It's here!
At the same time the web drama was uploaded on Seoul's MeTube channel,Mooyoung trudged wearily up the dormitory stairs.It had already been nearly two weeks since the semester began, and he was only just now moving in.
"I really have been living a busy life."
A week spent filming, another spent at Enbin's side.At this rate, he might lose his scholarship.If that happened—would he have to take a leave of absence?
Click.
The handle of Room 501 turned weakly, like Mooyoung's shoulders.But beyond the slightly open door came a cacophony of noise.
"No, I said N30!""We're running low on supplies. Wanna go grab food?""You're crazy! The zone's closing in—ah! I got hit!""Help! Help! Headshot!"
Three guys sat at their respective desks, each glued to their laptops, completely absorbed in their game.None of them even noticed Mooyoung had entered.
As he debated whether to say hello, he noticed his desk piled high with junk.
"What's this?"
Textbooks and all sorts of papers.Tilting his head, Mooyoung inspected the clutter.
"Ah, must be stuff from the dorm office. Nice."
Soap, toothpaste, and other basic toiletries—his roommates must've picked them up for him while he was gone.And in the meantime, they'd been using his empty desk as spare space.
"Hello?"
No response.Their eyes were practically glued to the screens, headsets blasting gunfire and explosions.From their intense expressions, they seemed to be at the end of the match.
"If we lose this, I'm deleting my account.""Obviously.""Kill them aaaaall!"
Better not interrupt.Mooyoung sat down quietly and swung his foot idly.That's when he noticed a thick stack of papers on his desk.
[Dohran Creative Theater: Human Home Shopping]
Dohran—that was the drama club from orientation day, wasn't it?Mooyoung flipped through the papers as he waited for the others to finish.
"Looks like it's still just a synopsis? But why's it so thick?"
[A middle-aged woman, a recluse for ten years. Her family disappeared long ago, and she never leaves the house.Her only joy: home shopping. With a simple flick of her finger, anything in the world can be delivered right to her door—how convenient!Unopened boxes pile up around her home, until there's nothing left to buy.Then one day, she stumbles upon a strange new channel… that sells people?]
The "products" sold on this home shopping channel were four people: two young, two old, male and female each.Though some parts were skipped, the final section included a spoiler-like note:
[The four were actually the protagonist's younger self, son, husband, and elder self.The home shopping presentation serves as a reflection on their lives, exploring emptiness and the meaning of family.]
"Where are they submitting this?"
The document was neatly organized, divided into sections outlining the purpose, direction, and message of the play.Still incomplete, but Mooyoung's impression was—
"It's good."
Surprisingly good.
Not only was the concept unique, but the writing itself was excellent.Even with just the opening script, he could vividly imagine the stage direction and mood.And the premise itself was perfect for theater.
"Wooaaah! Chicken! Chicken!""We're number one, cluck yeah!""Eleven kills, baby! That was insane. You admit I carried, right?"
A roar of triumph, as if they'd just scored a World Cup goal.Startled, Mooyoung dropped the synopsis.
Flutter—
The papers scattered gently across the floor.Only then did the roommates notice him—faces flushed red, laughing breathlessly.
"Huh?! Wh–who's that?""Ah! Crap, you scared me!"
Smiling, Mooyoung crouched to pick up the papers.Then, pointing to the desk, he introduced himself.
"Hello. I'm Ha Mooyoung."
"Ha Mooyoung? Oh! The newbie! Finally!"
"I thought you'd dropped out. When'd you get here?"
"Just now. You guys looked busy."
Choi Hwan and Park Moonseong extended their hands in greeting,but Bonggun just squinted at him, studying his face.That sense of familiarity—he was sure he'd seen him somewhere.
"Wait, you're the one who was at the Dohran booth, right?"
"Ah!"
Recognition struck like lightning.That clean-cut freshman from orientation!Bonggun jumped up, surprised.
"Whoa! Fancy seeing you here!"
"What? You two know each other?"
"Yeah, saw him at OT."
What a coincidence.He'd thought the guy was memorable—but to end up as dormmates?Mooyoung chuckled awkwardly, clearly thinking the same.
"Sorry for looking at this. It was on my desk."
"Huh? Oh, no worries."
"Sorry, I'll move our stuff. Storage space here's pretty tight, so we borrowed your desk a bit.Oh, and the supplies there are from the student council."
"Thanks."
The three hurried to clear Mooyoung's spot.Spinning in his chair, Bonggun glanced at the synopsis again, then asked casually:
"So, did you read the whole thing?"
It felt like fate.He'd been struggling with the young male character—the protagonist's son—just earlier.And now, the very guy who seemed to fit the part perfectly was right here before him!
"Yeah. You're having trouble with it, right?"
"Huh? No, not exactly… So, what'd you think?"
"If you mean personally…"
"Yeah, just your impression."
Choi Hwan and Park Moonseong exchanged wary glances.Why was Bonggun asking him? He never even let them read his scripts.
"It was interesting."
"That's it?"
