CHAPTER 011: The Ad Goes On Air
CHAPTER 011: The Ad Goes On Air
A woman with a ponytail came home from work, kicked her socks off the moment she walked in, and turned on the air conditioner.
“Ugh, it’s hot. So hot.”
As cool air poured down, she sank back into the sofa like she was collapsing and pulled out her phone first thing.
Out of habit, she opened SNS and started checking her feed.
She scrolled and scrolled through friends’ photos, until her finger stopped on a recommended short: Ryu Sunho’s “Brave Citizen Award” clip.
‘He’s seriously handsome.’
Until a few months ago, she’d been a hardcore fan of a male idol group.
But her bias had caused a scandal, and she’d quit being a fan.
‘You’re barely an adult and you go clubbing, drink, and drive drunk.’
She’d needed time to patch her heart back together.
Then, by chance, she saw Ryu Sunho on an online community.
His boyish, refreshing looks hit her at first sight.
And it wasn’t just his face.
He’d rescued a driver from a car with flames shooting up and received a Brave Citizen Award.
That was the moment she made up her mind.
‘Yeah. Why am I even stanning idols? I should just live my real life.’
Idols drowning in public love were out here committing drunk driving.
Meanwhile, an unknown regular guy risked himself to save someone.
The contrast made her feel even more attached to Ryu Sunho.
‘Should I go watch the interview again?’
With practiced hands, she opened the community site she visited often.
But the board looked way more active than usual.
‘What? Did something happen?’
The title of the trending post pinned at the top:
[People are saying this ad model’s “refreshing vibe” just exploded]
The comments had passed 1,000.
What the hell happened?
With a tight feeling in her chest, she opened the post.
“Huh?”
A familiar face appeared.
A boy in a school uniform, drenched in sweat, smiling like sunlight.
It was Ryu Sunho.
A series of captured images showed that happy smile—so warm it made the viewer smile too.
Every one of the thousand-plus comments was gushing over his face.
• His face is literally youth itself
• I stared for 10 minutes and my screen saver came on, and my face reflected in the monitor;;
└ Did you smash the monitor?
└ Already smashed it. Shipping it out now^^
• I don’t even know how many times I’ve watched this ad;;
└ I’m watching again while typing this and my heart trembles at the final smile..
└ One face and boom, a whole youth-drama arc built
An ad?
She couldn’t stand not knowing.
She immediately dug through YouTube and found the commercial.
“It pops right up!”
With a gentle piano, Ryu Sunho in a school uniform walked down a hallway.
Then he suddenly turned and began running in the opposite direction.
“Woah…”
On screen, he pushed through obstacles and a headwind.
His running looked like a painting.
But what shone even more was—
“That expression…”
When he opened the door and the music swelled, the wind changed direction.
Ryu Sunho stood before a cherry blossom tree.
The smile blooming on his face overflowed with a happiness and exhilaration that couldn’t be put into words.
With that fresh smile, he looked up at the sky and drank Mate with a clean, refreshing feel.
“This is… an ad? It’s basically a movie…”
Without realizing it, she watched it over and over, mouth slightly open.
[When you overcome fear and move forward in your own direction, the headwind becomes the wind that pushes you.]
The copy under the screen hit her straight in the chest.
“My own direction…”
She focused again on Ryu Sunho’s face.
Without a single line of dialogue, he was delivering everything through expression alone.
The smile of triumph when he finally reached where he wanted to go, after overcoming fear.
‘How can you express this kind of emotion without saying a single word?’
Something warm touched her fingertips.
When she touched her cheek, tears were already running.
“He’s insane…”
The YouTube comments were the same.
• ㅠㅠㅠ this refreshing vibe is insane, seriously
• It’s a 30-second ad but it feels like I watched a whole movie
└ Seriously I want him to act in a film...
• What is that expression acting??? He didn’t say a word but everything came through
• I never drank Mate before but I’m going to buy it because of this
• This ad made me start exercising from tomorrowㅠㅠ
• First time I’ve ever cried watching an ad..
└ It made me look back at myself giving up my dreams while working...
• It wrings tears right out of you.. I want to walk my path with that kind of heart too
• What’s the model’s name??
└ It’s Ryu Sunho! The guy who got the Brave Citizen Award!
└ I found my ideal type
• 0:24 the timing of that smile is perfect... I’m hypnotized
└ Ryu Sunho’s face is Holy.. it’s holy moly..
• This actor’s going to blow up. Just watch
• Adults talk “youth youth” but one ad is better than all thatㅠㅠㅠ
└ If you’re sick you’re a patient and youth is Ryu Sunho ok?
• Mate’s ad team and this actor are both geniuses
└ If Mate has any sense, drop the making film...
