Chapter 79

Villain Only 079

Orthodoxy and Trendy (3)

The pine tree, which had taken root in the midst of the clear water that originated from a pure spring, was a symbol of good omen, representing strong vitality. People marveled at how its roots never rotted, praising its resilience. Therefore, the king had long cherished the tree and even appointed an official to care for it year-round.

The Grand Prince secretly pondered ways to take the pine tree, but no easy solution was in sight.

- Sir, His Majesty has decided to bestow an official rank on that tree soon.

- An official rank?

- Yes, Sir.

The path seemed even more distant now. If he took the tree now, it would be considered stealing the king's property, but if he waited until after the rank was bestowed, it would be seen as harming a royal official without permission, tantamount to treason.

The bestowal of the rank happened even faster than the Grand Prince had anticipated, and the young pine tree officially became a court official.

On the night the rank was bestowed, the Grand Prince, with bloodshot eyes, stared at his arm, which was covered in foul-smelling pus, and carefully cleaned it. The necrosis that had started in his chest had now spread to his arm. It was a miracle he was still alive.

- Have you still not found that monk?

- I apologize, Sir. We are searching every corner of the country, and I believe good news will come soon...

- Do you know how many years you've been saying that?

- I apologize.

On that night, when the Grand Prince's hemoptysis was particularly severe, his wife stayed up all night, diligently cleaning the pus and tending to him. The Grand Prince dreamed of his grandfather, who had brutally slaughtered his brothers to seize the throne, a man the young Grand Prince had once admired. Watching his grandfather order the ruthless execution of his brothers, he woke up from the dream, gasping for breath, his chest aching.

- Sir, did you have a troubling dream? You seemed to be in pain all night...

Lost in the worried and loving voice of his wife, the Grand Prince's eyes turned bloodshot.

While his wife was away, the Grand Prince muttered to himself.

- Is there no other way but to become king...

***

- The scholar's acting still gives me chills.

- It was a bit scary, reminding me of Illegible, but watching it again, it feels different.

- In the end, he's just trying to get the throne to save himself, right?

- Usually, with such a narrative, there should be some emotional pull, but why do I feel nothing?

- He gives off a serial killer vibe, justifying his actions.

- They said there would be no glorification of the Grand Prince, but it seems to be heading that way.

- The Grand Prince keeps coming off as subtly unsettling. It feels like the PD is intentionally directing it this way.

- The scholar is really nailing the serial killer vibe.

After the second episode of "Rebellion," a commercial immediately followed.

It was a coffee brand commercial featuring Jeong Sehoon. In the commercial, Jeong Sehoon, playing a lover with Cha Ji-hyun, maintained a cold expression throughout, promoting the coffee with a cold and bad boy image. Cha Ji-hyun, feeling hurt by her lover's indifference, discovers the coffee he left behind and is delighted, ending the commercial.

- It's kind of funny to see him go from trying to kill Ji-hyun to casually throwing a coffee and leaving as a bad boyfriend.

- Haha, if he were my boyfriend, I'd just be happy to look at his face. 😢

- But this is the third work for the scholar. Isn't he being too mysterious?

- It would be nice if he were more active.

- He needs to sign with an agency soon. Only then can he make demands or get more exposure. Since he's on his own, he can't really throw a tantrum. 😂

- With his return to school, he'll be even busier.

- It's his final semester for early graduation, but the professors will probably be lenient, right?

- Shh, you shouldn't call him by his name so casually.

- You can't even call him professor?

- No, absolutely not.

- If he ends up in grad school, what will happen? 😢

- Anyway, isn't the scholar's image getting too fixed as a serial killer? 😢

- What are you talking about? He solidified his bad boy image in the archive. 😂

The second episode achieved a 19% viewership rating, maintaining its top spot in the time slot. CV Cable was also very satisfied with the performance.

"Already at 19% for the second episode, it could reach 30% by the mid-to-late stages."

"30% on our channel? That's a dream come true."

