Chapter 293
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 293
Chapter Title: The First Broadcast
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One hour before the first episode of ‘Spring Has Returned’ aired.
Seojun, who had arrived at the company dinner venue to watch the first broadcast together, tilted his head.
"Daho hyung. Is this it?"
"Yeah."
"I think I've been here before..."
Seojun scratched his cheek at the strangely familiar entrance before opening the door and stepping inside.
*Tinkle.* At the sound of the bell, the staff and actors who were already seated looked toward the entrance, and the place grew lively at Seojun's arrival. Seojun smiled and returned the greetings coming from all directions.
"Seojun, you're here! Boram is already here too!"
"Hello, Writer-nim."
Seojun smiled at the sight of Writer Yoo Cheonga, who was visibly excited that her debut work would be broadcast nationwide in an hour.
"Writer-nim. Did you ask Writer So Eunjin about this place?"
"How did you know? She said the TV was big and the food was delicious, so we came here."
"We came here for the first broadcast of *Naeuiwon*."
At Seojun's words, the staff and actors, who had been listening with one ear while eating and drinking, widened their eyes.
"So this is where the legend began...!"
"The start of 40% viewership ratings...!"
The interior, which had seemed somewhat worn-out, now felt classic. Assistant directors Kim Danbi and Choi Hyunwoo placed their hands on the wall and made a wish.
"Let our ratings be a huge success too!"
"Please grant us a ratings jackpot!"
Everyone burst into laughter at the two assistant directors. The door opened, and Park Dohun and his manager came in. Seojun smiled and greeted Park Dohun.
"Dohun hyung, you're here?"
"You were already here?"
"I just got here too."
Following them, Kang Taeyoung and Yoon Hyein arrived.
After greeting everyone, the two actors took a seat at the table where Seojun, Jeong Boram, and Park Dohun were sitting. The lighting director looked around, smiled, and spoke.
"Producer Gong is at the broadcast station. It looks like everyone who's coming is here, so our debuting writer should say a few words, shouldn't she?"
"Hmm. Should I?"
Writer Yoo Cheonga, who would normally decline, was clearly in a good mood today and stood up right away. With a flushed face, she raised her beer glass and looked around. The grateful actors and staff were all looking at her.
"Working with a debut writer and a debut producer must have been tough, right? Without all of you, we wouldn't have been able to film so smoothly. Thank you so much. I'm sure Producer Gong feels the same way. You've all worked so hard filming since February. And I ask for your continued support until the very end of filming! *Bomdol*, fighting!"
"*Bomdol*, fighting!!"
The room was filled with cheerful noise.
The people, not worried about the ratings at all, laughed and chatted happily.
"*Bomdol*! It's starting!"
At Choi Hyunwoo's words, Seojun and the others turned their gazes to the television. The long commercial break had just ended, and the opening sequence and OST, which Producer Gong Heechan had poured his heart into, began to play.
* * *
Time passed, and the first episode of ‘Spring Has Returned’ ended with a scene of Kang Taeyoung and Yoon Hyein smiling and greeting each other. The eyes of everyone watching the drama focused on one thing.
"The ratings!"
"It has to be over 10%, right?!"
"If *Naeil* got 10%, we'll definitely beat it!"
Writer Yoo Cheonga, who was on the phone with Producer Gong Heechan, switched to speaker mode.
-!!!
Cheers erupted from the other side of the phone.
The line was filled with so much cheering and shouting that they could barely hear what Producer Gong Heechan was saying. Amidst the noise, assistant directors Kim Danbi and Choi Hyunwoo recognized the voices of the drama department head and the CPs. It seemed the MBS drama department was already in a festive mood.
The staff and actors held their breath, trying to pick out Producer Gong Heechan's voice from the commotion.
-...ter-nim! 21! 21 percent!
"...Whaaaaaa!"
"21 percent from the first episode!"
Cheers erupted at the unexpectedly high viewership ratings.
Seojun and Jeong Boram, who had planned to head home after hearing the ratings, also broke into bright smiles.
* * *
[Spring Has Returned Episode 1 Hits Jackpot Ratings!]
[Overwhelming No. 1 in its Time Slot with 21%!]
[Insane Ratings! This is the Lee Seojun Effect!]
[Full Version of the Teaser Revealed in Episode 1! A Smile Beyond Imagination!]
[Full Version of the Yellow Umbrella Scene Uploaded to N-tube! Exploding View Count!]
-Everyone's acting is so good it pisses me off.
=So frustrating until Team Leader Lee Hyunsung showed up lol. The previous team leader. His acting is too good.
=Yoon Hyein too. She was just like a real-life office worker, completely worn out.
-But in reality, there are no team leaders that handsome lol.
=222 The realistic portrayal of ad planners working through the weekend is spot on lol.
=Somehow I feel like the two commenters above aren't really laughing.
-I thought the umbrella scene would be in the last episode, so I was planning to binge-watch it, but it came out in the first episode?
