Become a Star

Chapter 210

<Currently, rumors are circulating in Hollywood that Confession of White will be adapted into a movie.

For a long time now, there have been numerous reports that the novel would be made into a movie. Yet, each time, the projects were canceled as there was no way to get in touch with the author. The CEO of the novel’s publishing company had a direct line of communication with the author, and they’d expressed L. Dmítri’s strong skepticism toward movie adaptations in the past. Thus, it was widely believed that it would be the same case this time around.

However, a source inside the industry testified that things would be different this time. Rumors stated that Ilya Turner has decided to come forward on the author’s behalf and help with the film’s production. According to these statements, L. Dmítri entrusted Ilya Turner with all the rights needed for the project.

Having been suspected of being L. Dmítri in the past, Ilya Turner’s appearance was meaningful in several ways. Just like how L. Dmítri remained hidden behind a veil of mystery, Ilya Turner was famous for his reluctance to appear in public. It was unthinkable for Ilya Turner to step forward like this for another author’s novel unless they were personally acquainted and close.

Despite how notorious the two authors’ fanbases were for being at odds with each other, this incident has revealed that the two individuals in question actually share a friendship that goes beyond simple acquaintances.

Although Ilya Turner could be L himself, many people shared the opinion that it was improbable. And now that such speculations weren’t being expressed anymore, it seemed that Ilya Turner was no longer reluctant to openly reveal his friendship with L. Dmítri.

Details of the film’s production were yet to be released.

However, the producers and Ilya Turner said that the casting of ‘Lloyd,’ the protagonist of Confession of White, was the most critical factor in the adaptation. Thus, the producers stated that they planned to prepare a large-scale audition for the role.

- Do these people plan on ruining the novel I love?! Please don’t adapt it! I’m begging you!

└I disagree with you. I really want to see Lloyd with my own eyes. Even the fantastic paintings Lloyd created can be reproduced well enough with today’s technology.

- To sum it up, they’re looking for an actor who can play the role of Lloyd. I’m not too worried about the filmmaking process. Instead, I’m anxious about the actor.

└Here we go again, you Confession Mothers-in-Law[1]. Just let the director do their job and make the movie as they please. Whenever someone adapts something into a movie or show, the fans of the original work constantly complain and ruin the adaptation. And even though it’s their fault the production wasn’t successful, they look down on it self-righteously. You people really don’t have a conscience.

└But either way, the movie will be made in the United States, so it’s pointless for us Korean fans to be complaining about it since they won’t listen to us. And I’m sure the fans of the original English novel will complain even louder than us.

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- Aren’t fans of the Confession of White novel known for not joking around and being dead serious about everything? They’re famous for messing with Ilya Turner and butting heads with his fans, but even though they end up losing, they still pretend that they won in their heads. Anyways, my condolences in advance to the actor who will be cast as Lloyd. I bet that the Mother-in-Laws in the United States will grab their guns and storm the actor’s home if they’re not satisfied with the movie. Rest in peace.

└I’d say the novel’s fans in the USA are somewhat similar to Chae Woo-Jin’s fans.

└Nah, I’d say that Chae Woo-Jin’s fanbase is similar to Ilya Turner’s. L’s fanbase is akin to thugs that roam around and pick fights with everyone they come across, but Ilya’s fans are usually amicable and polite. However, if someone picks a fight with them, they battle to the death in a bloody war and come out victorious. That’s why L’s fanbase has never lost to anyone except Ilya’s fans.

└Then who would win if Chae Woo-Jin’s fans and Ilya’s fans duked it out?

- Confession of White? What’s that? And who is Ilya Turner? Is he famous?

└Dude, don’t be like this and go to a library at least once in your life.

The United States wasn’t the only country excited about the rumor of Confession of White’s film adaptation. The entire world was waiting anxiously for more news.

Every time a similar story spread in the news in the past, the movie producers always tried to become the scoop of the century just for the project to be canceled when they were unable to get the original author’s consent.

However, the rumors that Ilya Turner would step forward and serve as the bridge between the producers and the author raised people’s expectations. The public thought that things would be different this time around. Unfortunately, not everyone welcomed the news with open arms. People were worried about how the filmmakers would recreate the novel’s unique atmosphere and Lloyd’s charm.

Everyone’s attention was drawn to Lloyd’s casting audition, raising both expectations and concerns at the same time.

The detailed schedule and conditions for the audition had not been revealed yet, but some actors were already preparing. Furthermore, a certain source in the industry caused a stir when they remarked that L. Dmítri had never confirmed Lloyd’s race in the novel. In other words, Asian actors could also play the role of Lloyd.

In fact, among the fans of the original novel, a significant percentage of the fanbase supported the idea that Lloyd was someone of Asian ethnicity. So, while the news didn’t surprise fans of Confession of White, it did sprout some hope inside the hearts of Asian actors around the world. Thus, the novel’s popularity grew exponentially with young male celebrities around the world.

“Goddamn, why on earth is this book so difficult to understand?”

“Just be like me and give up. Life is much more comfortable this way. Besides, do you seriously think you’ll get an opportunity to audition for the role?”

“Who knows?! Village’s Do-Ya auditioned for a role and was cast in a Hollywood movie last time, that bastard.”

“That’s because he’s tall and handsome. He wasn’t chosen for his acting skills. The bastard didn’t even have many lines despite all the scenes he appeared in.”

In others’ eyes, these two men were already successful idols. However, human greed had no limits. Yi-Sak—an idol of the group ‘Delios’—couldn’t help but get nervous when he saw his rivals making their way into Hollywood. He wanted to audition for the role of Lloyd if possible, but Confession of White was just too difficult for him to understand.

