“I recently started watching Sky Garden, and it ended so ambiguously at episode 10.”
“Oh, me too. I’m so glad the next episode airs tomorrow!”
The impact that started from Masked Singer naturally reached Sky Garden.
Of course, it’s only natural.
Joo Seo-yeon, who reached the final round in this Masked Singer, is the protagonist of Sky Garden.
What’s more, it was revealed that Seo-yeon sang the insert song that has been trending in Sky Garden lately.
At first, it was just simple curiosity.
But once I started watching, it turned out to be fun.
“I mean, it’s a bit exaggerated…”
“Well, it is a drama.”
“But who’s the male lead?”
“Isn’t Lee Min-hyeok the male lead?”
“He’s a bit… not really.”
“That’s true.”
It’s become common chatter even in places like cafes.
Before, stories about Grand Game flowed often, but now Sky Garden has slipped in.
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Of course, if the drama isn’t entertaining, it could have been a wasted chance.
“No need to worry too much.”
Now, almost finished separating into Drama Department 2 at KMB.
One employee voiced that sentiment.
“The response for Grand Game this week was good too. What are our ratings?”
“This week, it’s 16 percent.”
“Right, but Sky Garden, riding on the success of Masked Singer, has a rating of 12 percent this week. It might climb a bit more to around 14 percent. At most 15 to 16 percent.”
“Then I think that’s enough to be a threat.”
“Anyway, they don’t air on the same days, you know? We’ll be in for some thrilling competition starting next week.”
Other employees nodded at that PD’s remark.
The rising trend of Sky Garden is frightening.
But is Grand Game currently shaken? Absolutely not.
“Director Han Jung-min.”
At that moment, someone asked the silent PD.
This PD, who came along with Baek Tae-soo, who is becoming the head of Drama Department 2.
A young PD who has achieved good results in various dramas and is rising as a promising figure in KMB’s Drama Department.
“What do you think of Sky Garden?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Excuse me?”
The response was unexpected for those who anticipated a clear good or bad reaction.
It’s rare for someone as decisive as him to say “I’m not sure.”
In their curious gazes,
“Honestly, actors are just like seasoning in a drama’s success.”
Han Jung-min quietly replied.
“What I mean is, it’s not something individuals can control. No matter how well you act, if there’s no buzz or if people don’t watch, it doesn’t matter. The success of a drama relies on the storyline and the quality of the drama.”
So, Han Jung-min found this situation hard to understand.
There were plenty of things he couldn’t wrap his head around.
“For instance, there’s Aids, the chair company, right?”
“Oh, yes. They’ve been aggressively advertising lately.”
“But they released an ad featuring the concept of Sky Garden, even using Seo-yeon as the model.”
Promoting using the concept of a currently airing drama is a double-edged sword.
If the drama is a hit, it can pay off big time.
But if not, it could backfire terribly.
Yet they started advertising from episode 4, even before Sky Garden had created any buzz.
Focusing heavily on the protagonist, Seo-yeon.
“Plus, this Masked Singer… honestly, it felt like they focused on Seo-yeon as if it was all planned.”
“That would be Ashen Crow.”
“Ashen Crow is the singer Yeo-hee, right? Isn’t it true that Yeo-hee has a deep connection with actor Seo-yeon?”
So what happened?
Just by comparing search volumes, Sky Garden has overtaken Grand Game.
Most say it’s temporary due to Masked Singer, but… is that really the case?
What Han Jung-min couldn’t comprehend was all of this.
This is all the influence of one single actor.
Before Masked Singer, there was Golden Duckling.
The story of Golden Duckling leads to Masked Singer.
It felt like watching one continuous play.
Could one actor truly wield this level of influence over a drama?
It was something that Lee Jung-min could not understand with the common sense he had.
“What do you think, Director Baek?”
Lee Jung-min PD cautiously asked the usually quiet Baek Tae-soo.
