Free Web NovelThe one-episode short drama caused a miracle.
“Right! So now the Drama Center Director is, the Drama Center Director is—!”
Knock knock-.
A neat knock sounded, and the door opened. The Drama Center Director, his face full of smiles, greeted them while holding the hand of the freshly debuted rookie director.
“This is great, really great! Yesterday’s ratings were good, and the reporters’ reactions are excellent too! As for netizens—well, that goes without saying.”
The Drama Center Director’s voice was brimming with excitement. It was clearly good news.
“Let’s try uploading this short drama to the Intube channel. Wouldn’t it be great if we cut it like a 10-minute web drama? Views, likes, comments—all of it!”
It hadn’t been long since Jegal Rok and JC ENM had opened a new horizon with <ParCheHi>. Everyone was just beginning to realize the importance of Intube.
“Buzz volume is what matters most, isn’t it? Especially when the Intube market is surging like this! And this is a show led by an actor who used to be an Intube star.” ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
Among the three terrestrial broadcasters, MBS—considered the trendiest—seemed eager to seize the opportunity faster than the others.
It also hadn’t been long since their Web Content Division had been newly launched. Employees transferred to the department managing Intube complained.
“This is a ‘new department’ in name only—this is basically exile, isn’t it?”
“What are we supposed to do with Intube anyway? If we just clip videos and upload them, people will watch.”
“New content. Does this even make money? At best, kids will watch it a little. How much ad revenue could that bring in?”
First-tier was terrestrial broadcasting. Second-tier was cable. Third-tier was Intube. That was the natural perception. Yet now the first-tier was being told to imitate the third-tier.
It went without saying that their pride was cracked. Most of them muttered that this was just copying JC’s Jegal Rok, that even Jegal Rok had lost his touch.
“Assistant Director! Yesol! Let’s try hitting the Trending Videos list too.”
It sounded ridiculous. The video had already been released, and any viewer who knew Han Yeoreum had likely already seen the short drama.
It might get a decent number of views, but climbing all the way to Trending Videos was unrealistic.
“...Trending Videos.”
But somehow.
It felt like it might actually work.
The eyes of Director So, still soaked in fatigue and a hangover, gleamed.
“Yes. I’ll cut it into five or six episodes.”
“That’s it! Exactly. You really have a young sense. Huh?”
If it was Han Yeoreum, it felt like she could turn the impossible into the possible.
* * *
Ding-!
「Mission: You on the Screen」
Keyword: TV Debut
You’ve arrived in a wider world! Congratulations. You’ve successfully made your TV debut. Let’s keep going and cross over to an even bigger screen.
Success Condition
[You appeared on a terrestrial broadcasting station.]
“Yes!”
At last, the mission was completed. Rewards followed one after another. Text streamed across the status window.
[Popularity increases]
Popularity: D >>> D+
[Delivery] increases
Delivery: C >>> C+
[Title] acquired
Title: Pi Chaewon
Ba-pa-bam-!
The moment the title was written. A golden sparkle appeared beside it along with a fanfare sound effect.
[More than 100,000 people recognize you as [Pi Chaewon]. A [Title] is another name by which the public frequently refers to you. Let’s collect words that can be attached to the front when someone points you out.]
“So the character really does become me.”
It would’ve been better if they remembered my real name, but this was fine. I was someone who had only ever played roles like Screaming Woman 1, Onlooking Woman 1, Woman Sitting in Restaurant ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ 3.
“And there’s that thing, you know.”
When a character and an actor fit so perfectly—when you act as if that character is truly alive—people call you by the role’s name instead of your real one.
“This one packs more impact!”
As if agreeing with me, the status window delivered the final reward.
[Lucky Points 700p] acquired
Current Lucky Points: 1,100p
Then, since the mission was complete and I’d gained a title—
“Should I use what I got last time?”
I entered the inventory. The skill draw ticket I’d obtained earlier sparkled as if it had been waiting for me.
* * *
Reporter Wi Jaehwi’s intuition as Deduck.B proved correct almost immediately.
‘The views are way higher than expected...!’
It wasn’t quite on par with Do Gyeoul’s interview about her new drama shoot, but it had followed close behind.
‘Even for a rising star, this momentum is frighteningly strong right now.’
There had been modest reactions on community boards, and he already knew that his friend, the Deduck Aetami, had posted promotional screenshots of <No Interest Whatsoever>.
But even so, it shouldn’t have gathered this much firepower.
“What is it, exactly?”
Putting his profession to use, Reporter Wi began searching. When he searched <No Interest Whatsoever>, his own article appeared alongside a line of others.
“...This is it! This is the one!”
@SunwooSeonuk
We say we want no interest at all, yet we become so terribly lonely—our everyday lives. Certain moments that naturally melt into you within 60 minutes.
