The crew's filming was proceeding in an orderly fashion.
One thing, in particular, caught Kwon Hyun Hyuk's attention.
When Kwon Hyun Hyuk was acting opposite the female lead, Kim Hye-yoon, physical contact between them triggered his sixth sense.
This allowed him to obtain fragmented information, including details about some of the dramas and information he would participate in, as well as his future 'life drama.'
The term 'life drama' is a metaphor, signifying a massively popular work that changes one's life.
"Lovely Runner"
Unfortunately, that drama was several years in the future, too far away from the present, so there was no information particularly useful for the current situation.
His sixth sense also revealed that although Kim Hye-yoon would achieve some awards in the coming years, she wouldn't become hugely popular for quite some time, developing steadily instead.
"This is a big hit drama," Kwon Hyun Hyuk secretly noted in his small notebook, to prevent forgetting it as the information he received became increasingly complex in the future.
Beyond that, when Kwon Hyun Hyuk interacted with others, few triggered significant or too important information.
"Cut!"
Today's filming mainly focused on Kwon Hyun Hyuk's scenes. By the time they finished, it was already dark, and the crew was preparing to wrap up.
After the shoot wrapped, Kwon Hyun Hyuk seized the opportunity and approached the Director.
"Director, are you free tonight? I'd like to treat the scriptwriter and a few assistant directors to dinner."
Kwon Hyun Hyuk's face was beaming with enthusiasm, completely at ease.
Director Kim Sang-seop looked at him, a smile spreading across his sturdy face, making his eyes squint into slits.
"Kwon Hyun Hyuk is quite remarkable."
Kwon Hyun Hyuk's smile was honest and unassuming.
"They say new actors often get scolded, but I didn't expect Director to be so kind to me. I really don't know how to thank him."
Director Kim Sang-seop would direct a drama next year that would be hugely popular overseas. Establishing a good relationship now and leaving a good impression would make it easier to advance later through personal connections.
He was quite astute, already planning for next year.
"Let's go."
Kim Sang-seop agreed with a smile.
For Director Kim Sang-seop, Kwon Hyun Hyuk had a deep background, and he was also good at handling social situations, unlike most new actors who were so polite and respectful towards them that they seemed a bit stiff.
Kwon Hyun Hyuk had everything arranged perfectly. He led the group to a barbecue restaurant near the filming location and specifically requested a private room.
The Director, two assistant directors, two scriptwriters, and a few others sat down and started eating.
Most of the main creative staff behind the scenes were contracted employees of MBC and the production company, so they were quite familiar with each other and chatted freely. And Kwon Hyun Hyuk, as a newcomer, was quick-witted, occasionally cracking jokes that made the older folks laugh heartily.
In the entertainment industry's drinking culture, who doesn't drink? The Director, when happy, needed someone to drink with him.
Kwon Hyun Hyuk poured shot after shot of soju down his throat without hesitation, his chugging manner earning Kim Sang-seop's renewed admiration.
In this world of 'who's worse,' the drinking culture in Korea is already considered milder compared to some places overseas.
Western party culture often lasts all night, and some more unrestrained ones might even involve drugs and promiscuity.
Korean drinking culture is also quite demanding; it doesn't just end after a few hours at one table. Instead, it's a continuous progression of second and third rounds, moving to different venues and drinking non-stop, often lasting until the early hours of the morning, almost all night.
Fortunately, everyone was mindful of tomorrow's filming schedule, so today they only drank to their heart's content at the barbecue restaurant.
Director Kim Sang-seop's face was already flushed, and his speech and demeanor were much rougher than usual.
Kwon Hyun Hyuk sat beside him, refilling his glass whenever it was empty. Kim Sang-seop initially accepted with a smile, but later he stopped pretending, patting Kwon Hyun Hyuk on the back and talking loudly.
There's no doubt that the drinking table is the quickest way to build rapport.
"Among the actors in the crew, only Kwon Hyun Hyuk's acting meets my standards the most. He's a very promising child."
While Kim Sang-seop's words contained some exaggeration, they were also true.
How could it not be true? Kwon Hyun Hyuk acted by imitating what he remembered from his mind, so how could it be wrong?
At the dinner table, the other assistant directors also chimed in, making the atmosphere very lively.
"I'm even more satisfied now."
Kwon Hyun Hyuk proactively raised his glass with both hands. Kim Sang-seop clinked glasses with him, then tilted his head back and drank it all, a look of satisfaction on his face.
He couldn't just cater to the Director alone. He didn't forget the others at the table, acting like a humble junior, engaging in conversation and asking questions.
From these interactions, he naturally gleaned a few useful tips about the entertainment industry.
The drinking session finally ended in the early hours of the morning. Kwon Hyun Hyuk, breathing steadily and walking firmly, helped Kim Sang-seop back to his hotel suite.
In the end, Kim Sang-seop insisted on paying the bill. It's a Korean custom for the elder to pay for meals.
Only then did the day truly end.
Kwon Hyun Hyuk returned to his room and lay on the bed, browsing recent news on the web.
The rigging scandal continued to escalate, with more and more revelations surfacing online.
Since 2016, there had been continuous doubts about the authenticity of the voting results for the Produce series.
Two instances garnered significant attention: in the second season, many audience members witnessed the host, BOA, having her voting data changed on stage.
In the third season, during a group battle, viewers noticed that all 92 trainees' votes were even numbers.
Additionally, there was the widely circulated 'sacrificial position,' where in each season, trainees who had consistently been in the debut lineup were tragically eliminated, often suddenly dropping to 14th place in the finale.
While Kwon Hyun Hyuk wasn't in the 'sacrificial position' this season, he was close enough, so he was given that title.
As the rigging scandal intensified, under the ominous clouds of an impending storm, the thunder finally struck.
The incident finally saw a major breakthrough.
On July 25th, National Assembly member Ha Tae-kyung commented that he had consulted multiple mathematicians, all of whom stated that the probability of such a number combination occurring was 0, and that it constituted business fraud and employment fraud.
Seeing the situation escalate, Mnet released an official statement on July 26th, only admitting to a calculation error in the text message votes but denying any rigging, and stating that the counting error did not affect the final rankings. This blatant lie failed to quell public outrage.
A 'Truth-Finding Committee' was quickly formed among fans, and they sued the production team. The police launched an investigation on July 27th and found recordings of vote manipulation on the program staff's mobile phones.
At this point, the situation had gradually spiraled beyond the TV station's control. This escalating storm also offered a glimpse into the powerful forces at play behind the scenes.
Fans alone could not contend with the TV station and its parent company, CJ. It was the intervention of rival companies, fanning the flames, that blew this scandal into such a major event.
The hot topic dominated South Korea's headlines for several days.
Because Kwon Hyun Hyuk was the most suspected of being eliminated from debut, his name was repeatedly mentioned, making him potentially the strongest candidate on the list of rigged results to be announced by the police in the future.
This, in turn, caused his popularity to soar, especially after more people who hadn't watched the show searched for his clips online and expressed their indignation on his behalf.
Kwon Hyun Hyuk appeared on the show as a complete newcomer, and due to his age, he often served as the leader in the performance teams.
He remained calm in difficult situations, handled relationships smoothly, and could unite the team. His personal demeanor and strong leadership skills made him a true debut candidate, naturally excellent.
Despite a weak foundation, he showed rapid growth, and his outstanding performance as a leader made more people notice him, thus generating goodwill.