Episode 30: Every Joy Comes with a Curse
The morning after Blind Singer Season 3’s premiere.
“Woo-hoo!!”
“Congrats, PD Hong!”
Cheers and applause greet Hong Hyunwook as he steps into YTV’s entertainment division.
“Come on, it’s just single digits. Why the fuss?”
Despite his dismissive wave, a grin lingers on his face.
An average viewership rating of 8.4%.
As Hong Hyunwook said, a single-digit rating might seem modest.
But in today’s world, with countless OTT platforms and diverse content access, it’s a stellar start—beyond even “strong.”
“Hong Hyunwook!”
That’s why the usually sedentary entertainment division chief comes bounding out to greet him.
“My star boy!!”
As the chief envelops him in a bear hug, Hong Hyunwook’s awkward expression sparks stifled laughter across the division.
But it’s brief. When the chief releases him, patting his shoulder, Hong flashes a humble smile.
“If I couldn’t pull this off with AZ, I’d have to resign. It’s no big deal.”
“Who brought AZ on board? That’s all your skill, Hyunwook. Am I holding up a busy man? Get to work—don’t come out!”
“Yes, sir. Head back in.”
Is it the ratings-driven world?
A lesser rating would’ve prompted a lecture to “learn from him,” but the chief skips even that, humming away cheerfully.
As Hong Hyunwook heads to his desk, envious, relieved, and slightly jealous glances follow.
He credits AZ, but everyone in the room knows that 8.4% isn’t just the power of a global star.
Blind Singer’s unique format draws its true strength from elsewhere.
“Kwon, what’s the count now?”
“Number 1 at 4, Number 2 at 6, Number 37 at 7. This morning it was 6, 9, and 11, but they’ve climbed already.”
Kwon Junghyun answers Hong Hyunwook’s vague question, lifting her hand from her phone screen.
The jealous glances intensify.
“Pfft. Heh.”
“Ha. Hahaha.”
Ignoring the stares, Hong Hyunwook and Kwon Junghyun can’t hide their grins.
YouTube, now the world’s top video platform, might outshine traditional ratings.
Three of their videos are trending in YouTube’s “Rising Videos” ranking—not just one.
“The preview made me think Seo Yoonje was overreaching, but this? Respect.”
“They say we messed up not giving that all-pass. Our bad, really.”
Reading comments—already over a thousand likes—on the top-performing video, Hong and Kwon laugh harder.
Then—
Thud!
Song Jaeryung, arriving late, slams her bag down with a furrowed brow.
“What’s up with Song?”
“Writer-nim, something wrong?”
“Ugh… look at this.”
Sighing despite the sky-high mood, Song Jaeryung holds out her phone.
‘What? Did something blow up?’
‘No way, there’s no risk…’
Anxiously, Hong Hyunwook and Kwon Junghyun lean in, scanning the text on her screen.
[‘Blind Singer Season 3’ Hits 8.4% Viewership, Green Light On. AZ Effect?]
[‘Blind Singer Season 3’ Number 37’s Identity Revealed?]
[‘Blind Singer Season 3’ Number 1 and Number 2: Who Are They?]
[‘Blind Singer Season 3’ Seo Yoonje: “That Was a Real Mistake.”]
The articles are all praise, so what’s the issue?
Hong and Kwon look up, confused, only to find Song Jaeryung smirking playfully.
“This means… I made that press release for nothing~!”
“Writer-nim!!”
“God, you scared me!”
Hong Hyunwook clutches his chest, and Kwon Junghyun squeals as Song sways gleefully.
But the moment passes.
“Pfft. Heh. Hahaha.”
“Hehe…”
“Hihihihi!”
Their laughter erupts again, only settling when colleagues’ “enough already” glares prompt them to get to business.
“Cocoa reveal’s at noon, right?”
“Yup. I’ll tally the rankings hourly and post them in the chat.”
“OK. Kwon, you’re on it again.”
“No worries!”
Hong Hyunwook chuckles at Kwon Junghyun’s crisp salute, then turns to Song Jaeryung.
“How’s the community buzz?”
A routine question, but Song catches the hidden meaning and shrugs.
“As expected. Number 37 was spotted right away. Number 2? Good luck finding them.”
“Number 1?”
“Safe for now.”
EUJN, a secret only they know.
The mysterious singer behind the OST for ‘Second Time with You’, a frontrunner for this year’s drama awards, is a potent bombshell.
“No one’s connected the dots yet, so we’re good until Round 2. But Round 3’s song choice might tip off some netizens.”
“Would be nice if it came from a judge’s mouth instead… Should we drop a hint?”
“Let’s watch for now. Episode 2 will shift focus to 80, 36, and 19, burying the others a bit. Keep an eye on the community this week and share anything big.”
“Got it.”
“Alright, let’s talk Round 3…”
Hong Hyunwook stretches, his face brimming with uncontainable excitement.
