Chapter 93: Plot Twist (1)
Chapter 93: Plot Twist (1)
The first broadcast of Dream Future.
A 15 percent viewership rating was a truly encouraging result.
Only two other works this year had reached such numbers. However, considering those two dramas were on an entirely different level in terms of investment and cast, the success of Dream Future sent shockwaves through the higher-ups.
"It actually worked?" was the sentiment that fit the situation perfectly.
Perception of the cinematographer, Director Kim Pil-seok, also improved significantly. He had always been seen as a talented director among the younger generation, but now he was practically...
"A troubleshooter, isn't he?"
"True. No one wanted to take this project on."
"Well, youth romance is basically a dead genre..."
"To be honest, I was skeptical even when the proposal first came out."
Such talk was circulating even within the broadcasting station.
"More than anything..."
There was another individual the drama team within the station was paying close attention to.
"It’s that girl again."
"That girl? Ah—"
The KMB drama team. Among them, those who had been with the company for a long time had one 'child' they could never forget.
Ju Seo-yeon.
The young child actor who had set the station ablaze in The Moon That Hides the Sun.
She had made a brilliant comeback and was making her name known once again.
"Whenever Seo-yeon is involved, something feels different."
"Ah, I know. The vibe is different."
A few employees from the drama team remarked as they reviewed the first episode of Dream Future.
"Usually... the final highlight has the highest ratings."
"I know. But I heard that the ratings for Jo Ha-rin’s audition scene were actually higher, right?"
"Yes. By a full 2 percent."
It was said to be a scene Director Kim Pil-seok had personally put extra effort into. It was an adaptation that differed slightly from the original script. Although he had discussed it with the writer, it had essentially been a gamble.
Since it was the first episode, the focus should have been concentrated on the leads, yet he had forced the audience's gaze toward Jo Ha-rin. Of course, the result turned out to be a massive success.
"The actress for the role of Song So-ha was Cha Na-hee, right?"
"She must be worried. Especially since she’s an idol."
In fact, fans of the girl group Cha Na-hee belonged to were already speaking up, feeling as though their Na-hee’s screen time had been sidelined.
"But it’s not like her screen time was actually increased. Jo Ha-rin’s appearance doesn't even total ten minutes, even if you combine everything."
"Ten minutes out of an hour. Song So-ha had at least double that."
In reality, Jo Ha-rin’s screen time wasn't much different from the other four main characters, excluding Kim Si-hwan and Song So-ha.
Ten minutes.
And that was including cutscenes where everyone appeared together; the time given to her individually would be even shorter. Her first appearance and the audition scene.
And yet, she had made a much larger impact on viewers than Song So-ha, who had filled the screen at least three times more than her. So, Jo Ha-rin hadn't actually done anything wrong. The only change in content was that she passed through 'singing instead of dancing.'
So why was there such a reaction?
It was her acting.
Because the impact of her scenes was several times that of Song So-ha’s, viewers were under the illusion that Jo Ha-rin had appeared 'a lot.' After watching a drama, when people discuss it, they talk about the most impressive scenes.
While this provided a huge advantage for the early success of Dream Future, not everyone was happy about it.
"I shouldn't have allowed it."
Im Jin-ha, the writer of Dream Future, muttered in a displeased tone.
"Oh, come on, Writer Im! It’s a good thing. It’s another hit for you, isn't it?"
"..."
PD Baek Tae-soo of the drama department, who was on good terms with her, tried to soothe her. He was one of the high-ranking PDs at KMB. He was someone speculated to become the next head of the drama department in a few years. He’d had an opportunity once in the past, but unfortunately, there had been someone far more capable than him at the time, forcing him to give up with a heavy heart.
"She definitely couldn't sing on that variety show."
"Ah, I saw that. She couldn't, right? Ju Seo-yeon? That girl?"
"Yes. That’s why I agreed to it... but I’ve been completely played."
