The Manager's Provocation

Still, with Zero Percent Algorithm in the middle of filming, he'd thought there'd be no chance of running into them...

Kim Ra-un bobbed his head with a slightly startled look, but Jang ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Gi-un stepped forward.

"Long time no see, Do Hyun-woo. Has it been over half a year?"

"Yeah, about that."

"You made a pretty good drama, huh?"

"I enjoyed Zero Percent Algorithm too. Ra-un, your acting was outstanding."

"Well, well, look at you, already a full-fledged director? Jumping straight to performance reviews the moment we meet."

This was why meetings with Jang Gi-un were always exhausting.

He had this knack for twisting every word into something that benefited him.

"Not a review—just admiration. Anyway, we'll be going now. Ra-un, good luck with filming."

"I'm really curious, though. What the hell were you thinking?"

Hyun-woo paused as he turned to leave, caught by Jang Gi-un's voice.

"Why throw Gongbeomche out there to dent Zero Percent Algorithm?"

It was kind of amusing.

Everyone else saw the current situation as coincidence, but Jang Gi-un alone was probing his intentions.

"Throw it?"

"No? You tanked the image just to snag some opening buzz?"

"That's ridiculous."

Sung Tae-chang cut in.

"I was gonna let it slide for Ra-un's sake, but this is a spectacle. You know damn well why those opening ratings happened—because you kept hounding Hyun-woo."

Jang Gi-un smirked.

"Does the total director see that as a good thing? I wouldn't have."

"..."

"If it were me, I'd have marketed Gongbeomche as drama on another level. It actually is that good. And I'd have shot a docu-variety with the no-names. The kind that yanks tears but makes you laugh too."

Hyun-woo was a little surprised.

Because he'd thought the exact same thing.

If Han Sung-hoon hadn't backed his aggressive approach, that would have been the fallback plan.

"Critic praise and maniac support to boost from the start, then emotional bait to pull in the neutrals..."

Jang Gi-un's gaze shifted to him.

"But you chucked it into the marketplace? Slapped on all that sensational issue bait."

"Sounds like Manager Jang thinks our drama's gonna flop."

"Commercial art grabs commercial appeal first; artwork grabs artistry first."

Jang Gi-un clicked his tongue.

"You think the masses are hyped for the work itself? Nah, it's the issues. At least eps 1 and 2 had strong suspense—3? 4?"

"..."

"Thriller chasing raw instincts? Ensemble digging into human depths? How long can that last? Has any drama like that ever succeeded in Korean history? Just maniacs go nuts for it."

Couldn't deny it.

There were successes like The Glory or My Mister, dark-toned but triumphant with revenge or redemption.

But Gongbeomche was different in texture.

There were similar ones that got critic and maniac acclaim but bombed commercially.

"Critics are playing it safe, maniacs are turning away? Hipsters, right? They ignore whatever the whole world hypes—contrarian as hell."

"..."

"So how could I not be curious? Why would Do Hyun-woo give bone to take flesh? Did I overrate you?"

Jang Gi-un grinned.

"Not gonna answer?"

His motive here was obvious.

Probably to soothe Kim Ra-un's ego.

Like, 'See? The guy who rejected you is that dumb.'

Plus some grudge-venting.

Nothing changed the fact that Hyun-woo had wrecked Jang Gi-un's setup.

Plenty he wanted to say outright.

Call him out for starting it all, ask if he expected Hyun-woo to just sit there.

Docu-variety?

As if Jang Gi-un would've let that slide.

But no need for petty back-and-forth here.

"You think I didn't know?"

"What?"

"You think I didn't know what clinging to Zero Percent Algorithm would do?"

To repeat: Jang Gi-un's strategies had been his own backups.

All considered.

He just never chose them.

"You knew it'd play out like this and picked that path anyway?"

"Yes."

"On what faith?"

"The writer, director, actors you were about to ruin. And the work they'd create."

Joker won the Golden Lion at Venice.

A hero comic flick the fest had long ignored, but its art had power.

Indie doc Worna Voice grossed 20 billion on a 100 million budget, drew 3 million viewers.

No complex scheming there.

