[Top Floor – PK Entertainment & Co.]
A final conversation was taking place between the two most important figures of the company before the movie's premiere.
"Director, is everything ready?" asked the middle-aged man seated in a lavish king-sized office chair behind his grand desk. Across from him sat Director Kim Seon.
"Chairman, all preparations are complete. PK Entertainment will secure a major success with this film."
Hearing this, Chairman Shin Yeong of PK Entertainment Industry let out a soft, satisfied laugh.
"I suppose it will justify the budget," he said calmly. "By the way, Director Kim Seon… what about the other side?"
"You mean… them?" Director Kim paused, his expression tightening slightly.
"Yes. Have they made any recent moves?"
"I believe you would know better than I do."
"Well… that's true."
"Is it going to affect the movie in any way?"
"Nothing is certain," the chairman replied, fingers lightly tapping the desk. "But according to our intel, something big is about to happen."
Director Kim straightened. "Your intel has never been wrong. Then… what should we do?"
"Relax. I've already delivered the information to where it needed to go."
"You mean the police—"
"No," the chairman interrupted sharply. "Not them."
A brief silence filled the office.
"Sir, if something goes wrong on opening day, it will be dangerous. The company's reputation would take a severe blow."
"Don't worry. Just focus on your responsibilities. He—or they—will take care of everything."
"He… them again," Director Kim said, forcing a stiff expression. "You're not going to tell me anything, are you?"
The chairman remained silent, which was answer enough.
"Soon, a legendary movie will premiere," Shin Yeong said slowly. "But beneath it, an even greater film will unfold."
Director Kim listened carefully.
"The movie on the surface… and the game beneath the tiles. A striking contrast. Different stories, different actors, different producers. Yet…"He paused."The main character is the same."
"Chairman, I understand the first part," Director Kim said cautiously. "But how can the main character be the same?"
Shin Yeong waved a hand dismissively. "Just a passing thought. Don't take it too seriously. Go and prepare everything. The film begins at Cineplex in two hours."
"Yes, sir."
Director Kim stood, bowed respectfully, and left the office.
Only Chairman Shin Yeong remained.
After a moment, he pressed the silver bell on his desk. Within seconds, his secretary entered.
"Master Seon, your orders."
The man appeared to be in his late thirties—calm, capable. Unlike the director, he did not bow, a silent indication of his higher standing and deeper trust within the organization.
"What is Adrian doing?" the chairman asked quietly. "What is he up to now?"
"Sir, I don't know the exact details. But he said he would execute the plan alone."
"No reinforcements?" Shin Yeong's eyes narrowed. "He said that himself?"
"Yes, sir."
The chairman leaned back slowly.
"Very well. Keep my men on standby. And keep a close watch on those Beak Corporation bastards."
"Yes, sir."
As the secretary left, Shin Yeong murmured to himself,
"Adrian… let's see what you're planning to do."
A low, quiet laugh escaped him.
"Ha… ha ha…"
...
[2078, Seol – Cineplex]
Inside the grand hall of the major Cineplex theater, people bustled around, brushing past one another. More and more customers kept arriving, and a long line had already formed at the ticket counter. Everyone was waiting for their favorite movies to begin.
"Hey, give me some space! I was here first," a teenage boy muttered.
"Pipe down, kid. Just stay quiet," a tall, bulky man replied irritably from beside him.
In another corner—
"Who said this seat is yours? Look, my number is 349."
The boy glanced at his ticket in surprise.
"Oh—sorry. Mine is 249."The boy scratched the back of his head and quickly walked away.
In the sweetbox area, a beautiful girl ordered her boyfriend,"James, go grab some popcorn from the stall. Quickly."
"Yes, coming, my darling."Hearing her gentle voice, he hurried toward the popcorn counter.
In front of them, a group of young boys and girls were seated—some chatting, some standing, others on their phones. The cinema hall was alive with noise and excitement.
"Today will be Adrian's third film — The Night of Blue Moon (푸른 달이 뜨는 밤)."
Meanwhile, his friend was already relaxing in the Tempur reclining seats.
"The seats at Cineplex are always amazing. That's why I wanted to come here at least once."
"…"
The person waiting for a response let out a soft sigh.
"Hey, idiot. We're here to watch a movie, not for you to fall asleep."
The other person jolted upright in surprise.
In the private lounge area, many guests had already gathered.
"How's it going, Mrs. Selena?"
"Well, Arthur, nice to see you."
"It's my pleasure to meet the most beautiful moon tonight."
Selena laughed for a second, but her expression quickly changed.
"This isn't the time to joke around. Did Adrian come with you?"
"Well… not exactly."
"He didn't come with you?" A surprised, somewhat disappointed look appeared on her face.
"He said he had some work to finish. He'll be here soon—that's what he told me. I came early to check on the preparations," Arthur answered mechanically.
Hearing this, her mood lifted slightly, and she fell silent. But then Arthur added casually,
"Well, stars often arrive late. Maybe he's trying to maintain that 'legendary' image."
"Who knows? Maybe," Selena replied, though her smile didn't quite return.
"When will the movie start? It's already five minutes past the scheduled time."
"The movie will begin shortly," Arthur replied bluntly. "Since audience numbers increased both here and on online platforms, we decided to delay it for a while."
"Oh. Then let's just wait," Selena said softly, secretly wishing she had arrived with someone else.