My Girlfriend's Fortune: 3,141,592,653,589-Chapter 74: Turning Point
TL: Aniea
“Hmmm, this is a tough decision.”
Kim Mari, a 20-something office worker, held the remote in her hand, deeply engrossed in thought. The source of her dilemma was none other than which channel to watch.
Should she secure her spot as a live viewer for <Since the Fun is Ruined, I'll Take Responsibility>, starring Seo Jun-woo?
Or should she watch the hottest current drama, Kang Woo-ju's <Peaceful Chaebol Life>?
‘Normally, I would have just gone with <Peaceful Chaebol Life>...’
Lately, however, there had been an increase in people around her talking about <Since the Fun is Ruined, I'll Take Responsibility>. Some acquaintances had even bragged about winning tickets to its fan signing event.
Thanks to that, she had caught up on all the episodes of <Since the Fun is Ruined, I'll Take Responsibility> through reruns, and to her surprise, it was a much better show than she had expected.
The acting skills of the lead actors, including Seo Jun-woo, were so remarkable that it left no room for criticism.
There were also plenty of rewards given out to viewers, which made many people watch the live broadcast as if they were playing the lottery.
‘Most importantly, the atmosphere is light.’
Both shows were Monday-Tuesday dramas.
Monday, the beginning of a grueling week. The first day you barely manage to get through before returning home to watch a drama.
In that sense, MBS's <Since the Fun is Ruined, I'll Take Responsibility> was the perfect show to soothe a tired body.
As a romantic comedy, its overall vibe was bright and sweet.
‘...<Peaceful Chaebol Life> is the complete opposite.’
The show revolved around a power struggle with a sociopathic chaebol, and the intense performances of the actors made for incredible immersion.
Once you started watching, it was so gripping that you couldn't even leave for the bathroom.
Maybe that’s why.
After watching just one episode, it felt like your whole body was drained, leaving you with a sense of fatigue.
‘Especially when Kang Joo-heon appears, the immersion is just too intense.’
A villain, yet an incredibly charming character. With just his gaze, he captivated the viewers, refusing to let them go. But at the same time, it felt like he drained a lot of energy from you.
To make matters worse, the fact that the ending was somewhat predetermined was a critical blow. The story ultimately led to Kang Joo-heon's defeat at the hands of Choi Ji-hwan.
‘Which basically means my favorite character is going to die.’
And to make it worse, he would be defeated by a pathetic character who always seemed to crumble in front of Kang Joo-heon. It was hard to accept that fact, and her hand holding the remote grew heavier and heavier.
‘...Maybe I should just watch <Since the Fun is Ruined, I'll Take Responsibility> today?’
The show was also running live-viewing events with amazing rewards. They were reportedly giving out invitations to an even larger fan signing event than last time.
Wouldn't it be a reasonable choice to watch <Since the Fun is Ruined, I'll Take Responsibility> live, and then catch up on <Peaceful Chaebol Life> with reruns on a relaxing weekend?
‘What are other people planning to do?’
As her mind gradually leaned toward one choice, Kim Mari habitually picked up her phone.
She checked her friends' group chat and real-time social media to gauge the reactions of those around her.
└ What are you guys watching?
└ Obviously <Peaceful Chaebol Life>.
└ I switched to <Since the Fun is Ruined, I'll Take Responsibility> last week. Everyone else is fine, but Choi Ji-hwan ruins my immersion so badly that I get annoyed. His acting is just terrible.
└ I saw a preview clip where Choi Ji-hwan gets beaten up badly by Kang Joo-heon today.
└ For real? Oh, should I watch <Peaceful Chaebol Life> today then?
└ I’m sticking with <Since the Fun is Ruined, I'll Take Responsibility> and going to the fan signing. Bye.
└ As if that’s going to happen.
Apparently, Kim Mari wasn’t the only one agonizing over this. Debates about which of the two shows to watch were unfolding across the group chats and social media.
The opinions were nearly split 50:50, which only made Kim Mari’s dilemma grow deeper as time passed.
