Free Web NovelAt that same time, Aetami was locked in for the live broadcast of Episode 4 of 〈Unfair Trade〉.
[♨The genre boom is coming, it’s coming—〈Unfair Trade〉 Ep. 4 live thread♨]
-Why does Shin Seojin’s potato styling suit him so stupidly well TT_TT Ugh, he seriously looks like the kind of man who’d never let his wife and kids go hungry no matter what happened
˪ fr even if he got kicked onto the streets he looks like he’d go “heave-ho, heave-ho” straight to construction work; honestly I like him more now than during the Taejin days T_T
-While Han Yeoreum hasn’t even lifted her spoon yet, Shin Seojin’s already inhaled half a bowl of rice in one bite LMAO the more I watch them the better their chemistry gets
-Hurry up and give us another Seohae interrogation scene.. I need that razor diction hammered straight into my skull
Even though it was nothing more than a simple meal scene between Gam Seonghwan and Lee Seohae, drama addicts still hadn’t gotten over the thrill of Episode 3 and rushed to fill the comments.
The reaction was explosive.
“I’m so happy....”
Aetami tried desperately to calm the corners of her mouth that kept rising at the endless flood of new content. The photos of the support meal truck she had sent today had already been uploaded to both her story and feed.
Youstagram
midsummer
[A delicious and filling meal ( • ̀ω•́ )♥︎ Love you, Summer Day! We’ll keep working hard through the rest of filming!
Please make sure to watch 〈Unfair Trade〉 Episode 4 live tonight too]
15,667 likes
891 comments
-When the cameras are off she’s such a soft baby melon bread, how did she pull off a sociopath TT_TT
-Yeoreum unnie, what are your thoughts on marrying a Taiwanese woman? My parents have already given permission
-Love you again today, Yeoreum ໒꒰ ྀི‘ᵕ’ ꒱ྀི১
-@Kim Minju hey it’s Han Yeoreum, the one you like LOLOL
-Who made her this pretty!!!!!
Aetami, who had hit like on Yeoreum’s adorable photo in front of the meal truck faster than anyone else, felt proud when she noticed how much the follower count had grown again.
“She was still at 1.85 million when the 〈Youth Disqualified!〉 vlog went up.... When did she pass 2 million?”
The follower count, already well over 2 million, was now steadily heading toward 3 million.
It wasn’t yet the kind of recognition that came from a decades-long acting career or solo overseas fan meetings, but Han Yeoreum had definitely secured a rock-solid SNS follower base.
“At this rate, she might really be able to take first place someday.”
Aetami found herself regretting the one thing missing from Yeoreum’s otherwise perfect filmography: a rom-com.
“If she lands one rom-com, the followers will go absolutely insane....”
At present, the ranking for actresses’ Youstagram followers was still led by Hong Suryeon—the “Queen of Rom-Coms” and former girl-group idol—at 7 million, followed by Do Gyeoul at 6 million, who had built a thick fanbase from childhood and locked down Japan through romance dramas, and then Eun Baekhap at 5.5 million, whose face alone made people accept anything.
“This is all because of NetHolics!”
Aetami clicked into the SNS account of Do Gyeoul, the so-called standard-bearer of DaeYeJong’s brilliance. Though Do Gyeoul had only done two projects since entering her twenties, the impact of those two works alone had been enormous.
The woman of NetHolics, Do Gyeoul.
〈Beyond the Closed Door〉 had become a full-on NetHolics zombie, still sitting in Japan’s Top 10. Ever since its export release, it had never once dropped out of the rankings.
As expected from a project that had hit huge in a country known for exceptional viewer loyalty, Do Gyeoul’s next work, 〈The Fuse〉, had also benefited from that momentum. In Japan, the representative K-dramas had practically become 〈Beyond the Closed Door〉 and 〈The Fuse〉.
“If we want to pull followers through NetHolics, exports to Japan and the U.S. are the key....”
The reason Hong Suryeon still held onto first place was also thanks to overseas fans.
Because she had built an exceptionally solid core fandom since her idol days, her personal account had started with massive numbers from the moment it opened, even without relying on the group account.
“Ah, if only Yeoreum could just hit one rom-com. Seriously.”
