Chapter 171: Expectancy Violation Effect
Chapter 171: Expectancy Violation Effect
At a hair and makeup salon in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul.
It was a building without even a signboard.
In a place where, with the slightest turn of the head, one could see a famous actor getting his hair set and a top idol dozing off while having makeup applied, there was one man in a suit who felt strangely out of place among them.
“Sir, you’re all done!”
At those words, the man lifted his head.
“Oh... as expected, celebrity makeup really is a scam.”
Han Seungwoo admired himself in the mirror.
His skin looked impeccably refined, his eyes more sharply defined, and his pomaded hair was styled in a polished, sophisticated way.
He had always taken care of himself, but after passing through the hands of professionals, the result was on another level.
He kept stroking his chin as he turned this way and that, inspecting his reflection from every angle.
It seemed he quite liked this extra-dressed-up version of himself.
“It was a good thing I asked Ryu Sunho.”
After basking in self-admiration for quite a while, Han Seungwoo checked the time and stood up.
“The bill.”
He went to the counter and held out his card.
But the employee politely smiled and handed it back to him.
“It’s already been paid for.”
“That can’t be right.”
“Actor Ryu Sunho contacted us in advance and took care of the payment as well.”
The employee added, “Actually, our salon doesn’t accept reservations from ordinary customers at all. You can’t even enter without a membership, but because Actor Ryu Sunho asked, our director personally cleared the schedule and handled it for you.”
“...He did?”
Well, would you look at that?
The large auditorium on the first floor of Content Trinity headquarters.
A huge banner hung above the stage.
[Content Trinity CEO Inauguration Ceremony]
On both sides of the stage, congratulatory flower wreaths and baskets sent by partner companies were lined up so densely they looked like a forest.
The scent of flowers was strong enough to fill the entire auditorium.
But what drew even more attention than that was the sight of the employees filling the seats.
Each team was holding colorful placards.
[The coronation of the content king! CEO Han Seungwoo, may you walk only on flower paths!]
[Visuals are welfare too! Welcome, genius-face CEO!]
[Congratulations on the inauguration of the most handsome man in this area, CEO Han Seungwoo!]
A team leader with thinning hair muttered, “Whew... we were in such a rush making the placards at the last minute that I’m completely out of it. Good work, Assistant Manager Kim.”
“Oh, it was fun in its own way. It kind of felt like my old idol-fangirl instincts were coming back to life. You saw how good I was at picking the lines, right?”
“Good, good. I love it.”
“But Team Leader, do we really have to go this far...? Isn’t this a bit much?”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. You know what Director... no, the CEO is like. If it makes you think, ‘Isn’t this way too childish?’ then he likes it even more. At times like this, don’t get on his bad side. We have to do it properly.”
The team members pictured Han Seungwoo in their minds.
Then they nodded as though they agreed.
“Still, it really doesn’t feel real. To think that the man everyone used to call a lun... no, a bulldozer is now the CEO.”
“Come on, nobody can say that anymore. The drama and film he led both became super, super, super mega hits and got written into history. He proved it with results.”
“Even before that, Vacuum State hitting 7.9 million viewers was already the starting signal. The moment he came back to the company, he brought in a script that had completely fallen apart, revived it from the brink, and bam, it became a smash hit.”
“Heh heh, I admit it. Back then everyone said he was insane.”
“But aside from having a good eye, his drive really is on another level. Like when he pushed forward that script by an unknown writer everyone was unsure about and got it greenlit right away. And the way he pulled in massive attention with noise marketing when everyone else was against it.”
“I heard the organ donation campaign that won at Cannes Lions this time was something the CEO worked incredibly hard on behind the scenes too.”
“If Ryu Sunho personally mentioned the CEO at the awards ceremony, that says it all.”
At those words, another employee let out an ah! of realization.
“Then... will Ryu Sunho come today?”
“Come on, would he really bother? If I were him, I wouldn’t. Why would he come?”
“What do you mean? Ryu Sunho is famous for taking good care of the people around him. He gives gifts to staff he’s worked with and even writes them letters.”
“No, from what I heard, Ryu Sunho is actually pretty sharp about personal relationships. He takes care of everyone broadly, but it never feels like he gets deeply close to anyone. I guess he has a line of his own.”
