Chapter 646

March was the month when those who had failed their college entrance exams and those who had failed to find jobs had to make a decision. Compromise with reality, or try one more time.

No matter which choice they made, anxiety followed all the same.

While <Class 1-1> and <Assistant Manager Kim’s Survival Guide> had chosen to market themselves by showing the public reality, <Wait! It’s in Here> showed them romance.

[HOT/ Today’s Han Yeoreum episode of <Wait! It’s in Here> gave me chills at the end] (3,382 comments)

-Anonymous 1231: The fact that from the very beginning she was trying to get the no-name actors’ names out there is just... it’s just too much

-Anonymous 1263: She’s literally never had a no-name period herself, but she goes up to them first and remembers them like that... there’s really no way to explain it except that she was just born with a good heart lolol

?Anonymous 1278: fr, she could’ve gotten celebrity disease at least once by now

-Anonymous 1345: The people who immediately jumped on this chance to bash Han Yeoreum for “mocking no-name actors” seriously need to be ashamed of themselves T_T

?Anonymous 1355: 222

?Anonymous 1369: 333 They say empathy is also a form of intelligence, so who’s the one actually looking out for no-name actors? lolol

?Anonymous 1420: I’ll never forget how people bashed her when Han Yeoreum collapsed, saying the staff do all the work and a celebrity had the nerve to collapse.. T_T At her level of seniority she even looks after no-name actors, and with how she gets dragged through schedule after schedule, it’s weirder that she hadn’t collapsed before then;

As it happened, Han Yeoreum had never gone through a no-name period even once, and not a single work in her filmography had flopped.

Her most recent film had drawn ten million viewers three times over, and it had not been long since she emerged as an actress attracting New York’s attention, complete with lavish sponsorship from LMVH.

An A-list actress climbing toward the very top.

The mere fact that someone like Han Yeoreum had not forgotten no-name actors resonated with the public in its own way.

ChaerinChaeyaMom: I loved Strange Tales so much I even bought the Blu-ray~ I’ve rewatched it so many times that I recognized actress Kim Minji right away haha She was one of the girls from Heavenly Vein Land in the Janghwa and Hongryeon episode^^ Apparently she’s appearing in Episode 4. If anyone’s curious, I think you can just go rewatch Strange Tales on Netholics

She’s always been such a solid actress that I thought she’d shine someday, and now that day has finally come haha I’m even happier than she is??

From Extra No. 1, whose name nobody knew, to an actress whose name spread through the algorithm in an instant.

mango_0124: I’m Sanghyeok’s older cousin lol First of all, I seriously want to thank actress Han Yeoreum.. T_T I’ve been a longtime fan, but I can’t believe she recognized our Sanghyeok like this!! Our whole family is going crazy saying it’s an honor for the family lol I heard that during WeRun too, she worked incredibly hard on set and looked after the background actors.. I really hope actress Han Yeoreum keeps doing well, and thank you so much to everyone who praised our Sanghyeok’s acting too

Not even a full day had passed.

INTUBE

[Actors Han Yeoreum Approved Of? Their Filmographies Are Actually Stacked]

321,115 views

[The XX Actors Han Yeoreum Said She Respected... And They’re Surprisingly Unexpected]

462,391 views

[There’s an Actor Even Han Yeoreum Applauded, Saying She ‘Had No Choice but to Lose’?]

278,687 views

The moment the title “approved by Han Yeoreum” was attached to them, the public grew curious about the no-name actors.

People loved true stories far more than one might think.

Moved North America to tears.

The year’s most heartbreaking story.

A story more cinematic than a movie.

There was a reason titles like those existed. After all, people loved movies because they resembled life.

-Anonymous 2562: This is making me cry because it makes me feel like even if I’m just quietly doing my job where I am, somebody might notice me someday TT_TT

?Anonymous 2578: 2222222 I checked their Insta stories and apparently all of them already have interviews lined up too, I hope they do even better

?Anonymous 2589: 33 I guess everyone really does get at least one chance eventually

Goo Minho also tried to use this momentum to rekindle the dying embers around himself once again, but failed.

