The Day the World Turned Its Eyes
The next morning.
Si-woo opened his eyes.
It looked as though he’d fallen asleep on the sofa while replying to texts last night.
Kkamangi was sitting on his stomach, kneading away with its paws and purring contentedly, as if it had found something deeply pleasing in the world.
"...Kkamangi, you're heavy. Can you get off for a bit?"
"Meow-"
When the cat refused to budge, he lifted it aside with a sigh.
Should he cut back on this cat’s snacks?
At first, it had been as small as a toy dog, but now it had put on a nice amount of soft, round weight.
It had its own charm that way, too.
After giving Kkamangi a thorough rubdown, he pushed himself up.
Ow. My neck.
He’d spent last night answering texts on his smartphone, staring down at it for so long that he’d fallen asleep and now his neck ached all over.
He stretched out for a moment to loosen it, then picked up the smartphone he’d carelessly left on the sofa.
The moment he turned on the screen, notifications came pouring in.
KTalk 999+.
47 missed calls.
128 text messages.
"...My God."
He had definitely replied to everything late last night.
And yet somehow, the flood had only grown.
What was even more frightening was that this was the second phone known only to acquaintances.
He couldn’t begin to imagine how much had piled up on his regular smartphone.
He decided to check that later.
For now, he opened a news portal.
The real-time search rankings appeared.
1. Kim Si-woo
2. Singing Bird
3. Anna
4. Josef
...
...
Just as he’d suspected.
Every ranking was tied to Singing Bird.
There was no need to force a search and hunt for articles.
The live news feed was already plastered with Singing Bird coverage.
"The Bird's Song, Returned After Decades... Nutflix's Singing Bird Tops Global Charts for a Second Straight Week Since Release"
"Nutflix's Singing Bird Hits a Fresh Intraday High... Up 6.3% From the Previous Day"
"Wall Street: 'Singing Bird Is the Most Successful Documentary in Nutflix History'... Target Prices Raised One After Another"
"'Korean appraiser Kim Si-woo moved the world to tears'... The New York Times and BBC both report on it"
"Explosion of reactions from Japanese netizens... 'I learned history from a documentary that school never taught me'"
"New York Jewish History Museum to Hold Emergency Special Exhibition of Josef Weiss's Original Letter..."
Articles were flooding in across society, economy, and culture alike.
"The whole world has converged on one issue... Since Singing Bird's release, posts with the hashtag #SingingBird have surpassed 24 million worldwide on social media. The hashtag has held the global top trend on Twitter for 36 straight hours."
"Hong Kong's South China Morning Post: 'The memory of Stanley Internment Camp has been revived by appraiser Kim Si-woo... Hong Kong authorities begin reviewing plans to erect a memorial at the site of Stanley Internment Camp'"
"Kim Si-woo appraiser surpasses 15 million followers on Byeolstagram... 7.5 million added in just 24 hours after release. He has also broken the Korean record for reaching 10 million followers in the shortest time."
He stared blankly as he scrolled through the list of articles.
It seemed endless.
He opened the article about Nutflix's stock hitting an intraday peak.
"In a report, JP Morgan stated that 'Singing Bird recorded the highest view count ever achieved by a Nutflix original documentary within 24 hours of release,' adding that since Singing Bird has now concluded, additional episodes from Season 1 will be released to cover the stories of the artifacts Kim Si-woo appraiser previously discovered."
In hindsight, maybe he should have bought stock.
Would that have counted as insider trading?
The pointless joke flashed through his mind and disappeared.
He moved on to the comments under the various articles.
- To think this is reality... it's heartbreaking. Honestly, I didn’t expect much from a documentary, but the pull was on a completely different level from a drama. The weight of real events is different.
- I got chills when I saw the cameraman's hand shaking and the footage wobbling. It actually made it better, because I could feel that this wasn't staged.
- I've watched a lot of documentaries about the Holocaust, but this has a different texture. Instead of talking about a huge tragedy in the abstract, it follows one family's story, which makes it hit harder. It was better than simply talking about Jewish persecution. I'm a father with one daughter, and I couldn't stop crying over Josef's story.
- It was so heartbreaking that Maria died just a month before the war ended. To think she kept nursing others and sacrificing herself in that situation... fate was far too cruel.
- I just watched it with my wife, and we were both crying silently. Our five-year-old daughter came over and asked, "Dad, why are you crying?" so I held her and cried even more.
