Chapter 168 – Christmas Gift Exchange?

The drama ‘Flowers, You and I’, or ‘Flower Dangna’ for short, started broadcasting.
Flower Dangna is a Wednesday-Thursday drama scheduled for a total of 16 episodes, and it is an ambitious TV drama that airs simultaneously in Korea and China.

The first viewership rating was 18.3%.
And the second day was 19.2%.

To be honest… It was a bit disappointing for me personally.
No matter how much these days, ratings for over-the-air TV dramas are hitting the bottom due to Netflix, web dramas, cable, etc.

There are actors with name value like Shin Ji-hye and Hwang Soo-ah, so wouldn’t 25% come out?
My adoption story and personal broadcasting have also become a hot topic, so it may be up to 30%.
It was a disappointing report card for me, who had expected it so easily.

“Don’t mind. Because it’s like that at first. After all, if it’s fun, everyone will come up.”

Was it obvious that he was disappointed after hearing the ratings?
My mom pats me on the shoulder and comforts me.

My mother cited another drama as an example and said that this viewership rating was by no means low.
Famous works that used to be 30% and 40% were also 10% and 20% at first.

Hearing those words, however, did not bring much comfort.
Is it the burden of the first work?
Everything seemed to be my fault.

From her mother, a middle-aged actress, to Seung-hee, a child actress, from leading roles to supporting roles, from directors to writers.
Everyone involved in the production of the drama is an undisputed veteran.

Except for me.

If there’s only one hole in this drama, it’s me.
This is Jin Seon-hu, who got in the way because he was the adopted son of Im Im-hye, even though he had no experience.

… Of course, I know that the ratings aren’t low because of me.
Even though I knew it was paranoia, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

The reaction in China is similar.
Joo Jung-hwan, who is popular in China, was advertised as the lead role, but when he came to the original broadcast, he changed into something he heard, so the protests in China are said to be no joke…
Ha. If this really ruins you… Ugh…

“Hey. You are good at acting Don’t worry about useless things.”

Actress Shin Ji-hye throws a low kick.
It didn’t hurt either.

I’d rather hit you a little harder.
If you break it and get hospitalized, you will be able to change the lead role again.

“Still…”
“Whatever. Do you think you alone can control the ratings? Be cheeky. Sure just. What? Aren’t you impressed?”

This time, I pretended to hit and didn’t hit.
The tone is rough, but Ji-hye noona thought of comforting her in her own way.

Well, there are such outstanding actors, but the impact I have on viewership ratings will be insignificant.
The fact that the viewer ratings went down because of me might have sounded like an understatement to Ji-hye noona.

“Anyway, the ratings are fixed. Actors only need to be good at acting. Okay?”

It’s obvious, but when actress Shin Ji-hye, a master of acting, spoke, the weight of her words was different.

Anyway, the ratings are fixed.
Paying attention doesn’t increase ratings, it’s just a waste of time and energy.

I took Ji Hye noona’s advice to heart and started preparing for acting again.

*

“Seonhoo, what are you doing for Christmas? Do you have an appointment?”

During the break, actor Hwang Soo-ah asked.

She was supposed to talk to Sua-noona between her sister-sister, but because she said it was bad to pretend to be too close outside, she spoke in a strange way that was neither polite nor half-spoken.
I also use informal language when the two of us are together, but outside of it, it’s almost polite.

“Sorry. I decided to spend Christmas at home with my family.”

Sua Noona, she just asked what she was doing, but she was actually asking her to spend Christmas with her.

Of course, there are no promises to me that day.
But my family has spent Christmas every year with his family, and this year is no different.
I don’t know if the meaning contained in the word ‘spend with family’ is a bit different from before.

“Ah… Huh…”

Sister Sua was visibly discouraged.
She must have mustered up the courage to ask.

It hurts to see Sua’s disappointment, but she couldn’t prioritize Sua over her family.

“Well, then, can’t I also go to Seonhu’s house to play? I will tell my mother.”

Sua noona once again speaks of her courage.
But that statement was within my expectations.

“Sorry. She hates coming home to strangers.”

