The night before, the moment 〈Dongdaemun Romance〉 aired its finale, its buzz exploded like a wildfire.

There were several reasons, but the three biggest ones stood out.

First, its overall quality was vastly superior to the other two dramas airing in the same time slot on the major networks.

People always said dramas lived and died by their writers.

As if proving that statement to the entire public, Hwang Boseok put every ounce of his accumulated skill on display.

The undefeated top writer remained undefeated.

The fact that there was no character derailment satisfied not only viewers of 〈Dongdaemun Romance〉 but even casual audiences who had only encountered it through short-form clips.

[HOT / (Spoilers) Today's legendary perfect 〈Dongdaemun Romance〉 ending scene.jpg]

(Jeon Segye shaking hands with the second male lead at the wedding.jpg)

(Beopsun flawlessly performing as the flower girl.jpg)

(Jeon Segye crying while looking at Nam Pyeonghwa.jpg)

(Nam Pyeonghwa smiling brightly.jpg)

After getting married, Jeon Segye is going to run the company while Nam Pyeonghwa plans to study in France. The second male lead subtly hinted that he still had feelings for Pyeonghwa, so Jeon Segye immediately got that flatfish-eyed look again. Then he lied about having a month-long long-distance relationship experience from English Village. Beopsun wore a dress and went “Ang!”

Perfect ending.

-Anonymous 1: If it had just ended with the wedding it wouldn't have felt this good lol. Hwang Boseok really is Hwang Boseok.

↳ Anonymous 12: Exactly. The part where he lets her go study abroad after marriage felt like genuine love...

-Anonymous 30: Even the villains were only annoying in a fun way. I switched over from 〈Dear Judge〉 and honestly I should've started DongRo sooner T_T

↳ Anonymous 44: Same here. I got tired watching 〈Dear Judge〉 and moved over to DongRo. Kinda regret not doing it earlier...hehe Still enjoyed it though TT_TT

-Anonymous 101: Been a while since we got a rom-com this good hehe

And then there was the second reason.

MindYourHeartBird @yeomisae

(Han Yeoreum wedding dress scene.mp4)

The door opens and you walk in, from the first glance I knew you were my love, I want to tell you carefully, I want to be brave, from today onward, may I love you...?

Retweets 21K Likes 34K

↳ Doesn't look careful at all. This is fucking terrifying;;

↳ Username checks out lmfao

ScreenDaze @ScreenDaze

(Finale scene.mp4)

First time in my life I've seen a male lead look this insanely cool in a wedding scene.

Retweets 11K Likes 24K

↳ This is the power of the Name Couple.

↳ The bride smiling brightly while the groom is bawling his eyes out.

Han Yeoreum's wedding dress scene was truly overwhelming.

She was the very embodiment of an ideal bride.

The bright lighting wrapped around her entire body, making her seem like happiness itself had been gathered together and given form.

[Dongdaemun Romance Minor Gallery]

[I cried during the wedding scene just like Jeon Segye]

Oh my god, what's wrong with me...

Anonymous (1.23): Same. It felt like all three of us were getting married.

Anonymous (2.772): The actress playing Pyeonghwa looked insanely good in that dress, so it felt like a real wedding. The way she looked at Segye too. It completely shattered the third wall. Like, "Nope lol, this isn't a drama. We're actually getting married." Something like that?? I sound insane writing this, but still.

↳ Anonymous (2.30): That's actually a perfect explanation. That's why I cried too... How am I supposed to let the Name Couple go?

The moment Pyeonghwa appeared through the doorway in her wedding dress, countless viewers claimed their hearts stopped.

And then came the final reason.

Ppongdang @pppongdang___e

Pyeonghwa: How much whipped cream should I put on?

Segye: A looooot, please...!!

Pyeonghwa: (smiling like he's hopeless) Lots of whipped cream, then.

Retweets 27K Likes 33K

↳ They're such a sickeningly sweet couple, but they really match.

↳ For real. Certified Love Fool Man LMAOO

The chemistry the two had displayed throughout the drama played a huge role.

Romance had always been a genre built on selling the male lead.

That was an eternal truth.

Seo Eden's "my man" appeal came from becoming a complete fool exclusively for Nam Pyeonghwa.

