Chapter 86
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: Explosive Ratings
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[Full Transcript of the KBC ‘Naeuiwon’ Production Press Conference Interview!]
[‘Naeuiwon’ Premieres Wednesday at 10 PM!]
-One day left!
-Only 10 hours to go, but time is crawling. It feels longer than the past two months.
-Off work! Just 3 hours left!
-Still an hour to go, but I’ve already turned on KBC lol. It’s been a while since I watched the 9 o’clock news.
***
Awaiting the premiere of *Naeuiwon*, the actors and staff gathered at the barbecue restaurant they had reserved. The reservation was for nine, but it seemed people had arrived early, as the grills were already laden with meat.
“Good thing we booked it from eight. Why is everyone so early?”
“Because we knew you’d book it early, Writer So. It’s not like this is our first day working together, is it?”
At the camera director's words, Writer So Eunjin laughed and looked around the bustling restaurant. Everyone was holding up their glasses with beaming faces.
“This is the first time I’ve been on a drama where I’m not worried about the ratings.”
“I heard we got a ton of ad placements, right?”
“Yes. A *ton*. So please, eat and drink as much as you like!”
Although much filming still remained, they had a four-day break, so everyone was enthusiastically enjoying the company dinner, drinking heartily.
PD Choi Minseong was at the broadcast station to make sure the first episode of *Naeuiwon* aired without a hitch.
Since Writer So had told them to eat without reservation, everyone was doing just that.
“The competition for ad slots was so fierce they even bought up spots in other time slots. The ones I heard about were all major corporations. The ads for the reruns will be insane too.”
“That’s Lee Seojun for you! After a year-long hiatus, his first-ever drama is ours, so of course, people have to watch! By the way, is Seojun coming today?”
“I don’t know. He’s still in elementary school. Isn’t it past his bedtime?”
“I guess so?”
Just as the staff members were looking disappointed, the restaurant door opened. At the jingle of the bell, Writer So Eunjin, who had turned to see who arrived, exclaimed.
“Seojun’s here too! I didn’t think you’d be able to make it!”
“Hello, Writer-nim! I got permission from my mom and dad!”
The staff, busy grilling beef, greeted Seojun warmly. It was Seojun's first time attending a company dinner this late, and he greeted the staff with an excited expression.
Just for one day! Just for one day, he’d come home late. Faced with their son's adorable plea, Seo Eunhye and Lee Minjun had laughed and reluctantly agreed.
“Hello! Jiseok-hyung, Dohun-hyung, Jongho-samchon!”
The three men, who were sitting at one table, waved at Seojun and stood up. As Seojun started to head toward them, he tilted his head.
“Seojun, let’s sit over there.”
“Huh? Okay.”
The three actors sat down at a new table. It was already set with plates and side dishes.
*What’s going on?* Seojun blinked and sat down next to Lee Jiseok. Jiseok used tongs to place a glistening piece of beef onto the hot grill.
Sizzle—
Listening to the sound of the meat cooking, Seojun pondered the difference between this table and the previous one before asking Jiseok.
“Hyung. Why are we sitting here?”
“Ah, that’s the drinking section over there,” Park Dohun explained.
Looking again, he saw that the tables on the other side of a central divide were cluttered with alcohol bottles. The table the three actors had just left also had soju and beer bottles on it. This section, however, was filled only with soda bottles.
“People who have work tomorrow or can’t handle alcohol can eat here. And if you’re over there and don’t want to drink, you can move over here.”
It seemed they had moved for his sake, since he was a child. *I heard Jongho-samchon really likes to drink. Is this okay?*
“I see. But is it okay for you guys not to drink?”
“We came early and already had some. It’s the first broadcast; we should watch it with a clear head with you, Seojun. We can always drink more after you go home.”
“Ugh. You’re going to drink more, Samchon?”
“Seojun, just eat your meat. Jongho-hyung is an amazing cook!”
Lee Jiseok handed the tongs to Kim Jongho. Ignoring the disgusted look Park Dohun was giving him, Kim Jongho flipped the meat. The quickly cooked beef looked absolutely delicious.
“Do you always have to make your hyung work?”
“Didn’t you say Seojun loves beef? And that if you ever met him, you’d grill for him until he burst?”
“Alright, alright!”
Despite his words, Kim Jongho put his heart into grilling the meat for Seojun. Seojun had eaten only a little for dinner in preparation for the company meal. Plus, he had [(Advanced) Slime's Digestive Power]! He picked up his chopsticks and took a piece of the perfectly cooked meat.
“It looks like they sold a lot of ad spots. To be eating beef at a company dinner.”
“Since we promoted it in advance, I heard the other broadcast stations scheduled dramas with smaller production budgets against us. It’s obvious viewers would flock to our show. Look over there. It’s been nothing but commercials for a while now.”
