Chapter 18

Villain Only Acting 018

First Rating Good (2)

"Is 9.8% high?"

Jeong Su-ryeon said sternly.

"Don't go saying that anywhere. You'll get criticized."

"It seems high, then."

"On cable, especially for the first episode, 9.8% is incredibly high. It's not a terrestrial channel, and these days, such ratings are rare on cable. If it had gone up just 0.2%, it would have been 10%. Now, the second episode will definitely start by surpassing 10%."

"I see."

"You're done with filming, right? Ah, that's a shame. If you had a bit more screen time, you could have become a star with this drama. No, never mind. Even I thought your acting was good. You showed plenty of potential. Maybe a big agency will offer you a contract first."

Jeong Su-ryeon, who had been speaking rapidly, suddenly widened her eyes.

"Hey! Don't just sign any contract because you think it looks good. Make sure I review it, okay?"

"Who reviewed your employment contract?"

"Oh, right. You studied law. You're going to be a patent attorney later. Even though you're my brother, you're so annoying. Mom, why didn't you distribute the brain genes better?"

Jeong Su-ryeon said resentfully, and her mother laughed as if she found it amusing.

"Go look in the mirror. If I had only given birth to someone like you, everyone would thank me. Jung-hee's daughter still complains about why she was born that way."

"That's her asking for plastic surgery money."

"By giving you a face that doesn't need a knife, I've already given you a lot, you brat."

"No, I'm grateful for that. But in the end, I didn't get the camera magnetism..."

"As long as it doesn't affect your marriage, what more do you want?"

When he received a call from PD Song Jeong-woo, Jeong Se-hoon showed it to his sister and then answered the phone.

"Yes, PD."

-Did you watch the first episode?

"Yes. I watched it with my family."

-If we got 9.8% for the first episode, it will definitely go into double digits. If we maintain the tension, we can even surpass 20%. This is an incredibly high rating.

"Yes, my sister said the same thing."

-Only terrestrial channels with over 50 episodes can get ratings in the 30s, and for a 12-episode cable series, getting over 10% is already a great achievement. Of course, I'm aiming for the 20s.

Song Jeong-woo talked excitedly for a while, not sure if it was a celebration or self-praise.

-Let's have a small dinner together. I'll treat you to some good food.

"I'm fine, but..."

Before he could finish, Jeong Su-ryeon shook her head and glared at him.

-Don't say no, come on. I wanted to have a drink with Se-hoon anyway. Can't you drink?

"That's not the case. I understand. Where should I go?"

-I'll give you the address. Put it in your navigation. Try to take a taxi.

"Okay."

When Jeong Se-hoon hung up, his mother asked curiously.

"Who was that?"

"PD. He wants to have a drink to celebrate the good ratings."

"Oh my. From the way the PD is taking care of you, it seems like you have a significant role? I only saw Jin-wook's face in the first episode."

"Sometimes you call me Se-hoon, sometimes Jin-wook. Mom, are you going to get confused about whether you have one son or two?"

"Take a taxi. Even though the driving services are good these days, it's better not to drive after drinking."

"I understand. I'll be back."

***

The meeting place was a regular franchise barbecue restaurant in Gangnam.

However, the prices on the menu were not ordinary.

The moment Jeong Se-hoon entered the restaurant, he felt several gazes fix on him.

He had received similar looks while walking the short distance to the restaurant.

Some customers stared at him and whispered to each other.

"Is it him?", "It looks like him?", "Oh, wow.", "Should we ask for an autograph?", "What if it's not him?", "Still, just in case..." These whispers were caught by his soldier's sharp ears.

"Se-hoon! Over here!"

At that moment, Kim Hyun-tae approached and pulled him by the arm.

Song Jeong-woo's group was having a meal at a table by the window, not in a private room.

There were three of them: Song Jeong-woo, Kim Hyun-tae, and Kim Sang-hee.

As Jeong Se-hoon sat down, the gazes on the table increased.

Song Jeong-woo, sitting next to him, asked in a low voice.

"Did you get some looks on the way here? Not the usual ones, but different ones."

"A few people seemed to recognize me."

"It looks like some people at other tables are recognizing you too. Can you feel it?"

"It seems so."

"Still, it's only been a few hours since the first episode aired, and it's already like this. Maybe today, Se-hoon will give his first autograph."

"I thought you would have booked a private room."

"Kim Writer insisted on this place. He said he had to see Se-hoon give his first autograph with his own eyes."

"He must have felt like he would get a lot of inspiration."

"I don't know how giving the first autograph relates to inspiration, but how can I understand the minds of creative people?"

At that moment, a group of women in their early 30s approached hesitantly from a nearby table.

Their gazes roamed over Jeong Se-hoon, growing more confident.

"Excuse me. Are you... Illegally...?"

"Yes. We're having a production team dinner. This is actor Jeong Se-hoon, who plays Ji-wook."

"Oh my! Really?"

"See! I told you! There's no way there could be another face like this!"

"Sorry! I really enjoyed the first episode! Could I have an autograph?"

Kim Sang-hee, who seemed to have been prepared, even pulled out paper and a pen from her bag.

"Your acting was amazing. I'll definitely watch the rest of the episodes. I hope the drama does well!"

Kim Sang-hee even took a photo with a big smile.

The women left the restaurant happily, still looking back and squealing through the glass.

After them, a few more people requested autographs. They were people who had watched the first episode today.

Customers who didn't request autographs just thought, "Oh, a celebrity," and moved on.

In total, there were seven groups requesting autographs.

It didn't interfere with their meal.

After paying the bill, they waited for their designated drivers and chatted.

"Was the food good?"

"Yes, it was delicious."

"I meant, did the fans interfere with your meal or make you uncomfortable?"

"No. It's only the first episode, and people are already recognizing me. It didn't bother me at all."

"That's a good attitude. Still, when fans gather to the point where you can't eat comfortably, it can be tough. Famous celebrities have their reasons for eating in secret."

Song Jeong-woo's words were followed by Kim Sang-hee, who patted his shoulder and chuckled.

"Se-hoon, do you know what happens when word of mouth starts and the latecomers follow?"

"What happens?"

"You'll feel like today was the last day you could eat out comfortably."

***

While her brother was meeting Song Jeong-woo, Jeong Su-ryeon was checking the audience reactions.

She scoured viewer boards, drama galleries, social media, and large communities, continuously gathering reactions.

She saved any posts that were worth keeping or might cause problems later as PDFs.

"Collecting and documenting from the beginning is crucial."

Thanks to the smooth start, after the first episode aired, netizens devoted a lot of attention to "Illegally."

Most comments praised Cha Do-jin's improved acting and Yu Jeong-a's beauty.

However, there were also many discussions about the new actor who appeared like a shooting star.

-When I watched the making-of on YouTube, I thought they picked the best one out of a hundred, but his acting is good.

-Yeah, it seems like a good new actor has appeared.

-He looks even better in the drama. 😭😭😭

-When you see him in a two-shot, he's at least 183 cm. At this point, the production team must be anti-Cha Do-jin;; What's the height difference??

-But Cha Do-jin is at least 179 cm, right?

-Do-jin, hurry up and come on.

-When he was accused of killing a comrade and felt wronged, did I only hold my breath? He looked so wronged, but it felt a bit eerie.

-He's tall, good-looking, and a good actor. He's a surefire winner for the rookie award this year. It's been a while since we've had a major talent to lead the media.

-He's good-looking and a good actor. He'll probably be a big star. That's how it should be to maintain balance.

Most of the reactions were positive.

She had to pay a high price by feeling nauseated at the excessive praise for the bloodline alliance.

After checking the time, Jeong