## Chapter 1288 – ##10_Top Star
##37
1.
“I’m terrified every time we do it now. My back aches, it’s killing me, you know?”
Kibele, sprawled languidly on the two-seater sofa, grumbled as she tidied her disheveled hair. The heat of their recent passionate encounter briefly settled in her navy blue eyes before fading away.
“So, are you not going to do it anymore?”
“No? The feeling is absolutely amazing. Terrifyingly so.”
“Considering that, you did take off your necklace.”
“It was getting in the way, wasn’t it?”
“Is that really the only reason?”
The necklace she was currently wearing blocked Kibele’s passive ability, ‘Luck Overload.’
Conversely, taking off the necklace would reactivate the Luck Overload passive.
This included even the trivial luck of ‘Today, for some reason, only the most pleasurable spots are being stimulated’ when she took off the necklace during their encounters.
“Don’t overthink it. You get more excited when I feel good, don’t you?”
“That’s true.”
At Siwoo’s questioning, she grinned and put on her robe. The way she sipped the wine she had prepared, while wearing the robe, was like a photoshoot for a movie star.
Not just any actor, but one of those actors, you know?
The kind who comes from an incredibly wealthy family, doesn’t need to work, but happens to be born ridiculously beautiful, and takes on movie roles for hobbies and self-fulfillment, a silver-spoon type of actor?
It suddenly occurred to him that there might not be anyone more suited to being an actor than her, in the sense that she thrived on the public’s admiration. The effortless flow of her elegance and sophistication made him think, ‘Wow, did I really just do it with a woman like this?’ just by looking at her.
“I’ve found something I want to do.”
While Siwoo was lost in his thoughts, Kibele, who had crossed her legs, declared.
“I’m going to be a movie actress.”
“Huh?”
2.
The Witch of Luck.
This title wasn’t given for no reason.
Periwinkle’s magnetic magic was about controlling luck.
Furthermore, it was about making all the golden threads of luck her own.
In fact, she had never been unlucky in her daily life or in any aspect of her life.
If she wanted something, she would always get it, a truly cheat-like ability.
However, there was an extreme downside: ‘In the end, luck only cares about Kibele Periwinkle herself.’ Eventually, with Siwoo’s help, she began research to strengthen her control over luck.
The heavy necklace she wore these days was the very necklace that blocked her luck.
As long as she wore the necklace, Kibele wouldn’t experience the cheat-like shower of luck.
Even minor mistakes or failures would happen without any correction.
“At first, it was just uncomfortable. There were times when I wanted to give up.”
“I can imagine.”
Kibele had made this attempt because she didn’t want to be a puppet dancing on the threads of fate, but it wasn’t easy.
“My heel would suddenly break. It would start pouring rain when I went out without an umbrella. I’d drop my bracelet and lose it. There aren’t even any of those events that used to happen several times a day.”
“Events?”
“Like finding gold coins on the street! Or the dish I wanted to eat just happening to be on the menu! Or always getting a good seat at the theater.”
“Do those things really happen several times a day?”
Various conveniences in daily life.
Even in these minor aspects, Kibele had been favored by the world.
She had kicked that away with her own feet, so unexpected inconveniences were popping up everywhere.
“Anyway, I’ve actually wanted to do it for a while. I really love getting attention.”
“Ah, so that’s why you did the… the cosmetics ad before.”
Kibele loved movies.
The joys and sorrows unfolding on the screen.
The delicate scenarios and the passionate performances of the actors that created that catharsis.
She had thought about becoming an actress at least once.
However, she couldn’t even dream of being a movie actress when Keter was watching her with wide open eyes.
In a time when the boundary between the mystical and the real was clear, she had no idea how Keter would react if she became a movie actress.
Keter wasn’t someone she could try to deal with using luck.
She had been content with just running a production company or an investment firm and investing in the screen industry…
“But it’s not like that anymore, right?”
“Right.”
There were quite a few witches already out and about.
In Su-ah’s case, she had become a mascot for Korea and was even running a merchandise business (which she was very embarrassed about), and there were witches who had released albums and photoshoots.
In this social atmosphere, and with the luck-blocking necklace, there was something she finally had the chance to try.
“It’s self-realization.”
A true test of Kibele Periwinkle, not the Witch of Luck.
“I’m curious to see how far I can go with my own skills. Without the help of luck. How is it? Pretty cool, right?”
Act 1 is about to begin.
3.
Many things had changed after the Witch War, which had shaken not only the witch society but the entire world.
The world had already changed due to the continental epidemic that had lasted for several years, but how much more change would there be when a transcendent being suddenly appeared and messed with, tortured, and killed the leaders of dictatorial countries?
It seemed obvious that ‘witch’ would be the keyword of the year for any country in the world.
There were significant changes in society, politics, and the economy, but the area that was most affected was undoubtedly culture.
Culture was inherently the most flexible and adaptable to the shock of change.
It even came with a powerful force that could not be stopped by any external force.
