I Want to Be a VTuber-Chapter 284: The King’s Dark Souls (2)

Hwang Minhwa was in a foul mood.

The awards ceremony was approaching, and the buzz surrounding a recently released film was unreasonably positive.

"This is ridiculous!"

When she first heard news about Director Baek Min’s movie, Hwang Minhwa had scoffed outright.

"A gay movie? Are they asking to fail?"

On top of that, the setting was during the Japanese occupation.

What kind of outdated nationalist marketing was this?

And worst of all—

"Lee Jiyeon is the lead actress?"

Wearing sunglasses, a mask, and draped in luxury brands from her bag to her clothes, she had no choice but to show up at GMV on the first day of the movie’s release.

"She doesn't have the acting chops to pull off a lead role. Has Director Baek Min lost his mind?"

That’s what she initially thought, but the critical acclaim coming out of the preview screenings was anything but ordinary.

More than anything, what caught her attention was Kang Yuseok—the film critic who had harshly reviewed Utopia, the movie she had starred in earlier this year.

"It's fine to aim for commercial success. Trusting in the cast's star power is also fine. But that alone isn't enough."

Kang Yuseok’s influence was undeniable. His critique had clearly impacted Utopia’s performance.

Otherwise, there was no way Utopia would have stagnated at a mere six million admissions.

Before its final push, it had barely scraped past five million. If it hadn’t been artificially propped up at the very last moment, it wouldn’t have even reached six.

Most people still remembered it as a five-million-ticket movie.

"...At least he praised the acting separately, so I’ll let that slide."

Hwang Minhwa cleared her throat and adjusted her sunglasses.

In any case, Kang Yuseok was notorious for his scathing reviews—not just of Utopia, but of most films.

Yet that very same Kang Yuseok had given Kyungsung Lady a glowing review.

"A magnificent film where the sincerity of its three leading actresses shines through."

Just reading that one sentence had kept Hwang Minhwa up at night.

If Kyungsung Lady continued its momentum, it could spell disaster for Utopia, which was barely holding onto second place in box office rankings this year.

Worse still, it might even affect the awards ceremony.

And then there was Ju Seoyeon.

Hwang Minhwa had not forgotten The Chaser, the cinematic force of nature that had struck earlier this year.

She already knew Lee Jiyeon was a close friend of Seoyeon’s.

Back when she was still at Nova Entertainment, she had heard about her constantly.

Seoyeon had even visited Nova Entertainment a few times, and though they hadn’t formally met back then, Hwang Minhwa had seen her from a distance.

Their first real encounter had only happened after she signed her new contract.

"How annoying."

The very thought of losing at the Seoul Escape audition still made her want to stomp her feet in frustration.

Her mother had scolded her, telling her to act her age instead of throwing a tantrum, but still—

"Anyway."

That was how she ended up at Yongsan’s largest movie theater, sitting in what was considered the best seat in the house.

And then—

A strangely familiar face took the seat next to her.

"Ah."

"Ah."

That same infuriating air she had encountered recently.

A girl with an oddly chilly aura and a refined, aristocratic beauty.

She was staring at Hwang Minhwa intently.

Her expression seemed to say, "Aren’t you going to greet me?"

Hwang Minhwa had no choice but to greet her first.

Seniority mattered.

Her debut year, her number of box-office hits—this girl outranked her in every way.

Tsk.

Internally clicking her tongue, Hwang Minhwa forced herself to speak first.

"...Hello."

"Yes. I didn’t expect to see you here."

Neither did I.

The girl who had so elegantly taken the seat beside her was Jo Sehee.

Hwang Minhwa’s gaze flickered to the luxury handbag Jo Sehee was carrying.

"Isn’t that an Hermès limited edition?"

Was a high schooler really walking around with something like that?

The thought crossed her mind, but she made sure not to show it.

She had her pride, after all.

Instead, she subtly angled her own luxury bag so that it was less visible.

No need to look like she had lost.

"Enjoy the movie."

"Yes, I’m looking forward to it. You’re starring in this one, right?"

"Yes."

"..."

A strange silence followed.

Hwang Minhwa stole a glance at Jo Sehee, but the girl simply met her gaze with a composed, unreadable expression.

With Ju Seoyeon and Lee Jiyeon, Jo Sehee acted far softer, almost docile.

But that was only when she was with them.

This was a different Jo Sehee.

The kind that walked around with a few underlings trailing behind her.

Sharp eyes, and a beauty mark beneath her right eye—

A textbook villainous noblewoman’s face.

Hwang Minhwa prided herself on holding her own in a stare-down, but Jo Sehee was not someone to take lightly.

Normally, she would have maintained her public image by exchanging pleasantries.

But not today.

Today, she was too on edge.

And so, in the middle of the silent power struggle taking place in the theater—

"Sunwoo, I’m off to work, okay?"

Kyungsung Lady began.

