"Did you see Sky Garden?"

    “Yesterday? Wow, it’s so unpredictable.”

    “Right? I thought it was a thriller, but it’s really something else.”

    Once Sky Garden’s ratings began to climb, they didn’t stop. What seemed to be a peak at 18% turned into 20% the following week.

    Then, the week after, 22%.

    With ratings setting new records each week, Sky Garden gradually shifted from catering to its “target audience” to appealing to the general public.

    The drama had now reached the point where it wielded true influence. At a certain stage, when a show becomes a massive hit, every broadcast and variety show mentions it. The network had decided that this drama was worth promoting, and it was the perfect time to do so.

    Sky Garden had crossed that threshold.

    “Let’s schedule a special segment featuring Sky Garden on this variety show.”

    “Do we have any footage saved from earlier shoots? You know, any behind-the-scenes incidents?”

    “Is it necessary to start prepping already? It’s only at 22%...”

    “Are you underestimating those numbers? 22% is huge.”

    This also came at a time when people’s attention was shifting towards OTT dramas and online streaming platforms like YouTube, causing network influence to wane.

    And amidst this, Sky Garden had reached over 20% in ratings. Although Grand Game had also once reached 20%, it quickly dipped, which made the network hesitant to invest further.

    Now, Sky Garden was perfectly filling that gap.

    “Producer Lee, can you reach Ju Seoyeon? Any chance of arranging a special feature?”

    “Uh, it might be difficult with her packed schedule.”

    “Why is a young actress so busy?”

    But no one could deny how active she’d been lately. Recently, Seoyeon had been on Golden Duckling and Mask Singer back-to-back, not to mention her Harara Shorts and the children’s play.

    Every single one of these appearances had impacted Sky Garden. Not one of them failed to stir up buzz.

    It was almost unbelievable.

    “Must be nice for you, Producer Lee. Won’t Sky Garden set another record this week?”

    “That’d be great. I’d love to see it hit 30% just once.”

    “Oh, come on, that’s unrealistic. Those kinds of numbers only happened a decade ago.”

    Producer Minhwa Lee chuckled knowingly. A drama that reaches 30% ratings these days would be on par with the all-time legendary shows that stirred the entire country. It might not feel as explosive due to the times, but from the network’s perspective, it was.

    “But is she really that busy? This could be a huge opportunity for Seoyeon.”

    “She’s already appearing everywhere, even without our involvement.”

    “Well...”

    “I heard she’s also preparing for a new movie.”

    Minhwa didn’t want to push Seoyeon too hard. After all, they planned to keep working together, and she wanted to maintain a good relationship.

    “Have you heard which drama she’s doing next? I’d like to see if we can fit in.”

    “Do you think any drama Seoyeon stars in is guaranteed to succeed?”

    “Well... isn’t it?”

    Minhwa paused, realizing her colleague had a point.

    Only one film so far, but three hit dramas if you count her child actor days.

    Dream Future might have been a notch below Sky Garden, but it was the show that reignited the network’s drama department during a bleak time. And who could even predict where Sky Garden was heading?

    “Could Seoyeon win this year’s Best Actress Award?”

    “She’s definitely the frontrunner.”

    There were many strong dramas this year, but with Sky Garden’s record-breaking success, her chances of winning were high.

    “Getting a Best Actress Award right after her comeback...”

    Producer Minhwa Lee chuckled softly.

    Sometimes, she really believed in the power of talent.

    “Seoyeon, we got calls from Eclat Etoile and Aidiz. They’re wondering if you’re interested in shooting another commercial?”

    Her manager, Park Eunha, beamed as she spoke. But Seoyeon, sitting in the back seat of the van, looked serious, lost in thought and barely reacting.

    Park Eunha quickly figured out why.

    "Haha, Ju Seoyeon, acting all cute won’t fool me, gorilla." └ "What are you saying? Ju Seoyeon’s always been cute!" └ "Seoyeon, turn off the studio Wi-Fi." └ "But honestly, she was kinda cute this time, lol.""That user’s just a Seoyeon superfan. Just ignore him.""Gotta admit, Ju Seoyeon’s always been cute. I knew since Survival Island." └ "Wasn’t that where the gorilla meme started?""What’s ‘meme’? Does it mean amputation?""Hey, hey, hey."

    “Yeah, I guess they’ll announce it once he’s confirmed.”

    Typical of Director Baek Min to be cautious. Seoyeon did some quick calculations.

    If they screened now, the main filming for Gyeongseong Lady would likely start in late November or December.

    That leaves about a month.

    She would need to ensure her schedule didn’t overlap too much. Two major projects were set to start filming around year-end.

    Mine and Gyeongseong Lady. Rumor had it that Mine might go the OTT route instead of a theatrical release, which was causing delays.

    Will it end up being a drama instead of a movie?

    Though uncertain, it wouldn’t be a bad choice. The timing could work to their advantage.

    And finally...

    Seoyeon double-checked the dates saved on her phone. Although Mine and Gyeongseong Lady were significant, another project held the most importance for her.

    There was one key audition scheduled for the latter half of the year. It hadn’t garnered much attention amidst the flood of year-end movie auditions.

    The audition for Seoul Escape—a film about the aftermath of a biochemical terror attack.

    This was none other than the final project of director Jo Bangwoo.

    “Aaaah! Oppa!”

    “Look over here!”

    Park Jungwoo walked through the street, smiling and waving at fans. Was there a special fan meeting today? No, not really.

    He was simply out shopping, minding his own business.

    The problem was he had been too nonchalant about it.

    Should’ve covered my face.

    He had been careless. For a while, only a few people approached him for autographs, so he thought nothing of it. But after his recent OTT drama received positive reviews overseas, things had changed.

    “The drama is amazing! A true masterpiece!”

    “Totally! It’s the best!”

    “Thank you.”

    Jungwoo smiled and waved at the fans, but inwardly he was dumbfounded.

    It’s been out for ages. Why now?

    The show hadn’t been particularly well-received in Korea. But now that it was gaining traction abroad, people who’d dismissed it as corny were coming around.

    After hitting number one overseas, it was suddenly being praised as deep and meaningful, with a unique and clear vision from the director.

    “What’s your next project? I’ll definitely watch it!”

    At the fans’ question, Jungwoo hesitated. Nothing was confirmed.

    But he did have something in mind.

    “Well...”

    Just as he began to answer, he noticed a woman in the crowd waving at him.

    Wearing sunglasses and a hat, she looked suspiciously disguised.

    At first, he tried to ignore her. And he did.

    Is she crazy? There are so many people here.

    He turned his back, but he felt a tug.

    “?”

    At that moment, he realized she’d grabbed his arm.

    “Why are you running away?”

    “You—”

    Before he could finish calling her “crazy,” he was being pulled along. Or rather, practically lifted off his feet and dragged away. It all happened in an instant.

    As if a ninja had suddenly appeared.

    “Huh? Oppa?”

    “Is this a movie shoot?”

    In shock, his fans stood frozen, watching as he was spirited away.