She hit like and left a comment too.
Even after that, the excitement wouldn’t settle.
They were comments praising Ryu Sunho, but strangely, they filled her up with satisfaction.
“I said I’d stop stanning…”
She’d sworn she wouldn’t pour time and money into celebrities anymore.
But—
“This is just being a fan of an actor I’m interested in. It’s not blind stanning like before.”
She rationalized it and replayed the video all day.
Every time, it gave her a different emotion.
Like she was the main character in the video herself.
Then, suddenly, she pulled out a tablet from under her bed and brushed off the dust.
“Hoo, hoo.”
It was the tablet she’d used to draw in college.
After graduating, she’d quit drawing, using “no time” as an excuse—but she’d always missed it somewhere in her heart.
She charged the tablet and turned it on.
The cute little drawings she’d made appeared on the screen.
‘I worked pretty hard back then.’
The characters that had looked childish now sparked a soft, squishy kind of cute nostalgia.
“Should I start an Instagram webtoon?”
The smile of Ryu Sunho—still looping on the ad—felt like it was giving her courage.
“Treat me to dessert, too. I won, so.”
Reporter Seo Jiyeon smiled leisurely at PD Kim after winning their coffee bet.
‘I knew he’d pop back up on TV soon.’
But she’d only expected a short variety appearance.
She hadn’t expected him to land a commercial so fast and have his face spread nationwide.
Especially when she saw the Mate ad playing on the massive digital outdoor billboard at Hongdae Entrance.
‘…Wait. That place isn’t something you get with a normal budget.’
One of the biggest digital outdoor billboards in Korea.
Not just anyone could post ads there—unless you were a global brand, it wasn’t easy.
Because the owner was Taeseong Daily, they could run it with that kind of gutsy pricing.
Meaning they weren’t short on money.
No matter how impressive an ad was, breaking into that slot wasn’t easy.
‘Mate Beverage isn’t a Taeseong Group affiliate… so who’s the agency?’
Her thoughts kept chaining when her phone buzzed.
A message from her most trusted info line—her stylist junior.
[Unni, that kid from the citizen award interview got cast in Park Eunju writer’s drama. “Possessed Investigation,” Kang Seoho role.]
‘Kang Seoho?’
She’d heard about that role.
A part Park Eunju was picking carefully for her next project.
So many rookie actors had tried and gotten cut in auditions that it was famous as a “rookie shredder.”
And Ryu Sunho got it?
Had he been acting all along?
[Since casting wasn’t working, there’s a rumor Park Eunju compromised reluctantly… and also a rumor that the rookie tore the audition apart. I don’t know which is true. People say different things.]
Hmm…
That only made her more curious.
Seo Jiyeon set her phone down and spoke to PD Kim.
“Did the script-reading schedule for Possessed Investigation come out?”
“Why? You want to cover it?”
“No, just… I want to feel the set atmosphere. It’s a highly anticipated second-half release.”
“It’s next week, I think, but it’s a closed reading. Park Eunju’s projects barely allow any outside exposure.”
“…Yeah. Of course.”
Seo Jiyeon sighed, unable to hide her disappointment.
If she could go and see it with her own eyes, it would’ve been perfect.
If the rumor about him “tearing it up” was real, wouldn’t the industry go nuts for a while?
It would be like adding a motor when the tide was coming in.
But she couldn’t confirm it, so it was just a shame.
All she could do was wait calmly until the drama aired.
The next day.
StudioPlus’s meeting room.
Park Eunju and Director Chae Wongi had arrived first and were waiting after a sudden request from an investor for a meeting.
“What’s this about all of a sudden?”
“How would I know.”
Then a middle-aged man in a white suit entered the room.
“I’m Bae Junhyuk, Vice President of Jupiter HQ.”
Director Chae Wongi’s eyes widened slightly.
“Bae Junhyuk?”
“It’s been a while, Director Chae Wongi. I think we met once during a commercial shoot, and now you’re a proper drama director. It’s moving.”
“Haha. Same to you. Who would’ve thought Actor Bae Junhyuk—who dominated the 2000s—would be an investor VP.”
“Dominated? Not at all. I was just a supporting nobody who showed up in dramas now and then.”
“I’m Park Eunju.”
“Ah, nice to meet you, Writer.”
After the brief noisy greetings, Bae Junhyuk got to the point first.
“I read Possessed Investigation. As expected of you, Writer Park—the tone of the story is locked in.”
Writer Park answered curtly, eyes full of suspicion.
“Thank you.”
“But these days, it’s really a convenient world for actors. Save one person, shoot a CF, and with a few news article lines you’re suddenly an actor.”
