The High Dream team gathered in KBC’s drama conference room with PD Kim Young-mo at the center.

“It’s true; this is where the viewership spiked.”
“The viewer forums are blowing up! Everyone’s asking, ‘Who’s playing Lee Jae?’”
“Dong-hoo’s FaceStorm account gained 20,000 followers overnight!”
“People recognize it, you know? When someone that unbelievably good-looking is also a talented actor.”

As they analyzed the viewership ratings for episode two, everyone had something to say.

“He already has a fan café, and it’s only been a day. The support is incredible.”
“The way PD-nim zoomed in on Dong-hoo’s face in that ending shot, you planned that, right?”
“Of course! It would be a waste not to, with a national treasure of a face like that.”
“If I recall, there was a chicken ad during that final close-up.”
“Yeah, there was.”
“They’re reporting a massive spike in orders. They’re running out of chicken now.”

High Dream had been sailing smoothly, but now it was bolstered with a sail. Even PD Kim Young-mo hadn’t expected this level of impact from Kim Dong-hoo.

“I thought at least the part where he played Moonlight Sonata would need to air before viewership jumped.”

Yet, just his appearance had boosted ratings by two percent. This development could drastically change the drama’s direction.

And one of the most significant changes was—

Bang!

“Ah-ha-ha-ha! Our network is crushing the competition!”

The head of the drama department burst into the room, joyfully eating a cherry pie.

“From now on, it’s the era of KBC dramas! This is the signal flare! The dream of dominating the drama world is alive!”

Kim Cheol-do, the drama department head, laughed heartily as he took an empty seat.

Crunch, crunch.

Crumbs from the cherry pie fell to the floor, but he didn’t care. There were more important things to address now.

“So, you’re analyzing the ratings graph? That’s good news, right? Things are looking great.”

Everyone stared blankly, unsure what to say, as Kim Cheol-do continued speaking, almost as if he were reading from a script.

Thud.

He dropped a corporate card on the table and slid it over to PD Kim Young-mo, laughing heartily again.

“Ah-ha-ha! You should have seen the faces on those drama heads at SKS and MNC! Like they were chewing on poop!”

How hard had it been?

“Use that to buy some premium beef. You know what I mean, right? If you go below Hanwoo grade, you’ll pay for it.”

With a smile, Kim Cheol-do seemed to have finished his introduction, and his tone became more serious.

“Extend Lee Jae’s screen time. You haven’t finished shooting, right? You can add more, can’t you?”
“Well, I…”
“Look, I may sound polite, but I’m not asking. I’m giving a gentle order.”

Extend Lee Jae’s screen time. It’s ridiculous to limit that face to just five episodes. We need more of him.

Kim Cheol-do spoke as if he’d just announced some grand plan.

“I was planning to. I already discussed it with writer Lee Min-ha…”

Kim Young-mo showed his KakaoTalk messages as evidence.

Blink, blink.

Well, he does his job well. Kim Cheol-do laughed, feeling slightly awkward.

“...Young-mo, you have this knack for making your superiors feel unnecessary.”
“You just barged in and interrupted. Thanks for the card, though.”
“...”
“Clean up those pie crumbs before you go. Our crew is exhausted from filming High Dream.”
“Oh, yes, yes… I’ll clean it all up.”

+++++

—How are you, son?
“I’m doing great, Mom.”
—I saw the article. You looked so handsome!
“You’re stating the obvious.”
—I’ll recover soon and visit. I should be able to come by February.
“Yes, don’t worry too much. Seok-ho hyung is taking great care of me.”
—He really is. I’m so grateful for everything he’s done, from arranging the schedule to looking out for you.

Shortly after episode two of High Dream aired, I was chatting with Mom over the phone.

“I’m relieved her cancer treatment went well.”

They said it was amazing how well her treatment had gone. For a moment, I thought maybe this was part of my path’s perks too.

“Oh, by the way, could you put Dad on for a moment?”
—Oh, you miss your dad? Sure, one moment.

—Hey, son. What’s up?
His voice was calm and indifferent.

I decided it was time to share a piece of future knowledge with Dad—a mistake the creator of Earth had somehow let slip.

