Didn't Even Ask If I Was Alive (2)
Viewers' anger was fierce.
In episode 2, Lee Jin-wook, who had been cornered unjustly, made one last call to lawyer Goo Je-man before throwing himself into the Han River.
It wasn't even a cliffhanger at the end.
He jumped midway through episode 2, and then the confirmation of his death followed right after.
Viewers could no longer hold onto even the hope that Lee Jin-wook might be alive.
The viewer participation board and the official Illegal SNS accounts were flooded with all sorts of backlash.
Viewers felt utterly betrayed, their heads spinning.
Even a story from a woman in her 50s whose son had unjustly taken his own life in the military popped up.
Sarcastic replies like "Don't confuse reality with drama" followed, but the poster unleashed a barrage of insults before deleting and dipping.
Negative reactions erupted like a volcano, and even the production staff started getting worried.
"Is this okay? The bad reviews are piling up."
"Nah, the plot and acting haven't dropped. It's just one supporting character dead. Why the meltdown? You'd think they killed the lead."
"My mom thought Lee Jin-wook was the protagonist and Goo Je-man the sidekick."
"No way."
The aggro was pulled perfectly, without a doubt.
Song Jeong-woo suppressed his rising smile and gave instructions to the PR team.
"Drop the bait."
The fandom bit hard on the bait of Jeong Seo-hoon reappearing on set, spinning wild happiness circuits.
<Lee Jin-wook didn't die, that body was someone else's?>
All sorts of theories praying for Lee Jin-wook's survival popped up.
But no bait interpretation could escape the fans' overclocked happiness circuits burning bright toward a doomed end.
The hype cooled gradually, and viewers began accepting reality like abandoned puppies.
The Illegal PR team, posing as regular viewers, fanned the flames amid the crowd.
Then episode 3 aired, and Lee Jin-wook was only mentioned in passing, never appearing.
Even the diehards who'd clung to hope till the end now faced reality.
Episode 3 peaked at 12.9% ratings.
Down 1.3% from episode 2.
It even dipped to 10.8% toward the end.
Ahead of filming, Song Jeong-woo chatted ratings with Kim Sang-hee.
"What does this mean?"
"Numbers don't lie. Simple. The Lee Jin-wook-only viewers were 3.8%."
"Good call boosting his lines."
"It wasn't boosting; I restored the original setup."
"I know, I know. But other actors and viewers won't see it that way."
"I know the rumors floating around."
Kim Sang-hee added nonchalantly.
"Like 'Kim Sang-hee favors someone again and funnels lines to them.'"
"As long as it's not true."
"Don't worry. I'm an 8-million-won-per-ep writer. My bank account's too thick to shake in the wind."
"Just don't let it mess with your head."
"Touching. You're worried about me?"
"Nah, not you—our actor Jeong Seo-hoon. Got to be tough on a rookie."
"......"
"So, Writer Kim, look out for Seo-hoon with that in mind."
"What about my mentality getting shredded live by viewers?"
"You're seasoned now. No need to worry."
***
Jeong Seo-hoon was sketching at the set, steadying his emotions.
The pen moved swiftly, filling the blank canvas.
The drawing: himself returning alive from the brink of death, base comrades startled like they'd seen a ghost, then overjoyed.
He'd finished the figures and was filling in the background when...
"......"
A quiet presence watched from behind.
Not Yoo Jeong-ah—the art director Jang Chun-sik.
Fine if he just watched quietly, but his heavy breathing grated.
Finally, Jeong Seo-hoon set down the pencil and turned.
"Oh, did I interrupt? Sorry."
Jang Chun-sik, mouth agape, finally looked sheepish.
Jeong Seo-hoon casually closed the sketchbook; regret flickered in Jang's eyes.
"You draw well. Prepping images for today's shoot?"
"Yes."
"But the background's off from the script. Not overseas base—Seocho-gu law office, right? Reunion there?"
Jeong Seo-hoon instantly conjured a natural excuse.
"Imagined the moment Lee Jin-wook wipes out allies at the overseas base and returns to base, channeling emotions on the way to meet lawyer Goo Je-man."
"Oh...! Cross-cut that for max tension. Wait, wasn't there a scene like that in the aired eps?"
"Yes. Episode 1, 16 minutes 28 seconds."
"You memorized that?"
"I watched live too. Know the big beats."
Jang Chun-sik's pupils quivered violently.
His face screamed what is this guy? internally suppressed.
As he eyed the sketchbook to say more, a staffer came panting.
"Director! Set's ready—shooting now!"
"Got it."
Jeong Seo-hoon stood.
Time to become the soldier again, savor that place's scent.
He itched to stand before the camera.
***
Even after Lee Jin-wook's suicide, Goo Je-man pressed on with the lawsuit.
The murder trial was moot now, but to salvage his honor at least.
Everyone said it was pointless, but he fought on like possessed.
Then, midway, the captain from Lee Jin-wook's unit died in an accident.
Investigators ruled simple traffic mishap, closed case—but Goo Je-man dug from scratch.
Uncovering suspicious threads, he then got a visit from a familiar face.
The weary young man's expression gone; a detached, world-weary blankness—like a different person wearing his face.
> "I've heard you've been looking for me."
> "Captain Kim Si-ho... You killed him, didn't you?"
Lee Jin-wook stared silently for seconds, then smiled faintly.
> "Didn't even ask if I was alive."
"......"
Song Jeong-woo couldn't call cut for a long while.
But the actors' stare-down stretched taut, unbroken.
As if they couldn't break immersion without the signal.
Kim Sang-hee, watching silently, let out a held breath, snapping Song Jeong-woo from his freeze.
"C-cut!"
Only then did the crafted world dissolve; the actors returned to reality.
Kim Sang-hee muttered softly.
"Didn't it feel like just the two of them were trapped in my script world? Oh man..."
"Su-ryeon. Writer Kim's muse has arrived. Fetch the folding table."
Where's the next episode?(1)