Chapter 63: Rollercoaster

༺ Rollercoaster ༻

[‘Showbiz Studies’ starts with a fierce standoff between the male and female leads. From disaster to love?]

[‘Showbiz Studies’ Kwon Do-jun sheds light on the darker aspects of the entertainment industry.]

[TV Highlights ‘Showbiz Studies’ Episode 1]

[KBK’s new Thursday mini-series starts with a smooth sail. Youth stars are all on board, fans fixing their channels on the show.]

[‘Showbiz Studies’s’ Kim Hana. A vibrant female lead continuing the legacy of ‘Lovers in Paris’.]

[‘Showbiz Studies’ The subtle chemistry between Yoon Bohyung and Kim Hana. More than friends, less than lovers?]

The FD was glued to the computer, reading each new article that came up, while cheers erupted in the hall.

The articles were overwhelmingly positive. They could only hope that the ratings would be as good tomorrow.

‘It’s inconvenient not having a smartphone at times like this…’

Yoomyeong regretfully looked down at his old black Motorola phone. After all, his name appeared occasionally in the articles. If it had been after the era of smartphones, he would have been constantly refreshing and taking screenshots of each article.

‘Is it actually a blessing in disguise to not have a smartphone now?’

“Oh, Bohyung is getting good responses too! His article share is comparable to the leads.”

Bae Ok-jin offered him a drink.

“It’s all thanks to their filming skills.”

“What are you talking about? It’s rare to find an actor of your age who can naturally immerse into a role.”

“That’s right.”

Lee Ok-hyung, who was particularly fond of him, joined in.

“There’s another article!”

[‘Showbiz Studies’ started a week late. Can it beat ‘Defense of Dignity’ in the ratings?]

[A clear divide is predicted among the viewership. Who will be the winner of the Wednesday-Thursday mini-series battle?]

They wouldn’t know if the ratings would cause a stir or a celebration until they were out, but everyone was running on a high for now.

“Brother, let’s have a drink.”

“Sure. You did well, Hana. It’s a long road ahead, but let’s keep pushing!”

“Ah! Don’t suddenly pop out like that when we’re not filming, Bohyung! You’re making me excited!”

After a drink, Harin became more lively even though there weren’t any cameras rolling and smacked Yoomyeong’s back.

Wasn’t this the same energy as his younger sibling?

Yoomyeong laughed joyfully and downed his drink.

*

The next morning.

Waking up at his home in Suwon, Yoomyeong nervously clicked on the website of the ratings company, NS.

Click—

KBK ‘Showbiz Studies’

Episode 1: 18.01%

“Wow!”

Yoomyeong exclaimed.

PD Bang Hak had talked about hoping for 20% for the first episode, but he hadn’t expected that much.

Given that a 16-episode drama when he was in graduate school back then had averaged just under 20% in ratings, the viewership ratings of its first episode would have been in the early 10s.

But now, 18%—was this the butterfly effect of him joining?

Yoomyeong was determined to ensure that this drama’s momentum wouldn’t stop there.

“Let’s see, ‘Defense of Dignity’…”

Episode 3: 18.5%.

There was a slight increase from last week. Though slightly higher than ‘Showbiz Studies’, considering that it was their second week, these numbers could easily flip, maybe even tonight.

{The results are quite good, kyung~.}

“Yes, it’s better than expected.”

{That’s not enough. It should go higher.}

“Of course.”

Miho, feigning disinterest while glancing at the ratings, subtly encouraged him.

Filled with joy, Yoomyeong ruffled Miho’s fur and rushed into the living room.

{Hey! What are you doing, nyan?!}

“Mom, our ratings are 18%!”

“Are you up? Jiyeon already finished watching it live. You must have been tired since you slept in.”

The smell of Miso soup wafted through the air, and the sound of frying eggs tickled his ears.

Yoomyeong glanced at the clock and saw that it was already 10 AM. He wished he had breakfast with his father, but he must have already left for work. Yoomyeong resolved to have dinner together with him.