At Kim Jongho’s words, Seojun, who had eaten his fill, turned his gaze to the television inside the restaurant.
The place seemed to have been chosen carefully, as there was a large television visible from most tables.
Just as Kim Jongho had said, the commercials went on for quite a while.
“The internet is going crazy too. Asking why there are so many commercials.”
“There are also comments saying we should be understanding since it’s a historical drama and they can’t do product placements.”
“It feels like they gathered all the top 10 companies in the country for these ad slots.”
“I know, right?”
The long parade of commercials eventually came to an end. The boisterous restaurant fell silent as the opening theme of *Naeuiwon* began to play.
*Thump-thump-* The heavy sound of drums echoed, followed by Seojin-hyung’s voice.
“The music is great!”
“The visuals are great!”
Lee Jiseok’s face appeared, followed by Kim Jongho’s and Lee Jihye’s. Then Park Dohun’s and the other actors’ faces flashed by.
It was a strange feeling to see familiar faces on television. It felt different from a movie. It was also different from watching *Jaesu*, when he had only known Lee Jiseok.
“Seojun’s face isn’t in the opening either.”
“They said they’ll add it after his character appears in the drama.”
“That’s going to cause another stir.”
The first episode was nothing out of the ordinary. Since everyone had already seen the content during filming, they paid it little mind and continued to eat and drink heartily. It got to the point where Writer So Eunjin had to tell them to at least watch a little, considering how hard PD Choi, who was on edge at the station, had worked on editing.
“Aigoo. I give up.”
“Haha. Please understand, Writer-nim. We’re watching it closely!” Lee Jiseok said with a laugh.
Those who were still sober ate in moderation and watched the television.
“Honestly, during a premiere, you’re usually too worried about the ratings to eat comfortably. Where else would you find a premiere dinner this relaxed?”
At the art team staff member’s words, everyone nodded. As he said, no one was worried about the ratings. Even if they weren’t great now, they were sure to skyrocket once Lee Seojun appeared.
“It’s all thanks to Seojun!”
“That’s right! Seojun, want more soda… oh, you’re watching the drama.”
As if the noise didn't bother him at all, Seojun’s eyes were glued to the television. Seeing his focused expression, everyone quieted down.
“Hasn’t he seen the scenes during filming? He must have read the script too…”
“It’s a different feeling, I’m sure. Besides, Grand Prince Seongnyeong doesn’t appear until episode four, so Seojun hasn’t seen any of his own filming. He only saw the large-scale shoots like the coronation and the funeral.”
“Ah, I see.”
Everyone nodded at Lee Jiseok’s explanation. An Daho, who was at the managers' table abstaining from alcohol because he had to drive, noticed the sudden silence from Seojun's direction.
*Oh dear.* Everyone had gone quiet out of consideration for Seojun, who was focused on the drama. Taking out earphones and his phone from his bag, An Daho walked over to Seojun.
“Seojun, let’s listen with these.”
“Okay!”
He was starting to feel bad anyway, so this was perfect. With a bright face, Seojun put on the earphones An Daho gave him, his eyes still fixed on the restaurant’s large television.
The audio and video were slightly out of sync, but it wasn't too distracting.
*Better than the phone screen.*
An Daho moved Seojun to a seat where he wouldn’t disturb the other tables.
Seojun was now sitting right in the middle, between the drinkers and non-drinkers. Finally able to speak more freely, the staff couldn’t help but smile.
“Ah, isn’t Seojun just the cutest?”
“Manager-nim, is it okay if I take a picture of Seojun and post it on social media?”
“Yes. We already posted that he’s at the company dinner, so it’s fine.”
At his words, everyone took out their phones and started taking pictures of Seojun. Photos of him completely absorbed in the drama, like a cat watching a fishbowl, were uploaded to social media.
[Photo of Seojun engrossed in the drama during the company dinner]
#NaeuiwonEp1 #LeeSeojun #NaeuiwonCompanyDinner
“Looks like Seojun is watching *Naeuiwon* at the dinner.”
“Really?”
Seo Eunhye showed Lee Minjun the photo on her phone. It was a side profile of Seojun staring at the television.
Even through the picture, you could tell how intently he was watching the drama.
“His eyes are sparkling.”
“Right?”
It wasn't just a reflection of the light. Whenever Seojun was acting, and whenever he was watching a production, he always had a happy face. His dark eyes glittered like starlight, and his soft cheeks would flush red. He would smile as if he had the whole world in his hands.
“When Seojun makes that face, it makes me think we did the right thing by supporting his acting.”
“It was a little sad not seeing that face for the past year.”
“Yeah. Me too.”
It wasn’t that Seojun was particularly unhappy or sad during his year-long break, but he definitely looked happiest when he was acting.
“Ah, we should watch the drama too. So we can talk to Seojun about it tomorrow.”
“A lot of it must have already passed.”