And after a relentless whirlwind of events—

"Damn it, this is actually good!" novelbuddy.cσ๓

By the time the movie ended, Hwang Minhwa found herself wiping away tears without realizing it.

She had bawled her eyes out throughout the film.

Even snot was running—how humiliating.

The worst part was that the movie had hit all her weak spots.

She could hardly believe that the same Lee Jiyeon who used to give such bland performances had pulled this off.

And Lee Sangsoo?

Stella?

This is practically cheating!

Most ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ importantly—Ju Seoyeon?

She had no choice but to separate Seoyeon from Yuina.

Because Yuina was now her favorite character in the entire movie.

My poor Yuina...

"...Want one?"

"Sure. ...Sniff!"

I didn’t mean for you to blow your nose in it...

Jo Sehee silently lamented the loss of a rather expensive handkerchief.

Still, separate from that—

She was deeply satisfied with Hwang Minhwa’s reaction.

"Minhwa has a sharp eye for commercial films."

If even someone of her caliber reacted this strongly, there was no need to worry about the general audience.

And sure enough—

"Kyungsung Lady opens with 172,000 admissions on day one!! A box office smash!! The ladies charge forward without hesitation!!"

Kyungsung Lady had turned into an unexpected phenomenon.

****

"Do you know which actor stood out the most in Kyungsung Lady?"

"I have no idea. There were too many."

"Come on, work with me here. Obviously, we’re talking about the lead actress."

The film dominating entertainment gossip shows.

A week had passed since its release.

You could practically see the audience count rising by the day.

With its lightning-fast sprint past the one-million mark, Kyungsung Lady was now the hottest topic not only on television but across every social media platform. Broadcasters, YouTubers—everyone was talking about it.

"Si-yoon, have you seen Kyungsung Lady yet?"

"Of course, I have! Honestly, I went in with mixed expectations."

There wasn’t a single film-focused YouTuber who could not cover Kyungsung Lady.

Sometimes, timing was everything.

As luck would have it, the big blockbuster releases had been delayed.

There were no major films to discuss.

And then, like a meteor striking at the perfect moment, Kyungsung Lady had arrived.

Not only that—it had become an inescapable phenomenon.

"I went in completely blind—I didn’t even know Lee Sangsoo was in it."

"Same here."

— What, have you been living in the mountains without internet for a year?

"Hey, it’s possible not to know!"

— But damn, Lee Sangsoo’s acting was insane.

— Honestly felt bad for him getting his ass kicked by Ju Seoyeon, but man, that was satisfying lol.

— It was a fair fight, though, wasn’t it?

Si-yoon, the YouTuber, recalled the scene.

Lee Sangsoo, emerging from the darkness, drawing his blade—

The image of Goto Isamu was still burned into her mind.

"Every performance left an impression, but that scene hit me the hardest."

A few others who had seen the film voiced their agreement.

Yeon Seonye’s raw, explosive emotions.

Stella’s poised and commanding presence in the auction house.

But in the end, it was Lee Sangsoo’s villainous performance that lingered in everyone’s mind.

Those eyes gleaming with madness.

"Yuina, this was for us. I wasn’t the one who betrayed you first—you were."

As Yuina watched Michiko and Yeon Seonye, a storm of emotions swirled within her.

There was no way she could turn back now.

The memories of their past together.

The jealousy she had felt.

And Michiko—the only person who had ever truly embraced her.

"Have you forgotten, Yuina? Michiko always took for granted the very things you longed for. No—she even looked down on them. Meaningless. Worthless. Just like your father, Rihito’s inheritance. Just like everything she stole from us—things that meant nothing to her."

You knew that too.

"Then why—why are you backing out now? Why?! Why are you betraying me?! This should have been ours!!"

As Goto Isamu’s hands tightened around her throat, Yuina glared up at him with crimson eyes.

Her lips trembled.

She wanted to speak.

But no words came out.

"...I just found something more meaningful."

Yuina barely managed to choke out the words.

Goto Isamu’s eyes widened.

"You."

That moment—seeing how Yuina had changed—

The shift in his expression.

Every detail of that sequence had left the audience holding their breath.

"And when Michiko and Yeon Seonye showed up to save her? I teared up a little."

"Seriously! And the action was way more intense than I expected."

"Right? It wasn’t flashy, but it felt real—like an actual fight to the death."

"Honestly, I liked the auction house fight better, though."

As the conversation unfolded, it became clear—everyone had their own favorite scene.

There were just too many standout moments.

Of course, most people picked Yeon Seonye’s emotional climax as the highlight.

But there were several scenes that could be called iconic.

And then—

[Thread: If you’ve seen Kyungsung Lady, come in here.]

Yuina <<<< How far does she go???

Replies:

— Ju Seoyeon’s on another level, but she’d probably have a solid fight against Cha Seoa.

— We still don’t know about Mine’s protagonist, but Yuina’s definitely high-tier. A tiger would be dead meat.

