Cherry Pie's Thunderous Joy – The 17% Miracle
Boom! Boom! Boom! The explosive blasts thundered endlessly.
"Those damn Yankee bastards are shitting from the sky again today."
The comrade who'd cracked that joke while enduring the bombardment from the hilltop had died the day before yesterday. We'd rejoiced briefly when the war was declared over, but now despair awaited us all in this final all-out battle.
"Revolutionary Hill! Revolutionary Hill!" The guy with the red armband shouting those words no longer cried them out.
A frail human laughed hollowly, realizing the hope of returning alive had been snuffed out, and moved powerlessly according to orders. Sure, we followed the plan, but what meaning did it really have? We'd all die anyway.
'Not me. I'm not dying.'
Even so, I intended to survive to the end. For my sister's sake too—I wanted to ask why he'd begged so desperately for that rice and mystery meat soup. Why our family, scraping by in poverty yet happy day by day, had to all die.
I wanted to demand answers for all of it. There were none here, none in the North. I had to ask down South. Was it really there? Was that why they fought, staking their lives?
'Gotta find that man.'
The student soldier's eyes darted around. Amid the endless bombardment, he searched for that one man. The guy in our uniform who'd approached without a care for his life. The soldier who'd ignored my questions twice. His gaze locked on Kim Suhwa—the role Han Taekon would eventually play.
Click.
Acknowledging the scant bullets, he fixed the bayonet to his rifle. I'll ask you—why did my sister have to die?
Thrown into battle as a student, yet learning nothing from school, wandering without even a light answer to the end:
"Sister, I'll definitely come find you with that answer."
The student soldier moved.
Whoosh!
At that instant, the script ended, and I snapped back to the real world.
Due to Cheonmu Body, you have perfectly mastered Bayonet Technique.
And right after, the system's text message followed.
The knowledge of bayonet techniques I'd never practiced flooded my mind. It felt like if I willed it, I could demonstrate expert-level bayonet skills right now.
'This is insane.'
I was marveling at the power of Cheonmu Body when—
Bzzz bzzz bzzz.
My phone alarm blared fiercely.
I chuckled softly at Kim Sujin's KakaoTalk.
Yeah, looks like the reaction's pretty good?
Time marched on relentlessly, even as Kim Donghu filmed the endless frontline scenes. But time doesn't always flow fairly.
For KBC Drama Director Kim Cheol-do, the past few weeks had dragged excruciatingly slow.
"Zuhahaha..."
His usual booming laugh had vanished.
'I thought the 1st and 2nd episode ratings were the signal to beat everyone senseless.'
The uptick in episodes 3 and 4 was pitifully meager. Sure, any rise was welcome, but it paled compared to a beef feast.
Episode 5 had been the same. So what about episode 6, where EJ finally appears?
'Probably the same.'
Just a face reveal versus silent piano playing. Logically, the latter should spike ratings, but does the world ever work that smoothly? Straight paths like that are rare.
Munch munch.
Even the cherry pie tasted like death today. Swallowing his bitter feelings, Director Kim Cheol-do opened his phone. The 6th episode ratings should be out by now—probably a message from PD Kim Youngmo.
'Please, if EJ's power pushes it up another 2%...'
That'd be 15%, right? How amazing would that be?
Munch munch.
As he chewed cherry pie and muttered dejectedly—
Bang!
PD Kim Youngmo kicked open the drama director's office door. Like a triumphant general, with the face of a commander on the verge of overthrowing a regime.
Stunned by the dramatic entrance, Director Kim Cheol-do was speechless.
"Director! Is this really the time to be sitting here like this?!"
"Wh-what...?"
What the hell, Kim Youngmo? You're not usually this intense.
Kim Cheol-do was genuinely flustered. And why was the bucket hat Youngmo wore today golden?
'Looks like a crown.'
As that random thought crossed his mind—
"Episode 6!!! Ratings! 17%!"
PD Kim Youngmo's thunderbolt words smashed into Director Kim Cheol-do's head. A lightning bolt from crown to toe!
Zing zing.
"Zu... zuhahaha... zuhahahahaha!!!!"
The laughter burst out uncontrollably. 17%?! A jump of about 3% in one go?
