The news of Ilshik’s episode 10 hitting a 41% viewership rating spread quickly across the nation.

It was a time when television held immense influence, an era when even variety shows could hit the 40% mark.
Back when everyone watched the same programs on Sunday nights and laughed over shared moments the next day.

Breaking through the 40% viewership barrier meant becoming part of a universal “common topic.”

Naturally, a drama watched by most of the nation earned the label of “national drama,”
and the characters within it were also granted the honorary title of “national” figures.
And thus, Kim Donghu became known as:

The Nation’s Crown Prince Kim Donghu.

A title that felt a bit over-the-top, almost too awkward to accept.
But there was no phrase more fitting to capture the essence of Kim Donghu at that moment.

“They keep saying he’s handsome, and he just keeps getting handsomer!”
“Where did someone like him even come from?”
“According to plastic surgeons, that face can’t be bought. It’s divine craftsmanship!”

“Of course not. It’s a face carved by the gods, way beyond human reach.”

In a world where news travels fast, Kim Donghu’s fame skyrocketed.
The power of 40% viewership.

Even those unfamiliar with the drama itself started to recognize his name.

Naturally, curiosity about Kim Donghu grew, and his fan café saw a surge of new members,
filling it with lively posts about him.
And the most popular post at the moment was:

[Question] So, how handsome is Kim Donghu, really?
Author: BCAQ152

“I’m a new fan who joined today.
So, how handsome is Kim Donghu, really?
Also, what’s he like in real life compared to on TV?”

It was a simple question that set off a flood of replies.

“Seeing him in real life ruins every other face; everyone else looks like squids and potatoes.”
“This is real talk. I suggest not looking at him in person if you can help it; he’ll ruin your standards.”
“People ask what it’s like to meet him? Just say it’s like seeing a rainbow’s reflection.”

“What does that mean?”
> “It means he’s more handsome than anything you can imagine.”
“If you ask my grandma if I’m better looking or Kim Donghu, she’d pick him without hesitation. And I’m her only grandson!”

Fans described his appearance in all kinds of ways, some with humorous comparisons,
to the point that their reactions became articles on their own.

With interest in him boiling over like a pot ready to overflow,
Donghu’s decision to take a break couldn’t have come at a better time.

When curiosity about him was at its peak,
if he overexposed himself, he risked saturating the interest and watching it fade away.
But Kim Donghu?

He declared he was on a break, declining all appearances on variety shows.

Yet there was still one program featuring him.

Ring ring ring ring.

The sound of destined attention echoed all around.

Ring ring ring ring.

The head of KBC’s Culture Department frowned as his phone wouldn’t stop ringing.

"Ugh, I can’t unplug the line, but this is driving me insane."
"Well, it’s good, though, right? We’ve never had so many sponsorship offers for a show."

The department head exhaled with a huff at his subordinate’s comment.

"Normally, they wouldn’t give us the time of day, but as soon as it’s about Kim Donghu, they all come running..."

After all the times he’d been told funding was tight,
Director Kim Kijin was floored by how real Donghu’s popularity was.

"No wonder old Cherry Pie kept singing Kim Donghu’s praises."
"Right? Without running the stats, I’d say this is the highest sponsorship we’ve ever had."
"We’re just lucky it worked out for us. Everyone’s desperate to get Kim Donghu on their shows, but we got him on ours."
"Seriously, with these numbers, our ratings might even shoot back up into double digits."

"Haha, just saying that makes me happy. If that happens, I might start calling Kim Donghu hyung."

+++++

With the success of Ilshik, his new title as “Nation’s Crown Prince,” and the special fan meeting,
time flew by, and it was already March.

"And now, let’s begin! Challenge! Golden Bell - Middle School Prodigy Special Edition!"

I was a participant on Challenge! Golden Bell.
To cut to the chase…

"Kim Donghu has rung the Golden Bell!"

I won as the last one standing.

"Kim Donghu’s insane!"
"He’s so handsome!"
"I want him! Kim! Dong! Hu!"

Hearing my friends’ enthusiastic cheers, I offered my thanks around with a humble expression.

'Right, it’s 2012 now.'

An era where even one year can bring drastic change.

With my knowledge of future events, the Golden Bell questions felt relatively easy.

