No Way, You’re Here for Drama Promotion, Right?!
“No way, you’re here for drama promotion, right?!”
MC Park Seong-un let out a chuckle that turned into a cough, his shoulders shaking with quiet amusement.
Inside, he felt genuinely happy.
The fact that Ahn Seok-hwan and Yeryeong had thrown themselves so completely into movie promotions left the broadcast schedule in real danger of getting squeezed dry.
Even the sharp-eyed MC Lee Chae-ha shifted her gaze toward Deok-su.
“If it’s L’Vyu, there’ll be plenty of interesting stories… Oh, and the first ad was that weird Can thing… what was it again?”
“Ah, you mean ExQueen,”
Deok-su mentioned the constipation medicine he had filmed not too long ago, and MC Lee Chae-ha waved a finger at him.
“No, no, no. That one was a solo shoot. Remember the early debut ad? The Circle Lens one.”
Only then did Deok-su recall the ad that every member of Signature had appeared in—the Circle Lens Baby Can. It had been the first time a male idol was cast in a role that usually belonged to pretty actresses or idol girls, and the whole industry had buzzed about it. It was an ad from back when the old, aggressive Deok-su was still filming.
MC Seo Dong-in grinned slyly and pulled a panel from beneath the table. The panel showed Deok-su wearing sunglasses in an arrogant pose.
“Hmph…”
The guests, and even Deok-su himself, could no longer hold back their laughter. The looks, the poses—flawless. The only flaw was the sunglasses hiding the Circle Lens contact lenses.
Still chuckling, MC Seo Dong-in continued, “Hahaha. I’ve wanted to ask this since we first met. When you filmed the Circle Lens ad, why did you wear sunglasses?”
“Back then I was in full middle-school syndrome. I’d like to apologize to the director again.”
Deok-su’s self-deprecation sent the studio into fresh peals of laughter.
With the atmosphere finally relaxing, Yeryeong jumped in. “Oh, Deok-su oppa, you just shot that drug commercial, right? It was a huge hit!”
“I’m grateful everyone liked it so much.”
“I take it sometimes too. The effect is…”
“Hey! Keep the actress image intact!”
MC Park Seong-un cut in, and laughter erupted once more in the studio.
While the recording continued, PD Ji Han-seong and the writer huddled together, faces close.
‘L’Vyu’s talk is natural.’
‘He’s not trying to steal the show, but he ends up right in the center.’
‘Smart move hiding his dark history. I thought the manager was a pain and he’d be terrible at image control… but he’s handling it perfectly.’
In the middle of the recording, MC Seo Dong-in slammed the table. “…So are you still refusing to promote the drama? I’m genuinely curious! I’m a fan!”
“No, no, no. Pure jealousy. Actors always do that when it’s only them on screen. But since he won’t say anything, it makes me even more curious. L’Vyu. What drama is it?”
MC Lee Chae-ha tried too, but Deok-su simply shrugged.
“I did receive the script, but I honestly have no idea.”
“Hey! If you don’t know, how are viewers supposed to?”
While acting nervous, Deok-su kept repeating “I really don’t know” and only dropped the bait of “the senior actors gave their all” and “life acting.”
That was exactly what made the hungry MCs lean in even harder, desperate to dig for details.
“Thank you, seniors.”
During a break while recording was still going, MC Seo Dong-in approached the seated Deok-su and handed him a coffee.
As Deok-su stood, the MC gestured for him to sit and offered his own seat. “Please. I… I was surprised by how talkative you are. I got teased about it. It’s fun, though…”
“The seniors matched my energy perfectly. Thank you.”
“It felt like you were deliberately provoking curiosity. I enjoyed it… but did you have the whole story planned out?”
Deok-su simply smiled. The response had been better than expected; it was all part of his acting.“It was a test of reaction, and I’m glad it worked.”
The guests who had come with him were far too focused on movie promotions.
If they did the same, both viewers and PDs would feel exhausted, so Deok-su stayed professional.
After hearing Deok-su, MC Seo Dong-in pulled out a piece of paper, smiling satisfied. “I’ll look forward to seeing you again. Oh, sign here for me. My wife and kids are big fans of Deok-su.”
Deok-su signed without hesitation.
When they returned to the studio, Yeryeong had already set up the hot packs and was scowling. “…The cameras are off! You said to give me hot packs! I’m cold-sensitive! If I catch a cold and have to cancel schedules, will oppa take responsibility?”
“S-sorry.”
The smiling Yeryeong who had been facing the camera moments ago was nowhere to be seen.