Could that have been acting too? How could she sing so impressively in that scene? Regardless, Im Jin-ha was not pleased.
I don't like this.
From the start, Jo Ha-rin was a character she had been forced to include. She was only meant to be a seasoning to help connect Song So-ha and Kim Si-hwan. But now, the seasoning was overpowering the main dish.
In a way, that thought wasn't entirely wrong. A character with a small role shouldn't overshadow the leads. But Im Jin-ha’s motivation was slightly different.
Above all...
What is her relationship with Park Jung-woo?
Im Jin-ha was a fan of Park Jung-woo. The fact that Park Jung-woo had been cast first was because Im Jin-ha had requested it. Therefore, she didn't like Seo-yeon, who seemed particularly close to him.
Yes, that’ll do.
Even so, there wasn't much a drama writer could do. By nature, drama writers tended to have less power, especially those with a career as short as hers. If it weren't for her one hit with PD Baek Tae-soo, she wouldn't have been able to say a word.
But conversely, that meant Im Jin-ha could speak up now.
"I think I should reduce her screen time a bit more."
"Hmm? Why? It’s doing so well right now..."
"She’s eating up the female lead’s presence."
"Well, that’s true, but..."
Even so, the one who had significantly boosted the ratings for Dream Future was Ju Seo-yeon. If they reduced her screen time now...
But it’s also true that a drama where the protagonist is overshadowed rarely ends well.
While they were currently riding high on Ju Seo-yeon’s popularity, there was no telling how long that would last. It seemed like a good idea to put more weight behind Cha Na-hee instead. In Baek Tae-soo’s eyes, Cha Na-hee’s acting wasn't bad; it had just been eclipsed by Ju Seo-yeon’s. If they gave her more screen time, her charm as the female lead might come to life.
"Hmm, alright. I’ll talk to PD Shin Yoon and Director Kim."
"Yes. Thank you as always. You know I like you, PD Baek, right?"
"Haha, of course I do."
Chuckling, PD Baek contacted PD Shin Yoon. He wasn't exactly going to request a script revision. It was merely a casual check-in.
*
Dream Future was a Monday-Tuesday drama.
The second episode, which aired the following day, created a different kind of ripple effect. The viewers, whose numbers had doubled following Jo Ha-rin’s live scene in the first episode, witnessed something truly shocking.
The content was ordinary. The six main characters who successfully passed the audition were all assigned to Group C. Out of the 200 participants, 100 had passed the first round.
Among them, Song So-ha’s confidence had plummeted. To be selected for the final round, one had to be in Group A by the end of the auditions, but she was only in Group C. Furthermore, the other members of Group C were all formidable, causing her to lose heart.
"If it’s too hard, just quit. Why are you hanging on?"
That was when a man with blonde hair and piercings spoke up. It was Park Min-yul, who had received praise for his rapping and dancing. He and Song So-ha were completely out of sync. To make matters worse, the next mission required the six of them to perform as one. She had no confidence.
Reflecting the reactions to Park Min-yul, Ma Yeon-woo’s script had also undergone some revisions. Since he was an idol with limited acting range, the writer had adapted the character to fit his actual personality to draw out his best performance. This, too, was the work of Writer Im Jin-ha, who adored Ma Yeon-woo.
Episode 2 focused on Song So-ha’s wandering. She tried to make an effort with the team, but things didn't go well. They fought and fought again. Finally, with only one day left until the mission, Song So-ha went out alone to practice her live vocals since Group C couldn't even practice properly.
It was what people called busking. The next mission was to hold a six-person guerrilla stage on the street.
"Why are you going alone?"
The only one who followed Song So-ha was Kim Si-hwan. After sharing a small smile, the two headed to the streets to practice.
Anyway, issues regarding the somewhat weak script were being raised. Just as the live chat was about to catch fire...
"As expected, no one’s watching," Song So-ha said.