Han Yeoreum had already gathered overseas followers deeply interested in K-teen content through 〈ParCheHi〉 and her MusicN MC work.
If she could just get one proper rom-com breakout, she might even catch up to Do Gyeoul.
“I wonder who our Yeoreum’s first rom-com partner will be....”
A smile spread across Aetami’s face as she ran through the candidates in her head.
“Honestly, she’d look good with anyone.”
And then it happened.
The screen darkened.
Aetami forgot all about thinking of Yeoreum and focused back on 〈Unfair Trade〉.
-Ah shit, here comes another infuriating episode
-I can already feel my chest tightening....
This case involved a serial rapist.
“Most serial rapists tend to be the type who cannot control their behavioral patterns. Rather than reading between the lines of the method itself, the emotional structure remains identical, so that’s what we should focus on.”
As always, Lee Seohae read through the case in her calm, detached tone.
“This case, this case, and this case.... These three seem like the same perpetrator. But if you ask me, there are far more victims. He probably deliberately targeted girls who wouldn’t be able to file proper reports.”
“Given that the crimes centered on runaway teen groups, I believe Detective Gam’s inference is correct. And before long, I expect the crimes will escalate beyond simple rape into additional offenses. The methods are becoming increasingly bold.”
“Yeah. The fact that he’s even punching the ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) victims in the face makes it feel like he’s deliberately daring them to report him.... That bastard.”
The expressions on the two of them as they read the victim reports turned subtly grim.
The screen shifted.
A woman volunteering psychological counseling at a church appeared on screen.
The woman, who had been counseling troubled teenagers from runaway groups, looked worn down by a client who kept getting distracted.
After sending off the girl, who had kept lazily touching her phone and answering halfheartedly even while sitting right in front of her, she began organizing the counseling notes.
“It’s not easy, is it?” freewēbnoveℓ.com
“No.... It really isn’t.”
A young man—the son of a pastor from another church, who had likewise come to volunteer counseling—handed her a cup of cocoa from the vending machine.
“Hey—pass it!”
“Fuck, not there!”
“Goal! Goal! You total scrubs!”
From beyond the quiet church youth room window came the noisy shouts of teenagers playing at the nearby field.
“Come to think of it, the Korean Asian Games are today, right?”
“...Ah....”
“I’m supposed to watch the soccer match later with my dad and the church elders. Every single time there’s soccer, they go on and on about the 2002 World Cup. I’m so sick of hearing it.”
“You must like soccer....”
“Me? Of course I do! I was in middle school during the World Cup, and I was obsessed. If I’d been a senior preparing for exams back then? My grades would’ve completely tanked.”
“I see....”
The woman gnawed lightly at the rim of the paper cup with her teeth before rising from her seat.
The sun was setting.
Her shadow stretched long across the floor.
“I should get going now. It’s going to be dark soon.”
The woman hurried out of the youth room and quickly made her way home, almost breaking into a run.
As if to obstruct her, a soccer ball rolled toward her.
“Please kick our ball back!”
But the moment she saw the soccer ball, she turned and ran.
The middle school boys clinging to the fence stared after her in confusion.
Over the image of the woman staggering as she walked, a scene from the past overlapped.
“Don’t get all worked up over the World Cup and stuff. Watch it when you get into college, okay? Instead of secretly watching it on a PMP, go to a pub and watch it proudly—with chicken and beer! Got it?”
“Yeees—.”
But contrary to the teacher’s warning, even the uniformed students preparing for exams had been swept up in the unprecedented World Cup fever.
“Hey! You ditching evening study? Let’s watch the match at her house today.”
“I’m good. It’s almost 100 days until the CSAT.”
“She seriously has zero flexibility. Is this the dignity of a top-grade student?”
Leaving behind the noisy laughter of her friends, the girl stayed for night study and only headed home very late.
A dark alley.
A heavy bag slung over her shoulders.
A hand appearing from behind her.
Then the scream that followed.
“Huh? Did they score? A goal?”
“No! What goal? It’s tied right now.”
“I thought I heard a scream outside....”
“You’re probably overreacting because someone just kicked the ball. Whatever.”
The cheerful World Cup chant played on.
But what the screen showed was only a streetlamp with its light shattered.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Ah.”
The woman turned her head.
