NOVEL NEXT Chapter 43
『HIDE DREAM Episode 15 Ratings Hit 28%! Will They Break the Anticipated 30% Wall?』
『If You Can’t Win, Recruit! The World Line with Lee Jae-yi is Soaring!』
『These Days, There’s a Lee Jae-yi Craze Among Teens! The Lonely Genius with a Bossy Side ‘Twisted Charms’!』
『HIDE DREAM Special Broadcast Announcement! Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Footage and NG Scenes Galore?!』
『In Mid-March, HIDE DREAM Will Actually Step in Front of Viewers. A Special Performance is on the Horizon!』
Here’s HIDE DREAM, there’s HIDE DREAM,
Even if you try to avoid entertainment news.
『Kim Donghu Selected as the Model for Brilliant School Uniforms! The Youngest School Uniform Model Emerges?』
Stories related to Kim Donghu are pouring out everywhere.
Most people are crazy about Kim Donghu’s success,
But there are definitely places where that’s not the case.
“…This jerk, Choi Seok-ho.”
Kyung Min-soo, the CEO of CyberS QA, frowned as he observed the current situation.
Coming from humble beginnings, he didn’t just dare to confront the boss,
But instead of staying down, he went around causing a ruckus and got kicked out,
And now he’s running a management company and thriving. Who would’ve thought it?
‘Do you know how much effort went into cutting off all connections?’
As if mocking that effort,
Choi Seok-ho was strolling along the red carpet built on Kim Donghu’s great achievements.
“Dig into Kim Donghu’s past; something’s bound to come up.”
The public loves to see glamorous stars fall from grace at times.
Kyung Min-soo struggled to find any dirt on Kim Donghu.
But.
“Nothing’s coming up.”
“What? How is that even possible?”
“It seems like something might come up, but the Kim Donghu fan cafe blocks it all beforehand.”
“In that case, set up a meeting with the person running that fan cafe.”
“…There’s a rumor the operator is Choi Seok-ho.”
“What?”
What a crazy guy.
Kyung Min-soo hastily swallowed that statement before it could escape his lips.
He knew Choi Seok-ho managed Kim Donghu’s schedule directly, and even ran the company.
But running the fan cafe too?
This was why Kyung Min-soo had been doing his best to cut Choi Seok-ho’s lifeline.
He knew how capable he was.
“…But still, there must be some controversies, right? Like school violence, or something like that?”
“If there is, it gets deleted immediately or a shield post goes up.”
“Shield? What’s that?”
“Oh… a rebuttal post.”
Kyung Min-soo frowned at his employee’s words.
So, they couldn’t do anything?
They just had to stand by and watch like fools as he thrived?
Feeling increasingly annoyed, Kyung Min-soo logged into the Kim Donghu fan cafe.
Most of the posts were supportive, gushing about how good-looking Kim Donghu is.
Well, that’s pretty typical for a fan cafe.
But the shocking part was something else.
It was there,
“Isn’t decorating the homepage at a level that could rival a big corporation?”
It felt like there must be a separate program developer working on it.
Kim Donghu’s fan cafe had a remarkably sophisticated image.
Even a truckload of CyberSQAs wouldn’t be enough to match it.
Why would such specialized talent even create a fan cafe?
Are they unpaid?
While Kyung Min-soo was hilariously laughing, feeling a pang of jealousy for someone else’s success,
Tada-da-da-da-dak.
There was a talented individual quietly tidying up the homepage without saying a word.
Squeaky-squeak.
Wiping his glasses was 15-year-old Kim Donghu’s seatmate, Na Kang-sik.
With a natural talent for computers, Na Kang-sik managed Kim Donghu’s fan cafe while also creating a game for his own dreams.
Why?
“Because Donghu is my friend.”
To Na Kang-sik, Kim Donghu was more than just a friend.
Back in elementary school, when he was teased for his clumsiness,
After a stomachache from drinking school milk led to an embarrassing bathroom incident,
Na Kang-sik became the target of bullying.
Once branded as an outcast, he remained one throughout his elementary years,
Feeling more reclusive due to the surrounding violence,
Until he thought middle school would be the same.
But then Kim Donghu appeared.
A ridiculously good-looking, athletic, and smart kid,
Who, without teasing, offered genuine kindness and played together,
Always joining in on the notebook games he wanted to play with friends?
Na Kang-sik remembered that first time Kim Donghu joined his notebook game.
“No way, Kang-sik! This makes no sense, why do I have to start from the worst land?”
“The, the dice rolled a 1…”
“Why does Kim Min-hyuk start from good land?”
“The dice rolled a 6…”
“Can we pay to win? I’ll pay! Don’t you have cash items?”
“Mo, money is good but I think the, the fun of the game should be solved within the game itself.”
“…”
Just thinking about that moment makes his heart swell and brings a smile.
