#022. Special and Bean Sprouts
April 25th.
For some, it was a day marked by the airing of the King and Sovereign special.
But naturally, for the vast majority, it was anything but.
SBC's bold challenge and MBS's recent unhinged publicity stunts couldn't compete with the tangible allure of 300 billion won.
By the morning of the 25th, trends were naturally dominated by Black Forest.
The fingers of commuting office workers buzzed with drama chatter, mirroring the chaos in KBC's sub-control and main control rooms.
"Come on, just give us five more minutes!"
"This CP, why are you doing this to your buddy? Ads are already all sold out—this is squeezed to the absolute limit!"
"We poured 300 billion into this. If even the first episode slips a bit, we're done for. I'm begging you."
"No, go beg the variety department or news division flanking us—why me?!"
While the CP wrestled with an innocent bystander, the editing director and staff pored over mixing tapes with haggard faces.
They knew there were no real issues, but with 300 billion on the line, sitting still was impossible.
As the crew fiddled pointlessly with effects bars, the cast stood nervously in the break room outside, on standby.
One young supporting actress, dragged out bare-faced, muttered softly.
"Manager, do we really have to do this from the morning?"
"Look at that vibe. You think you can crawl in at dinner with a 'hehe, hello'?"
"......"
"If you've got the guts, go crash somewhere."
The actress lacked the confidence, so she shut her mouth.
The manager softened a bit.
"Eh, it's just a rough crowd, not a bad atmosphere. This drama's a sure hit."
"True."
Black Forest was no 300-billion-won barbecue grill fodder, as the cynics sneered.
It might've been, but SBC's mid-production sniper shot changed everything.
The blindsided CP was furious, the station head uncontrollably enraged, even the president livid. KBC threw the full drama division behind the Black Forest team.
Occasionally yanking talent from rival stations like pulling weeds was par for the course.
"How're those SBC bastards reacting?!"
"Average! Lots saying they're hyped, but they'll watch Black Forest first anyway!"
"Heh, yeah! Of course! Those fuckers'll never climb ratings again! Our episode one's perfect—we'll smash their noses in...!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Gonna fry their ears off!"
...Which explained the creeping madness, but hey, premiere day—tolerable.
This harmonious mix—half bickering over the tape mixed a week ago, half SBC curses—continued when the young actress piped up.
"But aren't we watching out for MBS?"
"Pfft, why?"
"Well, y'know. That Kang Min guy. Even senior Hong Ji-ho straight-up called him amazing the other day..."
"Yun-a, if he was really that great, why hasn't he blown up before? Total aggro bait."
The manager smirked.
"Hong Ji-ho's past his prime anyway. Just stirring the pot on some lame PR. Couldn't even watch that news—too cringy."
"Haha."
"Honestly felt the same!"
The nearby actors and staff chuckled in agreement.
In other words, that summed up the current verdict on King and Sovereign.
Huge hype, empty shell.
Dropping a special while everyone sharpened knives for episode one? Insiders didn't even see it as a threat.
Even Jo Yun-a couldn't help nodding at the ridicule.
Sister Bom won't like this. Seemed like she knew him somehow.
But still,
Part regret, part relief.
She grumbled inwardly with a hint of complaint.
Mom, seriously—what cult shaman did you meet to buy that nonsense? 'The one who knows the slipperiness of a dinosaur's tongue will devour all'... my ass.
The recent arrest of an MBS casting director had rippled far for a select few.
His variety CP uncle shot at interim head Kim Kang-hyun and backfired, eroding his standing; acting academies that showered him with "entertainment crews" mourned; borderline crossers faced witness summons; slight oversteppers got booked without detention.
And Ma Do-jun, who obliterated lines with bribes? Summon notice, naturally.
"Fuck, does this make sense?!"
That was why he'd been storming around the academy, raising his voice for days.
"Kang Min that bastard obviously greased palms too! Why only me getting screwed?!"
Ma Do-jun, who commanded followers at Jiho Acting Academy thanks to family pull, had his face dragged after losing the audition showdown with Kang Min.
He'd whined it was Kang Min's bribes all along—turns out the opposite.
Even his usual fearful underlings openly snickered everywhere.
But as Ma Do-jun's rep tanked, evaluations of Kang Min grew subtly awkward too.
He'd been a five-year student at Jiho Acting Academy—everyone knew his skills.
The dropout failure from months ago suddenly cast, in a lead supporting role, sparking buzz? Suspicious.
Most assumed some connection.
"Never pegged Min like that..."
"Kinda disappointing."
"No way. Where's blood-sweat Min-oppa gonna get bribe money? If cash worked, why'd senior Ma Do-jun fail?"
"Dunno, but..."
"Still weird, right?"
"Why's everyone like this?!"
Humans revere those leagues above but explode in envy when underdogs lap them.
Most students rested on "at least better than him"—Kang Min's absurd success? Hard swallow.
Snickers at Ma Do-jun bred equal down-talk on Kang Min.
"That desperate to win?"
"Shut it."
"Why?! Can't speak? Min's skills lead supporting? Must be connections—"
"Shut up, asshole! Crazy bitch incoming! Wanna get spanner'd too?!"
"...Say that first."
"Fakes sanity on variety so well, that psycho."
But that was before Seo Bom and Hong Ji-ho hit the auditorium.
"Crowd's huge."
Seo Bom scanned the auditorium, face sour.
Jiho Acting Academy had a tradition: communal viewing of a student's debut work.
Rarely attended. Leftover students weren't successes; watching winners just hurt.
But today? Packed wall-to-wall, unusually.
"Stomachs ache too much, so trash-talk the senior together. Bonus: live-react on SNS to rub it in."
"...After I openly backed Min the other day? Nah."
