Lab and Non-Lab (4)
In its first week of release, The Hunter settled comfortably at global #5 on NetPrime, showing steady momentum.
It wasn't as high as Haegeuk, which had climbed to #2, but it outperformed Haegeuk's own debut numbers.
"Haegeuk's teasing at #1 but never quite grabbing it. Limit of a historical drama without zombies?"
Jeong Su-ryeon muttered while propping her chin on one hand and clicking the mouse with the other.
"Or maybe cuz they sold broadcasting rights everywhere, so folks are watching on terrestrial TV instead of NetPrime."
"Anyone'd think you were the drama's lead."
"Hey, sharing your little bro's success is what true family means."
"You hog all the good stuff, dump all the bad on me?"
"Quit with the nagging."
Jeong Su-ryeon kept scrolling the mouse wheel without even glancing over.
"Wonder if next gig he'll pull 250 mil per episode..."
"Why're you so obsessed with someone else's pay?"
"No sis in the world ignores her bro's bank account."
"Whatever. I don't care about yours."
"Mine's light, yours is heavy. Oh yeah, talked to Ha Tae-soo oppa—you gotta shoot some vlogs at the lab."
"Vlogs?"
"Fans are dying to see your grad school life. Tease 'em with bits and pieces—they'll love it. Gotta keep the hype going."
"Sounds annoying..."
"Tae-soo oppa'll handle it, you just act normal. But aren't you going to school? Grad students aren't usually this chill?"
"Most practically live in the lab."
"Exactly. How do you make it home every single day?"
"Got some tidying up to do for now. Heading out soon."
"What?"
Jeong Su-ryeon shot up like she'd heard something outrageous.
"Moving out? You didn't knock up Yoo Jeong-ah or something, did you?"
"What the hell. Renting a place near campus. Commuting here's wasting too much time."
"Pick somewhere secure. Stalkers sneaking in would be bad news."
"Prof's got a building near the station. Offered me a three-room unit. Just gotta move in."
"Oh, vacancy?"
"Said he timed it with my discharge—didn't renew the lease, kicked out the tenant, kept it empty."
"...Scary-ass Se-jong bossman. How long's he been plotting this? Non-lab fans would faint."
To juggle acting and grad school, every unnecessary minute had to go.
Even if he only went home once a month, that's 2 hours round-trip; twice, 4 hours.
"Gotta slice out every wasted scrap of time."
"You're scaring me cuz it sounds dead serious. Weren't like this pre-army."
"Back then it was just studying. Now it's two jobs. Save every second possible."
"So no booze, no actresses, just study and act?"
"Gotta maintain key connections. Acting ain't solo."
With dual careers kicking off, he meant cutting only pointless downtime.
Networking with industry folks wasn't waste.
"Say Yoo Jeong-ah, Chae Ji-hyun, or Lee Seo-hyeon hits you up for drinks. Where?"
"If drinking, near campus."
"Like there's a spot for two stars to chow down without issues. Perfect scandal bait. Or nah, public spot might kill rumors?"
"Or my place."
"You'll cause a disaster! First time solo living and you're already plotting to bring girls over?!"
"Wasn't even thinking drinks till you brought it up. Everything's booze booze booze with you. Died of liver failure in a past life or what?"
"You get the grind of a broke AD? Booze or bust every damn day to survive this brutal youth overwork hell?"
"Do I have to?"
"Yeah, you raking 100-200 mil per ep wouldn't get field darkness. If I'd had your camera luck, I'd be a femme fatale hypnotizing fans too."
"Pfft, just no acting talent."
Her subtle flinch didn't escape his sharp instincts.
"Wh-what? My acting chops were top-tier."
"Sure, whatever."
Brushing it off like it was nothing only stoked her frustration more.
That's when Dad Jeong Tae-hyeon strolled over with an orange juice cup in hand.
"Seo-hoon, how's the drama feedback?"
"Not bad."
