* * *
The reporters’ eyes were fiercer than °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° ever.
‘No wonder....’
Just the keyword “actress Holy Grail war” alone would skyrocket the click count.
I tried my best to look straight into the blinding flashes exploding in front of me.
Honestly, the tension I felt now couldn’t even be compared to before.
‘Because I’ve never led a project this huge under my own name.’
〈The Great Garland〉 came to mind. Being behind Ji Haebeom and Eun Baekhap’s names had given me far more stability than I’d realized.
‘...Back then, I only wanted to move forward faster.’
I never knew carrying the weight of a name could be this difficult. The reporters’ gazes directed at me felt unusually sharp today.
“And lastly, a question for actress Han Yeoreum.”
I had expected the final arrow to be aimed at me.
“The actress Holy Grail war has become an extremely hot issue. I imagine you must have exceptional ambitions. As the youngest junior among them, please give us a comment.”
I had expected this exact question too. It would make the most article-worthy answer.
“I! If it’s not rude, then I! Will answer!”
Seo Eden, sitting beside me, hurriedly grabbed the microphone.
“The reporter asked for a comment from the youngest junior, right? But among the current Holy Grail war participants? Members? I’m technically the youngest too, and honestly I was kinda sad because nobody asked me many questions today.”
Seo Eden smoothly continued speaking.
‘As expected of an idol veteran....’
It was exactly like Seo Eden, who had survived countless fan sign events. I had only planned to give a safe answer like, “It’s an honor to work alongside my seniors. I’ll do my best.”
But Seo Eden was different.
“All the other projects seem super, super fun too. But we really hope you’ll keep your channel fixed on 〈Dongdaemun Romance〉!”
“And why is that?”
Seo Eden’s interruption brought laughter to the reporters. I could feel the atmosphere softening naturally.
“You’ll understand once you watch episode one!”
Seo Eden shouted it like a campaign promise.
‘That level of skill where he leaves absolutely no room for controversy....’
I admired the boldness with which he leaned fully into lovable foolishness. Thanks to Seo Eden’s answer, we managed to end things cleanly without mentioning any other projects or giving anyone ammunition.
The reporter who had asked the question looked disappointed, but seemed to understand there was nothing to be done since it was the final question.
“Then let’s finish with one group shot!”
Looking into the camera lens, I made a heart with Seo Eden.
〈Dongdaemun Romance〉 was finally beginning.
* * *
“Y-you bastard... you’re pretty good...?”
IP 85.152 had slipped into nerd speech due to extreme tension but failed to notice it.
“Damn it... to openly become the human shield for a bait question like that... ngh... I hate to admit it, but that was smart....”
Muttering to himself, IP 85.152 was currently managing the 〈Dongdaemun Romance〉 gallery.
[Dongdaemun Romance Minor Gallery]
[Look at the SegyePyeonghwa couple from the press conference.jpg]
They’re already showing chemistry let’s stan the god couple
Anonymous (17.7): Seo Eden handled that super well LOLOLOL no matter how they answered, it would’ve farmed ragebait like crazy so thank god
Anonymous (32.82): You can totally feel the actors are close irl and I love it please stay like this
Anonymous (23.235): When I first heard the casting I was like huh?? but now I’m laughing my ass off this is good
Someone had already uploaded gifs from the production presentation.
After quickly pushing the post into the featured section, IP 85.152 checked the clock.
10:05 PM.
‘Finally... once the commercials end....’
Just as IP 85.152 hoped, the drama began.
The opening played alongside sound effects that felt like squishing soft jelly.
A price tag appeared beside Seo Eden as he wore a suit inside a dressing room. There were so many zeros they couldn’t even be counted.
Then came the names of cities associated with fashion.
Paris
Milan
New York
London
Tokyo
Just looking at them made it feel as though the history and value of fashion itself were alive and breathing.
Standing before the mirror, Seo Eden smiled arrogantly.
The screen changed.
Inside a warehouse piled high with clothes, a price tag appeared beside Han Yeoreum, who casually threw on a zip-up hoodie. This time, the zeros were immediately visible.
Because the price was in the ten-thousand-won range.
Without even looking in the mirror, Han Yeoreum pushed up her glasses with one hand and yawned.
Dongdaemun
That was the only subtitle attached to Han Yeoreum.
It was excessively simple, but because there was only one word, the font was huge.
The screen split in two.
Seo Eden calmly held a shirt hanger against his chest, expressionless, while beside him Han Yeoreum smiled brightly while holding up a hoodie hanger.
The screen merged back together.
This time, Seo Eden held a hanger with a dress on it.
As he held it up toward Han Yeoreum, the title appeared above him.
〈Dongdaemun Romance〉
“The opening’s pretty good.”
IP 85.152 could feel writer Hwang’s determination to fully capitalize on the glamorous fashion aesthetic.
Dramas that pleased the eyes were always popular.
And the contrasting character dynamics between the two leads became obvious immediately.
The drama began inside a glittering department store.
Logistics trucks continuously rolled into the darkened building.
Workers unloaded boxes.
Large letters were printed on the boxes.
L&E
FW New Collection
The mannequins inside the department store were changed into entirely new outfits.
All new arrivals.
The clacking sound of new hangers being placed onto racks rang pleasantly through the air.
Elegant music played as the department store announced its opening.
-Welcome to our department store once again today...
Customers entered through the doors.
