Chapter 180: The Great Reversal (4)
Chapter 180: The Great Reversal (4)
"I started watching Sky Garden recently, and man, Episode 10 ended on such a cliffhanger."
"Oh, me too. I'm just glad the next episode airs tomorrow."
The ripple effect that began with Masked Singer naturally extended to Sky Garden.
It was only to be expected.
The fact that Ju Seo-yeon, who had made it all the way to the King of Singers Tournament on Masked Singer, was the lead of Sky Garden was a huge draw. More importantly, it had been revealed that Seo-yeon was the voice behind the Sky Garden insert song that had been generating so much buzz lately.
At first, it was simple curiosity.
But once people actually started watching, they found it genuinely entertaining.
"It’s a bit exaggerated, but..."
"Well, it is a drama."
"By the way, who’s the male lead?"
"Isn't it Lee Min-hyuk?"
"He feels a bit... lacking to be the male lead."
"That’s true."
In places like cafes, the show was becoming a frequent topic of conversation. Where Grand Game used to dominate the chatter, Sky Garden was now carving out its own space.
It was a golden opportunity.
Of course, it was an opportunity that might have been squandered if the drama itself hadn't been good.
*
"There’s no need to worry too much."
At KMB’s Drama Department, which had almost finished its split into Drama Bureau 2, an employee spoke up.
"The reaction to this week's episode of Grand Game was good too. What are our current ratings?"
"We hit 16 percent this week."
"Right. And Sky Garden, riding the coattails of Masked Singer, came in at 12 percent. It’ll probably rise a bit more this week, but it’ll likely hover around 14 percent. At most, 15 to 16 percent."
"I still think that’s quite threatening."
"It’s not like our airtimes overlap anyway. And you know, right? We’re playing our trump card starting next week."
At one PD’s words, the other employees nodded.
The upward trend of Sky Garden was indeed fearsome. However, was Grand Game currently faltering? Not at all.
"PD Han Jung-min."
Someone called out to a PD who had remained silent.
He was one of the PDs who had moved over to Drama Bureau 2, where Baek Tae-soo was set to become the director. A young PD who had already achieved decent results with several small and large dramas, he was a rising star within the KMB Drama Department.
"What do you think of Sky Garden?"
"I’m not sure."
"Pardon?"
The person who asked had expected a simple 'it’s good' or 'it’s bad' reaction, but Han Jung-min’s response left them puzzled. It was rare for someone as decisive as him to say he wasn't sure.
Sensing their gaze, Han Jung-min spoke quietly.
"To be honest, in the success of a drama, the actors are just the seasoning."
He continued, "It’s not an area an individual can control. No matter how good the acting is, if there’s no word of mouth or if people just don't watch, that’s that. A drama’s success depends on its script and production quality, not the actors."
That was why Han Jung-min couldn't quite wrap his head around the current situation. There were several things he didn't understand.
"Take Adiz, for example. You know the company, right?"
"Ah, yes. They’ve been advertising quite aggressively lately."
"Well, they released an ad with a Sky Garden concept, didn't they? They even used Ju Seo-yeon as their model."
Promoting with the concept of a currently airing drama is a double-edged sword. If the drama is a hit, the effect is massive, but if it fails, it can backfire. Yet, they had started airing those ads from Episode 4, even before Sky Garden had really gained traction—all while pushing the lead, Ju Seo-yeon, to the forefront.
"And then there’s this Masked Singer thing... Honestly, the focus on Ju Seo-yeon was so intense it almost felt scripted."
"That was because of the Gray Crow..."
"The Gray Crow turned out to be the singer Yeo-hee, right? And didn't it come out that Yeo-hee has a deep connection with actress Ju Seo-yeon?"
And what was the result? Even looking at search volume alone, Sky Garden had now overtaken Grand Game. Most people were saying it was a temporary spike due to Masked Singer... but was it really?
What Han Jung-min couldn't understand was all of this. This was all the ripple effect brought about by a single actress.
