Heung... Dan-wol Oppa
Jin Yu-jeong's body shook violently before she finally snapped back to her senses. Pushing aside the pounding in her chest, she remained completely oblivious to her own state. It felt too restless to stay still, accompanied by some strange emotion. Caught between excitement and something she couldn't quite name, all Jin Yu-jeong could do was wiggle her toes under the blanket she'd pulled over her head.
"She's finally lost it."
"We're meeting again tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah."
Lee Da-bin and Woo Ri-na continued their conversation as if nothing had happened. If you judged purely by their reactions, only a few impressed sighs escaped them. Unlike Jin Yu-jeong, their faces weren't flushed at all. This was the moment she first realized her tastes were... unique.
"Aren't you guys bothered at all?"
"About what? Dan-wol oppa?"
"Yeah..."
"His acting was really good. Our school doesn't have anyone like that, but it feels like every school should have at least one."
"That's not what I meant..."
"What?"
"Ah, never mind."
"Crazy bitch."
Was that too harsh? No, not compared to the usual teasing they gave each other. But instead of firing back like she normally would, Jin Yu-jeong simply hung her head low. Was she sick? For some reason, it felt like their friendship had grown even stronger in that moment.
The community was in complete chaos. Aside from the normal excited reactions, it was mostly people with very specific tastes losing their minds. It was practically a riot. In this world where women led men, those with normal sexual preferences were the ones viewed as strange. Of course, people respected them and understood what triggers those feelings. But was it really worth making such a huge fuss? Most people's reaction, upon thinking about it, was simple confusion.
It wasn't just the communities. On video platforms, especially the shorts section that dealt with clips under one minute, Woo Dan-wol was incredibly popular. The same went for Reels and TikTok. On platforms that uploaded short, stimulating videos, people were constantly posting parodies of Woo Dan-wol's acting. It was a direct attack on a very specific demographic.
Originally, they shouldn't have made videos targeting such a narrow audience. And yet...
Of course, not all the reactions were positive. People watching the drama and riding the trend were laughing and chatting about it, but others suddenly found similar videos shoved in their faces. Gradually, people who hated it began to appear.
"What the hell is this?"
But it wasn't only people who hated it that emerged. Many who wondered what all the fuss was about ended up flowing into the drama out of curiosity.
All of that impact translated directly into viewership ratings. There were plenty of people enjoying the love lines and the drama's internal fun elements, but the ripple effect Woo Dan-wol created was on another level. Jang Seon-woo's fandom was by no means small. However, Woo Dan-wol's memes had become a full-blown trend, sweeping across the internet.
Who held the real power in a drama? The viewers. The absolute top authority. What did it matter if the writer was brilliant or the actors were outstanding? If viewers didn't watch, it was all meaningless.
Because of this, the smiles on Seong A-reum and her sister's faces refused to fade. It was a choice the production company hadn't been entirely happy with at first. But after Forest of Flowers aired and Woo Dan-wol's memes completely filled up every video platform, Woo Dan-wol was shocked, the broadcasting station was stunned, and the production company fell to its knees. The influence of the rookie actor Woo Dan-wol grew higher with each passing day.
For a public broadcast on terrestrial TV, the numbers were incredibly strong. And this was only after episode two. There was simply too much to see, and in a market overflowing with stimulating content, it was achieving a massive feat.
Meanwhile, on a certain day in November, Woo Dan-wol was spending time at a gym.
"One, two!"
-Thud, thud!
"Jab, right hook, one two!"
=Thud, thud, pow, bang!
The refreshing sound of mitts being struck echoed. A bell rang every three minutes in this place—a gym. It might be considered small, too small to normally attract many members.
But for Woo Dan-wol to learn boxing alone, it was more than enough space. This place was practically a set. Woo Dan-wol was learning boxing from a coach who used to be a professional athlete.
"Wow, you got this good in just a month?"
"Haa, haa. Thank you."
The coach averted her gaze. The sweat flowing down his entire body—if seen too directly, it could lead to accusations of harassment or scandal, so she was always careful. Of course, Woo Dan-wol himself wasn't paying any attention to that.
-Ding!
The one-minute rest bell ended, and the round bell rang again. Woo Dan-wol was mixing combinations with increasing familiarity. The coach's eyes watching him grew serious.
At first, when he'd asked her to teach an actor, she'd considered refusing. But the offer was simply too much money to turn down. She'd been worried whether a male actor could pull it off, but Woo Dan-wol had done everything without once complaining about how hard it was.