They looked at mannequins, picked up hangers, entered fitting rooms.
Beep-. Beep-. Beep-.
Alongside the sound of cards swiping through readers, scenes rapidly flashed by of clothes being packed into shopping bags.
Products sold continuously across different stores.
“Do you have this item?”
“These are all the new arrivals, right?!”
“I’ll try this on in another size.”
Customers held out phones while searching for products, laughing as they picked clothes for one another.
Every store inside the department store appeared to belong to a single corporation.
The screen showed the exterior of a company building.
The same name printed on the logistics boxes earlier was displayed on the building.
L&E
“...How could you do this?”
Inside the chairman’s office, the tearful voice of a woman rang out.
She protested how he could possibly hand the company over to the children of a mistress instead of the legitimate wife’s son.
Delicate like a young girl, she finally burst into tears.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Someone walked into the chairman’s office.
First came the shoes.
Then the full body.
Then the camera shifted from head to back, showing from every possible angle that he was an absurdly handsome man.
‘Oh?’
Since it was the male lead’s first appearance scene, they were showing him off properly.
IP 85.152 grinned.
Click.
The person who entered the chairman’s office was the eldest son.
“Segye...!”
Placing his crying mother behind him protectively, Jeon Segye spoke.
“Instead of wasting time begging someone who never intended to hand it over anyway.”
Looking at the chairman seated in the leather chair, Jeon Segye declared firmly,
“I’ll go my own way.”
His speech was slightly awkward.
But that only made it feel more natural.
As though he were frozen stiff in front of his father.
* * *
“Yaaawn.”
Having fully overcome her hopeless attraction-to-men DNA, Eunnyangi watched the drama with a bored expression.
Since 〈Tamhok〉 aired next week, she figured she should at least monitor the first week of 〈Dongdaemun Romance〉.
“So predictable. Totally predictable.”
Jeon Segye started a new business.
He recruited people to help him.
A man who seemed like an elite who had studied abroad.
A woman who also seemed like a strict overseas graduate.
Using all the experience he’d accumulated over the years, he secured countless clothing samples and began influencer collaborations.
“...It’s not enough.”
The entire office building where Jeon Segye worked was dark.
Only the CEO’s office remained brightly lit.
As the camera swept across the building, it suddenly moved rapidly as though flying.
The next shot revealed Dongdaemun DDP.
The moment the beautifully shining silver building appeared, thrilling music kicked in.
Belfost, APM, Team 204, and even Diot, the alpha and omega of the Dongdaemun wholesale market.
Tourists shopping, sourcing runners riding motorcycles, and tightly packed rows of clothing all made viewers’ hearts race.
-Ah holy shit my heart’s pounding
-Finally Han Yeoreum TT_TT
-I’ve been starving for a fashion drama like this this vicarious satisfaction is insane
-The wholesale market realism is crazy holy shit
Just like in the teaser, Han Yeoreum had completely become part of the Dongdaemun market.
The audience response exploded over the realistic acting that genuinely felt experienced.
She truly seemed like someone who existed in real life.
Even the scene of her sipping iced Americano through a straw while checking piled-up messages delivered to the store felt completely natural.
“Pyeonghwa-. How were sales?”
The owner unni who came for the morning shift greeted Pyeonghwa warmly while checking the computer.
One name appeared in nearly every sales statement.
[Erua BL Ivory/Black/Pink/Light Beige/Sky Blue]
“Daebak. Erua seriously exploded this time?”
The owner unni tearfully hugged Pyeonghwa while she prepared to leave work.
“Thank you, my baby Pyeonghwa! Mwah! Mwah!”
Pushing away the unni kissing both her cheeks with a sleepy yawn, Pyeonghwa picked up her bag.
“Then I’m heading home, unni.”
“Pyeonghwa. Did you think about what unni said before?”
At those words, Nam Pyeonghwa fell deep into thought.
“You seriously have talent. Just look at Erua BL. Everything you sketch gets explosive reactions.”
A blouse hanging in one corner of the small store came into view.
A simple but delicate blouse with tiny frills wrapping around elegantly.
“I’m telling you, try studying design!”
Looking at the blouse, Nam Pyeonghwa shrugged.
“It’s not like I did anything special. I just doodled a few drafts. The real designer unni would feel bad if she heard you.”
“What if unni introduced you to a pattern room? Hm? You only drew rough sketches and the results already turned out like that! Let’s sit on a pile of money together!”
Even at the owner unni’s shouting, Pyeonghwa calmly waved goodbye and left work.
As Nam Pyeonghwa stepped outside the Diot store that never received even a sliver of sunlight, her day ended in dazzling brightness.
Pyeonghwa looked messy as she headed home.
“Ugh, so obvious. Totally obvious.”
Obviously she’d meet Jeon Segye, become a core member of B-bly, eventually create some incredible design, and later even threaten L&E’s sales.
“It’s obvious no matter how you look at it. 〈Tamhok〉 is definitely taking first place!”
Mocking 〈Dongdaemun Romance〉, Eunnyangi failed to realize something.
The most important thing in a drama wasn’t unpredictability.
Even if it was cliché, what mattered most was the power to stop viewers from changing the channel.
And Eunnyangi hadn’t even thought about touching the remote.
Even though she felt like she already knew everything that would happen next.
Even though it was obvious that 〈Dongdaemun Romance〉 would end happily too.
Without realizing it herself, she kept watching.
