Ilshik Episode 4: viewership rating of 27.8%.

The ominous signs were not merely signs—they were shaping up to be a massive hit. With this growth, the show was projected to surpass 30% next week. At this rate, even the legendary 40% viewership mark, which hadn’t been achieved since the early 2010s, seemed within reach—a number truly remarkable.

So, what could the network do?

Swish.

MNC’s Drama Department Head, Park Seoljae, pushed up his glasses.

It was almost as if he were measuring the battlefield, his fingers gripping one side of the glasses as he surveyed the room with a relaxed expression. After finishing his analysis, he spoke calmly.

“Prepare for a viewership pledge event—fan meetings.” “Yes, sir!” “And plan an OST concert. Suggest to the actors who can sing to cover some OST tracks.” “Yes, sir!” “We already did the production press conference and media interviews, but since the child actors leave after Episode 10, let’s plan another big event around then.”

It would certainly help boost the ratings even more. As soon as Park Seoljae finished speaking, everyone eagerly responded, ready to follow his orders.

A competition of loyalty began, with people shouting their confirmations. Park Seoljae watched the display with satisfaction.

“Ho... You all seem as serious about this as I am. Good, very good.”

And if the ratings exceed 30%, a proper bonus party would commence.

Park Seoljae calmly and clearly set a goal for the staff.

“So let’s all run toward that goal with everything we’ve got.” “Yes, sir!”

Hearing the enthusiastic responses, Park Seoljae nodded with a pleased smile. This was how it should be.

Furthermore—

‘I’ll crush those arrogant fools with their “cherry pie” ratings.’

He was already excited at the thought of humbling those who had been boasting about surpassing 30% recently. And it wasn’t just about deflating their egos.

‘The most important thing is that their pride and joy, Kim Donghu, is performing brilliantly on our side.’

If you can’t beat them, recruit them. It was the most basic of strategies, but one guaranteed to be effective. And in this case, it was working splendidly.

‘Let’s leave them in the dust.’

Who could stop MNC from ruling the ratings?

And just as if to prove Park Seoljae right, Ilshik Episode 5 achieved a whopping 30.1% rating. With that, people began to realize something.

ㄴIf Kim Donghu is in a show, it’s guaranteed to hit 30%. ㄴDoes he star in shows that surpass 30%, or does his presence make them reach 30%? 　ㄴObviously, it’s Donghu. Don’t you remember why Swordsman Baek Dongsoo went over 30% in the final episode? ㄴAnyone have a cracked version of Paladog or Minecraft? 　ㄴGet lost, troll. Why are people like this always ruining the mood?

It became a common joke: if Kim Donghu appeared, the ratings would naturally exceed 30%. Most people laughed it off, but a few took it very seriously.

And by “a few,” of course, we mean—

“Didn’t Kim Donghu say he’s taking a break this year? I know, but send him the script anyway! Maybe he’ll change his mind once he reads it!” “I’ve told you a thousand times—just go to his agency! Do it with passion!”

These were the media professionals.

If a drama with Kim Donghu guaranteed high ratings, if a project he starred in would be a sure hit, how could anyone resist?

While everyone was busy vying for Kim Donghu’s participation, the man himself was currently—

“There’s too much to memorize…”

He was poring over potential questions for Golden Bell and feeling overwhelmed.

When organizing his 2012 schedule, it could be divided into three key areas:

‘Golden Bell, the boxing tournament, and commercials?’

Although he had planned to rest, he couldn’t turn down commercial offers. After all, Veritas was still a one-person agency and needed steady income.

‘Both Brilliant and Hetbap want to extend their contracts.’

He remembered Seokho hyung’s face, subtly urging him to accept, though trying to hide his intent.

Rustle, rustle.

He continued working through the Golden Bell practice questions. The world was full of specialized knowledge disguised as “general knowledge.” How was he supposed to memorize all of this?

‘But I do have some confidence in this.’

In his previous life, studying had been one of the few ways to overcome his unattractive appearance. He had studied tirelessly, hoping at least to be known as someone smart, gripping his pen until calluses formed on his fingers.

“Ah, the memories.”

He mumbled to himself, nostalgically recalling the painful past as he studied diligently.

What are you up to, Donghu?
Are you free to talk?

Out of nowhere, a message from Yerim popped up.

<Yeah, it’s fine. What’s up?>

They were close enough that they didn’t need an excuse to chat.

