There was something commonly known as a drama special.

A symbol of a hit drama, and often the opening signal for squeezing out extra mileage from a series.

NG compilations, making-of footage, deleted scenes that never aired—these would be gathered together and released. Sometimes a special episode was inserted in the middle of a run when production fell behind schedule or post-production needed more time, serving both as filler and as a way to maintain buzz.

For truly massive hits, specials came after the finale.

Even then, pulling 10% ratings was considered easy.

For reference, even 〈The Great Garland〉—the drama that had driven the entire nation insane—had been bombarded with endless demands for a special broadcast.

Ja Sokhwan's response had consisted of a single sentence.

[I'm just gonna quit.]

At the time, KBC's Drama Director had trembled with rage, but stopping a psychopath named Ja Sokhwan had proven impossible.

The psycho who had effectively taken Taeseok, Huijae, and Taejin hostage and threatened to kill them all was beyond even Solomon's ability to negotiate with.

“A special?”

By contrast, Byeon Juhwa was practically an angel.

“That was actually on my bucket list. How did you know?”

For the record, this was what a normal reaction looked like.

After hearing stories about Ja Sokhwan's cruelty, Lee Saerok had nearly cried tears of gratitude.

“Thank you so much.... Director Byeon, I'll do my best. Seriously, thank you.”

“Is this really something to be that emotional about?”

Once the announcement was posted, the news spread rapidly.

[Drama/Movie/Actor TALK / Holy crap, DongRo is getting a special]

HOLY SHIT I'M SO HAPPY TT_TT LOSER COUPLE FOREVER TT_TT

-Anonymous 1: Wait, does that mean the next drama gets pushed back a week?

↳ Anonymous 3: Nah

↳ Anonymous 9: ?? Then why call it a special

↳ Anonymous 12: Same day, same time, probably on the MBS Intube channel

By airing the special on the Intube channel, the next drama's premiere wouldn't be delayed.

Viewers were also being approached through the novelty of something outside traditional television broadcasting.

And as an added bonus, MBS would gain subscribers.

“You can't do this!”

“Then what about our drama that's premiering that week—”

Naturally, the successor to 〈Dongdaemun Romance〉 tried to protest fiercely.

But—

“Sansung is willing to support it.”

“Huh?”

“The production budget.”

At that point...

“Do you need more?”

The amount of money involved was simply too absurd.

〈Dongdaemun Romance〉 had become infamous for integrating PPL like a lunatic. The production budget had grown with every episode.

On top of that, its storytelling had woven the GLX Watch into public consciousness perfectly.

The current model, nicknamed the “phone couple watch,” had already entered pre-orders.

Demand had exceeded supply.

If a special broadcast could keep that momentum going, Sansung had no reason to refuse.

A company already pouring tens of billions of won into building a trendy, sophisticated brand image wasn't about to miss an opportunity like this.

Youstagram

[The behind-the-scenes footage from the Dongdaemun Romance Phone Couple wedding is coming ♥(〃´૩`〃)♥]

11,223 likes

21K comments

-ME ME PLEASE IT HAS TO BE ME TT_TT

-Can't you just give everyone an invitation? Is MBS really that stingy? Why are you acting like this

↳ Seriously, give me one

-This event is insane holy shit

They even launched a viewer giveaway event tied to the special.

The prize?

Wedding invitations.

[HOT / The wedding invitation from the insanely popular loser couple chemistry drama.jpg]

They released the wedding photo from the final episode in high resolution...

(Jeon Segye and Nam Pyeonghwa wedding photo.jpg)

-Anonymous 1: Holy shit it looks like they're actually getting married

-Anonymous 14: Ever since they were the Name Couple, their visual chemistry has been legendary. They seriously looked like they were dating

↳ Anonymous 29: Stop being delusional

↳ Anonymous 32: Then stop giving us reasons to be delusional lol. Nobody said they're actually dating

↳ Anonymous 39: 2222. Seo Eden looks unusually manly next to Han Yeoreum. I mean, he is a man, but you know what I mean

-Anonymous 45: Feels like they started as a college couple and became newlyweds

And that wasn't the end.

The event rewards became even more elaborate.

JC ENM had been making a fortune from drama merchandise ever since 〈ParCheHi〉.

They understood viewers and otaku better than anyone.

Receive a wedding invitation.

Get the Phone Couple Polaroids from the final episode.

Win the tutu skirt worn by Beopsun.

Even Jeon Segye and Nam Pyeonghwa employee ID cards.

[Dongdaemun Romance Minor Gallery]

[We need to separate the true-blood loyalists from the pretenders. Anyone who showed up late shouldn't even be allowed to enter the event]

The loyal subjects who've been here since Episode 1 deserve the rewards. Why would you hand wedding invitations out to random people?

Anonymous (17.172): Honestly, give the wedding invitation to our moderator. That guy deletes posts at dawn like clockwork.

↳ Anonymous (2.33): I nearly had a heart attack seeing insane posts disappear within three minutes.

Anonymous (4.40): I absolutely need that employee ID card.

MBS hadn't merely prevented people from switching to 〈There Is Only One Culprit〉.

They had started fish farming.

Nobody was allowed to escape.

Viewers loved them for it.

And on the day all three dramas ended...

INTUBE

[The kindergarten-couple wedding behind-the-scenes & NG compilation ♥︎ SegyePyeonghwaElizabeth Forever ⎜ Dongdaemun Romance Special] 45:27

371,112 views

-So THAT'S where the wedding photos came from LOLOLOL They took them in a corner of the venue and somehow got chemistry like THAT T_T

↳ I seriously thought it was a separate photoshoot LOLOLOL

-Can't you just keep releasing specials every week? Holy shit I love this

-Seo Eden looks ridiculously good in a tuxedo; it's confusing. He was such an idiot before. How did he become a groom?

