Chapter 164

“It is exactly 100 days. Exactly 100 days.”

A man in a suit said this as he looked around at the 20 people standing in front of the gray building.

“For exactly 100 days, you will live in this building. During that time, we will provide you with basic food supplies and a few missions.”

The gaze of the 20 people turned to the building behind them.

Alone in the remote mountains, stood this solitary building.

To anyone, it was clear it was no ordinary location.

“Regarding the events that will happen inside the building, we will have absolutely no interference. For 100 days, once this life ends, we will immediately pay each of you five hundred billion.”

“O-, five hundred billion won?”

“Is that true?”

“Of course.”

The man in the suit smiled, revealing white teeth.

“That is, with the five hundred billion we will give you, you can each distribute it among yourselves. This five hundred billion will be given to whoever scores the highest in our missions. In other words, think of it as the Number One giving you five hundred billion.”

Everyone’s face brightened at this.

If what he said was true, regardless of who ranked first in the mission, as long as the money was correctly distributed, they could laze around for 100 days and leave with 25 billion won each.

‘If I just had that money, I could pay off my debts and buy a house.’

“But…”

Everyone’s gaze turned to each other.

In other words, with a total of five hundred billion, it meant that the less people there were, the more money they could take.

Only now did everyone seem to realize this fact, and the conversation died down.

A strange tension enveloped them all.

“I already told you. Everyone, this is really a great opportunity.”

The man in the immaculate suit, with a striking appearance, grinned cheerfully without a hint of ill intent.

Which only made the eerie and tense atmosphere even more palpable.

“The Grand Game.”

Just one hundred days.

“During that time, live harmoniously. That’s all there is to it.”

With these final words, Episode 1 of *Grand Game* came to an end.

The next day, Episode 2 aired as a continuation.

While Episode 1 introduced the circumstances of those participating in *The Grand Game* and displayed its setting, Episode 2 focused on the protagonist and the female lead.

“Someone… someone is after me.”

During the first month, nothing unusual happened.

They simply completed missions and enjoyed a peaceful existence.

That day, the protagonist, who was leisurely reading a book, opened the door to a woman knocking on his room door, and the story began.

“Fewer people mean more money, so… it’s definitely clear.”

“Calm down.”

Even in such a situation, the protagonist remained calm.

Using logic and his intellect, he navigated through the situation.

Finding the person targeting the protagonist, he went to confront him.

“He’s already dead. Someone else has already taken care of him.”

The first murder.

This marked the moment of rupture in the otherwise peaceful *Grand Game*.

With the end of Episode 2, the following reactions poured out online.

“Whoa, insane.”

“Seriously, I got really into it ㅋㅋㅋ”

“I heard KMB invested in two projects this time: this one and *Sky Garden*.”

“*Sky Garden* is going to get trashed.”

“The preview seemed decent, but compared to this, hmm…”

“Really super entertaining!! Outstanding immersion!”

The response was explosive.

Discussions about Episode 1 and 2’s contents erupted across various online communities.

Who was the murderer?

While some comments questioned whether the protagonist was too perfect,

“Then does the protagonist need to fail?”

“Ugh, stop nitpicking.”

“But was the romantic subplot really necessary in the middle?”

“Well, it wasn’t overly emphasized, so it’s fine to include some.”

Approximately like that.

Despite some critiques, the overall praise exceeded expectations, and PD Baek Tae-soo grinned ear to ear.

Thinking the drama was good, yes, but not to this extent!

“Actress Ko Mi-eun truly delivered an excellent performance. She really is one of the top actresses these days. Her acting ability is impeccable.”

Other staff also gave their thumbs up.

In response, Ko Mi-eun blushed slightly and smiled with embarrassment.

“Well, it’s only because everyone here works so hard. I just followed the amazing script.”

“Ah, you’re being too modest again.”

“Of course, thanks to PD Baek, I got such a great opportunity, so modesty is natural.”

At this, PD Baek Tae-soo chuckled.

Well, having brought Ko Mi-eun on board at a reasonable price, it was definitely a win-win situation.

“By the way, today is the airing day for *Sky Garden*, right?”