“Well, he does have that kind of indescribable sense of distance. Maybe it’s because he feels too unreal as a person.”
“To become that successful at such a young age, he probably doesn’t even have time to go around meeting people.”
Just as they were feeling disappointed while assuming Ryu Sunho would not attend—
Creak—
With the sound of the door opening, the entrance to the auditorium suddenly seemed to brighten.
“Oh, what now. Did the video team bring lighting equipment this time too?”
“...Th-that’s not it, Team Leader.”
Assistant Manager Kim, staring toward the entrance, dropped her jaw.
“W-wow... he came!”
“What came? The chairman?”
“No! Over there...!”
The employees turned their heads, and their eyes widened all at once.
A man entered against the backlight.
Perfect proportions, and features so distinct they stood out even from afar.
“Ry... Ryu Sunho is here?!”
At someone’s dazed shout, the auditorium instantly erupted into a stir.
“Huh?!”
“Wow... is this for real?”
“This is crazy! It’s really Ryu Sunho!”
“Why is he here...?”
“Did he come because of the CEO?”
“It’s an inauguration ceremony. Of course that’s why!”
“Wow... his loyalty is no joke!”
Amid the commotion, more and more people began crowding toward Ryu Sunho.
Just as requests for photos and autographs were about to pour in, an announcement came through the speakers.
—In a moment, the inauguration ceremony for newly appointed CEO Han Seungwoo will begin. All guests are requested to please take their seats.
Smacking their lips in disappointment, people returned to their seats.
Ryu Sunho gave a light nod to the gazes focused on him, then quietly sat down in a corner seat in the very back row.
Soon, solemn music played and the host declared the ceremony open.
Today’s main figure, Han Seungwoo, stepped onto the stage.
He wore a satisfied smile as he looked over the placards prepared for him, but then his gaze suddenly stopped at one corner.
“......?”
Han Seungwoo’s eyelids shot upward.
Han Seungwoo, standing on the stage, met my gaze in midair.
The moment he spotted me, his eyes rounded, and his lips moved.
Why are you coming out there?
That was the expression on his face, as if he were asking exactly that.
Instead of answering, I gave him a small wave.
I knew he would react like this.
I had informed the company staff in advance that I would attend.
But I had deliberately not told Han Seungwoo himself.
The reason was simple.
I thought a surprise would leave a stronger impression.
Unexpected information strongly draws a person’s attention and stays in memory longer too.
In the advertising industry, this was the time-honored Expectancy Violation Effect.
When someone’s behavior appears in a way that exceeds expectations, it produces favorability, emotion, and positive evaluation.
That was why twist ads and surprise events lodged themselves so deeply in people’s minds.
Actually, I had worried quite a lot before coming.
I wondered whether I was doing something unnecessary.
I wondered whether congratulating him privately later, when we met separately, might be more than enough.
That would probably have been a far more efficient method for both of us.
The usual me would have done exactly that.
But I decided to try being a little different.
At least this once, I planned to willingly choose inefficiency.
Because I was starting to think that always moving with nothing but efficiency in mind might not necessarily be the right answer.
At least when it came to human relationships.
So, while there was still time, I intended to fully express my gratitude.
Han Seungwoo must have prepared hard for his inaugural speech.
He spoke with firmness and force throughout.
“Our Content Trinity will now go beyond Korea and out into the world.”
It was a confidence-filled declaration of ambition.
The employees burst into applause.
I too applauded with all sincerity.
After the inauguration ceremony ended, Han Seungwoo came straight to find me.
“What are you doing here?”
“I came to congratulate you. This is the day you go from Brother Director to Brother CEO.”
Han Seungwoo let out a small laugh.
Hints of happiness kept slipping through.
“I have a gift too.”
“What is it this time?”
I handed Han Seungwoo a small box.
Normally, people would wait and open it later.
But of course Han Seungwoo ignored all such formalities and untied the ribbon right there on the spot.
Inside the box was a luxury fountain pen in black and gold.
“A fountain pen?”
“I figured you’d have a lot of use for one from now on. I picked a good one.”
Han Seungwoo lifted the fountain pen.