* * *
He drove to Eterna Gallery and was startled.
Even though it was still early in the morning, the street was bustling with life.
In particular, a long line had already formed before opening, with people waiting to get into Eterna Gallery.
Today, the security guards stood at attention in a more solemn mood than usual. When they spotted Si-woo’s car, they saluted, then bowed very politely.
* * *
Shin A-young leisurely brewed coffee in the morning.
She’d watched Singing Bird last night and kept thinking about it afterward, so she’d slept poorly and now yawned as she worked.
Hot water streamed in a thin line from the hand-drip kettle.
The aroma of fresh beans spread through the office.
There was a knock, and Si-woo came into the representative’s office.
"Mr. Si-woo. You came at exactly the right time. The coffee’s ready."
"Ah, yes. Thank you."
Si-woo took a seat at the table.
Shin A-young poured coffee into two mugs and handed him one.
She sat down opposite him, took a sip, and then gave an embarrassed smile.
"Mr. Si-woo, I actually slept badly last night while watching Singing Bird. I ended up crying by myself."
She pointed under her eyes with a finger.
"See? They’re so puffy I was shocked when I looked in the mirror this morning. I put on an ice pack and came to work, but I still look like this."
She smiled awkwardly.
"I watched it with my mother too... It was hard to hold back."
"Ah, you cried a lot too, appraiser. Be honest."
"...Haha. A little."
"Who could watch that final scene and not cry? Even now, I still can't sort out my emotions."
Shin A-young clasped her coffee cup and grew serious.
"Mr. Si-woo. It was absolutely the right choice to hand the Bird Box over to Grandma Anna."
"Not exactly. I intended to give it to her, but Grandma Anna's family firmly refused, so I just held onto it on a temporary basis. That’s all."
Ring ring ring-
At that moment, Si-woo’s smartphone rang.
When he looked at the screen, Yang Dong-seok, the general director, was calling.
He excused himself to Shin A-young and answered the call.
"Yes, General Director Yang Dong-seok."
- Ah, Appraiser Kim Si-woo! Good morning. I’m sorry to be calling so early!
Yang Dong-seok’s voice was rough and booming.
But there was tension hidden in it.
What was going on?
"Not at all. I was planning to call you later myself."
- Ahem. The thing is... I’m calling about the renewal contract for Singing Bird.
"A renewal contract?"
Si-woo looked puzzled.
"There’s still more season left, isn’t there? Season 1 was planned for six episodes, but only three have been released so far."
There was the sound of Yang Dong-seok clearing his throat on the other end of the line.
- Yes. That was our original plan too. We intended to structure Season 1 as six episodes and release the remaining three sequentially.
He continued.
- But the headquarters changed direction this time. Singing Bird's episodes are so well made, and the response has been explosive... The judgment was made that rather than burying this under half of a six-episode season, it would be better to wrap up Season 1 cleanly as a standalone Singing Bird.
"So you're saying Season 1 will end at three episodes?"
- Yes, that's correct. We’d like to conclude Season 1 as a three-part Singing Bird, and then start fresh with Season 2 for the other artifact stories involving appraiser Kim Si-woo. Headquarters strongly agrees with this direction too.
Si-woo nodded.
From a content strategy standpoint, it was a reasonable decision.
Singing Bird's narrative was so powerful that adding other episodes afterward might actually dilute the impact.
- So... Appraiser Kim Si-woo.
Yang Dong-seok’s voice grew careful.
- If the opportunity arises, would you be willing to discuss the next contract with us?
Si-woo could imagine how tense Yang Dong-seok must be right now.
No matter how much Singing Bird had hit number one globally and driven Nutflix's stock upward, that was already a finished result.
What truly mattered to Yang Dong-seok was what came next.
If the renewal with Kim Si-woo fell through...
Yes, he would still receive credit for making Singing Bird happen, but failing to secure Kim Si-woo as an IP would be a painful loss.
Nutflix headquarters wanted a second season, and subscribers around the world were waiting for it. If they lost the key figure at the center of it all, that could seriously shake Yang Dong-seok's personal standing.
There was no reason for Si-woo to refuse.
"Of course. You can come to Eterna Gallery anytime today at a time that's convenient for you."
- Yes! Thank you. Then may I come around 2 p.m.?
"That would be good. Come comfortably."
- Yes, thank you very much. Then I’ll see you later!
