Chapter 46

Chapter 46

“It depends on the movie, but today all three movies have received good reviews, so I guess that's why there are more people.”

I enthusiastically added more explanations for Gil Boyoung, who was watching a late-night movie for the first time.

“Hey, Min Gibaek.

Are you a science major or something?

Boyoung isn't asking why there are so many people because she's curious about the reason.

She's just amazed and excited by the situation itself.

Don't you understand empathy?”

What the hell...

Even though I don't want to empathize according to my MBTI, I'm an INFJ who naturally ends up empathizing.

And he's calling me a science major?

Just then, perhaps because of his voice, a couple seemed to recognize Moon Hyunbin despite his face being covered by a hat and mask.

They began sneaking glances at him.

“Hey, isn't that the guy who appeared in Eye of the Storm?

What was his name again...

Oh, right.

Moon Hyunbin.”

“Where?

No way...

Even if he's a rookie, he's still a celebrity.

Would he really come here wearing sweatpants and a bucket hat?

He probably just looks similar.”

“Really?”

The couple walked past us while whispering loudly enough for everyone nearby to hear.

Moon Hyunbin pulled his hat down even further, as if he wanted to hide in a mouse hole.

“Wow, Oppa, I guess you've really become famous...

People recognize you even when you're dressed like a beggar and walking around.”

“W-What?

Beggar...”

Moon Hyunbin's nose scrunched up at the word beggar, clearly offended.

And so, until the movie started, we continued talking while sitting in a corner of the lobby.

“Here's my profile.”

“Ah, mine too.”

Gil Boyoung and Moon Hyunbin handed me the profiles they had remembered to bring.

“You said it's the role of the Crown Prince, right?

Do you know whose profiles they've received besides mine?”

“No, I don't really know.

Oh, Oh Taehyun.

I saw that they had received actor Oh Taehyun's profile too.”

“Ah...

Taehyun...”

At the mention of Oh Taehyun, Moon Hyunbin's eyes drooped slightly, as if he had lost some confidence.

Moon Hyunbin had started his acting career around the same time and at roughly the same age as Oh Taehyun.

However, Moon Hyunbin had remained unknown for a long time.

In contrast, Oh Taehyun had been cast in a fairly important supporting role from his very first project and had continued participating in many productions without taking a break.

Naturally, Oh Taehyun was someone Moon Hyunbin couldn't help but envy.

“Don't worry too much.

The scriptwriter noona in charge of our casting apparently took a very close look at your profile.”

At the words took a close look, Moon Hyunbin's eyes immediately lit up.

“Really?

Then I should at least introduce myself when I meet her later.”

Just then, several more people seemed to recognize Moon Hyunbin and glanced at him as they walked past.

Aware of their gazes, Moon Hyunbin pulled his hat down even deeper.

“I think quite a lot of people are recognizing you.”

Gil Boyoung also seemed to notice the people's gazes as she spoke to Moon Hyunbin.

“This time, I think they're not looking at me.

They're recognizing you, Boyoung.”

“No way.

I'm not wearing makeup.

You know that too, Oppa.

When I don't wear makeup, even my own mom and dad can't recognize me.”

A playful joke came from Boyoung's mouth.

“Hyung, since we're talking about it, don't you think it's about time you found an agency?

More people are recognizing you now, and it must be difficult to move around alone...”

“Yeah...

That's true, but...”

For a moment, Moon Hyunbin subtly glanced at Gil Boyoung beside him.

Come to think of it, it's not good for Boyoung noona to keep working without an agency either...

But I didn't know exactly why Gil Boyoung had parted ways with her previous agency.

Because I didn't know the details, I couldn't casually bring up the subject.

That was when—

“Gibaek...

Hyung?”

What were the chances of meeting someone you knew at a theater at this hour?

For a moment, I thought I had heard wrong.

“Huh?

It really is you?

Wow~

What a coincidence.”

The youngest member of the production department, Moon Changsu, looked at me with an expression of constant amazement.

“Changsu...

What are you doing here?”

“Ah, I came to watch a late-night movie with my girlfriend for the first time in a while.

Hehehe...”

Huh?

Did he have a girlfriend?

Only then did I turn my gaze toward the short-haired woman standing beside Changsu.

She looked four or five years older than Changsu.

The short-haired woman wasn't looking at me.

Instead, her gaze was fixed on Moon Hyunbin and Gil Boyoung standing awkwardly behind me.

Ha...

An older woman?

But why does that woman look so familiar...?

I've definitely seen her somewhere...

Wait.

No way.

Is this woman CEO Ma Sanghee of Starlight?!

Actor management company Starlight was one of the top three entertainment companies in South Korea as of 2024.

It was a company that represented so many actors that there was even a rumor that Korean movies, dramas, and variety shows would be completely wiped out if Starlight's actors weren't involved.

And Ma Sanghee was the CEO of that company.

What the hell...?

But is someone like Ma Sanghee really the girlfriend of our adorable youngest production staff member, Moon Changsu?!

Ma Sanghee and Moon Changsu.

Faced with this completely unexpected combination, I stood there with a blank expression for a while before eventually forcing an awkward smile.

“Ah, I see...

Our Changsu had a girlfriend...

Hahaha...”

Just then, the couple who had earlier walked past us while arguing about whether Moon Hyunbin was really Moon Hyunbin approached him again.

This time, they openly asked him.

“Excuse me, are you perhaps...

actor Moon Hyunbin?”

Moon Hyunbin seemed flustered for a moment.

He nervously looked around before lowering his voice.

“Ah, yes...

Ahem...”

At that moment, the woman in the couple let out a squeal of excitement and jumped up and down on the spot.

“Oh my!

It really is you!

I'm a huge fan!

Could I get your autograph?

Or maybe just one picture?”