No one was interested in returning to bait they had already enjoyed to their heart’s content.

In the end, Goo Minho and the unknown seniors and juniors were used only as bait before the main event.

The public was simply moved as they dug up the past works of the actors Han Yeoreum had personally endorsed.

How many years they had spent unknown, how many productions they had appeared in, what auditions they had recently taken, where they currently lived.

The panelists appearing on <Wait! It’s in Here> gained popularity across SNS, including Intube.

And then came the win-win effect. The public, moved by the no-name actors, turned their attention back toward Han Yeoreum.

[Anticipation Already Heating Up Before <Code Name: Time Seven> Even Airs... The Trustworthy “Han Yeoreum Drama”]

[Han Yeoreum Shows Her Loyal Side, Set to Reveal a New Charm Through <Code Name: Time Seven>]

[KBC Wed-Thu Drama <Code Name: Time Seven> Trailer Views Jump by 100,000 in a Single Day... Netizens Cheer, “I’m Already Excited”]

“....”

“....”

With themselves completely outplayed before the drama had even aired, MBS and SBC fell silent.

“Still, chemistry? There’s still chemistry!”

“Right, right.”

For now, desperately running their hope circuits in an effort to ignore reality was the best they could do.

“And they just got lucky with this one. Han Yohan and Jo Eunnara aren’t exactly strong variety-show personalities either.”

“KBC got lucky.”

There were only a few promotional variety-show appearances scheduled for the <Code Name: Time Seven> team, and aside from Han Yeoreum, the other two were the type who recorded the lowest ratings every time they appeared on a variety show.

* * *

“Huuuuuh....”

Shim Juhwan let out a sigh.

“Haaaaah....”

But his manager paid him no attention.

‘It’s obviously Taeseok-Huijae again.’

And his manager’s prediction was correct.

“Why isn’t Jeha coming back to Korea?”

“Because he has to work.”

“Yeoreuming collapsed! Huh? I thought he’d wear himself out and come straight back that very day, you know? But there’s been no news at all. What’s going on?”

“Because he has to make money.”

“Yeah... I guess Jeha’s the serious type, so he’s probably thinking long-term, huh?”

His manager turned the steering wheel without answering.

“He must be working that hard to save up for the wedding.”

“What wedding? Even if they really were dating right now, they’re only in their mid-twenties. How many people actually make it all the way to marriage?”

But there was something he didn’t understand.

“If you were staring at Myeong Jeha’s face every day, could you marry some other man afterward?”

“Well, when you put it that way....”

“Exactly. And an actor has decided that if he’s going to do romance, it has to be with this woman and no one else, huh? The game’s already over just from that. Jeha has marriage on his mind.”

“Is that so....”

After years of brainwashing, Shim Juhwan’s manager had already been thoroughly influenced. He might not have reached the point of believing ‘Taeseok-Huijae are dating,’ but he had certainly shifted toward ‘they might be dating.’

“Still, for marriage, someone like Han Yohan would be better. He seems like a decent guy.”

“What!!! Hey, how can you say something like that? Those two don’t have enough chemistry! Chemistry!”

Shim Juhwan roared.

After returning home, Shim Juhwan turned on the TV. He wanted to watch <After School Quiz Show>, one of the few variety-show appearances promoting <Code Name: Time Seven>.

“Even if Han Yohan might be decent husband material, in terms of chemistry he’s lacking....”

And before long, he shut his mouth.

-Today’s guests! Han Yohan and Han Yeoreum from <Code Name: Time Seven>! And our nation’s Jo Eunnara!

Something had gone wrong.

“Maybe watching this will make Myeong Jeha come back to Korea....”

* * *

IP 85.152 couldn’t stop marveling as they watched the currently airing <After School Quiz Show>.

They were by no means the type who normally preferred programs with this kind of light entertainment atmosphere, but occasionally making time to watch them was something of a duty for a cultured person, if only to keep up with the times, understand the kind of variety-show banter the public enjoyed, and, furthermore, not forget the feeling of resonating with society through ‘memes.’

