Chapter 92

Posted by Kuze, ? Views, Released on February 25, 2025

Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Pinterest Telegram

– The drama is a bit different from what was expected.

– It does have a balanced taste, but…

– Joo Ha-rin is really gorgeous, and she’s the female lead????

– Nope, she’s the secondary character.

– ???? No sense.

—

The premiere of *Dream Future*.

The 15% viewership rating was truly a promising achievement. Such high ratings were only achieved by two dramas this year.

However, considering that those two dramas had better investments and cast qualities, the success of *Dream Future* shocked everyone to the top levels of the network’s management.

“This can actually work, huh?”

This was the perfect description of the situation. The perception of Director Kim Pil-seok, the cinematographer, also improved significantly.

He was originally seen as one of the talented young directors. Now, he was practically considered…

“A problem-solver, right?”

“Yeah, this thing, nobody wanted to take it on, right?”

“That’s because teen romance is essentially a defunct genre…”

“To be honest, even when the proposal came out, I had my doubts.”

To the extent that even within the network, such murmurs were heard.

—

Another character drawing attention within the Drama Department.

“There’s that kid again.”

“That kid? Oh…”

From the KMB Drama Team, especially the long-serving members, there was one unforgettable ‘kid.’

Seoyeon Joo.

The young actress in *The Moon That Hid the Sun* who made waves within the network. After making a grand comeback, she once again became a name to remember.

“If Seoyeon is part of it, things seem different.”

“Yeah, I agree. The vibe is different.”

Some Drama Team employees, watching the first episode of *Dream Future*, were saying as much.

“Normally, the final highlight has the highest viewership.”

“Yeah, I know, but I heard that the scene with Joo Ha-rin’s audition might’ve been even higher, by 2%.”

Director Kim Pil-seok reportedly put more effort personally into that scene. A slightly different take from the original script. While the screenwriter and the writer had a conversation, it was essentially a gamble.

Since it was the first episode, the focus should have been solely on the main characters, yet attention was also drawn to Joo Ha-rin.

Of course, it was a resounding success, yet…

“Wasn’t it Cha Na-hee who played So-ha?”

“It must be hard for her. She’s an idol, after all.”

Indeed, fans of the girl group Cha Na-hee was part of were already voicing their displeasure, questioning why Na-hee’s role was diminished.

“But, that part wasn’t expanded. Joo Ha-rin’s screen time in the episode didn’t even reach 10 minutes, even when combined.”

“Ten minutes out of an hour. Song So-ha had at least twice that much, or more.”

In fact, Joo Ha-rin’s screen time wasn’t much different from the four main cast members excluding Kim Si-hwan and Song So-ha. The 10 minutes included scenes where she appeared with others, and her personal screen time would’ve been even shorter.

Her first appearance and the audition scene.

Yet, despite having significantly less screen time, she left a deeper mark on the viewers than Song So-ha, who appeared three times as much.

Clearly, there was no fault on Joo Ha-rin’s part. The only change was that she was accepted not through dancing but singing, which was adjusted in the script.

So, why did this reaction occur?

Her acting.

The impact of her scene was several times greater than Song So-ha’s, leading the audience to believe she had a larger role in the episode.

After watching the drama, when people started discussing the most memorable moments, that scene always came up.

This gave *Dream Future* a significant advantage early in its run, but not everyone liked it.

“That wasn’t part of the agreement.”

The writer of *Dream Future*, Im Jin-ha, muttered this in a rather unpleasant tone.

“Oh, why so serious, Im? Come on, it’s a hit, isn’t it?”

Im Jin-ha didn’t respond.

Their good relationship, Park Tae-soo PD of the Drama Department, tried to calm Im down. He was one of the most senior PDS at KMB and was predicted to become the next Drama Department chief in a few years.

There was a chance in the past, but due to another much more talented individual, he had to step down with regret.

“Isn’t it true she didn’t sing on the variety show?”

“Yeah, I watched that. Seoyeon? Yeah?”

“Yes. So, we agreed on her role, but clearly, we were completely deceived.”

