My Girlfriend's Fortune: 3,141,592,653,589

TL: Aniea

Time flew by in a whirlwind.

Kang Woo-ju’s first lead drama, <Peaceful Chaebol Life>, had already reached its 8th episode. The average viewer ratings had steadily climbed, reaching an impressive 14.7%.

This was undeniably a remarkable achievement. Considering the various unfavorable conditions, such as being aired on cable, being used as a filler program, and casting a large number of rookie actors, it was even more extraordinary.

However, a common thought had taken root in the minds of everyone involved, including Kang Woo-ju.

‘...The growth seems slower than expected?’

The average viewership rating of the first episode was 12.6%.

Given that it debuted simultaneously with <Since the Fun is Ruined, I'll Take Responsibility>, which was ambitiously prepared by terrestrial broadcaster MBS, this was truly an astonishing result.

Moreover, the finale of <Twenty-Seven Twenty-Five>, which aired that week, ended in complete failure, causing significant dissatisfaction among viewers.

Naturally, it was expected that this backlash would lead to a sharp rise in the ratings of their own drama.

‘Sure, the ratings did rise, but…’

Not as much as they had anticipated.

It was expected that the drama would surpass 15% well before the 8th episode and confidently make its way into the ranks of all-time highest-rated cable dramas by the time it concluded.

‘But <Since the Fun is Ruined, I'll Take Responsibility> is performing better than we thought.’

Its current viewership rating stood at 7.8%.

Although that was only about half of <Peaceful Chaebol Life>’s ratings, considering it had started at the 3% range during its first broadcast, it had achieved nearly 200% growth.

Of course, their growth rate was bound to be faster than <Peaceful Chaebol Life>, which already had higher absolute numbers. Still, there was an undeniable sense of an unusual atmosphere at the filming set.

"Those bastards are playing so dirty! Don't they have any artistic integrity!?"

Thanks to this, Director Kang In-ho’s nerves had become even sharper under the growing stress.

Just as he said, the <Since the Fun is Ruined, I'll Take Responsibility> team didn’t simply accept the current results but actively plotted a counterattack.

They organized events with their drama actors, such as handshake meetings, fan signings, and group drama screenings at movie theaters, using these as opportunities to interact with fans.

Because the actors had been well-known even before the drama aired, with many loyal fans, these events received a much more enthusiastic response than expected.

[Title: (Data Warning) Fan Signing Event Review for <Since the Fun is Ruined, I'll Take Responsibility>!]

: I attended the fan signing event where they picked only 200 people through a live chats! The line was longer than I thought, so I waited for a while, but it was so worth it to see Jun-woo oppa in person, I’m so happy.

[Merchandise Collection.jpg]

[Group Photo.jpg]

[Photo with My Oppa.jpg]

The other actors were also super kind, and they gave out exclusive <Since the Fun is Ruined, I'll Take Responsibility> support merch and all sorts of goodies. Honestly, it was the luckiest day of my life.

[Event Screening.jpg]

[Event Screening 2.jpg]

...

[Event Screening 9.jpg]

└ Holy shit ㅠㅜ I want to go too!

└ They said they’re doing it again next week?

└ Really? If you're lying, your next three generations will go bald.

└ It’s not a lie, check their official website; this time, they’re picking 150 people through live chats again and 50 more from those who post screenshots of them watching live.

└ Thanks for the tip!

Director Jung even went so far as to use a real-time texting system commonly seen in audition programs to boost ratings.

The broadcasting station received significant criticism for this unprecedented, groundbreaking tactic, but the promotional effects were undeniable.

Starting with each actor’s core fanbase, screenshots of people watching <Since the Fun is Ruined, I'll Take Responsibility> live spread like wildfire on social media, creating a new buzz.

“They’re able to pull off stunts like this because it’s a pre-produced drama, meaning all the major filming is already done. With proper coordination with the actors’ agencies, they can easily organize events like these.”

“A drama should compete based on its merits!”

“You’re looking for artistic integrity in an industry driven solely by money? Besides, if we’re being honest, we were the ones who started this first.”

“Dong-gyu, whose side are you even on?”

Sigh.

Oh Dong-gyu’s blunt truth bomb caused Kang In-ho to let out a deep sigh. As much as he wanted to argue further, no suitable rebuttal came to mind.

