* * *

Reporters were busier than ever. Dramas overlapping in broadcast season had happened plenty of times before. But never like this.

“They’re all airing at the exact same time?”

The opening act of a ratings war straight out of hell. There had never been a case where production presentations were scheduled for the exact same hour.

Normally, it turned into high-level psychological warfare, each side carefully watching the others and trying to get ahead by even a single hour to seize momentum first.

Because if they overlapped, everybody died.

One of the PR teams’ biggest jobs was figuring out the competing drama’s press conference date and time. Usually, if one production held theirs at 11 AM, the rival drama would schedule theirs at 2 PM or even the next day.

“Okay, got it!”

“You sure?”

“They said it’s then, so if that’s the case, we-”

Nice Production from 〈There Is Only One Culprit〉, PR 1 from 〈Dear Judge〉, and Songwon Planning from 〈Tamhok〉 were all busy spying on one another and digging up information.

“These bastards changed it again?”

“Ah, shit... then we have to move ours too.”

“Push it earlier! Earlier!”

If they wanted even the slightest upper hand in this once-in-a-generation Holy Grail War, they needed to move faster than everyone else....

“Are these lunatics insane? They changed it again?”

“I’m getting sick of this. Hey, change ours too.”

“We go first no matter what!”

They kept revising the dates over and over....

“This isn’t working.”

“We need to call them.”

“Seriously, these assholes have no professional ethics.”

In the end, all three sides joined hands and agreed to hold them on the same day. The time was—

“Wasn’t our Nice Production the one that suggested this gathering? Then we go first.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Let’s draw lots fairly-”

“How about debut order? Respect your seniors. We’ve got a twenty-year veteran actor on our side, so we ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) should go first.”

“How many trophies do your actors even have? If we’re going by popularity and hit rate, we win! Have you seen the firepower behind 〈Soft Soft Kindergarten〉?”

“Wow. Look at you acting pathetic.... Basically whining because you think you’ll lose?”

At the words from PR 1 of 〈Dear Judge〉, Nice Production from 〈There Is Only One Culprit〉 and Songwon Planning from 〈Tamhok〉 glared coldly at them.

“Ha....”

“Unbelievable....”

Somewhere deep down, all of them knew this was wrong.

“We’re really doing it on the same day?”

“Yeah. Let’s do it.”

“Fine. Exact same time.”

But....

“Scared?”

Alongside that common sense, they also possessed absurdly oversized faith in their own productions.

“Are these people out of their minds? Where are we even supposed to go?”

“Let’s split into pairs and cover them separately....”

“Ah-. The view counts are gonna be a total disaster. Traffic’s gonna crash.”

The reporters grumbled while hurriedly preparing for the production presentations. But because it was such unprecedented chaos, the dopamine was flowing hard.

“Our 〈There Is Only One Culprit〉 is a drama where you can enjoy both romantic comedy and thriller elements together, so your hearts are really going to race-. Please enjoy the thrill of searching for both the culprit and the boyfriend at the same time!” 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

There was pride in Hong Suryeon’s eyes as she held the microphone.

The kind of sparkle only granted to a top actress whose name attached to a project guaranteed success.

“Mm... Our 〈Tamhok〉 is a drama that seduces you without you even realizing it, the way a ballerina dances across the stage. Yes. It’s a work that will show you what beautiful ruin truly is. Please look forward to Suyeon, a protagonist who handles psychology and emotional emptiness like art.”

There was determination in Eun Baekhap’s eyes as she gripped the microphone.

The kind of solidity only possessed by an actress who had always trusted her own eye for projects.

“I’m happy to greet everyone through 〈Dear Judge〉 with a completely new genre. I want to show many different sides of myself as I grow. I immersed myself deeply into this role, so I hope many people will watch it.”

There was a magnetic pull in Do Gyeoul’s eyes as she held the microphone.

It was different from the gaze she usually wore. She made eye contact with each reporter one by one. The composure of a veteran who didn’t feel even the slightest tension came through clearly.

