Chapter 181: One-Day Part-Time Job (1)
Chapter 181: One-Day Part-Time Job (1)
Episode 10 had ended with someone packing a weapon. Naturally, the viewers' expectations were at an all-time high.
Kim Hyun-seok, the actor playing the role of Lee Min-hyuk in this drama, waited for the upcoming broadcast of Episode 12 with a tense expression. He wasn't the only one. Today, several young actors who participated in Sky Garden had gathered to watch Episode 12 together.
"What did you hear the ratings were for Wednesday?"
"14 percent."
"That’s only a 3% difference from Grand Game."
Kim Hyun-seok thought that was a gap they could close. He had already checked the content of this week's Grand Game. It was their winning move—an episode where a romance between the male and female leads was shoehorned in.
The internet reaction was 'naturally' positive.
Judging by the wave of praise on social media, their strategy seemed to have worked perfectly. However...
"By the way, is Ju Seo-yeon not coming today?"
"What do you mean 'Ju Seo-yeon'? You should call her Senior Ju Seo-yeon."
"She’s not here, is she?"
Well, he had a point. Who doesn't speak a bit more freely when the person isn't around? It wasn't like he was insulting her, anyway.
Regardless, just as Kim Hyun-seok said, Seo-yeon had not arrived yet. She was supposedly stopping by Adiz for a moment because of another commercial, or perhaps she had some other business to attend to.
"But why Seo-yeon?"
"No, it's just... she said something like this during filming."
"During the filming of Episode 12?"
"Yeah."
The shoot for Episode 12 had been exceptionally grueling. First of all, it had been slightly dangerous because of the pouring rain in the valley. It wasn't a full-blown downpour, so it didn't stop the shoot, but... well, there were several dangerous moments. Perhaps they only made it through safely because it was Ju Seo-yeon.
Anyway, back then, Seo-yeon had said this to Hyun-seok, who was looking visibly nervous.
"Praise on community sites doesn't directly translate to results."
"What?"
"If you mistake community reactions for the mainstream reaction and get buried in them, you might miss something much bigger."
Hyun-seok knew that in theory. However, he wasn't sure if it was something Seo-yeon, who was the same age as him, should be saying.
‘Besides, even if you know it’s different, it’s hard to ignore.’
And it wasn't always wrong. Sometimes it was right. There were definitely times when a sharp, protruding awl actually ended up piercing you. So, it couldn't be ignored.
"Grand Game is a good drama. I think... the original plot was probably a bit different."
"Why?"
"Because the foreshadowing that’s been laid out so far implies it."
When he asked what kind of implication she meant, Seo-yeon spoke in a calm tone. Hearing it alongside the sound of the rain, her voice was a beautiful soprano that made him realize why she had made it to the finals of Masked Singer. It was almost like a song.
"The original culprit was likely set to be the female lead."
"What? Really?"
"Yes. The reason she stayed by the protagonist's side all this time was probably for that reason. Of course, it might not have been a finalized plot."
The turning point was likely Episode 10. Just like Sky Garden.
However, in dramas, the 'female lead' is the object of immersion for the main audience. Making that character the 'culprit' would have required a massive decision.
Seo-yeon knew. Grand Game was a drama she had watched with great interest in her past life.
‘Even though I didn't understand emotions back then.’
Even without understanding emotions, there were parts of the story she could connect with. Of course, there was much she didn't know about the elements of that 'connection.'
‘Originally, Sky Garden went to a general programming channel and aired much later, so they never would have overlapped.’
So, in reality, Grand Game had enjoyed a solo run. But its ending had essentially been a case of 'starting with a bang and ending with a whimper.'
‘Even so, it finished with fairly decent ratings.’
The reason came out later in the director's interview. He said, "The original script had the female lead as the culprit." If you watched it from the beginning with that in mind, the foreshadowing was clearly visible.
"They chose the public."
It was the result of weighing those who wanted to watch a thriller against the drama's primary audience.
"Then, what do you think will happen?"
Because Seo-yeon's words sounded like a prophecy, Kim Hyun-seok had asked that without thinking. Seo-yeon looked at him with a puzzled face for a moment before breaking into a bright smile.