— Fun fact: The chair Yuina was sitting on at the start? Covered in tiger skin.

— Don’t underestimate Cha Seoa??

— Yuina, who killed a polar bear = Ju Seoyeon, who beat up a bear. They’re basically equal.

— Is that how that works?

— If you watch the auction house fight, Cha Seoa would’ve lost without the axe lol.

— And what about Goto Isamu??? Dude was a beast.

— Yuina got mentally destroyed—that’s why she lost.

— Yeah, by the end, she got wrecked.

Even in Seoyeon’s fan community, discussions like this were everywhere.

But it wasn’t just the usual VS matchups.

People were also talking about her acting.

— It’s nothing like her unrequited love performance in Dream Future.

— Right? This time, it really hit deep—there was something truly heartbreaking about it.

— She was already amazing, but Ju Seoyeon’s acting is unreal. Is she really only seventeen?

— You can just feel it when you watch her.

Yuina’s emotional journey.

The aching, wistful longing toward Yeon Seonye.

People were watching, spellbound.

— Wait, doesn’t Ju Seoyeon go to the same school as Yeon Seonye’s actress?

— They’re actually childhood friends.

— Imagine being Jo Sehee and watching your childhood friend do that on screen...

— RIP Jo Sehee.

— Is she even still alive? Or has she already been obliterated?

— If Ju Seoyeon sues you all, just accept it. You had it coming.

There was plenty of lighthearted nonsense floating around the internet, but that didn’t change the fact that Seoyeon’s portrayal of unrequited love had left a strong impression.

Especially for some people.

"You kind of remind me of a certain celebrity."

"......."

At her manager Aram’s comment, Yeohui found herself at a loss for words.

While they were leaving the theater, Aram had been giving her the strangest look.

"So this is what you were trying to show me when you asked me to meet you before?"

"......"

"Well, at least your lingering attachment ended up being useful."

"Hey."

"Still, the acting was really good. Honestly, I almost cried."

"I—"

"You don’t have to say anything. Your eyes are bloodshot; it’s obvious you cried your heart out."

"......."

One more person who resonated more with Yuina than the protagonist.

It seemed quite a few people had found themselves strangely empathizing with Yuina’s performance.

But—

— Wait, wasn’t this a simultaneous release in Japan?

— Someone go check the Japanese reactions.

— Lmao, as if any Japanese people are gonna watch a Korean movie just because it’s releasing there at the same time.

— For real, nationalist fanboys are so damn annoying.

— The movie barely scraped into the top ten charts over there. Nationalism in shambles, lol.

At first, Kyungsung Lady ranked low in Japan.

After all, it was an unfamiliar Korean film.

Japanese audiences were cautious, not knowing what to expect from an overseas movie.

— Bongsik, what’s going on? Did you lie to us?

— Didn’t you say this movie was going to be a huge hit in Japan? Lol.

— Dude, Bongsik always hypes up anything related to Ju Seoyeon. He’s just been lucky so far.

Bongsik, who had been meticulously preparing his Kyungsung Lady review video, nearly lost his temper at those comments.

Because unlike them, he had information.

“That’s because the most important thing hasn’t been revealed yet.”

And honestly, the fact that a Korean film had even broken into Japan’s top ten was already an achievement.

Normally, it wouldn’t even chart.

Besides, in Japan, the only widely recognized cast member was Stella.

And no one was going to watch an entire movie just for a cameo, no matter how popular the actress was.

"Just wait a little! Just a little! Why is your patience nonexistent?!"

— Lol, and waiting is gonna change anything?

— ?? Actually, yeah? Kyungsung Lady is trending #1 on Japanese Twitter right now.

— ?

— ?????

— ??? Out of nowhere???

The people who had been mocking Bongsik suddenly found themselves spamming question marks.

Twitter was practically Japan’s national social media platform.

Trending at #1 meant Kyungsung Lady had become the single hottest topic in the country.

"It’s real."

Bongsik hurriedly switched to the Japanese Twitter feed.

Just as they had said—

Kyungsung Lady was trending #1.

#2: Nettrix.

#3: Ju Seoyeon.

Further down—

#6: Yeon Seonye.

#7: Scary Old Man—which, upon closer inspection, referred to Goto Isamu’s character.

"Nettrix."

But what really caught Bongsik’s eye was the #2 trend.

If the information he had received from an industry contact was correct...

"Ladies and gentlemen."

— ?

— What’s happening now?

"I’m about to do a quick review."

— All of a sudden?

— Is this a movie review?

— We were just talking about Kyungsung Lady and now you’re changing the topic?

"What are you talking about? This is a Kyungsung Lady review."

With that, Bongsik pulled up Nettrix.

If the film had been released simultaneously in Korea and Japan—

Then naturally, this would have been released in both countries at the same time too.

"It’s a documentary. A documentary."

A Kyungsung Lady production documentary.

For film reviewers struggling to discuss currently screening movies, this was nothing short of a golden opportunity.