The Weight of 20%
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Baek Chae-i's younger sister asked her with a bizarre expression one evening.
"...Unnie."
"Yeah."
"Hitting over 20% ratings is a big deal, right?"
"Yeah."
"Our drama broke it, right?"
"Yeah."
"So why have you been moping around lately?"
"......."
Baek Chae-i fell silent.
Her sister clung to her, whining, "Come on! Are you just mad you don't wanna give me allowance for the milestone?!" "You don't have to give me any—just cheer up!" "Fine, even ten thousand won!" But Baek Chae-i kept her mouth shut tight, as if stretching the magpie's neck drawn on her pajama pants.
She had no choice.
Who could she tell that the emotion gripping a writer who'd broken 20% on her second work—her first full-length drama—was pure self-loathing?
He seemed... disappointed.
Baek Chae-i bit her lip.
On set, the moment the ratings came in and everyone exploded with joy...
Kang Min's expression had been utterly calm.
No, it even looked a little gloomy.
Seeing that, Baek Chae-i's heart had plummeted.
Cold reality crashed back in.
Think about it—what right did she have to celebrate?
That 20%? Min pulled more than half of it himself. Then there's Yu PD and the actors' shares.
But me... what did I do?
What had Baek Chae-i done?
Was King and Sovereign a hit thanks to brilliant storytelling or captivating setups?
All the praise boiled down to one role: Hui-yul...
"Fine! Fifty thousand won! Fifty thousand—that'll do it!"
If Min had done Black Forest, it would've been legendary. 20%? Might've blown past 30% easy.
"O-okay! Thirty thousand! That's chicken prices these days! You can spare that much!"
No, even without me as the writer, it could've been so much...
"T-twenty thousand! I'll use it wisely, please just twenty thousand!"
.......
"......."
Baek Chae-i bit her lip.
What had she been so excited about?
No one praised that script Kang Min had ranted about with such dead-serious passion.
Wasn't she just a pathetic writer riding the coattails of one brilliant actor?
"God, seriously..."
Even as her sister gave up in annoyance and left, Baek Chae-i stayed sunk in her gloom.
Of course, her melancholy mood didn't go unnoticed by those around her. They just didn't know what to say since she wouldn't open up.
But today's congratulatory call was a little different.
"Chae-i, you broke 20% this time, right? Congrats! I'm really enjoying King and Sovereign!"
"...Thank you, Teacher Yoo."
"...?"
The "teacher" Baek Chae-i had once assisted as a junior writer sounded flustered by her subdued response. But she quickly soothed her with kind words and asked what was wrong.
With her mentor-slash-master going this far, Baek Chae-i couldn't hold back anymore.
She burst into tears and poured out her current feelings.
"Ah..."
But the reaction was oddly muted.
Her teacher hesitated before cautiously speaking up.
"You know this, Chae-i, but I'm acquaintances with Principal Hong Ji-ho, right? Kang Min's teacher. You knew that?"
"Yeah. You worked on a project together before."
"Yeah, so I heard something through the grapevine... He told me not to tell, so if I spill, pretend you don't know."
"?"
After making her swear several times, she finally spoke—words that were utterly out of left field.
"It's because of you, Chae-i."
"...Pardon?"
"Kang Min consulted Principal Hong. He wants to make sure you win a writing award somehow—asked if there's any way."
"......."
"That acting in episode 6? He got advice from Principal Hong, planned and practiced it solo. Thought beating Black Forest might get you the award."
Dazed,
Baek Chae-i blinked.
Wait, so...
Eh?
"Ahem, so don't think nonsense—focus on your writing. Writers always start with garbage drafts, bawling for help from everyone. Mine were way worse."
"......."
"Blah blah blah, but you cast Kang Min. If you don't trust yourself, who will? Instead of wallowing, think up story support for that actor. Regret while running forward!"
"......."
"...H-Hello? You listening?"
No reply.
Even as a troubled voice leaked from the phone, Baek Chae-i stayed silent.
The words didn't compute.
Her head spun endlessly, the world flushing red.
No,
It wasn't the world heating up—
"Unnie, humanely, at least ten thousand won...!"
Her sister burst in, spotted a ripe tomato, and clocked the vibe.
She closed the door gingerly, grumbling on her way out.
