Chapter 24: The Power of Drama part 2

Saturday, 2:40 PM

Exiting at the Seoul World Cup Stadium Station in Sangam-dong, Geon wandered around, searching for TVN.

Perhaps due to the weekend, there were quite a few people around Sangam-dong. It had transformed from a barren land into a bustling city with large multiplex cinemas, various restaurants, and shopping malls setting up shop recently.

Spotting the signboard reading 'TVN' atop a building that seemed to tower beyond 30 floors, Geon dialed Yeongseok's number.

Yeongseok, eagerly anticipating Geon's arrival, promptly answered the phone after two rings.

"Hello?"

"Oh, hi, PD-nim Kim Geon speaking."

"Ah, yes, Geon-ssi. Have you arrived?"

"Yes, I'm outside the building on the 1st floor."

"I see! I'll come down shortly. Please wait in the lobby!"

"Sure thing, PD-nim."

Ending the call, Geon stepped into the bustling lobby of the broadcasting station.

Inside, the station wasn't vastly different from other buildings. There was an information desk in the spacious lobby, with sofas, tables, and magazines arranged in one corner for people to relax. Despite the seemingly excessive space, the lobby felt small due to the bustling crowd.

Geon, trying to find a spot on a vacant sofa while being discreet, was surprised by Yeongseok's sudden appearance. Unfamiliar with Yeongseok's face, Geon attempted to sidestep him, but Yeongseok, not recognizing Geon either, dialed his number.

*Riiiing riiiing*

Startled by the ringing from Geon, Yeongseok turned to see Geon's face.

"Oh, Geon-ssi? Is that you?"

Upon hearing his name from nearby, Geon turned to face Yeongseok.

Seeing Geon's face, Yeongseok froze in place.

Geon, with striking eyeliner, porcelain-like skin contrasting with healthy, red lips, and jet-black wavy hair cascading down to the eyebrows, was a dazzling young man. That was Geon.

His description didn't merely capture him as a young man; it portrayed an inexplicable, lethal, and sexy charm masked with innocence and awkwardness, enhancing his allure. Yeongseok hadn't encountered anyone as captivating in all his time from his SBS PD days to his current stint at TVN. Undoubtedly, Geon was the most captivating man he had ever encountered.

Responding to Yeongseok's call, Geon politely greeted him.

"Hello, PD-nim. Sorry for arriving on the weekend. I'm a student... Geon Kim, PD-nim."

"······"

"Uh... PD-nim? Um... PD-nim?"

Geon repeatedly called out to Yeongseok, who remained dumbfounded.

Repeating his calls, yet finding Yeongseok still lost in thought, Geon gently nudged Yeongseok's arm.

"Uh... PD-nim?"

Feeling the touch, Yeongseok snapped out of his daze.

"Oh, uh, yes, yes... Oh, my, sorry, Geon-ssi. I zoned out for a moment there. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. You've had a tough time coming here on the weekend without rest."

Despite being a PD, Yeongseok was someone without a sense of entitlement, yet he sensed he shouldn't be too casual with Geon, whom he was meeting for the first time.

Geon scratched the back of his head, watching Yeongseok's flustered demeanor. 

"No... I mean, I'm just a student. PD-nim, you're the one working on weekends. That must be tougher."

Yeongseok waved it off.

"No, no. People like us in broadcasting, weekends are nothing special. We're so accustomed to this life that it doesn't bother us. Anyway, let's head up and talk. The actors we're working with from China will be joining us upstairs. It's better to gather for a brief meeting."

Geon, surprised, asked, "Actors? Are you referring to those who appeared in Chuno?"

Yeongseok chuckled. "Yes, indeed. It's for promoting the Chuno drama in export. It wouldn't make sense if only a few actors went. Haha. Come, take this elevator."

As the door of the second elevator on the left among the ten opened, Yeongseok gestured to Geon.

"Today, Dahae-ssi might be a little late, so we'll start without her. Hyuk and Jiho are already here. People from the staff, AD, and the main writer will be joining us."

Geon eagerly listened, overwhelmed by the prospect of meeting celebrities in person.

