37 - Veteran Actors' Warm Welcome
As Suhyeon opened the door to the waiting room and stepped inside, the actors' managers, stylists, makeup artists, and others broke into applause to greet him. In particular, Manager Baek Seongcheol, who had come with Suhyeon, was clapping the hardest, his palms practically turning red.
Caught off guard by the unexpected warm reception, Suhyeon scratched his head awkwardly and bowed in thanks. Just then, Seong Kang-ho burst into the room, shouting,
"Suhyeon! Aigoo, our smart Suhyeon. How are you so sharp and on point?"
As Seong Kang-ho approached and wrapped his strong arms around Suhyeon's neck in a tight hug, Suhyeon pounded on his arms and cried out,
"Agh! Sunbae-nim, I surrender! I surrender!"
At that moment, Kim Hae-su, who had walked in and seen the scene, yelled in a high-pitched tone,
"Seong Kang-ho sunbae! Why are you grabbing the kid like that?!"
Seong Kang-ho loosened his grip on Suhyeon's neck with a sly slide and said,
"What do you mean grabbing? It's just how guys show they're close, you know? Close."
As Suhyeon rubbed his neck and stood there, Kim Hae-su approached and suddenly pulled him into a tight embrace.
"Your acting was great, and the way you speak is so articulate and smooth... A guy needs that kind of presence. You were awesome today."
After patting his back a few times and releasing the hug, Kim Hae-su looked at Suhyeon, who was frozen stiff from the surprise embrace, and said,
"Suhyeon-ssi—no, Suhyeon-ah. From now on, I'm dropping the formalities, so you call me noona comfortably too."
"...Pardon? Noona?"
"What? You don't like it? Do I look like someone who asks just anyone to call me noona?"
"No, it's not that."
"Then why?"
Suhyeon hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth.
"My mom was born in '71, so she's 47 this year..."
Cutting him off, Kim Hae-su shouted in a sharp voice,
"Hey!! Just call me noona!"
"Yes, got it. Noona."
Startled by Kim Hae-su's shouting, Suhyeon called her noona, and Seong Kang-ho, standing nearby, muttered sarcastically,
"Noona my ass... She's older than Suhyeon's mom..."
"Sunbae! You wanna die?!"
"No, I'm just stating facts. Facts..."
To change the mood, Suhyeon chimed in,
"Seong Kang-ho sunbae-nim, I've got a question..."
Interrupting him, Seong Kang-ho said,
"Hey, call me hyung. Hyung. Who's noona and who's sunbae? Hae-su and I are only three years apart."
Then Kim Hae-su, seeking revenge, muttered sarcastically,
"Hyung my ass... A married guy with a 22-year-old kid saying nonsense like that..."
"Hae-su-ya! Between guys, even if there's an age gap, in the industry it's hyung and dongsaeng."
Suhyeon watched the two veteran actors bicker for a moment, sighed, and replied,
"Haa... Alright, hyung-nim. But the press conference just wrapped up—don't you think everyone's hyped a bit too much? The drama hasn't even aired yet... Am I the only one feeling weird about this?"
Seong Kang-ho let out a short chuckle at Suhyeon's words and answered,
"Suhyeon-ah, when shooting a drama at the broadcasting station, what do you think is the most important thing?"
"Hmm, I'm new to dramas, so I don't know for sure, but... A solid script from the writer, great direction from the PD, outstanding acting from the cast—those must be key, right? Plus theme songs, sound, costumes, props, and such."
"Kid, those are all basics. Basics. No drama gets made without that level of planning, especially not on public broadcast."
"Then what is it?"
"Ratings. Ratings are the most important in a drama. No matter how good the script or acting, if the ratings flop, the drama's dead. And for those crucial ratings to hit big, there's one absolute must-have. Know what it is?"
"No idea."
"Buzz. Buzz. You gotta grab the public's attention right from the start. That's how the drama launches stably and builds ratings gradually."
"Ah..."
"Sure, with me and Hae-su co-starring, there's some baseline buzz since we're known for solid acting. But that's basic too. Then you pop up out of nowhere like a wild card and set everything on fire. Once that press conference video hits the internet, it's gonna explode. And the news outlets are probably flooding with stories already."
Kim Hae-su, who had been listening quietly, added,
"With this level of buzz, the drama's early ratings are in the bag. Then we push forward with acting chops and direction like you said. We've already vetted the direction and script thoroughly, so no issues there. Seong Kang-ho sunbae and I have confidence in our acting too... You know how much money they pour into ads just to hook viewers early? And still, tons of dramas flop without attention."
