Episode 169
* * *
Average viewership rating: 2.7%.
Seoul metropolitan area average: 2.9%.
Peak minute-by-minute rating: 3.3%.
That was the report card for Episode 1 of *Self Made*.
At a glance, it was a disappointing report card for a program made with Sedal Baegil, a group at the peak of their popularity.
But PD Gang Seoku didn't think so.
It was higher than the Episode 1 ratings he had braced for when first planning *Self Made*.
Especially when considering that M-Show had shown weaknesses in self-produced variety shows—though they had largely resolved this with *Coming Up Next*—it was even more so.
What was important with *Self Made* was how the public received the program.
If it was simply received as a variety show propelled by Sedal Baegil's charm and characters, this would be the end.
But if people were curious about what Sedal Baegil was "doing"?
If they were curious about what results their Self Made would produce?
Not the fandom of Sedal Baegil, but general viewers.
Then the story would be different.
Variety PDs didn't prefer top actors for no reason.
Even when performing the same mission, the magnitude of curiosity changed.
In that sense, there were no cast members more suited to *Self Made* than Sedal Baegil.
Weren't they a group that had truly succeeded through self-making?
Their first album sales were approaching 1.5 million copies, and their concerts were all sold out.
Of course, speaking objectively, Drop Out could also be cast members suited to *Self Made*.
Drop Out was the top idol group of their time, but they had a history of failing once.
What saved them at the critical moment when their company was on the verge of disbanding them was the music and videos they produced through self-making.
But…
"Drop Out probably couldn't achieve results on the same level as Sedal Baegil."
What Han Sion had accomplished would be hinted at near the end of Episode 2 and properly covered in Episode 3.
Then all of South Korea would go wild.
With that thought, Gang Seoku skimmed through the internet reactions with the writers.
Season 1's domestic arc, fixed at 5 episodes, had already finished filming, and the rough edits were done as well.
Furthermore, he would be leaving for the United States in two days to film Season 2.
The reason Gang Seoku was gauging viewer reactions wasn't for Season 1, but for Season 2.
If there was something viewers clearly wanted from Sedal Baegil, he had to reflect it.
"-No way, LOL. I looked up some Masked Robber videos and they really are unrecognizable, LOL."
"-Why?"
"-I Ion sings the intro and Gu Taehwan sings the high notes."
"-Gu Taehwan's high note part is a rare treat."
"-Right now Gu Taehwan and I Ion's individual fans are going crazy, LOL. They're crying over at the Masked Robber videos."
"-Why are they crying?"
"-Sedal Baegil members barely have individual activities. Except for Mashing and Seunomje. They're crying because it's precious."
"-I watched too and I Ion sings well? He always gets the short end of the stick on parts in Sedal Baegil."
"-He benefits from the camera. Once they zoom in, it's I Ion, LOL."
"-Right. He's always the center too."
"-But they're living up to their name. Didn't Sedal Baegil secretly earn money for three months, LOL."
"-How much did they make?"
"-Probably around ten million won?"
"-Bullshit. How would an unknown indie singer record ten million in net profit?"
"-Wouldn't they make about that much with five webtoon OSTs?"
"-You have to deduct studio recording fees, mixing, mastering costs, and everything. You even have to deduct food expenses."
While monitoring the internet comments, PD Gang Seoku gained conviction.
From Episode 2, this program would start running in earnest.
Because everyone wasn't curious about Sedal Baegil themselves, but about what Sedal Baegil had done.
* * *
It was an era of a million aspiring celebrities.
That wasn't just talk.
According to a 2016 survey by the Korea Creative Content Agency, there were 1,700 registered agencies domestically, and they announced that the number of aspiring celebrities exceeded one million.
If so, how many people were connected to that one million?
Considering immediate family, relatives, and friends, it was an enormous number.
Even assuming simple three-person households, that was 3 million; at the very minimum, it would be 5 million.
For these people, *Self Made*, programmed by M-Show, directed by PD Gang Seoku, and starring Sedal Baegil, was an excellent textbook.
In an entertainment industry harder than threading a needle's eye, how important was skill?
