Free Web NovelSeo Eden had even forgotten to do the Best Couple voting that he used to set alarms for every single day.
Instead, every time a rage-bait article attacking Han Yeoreum appeared, he diligently pressed the “Sad” reaction—filled with the sentiment of, “If you're going to write this kind of garbage, quit being a reporter, you crazy bastard”—and spammed the report button.
He'd been doing that for hours, even during breaks while filming a commercial together with Beopsun.
Then, after suddenly becoming smarter, Seo Eden noticed that Han Yeoreum's name had disappeared from the sensational headlines and stopped his reporting relay.
Instead, new articles were uploaded.
“Hyung!!! Look at this!!!”
[Official | KBC, <Code Name: Time Seven>, “Actor Kim Jisang removed following school-violence controversy... reshoots begin”]
['Taesan Bukdu disciple' Director Galdaeguk, “Audience trust comes before actor risks... all footage discarded” makes bold decision]
[KBC's 20-billion-won blockbuster stumbles before it even begins, quality questioned after forced removal]
[<Code Name: Time Seven> side: “Even before facts are fully confirmed, removal decided... we feel a heavy sense of responsibility”]
After Han Yeoreum had spent half a day getting beaten up at the forefront, KBC finally released an official statement late in the evening.
Seo Eden's manager clicked his tongue in admiration.
“Oh, they dropped him fast. Well, from what I've heard, Director Galdaeguk isn't the kind of person who'd hug a school bully and drag him along.”
“But it says it wasn't voluntary.”
“What kind of bullshit is that now...?”
No sooner had the statement gone up than other articles followed.
["What do we do with the 85% already filmed?" <Code Name: Time Seven> second male lead Kim Jisang expelled... KBC opens the gates to the worst reshoot hell in history]
[Staff cry foul over cruel broadcaster forcing reshoots over rumors spreading online]
[Exclusive | 20 billion won at risk for <Code Name: Time Seven>? Frozen Korean drama market takes direct hit]
The headlines aggressively framed things as though an actor had been forcibly removed over rumors that had yet to be properly judged.
“What kind of fucking bastards are these....”
“And that's not all.”
On top of that—
[Exclusive | Actor A in tears: “School violence accusations are false. I submitted evidence, yet the broadcaster forcibly removed me”]
[“Dropped before a ruling?” Agency of Actor A strongly condemns KBC's unprecedented abuse of power]
[Rising star destroyed by false school-violence accusations... Actor A's side considering damages lawsuit against KBC]
Kim Jisang seemed determined not to leave no matter what.
“Well, if it were me, I'd shamelessly stick around too. I'd think I had no other option.”
“This... this is something only I can solve.”
“What are you talking about, Eden...?”
“Hyung, call Team Leader too. I'll do it! I'll take that second male lead role!”
Having suddenly become stupid again, Seo Eden decided he would personally drive Kim Jisang out and take the spot.
“Oh my? Eden, are you already joining your next project?”
“Of course! Because I lo— mmph!”
“Reviewing, reviewing. I'm reviewing the script!”
“Aah...”
The manager clamped a hand over Seo Eden's mouth just as he was about to answer a nearby staff member and spoke through gritted teeth like a ventriloquist.
“Eden, honestly speaking, even if they shoved you in there... Director Galdaeguk and Writer Ma Eungyo wouldn't accept you...”
“Mmph! Mmph mmph mmph!”
“You did do well in <Dongdaemun Romance>, but...”
“MMPH!!!”
“Yeah, you were possessed by the gods back then. That's true too, but you're getting ahead of yourself. Next to Han Yohan, you wouldn't even be wallpaper. The gap in acting ability is too huge...”
“Mmph! Uuuumph!”
“Romance acting... ha... no. You're getting too full of yourself. You wouldn't even get in at all.”
Seo Eden kept insisting that he had to go.
But his manager, who knew perfectly well that his acting style didn't fit action romance at all, refused to loosen his grip.
“Bark.”
Having finished shooting his individual cuts, Beopsun tapped Seo Eden's phone screen with a paw.
“Beopsun! What are you doing?!”
“Bark bark.”
Seo Eden, finally freed from his restraints, tried to stop Beopsun.
But Beopsun had already pressed the heart on one article.
[Official | Kim Jisang of <Code Name: Time Seven> finally admits school violence allegations. “Reflecting on my immature past behavior”... withdraws from drama]
“Huh? I thought he'd scream and insist he was innocent. Why admit it all of a sudden?”
“This is timing granted by God. Hyung, look. As soon as I decided to go, things started resolving themselves.”
“No, Director Galdaeguk would reject you immediately...”
While Seo Eden continued insisting that he should go right now, Beopsun pressed a heart on yet another article.
[KBC's <Code Name: Time Seven>, “Actor Jo Eunnara joins unexpectedly... currently coordinating Russia reshoot schedule”]
* * *
'I survived....'
Seeing my name constantly appear beside provocative keywords—it was finally over.
I was worried Kim Jisang's side would play dirty after receiving the notice to leave, but it seemed the old man had stepped in and moved quickly.
Not even an hour later, all the articles about KBC's abuse of power and damages lawsuits had been taken down, leaving only articles about Kim Jisang admitting the truth.
