Right from the beginning came that exact scene from the trailer.
“Yeoreum...”
Han Yeoreum stood there, staring at something as cold sweat poured down her face. Her forehead was damp, her eyes filled with terror. On the giant screen, even her eyelashes could be seen trembling in minute detail.
Beads of sweat formed in real time on Han Yeoreum’s pale, trembling skin.
From her forehead to her temple, then down her cheek, and finally—
Drip—
The instant the droplet fell—
-Grrrrrrk...! Ghk!
Beyond the fire shutter, a horde of zombies clawed and writhed like starving demons.
But this time, something was different.
-Save me! Save me! Save me!
There was someone still alive among the swarm.
Through the exploding spray of blood, a desperate hand stretched out weakly, pitiful in its helplessness.
Leaning against the wall, Han Yeoreum slowly sank to the floor.
It was as though fear beyond common sense had robbed her legs of all strength.
Beep-beep-beep.
The frantic sound of a heart monitor echoed.
Blood splattered onto the machine.
-AAAAAAAH!
Among everyone in the emergency room—
Not a single person was still alive.
-What's all this noise? Why is it so loud outside?! Call the director immediately!
An old man barked out demands, unaware of the disaster.
-Third floor, third floor.
An intern studying charts was bitten by a horde the moment the door opened.
-Ah, what the—! What...?!
Two nurses who had barely managed to hide held their breath inside the changing room.
-Doctor... earlier... do you know what was the most unbelievable thing we saw?
-Keep your voice down. Don't say anything.
Do Gyeoul's eyes were vacant.
It was the calm despair that only fear beyond common sense could bring.
-How is a patient we declared dead moving?
Among the silhouettes walking down the corridor, one zombie's limbs were bent at grotesque angles.
-Ah, for fuck's sake. Of all things...
A man holding an IV stand appeared.
It was Myeong Jeha, wearing a helmet.
Myeong Jeha swung the IV stand like he was venting his frustration.
Smack!
The zombie took the hit head-on and crashed into the camera lens.
The directing shoved the incredibly detailed makeup right into the audience's face.
It was the kind of boldness only NetHolics could afford.
-You bastards delayed my delivery!
Myeong Jeha on the first floor.
Do Gyeoul on the second floor.
Han Yeoreum on the third floor.
After sweeping across the main characters once more, the screen moved upward—
Toward the mysterious fourth floor.
And then—
Blackness.
[Seoul Metropolitan City
January 1st. Streaming at 12:00]
“Whoa, what is that?”
Those words didn't come from Aetami or Reporter Wi.
Before they knew it, the people around them had all gone silent and were staring at the giant screen across the street.
Seeing that everyone sitting by the windows had turned their attention toward the same place, Aetami felt goosebumps rise in secret.
“When does that come out? I didn't see it.”
“January 1st. They're giving one free month if you sign up for NEVER Membership right now.”
“How much is it normally?”
“What is this? Isn't it free if you just download the app? They want money?”
It was still an era when paying to watch dramas felt unfamiliar.
NetHolics' paid service strategy was something strange to the general public.
In fact, unless someone was especially interested in dramas, even the name NetHolics itself felt unfamiliar.
“What's NetHol...? I've heard the name before.”
“You know... that thing Americans use to watch dramas.”
“Does it only have American shows?”
But even that much was enough.
The most important thing for a brand entering a new market—
Make people know your name.
“Ah! I know what this is. It's Han Yeoreum's drama.”
Before long, people had started referring to <Seoul Metropolitan City> simply as Han Yeoreum's drama.
“I thought this was airing on TVM. Like <Strange Tales>.”
“Yeah, me too... Looks like you have to pay for NetHol or whatever to watch it.”
“Jimin, I have a NEVER Membership. We can just share mine.”
Naturally, even those who assumed it would air through traditional broadcasters became aware of NetHolics.
Drama addicts.
Actor fans.
People who kept up with the latest content.
People active on SNS and communities who stayed informed about entertainment news.
Even those who weren't any of the above.
One week before release, after the final trailer dropped, ordinary people had begun realizing that they needed to subscribe to NetHolics to watch the drama.
Thanks to the huge controversy from earlier—
The heat still hadn't cooled.
INTUBE
[Seoul Metropolitan City Final Trailer] 2:35
Views: 16,332
INTUBE
[Seoul Metropolitan City Final Trailer] 2:35
Views: 138,219
INTUBE
[Seoul Metropolitan City Final Trailer] 2:35
Views: 345,662
INTUBE
[Seoul Metropolitan City Final Trailer] 2:35
Views: 569,987
The trailer's view count climbed in real time.
Because of its powerful opening, people kept replaying it over and over.
[HOT / NEVER Service crashed the instant it launched.jpg]
(Screenshot showing 14,456 people in queue)
It's because of the membership lol.
(Screenshots of existing benefits)
It used to only have these.
(New NetHolics screenshot)
But now they're adding this too, so registration is delayed and the page is basically about to explode.
(Screenshot from Seoul Metropolitan City trailer)
Looks like NetHol Korea's first release turned out too good.
Definitely not an ad.
(Screenshot showing one year of NEVER Membership)
I'm just here to flex because I've been a member all along lol.
-Anonymous 1: I joined today too lol.
-Anonymous 4: I subscribed like a dog the second the trailer dropped... T_T I'll just watch this and cancel lol.
-Anonymous 12: Do Gyeoul's acting was so good this time. She nailed the psychopath role too. I think she'll hit another career high with this. Personally, I don't think there's any actress better than Do Gyeoul.
-Anonymous 17: Somebody take Myeong Jeha's helmet off already... I'm begging.