‘...Because it’s true.’

Although it wasn’t something he had directly instructed, the fact that Kang Woo-ju and Kim Eun-ha had frequented book cafes together before the broadcast, promoting without really promoting, was undeniable.

In the midst of the chaos, they had also edited and uploaded script readings and behind-the-scenes footage, spreading teasers as widely as possible. This was something their side had done first.

As Oh Dong-gyu said, no matter what the other side did now, there was hardly a convincing argument Kang In-ho could offer in return.

“Ugh, fine. Let’s not get impatient. We’re doing more than well enough as it is. If we just keep going like this without getting greedy….”

“Director! Something terrible has happened!”

“What now? What is it this time?”

“Writer Jung Ha-rin has collapsed!”

“...What!?”

Kang In-ho shot up from his seat, raising his voice. His dark circles, which had almost reached his chin, seemed to vanish in the intensity of the moment.

“119! No, I’ll go there myself-” (TL: Korean emergency services number is 119)

“Director, please calm down! Fortunately or unfortunately... well, it happened in her studio. We’ve already transported her to the hospital.”

“What’s wrong with her? Is it serious? How is she!?”

With bloodshot eyes, Kang In-ho grabbed the assistant writer by her shoulders and demanded answers. Startled, she stammered in confusion, but just then,

“Director.”

Kang Woo-ju stepped in.

His voice was as cold and emotionless as ever, but it had an unexpectedly calming effect on Kang In-ho, cooling his overheated mind almost instantly.

Sseup- Hoo-

After a deep breath, Kang In-ho managed to settle himself. He then bowed his head to the assistant writer.

“Uh, sorry about that. My bad.”

“It’s... it’s okay. I was so flustered that I didn’t explain properly. And I know how much you care about Writer Jung Ha-rin. Anyway, the doctor said she collapsed due to overwork.”

“...That makes sense.”

Kang In-ho shook his head with a bitter expression at the mention of overwork. Not just him, but everyone who overheard seemed to understand.

After all, from the start of the production to now, she hadn’t taken a single day off.

Producing two one-hour scripts every week was a grueling task, no matter how many assistant writers she had at her disposal.

On top of that, she insisted on visiting the set every single day to 'find inspiration'. The number of nights she’d had proper rest could probably be counted on one hand.

- Jung Ha-rin, from today, you’re banned from coming to the set.

Unable to bear it any longer, Kang In-ho had drawn a firm line.

But Jung Ha-rin’s stubbornness was second to none.

Banned from the set, she simply plopped herself down at the entrance and began writing scripts there. In the end, Kang In-ho was the one who gave in first.

- You’re going to collapse at this rate!

- That’s better than the work collapsing.

- Ha-rin, at least cut back on the revisions. The first drafts are already good enough. You can leave the edits to the assistant writers,

- Director, don’t worry. This isn’t my first time. No matter what, I’ll finish this work.

It was an obsession bordering on madness.

It was practically a creed.

What exactly drove her so far, no one knew.

Maybe it was the fiery performances of actors like Kang Woo-ju that had ignited her passion. Maybe the explosive audience response was pushing her forward.

Perhaps the staff’s mixed gaze of hope and resentment was compelling her to keep running. Or maybe this was simply the essence of Jung Ha-rin herself. Perhaps it was all of these things.

But one thing was certain.

No matter how noble or grand her convictions were, her body was still that of a mere human.

Had this been her early twenties, when her recovery outpaced her energy consumption, it might have been a different story. But now, she was no longer so young.

As her mental focus and physical stamina waned, Jung Ha-rin poured even more of her time into compensating for it. But the more time she sacrificed, the faster her body broke down.

Every time someone looked at her, she felt like a ticking time bomb, ready to go off at any moment. That sense of danger likely pushed her even harder.

If she stopped, the filming would stop.

If the filming stopped, the drama would go on hiatus.

And in this industry, a hiatus was more lethal than a single-day delay.

For the viewers left waiting, a week felt like an eternity. For fans of rival dramas, it was the perfect chance to tear down the competition.

└ How can there be a hiatus in this day and age?

└ How am I supposed to wait another week ㅡㅡ

└ You guys should check out 'Since the Fun is Ruined, I'll Take Responsibility'. It’s already fully filmed, so no delays, and they’ve got tons of events. It’s super fun lol.

