Chapter 129: Sentiments

The original novel of *Kingdom Game*, titled *A Song of Fire and Wind*, was a fantasy series that had been in the making since 1996.

Currently published up to its fifth part, the author originally planned to finish the story in three parts, but it had eventually expanded to six.

Even considering the author’s usual writing pace of five years per volume, over seven years had already passed since the fifth part was released, yet the final sixth part remained unfinished.

Naturally, the fans’ expectations were through the roof.

“Mmm. I’m not sure,” I said.

'How can I provide an ending that even the original author hasn't been able to produce in seven years?'

Ted, who had tossed the question my way, shrugged as if he hadn't expected much and walked away.

The amount Gatflix offered was $50,000.

It was a staggering sum, equivalent to roughly 70 million won, but for the first time, I found myself thinking that the reward for clearing a Gatflix mission was ridiculously small.

If one could actually provide an ending that satisfied the original author, what was 70 million won? 

'We could give him 700 million won and it still wouldn't be enough,' I thought.

In the end, the people gathered in the conference room headed out for dinner without achieving any real results.

Gathered in small groups at a restaurant, they continued their conversation over pizza, chicken wings, and salads.

It wasn't the fierce debate from the conference room earlier. Instead, they were all expressing their inner geeks as fans who loved *Kingdom Game* and *A Song of Fire and Wind*.

“I actually joined this project because of the original novels. I can’t even describe the shock I felt when I first read the books.”

“I only read the source material after joining the *Kingdom Game* team, but I totally understand why Samantha chose it. The immersion is insane.”

“The highlight of the original work has to be...”

“Winter is coming!”

“Winter is coming!”

Several staff members recited one of the most famous lines from *A Song of Fire and Wind* in unison, laughing together.

I sat next to Kay and watched them with interest.

“What’s your favorite scene in *Kingdom Game*?”

“Ah, just one? Hmm. That’s too hard.”

“For me, it’s the Blood Funeral!”

“Whoa. That’s cheating.”

“The scene where they mercilessly slaughter the people gathered to mourn Johnny's death is the very identity of *Kingdom Game*.”

“Then I’ll pick the scene where the Dragon Mother rides her dragon for the first time.”

“The legendary scene where Iris is finally recognized as the Dragon Mother.”

“Wow, that was such a rush! Ted and Helen fought for three days and nights over when to have Iris ride that dragon.”

“Back then, I was just begging them to let her ride it whenever so I could finally get some sleep.”

“Heh. Thanks to that, we got an incredible scene.”

These people weren't just working for a paycheck; they were passionate fans of the work itself. I was no exception.

“The scene in Season 6, Episode 3, where Queen Mersey shaves her head in front of hundreds of thousands of people and walks through the city is also superb.”

“Wow. You really know your stuff, don't you?”

“I wrote that scene,” the seventh writer said with a grin.

“Really?”

Hearing the behind-the-scenes story from the writer who came up with the idea made my heart swell. It felt like I had become a truly successful fan.

“Then did you also come up with the part where people throw tomatoes at Mersey? That wasn't in the original books.”

“That was me!”

The fifth writer sitting nearby explained the situation with sparkling eyes.

“There’s a theory that the golden apples growing in the Garden of Hesperides in Greek mythology might actually have been tomatoes.”

He explained that Samantha had accepted his argument that throwing something people once considered precious and beautiful at the queen, whose honor had been destroyed, would enhance the symbolism.

“You guys are truly amazing.”

I offered my sincere admiration.

“But Junghyuk, you’re quite a *Kingdom Game* geek yourself, aren't you? You know every single scene. You even know which parts were in the books and which weren't.”

“I was really into fantasy novels for a while.”

“Man, we really lucked out with you. So, who’s your favorite character in *Kingdom Game*?”

The conversation among the fans continued late into the night.

***

Lying on the bed in my assigned room, I stared blankly at the ceiling.

Seeing as my roommate for this bunk bed hadn't returned yet, it seemed the *Kingdom Game* talk was still going strong at the second round of drinks.

Thinking back, my first experience as a dedicated fan was for the actress Ishihara Sakura.

Of course, I didn't have the luxury to join fan clubs or follow her to concerts like others did. I simply admired her from afar. 

I showed my devotion by watching every project she was in and looking up all her interviews.

When I eventually became a somewhat successful drama writer and got to work with her, I was so happy my hands trembled and my mind went blank.

'This is what it feels like to be a successful fan,' I had thought. I was happy.

Of course, as is well known, that story ended in vanity. She had tried to use me as a stepping stone for her comeback. And being a fool who accepted her with romantic feelings, I couldn't help but feel hollow when I realized the truth.

