LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 92
– The drama is a bit different from what I expected.
– It has a sizzling flavor, but well…
– Joo Ha-rin is seriously really pretty, but isn’t she the female lead????
– No, no, no, she’s a supporting character.
– ???? Completely clueless.
<Dream Future>’s first broadcast.
A viewership rating of 15 percent was truly an encouraging achievement.
Only two dramas this year managed such ratings.
However, considering the investment and the quality of those two dramas, the success of <Dream Future> was shocking enough to flip the higher-ups’ perception upside down.
“Is this for real?”
That’s exactly how it felt.
The recognition of the director, Kim Pil-seok, also improved significantly.
Though he was already seen as a talented young director, now it’s essentially…
“He’s a problem solver, right?”
“Yeah, it’s true. No one wanted to take this on.”
“Of course, youth romance is essentially a dead genre…”
“To be honest, I was skeptical when the project proposal came out.”
That’s how much doubt circulated within the broadcasting station.
“More than anything…”
There was another figure of note within the drama team.
“That girl again.”
“Who? Oh~.”
At KMB’s drama team, there was a certain ‘kid’ that the long-term employees couldn’t forget.
Joo Seo-yeon.
The child actress who had caused a stir within the station with <The Moon That Hid the Sun>.
She made a dazzling return, making her name known.
“When Seo-yeon is involved, something feels different.”
“Oh, I know. The vibe is just off.”
A couple of the drama team staff spoke as they reviewed the first episode of <Dream Future>.
“Usually, the viewership peaks at the final highlight of an episode.”
“I know. But I heard that Joo Ha-rin’s audition scene had even higher ratings?”
“Yup. It was 2 percent more.”
It seems Director Kim Pil-seok personally put extra effort into that scene.
An adaptation that strayed a bit from the original script.
Although he discussed adjustments with the writer, it was essentially a gamble.
As the first episode, he needed to focus on the lead, yet he managed to give attention to Joo Ha-rin as well.
Of course, the result turned out to be a major success.
“So, the actress playing Song So-ha is Cha Na-hee, right?”
“Must be tough for her. On top of that, she’s an idol.”
In reality, the fans of the girl group Cha Na-hee belonged to were raising a ruckus.
“Why did you minimize our Na-hee’s role!?” they felt.
“But it didn’t really increase her presence. Joo Ha-rin’s appearance really was under 10 minutes. Even when combined, that’s all.”
“Ten minutes in a one-hour show. Song So-ha had at least double that.”
In fact, Joo Ha-rin’s screen time wasn’t significantly different from that of the other four main leads who weren’t Kim Si-hwan and Song So-ha.
Ten minutes.
Even that was including joint appearances, so individual time was likely even shorter.
The first appearance part and the audition scene.
Yet, it resonated much more with viewers than Song So-ha, who filled the screen three times more than her.
Thus, Joo Ha-rin didn’t really do anything wrong.
The change was just that she ‘passed with singing instead of dancing.’
But why the reaction then?
It’s her acting skills.
The impact of the scenes magnified several times more than Song So-ha, leading the audience to mistake Joo Ha-rin as having a ‘larger presence.’
After watching the drama, whenever the topic arose, they’d mention the most impressive scene.
That gave a significant advantage to <Dream Future>’s early popularity, but not everyone was pleased with it.
“I wasn’t okay with it.”
The writer Lim Jin-ha murmured in an unpleasant tone.
“Oh, why’s that? Writer Lim! This is great, it’s going to be a hit!”
“……”
Baek Tae-soo PD, who had a good relationship with him in the drama department, tried to comfort Lim Jin-ha.
He was one of the well-established PDs at KMB.
If a few years passed, he’d probably be among those eyed for the next drama department head position.
He had a chance in the past, but at that time, someone much more competent than him had been in contention, so he had to bitterly give up.
“Clearly, he couldn’t sing well on variety shows.”
“Oh, I saw that. Wasn’t it Joo Seo-yeon? Her?”
“Yeah, that’s why I agreed… And she nailed it.”
Was that also an act?
How could she sing so impressively in that scene?
Anyway, Lim Jin-ha didn’t like it.
‘Not my cup of tea.’
Originally, Joo Ha-rin was a character forced into the script.
Only added as seasoning when Song So-ha needed a link with Kim Si-hwan.
But that seasoning was overshadowing the main dish.
In some ways, this wasn’t entirely a wrong thought.
Minor characters shouldn’t overshadow the lead.