The call ended.
The moment Yang Dong-seok hung up, he leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath.
His palms were damp with sweat.
All right... the door is open.
Simply not being rejected was already half the success.
What remained was meeting in person that afternoon and hammering out the terms.
Headquarters had already put forward their best offer, but it was too soon to let his guard down.
Meanwhile, after Si-woo lowered his smartphone, Shin A-young’s eyes lit up as she asked,
"What did he say? Did General Director Yang Dong-seok ask for a renewal?"
"Yes. He wants to finish Season 1 as three episodes of Singing Bird, then start Season 2 anew."
"Wow... Really?"
Shin A-young set down her coffee cup in admiration.
Ring ring ring-
Then the phone rang again.
She stepped back a little, nodding as if to tell him to go ahead and take it.
This time, the caller ID read Representative Kim Young-soo.
"Yes, Representative Kim Young-soo."
- Haha! Si-woo!
Kim Young-soo’s voice, unlike Yang Dong-seok’s, was easy and familiar.
- I watched Singing Bird well. It was incredible, truly.
"Thank you."
- My wife was crying her eyes out beside me, and I had to keep getting tissues for her. It was no easy job.
"I see."
- Right, yes. Actually, Si-woo, thanks to you, we’re getting flooded with inquiries for donations on the foundation side too.
"Really? That's excellent news!"
- Yes. People who were moved by Singing Bird are asking about donating. We’ve been busier than ever since the foundation was established. The staff are all in a frenzy.
"I'm glad it’s helping the foundation."
- Which brings me to why I called today, Si-woo. It wasn’t just to check in.
Kim Young-soo paused for a moment, then got to the point.
- Ahem. We’re planning to film a promotional video for the foundation. It’s to introduce the purpose and activities of the Kim Hak-jun Public Foundation, and since you’re a director, I thought I’d ask if you’d be willing to take part. Of course, there’s no pressure. Originally, Executive Director Jeong Hye-jin was going to contact you directly, but she knows you don’t do broadcasts or commercials, so she asked me to sound you out. Honestly, why she made me do this, I have no idea.
Kim Young-soo grumbled as he spoke.
Si-woo thought for a moment.
Since Singing Bird, offers had been pouring in nonstop anyway.
From global luxury brands to domestic conglomerate advertisements.
He didn’t have a manager, so his DMs and inbox were overflowing with proposals.
And after Singing Bird ended, even more would probably come in.
This one I should do, right?
The Kim Hak-jun Public Foundation was a place he was deeply involved with.
If the foundation’s promotion went well, it would bring in more donations and allow them to do more work.
There was no need to agonize over something good.
"I'll do it."
- Hm? You decided faster than I expected.
"I don't show my face in other broadcasts or commercials, but I don't want to refuse something that helps the foundation."
- Haha, that’s our Si-woo. If Director Jeong Hye-jin hears that, she’ll be pleased.
Kim Young-soo's voice brightened considerably.
"But, Representative."
- Yes?
"Would it be all right for someone like me to do it? I’m not a celebrity... I’d be the face of the foundation."
Kim Young-soo gave a helpless laugh.
- When people think of the Kim Hak-jun Public Foundation now, your face is the first thing that comes to mind. Since Singing Bird, do you know how many people have donated because they saw you? Even if we brought in a celebrity, would they have the same sincerity you do?
"You're too kind."
- No, it’s the truth. Thanks to you, the foundation is properly on track now. I’m truly grateful.
There was real sincerity in Kim Young-soo’s words.
- Director Jeong Hye-jin will contact you separately about the details. We’ll also fit the filming schedule to your timetable, so don’t worry about it.
"Yes. Understood."
- Ah, and Si-woo. If you ever need help with anything, call me anytime. Whether it’s foundation work or something personal.
"Yes. If I need help, I’ll contact you anytime."
The call ended.
Advertisement, huh.
He wasn’t sure he could do it well.
Shin A-young, who had been standing off to the side, came over.
"What happened?"
"Representative Kim Young-soo asked me to appear in a promotional video for the foundation."
"Really? What did you decide?"
"I couldn’t really refuse this one."
"Good call. This is different from other ads, even if those are out of the question. This one has meaning."
Shin A-young nodded and took another sip of coffee.
Then the phone rang again.
When he checked who it was, his eyes widened.
Isn't this Chairman Lee Jae-yong?
---