Chapter 155: Solo (2)
Translator: Dreamscribe
『[Drug Dealer] “No.1 in Advance Ticket Sales” Releasing Today (28th), Will It Rewrite the Box Office History for R-rated Films?』
『Overcoming the Limits of R-rated Crime Action, ‘Drug Dealer’ Excites with Its No.1 Advance Ticket Sales』
『[MovieTalk] ‘Drug Dealer’ Tops Advance Ticket Sales… A Refreshing Start for an R-rated Movie』
Despite being R-rated, the momentum of ‘Drug Dealer’, which topped advance ticket sales as soon as they opened, was extraordinary. This was evident from the larger-than-usual audience at the first morning shows across cinemas today.
[@__hhhos__]
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋ I went to see ‘Drug Dealer’ in the morning and was shocked by the huge crowd ㅋㅋㅋㅋNormally, in morning shows there are at most 10 people, but it seemed like more than 50 watched it with me ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
Perhaps that’s why?
As the morning and early afternoon arrived, beyond the ‘Drug Dealer’ matinee times, there was a significant increase in audience participation in reviews and ratings. Even netizens who hadn’t seen the movie yet joined in, making the change immediately noticeable.
[「Drug Dealer」/ Released on October 28, 2020]
[Rating 9.5]
[Viewer·Netizen Reviews/ 408 Participants]
-Movie in a nutshell: Kang Woojin/ 5****
-Well, I guess? It’s not boring, just kidding ㅋㅋㅋㅋ! It’s super fun, so everyone, go watch it! Oh, and make sure to bring your panties!/ g****
-It was boring, but I still gave it 5 points because of the actors’ performances/ 2****
-Fuck ㅋㅋㅋㅋ, Kang Woojin alone deserves 10 stars ㅋㅋㅋ/ p****
-Disgusting when they do drugs;;;;/ a****
-Kang Woojin truly stands as a treasure in the acting world. How can he give off a different vibe in every role??/ 7****
-It starts off fun, gets a bit boring, but then it’s worth watching from the mid to latter part/ d****
-Honestly, I went to see the movie because I’m a fan of Jin Jae-jun… But I was surprised by Kang Woojin… A newcomer with an immense acting spectrum/ c****
-Definitely fun, and the character Lee Sang-man played a crucial role as the Joker. It would have been bland without him/ 1****
-Kang Woojin’s entrance scene was dripping/ v****
-Went to see after watching ‘Male Friend’ but was shocked by the plot twist during Kang Woojin’s drug scene…/ b****
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However, ‘Drug Dealer’ was just the beginning. Even now, many were watching ‘Drug Dealer’ in cinemas or were on their way to see it. This included the general public and those close to Kang Woojin, among others. Especially notable were the members of Kang Woojin’s fan club.
“Make sure to capture the billboard clearly, Hyun-ah!”
“Okay! Ah, but it’s a pity that oppa’s face isn’t on the billboard.”
“It must be because of the cameo.”
Kang Hyun-ah, Kang Woojin’s sister and the president of his fan club ‘Kang’s Heart’, and her friends, who are also the club’s operators. Naturally, the members of the significantly grown ‘Kang’s Heart’ were the same. Kang Woojin’s fan cafe was already flooded with authentication posts and photos. Anyway, Kang Hyun-ah and her friends, who had started watching ‘Drug Dealer’, were purely amazed.
“Wow- Incredible. That’s our oppa??”
“He transformed again! I’d believe it if someone said he’s a different person with that acting······!”
“Wow, so cool. Why am I more drawn to Lee Sang-man than Han In-ho??!”
The character ‘Lee Sang-man’ exceeded expectations in quality. After the movie ended, they were enthusiastically discussing it.
“No way! I can only say wow! It’s Woojin oppa but also not! Right??”
“Yeah! And after seeing Han In-ho, Lee Sang-man’s character was vividly memorable!”
“Han In-ho was warm, but Lee Sang-man was utterly cold······I don’t know, just Woojin oppa totally devoured the role.”
“I was sad when Lee Sang-man died! I was internally screaming, ‘Bring him back to life!'”
This atmosphere was happening almost simultaneously across the nation. Of course, as time went on, especially as it neared quitting time, the number of viewers increased exponentially. Not just the viewers, but articles, related videos, SNS, reviews, and various comments as well.
『What Did Actual Audiences Think of ‘Drug Dealer’? “Jin Jae-jun’s Unquestionable Reputation, and Kang Woojin as the Joker”』
Word of mouth was spreading.
-ㅋㅋㅋ a gallery for ‘Drug Dealer’ was created as soon as it was released lol
-Haven’t seen it yet, but is ‘Drug Dealer’ worth watching??