"Still trusting those trash. Got it."
"......"
Seo Bom glanced around—no empty seats galore.
Some shuffling after spotting Hong Ji-ho freed spots.
Problem: grinning trash king next door.
"Oh, Bom! Long time!"
"...Ma Do-jun."
"Senior, I said, haha!"
Senior her ass—Seo Bom scowled, but no other seats. She reluctantly buffered Hong Ji-ho between, sitting.
Ma Do-jun ignored even the director, craning to chat.
"Saw your drama recently! Slick as hell, heh!"
"Yeah."
"That academy bit on variety—the snack bar up front? Blue roof fits."
"Yeah."
"Our tastes match! Thought the cheonggiwa suited it too—we click more than expected!"
"......"
Hong Ji-ho sighed deeply from the middle.
Everyone knew Ma Do-jun's one-sided Kang Min hate stemmed from liking Seo Bom—worsened post her blowout fight with Kang Min.
But that punchable face...
Hong Ji-ho regretted once thinking he had some talent.
"Heard about Kang Min that prick? Only guy shoving bribes for lead support! Pathetic level. Don't you two compare horribly?"
"Kill him?"
"Huh, what?"
Luckily, the powder keg fizzled fast.
Staff hooked cables, fiddled gear—MBS channel lit the massive screen.
King and Sovereign Special title sparked murmurs big and small.
Seo Bom's brow twitched at the whispers.
Some noticed, spooked silent; most oblivious.
Ma Do-jun hollered gleefully: "Bubble bursts in 2 minutes!"
Scattered neutrals or "wait and see"s, no goodwill. Gathered to watch a downgraded peer flop.
Absent viewers too.
Seo Bom's talent let her grasp it crystal-clear.
Told senior to quit...
She bit her lip.
Auditorium now, but broadcast hits nationwide...
Her pocket held her lifelong monkey wrench from orphanage days. She could smash these trash-talkers' skulls now.
But nationwide? Impossible. Hide well, still nabbed at 50.
Her limit.
Sometimes she craved physics-defying power.
Senior...
Ads ended.
All prepped sneers, eyes glued.
Ma Do-jun smirked, phone out filming reactions.
Probably Yi Hoon first.
Teaser's Jwaui Jeong was killer—hook eyes there.
Then Oh Heon-yeong, Park Seong-ho, leads, Kang Min faked-cuts edited slick.
Crew had no choice. Rip that apart.
Kang Min's false rep? Shattered in minutes.
Similar thoughts, sneers frozen.
"...?"
"Huh?"
But the King and Sovereign special diverged sharply.
Camera swept set.
Amid focus-pulling staff noise, one caught script-reading Park Seong-ho.
First question odd.
[What was your first impression of actor Kang Min?]
[Yeah.]
[Hmm.]
Park Seong-ho stroked his goatee, pondered.
Then spat it out.
[A madman.]
Cut.
Yi Hoon and Oh Heon-yeong, same question, eyed each other, shrugged.
[Madman to anyone watching.]
[Right.]
Next leads agreed.
[Honestly, wondered what he was thinking.]
[Not right in the head. Our planning's (beep-)ed...]
[Deadpan too.]
Silence blanketed.
Students blinked at each other, baffled by the off-script start.
But just beginning.
[Madman or else...? Psycho?]
[Weirdo.]
[Stubborn ass.]
[Deranged buffalo...?]
Backtalk chuckles passed; one actor's cut zoomed big.
Kang Min.
Casually script-reading, trademark blank face, munching choco bar.
Thirsty? Gulped nearby drink—empty can, eyes vacant.
Cross-cut linked mundane face to audition's calm madness.
[Everyone.]
[A bomb's planted in this hall.]
Camera didn't linger.
Glanced overwhelmed judges past the advancing lunatic, moved on.
Enough to dumbstruck the screen-watchers.
Anyone serious about acting knew that level.
Some rubbed eyes—did I see wrong?
[One word? Hmm.]
As viewers reeled, prior actors dropped final verdicts.
[Genius.]
[Monster.]
[Dunno past eras, but this one's his.]
[Beyond my judging.]
Dissolves through all,
Final: tense-faced woman.
[Min... actor Kang Min?]
Baek Chae-i.
Writer who could pass for actress, awkward in first-time broadcast makeup and outfit.
No interview experience—stammers.
[H-hard to sum in one word.]
[But...]
Final answer firm.
[This drama's complete because of actor Kang Min.]
What.
What the hell's happening—
Gathered to mock, jeer, belittle Kang Min—all wore blank shock.
Even displeased Seo Bom and Hong Ji-ho.
What the...
These idiots sane?!
By now, all grasped it.
Special starred not vets—Kang Min alone.
MBS bet the farm on one debut lead support.
Auditorium, viewers nationwide—stared slack at the madness.
Even chill ratings-watchers at KBC/SBC controls panicked.
"What the fuck MBS?!"
"Sane?!"
"Insane bastards—what're they doing? Find out NOW!"
"Calm down! Just aggro!"
"Who aggro's like THIS?!"
"Kang Min's nothing special!"
"Right! Has to be!!"
Every drama insider in panic,
Kang Min in his studio blinking dazed.
Uh...?
Few exceptions.
"Nailed it perfectly, Director! Buzz and ratings climbing—could push more!"
"Good, good. Plan's on track."
MBS main control,
Interim head Kim Kang-hyun's eyes gleamed.
Long humiliation of sneers? Over.
"No half-measures. Switch to tape 3. Blast it all."
"Yes!"
"That mad Kang Min—never utter Unbelievable again. Post-King and Sovereign, next's Chaebol Hunter."
Chaebol Hunter's protag? Doesn't die.
Special and Bean Sprouts (3)