=I know, right? It's only one episode a week, so I was going to binge it... I guess I'll just have to watch it as it airs.
-I literally screamed when Seojun appeared lol.
=22 I was watching in my room and my parents came running in haha.
=333 Me too.
-I couldn't even scream lol.
=22 I just stared blankly.
-Our reactions are different, but we're probably all rewatching the clip now.
=How did you know? haha.
-The ratings lol. They're seriously amazing.
=MBS must be celebrating like crazy lol.
‘Spring Has Returned’ was the talk of the town all week.
When the scene after the yellow umbrella was uploaded as a clip, the banner for [From the Sprout] was changed, and the clip's view count skyrocketed.
-But wasn't it supposed to be about finding her first love? It's so obviously Lee Hyunsung.
=22 When you watch Yoo Sungjin, he gives off a Lee Hyunsung vibe, right? It's really fascinating.
=The cafeteria scene too. It feels like Yoo Sungjin just grew up to be Lee Hyunsung.
=I like it even more because their first meeting was similar lol.
-So is Kang Taeyoung the second male lead?
=Probably? If -_- and ^-^ face off, -_- wins by a landslide.
=What's that?
=Ah... the generation gap hahaha.
=Usually, the male lead is a jerk. You know, the "cold city man who's only warm to his woman" type?
=And the second lead always keeps smiling until he fades away with a wistful smile haha.
-Sob, that's why I always get second lead syndrome.
=222 I don't get it lol. Why do people like the jerk male lead?
=...Because he's the male lead?
=So in *Bomdol*, it seems Lee Hyunsung is the male lead.
=Then it's not about finding her first love?
=We'll have to see the next episode.
=Why is it only one episode a week...!
And then, Tuesday.
The second episode of ‘Spring Has Returned’ aired.
Kim Seoyeon's work seemed to be progressing smoothly.
Just as Kim Seoyeon was thinking that all they needed was for the model to arrive for the shoot, her phone rang. It was a call from the modeling agency. While on the call, Kim Seoyeon pressed a hand to her forehead. A car accident...!
"Ah..."
Her world went black.
All her hard work had gone to waste. Her mind went blank. Her ears were ringing, and she couldn't move. Nothing ever went right. Why did things like this always happen?
She had thought that going to work became much more comfortable after Team Leader Lee Hyunsung replaced the previous one, and she had hoped her life at the company would improve, but this incident felt like it had snapped the thin thread she was desperately holding onto.
Director Choi Yuwon, who was looking around the set, noticed Kim Seoyeon's pale face.
"Assistant Manager Kim! Assistant Manager! Seoyeon-ssi!"
At Director Choi Yuwon's voice, Kim Seoyeon snapped back to her senses.
"What's wrong?"
"...The thing is, the model got into a car accident... What should I do?"
Her mind was a complete blank; she couldn't think of any solution. Kim Seoyeon didn't even know why she was reacting this way. Everything just felt overwhelming. It was too hard.
Noticing that Kim Seoyeon was about to panic again, Director Choi Yuwon spoke. His voice was calm and gentle.
"Seoyeon-ssi. You have a list of backup models, right?"
"Yes... at the office..."
"Let's call the ones who are available from that list."
At Director Choi Yuwon's words, Kim Seoyeon slowly nodded.
She got in touch with her junior. As she waited anxiously for the documents, someone she never expected to see here appeared.
Seeing Team Leader Lee Hyunsung at the end of the hallway, Kim Seoyeon naturally recalled the image of Yoo Sungjin standing at the end of a school hallway.
A completely different Kim Seoyeon from the present,
eighteen-year-old Kim Seoyeon, smiled brightly.
"Sungjin! The art room is this way."
"...Okay."
As he looked at Kim Seoyeon, the corners of Yoo Sungjin's lips seemed to lift slightly.
"Here you go."
A deep voice brought Kim Seoyeon back to the present. She took the papers that Team Leader Lee Hyunsung was handing her.
"Team Leader, what brings you here...?"
"I was the only one available. I made the calls on my way here. Let's start shooting as soon as we hear back."
Just then, Team Leader Lee Hyunsung's phone rang. After answering, he gave Kim Seoyeon a nod. Kim Seoyeon let out a sigh of relief.
* * *
After Team Leader Lee Hyunsung left, the shoot proceeded.
As the shoot went smoothly, her tension eased, and her body felt weak. Sitting in a chair, Kim Seoyeon sighed. She realized she must have been pushed to her limit.
"I could have thought of it if I'd just taken a moment..."
While the model was preparing for the next shot, Director Choi Yuwon noticed Kim Seoyeon's troubled expression and walked over to her.
"Seoyeon-ssi. Are you okay?"
Kim Seoyeon quickly raised her head at the sound of his voice. She could see Choi Yuwon under the studio lights. Her eyes widened.
"Are you okay?"
Meeting Yoo Sungjin's worried gaze, eighteen-year-old Kim Seoyeon smiled.
"I'm fine. I just didn't get much sleep studying last night."
