“Jungwoo-ssi.”
Jo Janghee whispered softly, trying to stop Kim Jungwoo. But it was already too late. The reporter, eyes gleaming with the thrill of a scoop, relentlessly continued questioning.
“Of course. Our drama has Jo Janghee sunbae-nim. And me too. Doesn’t that mean we’ll obviously win in ratings?”
The actors were already managing their expressions. A single bad look could easily turn into a headline.
Oblivious to this, Kim Jungwoo laughed heartily, exuding confidence.
“Thank you for the great comment.”
“It is a great comment, isn’t it? Haha!”
The reporters, as if they’d hit the jackpot, furiously typed on their laptops. The sound of their keyboards was as lively as a piano performance.
Kim Jin smiled outwardly but was cursing inwardly.
“We’ll now conclude the press conference for The Tormented Him and the Happy Her. Please show lots of interest in our director and actors.”
‘…We’re screwed. Damn it.’
As soon as the press conference ended and they stepped off the stage, Jo Janghee glared at Kim Jungwoo with a murderous look.
“…Are you crazy!?”
“Huh? What?”
“It’s fine if you can’t act. It’s fine if you’re not good-looking. But you can’t just run your mouth!”
“W-Well, I was trying to boost confidence.”
“Why are you boosting confidence?! Do you know what this does to the drama’s image?!”
“What does it do?”
Jo Janghee bit her lower lip, her blood pressure visibly rising. Kim Jin opened his phone to show the articles.
“…Uh, what?”
Seeing the real-time articles, Kim Jungwoo could only shut his mouth. There weren’t many positive articles about The Tormented Him and the Happy Her—instead, there were far more about its rivalry with Youngyoung.
***
A day after the The Tormented Him and the Happy Her press conference, the Youngyoung press conference was abuzz with talk about yesterday’s events.
“They made quite a commotion.”
Kim Jungwoo had hit a home run in the interview.
[Kim Jungwoo: “We can beat Youngyoung!”]
[The Tormented Him and the Happy Her? Can it actually beat Youngyoung? An analysis.]
[Kim Jungwoo takes a jab at Tae Jin-hwa’s comeback drama Youngyoung.]
Kim Jin thought he’d be the one to cause a stir, but who would’ve thought?
‘I forgot about Kim Jungwoo stepping up. Thanks for that.’
As a result, the world branded him a shameless junior who dared to challenge Tae Jin-hwa sunbae-nim.
– Kim Jungwoo, Washed-up old man;; Stop running your mouth lol
– Who even casts Kim Jungwoo lol The director must be crying
– But it’s washed-up Tae Jin-hwa, so does it matter if washed-up Kim Jungwoo takes a shot? Just has-beens talking lol
└ The era of calling Tae Jin-hwa washed-up has come?
└ Seriously, you’re done. Idiots don’t get to be fans.
└ There are people who don’t know Tae Jin-hwa’s history.
The dominant opinion in the article comments was that Kim Jungwoo shouldn’t have done that. Naturally—his actions weren’t well-received.
Thanks to this, Tae Jin-hwa sunbae-nim topped the trending search rankings, drawing attention to Youngyoung.
‘Practically viral marketing.’
Viral marketing in this day and age.
“We should thank Kim Jungwoo-ssi.”
I looked at Tae Jin-hwa sunbae-nim, who was chuckling beside me. She’s thinking the same thing as me. Despite the ups and downs from negative press, sunbae-nim didn’t lose her smile.
“Kids, smile. It’s a great day.”
Tae Jin-hwa sunbae-nim waved her hand, clearly aware that the juniors’ expressions had stiffened from watching her.
Her words dispelled the heavy atmosphere. At that moment, Yeom Haejin entered the waiting room, clapping her hands.
“With this, our Youngyoung actors have made it into the top 10 trending searches. It’s turned out in our favor!”
“…”
“It’s like proper promotion.”
As Yeom Haejin said, it was the level of promotion you’d pay an ad agency for. Her gaze turned to Tae Jin-hwa sunbae-nim.
“Could I ask a favor of you, Tae Jin-hwa-ssi?”
