LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 238
Chapter 238
**@deadchive**
“Finished watching ‘Killing Horn’ in one day.”
“I’m so freaking tired, seriously.”
“I started watching the first episode without thinking and couldn’t stop until episode 8.”
“Unfortunately, today is a school day, and I’m already hearing the professor’s lullaby on my way to school.”
**사무직쪼랩 @himeulsumgim**
“Before it came out: I’ll watch one episode a day while having dinner, haha.”
“After it came out: Dinner? I couldn’t even go to the bathroom and watched for eight hours straight.”
“For those who plan to watch ‘Killing Horn’, I recommend checking if you have enough time before pressing play.”
“Especially if you have a weak stamina like me (that’s you), just wait and watch it on the weekend.”
**미디어중독자 @dopaminlover**
“Ignore the tweet above and just watch it, guys.”
“The drama has been out for less than a day, and my timeline is already a spoiler minefield.”
“In this harsh SNS world, to avoid spoilers, you need to watch it now.”
**[Title: Who was the person who decided to release ‘Killing Horn’ on a Sunday evening?]**
“Come out and apologize.”
“Are you going to go to work for me on Monday? You jerk.”
―”What’s wrong? Why are you so worked up? Calm down.”
└”(You idiot) You haven’t watched the drama, have you?”
└”Seems like you haven’t watched it. If you had, you wouldn’t react like this.”
―”I stayed up all night and went to work today, and everyone, from the assistant manager to the team leader, looked dead tired, haha. Only the manager looked fine.”
└”(You idiot) But honestly, I don’t think it’s our fault. This is a storyline that you can’t stop watching halfway.”
└”Seriously, just watching the drama left me mentally exhausted.”
**[Title: What was the most memorable scene in ‘Killing Horn’ for you?]**
“For me, it was the scene where Kang Seok dies and Horn breaks down in tears!”
“Lee Yeon-jae’s acting was so good, it gave me goosebumps.”
―”Every scene is legendary. There are too many iconic scenes to pick just one.”
―”Lee Yeon-jae shouting ‘Hyung!’ >_<”
└”Haha, that scene is trending a lot on Shorts, lol.”
└”When I first saw this scene, it was just cute, but after watching the whole drama, I can’t watch it anymoreㅠㅠ It’s my tear button.”
―”Who would have thought Lee Jung-hyun would be so good at playing a villain?”
└”Exactly, haha. When I heard he was acting with Lee Yeon-jae, I thought it was going to be a sweet healing drama. What healing? The more I watched, the more my mental state crumbled.”
―”Lee Yeon-jae’s performance was on another level. It didn’t even feel like acting; it felt like they actually filmed with H.”
└”I hope the behind-the-scenes footage gets released soon. My immersion is so deep that it’s hard to go about my daily life.”
* * *
Before ‘Killing Horn’ was released, the production team anticipated that it would be moderately successful.
Their expectations were completely shattered.
―”‘Killing Horn’ reaches 100 million views within a day of release.”
―”K-drama fever sweeps the world, with rave reviews from foreign media.”
―”Number one in non-English categories → Number one overall globally. ‘Killing Horn’ continues to set new records.”
It was beyond a moderate hit; it was a mega-hit.
The initial response, which was already extraordinary, grew even more intense over time.
In less than five days, it ranked number one in the TV drama category in 29 countries, including Korea.
It was a kind of syndrome.
Everywhere people went, they talked about ‘Killing Horn’, and every person they met brought up the topic.
Of course, there was a lot of criticism as well.
―”But wasn’t it excessively violent? I think the direction went overboard.”
└”It’s rated R, so what’s the big deal, lol.”
└”Does the R rating even mean anything these days? Even elementary kids are watching it. They should consider that when making it.”
―”It could reinforce the stereotype among foreigners that all Korean dramas are violent.”
└”Why do you care about what foreigners think? So frustrating.”
Due to the nature of OTT dramas, which are easily accessible, the number of viewers continued to rise despite the R rating.
Another controversy arose due to the fact that the lead actor, Lee Yeon-jae, was only 16 years old.
Some argued that the subject matter was inappropriate for a minor to perform in, while others rebutted that such arguments disrespected child actors as professionals.
As the controversy grew, the production company released a statement saying, “Medical staff were always present on set to ensure the safety of the actors, and the actors’ conditions were constantly checked during filming.”
When behind-the-scenes footage of Lee Yeon-jae laughing and chatting during breaks was uploaded, the controversy died down.
The problem, however, was not in Korea but abroad.
Some scenes from ‘Killing Horn’ were shared on Shorts platforms, leading some foreign viewers to mistakenly think they were real videos.
Seeing a blood-drenched boy crying out led to incidents where people reported it as child abuse.
Foreign influencers familiar with K-culture quickly uploaded videos titled, “This is fiction, and the crying boy is a famous Korean actor,” expanding the reach of the drama even further.
“Oh my gosh. I can’t believe it’s a drama. The boy’s expression is so realistic!”
“Wow, is this the video that’s been trending on TikX lately?”
“One thing’s for sure, Korean dramas are sensational. And I absolutely love it XD.”
Once it was known that it was a drama, the narrative shifted.
Foreigners were particularly struck by Horn’s superpower to burst blood with a finger snap.
Contrary to the gory background of exploding blood, Horn’s playful smile was oddly captivating.
Even the “tick” sound that accompanied his finger snap was irresistibly charming.
In short, it was enough to grab people’s attention.
The first to move were TikX influencers.
They began creating videos by attaching balloons filled with red liquid to the ceiling and then popping them with a finger snap.
As soon as one person uploaded a video, similar ones followed in quick succession.
