Chapter 582
January 1.
There are things humanity universally thinks about.
“This year, I’m really going to live differently!”
Right. The day a new year begins. Even though everyone knows they won’t keep their New Year’s resolutions—or won’t even try—they still make the same futile promises every year.
Dieting.
Studying.
Working out.
Waking up early.
At least on this day, most people would wake up early and start energetically.
But this year was different.
[Daily Chit-Chat Board / Holy shit I'm screwed, came to Jeongdongjin to watch the sunrise and slept through checkout time]
I was only gonna watch one episode of and go to bed..T_T Ended up watching the whole thing. I'm still sleep deprived. I was sitting there with the curtains closed watching and didn't even notice the sun came up. I'm insane.
-Why are there so many people who pulled all-nighters over this? lol Is it really that good?
-You're literally me.. I only slept two hours because I wanted to read everyone's analysis posts T_T
↳ What's your MBTI anyway? Are you a J?
↳ LOL what kind of person only sleeps two hours because they want to read analysis posts?
-Congrats, I guess you're just someone who went sightseeing in Gangwon Province now.
[Drama/Movie/Actor TALK / Is NetHolics insane? Why would they release this now and ruin my New Year]
Those bastards watched it in the morning first. That's so unfair.
-Anonymous 1: Seriously, changing all Koreans' sleep schedules on New Year's Day is evil T_T
-Anonymous 3: Best New Year ever.. fr. Thinking I would've gotten spoiled without seeing this first pisses me off LMAO
↳ Anonymous 5: The whole board's already full of spoilers. Feel bad for anyone watching after getting spoiled T_T
-Anonymous 9: Wait, how were NetHolics people watching from the morning? Early release?
↳ Anonymous 12: Something called time zones exists.
↳ Anonymous 9: Shit, my brain stopped working after staying up all night T_T
People who planned to watch one episode before sleeping ended up pulling all-nighters from the very first day of the year.
The reactions of those who watched it live were immediately passed on to the morning crowd.
The miracle-morning enthusiasts who woke up to cheerful birdsong and bright sunlight felt proud of themselves for keeping their New Year's resolutions.
And proceeded to destroy all those little daily routines.
“Huh? ... so that thing everyone was talking about came out yesterday.”
NetHolics' marketing had been so aggressive that everyone in their teens and twenties had heard the title at least once.
People who woke up early to stay true to their resolutions saw the internet exploding and pressed play on Episode 1. After all, the people who stayed up all night watching it were the kind who did that regularly anyway.
Surely this year would be different.
Surely the version of themselves that had gotten up early with a new mindset would be different.
“...What is this?”
And then came the end of Episode 1.
ending with On Jihwa trapped on both sides by the infected.
That insane drama was ruining even the daily routines of people who had diligently tried to keep their New Year's resolutions.
[HOT / Drama causing mass all-nighter casualties.jpg]
( trailer)
Ah lololol zombies lololol Yep, Korea's finally making one. Probably some niche quota thing...
(Kim Kangil still.jpg)
Fuck, who put a helmet on Myeong Jeha? Casuals don't know shit.
(Yoo Yeonji still.jpg)
Hmm, predictable. She's obviously gonna sacrifice herself for someone.
(On Jihwa still.jpg)
So obvious22. Using a loudspeaker while shooting arrows lolololol
(Infected still.jpg)
At least the makeup might be decent...?
(Photo inside K-X.jpg)
The promotion is way too over the top LMAO They're trying too hard.
(Release date screenshot.jpg)
Sigh. They're acting this cocky, so I guess I'll watch and see how good it is.
(Dark-circle frog meme.jpg)
Fuck...
-Anonymous 1: Damn, that's exactly how I felt LMAO
-Anonymous 3: That's literally the route my New Year's taking.
-Anonymous 19: I still can't sleep... Guess I'll just stay awake for two days T_T
-Anonymous 23: Tried to sleep after Episode 1, then Episode 2 happened, and I got dragged around by my hair until sunrise LMAO
↳ Anonymous 45: Shit, same.
↳ Anonymous 51: LOL seriously. And now I'm rewatching, so I won't sleep today either.
-Anonymous 67: Is it really that good...? I haven't watched it T_T
↳ Anonymous 88: If you don't want your life ruined, don't watch it.
↳ Anonymous 67: Thanks! I'll definitely watch it!!
People who had stayed up all night and reached the ending couldn't hide their overflowing emotions, and they naturally split into several camps.
