Action 6. Let's Give It a Shot
“President, this is seriously not okay, right? Is Do CE out of his mind?”
“Déjà vu for the first time.”
“Pardon?”
“Feels like I've heard those exact words before.”
“This isn't the time for jokes. You read the script, didn't you?”
Han Sung-hoon shrugged and pointed to his desk.
There sat a brand-new, freshly bound 16-episode script, pristine white.
“What'd you think?”
“Probably the same as you.”
“I only read the first episode and thought someone messed up the printing, so I had them redo it. But no, that's the real thing!”
“Calm down.”
“Do CE must be drunk on his first taste of success in the industry... Should I call him in and talk?”
“What would you say?”
“...Too many things to say, I wouldn't even know where to start. But seriously, this is a no-go.”
Gong Seok-jun, huffing and puffing for a while, finally slumped onto the sofa.
“For now, let's hold off on Do CE's promotion and incentive payout.”
“Why?”
“Not canceling, just delaying. Rumors about the next project are already everywhere. Bad timing.”
Han Sung-hoon chuckled slyly.
“Just like with Gongbeomche.”
“The situations are similar, but the problems are worlds apart. You can fix something boring, but you can't fix something cringey. Do we really need SSK touching a variety PD's script from 15 years ago?”
As Gong Seok-jun rattled off the risks, Han Sung-hoon tossed out casually,
“Did you see the ending?”
“What ending?”
“Gongbeomche.”
“Oh, I just saw the reactions. They were great, right? I mean, Do Hyun-woo picks stuff like that, so why this?”
“One of two things. Either he threw in a wild card because he wants to make another Gongbeomche, or he saw something we didn't.”
Han Sung-hoon glanced at the script on his desk.
“I wouldn't have even glanced at it... What did Do CE see?”
The moment he got to work, he replayed Gongbeomche episode 8.
He was supposed to watch it yesterday, but his head had been full of At Your Fingertips all night.
As the episode 8 opening played, he spotted Joo Young-hoon arriving—his glare was downright murderous.
Can't wait for Team 4 to get official. Might as well go all out since it's already war.
He started watching with complicated thoughts, but immersion hit fast.
Episodes 1 through 7 were gripping, but 8 was on another level.
And just like that, the long-awaited ending approached.
On screen, Su-cheol strangled Hyeon-tae.
As Hyeon-tae gasped and struggled desperately, the camera close-upped the worn leather watch on Su-cheol's wrist.
Viewers up to this point probably thought Su-cheol was the killer and the ending was surprisingly straightforward.
But the moment Hyeon-tae shook off Su-cheol's hand—
Su-cheol smirked and stepped back.
"You killed them all."
Then he leaped off the cliff.
Stunned, Hyeon-tae chased after, but found nothing...
Screen faded to black.
When it brightened again, the shot slowly tilted up from a leather-watch-clad wrist to reveal a middle-aged man in his 50s.
He recognized him instantly.
Aged Hyeon-tae.
Then, the man seated across from him—back to the camera—spoke.
"So Su-cheol died just like that?"
"Haven't seen him since. Probably."
"What about the time loop? Never activated again?"
"Dunno. Everyone's dead. If I die again, do I go back to that moment?"
The man with his back turned paused, then said,
"Thanks, I've heard enough."
The man gathered his interview notes and bag, exiting the room.
The exterior shot revealed a mental hospital.
A junior approached the man—shot only from the chin down.
"Senior, think it'll make the broadcast?"
"Gotta organize the interview first. Guy's a nutcase."
"Rambling mess?"
"Nah, logical. Just batshit crazy."
As the man walked away from the hospital, another junior—also chin-down—approached.
"I'll take you."
Then, the junior accidentally bumped the man's bag.
Photos spilled out.
Police crime scene shots.
Jung-hoon, Young-soo, Tae-ho...
Close-ups of the corpses in chronological order.
And finally:
Bloody Hyeon-tae loaded into an ambulance.
Su-cheol being hauled off by police.
Gongbeomche's true ending.
He hadn't watched the drama, but he'd monitored online reactions.
Initially, opinions split sharply.
Was Hyeon-tae really the time looper, treated like a psycho?
Or was the whole thing the ravings of a madman?
If the latter, plenty were disappointed it wasn't an "oh fuck, it was a dream" cop-out.
Perfect ammo for Gongbeomche haters.
Articles popped up fast.
Even some critics piled on—maybe at SBX's request.
The turnaround started in drama fanatic communities.
Maniacs rallied behind it hard, making it the official read.
From the creator's view, yeah—that was it.
Our planned ending.
Still, netizens buzzed "the interpretation's better than the dream"...
Tvic Korea's YouTube dropped a video.
Gongbeomche, Third-Person Observer Perspective
A dry, drama-fitting title for the 60-minute vid.
Stripped 560 minutes to raw events, axing emotional fluff—pure highlights.
Game over.
Tvic prepping it meant official ending confirmed.
Praise for the ending exploded.
Critics who'd trashed the Gongbeomche ending scrambled to delete posts.
They rarely did, but exceptions prove the rule.
Admitting their taste sucked?
Thanks to that, he fielded drunken morning calls from Jung Hee-soo, Gil Sang-hoon, and Ko Young-tae.
They'd partied till dawn with booze.
And every call ended with "next project."
"Next one together too!"
"Say we'll do it! Say it!"
"Love you! Do the next one!"
Next project, huh...
Thinking about it complicated his head, but the mood was good.
He'd come up with the Gongbeomche ending himself.
“So why did the loop power even appear?”
Script possession showed Hyeon-tae looping, but no reason why.
“...”
Finishing the finale made the project truly feel done.
From Sung Tae-chang's SSK offer to now—life flashed by.
Lots happened, but Gongbeomche became SSK's flagship.
It was touch-and-go, but Seo Jae-yeon's finale explosion sealed it.
Even in Tvic's overall rankings, top 5 maybe?
Lost in nostalgia, his phone buzzed.
International call—hesitated, then answered. A grave voice came through.
"Is this Director Do Hyun-woo?"
“Yes, who's this?”
"Sorry for the sudden call. I'm Cha Seong-woo, head of Enflicks Original Series."
Enflicks Originals head?
Why someone that high up?
"Normally wouldn't contact like this, but Actor Choi Jae-hyeok said you like directness."
“Jae-hyeok hyung?”
"I'm in the UK right now."
Ah, right—Jae-hyeok hyung shooting an Enflicks series in the UK.
"Hope I'm not interrupting?"
“No, it's fine. What's up?”
"Ever thought about coming to Enflicks?"