"Gotta watch it sometime. Been swamped."
"Dad, you joining the comet research too?"
Jeong Tae-hyeon grinned.
"You know—some family secrets stay secret."
"Yeah, the NDA."
"Talk when clearance drops. Dunno what level yet."
"How high we thinking?"
"Hmm. Prof's pushing hard, but you're young, first-year—hard to say. Oh, drama's got kiss scenes? Mom mentioned."
"Yep."
Jeong Su-ryeon cackled, shrugging.
"Parents who caught every single one without skipping? Probably just Mom and Dad."
"Nonsense. Our Seo-hoon's got secret dating skills. Ironclad secrecy. Right, Seo-hoon?"
"Yeah, unlike some who get caught left and right."
"Liar. Non-lab circles are buzzing you're solo."
"Su-ryeon, stars protect fan fantasies."
"Ugh, so frustrating."
Jeong Su-ryeon clutched her chest like she was suffocating.
"Seo-hoon. Any promising newbies in your cohort?"
"Yeah, all super passionate. No stragglers."
"Prof's got disciple luck jackpot. Makes sense."
Jeong Tae-hyeon muttered a touch bitterly.
"Next project start when?"
"Lead casting's wrapping up. Scheduling left—still ways off."
"You're a board member now too. Own it."
"So I did some sales on the actress casting."
"Bet that was easy. Leveraging the family face I passed down."
"Yep."
Jeong Su-ryeon mimed silent puking on the side.
Three grad student fans were deep in serious talk while disassembling modules to move gear.
A bearded eternal PhD candidate passing by wondered why so grave and eavesdropped stealthily.
"#5 start's weak af. Undergrad sharpened his blade and went full height—#5? No way."
"Right? Should've crushed #1 easy. Ratings rigged?"
"Maybe clamping down to skimp on s2 budget."
"Yankee capital always dirty."
"Ugh, if not #1 global next week, NetPrime's straight manipulating."
"Exactly. Haegeuk's stuck at #2 too—makes no sense."
"Need 'em synerizing, swapping #1-2 every week."
"Just imagining it thrills me."
Eternal PhD'er Noh Gyu-beom was baffled. None of it made sense.
"Uh, how do we disassemble this? Clockwise 3 notches here?"
"You're not even non-lab material. Undergrad explained so nicely—should've memorized it."
"Sorry, weak with metal stuff."
"Yo! Undergrad! Act busy, hurry!"
Noh Gyu-beom finally spotted Jeong Seo-hoon approaching.
White coat on, thick paper stack in hand, walking—unreal. Every step a photoshoot.
Our lab was never this vibe...>
Not just him dazed by the movie-star visuals and aura.
The past two years without Jeong Seo-hoon, MS 2-3rd years sometimes blurred reality.
Can grad students look like that?
Flower boy actor in our lab? Reality check?
Am I crashing from overwork? Dying in ER gripping thesis, dreaming this?
Female transfers unaware of undergrad Jeong Seo-hoon struggled most.
Newbie fangal grad girls, sleep-deprived red eyes but hair done, straightener out—who knew.
"Disassembly done?"
"Almost! How to move it?"
"Cart it. Wrap protective—no scratches. I'll help from here."
"When do we get real work? Feels like just chores, falling behind—nervous."
Noh Gyu-beom nearly popped his eyes.
Body aches now, but brain rest—they're rushing into hell?
Craving prof's kind smile 'this thesis fails' shoulder pat, screaming collapse, realizing you blacked out at monitor data?
"Grasp lab flow first. Anxious? Read prof's seminar stuff latest to oldest. Cloud access."
"How to cloud?"
"Move gear first, then show."
The three fangals chattered, trailing him like ducklings.
Warm, vibrant, mother hen and chicks.
Other ducklings slipped into the flock one by one.
"They on day 5 no home?"
Five-day no-home his daily, but brutal for month-old newbies.
"Lucky. Suffering feels fun..."
---