Episode 79
PD Kim Seon-ye, who had been looking at me with trembling eyes, quickly regained her composure and said nonchalantly,
“Our Girl 100 participants, huh? Does that name have any relevance?”
Her eyes carried the question, ‘What on earth are you talking about?’
It seems she decided to play innocent.
But isn’t it a bit late for that now?
“Accusing us of vote manipulation is a dangerous and offensive claim. As the PD of this broadcast, I can’t let such things…”
“Wait! PD! You’ve spilled your coffee! Was there something surprising happening?”
“…Surprised.”
“I didn’t mean to startle you! But it seems my knowledge has caught you off guard. Sorry about that!”
“….”
As Kim Seon-ye stared at my fuss with a blank look, she seemed to find it funny that she was acting clueless now, chuckling to herself before glaring at me,
“How did you know? Hardly anyone knows—there can’t be more than twenty people who do!”
Anyone interested in the entertainment industry wouldn’t miss out on that.
Besides, I know everything—the names of those going to jail and how long their sentences will be.
…Of course, I can’t exactly say that out loud.
“I have a wide network, you see. That means I hear a lot of stories. Honestly, the source doesn’t matter in this situation.”
Kim Seon-ye rested her chin on her hand, pondered for a moment, then sighed and muttered,
“How annoying.”
You’re not the only one.
“Let’s summarize. The reason this situation is a crisis isn’t because the broadcast’s image is ruined, but because the initial plan to debut 11 members has fallen apart. I’m sure you had prepared a variety of narratives for growth characters, charm characters, and perfection characters, aiming for a stable lineup of 11, but only 3 made it to Class A! That’s what truly derailed the plot.”
The crisis is the manipulation broadcast failing to manipulate.
“To put it more accurately, the big issue is that you’ve shown the agencies behind you that this broadcast could slip from your control, and it started from the very first episode.”
And this crisis is closer to being Kim Seon-ye’s personal crisis than a broadcasting crisis.
That gal is thirsty enough herself.
Thus, there was no need to play the subordinate in negotiations.
“Since we’ve established that we’re both on the same page about this situation being a crisis, can we talk about a deal now?”
I needed Kim Seon-ye, and it seemed she needed me too. But she said something that suggested she didn’t think so.
I needed her, and Kim Seon-ye needed me too. But she replied as if she didn’t think so.
“Isn’t that something that only works when you can give and take something equally? What can Team Leader Seon offer me?”
“A new narrative that can stabilize the broadcast or definitely secure 11 people.”
“…Narrative?”
Why are you pretending not to know?
“Can you remove Gyeoul right now?”
“I’m the PD of this broadcast. If I set my mind to it, I can do anything.”
“If you set your mind to it, of course you could. But the backlash would be fierce. Everyone can predict the reactions of the viewers if you intentionally exclude only three members of A Class, right?”
It’s not a joke; the broadcast would seriously go down the drain.
“I think that’s why you called me here. ‘Since I can’t just remove her, I should completely turn her into an unlikable character to elevate the image of the 11 members,’ and ‘If I just say it, she won’t take it, so I need to instill a little fear,’ that sort of thinking, right?”
Rather than denying my words, she clicked her tongue and replied.
“You have a knack for making unpleasant comments.”
Isn’t that your problem for having unpleasant intentions?
“The situation isn’t pleasant, so that’s why. I want to speak nicely to PD Kim Seon-ye and build a healthy relationship.”
I smiled lightly to seem friendly and then said,
“In that sense, I have a suggestion. I will take on the unlikable role that you intended for Gyeoul. As cleanly as something that can’t be achieved with malicious editing.”
“…Are you saying you’ll do that? You pulled the situation this far to not be swayed by me?”
“Of course, there are conditions. That’s why I mentioned it as a transaction.”
There are 18 members left until the final episode.
Gyeoul must be among them.
“Please make sure she is included in the 18 during the live broadcast of the final episode.”
“…So you want her to stay until the final episode?”
“That’s right. And her performance during that process should also be top-notch. Gyeoul needs to become the mountain to climb.”
The voting results are determined solely by Kim Seon-ye.
If she decides, it’s possible to suddenly drop Gyeoul around episode 5 or 6.
As the final episode approaches, interest in a mid-season dropout from Girl 100 won’t be high at all.
Since Girl 100 is a manipulated broadcast, I absolutely need to secure that woman’s cooperation.