[??LIVE THREAD?? Guess who’s on After School Quiz Show today Keywords: LawSoon Dad, Dumb Regret Girl, and the Republic of Korea]

-The fucking thread title lolololololol

-They’re forcing me to watch with the patriotism meta

-Can’t wait to see Jo Eunnara’s face today T_T

And when today’s guests appeared, IP 85.152 realized that they should add “time spent cultivating an eye for beauty” to the list of reasons for watching as well.

-HOLY SHIT what’s with Han Yohan’s priest outfit

-Ah TT___TT Yeoreum’s angel wings are so freaking cute TT__TT

Han Yohan was dressed in a black priest’s cassock that came all the way up to his neck. It suited his neat features astonishingly well. Han Yohan’s characteristically composed gait perfectly brought out the atmosphere of the priestly attire. IP 85.152 marveled at the restrained sanctity created by the arrangement of the buttons and the immaculate collar.

Then Han Yeoreum appeared, and this was no longer in the realm of simple cosplay. John Ruskin, the British aesthetician and art critic, once said that life was not something that merely flowed by and disappeared, but something to be filled, through effort, with beautiful and true things one by one. Han Yeoreum had undoubtedly appeared on television in a pure-white mini ruffle dress, wings, and an angel headband in order to teach this truth to the public as well. The instant IP 85.152 saw her, they felt as though something inside them was being filled, while their heart grew clear and bright. John Ruskin himself would surely have agreed with IP 85.152 if he could see Han Yeoreum now. And this was merely the cold and precise assessment of someone who wasn’t even a Han Yeoreum fan and only liked her a reasonable little bit, so if an actual Han Yeoreum fan saw her....

-??

-????holy shit

-?

-What

And IP 85.152 had no choice but to stop thinking.

-What the fuck is with Jo Eunnara’s demon makeup

-Ah TT__TT

-So THIS is the public broadcaster; the value of my license fee is going insane

Jo Eunnara had put her face to proper use.

She had come fully prepared, with flashy burgundy makeup that looked like something from an idol stage, colored contacts, and even a fake wound on her cheek.

In an instant, Jo Eunnara took over the entire live thread.

IP 85.152 looked at Han Yeoreum, who had human reflectors on either side of her.

‘In a way, Han Yohan looks like the protagonist....’

It could be seen as a demon and an angel tempting a priest, or as two black-clad human reflectors on either side making the pure-white angel Han Yeoreum stand out even more.

Either way, one thing was certain: they had secured plenty of buzz.

[StarCutCut ?As Expected of Someone Who Shares Blood with the Pure and Beautiful Eun Baekhap... Jo Eunnara’s Breathtaking Face]

[Daily Media? What’s With This Visual Combination? <Code Name: Time Seven> Already Has Us Feeling the Chemistry]

[DramaMovieActor TALK/ Saw Jo Eunnara and immediately started drooling wtf is happening]

This episode of <After School Quiz Show> served up a familiar flavor.

After all, the best comedy was repetition.

The chemistry between the two who had already shown their Dumb Regret Girl dynamic once during <Faster Than the Law 2>—both fools, yet both pushing stubbornly forward with their consciences and convictions intact—was reliably entertaining.

-What is this, Han Yeoreum looks insanely good next to Han Yohan

-Have you all forgotten Oppa Yohan’s entire history as a chemistry destroyer TT_TT

-Seeing them mess around with each other, they must’ve gotten really close ah my heart feels good

-I’d smile like that too if Han Yeoreum was next to me...

The filming staff of <After School Quiz Show> seemed to feel the same way. There were an unusually large number of close-up two-shots.

Every time the two of them filled the screen together, something about it made the heart feel strangely ticklish.

Han Yohan wasn’t especially talkative, nor did he give particularly frequent reactions, but there was a certain intensity in the way he quietly looked at Han Yeoreum.

He truly lived up to his reputation as the actor camera directors loved most.

And as it happened, the side of his face turned toward Han Yeoreum showed not his cool monolid eyes, but a gentle gaze softened by a smile.

