Chapter 77. Reaction

The spark of the torrent of negative comments was Oh Seung-hwan, a reporter for MovieFact.

Due to the necessity of inviting members from various fan cafes, including Wooz, the fan cafe of Yeonwoo, the number of press seats allocated to reporters had to be reduced, and Oh Seung-hwan, who was bumped down the list and did not receive a ticket, felt his pride wounded.

"Are you kidding? Not a single ticket for a Park Chan-hong film? After all the praise I gave his previous work? What a lousy situation..."

He placed his hands on the keyboard to start writing.

"Meddling with a master like Park Chan-hong is a bit much. Masukdo has had too many box office hits."

As Oh Seung-hwan scanned the lineup, a relatively unfamiliar name caught his eye.

"Ryu Yeonwoo, perfect."

The corners of Oh Seung-hwan's mouth curled up as he researched Ryu Yeonwoo's filmography online.

- Why did Master Plan choose Ryu Yeonwoo?

By Oh Seung-hwan, MovieFact

The box office success of Park Chan-hong is a given.

Anticipation for the crime action film "Master Plan," set to hit this fall, is growing.

But will this film, which opens tomorrow, succeed?

If it fails, what could be the reason?

Based on our speculation, there might be a serious weakness.

The chemistry between Masukdo, whom Park Chan-hong described as the "best casting," and Ryu Yeonwoo is a critical point. However, a look at Ryu Yeonwoo's career is surprising.

This actor, who debuted as a lead without any notable acting experience, has so far delivered rather formulaic performances.

According to the available information, the role of Pierre Choi requires significant acting skills and charisma. Can Ryu Yeonwoo pull it off? We are skeptical.

Then, why did Master Plan choose Ryu Yeonwoo over many established actors? It seems to be a reflection of the current trend of exploiting the ticket-buying power of young fans...

The article continues with a focused analysis and almost overtly aggressive comments about Ryu Yeonwoo.

"Wow. I wrote it, but it's a masterpiece. It feels like this is how it will actually turn out. For Ryu Yeonwoo, this role is like a pearl necklace on a pig."

As soon as the article was published online, Yeonwoo's fan cafe members began to attack it with comments.

- Why are you picking on our Yeonwoo out of the blue?

- Isn't this kind of evaluation supposed to be done after the movie is released?

- I'll remember the name of reporter Oh Seung-hwan.

Then, people who had been envious of Yeonwoo's sudden rise to fame began to surface and agree with the article.

- Honestly, what acting skills has Ryu Yeonwoo shown in his previous works?

- Let's be frank, Ryu Yeonwoo just has a good face. It's not like the reporter is saying anything about his acting skills, you brainless fans.

- Sigh. They just scream over his face. An actor should act well.

Those who defended him and those who criticized him.

As the two factions formed, the internet quickly turned into a battlefield of insults and degenerated into a place where people inquired about each other's parents' well-being.

The next day, "Master Plan" was released.

***

Representative Kim Joo-sung arrived at the theater early in the morning.

He had naturally received an invitation to the VIP screening held yesterday, but he declined to attend and watch the film with the actual audience to feel their reactions.

He bought a popcorn and cola set and sat at a table in front of the ticket counter. It was Chuseok, a public holiday, so he noticed that many people were buying tickets from early morning.

"Hey, did you see how the internet was on fire over this movie yesterday?"

"Huh? Why? I didn't see it."

"Yesterday, a reporter wrote an article saying that if 'Master Plan' fails, it will be because of Ryu Yeonwoo, and fans and anti-fans started fighting."

Hearing the couple's conversation, Representative Kim Joo-sung turned his head.

The couple, who seemed to have booked tickets for "Master Plan," were holding their tickets and reading the pamphlet while the man spoke.

The woman frowned and tilted her head.

"But isn't that too much? Why are they badmouthing before the release?"

"Ryu Yeonwoo is an easy target among the cast, so the reporter probably wrote it to draw attention and boost views."

"I hope the movie is fun and Ryu Yeonwoo acts well, making that reporter eat his words."

The man nodded as he watched his girlfriend, who held the ticket for the upcoming "Master Plan."

- Please proceed to Screen 3. If you have a mobile ticket, please display it on your screen.

The people sitting in front of the ticket counter stood up. They all seemed to be waiting for "Master Plan."

Representative Kim Joo-sung, with his neat pompadour and suit, nodded and entered the screening room.

After the two-hour storm of applause, gasps, and laughter, the black screen displayed the end credits.

'...I thought I had already given it a high evaluation, but Ryu Yeonwoo exceeded my expectations. He is a true genius.'

Representative Kim Joo-sung, still immersed in the film.

