Chapter 642

Maeng Byeonggwan kept himself busy. Ever since the article about Han Yeoreum collapsing came out, his typing speed had become faster than ever.

Input: Some people can work themselves to the bone and collapse and still have no one worrying about them T_T Must be nice being one of the new aristocracy lol

Beneath Maeng Byeonggwan’s comment, replies subtly taking digs at Han Yeoreum began piling up one after another. He smiled in satisfaction.

“The timing couldn’t be better!”

It was now February.

Not only was it the perfect time to prey on the anxiety of college students thrown straight into the job market upon graduation, it was also ideal for provoking job seekers who had failed the second-half open recruitment cycle.

Jeongdam and Management H were also going all in, tying Han Yeoreum’s collapse to broader social issues and using it to attack her.

“Perfect picture.”

<First-Year Class 1> stirred the public up over academic pedigree, while <Assistant Manager Kim’s Survival Story> did the same with employment, making it impossible for the response to Han Yeoreum to consist of 100% pure concern.

-Anonymous 1921: Wish I could collapse while drinking champagne in New York and have everyone worry about me too.. lolol

?Anonymous 1932: 222 Same^^ Wish I could mess around wearing a 7-billion-won diamond necklace and have people worry about me too lol

?Anonymous 1945: Honestly, is being a celebrity even that hard.. The staff do all the work anyway

?Anonymous 1956: I mean that’s true

[THE FLASH?“Beaming” in New York, “Exhausted” in Korea... Han Yeoreum Collapses Immediately After Returning Home]

The article Maeng Byeonggwan had promptly uploaded was already near the top of the portal-site rankings.

“They can’t immediately release the trailer because of Han Yeoreum. At least a few days should stay like this.”

This was what a proper world looked like. This was Maeng Byeonggwan’s justice being served.

The sense of duty of a journalist delivering facts to the ignorant masses with a pen sharper than any sword shone brightly.

[HOT/ Compilation of Han Yeoreum’s schedule leading up to her inevitable collapse.jpg] (2312)

“Seriously, who writes this kind of garbage? Though it’s pretty obvious just from looking at it.”

Meanwhile, some pathetic post written either by JC ENM or one of Han Yeoreum’s rabid fans was gaining popularity.

September 5 — <Dongdaemun Romance> premieres

Until then — filming + variety-show promotions right before premiere

November — finale + fan meeting preparations + leaves the country immediately after fan meeting

December — <Code Name: Time Seven> overseas location shoot + awards circuit + <Seoul Metropolitan City> promotions

January — <Seoul Metropolitan City> schedules + <Faster Than the Law 3> promotions + stage greetings

February — <Faster Than the Law 3> stage greetings until leaving for the US + LA then New York Fashion Week

Of course she collapsed with a schedule like this. The whole thing about her collapsing from drinking is literally just a rumor

-Anonymous 1: Flying overseas the SAME DAY her fan meeting ended, fuck, that’s seriously lololol

-Anonymous 6: Fr people are reaching so fucking hard. You can literally see Han Yeoreum working like a dog without a break, so why do people keep calling celebrities aristocrats? Han Yeoreum works more than a fucking peasant

?Anonymous 12: Ah fuck lololololololol TT_TT

-Anonymous 23: JC you fucking garbage company stop working people to death

-Anonymous 39: Most of the people mocking Han Yeoreum probably don’t even work a quarter of a quarter as much as she does.. lol

?Anonymous 42: (Shh meme.jpg) You’ll start a riot saying things like that;

-Anonymous 51: But I’m really sorry, I just want the drama to start soon...T_T Sorry I’m such a trash viewer

“Hmm. But there’s always another way around that.”

Input: Winner-takes-all structure? Celebrities ‘sweep up’ everything... The sorrow of unknown actors left without roles

It seemed perfect for constructing the narrative that there were no rising actresses in their twenties because Han Yeoreum had snatched up all the good scripts.

And that was when it happened.

“....”

JC ENM broke through the controversy in a way other than releasing the <Code Name: Time Seven> trailer. In an instant, the public’s attention scattered away from Han Yeoreum and toward something else entirely.

[Launch of Korea’s First OTT... All Three Broadcasters in One Place? ‘TV in’ Service Begins at the End of This Month]

“1,000 Won Cheaper Than Netholics”... Homegrown OTT ‘TV in’ Makes Surprise Debut, Major Upheaval Expected in Content Ecosystem

A massive platform poised to cause a seismic shift in Korea’s online video streaming service (OTT) market has finally been unveiled. JC’s integrated video platform ‘TV in’ has officially launched its large-scale service, declaring its intention to conquer the domestic media market. Broadcasting and media industry insiders predict that the launch of TV in will reshape the domestic OTT landscape in one fell swoop...(omitted)

The greatest weapon behind TV in’s launch is undoubtedly its overwhelming content lineup.