His stamina passed with flying colors. It seemed he was already working out separately. But his talent was nothing to scoff at. They had to make an exception for men's natural physical limitations.
Even so, his talent stood out. He absorbed techniques like a sponge. Not only that, the way he applied them made it impossible to believe he'd never learned boxing before. If she hadn't personally watched him learn the steps from the beginning and grow, she would have suspected something. That's how exceptional Woo Dan-wol's talent was.
Before long, the three-minute bell rang, and training ended.
"Thank you for your hard work."
"You worked hard too, Dan-wol. It's such a shame."
She truly meant it. If the boxing world wasn't in decline, and if he had been a woman instead of a man, he could have aimed for the world stage. The fact that he was an actor felt especially regrettable.
Meanwhile, Woo Dan-wol was scratching his cheek. It was hard to tell whether this was a talent he'd always possessed or an extension of his ability. As he began to explore his own powers more seriously, Dan-wol had discovered one thing. The moment he acted out and analyzed a role, he absorbed that character's talents.
If it was just reproducing a single scene, he could do it. Because using the ability wasn't something that happened in daily life—it remained the same as usual.
But when he signed up for boxing lessons to perfect the details, Woo Dan-wol realized he had the talent. He absorbed everything he learned and immediately applied it. He had gained the talent of Lee Shin-woo, the greatest male boxing genius in his school.
Of course, it still required time and effort. But it was undeniable that his efficiency was far better than others. What did it matter? Setting aside the aftermath of his ability, Woo Dan-wol was simply happy that he could act it out himself without needing a stunt double.
Time passed like that, and Woo Dan-wol received the script for episode seven. Finally. This was the episode where Lee Shin-woo would truly reveal his abilities. It was the day that nearly two months of training would be proven. So far, there had only been subtle tension. There hadn't been any direct love lines yet. The main lead with supporting actors, supporting actors with each other, main leads with each other.
There had been various situations over the six episodes. As a result, viewers were passionately supporting their favorite pairings. The biggest ones were Ju Ha-ryeong and Jang Seon-woo. That was because they were the leads on the surface, and also because Jang Seon-woo's fandom was so large.
Woo Dan-wol headed to the filming set. With his pounding heart pushed aside, he spoke to Lee Hye-ri, who was driving comfortably as always.
"Noona."
"Yeah?"
"Is it okay if I take my shirt off?"
-Screeech!
It was an emergency stop. But the car had stopped because a bicycle had suddenly darted out in front of them at the exact same moment Woo Dan-wol spoke. It almost felt like the world itself was rejecting the idea.
"H-have you lost your mind?"
"...I was just asking if there was a reason why not."
Lee Hye-ri had practically screamed. It was the first time she'd reacted like this, aside from the occasional small responses. Woo Dan-wol's voice grew smaller as he mumbled. He'd said it while thinking of his previous life, but he didn't actually know the exact reason himself. Meanwhile, Lee Hye-ri's face began turning redder and redder. Even though she didn't want to remember, she couldn't help but picture his bare upper body.
After a moment, having properly processed his words, Lee Hye-ri made an apologetic face. Even though he seemed normal, he was someone who had lost his memories. A person living with forgotten pasts and occasional holes in his recollection.
"I'm sorry, Dan-wol."
"It's fine. So, about taking my shirt off..."
"Ah, that's... not allowed..."
The car began moving slowly again. A woman taking her top off was one thing. It was common enough that even in the military, they said soldiers took their shirts off during morning drills. On broadcasts they might cover the nipples, but that was more to protect the viewers' eyes than for sexual appeal.
But a man taking his shirt off...? That was simply impossible.
"...I understand."
Woo Dan-wol looked dejected. Having imagined UFC legends, blood flying, bodies burning up, and that kind of intense match, it was disappointing. I'm sorry! Charles Oliveira! Anderson Silva!
"From now on, tell me first before you say things like that, okay?"
"What kind of things?"
"Um... anything about broadcasting, or... the differences between men and women? Especially since you're completely clueless about this stuff, Dan-wol..."
"Is taking my shirt off really that big of a problem?"
"Dan-woooool!!"
Lee Hye-ri was practically shrieking. Woo Dan-wol continued to express his disappointment, still thinking it was strange. The redness on Lee Hye-ri's face as they headed to the filming location refused to disappear.