Before Masked Singer, there was Golden Duckling. And the narrative of Golden Duckling connected directly into Masked Singer.
It was like watching a single, grand play.
Was it really possible for one actress to exert this much influence over a drama? It was something that defied Han Jung-min’s common sense.
"What do you think, PD Baek?" Han Jung-min asked cautiously, turning to Baek Tae-soo, who had been quiet until now.
Given his career, Baek Tae-soo wasn't someone easily approached, but he maintained a friendly persona within the Drama Department. He didn't lose his temper easily, and even when some were intimidated by Sky Garden, he had comforted them and led the way.
" Sky Garden is a good drama. But shouldn't we focus on our own work?"
Baek Tae-soo replied with a thin smile. He didn't say anything more.
Since he took that stance, the rest of the department stopped talking about it, but...
‘Sky Garden, and Ju Seo-yeon.’
Away from prying eyes, PD Baek Tae-soo furrowed his brow.
As Han Jung-min said, it was rare for an individual to have this much impact on a drama. It was even harder to cause a sudden surge in ratings when they were already stable, as the audience base usually becomes fixed.
If there had been no competition, Sky Garden could have surged ahead on its own merit. But with Grand Game currently airing, the public's focus was split. Under those circumstances, it shouldn't be able to climb so easily.
‘The market’s reaction is slow to shift.’
For now, there wasn't a huge gap. But PD Baek Tae-soo was certain. Next week would be different for Sky Garden. And the week after that would be even more so.
‘The script.’
PD Baek Tae-soo crumpled the script of Grand Game that he had read over and over. He didn't intend to blame anyone else. Ultimately, the final decision had been his.
‘Should I have been less afraid of taking risks?’
PD Baek Tae-soo looked at the monitor in front of him. He rewound the video playing there. It was a video he had already watched several times.
Episode 10 of Sky Garden, which had aired last Tuesday. He felt the need to prepare himself before watching Episode 11, which was set to air this week.
*
"Are you just dense, or what?"
Lee Min-hyuk glared at Lee Yu-ju as he spoke.
It was a family trip planned for the upcoming holidays. Lee Min-hyuk, who hadn't wanted to go on a family trip in the first place, was disgusted by the fact that Lee Yu-ju was coming along.
"Why? I'm offering to let you use me like this."
"Isn't it the other way around? You're the one using me."
At his response, Lee Yu-ju simply shrugged.
Min-hyuk wanted to curse at her and shake her off, but he couldn't. This trip had been organized by his mother, Gil Su-jin, specifically to create an opportunity for her to get close to Lee Yu-ju.
In the first place, it wasn't a 'family' trip; it was a trip for Lee Yu-ju. Otherwise, they never would have gone to a place like a mountain stream. The members of the Lee Hyuk-soo family didn't care for such locations. It was purely a result of Lee Yu-ju’s preferences being reflected.
"Come on, it might actually be fun once we get there," his younger sister, Lee Min-seo, said with a bright smile.
"Exactly. She's right."
Lee Yu-ju chimed in. She watched Min-hyuk, who looked ready to turn around and walk out of the classroom.
"I want to use this chance to get closer, too."
At those unbelievable words, Min-hyuk turned back with a look of revulsion, and Lee Yu-ju gave him a beaming smile.
"The mock exams are coming up soon, right? You won the last midterms, but I wonder how it'll go this time."
When she said 'you won,' she obviously wasn't talking about herself. She was referring to Min-seo, Min-hyuk’s twin sister. Min-seo was the student Lee Yu-ju was personally tutoring and managing. Her growth had been so remarkable that Gil Su-jin’s attention was now shifting toward her.
"That’s none of your business," Lee Min-hyuk spat out before turning his back and walking away.
Lee Yu-ju only smiled as she watched him go. The only one left feeling restless was the sister, Min-seo.
"You didn't have to provoke him like that."
