What could possibly be the benefits of time travel?

Honestly, they are too numerous to count.

If I had to pick something trivial, though:

"Being able to master Platypus Adventure in its prime, of course."

Clearing games that I couldn’t beat as a child due to lack of physical prowess now became a breeze.

Whether it was defeating the final boss in Me and Dad, who skated while holding a gun, helping a child escape from an alien’s clutches, ensuring a sleepwalker returned home safely without waking, or aiding a ninja wielding a baseball bat to create a golden baseball statue—all these were games that couldn’t be beaten without a guide, or were so difficult that even unlimited coins couldn’t guarantee victory.

But with the strength of an adult, I handled them effortlessly.

"Easy."

After reliving some nostalgia from my childhood, I casually glanced at the calendar to check my schedule.

"The special meeting is tomorrow."

I wasn’t sure how the timing lined up so perfectly, but the Brilliant Special Meeting was on Saturday, and then Endless Frontline would be released that Thursday.

Originally, during this era, promotional methods were limited, and marketing was a challenge.

Yet, here I was, with an event where the actor could meet fans right before the movie’s release. It was a promotional strategy that couldn’t fail.

Audiences curious about Endless Frontline would become even more anxious. Getting a chance to meet the actor before the official stage greetings? Everyone would want to be there.

"The CEO said about 50,000 people applied, didn’t he?"

The fact they managed to narrow it down was even more impressive.

"Is this going to turn into a movie promo event rather than a school uniform one?"

As I was thinking this—

Dong-hoo, I got into the special meeting too.
Let’s meet there. I’ll bring some tasty snacks.
You’re keeping up with your diet, right? You should eat about 1.5 times your body weight in protein.

I received a message from Director Baek Sang-ha.

"You got in too?"

From the High Dream concert to now, Director Baek Sang-ha’s luck with these things was off the charts.

+++++

On the day of the Brilliant uniform special meeting, CEO Han Seong-moon couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief as he observed the scene.

"Is this really the scale of a school uniform event?"

The original seating arrangement for 20 attendees had been doubled to 45. What was once a casual chat had transformed into something resembling an idol fan meeting.

"We didn’t expect it to blow up like this, but we would’ve felt bad if it wasn’t scaled up."

Han Seong-moon nodded in agreement with his subordinate’s comment.

"True."

Kim Dong-hoo had brought their company back to the top of the industry, turning dreams into reality.

If this was how they could express their gratitude, then the extra decorations were worth it.

"This is our first time hosting an event like this, so I’m just worried we might make mistakes…"

He was afraid that a mishap could ruin everything. They needed to pull off the event flawlessly.

As he was thinking this—

Clomp, clomp.

"...?"

Someone was approaching from afar.

He had the appearance of a shark, with a menacing aura that made it seem like he had killed someone before. Though he was merely walking, his presence seemed to shrink the space around him.

'Who...who is that?'

Why would someone like that come to a school uniform event? Fear gripped Han Seong-moon as he worried that this person might disrupt the event. He was about to call security when the man spoke.

"Is this the venue for the Brilliant Special Meeting?"

"Y-Yes? Yes, it is."

The man’s booming voice snapped him back to reality.

"Oh, I’m number one on the list, so I arrived a bit early. Is that okay?"

The man handed over his invitation, which indeed showed the number "1" on it.

'...He’s actually a participant?'

Why would someone like him buy our school uniforms? Though confused, he and his staff smiled politely at this valuable customer. And all the while, one thought crossed everyone's mind.

With this guy here, we don’t need to worry about any terrorists showing up.

Sure enough, as people trickled into the venue, the man’s presence kept everyone in line, as if his mere existence was enough to ensure order.

Just 30 minutes before the event was set to start—

Swoosh!

"Wow, you're popular now, aren’t you?"

In a hidden waiting room, Ryu Jae-rin hugged Kim Dong-hoo tightly from behind.

"What if someone sees us?"

"Who’s going to see? Who would just barge into the models' waiting room?"

"The managers...maybe?"

"I came without a manager."

Trainees often did things on their own. Kim Dong-hoo awkwardly scratched his head at Ryu Jae-rin’s casual remark.

It was strange to think that this girl would one day be a world-famous idol.

"Why didn’t you invite me to the VIP screening?"

"...It was for industry insiders only."

"Aren’t we connected enough for that?"

"Because you’re a kindergarten classmate and a trainee who just so happens to model uniforms with me?"

"Hmm... I guess?"

Ryu Jae-rin deliberately gave a vague answer as she looked Kim Dong-hoo up and down, her eyes twinkling like the cat from Puss in Boots. After confirming that her teasing had embarrassed him, she took two steps back.