Ahn Seok-hwan had done the same; he was venting at his own manager. “You said you didn’t eat X-carry, right? You brought grape flavor! Grape flavor!”
“The… the grape flavor is nearby…”
“What did you do while I was recording?”
Park Hyeon-woo, who had come to check on Deok-su, felt every hair on his body stand on end in the tense atmosphere.
“Hyeon-woo. What’s wrong?”
“Ah, no, hyung. Are you uncomfortable?”
“Yeah. Got some sleep?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“If you’re hungry, eat first. The station food is good. Don’t wait for me. Oh, thanks.”
Deok-su handed the hot pack Park Hyeon-woo had brought to the waiting Yeryeong.
“Ah… thank you, oppa.”
“It was Director Jang Gyu-hyun, right? I heard you love action… but this time you had to stay up all night… I’m really curious though. How did your acting improve so much? From expressions to tone to body language…? You’ve been getting so many offers lately?”
Yeryeong curled her lips the way she always did when she was being sarcastic, and the manager quietly slipped out of the studio.
Watching him go, Deok-su simply smiled.
-Radio Luvs: L’Vyu refuses self-promotion for drama?
-L’Vyu, I still don’t know what you’re filming… I’m even more curious…
-No promo at all? Now I’m even more curious…
Deok-su’s Radio Luvs segment aired.
The reactions were split.
-(Best) Haha lol lol lol If ratings hit over 5% they’ll crown L’Vyu as the new king of something.└Let’s go└L’Vyu’s arms are so thick. Bye~└I’ll use every connection I have to push it over 5%)
-It feels like they focused more on the funny parts than promo. It’s secretly funny.
-Writer Shin Yoo-mi’s works are always top-notch. It makes sense Kim Deok-su talks like that.
-I’m curious though. L’Vyu is playing another villain this time?
-Why didn’t he do the lead role? Is he skipping JMT?
-L’Vyu’s works just don’t seem to get in much. L’Vyu, you need to try harder.
└Oppa, your works keep coming in.
└L’Vyu’s main job is being an idol, kid.
└I’m curious too. It’s hard to tell if it’ll actually hit…
-I looked it up. It’s a weekday drama on NBS. The story is about a mother sending her children to university. The material is boring, but…
‘What is that best king thing?’
Deok-su tilted his head, closed his phone, and sighed.
Today was the big day—the first episode of the main broadcast.
Holding the script with anticipation and a touch of dread, his phone suddenly vibrated on the table.
The chat was scrolling nonstop.
Trying to mute the notification for focus, Deok-su saw an important message pop up.
Suddenly a lightning meeting was on.
The location was Kang Jeong-ran’s house in Yongsan.
That evening, after rehearsal, Deok-su headed to Kang Jeong-ran’s home.
When he walked inside, most of the cast had already arrived and waved at him.
“Oh, our new kids are here.”
Deok-su pulled out a red handkerchief and everyone burst into laughter, especially Kang Jeong-ran, who adored red more than anyone else.
“Wow. Where did you even find a red handkerchief?”
After Yeryeong had told him Kang Jeong-ran loved red, Deok-su had gone shopping everywhere.
Seeing the effort paid off, Kang Jeong-ran started packing extra things for him.
Carrying the dishes together, Deok-su said to her, “Senior, the kids aren’t here.”
“They’re staying with their dad at the in-laws’ because they said they’d come. They’ll be here the day after tomorrow.”
Not long after setting up, the specially ordered low-calorie food arrived. Not the usual delivery meals, but carefully chosen ones that fit the characters’ needs for the coming days when they would be on camera.
“It smells delicious!”
“The meat looks amazing. Mom, where did you order this?”
While the actresses chatted, the few male actors—including idol-turned-actor Ra-won and Deok-su—tried to join the conversation.
Deok-su was fine, but the tension on Ra-won’s face was clear.
Deok-su whispered to him, ‘Not in front of cameras, why so stiff?’
‘Ah, no, senior. It’s just…’
Seeing the tension, Deok-su’s own past resurfaced and he started taking extra care.
Unaware of what Deok-su was thinking, the actresses’ laughter grew louder.
“Hey, hey. Really? Did those two actually start dating?”
“I knew something was up. I figured it out the moment they filmed the kiss scene.”
“How did you know, senior?”
“Their lips kept moving back and forth… carrying each other’s messages.”
“Kyahahaha!”
The actresses were unstoppable talkers.
As the conversation level rose, Deok-su grew uncomfortable, but he kept a calm face.
