Free Web Novel* * *
“Ahhh!”
“It’s over!”
“Finally!”
Cheers exploded from every direction. Everyone clapped. On the screen, 〈Unfair Trade〉 no longer continued. It was truly the end, so there was no preview. Instead, a teaser for the follow-up drama played.
“Eoung. Should we each say a few words? This is kind of embarrassing....”
Director Park shot me a glance. I stood up. Across from me, senior Shin Seojin was already on his feet.
“There were a lot of incidents and a lot of trouble... but still, our actors, our staff. Thank you all so much for quietly following such an inadequate director to the end. Eoung. When else would I ever get first place in ratings? If anything was really tough today, let it all out before you go—.”
As Director Park finished his closing remarks, shrieks like pterodactyl cries erupted everywhere. Next was senior Shin Seojin.
“Everyone, you’ve all worked incredibly hard.”
The staff looked at him with moist eyes. They knew exactly how much he had suffered during the latter half.
“The schedule was so intense the whole time, I barely even got to check my phone once.”
I feel like I’ve heard this before.
“So now I’ve got a ton of unread messages piling up—”
But Shin Seojin’s comment got cut off.
“Ah, come on! You worked the hardest of all!”
“You’re too humble—!”
“Shin! Seo! Jin! Shin! Seo! Jin!”
“It wasn’t hard at all!”
Everyone, everyone, that’s not the point right now.
“Shin! Seo! Jin! Shin! Seo! Jin!”
The gentleman among gentlemen, Shin Seojin, who worried about the staff until the very end, was met with a wave of cheers. He sent me a look.
‘Senior....’
‘Yeoreum....’
‘Just shout it....’
Shin Seojin nodded.
“Then here’s my gift for all of you!”
Looks like bulking up really improved his diaphragm support. With that one line, the entire restaurant rang out.
“GLX!”
All eyes followed the direction of his hand.
“I’ll keep mine short too! We’re giving you watches prepared by Han Yeoreum, filled with love!”
I shouted before the staff could even fully process what he said.
They blinked for a moment.
“Eoung. What are you all doing? Hurry and come get them.”
Director Park, who had already received his gift, waved his phone side to side. A GLX watch gleamed on his wrist.
“Ahhhhhh!”
“This is insane!”
People screamed in near-mad excitement.
‘Yeoreum....’
‘Senior....’
‘Let’s definitely land the ad deal....’
‘Of course....’
For reference, Shin Seojin is going after Sansung Electronics’ premium line. I’m aiming for the GLX line.
“I hope a lot of articles come out.”
“Right? We’re first and second on Oha Asa today too.”
The staff, completely absorbed in unboxing, had already turned their backs on us. Shin Seojin and I clinked our glasses and smiled.
For the record, tonight’s drink was Fresh Leaf Soju.
On one wall of the restaurant, my poster was hanging.
“Eoung... what is this? Am I really that drunk?”
That was when Director Park, looking toward the entrance, muttered to himself.
* * *
The SBC Director—an elite among elites, unlike the other bureau chiefs, someone who knew exactly where the line was and never crossed it—did not bother attending the 〈Unfair Trade〉 wrap party today.
[Final episode rating 22.3% — 〈Unfair Trade〉 wraps up cleanly...]
[Shin Seojin and Han Yeoreum attend 〈Unfair Trade〉 wrap party with bright smiles ⎢StarCutCut]
[“Thank you” — the scene from 〈Unfair Trade〉 that moved viewers to tears]
Instead, he focused on monitoring. Over the past month, SBC’s New Media Web Content Department had strapped a motor onto a rising tide. Even after the finale, there were still countless clips that needed to be uploaded.
“Now we have to start promoting the follow-up project too.”
With 〈Unfair Trade〉 ending, SBC’s next drama was fully riding the halo effect. As the number one in ratings, it had already captured viewers’ attention.
Bzzz.
The SBC Director, who had been pressing the “Request follow-up article” button on each news piece, glanced at his vibrating phone.
“...No.”
A cold, intelligent elite among elites, the SBC Director clenched his teeth after looking at the screen. He knew that if someone like him showed up at a wrap party, it would only feel like an extension of workplace hierarchy to the staff.
But still, but still...
“These lunatics.”
If the MBS Director and KBC Director had barged in there, then it was a different story. Without even fixing his crooked glasses, he rushed toward the 〈Unfair Trade〉 wrap party.
* * *
‘Wait, what is this....’
I thought I must be really drunk too. But the image was so clear, and the staff around me were reacting the same way—this had to be real.
“What a coincidence.”
“We happen to be regulars here.”
What are they even talking about...? Even with the 〈Unfair Trade〉 wrap party banner hanging outside, the two men who supposedly “just happened to drop by” slid into the seats between me and Shin Seojin.
“Since it turned out like this, shall we go somewhere better for the second round? There’s a place nearby that young people like these days. Do you like tuna? It’s near KBC.”