But now, there are signs of someone daring to slander his friend, Kim Donghu?
“I will never forgive that.”
Fair criticism is one thing,
But one-sided blame?
That’s a no-go in Na Kang-sik’s book.
+++++
Time flew, and it was the day of the 16th episode of Hydream.
KBC Broadcasting Station was like the calm before the storm.
“If this really goes well, it’ll be a jackpot.”
“Bam!”
“Right? I really hope it happens.”
“The colossal wall of a 30% viewership.”
As the final broadcast of [Hydream] approached, where breaking through that viewership would be a huge success, it gradually revealed itself on screen.
– Hydream! Unfold your dreams!
A different atmosphere than usual, a soft version of the OST flowed gently.
-…
-…
The male lead, Song Cheolsu, leaned out of the bus window, bowing his head. The female lead, Yoo Hyeri, gazed up at him with her eyes gently closed.
And then their lips softly touched.
As the OST gradually faded, snow began to fall from the heavens, blessing their kiss.
Normally, the 16th episode would end here, but just after the subtitles thanking everyone for loving Hydream appeared, the screen briefly turned black before showing a completely different scenery.
♪♩♪♩♬♩♪
A sweet piano melody played.
While everyone quietly enjoyed Lee Jae-yi’s concert, the back door of the audience opened carefully, revealing someone stepping inside.
-… Son.
It was the first time seeing her son’s piano stage. She felt a mix of regret for not having come to see this until now and a determination to change from now on, casting a loving gaze at Lee Jae-yi.
-…
Noticing her gaze, Lee Jae-yi locked eyes with his mother.
END.
The drama truly came to an end.
“Wow… really, our Dong-hoo’s acting skills…”
“Dong-hoo? Is Dong-hoo your friend? Young-mo, even so, you should show some respect when you mention names.”
“…Aren’t I more respectful than the director watching with a cherry pie?”
“Let the small stuff slide.”
Director Kim Cheoldo waited nervously for the viewership ratings, his face devoid of humor.
Why was he so tense, knowing they wouldn’t come out immediately?
‘I’ve never wanted to know future information more than this moment.’
How many percent? What is it, answer me.
As he continued staring at his useless phone, after a painfully slow passage of time.
“The ratings have come in!!!”
At the youngest writer’s shout, Kim Cheoldo hurriedly asked.
“What’s the percentage!!!”
“Uh! So the viewership is…!”
The end of the question.
Upon hearing the answer, Kim Cheoldo exclaimed,
“Zuhahahahahaha!”
He laughed.
++++++
“Hydream, 30.2% viewership! Making history for teen dramas.”
“The hottest trend among teens? School uniforms? The photoshoot featuring Hydream members is a major hit!”
“Is the ultimate school trend… a school uniform? The photoshoot featuring the Hydream members just exploded in popularity!”
“Kim Donghu’s school uniform frenzy, North Face? Now ‘Brilliant My’ is the new trend!”
As articles shot out left and right, time flew quickly to early March.
“I’m going back to school after a long time.”
I put on my school uniform for the first time in ages to prepare for the new semester.
“But it feels like I wore it the whole time during the Hydream shoots.”
Maybe it’s because I was a model for the uniform, but now it felt like everyday wear.
“Son, are you heading to school?”
“Yes, I’m off now.”
“Okay, be careful out there.”
“I will!”
Recently, the big change in our house was that Mom had returned.
With Mom back home and deemed completely recovered, the subtle tension that lingered in the house vanished.
Dad still quietly went to work, but I noticed he looked at Mom with a strangely warm gaze and hummed little tunes every morning before leaving.
“Isn’t there a chance I might end up with a sibling?”
Even if that happens now, there’s a 16-year age gap. A latecomer sibling sounds absurd, but somehow, it didn’t seem impossible.
“Well, as long as we’re happy.”
With that positive thought, I hopped on my bicycle. Normally, I would walk, but since I became popular, this was the better option.
If I rode my bike at a decent speed, people wouldn’t recognize me before I passed them.
And this strategy seemed to work, as no one noticed me until I got close to the school gate.
“Alright, let’s enjoy my daily life after a long time.”
As I thought that and secured my bike nearby, I headed to the gate just then.
“…What the heck is that?”
I looked up at the banner above the gate.
【 Congratulations! Hydream’s ratings are 30.2%! The pride of Sinbit Middle School, Kim Donghu! Incredible! Amazing! 】
Ah.
My mind went blank.
‘…Isn’t this social murder?’
I felt like I might die of embarrassment.
Wait, they really put up a banner?
This isn’t a joke?
++++++
Meanwhile, in a dark editing studio.
“I-it’s done! The rough cut is finally finished!!!!”
The rough cut for the indie film [Hero] has finally reached its conclusion.