Chapter 19
Chapter 19
Introduction
– “Enbin’s face and acting skills have seriously leveled up. That’s my kid. So proud. He’s just so cool. ~(⁎⁍̴̆◡⁍̴̆⁎)~”
– “So, who is that high school kid again? Editor, please comment right now, or else I’m going to lose it.”
– “No info on who played the high school student role ㅠㅠㅠ”
– “I know. That guy’s mixed. Heaven and Korea…”
– “This casting is insane. A good-looking guy next to another good-looking guy? Their visuals are brighter than my future. Cheering for them!”
– “Looks like Seoul City finally did something right. The food scenes look so tasty, and the cinematography is on point.”
– “That new kid’s acting is so good; I didn’t even notice I started tearing up watching.”
– “True. I had moments like that too. Good luck to all students out there. It’ll all be memories someday.”
– “They have great chemistry together.”
– “Enbin oppa, hello! I’m Malaysian. I like Korea. Is ramen delicious? I love you!”
Click. Click.
Each refresh brought a surge of new comments. Jo Miyoung, the director, kept clicking the mouse, unable to resist the thrill.
“Director?”
“Look at this! Isn’t this insane?”
“You’re still at it?”
“Watching the view count go up is way more fun than I expected.”
The team leader chuckled as he placed a stack of documents on her desk. He had to admit—calling the reaction explosive was spot-on. No one anticipated such a response right after the video went live.
“You can never fully understand the MTube algorithm, can you?”
“Team Leader, do you really think this is all because of the algorithm?”
“Huh? Isn’t it? The Seoul City account only has 120,000 subscribers, so it’s not like they’d have that kind of firepower. Besides, except for that handwashing campaign with Aro the popular character five years ago, which hit 2.6 million, nothing else has really blown up.”
Jo Miyoung waggled her long fingers as she laughed. This was precisely what they call “momentum” or “vibes”—the kind that leads straight to success!
“Sure, the initial influx came from Enbin’s fanbase, but it’s the appeal of both actors that’s sealing the deal. Especially Ha Mooyoung, that guy.”
She couldn’t help but be impressed.
She had watched the edited video, but seeing it on her computer and phone screens brought a whole new flavor.
“We were lucky to find him. Such talent.”
“He found us, really. Mooyoung practically rolled right up to our door.”
His acting was impressive.
Smooth and natural, as if he’d been acting for over a decade. He knew how to emphasize the right words, and he understood exactly how to work with the camera.
*”He’s born with it. Just has something different in his blood.”*
When an actor appears as themselves rather than their character, it disrupts the balance of the production, and the viewers lose their immersion. But Jo Miyoung had watched the video dozens of times and hadn’t felt that disconnect even once.
“He was smooth on set too, wasn’t he?”
“Yeah, since Mooyoung is friends with Enbin, he helped connect everyone on set. The atmosphere was great.”
“He didn’t seem ordinary even from the script reading.”
“We definitely got some extra perks this time, for real.”
Rumor had it that he had also managed to help resolve some of Enbin’s personal issues. She didn’t know the details, but it probably had to do with that controversial video.
Ah! She was curious. What on earth had been serious enough to make Enbin consider pausing his career?
“Shouldn’t he get a bonus for this?”
“Mmhmm, not a bad idea. At this rate, the views will comfortably surpass the goal.”
Their contract with Seoul City required them to reach a certain view count—if even one video hit 1.5 million views, they could proceed with additional productions. Her early decision to go all-in had paid off.
“Seventy thousand views in two days, and it’s still popping up in trending videos. If we keep up the momentum, we might break records for Square Film’s web dramas.”
Jo Miyoung tapped her fingers on her desk, deep in thought.
“Director?”
The team leader handed her a single sheet of paper, grinning as he called her attention.
“I think I know what you’re planning in that head of yours, but if you want to make it happen, you’ll have to go all out.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“We’ve already received ten inquiries today alone about Mooyoung. Four are from agencies.”
They were all trying to find out who played the high school student alongside Enbin. Anyone who had watched could tell—this diamond named Mooyoung had just surfaced.
“Two are modeling agencies, the others are dedicated to actors.”
The paper held the names and contact information of those companies. The final choice would be up to Mooyoung, of course, but the team leader intended to present him with the information. First, though, he needed to know his boss’s stance.
“Should we propose an exclusive contract?”
“Oh, you read my mind! You’re practically living inside my head, aren’t you?”
“It’s been five years of sharing meals under the same roof.”
Square Film did have exclusive actors, but not in the same way as specialized talent agencies—they maintained actors who were always ready for filming to avoid production delays.
“What kind of terms are they offering?”
“Think they’d tell us?”
“Of course not. Dumb question, huh?”
All those agencies were specialized, and they likely couldn’t compete on the same level… Jo Miyoung paused, then lifted the paper with a mischievous wave.
“What if we just tear this up?”
“How about we just pretend those other offers never existed? Don’t you think Square Film has enough leverage for that?”
But as soon as she suggested it, the team leader quickly snatched the paper away with a playful smile.
“Nope, I refuse. This is my little bonus for Mooyoung.”
“Oh, I know how you operate, Team Leader. Just kidding!”
“So, should we make an exclusive contract offer ourselves?”
That was exactly what he was getting at. Jo Miyoung nodded in approval, tracing a circle with her finger.
“Alright. Go for it.”
“Understood.”
“And you know what to do when the tide is in our favor, right? Let’s tighten the filming schedule and release the next episode sooner if we can. Enbin’s been good about keeping on track, right?”