In that smile, Kim Hyun-seok felt that Seo-yeon had been smiling a lot more lately. Moreover, her calm smile was so beautiful that it made one absentmindedly lose themselves in it—even him, who was used to being around pretty celebrities.
"I think you'll find out once you see Episode 12."
That 'Episode 12' wasn't referring to Grand Game. It was the Episode 12 of Sky Garden that they were filming that day.
*
"Wait, that happened?"
Park Se-jin, the actress playing Lee Min-seo, asked with a bewildered face. "I had no idea because I was so out of it back then."
"Right. And then Seo-yeon fell down into the valley right after that."
"Ah, she fell while trying to catch me."
"Really? I mean, what if an actress falls! What if she got seriously hurt?!"
Kim Hyun-seok found Park Se-jin's huffing and puffing absurd. "Hey, are male actors made of iron? We get hurt if we fall off a cliff too, you know."
"Was it that dangerous?"
Hyun-seok's friend, Han Seong-jin, recalled the events of that day. When he went to check after hearing a commotion, he saw Seo-yeon waving her hand from down in the valley. The staff were in a panic, and the director was running over.
He only remembered the sight of Seo-yeon shouting in embarrassment, "I'm not hurt! I don't get hurt by things like this!!"
If she didn't get hurt after rolling down a steep valley, what on earth would it take to injure her?
"Seriously, there wasn't even a single scratch on her skin. Is an actress's skin naturally that tough?"
"What do you mean 'scratch'?"
Anyway, thanks to that, the filming ended safely. Because of Seo-yeon's acting—where she literally didn't hold back—and the scenes that were captured during her near-fainting stunts, Episode 12 was finished successfully.
As they were talking...
"Ah, Seo-yeon is here! I'll go out and bring her in!"
"Go ahead."
Today's meeting place was Park Se-jin's mansion. It was also Park Se-jin's suggestion that they all gather to watch the drama. She was exactly like her character, Lee Min-seo. And since today was an episode where Lee Min-seo played a major role, her excitement was understandable.
"I wonder... how much we'll rebound with Episode 12."
In truth, Sky Garden was already in the 'hit' territory. While he felt that wishing for more was greed, he couldn't help but look higher. It couldn't be helped. Actors were simply that kind of creature.
*
Grand Game certainly had elements that appealed to its primary audience. However, there were parts that turned off male viewers. Of course, the male audience was like a handful compared to the main demographic, so they didn't have much influence. Thus, they just grumbled about how it was "another romance" and how "K-dramas are all the same."
They figured Grand Game would continue to do well even if it got a bit of flak.
Seo-yeon's charm shone more when she played characters with a sharp impression rather than innocent ones. At least, that's what Seo-yeon's fans thought, and there was a lot of truth to it.
Episode 12 progressed as those conversations flew by. Episode 11 had a strange tension that seemed to hint at the events of Episode 10. It proceeded from Gil Su-jin's perspective, revealing her psychological state as she targeted Lee Yu-ju.
And in front of her, Lee Yu-ju said this:
「If that is what you truly wish.」
Those words were proof that Lee Yu-ju had gained the upper hand in her relationship with Gil Su-jin. It was a statement that she would look after not just Lee Min-seo, but Lee Min-hyuk as well. At those words, Gil Su-jin ground her teeth inwardly, but on the outside, she merely welcomed Lee Yu-ju warmly.
And then, one more thing.
「Oh, you guys came too? Hi, Yu-ju.」
Her classmate, Song Ga-yeon. And her boyfriend, Ji Chang-woo. The two of them made an appearance.
「You guys came to the valley to play, too. It is nice here.」
She was a character who had appeared occasionally until Episode 10. A female student who kept approaching Lee Yu-ju. Of course, Lee Yu-ju hadn't given her much of a reaction since she offered no particular merit. In this Taeyang High School where the elite gathered, her family was relatively ordinary. Barely hanging onto the edge of the upper class. Because of that, Lee Yu-ju didn't pay her much mind.
「It’s a good time for it.」
Looking at her, who had come to play with her boyfriend, Lee Yu-ju spoke sarcastically. Despite the sarcasm, Song Ga-yeon merely tilted her head and smiled brightly.