"Hm? It wasn't a provocation. I told you, I want to be friends with Min-hyuk."
Lee Yu-ju was being sincere. She knew their parents wanted to use her. No, it wasn't just the parents. The peers who hung around Lee Min-hyuk and Lee Min-seo all coveted the portfolio Lee Yu-ju possessed. She knew they had been prying for information from Min-seo lately.
"You shouldn't force people to choose."
Right, they should be the ones to bow their heads and ask. A twisted smile formed on Lee Yu-ju’s lips.
"Lee Yu-ju, you... don't tell me..."
"Yes?"
"N-nothing."
Min-seo stammered and looked away. Lee Yu-ju didn't even care about Min-seo’s subtle reaction. Her gaze remained fixed on Min-hyuk’s retreating figure.
As Min-seo watched Lee Yu-ju’s face from the side, her eyes flickered with an ominous light.
Then, the scene shifted to the preparations for the Lee Hyuk-soo family trip. Lee Yu-ju was humming as she packed her bags at home.
And then, at the Lee Hyuk-soo residence.
A scene showed someone packing a weapon.
A knife, and a roll of box tape.
Without revealing the person's identity, Episode 10 of Sky Garden came to an end.
The final scene lasted barely five minutes. But those five minutes were more than enough to seize the viewers' attention. The drama had been progressing under a strange sense of tension from the start. But at the very end, someone was shown leaving for the trip with a weapon.
Naturally, people were bewildered. They didn't know the purpose, the reason, or even who it was. As soon as Episode 10 ended, the Sky Garden community was ablaze with discussion.
The tension from Episodes 1 through 10 had been building in a peculiar way. Now that the drama had reached its midpoint, the adults targeting Lee Yu-ju and the students being forced to reach out to her were engaged in a shadow war. It was a battle they had to fight, even if it wasn't by their own will.
In the midst of it all, Min-seo served as the proof of Lee Yu-ju’s value. Originally, Lee Min-seo wasn't a competitor to them. She was just the dim-witted twin sister of Lee Min-hyuk—a girl who only cared about her appearance and never thought about the future. That’s what everyone thought.
But she changed after meeting Lee Yu-ju. Min-seo had become a rival to them. Some had already been pushed down in the school rankings. Not just in internal grades, but even in mock exams. And as if to prove that her 'perfect management' wasn't a lie, Lee Yu-ju had uncannily handed Min-seo every possible extra credit point available.
It was absurd. It was a ridiculous story. But in the end, a drama is about entertainment that appeals to the masses. A drama that prioritizes fun over strict realism—that was the reason Sky Garden had begun its rebound.
*
"I think this one’s going to win."
Jo Seo-hee watched the sequence of events and tapped her cheek with her finger before pulling it away in surprise. It would be a problem if she caused a breakout by irritating her skin. But it was a habit, and habits were hard to break.
" Grand Game is finally going to start the romance they’ve been hinting at this week..."
It was clear that Grand Game was preparing a big move. They were planning to pay off something they had been building up for a long time in this episode. It was certainly the kind of content the main drama-watching demographic enjoyed.
However, whether the actual viewers of Grand Game would like it was another story.
" Sky Garden has basically declared they’re excluding romance entirely."
That was the takeaway from this week's content. Episode 10 is past the halfway mark for most dramas. Introducing a plot point like that at this stage meant they were doubling down on the thriller aspect over romance.
"...Her skills have improved even more."
Jo Seo-hee watched Seo-yeon’s performance as Lee Yu-ju. She had saved clips of just the acting scenes. There was a lot to learn from Seo-yeon’s acting.
‘Her acting skills were already polished from the moment she returned after ten years.’
She must have practiced technical skills—vocalization, movement—incredibly hard during those ten years. That went without saying. However, an actor's performance isn't just about technique. Seo-yeon didn't use 'method acting' as much as she used to. Back then, it was all she knew, but now she didn't need to rely on it.
Yet, glimpses of it were still visible.