The awkward (?) dinner finally ended and a brief lull arrived.
Deok-su said he was going to throw out the trash and stepped outside. Ra-won followed behind him.
“You didn’t have to carry it alone.”
“It’s no problem, senior.”
Ra-won took the food waste from Deok-su’s hands.
Inside the elevator, Ra-won finally spoke. “How… how do you become like senior?”
The sudden question made Deok-su blink.
“I… I want to act well too. Without being overshadowed by other actors like senior… I want to shine.”
“Where is it lacking? It doesn’t sound like pronunciation or tone. Is it reactions?”
Ra-won nodded stiffly.
Reactions were acting that responded to a co-star’s expression and actions. No matter how often one stressed its importance, it never felt enough compared to the physical acting itself.
“Reactions… Honestly, they’re a burden. My tone always comes out robotic and I just freeze up.”
“Does it vary by actor?”
“That’s… It’s hardest when I act with A-yeong or Ha-na. It’s easier with seniors.”
Deok-su paused, unsure whether he should give advice to a junior.
But when he saw the junior’s eyes, it felt urgent.
After a moment, Deok-su spoke carefully. “A-yeong and Ha-na are both child-actor alumni. They’re not people who can’t act… but are you maybe feeling pressured?”
“P-pressure?”
“What should I say? There’s that feeling of inadequacy. I also feel like I have to be better…”
Ra-won stayed silent.
It felt like he had hit the nail on the head.
Deok-su continued calmly. “You’ve done thorough character analysis?”
“Yes, of course.”
“It’s scary to say this, but… what if you just try acting naturally, without thinking you have to be perfect?”
“Naturally?”
Deok-su patted Ra-won’s shoulder, but the junior stayed quiet for a long time.
Only as they neared the top floor did he speak. “You know PD and seniors said the same thing?”
“Ah, really?”
“But senior’s words felt more believable. Thank you for listening.”
Deok-su patted the junior’s back as he left.
The moment he stepped back into Kang Jeong-ran’s house, Yu Tae-seon grabbed Deok-su’s arm. “Deok-su~y~ Sit quickly. Let’s start.”
Yu Tae-seon tried to pull him to the sofa, but Deok-su slipped toward the bathroom and ended up sitting on the floor.
Ignoring the obvious avoidance, Yu Tae-seon pouted, but Deok-su feigned innocence.
Soon the drama began.
The screen showed a cluster of luxury single-family homes, and the drama started.
Kang Jeong-ran said, “Director Jo Woo-seok has great color sense—even though we’re not discussing other things, the buildings look so European now.”
“Exactly. It’s beautiful.”
A drama was never decided by acting alone. Color grading, post-recording, editing—all of it shaped the final look. Monitoring was the crucial task of watching every detail.
“Ji-han-ssi’s acting is still…”
“But Deok-su… wow. He just reads her eyes perfectly?”
The actresses’ chatter continued.
On the TV, Moon Ji-won knelt as the lead, and Deok-su watched her without emotion.
The drama’s color palette, angles, and expressions were flawless.
Above all, the special guest Moon Ji-won and Deok-su’s synchronized performance stole the scene.
“The tone is good. The expressions are fine… Deok-su. How did you play that scene?”
“It’s like a mix of a grim reaper and a devil.”
“Ah, I get it. You promise something, but once it’s fulfilled you drag them to hell… so that’s why you’re the devil.”
The actresses let out soft gasps at Deok-su’s words.
The hour-long drama raced toward its conclusion.
The son entering Seoul National University finally snapped under study stress, broke off with his mother, and the heartbroken mother threw herself off a cliff. The first episode ended.
As the preview rolled, Yu Tae-seon blinked. “I knew the plot, but seeing it… it’s actually scary.”
The others couldn’t leave their seats easily, still moved.
But the evaluation was cold.
-First episode rating 4.2%. Unsteady start? The actresses’ humiliation?
-Curiosity failed to hook? Did this weekday drama on NBS flop?
The first episode racked up a dismal 4.2% and started with a thud.
Deok-su said, “Maybe I didn’t promote it enough.”
-No, Deok-su, why? It’ll be different from episode two! This story can’t stay hidden.
Surprisingly, Director Jo Woo-seok looked unconcerned.
And the next day…
-8.3%! The cliffhanger from episode one? Ratings doubled overnight…
-The university… ratings jumped to 8.3%? L’Vyu’s promo came too late?
-The power of the actresses’ group? Ratings surged from episode two…
Slowly, the signs were appearing.