If anything, there was a faint impatience, as though she couldn’t wait to unleash this work onto the world.

“Then tonight at 10 PM. On SBC.”

“On JTBS.”

“On KBC-.”

At last, the signal flare exploded.

“Please tune in to the live broadcast.”

And the war began.

Since even the production presentations had all ended at the exact same time, it was only natural for the firepower to ignite simultaneously across every platform.

Thanks to the three agencies deciding they’d all rather die together, drama addicts genuinely started dropping dead.

The portal site main pages were plastered with them, and all over communities and social media the three dramas were discussed endlessly.

[DramaMovieActor TALK / Eun Baekhap’s visuals at the 〈Tamhok〉 press conference are fucking insane;;]

[DramaMovieActor TALK / Yoo Jiuk and Hong Suryeon chemistry at today’s 〈There Is Only One Culprit〉 press conference]

[DramaMovieActor TALK / Do Gyeoul’s character analysis at the 〈Dear Judge〉 press conference is insanely good]

[HOT / The three productions that held simultaneous press conferences today (feat. Holy Grail War)]

[DramaMovieActor TALK / TeamDongro guys, our Episode 3 airs today too.. don’t lose confidence]

Posts poured in nonstop without even a single second to breathe.

It was truly the golden age of drama addicts.

* * *

“It’s starting!”

Eunnyangi naturally fixed the channel on JTBS. The opening began with the high school version of Eun Baekhap.

“AAAAAH!”

Bare-faced with almost no makeup on, Eun Baekhap was unbelievably beautiful. She looked like an angel sent down from heaven to eradicate every trace of Eunnyangi’s pathetic taste in men DNA.

Every time scenes of Eun Baekhap passionately practicing ballet late into the night were intercut with a middle-aged man’s affair, the live thread exploded.

The hottest moment, naturally, was this.

-??His wife has cancer and he’s cheating??? holy fuck

└There are actually tons of guys who run around cheating when their wives get sick for example my dad lolol

-That’s why the daughter snapped T_T

-She should’ve run over her dad with the car too... +1 filial piety achievement

It was the scene featuring the legal wife of the man who had an affair with Eun Baekhap’s mother. Because of that, many viewers couldn’t help sympathizing with Kim Eunyoung, the daughter who lashed out in anger despite technically being the one who hit Eun Baekhap with the car.

-If your mom’s sick and your dad’s doing that, you’d seriously go insane fr

-How do you even tell her to divorce him.. her condition could get worse T_T

The daughter whose life was ruined by adultery wasn’t just Eun Baekhap alone. Kim Eunyoung herself was rotting from the inside out.

By giving emotional relatability to such a brutally trashy setup, 〈Tamhok〉 captivated viewers.

Kim Eunyoung went to the competition venue intending to ruin Eun Baekhap’s condition before the performance.

And then she saw her.

A heavenly ballerina who looked as though she didn’t belong to this earth at all. A lightness that seemed untouched even by gravity itself.

-What the fuck she did this without a stunt double????

-I’m losing my mind Team Eun Baekhap gather up... we made it... we really made it.. T_T

-Screenshot squad mobilize. I’ll sacrifice my wrists for unnie, fuck

Kim Eunyoung stared at Eun Baekhap smiling brightly while holding her trophy. Even in Eun Baekhap’s vision, washed out by the overly bright stage lights that made it hard to see the audience clearly, Kim Eunyoung stood out.

What followed was the car accident shown in the teaser, and Eun Baekhap’s despair after learning the truth.

- TT_TT My heart hurts too much to watch this

-As someone who did performing arts this is hitting my PTSD hard my hands are shaking

└same... that feeling when you’re forced to quit never really leaves T_T..

-Why is the editing so sophisticated? As expected of Yang Huimun

Even her gaunt tear-streaked face was beautiful. The pacing crashed forward like a tidal wave.