"No cash for your sis but plenty for a crush?!"
At the same time, Kang Min was dissecting episode 7 of Black Forest, aired alongside King and Sovereign episode 6.
It was meticulous, dead-serious work.
But the conclusion never changed.
Still no openings in sight...!
Kang Min squeezed his eyes shut.
A vortex of intrigue with agents from four countries,
Top U.S. operatives dispatched,
Russian Iskander missiles launching,
Chinese interference,
Protagonist agents punching through to steal classified intel—
Kang Min tried staying objective, but soon slipped into "hehe, fun times, munchin' popcorn" mode.
That was Black Forest for you.
The pinnacle of the righteous path...
Having slogged through years as an aspiring actor, Kang Min could spot the calculations and stubborn vision baked into Black Forest episode 7.
To churn out this level in a deadline-choked drama—not a movie? PD Kim Young-su and CP Han Ye-seul were no ordinary monsters.
Especially Han Ye-seul—she was probably scoffing at Kang Min's flailing right now...
But the devious path has its own ways to fight...!
Kang Min steeled his wavering resolve.
Yu Ho-hyeon PD and writer Baek Chae-i's pace was astonishing. King and Sovereign had flipped plans, scrapped arcs, expanded and shrunk roles countless times—yet never missed a deadline.
That flexibility was the key to cracking Black Forest.
And perfect material had dropped right on cue.
In King and Sovereign episode 8, the Left State Councillor finally dispatches massive forces to kill the crown prince.
The hesitating crown prince and Min-hwa face a crossroads, while Hui-yul witnesses the troops massacring civilians, flies into rage, and confronts them.
Originally, episode 8 focused on the protagonists' tense escape and Hui-yul's swift, flashy combat.
But Kang Min was convinced that wasn't enough.
Thanks to Kim Ho-jin's killer performance, episode 6's spectacle exceeded my skills. But lightning won't strike twice!
So,
Time to flip the chessboard.
Flashy fights are great. But we need atmosphere—overwhelming aura...!
Per the script, episode 8's Hui-yul radiates extreme fury and killing intent, overwhelming the troops instinctively.
What to recreate? Obvious.
Among countless deaths Kang Min had endured, royalty lording over millions, elite generals, beings with charisma beyond—none matched the Cretaceous apex predator.
Giganotosaurus... Nothing left but to recreate the desperation of facing that beast!
Kang Min clenched his fist.
Kim Ho-jin had been spooked by the madman he'd never met before, but Kang Min was certain. No tough guy could stand unmoved against Earth's once mightiest creature.
That primal desperation would surely grip viewers' hearts.
Well, first—convince writer Baek Chae-i.
Kang Min figured it'd be tough, set a meet at a nearby café, and headed out.
And then,
"D-Dinosaurs are great!"
"?"
"Riiight! Instead of swift like a swallow, something massive like a hefty herbivore...!"
"...It's more the Giganotosaurus side."
"Oh, that's great too!"
"......."
"Heh heh heh."
What the—
Had she lost it?
Kang Min wondered if the giggling "hehehe" creature before him was really writer Baek Chae-i or if she had a twin.
But it was her, alright.
Soon, her sister—the one he'd only seen in photos—showed up at the café.
"W-Wow...! It's really Hui-yul!"
The kid, maybe third or fourth grade, lit up at the sight of Kang Min.
She trotted over, reached for his hand, then bashfully pulled back, head tilted.
Kang Min, who'd dealt with tons of kids at the orphanage, knew exactly how to handle this.
"Baek Yu-ha?"
"Y-Yes?!"
"Nice to meet you. Thanks for always cheering me on."
"Waaah...!"
He offered a handshake like he didn't notice her age, and she beamed white-toothed, shaking wildly. Kids that age love being treated like adults.
Fortunately, monster Baek Chae-i blushed late and snapped back to normal.
"S-Sorry. She threw such a fit to meet you... You sure it's okay?"
"A fan's a fan—what's the problem? And your sister's basically family to me."
"...Huh?"
As Baek Chae-i gaped blankly, Kang Min played with the kid using his orphanage tricks.
Then he got serious.
"Anyway, please think it over carefully. The scene was meant to be flashier originally—this shifts direction big-time. Yu PD said go for it, but for you, it could derail the story arc."