Considering his experience, he was someone it was hard to approach, but within the Drama Department, Baek Tae-soo was known for being friendly.
He rarely got angry, and even when those scared by the latest episode of Sky Garden were panicking, he calmly reassured them and pulled them through.
“Sky Garden is a good drama. But shouldn’t we focus on our work?”
Baek Tae-soo replied with a smile, not saying anything more.
Since he felt that way, no further discussions arose within the Drama Department.
Sky Garden, and Joo Seo-yeon.
Baek Tae-soo PD squinted his eyes in a place where no one could see him. As Lee Jung-min said, it’s rare for an individual to have such a level of influence over a drama.
When ratings were already getting decent, it was even harder to increase them drastically.
The situation had somewhat solidified, you see.
If there were no competitors, Sky Garden might have been able to push through even in that state.
But now, with Grand Game in the mix, the public’s focus was divided.
So, it wouldn’t be easy to climb up.
“The market’s reaction comes slowly.”
At the moment, there wasn’t a big difference.
But Baek Tae-soo PD was certain.
Next week for Sky Garden would be different.
And the week after would be even more so.
Script.
Baek Tae-soo PD crumpled up the script for Grand Game, which he had read multiple times.
He had no intention of blaming others. After all, the final decision rested with him.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have been afraid to challenge.”
Baek Tae-soo PD stared at the monitor in front of him.
He rewinded the video that was playing.
It was a tape he had seen quite a few times already.
The 10th episode of Sky Garden, which aired last Tuesday.
Before watching the 11th episode airing this week, he felt it would be necessary to prepare in advance.
*
“Are you really that oblivious?”
Lee Min-hyeok glared at Lee Yoo-joo and said.
This family trip they had planned for the holiday.
As someone who had no desire to go on a family trip in the first place, Lee Min-hyeok was horrified at the thought of it including Lee Yoo-joo.
“Why do you want to be used this way?”
“Isn’t it you using me?”
In response to such an answer, Lee Yoo-joo simply shrugged her shoulders.
If she had her way, she would have liked to curse and ditch the whole thing.
But she couldn’t.
This trip was organized by Gil Soo-jin, Lee Min-hyeok’s mother, to give Lee Yoo-joo a chance to bond with her.
In the first place, it wasn’t a family trip; it was a trip for Lee Yoo-joo.
Otherwise, there was no way they would be going somewhere like a valley.
The Lee family didn’t like places like that.
It was simply a reflection of Lee Yoo-joo’s preferences.
“Why are you like this? It could actually be fun.”
Lee Min-seo, the younger sister, said with a bright smile.
“Yeah, right.”
That was what Lee Yoo-joo replied.
She looked at Lee Min-hyeok, who was about to turn his back and leave the classroom.
“I also want to get closer during this opportunity.”
At those unbelievable words, when Min-hyeok turned around with a horrified face, Lee Yoo-joo beamed.
“There’s a mock exam coming up soon. You won the last midterms, but what about this time?”
When she said “you won,” she was certainly not talking about Lee Yoo-joo.
She was referring to Min-hyeok’s twin sister, Min-seo.
Lee Yoo-joo was directly tutoring her and managing her study life.
Min-seo’s progress was so noticeable that it had drawn Gil Soo-jin’s interest over her.
“That’s not something you should be concerned about.”
Lee Min-hyeok said, turning his back to leave.
Lee Yoo-joo could only smile at his back.
The only one getting restless was Min-seo, the younger sister.
“There’s no need to provoke like that.”
“Huh? I’m not provoking. I told you, I want to get close to Min-hyeok.”
Lee Yoo-joo was sincere.
She knew their parents wanted to use her.
No, it wasn’t just the parents.
The friends who hung out with Lee Min-hyeok and Lee Min-seo were also eyeing the portfolio that Lee Yoo-joo had.
So, she realized that they had been asking Min-seo probing questions lately.
“You can’t force someone to choose.”
“Yeah, you have to bow your head and talk yourself.”
