The Unveiling of an Egregious Adaptation

Seungjun often found himself hearing a plethora of unsavory rumors about Nam Yiwon during drinking sessions with his peers, yet they never truly registered with him. Rather, he suspected his classmates, who so diligently spread gossip, were merely consumed by envy for Nam Yiwon, and thus, he refrained from engaging in their conversations. To Seungjun, Nam Yiwon was nothing more than a privileged individual whose life had been made easy by fortunate parentage—no more, no less.

Their paths crossed, however, in a directing class they both happened to take.

The directing lecture was one of Seungjun’s most cherished interests. He found it utterly fascinating how a single narrative could give rise to an infinite variety of compositions. He relished the process of visualizing diverse images in his mind, structuring scenes, and arranging characters to align with the intended theme.

Essentially, a scene where a character speaks the same words can be rendered entirely differently depending on the director. One might capture the character from behind, obscuring their expression; or, if a symbolic location exists, the landscape might be emphasized; alternatively, the focus could be on the listener’s face. The scenes or lines given emphasis may vary, and the atmosphere itself can shift dramatically based on the use of narration. Even the placement of props in the background can subtly portray a character’s personality or upbringing, altering the overall emotional resonance. These assembled scenes coalesce into a unified drama, evoking a spectrum of emotions in the audience.

Drama.

The act of vividly sculpting characters and forging lives. Seungjun plunged headfirst into this magical endeavor with fierce intensity. He would pull all-nighters without feeling the least bit tired, even writing his own scripts. He poured his heart and soul into his assignments and passionately sought advice from his professors. Naturally, enrolling in Professor Park Chan’s directing class, a man he held in the highest esteem, was an inevitable progression.

And in that very class, Nam Yiwon was present. This occurred when Seungjun was a third-year student and Nam Yiwon a second-year.

The class involved forming groups, directing the same text in different ways, presenting the completed storyboards, and then discussing their interpretations. The text for their first assignment was , a short story for young adults by Author Lee Hanbin.

was a coming-of-age story about adolescents overcoming their wounds together, a rather heavy piece that depicted various forms of domestic violence and their profound impact on children. Upon receiving the assignment, Seungjun’s first action was to rush to the library, borrow the book, and read it. He read it once for comprehension, and during his second reading, he took notes as ideas sparked in his mind. After thoroughly researching the author’s notes and interviews to grasp the precise theme they wished to convey through the novel, he embarked on his third reading, specifically identifying scenes the author intended to emphasize before drafting his storyboard. He became so engrossed that he often forgot to eat. It was undeniably a surge of dopamine, for such intense emotion could only be likened to love.

Seungjun badgered his group members relentlessly, to the point of exasperation, until their assignment was complete. The exhilaration he felt at the moment of completion surpassed anything he had ever experienced in any romantic relationship.

Seungjun was brimming with anticipation, eager to present his assignment and then listen to the other groups’ presentations. He was buoyed by the confidence that no one could have analyzed the original text more meticulously or composed their scenes with greater care than he had. Determined to perform exceptionally well after pouring his utmost effort into it, he even declined his group members’ offers to present, taking on the responsibility himself. His group members clearly harbored dissatisfaction, but there was little they could do. As the saying goes, too many cooks spoil the broth. Someone had to take decisive charge.

As expected, the assignment generally received positive feedback. The professor, aware of Seungjun’s diligent efforts in seeking advice multiple times during the preparation, recognized how thoughtfully Seungjun had incorporated the original author’s intentions, and Seungjun, clearly understanding the message he wished to convey, delivered an excellent presentation. There was scarcely any criticism, save for one individual who had been dozing throughout, then, perhaps realizing the professor was watching, had made some flimsy, bored complaint at the very end.

As Seungjun returned to his seat, he cast a disdainful glance at those yawning so widely their jaws seemed to dislocate. His assignment was so perfect that no one could offer any constructive criticism. Seungjun had no doubt that, in terms of completeness and polish, his work was superior to all others. Watching the other groups present one after another only solidified his conviction.

Nam Yiwon’s presentation took place the following week.

Seungjun recalled how the atmosphere in the lecture hall subtly shifted as Nam Yiwon walked towards the podium. Professor Park Chan, like his colleagues, undoubtedly knew Nam Yiwon’s sister, who was the head of the HBN Drama Department; moreover, rumors circulated that most professors would coddle Nam Yiwon and heap praise upon him regardless of what he said.

Standing before the podium, Nam Yiwon held his head high, boldly breaking the stiff atmosphere created by these widely known rumors.