“Your dad said not to wake you because you’d be tired. He said yesterday’s episode was so fun, and you were the coolest.”

Yoomyeong was about to get emotional, but Jiyeon quickly changed the subject.

“Wow, you’re really laying it on thick with the cuteness… I almost cringed to death.”

“Shin Jiyeon! Stop doing that to your brother!”

His mother chimed in with the usual banter.

“Brother really knows how to turn on the charm. But I saw Inha looking at him with hearts in her eyes, you know?”

“Oh, Inha too?”

“Not just Inha. Brother, it’s not just about the ratings now. The fan forums are going wild.”

Jiyeon gestured to the site open on her laptop, and Yoomyeong hurried over.

[Showbiz Studies Episode 1]

└ A loyal subject dies for a lord who recognizes them, so Hana should go to Bohyung, who recognizes her.

└ I should leave a Bohyung at my dad’s place.

└ I’m from Baek Seunghyo’s fan café. Kwon Do-jun, you’re being bad, but I still love you…

└ I want to raise a Bohyung. Is anyone willing to give one away?

“I checked, and you even got a fan café overnight.”

Yoomyeong was astonished. He had thought that playing an attractive character well would bring him some popularity, but he hadn’t expected such a response after just one episode.

*

Throughout the day, congratulatory texts and calls poured in.

It came from members of the Oedipus club, friends and juniors, Sung-jin and Jun-han from Changcheon, and distant acquaintances whose names were even hard to remember.

That night, Yoomyeong sat with his family in front of the TV, scratching his head in slight embarrassment.

“Mom, the recording is all set!”

“Great. Come and sit down, it’s already starting!”

Episode 2 began.

“Mr. Kwon Do-jun, I might be plain, poor, and even run errands for your drinks, but I’m a human too! I’m a human!”

The last scene of Episode 1, which ended with Hana finally bursting out in anger was, of course, just in her imagination.

‘…I just want to scream that at him and quit right there… Aaah!’

She swallowed the anger rising to her throat, remembering her grandmother’s illness and her own dreams.

“What are you staring at? Hurry up and go get me a different drink! Not something this cold, but a lukewarm drink!”

“…Yes.”

After being tormented by Kwon Do-jun all day, Hana trudged home wearily.

When Bohyung greeted her with a bright smile, she felt a surge of sadness and slumped against the wall. Bohyung sat down next to her.

“What’s wrong, Hana?”

“It’s nothing… it’s just that today…”

“What happened today? Who did this to you?”

“Hey, why are you crying, too…? Huhu…”

Hana confessed Do-jun’s cruelty, which lasted for days, and Bohyung comforted her gently.

Though his voice was soft, the camera close-up on Bohyung’s face showed a chilling expression, piquing curiosity about his inner thoughts.

Then came that controversial comment.

“It’s similar to a hierarchy, those dogs…”

“…Saying they’re dogs is a bit much…”

“Not ‘dogs’, but a ‘hierarchy’. Take the hierarchy of the Chinese zodiac for example. There’s the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig! Those at the bottom of the food chain assert their power the moment they get a bit of leverage.”

It was a comment that sparked laughter. Indeed, Hana burst into incredulous laughter.

But then, the focus shifted to Bohyung’s face.

Amidst her laughter, his sharp and piercing gaze cut through, causing the viewers to tense up involuntarily.

“Bullies like them need a taste of their own medicine…”

Watching the TV, Jiyeon’s eyes briefly scanned Yoomyeong and then returned to the screen, her expression suggesting, ‘Is that really the person I know?’

After calming Hana down, Bohyung made a phone call.

“Yes, Manager. Exactly like that. Yes.”

Bohyung gave instructions to a mysterious man on the other end of the line.

Soon, another call came in. With an unsmiling, cold face, Bohyung nodded slightly.