The couple sat on the sofa and turned on the television.
The first episode of *Naeuiwon* was about Heo Yuseon, the illegitimate son of Lord Heo.
Heo Yuseon narrated his childhood with a cold, detached monologue.
Kicked out of Lord Heo’s house, Heo Yuseon learned medicine from a village physician. He supplemented his knowledge with books, honing his skills and making a living by treating people.
“Did you hear the princess passed away?”
“I did. They say all the physicians in the Naeuiwon are about to be kicked out!”
That conversation ignited a fire in Heo Yuseon’s heart. If he became the royal physician, couldn't he get revenge on Lord Heo and his wife, who had caused his mother’s death?
There were many ways. He could earn the king’s trust and then reveal his dark past, bringing punishment upon them. Or…
“I could slip poison into the king’s medicine and frame Lord Heo for treason.”
Having already wagered his own life for revenge, Heo Yuseon’s cold gaze fixed upon the palace.
The screen froze, and the ending theme of *Naeuiwon* began to play. Listening to Seojin-hyung’s voice, Seojun took off his earphones.
It was fun. It was interesting reading the script, but seeing it on screen was much more vivid and better.
*Ah. When do I show up? I really want to see it!*
His heart pounded for some reason. PD Choi had said Grand Prince Seongnyeong would appear in episode five. With episodes one and two airing this week, and three and four next week, there were still two weeks left. Ah, how could he wait! He felt like he could finally understand how the fans felt.
Seojun smiled brightly and turned toward Lee Jiseok’s table.
“Jiseok-hyung, your acting was amazing!”
“Seojun, shh!”
*Huh?* Seojun’s eyes widened.
He had been so excited after watching *Naeuiwon* that he hadn't noticed the restaurant had gone quiet. The people who had been laughing and drinking, and those who had been filling up on expensive beef, were all staring at one spot.
“Yes. Yes.”
It was Writer So Eunjin, who had been on her phone since shortly before *Naeuiwon* ended. Seojun tilted his head and looked at her as well.
*What’s going on?* Unable to figure it out, Seojun just blinked.
“What?!”
*Jackpot!*
A voice came from somewhere. No matter how you looked at it, that "What?!" was a "What?!" of joy and shock! With years of experience, someone prematurely raised a glass in celebration.
“Writer So! So what’s the number?!”
Writer So Eunjin, who was on the phone with PD Choi Minseong at the station, shouted. Her face was a picture of shock, even as she spoke the words. Her mouth hung wide open.
“21%! They said it’s 21%! The peak viewership was 22.3%!”
“Waaaaah!”
Seeing the adults jump to their feet and cheer, Seojun finally understood the reason, and his eyes grew wide. It was about the ratings!
“Our Seojun is the best!”
“Hahaha. 21% on the first episode, I never would have imagined!”
Swept up in the cheers and toasts erupting from all around, Seojun felt his own joy swell, and he grinned, raising his soda cup for a toast.
21%!
The astonishing record set off cheers from every corner of the restaurant.
[Lee Seojun Hits It Big Again! ‘Naeuiwon’ Episode 1 Reaches 21% Viewership!]
[21% from the First Episode! Is This the Power of Actor Lee Seojun?]
[Is a Fusion Historical Drama Craze Coming? ‘Naeuiwon’ Takes the Top Spot in Ratings!]
[‘Naeuiwon’ Episode 1, Lee Seojun Did Not Appear!]
-OMG! 21% for the first episode? In an age where so many people watch on-demand, 21%?!
-The combined ratings for Wednesday 10 PM dramas are barely 34%, and this one got 21 lol.
-If the first episode is this high, the ratings are going to be insane once Lee Seojun shows up!
-But since Lee Seojun didn't appear, the ratings will probably drop a bit from episode 2.
[‘Naeuiwon’ Episode 2, Ratings Rise! 22%!]
[Lee Seojun Did Not Appear This Time Either!]
[Grand Prince Chungnyeong Appears! A Familiar Face? Child Actor, Park Dohun!]
-Argh! I have to keep watching because I don’t know when he’ll appear!
-It’s still fun though. Trying to get into the Naeuiwon to poison the king lol.
=It’s an ‘attempted’ poisoning. He wants to frame Lord Heo for treason and get revenge, but it would be a huge problem if the king actually died.
=Why? There’s a crown prince, right? Can’t the crown prince handle the treason case?
=The current crown prince is Yangnyeong. If Yangnyeong becomes king, Grand Prince Chungnyeong can’t. No King Sejong the Great. That’s not just historical distortion, it’s historical destruction.
-That’s Park Dohun. I enjoyed that other drama he was in.
-I’m not even worried about Naeuiwon’s ratings anymore. Oh, wait. There is one thing. *That*.
=*That* lol. Are we not allowed to say it?
=But it’s amazing how everyone knows what ‘that’ means lol.
#