The Real Player, Part 2

Sion Lee had made his acting debut in a sitcom when he was around eight years old. It was a family sitcom titled Farmer's Family, where he played the innocent youngest son. He had barely any lines; his job was mostly to sit still and look cute. Yet, by placing his naturally gifted face in front of the window through which American households viewed the world, he gradually began to capture the public's attention, launching his career in earnest.

Sitcoms were more accessible and public-friendly than any other medium. Unlike movies, which required people to physically go to a theater, choose a showtime, and pay for a ticket, a sitcom only required them to drag themselves home after work, plop down on the couch, and turn on the TV. That was why The College Player was the perfect project for Sion Lee at this transitional phase, just before he fully established himself as an adult actor. Since reaching adulthood—or more accurately, since his regression—his image had been undergoing a sequential yet rapid transformation.

And I need to let the whole world know about this change. Sion, who wanted to shed his broad reputation as a "terrible actor and a brat" as well as his narrower reputation of "only being good at serious acting," had gladly accepted the role of Ryan in The College Player. Whenever he had free time, he clung to the script, pouring his energy into crafting the character. A brilliant but clumsy, slightly loose-screwed nerd college student. But that wasn't all. Because of the actor's true image hidden beneath that baggy exterior, the audience couldn't help but watch, eagerly anticipating the moment his true colors would shine through. Sion intended to actively exploit that gap.

And as Sion stepped onto the set for the filming of Episode 3-2...

"Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaahhhh-!!"

A massive wave of cheers erupted as if they had been waiting for this exact moment. The applause showed no signs of stopping. People whistled, stood up from their seats, and went wild. Thanks to the sizzling charm he had displayed at the recent MTV Movie Awards, the audience's anticipation for Sion's first appearance had reached an absolute fever pitch.

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagggghhhh-!!"

The continuous roaring cheers showed no sign of dying down. Even the four lead actors, who had handled the unique environment of a sitcom for over two years across the previous two seasons, were momentarily dazed. Amidst the chaos, Sion Lee couldn't even begin his lines and had to stand there, waiting for the audience's reaction to subside. That was the nature of a live-studio sitcom. It was a "stage" where raw, live reactions were captured, but things could still be edited or added later. Thus, Sion read the room, timed his move, and began to act in character.

Looking around anxiously, he tripped over a wire in front of the door. Sion plunged forward, disappearing completely behind the sofa. A bit of slapstick. The audience burst into laughter at his clumsy antics. However, Kyle, Max, and Susan on stage, along with the numerous staff members and Chelsea watching from below, were utterly flabbergasted. It was an incredibly sudden ad-lib, yet so seamless it felt like it had been written into ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the script from the very beginning.

As Camera 3 scrambled to capture the sofa in response, the cheers gradually died down.

Huh?

Wait?

Ah...

Some understood, while others were puzzled. Once the object of their adoration vanished from sight, the audience began to calm down one by one. Only then did Sion slowly rise from behind the sofa—with his glasses off. The crowd gasped, ready to be awed by his bare face. But having barely shown his stunning features, he ducked back down, slipped his glasses back on, and peeked his head out. The sequence of events up to this point highlighted a profound talent Sion possessed.

"He's a natural-born genius." Ethan Simons, the head writer watching the feed from the control room, let out a dumbfounded chuckle. Sitting beside him, Olga Asimov silently watched Sion as he continued his performance. Finally, the scene officially began.

"Oh, this is Ryan. He's my friend from back home. He's starting college this semester."

"..."

"Ryan, say hello."

"O-Oh, h-hello!"

Ryan stuttered over his words. Seeing this, Kyle and Max exchanged mischievous grins. They had been worried about what kind of guy Bell's childhood friend would be. The fact that he was a "guy" had annoyed them, but the fact that he was a total "nerd" made it perfectly fine. While Bell stepped out for a moment to grab pizza, leaving the three of them alone, they sat Ryan down between them and began grilling him.

"Have you ever kissed a girl?"

"N-No."

"What about prom?"

"I went with the girl my mom picked for me."

"What did you do last weekend?"

"I went to church..."

Kyle and Max stared at each other over Ryan's head. Then, they declared in unison:

"Passed."

He was clearly not a "threat." The two "players" of The College Player teased Ryan, bantered with him, and offered unsolicited advice to the country bumpkin. Meanwhile, a crew member stepped out to briefly narrate to the audience what Bell was experiencing at the pizza parlor. Soon, the stage lights shifted, revealing a different set: Max's bedroom.

