Legendary Superstar
Chapter 188 188: Success

The first week of the K-Drama Festival came to a close, and what a week it had been.

Across entertainment circles, industry forums, and news networks, the general consensus was very clear --- this was one of the most exciting and unpredictable drama lineups in recent years.

Ratings were strong across the board, social media engagement hit record-breaking highs, and online streaming traffic surged by nearly 25% according to the year's report.

Every drama has been good so far, but the biggest surprise of the week?

It was the Star's Secret.

The show now sat comfortably at the number 2 spot in both domestic and international rankings.

Viewership of the drama grew steadily throughout the week, with Episode 3 now being labeled the "emotional turning point" of the series.

The combination of Minjae's quiet heartbreak, Jihoon's intense confrontation, and Yura's calming Jeju café scene was frequently cited in reviews as the strongest trio moment of the festival so far.

"Webflix's Surprise Hit Continues to Soar—The Star's Secret Draws Eyes Globally."

"Emotional Storytelling & A Scenic Getaway: Why Jeju Became the Star of Episode 3."

"Netizens Praise Rising Actor Minjae for Capturing Exhaustion and Longing in a Single Smile."

Hashtags related to the drama were still trending, and fan compilations, analysis videos, and even travel vlogs inspired by the café scene in Jeju flooded social platforms.

Meanwhile, other productions had been watching them closely.

MNL Studio managed to stabilize the ratings for Kill Me Kindly after a rough drop. Their newly released behind-the-scenes footage and live cast interview helped boost their engagement a little, but not enough to reclaim their earlier momentum.

And at BLK Studio, producers just moved quickly.

By the weekend, Chasing Dreams had launched a surprise live event featuring their idol-turned-actor Kwon Jihyun and his group. It was held in a popular university amphitheater in Seoul.

And of course, with their established fandom and the students, it drew in a very good crowd, and it also generated noise online. Hashtags related to Jihyun began trending briefly again, and as they expected, he continued to trend once again.

With it BLK Studio became content. Their viewership numbers increased for a little, and they rise in ratings, slowly building a wider gap between the Star's Secret and Chasing Dreams.

It was the only thing that BLK Studio want to achieve.

Meanwhile, inside Global Studios, the team wrapped up their last meeting for the week on a high note.

"The first week was a success," the executive producer said, looking around at his exhausted but glowing team. "Let's not lose momentum. We're halfway to something huge."

"And I think," one of the younger producers added with a grin, "we're not the underdogs anymore."

The entire room nodded.

No one said it out loud—but they were all thinking the same thing:

If Episode 4 delivers… they might just reach number one.

On the other hand, at the end of a busy week, the energy at Flex Entertainment was filled with excitement and exhaustion.

Although they weren't the production studio, the effect of the rising popularity of The Star's Secret was felt at every corner of their building. With Minjae's growing fame and the unexpected global traction of the drama,

Flex's name had been mentioned in multiple articles and press releases, especially if it was related to Minjae.

Flex Entertainment was satisfied all in all.

Especially that social media was now flooded with links to reviews, fan edits, and performance analyses praising Minjae's acting depth and subtle screen presence.

Several brands had already sent early inquiries about ambassador deals and endorsement campaigns for Minjae. They were double in number than before.

Magazine offers and casting requests were also beginning to pile up, drowning the aritst's managing department.

And with how busy the last few days had been, from coordinating interviews, managing press communication, sorting schedules, and protecting Minjae's public image, the team barely slept.

They had no sleep at all just to provide Minjae with the best possible people.

So when Sunday night came around, the company finally had a breather. Knowing everyone's hard work and exhaustion, the CEO knew he needed to do something to boost everyone's morale.

"I want you all at dinner tonight," he'd said that morning in a message to the Marketing Team. "Bring Minjae and Chanhyuk. And tell Artist Management to go too. You all earned it."

With the announcement on their group chat, everyone raised their hands and shouted in glee.

