Godsent Top Star [EN]: Chapter 40

040. Wrap-Up Party (2)

December 10, 2021

“Ah, I’m so nervous.” Min Writer’s legs were shaking uncontrollably as she held her coffee cup. Many people glanced at her, but no one stopped to comfort her. The staff was just as anxious about the final episode’s reception.

“It feels like it’s been a long time since we all gathered like this after the first episode. Let’s watch the finale of the drama we all worked so hard on together and send it off beautifully,” Director Heo said, clearing his throat as he stood up, and the staff applauded in unison.

“Director, do you think we can really hit 50 percent?”

“I heard they’d give us a reward vacation if we hit 50 percent. Is that true?” Except for Min Writer, the atmosphere was relaxed, perhaps because it was the final episode.

“Ahem. The reward vacation has been mentioned since we exceeded 30 percent.” The staff’s eyes lit up at the director’s words.

“Seriously?”

“Are we going abroad?!”

“I want to go to Europe!”

“Surely… they’ll send us somewhere close. Like Japan, Vietnam, or Kota Kinabalu, or something.”

Director Heo smiled knowingly as he looked at the staff. “Everyone, who am I? I’m the great Heo Young-ho! I already secured Europe when we exceeded 40 percent! For all the staff!”

“Oooooh!”

“As expected of Director Heo!” Director Heo, hearing the cheers, spread his arms wide, signaling them to cheer louder and more enthusiastically. *What’s with all the excitement? It seems like it’s about a trip.*

“What’s a reward vacation?”

“When a drama becomes a huge hit, the broadcasting station sometimes sends everyone on a vacation to a resort as a reward for their hard work. The station covers all the expenses, so you could call it a free trip. Usually, they only send the lead actors, not the staff. This is quite exceptional.”

“Ah, I see.” Director Heo continued, “The director promised! If the final episode’s viewership exceeds 50 percent, he’ll upgrade all the accommodations to 5-star hotels!”

“Woo-hoo!”

“So, let’s all pray for a huge success.” With those words, the broadcast time was fast approaching. [Broadcasting in 5 minutes.] The atmosphere tensed and calmed as if they hadn’t been chattering just moments ago. Five minutes, feeling like fifty, passed.

“It’s starting.”

Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the screen as the opening began.

***

“Ugh… why am I crying?”

“I edited it, but seeing it like this makes me tear up again…”

Finally, the drama announced its finale. Only after the ending credits rolled did the staff gradually awaken from their reverie.

“Ahem, ahem. What’s the viewership rating?” Even Director Heo asked, his voice hoarse, into the radio. “This is a 50 percent vibe.”

“Even if it’s not, it must have exceeded 45 percent.”

The answer soon came back. [The final peak viewership rating is 47 percent.]

“Not 50 percent?”

[Yes…]

“Ah… 3 percent short.”

“It’s a shame we didn’t hit 50 percent.” Everyone clicked their tongues in disappointment, but they knew the truth. The 47 percent rating was nothing short of a signal flare announcing the revival of MBS dramas, which had been diligently flopping with every ambitious release. With a huge success already certain, this level of complaint was just being spoiled.

“What’s the viewers’ reaction like?” Min Writer, who had been shaking her legs until the very end, asked.

“It’s just a complete sea of tears. There don’t seem to be any complaints.”

“Really? Seriously? No lies?”

“Yes. Oh, there’s some talk that Yeon-woo’s lines are too sad.”

“There are also comments that the twist is chilling. Ah, of course, it’s chilling in a good way, Writer.”

[This is my choice. My choice, my wish, and the salvation I desire.] Yeon-woo, playing the Grim Reaper, closes his eyes after saying these words. And then, he scatters into the air and disappears. The female lead, So Yeo-jin, sheds tears as she watches this. The reason why the Grim Reaper made this choice. It was because he finally remembered the completely forgotten name.

[Farewell.] Kim Tae-hoon holds So Yeo-jin from the side and says a final farewell that cannot be heard. [So Yeo-hoon.] Calling out the forgotten name. That’s right. The Grim Reaper, So Yeo-hoon, was So Yeo-jin’s older brother who had died long ago. Becoming a Grim Reaper was for souls that the King of the Underworld especially pitied. And So Yeo-hoon was one of them. A pitiful soul who died saving his younger sister from drowning when they were young. That was So Yeo-hoon.

-Noㅠㅠㅠㅠ Don’t kill our Grim Reaper *oppa* [term of endearment for an older brother or male friend]ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

-I’m going crazy. I had an uneasy feeling, and he really diesㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

-He was the female lead’s brother, so that’s why he felt strange from the moment he met her……. Even though he lost his memories, he couldn’t bear to kill his sister, so he abandoned his mission…….

-My stocks that were pushing for the Grim Reaper as the male lead are being delisted today……. ㄴBut isn’t this better? Since the male lead was Kim Tae-hoon anyway, it’s better to have it happen this wayㅠㅠㅠ Even if lovers break up, siblings don’t break up! The Grim Reaper, who followed his heart, faces the ending of his soul being extinguished as a price. That was the main point of the story. But it didn’t end there.

“The writer adding the reincarnation scene was a stroke of genius. That part is the highlight, it’s a complete frenzy.”

“Really…?”

“It would have been worse if it had just ended with him sacrificing himself, but since the Grim Reaper was also reincarnated, everyone is relieved that it’s a happy ending.”

It’s naturally better for your favorite pick to be reincarnated than to just die.

“It would have been stranger if they hadn’t died and forcibly twisted the story, but now it feels like the story is complete.”

“R, really? Seriously? No one’s cursing me out?”