-Super fun!! Watch it twice, no, three times
-Just came back from watching it, it was fun, ask me anything
-The movie was crap, why are you all exaggerating? Of course, I haven’t watched it yet
-It’s R-rated but still No.1 in advance ticket sales damn
An unusual wave was forming.
-ㅋㅋㅋ just came back from watching ‘Drug Dealer’, and the theater was full (photo attached)
It was becoming a tidal wave.
The next day, the 29th, early morning in Da Nang, Vietnam.
It was around 8 o’clock. While ‘Drug Dealer’ was causing a stir in Korea, one of its main actors, Kang Woojin, had just woken up. He was in a luxury hotel in Da Nang, with Choi Sung-gun visible in the elevator.
“······”
Kang Woojin, with his hat pressed down, was solemnly looking at the changing floor numbers. It was a mix of being in character and genuine feeling.
‘So tired, I should eat and rest more in the void space.’
The continuous marathon of filming ‘Island of the Missing’ was ongoing. It was even guerrilla-style. Being deployed in the morning, withdrawn, and then filming again in the late afternoon, waiting and then being deployed at night was frequent. It was rare for all actors to be in a scene together due to the tight filming schedule.
Moreover, Hong Hye-yeon, who had come to Da Nang with Woojin for a few days for the cameo appearance. She had only managed to film two scenes in total. But she couldn’t complain. Overseas location shooting was usually like this, and had to be shot much more tightly than domestic ones.
‘Well, it’s the staff who keep working while the actors wait, so whining about it would be a real asshole move.’
As Woojin muttered to himself, the actors were relatively better off. The staff, even at this moment, were working like crazy.
Soon.
-Ding!
The elevator opened on the first floor, and Kang Woojin and Choi Sung-gun stepped into the hotel’s lobby. Kang Woojin’s filming was scheduled for late lunch today, so they were moving towards the hotel’s restaurant for breakfast at this time.
Then.
“Kang Star??”
Choi Sung-gun, who had been quietly looking at his phone, suddenly called out to Kang Woojin with a broad smile on his face.
“‘Drug Dealer’ is getting great reactions, have you checked?”
Of course. Woojin had also checked the reactions as soon as he woke up, reading through dozens of articles. However, sticking to his poker face, Woojin denied it in a low voice.
“I haven’t searched it yet.”
Choi Sung-gun showed his phone to Woojin.
“It’s crazy, really crazy. I was a bit worried since it’s R-rated, but that was unnecessary. Oh, another call coming in. It’s buzzing non-stop.”
“Go ahead and take it, I’ll head to the restaurant first.”
“Okay, okay! Yes- This is Choi Sung-gun.”
Choi Sung-gun stopped to take the call. Well, his phone was always busy, but it had increased several times since ‘Drug Dealer’ was released.
Of course.
-Vvvrr.
Kang Woojin’s phone was no exception.
-Hong Hye-yeon: You’re up, right? Aren’t you coming to breakfast?
Knowing he was filming, instead of calls, he was getting flooded with texts and messages.
-Dae-young: Hey, let’s go out for breakfast or something
From the group chat with his close friends to Kang Hyun-ah’s messages and various contacts from several people. Regardless, Kang Woojin decided to reply to Hong Hye-yeon first among the recently arrived messages, telling her he was already at the restaurant and to come down.
A few minutes later.
Kang Woojin, who had filled a white plate with scrambled eggs, sausages, bread, and the like, took a seat at a table. The restaurant was spacious, as befitting a luxury hotel, and many people were enjoying their breakfast.
‘I never thought I’d come to such a hotel in my lifetime. Honestly, it’s quite a treat.’
Woojin, with a content smile to himself, was about to calmly pick up his fork when he heard a female voice from the front.
“Do you not need coffee?”
It was Hong Hye-yeon approaching. Her long hair was tied back, and her makeup was so light it looked almost natural. A loose T-shirt hung down to her thighs. What was funny was.
‘Huh?? What the?! Where are her pants??’
That was Woojin’s immediate reaction upon seeing her outfit. However, he quickly regained his composure when he realized that her short shorts were just hidden by the oversized T-shirt. This allowed Woojin to maintain his usual tone of voice.
“You should have coffee after eating.”
“Oh? I like to have it with my meal.”
Hong Hye-yeon, chuckling lightly, sat down across from Woojin and crossed her long legs, then leaned on her chin while locking eyes with him.
“First off, congratulations are in order, right?”
“For what?”
“’Drug Dealer’. Don’t you feel it? The reactions are already coming in.”
“Is that so?”
“Playing dumb, huh. You must be confident, right? There were quite a few issues even before ‘Drug Dealer’ was released – I think it will hit at least 3 million. What’s your estimate?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Over 3 million, then?”
