Chapter 397: The Price of Fame (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 397: The Price of Fame (1)
The open chat room for the drama The Exclusive Report was ablaze starting two hours before the broadcast.
A rare, full-fledged mystery drama, it had been showered with praise since its debut for having a cast with no "acting holes."
While dramas with niche subject matter often struggled due to a lack of initial momentum, The Exclusive Report benefited from daily "free marketing" thanks to various real-life incidents.
For those caught up in the hype, a week felt like an eternity. Four episodes were far too few to sustain them while they chewed over existing theories and waited for the next installment.
Naturally, the fans' interest spilled over into supplementary content like behind-the-scenes videos and press conference clips.
≫ The atmosphere on set is seriously so good lol.
It’s hilarious how So Sae-young threatens to make everything a "breaking news report" the moment anyone does anything. hahahahaha
└ The captions lol. ‘Cheon Yun-seong (34/Never been reported on before)’ hahahahahahahaha
└ So Cheon Yun-seong is supposed to be 34? He’s older than I thought...
└ There’s a twelve-year age gap between him and the actor. hahahaha
≫ Everyone, please watch the NG reel that went up today.
Please make sure no one misses Gong Ji-chan being unable to open his eyes because of the backlight.
└ He’s such a cool character in the drama, so why does he look like a soft little golden retriever in the behind-the-scenes? ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
└ It’s even more ridiculous that Kim I-wol is the only one with his eyes wide open.
└ That is the power of an idol trained by a barrage of camera flashes.
Among these, the most shared post was...
≫ Is it just me, or are Cheon Yun-seong and Kim I-wol actually similar?
What kind of vibe do a ruffian, no-sleep workaholic and a gentle, well-mannered "gold spoon" share?
(Photo)
(Photo)
Source: Interview with the PD of The Exclusive Report
└ Being polite?
└ A ruffian...?
└ hahaha Look at the person above me carefully saying something so harsh. hahahahahahahaha
...It was a post based on an interview given by Jeon PD.
≫ Honestly, the more I watch the drama, the more they seem like polar opposites.
Cheon Yun-seong looks polite and respectful to his elders, but that’s only for his own family. He’s fundamentally arrogant.
With I-wol, the longer you watch him, the more you see what a decent kid he is.
There are times when I’m genuinely surprised, thinking, "He actually acts like that in this situation?"
└ Cheon Yun-seong looks playful on the outside but is cold as ice inside, while Kim I-wol has a face like a winter gale but says the weirdest things...
└ Exactly. There are exactly two people in Spark whose thought processes I can't fathom: Kim I-wol and Choi Je-ho... hahahaha
Thanks to my excuse that stress was the cause of my gastric ulcer, Lee Cheong-hyeon and the other members didn't insist on watching Episode 5 of The Exclusive Report with me.
However, the massive hype had received the blessing of the algorithm. Immediately after Episode 5 aired, its presence was loudly announced across all of Spark’s digital devices.
≫ The scarlet letter left by Cheon Gang-hyeok, Cheon Yun-seong’s hidden past #TheExclusiveReport #TheExclusiveReportEp5 #CheonGanghyeok #CheonYunseong #TVm
≫ “There is no such thing as a perfect successor. There are only successors who appear perfect.” The Exclusive Report ep.5
≫ [The Exclusive Report HOT clip] The will of heaven is not something that can be forsaken #TheExclusiveReport #CheonYunseong
Edited videos over ten minutes long came pouring out. Every single one had high view counts and numerous comments. The most-viewed clip from Episode 5 was, unsurprisingly, the part featuring Cheon Yun-seong’s past.
‘Should I watch it, or not...’
As I was debating, Jeong Seong-bin walked into the room. He was smiling brightly until he saw my phone, at which point he hurriedly schooled his expression. It seemed he already knew that Cheon Yun-seong had a tragic past.
I remembered how Jeong Seong-bin had tried to stop me back when I was struggling with whether or not to reveal my history. I also remembered what the system had said to me.
Jeong Seong-bin was likely worried about my state of being—how I had become numb to pain. Just as the system said, he was worried that I had reached a point where I felt nothing, mentally or physically. Like how I would watch footage of my own death just to act out a death scene.
Perhaps the reason he stopped me from taking out those documents was that he didn't want a "broken" me to engage in acts that bordered on self-harm.
Now, I knew the importance of sleep and rest. I realized that a person needs to take care of both their body and mind. I learned that I should ask for help when needed when these guys installed a restaurant call bell in the dorm, and I’d learned that just because it doesn't hurt doesn't mean I'm okay.
Thanks to the system no longer being able to adjust my perception of negative emotions... I was forced to face reality. I had accepted that ignoring something doesn't make it go away.
Above all, I had promised Kang Gi-yeon that I would try to change.
“Want to watch it together?”
“Pardon?”
“This.”
I shook my phone. Jeong Seong-bin looked immensely flustered.
Lately, Jeong Seong-bin had undergone many emotional changes. It was the first time in his life he felt so overwhelmed. Thanks to the experience he’d gained, he wasn't as helpless as before, but his tender nature remained the same.
Some records are painful just to read. This is especially true for writing that has no intention of making the reader cry. The explanation Kim I-wol had silently written over the years seemed to have no end. That fact made Jeong Seong-bin sad.