‘What’s this about?’

It was unusual for her to ask like this, especially in a private message rather than the group chat. As Donghu pondered the reason, Yerim’s main point arrived.

So, I heard there’s a modeling program at Daehan Arts High School.
I was thinking about applying. What do you think?

As soon as he read it, he couldn’t help but think this was fate.

Shin Yerim, who would one day become a world-famous supermodel.

In his previous life, her wild past had come back to haunt her, causing her career to rise briefly before fizzling out.

‘But things are different now.’

With her past behind her and the potential to pursue modeling at an arts high school, she could refine her talent even further. All she needed was the right agency to fully support her.

‘What if I took her under my wing?’

More accurately, what if I got Seokho hyung to manage her?

‘Other agencies might hesitate to invest in her from the start, unsure if she’ll make it big.’

But I wasn’t like the others.

I knew Shin Yerim’s true potential, and I could invest in her future aggressively from the very beginning.

‘This could work…’

As the possibilities began to unfold in his mind, Donghu couldn’t help but think of similar situations.

Take Kangshik, for instance, who had spent years developing games independently.

What if he’d had early investment, allowing him to hire a team? If money could shorten the time it took to develop his ideas?

‘He could become a famous game developer even sooner.’

Knowing the future opened doors that no one else could imagine.

While I couldn’t go around investing in every undiscovered genius, I could at least help accelerate the success of those around me.

‘Let’s do it.’

With that thought, Donghu immediately stopped studying and picked up his phone.

Ring, ring.

Before the first ring finished—

“Hey, Donghu, what’s up?”

Seokho hyung answered right away.

“Hyung, how about managing a model?”

He got straight to the point.

Meanwhile…

“Sure, that sounds good. Let’s schedule a meeting soon.”

As he hung up the phone with Kim Donghu, Seokho sighed deeply in relief.

‘So that’s not what the call was about…’

While it was good news, it also left him more anxious.

Click.

“Thank you, hyung. I’ll talk to you later.” “Yeah, sure.”

Beep.

“Phew…”

As soon as the call ended, Seokho let out a long sigh.

He glanced at the nearby calendar.

Almost a year had passed since High Dream aired, and every time he looked at the calendar, Seokho felt his nerves fray.

“…How should I bring up the renewal?”

Even thinking about it made his head throb.

‘I’ve got the contract fees and everything prepared.’

It was time to move from a one-year contract to a multi-year one. This wasn’t just about tasting success—it was about becoming a permanent part of Donghu’s future.

‘Will all my preparations even matter?’

Though he had created a flawless contract, there was no guarantee that Donghu would stay. That decision lay entirely in his hands now.

For that reason, the most important thing was ensuring that the impending contract renewal didn’t leak to the public.

If word got out, major entertainment companies would swarm, trying to sign Kim Donghu. The thought alone was terrifying.

Sigh.

Setting his worries aside, Seokho reviewed the commercial offers that had come in for Donghu. No matter how concerned he was about the contract renewal…

‘I’ll take care of business first.’

There were things he needed to finish for Donghu’s current career.

The news about Kim Donghu’s contract ending leaked from a rather unexpected source.

“Didn’t Kim Donghu sign his contract when he was filming High Dream?” “Huh?”

It was a regular lunch break, with coffee and cigarettes. DailyHappy’s entertainment reporter, Gil Gildong, threw out the comment, catching the attention of nearby journalists.

“Yeah, he signed during production.” “So?” “…So… what if…”

Suddenly struck by a thought, Gil Gildong rushed to his desk, burning cigarette still in hand.

‘What if.’

What if Kim Donghu’s contract was only for one year?

‘Should I throw out some bait?’

It could be the scoop of a lifetime. Of course, it might not be true.

‘If it’s wrong, I’ll just publish a correction.’

But if it were true? What if he casually threw out the idea and it turned out to be real?

‘Would the entire industry go to war to sign him?’

Gil Gildong had no idea how much of a stir his lighthearted article would cause.

Shortly after, the headline appeared:

“Kim Donghu’s Contract Ending Soon... Where Will Veritas’ Star Go Next?”

It immediately dominated search trends.

ㄴWant to sign Kim Donghu?
　ㄴHis contract is almost up.
　　ㄴGood luck!
　　　 ㄴHe left that 30% viewership with you!

And the comments were just the beginning.