Chapter 168: A Young Dream (1)
Chapter 168: A Young Dream (1)
"Sales have risen slightly compared to last week."
"Wow, so it really is working."
Kwak Hyun-woo, the team leader of the advertising planning department, breathed a sigh of relief.
It was only natural, as he had briefly worried that sponsoring Sky Garden might have been a mistake.
"I was honestly terrified when the first day's viewership hit only six percent."
"Well, it rebounded the next day, didn't it?"
The staff in the advertising planning department shared the sentiment, their faces bright with excitement.
And for good reason.
'Adiz's sales have been climbing quite a bit lately.'
In truth, Adiz's sales had already been on a significant upward trend.
The reason, amusingly enough, was the ripple effect of the 'Ju Seo-yeon Challenge.' Because a substantial number of fitness YouTubers were seen using Adiz chairs, interest among consumers had spiked.
Particularly:
"The chair is great because it's so sturdy."
"To be honest, I'm not sure about the 'feel' when I sit, but it really feels like it supports my lower back well, so I like it!"
Reviews like these were flooding in.
Even before their new product launched, a 'sturdy chair' frame had been established. This was a massive improvement in brand image that money couldn't buy. Until now, Adiz's durability had never been particularly praised.
"Do you think Sky Garden will really do well? I mean, sales are up, so I'm satisfied with this much, but..."
Kwak Hyun-woo nodded at Assistant Manager Jung's words.
Human greed was a funny thing. Sales were already up, and Sky Garden had pushed them even higher. They had already surpassed this year's goals for Adiz. Regardless of the sponsorship, choosing the actress Ju Seo-yeon as their model was a decision they didn't regret.
"It will do well," Kwak Hyun-woo said firmly.
He had a reason to be confident—something Seo-yeon had said during the commercial shoot.
"I think it would be best to air the commercial once Episode 4 of Sky Garden has been broadcast."
Seo-yeon had stopped Kwak Hyun-woo when he tried to release the ad immediately after filming. When asked why, she replied:
"Looking at the script, I got the feeling things would really pick up from Episode 4."
Episode 4.
Since Episode 2 had aired this week, she meant they should start next Thursday. From what he heard, Sky Garden was a 20-episode series. Reaching Episode 4 meant they would have just passed the starting line.
To be honest, it felt a bit vague, but...
'I wonder if it'll really work out like she said.'
Despite his doubts, he strangely felt he could trust her. She had a certain magnetism that made people believe her words would come true.
Perhaps that was what people meant by 'presence.'
"Oh, by the way, the rival drama airing on KMB—Episode 3 aired yesterday, right? How was it?"
"Ah, about that..."
At Kwak Hyun-woo's question, the other employees' expressions turned awkward. From their perspective, they hoped the Monday-Tuesday drama Grand Game would perform as poorly as possible. That way, the ratings for Sky Garden, which they sponsored, would soar.
"It's doing incredibly well," Assistant Manager Jung replied flatly.
He pulled up his phone and showed it to Kwak Hyun-woo.
[<Grand Game> Breaks Ratings Record Again!! Hits 15 Percent.]
[KMB Dramas on a Terrifying Rise This Quarter. <Grand Game> Aiming for This Year's Highest Ratings.]
[Can It Beat <Dream Future>, Which Set the Record for Highest Ratings This Year?]
15 percent.
Compared to Episode 2, it was a full 5 percent higher than Sky Garden's 10 percent.
*
"Congratulations, Mi-eun."
"This is a hit, for sure."
"Thank you. It's all thanks to everyone's help."
The atmosphere on the set of Grand Game was fantastic. After all, they had hit 15 percent in viewership.
"Honestly, I was surprised when I saw the ratings for Episode 2 of Sky Garden, but I think we're fine now."
"Right? There's no way they'll go higher than that."
"The subject matter is unique, so people probably flocked to Episode 2 out of curiosity."
Such conversations drifted from the other actors on set. Go Mi-eun smiled inwardly as she chatted amiably with them.
'I won.'
Looking at the script, she didn't see any major issues up to Episode 6. The only thing that bothered her was...
'It feels like there's too little romance.'
When she asked the director about it:
"Ah, don't worry. The higher-ups are already discussing it."
"Discussing it?"
Go Mi-eun reflexively asked back, then quickly covered her mouth. It could easily be mistaken for dissatisfaction toward the director.