Yet Lim Jin-ha’s feelings were somewhat different.
Above all.
‘What’s going on with Park Jung-woo?’
Lim Jin-ha was a fan of Park Jung-woo.
He had pushed for him since the casting was finalized.
So he wasn’t fond of Seo-yeon, who was unusually friendly with Park Jung-woo.
‘Sure, that’d be nice.’
But even so, there was little a drama writer could do.
Typically, drama writers have weak power.
Especially those with nearly rookie experience like him.
If it hadn’t been for Baek Tae-soo PD having a hit, he wouldn’t have been able to speak up at all.
But, turning it around, Lim Jin-ha had the opportunity to voice his concerns now.
“I think we should reduce her influence a bit.”
“Hmm? Why? Things are going well…”
“She’s overshadowing the female lead.”
“That’s true but…”
Even so, Seo-yeon had greatly boosted <Dream Future>’s ratings.
But if her presence is lessened…
‘However, a drama where the lead gets overshadowed isn’t likely to do well.’
Currently, the show was thriving on Seo-yeon’s popularity, but who knows how long that would last?
Easing Cha Na-hee’s role might not be a bad idea.
Lim Jin-ha simply wanted to let Seo-yeon shine, but Baek Tae-soo felt Cha Na-hee’s performance was also commendable.
If she were empowered a bit more, her charm as the leading lady might shine.
“Alright, I’ll talk to PD Shin Yoon and Director Kim.”
“Yeah, always thankful. You know I appreciate you, PD Baek?”
“Oh yes, I know.”
With a snicker, PD Baek contacted PD Shin Yoon.
He wasn’t seeking significant script revisions.
Just a casual greeting, really.
*
<Dream Future> is a Monday-Tuesday drama.
The 2nd episode that aired the following day brought about another wave of impact.
The viewership numbers skyrocketed after witnessing Joo Ha-rin’s live scene, which was shockingly astonishing.
The content was ordinary.
The six leads who succeeded in the auditions were all assigned to Team C.
A total of 100 passed the first-round auditions.
Half out of 200 failed.
Among them, Song So-ha was significantly shaken.
To make it to the finals, she had to stay in Group A until the end but barely made it to Group C.
Plus, other members of Group C were quite formidable, which drained her confidence.
“If it’s tough, just give up. I mean, what are you even holding on to?”
At that moment, a blonde guy with piercings spoke those words.
Park Min-yul, who received praise for his rap and dance.
He just didn’t seem to click with Song So-ha.
The next mission also required all six members to perform as one unit.
She felt no confidence.
– Is Park Min-yul that Ma Yeon-woo?
– Didn’t they say his character is refreshing and cheerful???
– Cheerful??? Sounds just like Ma Yeon-woo’s actual personality!!!
Given the reactions regarding Park Min-yul, adjustments had to be made to Ma Yeon-woo’s character.
Being an idol, his acting had limits, so his character was slightly adjusted to fit his original personality.
This was also thanks to Lim Jin-ha, who adored Ma Yeon-woo.
The second episode depicted Song So-ha’s struggles.
The team tries various things but finds no success.
They fight and fight again.
Eventually, with just one day left until the final mission.
Unable to practice properly in Group C, Song So-ha goes outside for personal practice.
What’s commonly referred to as busking.
The next mission involved the six showcasing guerrilla performances on the street.
“Why are you going alone?”
Chasing after her was only Kim Si-hwan.
The two exchanged small smiles and stepped out onto the street for practice.
– What kind of vibe is this?
– Uh-oh.
– Why would you do the audition mission on the street?
– Why not? It can be done!
Anyway, concerns about the somewhat weak script arose.
At that moment, just as the live chat was about to ignite,
“It seems nobody’s watching.”
was what Song So-ha said.
Both Kim Si-hwan and Song So-ha focused mainly on singing.
As such, there wasn’t much visual spectacle.
Even if they sang their hearts out, there were truly no performances.
Perhaps what <Produce Star 200> was looking for wasn’t this.
“But it’s better than doing nothing.”
They both laughed and sang until the sun began to set.
They had a two-hour window to sing on the street.
That was nearly their limit, yet the audience paid minimal attention to them.
As they grew tired, at that moment…
“Ha, these pesky fools.”
In came Park Min-yul, who had ridiculed Song So-ha, holding a microphone.
– ?
– Wait, is this really happening…?
– Wait a minute, is this serious?
The chat, which was about to ignite, began to burn in a different sense.