Pushing forward was important, but knowing when to pull back was just as crucial.

She glanced at her watch and smiled faintly.

"I’ll stop here for today. It’s not like this is the last time."

Stop what, exactly?

Kim Dong-hoo was filled with questions, but before he could ask, Ryu Jae-rin slipped out of the waiting room with a soft chuckle.

Most of the people attending were there to see Kim Dong-hoo. She needed to make her presence known to avoid being completely overshadowed.

"Hello, I’m Ryu Jae-rin!"

Her greeting was met with cold stares.

"..."

It was to be expected. As a trainee with no recognition, what kind of reception could she expect?

Or so she thought.

Clap, clap, clap!

As soon as the shark-like man began clapping, the crowd quickly followed.

Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!

Applause erupted in an instant.

'Is he controlling them through fear?'

Ryu Jae-rin was dumbfounded.

"Hello, I’m Kim Dong-hoo."

Waaaaahhhhhh!

The crowd erupted with cheers as Kim Dong-hoo made his leisurely entrance. Watching from behind, CEO Han Seong-moon smiled contentedly.

'No matter how much it costs, I’ll make sure we re-sign him next year. I’ll take care of every uniform he wears in the future.'

He made a silent vow.

"Welcome, everyone, to the Brilliant Special Meeting! Due to time constraints, we’ll skip the smaller details and go straight to the fan photos!"

The emcee skillfully guided the event.

When it came time to show off the uniforms, the crowd was indifferent, but as soon as the fan meeting began, everyone fidgeted with excitement.

They couldn’t wait to exchange a few words with Kim Dong-hoo, even if it was just for a minute. The opportunity itself was precious.

"Now, let’s proceed with the fan meeting! Please line up in an orderly fashion, one at a time!"

"Yes!"

Amidst the loud cheers, the fan meeting began, and Kim Dong-hoo was immediately caught off guard.

"...Director, you really came?"

"Of course, I wouldn’t come halfway just to fool around. I came to see you, Dong-hoo."

"Uh... Are you... happy?"

"Dong-hoo, I don’t ask for much. Just like before, let’s run 10 kilometers a day, nice and light. Sound good?"

"..."

Was that really the reason you came to this special meeting?

You could have easily said that over text!

Confronted with this level of obsession, Kim Dong-hoo was left momentarily speechless.

+++++

The Brilliant Special Meeting ended as a resounding success, and the following Thursday rolled around.

"I’m sorry, but we don’t have any tickets available."

"Are there really no tickets left?"

"No, but... we have one seat available on Monday morning at 6:30 AM, A-section, far left. Would you like to reserve it?"

"...No, that’s okay."

The theater staff were overwhelmed by the flood of customers. They knew Endless Frontline was well-promoted and popular, but they hadn’t expected this level of chaos.

All day, they dealt with people, made popcorn, and struggled to keep up.

'I really picked the wrong place to work.'

'I want to go back in time and slap my younger self.'

'There's a reason why places that don’t pay minimum wage have issues. Why did I fall for it?'

This theater was hosting the stage greeting for Endless Frontline, and it only made things worse.

As they worked tirelessly, suddenly—

"You’ve all been working hard. I brought some burgers. Take turns and eat when you can."

A person wearing a hat and mask approached the counter with food.

"...Huh? Uh, th-thank you..."

The staff were momentarily confused. But as soon as the person standing in front looked into the man’s eyes, they froze.

'K-K-K-K-K-Kim...!'

Even just from his eyes, you could tell how ridiculously handsome he was. Those galaxy-like eyes captivated everyone in an instant.

"Th-thank you so much...!"

Kim Dong-hoo had secretly brought them snacks.

Thud.

One of the employees collapsed, their legs giving out beneath them.

+++++

When discussing a movie’s success, the opening day audience turnout is a critical indicator.

That number alone often determines whether or not a film will hit 10 million viewers.

Thump, thump, thump.

In this regard, Studio Geumgang CEO Park Geum-gang couldn’t believe the numbers he was seeing.

"I-is this really our movie?"

"Yeah, I thought my jaw was going to drop."

Even Director Kang Sang-hoon, sporting his signature Guan Yu beard, shook his head in disbelief, laughing in amazement.

"I think I’m about to become a director of a 10-million-viewer movie. I should be getting early congratulations."

"I-I’m about to be the CEO of a company with a 10-million-viewer movie! I deserve some congratulations too!"

On its opening day, Endless Frontline drew in 500,000 viewers.

The signal had been fired: this was a 10-million-viewer movie in the making.