"They're debating whether to add more romance to the script. Well, of course they should. They're not amateurs."
Commercial dramas ultimately follow public taste. How many works had aimed for 'artistic merit' only to fail and ruin themselves?
'Is the writer causing trouble again?'
But wasn't the writer of Grand Game a star writer?
"It's not the writer; it's Producer Baek who doesn't seem to like it. So everyone is trying to persuade him."
"Producer Baek Tae-soo?"
"Yes. Well, even he seems to be hesitating. I think he's seeing how well Sky Garden is doing and thinking maybe we should try going without romance too."
The director patted Go Mi-eun's shoulder as if telling her not to worry.
"It's true that poorly integrated romance can ruin a work's quality, so I'm not a huge fan of it either, but this script is excellent. You don't need to worry much."
The director laughed heartily and patted her shoulder again. Just keep doing what you're doing. That's what his gesture seemed to say.
'If the director says so, then there's no big problem with the script.'
Then her victory was assured. She had no intention of losing to Ju Seo-yeon, who was filming a strange drama like Sky Garden. She would even crush Dream Future, the biggest hit of the year, and make this year her own.
While Go Mi-eun was burning with ambition...
"My mask came out."
"A mask?"
"The mask and outfit I'll use for Masked Singer."
Seo-yeon was busy preparing for her appearance on a new variety show. Masked Singer was a program where contestants wore masks and competed in a singing tournament. Because of the format, there was a lot of advance preparation. It had been several weeks since she decided to appear, and only now had the filming date been set.
"Is it okay to go on a variety show while you're filming a drama?" Lee Ji-yeon asked, looking at Seo-yeon with curiosity.
"Actually, you should go on more shows while filming. It helps appeal to the public."
"I guess that's true."
Apparently, the PD had been the one to suggest it. For Ji-yeon, this was an unfamiliar experience. Honestly, she found just filming a drama to be exhausting.
'Even though she does her own broadcasts religiously.'
Of course, Seo-yeon knew exactly what Ji-yeon was thinking. However, while Ji-yeon didn't do variety shows, she was incredibly diligent with her broadcasts as 'Ramiel.' She barely had any days off. Moreover, her content was always so well-structured that Seo-yeon wondered how she managed to plan it all.
'If only she'd cut back on the collaborations.'
Seo-yeon couldn't bring herself to send that as a Super Chat. Such a comment could easily be misunderstood.
A Mage.
Fine, she could accept the Mage now. Seo-yeon herself was getting a lot of help through Masked Singer.
'But...'
Recently, another person had started appearing alongside Ramiel. Just as the Mage had promoted Ramiel's debut, this time Ramiel had promoted a new person's debut.
The concept was roughly a 'Villainess with cat ears.'
Cat ears? In this day and age? Seo-yeon had thought, but the acting was actually incredible. Surprisingly, there were many VTubers with a noble lady concept. The downside was that you had to be very dedicated to the RP (role-play), but this new 'Cat' was exceptionally good at it.
'Her voice sounds strangely familiar, though...'
Who could it be? Seo-yeon was genuinely curious. She didn't like the character much, but it was entertaining enough that she had sent a 200,000 won Super Chat.
「Hmph, such pittance means nothing to me.」
With that kind of attitude, the VTuber had blocked further Super Chats. Seo-yeon's donation ended up being the first and last.
What was the deal? Was she not doing this for the money? Who could it be...? Seo-yeon's head was full of questions. Did she satisfy herself with just the broadcast revenue? Of course, Super Chats were related to communication, so it seemed she intended to reopen them later. She just seemed to want to limit the amounts.
'I can't even ask her.'
Seo-yeon glanced at Ji-yeon, lost in thought. Ji-yeon wasn't the type to give her an answer even if she asked. She would just play dumb. Seo-yeon had known Lee Ji-yeon for years; she knew that much.
"But won't your appearance overlap with 'Gray Crow'?"
"The chances are high. It'll probably be from next week's broadcast."
"Really?"
Ji-yeon was startled by Seo-yeon's words. If that were the case, Seo-yeon might meet Gray Crow in the final King of Singers match. Usually, if a person who becomes the King defends their title about six times, they enter the Hall of Fame. At that point, it's their choice whether to unmask or keep it on.