Could one really succeed with skill alone?
If so, how could one succeed with that skill?
How did one earn money?
Parents with children aspiring to be celebrities flocked before the program, and secondary connections—such as staff at practical music academies or small-scale concert agencies—also sat before their TVs.
Because they were so curious about the steps of Sedal Baegil, who were starting to earn money in earnest.
"The instant rating is 5.2%."
"That high?"
It was enough to fluster the main control room of M-Show.
The average rating for Episode 1 had been 2.7%, but the instant rating for Episode 2 had surpassed 5%.
And not everyone watched the live broadcast…….
'It's a jackpot.'
'Does it smell like a jackpot?'
It was a sign of a jackpot.
Broadcast industry people had a superstition that saying "jackpot" out loud brought bad luck, so everyone kept their mouths shut.
In the meantime, the broadcast of *Self Made* Episode 2 began.
The opening didn't continue from Episode 1's ending.
The last part of Episode 1 had featured I Ion and Gu Taehwan's Masked Robbers, but the start of Episode 2 was Choe Jaeseong.
"[Ppyobong
- Ppyobyong-]"
On screen, Choe Jaeseong was playing a mobile game, and the phone screen briefly flashed by.
Viewers wouldn't know, but *Self Made* had already secured a sponsorship.
From the game company's perspective, there was nothing bad about it.
To them, who poured enormous marketing expenses, the sponsorship was petty cash, and since they could carry out PPL through Choe Jaeseong, who had already finished filming domestic commercials.
"-Isn't this the sound of M.O.L?"
"-Looks like MOL, LOL."
"-A pay-to-win damn game, LOL."
"-It is fun though, LOL."
Since it was the number one game in the store, viewers reacted quickly.
"[Papapat! Papapapat!]"
"-That's the sound of hitting a world boss, LOL."
"-Looks like some damage is going in?"
But this was the reaction of M.O.L. users; the general public's reaction was negative.
"-What, the ratings are barely up and they're already doing PPL?"
"-Kinda lame."
They simply thought of Choe Jaeseong's actions as PPL.
Actually, it was a natural reaction.
Considering *Self Made*'s program concept, there was no reason for a mobile game to appear.
As Choe Jaeseong lay on the living room sofa playing a smartphone game, a dark(?) shadow loomed behind him.
"[Hand over the money!]"
"[Hands up!]"
It was I Ion and Gu Taehwan wearing masks over their faces.
"[What, what's with those masks?]"
"[We figured out how to do busking without special makeup.]"
"[Won't they recognize your voices? Your eyes and mouth shape are exactly like you guys.]"
"[We'll just change the songs we sing. How about it?]"
"[Aren't the masks cool?]"
Choe Jaeseong tilted his head at Gu Taehwan and I Ion's words.
"[I Ion hyung, the way you talk is a bit different from usual?]"
"[It's my alter ego. My second self.]"
"[I Ion hyung.]"
"[Hmm?]"
"[I think Taehwan hyung is a fool.]"
"[Saying fool to hyung…….]"
I Ion, who had been about to correct Choe Jaeseong as usual, paused.
Because right now he wasn't Confucian Boy I Ion, but a Masked Robber.
"[I could be called one.]"
After a shot of Choe Jaeseong laughing in disbelief, I Ion and Gu Taehwan's busking activities began.
At first, no one paid them much attention.
But the moment the two began singing, several people stopped.
It was because of the jarring imbalance.
The fact that these two, who looked like they'd sing hip-hop or rock, were singing a very soulful ballad.
"-LOL what the hell, so they promoted with a song like that?"
"-Could it be that those masks mean they're so in love with you they can't bear the embarrassment of facing you?"
"-Get a grip, LOL."
"-But think about it. They take off those masks and it's I Ion and Gu Taehwan's faces."
"-Oh…."
"-Doesn't Gu Taehwan look like he'd steal your money with the mask on, and steal your padded jacket with it off?"
"-It's not that bad. He'd settle for a sausage bread."
"-LOL are they crazy?"
It didn't end there.