It was consistently entertaining, visually pleasing, and comfortable to watch because the two seemed to have grown closer.

That was IP 85.152’s assessment.

And a little while later,

-lolololololol

-lolololololololol fuck

-Seriously TT___TT lololololol

-Please stop doing this lololololol

It was nothing more than a common variety-show game of chance.

But IP 85.152 became convinced that no one had ever beaten Jo Eunnara at this game before, and no one ever would.

“Would you like to choose one more?”

“...Yes, then.”

The odds were generous no matter who chose. Out of a hundred chocolate balls, exactly one was actually herbal medicine disguised as a chocolate ball.

But Jo Eunnara somehow pierced through all those odds.

“Every single thing she picks!”

“No, how is this possible...?”

“What is going on?!”

The MC and every panelist were stunned.

“Isn’t this rigged?”

“It’s rigged! This is rigged!”

“You can’t deceive the viewers like this. Even if it’s a variety show, there are limits!”

Countless suspicions followed.

The production crew had rigged it. Maybe it was just a normal chocolate ball and she had gotten confused. Or perhaps Jo Eunnara was simply exceptionally talented at spotting counterfeits and was identifying them immediately.

[PD: Then I’ll go buy something from the convenience store right now so there’s absolutely no way we can rig it.]

The indignant PD and writers hurriedly bought snacks and instant noodles from a convenience store that could be used for another game of chance.

And Jo Eunnara chose.

-???

-Fucking Neoburi TT__TT

-That’s insane, how can it be Neoburi without any kelp

Out of all those cups of Neoburi, Jo Eunnara picked the one that had no kelp inside.

“My goodness... How can this happen...?”

“Is this even possible?”

“No. It really isn’t.”

And her final choice was even a triple crown.

“There’s nothing but noodles!”

Everyone was horrified to discover a completely bare cup of instant noodles with no kelp, no vegetable flakes, and no powdered soup packet.

“The Vegetable Time too!”

“...There’s no ketchup!”

“Aaaaargh!”

Jo Eunnara had perfectly demonstrated on television the label that had followed her for years: ‘Icon of Misfortune.’

Her power of misfortune had somehow reached the level of art.

Now that it had become material that could be sublimated into comedy, it wasn’t difficult for the real-time ratings to soar to a peak.

As soon as the episode aired, Jo Eunnara made her name known on portal sites through good news for the first time in a very long while—for the first time since her debut.

[Jo Eunnara Has <After School Quiz Show> Viewers in Stitches... Real-Time Ratings Hit New High of 7.9%]

[Turns Out Her Face Isn’t the Only Entertaining Thing... Jo Eunnara’s ‘Extraordinary Misfortune’ Creates an All-Time Legendary Scene]

[StarCutCut ?Han Yeoreum Shares Her Ketchup with Jo Eunnara... “Kind Melon Bread”]

* * *

Watching Han Yeoreum and the <Code Name: Time Seven> team swallow up all the buzz, Jeongdam and Management H gritted their teeth.

“Still.”

“We start first.”

There was still a one-week gap.

“Once they see the ending, they won’t be able to help wondering what happens next.”

“Even if they miss Episode 1, they’ll start coming in from Episode 2.”

But they hadn’t been sitting around doing nothing either.

No matter how fiercely anyone pushed promotion, in the end, it came down to the work itself.

“Haena. You can do this, right?”

“Of course.”

Even top stars who could draw viewers’ interest with their names alone had failures.

“Minho. Let’s go.”

“Seungchan. Keep smiling. Don’t make any verbal slips. Got it?”

Ultimately, a drama was something the public lifted up.

[<Class 1-1> Production Press Conference]

[<Assistant Manager Kim’s Survival Guide> Production Press Conference]

At last, the curtain rose.

Wi Jaehwi, who was attending the press conference, was nervous because of a senior reporter who could uncannily predict a drama’s Episode 1 ratings just from attending its script reading.

“Senior. What percentages did you say they’d get?”

Because—

“5.3%, 6.1%.”

The opening ratings he predicted were both above average.