CH20

Three elderly men sat on a worn-out sofa.

As if they were already familiar with it, the elders sat down in their places without hesitation and began to complain.

"Has this guy finally lost his mind? Suggesting we watch a drama at a time like this?"

"Really, there's the New York Film Festival going on outside. After acting all high and mighty, has he completely lost his initial resolve? Now he even plans to make a Hollywood movie."

Isaac snorted in response to his friends' teasing.

"What are you, tabloid journalists? Spreading ridiculous rumors. Are you all members of the Academy or what?"

The New York Film Festival may be a non-competitive film festival featuring only invited works without awards, but its prestige is undeniable.

Being the oldest non-competitive film festival in America, it represents New York.

"Over a thousand Academy members, what's there to brag about. So, what drama is it that you've called us for?"

"A drama featuring a fascinating child actor I met recently. Seems promising for the future."

"Promising child actor?"

At the mention of a child actor, both wore a dismissive expression.

"Isn't that the most common introduction in this industry? Always talking about a brighter future."

"And think about our age, will you? By the time this kid grows up, we'll probably be dead. What's so great about that?"

"Still grumbling even in old age! If you don't like it, both of you can leave."

Faced with Isaac's firm statement, the two instead sank deeper into the sofa.

They weren't really intending to leave.

As Isaac turned on the TV and flipped through the channels, one friend asked,

"Is it really okay to be watching TV like this? I heard your grandson was making a fuss, crying and screaming."

The two friends knew well how much Isaac doted on his grandson. 

They would tease him about not treating his own children as well, which had become a daily routine.

It was odd for Isaac to ignore his grandson's cries, and he smiled bitterly.

"Actually, it's a drama that the kid wanted to watch more than me."

"Huh? Then call him over. We can watch it together."

At the question implying it was no big deal, Isaac stood up and walked to the door.

"The drama isn't suitable for kids, couldn't help it."

One of them frowned at this.

"What kind of drama is it? One where men and women mess around?"

Hoping for a positive response, Isaac's wrinkled lips curled up.

"No, it's a zombie drama. You like horror, don't you?"

-Aaaargh!

Just as the drama started, a terrifying scream rang out, and a man with a pale face quickly stood up.

"I just remembered something urgent, I must go."

"Coming all this way and now leaving?"

"Gavin, don't tell me you still can't sleep after watching horror films? How old are you?"

Gavin, the man who was called out, was forcibly seated back by his friends, and as they bickered, the drama began.

When children threw an object, making a clang sound, it caught the attention of wandering zombies.

The children, drawing the zombies' gaze, struggled to carry a heavy load and opened a manhole cover.

Entering the underground shelter cleared of obstacles, adults lived there, sharing the supplies the children brought.

The trio quickly noticed something unusual.

"Hmm? This is unique. There are noticeably many pregnant women. And newborn babies too."

"It's unlikely they're promoting childbirth through a drama, so there must be a reason."

In such a post-apocalyptic setting where survival is prioritized, pregnancy is not encouraged. 

Pregnant women and children are considered burdens.

As expected, the background was explained through subsequent conversations, and Isaac smiled, intrigued.

"It's interesting to put children at the forefront. Is the conflict between adults and children central?"

"Even in the subway, you can faintly hear the zombies' moaning. Plus, they mentioned the presence of another survivor group in the subway, so it's worth considering the internal power struggles as well."

"More importantly, when does this drama end?"

"It just started, Gavin."

The drama centers around Benjamin, who wishes to escape the city, and shows how children survive in a world turned into zombies.

As they focused on the drama without conversation, a crisis signaling the climax unfolded.

A loud door slam by Benjamin, who was separated from the group, echoed through the city.

-Aaaargh!

A small mistake could lead to death. 

This was no exception for a child.

Benjamin, who seemed about to be caught any moment, ran precariously with a horde of zombies chasing after him.

Just when death seemed imminent, a small hand reached out.

The boy who pulled Benjamin through a narrow gap playfully hit the zombie, significantly lightening the tense atmosphere.

-What's your name?

-Be, Benjamin.

-I'm Noah. Nice to meet you.

As Noah introduced himself with a bright smile, the three of them let out a short exclamation of admiration.

A fleeting shadow passed over the face hidden behind the bright smile.

'It was just a moment.'

Most viewers wouldn't even notice it was so brief, but that didn't mean it was meaningless.

The bright smile somehow felt precarious.

Gavin broke the prolonged silence after the drama ended.

"Isaac, was the child actor you mentioned the one who appeared last?"

"Yes."

"An actor whose future you're looking forward to? Just how much more of a monster are you expecting?"

Isaac had nothing to say.

Who would have known he'd perform so well in his first work?

"Tell me the name. I'll have to make time to see it myself."

"See it yourself?"

Certainly, the performance was good, but it wasn't on screen for long.

Gavin's hasty action was unexpected, and he sighed deeply.

"Do you think I want to do this? I'd rather verify acting skills through dramas."

But why did it have to be a zombie drama?

Gavin, known as the explosion expert in Hollywood, looked gloomy.

***

September.

During this time when most dramas begin, all eyes were on the broadcast industry.

Whether popular dramas from previous seasons could continue their fame, or if newly released dramas would become the new franchise dramas that would sustain the networks.

It was a time when they stood on the merciless blade of ratings.

This was something invisible children couldn't avoid either.

"The results are in! 2.3 million viewers for the first episode! Including the rerun in the early morning, it's 3 million!"

