Chapter 185: Seizing the Initiative (3)
Chapter 185: Seizing the Initiative (3)
"Harara Shorts? What is this?"
Go Mi-eun, the female lead of Grand Game, scoffed at the video that popped up on her YouTube feed today.
It was a short of the play recently held at 'Mirinae Land.'
There were two types. One was a promotional video posted by Mirinae Land itself. The other was a compilation of clips filmed by audience members from various angles. Since it was a children's play, they hadn't strictly prohibited filming, allowing such videos to surface.
"Ju Seo-yeon?"
For a moment, Go Mi-eun couldn't believe her eyes. The female lead of the Harara play was none other than Ju Seo-yeon.
'Did she really find time to perform in a play while filming Sky Garden?'
When did she even practice?
In the promotional video, Seo-yeon was practically flying as she performed action scenes against a giant teddy bear. That kind of wire action wasn't something you could master in one or two tries. It meant she had been going there to practice in her spare time—all while filming Sky Garden?
Honestly, children's plays like that paid very little. Unless there was a special reason, celebrities of a certain caliber wouldn't bother appearing in them.
Of course, if asked if Ju Seo-yeon was a "top-tier" celebrity, the answer was unclear. She was a young actress who had only been active for a year.
'But she's definitely in a position to command a high fee.'
She certainly wasn't at a level where she'd do a children's play for free. She was a trending actress. There was no reason for her to seek publicity through such a small-scale performance.
Go Mi-eun frowned at the YouTube comments. One name caught her eye.
'Jo Seo-hee?'
There was no way she didn't know her. Jo Seo-hee had started making a name for herself right when Mi-eun was busy filming a drama. In just three years, she had become one of the most talked-about young actors alongside Park Jung-woo. For a while, you couldn't flip the channel without seeing her in a drama or movie.
It was rare to find an actress her age who could act like that. She practically had a monopoly on middle and high school student roles. She was even briefly mentioned as a candidate for the "Nation's Little Sister" title, which had been vacant for a while.
"Jo Seo-hee is pretty, but as a 'little sister'..."
"If I had a sister like that at home, I wouldn't even be able to talk to her."
Because of such opinions, she never quite secured the title. Jo Seo-hee had stomped her feet in frustration at home, but Go Mi-eun had no way of knowing that.
'Why was Jo Seo-hee at Mirinae Land?'
Ju Seo-yeon was one thing, but Jo Seo-hee truly had no reason to be in a play like that. Come to think of it, there had been rumors that Jo Seo-hee was the daughter of a chaebol family. There were guesses as to which one, but since she didn't work with any of their subsidiaries, it had remained a mere rumor...
Were they really friends? Considering they were around the same age, it wasn't impossible. Jo Seo-hee was in a position where even Go Mi-eun wouldn't dare mess with her. As an actress, and as a chaebol's daughter—how could she?
'And if Ju Seo-yeon is close to someone like Jo Seo-hee...'
This was another area beyond Go Mi-eun's control. She grit her teeth.
"Mi-eun, are you looking at internet reactions again? Don't worry too much."
"Exactly. Grand Game is only 1% behind."
"Today will be different. We've added plenty of romance now, so it'll definitely grab everyone's attention."
As she stared intensely at her phone, fellow actors and staff members spoke to her. Seeing her grim expression, they assumed she was bothered by the ratings gap from the previous week.
And they were right. The only reason Go Mi-eun was looking up Ju Seo-yeon's videos was because of Sky Garden.
"Honestly, I don't get it."
"Get what?"
"Sky Garden. I watched it because everyone's talking about it, but honestly... I was just left wondering 'Is this it?'"
"Ah, I thought it was just me. And in the latest episode, they suddenly push someone off a cliff."
The staff continued to badmouth Sky Garden. Ironically, this trash-talk only proved how much of a threat Sky Garden was to Grand Game. Until last week, Sky Garden was barely mentioned, or if it was, people just said it was a fun show.
People only badmouth something when it's truly terrible... or when they feel threatened and competitive. This was the latter. Everyone there felt it.
"They only got those ratings last week because of the 'makjang' plot twist. Plus, Ju Seo-yeon appeared on Masked Singer. It was the King of Singers tournament, so of course viewers flocked to it."
"Psh, those kinds of gimmicks don't last. A drama needs to be good for the ratings to stay up."
"True, true."
Only then did Go Mi-eun feel a bit better. Even if it was just lip service to cheer her up, it sounded somewhat convincing.