[Drama/Movie/Actor TALK / I finally understand why movie directors rule. Watching O Seonyul's directing made me understand.]
I used to think movie directors were too full of themselves compared to drama directors..LOL but the quality of the scenes is seriously on another level; the way he grabs you, releases you, freezes you, melts you, burns you, and makes you cry is insane.
-Anonymous 1: Personally, after , I thought movie directors and drama directors weren't that different lololol but the Pietà scene gave me chills.
↳ Anonymous 5: facts. No drama director could've touched that Pietà scene.
-Anonymous 9: I screamed at the human centipede scene. It was literally a disaster movie.
People obsessed with O Seonyul's chilling direction.
Seoul Metropolitan City Minor Gallery
[I was right to trust Mad Ihwa. Rewatching Episode 1, the foreshadowing in the beginning is terrifying.]
(Capture of Kim Kangil saying "You don't know how to live with others".jpg)
Look closely at the scene where Kim Kangil gets pissed after missing the elevator. You can see shoes through the closing doors, right? Those are Lee Jeongmin's shoes lololol
(Full-body shot of Lee Jeongmin walking.jpg)
From that point they were already showing that Jeongmin was the one who regressed. The movement doesn't match lololol
Anonymous (17.12): Holy shit, you're right. Your eyes are amazing.
Anonymous (3.5): That gave me goosebumps. They spoon-fed us everything from the beginning lololol
Anonymous (23.297): Mad Ihwa, how do you even come up with stuff like this?
People whose heads were still ringing from the blow delivered by Seomun Ihwa.
Most of them had already started rewatching, desperately searching for any clues they might have missed.
They'd long since stopped feeling tired.
[From an unknown Daehakro actress to starring in NetHolics Korea... Who is this actress?]
The reactions toward Tak Jeongyun were also explosive.
Naturally so, considering she had been the biggest key to the twist O Seonyul and Seomun Ihwa had prepared.
-I've never seen her before..^^ She acts like such a veteran~ I hope she continues to rise. Now that only success awaits you, I think we'll get to see your face a lot. Truly a luxury-class actress!!
Click.
Tak Jeongyun, who had stayed awake all night, took a screenshot of the comment.
And naturally, the largest faction was—
[NetHolics Korea, about to become a “global powerhouse”? “As expected, the Three Beacons of DaeYeJong”]
[Han Yeoreum, Myeong Jeha, Do Gyeoul, public applauds the triple blessing at DaeYeJong]
[The Three Beacons of DaeYeJong show the world what K-apocalypse is... Not just visuals, but acting skills too]
The reactions toward the Three Beacons of DaeYeJong.
Their acting, characterizations, and completely different balances had, in crude terms, fried everyone's brains.
People whose hearts overflowed while binge-watching quickly clipped scenes and spread them everywhere.
It was the perfect advertisement that naturally forced social media users to watch Episode 1.
0percent. @0percentttt
(Lee Jeongmin and Yoo Yeonji Pietà scene.jpg)
This is what happens when a movie director enters television.
Retweets 9,876 Likes 11k
↳ It's so beautiful...
↳ What are these perverted lights and this perverted composition? A movie director is definitely a movie director lolol
Yoo Yeonji's Pietà scene had perfect lighting, music, and framing.
It was a level of quality television simply couldn't produce.
That miserable yet sacred scene was certain to become the greatest scene in Do Gyeoul's entire filmography.
Ddujji @duuduuduu
(Kim Kangil slap scene.mp4)
Violence is never okay. Violence is wrong. Violence is bad no matter the circumstances. Aaah... ^//^
Retweets 21k Likes 38k
↳ How is someone literally PassType incarnate?
↳ Myeong Jeha serving up a delinquent idiot bad boy is too sweet...
↳ He's just swearing his head off. There's not even one compliment in there LMAO
Myeong Jeha became the husband of ten million people through sheer existence.
Despite being handed every cliché imaginable, he devoured them all with absurd skill.
His face was hidden by a helmet, but that only drove people crazier.
Do you like Hwigi of Spring? @Hiiiii9i
(On Jihwa archery scene.mp4)
My baby Eulji Mundeok, baby Gang Gamchan, baby Yi Sun-sin, baby Jumong, baby Yeon Gaesomun, baby Kim Yushin, baby Yi Seonggye.
Retweets 17k Likes 22k
↳ Holy shit, they're dragging in every historical figure now.
↳ Shhh.
And finally—
On Jihwa.
Her appearance at the ending of Season 1 had produced countless nicknames.
