Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Is the Author Omnipotent?
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The ads ended, and the drama began.
Three families gathered, drinking chicken and beer while watching the drama.
This was a rare sight, both now and in the past.
Mother loved dramas, but Father wasn't particularly fond of them.
Above all, it was uncommon to see Father at home at this hour.
But lately, with his successful investments, Father had found some peace of mind.
Naturally, things at work had smoothed out too.
Retirement was right around the corner, but it no longer weighed on him.
Mother had noticed Father's change as well.
That's why she was able to relax and enjoy the drama and their daily life.
'Good for them.'
Seeing his parents' changed demeanor lifted Tae-seong's spirits.
By the time the chicken was half gone, the drama ended.
"Son! It was so much fun!"
"Did you enjoy it?"
"It's the best drama I've seen lately! This one's definitely going to be a hit!"
"I don't know much about dramas, but this one was great. The story is really captivating."
Both Father and Mother gave it rave reviews.
I wonder how others felt.
He was curious.
After clearing the chicken and beer, he returned to his room.
He sat at the computer and turned it on.
It was normally bedtime, but he had to check.
He connected to the internet.
On the main screen, among the real-time search terms, he spotted [Her of the Black Knight].
It was number one.
Number two was [Her of the Black Knight novel].
Three was Park Eun-bi, four was Lee Seong-woo.
And at seven was his own name, [Jeong Tae-seong].
"This is unexpected."
He hadn't anticipated sparking public curiosity.
But he figured it would fade soon.
"Hopefully, this brings more readers to my novel."
Having more readers enjoy his work—that's what author Jeong Tae-seong wanted.
* * *
-Congratulations, Author!
A little past lunchtime.
A call came from Representative Kwon.
"Congratulations on what?"
Tae-seong asked back in a puzzled tone at the sudden greeting.
-Oh! You haven't heard yet? Her of the Black Knight hit number one in the romance category today!
"Really?"
-Yes! With overwhelming numbers!
"Looks like the drama helped a lot."
-Cant deny that. Paid reader numbers have surged since the broadcast started.
Her of the Black Knight had garnered huge acclaim from viewers with episodes 1 and 2.
-PD Kim mentioned he'd contact you separately, but ratings were 7.7% for episode 1 and 13.8% for episode 2.
"Yeah, I got the call. He was thrilled."
-You've already heard. Ads are sold out already, and secondary sales are going well too. Especially overseas interest seems high.
"I see. Anyway, glad it's doing well. Just like we hoped, the drama's success is bringing readers to the novel. Win-win."
-Exactly. By the way, which episode do you appear in?
"Episode 5. Airs next week."
-I'll make sure to watch!
"Sure. Talk soon."
-Yes! Take care!
After hanging up, Yoo Min-kyung approached Tae-seong.
"Author! The drama was so fun this time!"
"Was it okay?"
"Yes! My sister and mom are hooked too!"
"Glad to hear."
"You mentioned you filmed something last time."
"Yeah."
"Episode 5, so next week?"
"Yes, just a brief cameo. Really just a passing extra."
"Aw~ But it's your drama debut! I'll definitely watch!"
"Don't get your hopes up too much."
"Yes, sir!"
The synergy between the drama and novel was incredible.
Reactions from those around him had already shifted.
With the novel hitting number one too, the positive buzz continued.
Tae-seong felt he'd achieved solid results.
* * *
Her of the Black Knight's ratings soared vertically with each episode.
By episode 4, it had already hit 20%.
On broadcast nights, related terms flooded the real-time search rankings.
That alone was massive promotion.
'The backlash against Eun-bi has died down too.'
Park Eun-bi had suffered from negative articles and hate comments.
But she'd powered through with her talent.
As episodes piled up, the hate vanished.
Instead, praise for Park Eun-bi poured in.
Especially fans of the original novel spared no compliments after seeing her.
They were amazed at how perfectly she embodied Lee Se-ha.
Male lead Lee Seong-woo was also steering the drama with stellar acting.
The leads' chemistry meshed perfectly, keeping ratings sky-high.
And the day episode 5 aired arrived.
After finishing his workout and getting home, Mother asked Tae-seong.
"Tae-seong, you're in the drama today, right?"
"Yeah, but it's just a quick scene. Don't expect much."
"That's more than enough! Our son's in a drama. Oh my! I forgot to call your aunt!"
Tae-seong smiled at his frantic Mother dialing away and headed to his room.
'I wonder if she'll like it.'
Knowing she'd be this excited, he should've asked for more screen time.
He unpacked and went to bed.