My older sister, Jin So-young, is famous for her temperament.

There are many people who like fan service because it is rather easy-going without pretense, but people who try to approach them privately beyond the line of being a fan are not looked down upon.

The incident in which a man who approached an association executive through personal connections is a well-known story not only in the golf world but also among fans.
If you were a normal person, you might have been buried, but when you see Jin So-young doing it, it is packaged as something to be praised, I really don’t know the world.

“… Huh. Then you can’t…”

Thanks to that, when I have trouble like this, my sister makes excuses.
If you know who your sister is, most of them back off easily like this.

“I’m sorry, sister. … Instead of this.”

While the story of Christmas was coming out, I handed the gift I prepared in advance to Sua noona.
We won’t be able to meet on Christmas Day anyway.

“Huh? What’s this?”
“What is it? It’s a Christmas present.”

Sua noona accepts the gift I gave her with a dumbfounded expression.
Didn’t you think I’d give you a present? Or smoke like that?

“It’s not very expensive. It’s a scarf and a doll.”

A comfortable scarf that can go well with any outfit.
And a cute doll to decorate a bare house.

It’s cheap enough to make me laugh when I think of Sua’s performance fee, but it was a lot of money for me as an unknown actor.

“Ah… Go, thank you I’ll take good care of you. … By the way, I, I, I didn’t prepare a present… Sorry.”

Uh? Really?
Did you not intend to prepare it from the beginning, or did you plan to give it on Christmas Day?
It may be conceited, but it was surprising that Sua noona did not prepare a present.

However, it might have been better.
I said with a sly smile.

“Are you okay. Please buy me dinner or something next time.”

‘Of course, including the after.’

“… Huh.”

When I whispered a little, Sua nodded her head as if she was shy.

What could be a more expensive gift than spending a night with actress Hwang Soo-ah?
Hehe.

“Hello Seunghee. Hello Seunghee’s mother too.”
“Dad!”
“Hello, actor Jin Seon-hoo.”

I pick up Seung-hee, who finds me and runs towards me.
Seung-hee’s mother greeted me very politely today.
What’s so far between us.

“Dad! Did you buy a gift?!”

Is that the first thing you said when you met?
I smiled bitterly.

“Then. Of course I bought it.”
“And!”

Just looking at this conversation, it might look like Seunghee begged me for a gift.
Sure enough, Seung-hee’s mother terrified Seung-hee.

“Na Seung-hee! Did you ask actor Jin Seon-hoo to buy you a present?!”

However, Seunghee smiles despite being scolded.
I decided to intervene before Seunghee gets further scolded.

“Calm down, Seunghee’s mother. It’s not like that.”

And I took out a small wrapped gift box and held it out to Seunghee’s mother.

“This is a gift from Seunghee’s mother.”
“… Yes? What about me?”

It must have been a surprise.
Seung-hee’s mother didn’t readily accept my gift and was taken aback.

“Yes. She asked Seung-hee what she wanted for a Christmas present, and she said that since she was fine, she asked for a present for her mother. So, this is a present for Seunghee and I together.”

Are there any more heartwarming stories like this?
Seung-hee is unique as a child actress, but her daughter, Seung-hee, is forced to tighten her belt because of a gambling debt her father borrowed in her name.

And the same goes for Seunghee’s mother.
Seung-hee’s mother was even more anxious as she forced her daughter, Seung-hee, to live a frugal life. It’s so sad to see from the side.

And far from resenting her mother, Seung-hee gave away her Christmas present to her mother, who usually works hard.

“Mom, Merry Christmas!”

Seunghee’s bright smile is so cute.
I want to make her my daughter.

“It’s Seunghee…”

Seung-hee’s mother is moved to tears.
It made me feel like I was about to burst into tears.

I should be more filial to my mother. Sobbing.

“Seunghee’s mother, take it. I chose it together with Seunghee.”
“Still… Sorry…”
“No way. You think Seunghee is giving it to you.”

I forced Seung-hee’s mother to leave her gift.

