National Prince Phenomenon and the System's Fury
Hey, what's wrong with you?
Ilsik's 10th episode hit a staggering 41% ratings. The news spread like wildfire across the nation. This was still an era when TV held immense power. Variety shows routinely pulled 40% ratings back then. Everyone tuned into the same program every Sunday, then shared laughs about the highlights on Monday. Breaking the 40% barrier meant it naturally became everyone's "common topic."
Moreover, any drama watched by most of the nation earned the title "national drama" as a matter of course. A straightforward name, but the ultimate proof of popularity: national drama. The characters from it inevitably got the "national" prefix too.
And the title attached to Kim Donghu at this time was...
A perfect fit for his princely acting.
Word traveled fast in those days. Kim Donghu's fame skyrocketed like it had sprouted wings. The power of 40% ratings—even people who hadn't seen the drama had heard his name by now.
Naturally, curiosity about Kim Donghu exploded. His fan cafe saw a massive influx of new members, and posts about him poured in.
The most popular one right now was...
I'm a new fan who just signed up today. So, how handsome is Kim Donghu? And I'd love to hear impressions from people who've seen him in person, not just on TV.
Fans described his unique handsomeness in all sorts of ways, with plenty of hilarious metaphors that even got screenshotted in articles.
With popularity boiling over like a fresh pot of stew, Kim Donghu's perfectly timed break felt like a divine stroke of genius. Right when curiosity peaked, overexposure could kill the hype—but he declared a hiatus. Turned down all variety show offers.
But if there was already one program featuring him exclusively? It was destined for insane attention.
Riiiing. Ring ring ring ring.
Riiiing. Ring ring ring ring.
The KBC educational programming director scowled at the nonstop ringing phone.
"Damn, can't even unplug the line. Driving me nuts."
"Still, it's great. Never gotten this many sponsorships during a show before."
His subordinate's words drew a snort from the director.
"They ignore us normally, but the second they hear Kim Donghu's on, they swarm like bees..."
So easy now—why'd they whine about budgets before? Director Kim Gijin chuckled wryly, feeling the full weight of Kim Donghu's fame.
"No wonder that cherry pie guy's been chanting 'Kim Donghu, Kim Donghu.'"
"Yeah, these sponsorships? No need for stats—this is the best ever."
"Anyway, we're the lucky ones. Everyone else is scrambling for him, but he came to us."
"Right, right... What if ratings suddenly jump back to double digits?"
"Haha, sounds good already. If that happens, I might call him 'bro.'"
+++++
40% ratings, National Prince, Ilsik special fan meet—time flew busily until March finally arrived.
"And now! Let's begin Challenge! Golden Bell—Middle School Prodigy Special!"
I appeared on Challenge! Golden Bell.
Long story short:
"Student Kim Donghu has rung the Golden Bell!"
I became the last one standing and won.
"Kim Donghu's insane!"
"He's so handsome!"
"I! Want! To! Date! Kim! Dong! Hu!"
Amid my friends' fiery cheers, I expressed my gratitude with the humblest face I could muster.
Come to think of it, it's 2012 now.
A time when even a year brought massive changes, let alone a decade. With my future knowledge, the Golden Bell questions felt ridiculously easy. Sure, without studying, plenty would stump me—but...
I crammed like crazy for months.
I'd studied on the side, so even 50 questions felt like multiplication tables.
"Student Kim Donghu receives a prize of five million won and an overseas cultural trip. Let's hear your thoughts!"
The MC's question led to my prepared response.
"I always wanted to ring it once, so actually doing it feels amazing."
Clean and simple. My prep paid off—Challenge! Golden Bell, much hyped, ended smoothly.
Figures. What dramatic twist happens on a quiz show anyway?
Best I recalled was nonsense quizzes.
'What's the name of the high school penguins attend?'
Answer: Refrigerator. Pure nostalgia that nearly gave me chills—I barely held it together. My anti-magic resistance almost failed.
But that overseas trip—where to?
After the National Youth Boxing Tournament, probably.
Europe sounds good.
It felt like the year was openly shoving rest my way—right then.
+++++
Time flew again to April. I ramped up prep for the May National Youth Boxing Tournament.
Normally, I'd spar various opponents now, but news of my bout with Kim Sansu scared everyone off. So my partner was fixed.
"Donghu, today let's prep for a really dirty opponent."
Coach Baek Sangha appeared, wrapped head to toe in protective gear.
"Dirty how?"
"Yeah, matches aren't always fair, beautiful, or manga-like."
I know you're skilled, but dirty tricks might rattle you.
"You learn this stuff from experience."
With that, Coach Baek Sangha...
"Start!"
The bell rang, and whoosh! He lunged to clinch me.
I tried to slip away, but his gear-trusted charge overwhelmed me. We ended up clinched.
Wearing all that gear to show tanky opponents exist?
As I pieced it together, thud! He feinted a headbutt, stopping his forehead right at my nose.
"Some kids go berserk with win-lust and pull this. Biggest issue? Refs."
Kid fights get lenient calls, so fouling's rampant. Watch out.
Coach Baek Sangha, grimacing at old memories, kept explaining even as he released me.
"Some use elbows... I know you've got stamina, speed, power—but still."
Worried, so saying it. Some win on points via dirty ops.
"Rare, but..."
If you lose on points after rounds, how unfair?
I nodded. Skill alone doesn't cover this—real experience data. Valuable lesson.
Plus, I'm high-profile now.
Like Kim Sansu said, opponents might hate me outright. Needed caution—right then.
"So, I win this spar?"
Coach grinned playfully.
"Huh?"
"Couldn't handle it, so you lose, right? Haha."
I laughed too.
"Guess so—I lost."
"Some kids headbutt like pros, disguise it as accidents. Be careful."
He said he'd ditch the gear for real sparring now that I'd been warned.
"Take a quick break."
"Got it."
I hopped down, checked my phone.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
[Defeat judged due to absurd possibility]
[Cannot tolerate defeat in a smooth-sailing state!]
[Sims - The Real Life judges defeat unacceptable while walking life's path as companion!!]
[Must have overwhelming destructive power to prevent such situations!!!]
[Downloading application 'Everyone Has a Plan Until They Meet Me.']
I faced a barrage of furious texts from Sims - The Real Life.
Hey, what's wrong with you?
Freaking out over a joke spar loss with coach?
That win-lust is intense.
Then it hit me.
Stronger punches mean faster KOs. If so...
Won't get another apology from Sansu?
Ha, missing it again would suck for real. I was genuinely worried.