Writer Park’s brow tightened slightly.
“In our day, we did readings dozens of times on set, built emotional lines, and fought to survive. But now… what was it? Some citizen award? Get one of those and you act like an actor?”
Director Chae Wongi, catching exactly who he meant, replied in a grave voice.
“If you watch the recent Mate ad, you’ll know. He’s proven his acting. And we personally auditioned him.”
“Commercials can be cut as many times as you want. And there wasn’t even a single line of dialogue in that ad. Drama is different.”
Bae Junhyuk said, almost sneering.
“Kang Seoho. I understand he’s a character with a twist. But you’re giving the most important early two episodes to a rookie with zero filmography. Isn’t that too risky? Since our side is investing, I think that level of risk needs to be adjusted.”
“You haven’t actually seen his acting yet.”
“You don’t have to eat shit to know it’s shit. Experience doesn’t lie. Even someone who flew in theater often turns into a robot when they come to dramas. And if he doesn’t even have stage experience—”
“Watch him at the script reading, Investor. You’ll think differently once you see the acting.”
“And if I don’t?”
Tension tightened between them.
Then Bae Junhyuk chuckled and lowered his head.
“Haha, it got too heavy. Honestly, it’s not something you, Director, should be responsible for. And it’s not like we’re pulling our investment now, right?”
Writer Park cleared her throat.
“Kang Seoho stays as is. It can’t be changed.”
“Oh, of course. I respect your script, Writer. Instead, let’s do this.”
Bae Junhyuk twirled a finger.
“You mentioned the script reading. We’ll watch then, and if I judge it’s not good—replace the Kang Seoho actor. With someone more famous, someone proven.”
“T-that…”
“I’m sorry, but please understand, Writer. Our investment is on the line, so we have to be careful.”
Writer Park bit her lip and couldn’t say anything.
Bae Junhyuk smiled mildly and stood.
“Then I’ll take that as your answer and go. If he’s a good actor, he’ll prove it himself.”
The meeting room door closed, leaving silence behind.
Writer Park pressed her fingers to her forehead.
“Ugh… that bastard… If it were the old days, he wouldn’t even be able to look me in the eye… And what’s with this ‘actor purity’ bullshit all of a sudden? As if he’s got some legendary acting career himself.”
Director Chae Wongi tilted his head.
“He was always picky, but… I don’t remember him being this bad. Does he have another agenda?”
“The way he’s talking about replacing the actor—something smells rotten…”
“Ah!”
Director Chae Wongi clapped.
“Come to think of it… I did hear Jupiter HQ is merging with Big Blue Entertainment.”
“Big Blue? The Big Blue with Seo Juhak? Give me a break.”
Writer Park and Director Chae Wongi leaned in and started putting their heads together.
“Ryu Sunho’s acting is solid… but the variable is Bae Junhyuk.”
“I’m worried he’ll pick a fight over the early-part acting. It’s a bit weak—”
“But he’s an ex-actor. He’s got pride, doesn’t he?”
“You never know.”
Then Director Chae Wongi’s eyes lit up like he’d just thought of something.
“Writer Park. How many media contacts do you have?”
“Just reporters I talk to regularly—about three per outlet.”
“Then what if we do this script reading publicly? Invite all the reporters to observe. If there are lots of eyes on-site, Bae Junhyuk won’t be able to say whatever he wants, right?”
“Oh! That’s good. What are you, Chae Zhuge Liang?”
Writer Park immediately pulled out her phone and called someone.
“Hey! Reporter Yoon, it’s Park Eunju—about the script reading…”
Watching her, Director Chae Wongi murmured softly.
“We’ve set up a safety device… now we just need Ryu Sunho to do well. If he does just a little better than last time, it’ll be perfect…”
‘At the audition, the early-part acting was lacking.’
I could more or less express Kang Seoho after the burns by pulling from my past-life experience, but I couldn’t properly express the good, steady Seoho before the burns.
I couldn’t just hit hard with the twist.
‘And the script reading is right around the corner.’
Then, after the ad went on air, notifications kept popping up in my vision.
【New task complete: Achieve 1 million+ ad views】
【Reward: Stat Point +1】
【Achievement complete!】
【10,000th fan】
【Your 10,000th fan who remembers your face and name has appeared】
【Reward: Stat Point +1】
【100,000th fan】
【Your 100,000th fan who remembers your face and name has appeared】
【Reward: Stat Point +1】
【1,000,000th fan】
【Your 1,000,000th fan who remembers your face and name has appeared】
【Reward: Stat Point +1】
The ad’s impact was bigger than I expected.
I’d stacked four stat points.
‘If that’s the case…’
I might be able to push one part of acting to A+.