RT 2213 Likes 1,000
It was a post by Sunwoo Seonuk, widely regarded as Korea’s top critic. Reporter Wi smiled and hit the RT button.
‘Now even a critic...!’
His chest swelled with emotion.
Yeoreum had debuted through a web drama and was in a position where she could easily be labeled a B-grade romantic comedy actress. Yet she had taken the lead in a terrestrial short drama, and critics were responding positively to its strong quality.
‘At this growth rate, a mini-series lead really might not be far off!’
Pressing his lips together to keep his expression in check, Reporter Wi looked at the article view counts.
The interview with Do Gyeoul holding first place would likely remain unchanged until next month. The impact of a top former child actress returning after a hiatus was something a rising star couldn’t beat.
‘Still, reaching second place is impressive. Of course it is. It’s Do Gyeoul, after all.’
1. [Do Gyeoul Speaks Her Truth, “Turning Twenty? I’m Excited and Scared...” The Story Behind Her Casting as a Romance Lead]
2. [Youth Headed to a Place with No Interest in Each Other, MBS Short Drama <No Interest Whatsoever>]
MBS’s next drama was set to be revealed soon. They had to erase the poor performance of the previous work that ended early, so it was obvious they’d flood the press aggressively.
‘It’ll drop in a few days... but still, well done.’
Do Gyeoul took first place on name value, but Yeoreum took second place on the strength of the work itself—that felt new to Reporter Wi.
After glancing at the articles lined up side by side, he busied himself with his main work once again. Just as Yeoreum had always thought, the entertainment industry never slowed down.
If you didn’t show something, you sank immediately. Actors and idols, singers and announcers, even models—all were desperate to feed new stories to Daily Media.
MBS’s new dramas, actors, and staff, rival networks’ competing shows airing in the same time slot, and the entertainment industry’s endless incidents—all filled Daily Media without pause.
And then, a week later, an unexpected article took first place on Daily Media.
[Critic Sunwoo Seonuk’s Contrasting Reviews... “Well-Plated but Tasteless” vs “Modest but Hearty”]
It was an article comparing Do Gyeoul’s and Han Yeoreum’s acting through Sunwoo Seonuk’s evaluations.
* * *
Jegal Rok nodded slightly as he scrolled through the article.
“A solid analysis.”
It wasn’t a cheap piece that simply borrowed Sunwoo Seonuk’s words. The article sharply criticized Do Gyeoul’s last work before her hiatus.
...However, public opinion largely holds that Do Gyeoul failed to fully immerse herself in the character. While there is no dispute over her exemplary and polished acting skills, netizens noted that compared to adult actors, she lacks the sustaining power that draws viewers in, commenting, “It might’ve worked without the child-actor portion,” and “The early part that should build the narrative actually feels dull,” expressing their disappointment. (omitted)
Seeing the reporter’s name, Jegal Rok recognized it. A journalist with a so-called old-guard temperament, uncharacteristic of entertainment reporters.
“Seriously, I’ve never seen him write something nice.”
It was strange he wasn’t a critic instead of a reporter.
Jegal Rok scrolled down to find Han Yeoreum’s name. In contrast to Do Gyeoul, the latter part praised Yeoreum favorably.
Ratings do not necessarily equate to quality. Nor does high quality always move viewers’ hearts. What is fun, what is well made, and what lingers long in memory—works that capture all three at once are never easy to come by.
Yet with decent ratings, respectable completion, and even an applause-worthy resonance, viewers who watched the MBS short drama <No Interest Whatsoever>, which concluded last week in the 3% range, praised it as “a rare gem” and “a mild but hearty taste.”
The combination of a freshly debuted rookie director and a new actress moved hearts in a somewhat rough, unpolished way. Critic Sunwoo Seonuk—
He even praised the decision to upload 10-minute clips in a web-drama format on the MBS Intube channel.
On Jegal Rok’s screen, Yeoreum’s photo appeared once more.
Lately, Han Yeoreum was the actress Jegal Rok was watching more closely than any other celebrity.
Click-.
Jegal Rok refreshed the page. It was time for the press releases he’d put out to start appearing as articles.
[JC ENM’s New Transformation into an <Actor Agency>... What’s Next?]
[After Idols, Will JC Claim the Title of Actor Powerhouse... “Look Forward to Versatile Actors,” Says Executive Director Jegal Rok]
Right on schedule, articles about JC’s new actor label dominated the portal sites. Rubbing his eyes, Jegal Rok turned his gaze to the calendar.
‘Finally, tomorrow.’
He couldn’t wait any longer. When interest flared, the rule was to throw more fuel on the fire. As everyone focused on who the first actor JC ENM would nurture would be—
[Han Yeoreum Meeting]
He intended to release Han Yeoreum’s name to the world.