“Yes, but in this situation…”

The staff members laughed among themselves.

‘Indeed, following PD Baek was the right choice.’

‘His eye for choosing projects is truly reliable.’

Amid the laughter, Baek PD only showed a light smile this time, not laughing much more.

Of course, the others paid little attention to his reaction.

They probably thought he didn’t care about *Sky Garden* at all.

‘Joo Soo-yeon.’

On the other hand, Ko Mi-eun, who had been chosen as the female lead for *The Grand Game*, pondered this name.

The actress who has completely overshadowed even Ko Mi-eun, who had shined for nearly a year, through her selection as the female lead in another KMB drama.

‘This year was supposed to be mine.’

Ko Mi-eun was now on her third project with *The Grand Game*.

Three dramas alone.

All of them performed well, with average ratings exceeding 10%, solid achievements.

Once as a supporting actor, and twice as the main lead.

When she was the lead, reviews were consistently good, including this time with *The Grand Game*.

Yet, even before *The Grand Game* aired, Ko Mi-eun’s name didn’t resonate much with the public.

All because of Joo Soo-yeon.

*The Chaser* and various variety shows.

Not to mention *Dream Future*.

Each of them sufficiently buried Ko Mi-eun.

This year was Ko Mi-eun’s year, but it was also Joo Soo-yeon’s shining moment.

‘But, in the end, the one who laughs last is the winner.’

The year-end award ceremonies were approaching.

Ultimately, who left the strongest impression matters most for award ceremonies.

Even if it’s movies, in dramas, Ko Mi-eun believed she’d win.

*Dream Future*? She was already confident she could beat it.

The important thing was…

Joo Soo-yeon’s first project as the female lead in a drama.

She had to win this one.

The entertainment industry is small, and especially for young actors like Joo Soo-yeon, finding roles is difficult.

So, Ko Mi-eun was burning with determination.

She would triumph with *The Grand Game*.

***

“What are you doing?”

Park Jung-woo asked.

He saw his father sitting on a large sofa in the dark.

The lights were off, and his father was sitting quietly in the darkness, causing him to startle slightly upon entering.

Or he might have been watching TV.

“I was waiting for today’s drama broadcast.”

Stiff tone.

In the past, Park Jung-woo disliked that stiffness, but now he had adapted.

Park Sun-woong.

The iconic Korean actor.

He had never been in a failed movie or drama, and people called him the actor with the strongest male star ticket power. Even Park Jung-woo, heralded as the best young actor, was still overshadowed by Park Sun-woong.

“Isn’t *Sky Garden*’ Is that easy?”

“Don’t speak so lightly. They are all acquaintances of yours, right?”

“Well, what can we do? It really isn’t easy, is it?”

Joo Soo-yeon and writer Min Se-hee.

Both had deep connections with Park Jung-woo.

Especially Joo Soo-yeon.

Frankly, Park Jung-woo didn’t want to see her fail.

“How was the script?”

“I think it’s a script that has the potential to succeed. But still, it’s hard to say given this situation.”

*Grand Game* was too well-received.

Certainly, Park Jung-woo was confident that *Sky Garden* would also succeed.

But airing immediately after such a successful drama would inevitably lead to comparison.

After all, only one drama could capture the spotlight.

Park Jung-woo grabbed some cold water and brought it to his lips, feeling oddly parched.

“Actress Joo recommended you.”

“Keh!”

The sudden urge to spew out water stopped Park Jung-woo as he steadied himself and looked at his father.

“Who told you that?”

“Jo Seo-hui.”

“Hmm.”

“Quite a polite and respectful girl she is. She has good reason for being close to Actor Jeong Eun-seon.”

“But, when did that girl get so close to you?”

She’s different from her looks; she’s very good at making connections.

Especially with senior actors.

It’s astonishing to see such a social person come from that household.

“What? She asked if I’d consider appearing in Director Jo Bang-woo’s movie?”

“Ah, Director Jo Bang-Woo.”

“What do you think about it, Father?”

“…”

Park Sun-woong picked up the remote control.

The dim living room was illuminated by the glow of the TV when he turned it on.