Lee Yoo-joo had a twisted smile on her lips.
“Lee Yoo-joo, you… don’t tell me…”
“Huh?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
Min-seo averted her gaze, hesitating.
In the first place, Yoo-joo didn’t pay any attention to Min-seo’s subtle reaction because her eyes were fixated on Min-hyeok.
From the side, Min-seo’s eyes glimmered ominously as she watched Yoo-joo’s expression.
And then, a scene of Lee Hyuk-soo’s family preparing for a trip unfolds.
Yoo-joo hums while packing up at home.
And then, Lee Hyuk-soo.
Someone is shown packing a murder weapon.
A knife, and box tape.
The identity of that person remains unknown.
The 10th episode of Sky Garden comes to an end.
– “What was that at the end?”
– “What was that? Why is there suddenly a knife?”
– “Who is it?”
The last scene lasted about five minutes.
Those five minutes were enough to capture the viewers’ attention.
The drama had been progressing in a strangely tense atmosphere from the start.
But at the very end, someone is caught leaving with a murder weapon.
Naturally, it was perplexing.
What was the purpose? For what reason?
We don’t even know who it is.
As the 10th episode concluded, discussions about it were in full swing in the Sky Garden community.
– “So what happened, ha?!”
– “What? Wasn’t there supposed to be a romance between Lee Min-hyeok?”
– “Is it okay to have a murder weapon in a drama featuring students? It’s a bit uncomfortable.”
– “What the heck? Saw Masked Singer and got curious, damn it.”
– “Should’ve just started watching from next week…”
The narrative from episodes 1 to 10 was laced with peculiar tension.
It was about halfway through the drama.
Adults targeting Yoo-joo and students who were reluctantly pushed into reaching out to her.
The conspiracies they were plotting behind her back.
A struggle she was forced into against her will.
In that context, Min-seo played the role of proving Yoo-joo’s worth.
Originally, Lee Min-seo wasn’t a competitor to them.
Just the silly twin sister of Lee Min-hyeok.
Someone who only liked to dress up and never thought about the future.
That’s what everyone thought.
But everything changed when she met Yoo-joo.
Min-seo had become a competitor to them.
There were even those who had fallen behind in their grades.
Not just grades, but even in mock exams.
Moreover, it was not a lie that Yoo-joo perfectly managed her life; she was ghost-like in providing all the advantages to Min-seo.
It’s absurd.
Ridiculous.
Though such discussions circulated, ultimately, the drama appealed to the public with entertainment.
Ignoring coherence and focusing solely on fun.
That’s why Sky Garden started to rebound.
“I think this will win.”
Jo Seo-hee watched the whole process, tapping her cheeks with her fingers, and then quickly pulled her fingers away in surprise.
She didn’t want to irritate her face too much and risk breaking out.
But it was hard to resist the habit.
“The Grand Game is going to bring in the romance that had been mentioned before… It looks like it’ll officially start this week.”
Grand Game was clearly preparing for a big moment.
They were planning to unleash what they had consistently hinted at in this episode.
It would definitely be content that the main drama audience would like.
However, would the viewers of Grand Game really enjoy it? Not so sure.
“Considering Sky Garden has practically declared to exclude romance…”
The content of this week reflected that.
Having reached more than halfway through the 10th episode, such content meant they were indeed excluding romance.
“…Her skills have improved.”
Jo Seo-hee looked at Yoo-joo as acted by Seo-yeon.
She had collected clips of her acting scenes.
In many ways, there was much to learn from Seo-yeon’s performance.
“Her acting skills were solid since the comeback point 10 years later.”
She must have really worked hard technically for 10 years.
Vocalization and gestures.
That goes without saying.
However, an actor’s performance isn’t just about technique.
Seo-yeon no longer uses ‘method acting’ like she did in the past.
“Method acting like that isn’t really used anymore.”
“That’s all you can do at that time, but now there’s no need for it.”
