Chapter 27
The drama “The Sun Hiding Behind the Moon” was undoubtedly a hit, as I had seen in my past life.
A solid storyline based on a novel, with talented actors and a young, capable director at the helm of this historical fiction.
That’s why when I was cast in this drama in place of Jo Seo-hee, the pressure was immense.
“Please let it be at least at a level similar to my past life!”
I prayed fervently, worried that I would ruin a show with a peak viewership of over 40%.
The reason I worked extra hard on this drama stemmed from that very worry.
“Let’s aim to match Jo Seo-hee’s performance.”
That was my mindset at first.
However, even Jo Seo-hee’s role in my past life saw a significant reduction, dropping the child actor segment to just the second episode.
There was no guarantee that I wouldn’t end up in a similar situation.
So, I pushed myself.
I poured everything I could into this, right to my limits.
“Seo-yeon!”
Finally, the first episode of “The Sun Hiding Behind the Moon” aired.
I had seen it once at a preview event, but watching it on TV felt entirely different.
But did it go well?
What if the public reaction was different from that of the preview?
As those worries flooded my mind, my mom burst in with a big smile.
“Director Gong Jeong-tae just contacted me! The viewership ratings surpassed a whopping 25%!!”
Twenty-five percent? Really?
As I stared at my mom, she enveloped my head with her large chest.
“S-Seriously…”
Fortunately, my mom couldn’t hold me in that embrace for long.
“Dear, you’re going to suffocate her!”
My dad pulled her away, becoming my unwitting hero in that moment.
“But~~!”
Then my mom grabbed my shoulders and started shaking me excitedly, showing even more enthusiasm than I did.
Seeing my mom so thrilled was a rare sight for me as Seo-yeon.
“What are we going to do? I heard that among all the dramas airing this year, the first episode rating is the highest! Isn’t our Seo-yeon already a big star?”
“S-surely not.”
I stumbled over my words, unable to articulate properly as she shook me.
Stop it already!
My dad didn’t seem to object to my mom’s excitement anymore; he just shrugged his shoulders.
I wished, more than anything, that he would join in to calm her down.
But 25%?!
I remembered the viewership rating of “The Sun Hiding Behind the Moon” from my past life, as it had made headlines.
I could recall that memory with eerie precision, so finding the viewership of the first episode wasn’t tricky.
Originally, Jo Seo-hee’s viewership in the first episode was 17%.
But my viewership as the lead was a solid 25%, which was 8% higher.
When I realized that,
The emotion that erupted inside me was a thrilling “I did it!”
The feeling that for the first time in my life, I had achieved something with my own hands.
“Hmm?”
At that moment, my mom scrutinized my face and smiled broadly.
“It seems our daughter is happy too, just look at that smile.”
Am I smiling?
I squeezed my chubby cheeks with my tiny hands.
Well, would you look at that, I am!
This must be what normal feels like.
It’s typical to smile effortlessly when you’re just being yourself.
I closed my eyes, feeling a bit floaty inside.
I feel good.
It was the first time.
The sense of fulfillment from working hard for something on my own.
A feeling I had never experienced in my past life.
That exhilaration made my heart race.
“I’m so glad to be an actress.”
I thought that to myself as I snuggled into my mom’s embrace.
*
The impact of the drama was unparalleled compared to advertising.
Only a few days after the first episode aired, I could feel the number of people recognizing me rising sharply.
Moreover, the most important thing was that the ‘articles’ had started pouring out.
<‘King of Action’ under threat right from the first airing; ‘We’ll show you in the next episode!’>
The articles were coming in thick and fast.
Among them, there were occasional articles about me, remarking on my impressive stable acting in the first episode.
Many questioned the transition from doing ads directly to drama.
Thanks to that, the level of attention towards me had reached unprecedented heights.
“Seo-yeon, the teacher is looking forward to episode 2!”
“Did you shoot up to episode 3? What’s going to happen next?”
In fact, the talk about me was buzzing everywhere, even in kindergarten.
Teachers who usually kept their distance now approached me, showing keen interest.
“Joo Seo-yeon, just you wait. I’ll be in a drama soon too!”
That was Lee Ji-yeon full of ambition.
“It’s great to have that attitude, but let’s change agencies first, shall we?”
“I’m going to do that without needing to be told.”
Later, I learned from my mom that Ji-yeon’s mother, Hong Jin-hee, seemed to be thoroughly researching ‘Eunha Entertainment.’
And finally got to know that they were considering moving Ji-yeon to that agency.
“She should go to the agency I recommended.”
Unfortunately, they didn’t seem to trust that place much, as they were looking elsewhere instead.
I guess there’s nothing to be done.
There were several management companies with promising prospects, so I decided to recommend those instead.
“Joo Seo-yeon.”
At that moment, Ji-yeon studied my face closely.
Then, hesitating for a rare moment, she opened her mouth.
“I heard from my mom that you…”
Her hesitation was uncharacteristic for the usual Ji-yeon.
With that attitude, I guessed she was about to ask something very specific.
Ever the confident Ji-yeon would only hesitate about one thing.
“Yeah.”
“…Really?”
“That’s what you think.”
At my words, her eyes widened in surprise, and her face scrunched up.
Clearly, she wasn’t fond of my choice in the least.
“Hmph, whatever.”
Ji-yeon pouted, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
At least this was an acceptable reaction.
“Hey, Ji-yeon.”
