Chapter 69: "Beyond the River, the Stars" First Broadcast

Yeonwoo, holding a glass full of beer, raised it high, unlike the glass of soda he had during "The Summer Wardrobe."

"Aiming to create a drama that will go down in history, let's make a toast! Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

Everyone laughed and echoed the toast, responding to the enthusiastic call of the drama's protagonist.

Even Jinyuhan, who usually didn't mix well with others on set except for Yeonwoo, joined the celebration after the overseas location shooting, raising his glass in a toast.

Among them, only one person, Park Kyungwan, who was increasingly disliking Yeonwoo due to some baseless sense of victimhood, pouted.

As they ate and chatted, it was already approaching 10 PM on a Saturday night. The large monitor, tuned to KBC1, displayed the channel's logo along with a notice about broadcasting regulations.

"Beyond the River, the Stars"

The drama's first episode was finally airing.

Before the filming began, Yeonwoo and Yuhwan practiced the sword action scenes in the gym. The drama started with a pre-filmed scene of the veteran actors.

Gwangjong filled three golden cups with wine.

"Since my ministers have been working day and night to assist me in state affairs, I will bestow a toast today."

"We are deeply grateful."

However, Seopil, who bowed, did not touch the cup of wine offered by King Gwangjong.

Gwangjong, finding this strange, spoke.

"Why do you not accept my command? Is the wine or the cup not to your liking?"

Seopil bowed deeply and replied.

"Your Majesty, how could I? If I use a golden cup, what cup will Your Majesty use in the future?"

Gwangjong laughed heartily.

"You do not consider the golden cup a treasure, but I will consider your words a treasure from now on."

Gwangjong, holding the golden cup filled with wine for Seopil, continued.

"Today is a joyous day, so I will bestow a name upon your son. May he grow to be a shining star of Goryeo. Let his name be Hee (熙)."

Thus, Seopil's eldest son, Seo Yeon-yun, was renamed Seo Hee, a name bestowed by the 4th Emperor of Goryeo, King Gwangjong, when he was young.

Seo Ji-eun, watching TV, turned to the writer Kim Jin-ju and asked.

"Wow, Writer, is this story real?"

Since this scene was not in the script she received during the script reading, Yeonwoo also looked at Kim Jin-ju, curious.

"No, Ji-eun. There are separate records of Gwangjong bestowing a golden cup and Seo Hee's name being changed when he was young. I combined these two stories."

Oh.

The actors around them nodded, praising the writer.

Writer Kim Jin-ju, blushing from the unexpected praise.

Han So-hyun also turned on the TV at the right time and sat on the sofa with her mother to watch "Beyond the River, the Stars," starring Ryu Yeon-woo.

"Hyun, that guy is so cute. He's also very articulate."

"Yeah, Mom. After working on two projects together, he feels like a younger brother to me."

Then, after some thought, Han So-hyun added.

"Or maybe like an older brother?"

As the drama began, scenes with veteran actors and the golden cups appeared, followed by a scene of Seo Hee's servant, Dalyeong, bustling around the front door of Seo Hee's house.

- Oh, there's work every morning.

Then, the creaking of the hinges was heard as the door opened wide, and Yeonwoo appeared.

With his pale face, large eyes, and a straight nose, he had a chiseled appearance, and his neatly tied topknot made him look refined.

The scene of Ryu Yeon-woo entering the room was captured in slow motion, making his first appearance as the protagonist quite impressive.

"Oh, that guy is really handsome every time I see him. Hyun, bring him home sometime. I'll cook for him. Whether he's a younger brother or an older brother, he's still my son, right?"

Han So-hyun laughed at her mother's joke.

At that moment, Ryu Yeon-woo started his lines.

- What are you doing, gathering all of these?

- Oh, Young Master. How can I refuse the love letters the ladies write for you?

Then, a few scenes later, the first meeting between Ryu Yeon-woo and Seo Ji-eun in the market was shown.

- Are you okay?

- Ah, my buttocks!? No, how can you be so rude to a woman?

- Me? I was just standing here, but you...

The scene of Seo Ji-eun falling and Ryu Yeon-woo hesitating for a moment before picking her up with his foot was edited comically in slow motion, and the audience burst into laughter at their playful banter.

"Oh, they really suit each other. They're a perfect match. I'm getting excited."

"You should meet someone too. You're a late bloomer."

"Mom, what are you saying to an actress?"

Han So-hyun's mother looked at her daughter and chuckled.

"That actress is thirty."

"Mom!"

Han So-hyun glared at her mother after hearing the "thirty" comment.

Meanwhile, in a luxurious and modern home with marble floors, a man sat on the sofa in blue pajamas, enjoying chicken and beer.

He is Kim Joo-sung, the CEO of LN Entertainment, who started as a manager and built the company from the ground up, prioritizing mutual growth over financial gain.

"Hmm, the scene looks good."

Kim Joo-sung nodded while watching "Beyond the River, the Stars" on TV. Usually, he wears a sharp pompadour and a suit outside, but at home, he was relaxed, picking up a piece of chicken with a fork and eating it.

