Chapter 62 (1/2)
Chapter 62: Begin Filming (5)
TL: emptycube / ED: Isleidir
TVL. Master control room.
This place was noisier than a marketplace today. From employees responsible for airing to employees from other teams, they were all scrambling noisily while waving banknotes.
”2.5% for me.”
”Don't you know that it's d.a.m.n hot right now? 3% for me.”
”3.3%.”
”Stop! Stop! The director is coming!”
As soon as someone shouted hurriedly, the control room's door flung open. Then Director Bae and General Manager Song of the drama department, as well as Director s.h.i.+n Taekyun, entered. As it was a drama with so much interest, they planned on tracking the viewers.h.i.+p rating in the master control room today.
The people who had been whispering amongst each other quickly left while clearing their throats.
”You're betting on the viewers.h.i.+p rating again.”
The technical director showed a bashful smile at General Manager Song's words. General Manager Song intercepted a post-it, which had the evidence of betting on the viewers.h.i.+p ratings, and read it.
”Almost all are 3%?”
”Because the reactions are so heated, everyone held higher standards. Still, with this mood, it might reach 4% if we're lucky…”
”I bet 50,000 won[1] that it'll be higher than 4%.”
General Manager Song took out a banknote from his wallet. The master control room employees showed startled expressions.
”General manager, isn't that too much?”
”There are tons of dramas that don't reach 4% by the time they end.”
”I bet on 5%.”
It was Director s.h.i.+n Taekyun this time. A 50,000-won-bill swayed in his hand.
The technical team and programming team employees read the mood as they accepted their money. Afterwards, they whispered to each other that those men probably counted their chickens before they hatched in quiet voices so they wouldn't hear.
However, the employees had to retract their thoughts in a few minutes.
”2 minutes in… Huh?”
The a.s.sistant manager, who had been checking the time, halted after checking the graph recording the minute ratings in real-time. TVL's minute ratings were rising at a rate incomparable to other cable channels on at the same time.
”This, right now, uh, what the, it's already over 2%?”
”What? Is that true?”
A programming team employee read the mood behind him as he even tapped on the monitor. During this time, the line on the graph was quickly rising at a steep angle.
The technical director gulped his saliva and mumbled,
”How high will it rise?”
”Don't tell me it's going to reach 3% before it starts?”
Then that possibility became a reality.
”We-we reached 3% minute ratings at the start!”
At the better-than-expected start, the master control room became noisy.
Cat Guardian Ghost's t.i.tle screen flashed by. Then the best highlights picked from the edited version swept through. Cuts of the lead and supporting actors pa.s.sed by at a breathtaking pace until it came to a sudden stop.
It was Lee Songha.
As if the director had planned it this way, there were a ton of highlight scenes of Lee Songha.
The technical director forgot to pay attention to the graph as he looked at the screen.
He had expected she would be good at acting since there had been a rumor that she was a great actress spreading within TVL. However, he didn't have high hopes. While he was in charge of the broadcasting in the master control room, he had seen his fill of actors who received high praise. Therefore, most things he saw weren't exciting anymore.
However, he clicked his tongue.
'Do you think I would have said that she was a natural without any truth? I even asked her to get psychological counseling.'
An interview with a camera operator followed after veteran actress Jang Yoonok's words.
'Why, you know those actors that come up occasionally. The ones that seem possessed by their character? I sometimes got s.h.i.+vers when I looked at her through a camera.'
The scene changed to the film set. A Lee Songha with a cold, depressed expression was edited next to a different Lee Songha, who was following behind her manager to maximize their contrast.
The technical director nodded his head without knowing.
Wouldn't this be what people call possessed?
”Uh… I-it pa.s.sed 4%!”
At the cracking voice, the technical director came to his senses.
Everyone looked at the minute ratings monitor. The moment they saw the graph, which had pa.s.sed 4%, someone screamed in excitement. Soon after, a round of applause broke out.
”We're almost triple GTBN right now, triple!”
”A-at this rate, won't it really reach 5%?”
General Manager Song clenched his fists.