“Yeah?”
“Would you like to join me at the voice acting academy?”
“…What?”
Her reaction was one of disbelief, as if asking why I, an actress, would want to attend a voice acting academy.
She’s really clueless.
To be an entertainer, you typically have to acquire as many skills as possible.
Actors are no exception.
Especially in areas needing vocalization, it brings significant benefits.
There are chances later on for actors to do dubbing as well, after all.
“Although they mostly received criticism for it.”
How fantastic would it be to show off skillfully here?
It would be a golden opportunity to create a positive image in the eyes of the public.
…Of course, there is some personal gain involved too.
“Fine, let’s do that.”
Ji-yeon didn’t reject the idea, though she wore a displeased look.
Originally, Ji-yeon had been a child voice actor for a kid’s animation but received heavy criticism.
And probably retired from that shock.
Otherwise, it was hard to believe Ji-yeon would not have debuted as an actress later on.
“I wonder what she’s been up to since then.”
Ji-yeon is a talented kid.
While she might not be a born actress, she has potential and talent.
Her acting abilities were decent, and her pronunciation and vocalization were more than good enough.
“She’d do well as a voice actor.”
I nodded at Ji-yeon, staring at her intently.
And then,
I learned about what Ji-yeon from my past life had been up to in quite an unexpected place.
But that story was for a little later.
*
A few days passed since the first episode aired.
The interest in “The Sun Hiding Behind the Moon” was stronger than ever.
Especially because today was the day the highly anticipated second episode, which had made a lasting impression at the teaser and preview event, would air.
“It’s not the right time to be relaxed. ‘King of Action’ by MDC is also doing remarkably well.”
Hae-tae, the director, stressed that point multiple times to the staff, reiterating that it was not the time to celebrate.
Due to overlapping airing times and the competition in episode counts, our shows were now rivals.
In fact, when airing times coincide, the impact is felt in real-time.
“At first, we won, but it seems the ‘King of Action’ team is not overconfident about today.”
Tension filled the KMB drama team.
The viewership rating for “King of Action” was 16%,
While it was significantly lower than “The Sun Hiding Behind the Moon,” it was still a figure we couldn’t underestimate.
“But we’re confident in our second episode, right?”
“Absolutely.”
“It’s fortunate we can face them head-on. They’re just unlucky.”
Though I said that, the tension was real.
No matter how confident you are, there’s always a ‘what if.’
“…The second episode of ‘The Sun Hiding Behind the Moon’ is about to start.”
As Hae-tae’s words settled, someone swallowed hard.
Thus began the second episode.
“Our current viewership is around 15%.”
“King of Action” was likely at a similar level.
Or even slightly higher, it seemed.
“The beginning of episode 2 of ‘The Sun Hiding Behind the Moon’ won’t differ much from the first episode.”
The story revolved around young Princess Yeon-hwa and young Yoon-seo.
In that light atmosphere, things took a turn when ‘Prince Jo Young’ made his move.
“Ah! They’re undressed!”
“…Huh?”
“Why are they introducing such bold exposure right from episode 2? Oh boy.”
At that moment, the “King of Action” team featured a female lead presenting quite a daring performance.
Not just the exposure, but the direction and acting were mind-blowing.
“Well, they’ve got the audacity.”
Hae-tae grit his teeth.
You could feel the ratings shifting without needing confirmation.
“I’m counting on you, actor Yoon Jong-hyuk and Seo-yeon.”
As “King of Action” showcased flashy action sequences, the atmosphere shifted dramatically as Prince Jo Young began to move in “The Sun Hiding Behind the Moon.”
His bold strides through the palace.
The moment everyone praised in the teaser and preview event finally arrived.
The scene unfolded where I, Seo-yeon, raised my head and glared at Prince Jo Young, and the drama surged forward like a tidal wave.
Even though I had seen the footage multiple times during filming and editing, I couldn’t take my eyes off it.
And just as the drama reached its climax,
“Director!”
A staff member shouted as he checked the viewership ratings.
It seemed the ratings for episode two were confirmed.
Did we win?
Or, could it be that we lost?
“23%.”
“Excuse me?”
A 23% rating meant it had dropped from the first episode.
In that moment of shock, Hae-tae turned to look at the staff, who immediately broke into a grin.
“King of Action, you see.”
Is this guy joking right now?
Hae-tae’s brows furrowed deeply.
Although he wasn’t one to flaunt authority, it seemed he’d reached his limit.
Just when he resolved to say something,
“29%.”
“What?”
“The second episode recorded a viewership of 29%, with the peak reaching 34%.”
The rage that had built up dissipated like a sandcastle at high tide.
A general viewership of 29%, and a peak of 34%.
It didn’t take a genius to figure out when the peak had occurred.
It was the moment when Prince Jo Young and Princess Yeon-hwa collided.
“Did it really peak at 34%?”
Such numbers were typically seen in the latter stages of a drama.
Regardless of how polished “The Sun Hiding Behind the Moon” was, this was an absurdly high figure to achieve.
It was extremely rare for a second episode to reach a peak of 34%.
Over the past few years, even after combing through all dramas aired by three broadcasting companies, such occurrences were few and far between.
At that moment,
Bzzz, bzzz!!
Hae-tae’s phone rang, showing that the caller was the head of KMB’s drama department, Hwang Jeong-soo.
He was frantically trying to reach Hae-tae.
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