↳ Anonymous 28: The director has zero sense. How are we supposed to survive with Myeong Jeha's face covered? TT_TT
-Anonymous 67: It's Han Yeoreum's drama, so I'm automatically trusting it. It's seriously amazing. How does everything she picks become a hit? Her eye for projects is insane.
↳ Anonymous 88: She has a good agency lol.
-Anonymous 101: Zombie fanatic here. I've been waiting for this day T_T LMAOOOOOOO I'll binge it all the second it comes out.
News of <Seoul Metropolitan City> spread rapidly.
Inside the restaurant, Aetami and Reporter Wi each got to work.
MailEyeoleum
(Seoul Metropolitan City trailer.mp4)
Something huge is coming
15,000 reposts, 31,000 likes
“The life of a clip editor...”
Aetami diligently cut and uploaded clips immediately.
“Things like this are all about speed.”
[NetHolics Korea's <Seoul Metropolitan City> finally reveals itself through the final trailer, raising expectations... The majesty of a "K-zombie drama"?]
[NEVER in trouble... "This" causes service outage? The culprit behind the system crash]
[Hollywood capital meets Korean storytelling... NetHolics Korea prepares for global success]
[Time to pay for your dramas... The age of "free dramas" is ending]
Reporter Wi also uploaded the articles he had prepared in advance.
An entertainment industry more competitive than ever.
Who won which awards.
Who wore what on the red carpet.
Which productions defined the year.
All eyes had gathered on a single target.
["Not just another Han Yeoreum drama"... "As expected, a Han Yeoreum drama"—Anticipation pours toward NetHolics Korea's <Seoul Metropolitan City>]
NetHolics.
And <Seoul Metropolitan City>.
Its beginning—
Started with Han Yeoreum.
* * *
The hotter the excitement surrounding NetHolics became, the deeper some people frowned.
“NetHol or not, this is the downfall of movies.”
Chungmuro.
The heart of South Korean cinema.
Clouds of cigarette smoke filled the office.
As Intube and social media continued to develop, movies had been entering a steady decline.
Ten-million-viewer blockbusters.
There should have been at least one every year.
But this year, not a single film had reached ten million.
Even the biggest hit had stopped at 8.8 million.
Proof that the entire film industry had stagnated.
“Ha, shit...”
“This year was fucked. Everyone was glued to their TVs, and theaters were empty.”
The aftermath of the Holy Grail War that had ignited the nation before it even began had swallowed the movie industry too.
The four hottest actresses had practically stomped all over cinema.
“Movies threatened by dramas. Does that even make sense?”
“If NetHol really takes off, we're all gonna starve.”
“Come on. People won't even pay for movies. Why would they pay for dramas?”
Officially, NetHolics had only around six hundred available titles in Korea, counting both films and dramas.
Compared to the thousands available in America, it was pitifully small.
“Still, it's mostly foreign stuff. Korean titles don't have streaming contracts yet.”
“Jegal Rok blocked them.”
“As expected of JC.”
“This isn't the time to say that. Do you know who Jegal Rok is?”
Among industry insiders, Jegal Rok's name was an unwritten rule.
A worn-out servant of capitalism dragging innovation forward.
His name itself had become synonymous with box office miracles.
“Money-crazy bastard.”
And a madman who opened entirely new markets.
“I heard they wanted to put <Faster Than the Law 3> on NetHolics after it left theaters, but Jegal Rok rejected them.”
“What kind of nerve does that guy have?”
“VOD still makes more money right now. No need to sell streaming rights.”
“They're probably testing the waters.”
“They'll compromise on the price and dump everything over there eventually.”
“No...”
But Jegal Rok wasn't the type to play it safe.
Among a world full of lunatics—
He was overwhelmingly the craziest.
“Something's coming.”
Something ominous.
Something different.
Silence settled heavily over the room.
But soon, the pride unique to movie people surfaced.
“NetHol or whatever, real art is still film!”
“Exactly! Ha, now would be the perfect time for them to appear!”
At this moment, movie people longed for a savior—
Someone who could miraculously revive Korean cinema.
“If Ji Haebeom just showed up!”
“And Dong Baekyeong went boom!”
Naturally, they thought of Chungmuro's irreplaceable actors.
* * *
Dong Baekyeong looked at the pile of scripts before her and pressed her lips together.
There was quiet disappointment in her sigh.
“Baekyeong. What's wrong?”
“Mm... ah, it's just...”
“Nothing catches your eye?”
Dong Baekyeong was an actress with an exceptional eye for projects.
Especially when it came to roles she could immerse herself in.
The famous instinct.
“Yeah... a little...”
Dong Baekyeong nodded lightly.
It had already been three years since she last appeared on screen.
Now, the time had come to choose her next project.
“I heard Director Eom Gyun and Ji Haebeom are making something. I'll get the script immediately.”
“Ah... really?”
After <War with the Rule of Law> and <The Great Garland>, news had slowly begun spreading that the two giants had something in the works.
The pride of Korean cinema.
Korea's top actor.
If Dong Baekyeong joined those two—
“Well, of course! Your comeback should be spectacular.”
Just imagining it made it feel like a guaranteed success.
Her manager wrapped an arm around her shoulders and smiled.
With Hong Suryeon and Eun Baekhap stumbling because of the actresses' Holy Grail War, now was the perfect chance to cement public opinion that Dong Baekyeong stood alone at the top among the three.
'NetHolics Korea entering the market symbolizes not only the expansion of television dramas, but also a threat to cinema.'
And the more that happened—
The higher and stronger the walls of Chungmuro became.
The world of movie actors.
A world difficult to surpass.
This—
Was unquestionably Dong Baekyeong's territory.