"Hey, we've got something you'd like in here!" Kyle pointed to a Batman action figure he had won as a prize at the arcade back in Season 2.

"Whoaaa! Is that the Adam West Batman?!"

"Adam who?"

"Look at the detail on the utility belt! If you scale the length of this yellow belt to real-life proportions, it perfectly matches Adam West's Batman! Heheh! You know, the 1966 TV series Batman! It was legendary! Listen to this! Some critics argue that it portrayed Batman too comically, but I beg to differ. Given the era, making the superhero more accessible to the general public was actually a brilliant move!"

"..."

"...I think we brought home the Flash."

"The Flash?"

"Whoa! You know the Flash?! The Flash is so incredibly cool! I love him too! Which Flash is your favorite? The first, second, or third generation? Personally, I love the first! It's classic! There's a certain romance to the original, foundational characters, don't you think?!"

The audience roared with laughter at Ryan's hyper-nerdy outburst. Kyle and Max looked like they wanted to bolt. They had started out wary of Ryan, then moved to teasing him, and now they were utterly miserable. From the audience's perspective, Kyle and Max were getting a taste of their own medicine.

A moment later, Bell returned with the pizza. Max approached her, his voice dripping with exhaustion.

"...Your friend is something else. He could honestly be a rapper."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Bell! Look at this! My new friends have an Adam West Batman figure!"

Tripping as he emerged from the bedroom, Ryan lost his balance and crashed to the floor again. Startled, Bell rushed over. When she anxiously asked, "Are you okay?!", Ryan, still sprawled on the floor, merely held the Batman figure high in the air and yelled, "It's safe!"

The audience absolutely lost it.

Ryan was a uniquely refreshing character, unlike anything previously seen in this college sitcom. Even putting aside the fact that he was played by Sion, the character breathed fresh air into the show's atmosphere. The chemistry this character generated as he interacted with the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠others made The College Player infinitely more engaging.

"Oh, you must be Ryan!"

"U-Uh, ah, oh, um..."

From the moment Nancy hugged him tightly and he scrambled to escape, to:

"That? It's three."

"How did you get that?"

"It's easy. Look."

In front of Max, who was struggling with his college homework, Ryan displayed a genius-level intellect that perfectly matched his bespectacled appearance.

Watching Ryan's one-man show unfold on set, the studio audience eventually forgot they were watching a taping. They fell completely into the youthful, vibrant world of The College Player, turning into pure reaction machines.

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaggghhh-!"

Cheering at the cool moments, applauding, and bursting into laughter, they helped the new character of the season establish himself completely in just a single episode.

Wow, he's actually incredible...

Damn, it must have been ages since he did a live studio taping...

Shit, how am I supposed to compete with this?

Fuck it, I don't care. I just want to wrap this up and hit the club for a drink.

Watching Sion, the lead actors each harbored their own thoughts.

After wrapping up the live studio taping on Monday, the production team worked on editing until Friday. The staff seamlessly merged the pre-recorded location footage with the live studio footage, preparing the episode to be broadcast nationwide during Friday night's prime time. When Episode 3-2 of The College Player finally aired, it was undeniably a one-man show starring Sion Lee.

[O-Oh, h-hello!]

Whenever he flashed that goofy, innocent smile, female fans across the nation screamed.

"He's so cuuuute!!"

"Siooon! You're adorable!!"

"Ugh, that baggy knit sweater! I want to rip it right off him!"

"I'm going to strip him down and devour him whole!"

From the makeup to the vocal delivery and gestures, he was outwardly just a nerd. But underneath it all was the hottest Hollywood star of the moment. No matter how "ugly" they tried to make him look, the actor's natural charm shone through, allowing the audience to fully appreciate Ryan's dual appeal. As the episode progressed, alternating between Ryan's nerdy antics and his genius intellect, viewers were left in awe of Sion Lee's acting prowess.

"Bwahaha!"

"Hahaha! Dude, doesn't he look exactly like that kid in our class? You know, the nerd!"

"Whoa, totally. But since Sion's playing him, he actually looks kinda cool?"

"Adam West Batman? Let's ask them what that is tomorrow!"

And the best scene of the night came at the very end. It was a classic episodic cliffhanger designed to hook viewers for the next week—essentially the core of the sitcom business model. The introduction of "Ryan," the wild card of the new season, and the structure of dedicating an entire episode to establishing his character was masterfully executed. The reason Kyle and Max ultimately decided not to be wary of him was because, at the comic book store, he seemed far more obsessed with the comics than with Bell.