「You too.」
Of course, Song Ga-yeon meant it purely as "You look like you're having fun too," but Lee Yu-ju's expression crumpled in a rare show of annoyance.
The reactions poured in during that scene. But in Episode 11, Song Ga-yeon didn't appear again after that.
And then, Episode 12. Episode 12 shifted back to Lee Yu-ju's perspective.
A small argument with Lee Min-hyuk. And Min-seo stops Min-hyuk.
「I told you I’ll take care of my own studies!!」
「That is something you say after proving it with your grades.」
「So, are Min-seo's grades higher than mine? No, they aren't!」
「Yes, but if you receive help from Lee Yu-ju, you'll improve faster.」
Gil Su-jin already knew Lee Yu-ju's past grades. Perfect scores. She hadn't deviated from a perfect score once since entering the school. Straight 1st rank. Whether it was her GPA or extra credit, she was taking care of everything alongside Min-seo and was receiving all the love from the teachers at Taeyang High School. She could surely choose any university she wanted.
Gil Su-jin believed that if such a person helped her son, becoming the top student at Baek-yeon University's medical school would be a piece of cake.
The drama was slowly reaching its climax. As the conflict seemed to resolve and the whereabouts of the weapon remained unknown, Min-seo and Min-hyuk disappeared simultaneously.
At first, they thought the siblings just hadn't come home after fighting with Gil Su-jin, but as they failed to return amidst a downpour, the atmosphere grew increasingly grim. Gil Su-jin and her husband, Lee Hyuk-soo, went out to search for them, and Lee Yu-ju was forced to join the search as well.
「I thought the rebellious phase was already over.」
Muttering that she had overestimated Lee Min-hyuk, Lee Yu-ju searched for them. While she was out looking for them, she received a call from Min-seo.
「O-Oppa fell down into the valley and got hurt.」
Usually, Min-seo called Min-hyuk by his name. Calling him 'Oppa' seemed to indicate how panicked she was. In the end, Lee Yu-ju had no choice but to head to the location she specified. That place wasn't far from where they had played earlier that day.
「Min-seo? Where's your mom?」
Perhaps because of the rain, the bottom of the valley wasn't clearly visible through the fog. Lee Yu-ju approached Min-seo and looked around. Gil Su-jin and Lee Hyuk-soo were nowhere to be seen. It was a bit strange, as Min-seo had said she had already called them when she contacted her.
「T-That’s not what’s important. There, down there! Oppa fell!」
Seeing her stomping her feet with a pale face, Lee Yu-ju sighed and approached her. Thinking that Gil Su-jin and Lee Hyuk-soo had just stepped away for a moment, Lee Yu-ju never imagined that Lee Min-seo could do anything to her.
After all, to Lee Yu-ju, Lee Min-seo was an existence outside her concern—nothing more than a stepping stone. A point of comparison and bait to climb up through Lee Min-hyuk. Therefore, she never thought that something that was merely bait could do anything.
「Yu-Yu-ju. My battery died, so I couldn't finish calling my parents. Could I borrow your phone for a second?」
Ah, was that why Gil Su-jin and Lee Hyuk-soo weren't there? Lee Yu-ju handed her phone to Min-seo without much thought. She didn't have any desire to do anything here anyway; she just wanted the two of them to come and resolve the situation quickly.
「I can't see anything at all.」
The fog and rain limited her vision. There were even so many bushes and trees that the bottom was hard to see. What was certain was that if one fell, it looked difficult to climb back up alone. Was Lee Min-hyuk down there?
While her attention was focused on that, she felt a hot sensation in her abdomen.
「Huh?」
Wondering what was happening, she looked down. She saw a blade piercing her stomach. And the face of Min-seo, who was holding it.
「Why?」
Perhaps because she had been stabbed, she couldn't muster any strength. Of course, Min-seo didn't give Lee Yu-ju an answer.
Thud.
She simply pushed the staggering girl off the cliff.
And then, an ad banner popped up, and Episode 12 of Sky Garden ended. It was a truly dramatic ending. It was impossible to even guess how the story would proceed from there.
Naturally, the community sites exploded. It was the prelude to a counterattack, signaling Sky Garden's massive turnaround.