Breaking 30% (Part 2)

"Damn, that kid looks like a total pretty boy."

Harlan, Kentucky, was a coal-mining town nestled deep within the Appalachian Mountains. The town layout was traditional: a hunting supply store selling guns sat prominently in the center, and right next to it was a small diner that served as both restaurant and coffee shop, acting as the heart of the community. When the men, exhausted and filthy from a grueling shift in the mines, stopped by the diner to catch their breath, they couldn't help but feel a surge of irritation the moment they looked up at the dusty television.

Instead of a football game, the screen was broadcasting The College Player. Some pretty boy was talking to his friend.

Canned laughter erupted from the speakers. But instead of focusing on the dialogue, the miners gathered in the diner only glared at the screen, their faces twisted in irritation at these guys named Ryan and Max.

To the miners, whose faces were caked in sweat and coal dust, these slick, Hollywood-styled boys didn't possess a single ounce of real masculinity. The real problem, however, was that they were losing their families to these punks.

"Sigh..."

"Ryan is seriously amazing. Sion plays him so perfectly."

"Right? If I go to college, do you think I can date a guy like that?"

"I'd settle for Dominic. He's pretty cute too."

A dozen or so teenage girls sat at the bar counter, eyes glued to the television. In this cramped, impoverished rural town, their only source of entertainment was gathering at the diner once a week to chatter excitedly over the latest episode of the sitcom. And they weren't the only ones.

"If I'd known life would be like this... I should've listened to Henry when he wanted to move to the city."

"If we had gone to college, do you think we would've had a romance like that?"

"No way! I still love my husband!"

"What about Sion Lee?"

"I crave him."

The miners' wives gathered in the diner were also completely swept up in The College Player, giggling and chatting in a frenzy. Looking back, posters of that college nerd—Ryan, played by Sion—had started popping up all over their homes.

Even when the men returned home, they were greeted by hastily thrown-together casserole dinners while their wives and daughters sat huddled in front of their tiny TV screens, squealing as they rewatched the very same episode of The College Player they had already seen at the diner.

Shuddering at the thought, the miners ordered another round of beers. The diner's owner asked,

"How's everything lately?"

"Well... feels like the women are always the same."

"Haha, I guess watching it together here lets them share their reactions instantly, which makes it fun."

"I bet you're loving the boost in sales, huh?"

"I won't say I hate it."

The owner, eyes gleaming with the spirit of capitalism, gave a wink as he poured draft beer from the tap. A creamy head of foam sat atop a golden liquid that coiled enticingly like the forbidden fruit. The miners downed their beers in one go and began ordering dinner. Despite their grumbling, faint smiles tugged at the corners of their mouths.

As mentioned, there wasn't much to do in a mining town, especially for teenagers. Boredom often drove them to wander the streets, and some even turned to delinquency as a rebellion against their bleak surroundings. The fathers, who usually scolded their daughters for coming home late, felt a small sense of relief seeing them safe and sound, completely absorbed in a TV show right before their eyes.

Then, one of the men, washing down his throat with beer, spoke up.

"It's killing me lately."

"Why?"

"My daughter suddenly says she wants to go to college."

"...Your daughter? With those grades?"

"Hey, watch it. That's harsh."

"Well, sure. There's always hope."

"But why all of a sudden? I thought she completely gave up on studying."

"She says she wants to date that Sion Lee guy or whatever his name is."

"If she believes what's on TV is real life, she's definitely not cut out for college."

"Hey, watch it. Harsh."

The miners traded rough jokes but ultimately burst into hearty laughter. They looked at their families—who were their entire world—with affectionate eyes. The exhaustion of the day slowly melted away. In any case, watching the screen, one thing was certain.

"Well, his acting isn't half bad. That kid."

Even the miners in this remote, rural town were beginning to remember the name Sion Lee.

Sion believed that actors could be categorized in two ways: those who actively put themselves before the public, and those who strictly focused on their craft. Sion was undeniably the former. More accurately, whether he wanted to or not, he had been in that position ever since his regression.

The name 'Sion Lee' was something the vast majority of the American public recognized, even if they had never actually watched his films or seen him act. He had simply been the talk of the town in the media for far too long.