"We did it! We really did it!"

Cheers erupted among the staff. It was a performance beyond expectations.

Although popular dramas could easily surpass ten million viewers, it wasn't fair to compare with them.

This was a new drama without an existing fandom, rated TV-MA for adults only, and it was on a cable channel that required a separate subscription and payment for viewing.

Despite being on the HMO channel, known among American drama viewers for its high quality, fun, and artistic value, the number of viewers had its limits.

"2.3 million?!"

Showrunner Caitlin was taken aback by these numbers.

It was one of the best starts in the history of the network, especially during a financial crisis.

It was a time when people were cutting back on unnecessary expenses, and expensive cable subscriptions were among the first to be canceled.

Considering the sharp decline in subscribers, these numbers seemed miraculous.

"The critics and viewers have given it good reviews!"

"Especially, there's a lot of interest in Noah's role towards the end!"

Noah, stealing the spotlight with a strong presence at the end, and actor Ian, had been involved in many issues before.

From a connection with Ben, a boy who caught a robber to save his grandmother, to being called a parenting cheat code with "Ten Little Indians" among modern parents.

All of this happened in less than a year, enough to heat up the internet overnight.

-"Wow! Why is my friend who introduced me to the new world of corn dogs looking homeless there?!"

└Maybe he bought a house with a mortgage and got evicted because he couldn't pay the loan.

└Haha, isn't that your story?

└Shut up.

-"Ta-da, I've photoshopped Noah's offered stick into a corn dog."

└It's a bit bland. Can you make it roll more?

└If you could add a dropkick, that'd be great.

└(A GIF of Noah bending in half and spinning wildly) How's that?

└Oh, shit! It turned into a corn dog blender.

-"I was watching TV, and the kid who sang the Indian song came on. So, I called my kid over."

└And then?

└He started crying at the sight of zombies. My wife kicked me out.

└Seems like you need to learn what TV-MA rating means.

Not just the community, but journalists were also not staying silent.

-HMO's strength! The amazing debut of invisible children!

-Invisible Children! A zombie drama that critiques reality.

-Invisible Children scores 8.56 from critics! The best new TV show of the year!

The flood of articles indicated a green light for the show's success.

The aftermath of the first broadcast continued to grow over time, directly affecting Ian.

'Agencies.'

Agencies, acting as intermediaries for a fee, were more sensitive to the smell of money than anyone.

Seeing them rush like mad at the sign of a new sprout was telling.

Ian looked down at a pile of papers. 

They were business cards his parents had collected from their commute to the store.

There were individual agents and well-known agencies among them.

"What's the use of all this? I can't even watch the drama I starred in."

It was not uncommon for child actors to be unable to watch their own work, but he hadn't expected to experience it himself.

As positive feedback piled up around him, his curiosity grew.

"Are you still upset about that? What's the big deal about not watching one show?"

"It's important to me. Why are you here?"

Ian looked at Ben, who had boldly entered the house, with an annoyed expression.

"How about being a bit nicer? I'm a rising star, after all. And it's largely your fault that I have some free time now."

"How is that my fault?"

"What kind of voice did you use that Rachel won't let go of Ayla?"

Nothing special.

"I just used a voice that might come out during puberty."

"Puberty? How would you know to use that?"

"I guess? Just a feeling?"

There's no way to properly explain it. 

I can't even say I know how the voice changer recognized the voice from the past, thanks to returning to the past.

Ian thought about Rachel's reaction when he showed her the voice he had perfected after much practice.

'It was quite intense.'

She had been so stunned that she even went on to record it.

All Ayla conveyed was that it was worth looking forward to because of his passion.

"You're really a strange one. But it's fun to watch."

"I'll pass on that kind of comment. More importantly, why are you here? It's not like you're bored. Didn't the shooting for Sucker Punch end? Aren't you filming another movie?"

"I can't just join any project, given my reputation."

Ben, teasingly boastful, put his arm around Ian.

"Did you ask why I came?"

"Yes."

"I'm asking because someone at the party told me to ask you – are you interested in dubbing?"

"Dubbing?"

I was surprised he brought up something so unexpected. 

I hadn't thought about dubbing at all.

"Your videos on YouTube are really popular among kids. They say you have a voice that enchants them."

"So what?"

"A friend of mine took an interest when they heard you can speak multiple languages."

Dubbing. 

He had done voice acting before, so it could be a good offer.

"Why are you so willing to do someone a favor?"

Ben isn't the type to easily do favors for others. 

Faced with a pointed question, he sighed deeply.

"It's one of the women I used to date."

Thinking this was such a Ben reason, Ian asked seriously.

"You're not being blackmailed with a secret video, are you?"

"Are you crazy? No!"

'Wow, that's not it? I thought it was possible, considering it was Ben.'

Seeing Ben angrily deny it, Ian chuckled and then picked up his ringing phone.

Contemplating whether to answer an unexpected international call, Ian, unable to curb his curiosity, answered it.

-Ah, Ian!

"PD-nim?"

The reason PD Seong-won, who had returned to Korea, called could be faintly heard along with a bizarre scream in the background.

-The drama's a hit, you know?! Our program was a hit from the first broadcast!

TL/n - 

Now you can read on p@treon

The Investor Who Sees The Future up to Chapter 50+ 

Chaebol up to Chapter 50+

Perfect Hero up to Chapter 51+

Hollywood Actor up to Chapter 46+

Devil's Idol up to Chapter 12+

I was hoping you could support me at p@treon.com/inkbound

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