Kim Seon-ye laughed at me.
“Isn’t this a story where only I come out at a loss?”
“Isn’t it a story we’re watching?”
“No. I don’t understand why the PD hasn’t thought of this. We’re directing with a writer on board, dozens of cameras for interviews, and even filming logs—what’s the point?”
“To create a story.”
“But it’s lacking.”
“That’s just the phenomenon.”
“To increase immersion, right?”
“Still lacking.”
“That’s the process. You need to talk about the results.”
“…To improve the viewership ratings.”
Only then did I manage a satisfied smile and said, “That’s correct.”
“The viewership ratings you desire to madness—that’s what we gain through our deal.”
“Now I’ll state my conditions. I agree with Winter taking on an unlikable role. But it mustn’t be done in a cheap way. Creating a third-rate villain for clickbait is just short-term ratings, and it won’t help in the long run.”
Kim Seon-ye expressed her irritation, saying, “Then what do you expect us to do?”
“Did the fruit get killed? Seon-ye, don’t you get this?”
“Let’s make Winter an attractive villain. Even as a villain, she should be responsible for the quality of the plot, pulling in fans.”
Only then did Kim Seon-ye seem to start visualizing the idea in her head, falling silent as she pondered.
After some time passed, she finally spoke up, “…I think the concept of an arrogant genius could work.”
“Exactly.”
I couldn’t hide my smile and added to her statement, “She should have a naturalness that implies no malicious intent in her words.”
“Of course, that requires overwhelming skill as a prerequisite.”
“That’s already been demonstrated; what remains is how dramatically we can enhance it through editing.”
Then Kim Seon-ye, as if refusing to be outdone, added, “An exclusivity that others don’t understand.”
“Nothing creates discomfort quite like that. Winter’s cold beauty makes it easy to craft her image.”
“And yet, highlighting her clumsy side creates a gap.”
“Something like a sports day would fit. Even if we dress her in animal pajamas, it’ll reveal a gap that wasn’t there before.”
“There also has to be a process of the competing kids acknowledging each other.”
“The emotion of friendship always sells well. It will elevate the likability of the entire trainee group while also adding a narrative of personal growth.”
“I will add more.”
“Until the very end of deciding the 11 debut members, we need to hold back that one step.”
“Conflict resolution is perfect for the finale.”
“During that process, the viewers will be unable to leave.”
“And all of that will resonate in the ratings.”
They took turns exchanging words, stacking them like blocks.
As a result, a clear tower stood before us.
“What do you think will happen if this narrative is delivered properly to the viewers?”
Both Kim Seon-ye and I answered at the same time.
“‘It will be successful.’”
Whether it was the joy of it or not, Kim Seon-ye started to giggle, and before long, she was holding her belly in laughter. Once her hearty laugh subsided, she extended her hand for a handshake and said to me.
“I don’t like you.”
“That’s unfortunate. I actually like PD Kim.”
“Flattery is already too late, so I don’t need it.”
That’s quite a cold judgment, isn’t it?
“Still, I’ll admit that you might help the ratings. It’s true that I’m obsessed with ratings.”
I also laughed, shook her hand, and replied.
“I’m a bit of a ratings-obsessed weirdo too.”
*
After leaving the editing room, I took out the ballpoint pen recorder I had tucked in my front pocket and checked its status.
Everything had been recorded perfectly.
Including the acknowledgment that Kim Seon-ye had manipulated the broadcast.
I hummed a tune while heading home.
“Seon-ye, in such an important position, make sure recording becomes a habit.”
*
As bedtime approached, Kim Yujin, lying next to me, was snoring, while Gyeoul, lying on the accommodation’s wooden platform with her eyes closed, thought.
“I shouldn’t have done that…”
Today… no, actually, from the moment the appearance of Girl 100 was decided, Gyeoul had shown a lot of dependence on Taeyang.
This was the opposite of what she intended—becoming a person who could stand alone so that Taeyang’s attention would focus more on Gaeul.
“Get a grip. If I reveal my emotions like that, everything will fall apart. And I might not be able to stay next to Teacher Taeyang.”
That was truly a frightening prospect for Gyeoul.
She vowed not to show the same behavior in the days to come and fell asleep.
[You have been selected as an appropriate target. ‘Memory of Possibility’ will be used.]
At that moment, a message appeared before her eyes.
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