“Dad, have you heard of Bitcoin?”
—Bitcoin? No, can’t say I have.

If I had the knowledge and didn’t do anything with it, that would be foolish.

“Not that I want to deal with it myself.”

If I’d been interested in this kind of thing, I wouldn’t have become an actor. But it felt wrong not to share, so I decided to give the investment tip to the person I trusted most.

“Yes, so here’s the thing…”

My plan was to enlighten Dad about Bitcoin, which would make him a real estate mogul from his World Cup winnings.

“It’s kind of funny to say it like this.”

It felt like giving away the answer.

Most people would be suspicious, but—

—I understand.

Dad believed me without a second thought. He was my rock, always quietly supporting me without doubt.

After the call with Dad, I looked at my calendar.

In two weeks, by the end of January,

“I’ll be shooting my first lead role.”

The first shoot for Hero was scheduled.

+++++

Hero

An evil that punishes evil,
A criminal who commits righteous acts,
The story of a boy who wants to become a hero.

It began with him killing a stray dog that terrorized the local kids.

Thud!

As the knife plunged into the neck of a mud-covered stuffed dog, artificial blood splattered everywhere.

“Don’t worry. Now that I’ve killed it, you don’t have to be afraid.”

Director Lee Seong-deok tried to suppress the chills as he watched Kim Dong-hoo deliver his lines.

“It was impressive on video, but seeing his acting live is on another level.”

The first shoot, in chilly weather, was done on a tight budget, but all concerns vanished.

“He has everything I want.”

Director Lee’s choice to shoot Hero in black and white was driven by one reason:

Intensity.

In a world divided into black and white, he wanted to capture a protagonist existing somewhere in between. That’s why he named the protagonist Hero.

But when creating the script, there was a major hurdle.

Acting ability.

“To win the Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival, we need an actor who can deliver incredible performances.”

It’s obvious, but acting is the most critical element of a film. But how easy is it to find talented actors for an independent film? He was lucky beyond measure to have found someone like Dong-hoo.

“I’m the one who saved you, so why are you running away?”

Whirrrr.

Five cameras captured Hero’s face from different angles. Normally, there’d only be one, but with Veritas’s investment, they could film from multiple angles.

It was a miracle of investment and casting. Experiencing this felt like a holy experience, and Director Lee Seong-deok was fully immersed in the shoot.

The script for Hero wasn’t complex or obscure. It simply posed questions to the audience.

Can struggling to punish evil really be called wrong? Could the outcome still be considered good if the process was violent?

A hero is ultimately someone who acts out of righteousness. Can you look at a hero and call them evil?

This was the core of Hero.

Learning kendo to protect the weak, killing a loan shark to protect family.

And these questions reach their peak when Hero finally clashes with the police.

Gulp.

They hadn’t even shot the scene yet, but Director Lee felt a dry throat at the thought.

“Will I be able to capture Kim Dong-hoo perfectly?”

While he was proud of his film experience, from student projects to graduation work,

“No matter what, I can’t guarantee I’ll capture Dong-hoo perfectly.”

The talent felt out of reach, but his passion burned bright. He’d make sure Kim Dong-hoo’s name was well-deserved and capture every moment.

“I’m aiming for the Mise-en-scène award!”

He’d make Kim Dong-hoo’s name known not only on TV but on the big screen as well.

+++++

With the success of High Dream, everyone was excited, except for one man frowning at Kim Dong-hoo’s performance.

“...Hmph, they’re wasting Dong-hoo like that?”

That man was Director Kang Sang-hoon of the movie Endless Frontline. With such a perfect asset, why focus solely on his close-ups?

They clearly didn’t understand that Dong-hoo’s true talent matched his looks.

“That’s the thing with dramas…”

Endless Frontline was progressing smoothly. No, to be precise, the actors’ performances were escalating to a fearsome level.

“That’s probably thanks to Dong-hoo.”

Seeing a young actor perform like that, the veteran actors couldn’t just sit by.

To show that their experience wasn’t for nothing, the cast of Endless Frontline gave their all in every scene.

And two weeks later.

“I will be the first director to showcase Kim Dong-hoo’s true value!”

The climactic shoot of the cadet soldier scene was approaching.