Finally! A good dinner for all their hard work!

Several hours later, the laughter echoed from the private room of a modern Korean fusion restaurant in Hannam-dong. The long wooden table was filled with sizzling grilled dishes, small plates of banchan, and bottles of soju and makgeolli being passed around to everyone.

Minjae sat toward the center, beside him were Chanhyuk and the CEO. He was dressed simply, wearing just a hoodie and a cap. Despite that, he was smiling more than he had all week.

By now, Minjae already had a good relationship with the members of the department, especially since they were the ones who were closely monitoring him.

"I can't believe I'm finally eating real food," an employee joked as he picked up a lettuce wrap. "All I've had this week is convenience store gimbap and protein bars while staring at my computer."

"You all earned this," the CEO uttered as he raised his glass. "You killed it this week, everyone, especially you, Minjae-ssi. Everyone's talking about your scene at the café window."

"Thank you, CEO." Minjae abruptly smiled and tossed a shot with the CEO.

"Our dear Minjae was really good." Chanhyuk leaned in, a teasing smile playing on his lips. "I watched the episodes and was crying too."

"Thank you, hyung." Minjae chuckled as he showed a smile on his lips.

"Now go continue it so our dear CEO can give all of us a raise." Director Chanhyuk joked around which made everyone laugh,

Even the CEO chuckled from the head of the table. He smiled and swirled his drink in his hand before speaking again.

"Look. I know it's been hectic. Everyone's been stretched thin this week, and I know some of you haven't even gone home properly. But this," he lifted his glass, "what's happening now? This is proof that all your hard work isn't going unnoticed."

Everyone around the table paused for a moment, touched by the rare praise.

"You're a small team, but you're efficient," he continued to praise the employees before his gaze landed to Minjae.

"And you, Minjae, we've always believed in your potential. This drama is just the beginning so good luck."

Minjae lowered his head slightly and smiled.

"Thank you, CEO. I'll keep working hard."

"Let's cheers then."

With the CEO's invitation to drink, they all raised their shot glass and drank a shot of soju. The taste of it was seeping down their throat.

Their laughter erupted again as someone teased Chanhyuk for nearly knocking over the grill with his elbows.

The mood at the dinner was light, and the closeness of the employees was very evident in the way they teased each other outside the company.

As the night deepened, they talked more about future episodes, upcoming press tours, and the sudden influx of fan letters being delivered to the building every morning.

Even Chanhyuk looked genuinely moved watching Minjae grow. Especially since Minjae was under their department first.

A week ago, they were simply hoping The Star's Secret would survive the competitive flood of the festival lineup. But now, who would have thought that they can reach the second place?

"One day, we'll get to the top," Chanhyuk said confidently, setting down his glass. "The story's just starting to peak, and people are emotionally hooked now. That's what matters."

"I agree with it. We've seen the numbers, but you know what really stuck with me?" one of the younger artist managers added. "It's the way fans talk about Minjae. They're emotionally invested in Taeyung. That's a good sign for long-term loyalty."

"And those café edits," Chanhyuk said with a playful shake of his head. "They're literally everywhere. Even my feed is full of fan cams with acoustic music in the background."

"Yeah, I know. I'm grateful for it too," Minjae smiked genuinely.

That got another round of laughter, the kind that only came when you were tired, satisfied, and still a little in awe of your own reality.

Then the CEO leaned forward again, serious now,

"I meant what I said earlier. This is just the beginning," he said. "The industry is watching now. Every move matters from this point forward—how you carry yourself, how you respond to fans, how we protect this momentum. You're not just Flex's rising star, Minjae. You're now a name on the national radar."

Minjae nodded slowly. His voice was quieter when he answered.

"I'll do my best not to let anyone down."

"We know you won't," the CEO replied.

They toasted again—this time, not just to success, but to their growing resilience.

And by the time dinner time ended, everyone began to say their goodbyes for the night.