The final ending scene showed Eun Baekhap, now running a ballet academy, gazing through the window at Kim Eunyoung’s happy family below.

Sensing the stare, Kim Eunyoung looked upward, but seeing only the transparent window, she brushed off the uneasy feeling.

Her beloved child. Her wonderful husband. Happiness that felt eternal. And Eun Baekhap smiling as she watched the scene while silently vowing to never destroy that family.

Anticipation swelled over what kind of ruin awaited them in the future.

That was how Episode 1 of 〈Tamhok〉 ended, followed immediately by rave reviews.

[Even ballet experts amazed by Eun Baekhap’s performance... “No stunt double” leaves viewers stunned twice]

[〈Tamhok〉 Ready to tear each other apart? The war between Eun Baekhap and Kim Eunyoung officially begins]

[StarCutCut ⎜Eun Baekhap’s flawless beauty upon taking the stage]

Director Yang Huimun’s obsessive perfectionist directing style was visible throughout Episode 1.

Choosing classical music for the OST had been a divine move. It added a spoonful of elegance to the adultery melodrama.

“Unnie... we made it....”

Eunnyangi cried tears of emotion.

* * *

At the same time, Reporter Wi was watching 〈There Is Only One Culprit〉 for Daily Media’s Intube recording.

Out of the three premieres airing that night, it seemed the most likely to generate massive views.

“Just looking at Yoo Jiuk from 〈Soft Soft Kindergarten〉....”

“We kind of have to ride the hype wave, don’t we?”

Part of the reason was that the reaction video they uploaded last week for Episode 1 of 〈Dongdaemun Romance〉 had performed poorly.

Since the episode itself had been so calm and peaceful, there hadn’t been anything provocative or especially relatable enough to drive engagement.

Episode 1 of 〈There Is Only One Culprit〉 was romantic comedy perfection.

“Ah! You weren’t supposed to throw that away!”

After opening her perfume workshop and moving into a new house, Hong Suryeon lost some luggage. Since it was a small box, one of the moving company workers had mistaken it for trash and thrown it away.

“What do I do?!”

Hong Suryeon immediately rushed to the garbage area because the item was obviously important. There she ran into Yoo Jiuk, casually dressed and sorting recyclables.

Hong Suryeon dug through the trash and found the box, leaving her hands filthy.

“Hwaeeeng.”

Even her sigh, mixed with irritation and aegyo, looked adorable because she was so happy to retrieve the item.

Then suddenly, a disposable wet wipe was offered to her.

“Ah... thank you.”

Despite her gratitude, Yoo Jiuk merely gave a slight nod and left.

“What was that? He’s handsome....”

While wiping her hands with the wet wipe he’d given her, Hong Suryeon belatedly realized how awful she looked.

“Ah! I hadn’t even washed my hair!”

At Hong Suryeon’s natural loveliness, the Daily Media reporters let out genuine reactions.

“That really happens. The moment you run into someone you like or someone you’re interested in, you look like a complete mess.”

“I once ran into my ex-boyfriend with black-bean-sauce noodles around my mouth....”

When Hong Suryeon later encountered Yoo Jiuk in the elevator, she shyly greeted him with flushed cheeks. Unlike yesterday, Yoo Jiuk was now neatly dressed and smiled warmly as he greeted her back.

Then the next day, he responded lazily.

And every time he gave her a lazy greeting, it happened to correlate with how dressed up Hong Suryeon was.

“What’s his problem? Does he just hate greeting people who dress casually? What kind of asshole is this...!”

〈There Is Only One Culprit〉 executed romantic comedy clichés perfectly. The next day, fully dressed up, Hong Suryeon glared at the equally polished Yoo Jiuk and greeted him.

“GOOD! MOR! NING!”

“...Yes, good morning.”

“You’re smiling?”

“Hm?”

“What’s so funny? Seriously, wow.”

At Yoo Jiuk’s gentle smile, completely different from yesterday, Hong Suryeon snapped irritably.