"Oh, I should have mentioned earlier. The Chinese side wants promotional videos with Jiho and Hyuk from the drama, but since there's no footage of you, it's difficult to create promotional materials. So, we plan to film today's meeting in a documentary style to send to China and Japan. Is that okay? It won't change anything; once you're there, people will recognize you."

Geon nodded, his mind already caught up in the excitement of meeting celebrities rather than the video.

"Yeah, that's fine with me. Hehe. But you know, it's the first time I've ever seen a celebrity since I was born. Both Jang Hyuk and Oh Ji-ho are cool and good-looking, and they're great actors. I'm really looking forward to it."

Watching Geon's excitement, Yeongseok smiled subtly.

"Hehe... It'll be interesting to see who surprises whom. Even though Hyuk and Jiho are celebrities, if they don't get surprised seeing your face, are they really human? Hehe."

In the elevator, Yeongseok secretly texted the camera director waiting in the meeting room.

"We're entering now. When we first come in, have one camera on us, and don't miss any expressions on Oh Ji-ho and Jang Hyuk's faces with close-ups. OK?"

"Here he comes!"

Yeongseok welcomed Geon with a touch of exaggeration, throwing the door wide open with a slightly over-the-top action.

The conference room could accommodate more than ten people, with Jang Hyuk and Oh Ji-ho seated side by side at the table. Across from them, the assistant director (AD), two camera directors, and an audio director were in one corner of the room, capturing the meeting.

"Oh, Yeongseok hyung, you're here early. Jiho got some coffee. Have some, too. He bought coffee for the crew."

Jang Hyuk chuckled and offered coffee to Yeongseok. Glancing around, Yeongseok noticed the directors filming were also holding coffee in their hands.

Taking the coffee, Yeongseok raised his cup slightly towards Jiho. "Thanks, polite Jiho. I'll enjoy this."

Jiho chuckled as if it was nothing and offered another cup of coffee. "It's nothing much. Oh, this is the singer who performed our drama's OST. Heard you'd be joining the meeting today."

Nodding, Yeongseok moved slightly aside. "Ah, right. You're here. Let's greet them. This is Siya, who sang the OST for the drama Chuno."

For courtesy, Hyuk and Jiho awkwardly rose halfway from their seats upon seeing Geon, maintaining their posture.

Seeing Hyuk staring at Geon with wide eyes and Jiho's surprised expression, Yeongseok quickly signaled the camera director. With a pre-received cue, the camera director swiftly alternated between capturing Hyuk and Jiho's expressions.

Geon stepped forward with a slightly flushed face. "Hello, guys. I'm Geon Kim. Nice to meet you."

Despite Geon bowing at a 90-degree angle, Hyuk and Jiho, frozen in their awkward pose, couldn't reciprocate the greeting.

After about 30 seconds of silence, Yeongseok clapped his hands, breaking the tension. "Clap, clap! Come on, Hyuk, Jiho, snap out of it!"

Startled by Yeongseok's loud voice, the two finally extended their hands for a handshake.

"Oh, sorry for the first meeting. I'm Jang Hyuk. You're really good looking. I was genuinely surprised!"

"Hello, I'm Oh Ji-ho. Have a cup of coffee. I'm sorry for our first encounter. I was surprised because you're so handsome."

Geon lightly shook hands with Jang Hyuk and accepted the coffee from Jiho. "Oh, no, it's fine. Please don't worry. It's an honor to meet you."

Still standing awkwardly, Hyuk and Jiho glanced at the camera before quickly adjusting their postures and gesturing for Geon to take a seat.

As Yeongseok and Geon settled in, the AD set up the presentation on a 40-inch TV.

Yeongseok stood beside the TV in a relaxed manner, explaining with one hand on his waist. "Let's go through this comfortably. Although it's for filming, this footage might not even be used. The purpose of this trip is to promote the drama 'Chuno.' Currently, it's aired up to episode 4 in China and Japan. In China, the drama has gained immense popularity from episode 1 due to the widespread Hallyu wave. However, in Japan, the desert fighting scenes in episode 1 initially didn't resonate well but have shown good ratings from episode 3 onwards."

Taking a brief pause to catch his breath, Yeongseok continued, gesturing towards the TV showing a graph of viewership. "Let's look at the graph. In China, the viewership started high and continued to rise. According to the Chinese broadcasting station, it's expected to reach remarkable figures akin to those achieved by dramas based on the Three Kingdoms IP. The gender ratio of viewers began at 7:3 male to female but shifted to 6:4 by episode 4, indicating an increase in female viewers."