But after that, if someone asked me if I hated her, I could proudly say no.

I was heartbroken at the time, but when *A Killing Romance* became a massive success and Ishihara Sakura entered her second prime, I didn't feel bitter. Not at all.

Even if there was some friction between us back then, I still support and cheer for her as a fan. This is because I fell for the various charms she showed as an actress since her debut. Even if the end was a bit disappointing, I didn't want to distort the essence of who she was to me.

Perhaps it was because my heart had started racing as a fan again for the first time in a while, but even thinking about Ishihara Sakura made me feel sentimental. 

Or maybe it was because I was exhausted from working like a dog as the youngest member of a team in a strange, foreign land where even the air felt different.

I sat up to wipe away a stray tear when a sudden thought flashed through my mind.

“...”

I brushed the moisture from my eyes with the back of my hand and headed somewhere.

***

In the main conference room of the TBO studio, it was nearly 9:00 AM. Ted, who hadn't been able to sleep, was sprawled out on the central landing of the stairs, muttering to himself.

“Ugh. What am I supposed to do? How on earth am I supposed to know what ending the original author wants!”

Helen walked over and plopped down beside him.

“Just do as I said. I’ve squeezed my brain so hard there’s nothing left.”

“If I were going to use your idea, I’d rather just do whatever I want.”

“Hey. If you keep complaining, we won't even be able to report. Don't you see the kids over there having a drinking party because of us? Let's just give up and go find Samantha.”

Ted peeked over and saw the staff playing beer pong with cups lined up on a table.

“Yeah. It’s not their fault. You and I are the only ones who need to get chewed out by Samantha.”

“In times like these, the second-in-command has to be responsible and carry the weight. I’m counting on you.”

Helen stood up and walked away as abruptly as she had arrived.

“Hey, wait! It's too cruel to send me alone!”

Ted scrambled up and shouted at the beer pong players to wrap it up and go to sleep before turning to leave.

“Helen!”

A young Asian man with a small face rushed into the conference room.

“Oh? Junghyuk. You’re up early.”

He had run right into Helen as she was leaving.

“Where’s Ted?”

“Right here.”

“What is it, Junghyuk? Is something wrong? You’re sweating like crazy.”

“There’s something I really need to tell you both.”

“?”

Ted handed Lee Junghyuk a glass of water and led him to a table.

“Have you met with Samantha yet?”

“No, we were just on our way.”

“That’s a relief. You probably came up with your own ending, but if possible, I’d like you to pass this opinion along as well.”

“What kind of opinion? Did you think of a good ending?”

“No, it’s not that. What I’m about to say... I’m saying it simply as a fan of *Kingdom Game*.”

Lee Junghyuk began showing Ted and Helen the stacks of paper he was clutching in his arms.

“In the US, there are online drama communities, right? It’s the same in Korea. We have boards where people obsess over famous dramas, actors, and writers.”

“Really? You have those in Korea too?”

“It’s not just Korea. There are representative community sites in Japan, China, India, Iran, and various European countries.”

“Wait. Don't tell me you looked through all of those individually?”

“For real? Oh my god. You actually did.”

“I don't know many foreign languages besides English and Japanese, so I used a translator. It might be a bit rough.”

I had accessed drama community sites from various countries and started looking for every post related to *Kingdom Game* and *A Song of Fire and Wind*. With the help of the AI app, I was able to gather a significant amount of content, even in languages I couldn't read.

“Writers in Korea look at these sites a lot. I remembered the original author, George, saying in an interview once that he often checks the US site Reddit, and that he’s sometimes surprised to find ideas better than his own.”

“Yeah, that’s true. We heard him say that when we met him once before.”

“If he’s an author who is sensitive to people’s reactions, I thought he might be curious about the reactions of fans worldwide. I filtered out the negative opinions as much as possible and compiled only the things that might be helpful.”

“Wow. You did all this by yourself?”

“Ah, not alone.”

Just then, Kay ran in, her arms just as full of materials as Lee Junghyuk's.

“Phew! The printing took some time! Should I put these here?”

“Wow.”

Lee Junghyuk had brought not only the printed materials but also a USB drive.

“I thought it would be more sincere to hand over physical materials he can see.”

“Haha. This is incredible, truly.”

“But why did you look for all this?”

Lee Junghyuk took a breath and organized his thoughts to present them clearly. His main premise was this:

'The original author probably isn't looking for a "correct" answer from us.'

Why? Because for nearly thirty years — from 1996 to the present — he had surely considered more variations of the ending than anyone else. No matter what we suggested, it would likely just be one of the many options already in his head.

