Life is Easier If You’re Handsome

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The sound of bombing continues without end.

– Damn little pig-nosed bastards are dropping shit from the sky again today.

When we were on the ridge, a buddy who cracked jokes while enduring the bombing died the day before yesterday.

We rejoiced briefly when the war was over, but now, despair for the final all-out war waits for everyone.

Revolutionary Ridge! Revolutionary Ridge!

The guy wearing the red armband who used to shout that has stopped calling out those words.

With a hollow laugh, realizing that the hope of returning alive was extinguished, a weak human moved according to the operation without strength.

They said to follow the plan, but how meaningful is that? We’re all going to die anyway.

‘I won’t die, though.’

Still, I thought about living until the end.

For the sake of my sister, what was so precious about that rice and those horrible soups that we begged for?

Why did our family, who were happy every day even in torn poverty, all have to die?

I wanted to ask all of this.

Here, there were no answers from the North.

I wanted to ask the South.

Is there really something there?

Is it because there is, that they risk their lives to fight?

‘I need to find that person.’

The student soldier’s eyes rolled around.

In the endless bombing, he looks for one man.

He doesn’t even care for his life, that guy who approached wearing our military uniform.

He asked twice but the soldier didn’t respond to his question.

His gaze is fixed on Kim Soo-ha, who will play Han Tae-geon.

Clang.

Aware of the few bullets left, he readies his bayonet.

I will ask you,

the reason why my sister had to die.

Because I joined the battlefield as a student,

but there was nothing I learned at school,

wandering without hearing even one light question until the end,

“Sister, I must bring that answer when I meet you.”

The student soldier moves.

Whoosh!

At that moment, whether the script has ended, he returns immediately to the real world.

– [You have perfectly mastered ‘Bayonet Technique’ due to the Heavenly Martial Body.]

And just then, a text message from Sims follows.

Knowledge of bayonet technique, which he had never practiced, instantly fills his mind.

Feeling like he could show off a skilled bayonet technique right now if he wanted to.

‘Impressive, huh?’

Just as he’s astonished by the power of the Heavenly Martial Body.

Bzzz bzzz bzzz.

The phone alarm rang fiercely.

> Kim Donghu, are you crazy?!

> I was hiding then, so I couldn’t hear you playing the piano…

> You played that well?!

I chuckled slightly at Kim Sujin’s KakaoTalk message.

Yeah, it seems like the reaction’s pretty good?

+++++

While Kim Donghu aimed for endless frontline shooting, time flowed on.
I’m off!

But sometimes, time doesn’t flow fairly.

For the past few weeks, KBC drama director Kim Cheoldo’s time has been crawling by.

“Zuhahahaha…”

The usual boisterous laughter has vanished into thin air.

“I thought the ratings for episodes 1 and 2 would be the signal flare to knock everyone out.”

But the ratings for episodes 3 and 4 barely ticked up.

It was good that it rose at all, but compared to a beef dinner, it was disappointing.

The same went for episode 5.

So, what about the upcoming episode 6 with Lee Jae-yi?

“It might be the same.”

Just showing his face and playing music without saying a word.

At first glance, you’d think the latter would spike the ratings.

But can life really be that easy?

A smooth life path like that is rare.

Nom nom.

Even the cherry pie today tastes horrendous.

Swallowing his bitter feelings, Director Kim Cheoldo opened his phone.

By now, the ratings for episode 6 should’ve been tallied,

So Kim Youngmo, the PD, should be contacting him.

“Please, if it goes up by 2% thanks to Lee Jae-yi…”

If that happens, it’ll be 15%, right? How wonderful would that be?

Nom nom.

Just as he was mumbling pitifully while chewing the cherry pie…

BAM!

PD Kim Youngmo kicked open the director’s office door.

With the vigor of a general, as if on the brink of a successful coup.

Caught off guard by the flashy entrance, Kim Cheoldo could only blink in shock.

“Director!!! Is this really the right way to act here!!!”

“W-w-what…?”

What’s up with all this intensity, Kim Youngmo?

You’re not supposed to be this character!

Cheoldo was genuinely flustered.

But why was Youngmo’s bucket hat golden today?

“Looks like a crown.”

Just then, in the midst of that thought…

“Episode 6!!! Ratings! 17%!“

Like a thunderbolt, PD Kim Youngmo’s words smashed down on Director Cheoldo’s head.

It felt like a thunderclap hitting him from head to toe!

Zing!

“Zuh… Zuhahaha… Zuhahahahahaha!!!!”

Laughter escaped involuntarily.

17%?!

Does that mean it surged up by about 3% all at once?

As Cheoldo’s reaction got stuck on “just laughing,” Youngmo quickly followed up with his words.

“The viewers’ boards are going wild right now!”

“Yeah, they say seeing the handsome guy play piano without a word is absurd, they just laugh watching him! You know I picked him, right? I cast him?”