Park Min-yul appeared, gripping the mic.
Could it really be…
Everyone thought, just at the moment of doubt.
Park Min-yul began walking, rapping.
– Damn!
– Flip the lights back on as you enter!
– Ah, I completely forgot this was that kind of drama since Episode 1.
With Park Min-yul’s sudden rap, the attention from the surrounding people gradually shifted towards them.
Those who had previously ignored Kim Si-hwan and Song So-ha’s singing now began to focus on them.
And that wasn’t all.
As Park Min-yul moved, the other three from Group C followed suit.
Ha Yoo-seong, Joo Ha-rin, and Jin Hye-min began to walk along.
Ha Yoo-seong started rapping alongside Park Min-yul.
The remaining duo joined in with energetic dancing as they marched on.
– Whooah!!!
– I think I’m going crazy!
– Who wrote this script?
– Ah.
– Please stop, damn it!
“Hey, guys!!”
With a bright face, Song So-ha shouted.
Thus began the rehearsal of Group C.
Surrounding audiences gathered, starting to cheer for them.
– Wait a minute.
– Did everybody collectively get hypnotized?
– If you want to wreck the drama, just say it clearly!
– I’ve told my friend it’s fun, though.
– Didn’t your friend stay kind enough?
As the performance of Group C started,
despite struggling to suppress a laugh at the absurdity of the scene,
– They’re actually good!
– Too many good songs are coming out for no reason at all.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t just satisfactory.
Despite the cheesy moments, the actual scene direction was really impressive.
You could definitely feel the effort put into the songs.
Thus concluded <Dream Future> Episode 2, introducing shock and awe.
Various online community responses mostly expressed absurdity.
– I might keep watching since I’m not sure what to expect next.
– But this is unexpectedly enjoyable.
– The songs are great!
Reflecting that feedback from communities, the ratings landed at a remarkable 13 percent, a bit under Episode 1.
Especially the group performance section peaked at an impressive 18 percent.
However…
– Didn’t it feel like Joo Ha-rin’s presence was less in this episode?
– She didn’t really have a part in this, did she?
– That’s true.
It was oddly clear that Joo Ha-rin, who left a huge impact in the first episode, seemed to drop in presence.
Nonetheless, most thought it was inevitable due to plot circumstances.
“Great.”
Lim Jin-ha smiled upon seeing the community reactions.
Of course, it was not heavily rewritten or many scene changes made.
Just removing a few lines was enough.
‘If I gradually reduce it like this…’
By around Episode 8, she’d be almost invisible.
Lim Jin-ha chuckled at the thought.
However, he hadn’t considered one thing.
That evening, the 3rd teaser for <The Chaser> was released.
*
The 2nd teaser for <The Chaser> bore little difference from the first.
Finding out who the culprit is, two detectives.
And brutally murdered victims.
The pursuit of a culprit clad in a raincoat.
The only difference was that the face of Cha Seo-ah, the convenience store part-timer, appeared more frequently.
– Why is this extra being shown so much?
– They must be trying to use her rising popularity.
– Hmmm…
That led to those reactions.
Amid talks about <The Chaser>, the final 3rd teaser was released just before its debut.
– The visuals are indeed impressive.
– But there doesn’t seem to be any newly added scenes?
It was about a 2-minute video.
A montage of key scenes from the 1st and 2nd teasers.
Joo Seo-yeon, who had received backlash for her convenience store part-timer role, hardly appeared.
Thus, most viewers thought along the lines of,
“Oh, they must have cut her out after the 2nd teaser backlash.”
But then…
Shwaaaah
A downpour scene.
That was the exact scene frequently seen in the second teaser.
A chase between the two detectives.
Time and again cutting to a scene where they missed the culprit.
And there, quietly stood a small-framed perpetrator in a yellow raincoat.
Bang!
The fire axe in their hand clattered to the ground.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
With a heart-pounding background score echoing, the perpetrator’s hand slowly moved.
Everyone watching that scene gasped in disbelief.
“Could it finally be the face of the culprit revealed?”
Slowly, the camera adjusted upward, showing a sleek jawline.
The pale skin drenched from the rain caught the eye.
Finally…
Red eyes.
Bright red eyes shining in the dark.
Cha Seo-ah.
The woman who had only appeared as a convenience store part-timer until then.
Her reveal faded to black.
It felt like they had shown everything they wanted to display.
With the title <The Chaser> emerging softly on the pitch-black screen.
Naturally, all sorts of movie communities erupted in excitement.