Kim Joo-sung's favorite hobby is watching his company's actors on screen and enjoying their performances alone.

- I haven't even married, and you're touching my buttocks...

- That's not true.

- Your toes were inside my skirt...

- That's not true at all.

The banter between Jin Yuhwan, playing Eojibak, and the other characters was engaging.

"The chemistry is good."

Kim Joo-sung nodded, watching the interaction between Ryu Yeon-woo and Seo Ji-eun on screen.

Seo Hee, who initially found Hong Eui-yeon's knowledgeable and well-read nature intriguing, gradually opened up to her. In his hometown, Seo Kyung, there were no peers as learned as Hong Eui-yeon, and he had only faced jealousy and envy. In Kaesong, he found someone who could match his intellect, and he gradually opened his heart to Seo Hee and Eojibak.

The drama continued, highlighting the main characters' traits with witty dialogues, adding to the intrigue.

An hour had passed, and the first episode of "Beyond the River, the Stars" concluded with a preview.

Immediately after the first episode ended, CEO Kim Joo-sung picked up his smartphone and refreshed it, waiting for the ratings to appear.

- KBC 1 "Beyond the River, the Stars" Episode 1 Rating [13.7%]

- MBS "Baldur" Episode 3 Rating [19.8%]

The ratings were still significantly lower compared to the competing drama, which had started a week earlier.

However, compared to "Baldur's" 24% rating for its second episode last week, the 13.7% was a significant achievement, indicating that a substantial number of viewers had been drawn away.

Kim Joo-sung searched for information about the production and investment companies behind "Baldur" on his smartphone.

"Hmm, this company?"

He stroked his chin and leaned back further into the sofa.

"This smells fishy."

Recently, Kim Joo-sung had witnessed many drug-related incidents in the entertainment industry, more frequent sponsorship issues, and attempts by certain forces to manipulate the industry for their own interests.

One of these companies was behind "Baldur."

While the current ratings were lower, if the ratings were to reverse, the company might resort to dirty tactics to recover their investment.

To prevent such dirty tricks, Kim Joo-sung called someone on his smartphone.

***

The internet reactions were primarily from the younger generation.

The comments on KBC 1's channel, which had initially raised concerns about whether it would appeal to the younger audience, began to grow, proving those concerns unfounded.

- I like Seo Hee.

└ Seo Hee was born in 942.

└ 42-year-old, just right. Only a 1060-year age difference between us.

- I want to send a love letter to Confucius. Where should I send it?

└ Yes, you'll get a cut at the entrance with servant Dalyeong.

- I'm going to watch every episode from now on. I'm swooning over the chemistry.

Meanwhile, in the excited atmosphere of a meat restaurant, Yeonwoo quietly smiled, seeing the staff discussing the surprisingly good start to the ratings.

While he would be lying if he said he didn't care about ratings and box office success, Yeonwoo, who decided to become an actor because he loved acting, was not one to get overly excited or disappointed by performance metrics.

'At least everyone is happy after all the hard work, which is a good sight.'

The competing drama, a major production by MBS, had been heavily promoted and was a blockbuster, so the production team had felt a bit demoralized from the start. However, from the staff's conversations, it seemed they had managed to steal a significant portion of the audience.

Yeonwoo looked to his side and saw Jin Yuhwan quietly eating meat after the drama ended.

'This guy doesn't seem to care much about ratings either.'

From what he had observed, Jin Yuhwan was a true acting enthusiast, focused solely on his craft.

Yeonwoo then looked to his left and saw Seo Ji-eun holding hands with Writer Kim Jin-ju and laughing.

Writer Kim Jin-ju, who was usually busy with writing and rarely appeared on set, and the always cheerful Seo Ji-eun had become close.

"Director, with this, can we narrow the gap? The drama gets more interesting as it progresses."

"Absolutely, we can!"

The atmosphere at the table behind them was also encouraging. The night grew deeper, and the after-party finally ended around 1 AM.

During the after-party, many calls and messages had come in, draining the battery of his smartphone.

"Hmm, I need to contact Min-soo. Should I borrow a phone?"

Just as Yeonwoo was pondering this, Min-soo's car arrived in front of the restaurant.

"How did you arrive just in time? My phone battery died during the after-party."

"I thought it would end around this time. At least you have a two-day break starting tomorrow. You haven't been getting much sleep lately due to the night shoots."

Yeonwoo smiled and joked.

"But if I'm on break, won't Min-soo be at the office?"

Min-soo, who hated office work more than anyone, smiled back.

"I also took a break. The company is matching your schedule."

"Oh, really? Then I can relax."

"What are you planning to do during your break?"

"I'm going to my hometown."

Min-soo nodded.

"It's been about three or four months since you last went home."

"Already that long."

The last time he went home was before the camping trip with Ma Seok-do and Jung Su-yeon, when he picked up his sister.

"I have a short break, but I'll go home tomorrow, watch the second episode with my family, and visit the special set."

"Special set? It's finally complete, then."

"Exactly."