└ This is the difference that terrestrial broadcasting brings.

These were the kinds of SNS reactions that played out vividly in the minds of everyone on set.

Faced with such a clear scenario, no one could bring themselves to actively stop Jung Ha-rin, even though they knew she was overworking herself.

So, when the news broke that she had collapsed from exhaustion, the production crew could only respond with silence. The heavy weight of guilt bore down on their shoulders.

“.......”

“.......”

The usually noisy set, filled with chatter and various sounds, fell into a deep silence.

Even the sound of the camera rolling had ceased, making the space feel like an isolated, surreal void. In this strange quiet, someone finally broke the silence.

“Where is Writer Jung Ha-rin right now?”

“Huh? Ah, that... most of the nearby hospital rooms were full, so she’s currently lying in the emergency room at Hana Hospital.”

Hana Hospital’s emergency room.

As soon as Kang Woo-ju heard this, he immediately picked up his phone. Pressing and holding the 0 key, he placed a call somewhere.

Click-!

After a brief dial tone, the call connected.

- Hello?

“Eun-ha-ssi, I apologize for contacting you while you’re busy, but....”

Kang Woo-ju briefly and concisely explained the situation. Kim Eun-ha responded without a moment’s hesitation.

- That’s not a problem at all.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

“Thank you.”

After exchanging a few more short words, Kang Woo-ju hung up the phone. Then, turning to the people watching him with a mix of nervousness and curiosity, he spoke.

“A private ambulance will soon be dispatched to transfer Writer Jung Ha-rin to Mirae Hospital. I’ve arranged for her to receive all the necessary treatments there.”

“...Kang Woo-ju.”

Kang In-ho bit his lip, his hands trembling slightly. Even to an outsider, his expression was a complicated tangle of emotions.

"Thank you. Really. I won't forget this favor."

“We can talk about that in detail later. For now, Director, don’t you have something else to take care of?”

“...You’re right. I’m the director, after all.”

Sseup- Hoo-

Kang In-ho closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, his gaze was clear and resolute, as if he’d made an important decision.

“Writer Kim, how far has the script progressed?”

“...We’ve managed to finish up to episode 9, but beyond that, only the basic structure is complete. Just rough outlines, who appears where and what happens, that sort of thing.”

“Do you think the assistant writers can fill in the rest?”

The assistant writer hesitated, unable to answer right away. Writing something was doable, but maintaining the quality was another story.

The truth was that the script for <Peaceful Chaebol Life> had been entirely written by Jung Ha-rin, from start to finish.

'We could write if asked but....'

The quality was the issue.

Most of the assistant writers hadn’t even made their official debuts.

Even as someone who had worked under Jung Ha-rin for years, the assistant writer had no confidence in capturing her unique sensibility.

This was a script that required months of painstaking effort to perfect. Churning out rushed pages under tight deadlines would inevitably result in a significant drop in quality.

In a situation like this, where there was a strong competitor, such a drop in quality could prove fatal, and in the worst case, the drama could be overtaken.

‘And who would bear the blame for that....’

<Peaceful Chaebol Life> had achieved unusually rapid success given its relatively modest cast of actors.

This naturally drew a lot of attention, which in turn bred jealousy and resentment.

For now, the drama’s overwhelming success kept its detractors silent. But the moment the quality slipped even slightly, the malicious viewers who had been lying in wait would undoubtedly rear their heads.

“Maybe it’s too much after all.”

“...I’m sorry.”

“Well, there’s nothing we can do. Let’s take a break this week, edit past episodes, and air a special compilation....”

“There’s no need for that.”

As Kang In-ho was about to finalize the decision to go on hiatus, Kang Woo-ju’s voice rang out.

His usual calmness, no different from before, had an inexplicable way of settling the nerves of everyone who heard it.

“...Woo-ju-ssi, I understand how you feel, but there’s no other way. We don’t know when Writer Jung Ha-rin will wake up, and even if she does, we can’t expect someone who collapsed from overwork to dive back into writing immediately.”

“I’ll say it again, there’s no need for that. We can write a drama without a script.”

“...A drama without a script?”

The gaze directed at him clearly asked, What do you mean by that? But Kang Woo-ju didn’t answer.

Instead, he simply lifted the corners of his lips into a quiet, enigmatic smile.

*****

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