“This guy has no sense, so even the places he takes people feel kind of old-man-ish. Don’t trust him. With SBC’s corporate card, what you do is—you know—get takeout from a nearby place. If you ask for it uncooked, they’ll prepare everything for you. Then you can stay home tomorrow and rest without stepping outside. But right now, since we met like this by chance, why don’t we go somewhere that just melts in your mouth, all together, on MBS’s card? Let’s go get tomahawk steak.”
“Hey, what steak place is even open at this hour? Don’t fall for it—.”
“You can make a reservation in advance for anything. Seriously, you don’t understand trends at all. You have to take people somewhere worth posting on your story.”
They said it was a coincidence...
“Director Park, you worked really hard. It was great. Working with that picky bastard from SBC must’ve been tough, right? Did you see Ja Sokhwan? Our KBC respects directors’ autonomy. We’re a public broadcaster, after all.”
“What are you talking about? As if you didn’t hear that he was putting pressure on Sokhwan to extend the run? Real director autonomy is with MBS. Directors being that unruly—what kind of environment do you think created that?”
“They act like that because the bureau chief is a joke....”
“With Director So from 〈Youth Disqualified!〉, we’re practically just friends. If I say ‘Hey Yesol, you here?’ she’ll go ‘Yeah, Saerok, hi.’ That’s the level we’re at. If we’re talking about autonomy and trust in actors, then MBS—”
That was when the door slammed open.
“Hey, you bastards!!!”
It was the SBC Director.
“Get out! Right now! Get the hell out! What kind of disgrace is this, crashing someone else’s wrap party!”
“Dis...grace?”
“We just happened to stop by....”
The staff had already started filming the scene with their new phones. With the wide-angle mode on a high-end device, every detail was being captured vividly—and with the timer synced to a smartwatch, it was obvious high-resolution videos would soon be circulating in everyone’s group chats.
For reference, I had already mentally finalized my contract as the GLX smartwatch model—and even finished the photoshoot.
“Get out! Worry about your own ratings! That’s why your drama is about to get early cancellation again!”
The MBS Director, now once again facing the looming threat of early cancellation, had veins bulging on his forehead.
“Got it, Lee Saerok!”
“Hey! Shim Sangchun!!!”
The room stirred at that.
“Shim... Sangchun?”
“Wasn’t our director’s name Shim Sangjun?”
“How does one stroke change it...?”
The SBC Director grabbed the back of his neck.
“You bastard, I told you not to call me by my old name!”
“If your name’s Sangchun, I’ll call you Sangchun! What, should I call this lettuce ‘Sangchun’ instead?! You piece of work with a rotten personality!”
At some point, the KBC Director had quietly slipped next to me and whispered:
“Over there, 16 episodes... over there, 12 episodes... but for us, just 4?”
With a serious expression, he winked.
“So... you should come to KBC, right?”
A piece of lettuce came flying.
“Get lost!”
“Die!”
Just as the KBC Director, having been hit in the face with lettuce, was about to join the fight—
“Eoung. If you’re going to survive in this industry, more than anything, it’s stamina.”
Director Park, who had been silent until now, was holding a glass. On the table, empty bottles of KBG beer—modeled by Shin Seojin—and Fresh Leaf Soju rolled around.
Soju 5, beer 5. Director Park mixed a brutal somaek and smiled brightly.
“Right? You know what people are like on set when they don’t have stamina. So picky, so irritable. The reason our 〈Unfair Trade〉 team could stick together like this? It’s all stamina.”
Shin Seojin and I nodded for now.
“Drink up. Cheers!”
The seasoned Director Park demonstrated, with his whole body, what a culture of forced drinking really looked like. Gradually it became soju 6, beer 4. Soju 7. Beer 3. Then soju 8, beer 4—a total of 120% somaek. The drink overflowed.
‘Chairwoman Han Myeongsuk... are you watching?’
You can hear the sound of sales going up, right?
“...our... current investment... since <We Rund>....”
“Yeoreum... just speak casually... call me Saerok....”
“None of it matters. I told you to do whatever you want... remember?”
Carefully stepping over the three people collapsed on the restaurant floor, Director Park walked toward the door.
“Director?”
“You’re not just leaving them like that, right?”
Director Park smiled brightly.
“No!”
Thank goodness.
“We still haven’t gotten all our takeout yet. Oh? It’s coming. Eoung. Looks delicious. Guys! Come grab it!”
The staff, holding takeout bags in both hands, smiled happily.
“Eoung. That bureau chief bastard... was so strict before the contract, I was honestly nervous. Seeing him passed out like this? Feels so refreshing. Yeoreum, I added extra eggs to yours. And yours too, Seojin. Let’s go. Sneak out quietly, quietly!”
I looked at Director Park—and burst out laughing.
Who am I?
Han Yeoreum, now being fought over by the bureau chiefs of all three major networks.