Handsome, yet innocent.

Excellent self-discipline, yet hopelessly inexperienced in dating.

Honest about his feelings and surprisingly good at expressing them.

Yousta

[The Name Couple's chemistry is apparently driving everyone insane.jpg]

9,982 Likes

14K Comments

-@Kim Minju Isn't this literally your ideal type...? TT_TT

↳ If a guy looked like that he probably wouldn't be inexperienced, damn it.

-@Lee Youngchan Just like us.. hehe

↳ Honeyyy thank you sooo much for tagging me >< From now on I'll cut my hair like that and dress like that too! Ang ang! I'll become a man worthy of standing next to my princess!!!

↳ What the hell are you doing right now?

↳ LMAOOO Just because he's a Love Fool Man doesn't mean you're the same person.

-Does a man like Jeon Segye actually exist? I want to kidnap one.

A phenomenon often described as "self-inserting" began to occur.

Enchanted by Jeon Segye and Nam Pyeonghwa's absurd chemistry and characterization, the public started identifying themselves with the two characters.

Not only did a new term, "Love Fool Man," emerge, but Han Yeoreum gained a new nickname as well.

Kim Byeonggwan Is It Really You @kimbeyounggwan

(Close-up screenshot of Nam Pyeonghwa looking like she genuinely doesn't care.jpg)

A guy says he doesn't like her.

Low-Self-Esteem Girl: Crying, demanding reasons, electrocuting him, clinging to him 8,182,720 times while insisting she'll fix him.

Who-Cares Girl: Okay. (As long as I like you. I'll keep doing my own thing.)

Retweets 41K Likes 57K

It wasn't only Jeon Segye who possessed a type of characterization Korean dramas had rarely seen before.

In fact, whenever Jeon Segye stole the spotlight with his antics, the one who benefited from the resulting halo effect was Nam Pyeonghwa.

-Anonymous 1: Fuck LMAO I hated the "Who-Cares" meme but "Who-Cares Girl" is actually pretty good.. hehe

↳ Anonymous 18: Same LOOLL I'm dying laughing.

-Anonymous 24: That confession scene was incredible... I think I finally understand why Hwang Boseok remains at the top. Even a Love Fool Man's IQ rises when he's standing next to someone this emotionally stable T_T

-Anonymous 49: She was literally a Who-Cares Girl from her very first appearance. I still can't forget it.

Leaving aside the fact that Seo Eden and Han Yeoreum's brand indexes were skyrocketing through the roof, they had now achieved unprecedented mainstream appeal.

And among the so-called Great Actress Holy War productions, 〈Dongdaemun Romance〉 was the only one that surpassed 20% ratings.

The winner was unquestionably Han Yeoreum.

She had secured everything at once—critical success, popularity, personal brand value, and advertising power.

JC ENM's PR team had been busy since morning.

Faxes buzzed endlessly.

Email notifications never stopped.

The sounds of keyboards and ringing phones blended together chaotically.

"Please send the proposal via email first. We'll review them in order."

"Given the current schedule, interviews are a bit difficult. Haha. Yes, if you send written questions first, we'll take a look."

"Yes, yes. We'd appreciate that. Right now we're currently..."

Watching the frantic PR staff, Manager Hong knew it wasn't over until it was over.

"Don't let your guard down until next week!"

Next week, all three dramas would officially conclude their runs.

They needed to keep this momentum alive until then.

This victory was different from the previous ones.

It would elevate Han Yeoreum's status by an entire tier.

Advertisements were pouring in.

Interview requests were flooding in.

"Let's go."

Like the wind itself, 〈Dongdaemun Romance〉 quickly uploaded Seo Eden's recording MV.

Now, while the warmth of the finale still lingered, was the perfect timing.

INTUBE

[〈Dongdaemun Romance〉 OST Part 4. Seo Eden - Love Week MV] 04:21

233,112 views

-I never knew Seo Eden's voice was this good...TT___TT Segye, you're a real man.

↳ Please listen to Eden's solo song Frustrated >//<

-This male lead is such an unbelievable disaster, but Seo Eden fits the role perfectly.

-He's singing like he's holding his feelings down with every ounce of strength hehe This drama seriously made me reevaluate both Seo Eden's acting and singing^^~ Dude's actually talented.

