I’ve Become a Genius Actor - Chapter 57:

Chapter 57:

Why, why!

Sir, look at this

Director Yoo Jaeho stared at the assistant director with a fearful face, his heart pounding from the intense music just moments ago.

Look at this!

As the assistant director spoke with a dazed expression, Director Yoo Jaeho exclaimed with a trembling voice.

What! Is there a ghost behind me?! A maiden ghost?! A child ghost?! What is it! Speak up! Don’t keep me in suspense!

What?! No, sir, its about our viewership ratings!

It was then that he came back to his senses. The tablet in the assistant director’s hand caught his eye.

!

5.6%!

In the era of major OTT platforms, where people are more likely to binge-watch rather than tune in live, it was rare for a drama on a cable channel to exceed a 5% rating on its first episode. Considering the competition from other dramas airing at the same time, it was an impressive figure.

Its currently the top trending search on Newblix!

Three seconds of silence.

Then,

Woooooah!

Fantastic!

Wow! We killed it!

Cheers erupted all around.

Our team rocks!

Congratulations to all the actors!

The usually quiet Park Younghyun and Kim Suna were visibly relaxed and happy.

Amidst the outpouring of congratulations and joy, a comment from the script supervisor caught Director Yoo Jaehos attention.

By the way, Director how can you be so scared while directing a horror drama?

The cinematographer and lighting director glanced at each other and then cheekily chimed in.

A maiden ghost?! A child ghost?!

Speak up! Don’t keep me in suspense!

They seemed like the perfect comic duo, waiting just for this moment. Director Yoo Jaeho, caught off guard, clamped his mouth shut as if he had swallowed a rotten egg.

Laughter filled the room, allowing even Yooil to relax and enjoy the moment.

Goal Achievement Rate: 17.8%

The increase in the goal achievement rate also contributed to the lighter mood.

After all the commotion, the production team of <The Missing Case of Saetbyeol High> could finally call it a day.

It was a night filled with good vibes.

* * *

As the viewership ratings proved, summary videos of <The Missing Case of Saetbyeol High> on O-Tube quickly garnered hundreds of thousands of views, indicating the drama’s popularity. Naturally, it also became a frequent topic of discussion in online communities.

(Casual) Did anyone watch The Missing Case of Saetbyeol High’ the other day?^^

[I usually watch another drama, but my son (he’s a middle schooler going through puberty, haha) kept begging me to watch this one. So I thought, let’s give it a try, and wow~ it was so interesting! I thought it would be childish since high schoolers are the main characters, but it was far from it. I was totally engrossed, and by the final scene, I was shivering with fear haha; It reminded me of the horror movies I used to watch as a kid~ It looks like our family will continue to watch it live haha]

Totally agree! Didn’t expect much, but it was so much fun haha

There were quite a few familiar faces among the actors~ The lead seems like a newcomer but was really good at acting

That’s actor Han Yooil^^ Very tall and handsome~

I can’t handle scary stuff so I skipped it~ Is it really that good? Everyone at work is talking about this drama~

I also get scared easily haha. I was startled a few times but it was worth watching~

I was watching it alone and got so scared I had to hug my kid to sleep haha. If you really can’t handle scary stuff, be careful. haha

(Drama) Is The Missing Case of Saetbyeol High’ any good?

[Just now]

The drama <The Missing Case of Saetbyeol High> continued to create waves among viewers of all ages, rapidly becoming a hot topic among drama enthusiasts.

Has anyone watched Saetbyeol High?

[I haven’t been this thrilled by a drama in ages I’m freaking out]

Regret watching it so fast How am I supposed to wait a week

Really, its so good,,

Watched it shivering with my kids A horror in the dead of winter, TN is insane

LOL, gotta watch it again in the summer~

Min Hojun is truly an outsider hikikomori material, but Han Yooil suits him so well,,

True, he kinda feels like a protagonist from a Japanese manga Anyway, the casting is on point

3333.. Thought he was perfect with Seon Gihyeon in Sing in High School, but it turns out hes just universally adaptable to any role

On BlueChat, various memes featuring Han Yooil in the drama were being shared and loved.

[@djWjfkrhdy

Me during exam period & Me during vacations

(Picture) (Picture)]

For a while, memes juxtaposing screenshots from <The Missing Case of Saetbyeol High> and <Sing in High School> with witty captions became a trend.

Is this supposed to be funny?’ 

Yooil scratched his head as he looked through the memes his peers had sent him.

Seeing his own face didnt evoke much emotion, just a sense of wonder.

Thousands of people are relating to this.’

At least everyone seems to like it.

* * *

On the day of the third episode of <The Missing Case of Saetbyeol High>, an office worker flung their outerwear aside and collapsed onto the sofa.

They’d been so busy lately that they’d been collapsing as soon as they got home on weekdays, and the weekends were spent catching up on sleep.

Can’t believe I havent been able to watch a drama with Han Yooil because of real life!’

It seemed unthinkable.

But finally, today, after months of hard work, their project had come to an end. That was why they had come into work even on a Saturday.

Youve worked really hard!

But what came to the office workers mind wasn’t the sweet incentive or the liberation of going home.

I can finally watch it!’

With surging adrenaline, they clicked on <The Missing Case of Saetbyeol High> on Newblix and started to get absorbed in the drama.

“Insane”

The office worker muttered blankly as they watched the eerie music box tune play alongside the credits.

They had realized only after the second episode ended. It was a whirlwind 100 minutes.

Lucky todays the airing day.’

The sweetness of being able to watch the third episode right away felt like a dream. The office worker kept glancing at the clock, their eyes gleaming.