[<Sky Garden> in Hot Pursuit of <Grand Game> in Ratings!!]
[<Sky Garden> 'I'm the King of This Quarter!' Fierce Internal Battle]
[1% Difference Last Week. What About This Week?]
After checking the online articles again, Go Mi-eun turned off her smartphone. It was still only 1%. Considering all the hype they'd generated last week, the gap wasn't that large.
'This year has to be my year.'
Go Mi-eun vowed as she headed into filming. She promised herself she would never lose to Ju Seo-yeon.
However.
[<Sky Garden> Episode 13 Ratings Hit 20%. A Miraculous Surge!!]
[A 6% Gap with <Grand Game>? The Ratings Magic of <Sky Garden>]
[<Sky Garden> Episode 14 Ratings Hit 22%, Breaking Its Own Record!]
[What Kind of Drama is <Sky Garden>, the Show with Record-Breaking Ratings?]
[Is <Grand Game> Collapsing? Ratings Drop -2% Compared to Last Week]
Life never quite goes as planned.
*
"Congratulations."
In the hallway leading to the KMB cafeteria, Producer Baek Tae-soo bowed to Director Ha Tae-oh.
"I saw the ratings hit 22% this week. For Sky Garden."
"Ah, yes. The atmosphere in the Drama Department is excellent right now."
Ha Tae-oh gazed at Baek Tae-soo, who was looking at him with a smile.
"Grand Game is also performing quite well, isn't it? You're about to become the director of Bureau 2; it's a very strong start."
"Hahaha, yes. The results are more than I deserve."
"KMB's momentum is great lately. We're essentially winning every time slot. I hope we can keep this up."
At Ha Tae-oh's words, the corner of Baek Tae-soo's mouth twitched slightly. But only for a moment.
"Of course. Oh, by the way, I've heard other stations are eager to cast Ju Seo-yeon lately."
"Even Golden Duckling wasn't one of our variety shows."
"It ended up having a positive impact on us, but... you never know what will happen in the future."
Ha Tae-oh looked at him and smiled. "An actor can't work with just one station. That's only natural."
"True. But I heard you're quite fond of Ju Seo-yeon, Director. I thought you might find it regrettable, so I mentioned it."
Even Sky Garden was a drama that shouldn't have been made under normal circumstances. The plot was a bit too experimental for a major network. It would usually have been relegated to an obscure time slot or day. However, as soon as word got out that Ju Seo-yeon was joining, Ha Tae-oh had scheduled it as a Wednesday-Thursday drama. That gamble had paid off, as proven by the results.
"I made the decision based on the work, not the actor. Isn't Sky Garden fresh?"
"..."
"There's no need to cling so tightly to a 'formula for success' every time."
"You're right."
After their conversation, they turned away from each other. Baek Tae-soo kept a smile on his face, but his eyes didn't match.
'Formula for success, huh.'
He wasn't wrong. He didn't intend to blame anyone else. Even if the staff and actors had wanted to change the plot to cater to the main audience... when the writer and director were feeling pressured that the plot might not fit a major network, he should have been the one to steady them. He should have taken a bit more risk.
'Maybe the position of Director dulls one's edge.'
The pressure not to fail had made him unable to take a gamble. Of course, Grand Game was a success. As Ha Tae-oh said, for a new bureau being formed, these results were more than enough. But people would only remember Sky Garden among KMB's dramas this half-year.
'I lost the first round.'
Baek Tae-soo stopped and looked back. Ha Tae-oh had already disappeared into the cafeteria.
Seizing the initiative. In their first battle, Ha Tae-oh had completely seized it. But he didn't plan on losing the next one.
'Ju Seo-yeon.'
This was all the work of a single actress. The explosive power she showed in Masked Singer and Sky Garden. An intensity that made it hard to believe she'd only been active for a year.
'It won't be so easy next time, Ha Tae-oh.'
Baek Tae-soo thought as he walked down the hall. It wouldn't be long now until Drama Bureau 2 officially opened.
*
"Hello, this is Bong-sik."
Han Bong-sik, a YouTuber with 1.42 million subscribers, spoke with a grin.
"I told you, didn't I? Man, Sky Garden is the real deal!"
"Didn't I tell you? Sky Garden is going places!"
Today, he was reviewing episodes 13 and 14. As if to prove that the hype from episode 12 wasn't a fluke, the story in 13 and 14 progressed like a raging torrent.