Timing-wise, if Seo-yeon won everything in Masked Singer... she would be the final opponent for the King of Singers.
'Gray Crow is definitely...'
Ji-yeon knew. She knew exactly who Gray Crow was. As a fan, how could she not? Having cheered for Gray Crow all this time, the final was a very conflicting match-up for Ji-yeon. Should she cheer for Seo-yeon or Gray Crow? Honestly, she wanted to cheer for Gray Crow.
But...
'She'll definitely sulk.'
Knowing Seo-yeon's personality, she would definitely sulk if Ji-yeon cheered for Gray Crow. She'd start sending weird cat emoticons like she did to Jo Seo-hee, and she'd be huffing and puffing every time they met.
What a troublesome girl.
"But have you decided on your songs?"
"Songs? Oh, Na-hee unnie helped me."
The song Seo-yeon would sing in the first week was a song by 'Summer Girl.' It was a sort of tribute from Seo-yeon. Na-hee would likely only be at Hoyeon Entertainment for this year. Naturally, she would be leaving Summer Girl as well.
'I have to bring her to Nova Ent.'
Cha Na-hee was talented in many ways. As an idol and now as an actress, her skills were considerable. She was too precious a talent to leave at Hoyeon, so Seo-yeon was determined to recruit her.
"Then what about the next song?"
"I haven't really prepared one."
"What?"
Even when Ji-yeon asked "What?" in bewilderment, Seo-yeon had nothing to say. Because...
"There's no way I can make it past the first round."
Her singing skills had reached a respectable level recently, but she didn't feel she was at the level to win a competition on Masked Singer and advance to the higher rounds. Her OSTs were becoming a hot topic, but those had been polished by the hands of many experts.
"Besides, it would be a problem if I couldn't take off my mask."
"That's... true."
Seo-yeon was participating in the variety show to promote her drama. So, it would be a problem if she couldn't unmask. She might miss the timing. And the King of Singers tournament? She hadn't even considered it. In Seo-yeon's eyes, Gray Crow was on an entirely different level.
"So, one song is enough."
Seo-yeon was confident in that. Until exactly one week later.
*
"Gray Crow defends the throne once again!"
"Wow, that's three times already."
"At this rate, we might see a new owner of the Hall of Fame for the first time in a long while."
Leaving the words of the host and the panelists behind, Gray Crow sat on her throne. In truth, she wasn't interested in those words.
Gray Crow. Or rather, Yeo-hee was currently lost in other thoughts.
'I met Ju Young-bin yesterday.'
'Ugh.'
Yeo-hee, who had been sipping a beer, almost collapsed and knocked over the table. When he asked to meet up after a long time, she went thinking she'd get a free meal, only for that four-eyes to drop a bombshell.
'H-h-h-how... how has she been?'
'Probably fine.'
'What do you mean, "probably"?'
At Yeo-hee's words, he had narrowed his eyes and stared at her. His eyes were always so annoying. They were eyes that looked at others like products, devoid of even a shred of emotion. She used to think that, but now she knew. His eyes just looked like that naturally.
'She's probably worried about work. Well, we can talk about that later.'
The guy had said that with a thin smile. Actually, he just looked like that because he was in a good mood.
'I just gave her tickets for this Masked Singer.'
'Oh, come to think of it, GH Group sponsored Masked Singer. ...But why?'
Is he planning a "coincidental" reunion because I'm performing?
That guy, Ju Young-bin. He was so thorough that after he got together with Sua, he just took her and moved from the countryside to Seoul. Yeo-hee was impressed with herself for following them, but even more impressed that they hadn't properly contacted each other for twenty years.
'It's not because of you.'
He said that and didn't elaborate further. As if even telling her this much was special treatment. Since then, Yeo-hee had been agonizing over the reason.
'No way.'
And only now did she realize the reason.
'...It can't be, right?'
There was only one reason that guy would give Young-bin tickets. If a family member was appearing on Masked Singer. And among Young-bin's family, there was only one person who fit the bill.
Ju Seo-yeon.
The most talked-about actress lately. The person who sang the OST for Sky Garden.
Just as Yeo-hee suspected. The following week.
"Now then, her name is... Max Level Rabbit!! Wow, what a cool name!! Please give us a brief introduction."
Seeing Max Level Rabbit shrug her shoulders at the compliment, Gray Crow almost slipped right off her throne.