[He's harmless. He probably prefers Wonder Woman to real girls anyway.]

[...Y-Yeah, true.]

[Don't worry, just go for Bell.]

[What are you talking about? No way!]

And then came the final scene of Episode 3-2.

[Goodbye, Ryan. I had so much fun today.]

Bell smiled brightly as she saw Ryan off at the bus stop. While waiting for the bus, Ryan, who was so tall that Bell had to look way up to meet his eyes, smiled sheepishly as they chatted. They shared the trivial banter of childhood friends, reminiscing about how small he used to be and how incredibly tall he had grown.

And in the next instant, a car sped past them.

[Kyaaaah?!]

A gust of wind, the roaring sound of an engine. Frightened, Bell shrank back and slowly opened her eyes, only to find Ryan standing in front of her, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠shielding her.

[...Are you okay?]

Broad shoulders. A towering height that contrasted sharply with Bell's petite frame. No matter how lean he was, his back possessed the solid, expansive frame unique to a grown man. As he turned his head slightly to check on the girl he was protecting, his profile was revealed, exquisitely framed behind his glasses. With romantic music swelling in the background, Episode 3-2 of The College Player came to an end.

"..."

"..."

"What... was that?"

"Oh my god, oh my god! That was insane!"

"What was that ending?!"

It was a legendary scene that had countless teenage girls and young women screaming in front of their TVs. A childhood friend whom she hadn't seen in years, who suddenly reappeared having shot up in height, yet still cared for her with the same childhood innocence, only to reveal a dependable side that would shield her in a moment of danger. It was a trope-heavy setup, packed to the brim with every female fantasy imaginable. But "that boy" possessed the face of Sion Lee—a face that served as its own justification, making any minor plot holes completely irrelevant.

And it was blindingly obvious that a "twist" would eventually come in this year-long sitcom. For now, no matter how thick his glasses were or how dorky his Spider-Man sweater looked, the audience accepted it all. From comedy to romance, the show delivered a perfect package that fully satisfied its viewers. The dormant desires in the hearts of countless girls across the nation were defenselessly triggered by "Ryan," beginning to boil over.

Meanwhile, a very different reaction was taking place elsewhere.

"Sion Lee, you absolute bastard...!"

"Please! Not this!"

Nerds across the country began to wail.

"Don't take 'nerd' away from us too...!"

The ruthless Sion Lee had stripped them of their very last shred of pride.

Rave reviews and articles poured in from everywhere. Combined with the coverage from the awards ceremony a few weeks prior, the media had been dominated by Sion Lee for nearly a month. Honestly, it was highly unusual for a television sitcom to garner this level of attention. It was virtually unprecedented for a guest character, explicitly announced to appear for only a single season, to generate such a massive sensation.

24.2%

That was the viewership rating recorded for Episode 3-2. Consistently hovering around the 23% to 24% mark, the sitcom was sailing smoothly. The production team was absolutely thrilled. In fact, most of the crew received bonuses from Paramount Studios, leading them to sing Sion's praises even louder.

And so, the term "Sion Effect" was officially coined.

"..."

Sitting at home, watching the broadcast, Frederic Pederson bit his lip. The trash can at his feet was overflowing with crumpled cigarette packs.

Ultimately, the final straw was "money." Once Sion delivered an overwhelming performance in the sitcom and Frederic witnessed the tangible reality of the "Sion Effect," he threw in the towel. He had been beaten so thoroughly, in so many different ways, that he couldn't even harbor a grudge anymore. Honestly, he had lost count of his defeats.

Prestige, connections, acting talent, looks—he surrendered on every front. It was exhausting to clash with Sion every time something went slightly awry on set. Above all, Sion had proven himself with results in Frederic's own domain. Frederic no longer had the will to resist. He resolved to just let Sion do as he pleased and stay quietly by his side.

Haha, how could someone like me ever beat a guy like that?

His thoughts had shifted from Shit, why is he doing this to me?! to Well, I guess it's because I only amount to this much.

From that crazy son of a bitch to an incredibly amazing person.

Frederic. Once the "mild brat" of The College Player, he had been so thoroughly crushed in front of a "true monster" that he couldn't even muster his pride anymore. Slowly, he was beginning to come to his senses.