Because of the woman's excitement, people nearby began gathering around Moon Hyunbin one after another, wondering what was happening.

“Moon Hyunbin?

That's Moon Hyunbin?”

“Wow~

They say Moon Hyunbin is here!”

“Me too!

Please give me an autograph!”

In an instant, the people inside the theater rushed toward Moon Hyunbin.

As a result, Gil Boyoung and I were pushed backward almost involuntarily.

Fortunately, because Gil Boyoung had cleverly hidden her face, people still hadn't recognized her.

To protect Gil Boyoung, I grabbed her hand and quickly retreated toward the back.

Feeling threatened by the sudden crowd, Moon Hyunbin also quickly stepped backward.

But soon, he was surrounded from every direction and didn't know what to do.

He kept looking toward me, who had been pushed toward the back, as if asking me to help him.

“Noona, this isn't going to work.

You brought your car, right?”

“Yes.

It's in the parking lot.”

“Then go to the parking lot first.

I'll bring Hyunbin hyung there right away.”

I sent Gil Boyoung to the parking lot first.

Then I hurriedly pushed my way through the crowd and approached Moon Hyunbin.

However, because of the number of people surrounding him, getting close to him wasn't easy.

I had already known from the future before my regression that Moon Hyunbin's popularity would rise after Eye of the Storm.

But aside from interviews related to Eye of the Storm, Moon Hyunbin hadn't even appeared properly on television once.

Even I hadn't expected him to become this popular with the public.

That was when—

**“Move aside!

Move!

I'm Moon Hyunbin's manager.

Maintain a proper distance between the artist and the fans!

It's basic manners for the artist!

Please move aside!

I'm Moon Hyunbin's manager!”**

A loud voice came from somewhere.

Perhaps because the person had announced himself as Moon Hyunbin's manager, the gathered people slowly began splitting apart.

I watched the scene with awe, as if I were witnessing Moses parting the Red Sea.

Ma Sanghee walked through the opening between the people and quickly approached Moon Hyunbin.

She raised one hand toward the crowd as if warning them to stay back, while carefully grabbing Moon Hyunbin's arm with her other hand and pulling him along.

“Hyung, what are you doing?

Come this way!”

Moon Changsu, who had been following behind Ma Sanghee, shouted toward me.

I immediately snapped out of it and hurried toward Ma Sanghee and Moon Changsu.

“Let's go to the parking lot first.

The car is there.”

The three of us became a shield between Moon Hyunbin and the crowd.

We carefully but swiftly made our way through the people and headed toward the parking lot.

Gil Boyoung, who had been waiting there, started the car the moment we got inside.

“We got out faster than I expected.

I was seriously wondering if I should call the police.”

“Yeah...

What the hell was that situation?”

Moon Hyunbin looked half dazed from what had just happened.

He still seemed unable to understand what was going on.

I looked at him and spoke in a serious voice.

“Hyung, do you really not know what just happened?”

Through the rearview mirror, Moon Hyunbin blinked at me with an expression that clearly said he still had no idea.

“Do you know what's going on?”

“Yes.

Hyung, this means...

**you've become a huge star!

Hahaha.”**

Only then did Moon Hyunbin's eyes begin to tremble strangely as he finally understood the situation.

“A-a huge star...?

Me?”

“Wow~

I've only heard about things like this.

It's my first time actually seeing it happen.

This is exactly that, isn't it?

I woke up one day and became a star.

Something like that.

Hahaha.”

Listening to me, Gil Boyoung also joined in.

“I knew something was strange about the number of articles being published about you lately.

But what should we do?

If Oppa becomes too famous, I'll get bored.

Well, I guess it can't be helped.

Instead, give me a few autographs.

I'll sell them later.”

Laughter filled the car.

“Forget it.

What autograph...

Don't exaggerate...

Ahem...

Anyway, if it weren't for the two of you in the back, I might have been in serious trouble.

We didn't even properly introduce ourselves when we first met, and you've already helped me like this.

Thank you.”

Feeling embarrassed, Moon Hyunbin turned toward Ma Sanghee and Moon Changsu sitting side by side in the back seat.

He quickly changed the subject.

Only then did I realize that I still hadn't introduced the two of them to Moon Hyunbin and Gil Boyoung.

“Ah, I was so distracted that I haven't introduced you yet.

This is Moon Changsu, who will be working in the same production department as me on Director Park Junbeom's movie.

And beside him is his girlfriend...

Oh, and the two of you in front are...”

“Of course I know.

You're actor Moon Hyunbin and actress Gil Boyoung, right?

It's an honor to meet you like this.”

Moon Changsu spoke cheerfully.

Moon Hyunbin immediately responded in the same playful manner.

“Oh, now that I think about it, we're both Moons, aren't we?

Oh~

The Moon surname isn't that common...

Are you from the Nampyeong Moon clan?”

“Ah, I'm from the Gangseong Moon clan.”

“I see...

Hahaha.

Anyway, thank you so much for helping me earlier.”

“No problem.

My girlfriend stepped in anyway, so I just ended up following along.”

Only then did Moon Hyunbin remember what Ma Sanghee had done earlier when she had blocked the crowd and led him away.

“Come to think of it, I thought the way you said something about maintaining the distance between fans and artists wasn't ordinary...”

“It wasn't anything special.

It just came out as a reflex...

Ahem...”

Ma Sanghee gave an awkward, embarrassed smile.

Moon Changsu looked at her and continued.

“Actually, my girlfriend used to work as a road manager at an entertainment agency until recently.”

A road manager?

Well, it wasn't as if Ma Sanghee had started out as the CEO of Starlight from the very beginning.

I wondered what Ma Sanghee's early days had been like before she eventually became the CEO of Starlight Entertainment.

Before I knew it, curiosity and anticipation about her past began welling up inside me.