One Day (2)
『Yoo-Jin and Miso, both having lost their parents, have now become a family.』
『The girl who became a mother at the age of 19, Yoo-Jin, is still diligently reading her scriptbook for Miso's sake.』
『Her decision to challenge 'acting,' something she had never done in her life, was solely for her daughter, Miso.』
『In return, her daughter gives her the support she needs. Despite wanting to play and be carefree, she patiently waits and supports Yoo-Jin.』
The narration for The Human Stories was usually done by a veteran actor named Choi Seung-Rak. But in this episode, it was the voice of Lee Sa-Rang, who played the role of Yoo-Jin's mother in Blue Sky.
"Is this... Lee Sa-Rang sunbae-nim's voice?"
"It seems so."
Yoo-Jin also looked surprised.
Lee Sa-Rang had always adored Yoo-Jin like her own daughter during script readings. But I never dreamt she'd participate in the narration for The Human Stories for Yoo-Jin.
'Such a top-notch actress must be busy yet she made time to help Yoo-Jin. I should personally reach out and thank her.'
Then, the scene changed again.
This time, it showed Gu Seong-Cheol and me lamenting over the comments on social media and articles.
『Why do they write such hateful comments...』
Our concerned expressions in the video were followed by Lee Sa-Rang's trembling narration about how Yoo-Jin was suffering due to fabricated articles written by Reporter Ju Kang-Yong. She narrated how Yoo-Jin tried to overcome her painful past but was frustrated by the lies surrounding her.
The scene shifted again. The scene now was the day Yoo-Jin had acute gastritis. She sat on the sofa looking frail and sad with Miso in her arms.
Yoo-Jin was weakly slumped onto the couch and Miso was hugging her mother with tears welled up in her eyes.
『...So let's go to the hospital now, Yoo-Jin.』
『Okay, I understand. Oh, oppa, I have to go to the script reading later..』
『What are you talking about when you can't even stand up!』
『But I can't break a promise. I'll go to the hospital and then head straight there.』
As I helped Yoo-Jin stand up, Miso was on the other side, struggling to support her mother.
Lee Sa-Rang's narration continued in the background.
『Why does this young girl, who is trying to rise from her painful past, have to hear such cruel words?』
『I don't understand what these two, a mother and daughter left alone in the world, have done wrong.』
『Another day in the lives of this mother and daughter passes by.』
Lee Sa-Rang's voice faded, leaving a lingering impression.
The final part of the video showed Yoo-Jin being taken away by the ambulance, concluding the first part of The Human Stories. At the same time, 'Island Baby' started playing again in the background.
『When mother goes to the island's shadow~ to pick oysters~』
I thought viewers of the documentary might easily misinterpret Yoo-Jin's situation, thinking that she was grappling with a life-and-death struggle because of the negative comments. The editing surpassed my expectations, delivering a much more intense and impactful result than I had expected.
Just as Na Hoon-Seok confidently said in the beginning, he had indeed produced an extraordinary result.
As the broadcast ended, Yoo-Jin hugged Miso tightly. Even though it was their own life story, they looked as if they had watched a deeply sad drama with swollen eyes.
At that moment, my phone started ringing.
[Caller: Chief Gu Seong-Cheol]
I wiped away the tears that had trickled down my cheeks without realizing it and answered the phone.
-Hey, you... you...
"Huh? Mr. Gu, what's wrong?"
-It's just that...
"Are you crying right now, Mr. Gu?"
-No, no, it's not that. I meant to say... Kid, you did a great job!
Gu Seong-Cheol was crying. Overwhelmed with emotions, he momentarily forgot what he wanted to say but eventually asked me to express his gratitude to Yoo-Jin for persevering. He mentioned that his wife and daughters were also in tears and wanted to convey their support to Yoo-Jin as well.
He even said that his wife scolded him, questioning what the company had done while Yoo-Jin was suffering on her own so much.
And from that moment on, my phone started ringing non-stop. Calls from Kim Soll-Ip, Lee Ji-Yeon, Jung Sam-Ryong, and staff from Hoop Entertainment all came in, each conveying their support for Yoo-Jin.
It seemed like I spent a good ten minutes talking to each of them. After hearing from Kang Ji-Yung, I checked the portal.
The live search rankings and comments were filled with apologies from people who had been deceived by Ju Kang-Yong's articles.
[Nave Live Search Rankings]
1st Sorry, Yoo-Jin
2nd Jung Yoo-Jin, tabloid articles
3rd The Human Stories
(Live Comments)
-Unnie, I'm sorry. I didn't know about your situation and felt betrayed, so I lashed out without realizing it. Really, I'm sorry.
-Wow, really. They weren't kidding when they called reporters reportrash. I can't believe everything he published was a lie.
-Haters are still delusional and believe in their ridiculous fantasies. They are just insane.
-Innocent people got implicated because of a crazy reportrash like him. I feel so bad for Yoo-Jin.
-People who cursed her, how about we bang our heads hard right now?
-I knew her when she worked at a burger place in Cheonho-dong. Even then, she was known for her kindness. No matter how much I tried to tell the truth, people cursed at me and called me a company spy. Just for your information, I took screen captures of all the comments. Prepare to be sued.
-What about those who insulted her? I heard the company's suing.
-Haha, karma is indeed real. Get ready for lawsuits.
-I'm sorry. But at least I never cursed at her niece—I mean, daughter. Please give me a chance.
-I want to chop off my fingers. Really.
People who had thoughtlessly maligned Yoo-Jin were quickly turning around. Perhaps because of this, the top trending search term on the portal had become 'Sorry, Yoo-Jin.'
On the other hand, those who had believed in Yoo-Jin from the beginning were becoming passionate fans.
I hadn't expected such an explosive response, maybe because of something Kim Dong-Soo had said to me in my past life which was still lingering at the back of my mind.
-People are so dumb that they'll believe anything we show them. They're no different from dogs and pigs. So forget about the truth because it doesn't even matter. Trust me.
But Kim Dong-Soo was wrong.
Simply by portraying Yoo-Jin's life authentically, brimming with love and care for those around her, Ju Kang-Yong's sensational and false articles lost all their power. While the public had been indifferent to the lives of others as they were tired of dealing with their own problems, they nevertheless did not overlook the truth.
At that moment, I realized my decision to support Yoo-Jin and some of the members of Faithful in this second life wasn't a mistake.
Then, my phone rang again. It was Na Hoon-Seok, the director of The Human Stories.
[Caller: PD Na Hoon-Seok]
When I answered the call, I heard Na Hoon-Seok's cheerful voice over the line.
-Mr. Jung! Have you seen the viewership ratings?
"The ratings?"
-Oh right, it's not up on the portals yet. But from the broadcasting station's preliminary checks, we hit 15% in live viewership ratings! We'll have to verify tomorrow to make sure, but it's record-breaking! I told you it would work, didn't I? Hahaha!
'What? 15%? Is that even possible for a documentary program?'
Such a rating for a show that isn't even a drama seemed unbelievable.
"R-really?"
-Yeah, it seems there's a backlash against the articles written by that bastard Ju Kang-Yong. I had my doubts at first, but Mr. Jung, you were right. Hahaha.