Both Kim Si-hwan and Song So-ha specialized in vocals. As a result, there wasn't much to see. No matter how hard they sang, there was no 'performance' to speak of. This probably wasn't what Produce Star 200 was looking for.
"Still, it’s better than doing nothing."
They smiled at each other and sang until the sun began to set. They could only sing on the street for two hours. By the time they reached their limit, people still hadn't shown much interest.
Just as the two were growing exhausted...
"Ha, you guys are really persistent."
Park Min-yul, who had been picking on Song So-ha, appeared. He was holding a microphone.
-
The chat room, which had been about to turn toxic, began to explode in a different way. Park Min-yul appearing with a microphone. Surely not, everyone thought.
At that moment, Park Min-yul began to walk forward while rapping.
With Park Min-yul’s sudden rap, the attention of the people around them began to gather. Those who hadn't shown much interest in Kim Si-hwan and Song So-ha’s singing were now focusing on them.
That wasn't all. Behind him as he rapped, the remaining three members of Group C—Ha Yu-seong, Jo Ha-rin, and Jin Hye-min—began to walk out. Ha Yu-seong joined in the rap with Park Min-yul, while the other two began to dance energetically as they approached.
"Guys!" Song So-ha shouted with a bright face.
And so, Group C’s practice began. The surrounding crowd gathered around them and started cheering.
As Group C’s performance began, people couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of the scene.
Surprisingly, it was somewhat convincing. Despite the cringeworthy nature of the scene, the actual direction was excellent. It was clear they had put effort into the song.
And so, the shock-and-awe second episode of Dream Future ended. While the reactions on various boards were mostly of disbelief...
As if to prove the community's reaction, the ratings were 13 percent, only slightly lower than the first episode. It was a very high score. In particular, the group performance part saw a peak rating of 18 percent.
However...
There was a feeling that Jo Ha-rin, who had made such a big impact in the first episode, had strangely less screen time. But most people thought it was unavoidable due to the plot.
"Good."
Writer Im Jin-ha smiled as she looked at the community reactions. Of course, she hadn't revised the script much or changed many scenes. She had simply removed a few lines. This was enough.
If I keep reducing it like this...
By around episode 8, she would barely be seen. Im Jin-ha smiled at the thought. However, there was one thing she hadn't considered: the third trailer for The Chaser, which was released that evening.
*
The second trailer for The Chaser hadn't been much different from the first. Two detectives searching for the culprit. Victims brutally murdered. A chase scene with a culprit wearing a raincoat. The only difference was that the number of times the face of the convenience store clerk, Cha Seo-ah, appeared had increased.
The reactions were such that people were starting to question it. Amidst the slight buzz surrounding The Chaser, the final third trailer was released just before the premiere.
It was a video about two minutes long. A compilation of major scenes from the first and second trailers. Ju Seo-yeon, who played the convenience store clerk and had been criticized, barely appeared. Seeing this, most people thought: Ah, they cut her out after she got flak in the second trailer.
But then.
Shaaaaaa—
A scene of pouring rain. It was the very scene that had appeared frequently in the second trailer. The chase with the two police officers. In that video, which had always ended with the culprit escaping, a small-statured figure in a yellow raincoat stood quietly.
Clang.
The fire axe they were holding fell to the ground.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
As the background music pulsed like a heartbeat, the culprit’s hand moved slowly. Everyone watching the video thought, No way. They thought the culprit’s face was finally going to be revealed.
Rustle.
As the hood of the raincoat fell, the first thing caught on screen was long, black hair. Slowly, very slowly, the camera panned up to reveal a neat jawline. Pale skin, soaked by the rain, came into view.
And finally.
Red eyes. Red eyes glowing in the darkness.
Cha Seo-ah.
The woman who had appeared as a convenience store clerk all this time.
With her appearance, the screen went black. As if it had shown everything it needed to show. The title The Chaser quietly rose onto the pitch-black screen.
Naturally, every movie community on the internet exploded immediately afterward.