Lee Yu-ju, who had been stabbed and pushed into a valley, almost died. She was saved by her classmate, Song Ga-yeon, who happened to be passing by.
Amidst the jokes, the truth behind episode 12 of Sky Garden was revealed.
「F-for the first time, I beat my brother. But if Lee Yu-ju helps him...」
Her parents' expectations, which had once drifted away, had only recently been regained. For the first time since childhood, her parents held expectations for her, and Min-seo wanted to live up to them. But what if Lee Yu-ju helped Min-hyuk? All the attention would surely shift back to him.
It was an impulse. All of it.
「Lee Yu-ju... she only sees me as a stepping stone anyway, right? I'm not the bad one.」
Muttering those words, Min-seo rationalized her actions as she prepared the crime. Min-seo knew. The only reason Lee Yu-ju had been friendly to her was because her target was Min-hyuk all along. The eldest son of the Lee Hyuk-soo family, the one everyone pinned their hopes on. Her twin brother. To prove her skills to him and climb higher, Lee Yu-ju had used Min-seo as a stepping stone.
Min-seo had known and played along, but she couldn't just stand by and watch Yu-ju step over her to get to Min-hyuk.
So.
「I... I did it.」
Min-seo collapsed as she spoke. Looking down at Yu-ju, who had fallen into the valley, she smiled with eyes full of terror. As if it were all over.
Then the story shifted back to Yu-ju's perspective. Saved by Song Ga-yeon and receiving treatment at a hospital, Lee Yu-ju looked at her savior with confusion. She was grateful, but she couldn't understand why Ga-yeon would go so far for her. What did she have to gain?
She kept doubting Song Ga-yeon. Was she trying to use her too?
But.
「Friends help each other.」
Song Ga-yeon said with a bright smile. She wasn't from a prestigious family like the others. Of course, since she lived in 'Sky Garden,' she was part of the upper class. She was the daughter of a doctor who ran a small clinic. Since Lee Yu-ju saw no merit in her, Ga-yeon had been a non-entity at school—practically a ghost.
But at those words, Lee Yu-ju experienced a change of heart.
「But Yu-ju, what do you want to do?」
「What?」
「You're so good at studying and you have so much talent. I figured there must be a lot of things you want to do.」
In the hospital room of the small clinic run by Ga-yeon's father, the two shared that conversation. Song Ga-yeon didn't envy Lee Yu-ju. She was just purely curious. What do you want to do?
「I...」
At that, Lee Yu-ju was momentarily speechless. She had already decided in her heart what she wanted to do and what she had to do. But for some reason, she couldn't answer.
As Yu-ju stared at Song Ga-yeon with trembling eyes, episode 14 ended, leaving the future development completely unpredictable.
Rarely serious comments appeared in the chat. Bong-sik agreed.
"If you look closely, the acting for Lee Yu-ju here is different from before. There's a part where the emotions are conveyed more intensely."
He didn't know why. He just wondered if she had simply acted that way.
'She really put a lot of thought into this performance.'
It felt as if she had completely immersed herself in the role, much like what people call method acting. To be able to convey emotions to the audience to this extent meant she empathized deeply with the character. Her acting had been good before, but now it was on a whole different level.
Specifically, it had felt that way starting from the episodes filmed after Masked Singer.
'Did something happen then?'
Regardless, Seo-yeon's acting had hit the mark. The ratings proved everything.
"I'm telling you, it's hard to believe this is the same person."
Saying so, Bong-sik pulled up the Harara shorts. The clips of the Harara play recently performed at 'Mirinae Park.' For the record, it was a fan-made compilation, not an official one.
There were clips from various angles. Among them was one filmed from the far right of the stage, capturing Harara's face at a moment she turned away—a moment usually hidden from the audience.
A face the general audience wasn't meant to see. There, Seo-yeon's face was filled with sheer embarrassment. Her face was beet red, a sight never seen on her broadcasts. She was biting her lower lip, her hands trembling slightly.
It was only natural that such videos and clips were being cut and posted all over various communities.
Of course, when Seo-yeon saw them later...
"S-Seo-yeon, hi."
"The play yesterday... it was good."
"..."
Receiving greetings from her classmates, she had no choice but to bury her face in her desk.
'How am I supposed to show my face at school from now on?'
As she kept her head down, her earlobes turned bright red. It was likely the greatest embarrassment Seo-yeon would ever experience in her life.