Free Web Novel[Why are you crying?]
“Mom....”
I’m sorry. Mom, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I couldn’t be a daughter you could be proud of back then. I’m sorry I couldn’t become a good actress even though you believed I could....
All the things I never got to say came rushing up in choking waves. I moved my trembling hands.
“I... today I filmed a commercial.... Hic. And I bought you shoes as a gift.... But, Mom, where you’re staying right now.... Sniff. I don’t know the address....”
[You filmed a commercial? What kind of commercial?]
“Y’know those Pi Chaewon sneakers? She signed a model contract with them.”
[An agency, commercials too.... Our Yeoreum really became a celebrity, huh?]
I nodded. My vision kept blurring so badly I couldn’t see Mom properly.
She was saying something, but her hands were blurry, so I couldn’t make it out well. Maybe she was just happy to see my face after so long—she kept moving her hands nonstop, signing.
“She’s asking if you’re eating properly, how school is, if you’re doing okay. Oh, and she said <No Interest Whatsoever> was really fun.”
Han Taeyang said it for her. I moved my hands to reply.
“Wasn’t it boring without subtitles?”
[No. Because you were in it, it was so, so fun. I even told people you’re my daughter.]
Why would she brag about a kid who never even called? I kept rubbing at my burning eyes. Only then did Mom’s face on the phone screen come into focus.
“Mom, later on, I’ll be in lots and lots of domestic dramas and movies. I’ll put subtitles on everything so you can enjoy them, okay?”
Maybe she thought I was joking—Mom smiled brightly.
I’m not joking, Mom. I’m serious. Once the OTT market really opens up, you’ll be able to watch everything. You won’t even need to watch foreign movies.
[Then Mom will wait for sure, okay?]
Before the regression or after it, Mom was the same. She always waited for me.
‘But this time, I won’t make you wait too long.’
Even after the call ended, the tears wouldn’t stop. The seaweed soup that had been warm was completely cold by then.
“Pick one. Either cry, or eat.”
“This seaweed soup is fucking salty.... Han Taeyang, you can’t cook for shit....”
“What the fuck are you talking about. It’s good.”
Watching me shovel rice into my mouth while crying my eyes out, Han Taeyang pressed a hand to his forehead.
What was I supposed to do if the crying wouldn’t stop? If I’d called after eating, I wouldn’t be stuck eating salty seaweed soup like this. So.
“You do the dishes too.... Why is it so damn salty....”
“Are you actually insane.”
Two days later, a photo arrived—Mom wearing the sneakers N Company had sent.
[They’re too pretty to wear~^^ Thank you. My daughter.]
[And this too he I was just so happy to see it]
The next photos that came through were of my face.
My N Company ad photo was wrapped around a bus. Not just buses—my face was plastered on store exteriors and websites. And most of all, on the portal site’s shopping tab.
Trending Searches
▶︎1. Pi Chaewon sneakers
▶︎2. Sweatshirts
▶︎3. Fall knitwear
My name appeared again.
‘It’s a shame it’s not called Han Yeoreum sneakers, but....’
I couldn’t even put into words how it felt—to imprint the very first character I’d ever played as a lead this deeply into people’s minds.
It hadn’t even been that long since sales started, but reviews were already piling up, and “Pi Chaewon sneakers” were popping up all over SNS. As N Company’s first model, it was an undeniable success.
“Someday, they’ll call them Han Yeoreum sneakers.”
Ding—!
「Misson The You in Their Heads」
Keyword: Image
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Success Condition
[Further strengthen the title ‘Iconic Rookie’ among an audience of over 100,000 people.]
Rewards
[Recognition] increase
[Title] acquired freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
[Lucky Points 1,000p] acquired
Right on cue, the next mission was assigned.
* * *
The copyright contract for <Strange Tales> was finally complete. Jegal Rok, who had purchased the web novel license, moved straight into full-scale meetings.
“Our goal is to air it next summer. We’re planning pre-production, so let’s push through to the pre-production stage as quickly as possible.” frёeωebɳovel.com
The schedule followed the expected trajectory. It was a ghost-story setting that fit summer perfectly.
“What level of investors are you considering? If you let us know, we’ll narrow it down and send you a list. Recently, the Chinese side that supported our investments has mentioned <Strange Tales>.”
“We have no intention of accepting any Chinese investment.”
No one had expected that. The room stirred.
“Are you saying this will be a JC ENM solo production?”
“With the nature of a historical drama, sponsorships and PPL are practically nonexistent. In that case, recouping the investment costs will be—”
It was a time when K-dramas, led by K-POP, were dominating the Asian market. Saying they would give up the Chinese market outright was nothing short of reckless.
No one present could understand why he would abandon a perfectly good revenue stream to take such a risk.
“This is the most favorable period for Korea–China co-productions. As you know, the return on investment is significant. Director, please reconsider just once—”
Jegal Rok shook his head briefly.
There would be no reversal. The executives in attendance let out quiet sighs.
“Soon enough, the Chinese pipeline will be blocked. If we rashly accept Chinese investment now, managing funds will become even harder. In the worst-case scenario, the project could collapse midway, making it impossible to recover the investment.”
His tone was almost one of certainty. But no one in the room truly understood what he meant.
“Director! The number of love calls coming from China alone is enormous. Not only are celebrity fandoms growing stronger, even works that failed to perform domestically are achieving great results in China.”
“That’s right. The market is steadily expanding. From investors to distributors, China is pouring in more and more money—”
“That’s exactly the problem.”
Jegal Rok’s voice rang heavily through the conference room.
“What kind of lunatic would be happy watching his money leak out nonstop?”
“......”
“I’m asking—what lunatic wouldn’t be greedy after stuffing hundreds of billions into someone else’s wallet?”
The idea that China would keep handing over blind money forever carried its own logic.
“They’re waiting for a chance too. A chance to cut off the flow of money into Korea. When a market grows abnormally large, that’s when it’s most dangerous.”
Only then did uneasy gazes start drifting through the air. If Jegal Rok’s prediction came true, the domestic media industry would be shaken to its core.
“<Strange Tales> will be produced solely by JC ENM. We won’t make any deals whatsoever with Chinese investors. Only JC. As for where it will air, we’ll consider that later.”
He explained a meticulously prepared plan, as if he’d been ready for this all along.
“We’ll develop other overseas markets. Let’s move into Southeast Asia—Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and beyond.”
“Are you saying you expect purchasing power from Southeast Asian fandoms?”
An executive who still couldn’t let go of the Chinese market asked. It wasn’t an unreasonable concern—Blu-ray and merchandise sales were notoriously low in Southeast Asia.
“Director. It’s a historical drama, and on top of that, a ghost-story-based narrative. It’ll be hard enough to draw ratings from overseas viewers.”
“Exactly. We understand Director Jegal Rok’s reasoning, but it’s a fusion historical drama. With no profit to be expected from PPL, and with a Southeast Asian viewer base that’s active on SNS but has weak purchasing power—”
The voices carried a sense of desperation, as if begging him to reconsider. Jegal Rok nodded lightly. For a moment, it seemed like hope might take root.
“Which is precisely why.”
“...Pardon?”