The young man had caught up with her and was smiling.
“I kept calling you from behind, but you didn’t hear me....”
“...No.... Um....”
“It’s probably going to get dark soon, so I’ll walk you home.”
“...Thank you....”
“No need to thank me. Pouring beer for all those old men was exhausting anyway, so I’m just ditching.”
The two of them walked down the alley together.
Then the screen changed again to the delinquent teenager the woman had counseled earlier.
“Ah, shit.... I’m out of data....”
She seemed to be on her way home, walking alone down a darkened alley.
A failed-send mark appeared on her phone because she had run out of data.
And then—
Thud.
Someone standing behind her clamped a hand over her mouth.
Over the dark street, the soccer cheering song rang out.
“Ah, it’s already over....”
As the ending song began to play, Aetami let out a groan.
“This episode’s immersion was insane too....”
Just as she was about to sigh at the thought of waiting another full week—
“What is this?”
The preview showed Lee Seohae walking alone through an alley.
Then came the next shot: Lee Seohae with blood streaming from her nose.
Under the dim lighting, her calm eyes looked even more alien.
In just those few seconds, Han Yeoreum had completely seized the audience’s concentration again. It left the unmistakable feeling that the next episode of 〈Unfair Trade〉 would feature Lee Seohae doing something major.
And Aetami wasn’t the only one who felt it.
[Han Yeoreum, blood dripping from her nose... what incident is unfolding in 〈Unfair Trade〉?]
[Han Yeoreum chases the culprit alone and ends up bleeding from the nose—will she uncover the ‘2002 World Cup’ case?]
[The actress who made netizens’ hearts drop with one intense preview ⎢StarCutCut]
The articles shot up almost immediately.
* * *
“What do you mean?”
On the set of 〈See You That Day〉, Hong Suryeon blinked in disbelief.
“Unnie.... Say that again.... I definitely heard wrongng....”
“Suryeon-ah, of course the views are naturally still higher for you—”
“That part’s obvious! Then how does 〈Unfair Trade〉 have more comments? Ours was seriously so good todayng? I need to see it myself!”
Hong Suryeon, who had been lounging comfortably in the van while listening to the updates from her manager, shot upright.
The moment the tablet landed in her hands, she began trembling.
“No... wayng....”
INTUBE
[The moment she realizes her feelings?! Director Guk Geonwoo’s regret over adorable airhead Hong Suryeon ♥︎ You should’ve treated her better when you had the chance, idiot! ⎢〈See You That Day〉] 03:28
116,778 views
98 comments
INTUBE
[The 2002 World Cup case—another crime showing patterns similar to the culprit from that day, as the methods grow increasingly brutal, Gam Seonghwan and Lee Seohae begin their investigation ⎢〈Unfair Trade〉] 04:11
107,881 views
112 comments
The two clips, uploaded around the same time, had—contrary to expectations—barely any meaningful difference in view count.
-Back then CCTV wasn’t anything like it is now, so it must’ve been insanely hard to catch the bastard.. tsk people like that should all be executed ㅡ.,ㅡ
-Please bring back the death penalty, ah I’m crying... fucking bastard
-Ah fuck this is pissing me off so bad, hock—ptooey! The actors are so terrifyingly good it just makes me angrier
-I just want them to catch the culprit and end this episode fast. I have a daughter about that age too, so this is painful to watch T_T Why do our precious daughters have to be the ones careful at night.. it’d all be solved if the trash men just died..
˪ I agree. Every parent with a daughter feels the same! I really hope Lee Seohae and Gam Seonghwan hit him with something devastating!!!
As Hong Suryeon skimmed through the comments, she thought of one thing.
Shared emotion.
Of all the emotions visual media could deliver beyond the screen, the most intense of them all was anger.
The heat born from that feeling was something the light fluttery emotions unique to romantic comedy simply could not overpower.
Right then, while Hong Suryeon was reading, a new related video was uploaded.
“Han Yeoreum....”
It was the preview for the next episode.
Even though anyone who had watched the live broadcast had already seen it once, the preview’s views kept climbing—and so did the comments.