”Director, what did I say? This is a hit! As soon as it's been unveiled, the ratings pa.s.sed 4%, 4%! If it's like this, we can compete against public networks!”
Director Bae nodded. Although he had a serious face, he too was stealthily clenching his fists.
”Director s.h.i.+n, s.h.i.+n Taekyun! You worked hard, buddy! Now, all we need to do is keep rising to the top! First, let CEO Kim Pansuk and W&U's CEO Baek Hansung know the news, no, I'll personally call-”
”Please watch quietly, general manager.”
Director s.h.i.+n Taekyun said. He hadn't taken his eyes off the minute by minute ratings for a while now. The chattering employees, director, and even the general manager once again looked at the monitor. No one could open their mouths.
Within the silence filled with excitement, the ratings graph gradually rose higher.
Son Chaeyoung was sitting on her sofa with her legs crossed as she stared at her TV.
There was only one thought on her mind.
Fail.
Because of Lee Songha and her manager, whom she didn't want to see, she had a loss of appet.i.te these days. She was the kind of person who couldn't do anything if something bothering her. Only once she saw that drama go under with less than 1% ratings would her mind be at peace.
Veteran actress Jang Yoonok's interview sounded from the TV.
'Do you think I would have said that she was a natural…'
Son Chaeyoung, who had been biting her nails, threw whatever she could get her hands on at the TV.
”Aren't her eyes skewed? Well, that's probably why she's doing cable with her experience.”
Soon the screen changed to show a scene of Lee Songha acting in the role of Jung Haewon. Son Chaeyoung unconsciously lowered her arm at the chilling scene.
Her hairs stood on their end.
She bit hard on her lower lip. Unable to continue looking at the screen any longer, she took her eyes off it and irritably pulled her laptop close. In times like these, it was best to look at hate comments swearing at Lee Songha to change her mood. Her mind would quickly relax like a calm lake.
As soon as she opened a portal site, Lee Songha's name was first on real-time search rankings.
Even the articles on the main page and the countless articles below it all had Lee Songha's name on them. The keywords were 'sweeping away her acting controversy'. 'netizens' applause', 'best acting'…
Reporters, what do they know?
Comments. Comments will be fine. Haters don't change.
She went to a site that would indiscriminately curse and hate female celebrities. There were tons of related articles and comments. Son Chaeyoung's lips curled upwards.
-It looks like the director ground his teeth to make this and put the controversies to rest. Just look at this we can tell she's good at acting.
-Are all the people who had been swearing at her, saying she wouldn't be good at acting, kicking their blankets? It's so quiet. I knew this would happen.
-With no experience, and no talks about her learning acting for a long time, she got hate because they said she was a natural or whatever, at looking at her now, it seems saying that she's a natural was reasonable. It doesn't even look like she's acting.
-Even Jang Yoonok asked her to consult with a psychologist. I'm a little worried tbh.
-But it looks like this will have incredibly high ratings. The drama looks like a heck of a lot of fun.
”What is this!”
Astonished, Son Chaeyoung threw her laptop. Still angry, she threw her remaining pots, remote, and even the Mermaid out of Water script in irritation.
Nervously going back and forth in her living room, Son Chaeyoung called Chief Jo. A commercial was playing after the Cat Guardian Ghost broadcast had ended.
”Oppa, what were its ratings? You checked, right?”
When she shouted fiercely, Chief Jo mumbled in a reluctant voice.
-That is, umm, Chaeyoung…
”What were its ratings?! 2%? 3%?”
-So that is, that… Haaa.
Son Chaeyoung's forehead distorted at the ominous sigh.
”…. Don't tell me it's 4%?”
-Chaeyoung. Once Mermaid out of Water comes out, it'll get great ratings too. You can get twice, no, triple the ratings of Cat Guardian Ghost. So….
”That's obvious! So what are its ratings?!”
-I'll te-text you.
Chief Jo hung up as if he was distancing himself from a bomb. Then, a few seconds later, a text appeared on her phone. After hurriedly checking it, Son Chaeyoung stiffened. She blinked her eyes but the number didn't change.
”Nonsense…”