No, I really don’t know. But isn’t 3 million impressive for an R-rated film? Woojin had already heard a few details from Choi Sung-gun. R-rated movies inherently have a limit on how many viewers they can attract. Hong Hye-yeon seemed to know this as well, shrugging her shoulders.
“Well, but surpassing 3 million is impressive. The record for an R-rated movie is 7 million, right? So, have the results been released yet?”
“I don’t think so yet.”
“Huh- Anyway, once I wrap up shooting here, I’ll have to go back to Korea and watch it right away.”
At that moment.
-Swish.
Someone placed a white plate beside Kang Woojin and Hong Hye-yeon. Hong Hye-yeon flinched, and Woojin was also a bit startled but tried to remain calm as he turned his head.
‘What, who is this person?’
There stood a peculiar man. He was wearing a linen short-sleeved shirt, shorts, slippers, and a safari hat, topped off with sunglasses. An odd sight indeed. A tourist? Or a local Vietnamese? The deep wrinkles on his face suggested he was quite old.
For now, Woojin.
-Rustle.
Stood up and shielded the front of Hong Hye-yeon with his arm. Hong Hye-yeon looked at Woojin with wide eyes, and Kang Woojin spoke to the man, not in Korean but in English, just in case.
“Who are you, sorry, but someone is sitting there. Please move.”
Woojin’s fluent English flowed, but the peculiar man didn’t respond.
“······”
It was hard to tell where he was looking due to the sunglasses, but it seemed like he was staring at Woojin. That’s when Woojin sensed it.
‘This guy is crazy.’
He got the impression that something about the man wasn’t normal. Soon, Woojin, with a colder gaze and tone than usual, spoke in English again.
“Please, leave if you’ve had enough, or I will call security.”
Only then.
“······Your English is very natural.”
The man spoke up, his voice old, in Korean. His gaze shifted from Kang Woojin to Hong Hye-yeon, who was sitting down.
“It’s been a while. You, do you age backward? You seem younger.”
At this, Hong Hye-yeon, who had been blinking in confusion, narrowed her eyes. It was a voice she had heard many times before. Then, the man slowly took off his sunglasses and safari hat, revealing short white hair and a wrinkled face. An aura of a veteran was unmistakably present.
What was peculiar.
“Ah- Ah!!”
-Thunk!
Was that Hong Hye-yeon suddenly stood up, with her eyes wide open as an added reaction. Meanwhile, the relaxed old man, while slowly placing his sunglasses and hat on the table, met Kang Woojin’s gaze leisurely.
“Sorry about that. I saw the two of you from outside and hurried over.”
“Nice to meet you, I am Director Ahn Ga-bok.”
Who??? Director Ahn Ga-bok? No, why is that old man. No, Director Ahn Ga-bok is right in front of me? As Woojin internally panicked, the wide-eyed Hong Hye-yeon voiced his feelings.
“Di, Director~nim?? Why are you here······”
Director Ahn Ga-bok, dressed in slippers, comfortably replied.
“Me? What else. I’m here for a vacation.”
Meanwhile, in Seoul, Korea.
The location was the large conference room of the film company responsible for producing ‘Drug Dealer’. Inside, a large U-shaped desk was placed, and a familiar woman was seen. It was Director Kim Do-hee, known for her frizzy hair. Of course, employees from the film company and distribution company were also present. Roughly a dozen people.
Among them, sitting in front of a white laptop.
“Sigh- I’ll check now.”
A male employee from the distribution company sighed deeply before typing on the laptop keyboard. It seemed he was searching for something.
Thanks to that.
“······”
Not only Director Kim Do-hee but also all twelve people’s gazes were fixed on the employee tapping away at the laptop. Soon, a website was opened on the laptop in front of the distribution company employee.
-[KOPIC Cinema Ticket Integrated Network]
The official website where domestic box office results could be checked. Meaning, the results of ‘Drug Dealer’, which had opened the day before, could be found here. More precisely, it was possible to assess the overall figures of the domestic movie industry.
Then.
-Swish.
With the employee’s click, the results were displayed on the laptop screen.
[October 28, 2020, Attendance Numbers]
[Daily Domestic Box Office]
1. Drug Dealer/ Release Date: October 28/ Audience: 250,949/ Screens: 1002 / Cumulative Audience: 250,949
2. Monster Priest/ Release Date: October 28/ Audience: 88,543/ Screens: 998 / Cumulative Audience: 88,543
3. Crazy Sunshine/ Release Date: October 1/ Audience: 41,221/ Screens: 1011 / Cumulative Audience: 3,313,950
4. The Suspect’s Nature/ Release Date: September 23/ Audience: 10,991/ Screens: 881 / Cumulative Audience: 2,001,453
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It was a solo monopoly of the R-rated ‘Drug Dealer’.