Just the work.

"Wanted to put it in front of as many as possible, and Manager Jang ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠helped. Secretly grateful—you moved exactly as predicted."

"...Amusing. Sounds so Peter Pan I'm thrown. But using Ra-un for your grand romance?"

Kim Ra-un, silent till now, looked at him.

His eyes were odd—emotionless, or maybe resentful.

"Even steven."

"Even?"

"When Manager Jang slandered me, you stood by silent."

"..."

He got it.

No hard feelings.

Kim Ra-un was the type to lose sleep and skip meals as release neared.

He must've squeezed his eyes shut knowing Jang Gi-un's schemes.

Maybe even thought Hyun-woo rejected him out of personal spite.

But...

"Ra-un. After your first audition callback, you told me the world's full of bad people."

"..."

Not just him on the hook.

That Kim Ra-un from years back was now Eum Sung-hyun, So Jeong-hoon, Park Sung-won.

As Kim Ra-un bit his lip, Jang Gi-un interjected.

"Let's see. When the hype fades and your precious art shows its true face."

Jang Gi-un and Kim Ra-un brushed past.

Once out of sight, Sung Tae-chang spoke.

"Our bubble's unbelievable, you bastard."

"That's outdated, hyung."

"That guy's punchable every time, right?"

"Punchable beyond trends."

Sung Tae-chang sighed.

"But he's not entirely wrong. Gave me chills listening."

"Because he framed it too favorably for us?"

"Yeah. Critics really are hedging. Worried praising Gongbeomche looks like attacking Zero Percent Algorithm."

"Overseas outlook?"

"Not out yet, but low expectations. Hard to empathize without Korean school-days vibe."

Bottom line: win or lose, fight for domestic major-viewer pie.

So maniac support crucial for their niche.

"Maniacs ignoring Gongbeomche, huh. Perfect for them... Contrarians."

He chuckled at Sung Tae-chang's sigh.

"Hyung, maniacs, critics—they're all on our side eventually."

"How do you know?"

"Ever met a bigger drama maniac than me?"

"No?"

"Then wait three... no, two days."

Sung ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Tae-chang tilted his head.

"Two?"

"Takes physical time to analyze even for dramas."

"What analysis?"

"You'll see if you wait."

The YouTuber on screen continued in a serious tone.

The screen close-ups the orange rope around Jeong-hun's neck, then cuts.

Ep 1 early: Hyeon-tae and cops grumbling, sorting gear for emergency checks.

Keyboard clacks, video zooms, contrasts with Jeong-hun's death rope.

Close-up: Hyeon-tae untying the rope from Jeong-hun's neck.

Cut to YouTuber's face.

Cut again.

Ep 1 early: Police station exterior.

Background barely a second: Not parking lot—truck slanted by cafeteria.

'Daesung Distribution' logo on food supplier truck.

Split screen.

Truck logo.

Friends carrying boxes logo.

"..."

Kang Min-jae, 29.

Film buff, drama maniac.

Denies it vehemently, but to others, terminal Hongdae hipster syndrome.

Praises Wong Kar-wai and Jim Jarmusch, scorns any drama below Joanna Hogg...

"Ah, can't let this slide."

This time was the exception.

"Ah, Hyeon-tae's the killer, right? Saw the analysis vid—felt forced. Just used his own stuff?"

All-purpose gaming YouTuber's chit-chat.

Pharmacist YouTuber's detour.

Once analysis vids kicked off, creators piled on.

And finally, the critics stirred.

Some standard praise.

Gushing acclaim too.

Amid, problematic review.

Not wildly odd.

'Flashy playthings' common for big-budget blockbusters.

But context made it loaded.

Seemed aimed at Zero Percent Algorithm.

Thus, balanced public opinion tipped to Gongbeomche.

Just online buzz.

Zero Percent Algorithm's core fans solid.

But some disliked this shift.

Those who'd attacked Gongbeomche for their reasons.

They knew they couldn't reverse opinion outright.

So reframed: not 'work', but 'acting'.

Some traction.

Not enough to flip sentiment.

Then.

The info to shift opinion dropped.