Chapter 185

“Did you see it? Sky Garden?”

“Yesterday? Wow, I couldn’t predict what would happen next at all.”

“Right? I thought it was a thriller, but it turned out not to be.”

Once the ratings for Sky Garden started to bounce back, they just kept climbing.

I thought it would cap out at 18 percent, but the next week it was 20 percent.

And then the following week it rose to 22 percent.

With ratings being refreshed every week, Sky Garden, which was already grabbing people’s attention, began to appeal to the general public beyond just its core viewers.

This marked the point where the drama started to exert its influence.

There comes a time when all sorts of broadcasts and variety shows start talking about the hit drama.

At this point, the broadcasting station realized they needed to support this drama.

And it was a time when there wouldn’t be any backlash for doing so.

Sky Garden had just crossed that critical line.

“Let’s have a special segment for Sky Garden on this variety show.”

“Do we have any footage from previous shoots? You know, with all the incidents.”

“Is there really a need to prepare already? It’s only at 22 percent…”

“What are you talking about? Disregarding ratings like that? 22 percent is a massive hit.”

Plus, people’s attention was shifting towards OTT dramas.

With video platforms like YouTube coming into prominence, the strength of terrestrial broadcasting had weakened.

In that context, a drama surpassing 20 percent in ratings appeared.

Grand Game hit 20 percent too, but it couldn’t maintain it and dropped, causing the broadcasting station’s efforts to stall.

Sky Garden was perfectly filling that void right now.

“Hey, PD. Can we get in touch with Seo-yeon? Is there anything special planned?”

“Uh? I think Seo-yeon’s schedule is a bit tight, so it might be hard.”

“What? What kind of busy schedule does a child actor have?”

But nobody could deny that Seo-yeon was indeed busy.

Recently, she had been working her socks off.

She had appeared in Golden Duckling and Masked Singer back-to-back.

Plus, she had been featured in Harara shorts and even a children’s play.

Each of those appearances had an impact on Sky Garden.

There wasn’t a single one that didn’t create a buzz.

How was this even possible?

“PD, don’t you feel great? Isn’t Sky Garden renewing its ratings again this week?”

“I hope so! I really wish it would finally hit 30 percent.”

“Ah, that’s asking too much. That kind of rating is something we saw 10 years ago.”

PD Lee Min-hwa chuckled knowingly.

If a drama was hitting ratings over 30 percent at this point, it would be on the same level as dramas that used to shake the country.

Of course, given the times, it might not feel as explosive, but from the broadcasting station’s perspective, it was a big deal.

“…But is she really that busy? Isn’t this a big opportunity for Seo-yeon?”

“She’s already out and about, even when we aren’t involved.”

“Still…”

“I think she’s working on something related to a new movie.”

Lee Min-hwa didn’t want to put too much pressure on Seo-yeon.

After all, this wouldn’t be a one-time gig, and she wanted things to go as smoothly as possible.

“Have you heard which next drama she’s filming? I want to get in on that.”

“Wait, are you really assuming every drama Seo-yeon stars in will be a hit?”

“Yeah? Isn’t that the case?”

As PD Lee thought about her colleague’s words, the realization hit her.

Oh right?

She only has one movie now, but thinking back to her child actor days, she was in three dramas now.

And all of them have been record-breaking hits.

Dream Future might be a notch below Sky Garden, but it had rekindled the spirits of the dismal drama department. Now, what Sky Garden would become was anyone’s guess.
“Sky Garden” may not be as great, but it’s the drama that sparked a spark in the morose Drama Department. Now, who knows where “Sky Garden” will end up?

“Do you think Seo-yeon will win the acting award this year?”

“Well, she’s definitely the most likely candidate.”

There were many fierce dramas this year. However, since “Sky Garden,” which aired relatively later in the year, became a record hit, it was practically guaranteed to win.

“Winning an acting award right after coming back…!”

PD Lee Min-hwa chuckled. Sometimes she felt that talent actually exists.

*

“Seo-yeon, Éclat Étoile and Aids just contacted me, asking if you’d be interested in filming another ad?”

Manager Park Eun-ha said with a beaming smile, but Seo-yeon, sitting in the back seat of the van, looked super focused with a serious face, seemingly not hearing a word Park Eun-ha said.

Park Eun-ha quickly figured out the reason for Seo-yeon’s intense focus.

‘She’s replying to comments.’