Just then, Producer Kang Min-cheol and playwright Jeong Su-hee entered the waiting room. Jeong, with an emotional expression, approached Suhyeon, grabbed his hand without warning, and said,
"I've seen clips on SNS from Problematic Human and fans of you solving Sudoku. I knew you were good with numbers and mental math, but I had no idea you were this much of a genius. And your words—how are they so witty and fun?"
Kim Hae-su cut in,
"Whoa, Jeong writer-nim. Let go of my dongsaeng Suhyeon's hand first. A female writer grabbing a male actor's hand so casually? Gotta keep some propriety."
Jeong Su-hee shot back with a look of disbelief,
"Hey, you bitch. We're both old enough to be Suhyeon-ssi’s mom—dongsaeng? What?"
"This bitch... I was respecting you as a writer, and look at what you're saying?"
As the two suddenly went at it, Suhyeon froze with a stunned face. Seong Kang-ho patted his shoulder and said,
"They're middle and high school classmates. Same university too, just different majors. Close friends, so don't be too shocked. Hae-su decided to star because it was Jeong's script—she'd planned to take a break. That's why I joined the drama too."
"Ahh, I see. Honestly... I nearly had a panic attack for a second there."
Kang Min-cheol, beaming happily, approached Suhyeon and said,
"Thanks to you, Suhyeon-ssi, our drama's blowing up online and on SNS right now. Headlines like 'Genius Hits the Drama Scene' are pouring in. Once the video drops, it'll get even hotter. You're giving our drama perfect PR."
"No, PD-nim, I didn't do much..."
"Nonsense. Sure, people were interested because of Seong Kang-ho-ssi and Kim Hae-su-ssi, but it's this hot solely because of you. No need to be so humble. And... since you're here, can I ask a favor while I'm at it?"
"Sure, go ahead."
A little later, in the car heading back to the YK building, Suhyeon asked his manager,
"Seongcheol hyung, you seem thrilled. You've been grinning non-stop."
"Of course. My idol's killing it—why wouldn't I be? No one does this job for the pay. It's all for moments like this. I'm buzzing right now."
"If you're happy, hyung, that makes me happy too."
"But seriously, how do you do that mental math? I couldn't pull it off even in my dreams."
Suhyeon chuckled at the manager's words.
What, I literally died and came back, so yeah.
"Anyone who knows multiplication tables can do it. The key is remembering the numbers you calculate accurately. That way, you can add or subtract in the next step. My memory's decent, and my head spins fast too."
"Easier said than done."
"Even if you can't, it doesn't hold you back in life. Hyung, you heard what the PD said earlier, right?"
"Yeah, asking you to guest on a KBC variety show. He sees potential in you. Strike while the iron's hot—get you on another show to promo the drama while you're trending."
"If the PD's asking like that, I should probably do it. What show would work? Can't overlap with ones where the leads appear... And the air time should align somewhat with the drama schedule."
"Right. Quiz shows like 1:200 or Match Our Words—you turned those down recently, so booking now might look fishy?"
"Yeah, feels too obvious. What else is good?"
"Big ones like Happy Tomorrow take forever from filming to air, even if we lock in a date now. A quick cameo on Gag Concerto wouldn't have much impact... One show comes to mind that's easy for you to do, quick to edit, and airs fast."
"Which one?"
"But it doesn't pull great ratings. Not popular with young folks either."
"What is it? Tell me the name at least."
"It's called Authentic Masterpieces... A hyung of mine is the PD. Airs Sunday mornings, mostly watched by older folks, so it barely gets mentions on news or SNS."
"Hmm, sounds fine. The one where regular people bring antiques like old pottery or paintings for appraisal, right? No prep needed—just show up."
"It'd work, but prepping something would be better."
"Prep? Like bringing an antique from home? We don't have any."
"Nah, not that. Celebs sometimes bring stuff they've made, like pottery or paintings, to show off. It'd be nice, but most just go empty-handed. I'll text the PD hyung first."
The car stopped at a red light, and Baek Seongcheol quickly fired off a text with nimble fingers. Soon, his phone rang.
"Must be the Authentic Masterpieces PD hyung."
Plugging in his earphones, the manager took the call.
"Hyung, it's me, Seongcheol. Yeah... Oh, sorry."
[...]
"Pardon? Right now? Ah, I see."
[...]
"Got it. No problem. Yeah, yeah. Heading there now."
As soon as he hung up, the manager flicked on the turn signal, swerved into the U-turn lane, and said,
"Suhyeon-ah, that call wasn't from the Authentic Masterpieces PD. It was from the drama staff—asking if we can head back to the hotel right away."
"Huh? Why? Did something go wrong at the press conference?"
"Because... Hold on. Let me turn the car around first, then I'll explain."