“It’s... a good morning...?”

At his response, Hong Suryeon narrowed her eyes at him.

“So it’s a good morning because I’m pretty today?”

-Ah fuck seriously T_T LMAOO

-The secondhand embarrassment is legendary.. but when Hong Suryeon pulls it off it becomes completely different holy shit

└LMAOO She’s literally the only one who can make this type of role not look pathetic

-She’s so cute but PLEASE reduce the cringe scenes a little I’m begging you

The early parts flowed sweetly before the very last moment introduced the suspicious man from the teaser, successfully injecting tension into the episode.

It was storytelling worthy of Woo Seungri, who had been gaining attention as the next Hwang Boseok.

By showcasing the bickering romcom chemistry right from the beginning, 〈There Is Only One Culprit〉 captured viewers immediately.

[Hong Suryeon: “So it’s a good morning because I’m pretty today?” Cute tantrum toward Yoo Jiuk]

[〈There Is Only One Culprit〉 perfectly demonstrates the essence of romantic comedy in Episode 1]

[Yoo Jiuk’s flawless dual role performance... “Which one would you choose?” Viewers scream]

The preview for the next episode even showed Hong Suryeon trapped alone in an elevator with Yoo Jiuk.

The moment Yoo Jiuk’s signature indifferent face overlapped with Hong Suryeon’s frightened expression, the Daily Media reporters burst into cheers.

‘...Yeoreum....’

Reporter Wi, who still hadn’t watched Episode 3 of 〈Dongdaemun Romance〉 yet, felt a sense of dread wash over him.

He had a bad feeling that the ratings for 〈There Is Only One Culprit〉 were going to be no joke.

* * *

I watched the live broadcast of 〈Dear Judge〉 on my phone.

“N-no, shouldn’t we not be doing this? Streaming it like this affects the ratings calculations and if that impacts our ratings then our drama’s....”

Seo Eden still seemed unable to understand how ratings worked.

“Shh.”

“Shh?”

“You know the enemy and know yourself, and you’ll win every battle.”

There was no point explaining it properly since he probably wouldn’t understand anyway, so I brushed it off vaguely.

Do Gyeoul appeared onscreen in a school uniform.

“Still, couldn’t we watch the rerun instead? We should have our own drama playing right now.... I’ve already got it running on both my tablet and my phone. At the dorm, the hyungs even checked whether everyone had their laptops turned on too, so if we do this here-”

While I was trying to watch Do Gyeoul, Seo Eden kept shaking my shoulder beside me.

“And today isn’t just any episode either, it’s the episode with the first kiss scene. Aren’t you even curious? Ours....”

I pulled Seo Eden closer by the shoulder.

Then I showed him the phone in my hand.

“Just stay quiet and watch with me. If you’re not watching, leave.”

I needed to focus on Do Gyeoul.

What kind of acting would she show this time?

How much of me had she carved away and stolen?

That familiar feeling climbed up the back of my neck again. My head throbbed painfully.

What if.

Even if it was only the slightest possibility.

‘What if she beats me.’

I alone knew that the confidence Do Gyeoul had shown at the production presentation wasn’t baseless.

“....”

Seo Eden, shoulder pressed against mine, trembled nervously.

Onscreen, Do Gyeoul was the picture-perfect model student.

Even in poverty, she studied diligently and never once lost her position as top student in the entire school.

‘And she’s playing a sociopath in this setup?’

If done wrong, the audience would be unable to sympathize with the character at all and would instead reject her completely.

A stylish antihero story only worked when the targets were irredeemable villains.

‘But the father’s there.’

Very few viewers enjoyed watching weak, kind ordinary people get trampled.

Surely the writer hadn’t overlooked that point.

“That’s sad.”

But I immediately understood.

The writer had twisted together the father’s hateable qualities and Do Gyeoul’s emotional deprivation.

Creating sympathy both for the sociopathic lawyer and for the ordinary citizen’s daughter at the same time.