"Well… I thought the premise really suits a play format.And the way it connects past and present through the characters' secrets was compelling.But…"
Mooyoung paused as he folded his clothes.
Unlike the others—who each had strong, distinct personalities—the young male character felt oddly colorless, as if painted in grayscale.He hesitated for a moment, then, catching the gleam in Bonggun's eyes, chose his words carefully.
"The son's character seems… less developed than the others."
"…Yeah. That obvious?"
Mooyoung cautiously gave his opinion.It was their first proper conversation, and he didn't yet know what kind of person Bonggun was.
"Since the whole 'home shopping' setup has a cheerful, lively tone, I could feel the other characters being written more heavily to counterbalance that. But on the flip side, it might be fun to lean into that energy. Maybe you could use the son's emptiness to bring in something more playful or comedic?"
Then he smiled—brightly, eyes narrowing slightly.
The moment Bonggun saw that smile, he suddenly imagined Mooyoung standing on stage.Completely unaware of what awaited him after being 'sold,'yet innocently promoting himself inside that surreal home shopping frame…
"Hey, are you a Korean Lit major? Bonggun's junior?"
"No, I'm in Global Cultural Studies."
"Huh. You talk like you've got experience."
"I just like books."
Mooyoung replied with a small laugh.He'd heard similar comments at his audition—maybe he really did have some sense for character work after all.
"Anyway, you haven't eaten yet, right?"
"No, I just got here."
"Let's go then. There's a great chicken place by the back gate.Tonight's Chicken Night! Let's mix up some soju and beer and celebrate properly!You've no idea how long we've been waiting for you, newbie!"
"Yeah, seriously. What were you doing that you didn't move in sooner?"
"No, don't tell us! Save it for when we're drinking, haha!"
Park Moonseong cheerfully danced a few steps while grabbing his jacket.Was winning a game really that thrilling?
"Bonggun, you're coming too, right? It's the newbie welcome party!"
"Nah, you guys go ahead."
"Aww, come on—!"
"I'm in the mood to write."
Bonggun said it simply, putting his headset back on.This time, instead of game sounds, the upbeat jingle of a home shopping program filled the room.
"Uh…"
"It's fine. He's always like that.When inspiration hits, he'll literally jump out of the shower to start writing. Let's go."
Still puzzled, Mooyoung blinked as Choi Hwan grinned and gave him a playful shove toward the door.
Clack!
The dorm door closed behind them, and Bonggun focused entirely on the flood of inspiration rising within him—inspiration born from Mooyoung's smile.
That night was special.
Tack-tack-tack—
It became the night the 19th Daehan University Literary Award winner was written—the play that would later become a mega-hit on Daehangno.And also the night Mooyoung's first ever video was uploaded online.
"Here, drink up, rookie!"
"Whoa, look at him go. He drinks like a pro!"
"A web drama shoot, huh? No wonder you looked so polished. Tall, too. You planning to go full-time as an actor?"
More than anything, it was the first night in Mooyoung's life that he got completely hammered.
"Uuugh—"
The next morning, Mooyoung clung to the corner of the lecture hall corridor, gagging.Those guys were insane.How could anyone drink two nights in a row?
"They're seniors with barely any classes left, that's why…"
While Mooyoung was dragging himself to campus,his roommates were still sound asleep in their beds.Still…
"It was fun, though."
He'd learned, for the first time, how alcohol could make people feel so good—even if the hangover was brutal.
Creak—
Holding his uneasy stomach, Mooyoung slipped into the lecture hall.But something felt… off.
"Did you see it?""Yeah, that's him, right?""Unbelievable. Is he going into acting now?""He's actually good! Even next to Enbin, he didn't fall behind at all."
The room buzzed—not exactly noisy, but strangely excited.Mooyoung felt the tension in the air but tried to ignore it.He didn't have the energy to care.
"Ha Mooyoung!"
It was the class rep and his group of friends.Instantly, every head in the room turned toward him.
"What the hell, man?"
"Why? Do I still smell?"
He'd scrubbed and deodorized himself thoroughly after drinking…
The rep sniffed, frowning as if confused, then held up his phone excitedly.
"'MeTube Trending Now — #1 Rising Video!' That's you!"
The web drama uploaded by Seoul City's official account—the thumbnail showed both Enbin and Mooyoung's faces front and center.
He hadn't even realized it had gone up—he'd been too busy drinking for two straight nights.When he saw it, Mooyoung couldn't help but laugh in surprise,and the class rep grabbed his shoulders and shook him.
"What are you! Who are you?!"
"Wait—hold on, I'm gonna—"
"Did you know it already hit seven hundred thousand views?!Also, what's Enbin like in person? Tell me, come on!"
The shaking made his stomach churn even worse.Mooyoung slapped a hand over his mouth, desperate.
"Uuugh—!"
"Ha Mooyoung! Dude!"
Leaving behind his curious classmates, Mooyoung bolted for the restroom.Why did he have to shake me like that?!
As he leaned over the sink, retching, his phone buzzed loudly.
Bzzz. Bzzz.
It was a call from the team leader at Square Film Studio.