“Hello. I’m Nam Yiwon from Group 5. I will now begin our presentation.”

Until that moment, Seungjun still harbored a sliver of expectation. He had been trying to understand why Professor Park Chan had mentioned Nam Yiwon to him. It seemed many genuinely believed Nam Yiwon possessed talent, and given his impressive list of awards at such a young age, Seungjun was curious to see what kind of story Nam Yiwon’s reinterpretation of would be. If there was anything to learn from him, Seungjun was more than willing to do so.

And then, Seungjun found himself utterly appalled.

In Group 5’s storyboard, scenes depicting children suffering verbal abuse at home were described with unnecessary detail. Most of the content was absent from the original work. Instead of dedicating the relatively short narrative to twisted, wounded children finding solace in each other, they arbitrarily inserted a revenge plot that didn’t exist in the original text. The protagonist, a classmate of the son of his father’s company president, deliberately bullies his friend to get revenge on his parents, only to accidentally discover traces of abuse on his friend’s body. This discovery rapidly brings the two closer, and they begin secretly gathering evidence, such as recordings, with the aim of punishing their parents for domestic violence. However, one day, the friend is found dead under suspicious circumstances, and the USB containing the evidence they had collected together vanishes. Convinced that his friend was killed by his parents after being caught recording, the protagonist decides to investigate on his own and returns home. Usually, he’s alone when he comes home from school, but his father’s shoes are in the shoe rack. He searches the house thoroughly, but his father is nowhere to be seen. Returning to his room, the protagonist, feeling heavy-hearted, turns on his phone to find a text message from what appears to be a randomly dialed number.

[Be careful.]

A message containing nothing but an incomprehensible warning. Feeling puzzled, the protagonist lifts his head and surveys his room. Recalling his father’s shoes still in the shoe rack, the protagonist slowly rises from his seat. His gaze suddenly falls upon the wardrobe…

“Is that it? So, what happens next?”

With the professor’s single remark, the surroundings grew boisterous. No sooner had the presentation ended than everyone began clamoring about Group 5’s assignment content. Some laughed in disbelief, while others tried to deduce the next part of the story. There were even those who burst into laughter, suggesting it should be titled instead of . And rightly so, for aside from the protagonist being a student suffering domestic violence, there was absolutely no trace of the original text in Group 5’s assignment.

‘Is this guy seriously out of his mind?’

He was utterly dumbfounded by the shock. If one intended to take such liberties, what was the point of using the original text at all? Not only had they failed to grasp the assignment’s intent, but the adaptation was so egregious it would make the original author recoil in horror. To transform a coming-of-age story about children’s pain into such a melodramatic thriller! Unless someone had held a gun to his head, threatening, ‘Produce an outcome that desecrates the original author, or I’ll kill you,’ how could he possibly have presented something so utterly dreadful?

As if reading his very thoughts, Professor Park Chan pointedly called on Seungjun.

“Baek Seungjun, what are your thoughts?”

Seungjun rose from his seat and cleared his throat. He resolved to speak frankly, disregarding who Nam Yiwon’s father or sister might be. Wrong was wrong, plain and simple.

“It is a shoddy piece of work that completely disregards the original author’s intent and the message of the story.”

An uncomfortable silence settled over the room at his unvarnished opinion. He noticed everyone furtively glancing between Nam Yiwon and himself. Seungjun met Nam Yiwon’s gaze squarely and continued.

“I believe it was unnecessarily provocative in its direction. And I’m not sure if you even read , but… there’s not a single element reflected from the original, and instead, we have an abrupt revenge drama, an anonymous text, and a father secretly watching. I honestly don’t understand what story you were trying to tell.”

While it was a blunt critique that might have been offensive, a peer review class was, by its very nature, intended for such exchanges. After finishing his remarks and sitting down, Seungjun offered Nam Yiwon, his junior, a subtle glance to convey that he meant no ill will.

Nam Yiwon smiled. Fortunately, no trace of resentment could be found in his clear eyes.

‘Right. Anyone who takes a peer review personally is just ridiculous. What could one possibly learn from those who only offered sweet words? Sometimes, such constructive advice was beneficial for growth; thus, Nam Yiwon should, in fact, be grateful to him.’

After class, Seungjun leisurely packed his bag and stood up. His group members, who had prepared the presentation with him, approached to greet him.

“You worked hard. I feel like I learned a lot thanks to you, senior.”

“Not at all. You all worked hard too.”

Seungjun bowed in return. He felt pleased that his group members also seemed satisfied with the outcome.