“Eoung, hurry up, come on. If they wake up, it’ll be a headache. Stop laughing!”
But even at Director Park’s words, I couldn’t stop laughing.
It was, all over again, a truly happy night.
* * *
And so, the end of the year arrived.
[Drama/Film Actors TALK / Year-End Awards Lineup Is Out]
All three networks released theirs.
(Acting Awards Nominees.jpg)
— Anonymous 1: Wow, it really feels like year-end lol
— Anonymous 2: Here we go again... another battlefield. I wish they’d stop giving awards based on voting T_T it’s exhausting
— Anonymous 5: Do you think Hong Suryeon can win Best Actress? <No Interest Whatsoever> was really good, but it got slightly overshadowed by <Unfair Trade>... what a shame
— Anonymous 9: Han Yeoreum is insane. Is she seriously going to win Rookie Actress at two networks???
— Anonymous 13: Oh damn you’re right, Han Yeoreum is on both S and M LOLOLOL she really worked like a machine
— Anonymous 16: Yeah yeah, she’s basically the strongest contender among the nominees. Rookie Actress is practically already decided LOOL
There were no surprises. No drama released in the fourth quarter managed to surpass the third quarter’s biggest hit, 〈Unfair Trade〉.
[HOT / Celebrity Likely to Win Rookie Award from Two Networks for the First Time.jpg]
(<Youth Disqualified!> poster.jpg)
(<Unfair Trade> poster.jpg)
= Han Yeoreum
Both aired this year, so she’s nominated for both.
— Anonymous 1: Seriously??? It feels like <Youth Disqualified!> was last year
— Anonymous 12: Same LMAO why is time flying so fast
— Anonymous 16: She just won last year with <We Rund> and now she’s winning again? That’s crazy
— Anonymous 24: Isn’t she basically a Rookie Award hunter TT_TT I loved Lee Seohae so much, I really hope Han Yeoreum wins... personally I think she’s top among actresses her age
— Anonymous 35: Lee Seohae honestly felt like they just pulled a real person from somewhere. I never once thought of Han Yeoreum while watching LOLOLOL
— Anonymous 101: 2222 she seriously felt like an actual professional T_T freewebnoveℓ.com
Christmas passed, and the carols that had seemed like they would hold the number one spot forever finally stepped down.
1. [Huijae] ▲3
And just like this time last year, Huijae rose to take its place.
“Huh? The awards are on.”
“Today?”
On a winter night where everyone was spending their own way closing out the year, a bottle of alcohol with Han Yeoreum’s face printed on it sat on the table.
People drinking noticed the awards ceremony in different ways—watching the TV playing in ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) one corner of the bar, checking messages on their phones, or overhearing conversations at nearby tables.
“What dramas even aired this year?”
“〈We Rund〉!”
“That one finished this year, but didn’t it already get all its awards last year?”
“Then it doesn’t get any now?”
“Not sure.”
On the wall of the bar were posters—Eun Baekhap as she is now, Do Gyeoul from First Dew, and Han Yeoreum from Fresh Leaf Soju, all lined up side by side.
“Ah, but she’s definitely winning.”
As their eyes drifted to the wall, people mentioned the name that would dominate this year’s ceremony.
“Han Yeoreum.”
* * *
“Shall we go? Our moment.”
I stood before the red carpet.
“Hey! Han Yeoreum! I’m so nervous.”
“Wow—I’ve never been to a major network awards ceremony before.”
With 〈Unfair Trade〉, with 〈Youth Disqualified!〉.
“Mang-ajwe! Long time no see!”
“I heard about the after-party. Next time, I’ll teach you how to escape efficiently during the first round.”
With 〈Faster Than the Law〉.
“Waaaaah!”
“Han Yeoreum—! Yeoreum unni!”
“Yeoreum!”
Click, click, click.
Blinding flashes burst from all directions. With every step I took forward, my name followed me. Turning my head slightly, I saw familiar faces beyond the barricades. I raised my hand and waved.
“MBS Acting Awards.”
“Today’s SBC Rookie Actress Award.”
“The winner of the Baekryong Film Awards Popularity Award is—”
“Congratulations. 〈Youth Disqualified!〉.”
“〈Unfair Trade〉.”
“〈Faster Than the Law〉.”
Inside the awards hall, my face appeared on the massive screen.
“Han Yeoreum.”
Hands patted my back from all around. The dazzling stage waited for me.
I clenched the hem of my dress tightly in my hand as I walked forward—to the place waiting for actress Han Yeoreum.
Thunderous applause that felt like it could burst my heart surrounded me. I held the bouquet and trophy pressed tightly against my chest.
Now, there is a place for me in this world. There are roles waiting for me, and sets where I belong.
Someday,
Not far from now.
I wanted a place that was truly mine. A role that only I could play. A set that required me—and no one else.
As if understanding my thoughts, the trophy in my hand shimmered under the lights.