Unlike existing platforms, which were limited to specific broadcasters or genres, TV in has brought together not only flagship dramas and variety shows from the three terrestrial broadcasters (KBC, MBS, SBC), but also popular programs from leading cable channels such as tv M and OCM, as well as general programming channels, all in one place.

Korea’s first OTT.

TV in had arrived.

* * *

The moment the official articles appeared, the public went wild. And it wasn’t simply because this was Korea’s first OTT.

It was because JC ENM’s vicious determination to make people subscribe no matter what was baked into the service.

For example, suppose you had 100 million won and were playing a game where you had to give it to someone.

[Find someone who XX XX within 10 seconds!]

“Ah, wouldn’t you be able to find pretty much anyone?”

“As long as they’re not dead....”

“No matter how bad your eyesight is, for 100 million won, I feel like you could find anyone.”

And here were the words that filled the blanks.

‘doesn’t have XTalk’

At that point, everyone would give up.

“Ah, fuck. Who doesn’t use that?”

“Are you kidding me?”

“Even my great-great-grandmother uses it.”

The largest messenger app in Korea. An app with a staggering 49.63 million users.

If Netholics had teamed up with NEVER to draw in its first subscribers, JC ENM had joined hands with CocoaTalk.

Payment Convenience Maximized Through ‘Cocoa’ Integration... “Signing Up Now Is Definitely the Best Deal”

In terms of convenience, the barrier to entry for consumers has also been dramatically lowered. Through close integration with the nation’s go-to app, CocoaTalk, users can not only make easy payments through ‘CocoaPay,’ but can even gift subscriptions through ‘Cocoa Gifts.’

A ‘one-month subscription gift’ was 2,000 won cheaper than Netholics, and if you chose ‘gift to myself,’ you received 1,800 points.

And that wasn’t all.

[HOT/ JC ENM Has Apparently Transformed From a ?? (Original source) Fucking Garbage Company Into a Fucking Angel Company]

Sign up for TV in and you get Cocoa Taxi fare points + gift points + GCV ticket discounts + free CocoaTalk Emoticon Plus + 5% discounts at affiliated franchises

(TV in logo.jpg)

fucking angel company

-Anonymous 1: Holy shit now I don’t have to keep those shitty 10-minute Head Kick clips playing on Intube lololol time for a full binge

-Anonymous 5: I acknowledge the fucking angel company TT_TT

-Anonymous 10: T_T Nethol is mostly American shows so there was nothing for me to watch, this is fucking great

-Anonymous 18: (article link) Huh apparently they’re bringing in D-zny stuff too

?Anonymous 23: Holy shit how did they pull that off....?

-Anonymous 38: Canceling Nethol and just switching to TV in lol

?Anonymous 42: 222 Same

?Anonymous 57: 3333 People who are die-hard K-drama fans will probably have way more to watch on TV in anyway lol

And above all, D-zny.

Having decided to go with a shop-in-shop model, JC ENM secured the domestic streaming rights to the company’s works until D-zny Plus officially launched.

When the list of titles available on TV in was revealed, the public cheered.

It had everything from nostalgic movies and dramas to sitcoms and variety shows perfect for leaving on all day.

Jegal Rok pleasantly watched the portal-site headlines change.

From ‘Han Yeoreum Collapse’ to ‘Celebrity New Aristocracy,’ from ‘Thorny Road of the Employment Crisis’ and ‘The Importance of Academic Pedigree’ to ‘Korea’s First OTT’—the transition happened almost in an instant.

Only forty-eight hours had passed since Han Yeoreum collapsed.

“They should be responding about now.”

Just as interest in TV in was reaching its peak, Jegal Rok glanced at his wristwatch and calculated the timing.

And before long, exactly as he expected, Netholics took the bait.

[<Netholics> Produces New Original... Synopsis for <Those Who Deserve to Die> Revealed]

[Countdown to Early-June Filming... Netholics Original <Those Who Deserve to Die> Lineup]

[<Seoul Metropolitan City> Achieves 10 Consecutive Weeks at Netholics Global TOP 1... <Seoul Metropolitan City> Season 2 Enters Production]

[Seomun Ihwa Drops Bombshell: “Discussions Underway for <Seoul Metropolitan City 2>”... Broadcasting Industry Erupts]

Their desperation to keep people from canceling their subscriptions practically oozed from the headlines. Thanks to that, K-Drama buzz exploded.

Netholics’ free viral marketing immediately began raining down like a bombardment.