“Mom, hurry up and open it!”
“It is a glove. Wear it if it suits you.”

At Seung-hee and I’s urging, Seung-hee’s mother hesitantly opens her package.
The contents are women’s leather gloves with white fur, which would go well with the suits that Seung-hee’s mother often wears.

“Oh. Aren’t these expensive?”

Seung-hee’s mother is surprised to see the brand on the box.
It’s a luxury item in its own way, so if it’s expensive, it’s expensive.

I thought it would be better to buy a suit if I was going to spend money, but I might not want to buy a suit that is too big.

“If you feel uncomfortable receiving affection, don’t return it as a gift and help ‘when you are in a hurry like last time’.”
“Ah… Yes.”

Seung-hee’s mother blushed as if she remembered ‘when in a hurry’.
Oh yeah. Following Sua’s sister, Seunghee’s mother also earned points once.

“Mom, what do you mean?”
“Yeah, later. I’ll tell you later.”

Seung-hee innocently asks and her mother evades.
It’s not as much as the mother and daughter in my house, but I thought that it was a picture-like mother and daughter.
I can’t understand Seung-hee’s father who is addicted to gambling over a mother and daughter like this.
Well, if you put it like that, it’s the same for my stepfather who ran away after cheating on me.

“Thank you, actor Jin Seon-hoo. I will use it carefully.”
“Thank you, Dad!”

Side.
I thanked Seung-hee’s mother, and also received a kiss on the cheek from Seung-hee.
This alone was worth the money spent.
Whoop whoop.

“Hey.”
“Yes?”

I was caught by actress Shin Ji-hye, who seemed sullen for some reason.

“Give me.”

And puts out her hand on her chin.

“What?”

I pretended not to know and pretended not to know.

“Gift.”
“Nuna, is it your birthday?”
“Do you want to die? I heard you gave it to senior Sua?”
“Ah~ A Christmas present?”

I’ve had sex with Jihye noona, but it’s not really an affectionate relationship.

This older sister is also a beauty and a person full of charm.
But somehow, that kind of personality doesn’t suit me.
If you want to act like an insider to match Jihye noona, you can do it, but it’s tiring.

So I try to keep a reasonable distance from Jihye noona.
I tried to omit the gift, but… Social life is not something you can do as you please.
I came to get it myself, but I can’t give it to you.

“Here you go.”

When I presented the gift I prepared, Ji-hye noona snatched it.

“What’s this?”
“A doll.”
“Doll?”

I bought it at the same store as the doll I gave to Sua’s sister, but the contents are different.
This gift was a cat doll that is famous for being ugly.

“… What’s this?”

Unsurprisingly, Jihye noona was impressed as soon as she opened the package.

“You look awfully ugly. As you.”
“Even if you’re ugly, you’re cute. Like me Very popular, that one.”

Jihye noona rubbed the ugly cat doll here and there as if dissatisfied.

“You don’t like it?”
“Who said you don’t like it? Thank you.”

When I sneakily tried to get it back, Jihye noona shrewdly took it away.

If it was a Christmas gift anyway, I would receive it like a mountain.
If you don’t like it, you can return it. I’ll give you Seunghee too.

“But sister, what do I have?”
“Doesn’t exist.”
“Swimming? Don’t play around.”

It seems that there really isn’t.

Did you ask for a present from your junior when you didn’t even prepare a present?
Eating the liver of a junior who just debuted while making good money!

“What is it, can’t you pay it back with your body later? Or what… See you later.”

When I stare at you, Ji-hye noona replies in a puzzled way.
She probably meant to pass it off as a sex drip as usual, but she couldn’t help but laugh and was so shy that the sex drip sounded more like seriousness than drip.

“Nuna, why are you pretending to be cute? It doesn’t suit you.”
“This!”
“Ouch.”

I got a low kick.
This one was pretty painful.

“Anyway, I’ll be grateful for the gift. Bye.”

Ji Hye noona left those words and left like the wind.
Surprisingly, the ugly cat doll seemed to like it.

──On that day, a total of 13 gifts were sprinkled on the set.
A total of 38 gifts were received.