"Family... exactly...?"
"Pardon?"
"N-No, nothing!"
"......?"
Baek Chae-i cleared her throat repeatedly.
Finally mustered a serious face.
"H-Honestly, it's a bit bewildering... but you've proven yourself so far. Of course I trust you."
"Well, to reiterate, even I can't guarantee it'll be better. It might flop—"
"Then that's even better. I'd rather be known for contributing than just riding an actor's ratings."
The writer smiled softly.
"From the first time I saw your acting, I dreamed of seeing you in my story. Do it your way. I'll back you up."
"...Yes."
"If it flops anyway... ehehehe..."
"......."
It ended well.
Kang Min felt like he'd glimpsed something terrifying, but he got what he wanted—satisfactory enough.
...Though for stuntman Kim Ho-jin, it was a nightmare verdict.
"...You got approval? From PD, and now the writer too?"
"Yes."
"......Giganotosaurus?"
"She's a brilliant writer. She must see something I don't."
Everyone's lost their minds—
Kim Ho-jin swallowed the words bubbling up.
If PD and writer had gone nuts, the root cause was obvious—one.
The top lunatic Kim Ho-jin had witnessed flashed a pleased smile.
"Frankly, recreating a dinosaur-confrontation vibe isn't simple, even if I say so lightly."
"Yes..."
Yeah, figured.
Just hearing it now threatened Gestalt collapse.
"So we do it till it works."
"...Pardon?"
"Till it works."
"......."
"Three days to shoot—not easy normally, but with our Kim Ho-jin actor cooperating? Like gaining a million troops!"
"......."
As Kim Ho-jin teared up—"At least ask if I'll cooperate!"—Kang Min quietly steeled himself.
Opened another chance, but it's the last. Fail to snag Black Forest with his help, and Unbelievable stays a pipe dream!
Time to throw everything at winning...!
Unfortunately, rival Black Forest had reached the same conclusion.
Three days later,
A rare guest sat in KBC Black Forest's conference room.
Drama division head Jo Young-chul hemmed and hawed unlike his usual self.
"Uh, Han CP. Not my idea—it's from the president..."
"So what is it? Spit it out already."
"Well."
The head cleared his throat again.
His wrinkled eyes slyly gauged her.
"This time, our Black Forest nearly got caught by King and Sovereign."
"......."
Han Ye-seul barely quelled her twitching brow.
"...Yeah. But no repeat. Next one's perfect—"
"Even perfect, their ratings so far? Total fluke. Everyone saw it—a doomed slot saved by one actor pulling miracles."
"......."
"No guarantee it won't happen again?"
Spot-on critique.
Enough to boil Han Ye-seul's barely calmed gut.
But what could she do? Black Forest's elegance and perfection shone in critics' rave reviews—more than anyone.
Problem was MBS's bald head and Yu Ho-hyeon PD—gutless scum.
As Han Ye-seul ground her teeth, the head coughed and continued.
"You know, with Black Forest's budget, one ratings flip hurts bad. Exports tank, might not break even."
"......."
"So now, ratings over reviews. Force a gap first—then we're golden?"
"...Stop circling. What do you want?"
"President said 'whatever it takes' to not lose ratings."
"......."
KBC's new president thirsted for results. Fair demand.
But whatever it takes—
"One writer yells loud—tough. We got four? Showrunner's perk: tweak story on fan-service whims."
"So you're saying..."
"Add ratings-bait scenes."
"......."
"Not spaceships or aliens, but protagonist romancing the Russian agent? Harmless fun?"
Long silence fell.
Very long.
"That."
Han Ye-seul opened her mouth blankly.
"...Protagonist's married. Agent too, by setup?"
"Right...?"
"...Trashy affair?"
"They'll hate-watch harder...?"
"......."
"......."
Fun fact: Korea had tons of broadcasters.
TVM.
IBS.
TBC.
Channel S.
OVS.
And terrestrial SBC too—
Thus began the whales' war, shredding countless shrimp ratings.
"Why me only...!"
"......."
"Why the fuck can't I be happy...!!"
Han Ye-seul bawled—victim herself—but hardly Kang Min's fault.
Probably.
Shrimp Backs Crushed in Whale Fight (3)
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