After the wait, the third episode began.

* * *

The third episode started with Hojun gently touching the wildflower given by Yein.

The police returned to Saetbyeol High once more. They meticulously searched inside the school and re-interrogated the students, especially those from the same class as the missing student. Every student was questioned again about their whereabouts on the day of the disappearance.

After the investigation of the last student, Hojun, concluded

As the police were about to leave empty-handed, Yein’s bold voice echoed through the hallway.

“Why aren’t you asking me?”

It was then that people noticed Yein. The atmosphere felt bizarre, as if a doll or a mannequin had spoken.

Amidst this strange ambiance, a police officer frowned and spoke.

“Whats your name?”

“Choi Yein. I’m in the second year, Class 1, right next to this classroom.”

Only then did Hojun realize that Yein was in the classroom next to his.

Yein’s round eyes slightly drooped at the ends as she continued with a sorrowful tone.

“The missing child, they wont come back.”

“What are you talking about”

“I can see ghosts.”

“What?”

The police officers looked at each other, bewildered.

The students reacted the same.

“That child, they are standing right there.”

Yein pointed to a corner, causing a flustered teacher to step in front of her.

“Yein? Don’t joke around this is not the time.”

Yein then spoke with a smile.

“You know, dont you, teacher? About the things that have happened in our school.”

Her smile was too pure and lovely.

The teacher stepped back a few paces, clearly disturbed.

Of course, the police didn’t believe Yein. The only ones trembling in fear were the students in the dormitory.

A few hours later, Hojun encountered Yein in the playground. Despite being the one who dropped the bombshell, she was casually playing with shadow puppets.

“Can you really see dead people?”

“Yeah. Specifically, people who died in this school’.”

Yein stared intently at Hojun, resting her chin on her hand.

“You dont believe me either?”

Yein smiled, her usual smile. But Hojun felt an odd discomfort.

Dark clouds gathering in the sky came into his view.

In the next scene, Hojun discovered flowers like the ones Yein gave him in a jar in each classroom.

“Who put these flowers in this jar?”

The flowers, placed inconspicuously in a corner, drew Seunghyun’s attention. The students shrugged, indicating they didnt know. Seunghyun looked at the flowers. They were white and pretty, but

“Something’s off.”

As he said this, thunder rumbled.

Seunghyun’s face, looking out through the rain-soaked window, appeared dark and gloomy.

And the final scene.

The first-year dorm supervisor, checking the dormitory before leaving, noticed red paint smeared at the end of the first-floor corridor.

It looked like someone dragged a giant brush.

“Whos playing with paint like this!”

But the trail of red paint led down the stairs to the basement.

The supervisor grumbled and followed the paint trail.

Thump- Thump-

The sound reminiscent of a beating heart and the escalating strings heightened the viewers’ unease.

The tilted camera angle and the corridor growing darker with each step added to the tension.

Just wait till I catch them. That’s a 10-point penalty right there.

The supervisor continued to walk, annoyance evident in his steps.

Then, suddenly, his pace slowed.

“But, was the oil painting always this detailed?”

A sudden feeling of foreignness.

The unfamiliar sensation quickly morphed into fear.

It can’t be.

It’s impossible.

The supervisor’s steps quickened as cold sweat broke out and his breath became ragged.

The trail of red paint led to an old, wooden-doored basement storage room.

Creak

As the door opened, the supervisor’s face contorted in horror.

Then, a piercing scream reverberated through the school.

And

In the school’s basement, previously unknown to exist, the missing child was found dead, their eyes rigid and marked with an X.

* * *

The office worker, clutching a giant abandoned toy, shivered uncontrollably.

Its its terrifying!’

Every face in the drama seemed suspicious, even Hojun’s!

Even the cute appearances of some students throughout the episodes made the viewer second-guess.

Really scary but really good.’

Even for someone who wasn’t a fan of horror, the sentiment was strong.

No more episodes tonight!’

The office worker lamented with an exasperated sigh as they patted the toy.

* * *

On the set of <The Missing Case of Saetbyeol High>.

Most of the shooting was complete, with only two episodes left to film.

Despite the earlier-than-usual call time, the actors were visibly tired, but their eyes sparkled with energy.

Huh?

Yooil was puzzled by an unfamiliar face on set. Noticing the actors attention, Director Yoo Jaeho introduced him.

This is Professor Kim Juho, a part-time professor of Counseling Psychology at Seongmun University and a practicing psychologist.

!

Director Yoo Jaeho continued,

We’ll be filming emotionally intense scenes today and tomorrow, and it might take a while To ensure the mental well-being of our actors, we’ve decided to have a psychologist on standby.

Yooil was quite surprised. He had heard of psychologists being hired on Hollywood sets, but he hadnt expected to experience it himself.

In Korea, its becoming more common to have psychologists on sets, especially for child actors in roles that involve extreme emotions or brutality.

Its going to be a tough shoot as youll need to pour out a lot of emotions. I apologize in advance.

In other words, it was a gentle warning that it would be challenging.

Park Younghyun swallowed nervously and glanced at Yooil.

Yooils expression seemed slightly tense.

Is henervous?

Usually, Yooils emotional range wasn’t wide until just before a shot.

Always so calm, he was thought to have nerves of steel.

But he does get nervous, too.

Younghyun felt a human side to Yooil he hadn’t noticed before. The staff member beside him also noticed Yooil’s expression and asked worriedly,

Are you okay?

Im fine.

Yooil replied calmly.

His heart began to race.

But not from worry, from excitement.