Because she was the thing everyone wanted most, and they had shown her last.
The pleasure was doubled.
More importantly, they had retained her image as the tragic weak point everyone wanted to protect.
On Jihwa, who had been left all alone.
Maybe she had died before meeting her mother.
Maybe she had given up everything the moment she saw her mother infected.
Or perhaps she had accepted reality and escaped by herself in the end.
Because no one knew the answer, everyone became even more obsessed with On Jihwa.
Character appeal was split evenly between the three.
But the ultimate driving force of a story—
Curiosity.
That had been poured entirely into On Jihwa.
Real-Time Trends
#TakeOffTheHelmet
567 posts
#Pieta
481 posts
#ButOnJihwa
8,872 posts
Naturally, On Jihwa had the most mentions.
Half a day after was released—
“Check the trend.”
NetHolics Korea: Top 1.
NetHolics Global Overall: No.10.
United States: No.9.
Buzz Index: No.1.
Dominating real-time trends.
No.7 throughout South America, including Brazil and Mexico.
It was a successful signal flare for simultaneous streaming in over 190 countries.
A smile spread across Andrea Shark's face.
Before her, an absurdly steep graph rose upward.
At this rate, it wouldn't be long before they broke the record and reached first place everywhere.
Less than a day after release, everyone was talking about .
And it happened to be a holiday.
A day when people had time.
Since January 1 fell on Thursday, there was only one day left before the weekend.
Perfect for binge-watching a long drama.
“Well... I'll just watch two episodes and do my work afterward.”
“I'll watch a little today and tomorrow, then binge it over the weekend.”
“I've got plenty of time.”
And that was precisely the biggest problem.
People who watched Episode 2 clicked Episode 3.
People who watched Episode 3 clicked Episode 4.
Everyone had gone insane.
“Boss! People won't get off the Stairway to Heaven machines! We're getting complaints!”
“Tell them to walk slowly on the treadmills and wait. January 1 is always like this.”
“No, but...”
The gym was packed with people who had gotten up early to work out.
The owner casually opened the door—
And froze.
“What the?”
The treadmills and Stairway to Heaven machines were packed.
Every single person had the same screen open.
“They're literally just watching a drama and refusing to leave!”
People who went to cafés to write in their diaries and begin the year with a new mindset—
“...Just one more episode...”
Ended up settling down and watching.
They had planned to cut back on coffee this year, but ordered another drink and failed that resolution too.
“The laundry's done! Why aren't you folding it?! Didn't you say you'd organize your clothes this year?”
“Mom, that's not what's important right now.”
Nobody could spare attention for the laundry.
“Huh? Something smells burnt...”
“Ah! We were making stew!”
Quite a lot of people burned their food.
Those who had watched until morning and then slept.
Those who had started watching after waking up.
Only one thing was certain.
Everyone had fallen into .
A great wave was coming.
A tidal wave called popularity.
“...Ah!”
I regained consciousness to the sensation of my body being shaken violently.
“Yeoreum!”
Opening my sleepy eyes, I saw Choi Seonhye waking me.
“Huh?”
Come to think of it, it was ridiculously bright outside.
I must have overslept without hearing my alarm.
“Ugh... Unni...”
“This is NOT the time to be sleeping!!!”
Being a former athlete, Choi Seonhye had an incredibly loud voice.
Normally she controlled it, but right now she looked ready to devour Director Galdaeguk.
My ears were ringing.
“Mm... sorry. What time is it?”
“You, you know what, Yeoreum!”
Choi Seonhye grabbed both my shoulders tightly.
The moment I met her eyes, overflowing with exhilaration—
My instincts told me something huge had happened.
“You gained a million followers!”
Huh?
“...A million?”
I didn't mishear, right?
“Yeah! Foreign followers started flooding in the moment came out!”
Choi Seonhye raised her phone with the hand that had been gripping my shoulders.
My Yousta account was open on the screen.
Youstagram
@midsummer
Followers 7.2m Following 0
For a moment, my mind went blank.
I picked up my phone from beside the pillow.
It was dead.
“U-Unni. I think my phone's broken? It won't turn on!”
“Didn't the battery just die? Where's your charger?!”
As we hurriedly plugged it in and waited, my heart pounded violently.
So violently that my skin around it hurt.
Had one second ever felt this long?
The screen finally lit up.
Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding.
Notifications exploded.
Endlessly.
Without tiring.
Without stopping.
Countless hearts and comments flooded the screen.
As if to say—
This was only the beginning.