Starting with documentaries about the existence of witches, the media was constantly talking about witches, and the unique, antique fashion of Gehenna became popular.
Novels with ‘witch’ in the title were pouring out by the dozens every day.
Even Hollywood had begun simultaneous production of several big-budget blockbusters.
Each release was raking in money, revitalizing the screen industry, which had been stagnant due to the expansion of the OTT industry.
For those who produced content, this was a golden opportunity to inspire and motivate them.
But where there is light, there is also shadow.
“Ah, yes, yes, PD-nim. Is casting the problem? I can negotiate that part well. Yes, yes. Ah, yes, yes… Then please take care of it… Damn it.”
Director Moon threw his phone down in a fit of pique. The assistant director, who had been listening to the call with his arms crossed and ears perked, also sighed deeply.
“What did they say?”
“They said they’d ‘try their best’ to talk to the CEO.”
“They turned us down again.”
“Why do you even need to say it?”
They said the treatment was really good, the estimate was well-done, and they would report it to the CEO, but he had been in the industry for 10 years.
Just by the subtle nuances of the production company’s planning PD, Director Moon could tell how far his masterpiece ‘Witch Story’ would go. It would probably be buried under a mountain of other scripts, let alone reach the CEO.
“It’s okay. It’s not like there’s only one production company.”
“They’ve all turned us down…”
It was a familiar situation.
Director Moon had only won a small award for his debut film ‘Scream,’ and he was a mediocre director who hadn’t achieved any notable success in over 10 years. In a situation where there were so many movies to invest in, no one would seriously consider a script brought by a third-rate director.
Production companies and investment firms weren’t charity organizations.
“Let’s give up. This isn’t going to work.”
“Ah, this would really work… I wish we could at least get an investment review… The scenario is really good… Director, don’t you have a CEO you play golf with? Or a movie actor?”
“Do you think I do? I do have someone… but it’s complicated.”
The assistant director stared at the script for ‘Witch Story’ as if he had some lingering attachment.
The scenario itself was really well-written.
Korea in the 1950s.
A witch and a boy meet and fall in love.
The two build their love against the backdrop of rapidly changing Korean history.
However, human lifespans have limits, and they are destined to part ways.
A witch’s poignant memoir of choosing to love the boy despite knowing this.
Even the beautiful farewell that marks the finale.
The calm and lyrical love story, reminiscent of ‘The Notebook’ and ‘About Time,’ was enough to make tears flow, even though it was just text.
In the assistant director’s opinion, it was so well-written that he wondered if the director had suddenly received some kind of divine inspiration… but.
Reality was not so easy.
Movies were a comprehensive art form that consumed the most capital and manpower among all content businesses.
The process that had to be gone through was just as arduous.
First, the director plans the scenario, and then the production company reviews it.
If it gets rejected, they move on to another production company and go around in circles (usually, 99% of the scenarios are rejected at this stage).
Even if the production company contacts them saying it’s good, that’s not the end.
Once the production company CEO says, ‘This setting is good,’ they have to persuade the investment firm.
That’s how they get the money.
There are many cases where the investment firm says, ‘This isn’t good,’ and the project is scrapped, and it’s also common for a project to be canceled when casting fails up to the fifth round.
Even if they go through all these processes and enter the investment review, it can be indefinitely postponed and fizzle out, or be scrapped in the pre-production stage. It’s a complete mess.
“Should we add some action? Who watches melodrama in theaters these days? Most witch movies are focused on flashy action.”
“If we add action with 5 billion won, what, are we going to film a Kamen Rider rip-off? You know we’re already struggling because of the actresses’ guarantees, right?”
“Hyung, don’t you know any actresses? Witch movies need pretty actresses to look good… If a top-tier actress confirms her appearance…”
“I said I don’t!”
“Or how about casting a real witch as an actress? It’s already known that witches are beautiful, and it would be a hot topic, so the production company or investment distribution company might…”
Just as the assistant director, unable to overcome the despairing reality, was about to start a long speech of delusion,
-BANG
The door of the office, which was as messy as an illegal debt collection office, burst open.
Director Moon and the assistant director’s eyes widened at the same time.
-Click, click, click
Along with the sharp sound of high heels, a beautiful woman with long navy blue hair and eyes, and a charming beauty mark, entered.
No.
The person in front of them was not someone who could be simply described as beautiful.
A femme fatale who could easily ruin a country or two.
An elegant atmosphere that would make anyone nod in agreement, even though she was wearing a dress with flamboyant feather decorations.
A seductive figure and a devilish sex appeal created by her beauty mark.
“A, a real witch… I’ve seen her on the billboard…”
“Uh, uh, uh…”
But why was such a witch in such a shabby place?
While the two were wondering and admiring the witch’s beauty,
“Are you Director Moon Ki-hoon?”
“Y-yes… Yes, I am.”
“The one who directed ‘Scream’ before? I enjoyed it very much.”
“Yes, yes, but… what brings you here…”
Her gentle yet charismatic voice struck their ears.
“Let’s make a movie together.”
