Episode 27
Episode 27: Flood of Attention
"1 day ago, 1.03 million views"
This number surpassed the 1 million views recorded on the first day by ‘Sound of Heart,’ which had once been called the legend of web dramas.
"Incredible…"
CEO Ji Pyeong-san refreshed the page several times in disbelief after checking the view count.
No one had expected such an explosive response at the time of release.
The teaser had recorded a decent 310,000 views on its first day, but afterward, the numbers gradually declined, stopping at a total of 990,000 views before release.
The initial response had been largely driven by fans, but in an era dominated by OTT platforms, web dramas had drifted away from mainstream attention.
So internally, the company had predicted around 300,000 views on the first day.
But the result exceeded expectations by more than three times—1.03 million views in just one day.
The reason for this explosive response was none other than Lee Jin, one of Korea’s most renowned film critics.
Lee Jin, who usually focused on film reviews, had unusually left a review for the web drama ‘The Outcast Legend.’
"Although it borrows the format of a web drama, it carries the density of a short film and delivers not the freshness of rookies but the texture of seasoned acting. ★(3.5) -Lee Jin-"
A man who rarely gave more than 3 stars to most films had awarded it 3.5 stars, a review close to high praise.
His review immediately created a ripple effect.
Viewers who came after reading his critique expressed strong reactions in the comments.
"I checked it out because a web drama got such praise… chills!"
"It really felt like watching a short film."
"The only downside is that the story skips a bit due to the short format, but otherwise it’s top-tier."
"Wasn’t Nam Si-woo known for robotic acting? Why is he so different now?"
"That rookie Baek Seung-chan—his acting is insane."
"Agreed, I got chills every time he appeared."
"This is so good! I hope they make side stories or a series."
Not only comments, but a flood of articles followed as well.
"Surpasses 1.03 million views in a single day! Rewriting web drama history."
"Rookie actors, the leaders of a new syndrome!"
"Breaks 1.03 million in just one day! The beginning of a new web drama legend."
"Kairos’s Nam Si-woo conquers not only music but acting as well."
"Who is rookie actor Baek Seung-chan?"
As public interest intensified, one week later, ‘The Outcast Legend’ surpassed 3 million views, emerging as a major hit web drama.
Today, before his meeting with CEO Ji Pyeong-san, Baek Seung-chan had a meal with Team Leader Kim Seong-ho and stopped by a café.
As they entered, the subtle aroma of coffee filled the air, and they chose seats by the window.
"Seung-chan, it’s already over 3 million views. At this rate, it might break the all-time record."
Team Leader Kim Seong-ho spoke excitedly as soon as they sat down.
"I think that’s possible."
Baek Seung-chan agreed to some extent.
Not only was the current response strong, but the likelihood of gaining even more attention was high.
For YouTubers who ran drama and movie review channels, attention meant views.
From that perspective, ‘The Outcast Legend’ was premium content, and indeed, major review YouTubers had already started uploading videos about it.
At that moment, Baek Seung-chan felt a burning gaze from behind.
Turning around, he saw two high school girls in uniforms hesitating nervously.
Their eyes were clearly fixed on him.
"What is this?"
As he tilted his head in confusion, the girls gathered their courage and approached.
"Oppa, it’s you, right?"
"Kang Hyuk—I mean, Seung-chan oppa, right?"
It was the first time he had been recognized by fans.
Something that only happened to celebrities was now happening to him.
Baek Seung-chan finally felt that he had truly become an actor.
"Yes, that’s right."
As he answered with a smile, the girls burst into laughter, delighted.
"It really is you! Oppa, I’m such a huge fan!"
"I’ve already watched ‘The Outcast Legend’ ten times!"
"Me too! And I’m going to watch it again today!"
"Thank you, both of you."
Baek Seung-chan responded warmly to their cheerful reactions.
"Oppa, could we get your autograph?"
"Me too."
"Of course. What should I sign?"
The girls quickly pulled out notebooks from their bags—but there was a problem.
They didn’t have a pen.
"What do we do? We don’t have a pen…"
"No pen…?"
Both the girls and Baek Seung-chan were momentarily flustered at the situation.
At that moment, Team Leader Kim Seong-ho quietly handed over a pen.
"Seung-chan, here."
"Thank you."
Baek Seung-chan took the marker and began signing the notebook.
As his hand moved, bold and elegant black letters filled the page.