-Blood, sweat, tears suits her so well TT_TT I love my Seohae
-Ah, no way Lee Seohae’s the next victim, right.. T_T Seeing the blood makes me nervous
˪ nah nah at Han Yeoreum’s first press conference they said she even attended action academy, so I think she probably beat up the culprit and got hit too
˪ suddenly I feel at ease, Seohae awaken and beat him up a lot
Not to lose, Hong Suryeon immediately clicked the newly uploaded preview for 〈See You That Day〉.
The views were still neck and neck.
But there was one obvious difference.
“The comments are moving way slowerng...?”
There were a few comments like can’t wait, this looks fun, as expected, Hong Suryeon has chemistry with literally anyone—
but it didn’t have anywhere near the same firepower as 〈Unfair Trade〉.
The manager, who had been standing beside her helplessly, quickly delivered the latest update.
“Suryeon-ah, the ratings just came out!”
“How muchng...?”
“Our 〈See You That Day〉 is 17.1%, 〈Unfair Trade〉 is 14.8%! 〈Reverse Happy〉 is still in single digits. 8.1%.”
〈See You That Day〉 was still firmly in first place.
Today’s episode had fully entered the love triangle, and it was right at the start of the regret arc, so the viewer drop-off was naturally low.
“Unnie....”
But Hong Suryeon felt something strange.
Normally she would’ve flashed a confident smile and declared they’d pass 20% at this rate.
But she couldn’t.
“I feel kinda weirdng....”
Still, next episode’s kiss scene should be enough to bury this uneasy feeling.
After all, Hong Suryeon was the Queen of Ratings—the actress who knew exactly how to create legendary drama scenes.
“Huh? Suryeon-ah, an article just dropped...!”
“What is itng? My article?”
“No! It says Shin Seojin got injured, and 〈Unfair Trade〉 has halted filming!”
That was the moment bad news struck 〈Unfair Trade〉.
“Oh no. Is he hurt badlyng?”
“It only says it’s a minor ankle injury, but I’ll find out more. And you absolutely do not get hurt, okay? Lie down here and wait while I make a call!”
Hong Suryeon watched her manager’s back as she hurried out of the van.
Then she lowered her gaze back to the tablet in her hands.
“Filming full stop.... Poor Shin Seojin too.... It’s his first lead roleing.... He should’ve been more carefulng....”
On the 〈Unfair Trade〉 clip, Shin Seojin and Han Yeoreum were frozen on screen.
Hong Suryeon stared at it quietly.
“But unnie.... This is weirdng....”
Even after hearing the news that 〈Unfair Trade〉 had halted filming, unlike yesterday, the certainty that she would win was slowly beginning to fade.
Left alone, Hong Suryeon murmured softly,
“For some reason... I’m not enjoying thisng....”
Because she could feel it.
The preview with her kiss scene was slowly being devoured by the preview of Han Yeoreum bleeding from the nose.
The preview views for 〈Unfair Trade〉 gradually began crushing those of 〈See You That Day〉.
The Han Yeoreum in the thumbnail was pulling people in.
* * *
“Good grief, look how they’re taking the bait instantly.”
Inside JC ENM’s new headquarters, still lit late into the night, Manager Hong of the PR team smiled in satisfaction as he watched people swarm toward the bait titled Shin Seojin Injury.
“As expected of you, sir. How did you even come up with this?”
“Assistant Shin. Stick around JC long enough and you’ll end up like this too.... Root Actors let our girl have extra screen time, so of course we need to pull properly on our side too.”
JC officially announced Shin Seojin’s injury for 〈Unfair Trade〉.
Even the bad news that filming had come to a complete halt was turned into official articles exactly as it was.
[Will 〈Unfair Trade〉 halt filming like this? Shin Seojin reveals his love for fans on SNS: “I’m okay.”]
[With filming fully stopped for 〈Unfair Trade〉, netizens panic: “What about next episode?”]
This was the homeland of provocation bait.
“Next week we run the Shin Seojin fights through injury article, then the Ji Haebeom loyalty cameo article, and finally our girl’s masterful action performance piece!”
JC was the kind of place that knew exactly how to inflate even the same bait over and over.
The buzz around 〈See You That Day〉’s kiss scene was completely buried beneath the 2002 World Cup case provocation from 〈Unfair Trade〉, Han Yeoreum’s intense preview, and now the bad-news boost of Shin Seojin’s injury.