“What favor does our director have for me?”
“If reporters ask about Kim Jungwoo, please answer.”
She meant don’t dodge the question.
“What do you think I’ll say?”
“I trust you, Tae Jin-hwa-ssi.”
Sunbae-nim raised the corners of her mouth.
“Then don’t hate me for whatever I say. You asked for it, Director.”
“Yes, it’s fine. Even if you cause a bigger stir, it’s okay.”
Their conversation, built on mutual trust, brought a smile to my face.
Yeom Haejin stepped out into the hallway when a staff member called. The press conference was about to begin.
‘…Why am I nervous?’
I clenched my fists as sudden tension surged.
“Wow! Damn! I’m shaking!”
Im Hoon suddenly stood up, shaking his whole body.
“Gotta shake off the nerves!”
It looked like he was doing a weird dance. Ryubyul recorded it on her phone.
“You’re filming?”
“Yeah, for the behind-the-scenes later.”
“Genius! Keep filming.”
Though I sensed something suspicious in her actions, I stayed quiet since Im Hoon was enjoying it.
Knock, knock.
A staff member entered after knocking.
“Please come up to the stage.”
It was the signal to go up for the press conference. As the actors stood, Tae Jin-hwa sunbae-nim held out her hand first.
“Everyone, high-five.”
She high-fived me, Ryubyul, and Im Hoon in turn. The sensation of our palms colliding was sharp.
‘I’m nervous.’
Since this drama didn’t exist in my previous life, I didn’t know what would happen. Would it flop or succeed?
“Kids, let’s do this.”
Sunbae-nim’s words resonated in my heart.
“I’ll do my best!”
I answered first.
“We’ve got to!”
Ryubyul shouted with a bright smile.
“Yes, sunbae-nim! I’ll give it my all!”
Im Hoon yelled, raising both clenched fists.
‘Let’s do this.’
I studied the character diligently and acted with all my strength. The reward will follow.
The waiting room door opened, and we followed Tae Jin-hwa sunbae-nim like chicks trailing a hen.
“Youngyoung is a drama about Kim Sohyun, a modern woman who time-travels to the Joseon era, weaving mystery, romance, and betrayal. Let’s meet the stars of Youngyoung.”
As Tae Jin-hwa sunbae-nim, dressed in a hanbok, stepped onto the stage, the reporters gasped. Her graceful bow, without a hint of disarray, looked noble.
“The Youngyoung actors wore hanboks to promote their beauty. Aren’t they stunning?”
Next, Ryubyul, in a dragon robe, went up, covering her face.
“But Ryubyul-ssi is wearing a dragon robe she couldn’t wear in the drama.”
It was an event to promote Youngyoung—swapping the female and male leads’ outfits. I, too, wore a male hanbok.
‘For fan service.’
“Next, Im Hoon-ssi isn’t showing his face. It’s said he had a hanbok custom-made for today.”
Im Hoon, as if confirming, stuck out his fingers through his robe to make an OK sign.
“He says he’ll reveal his face in the group photo. Reporters, please wait a moment.”
The MC looked at me and spoke.
“Next, we have Im Bada-ssi, playing Yeonwoo. This role is said to depict friendship and betrayal.”
My turn came. I unfolded the fan tucked in my sleeve and gracefully stepped onto the stage.
It was quite a sight with the three of us on stage, none showing our faces. Was this a press conference or a comedy show?
“The moment for the group photo has come. Will we finally see the faces of the female and male leads?”
At the cue for the group photo, the three of us removed what was covering our faces.
“They’ve finally revealed their faces!”
Ryubyul, in the dragon robe, fluttered up like a butterfly, striking a perfect pose. Im Hoon threw off his robe, mimicking a delicate lady and waving his fingers. His hands were so large they covered his face, prompting reporters to shout for him to move them.
‘I can’t lose here.’
Wearing a male hanbok, I opened my fan and diligently posed to cover my face. Perfect. Satisfied with the great press photo, I smiled to myself.
As the time to meet the audience approached, the staff brought chairs.
“Hello, viewers. It’s today. Youngyoung starts at 9:50 p.m.! NTV’s first historical drama. What are your thoughts, Director?”