After a brief break, Enbin had returned with renewed energy, putting in serious effort. The team leader gathered the papers and replied.
“Yes, absolutely. Alright, I’ll get started.”
Jo Miyoung waved him off, signaling him to hurry out, then eagerly clicked back to her screen, eyes glued to the soaring view count.
***
Meanwhile, in another part of town…
“So, you’ve been getting inquiries from several agencies? Even one of the big names, huh.”
Mooyoung leaned against the bathroom wall, listening to the team leader on the phone. So he was really getting contract offers? And from multiple agencies?
“This is… surprising,” he said, chuckling in disbelief as he dried his hands.
– “It’s a big reaction, and no surprise given the buzz. You haven’t checked your portal feed, have you? The video’s not just trending on MTube but across several online communities. The traffic from those sites is also huge.”
Clips from the video were spreading across various social media platforms, sparking reactions from both Seoul City and the companies involved in the product placements. They’d likely step in to fuel the momentum even more.
“I’m not usually on the internet much.”
– “Well, it’s good news for both you and us. I’ll text you the list of agencies, along with our own offer.”
“Yes, thank you, Team Leader.”
– “Thank me? You’re the one making it happen! Oh, by the way, are you free the weekend after next? That’s probably when we’ll wrap filming, and we’re planning a wrap party.”
“Really? It’s finishing faster than I thought?”
– “We’re putting our all into it to keep the upload schedule tight. Gotta ride the wave while it’s hot!”
“Wow, you’re working hard. Of course, I’ll come. Just let me know the time and place.”
– “Awesome! Alright, then—enjoy your class!”
He ended the call with a hearty laugh, and Mooyoung’s phone buzzed with a text. JP Agency, Pledin, Bright Entertainment… all names he’d never heard of.
“So, agencies, huh,” Mooyoung muttered to himself.
It would probably be convenient to have one if he was planning to act long-term. But he didn’t feel particularly drawn to any of them. Maybe it was because he didn’t recognize any of the names? As for Square Film…
*”They only do web dramas, which is kind of limiting.”*
And a contract was a big commitment. Maybe it would be better to wait a little, at least until this streak of luck and attention settled. It felt too hasty to make a decision after just a few days.
*Click.*
“Oh? Mooyoung’s here!”
“You feeling alright? What did you do all weekend?”
“Hurry up and sit down. Were you always planning to go into acting?”
As he entered the lecture hall, reading over the team leader’s message, his classmates enthusiastically greeted him, buzzing like they’d never met someone in acting before.
*”Well, it’s not exactly common.”*
There were usually one or two people in each class who were into art or music, but until he attended BV Academy, Mooyoung hadn’t known anyone pursuing acting.
“Everyone’s so lively this morning.”
“What’s lively is your video! Your acting was amazing!”
“Did you read the comments? Mooyoung, are you really from Busan?”
“Huh? No, I’m not.”
Everyone was curious about who he was. Normally, people would tag actors on social media, but Mooyoung didn’t even have an account.
“Good morning, everyone.”
Their chatting quickly stopped as the professor entered. Just as Mooyoung was about to turn off his phone, he got a text from Junho.
[Ha Mooyoung, the rising star! Look at you!]
[The guys sent me screen captures, and I was blown away. You looked amazing on screen, and your acting was incredible too. I’ve got likes, subscriptions, and notifications all turned on! (?° ?? ?°)]
He figured “the guys” referred to his high school friends. Unlike Mooyoung, who had drifted away due to issues with his stepfather, Junho was naturally sociable and still kept in touch with many of their classmates.
[They talk about me?]
[Yeah, like how did you end up working with Enbin? They’re saying it doesn’t look like your first time acting. Would love to see the faces of those jerks who used to talk behind your back.]
Wait, there were people talking behind his back?
Mooyoung tilted his head in thought. Had he just been oblivious to it? Or maybe he didn’t care enough to notice… Oh right, there was that homeroom teacher.
[Whatever. It’s just my first project, after all. Oh, by the way, I got some agency offers. But it’s all from places I’ve never heard of, including some modeling agencies. Could you check them out for me?]
[Sure, send them over. I’ll take a look after work.]
Junho definitely knew more about this industry, so Mooyoung felt reassured. As he was about to end the conversation, a thought suddenly struck him. Speaking of, didn’t Junho’s company…
[How’s work going with that celebrity model launch?]
Junho responded immediately, bombarding him with messages about how the rookie from JB was unbearable, annoying, making him want to flip everything. Things were clearly not going smoothly.
Mooyoung asked, grinning as he typed.
[But Enbin’s way more popular than JB, right?]
[Is that even a question? There’s no comparison.]
[So, what if Enbin agreed to be your ad model?]
[Man, I’d bow down, forehead to the floor. But could we even afford him?]
A full bow? What was that about?
Mooyoung chuckled, about to reply, but Junho seemed to sense something and sent a flurry of messages.
[Wait, what? You’re not serious, right?]
[Are you really for real? My heart is racing here.]
[If it’s true, I’ll get you all our brand’s clothes. Now that you’re officially debuted, maybe we could arrange sponsorship? I don’t care if I get in trouble with my boss; I’ll do it! Save me, please! This diet is killing me!]
Beep. Beep. Beep.
It was like hearing Junho’s desperate voice in person. Mooyoung chuckled, sent a final reply, and shut his phone off.
[Get ready to bow down.]