Did she fake that scene? How could she perform such a memorable song?

Anyways, it didn’t sit well with Im Jin-ha.

“Something feels off.”

Right from the start, Joo Ha-rin was an added character. She was included primarily as a flavor enhancer when Song So-ha needed to connect with Kim Si-hwan in the storyline.

But now, this “flavor enhancer” was starting to overshadow the main dish.

Sure, technically, it’s not completely wrong that a small role character shouldn’t upstage the main characters. But Im Jin-ha had another take.

—

“How well does she know Park Jung-woo?”

Im Jin-ha was a fan of Park Jung-woo. His decision to cast Park Jung-woo first in this drama was also due to her preference. Hence, Seoyeon’s unusually close demeanor with Park Jung-woo made her uneasy.

“Ah, that’ll work fine.”

Even so, a drama writer doesn’t have much power over such matters.

By nature, writers are weaker in the system. Especially those with a more junior career like herself were even more restricted.

If not for a hit drama and the backing of PD Park Tae-soo, she wouldn’t have even been able to speak up. But now, with the current standing, she could voice her thoughts.

“We might need to reduce the weight of her role further.”

“Hmm? Why? Isn’t it going well as it is?”

“Because she’s overpowering the female lead.”

“Yeah, you might be right, but…”

True, currently, it was Seoyeon who significantly boosted the show’s ratings. If her role was further reduced…

“But, no drama with a clear main character will succeed either.”

Currently, the ratings were boosted by Seoyeon, but how long that would last was uncertain. If they invested more in Cha Na-hee, it could be a good move. To Park Tae-soo, Cha Na-hee’s acting wasn’t bad; it just didn’t shine compared to Seoyeon’s performance.

If given more focus, her charm might flourish as the female lead.

“Alright, understood. I’ll discuss this with PD Shin Yun and Director Kim.”

“Thank you. As always, you’re the best. You know I like you, right?”

“Yeah, I know.”

PD Park chuckled and called PD Shin Yun, although he wasn’t requesting any script revisions, just a casual check-in.

—

*Dream Future* airs on Mondays and Tuesdays.

The following Tuesday’s episode 2 brought another wave of reactions.

Twice the viewers of the first episode’s Joo Ha-rin live scene watched something shocking.

The content was simple. All six successful candidates from the audition were placed into Team C.

Out of the one hundred qualifiers, which were half the 200 participants.

Song So-ha lacked confidence, especially since she barely made it into Team C, needing to qualify into Team A for the final selection.

She lost her confidence further when she found Team C full of fierce competitors.

“Give up if it’s hard. Or what are you holding onto?”

A blond-haired man with piercings said this to her. Park Min-yul, who received high praise for his rapping and dancing, didn’t vibe well with Song So-ha.

Moreover, the next mission required the six to work together for a performance. Given her lack of confidence, the situation wasn’t ideal.

– Is that really Ma Yeon-woo?

– This role is supposed to be refreshing and pleasant, right?

– Pleasant??? This character seems way off from Ma Yeon-woo’s original personality, am I right?

Thus, Ma Yeon-woo’s script also went through several modifications aimed at bringing out the character’s natural acting ability due to his idol background.

Im Jin-ha, a big supporter of Ma Yeon-woo, also lent a helping hand. Episode 2 focused on Song So-ha’s internal struggle.

The team tried hard in different ways, but things didn’t work out.

They argue, fight again…

Eventually, with just one day left until the final mission. The C team, without proper practice, couldn’t focus together. Song So-ha decides to go out alone to practice live for the street busking mission.

The next mission required them to perform a guerrilla street performance.

“Why are you going alone?”

The only one to chase after her was Kim Si-hwan. They shared a small, mutual smile and started their street practice.

– What kind of mood is this?

– Huh?

– Why even hold an audition mission on the street?

– Why not? It’s doable.

Despite the weak script, the discussion of that part briefly heated up the chat.

Just then—

“Of course, no one’s watching.”