'Nothing else now, right?'
No.
But I couldn't relax.
“Now it begins...”
Jo Eunnara.
Just thinking of that beautiful, dazzling person made me gloomy.
Acting: A grade. Voice: A grade. Face: Special A grade.
Jo Eunnara was the kind of actor people could never forget after seeing once.
[HOT / Male actors whose faces domesticate ugly outfits.jpg]
(Ji Haebeom in a two-button suit.jpg)
Ji Haebeom in a black suit, what more needs to be said.
(Myeong Jeha in a trench coat.jpg)
Nobody but Myeong Jeha is allowed to wear trench coats, facts.
(Joo Junseo wearing a chaotic floral-pattern shirt.jpg)
Delinquent vibes are his personal color.
(Shin Seojin in a police windbreaker.jpg)
The rougher the clothes, the more his face comes alive... weirdly enough...
(Yun Hyeonjo in a police uniform.jpg)
On the contrary, this man dies unless every crease is razor-sharp.
(Han Yohan in a black shearling jacket.jpg)
Casual mortal clothes suit him ridiculously well.
(Jo Eunnara in a white tank top.jpg)
Just a rebel of the era.
If there's a problem,
Your eyes are the problem.
— Anonymous 3: Ah, fuck, every picture makes me gasp. The standards are too high.
↳ Anonymous 12: Scrolling down and it's just “Ah, right... this is it... yeah...” over and over, fuck LMAOO
↳ Anonymous 18: 22222. There's literally not a single miss.
↳ Anonymous 45: The first and second pictures stopped me from even thinking about leaving the post. I just read the whole thing.
Jo Eunnara didn't have what could be called a huge hit.
But whenever people talked about actors, his name was always mentioned.
Because from the moment he debuted, his existence had branded itself into the public consciousness.
Even when Ji Haebeom and Myeong Jeha were placed together with him, Jo Eunnara still generated the most buzz in the comments.
— Anonymous 121: If Joo Junseo feels like the type who'd be popular in school, Jo Eunnara feels like someone who never even attended school TT_TT
↳ Anonymous 145: Facts. Like after some mysterious incident he never even got a resident registration number...
↳ Anonymous 167: Mm, yummy.
↳ Anonymous 192: Ah... my heart's already breaking... Nara...
Because Jo Eunnara really had a story in his eyes.
Even a single photograph made people want to interpret something.
If Eun Baekhap inspired melancholy, Jo Eunnara inspired gloom.
'But a face isn't everything....'
There were many reasons why someone like Jo Eunnara had gone from leading roles all the way down to second male lead roles.
'There's a reason people call him Supporting-Nara.'
Jo Eunnara had many nicknames, but the most common were Supporting-Nara and Defeated Nation.
'His success rate was decent only when he played supporting roles. Whenever he was the lead, all the bad luck in the world seemed to descend upon him....'
There had been a few works that barely, precariously qualified as “successful.”
But every single one of them had been when he was a supporting actor.
Of course, that didn't mean that simply taking supporting roles guaranteed success for him, either.
'Some of them had even been stuck at 0% ratings.'
Still, his batting average was better than having every single project he led get crushed by the world's unfairness.
But now wasn't the time to feel anxious.
The moment news broke that Jo Eunnara was joining <Code Name: Time Seven>, the public's attention shifted elsewhere.
[Code Name: Time Seven Minor Gallery]
[Has there ever been a drama that dealt with a school violence controversy this quickly?]
Usually it's one of three things lololol pretend not to know and bury it, release a statement ages later, or threaten lawsuits.
Anonymous (17.2): Seriously, insanely fast.
Anonymous (23.81): The fact they immediately brought in Jo Eunnara as soon as they removed him is impressive.
As though nothing had happened, the boycott atmosphere completely disappeared. Han Yeoreum's name no longer appeared next to headlines about a rising star who had committed school violence.
Instead, anticipation for <Code Name: Time Seven> began to build. People were becoming curious enough about the situation itself that they'd tune in for Episode 1.
Do You Like the Glow of Spring Days? @Hiiiii9i
All those maid-level male lead redemption dramas should kneel before Queen Seven.
18K reposts, 22K likes.
↳ 182,736 people carrying criminal male leads on their backs (awkward cough)
↳ Can't even guess who they are.
Ddujji @duuduuduu
Watching those people who were attacking the actress suddenly flip a switch after the male actor joined and pretend they were "just being rational critics" never stops being funny LMAO Fuck, actually it's not funny.
2,234 reposts, 4,421 likes.
↳ This even has fewer reposts than the Tr*tter posts attacking H.Y.R..
↳ Fuck... facts.
Shiro @thisissiro
Galdaeguk vs Defeated Nation. Which one will win?
(Photo of Galdaeguk jumping up during script reading.jpg)
(Photo of Jo Eunnara's face.jpg)
8,872 reposts, 12K likes.
↳ The picture selection is high quality.
↳ Well, it's Jo Eunnara after all.
It's a shame that all the rage-bait had used my face and name while all the positive attention shifted to Jo Eunnara, but for now this was the best outcome.