-Name Couple... you two are my couple of a lifetime... Ah fuck, don't leave me.

↳ Me too T_T They were seriously so, so good...!

-The song coming in during the final scene made me tear up TT__TT I'm listening to this on repeat for a while.

When a great drama is paired with a great song, the synergy doubles.

The MV alternated between footage of Seo Eden singing in the recording booth and scenes of the Name Couple, making viewers even more emotional.

* * *

"Ah... there's way too much content..."

The person who left work faster than anyone else, Aetami, returned home and immediately began catching up on everything she'd missed.

The reaction to Seo Eden's MV, released at 6 PM, was explosive.

The accompanying Name Couple footage even made Aetami cover her mouth in happiness.

Just the advertisements currently being offered to Han Yeoreum numbered far beyond one or two.

From coffee commercials—the kind that only came after maxing out public favorability—to jewelry brands, franchise cafés, bedding companies, contact lenses, telecommunications providers, fabric softeners, pizza chains, and even cold medicine.

"How many photoshoots are you going to do...?"

Aetami shuddered at the realization that the content stream wasn't slowing down in the slightest.

The thought of endless videos and pictorials appearing with different styling every time nearly brought tears to her eyes.

Bzzzt. Bzzzt.

And above all else, there was this.

INTUBE

[Compilation of Every Cute Name Couple Moment] 37:42

87,112 views

-I started with the Name Couple and somehow ended up here...

↳ Same LMAOOOO

↳ Holy shit, same T_T They looked good together even when they were younger.

-The channel owner seriously has impeccable taste.

Comments were gradually increasing on videos she had uploaded long ago.

Thanks to the algorithm, they were receiving new attention.

Alongside Seo Eden's wedding-song MV and the 〈Dongdaemun Romance〉 clips uploaded by MBS, Aetami's Name Couple compilation had begun appearing in recommendation lists.

"And now everyone's rewatching 〈Strange Tales〉 too."

Eun Baekhap from 〈Tamhok〉 wasn't the only one benefiting from the era of massive reruns and clip culture. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

There was no way short-form content creators would ignore the public's nostalgia for the Myungdo-Seoryeong couple from 〈Strange Tales〉.

They started uploading short clips from 〈Strange Tales〉 as well.

Among them, one video became a particularly massive hit.

-Myungdo...! Please... please...!

It was the scene where Seoryeong desperately clung to Myungdo and sobbed as though she were dying.

Her small hands trembled pitifully while holding the unconscious man's weight.

The fingertips clutching his clothes looked heartbreakingly fragile.

The clip reached 9.87 million views.

Then came Lee Seohae from 〈Unfair Trade〉.

-You're hiding here.

The belt appearing from beneath the car was a shocking moment.

The chilling catharsis remained just as powerful no matter how many times viewers watched it.

That clip also achieved record-breaking numbers.

8.82 million views.

It almost felt as if people instinctively clicked on any thumbnail featuring Han Yeoreum's face.

By now, they had become convinced.

There wasn't a single project in Han Yeoreum's filmography worth throwing away.

* * *

"Ah... so this is what being a protagonist feels like...?"

I was completely overwhelmed by the flood of advertising offers.

There were even countless commercials involving Beopsun as well.

The mainstream appeal of a romantic comedy had exceeded all my expectations.

There were even more offers than when I played Huijae in 〈The Great Garland〉.

"And these brands too!"

Most of the endorsements I'd received as Huijae had come from newer brands.

But now, the majority were brands that only hired already-proven top celebrities.

"I guess this means I've really reached this level..."

Unable to contain my happiness, I sent a message to the Elder.

Are you watching? I've become this successful....

'At this rate, maybe I'll end up becoming more famous than Myeong Jeha this time.'

Soon I'd break through with NetHolics, capture hearts all over the world as On Jihwa, and make a spectacular leap forward....

'Come to think of it, Myeong Jeha hasn't done any overseas location shoots this time around, has he?'

I've already been to Hong Kong, and now I'm going to Russia too.

Bzzzt. Bzzzt. Bzzzt.

I suppose age really does show itself.

Myeong Jeha preferred phone calls over messages.

I answered the incoming call.

"Hello?"