“But those fragments were definitely visible.”
“Masked Singer was the same.”
Seo-yeon’s strongest weapon is her emotional expressiveness. She excelled at appealing to others and evoking empathy.
In [Masked Singer], that was fully showcased, and Cha Na-hee arranged the song to be that way. Seo-yeon’s singing was both singing and acting at the same time.
It’s a method you can use in a competition. It probably feels a bit different when you watch it on TV.
In the competition, she could gather empathy from the large audience, earning high scores—even though her skills were slightly lacking.
“This time, Lee Yoo-joo is the same.”
Honestly, Lee Yoo-joo is an annoying character. She reminds you of your younger self.
However, the reason viewers watch her anxiously is not because of that annoying aspect.
“A precarious child.”
That was felt in her acting. Lee Yoo-joo is like a porcupine.
She maintains a façade of sarcasm and disdain, like a porcupine raising its quills.
Mocking those who hold power and money, all of that behavior stems from the inferiority complex within Lee Yoo-joo.
That was clearly evident in Seo-yeon’s acting. Her mouth smiles, but her eyes tremble.
She speaks casually, yet her hands and feet move anxiously. It’s a tiny fragment that could easily go unnoticed.
However, viewers watching from various angles could see those subtle shifts in Yoo-joo’s emotions. Empathy.
It’s common for a person to harbor feelings of inferiority about things they don’t possess. Seo-yeon was surely drawing that empathy out.
Not long ago, Lee Yoo-joo was the so-called all-rounder, an absolute character. She was an annoying figure but began to change around episode 8. She was already an attractive character, but now she felt even more three-dimensional.
As if to say that such a perfect and strong Lee Yoo-joo was, after all, just a child.
“Uh, shouldn’t you say that when I’m not around?”
“Huh? But I’m just showing respect, right?”
Seo-yeon bit her lower lip and shot a glare at Jo Seo-hee. It wasn’t that she particularly disliked it; it was just a bit embarrassing.
Though Seo-yeon liked compliments, being praised so openly was rather awkward. She knew all too well about Jo Seo-hee’s acting skills. Seo-yeon, who has a strong competitive spirit, was quite concerned about what Jo Seo-hee said, being ahead of her now.
In the first place, deciding to return to the entertainment industry was influenced by Jo Seo-hee’s advertisements hanging everywhere.
“Is that why you suggested we watch the drama together today?”
“Wait, Lee Ji-yeon, that girl is coming too. I have some other things to do first.”
“What things?”
What could it be? Jo Seo-hee stole a glance at Seo-yeon who looked puzzled.
That bad girl, she really won’t let her guard down.
“Still, seeing how she comes without hesitation now, it feels like our closeness has increased, right??”
Jo Seo-hee chuckled from a place where Seo-yeon wouldn’t notice. Of course, Seo-yeon’s keen ears caught every bit of Jo Seo-hee’s ominous giggle, causing her to shiver.
“Lee Ji-yeon was right. That’s not bad.”
Jo Seo-hee knew. Recently, Seo-yeon was the one who had been actively donating? Super chatting?
“Annoying, but good at it. A genius at broadcasting? That’s the feeling from the Super Chat, making Jo Seo-hee quite happy.”
Of course, aside from that, there seemed to be a strangely intense reaction when collaborating with Ramiel…
“I guess I don’t need to worry about that.”
Thinking that, Jo Seo-hee cleared her throat.
“This.”
“What’s this?”
“This time, our family corporation opened a new amusement park.”
“?”
What’s with the amusement park and the family corporation? Seo-yeon stared blankly.
“We’re planning to have a children’s play there. How about a one-day part-time job? Your little brother would love it.”
Jo Seo-hee had seen Seo-yeon’s recent shorts. Magical Girl Harara.
What Jo Seo-hee handed over was basically an explanation for that kind of event. Naturally, Seo-yeon’s eyes began to shake violently upon receiving it.
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