‘Masked Singer was the same.’
Seo-yeon’s most powerful weapon was her ability to convey emotion. She was extraordinary at appealing to others' emotions and drawing out empathy. That talent was fully displayed in her songs on Masked Singer, and Cha Na-hee had arranged the pieces to highlight that. Seo-yeon’s singing was both a song and a performance. It was a method suited for a competition.
It probably felt different watching it on TV. Because she had drawn empathy from a large live audience during the competition, she was able to secure high votes, even if her technical singing skill was slightly lower than some others.
‘It’s the same with Lee Yu-ju.’
To be honest, Lee Yu-ju is an obnoxious character. She’s the kind of person who reminds Seo-hee of her own younger self. But the reason viewers watch Lee Yu-ju with bated breath isn't because of her arrogance.
‘A precarious child.’
That was what came through in the acting. Lee Yu-ju is like a hedgehog. She acts with constant sarcasm and mockery, but it’s like a hedgehog raising its quills. Her mockery of those with power and money—all of those actions stem from the inferiority complex she harbors.
That was clearly visible in Seo-yeon’s acting. Her mouth smiles, but her eyes waver. She speaks as if she’s at ease, but her hands and feet move restlessly. They are small fragments that one might miss at a glance. But viewers, watching from various angles, could sense Lee Yu-ju’s minute emotional fluctuations.
Empathy. It’s common for people to feel inferior about things they don't have. Seo-yeon was definitely tapping into that empathy.
Until recently, Lee Yu-ju was a so-called 'all-rounder,' an absolute and obnoxious character. But around Episode 8, she changed. She was already a charming character, but now she felt more three-dimensional—as if to show that the perfect, strong Lee Yu-ju was, in the end, just a child.
"Um... shouldn't you say things like that when I'm not around?"
"Hm? But I'm showing you respect."
Seo-yeon bit her lower lip and glared at Jo Seo-hee. It wasn't that she disliked it; she was just embarrassed. Even though Seo-yeon loved being praised, hearing it so bluntly made her shy.
Seo-yeon was also well aware of Jo Seo-hee’s acting prowess. Being competitive, she paid a lot of attention to what the currently more successful Seo-hee had to say. After all, seeing Jo Seo-hee’s advertisements everywhere had played a part in her decision to return to the entertainment industry.
"Was this why you asked to watch the drama together today?"
"Wait a bit. Lee Ji-yeon, that girl, is coming too. I have something else to do before that."
"Something else?"
Seo-yeon looked at her curiously. Jo Seo-hee stole a glance at her.
Look at this brat, still refusing to speak casually to me.
‘Still, seeing how she comes over without hesitation when I call, I guess our intimacy level has gone up??’
Jo Seo-hee chuckled to herself where Seo-yeon couldn't see. Of course, Seo-yeon’s sensitive ears caught the ominous laughter, making her shudder.
‘Lee Ji-yeon was right. This isn't bad.’
Jo Seo-hee knew. She knew that the person who had been diligently giving her donations—Super Chats—lately was Seo-yeon. It was frustrating, but she was good at it. Was this what they called a 'streaming genius'? The Super Chats were so well-timed that they put Jo Seo-hee in a great mood.
Of course, apart from that, Seo-yeon seemed to have strangely intense reactions whenever Seo-hee did a collaboration stream with Ramiel...
‘I probably don't need to worry about that.’
Jo Seo-hee thought to herself and cleared her throat. "Here."
"What’s this?"
"One of my family’s subsidiaries recently opened a new theme park."
"?"
A theme park? And a family subsidiary? Seo-yeon stared blankly.
"They’re planning to put on a play for kids there. How about a one-day part-time job? Your younger brother would love it."
Jo Seo-hee had seen the shorts of Seo-yeon that had gone viral recently.
Magical Girl Harara.
What Jo Seo-hee handed her was an explanation of an event along those lines. Naturally, Seo-yeon’s eyes began to tremble violently the moment she took it.