As Director Kim Cheol-do laughed with a broken reaction, Kim Youngmo's words flew fast.
"The viewer board's exploding right now!"
"Right? They say it's ridiculous how this handsome kid just plays piano without a word, that just watching makes them burst out laughing! Zing! You know I picked him, right? I cast him!"
Even amid it, Casting Team Leader Shin Youngsuk stirred the pot.
But who cared? It was a festival—what's one extra spoon?
"Want me to read some articles? Hide Dream's Steep Growth Curve – Other Networks on Edge!"
Zuhaha.
"EJ Magic! Gentle Classics Hit Home? What's Hide Dream's Fate? Initial Shock!"
Zuhahaha.
"One Step Back for Ten Steps Forward – Hide Dream's Story Just Beginning, Conquest of Mon-Tue Dramas Foreseen."
Zuhahahaha.
Director Kim Cheol-do's mouth refused to turn down. Looking again, Youngmo, that bucket hat crown suits you.
Plunged in bliss, Kim Cheol-do rummaged in his pocket.
"What's pricier than hanwoo? Sashimi? Sashimi? Or blue crab? Something like that? Eel? How 'bout eel—eel's great, right? The expensive domestic kind, yeah?"
"Eel! Eel sounds perfect. My kids are exhausted from all the extra Hide Dream shoots lately..."
"Yeah, yeah, of course. Gotta be tough—hitting it big is always the hardest part."
"And this too..."
"Got it, got it. I'll pull some bonuses early. Nothing beats a bonus for office workers, right?"
"Perfect, perfect. Uhahahaha."
"Zuhahahaha."
Director Kim Cheol-do watched fondly as PD Kim Youngmo took the card and left.
Munch munch.
The cherry pie tasted sweet enough that even if two ate and one died unnoticed, it'd be fine.
The same moment.
Tap tap tap.
As the world rocked to EJ's pure piano performance, one place was quieter than anywhere—the steady typewriter clacks.
Tap tap.
"Hoo..."
It was writer Lee Minha's studio.
"Hoo... hoo..."
Three monitors: one for writing, one for watching Hide Dream, one for reactions. Her eyes darted ceaselessly as she suppressed her emotions.
'Damn, EJ—no, Kim Donghu, you really know how to drive people crazy.'
Even having seen it live, on TV it felt totally different. Raw on-site vs. polished screen. Some actors don't shine on camera, but Kim Donghu? No such issue.
Just endlessly handsome, and that face lost in deep anguish as he played piano. Who could hate it? That face? Just seeing it made you burst out laughing, and piano on top? Peak classical.
'And La Campanella hasn't even dropped yet.'
This was just a teaser—a pinky-dip taste. How many would scream in the main story later?
Lee Minha wanted to shriek, brag that she'd written Kim Donghu's drama debut.
But.
'Not now.'
Too soon.
'Bottle this emotion and pour it into the script.'
Turn this inspiration into a better script, send it straight to Kim Donghu. For that, she could endure this joy—
"Kyaaaa! It's too good! Isn't Kim Donghu totally insane?!"
She couldn't.
PD Kim Youngmo said ratings hit 17% too. Beyond a lucky charm.
Was God granting her the chance to be the best writer?
Bang!
"Screw writing today—let's feast!"
"Woo! Yes! Love it!"
"What's the menu, unnie?"
"Obviously beef on a day like this—what're you asking~!"
"Kyaa! Meat's the best!"
Having already screamed, Lee Minha rallied her assistant writers to head out.
Ding dong ding dong.
Or tried to.
"What? Who's here this late?"
Nearly midnight—who? No delivery ordered.
'What the hell.'
Irritated, Lee Minha approached the door. And there, an unexpected face.
"Sujung...?"
Writer Yeo Sujung. Debuted around the same time as Lee Minha, a year younger but sweet-natured. They kept in touch periodically, good friends, but.
'Not close enough for a midnight visit, though?'
What brought her here?
'Open first.'
Yeo Sujung's face on the intercom looked desperately urgent. Like she was about to shit herself.
Bang.
The door flew open, and Yeo Sujung hugged Lee Minha tight.
"Unnie, just give me one shot at his legs."
"Huh?"
"Let me contact actor Kim Donghu... just once."
In her left hand was a script titled Ilsik.