Watching Seo-yeon, who was fighting to defend her reputation online, Park Eun-ha couldn’t help but chuckle. Recently, after Seo-yeon started doing theater and with various shorts circulating online, Park Eun-ha learned something new about her.

‘I thought she was someone far removed from embarrassment or nerves.’

Despite her stone-faced expression, which made her seem emotionally flat, the reality was quite different. She didn’t express her feelings much, but they were quite rich internally.

In fact, for those who had grown accustomed to her, it was almost too easy to see what thoughts and feelings she was harboring at any given moment.

The ability to convey emotions clearly in her acting probably stemmed from this disposition.

In other words, it was easy for her to evoke emotional resonance in others.

‘From Aids or Éclat Étoile’s perspective, they must be desperate.’

Park Eun-ha had already heard that the sales of the two brands that recently signed Seo-yeon as a model were breaking records day after day.

Éclat Étoile had revered Seo-yeon like a deity for a long time, but Aids was also lost for words after tasting the success this time around.

[Lee Yoo-joo Chair, Aids. Continues to rise.]
[‘Lee Yoo-joo Chair’ sold out frenzy. Aids promises to quickly restock.]
[smiling Aids amidst the sold-out frenzy.]

All the chairs in “Sky Garden” were sponsored by Aids. Especially, the chair that the protagonist Lee Yoo-joo used while studying was from Aids.

Thus, it became known as the “Lee Yoo-joo chair,” to the point where it was impossible to keep it in stock.

“Actor Joo Seo-yeon, please let us know if you have time. We’re launching a new brand soon…”

Seeing Advertising Planning Team Leader Kwak Hyun-woo speak so enthusiastically after being indifferent before made Park Eun-ha genuinely happy.

She had already mentioned it to Seo-yeon, but it seemed Seo-yeon wasn’t particularly thinking beyond that.

“I wanted to be an honor student but ended up as a magical girl.”

It was an answer that felt both familiar and confusing. A complex mix of melancholic yet strangely content emotions emanated from Seo-yeon.

Anyway, she was still battling against what were essentially smear comments about her.

– Joo Seo-yeon, tsk tsk, you can’t fool me by suddenly acting cute!

└ What? Seo-yeon was always cute, right?

└ Seo-yeon, turn off the Wi-Fi at the broadcasting station!

└ But honestly, she was totally cute this time, haha!

– Is she a big fan of Joo Seo-yeon? She really does that all the time, just ban her already.

– But I’d admit that Joo Seo-yeon is inherently cute. I’ve known that since her survival show!
I knew it.

└ Isn’t that when Joo Seo-yeon’s gorilla meme started?

– What does “starting point” mean, folks? Is it like ankle amputation?

– Hey hey hey;;

About that vibe.

I bet they’re still commenting like that right now.

Of course, Seo-yeon’s comments were just one of those.

Sometimes, when things heat up, suspicious accounts pop up to defend Seo-yeon.

Thinking of Seo-yeon’s comments and chuckling, Park Eun-ha suddenly recalled a recent message she received.

“Hey, Seo-yeon.”

“…….”

“Seo-yeon?”

“Ah, yes?”

Seo-yeon replied hurriedly while turning off her smartphone, her face showing a level of calm that was amusing, almost like a puppy claiming it did nothing wrong by sneakily glancing up to the right corner.

“This time, the Gyeongseong Young Lady shoot. About Lee Sang-soo.”

“Yes.”

“The word is it’s about time to get started.”

“Oh, the test?”

“That’s right. There have been quite a few issues with Gyeongseong Young Lady lately, but it seems like things are settling down now.”

Seo-yeon nodded at Park Eun-ha’s words.

Recently, several actors scheduled to appear in [Gyeongseong Young Lady] had dropped out.

Right now, the actor for the role of ‘Koto Isamu,’ Michiko’s butler, played by Jo Seo-hee, was one of them.

“I think the name was Kang Seo-hyuk.”

He was a well-known veteran actor in the industry.

I heard Director Baek Min was a fan and had worked hard to get him on board for this movie.

But just before the shoot, he backed out along with a few other actors.

Naturally, this shook the [Gyeongseong Young Lady] team’s preparations significantly.

Having managed to stabilize the situation, it was now time to confirm the performance of Lee Sang-soo, who would take on the role of Koto Isamu.

“He’s probably out fishing right now.”

Seo-yeon mainly handled communication about Lee Sang-soo.

After all, she had gotten close through [Star Fisher].

She was the one who relayed the news about the test.