"A spoiled brat who can't act to save his life." "Teen heartthrob." "He was so cute and pretty as a kid, but he went completely off the rails as he grew up." "A mad dog who snaps at anyone who looks at him."

That was undoubtedly how they remembered him. After all, the tabloids had blared those exact headlines day in and day out.

I did manage to shatter a good portion of that image with my last two films, though.

Still, it wasn't enough. Given the conservative nature of the American public, completely rewriting his reputation in just a few years required either a much longer period of time or a far more powerful blow.

Granted, the box office returns for both Swing in Chicago and Fragments of You had reached the absolute pinnacle of what was expected from their respective genres. In particular, Swing in Chicago had achieved near-legendary status in the indie film scene. Behind closed doors, people had even whispered, "Casting Sion Lee? You've got to be kidding me!"

Perhaps thanks to that, I heard that actors notorious for terrible acting have recently been flocking to indie films.

But even though he had initiated that trend and taken the first steps to break free from his old reputation, opening a newspaper or a magazine would still occasionally reveal snide remarks relying on his past image.

Therefore, Sion, who had intended to continue acting ever since his regression, knew he had to completely obliterate the "terrible actor" label before launching his career as a mature adult lead. He wanted to reach a point where absolutely no one could claim he was just a talentless attention-seeker.

Indie films and romance movies, no matter how popular, ultimately appealed to a limited demographic. There were small towns in America without a single movie theater, and plenty ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of people who simply didn't watch movies at all. But as he had resolved upon his regression, Sion wanted more. He chose the television sitcom The College Player as his next project so that anyone who sat in front of a TV screen would see him act.

And naturally, the response was explosive. Above all, because Sion Lee himself had engineered it to be so.

Praise poured in continuously, to the point where it felt almost excessive. As the season progressed and new facets of Ryan's character were revealed, media outlets of all kinds churned out endless variations of articles analyzing his charm, the secrets to his success, and his impact on popular culture.

Reviewing these articles regularly with Charlie's help, Sion could feel that the character he had meticulously built and portrayed according to the script was being deeply embraced.

This is the fun part.

For an actor, nothing was more thrilling than watching the public's reaction to their work.

And it shows that I'm being properly understood.

While seeing the fruits of his labor was satisfying, the true highlight lay elsewhere.

When Sion first received the role of Ryan, he thought it was the perfect character for "the current him" to play. This was because the character's trajectory aligned perfectly with how the public perceived him as an actor.

People always wanted to know a star's secrets. And when they discovered that a celebrity possessed a hidden, positive side that contrasted with their public persona, they showered them with affection.

The current Sion Lee—"seemingly a spoiled brat, but actually deeply serious about acting"—and Ryan—"a hardcore nerd, but actually incredibly handsome"—shared a striking parallel.

And the gradual transformation as the show progresses is great too.

As The College Player went on, Ryan entered college and began to break out of his shell. Beyond just being a handsome nerd, he was a character who "lacked social skills but desperately tried to change himself." There was no way the audience wouldn't fall in love with someone like that.

Plus, the network must be recalculating the 'value' of this character by now.

Aside from his personal affection for the role, Sion knew that playing Ryan would yield some highly lucrative benefits in the future.

On April 19, 1993, after several broadcast delays, Episode 21 of Season 3 of The College Player aired, and its ratings comfortably surpassed the 30% mark. 30.6%. With nearly a third of all American households tuned in, the show was finally heading toward its season finale. It felt as though everyone was watching with bated breath, much like the climax of the movie The Truman Show.

And then came... April 26.

...The public's reaction was probably something like this:

"Aaaaargh! Why?!"

"Belle finally realized how Ryan feels in Episode 21! Why is it preempted again?!"

"Is he going to confess in the finale?! Ryan?! What's going to happen?!"

"Please stay for Season 4...! No, stay on the show forever!!"

Given the nature of American television, driven by the relentless tides of capitalism, the audience had no choice but to scream in frustration and wait. After all, the network could get away with it in this era. It was a time before the internet, when the vast majority of people communicated only through print media like newspapers and magazines. Sion couldn't help but think that if this had happened in a future dominated by streaming platforms, a cataclysmic wave of hate comments would have completely overwhelmed online communities.

