Seven's Press

It was the 7th of April.

In one of the best hotels in Seoul, the seventh-floor hall was reserved for the press conference of Binsfeld's Seven Princes of Hell.

The drama's filming was long over, and post-production was nearing its end. Promoting the show was the biggest concern that remained.

On the stage of the hall sat the seven main actors, the director, the producer, and the writer. Facing them was a room filled with journalists and entertainment media, who were currently busy asking questions.

Their inquiries were about the cast, their roles, the nature of the drama, etc.

"Director Lee, the release of Binsfeld's Seven Princes of Hell coincides with An Everlasting Romance, the most anticipated drama of the year. Despite it being your very first TV show, would you say it is facing a steep challenge, that could have been avoided if the show had been postponed?" a spectacled journalist asked.

The question drew Averie's attention, who was busy playing a mobile game with Peter Kang under the table. It was apparent to everyone sitting at the table that the two weren't taking the event seriously. But in Averie's defense, he had just discovered the addictive world of gaming.

He couldn't not ruin the good time children and teenagers were having online.

"An Everlasting Romance is of course a series that has drawn a lot of attention since its announcement," Director Lee replied.

Averie had also heard about An Everlasting Romance. But he thought that, unlike the name, there was nothing everlasting about it. He had read the script the night he first discovered Binsfeld's Seven Princes of Hell, and the only evaluation he could come up with was that it was generic.

It was a romance drama without any artistic direction and characters designed to fulfill traditional roles.

It had a despicable rich guy for everyone to hate on; a beautiful damsel in distress to fuss over; a tomboy who happened to dislike men until she fell in love with the protagonist for God knows why; a pretty boy who always gets shafted in matters of love to draw some much-needed sympathy; and a charming protagonist who was always there to help and meddle in others' business—a man who spoke with such zeal and overconfidence one would mistake him for a politician.

Averie considered it a narcissistic quality, but the mighty script disagreed.

Honestly, in the last couple of months, Averie had discovered some really comedic romance dramas. It had managed to change his views on the genre a little. But no matter what, An Everlasting Romance was nothing but rotten garbage wrapped in a colorful package.

"Ha-Joon Chae is a very talented actor," the director added.

'Don't lie, Director,' Averie thought, trying not to laugh. 'He is a mediocre actor who thinks too highly of himself. How did he become so famous anyway? Is a good face all you need in this era? It's the dumb kids, I tell you. They are ruining everything for the adults.'

Director Lee drew a short breath, making sure his next words couldn't be misconstrued.

"But while they are a competition to be wary of, our intended audiences differ greatly. While we are exclusively targeting the adults, they are primarily focused on a younger audience."

The spectacled journalist wanted to continue the line of questioning. But unfortunately for him, they moved on to the next one.

"Hello, I am from Actors' Atlas." The next journalist introduced herself with a smile. "I would like to ask a question to Mr. Auclair."

Impressed, Averie looked up.

This was the first time a journalist tried to ask him a question. No one had bothered with him, Peter Kang, and John Strom. The former two didn't look very enthusiastic, and the latter was outright asleep. Raymond Lee wasn't very expressive either. He answered most of the questions with a short sentence or two.

The whole affair was affecting Director Lee's anxiety. He wondered how this motley crew had managed to film together for nearly three months.

"I have scoured through the entire cast of this drama—not just main or supporting actors, mind you—and it seems you are the only actor in his early twenties. Not only that, but this is also your first work, and you are already playing a main role, which many would agree is a great achievement considering your co-actors are all lauded veterans."

'Is this a question or an ode?' Averie wondered. 'Why do interviewers go on such long tangents? If you have to explain it, it isn't a question, baby.'

"So, my question is: Did you feel any pressure while filming for this project? And, as a young actor, how did you deal with it?"

"No, I didn't feel any pressure whatsoever," Averie answered before going back to gaming.

Do-Yun Park, Peter Kang, and Su-Jin James snickered while hiding their grins. The journalist, who had spent some time devising the question, seemed stunned.

'What's up with him?' the entire room full of people thought.

"Then," the lady from Actors' Atlas continued, "were there times when you felt motivated to put more effort into your performance while observing the actors beside you?"

For a moment, Averie looked pensive. "Not to my knowledge."

Hearing that, even In-Su Kim burst into laughter.

Now, the gathered crowd was certain that this man wasn't your everyday rookie. He was either an outrageously audacious fellow or a freak of nature.

Several more questions followed, and the cast answered them without creating any controversies. Even Peter Kang was questioned on a few occasions.

The last question, asked by the spectacled journalist from before, was directed at Averie.

"Mr. Auclair, how do you suppose Binsfeld's Seven Princes of Hell would perform when compared to your competition, An Everlasting Romance?" he asked.

'This man is sly.' Averie grinned. 'He is going straight to Hell.'

But he liked such characters, and so he wanted to give him what he desired—a provocative headline.

Averie crossed his legs. "In all honesty, I don't consider them our competition. I happened upon their script and was amazed at its utter lack of creativity. I suppose they plan to rely heavily on their good-looking cast."

He faked a distressed sigh.

"This contrived enthusiasm surrounding such a mediocre project is a desperate effort that will only serve to amplify the audience's eventual disappointment."

He glanced at Hyerin, who was standing at the back of the room. The devasted look on her face was simply marvelous to behold.

"We have the better script, the better director, and the better cast. If—despite all that—the audience still prefers their generic slop of a TV show, then we must mourn the death of intellect in the common man."

Grimacing, Director Lee spit out the water he had been chugging. The producer, who was sitting beside him, saw it all in slow motion as the cool droplets that were in the warm mouth of an aging director sprayed all over him.

The producer moaned. It felt like the shower of love. It felt like he had returned to the days of his youth. Oh, he would let his hair down, if only he had any.

Peter Kang stopped playing with his phone, his face pale. Breathing heavily, John Strom woke up in horror. They could smell a storm brewing, having been in similar situations before.

In-Su Kim found it refreshing, while Su-Jin James found it funny. Raymond Lee frowned as he took a wad of cash from his pocket and handed it to Do-Yun Park, who smiled at the earnings of an easy bet.

In the silent conference hall, only the spectacled journalist looked satisfied. He had what he needed for a provocative headline.