Pointing to the graph on the left side of the TV, Yeongseok elaborated. "Japan, on the other hand, has a different pattern. There's an overwhelming number of female viewers, with a ratio of 9:1, meaning there are nine women for every man watching. While it might seem similar to Korea, the older female demographic in Korea sustains viewership, unlike in Japan. The statistics show 33% for teenagers, 26% for those in their twenties, 19% for thirties, and 22% for those above 40. The combined percentage of teenagers and those in their twenties is 59%."

Stepping forward with arms wide open, Yeongseok raised his shoulders. "Though we've exported many dramas to these countries, they were primarily historical dramas, making it challenging to capture the younger audience. As you know, the 'Yonsama' craze in Japan wasn't favored by the younger generation. However, our drama is preferred by the younger demographic in both countries, despite being a historical drama."

Yeongseok signaled the AD to switch to the next slide. "So, the broadcasting stations that purchased our drama want to know if they should invest more in promotions as the ratings continue to rise. Here, I'll explain while showing the map of China."

Pointing at the China map displayed on the TV, Yeongseok continued his explanation. "Firstly, we'll head to Beijing, China's capital. Then, we'll go through Tianjin and reach Qingdao. Although the Chinese side requested events in Nanjing, Fuzhou, and Guangzhou, our actors' schedules make it challenging to cover such a wide southern region. Thus, this event will only cover the eastern part of China."

After a brief pause, Yeongseok gestured to flip the slide. "Starting with the Beijing event, we'll depart from Incheon Airport to Beijing Capital International Airport. It's about a 25km drive from the airport to the city, approximately a 30-minute ride. Interestingly, they've rented out the National Grand Theatre for the fan meeting, similar to our National Theater of Korea. There will be a brief press conference followed by meeting the fans. After a short Q&A and gift-giving session, Geon will perform the OST. While Geon's on stage, other actors will prepare for the autograph session. We'll need to hurry as we must move directly to Tianjin."

The AD timed it right and turned to the next slide. "Next is Tianjin, a relatively nearby city, about a 40-minute drive from downtown Beijing. We'll hold the event not in a theater but at a department store called Highsense. It'll be an outdoor performance on a European-style cafe street in front of the store."

"Lastly, Qingdao, known as Cheongdo in Korean. You've probably tasted Qingdao beer at least once; it's so famous. Since it's quite a distance, over 500km from Tianjin, we'll fly there. First-class seats are booked, and it'll be a short flight of about an hour. The fan meeting is scheduled at Qingdao Grand Theatre, with a reserved main hall of 1600 seats. Then, we'll fly to Japan in the evening

."

"In Japan, we have similar events in Tokyo's Makuhari Messe and Osaka's Cosmosquare Hotel. All events will conclude in a day, and the following night is free time. There's Disneyland near Tokyo and many attractions like Dotonbori or Osaka Castle near Osaka. You'll have free time until 10 PM to reach Narita Airport for your return. The schedule spans four days, and we're expected to arrive at Incheon Airport at 12:10 AM on the last night. Any questions so far?"

Listening quietly to the lengthy explanation, Jiho raised a question. "So, after Geon's performance, will he join the autograph session? But considering his current level of recognition..."

Geon empathized with the concern about his recognition and awaited Yeongseok's response.

Grinning at Geon, who shared the same thoughts, Yeongseok replied, "That part will be taken care of. Why do you think the camera team is here filming today?"

Glancing at the camera team, Jiho commented, "Hmm... even if we're making a promotional video with today's footage, there's only one song from Geon, and this meeting is more for internal discussion... will it work?"

Leaning forward, Yeongseok placed both hands on the table. "We've captured your expressions when Geon entered. Will there be any difference for fans?"

After a moment's glance at Geon, Jiho nodded deeply. "True... we can't help but be excited seeing Geon. Please make sure Geon doesn't feel uncomfortable at the event, PD-nim."

Acknowledging with a nod, Yeongseok thought to himself, "Jiho, Hyuk, sorry. You might end up feeling awkward. Haha."