Even as Gu Taehwan and I Ion split parts and sang a soulful song, their gestures were rebellious.
Gu Taehwan was belting a high note, while I Ion held the mic like a gun and made bang-bang shooting gestures.
In truth, I Ion, who had never done such things before, had practiced this many times back at the dorm, but…….
"-LOL, that's content right there."
"-Ah, LOL. Han Sion's advice was spot on. Right, even if you cover your face, you have to have something to show."
With their astounding singing skills, they received cheers from passersby.
The highlight was when I Ion shot the gun and someone put money into the collection box as an admission fee.
After the performance ended and they returned to the dorm, I Ion and Gu Taehwan expressed their thanks and said all the money would be donated.
However, when they returned to the dorm, Choe Jaeseong was still playing the game.
"-Is Choe Jaeseong in charge of PPL?"
"-Turns out he's an M.O.L addict, isn't he?"
"-Just looking at the screen, it's obviously a production sponsorship."
Choe Jaeseong's actions continued.
When Han Sion came out to the living room for water while composing, or when Onsaemiro communicated with webtoon writers and revised lyrics.
On every screen cut, he was playing a phone game.
Naturally, Choe Jaeseong's individual fans couldn't be happy about it.
It wasn't the PPL; it was because everyone else was working hard on something while he had no screen time.
But Gang Seoku had no intention of using Choe Jaeseong as a PPL tool in Episode 2.
It hadn't been for PPL from the start.
If it hadn't been for Han Sion, what Choe Jaeseong had accomplished would have been the biggest shot.
"[Done!]"
Choe Jaeseong sprang up and ran to his laptop.
"-Did you beat the boss, LOL?"
"-Isn't he raising a sub-character on the computer?"
But that wasn't it.
When Choe Jaeseong turned on his MacBook, all the sources that had subtly played on the broadcast were sampled.
Choe Jaeseong began making something with them.
"-Huh? No way?"
"-What?"
"-There's a video that heated up the M.O.L. community recently, LOL."
"-No way, LOL. Are you saying that was made by Choe Jaeseong?"
"-What is it, what is it? Why are you the only ones who know?"
And Choe Jaeseong took it to Han Sion.
"[This is the best I can do. Hyung, please help me out.]"
"-Am I the only one who finds it funny how the Sedal Baegil members act like they've left their songs with Han Sion? LOL"
"-Unexpected funny point, LOL."
"-But Han Sion barely appears in Episode 2;"
"-Right, he's always composing in his room."
After that, Han Sion slowly explained and fixed the song for Choe Jaeseong.
The song wasn't shown on the broadcast.
Saying they needed more sound, Han Sion had Choe Jaeseong lie down while playing a phone game, drop it on his face, and scream—only that made the broadcast cut.
"[Ah!]"
"[With more precise pronunciation.]"
"[Ah!]"
"[More like Ahaah! than Ah!.]"
"[What is that?]"
"[It exists. You'll get it if you keep trying.]"
But at the end of this scene, there was a change in a YouTube video.
It showed how popular the M.O.L-related video Choe Jaeseong had uploaded had become, through view count, likes, and real-time rankings.
Along with music playing…….
"[Hello! Uh……?!]"
The scene shifted to an M.O.L staff member, who hadn't known the composer's identity, coming to the dorm wearing a foolish expression.
Episode 2 seemed to be ending like that.
Overall, it was packed with fun, but just when the impression that Han Sion lacked screen time couldn't be erased—
Han Sion, who had been crouched in the studio like a dragon in a dungeon, looked at the camera and opened his mouth.
"[It's finally complete.]"
"[I'm going to land a commercial with this song.]"
"-Did he make something like a CF commercial?"
"-Some ion drink?"
"-If I Ion appears and Han Sion composes it, it'll sell well, LOL."
But that wasn't it.
Han Sion had covered the logo for the broadcast, but he tapped the MacBook that everyone knew the brand of with his index finger.
"[Apple.]"
That's right.
The big shot Han Sion had been aiming for was the WWDC and worldwide advertisement music for Apple.