"Wow…"
The girls watched in awe.
"Here you go."
"Oppa, could you write ‘To beloved Jiwoo’ here too?"
One of the girls made a request as she took the notebook.
"Of course."
Baek Seung-chan smiled and wrote the message.
"Oppa! We’ll keep supporting you!"
"Yes! Don’t forget us!"
After taking photos together, the girls left, and Baek Seung-chan returned to his seat.
Buzz—buzz—.
The pager on the table vibrated, signaling that their coffee was ready.
"I’ll go get—"
"I’ll get it. Please stay seated."
Baek Seung-chan quickly stood up and headed to the counter.
"Here you go."
"Your order is ready."
As he reached for the tray, he paused.
"I only ordered coffee, though?"
On the tray were two iced Americanos—and two slices of cake.
"It’s a service from a fan. I really enjoyed the drama."
"Ah, thank you. But I’ll pay for it."
"No, it’s really okay! I’m a big fan. If you pay, it’ll feel like I forced it on you. Instead, could I get an autograph and a photo?"
"Alright."
Unable to refuse the staff’s insistence, Baek Seung-chan accepted the cake and took photos and gave an autograph instead.
After that, several more fans recognized him and asked for autographs, and Baek Seung-chan began to truly feel his rising popularity.
At the age of thirty-five, Go Dong-man, the CEO of ‘Insaeng Chicken’ with over 100 franchise stores, had his life changed when he first tasted chicken his father bought him at the age of eight.
The crispy exterior and tender, melting meat inside.
It was the most delicious food of his life.
From that day on, chicken became his soul food and an inseparable part of his life.
In high school, he even worked part-time just to eat chicken every day.
His passion led him to try every kind of chicken—from traditional market chicken to famous restaurants and major franchises across the country.
His dedication earned him recognition in chicken communities, giving him the nickname “Chicken Sommelier.”
He loved chicken and knew more about it than anyone.
But a major turning point came in his life.
Five years ago, the price of chicken suddenly exceeded 20,000 won.
"Chicken is supposed to be food for ordinary people… this makes no sense."
Feeling betrayed, he made a decision that night.
He quit his job and decided to open his own chicken restaurant called ‘Insaeng Chicken.’
"Are you crazy?"
"You’re quitting your job because chicken got expensive?"
"Insaeng Chicken? Sounds like you’re ruining your life."
"Go apologize and cancel your resignation while you still can!"
Despite the criticism, he didn’t waver.
He knew chicken better than anyone and was confident in his success.
And the result? Just as he expected.
Within a year, his restaurant surpassed major franchises and became the top local hotspot.
His success was no coincidence.
He had tasted nearly every famous chicken brand in Korea and understood their strengths and weaknesses better than anyone.
By combining their strengths, he created the perfect flavor.
Another factor was price.
He sold a whole chicken for just 8,000 won.
Since his business started from a sense of betrayal over rising prices, affordability was essential.
Cheap and delicious.
If that formula didn’t succeed, that would be stranger.
With this success, he expanded into a franchise.
Low franchise fees and high profitability led to a surge in applications, and within just four years, he built a chain of over 100 stores across Seoul and Gyeonggi.
However, even he had concerns recently.
The growth of ‘Insaeng Chicken’ had begun to slow.
"Should I start advertising…"
Until now, he had never used advertisements or celebrity endorsements.
Advertising would inevitably increase costs, and the business had grown well without it.
But recently, limits were becoming apparent.
Other franchises were boosting sales with celebrity ads and YouTuber promotions, while his sales were declining.
Yet he couldn’t follow the same approach.
His franchise operated on minimal fees and near-cost ingredient supply to keep prices low.
Paying high advertising fees would inevitably force him to raise prices.
"Is there someone like Mayu out there?"
Mayu.
A pizza franchise had once achieved massive success by hiring her as a model when she was still a rookie, at a low cost.
Buzz—buzz—.
At that moment, his phone vibrated loudly.
It was a group chat with his friends.
"What are these guys up to now?"
He checked the messages to clear his head.
"Have you seen this? It’s a web drama, but it’s insanely good."
"I watched it too. Feels like a movie."
His friends were sharing a link to ‘The Outcast Legend’ and chatting excitedly.
"What is this that’s got everyone so worked up?"
Out of curiosity, he clicked the link and started watching ‘The Outcast Legend.’