└ But <Peaceful Chaebol Life> is doing a live-viewing event too, isn’t it? Wasn’t it something like watching the finale with the cast?
└ Don’t spread fake news.
└ It’s real; [link]
└ ???
└ What? Why is this actually real?
At that moment, news broke that <Peaceful Chaebol Life> was also holding an event. Initially, she thought it was just a phishing link loaded with malicious code. However…
When she entered the official TvM homepage just to check, there it was—an enormous poster plastered right in the center of the main page.
── <Viewer Participation Live Broadcast Event!> ──
◇ Overview
: TvM is holding an event to celebrate achieving 15% ratings for <Peaceful Chaebol Life>!
◇ EVENT
#1 Watch. Live. Broadcast.
: Take a photo of the live broadcast screen alongside a clock showing the current time and upload it to the designated board.
◇ EVENT
#2 Let's Cheer Together!
: Tag 'Peaceful Chaebol Life' or 'PeacefulChaebolLife' on SNS and leave a supportive message.
◇ EVENT
#3 Save Your Favorite!
: During the live broadcast of <Peaceful Chaebol Life>, send a message to '#1240' with the name of your favorite actor or character!
◇ Prizes
: Participants in the event will be entered into a draw to win generous prizes, including 'After-party Invitations with the Cast (2 tickets per winner)' and 'Mirae Department Store Gift Coupons.'
※ For detailed schedules, please see below.
※ Participation in all events is allowed simultaneously. (However, duplicate entries are only permitted for Save Your Favorite.) We look forward to your active participation!
──────────
"Holy shit."
The words escaped Kim Mari's lips before she could even think.
It was blatantly clear that this event was a direct challenge to the <Since the Fun is Ruined, I'll Take Responsibility> live-viewing event, which MBS had been pushing aggressively.
The only difference? The <Peaceful Chaebol Life> team’s prizes were overwhelmingly better. Both in quality and quantity.
“This isn’t just an event—it’s like a blockbuster movie premiere!”
Watching the finale of a drama on a giant screen with the actors themselves? Any fan of the drama would undoubtedly be drooling at the thought.
And to top it off, all the food at the event was free, meaning the winners only had to bring themselves.
“...Even the other prizes are on another level.”
Take the Mirae Department Store gift coupons, for instance. Ranging from as much as 1 million won to a minimum of 50,000 won, they were handing out a total of 30 million won in prizes.
This wasn’t some competition or contest—this was just a simple live-viewing event. Was it really necessary to go this far?
‘...They really know what they’re doing.’
There had already been reports about how <Peaceful Chaebol Life> had boosted Mirae Department Store’s sales after the drama featured it as a background location. Articles were pouring out, highlighting the increase in revenue.
Compared to the profit they’d earned, 30 million won was just a drop in the bucket. But to those participating, it felt like a massive opportunity.
└ That's Mirae Group's class;
└ Who could possibly compete with that kind of money? ㅋㅋㅋ
└ Honestly, Kim Eun-ha is doing such a great job. I went to Mirae Department Store recently, and the vibe was completely different. There’s been a huge increase in 20-30-year-old customers.
└ For real... feels like everyone has has been there except me.
└ You wouldn't go even if they gave it to you.
└ That's too harsh
└ Do you think you could beat Kang Woo-ju?
└ ㅎㅎ Sorry;
Considering the impact this had not just on Kim Eun-ha but also on the overall image of Mirae Group, 30 million won seemed like a bargain.
“...Ahem.”
Click.
Having finished her thoughts, Kim Mari cleared her throat and picked up the remote. As she pressed the button, a familiar logo appeared on the screen.
TvM.
Her choice was <Peaceful Chaebol Life>.
*
“Those sneaky bastards! A show should be judged by its quality, not by how much money they throw around! Even my nephew could get 15% ratings with tactics like that!”
"We started it first though."
“Still, there’s a line that shouldn’t be crossed!”
Right, I told you we shouldn't have done it.
Seo Jun-woo bit back the words he wanted to say.