He had heard that it was a fictional novel, but it was much harder to read than most literary works. The violent and brutal descriptions were tolerable, but the rhetoric and flowery language were incomprehensible. He had to look up new words in the dictionary constantly to read the novel.

Joon-Ha had given up on auditioning for the role for quite a while now. In his eyes, Yi-Sak’s effort and hard work were ephemeral and vain. One of the reasons he quit reading the novel was because of the many challenging words, but also, when he looked up the content of Confession of White online, Joon-Ha realized that they weren’t cut out to play the protagonist in the adaptation.

“The fans of the novel are no joke. They’re even threatening people, saying that they’ll pay close attention to the audition’s results and protest if they’re not satisfied with the actor,” Joon-Ha remarked.

“Still, don’t you think my appearance is fitting? Lloyd is described as weak yet beautiful, so aren’t I good enough to play him?”

Yi-Sak supported his chin with the back of his hand and smiled sweetly at Joon-Ha. Truly, his fair skin and cute face weren’t all that bad.

However, regardless of his appearance, a singer and an actor exuded different atmospheres and auras. That was why singers had a hard time getting along and synergizing with their co-stars when acting for the first time. Yi-Sak was also in an ambiguous position. While he wasn’t horrendous, he was somewhat lacking as an actor.

Needless to say, it couldn’t be denied that his skills and attractiveness had significantly improved since his debut, thanks to the agency’s complete care and attention, leading to an increase in popularity. Thus, Yi-Sak was in charge of having the good looks in Delios, and he was excellent at his job. Nevertheless, he did not have the dominating aura and charisma that an actor needed on screen.

Besides, Confession of White’s Lloyd wasn’t a role that could be played simply with one’s appearance. He wasn’t just a pretty guy who looked gentle and garnered sympathy.

“I gave up on finishing the book, but honestly, you’re not….”

Joon-Ha was in the middle of stating his mind when he suddenly stopped, staring blankly in one direction with his mouth wide open.

Yi-Sak followed Joon-Ha’s gaze and made the same expression as his friend. They watched incredulously as someone approached them. They both came to realize what it meant when people described someone as ‘shining bright.’

“Hello!”

Chae Woo-Jin greeted them cheerfully when their gazes met. Joon-Ha stuttered and asked the actor in return, “W-What brings you here?”

They were currently at DS Café. It was a building with a café where people could sit and eat or drink, and it also acted as a store that sold the goods and products of celebrities belonging to DS. It was owned by DS and used for its artists, similar in concept to DSTV.

Although it was created to become another source of income for the agency, CEO Jang Soo-Hwan had prepared this café for the purpose of promoting his artists and communicating with the fans. As such, he recommended that his artists go to the café whenever they had free time. Even if the celebrities didn’t interact with the fans there, it was helpful and provided more than enough happiness for the fans to see their favorite celebrity sitting nearby.

Yet, in return, there was a rule that fans could not go up to the artists and ask for autographs or photos unless the artist suggested it first. Thus, it was a system where celebrities could come and relax comfortably, while fans were satisfied just by watching them. In addition, the artist could also chat with fans and sign autographs whenever they felt like doing so.

In the end, celebrities often came to the café with a carefree mind. They could relax here as people didn’t bother them requesting pictures or autographs, and they didn’t get insulted whenever they refused someone’s request.

However, most people who came to DS Café ended up being K-Pop idols and their fans. Idols were used to fan culture and would actively communicate with their fans, so they made excellent use of this opportunity at the café to strengthen their bonds with their fanbase.

Moreover, the building didn’t only have a café but also all kinds of indoor amusement facilities where people could enjoy themselves. And so, this was the best playground for young and energetic idols who didn't usually have much free time.

For that same reason, Yi-Sak and Joon-Ha from Delios also frequented DS Café. Many people recognized them whenever they went out, but unlike most public places, there were no fans constantly asking for autographs here. It was nice to have a place like this to rest and relax when they had some free time in between their busy schedules.

There had been an instance where someone was humiliated after nobody recognized them at the café, but at the very least, Delios was famous enough not to be subjected to the same experience. Still, even they had rarely seen Chae Woo-Jin in person.

Although they were part of the same agency, they scarcely saw each other as they were active in different fields. They never participated in the same broadcast, and while Delios often visited the main office to practice and record songs, Chae Woo-Jin only went there to meet the CEO.

They had greeted one another a few times before, but they lacked any opportunity to get to know the other party properly. This was why the members of Delios and Chae Woo-Jin weren’t comfortable together yet. Most of all, since Chae Woo-Jin had become a celebrity among celebrities, they were surprised to see him purely through coincidence.

“The CEO recommended that I come here whenever I have time.”

When he wasn’t busy with work, Woo-Jin was faithfully fulfilling CEO Jang’s request to show his face on DSTV and come to the café occasionally.

“I-I see. Do you wish to sit here?”

The dumbfounded Joon-Ha looked at the seat in front of him before raising his head and asking Woo-Jin. It was already an honor to have Woo-Jin greet them first, so in his disbelief, he was unsure whether the actor was actually trying to sit with them.

“I was going to join you two since there were no other seats, but is it a bother?”

Joon-Ha looked around the café when he heard Woo-Jin’s words. Indeed, there were no other empty seats. The celebrities sitting at the other tables looked at Joon-Ha and Yi-Sak enviously.

“Not at all! Please take a seat.” Joon-Ha gestured at the seat before him with both hands and urged Woo-Jin.

However, unlike the welcoming Joon-Ha, Yi-Sak was unable to raise his head and look at the actor properly. He could only glance at Woo-Jin secretly. Even as Joon-Ha had a casual, light-hearted conversation with Woo-Jin, Yi-Sak didn’t join them and only fiddled with the book in his hands.