displayed one of the videos uploaded on a platform where ordinary people could share videos, ViewTube.
Ha Seong-tae ran a channel there called HST Studio, where he had garnered 200,000 subscribers just from film trailers for hero movies.
In addition to that, he was also a film director who had shot and produced several short films himself.
“Jin Seok-woo said he showed you our video…”
“I apologize for viewing the video without permission.”
“No, I wouldn’t say it’s something to apologize for.”
Yoo Ji-han shook his head.
Since they were receiving support while operating from Hero Academy, they had to consider that their activities might spread to the media or the public.
“More than that, I’d like to discuss the proposal you made, Seong-tae.”
“Yes!”
Ha Seong-tae’s proposal for Yoo Ji-han’s party was to produce a hero movie based on their exploits.
——You want to shoot a movie?
Upon receiving the proposal, Yoo Ji-han was slightly flustered at first.
He couldn’t understand why someone like Ha Seong-tae would show interest.
“Could you tell us why you chose us?”
“You mentioned that the video you filmed before at the department store was shot for training purposes, right?”
“Yes.”
“Considering it wasn’t under proper filming conditions, the visual quality was still very good. That’s where I saw your potential!”
Ha Seong-tae spoke with an incredibly excited tone.
Initially, Jin Seok-woo had shared a video that was about five minutes long with him.
Taking a short break while busy, he discovered that short video and found potential in Yoo Ji-han’s party.
‘This will work!’
A performance likely to appeal to the public, unfamiliar with heroes.
The presence of a large pet who could become the party mascot.
In considering aspects like their looks and various requirements, Ha Seong-tae concluded that Yoo Ji-han’s party was sufficient to be movie protagonists.
“I’ve heard that until now, you’ve only made videos of parties ranked 3 or higher.”
“That just happened, but I don’t particularly care about the rank.”
“Hmm…”
“If you trust me just this once, I can make a good film!”
Ha Seong-tae declared confidently, clenching his fist.
Meanwhile, Kim Si-hoo crossed his arms and wore a troubled expression.
“To be honest, I feel a bit pressured.”
“I completely understand your feelings. But if the movie becomes a hit, the fame you gain would greatly benefit your activities.”
There were several parties in the hero community that became famous through hero movies.
Some nameless parties rapidly grew in popularity due to immense public interest.
The fame gained from the movies significantly aided their real-world endeavors.
“Well, there are also opposite cases, aren’t there?”
However, it was rumored that those heroes had their actual skills inflated beyond reality.
This was because movies were altered for more impressive scenes.
For instance, sound effects were inserted when a warrior swung a sword, or flashy CG was used to make magic appear more powerful.
It was for the sake of having a better-looking video.
‘The series <Rank 3 Party is Too Strong> faced a lot of criticism because of CG.’
From a movie standpoint, those adjustments might be considered normal.
However, since hero movies feature individuals who are actual heroes in reality, controversies regarding the skills of the cast were not uncommon.
“That’s when the cast members really lack ability. I believe you all are different.”
“Uh… well, that may be true.”
“I will create a film that captures the real rawness, without exaggeration.”
On the other hand, the type of hero film Ha Seong-tae pursued was somewhat different.
His goal was to highlight the heroes’ hard work, emphasizing realism over grandeur.
He wasn’t the type of director who made films solely for popularity.
Rather, success followed the results he produced.
As Yoo Ji-han was skimming through Ha Seong-tae’s ViewTube channel, he said to him,
“If we’re going to make a movie, wouldn’t it be better for a party ranked 3 or 2 instead of us?”
“People always love stories about someone’s growth. If there’s a story about a party that was ranked 4 going to rank 3 and then overcoming adversity to reach rank 2… well, I think everyone would want to see that.”
Ha Seong-tae’s fluent response made Yoo Ji-han scratch his head.
For some reason, he felt a sense of assurance in the idea of Yoo Ji-han’s party moving up to rank 2.
“Join me in making just one film! I’ll make a genuine film worth watching, putting my name on the line!”
The eyes of director Ha Seong-tae burned with passion.
Like the gaze of a protagonist from a shounen manga.
‘This guy is serious.’
Eventually, Yoo Ji-han and Kim Si-hoo continued discussions to the point of even connecting via phone with Min Yu-ri, who couldn’t join them.
“How will the movie be screened?”
“Short trailers of about 1 to 3 minutes will be uploaded on the ViewTube channel, and the actual movie will be available for people to pay and watch.”
After hearing the terms of the contract from Ha Seong-tae, the profit-sharing arrangement from the movie didn’t seem too bad.
And…
“Thank you for your consideration.”
“Yes!”
Yoo Ji-han’s party ultimately signed the film shooting contract.
In an unexpectedly surreal moment, they were becoming movie actors.
*
In a street where not a single tourist could be seen, the foot traffic was scarce.
On the third floor of an old villa located there.
A conversation was happening between some men in an office.
“Hey, you useless punk.”
Whack!
A man in a black suit slapped the cheek of his subordinate, who was obediently bowing his hands in front of him.
The subordinate staggered momentarily from the shock but quickly readjusted his posture and kept his head lowered.
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry? Does saying sorry solve the problem?”
Whack!
Blood trickled from the subordinates split cheek.
Nonetheless, he could not lift his head.
The other subordinates nearby had kept their heads bowed the entire time.
“Ugh! I’m not calmed down.”
“I’m sorry!”
“You guys over there are the same! Because of you, deals are falling through, and clients are disappearing… The situation has become really messed up. Do you know what they’re saying to me from above?”
The man scolded the subordinates, peppering his speech with profanity.
They were all members of a criminal organization known as Poison Butterfly.
Poison Butterfly was one of the underground organizations operating in the shadows, and the men gathered here belonged to a team that mainly dealt with human trafficking.
“How long has it been since we were told to find that guy who obstructed us?”
“……”
“How much longer do I have to wait?”
Since Yoo Ji-han rescued Lixis Orya, who was from a different race, trades coming into Poison Butterfly had completely dried up.
Several members of the organization were thrown into prison, and with increased police scrutiny recently, sourcing goods had become even more challenging.
The upper echelons of the organization had commanded them to find the culprit who disrupted this whole affair.
But they hadn’t received any solid information about it yet.
“Boss!”
Just then, the tightly shut door swung open, and another subordinate stepped inside.
The man, referred to as Boss, glared at the intruder.
“I told you not to come in for at least an hour!”
“I finally found it!”
“What is it?”
“The guy who obstructed us back then!”
“……!”
Everyone turned their heads towards the door.
“You found him?”
“Yes! I managed to charm a police officer…”
“Shut it. Who is that guy?”
“Here it is!”
The subordinate presented a white piece of paper forward.
The man in the suit took the paper and read it.
“…Yoo Ji-han?”
The paper contained brief information regarding Yoo Ji-han from the Sweet Fun Guild.
Since it was given by a police officer who had been bribed, it was reliable information.
“Yeah, it’s this punk.”
After meticulously reading all the details, the man clenched his fist and crumpled the paper up.
He swore that he would never let this guy go.