"The exams are soon, but you'll collapse if you push yourself too hard already."
"You're right. I should go to bed early tonight."
"Sleep now. I'll wake you up when the teacher comes."
Kim Seoyeon rolled her eyes for a moment, then grinned.
"Should I?"
Kim Seoyeon laid her head down on the desk.
As she settled into a comfortable position and breathed slowly, she could feel Yoo Sungjin's gaze on her. The back of her neck grew warm. Feeling somewhat shy, Kim Seoyeon wiggled her feet a few times before slowly stopping. And just like that, she seemed to have fallen asleep.
And here.
Was another man who reminded her of the Yoo Sungjin from back then, Choi Yuwon.
* * *
After the second episode of ‘Spring Has Returned’ ended, audience reactions exploded, and the internet was flooded with comments full of '???'. With the drama becoming a hot topic with every broadcast, MBS raised a toast.
-?? What is this? Why does Yoo Sungjin suddenly seem like a junior version of Choi Yuwon?
=22 Yoo Sungjin's smile is exactly like Choi Yuwon's, right?
=333 I'm not the only one who felt that, right?
-Whoa... wait a minute. If this is the case, who's the male lead?
=Until last week, I was sure it was Lee Hyunsung... but this changes things.
=222 This changes things. Now I get why they called it 'finding her first love.'
-What's really fascinating is that episode 1 had a Lee Hyunsung vibe, and episode 2 had a Choi Yuwon vibe. But if you only look at the past scenes, Yoo Sungjin's character feels perfectly consistent. It's like Yoo Sungjin + α?
=That α is incredible. How can you see both Lee Hyunsung and Choi Yuwon in him?
=As expected of Lee Seojun...
=It's getting scary at this point lol.
* * *
[MBS Special Project Drama, Thriller 'Naeil' Final Episode Ratings, 16%!]
['Naeil' Sets New Record for Highest Ratings in a 4-Episode Drama!]
[Next Monday, 'Naeil Special' to Air!]
['Spring Has Returned' Episode 4 Ratings Hit 28%!]
Episodes 3 and 4 depicted Planning Team 3 taking on a TV commercial for a major corporation and preparing for the shoot. The director of photography was Choi Yuwon.
To meet the demanding requests of the corporation, Planning Team 3 and Director Choi Yuwon held numerous meetings and revised the proposal repeatedly. In the process, both Team Leader Lee Hyunsung and Director Choi Yuwon showed their affection for Kim Seoyeon.
The female lead, Kim Seoyeon, saw her first love, Yoo Sungjin, in both of these men.
Team Leader Lee Hyunsung, who likes spicy stir-fried pork.
Director Choi Yuwon, who hands her a peach drink.
Team Leader Lee Hyunsung, who reads documents with a serious expression.
Director Choi Yuwon, who bursts out laughing at Kim Seoyeon's jokes.
Team Leader Lee Hyunsung, whose smile peeks through his stiff expression.
Director Choi Yuwon, who smiles warmly whenever he sees Kim Seoyeon.
"Why do both of them remind me of Sungjin?"
Viewers of ‘Spring Has Returned’ are sympathizing with Kim Seoyeon's line, and opinions on the internet are divided.
(Omitted)
A special broadcast featuring the making-of film for ‘Spring Has Returned’ is scheduled to air on the final Monday.>
-Ten spoonfuls of Lee Hyunsung, ten spoonfuls of Choi Yuwon. Mix them well, pour in a dash of youth, and voilà, you get Yoo Sungjin!
=It really feels like that lol.
=Or, when he's serious, he's Lee Hyunsung, and when he smiles, he's Choi Yuwon.
=It's so fascinating how the vibes are split like that haha.
=One child actor for two adult roles? I can't believe I didn't understand it before. He's doing so well lol.
-So who's the male lead? Lee Hyunsung? Choi Yuwon?
=The male lead is obviously Lee Hyunsung anyway. Eo-nam-sung!
=The male lead is obviously Choi Yuwon anyway. Eo-nam-yoo!
=Why Sung and Yoo of all things? If you're gonna make a rhyme, shouldn't it be Hyun-Yoo / Sung-Won?
=The child actor's name is Yoo Sungjin, duh haha. Yoo/Sung!
=Whoa. You're right.
-I think they're both different paths Yoo Sungjin could have taken. When Yoo Sungjin evolves, he either becomes Lee Hyunsung or Choi Yuwon.
=Haha, evolves, haha. Is Yoo Sungjin an Eevee? haha.
=The Yoo Sungjin is an Eevee theory lol.
=Yeah, Lee Hyunsung evolved with a Liberal Arts Stone lol. Choi Yuwon evolved with an Art Stone lol.
-Where can I buy a Liberal Arts Stone? I want to evolve into a Lee Hyunsung!
=I want the Art Stone lol.
-But don't you think if you evolve perfectly with an Art Stone, you get Seojun?
=...Whoa... how do you even evolve into that?
=222 That would be really difficult ;;;