[Issue Board/ Apparently Foreigners Are Losing Their Shit Over This K-Drama Production News Too.jpg]

(Netholics official article.jpg)

It’s Seoul Metro fucking lololol It hasn’t even been that long since Season 1 ended and Seomun Ihwa said she wanted to make S2, looks like they rushed to get it ready

(foreign reactions.jpg)

They haven’t revealed the cast lineup so everyone’s freaking out over whether On Jihwa is dead or alive and whether Kim Kangil is actually dead or not. The only thing we know for sure is that Yoo Yeonji probably survived. Basically only Do Gyeoul is confirmed

(Marcus screaming and crying in real time.jpg)

On Jihwa Fathers Association losing their fucking minds rn

-Anonymous 1: I’m so fucking excited please TT__TT hurry up

-Anonymous 9: Guess I’m fucking glued to Nethol again then

-Anonymous 14: Myeong Jeha barely even had his helmet off and you’re sending him away like this? T_T Give us some fucking fanservice you lunatics

[Today’s BEST/ Newly Released Netholics Original <Those Who Deserve to Die> Synopsis + Cast.jpg]

(<Those Who Deserve to Die> synopsis.jpg)

(actor profile photos.jpg)

Noh Jeongyeon + Eun Baekhap + Han Yeoreum

And Park Jaeyoung + Ahn Junmyeong on top of that

my fucking heart is racing

let’s fucking go

-Anonymous 1: I can already hear the sound of my real life getting fucked;; Ahhhhh TT__TT

-Anonymous 4: Queen Baekhap is once again queenly striding straight into the flames

?Anonymous 9: That’s what makes her a queen

-Anonymous 13: Han Yeoreum’s entire filmography has been successful, but this one feels genuinely risky so it kinda hurts.. T_T Probably won’t be a huge hit

?Anonymous 29: Fr lol just because of the subject matter. Still gonna watch it though

-Anonymous 42: Director Park please unleash all the violence you kept bottled up in <Unfair Trade> in <Those Who Deserve to Die>

Real-time coverage of overseas reactions and domestic reactions, K-Drama’s international status, the launch of Korea’s first OTT and its battle with Netholics, the D-zny titles available on TV in, clips from nostalgic sitcoms, and more.

That was how JC ENM swallowed up every other drama through sheer buzz alone.

And finally.

“It’s my own work, but everyone keeps saying it looks like a movie? Something about how they just can’t look away.”

[At last, it’s going out into the world!!!]

The trailer for <Code Name: Time Seven> was released.

INTUBE

[<Code Name: Time Seven> Preview?A Battle Waged in the Name of God Begins]

00:59

Dong-. Dong-. Dong-.

A massive bell rang out with a clear, resonant tone. Inside a dim confessional, Han Yeoreum’s profile appeared, a mantilla covering her head as she clasped her hands together.

A priest wearing white gloves opened the little wooden window beyond the confessional screen with a clack.

Neither could see the other through the darkness. Kneeling, Han Yeoreum spoke quietly.

“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

Han Yeoreum’s voice as she made her confession in Russian sounded sacred. The sound of an organ began to play.

The camera moved rapidly. After briefly showing a Russian cathedral, it plunged downward.

And there were the happy faces of children. Two faces among the children running around and playing filled the screen in close-up.

-I confess.

They were presumably Im Ria and Matteo as children.

“We have each other.”

“It’s okay. Yeah.”

Taeo’s voice was gentle as he pulled Ria into his arms and reassured her.

Then came the explosion.

Han Yeoreum’s voice layered over Taeo as he screamed before the burning orphanage.

-I intend to defy the will of the Lord.

On a desolate rooftop, Han Yohan could be seen taking aim at someone through a sniper rifle.

“Target acquired. Eleven o’clock.”

He loaded his weapon the moment he made his report. And as he shifted the scope—

Someone entered his sights.

-Forgive me also for all the sins I have failed to recognize.

A woman walked along holding a cup of coffee. Seeing Han Yeoreum alone, bathed in bright light, Han Yohan couldn’t pull the trigger.

-I absolve you of your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

The instant the priest’s voice overlapped the scene, the action came crashing in.

Jo Eunnara driving a car, Han Yohan in the middle of a gunfight, a laptop screen stating that no information could be found, and Han Yohan taking down an opponent with an umbrella.

Countless frames tangled together in dizzying succession, the scene changing by the second. Every time it did, Han Yohan was fighting someone.

Presumably to protect someone.

Bang, bang, bang.

Bullets cracked through the air with a vicious noise, as though determined to tear his body apart. One grazed Han Yohan’s arm, leaving fresh blood behind.

Han Yohan slumped to the ground. As though thinking of someone, he looked up at the ceiling and smiled.

-Go in peace.

The image faded out with the priest’s voice.

<Code Name: Time Seven>

March 24

Wednesday Premiere

Cinematic footage captured on overseas locations, Han Yohan’s dazzling action, Jo Eunnara’s face, and Han Yeoreum’s voice, which seized your attention the instant you heard it.

Story and direction by the Ja Sokhwan Kids.

[Trailer Release Alone Sets the Internet Ablaze... Will KBC Rekindle the ‘Last Flame of Terrestrial TV’ with <Code Name: Time Seven>?]

It wasn’t difficult for public interest to flare into a fever pitch.