“Ugh. If you don’t believe me, see for yourself. Here.” Min Writer quickly took the phone and read it frantically before lifting her head abruptly. “I really have to thank Yeon-woo. I was actually on the verge of changing the story? But Yeon-woo just said, ‘I’m going all in,’ so I just closed my eyes and went with it, and that was actually a blessing in disguise. He’s a real lucky charm.”

The lively vitality of each character and the narratives they each possessed come together in the final episode to form a perfect ensemble. If Min Writer had been conscious of the viewers and changed the ending, this kind of positive feedback would not have been possible. Rather, articles like [Ending of the drama collapsed under pressure. Vague ending, ‘Viewers’ anger’] might have been churned out.

*The ending that all the scripts I read were shouting for was exactly the existing ending. If I had changed it unnecessarily, the atmosphere and content that had been built up would have all collapsed.* A special ability that is more specialized in reading texts made of letters. Understanding intentions. The reason why Yeon-woo insisted on sticking to the ending was precisely this. *I can’t just stand by and watch them try to tear down a carefully built tower.* From the perspective of someone who knows Min Writer’s intentions, it was a natural choice. It would have been different if the ending Min Writer intended was a flop, but it wasn’t, so it was even more so. As a result, Yeon-woo’s thinking was correct. Thanks to the drama’s successful conclusion with an enormous viewership rating of 47 percent, the drama’s key figures were spending very busy days.

***

“Many places are looking for Yeon-woo.”

“Me?”

“Why are you surprised? It’s only natural. Director Heo’s industry evaluation has already jumped significantly, and Min Writer has now become a veritable star writer. I’m sure her per-episode script fee is over 8,000,000 won [approximately $6,000 USD], right?”

“Yes…?”

“Oh, Min Writer did an interview. Would you like to see it?” Kwon Seong-hyun smiled and handed over the iPad. Yeon-woo, who had received it absentmindedly, almost spat out the water he was drinking as soon as he read the title. “The main character of the drama… Personally, the Grim Reaper…?”

The title was plastered in large letters. Instinctively, he turned to Kwon Seong-hyun, who was smiling very gently and gesturing for him to read it quickly. *No, what’s wrong with this person again?!* Yeon-woo’s eyes trembled as he read the interview.

-Q. Is there an episode that was most impressive while writing this work?

A. Of course. As everyone knows, there were quite a few accidents on our set. (Laughs). So it’s too difficult to choose, but if I had to pick one, it would be when Kang Yeon-woo saved Min Ye-rin from drowning. Q. Are you talking about that scene that was in the making film? This reporter also watched that scene very impressively. And I was haunted by nightmares. (Laughs). But there’s a story that Min Ye-rin was actually in danger of drowning in that scene. Is that true?

A. That’s right. It’s true. It was a night shoot in the deep mountains, so it was dark and the atmosphere wasn’t good. There were a lot of strange phenomena happening on set at that time. There was a lot of noise on the microphone. It was a bit spooky. And then Min Ye-rin fell into the pond and didn’t come out. But there….

Q. Kang Yeon-woo stepped up right away?

A. That’s right. Kang Yeon-woo came out supporting Min Ye-rin, and it was like lightning struck in my head. …….

Q. It seems like Kang Yeon-woo’s story is coming up a lot in this interview.

A. (Laughs) I can’t help it. He’s like my muse. I think the three-dimensional Grim Reaper character was completed because of him. Besides, thanks to Kang Yeon-woo, I was able to push forward with the ending with conviction.

Q. Speaking of which, I can’t leave out the ending story. Killing the Grim Reaper was too much. This reporter also shed tears at that scene. Didn’t you hesitate to kill a character who was as popular as the male lead?

A. Why wouldn’t I? (Sigh). Kill him, save him? Honestly, the original plan was to go with the death route. But I became attached to the character. So I asked Yeon-woo.

Q. What did he say?

A. He said that although the current trend is to aim for a happy ending, tragedy is not always rejected. He said that if you look at Shakespeare’s four major tragedies, they are still being talked about. I took courage from that.

Q. Amazing. I know Kang Yeon-woo is still a rookie, but is he not greedy for roles?

A. That’s not true. Kang Yeon-woo is a more passionate actor than anyone else when he’s acting. It’s right to say that he has a broad perspective and an extraordinary mind that sees several moves ahead, even though he’s still a rookie. (Laughs)

Q. I heard you’re thinking about your next work?

A. The next work…….

“…?” *When did I say these things? Shakespeare’s four major tragedies?* Yeon-woo was a human being who had no interest in what was in the four major tragedies written by that gentleman, Shakespeare. No, more than that. This is too blatant…….

*You’re only talking about me?!* I looked at it because it was an interview, but after looking at it, it’s like some kind of beautification story. Judging from the content alone, the Kang Yeon-woo that Min Writer knows and the real Kang Yeon-woo seem like different people.

“How is it? Is it okay?”

“Okay… Where is it okay? This is like a scam.”

“A scam? In my opinion, it seems like you’ve just listed the facts?”

“……..” *Let’s just not talk.* “Thanks to Min Writer’s favorable interview, love calls are coming in from all over the place anyway.” Fortunately, Kwon Seong-hyun put away the iPad and brought up the original story. But as I listened, something felt a little strange.

“How does Kwon Seong-hyun know that?”

“Because the contact is coming to me.” A soft smile and a gently folding eye. It’s as if he’s asking why he’s asking about something so obvious.

“So why is it going to Kwon Seong-hyun?”

“Because Yeon-woo doesn’t have an agency yet.”

“Yes?”

“Yeon-woo, how was it when you were filming this drama?”

“How was it?”

“In my opinion, Yeon-woo seems to be enjoying it quite a bit. Didn’t you hate it or anything?”