“He’s a good director. But at the moment, he’s not one of the trusted ones.”

“I think similarly.”

“Director Cho Min-tae is remarkable. I believe he might carry on my legacy. However, separate from that, with Director Jo Bang-woo…”

He paused for a moment.

The screen hinted that *Sky Garden* was about to start.

“I don’t know how she found out, but there is one more chance left.”

“Sorry?”

“This is an ultimate situation, just like a full-bases loaded in baseball. One wrong pitch, and it’s over. But conversely, it also means that at least you’ve been given a chance to throw that last pitch.”

Joo Seo-hui probably meant that this is the opportunity for that last pitch.

The fact that she had offered Park Jung-woo to take that place.

And also that she had recommended the same place to his son.

Park Sun-woong understood.

The last pitch would determine a lot of things.

Even though the movie would not be a large-scale production, it was likely to be the last chance the company would invest in him.

He would gamble on this opportunity with everything.

The reward or loss was uncertain, but desperation was guaranteed.

Filming under a desperate director is incredibly grueling.

Park Sun-woong knew this very well.

“Please, no more baseball metaphors.”

“Full-basis load situations are common sense.”

“Let’s just say it’s the last opportunity.”

Saying that, Park Jung-woo sat next to his father.

After all, he had returned home early to watch the drama.

“Hmm…”

Park Sun-woong didn’t say anything further.

He was satisfied.

This formerly arrogant son now had decent character.

‘He replied he’d consider it, but he’s already decided, hasn’t he?’

The son should occasionally show some stubbornness.

A movie with a high risk of failure should rightly be discouraged as a father.

‘However, if he manages to hit the ultimate home run in this loaded bases situation…’

There was a chance for a dramatic comeback.

And…

“In this era of endless competition, I will show you how to find your way.”

As a man’s voice echoed, the drama began.

***

The next day, after *Sky Garden* Episode 1 aired.

Sooyeon casually headed to her agency.

She had already checked the online reactions.

Surprisingly, they were much better than she had anticipated.

No, the fact that there was any reaction at all was quite positive.

Sooyeon was extremely satisfied remembering the initial ambiance of the previous *Sky Garden*.

But when she arrived at her agency, manager Park Eun-ha looked somewhat grave.

“What’s wrong, Sooyeon?”

“Is something wrong?”

“That, the ratings aren’t outperforming the expectations, it seems…”

Upon hearing this, Sooyeon tensed up slightly.

Could it be that the ratings were way lower than the online reactions suggested? As she leaned in to hear the manager better…

“6%. That’s only half compared to *Grand Game’.”

6%?!

Sooyeon was surprised.

Or rather, what was the original rating of *Sky Garden*’s first episode?

‘1%.’

Even as a cable network drama, it was by no means a high rating.

The difference between terrestrial broadcasts and cable channels was certainly there, but it was no longer so overwhelming.

1% was the absolute bottom.

However, now, 6%? If it was a terrestrial channel, it’s just a plain score.

But, thinking about how the original *Sky Garden* was evaluated in its first episode, this was an incredibly high number.

Considering the difference between terrestrial and cable channels, Sooyeon had expected something around 3%.

‘Incredibly six times as much!!’

No, what does this mean going forward?

Sooyeon suddenly became serious.

Seeing her serious expression, manager Park Eun-ha also turned serious, fearing Sooyeon had immediately experienced a failure as a lead actress.

It would be a huge blow to any actor.

‘Maybe I should practice signing autographs again.’

‘What should we do? Sooyeon seems to be stressed.’

While these thoughts crossed both their minds,

– lol, *Sky Garden* got destroyed by *Grand Game* lol

– I saw that coming lol

– But I actually found *Sky Garden* more interesting

– Where are your eyes?

– Bongsik said *Sky Garden* will have a good second half

– Who’s Bongsik? lol

Online communities began to spark fights between fans of the two dramas.

Of course, most attacks landed on *Grand Game*, and

*Sky Garden* was on the receiving end of most of the criticism.

Between the two dramas, *Grand Game* appeared victorious, at least for now.

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