'This alone is an incredible result....'
Coincidentally, Jo Eunnara's previous work had been canceled early only a few months ago.
Since it hadn't been long, the success or failure of this new drama had become a fascinating gamble.
Would the guaranteed-hit energy of the Taesan Bukdu disciple and Han Yeoreum prevail?
Or would Han Yohan and Jo Eunnara, icons of romance failure and bad luck, win?
As the negative public opinion vanished in an instant, I finally relaxed.
“The director and the writer are coming in a little while....”
Han Yohan smiled without any trace of fatigue.
After the issue exploded, <Code Name: Time Seven> resumed filming in about twenty-four hours.
* * *
— Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for the inconvenience caused by the delayed departure. During maintenance checks, an unexpected defect was discovered aboard the aircraft....
Jo Eunnara's expression didn't change in the slightest.
“Fuck....”
“Nara. Shh, shh. This isn't the first time.”
His manager habitually grabbed the carry-on luggage.
They had hurriedly booked a flight to Russia, and an incident occurred as soon as they boarded.
Contrary to his words, Jo Eunnara was already used to such things and trudged off the plane.
To top it off, he got hit in the head by another passenger's suitcase while they were disembarking.
'Our Nara....'
It sounded like some grand patriotic statement, but Jo Eunnara's manager was genuinely worried about Jo Eunnara.
Lounging crookedly in the lounge with sunglasses on, Jo Eunnara looked every bit like a top star.
His manager briefly recalled the past.
“Hey! Why's the weather so nice today?”
“Seriously. We won't even need lighting.”
“Nara, let's get ready!”
“Haha.... Huh? What's this...? Why is the weather suddenly...?”
— According to the Meteorological Administration, there has never been a case of localized heavy hail in May, especially on such a clear day. Even meteorological experts at the scene are saying, “It's a bizarre phenomenon that's difficult to explain theoretically”....
It wasn't just bad luck with the weather.
“Actually, I've always been a fan of Actor Jo.... I really wrote this project thinking about you. It's a work filled with my feelings, so the casting.... Ah, would saying that burden you?”
“Not at all. I'm truly grateful. I'll work as hard as the writer thought of me.”
“Then let's promote our leading actor, the backbone of the entire project, Jo Eunnara! Hahaha!”
— The drama competition winner that MBS ambitiously prepared is facing a plagiarism controversy and production may be halted. Furthermore, it has been revealed that the victim is the nephew of the current Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, causing the fallout to spiral out of control.
— I am devastated that stealing the soul of creators was not filtered out even in a public broadcaster's competition. I will establish the Special Act for the Protection of Creative Works and Prevention of Plagiarism to cut the industry's unfair chains. Let's create a world that's "Jo Eunnara" for creativity!
“What the fuck...? The writer committed plagiarism, so why is my name at the front...? It looks like I did it....”
Even in the plagiarism controversy, Jo Eunnara was the one getting beaten at the forefront.
“This time there really won't be any problems, Nara.”
“I don't think so.”
“Trust me, damn it!”
But the world was far too cruel to Jo Eunnara.
— Top star A was caught drunk driving early this morning....
— Popular actor B's drug scandal....
— Actor C, who was in the middle of filming a highly anticipated work, has been exposed for speculation and tax evasion, shocking the public....
— Director D, once called Korea's pride, has been revealed to be a habitual gambler....
And over a long period of time, Jo Eunnara gradually darkened.
“Fuck, I don't trust anyone in this industry. They're all crazy. All sons of bitches.”
“Nara, I think luck has to be on your side somehow. Do you know about luck-cleansing methods? I'll take responsibility for everything.”
“Come to think of it, you're one of the people in this industry too, right? I don't trust you either.”
“Come on. Let's attract good fortune by doing good deeds. We'll start by picking up trash off the ground!”
— Actor Jo Eunnara has become embroiled in a ridiculous incident. He was accused of illegal littering after a citizen misunderstood a photo taken while he was doing a good deed and picking up trash from the ground.... Jo Eunnara's agency has submitted nearby vehicle dashcam footage as evidence....
“FUCK!!!”
Yet the harder life became, the brighter Jo Eunnara's face shone.
A gloomy, crooked beauty worthy of the phrase “rebel of the era.”
And that drove all the lunatic moths in this industry insane.
“I'll challenge him! Kraaagh...!”
“I'll definitely make it! Kraaagh...!”
“I'll turn Jo Eunnara into a top actor— Kraaagh...!”
Despite laying waste to countless production companies, directors, writers, and broadcasters with his overwhelming bad luck, love calls still came pouring in.
That was why.
“What will become of our Nara in the end....”
“Hyung. Stop saying things that make you sound like some patriot. At least keep them to yourself.”
“Did I say it out loud again? Sorry. I worry about our Nara day and night....”
After having two consecutive flights to Russia canceled due to bad weather and finally boarding one—
“Ah....”
Jo Eunnara heard the scandal news the moment he got off.
JC ENM.
Manager Hong, whose eyes had seemed half-closed, suddenly opened them sharply.
“Everyone.”
A perfect opportunity had arrived to seize the spotlight properly.
“Let's shift the focus again.”
