Chapter 80

Villain Only Acting 080

Orthodox and Trendy (4)

The broadcast of *Hageuk* began, and the following Monday, KBC immediately aired a new historical drama.

It was a 60-episode historical drama titled *Taejong's Garden*.

An orthodox historical drama about Taejong Yi Bang-won, the production cost was a staggering 900 billion won.

Jang Seung-won, Kim Sang-hee, and Jeong Seo-hoon also gathered to watch the competing drama. The venue was Kim Sang-hee's bar.

After the first episode paused for a mid-commercial, Kim Sang-hee finally spoke.

"Not bad, PD."

"Hmm, not bad at all."

"Wasn't it 900 billion in total?"

"Yes, that's what I heard."

"Wow, even though they have money, they did this to us? How easy did they think we were?"

"I'm not defending them. It's because we moved to cable, the vice president got really angry and ordered them to counter us."

Kim Sang-hee snorted.

"Then they should have aired it at the same time slot. It's cowardly to avoid the date and air it as a Monday-Tuesday drama."

"Maybe they were scared of a head-on collision. They spent 900 billion won, after all. They probably thought if they could win the ratings by avoiding the date, they'd be considered the winners."

"Has the mid-rating been calculated yet?"

"Just a moment. Let me check... It's at 9.9% so far."

"It'll probably hit double digits after the final ratings. Well, it's a good start."

In today's highly competitive channel environment, a double-digit rating for the first episode was considered a very solid performance.

But KBC would probably think differently.

"KBC prides itself on being the home of historical dramas. With their first rating lower than ours, the vice president's pride must have taken a hit, right?"

"Judging by their reaction, we probably won't beat them even once throughout the broadcast. Right, Seo-hoon?"

When Kim Sang-hee turned to ask, Jeong Seo-hoon brought up a question he had been thinking about.

"They're also airing it twice a week. Is there any problem with the schedule? They started production later than us, right?"

"The planning was already in place, so it's not a rush job. Still, how much could they have filmed in three months?"

Kim Sang-hee sneered.

"Soon, they'll start using side scripts, the schedule will get messed up, actors will have dark circles under their eyes from continuous all-night shoots, and the editing will be rushed, mixing in the PD's megaphone sounds. Just imagining it gives me chills."

"The PD's megaphone sounds mixed in? Oh, that would be terrible. Even though it's a competing drama, I hope that doesn't happen."

Jeong Seo-hoon was puzzled.

"Is that even possible?"

"Back in the day, a drama was filming side scripts, and in the final episode, due to poor audio management, the PD's megaphone instructions were recorded and aired."

"Then the immersion would be... completely ruined. They must have received a lot of criticism. I did too when I watched it."

Jang Seung-won said with a sense of pride.

"And we have the Paju Studio. In terms of video quality and shooting schedule, *Taejong's Garden* can't beat us. They can't even come close, right?"

By now, Kim Sang-hee was searching for viewer reactions to *Taejong's Garden*.

"The viewers' reactions are surprisingly not bad. Many are looking forward to the future. Wow, what a difference in temperature compared to *Hageuk*."

"We're in a different position, challenging them. Viewers will naturally root for *Taejong's Garden* more."

"We're hitting 20% this week, but there's not a single word of praise."

"That's because people expect it from us. You won two rookie awards last year and even the grand prize at the Cable Art Awards."

Moreover, at the prestigious Baekryeong Awards, Jeong Seo-hoon won both the Rookie Award and the Best Supporting Actor Award.

Thinking about how the Baekryeong Awards were swept, Jeong Seo-hoon had written the highest career history as a debutant who couldn't be broken.

"Now no one sees Seo-hoon as a rookie. Even if you're not a die-hard fan, you won't just praise him. A bit disappointing, isn't it?"

"I don't know. I don't look for reactions about myself online."

"That's a good thing. In the future, if you search for reactions, all you'll see are the negative comments under articles."

Jeong Seo-hoon understood Jang Seung-won's words.

Now, instead of being the challenger receiving support, he would be the champion facing the public's strict evaluation.

The fuss over a 18% rating for the first episode was probably part of that.

If his mother's reaction was like that, how cold would the majority of the unknown crowd be?

"Even if we surpass 20%, it'll just be seen as a given."

"Right. Even if we hit 30%, it won't be much different. *Illicit* hit 29.9%, after all."

"PD, aren't you feeling the pressure?"

"If I felt pressure from something like this, I wouldn't have been a PD this long. I would have quit a long time ago."

Before the latter part of the first episode started, a coffee commercial aired on the channel.

It was a concept featuring a bad guy and a lover who can't break away from him, starring Jeong Seo-hoon and Chae Ji-hyun.

Kim Sang-hee giggled and clapped.