Tomorrow meant another battle with deadlines.
* * *
Her of the Black Knight episode 5 ended.
Related searches started popping up in real-time trends.
Same as always.
But tonight was a bit different.
A new name appeared.
[#5 Cha Woo-min]
People were starting to take interest in the character Cha Woo-min.
* * *
Tae-seong woke at dawn and headed out for his usual workout.
After an hour of jogging, back home, Mother greeted him.
"Son!"
"Yeah?"
The vibe was a little off from normal.
"Your acting was amazing!"
"Oh, you watched?"
"Of course! Even recorded it! When did you get so good at acting?"
"It wasn't that great. No lines anyway."
"No way! You were really good! And you look great on camera! Your aunts and my friends are going nuts! They were like, 'Is this really your son?'"
Mother scanned Tae-seong up and down.
"I didn't notice since I see you every day, but you're even more handsome now. You were always good-looking, but your skin was rough. Now it's glowing too."
"Haha... I'll make breakfast."
"No. Mom's doing it today. Oh! And sign a few things for me!"
"Signs?"
"Yeah, friends and aunts want your autograph."
"Got it. I'll prepare some by tomorrow."
"Thanks~"
Mother seemed in high spirits.
She hummed while prepping breakfast.
* * *
At the office, Tae-seong checked his works.
Comments, views, recommendations.
All normal.
Then a message arrived.
[PD Kim: Author! Article's out!]
'An article?'
The message included a link.
Clicking it led to a portal site news piece.
[Original Author Jeong Tae-seong Makes Special Appearance in Her of the Black Knight]
-The author of the original novel for the currently popular Her of the Black Knight, Jeong Tae-seong, made a special appearance. He played Cha Woo-min, the blind date guy for heroine Lee Se-ha, in a brief scene.
Once revealed that the naturally acting Cha Woo-min was the novel's author, fans reacted with surprise.
An article too.
Probably PD Kim pulled strings.
'This'll stir some buzz.'
She really knew marketing.
Another message came.
[PD Kim: Chaos over you since morning.]
[Jeong Tae-seong: Why?]
[PD Kim: Phones won't stop ringing asking who the Cha Woo-min from yesterday was.]
[Jeong Tae-seong: Just 3 minutes?]
[PD Kim: That's how impressive the acting was!]
[Jeong Tae-seong: Thanks.]
[PD Kim: Have a great day! Fighting!]
Tae-seong replied politely and looked at the monitor.
Comments on the article filled the screen.
[IWE1033: Whoa! He's the author, not an actor?]
[DDUY00: Wow! Author-nim is so handsome!]
[XXPQ11: Acting was so natural, thought he was a rookie actor! Author-nim rocks....]
"Time to work."
He'd seen enough reactions.
It was nice, but he couldn't dwell forever.
He closed the browser and dove into work.
* * *
Tae-seong didn't pay much mind to the attention on him.
Just fleeting curiosity, he thought.
A novelist acting in a drama wasn't everyday stuff.
Viewers' interest was natural.
He saw it as a spark that'd fizzle out.
But sometimes sparks grow into flames.
Representative Kwon visited Grape Books after a while.
To promote new works.
"Representative Kwon!"
"Huh? Manager Choi, where's Assistant Park..."
"Haha! Heard you were coming and rushed over."
Choi Hyeong-su, manager.
Head of Grape Books' romance novels.
"Saw Her of the Black Knight. Great stuff."
"Thanks."
"Anyway, got a proposal regarding it."
"A proposal?"
"Yes. You're prepping a single-volume edition, right?"
"Of course. Planning to publish after completion."
"How about we back it as a collector's edition? Make it premium."
"Collector's edition?"
Collector editions cost a lot.
Cover and design differ from standard.
Need value for collecting, so extras too.
Toughest is bookstore distribution.
But Grape Books could handle it all.
"If you support, we can definitely do it."
"Then let's. I'll set up a meeting for details. Also, thinking of a fan signing event with the collector's edition."
"Fan signing too?"
"Yes. Reader reactions to you lately are insane. A signing now would be huge."
"I'll ask him, but final say after hearing his thoughts."
"Yes. Quick reply please."
"Got it."
Representative Kwon was stunned by the unexpected offer.
* * *
Same time as always.
Arriving at the office, Tae-seong faced an unfamiliar sight.
'What the...?'
Boxes piled in front of the office.
Looking closer, all delivery boxes.
Labels showed YK Books' address, not the office.
"Come on! Just a bit more!"
From afar, grunting voices.
Turning, he saw Representative Kwon and Han Seong-ho emerging from the elevator.