“As my work is NTV’s first historical drama, I feel a heavy responsibility. But what can I do? I hope viewers love it as much as we prepared.”
After asking about the drama’s highlights and each actor’s thoughts, the MC turned to me.
“I have a question for Im Bada-ssi. I watched the Youngyoung episode 1 preview before coming here, and your acting was phenomenal.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“I wanted to ask this: Have you ever had a friend you hated but loved, like Yeonwoo?”
This wasn’t on the pre-submitted question list. But I didn’t show it and slightly raised the corner of my mouth.
“Well? I’ve never hated a friend, so I wouldn’t know.”
“Oh? Never hated one?”
“I’m too busy having fun to have time for hate.”
Phew, nailed it. Cold sweat was forming. With reporters in front, a frown or slip-up would be the end.
‘Good thing I got through it.’
Otherwise, who knows what headline would’ve appeared. Already a nightmare.
“Then I’ll ask the same question to someone else. Ryubyul-ssi?”
“Hated a friend? Hmm.”
She rolled her eyes, pulling up the sleeve of her dragon robe.
“Isn’t hating a friend just another form of liking them?”
“Why do you think that?”
“I don’t hate someone I don’t care about.”
Right? She looked at me, and I smiled. Same here.
“After this press conference, there will be a preview screening. Before that, we’ll take a few more questions.”
In the calm before the storm, someone grabbed the mic.
“I have a question.”
A male reporter in horn-rimmed glasses held the mic with a cheeky attitude.
“At the The Tormented Him and the Happy Her press conference, Kim Jungwoo said he’d beat Youngyoung. What does Tae Jin-hwa-ssi think about that?”
Despite the aggressive question, Tae Jin-hwa sunbae-nim didn’t lose her composure, taking the mic from the MC with a gentle smile.
“They can beat me. What’s wrong with that?”
“Does that mean you don’t care if this drama flops?”
At the sharp, hostile question, Yeom Haejin started to step in. But before she could grab the mic, Tae Jin-hwa sunbae-nim took the lead.
“This drama isn’t led by me, reporter.”
“…What?”
“Don’t you see the lovely actors beside me?”
The reporter turned to look at Ryubyul, Im Hoon, and me.
“These kids are the leads. I’m saying it doesn’t matter about me. Even if they beat me, these kids will beat them back.”
Despite it not being a pre-submitted question, Tae Jin-hwa sunbae-nim answered flawlessly.
She even moved us by humbling herself for her juniors.
“Was that a good answer?”
The dignity of a veteran. Come to think of it…
‘Even combining my past life, I can’t match sunbae-nim’s experience.’
As I was overwhelmed with emotion, Tae Jin-hwa sunbae-nim landed her final blow.
“Oh, and reporter?”
“Yes?”
“It’s nice to see you after so long. You haven’t changed a bit.”
That blow left the reporter speechless, coughing awkwardly several times.
“No more questions?”
Tae Jin-hwa sunbae-nim smoothly passed the mic to other reporters. After that, standard questions poured in—how we prepared for the drama, its selling points, etc.
“We’ll now start the Youngyoung episode 1 preview screening. Actors, you may step down.”
After bowing to the reporters, I let out a relieved sigh as I left the stage. Latecomers for the screening entered.
‘Now the reaction depends on how the screening goes.’
I hope it gets a good response.
***
Early in the morning, Park Boojung watched the press conference.
“…Wow.”
Seeing Im Bada in a male hanbok, he gasped. Was this the boldness of a rookie? A rising star like her pulling off such an event wasn’t common.
[(Im Bada) Wow.]
The press conference outfits are insane
They said they wore male hanboks because they couldn’t in the drama
– 😮😮😮😮
– I’m going crazy ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
The Youngyoung characters fans knew had changed. Even at the press conference, Yeonwoo was portrayed as a character caught between friendship and betrayal, making her a potentially unlikable character.
‘I’m worried…’
If she were a villain, that’d be one thing. As he worried, Youngyoung reviews started popping up.
“Huh?”
The situation was unfolding differently than expected.