Then, seeing the engraving, he burst into loud laughter.
“Hahaha! I like the wording.”
The fountain pen was engraved with [CONTENTS KING].
I had thought about engraving his initials, but I changed my mind.
It seemed like he would like a direct title like this more.
“What’s this?”
He picked up the card lying at the bottom of the box.
“I wrote a simple congratulatory message too.”
If I just handed over the gift without a word, it would look insincere.
So I wrote something as well.
Something that carried the meaning of the fountain pen as a gift.
[There will be countless moments from now on that are decided by the signature of the CEO. In every one of those moments, I hope you will write a history without hesitation and without regret.]
Han Seungwoo read the card.
Then he looked at me as if he found me admirable.
“So you know how to do things like this too.”
Meanwhile, in the main conference room of JTBN, the broadcaster that hosted the Baeksang Arts Awards, things were extremely busy behind the door with a paper sign reading “Baeksang Arts Awards TF Team.”
“So, have you finished coordinating with the lighting team?”
“Yes. The budget issue got resolved, so we’re moving ahead.”
“What about the red carpet traffic flow? We can’t have a bottleneck like last time. Check again with the security team.”
Manager Kim, who was overseeing everything, was directing the staff with a sharp gaze.
The venue, the stage design, the presenter lineup—everything was being confirmed smoothly.
The sponsor slots had also all sold out at the highest prices ever.
That was because public interest and anticipation for this year’s Baeksang Arts Awards were greater than ever before.
There was no need to say why.
Everyone already knew.
♬♩♪-
In the corner of the meeting room, the head writer’s phone rang noisily.
The moment she answered it, her face turned ashen in an instant.
“...What? Team Leader, what are you talking about? How long is it until the ceremony now? No, you said the schedule adjustment was all settled! If you’re saying now that it can’t be done, what are we supposed to do?”
As the writer’s voice rose, everyone in the meeting room turned to look at her.
A moment later, she hung up and collapsed back into her chair, all strength drained out of her.
“...We’re screwed.”
“Why? What happened?”
“We just got a call from Kodyu Entertainment... Lee Yuna ultimately can’t clear her schedule after all. They said it overlaps with her overseas tour, so there’s absolutely no way...”
“What? Seriously?”
Manager Kim roughly ran a hand through his hair.
Sighs and curses broke out all around the meeting room.
“Are they insane? If this was going to happen, they should’ve said it couldn’t be done from the start!”
“Exactly. We kept asking whether it was really possible, and they kept saying it was completely fine, and now they pull this at the last minute...”
“Did they say they’d pay the penalty fee?”
“Well, probably. But the penalty fee isn’t the issue. The congratulatory performance slot is empty now, so what are we supposed to do?”
The original plan had been to recruit Lee Yuna, who sang the main OST for Doctor Princess, the strong favorite in the drama category, and have her perform on stage.
But with her absence, the entire plan had been wiped clean.
The staff clutched their heads.
“Should we urgently cast some other idol singer?”
“Wouldn’t that feel way too random? It doesn’t fit the awards ceremony concept, and there’s no story behind it.”
“Then who could we even book right now on such short notice...”
At that moment, the youngest writer, who had been typing on a laptop in the corner, carefully raised a hand.
“Um... now that I think about it, there actually is one singer who’ll definitely be coming...”
“Who?”
For a moment, silence filled the meeting room.
Then someone seemed to realize it and shouted.
“Ah! No way?”
“Are you talking about Ryu Sunho?”
The youngest writer nodded vigorously.
People all around began chiming in.
“That’s right! Ryu Sunho also sang a Doctor Princess OST. It even hit No. 1 on the charts.”
“Wouldn’t that actually be better? It’d have way more buzz too.”
“The man of Cannes singing at Baeksang too? That would absolutely blow up.”
“Oh, wait a second.”
The head writer’s eyes lit up as she expanded on the idea.
“If we’re going to put Ryu Sunho on stage anyway, how about we do it like this? Instead of just having him sing, in the middle, with the actors...”
One idea led to another.
Life gradually returned to people’s eyes.
Their expressions said that even just hearing it sounded fun.
After listening all the way through, Manager Kim let out a quiet exclamation.
“...This could actually be really fun.”