Not that Director Jang’s event had been meaningless. It had, after all, successfully stopped Kang Woo-ju’s dominance and shifted the momentum on SNS. But still...
‘What’s gained too easily is lost even more easily.’
Popularity gained with money can never last long. People inevitably gravitate toward where the money flows larger.
Of course, Director Jang likely acted on the assumption that no matter how hard a cable network struggled, they could never surpass the financial power of a terrestrial broadcaster.
Unfortunately for him, his opponent wasn’t just any cable network, it was “TvM backed by Mirae Group”.
Director Jang’s biggest mistake was underestimating the relationship between Kang Woo-ju and Kim Eun-ha.
‘Well… It would’ve been hard to predict they’d support him so blatantly.’
The extraordinary relationship between Kang Woo-ju and Kim Eun-ha was well known to those in the industry. Rumors of nepotism occasionally floated around as well.
If Kang Woo-ju’s acting ability hadn’t been as overwhelming as it was, he would have been embroiled in countless controversies.
Because of that, it seemed reasonable to assume they wouldn’t offer such obvious support, given the public scrutiny.
‘...Tsk. This isn’t good in many ways.’
Although there was still quite a bit of time before the broadcast began, the outcome was already apparent.
Winning with their own strength was impossible at this point. Unless the other side made a critical mistake, defeat was inevitable.
“...Haa. Well, no matter how hard they struggle, do you think a script shot recklessly without a lead writer will succeed? They’re just setting themselves up for failure.”
Having vented his frustration, Director Jung seemed to calm down a little, his tone more composed as he continued speaking. Seo Jun-woo quietly nodded along.
‘Writer Jung Ha-rin is irreplaceable.’
This was something Seo Jun-woo had painfully realized when he had previously worked with the Kang In-ho & Jung Ha-rin duo. The two of them were truly irreplaceable talents.
In particular, the extraordinary scripts Jung Ha-rin wrote were not something that ordinary writers could replicate.
She often showed up at filming sites to watch the actors’ performances and would sometimes suddenly rewrite the script on the spot.
Those scenes invariably turned into “masterpieces”, forever etched in the minds of viewers.
‘There’s a reason they call her the gateway for rookie actors.’
Rather than relying on already-established actors, she often sought characters that perfectly fit her story, resulting in a significantly higher ratio of rookie actors in her works.
Of course, there were many cases where those actors became typecast and ruined their next projects, but that was on the actors’ own abilities.
“You think so too, don’t you, Jun-woo?”
“Yes. Writer Jung Ha-rin is special.”
In this, Director Jang was absolutely right.
Recklessly proceeding with filming without the main writer, Jung Ha-rin, was a choice that should never have been made, no matter how desperate the situation.
The likelihood of having enough pre-written material was also low. Everyone knew that the <Peaceful Chaebol Life> team was shooting day by day with last-minute scripts.
“This is why there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Mirae Group must have put on the pressure. No matter how prideful Kang In-ho is, how could he have held out against it?”
“It definitely wasn’t the kind of decision Director Kang would usually make.”
If it were Kang In-ho, he would have decided on a broadcast hiatus, even if it meant taking all the criticism and suffering a ratings drop.
Jung Ha-rin, who loved her work deeply, would also never have allowed the project to continue without her involvement.
Even so, the reason they forged ahead with filming was likely due to Kang Woo-ju’s influence, backed by Kim Eun-ha.
Was it arrogance?
Or was it confidence?
Only the results would tell.
‘Today is the turning point.’
There was still quite a bit of time left until the finale, but starting from today, the audience’s response would sharply diverge.
If Kang Woo-ju stumbled today, no matter how much money was thrown around, the momentum could shift to their side.
On the other hand, if the episode succeeded without Jung Ha-rin and paved the way for her return, the <Peaceful Chaebol Life> team would soar all the way to the finale.
“...The broadcast is starting!”
The staff’s tense voice echoed, fully aware of the stakes. At that moment, everyone’s gaze turned to the monitor.
*****
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