These videos, dubbed the “Killing Horn Challenge,” spread rapidly overseas.
Many people started buying food coloring to make the red liquid, and when that became scarce, they humorously resorted to using cranberry juice and tomato juice instead.
Many participated in the challenge, even if they didn’t fully understand why it was trending.
Within a few days, the challenge videos had spread to foreign celebrities.
When famous foreign celebrities, known even to Koreans, started participating in the challenge, it was the Korean viewers who were taken aback.
“Why do they like it so much…?”
As Koreans struggled to understand the foreigners’ enthusiasm, videos like the following started to emerge.
“—Korean drama that shocked the world?! Compilation of foreigners’ reactions to ‘Killing Horn.'”
“—America is currently obsessed with the OOO Challenge! An LA student shares their firsthand experience with the Hallyu wave.”
“—[Foreign Reactions] This is K-drama! American students shocked after watching ‘Killing Horn.'”
Yes. ‘Killing Horn’ had entered the “national pride” realm that no Korean could resist.
At the same time, NetXrix started aggressive marketing, which genuinely increased interest among foreign viewers.
Though the sensational challenge videos were the starting point, ‘Killing Horn’ was quite a good drama in its own right.
The unique tension and thrilling action scenes typical of Korean dramas also earned it high ratings.
As the drama gained popularity across America and Europe, interest in the cast naturally grew.
It was only natural that Lee Yeon-jae, who overwhelmed adult actors with his youthful face, would attract attention.
‘Blood boy.’
Lee Yeon-jae began to be known by the nickname Blood Boy.
And it was less than two weeks after ‘Killing Horn’ was released that the popular American TV talk show ‘Jim Fury Show’ invited Lee Yeon-jae.
* * *
“A talk show?”
One of my eyebrows raised at the unexpected words.
“Yes. It’s a famous American talk show hosted by comedian Jim Fury.”
Jin-bae hyung handed over a phone displaying a video.
“You could say it’s the most popular talk show in America. It has significant influence, and other Korean actors have also appeared on it.”
Aha.
‘It does look familiar.’
I nodded as I watched the rest of the video.
“They directly contacted CEO Jang.”
“Hmm, what did the CEO say?”
I had a rough idea of the answer but asked just in case.
Jin-bae hyung answered with a smile, as expected.
“He said it’s up to the actor.”
“…I think the CEO is getting weirder.”
What would they do if I said no?
I shook my head, and Jin-bae hyung patted my shoulder with a laugh.
“You’re doing so well, that’s why. We can’t pay to appear on such a famous talk show. You’re doing great without us doing anything, so the CEO probably decided to leave it to you.”
“I appreciate the trust, but… What do you think, hyung?”
“Me? I think it’s definitely a good idea. It’s a rare opportunity, and it’s even a solo appearance.”
“What?”
I blinked.
“They only invited me? What about Jung-hyun hyung and Seok-jun hyung?”
“They must be interested in actor Lee Yeon-jae rather than the cast of ‘Killing Horn.’”
Jin-bae hyung’s voice, full of pride, made me chuckle.
Why is he so happy? Cute.
‘A solo appearance, huh.’
It’s a bit burdensome.
Seeing my hesitation, Jin-bae hyung lowered his voice calmly.
“Do you not want to do it?”
“Hmm, it’s a live broadcast, right?”
“Yes. If you’re uncomfortable speaking in English, you can go with an interpreter.”
“That’s not really an issue.”
After all, I spoke English frequently with Han Ha-ram.
I’d been taking lessons consistently for over a year, so English wasn’t a barrier.
‘The issue is that it’s live.’
A 100% live broadcast where any mistake couldn’t be undone.
“I don’t know much about American culture, so I’m worried I might accidentally do something offensive.”
Jin-bae hyung nodded understandingly.
“It’s a valid concern. You don’t have to decide today, so think about it a bit more.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“But I think you’ll do well. I’m not worried.”
His soft, smiling eyes were full of trust.
I whispered back, smiling.
“Thanks for saying that. But I can’t help worrying.”
“Why?”
What do you mean why?
I unknowingly made an incredulous face.
“Of course, I’m worried. They’ll ask about the drama on the show.”
“So?”
I sighed, looking at Jin-bae hyung’s face, which still seemed confused.
“And I wouldn’t be able to answer. I haven’t watched the drama… no, I couldn’t watch it.”
“…Ah.”
Finally, Jin-bae hyung smiled awkwardly.
“That’s true… haha.”
“You never said I could watch it.”
“The drama is too violent for you.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he was met with a quick rebuttal.
The plan to gather at Jung-hyun hyung’s house to watch ‘Killing Horn’ was shattered by Jin-bae hyung, who had watched the drama first.
We had agreed on the condition that he would cover my eyes during violent scenes, but his verdict was, “It’s all too violent from start to finish.”
With Jin-bae hyung’s resolute face, even the tearful pleas of Jung-hyun hyung couldn’t change his mind, and he eventually gave up.
Thus, two weeks after the drama was released, I was still the actor who hadn’t seen the show.
…Officially.
‘I already watched it all with Mist.’
Having binge-watched from episode 1 to 8 with Mist as soon as the drama was released, I felt a pang of guilt.
Especially seeing his determined face, swearing to protect me.
‘This won’t do.’
I needed to change the subject.
“Let’s finish today’s schedule first.”
“Alright. We’ll head to the studio.”
Jin-bae hyung took the wheel.
When we arrived at the studio, a familiar figure, In-yeong, ran up.
I picked up the kid, who jumped into my arms without hesitation, and he giggled, whispering secretly in my ear.
“Hello, Yeon-jae.”
Today was the day for a photo shoot with Han Ha-ram.