In the midst of this, a select few viewers were able to find out the outcome a little earlier than everyone else.

"Wow, I can't believe I'm actually here!"

"I sent in countless postcards, but I must've been picked for the finale just for this day!"

From the men celebrating today's miracle with high expectations, to the women squealing in high-pitched, barely human shrieks of excitement.

April 29, the filming day for Episode 22 of The College Player. Watching the lucky audience members who had scored tickets to the live taping of the season finale, Sion murmured quietly,

"...The reaction is going to be insane."

Just then, a young man panting heavily beside him held out a can.

"Here. I'm not late, right?"

"Thanks, I'll enjoy this... Oh, wait. I actually prefer hot coffee."

"Should I go back?"

Frederic Patterson's face was as red as a ripe bell pepper from sprinting. Sion thought he should probably tone down the teasing soon, but given the "sins" Frederic had committed against the staff early in the season, Sion felt obligated to play the villain a little longer.

These guys have to keep starring in this show even after I leave.

On a film set, the crew worked far ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠harder than the actors, yet most of them didn't receive anywhere near the same compensation. Sion was thoroughly "educating" Frederic to ensure he would never treat them poorly.

"Five."

"Five?"

"Four... three..."

"Dammit, do you think I'm going to cater to your whims forever?!"

Despite his grumbling, Frederic bolted back out. Thinking his retreating figure looked like a rolling green bell pepper, Sion turned and headed toward the styling room.

The moment he took a single step inside, the crew members busy preparing for the shoot brightened up and greeted him warmly.

"Hi, Sion!"

"Good luck today!"

"Knock 'em dead, champ!"

"Yeah, yeah. I'll do my best."

It seemed everyone had grown completely comfortable around him.

Hmm, maybe I should stir up some trouble at the wrap party before I leave to keep them on their toes.

Feeling a bit burdened by being remembered solely as a "nice guy," Sion considered that causing a minor scene to shock everyone might not be a bad idea. With that thought, he stepped deeper into the styling room.

There, he found two people who had arrived early, sitting in chairs and staring blankly into space.

"..."

"..."

It was Chelsea Cartwright, who played Nancy, and Susan Hopkins, who played Belle.

"Chelsea? Susan? What's going on? Is there something on my face—"

Sion followed their gaze and let out a low whistle.

Elena Asimov, today's cameo star, was fully dressed in her outfit to play the "cheerleader captain."

"...The skirt seems a bit short."

A miniskirt, a crop top, and white high-top sneakers. Her shoulder-length platinum blonde hair was tied back in a neat ponytail. She was turning awkwardly in front of the mirror, but when she spotted Sion entering the room, she quickly trotted over to him.

Sion chuckled and said,

"You look like you could actually pass for a college student."

"Shut up. I am actually in college... Anyway, how is it? Does it look weird?"

"Hmm. The skirt is definitely short. If you start jumping around, it might ride up. Did you take precautions underneath?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm wearing spandex shorts."

Elena slightly lifted her skirt to show him the black spandex. Sion inspected it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with a professional eye, nodded in relief, and asked,

"So, what's the concept? Why yellow of all colors?"

"They said it's a Los Angeles Lakers vibe. The show's setting isn't explicitly stated, but it feels like LA, except with occasional cold weather. Since we filmed at Stanford last time, they wanted to keep that continuity."

"You kind of look like Tweety Bird. From Looney Tunes."

When he compared her to the tiny cartoon canary, Elena glanced back at the mirror and giggled.

"Should I lean into that? My character is supposed to be a cheerleader captain who completely dominates the nerds, but maybe she can have a cute charm to her too. What do you think?"

"That could work. Try acting it out right now. If it's good, let's go pitch it to the director together."

Clearing her throat, Elena began to run through a quick performance. Sion watched her quietly, a gentle smile playing on his lips.

"Wow..."

"Oh, my god..."

Sion Lee and Elena Asimov blended seamlessly into a single frame, naturally bouncing acting ideas off each other.

Wow, they look so good together.

I guess... that's what it takes to be a top-tier actor.

Watching the two of them from the sidelines, Susan and Chelsea looked even more starstruck than before.