"This is completely a slap in the face, isn't it? A commercial for the lead actor of the competing drama during the mid-commercial of *Taejong's Garden*."

"Ha, it seems the advertiser was aiming for this."

The PD and the writer, who were used to being evaluated, had reached a level where they could enjoy it.

And the lead actor, with his strong mental endurance, could handle this situation as casually as they could.

'Is a cold evaluation inevitable when you're in the position of being challenged...?'

Jeong Seo-hoon wasn't used to being evaluated.

Since middle school, he had always heard praise, and it had become his daily routine. Even in college and the military, nothing changed.

So, he had lost the feeling of being praised. Being evaluated also felt awkward.

But Lieutenant Rashid was different.

He started his career as a commander and rapidly advanced to battalion commander due to his military achievements.

While he received praise and respect from his subordinates and colleagues, he was also used to receiving harsh and heavy criticism from above.

"Seo-hoon, don't take it too seriously. Even if you have a slight slump, you'll still be a great actor."

"Come on, PD. If you say that, what will happen? Seo-hoon is so talented that he probably doesn't even know what a slump is. You have to treat geniuses like this."

"Writer, if you say that in front of me, I'll think you're just flattering me."

"Speaking of which, I suddenly miss the unity of our muse. Will we have to wait another nine months to bring Han Seul-hee here?"

Jeong Seo-hoon stared intently at the screen where his son, playing the role of the Grand Prince, was looking down at the shaman with a twisted expression.

Objectively, it was a flawless performance.

But the deficiencies were mercilessly evident.

How did the PD see it?

"PD, how do you compare the Grand Prince's performance to Taejong's?"

"Hmm, honestly?"

"Yes, please be honest."

After finishing a glass of whiskey in one gulp, Jang Seung-won smiled.

"Every time the Grand Prince checked the camera, it wasn't just acting; it was the Grand Prince himself inside. It's always been like that."

He raised his thumb, filled with sincere admiration.

"Seo-hoon is the best."

Even while receiving such high praise, there was no sign of him being pleased, embarrassed, or arrogant.

Jang Seung-won thought.

Isn't that attitude of taking it for granted the true qualification of a star actor...?

***

The first episode of *Taejong's Garden* hit a peak rating of 11%.

The second episode, broadcast the next day, hit 12.5%.

The viewers' reactions were overwhelmingly positive.

-Unlike *Hageuk*, it's refreshing to see a bold and straightforward approach from the beginning.

-To be honest, *Hageuk* didn't need to drag out the childhood scenes so much.

-*Taejong's Garden* relentlessly pushed the pace throughout the first two episodes, making it a refreshing watch.

-This is what a proper historical drama should be. I don't understand why they're telling a fantasy story about Sejo having leprosy. Making a Buddha statue from a pine tree on the royal altar to survive? It's absurd. What kind of people watch such things?

-But how do you know the details so well without watching it?

When *Taejong's Garden* airs on Monday and Tuesday, *Hageuk* follows on Wednesday and Thursday.

The core fans of historical dramas and Jeong Seo-hoon's fandom were already clashing on social media from Wednesday afternoon.

Then it was 9:00 PM.

*Hageuk* Episode 3

-I must become king. Only then can I survive.

The Grand Prince struggled with deep inner turmoil.

The next throne belongs to his elder brother, the Crown Prince.

It is a destiny set by heaven, unchangeable by human effort.

Even having such thoughts is a defiance of heaven, a rebellion against the sky.

-Confessing to Father will only anger him.

The wise king, who is also his father, does not believe that his illness can be cured by faith.

If he were to cut down a young pine tree to make a Buddha statue, he would scold him for being foolish.

-If I cause Father and Mother to become estranged again because of me, it would be the greatest act of filial impiety. I do not wish for it...

Is this a genuine concern for his parents, born from filial piety?

The Grand Prince tried to ignore the faint doubt he had about himself.

-Should I confess my illness to my elder brother, the Crown Prince, and ask for his help?

This would be a more realistic concern.

The Crown Prince, like his father, is skeptical of superstitions but practical. If his beloved younger brother desperately needed it, he would certainly cut down a tree.

'If cutting down a tree can ease my brother's suffering and show improvement, what would I withhold?'

He would undoubtedly give it with a hearty laugh.

But the Crown Prince is unaware of his current condition.

He believes it was completely cured long ago.

'The Crown Prince, who didn't know the horror and severity of leprosy in his childhood, would he still think the same way now that he's an adult?'

Does the boundless brotherly love from his childhood still remain in the current Crown Prince?

'Who can guarantee that if I reveal my leprosy, I won't be cast out of the royal family?'

Even his great-uncle, who was once the Crown Prince and handed the throne to his father, had relentlessly pushed to have him expelled from the capital in his childhood.

There was one more issue.

'Even if the Crown Prince were to give me the tree, it would only be possible after he becomes king.'