“Where are you going, Bohyung? It’s 10 o’clock.”

“I’ll be back soon. I might be a bit late.”

“What time will you be back? You’re… coming back, right?”

Hana asked Bohyung, now a regular part of her life, with a hint of anxiety. Bohyung reassured her with a warm tone, any hint of coldness in his voice gone.

“Of course. I’ll bring Grandma’s favorite Ghana chocolate. See you in the morning.”

The emotions soared rapidly, the change almost dizzying.

*

In the next scene, Bohyung confronted Do-jun one-on-one.

“Hmm… An actor’s duty is to act, but what about a human being’s duty?”

“Sorry?”

Bohyung shook Kwon Do-jun’s confidence to its core.

“See? If we were just looking at shells, then I’d be in a position to speak informally to you. But I’m still using honorifics, aren’t I?”

When Bohyung’s arrogant lines were delivered, the camera close-up focused not on the speaker, but on the listener, Kwon Do-jun.

An actor with sky-high pride.

The humiliating defeat he felt despite always being praised.

Yet, knowing better than to retaliate, he bit his lip in frustration.

Sigh—

Jiyeon sighed as she watched. Despite knowing that it was poetic justice, she couldn’t help but feel pity for the visibly shattered pride of top actor Kwon Do-jun.

Had there ever been a drama that crushed its male lead to the ground so early on?

Writer Yook Mi-young could take such a bold step because she had a character that could carry the ratings until the broken Kwon Do-jun could reassemble himself and win the audience’s love.

It was the supporting character who shined in the early part of the show.

The reason Kwon Do-jun evoked sympathy without Bohyung being disliked in this scene was due to a perfect balance of acting and editing.

And from that point on, Kwon Do-jun changed.

“Teacher, how was that just now?”

“…I’ll do it again.”

“Again.”

“One more time.”

The wounded actor, as if trying to find his pride in acting, immersed himself in practice.

Even though he was already renowned as a top actor, Kwon Do-jun devoted himself to sculpting his character. His efforts painted a picture of a wounded beast, licking its wounds in a desperate yet pitiable way.

‘He’s really an actor of outstanding talent, one of the best among those in their 20s…’

Yoomyeong nodded in agreement.

As Baek Seunghyo himself had mentioned, the role of Kwon Do-jun couldn’t be easily tackled without confidence in one’s acting ability.

If the acting did not live up to the character’s status as a top actor in the story, the performance would be mocked as unworthy of a ‘top actor’.

Yet, Baek Seunghyo’s portrayal of Kwon Do-jun was convincingly powerful, making one acknowledge his prowess as an actor.

And for some reason, his performance was even better than what Yoomyeong remembered when he was in graduate school.

“I am Kim Hana, the road manager for actor Kwon Do-jun.”

And in Episode 2, the charm of Hana, who supported such an actor, shone through.

Do-jun, who was suffering from tailbone pain due to the unfamiliar horseback riding he did for a shoot, found a soft cushion already placed in the van.

The kimbap was ordered without pickled radish, which he disliked, and the coffee perfectly matched his fussy taste.

Her presence on the set always brought laughter, improving even Do-jun’s reputation.

He misunderstood at first, wondering if she liked him, but he realized over time that Kim Hana’s attitude was consistent—towards a top star like himself, an unknown extra, and even an elderly lady picking up cardboard on the street.

She was just considerate and caring when it came to people, and had a gentle nature that noticed other people’s character and circumstances and made them comfortable without making them feel uneasy.

Watching her, he couldn’t help but recall ‘those unpleasant words’.

‘Is this what he meant by the quality of one’s core…?’

And then, on the set, when there was a sudden vacancy in a minor role…

“We need a young woman… Ah, someone with exactly that vibe.”

“…What? Me?”

Hana was chosen, and Episode 2 ended.

*

And then…

The eyes of Yoomyeong’s family turned towards him, filled with admiration and pride.

“Brother…”

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