Therefore, what he wanted wasn't an answer, but perhaps infinite support and encouragement.

“Support and encouragement?”

Helen, a total logical type, asked sharply. Lee Junghyuk didn't flinch and answered calmly.

He asked them if they didn't all know it already. Of course the ending was important, but hadn't these eight years spent preparing *Kingdom Game* been incredibly meaningful?

Someone went from being a junior writer to a main writer capable of holding their own; someone got married and had children. Someone discovered a talent for cooking and changed careers to become a chef who made the best hot dogs on set, and someone else flew all the way from Korea and realized there was a wider world out there.

This was a world that existed solely because of the original work, *A Song of Fire and Wind*, and it was a magnificent piece of work that had already proven its value.

In other words, countless people around the world who saw this work created their own stories, felt immense happiness as fans, and loved this world and its characters. 

I was certain there could be no greater blessing than that.

So, whatever ending the author chose, it would be the best answer he could give. And while some people would surely be dissatisfied, that was just the result. No one could deny the beauty of the process.

This was Lee Junghyuk’s argument, rooted in his belief that the feelings he had for Ishihara Sakura were surely not his alone.

“...”

Ted, being a more emotional type, was deeply moved by Lee Junghyuk’s words.

It was true. Before he was a writer on this massive project, he was a pure fan of the original novels, and he had become a complete creator while working on *Kingdom Game*.

But at some point, the work had just become a job. There were moments when he only chased after how to make the story more provocative or more urgent. There were even times when he lost his initial passion and just wished this exhausting work would end. Naturally, there were moments when those feelings felt negative.

“Junghyuk is right. This massive and beautiful story we received from the original author is already enough.”

The words of the part-timer who had suddenly dropped in from Korea pierced his heart. The entire process had already been magnificent.

Ted thanked Junghyuk, gathered as much of the material as he could, and left the conference room.

“Ted! What are you doing?”

Helen shouted urgently and chased after him.

Ted headed straight for Samantha’s workspace. Located at the innermost part of the main building, it was a space surrounded by glass walls, emphasizing transparency so that people could always see what Samantha was doing and offer their opinions.

Ted placed the materials in front of Samantha and presented his opinion, just as Lee Junghyuk had done. Of course, this included the combined thoughts of both Ted and Helen.

“So, Ted, what you’re saying is, ‘We will send our support and encouragement no matter what ending you choose,’ and you want that message delivered to the author?”

“Exactly.”

“That’s very sentimental. Is that your idea?”

Helen, who had arrived late, was about to add that it wasn't Ted’s idea but that of a Korean part-timer whose name was hard to pronounce, but Ted spoke first.

“Yes. It’s my idea.”

Ted took the responsibility himself to ensure the part-timer didn't face any backlash.

Helen was frustrated, wondering why Ted was overdoing it, but Ted sent her a silent look that said, 'Didn't you say the second-in-command has to shoulder all the weight?'

'Sigh.'

Helen was sure that Samantha, who was far more rational and cold than she was, would shut him down. Ted was also currently out of his mind from staying up all night. Surely, after he got some sleep, he would regret reporting something so emotional to Samantha...

“That’s a good opinion.”

“Huh?”

“It’s an answer from a direction I never even considered.”

For once, Samantha actually chuckled.

“I understand. I’ll deliver it that way.”

“Really? It’s a good enough answer?”

“Yes. In fact, I regret never saying anything like this during my previous meetings with George. As you both know, George is quite a sentimental person, isn't he? That’s why he hasn't been able to properly finish the ending for seven years.”

Samantha sometimes found George frustrating, but as a fellow creator, she also understood the immense fear he carried.

There is a saying in America: "Good words cost nothing." In other words, a single kind word can resolve a debt of a thousand pieces of gold.

As a screenwriter who had written tens of thousands of situations and lines, Samantha knew well that a warm word like this could be the only way to reach an ending, more so than any grand solution.

“But did you two find all these materials?”

“Ah, actually...”

Ted had expected to be scolded, but when the reaction was unexpectedly positive, he scratched his cheek and told the truth. He confessed that it was an idea from the Korean writer who was here temporarily.

“Lee Junghyuk?”

“Oh? You knew, Samantha?”

“So Lee Junghyuk gave this opinion?”

Samantha already knew Lee Junghyuk’s identity from Darren. She hadn't been particularly pleased with such a request and thought the writer from Korea would just do menial tasks before leaving. She let out a short, hollow laugh at the fact that he had produced such a plausible answer.

'K-dramas aren't globally popular for nothing, I suppose.'

“Where is he now?”