"Writer Kim Sang-hee, who was thought to be unreplaceable at 29.9%, is now surpassing herself."

"Leper Sejo, seeking power. It's a bit unusual, but the actor's performance is excellent..."

"It would have been difficult for any other actor to pull it off. There's no one else who could do it as well as Jeong Sehoon."

Despite some disappointment with the PPL, the production costs invested by CV Cable are expected to be fully recovered through broadcasting alone.

"A Japanese broadcaster is requesting broadcasting rights. They're offering 80 billion won."

"Only for Japan?"

"Yes. If we asked for the global rights at that price, they'd think we were crazy. They don't even have a significant OTT platform."

"Does it conflict with the Netflix Prime contract?"

"It's not an OTT deal, so it's fine. Selling to overseas broadcasters is no problem. We just can't give it to other OTTs for three months after the series ends."

"80 billion is a bit disappointing. Let's try to negotiate a better deal, including a share of advertising revenue."

"Japanese viewers are already watching it on Netflix Prime, so I'm not sure how effective that condition will be... But we'll give it a try."

Despite only two episodes airing, inquiries from overseas were already pouring in.

"How is the Netflix Prime ranking?"

"It's climbed to the global real-time 4th place. The growth trend is very good. Chief, and the Netflix Prime team is also asking for the broadcasting rights to Illegible. They want an OTT exclusive."

"Illegible?"

Domestically, Illegible has already generated significant revenue, and preparations for overseas export are underway.

"Yes. With the quick rise of Rebellion, they're trying to create a synergy effect by bundling Illegible. Jeong Sehoon is gaining attention among Netflix Prime viewers."

"How are the negotiations for the export of Illegible to China going?"

"It's not easy. The other party is changing their stance, worrying about the broadcast censorship due to the content's brutality."

"Illegible isn't that brutal... Those scenes were all handled off-screen."

"They seem concerned about the sound effects and such."

***

The semester started on Thursday, but Jeong Sehoon made his first return to school on Friday. He could no longer use public transportation as he had before his military leave. People would recognize him and gather wherever he went, making subways and buses impossible.

Riding in a Mercedes Sprinter van to school was also not an option.

His father neatly solved the problem.

"How is it? Is it okay?"

His father proudly showed the car to the family in the garage. The front and rear featured H-mark emblems that were slightly curved.

A domestic emblem that could be seen anywhere in the country, from Gangnam to the countryside.

Jeong Su-ryeon examined the car, admiring it.

"The design is simple and nice, but it feels like a Volvo. Did Hyundai recruit designers from Volvo?"

"It's a Volvo. This one."

Jeong Sehoon's indifferent response made Jeong Su-ryeon widen her eyes in disbelief.

"What are you talking about? There's a Hyundai emblem on it. But the design really looks like a Volvo. It's almost identical to my car."

Jeong Su-ryeon, comparing it to her Volvo, suddenly paused.

"Wait... What is this, Dad? It's the same car, right?"

"Yep. I removed the original emblem and replaced it with a domestic one. After all, it wouldn't look good for a college student to drive a few billion won Volvo to school."

"Dad, do you really need to go this far?"

"Volvo is incredibly sturdy. Safety first, always."

"Right. Your dad didn't buy you a Volvo for no reason, kid."

He bought a Volvo for its sturdiness and replaced the emblem to avoid drawing attention.

Jeong Su-ryeon, with her left hand in her front pocket, scratched the back of her head with her right hand.

"But these days, it might draw more attention. If fans recognize it, they might cause a stir on SNS, thinking you've bulked up your Hyundai."

"Don't worry too much. Sehoon's fans won't come to school."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Your professor has mentored dozens of Ph.D. students. Once his fans know that, they won't dare come to school."

***

In the humanities and social sciences, there are students who drive expensive foreign cars without caring about others' opinions from their first year. Occasionally, you might see a friend driving a two-seater supercar to school, but they usually switch to a sedan after a while.

Children of the wealthy elite realize they are not special at least within the campus of Korea University.

'Even if it's not