Of course, there were some things that required studying to know.

'I really crammed for this over the past few months.'

After squeezing in study sessions whenever I could,
the 50 questions felt like elementary-level multiplication.

"Kim Donghu, you’ve won a prize of five million won and an overseas cultural tour! Let’s hear from you, shall we?"

With the MC’s prompt, I recited the words I’d prepared, just in case.

"I’ve always wanted to ring the Golden Bell, so I’m thrilled to have actually done it."

A simple and sincere comment.
Challenge! Golden Bell had been discussed and anticipated, but it ended on a standard note.

'Well, it’d be weird for anything wild to happen on a quiz show.'

The only memorable thing had been a riddle question.

'What’s the name of the high school that penguins attend?'

The answer was "Refrigerator High."
The cheesy humor of that era almost made me cringe, but I held it in.

'Where should I go on the overseas trip, though?'

I’d have to go after the National Youth Boxing Championship.

'I’ll probably head to Europe.'

It was starting to feel like the universe was granting me a vacation this year.

+++++

Time flew by again, and it was already April.
I was intensely preparing for the National Youth Boxing Championship in May.

I’d originally planned to spar with various fighters, but
ever since word spread about my sparring match with Kim Sansoo, no one wanted to spar with me.

Which meant my sparring partner was always the same.

"Donghu, today we’ll work on handling opponents who play dirty."

Coach Baek Sangha showed up, fully padded with protective gear.

"Dirty tactics?"
"Yeah. As you know, not every match is fair, beautiful, or like something out of a comic."

He acknowledged my strong skill set but worried I’d struggle if thrown off by unexpected tactics.

"Some things you just have to experience to learn."

With that, he continued.

"Start!"

The bell signaling the start of the round rang out, and—

Wham!

He went for a clinch immediately.

I tried to get out, but his padded armor rendered my resistance useless.
Before I knew it, I was locked in a clinch with him.

'Is he trying to simulate a match with someone who has a strong chin and endurance?'

As I tried to understand his approach...

Huff!

Coach Baek went for a headbutt, stopping his forehead just short of my nose.

"There are fighters who get so focused on winning that they’ll do this. And the biggest issue? The referees."

Referees often gave young fighters a lot of leeway, so fouls became common.
It was important to watch out for these tactics.

As Coach Baek continued to speak, his expression soured, remembering past incidents.

"Some use elbows too… I know you’re fast, strong, and your punches are powerful, but I thought I’d warn you."

He continued his lecture as he moved away.

"There are fighters who focus on racking up points this way. It’s rare, but it happens."

Imagine how frustrating it would be if you lost on points because of it.

I nodded in agreement. Skill alone wasn’t enough to handle these aspects of the sport.

This was valuable, practical knowledge.

'Plus, I’m high-profile.'

Just like with Kim Sansoo, I couldn’t ignore the possibility of an opponent holding a grudge against me in the boxing championship.

As I absorbed this, I felt it would be wise to stay cautious.

"So does that mean I won this sparring match?" Coach teased playfully.

"Excuse me?"
"It counts as a loss if you couldn’t handle it, right, Donghu? Haha."

I chuckled too.

"True, I guess I lost."
"There are fighters who make headbutts look accidental too. Be careful."

With that, Coach Baek said he’d be back after taking off his padding.
Now that I’d been warned, it was time for real sparring.

"Take a break."

"Yes, sir."

I climbed out of the ring and checked my phone.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

[Judged a loss due to an unexpected variable]
[Refusal to accept defeat on a straightforward path to victory!]
[As your loyal companion in Sims - The Real Life, the word ‘defeat’ is unacceptable!]
[Ensure all opponents are swiftly KO’d to avoid situations like this in the future!]
[Downloading the app: Everyone Has a Plan, Until They Meet Me]

I was hit with a flurry of intense texts from Sims - The Real Life.

'What’s your problem?'

Was it seriously throwing a fit just because I lost a friendly sparring session with Coach?

'How much do you hate losing?'

Amused by its fierce competitiveness, I had a sudden realization.

With stronger punches, opponents would go down quicker, which meant…

'Does that mean I’ll miss out on getting an apology from Sansoo again?'

Ugh, if I can’t get that apology, I’ll be genuinely disappointed.