In the meantime, the team leader, Shin Youngsook, joined in.

But what does it matter? It’s a festival, so what’s one spoon?

“Want me to read you a few articles? Hydrim, steep growth. Other broadcasting companies are on high alert!”
“Get ready, everyone!”

“Zuhah.”

“Lee Jae-yi magic! Can calm classic music work? How will the tale of Hydream wrap up? Early stages!”

“Zuhahaha.”

“One step back for ten steps forward, the story of Hydream is just getting started, feel the melodrama takeover.”

“Zuhahahaha.”

Director Kim Cheoldo’s mouth corners refuse to droop.

“Hey Youngmo, that bucket hat on your head looks a bit like a crown, doesn’t it?”

Lost in happiness, Kim Cheoldo immediately started rummaging through his pockets.

“What’s more expensive than Hanwoo beef? Sashimi? Sashimi? What about groupers? Eels? How about eels, eels are nice, right? The pricey kind, domestic okay?”

“Eels! Eels are great. My kids have been really worn out preparing for Hydream’s extra shoots lately…”

“Ummm, right, of course. It’s tough. Shooting a hit is no easy job.”

“Oh, and this… another thing…”

“I know, I know. I’ll umm? Throw in a bonus. For employees, the best thing is a bonus, right?”

“Sounds great, sounds great. Hahahaha.”

“Zuhahahahaha.”

Director Kim Cheoldo watched with satisfaction as PD Kim Youngmo left the drama department office with a card.

Chomp chomp.

The cherry pie they’d dug into was so sweet that one could die eating it, and no one would notice.

+++++

At the same time.

Tap tap tap.

While the world was vibrating to Lee Jae-yi’s clean performance.

There was one place quieter than any other, where only the sound of typing could be heard.

Tap tap tap.

“Whooo…”

That place was writer Lee Minha’s workspace.

“Whooo… Whooo…”

Three monitors stood before her. One for work, one for watching Hydream, and one for checking Hydream reactions.

Her eyes rolled continuously over the three views as she suppressed her emotions as much as possible.

“Really, Lee Jae-yi, no, Kim Donghu, you have some talent for driving people crazy.”

Even having seen it live, the TV broadcast felt completely different.

The sense of immediacy vs. the polished image.

There are said to be actors who don’t connect with the camera, but Kim Donghu was not one of them.

He was just endlessly handsome,

And here he was, playing the piano with a deeply tortured expression.

How could anyone dislike that face?

Just an offhand comment could result in laughter erupting from that face with a piano?

It could easily be called the pinnacle of classical music, no shortage whatsoever.

“And La Campanella hasn’t even come out yet.”

This was just a teaser, barely a taste, like a little pinky dip.

How many people would cheer once the main show aired later?
Can it happen?

If it were up to Lee Minha, she wanted to scream out loud.

She wanted to boast that she was the one who wrote Kim Donghu’s debut drama.

But.

‘Not now.’

It was still too early.

‘I have to suppress this feeling as much as possible and write.’

She wanted to write a better script through this moment of inspiration and send it right to Kim Donghu.

For that, she could endure this joy-.

“Ahhh! But I’m so happy! Isn’t Kim Donghu crazy?!”

There was no stopping her.

According to what PD Kim Youngmo told her, the viewership rating was 17%.

The term “lucky charm” didn’t even cover it.

Could it be that the gods had given her the chance to become the best writer?

Suddenly!

“How about we stop writing today and go grab some drinks!”

“Yay! Sounds good! Sounds good!”

“What’s the menu, teacher?”

“Of course, on a day like this, it’s beef, what else are you asking about~!”

“Ahhh! Meat is the best!”

Since she let out a scream, Lee Minha decided to take the assistant writers with her and move to another area.

Ding dong ding dong.

Well, she was going to move that is.

“Who is it at this hour?”

Considering the time, it was nearing midnight; who could it be?

She hadn’t ordered any deliveries.

‘What the heck, really.’

Feeling annoyed, Lee Minha walked towards the door.

And there, an unexpected figure appeared.

“Sujeong…?”

Yeo Sujeong, a fellow writer who debuted around the same time as Lee Minha, was a year younger but had a very cheerful personality.

They kept in touch regularly and maintained quite a good relationship, but.

‘But we’re not close enough for her to show up at midnight, right?’

What could she possibly want?

‘Let’s just open it.’

The face of Yeo Sujeong on the intercom screen looked extremely urgent, almost as if she was about to burst for a bathroom visit.

Suddenly.

As soon as Lee Minha opened the door, Yeo Sujeong immediately hugged her.

“Sis, please just let me have one chance!”

“Huh?”

“Let me contact actor Kim Donghu… just once!”

In her left hand, she held a script, and the title of the script was [Eclipse].

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