Just from rehearsal footage, his anticipation for Round 3 has skyrocketed.
But then—
“Huh?”
Every joy comes with a curse, they say.
An unexpected snag appears before their smooth-sailing ship.
“PD-nim, look at this…!”
Kwon Junghyun, pale as a ghost, thrusts her phone at Hong Hyunwook while ego-searching Blind Singer Season 3.
[Band Sandl’s Bassist ‘Kim Kwangyong’ Caught in Six-Car Pileup]
Hong Hyunwook’s joyful expression freezes instantly.
“Phew… ugh, ow, ow, ow!”
A deep sigh turns into a groan as the man clutches his chest.
His name is Kim Kwangyong.
Despite miraculously escaping a major accident that claimed four lives with minimal injuries, he’s far from at ease.
“Sorry about this, PD Hong.”
“No, it’s fine. You’re not seriously hurt—that’s what matters.”
Thanks to his seatbelt, Kim Kwangyong avoided life-threatening injuries, but at the cost of three broken ribs on his left side.
Six weeks of recovery.
Even starting now, participating in Round 3, let alone the live Round 1 finals, is uncertain.
Uncertain is an understatement—given his age, Kim Kwangyong’s withdrawal is practically a done deal.
“Don’t worry too much about the shoot. Focus on recovering, sunbae-nim.”
Hong Hyunwook speaks casually, but Kim Kwangyong isn’t fooled by the forced calm.
“Easier said than done. You haven’t found a replacement for me, have you?”
“Ha… no.”
Hong Hyunwook nods, acknowledging Kim Kwangyong’s knowing tone.
Kim Kwangyong is practically the godfather of Korean bassists.
A figure bold enough to critique even Kim In’s technique.
How many artists in this country could fill his shoes?
More precisely—
‘How many with that kind of name value would agree to be a stand-in?’
For people of that stature, pride often trumps money.
With only two weeks left, Hong Hyunwook’s mind churns over how to fill the void.
“Man… I’m disappointed too. I was really looking forward to those guys.”
Kim Kwangyong’s words soften Hong Hyunwook’s expression slightly.
“Which ones?”
“Both pairs. If those four had crossed paths, I wouldn’t have been as excited. But them being matched like that? It got me hyped.”
“The other judges were whining, saying it’s rigged.”
“Heh, I thought so too. I’m only joking about it now because I’m in this state. Ow!”
Kim Kwangyong chuckles, then winces, clutching his chest.
Hong Hyunwook half-rises in alarm, but Kim gestures for him to sit.
“The others might not care, but for those four, I won’t let just anyone take my spot, PD Hong.”
His words double the already heavy burden.
“Don’t worry, sunbae-nim. I’ll find someone who won’t tarnish your name.”
Hong Hyunwook forces a smile to mask the pressure, but it doesn’t fully hide.
“Tch, as if it’s that easy. This mess is my fault, so I’ll take responsibility.”
“No, sunbae-nim, just rest and focus on recovery.”
“Nah, nah. Hmm… they should be here soon.”
Only then does Hong Hyunwook realize why Kim Kwangyong called him.
Right on cue—
“Whoops, you’ve got company. I’ll come back later, hyung-nim.”
The hospital door slides open, revealing a broad face that catches Hong Hyunwook’s eye.
“No, come in. I called you to introduce you.”
Unlike Hong Hyunwook, frozen in recognition, Kim Kwangyong is unfazed.
“How’s your condition?”
“Condition? Broken ribs heal if you do nothing.”
The newcomer plops down across from Hong Hyunwook, gruff but familiar in asking about Kim Kwangyong’s health.
“This is Blind Singer’s PD Hong Hyunwook. And this is… well, your face says I don’t need to explain.”
“Exactly. I know, of course I know. Nice to meet you, I’m Hong Hyunwook.”
At Kim Kwangyong’s introduction, Hong Hyunwook, buzzing with anticipation, quickly hands over his card.
Contrary to his reputation as an eccentric—or bluntly, a crazy old-timer—the newcomer quietly accepts it, fueling Hong’s hopes.
“This guy watched the Blind Singer premiere and got on my case, saying I’m having all the fun alone. I wondered why, but he’s unpredictable, so I thought I’d mess with him for a few weeks. Guess this is my karma.”
Kim Kwangyong’s icebreaker draws soft laughter.
“If it’s okay with PD Hong, how about putting this guy in my spot?”
In that moment, Hong Hyunwook sees it—a vision of this sudden storm clearing into bright skies.
“What, you’re just deciding without asking me?”
The newcomer’s gruff voice stirs the storm again, but—
“So, you don’t want to? Fine, forget it.”
“Who said I don’t want to?”
Seeing the massive hand thrust toward him, Hong Hyunwook feels the special bomb he’d been handling could turn this storm into a dazzling fireworks display.
“Bang Hokyung. So, when’s the next shoot?”