-Han Yeoreum's popularity makes total sense LOOOLLLL She looks insanely pretty in that dress

↳ Seriously. She's so pretty I just want to marry her... my wife

↳ What the fuck, old man, get lost

↳ I'm a woman TT__TT

By locking up romance viewers, they dramatically reduced the percentage migrating to 〈There Is Only One Culprit〉.

Han Yeoreum was quite literally a chemistry fairy.

She looked great with Seo Eden.

She looked great with Beopsun.

The corners of viewers' mouths stayed lifted throughout the lengthy special.

* * *

IP 85.152 moderated the gallery while watching the special in real time.

Of course, mindlessly buying useless merchandise was far beneath someone like IP 85.152.

However, because it was a viewer event, and because preserving props from a work meant preserving cultural memories that shared a specific era and emotion—and because such props could later become historical artifacts representing the trends, technology, and aesthetics of their time—

Furthermore, if one applied Walter Benjamin's concept of aura, the ability to recognize a unique object touched by the actor's own hands, rather than merely consuming a reproduced image, was itself a marker of refinement.

Therefore, if the item was going to end up with someone, it would be better for it to end up with him.

If it fell into the hands of mere resellers, they would fail to appreciate its true value.

And valuing the story contained within an object above its market price aligned with the modern intellectual's respect for non-material values and—

...

Input: Applying for the event TT__TT

Anyway.

That was how it was.

While enjoying the lingering afterglow of the perfectly sealed happy ending, the viewers of 〈Dongdaemun Romance〉—or more specifically, the ratings obsessives—watched the special and became convinced.

There would be no upset.

On the morning after all three dramas aired their finales, as soon as ratings were released, broadcasting executives, entertainment reporters, and drama addicts alike went on high alert.

“The ratings are out, right?”

“How much?”

“Who won?”

At the MBS Drama Center, Lee Saerok checked the final ratings from KBC, SBC, and JTBS.

Then he screamed.

“AAAAAHHHHH—!!!”

[HOT / The results of the Actress Holy Grail War just dropped.jpg]

Final episode ratings are out

〈Tamhok〉 Episode 16: 9.4%

〈Dear Judge〉 Episode 16: 11.9%

〈There Is Only One Culprit〉 Episode 16: 11.9%

〈Dongdaemun Romance〉 Episode 16: 20.1%

DongRo wins by almost double

-Anonymous 1: Holy shit. I only remember everyone fighting at the beginning and never watched it LMAOO Must've been good

↳ Anonymous 4: Yeah, it was. Stayed consistent all the way to the end

-Anonymous 13: Such a shame about Tamhok T_T If it wasn't cable it would've broken 10%

↳ Anonymous 17: Maybe 10, sure. But 20 like DongRo? Probably impossible T_T

-Anonymous 29: Let's never watch Woo Seungri again

↳ Anonymous 45: 2222 Was that finale a joke? Total waste of time LMAO

↳ Anonymous 59: 333 The fact I finished it proves my patience is legendary

-Anonymous 76: Dear Judge's story was solid enough. No plot holes. Just kinda bland

-Anonymous 101: I was laughing too hard watching the loser couple to switch to another drama LMAO

Something that nobody had dared confidently predict when Episode 1 aired had finally happened.

Through 〈Dear Judge〉's powerful acting.

Through the actor-driven remains of 〈There Is Only One Culprit〉.

Through the frustratingly missing final piece of 〈Tamhok〉.

-Anonymous 145: Han Yeoreum's form is insane LMAO Every project she touches becomes a hit

In the end, only one person could sit upon the throne of the Holy Grail War.

“If it turned out like this....”

“She really climbed all the way up.”

“Han Yeoreum? Well....”

And everyone came to the same conclusion.

“She isn't a rising star anymore.”

Han Yeoreum had proven herself through skill, ratings, buzz, and popularity.

“She's A-list.”

And just like that—

She obtained a new title.

* * *

“AAAAAAAH! I CAN'T WAIT! I CAN'T WAIT!”

This was Ja Sokhwan's workshop.

The person bouncing around in a tracksuit from head to toe was—

“Daeguk. Sit down.”

“My blood is boiling too much to sit down!!!”

“Why is he like this...? I genuinely don't understand....”

That was Galdaeguk, director of Han Yeoreum's next project, <Codename: Time Seven>, and one of Ja Sokhwan's disciples.

“Brutal battles with blood pouring everywhere...! Surviving with all your limbs intact is considered a victory, yet my actor is going to personally cut down every senior operative one by one and roll their heads across the floor!!! AAAAH!!! I'M SO EXCITED!!! This equally ruthless Galdaeguk shall be your opponent!!!”

“Could you be a little quieter....”

The one covering her ears as if her eardrums were about to burst was Ma Eungyo, writer of <Codename: Time Seven> and another of Ja Sokhwan's disciples.

“Gal!!! Eungyo, does your blood not boil too?! Our work is about to be unleashed upon this cruel world!!!”

“Everyone who reads the script says it's amazing, but honestly I don't know? Still, literally every single person keeps saying it's incredible, so maybe my work really is something special.”

Both seemed hopeless in their own ways.

But Ja Sokhwan knew exactly how talented they were.

As he examined the storyboard and screenplay for <Codename: Time Seven>, the corners of his mouth curled upward.

An overseas location shoot.

A production that would consume an absurd amount of money.

Preparation had to be meticulous before filming even began.

Especially because of the heavy CG requirements.

And yet, according to the genius of this era, Ja Sokhwan—

“Hey. You two.”

There wasn't a single thing worth correcting.

“Make sure MelonMaru takes good care of it.”