As the end credits finished, a cookie scene appeared.

Some of the audience, who had stayed to watch the cookie scene, were surprised by its appearance, as it is not commonly used in domestic films.

The cookie scene, which seemed to hint at a sequel, made Kim Joo-sung tilt his head.

'There was no talk of a sequel when we signed the contract...?'

Kim Joo-sung nodded.

'Yes, while filming, Director Park Chan-hong must have realized that this will definitely be a box office hit.'

Although a sequel was not originally planned, it is likely that the certainty of its success during filming led to the addition of a scene hinting at Guak Ji-cheol joining the team.

After finishing his thoughts, Representative Kim Joo-sung stood up to leave. As he walked down the aisle, he overheard a conversation from a couple behind him.

It seemed to be the same couple he had seen before the screening, who had also watched the cookie scene.

"Bro, that reporter is in big trouble."

"Right, what weakness? Ryu Yeonwoo devoured the movie."

"Wow. I never knew Ryu Yeonwoo could act so well."

"The movie content is also really fun, isn't it?"

As he walked out of the theater, the corners of Representative Kim Joo-sung's mouth curled up.

The articles from the VIP screening, which had been trickling in, started to flood the news on the day of the release.

- Blue-chip Ryu Yeonwoo is no longer just a blue-chip.

- "Master Plan" hits the mark.

- The box office performance of "Master Plan" is already highly anticipated.

- The fantastic chemistry between Masukdo and Ryu Yeonwoo in "Master Plan."

By the afternoon, mocking comments began to appear on the MovieFact article, and hardcore fans even called the company directly.

- Shouldn't MovieFact change its name? There's not a single fact in the article.

- I'll remember the name of reporter Oh Seung-hwan.

└ When I looked up this reporter, he had previously drawn flak for stirring up controversy.

- Why did he do this? Don't movie reporters see the film at previews? If he had seen the movie, he wouldn't have written such an article.

- Where did all those anti-fans who were badmouthing Ryu Yeonwoo yesterday disappear to?

With the internet already heated up from the previous day, the addition of new fuel made it burn even brighter in a positive direction.

The word of mouth spread quickly, and with the added buzz and the name value of Director Park Chan-hong, the theaters that had opened in the morning were already fully booked for the next day.

During the chaos, Yeonwoo lay in bed, recalling the fan meeting from the previous day and browsing through the fan cafe posts.

The fans had written such entertaining posts that, despite the somewhat awkward and dull atmosphere he had worried about, the fans had posted engaging and fun reviews.

Yeonwoo reminisced about the previous day as he read the reviews.

The restaurant where the impromptu fan meeting took place.

"I feel like I'm dreaming. I can see you up close for so long."

"Ji-yeon, can you take a picture for us later?"

"Me too, me too."

The fans, who had become friends while watching the movie and chatting, called each other by name.

Yeonwoo felt even more grateful as the fans, with their bright eyes, focused on him during the meal.

'How thankful I am to be loved so purely.'

Yeonwoo nodded while eating.

"I'm really grateful for your support. I just act..."

The fans felt his sincerity as he spoke during the meal.

"Wow. Even his character is great."

Whatever he said, the fans loved it.

Before moving to the room where his friends and family were, Yeonwoo wanted to give them a gift.

"Anything I can do for you, I'll do, except singing. Acting, selfies, anything you want?"

The fans eagerly asked for selfies, hugs, and even some playfully asked for a song, but he firmly shook his head.

'Anything except singing.'

Then, Han Yu-kyung, known as 'Universe Seo Hee,' raised her hand.

"Yeonwoo, can you do the deer antler pout from the movie today?"

"…What?"

Yeonwoo faced a major crisis in his life.

He broke out in more cold sweat than when he was trapped in the eastern front of Sri Lanka during the civil war.

Yeonwoo's face turned red as he recalled the event.

'Phew, yesterday was tough.'

While browsing through the posts from the previous day, he found angry comments from fans.

"What did Oh Seung-hwan write?"

The bulletin board was filled with harsh criticisms of the reporter.

It seemed that the managers were deleting the personal attacks in real-time, but there were still many posts.

After following the link and reading the article about himself, Yeonwoo chuckled.

Such low-level attacks couldn't shake his mental fortitude after the hell he had been through.

While reading the attacks, which were almost cute, he nodded in agreement.

"True, even I think it was too sudden for me to only play lead roles. It was abnormal."

Still, for someone to write such an article...

"Hmm, with this kind of fuel, the fire will burn even brighter. I'm grateful."

Meanwhile, in a building in Gangnam, the 'grateful person' was currently being hauled to a disciplinary committee, unable to go home, and feeling like he was about to die.