Honestly, she felt a bit nervous reaching out, but surprisingly Lee Sang-soo accepted it readily.

“Honestly, it’s probably just a formality.”

At first, she thought Director Baek Min was quite strict.

But reflecting on it, this test had several reasons behind it.

“For both Lee Sang-soo and Director Baek Min.”

From Lee Sang-soo’s perspective, it’s only natural to be suspicious of a director who offers him a role just based on reputation.

From Director Baek Min’s perspective, Lee Sang-soo hadn’t acted in a long time.

Other actors would also doubt his performance.

People, once they fail big, can see everything they’ve built collapse easily.

Lee Sang-soo was in a similar situation.

He had once been a representative actor of South Korea, but his image took a huge hit due to failure in Hollywood.

It’s likely that his inability to easily return to action contributed to the anxiety that he might actually have become washed-up.

The suspicion sprouted within himself.

This test is a reflection of that.

It’s formal, but it doesn’t mean it lacks significance.

“I heard that Lee Sang-soo’s participation is a secret from the other actors.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, they’ll probably reveal it when it’s confirmed.”

Director Baek Min is certainly meticulous.

Seo-yeon thought to herself while calculating the dates.

If they’re doing the test now, it means the actual shoot for the young lady will start around the end of this year, likely between November and December.

“About a month left.”

She had to be careful to ensure schedules wouldn’t overlap unexpectedly.

At the year’s end, there were two major shootings planned.

‘Mine’ and ‘Gyeongseong Young Lady’.

I’ve heard that ‘Mine’ might pivot towards OTT platforms rather than a theatrical release.
There are rumors that “Mine” is shifting its focus more towards OTT rather than a domestic theatrical release.

That’s why the filming is delayed right now.

“Then does that mean it’s not a movie, but a drama?”

It raises that question, but it’s not a bad choice.

Entering at this time has a lot of advantages in many ways.

“And finally…”

Seo-yeon checked the date she had marked on her smartphone again and again.

Both “Mine” and “Gyeongseong Young Lady” were important, but there was a shoot that was more important than anything else for her.

There was one audition for the second half of this year.

Auditions for several movies overlapped in the second half, so it wasn’t much of a hot topic.

The audition for “Seoul Escape.”

A film dealing with a disaster caused by biochemical terrorism.

It was none other than Director Jo Bang-woo’s final work.

*

“Ahhhh!! Oppa!!”

“Please take a look here just once!!!”

Park Jung-woo waved to his fans with a smile while walking down the street.

Was there a special fan meeting today?

Not particularly.

He had just gone shopping without any real thought.

The problem was that he really went shopping without any thought at all.

“I should have covered my face.”

That was quite careless of him.

He thought it was fine to be seen since, for a while, only a few people came to get his autograph.

However, after the OTT drama he recently filmed received quite a positive response internationally, things changed.

“This drama is really awesome! It’s a true masterpiece!”

“Absolutely, it’s the best!!”

“Thank you.”

Though Park Jung-woo smiled and waved at the fans’ words, he was honestly bewildered.

“Hasn’t that been out for a while? What’s with the sudden hype now?”

In reality, it hadn’t received a great reception in Korea.

But suddenly, as it topped international charts, even those who had criticized it began to take a look.

Once it hit number one overseas, it suddenly became something meaningful and significant.

The director’s worldview was clear and original… Anyway, it transformed into something like that.

“What will the next work be?! I’ll definitely watch it when it comes out!!”

At the fans’ shouts, Park Jung-woo hesitated for a moment.

He hadn’t really decided anything specific.

However, he had thought of something.

“That is…”

In that moment, as he smiled and was about to respond to the fans, a woman mixed among them caught his eye, waving at him.

Wearing sunglasses and a hat, she looked like a suspicious masked person.

He tried to ignore it at first.

No, he successfully ignored it.

Was she out of her mind?

With so many people around.

Thinking that, he tried to turn away.

But his back wouldn’t turn.

“?”

The moment a question mark floated above Park Jung-woo’s head, he suddenly felt the woman grab his arm.

“Why are you running away?”

“Such a…”

Just as he was about to say “crazy,” Park Jung-woo found himself being pulled away.

No, he was practically half-dragged away.

In the blink of an eye.

It was akin to a ninja appearing out of nowhere.

“Wait? Oppa?”

“Is it for movie shooting?”

In the sudden situation, the fans following Park Jung-woo could only freeze in place.

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