Kim I-wol had become much more honest than before. However, he still didn't lean on others.
He should have told him that it was okay to rely on the members more. He had made the mistake of thinking that I-wol would be fine given time, just because he seemed to be improving bit by bit.
≫ Everyday Disputes Through the Eyes of a Current Lawyer │ Settlements made as a minor—are they legally binding?
The entertainment industry is currently buzzing
due to issues regarding an idol’s domestic violence case.
It became a hot topic when it was revealed
that a certain idol received a settlement of 15 million won
while they were still a minor.
Opinions are divided between those who say
it is problematic to file a lawsuit after signing a settlement
and receiving the money,
and those who argue it is void
because a minor lacks legal capacity.
Legally speaking, which side is correct?
≫ “Kim I-wol used a private investigation agency to tail me” vs. “I have never done anything illegal”... Clashing opinions continue.
└ So who’s right in the end??
└└ It’s six of one, half a dozen of the other... I don't think either side did anything right.
└ Are you commenting without reading the article? hahaha
Kim I-wol → He just found out he had an older sister and asked about her whereabouts to confirm. That’s it.
On the other hand, the trash parents → They saw their son become successful and were looking into what happened to the daughter they abandoned as a newborn, then got caught because they had a guilty conscience. How is that "six of one"? hahahaha
└└ When did the part about them looking for the daughter come out?? Why am I just hearing this?
└└└ It’s the most recent update, so you might have missed it. ㅠㅠ The family went to UA and told Kim I-wol to give back the settlement money and the money they spent raising him > Kim I-wol asked if they were going to take money from his sister too (he was testing the perpetrators to find out about her) > Kim I-wol only threw out bait, but they misunderstood and thought he’d hired someone to find out they abandoned her + they were actually in the middle of looking up her personal info, so they got defensive and lashed out. That’s the gist.
└ The reporter who wrote this title is also a problem. One side is clearly in the wrong, yet they make it sound like it’s still a debate;;;
Even though the person in question had collapsed in front of a live camera, public opinion had only shifted its direction; people were still hounding Kim I-wol. Perhaps they were doing it even more because he had collapsed on camera.
≫ A past interview with the Chairman of On Sarang Social Welfare Foundation ^^
"I hope for a society where no children fall into welfare blind spots..."
What truly moving words.
This is a post that really tugs at the heartstrings, considering it comes from a man who abandoned his daughter the moment she was born and insisted he couldn't remember where he left her, all while spending 20 years tormenting the son he did keep.
└ He really did that????? Is he insane????
└ They say the statute of limitations has passed for abandoning the sister, but thank god the domestic violence is still valid. If he couldn't be punished for that either, I think my blood would have literally boiled.
Fortunately, many people were now on Kim I-wol’s side. News that the perpetrators were facing difficulties was being reported in real-time.
Even so, Seong-bin’s heart wasn't at ease. It was only right that those who deserved punishment paid for their crimes. But more than anything, Kim I-wol’s recovery was what mattered to Jeong Seong-bin.
For the past few days, Kim I-wol had been quiet. He didn't obsessively insist on finishing the album work, and he ate his meals on time. If he felt unwell, he stayed under the covers and took care of himself; he no longer lied about his condition.
Unfortunately, the peace they had barely managed to find didn't last a full day. With the airing of Episode 5 of The Exclusive Report—the one Lee Cheong-hyeon had wanted to see—the younger members finally understood why Kim I-wol had told them not to watch from that episode onward.
‘I really didn't mean to watch it...’
Lee Cheong-hyeon had said in a distressed voice. He claimed a MeTube video he’d left on while working had automatically played the next one.
Jeong Seong-bin believed him. Everyone had been being extra careful lately not to stress Kim I-wol out.
The thumbnails, captions, and titles of the edited clips were enough to explain every single detail of what had happened in the scene, even without watching the video.
Jeong Seong-bin comforted his dejected younger member. Then, after getting permission from the managers, he headed home early. He had to check if Kim I-wol had seen the reaction to the drama.
What greeted Jeong Seong-bin as he arrived at the dorm was Kim I-wol lying on his bed, a clip of The Exclusive Report pulled up on his screen.
How should he change the subject?
Ignoring Jeong Seong-bin’s internal struggle, Kim I-wol went straight to the point. Seeing Jeong Seong-bin unable to answer his offer to watch together, Kim I-wol spoke.
‘Before we watch, there’s something I want to tell you.’
Once he started, Kim I-wol spoke in a continuous stream without even pausing for breath.
‘I think the things that happened in the past are indeed things that could be traumatic. I thought I’d overcome them well, but I’ve realized that wasn't the case. But I don't plan on just covering it up and pretending it didn't happen anymore.’
Kim I-wol pinpointed exactly what Jeong Seong-bin had been worried about. And exactly what Jeong Seong-bin had hoped for.
‘My asking to watch this together isn't an attempt to lightly dismiss bad memories. Of course, part of it is because I feel the need to monitor my work... but I also thought it might be better than watching it alone.’
Seeing him clumsily trying to rely on someone, Jeong Seong-bin found his courage.
“Okay. Let’s watch it together.”