Song So-ha said this. Both Kim Si-hwan and Song So-ha were vocal powerhouses.

Without much of a visual performance, the impact was minimal—they weren’t doing much more than just singing.

Maybe *Produce Star 200* wanted a different approach.

“But this is still better than doing nothing, right?”

They sang together and laughed as the sun slowly set.

They had only a two-hour limit outdoors, and by the end, the crowd remained largely indifferent.

Just as both started feeling their exhaustion.

“Haha, you both are stubborn.”

Park Min-yul, who had given the initial advice, reappeared, microphone in hand.

– ?

– Wait, is this real?

– This is real, right?

The chat began to light up in an entirely unexpected way.

As Park Min-yul walked forward, delivering a rap.

– Shit

– Turn on the lights!

– Ah, this is what the drama was, I forgot after the first episode.

As he started rapping, the crowd’s attention began to shift toward them.

Those who were disinterested in Song So-ha and Kim Si-hwan’s music started to gather.

But it didn’t stop there.

Walking behind Park Min-yul came the other three members of Team C: Ha Yoo-seong, Joo Ha-rin, and Jin Hye-min.

Ha Yoo-seong started rapping alongside Park Min-yul, while the others began dancing powerfully as they approached.

– Holy hell!

– I might go crazy.

– Who wrote this script?

– Stop, please!

“Hey, everyone!”

Song So-ha called out, beaming. And thus, the C team began their practice session.

As a result, the audience gathered around, applauding them.

– Wait, hold on.

– Are they all collectively hypnotized?

– If you want to ruin the drama, just say it.

– I recommended this to a friend, telling them it was interesting.

– Didn’t you get unfriended? Your friend must be nice.

As the C team’s performance began, the absurdity made it almost impossible to hold in laughter.

But strangely, it was oddly appealing.

Despite the corny plotline, the scene direction was impressive. It was clear a lot of effort was put into the song.

With that, the shocking and surprising 2nd episode of *Dream Future* came to an end.

The responses on various boards were mostly about how absurd it was.

Yet,

– I might watch what comes next.

– Surprisingly, it’s somewhat watchable.

– The song was good too.

Indeed, the ratings, though slightly lower at 13%, still remained impressively high. Especially the performance scene, scoring a peak rating of 18%.

Just one issue lingered.

– Did Joo Ha-rin’s role decrease this episode somehow?

– She didn’t have much opportunity to appear.

– That’s true.

Though she made a significant impact in the first episode, her screen time felt significantly reduced this time.

But most viewers thought it was because of the episode’s content.

“Good.”

The writer, Im Jin-ha, smiled, looking at the online reactions.

The truth was, there hadn’t been any major changes to the script or scene arrangements.

Just the omission of a few lines. That was enough.

“This way, gradually decreasing her role…”

She thought she wouldn’t be noticeable by episode 8. With that thought, she smiled.

But, she missed one thing.

That night, the 3rd teaser for *The Chaser* was released.

—

The second teaser of *The Chaser* was similar to the first. Two detectives chasing a suspect.

And, brutally murdered victims.

A chase through the rain with the suspect in a yellow raincoat.

What was new was more exposure of Cha Seo-ah’s face as a convenience store clerk.

– Why show the extra’s face so often?

– They must be trying to use her rising fame.

– Hmm…

Amid such murmurs about *The Chaser*.

The final teaser was released before its premiere.

– Definitely well-shot, but nothing much added compared to before?

The teaser was around two minutes long, a compilation of key scenes from the first and second teasers.

Cha Seo-ah, who played the convenience store worker and was criticized, was almost absent. Most people thought, “Oh, they cut her part because of the backlash.”

But…

**Wham!**

In a scene where it was raining.

The same scene from the second teaser where the detectives repeatedly lost the suspect.

A small framed figure in a yellow raincoat stood calmly.

The firefighter’s axe fell to the ground.

**Clang!**

**Thump.**

A background beat echoed as the figure slowly moved.

Everyone thought, “Surely not?”

Surely, the villain’s face was about to be revealed.

Slowly.