Asking Father is impossible, and asking the Crown Prince is uncertain in terms of time.

Would he even survive until then?

'The mysterious incantation delayed the progression of my illness with a four-day ritual. If I could find that incantation again, I would do anything.'

Even Father, who rejects superstitions, suspects that the incantation did something and is using the court's power to find it.

But after searching the entire country for over ten years, there's no trace of it.

'The Crown Prince must become king as soon as possible.'

'But if he knows about my illness after becoming king, he might cast me out of the royal family.'

'The way to survive... is...'

The Grand Prince repeatedly agonized over this.

Yet, he maintained the demeanor of the second prince.

He showed respect and deep admiration for his elder brother, the Crown Prince, and a detached attitude, avoiding books and people, to show that he had no desire for the throne.

-Noble, a sudden heavy rain and strong winds hit the southern region, but the governor handled it wisely, and there was no major flooding.

-There is a wise shaman who predicted the exact date and time of the disaster and instructed the governor to take action. He is very famous in that region.

-He is praised for being able to foresee things from afar and knowing everything.

-What if we ask that shaman about the whereabouts of the high monk?

As a prince, he cannot leave the capital without permission, due to the risk of secretly forming a power base and challenging the king.

Through his mother, the Grand Prince obtained the king's approval and secretly went to the southern region.

Dressed as an ordinary scholar and accompanied by only two attendants, he sought out the famous shaman by asking the locals.

The shaman, upon seeing the Grand Prince, immediately said:

-You have taken the karma that your elder brother should have borne.

-The karma that my elder brother should have borne?

-You know better what it is.

Suddenly, the words the high monk left for the queen flashed through his mind.

'The deep and lingering resentment left by Jeongjo has settled in the Grand Prince.'

-It was originally the karma that your elder brother should have borne...

-Should have borne?

-Your father altered the path of karma for your elder brother. The twisted karma could not be extinguished and flowed to you.

Jeong Seo-hoon's fist clenched involuntarily.

Was it resentment towards his father and elder brother, or hatred for his own foolishness for being swayed by a mere shaman's words?

-Karma accumulated through blood is not easily extinguished. Return the karma to the one who should bear it. If that's impossible...

-Go on, speak!

-It would be a defiance of the heavens.

-Do you want to die?

-It's not me who will die. The prince and his family will all die if you defy the heavens.

-I must hear it! Speak quickly!

Unable to contain himself, the Grand Prince drew his sword.

There was no hesitation in his eyes as he stared at the shaman.

Perhaps anticipating this reaction, the shaman sighed lightly.

-Don't you already know, Prince? The solution lies in taking the most precious thing.

-The most precious thing...?

-What is the most precious in this country? What is the most revered position?

The throne.

The moment the unspoken word came to mind, the shaman suddenly bowed down.

As if bowing to the king, who passes by and the people dare not look at his face.

-Only the supreme ruler of this country can open the path of karma, Prince.

There was no question of how he knew.

Only a strange sense of trust in the shaman's reputation remained.

-Take the supreme position.

-Then I can survive?

-If you wish to live, you must become king.

The shaman gave the Grand Prince the words he most wanted to hear, words he couldn't confide in anyone.

-The secret technique the king used to protect the Crown Prince is now harming the prince. If the prince wishes to avoid this karma, it could be seen as a rebellion against the royal will.

The shaman, still bowing with his forehead on the ground, spoke respectfully.

-Struggling for life is not a rebellion against the heavens.

***

Lee Jeong-suk was captivated by the screen, unable to breathe properly.

On the screen, her son, playing the role of the Grand Prince, stared down at the shaman with a twisted expression.

Every time she watched the drama, she wondered if this was really her own son, whom she had raised for over 20 years.

No, it was a completely different person.

If she hadn't known, she would have thought it was a separate character who just looked like her son.

The subtle curl of his lips, the ends of his eyebrows, and the dilation of his pupils.

It was hard to believe this was her son's acting.

<Continued in Episode 4>

After the drama ended, the OST and commercials rolled one after another.

But Lee Jeong-suk was still immersed in the past era.

Her husband's casual muttering beside her ruthlessly broke her concentration.

"Maybe it's because it's a 120-inch OLED Dolby Vision IQ model, but Seo-hoon's acting seems even better. We made a good purchase, didn't we, dear?"

Without realizing that he had just shattered her immersion, Jung Tae-hyun turned off the TV.

He pointed to the long, protruding speaker at the bottom, which was slowly retracting upwards.

"Dear, did you see the speaker going up? It's supposed to fold up automatically when you turn it off, but it was strangely open. I think Sulee must have fiddled with it."

Lee Jeong-suk gave her husband a solid slap on the back.

"Why did you turn it off when the preview was about to start? Turn it back on quickly!"